NOVPUB"How?" Serena asked, looking at him, unsure of what to say. As a healer back in her village, she knew that most poisonous or venomous creatures had immunity to their own poison. Yet, Asher had made one die from its own toxins.
"Hmm, it's not that hard if you know enough about them," Asher said. "These venomous or poisonous creatures have a protective inner layer that saves them from their own toxins. Once you pierce through it, their own poison can kill them. It's as simple as that."
Serena nodded slowly, processing his explanation.
Serena let out a breath, still amazed by the way Asher had handled the creature. "Simple, huh?" she muttered. "You make it sound easy, but I doubt anyone elseuld pull that off so effortlessly."
Asher smirked. "Well, that's what makes me special." He turned his gaze back to the massiverpse of the Black Water King. "Now, let's get what we came for."
Approaching the beast's remains, Asher carefully extracted the item they needed—a dark, pulsatingre from deep within its chest. The moment he touched it, a strange energy surged through his body, sending a tingling sensation through his veins.
Serena stepped closer. "Is that… the key to the War God's trial?"
"Looks like it." Asher examined there, watching as faint runes flickered across its surface. "This thingntains some serious power. I can feel it trying to resonate with me."
Serena frowned. "You should be careful. If it's reacting to you, it might mean the trial has already started."
Asher grinned, unfazed. "Good. That means we're on the right track."
With the Black Water King defeated and the first key in hand, they prepared to move forward—toward the next step of the War God's trial.
The next target was another King, this one residing in the western zone. Each King occupied a specific territory—just as the Black Water King had ruled the northern zone, the western zone belonged to the King of Illusory Death, the Deathfly.
Basically, it was a monstrous beast thatuld release a toxic dust capable of trapping its victims in an endless dream. While they remained helpless in their induced slumber, the Deathfly would slowly devour them, feeding on both their body and soul.
Asher studied the map Genevieve had given him, pinpointing the location of the Deathfly's lair. "So, this thing feeds off people's dreams? Sounds like a pain to deal with."
Serena crossed her arms. "It's worse than that. The poison it releases doesn't just put you to sleep—it traps you in a nightmare. The more you struggle, the deeper you fall into the illusion. Eventually, you lose yourselfmpletely."
Asher smirked. "A tricky ability, but not unbeatable. I just have to make sure it never gets the chance to use it on me."
Serena sighed. "Easier said than done. The Deathfly's dust spreads over a huge area. Even if you don't breathe it in, it can seep into your skin and paralyze you."
"Then I'll just have to kill it before it can use its poison," Asher saidnfidently.
Serena shot him a skeptical look. "You really think you can kill something before it even has a chance to act?"
Asher's grin widened. "I don't think—I know."
With that, the two of them set off toward the western zone, ready to hunt down their next target.
As they moved westward, the environment around them began to shift. The air grew thick with a strange, shimmering haze, and the landscape took on an eerie, distorted appearance. Trees twisted in unnatural ways, their shadows stretching and moving as if alive. The very ground beneath them seemed to shift slightly with each step, creating the unsettling sensation of walking through a dream.
Serena narrowed her eyes. "We're already in its domain," she whispered. "The Deathfly's illusion has started."
Asher cracked his knuckles. "Good. Saves us the trouble of searching for it."
Serena sighed. "You're way toonfident."
Then, without warning, a sharp, high-pitched hum filled the air. The sound was disorienting, vibrating through their skulls like an echoing scream. Serena winced, clutching her head, while Asher simply tilted his head as if analyzing the sound.
"That must be its hunting call," Serena said through gritted teeth. "It's already starting the illusion."
Asher exhaled, his breath visible even in the warm air. "I see. It's not just the dust—it's the sound, too. This thing really likes trapping its prey, huh?"
Serena's vision blurred for a moment. The world around them rippled,lors distorting as if the air itself were made of liquid. Then, out of the shifting haze, massive, moth-like wings emerged.
The King of Illusory Death revealed itself—a monstrous, nightmarish fusion of a butterfly and arpse. Its translucent wings radiated a hypnotic glow, pulsating in a slow, steady rhythm, as if lulling the world to sleep. Its skeletal body, wrapped in ghostly tendrils, hovered just above them, its empty eyes fixated on its next meal.
Serena's knees wobbled. "It's trying to pull us in. If we fall asleep now, we're done."
Asher smirked. "Then I just won't fall asleep." 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
With a snap of his fingers, a thin layer of blood mist erupted around him, shielding his skin from the airborne toxins. His Sanguine Supreme ability worked in overdrive, filtering out every trace of foreign substance that tried to invade his system.
"Serena, get behind me," he ordered. "I'll keep you awake."
She hesitated, but as the Deathfly's glow intensified, sheuld feel her body growing sluggish. She nodded quickly and tookver behind Asher.
The Deathfly let out another shrill cry, its wings releasing a fresh burst of shimmering dust. The illusion intensified.
Suddenly, the sky cracked open, revealing a horrifying scene—a graveyard ofrpses, each one a perfectpy of Asher and Serena, lifeless and rotting.
Serena's breath hitched. "This... this isn't real..."
But before sheuld say anything else, therpses began to move.
One of them—an exact replica of Asher—lifted its head, its hollow eyes staring directly at them. Then, in a hauntingly familiar voice, it spoke:
"You can't win."
Serena froze. The illusion was starting tonsume them.
Asher, however, only chuckled. Then, he lunged.
His blood ignited like wildfire, forming crimson blades around his hands as he charged directly at the Deathfly. "Nice trick," he said, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Let's see if you can keep up."
