Kaizel Emel Asteria(11)

Hot . It was too hot. It was sea of fire around.A red sea of fire.

Everywhere were broken stumps of flesh and bones, littered corpses of humans and beasts alike. The tattered armors dipped in blood telling the horrendous scene played on this land before.

In the middle of all this was a young man . Standing upright, his whole temperament so clean and serene that it didn't fit well with this hell like scene. If only one could ignore those eyes.

His iris red , just as the blood around him. He dragged a thin longsword holding in one hand, tip of the sword making a screeching metal sound on the ground while being dragged. Extending some sparks too .

He stood in front of a man who was held by his shoulders, on his knees, by two people on both sides.

The man clenched his teeth, intense hatred showing in his eyes when he looked at the approching young man defyingly .

" Devil" ,he spat," You are nothing but a cursed devil" ,he laughed" Just like them " .

He laughed loudly as if he found his own words amusing . Blood trickling down his chin , seeping to his clothes.

The young man smiled , giving a strong sense of disobidience .

His red eyes glowed . He brought his hand in front of him , looked at his tender and young hands curiously. Clenched it hard. A bone crackling sound entered his ears.

perhaps he found this sensation new, he laughed. looking at everything around as if it had nothing to do with him .

...

'"Hufff...huff....huff"

Kai woke up breathing heavily. The dream just now was too much for him . He felt his heart beating like a drum as if it would pop out of his chest next moment .

Drinking a glass of water he calmed down .

' System ! It was too real . Can you tell me what that was' .

[Congratulations Host!You are currently changing your predetermined destiny continuously.That was the scene of the original life hist would have lived without system intervention]

The answer didn't calmed down Kai the least bit. It made him more anxious.

The scene was true.

He became a monster.

He killed his people.

His eyes....yes eyes.

Kai was in daze the whole day next. He felt like a soulless puppet, making everyone worried.

As he was sitting in private training grounds of palace,venting all the negative energy accumulated in his heart, he abruptly stood up.

He hadn't noticed before. His eyes.

Why were his golden eyes Red in that dream.Why did he wanted to stop that person rather than feeling guilt of what he did.

As he asked the system , he was surprised but not so surprised at the same time. The system told him to find the answers on his own.

....

" We strayed too far "

" We can't go back now "

" Damn! you told us it was just going a little deeper ,leader , but we can't find a way out so far "

" Shut up Dean ! let's go that direction first."

A group of men seems to have lost thier way while hunting in the woods.

Apart from system , no one 'saw' how they walked inside the slowly disappearing transparent wall.

.. ...

[Host,The shielding effect of paalce has ended.]

The system told Kai plainly.

If it was before, Kai would just wait and deal with the situation as he pleases.

But he can't be that casual now. He need to take lives of his people seriously.

He was far from being a good lord.

He never knew anything more than what was told. Now the dream he had gave him a different perspective.

To see he ,who became a monster . He doesn't want that.

He does not wish to see such river of blood flowing in the land he put all his energy into .

He made a decision that he normally would never had made.

He walked out of palace , called his knights and gaurds , rode the beasts and set out to his destination.

.....

It had been a month since the Shield of Duchy was removed. The whole land ushered in a gloomy atmosphere .Everyone was worried about what would happen next.

The duchy was surrounded by the army or Azure. The worst thing was that no one knew where thier lord was.

...

Crossing the border of Asteria, Kai and others reached thier destination .

A masoleum.

A masoleum of the last King of Asteria.

Walking on foot , probing around the stone walls of the masoleum , Kai was looking for something. When his hand finally reached an uneven brick on the wall.

The stone wall parted and a narrow dusty staircase of stone stairs revealed itself.

He glanced sideways. Didn't pay any mind and descended downwards.

...

In the middle of the hall was an altar with an unknown sysbol carved on in . Kai slashed his palm and put his palm down forcefully in the middle of the altar.

The surroundings changed. The altar disintegrated and and intense glow appeared in the middle where a new altar was emerging from the ground.

On the altar was a fist size gemstone in scarlet . Intense pressure emerged from it , ordinary people might just kneel down to it .

He didn't rush to pick up the 'treasure' the ancestors demanded.

He always thought the Asteria family was obsessed with purity of thier bloodline due to their final pride.But he found out, It was to sacrifice to this altar.

He doubted everything again. What more was hidden ?

He needed answers.

And the person he chose for his answers just happen to arrive.

" You should have sent a messenger already , we could have a pleasant chat with a cup of tea " , he said without turning his face while wrapping his palm with a cloth ,"Your Majesty", he said smilingly and gently to the footsteps that sounded behind him .

" You really do surprise me again Asteria Boy", Leon said coldly to the boy in front , confident, carefree, but with a sense of danger that is hidden behind the gentle mask.

No matter how one looks at it . There was no way a naive young man could achieve what this boy achieved in merely three years. From isolating the whole duchy from prying eyes to turning into such paradise it currently is . Even he felt it pity to shed blood on such land where you could see all smiles and beauty of nature.

" That old man really is clever . Using his own descendants as sacrificial key . Wasn't he afraid you would die before you could let the altar get your blood . "

" You jest Your Majesty, I ,too think my ancestors were quite unsatisfactory , ah~ the ones in previous few generations were really the worst of the worst , truly a waste of such noble blood" , Kai smirked and said.

" Tch. You would make your ancestors cry . "

" Why don't you pick up the treasure you went to great lengths for , Young Duke " ,Leon asked.

" Even His Majesty isn't in rush to grab the treasure everyone fought so hard for , Why should I be in rush then , Your majesty"

This time it was Leon who was quiet. This boy was too smart.

Suddenly Kai turned towards him and sopke in a serious voice.

" What is this treasure your Majesty? Why do you seem to hate it rather than be greedy to obtain it ? ....."

" No one told me these things , I had no choice but to seek answers from you , Your Majesty"

The atmosphere turned heavy.

" Why should I answer you? " Leon said.

" My Duchy . Everything I built will belong to Azure, this time ....

With no resistance , "He looked staright into his eyes.