"So, can you tell what's going on now?" Ben asked, eyes fixed on the man seated across from him.
They were inside a sealed, moving carriage, its interior dim, silent except for the soft hum of magic beneath their feet. Ben had tried asking earlier, but the Nephirid escort insisted they leave imdiately if he truly wanted to help.
"Honestly," the man replied, "I don't know much detail. What I can tell you is this, the civil war just ended. Things are still a ss. And the one who wants to et you… isn't Prince Zeratul."
"Not Zeratul?" Ben's brows furrowed. "Then who? Sothing happen to him?"
The man's gaze sharpened. He fell silent for a beat, then finally answered, "You'll find out soon enough. The one requesting your presence… is the Queen."
'The Queen?' Ben's thoughts whirled. 'Is this connected to the civil war?'
As the ride continued, the fragnts began falling into place. Just as Zeratul once warned, several princes had attempted to seize control by getting help from the daemon's. Hungry for power, ambitious like their father, they triggered chaos on an unimaginable scale.
What started as political maneuvering soon erupted into full-blown war. Cities burned, loyalties fractured, and order collapsed.
The Nephirid King, remained detached. Whether he didn't know or didn't care, it made little difference. The servants moved around the truth, but Ben could read between the lines.
Ti passed in silence until the carriage finally slowed to a halt. "Wait here," the man said curtly, stepping out.
"We're already at the border?" Ben muttered, glancing around. There're no windows. The interior was completely sealed, enclosed in layers of magic. But even without sight, he could feel it.
A dense formation wrapped around the carriage, one designed to suppress magical sensing, isolate vibrations, and scramble aether signatures. His awareness was muffled to a crawl.
'He's reporting to soone now. Let's see… 10… 15… 36 people nearby. Quite the security detail. This many people, while Elvira and I couldn't detect anything before…' Ben sighed.
If not for the suppressive enchantnts, he would've already released his Krell ants to scout the surroundings and mark infiltration routes for the future.
Monts later, the Nephirid returned, this ti with a sour expression. Thе lаtеst сhаptеrs аrе аlwаys аvаilаblе first оn
Ben tilted his head. "Sothing wrong?"
"Not your concern," the man snapped.
Seeing he didn't want to talk, Ben let it go. The cause wasn't hard to guess.
As a Nephirid, dealing with royal affairs, especially those involving entitled elites, was always a chore. And from what Ben could sense, the guards posted outside weren't Nephirid. Likely fire temple personnel, puffed up with arrogance and bloated egos. No wonder the man looked annoyed.
'It makes appreciate the veterans back in Vlontera. Prideful, sure, but still leagues better than this.'
Suddenly, the carriage vibrate, interrupting his thoughts. Ben instantly felt the spatial fold engage, an unmistakable ripple of space manipulation. "We're here," the man said.
The door swung open, revealing a familiar scene, one that stirred echoes of the Nephirid capital. The architecture, the atmosphere, even the scent of the aether-infused air, all of it mirrored the design of their holand.
Before Ben now stood a grand castle adorned with intricate carvings, its surface pristine and unmarred by war. It looked untouched. As if the civil war had never reached this place.
Standing before the gate was a sharply dressed man in a dark suit. With a single glance, Ben recognized him as Velmorian. "You've done well, Rozark. I'll take it from here," the man said.
Rozark gave a silent nod and stepped back as the Velmorian approached Ben, offering a respectful gesture. "We've been expecting you, Sir T'zarek. The Queen has heard much about your exploits."
"My exploits?" Ben raised an eyebrow, grinning. "You'll have to be more specific, I've got quite a few."
The Velmorian offered a faint smile and motioned for him to follow.
They entered the castle. Despite its enormous scale, the halls were nearly silent. No guards. Just polished floors, gilded columns, and the quiet hum of latent enchantnts.
But Ben didn't drop his guard. The mont he stepped inside, a strange sensation crept over him. The castle was immaculate, beautiful, but it gave off a subtle pressure.
A presence. Sothing that reminded him of the ti he spent inside the belly of the hell worm.
Eventually, they reached a long hallway ending in a solitary door. "Please enter," the Velmorian said, stopping. "I'll remain here."
Ben nodded and stepped inside. The room was modest compared to the rest of the castle.
At its center, seated behind a desk piled with papers, was a Nephirid woman. She didn't look up at first, still scribbling signatures and marking docunts with swift efficiency.
She was striking, elegant, commanding. There were no scars on her face, but her features carried the unmistakable sharpness of a warrior.
Ben took a seat without a word, his posture relaxed but his senses sharp. He patiently observed the woman before him and the surrounding room, noting the fine details, the subtle enchantnts woven into the walls.
The queen remained focused on her work, flipping through docunts and signing them with swift strokes. It was clear she wasn't in any hurry.
Five minutes passed in silence. Then, finally, she looked up and t his gaze. Her voice carried authority, laced with restrained curiosity. "So you're T'zarek… I see the rumors didn't do you justice. You're stronger than what I heard."
Ben smiled, unfazed by her delayed greeting or subtle provocation. But just because he wasn't offended didn't an he would play along. "Let's not waste ti," he replied calmly. "Why did you call here? And let be clear, I won't lift a finger unless I get sothing in return."
The queen's eyes narrowed. The warmth drained from her gaze as a heavy pressure radiated from her body, washing over the room like a rising tide.
Ben's expression hardened. The pressure is no joke, it's almost on teh sa level with Apophis.
In response, he released his own aura. The room shuddered under the weight of their clash.
Energy crackled in the air. Cracks ford along the marble floor and spiderwebbed across the walls, the enchantnts groaning under the strain.
Still, the queen didn't back down. Her gaze widened slightly in surprise as she pushed harder.
"To think… a human, down here at this depth," she murmured, voice sharp with disbelief.
Ben's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?" he shot back, neither confirming nor denying, his power rising to et hers.
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