Seven King's Mountain

The Seven Kings' Mountain was an imposing sight—a series of seven mountains connected in a half-circle. This cursed land was home to countless monsters and demons.

It wasn't the sheer number of dangerous creatures that made this place so feared. No, the true horror lay in the rulers of these mountains—seven powerful demons who each claimed dominion over their respective peaks. These weren't just ordinary demons; they were mid- and high-class beings of immense power, each residing in castles that loomed ominously atop their mountains like dark crowns.

To outsiders, it might seem as though these seven rulers were independent, managing their territories without interference. But the reality was far more sinister. In the center of the half-circle stood the fourth mountain, the heart of this dread domain. She was the true sovereign, the one who held dominion over all seven mountains.

Trynne Transylvania, a vampire queen of chilling beauty. Despite her title as the fourth ruler, the other six kings were merely her pawns, their loyalty bound to her by power and fear. Trynne's influence extended beyond her mountain, weaving a web of control that stretched a little bit in across the entire region.

Her bloodline was renowned among vampires, known as the Transylvania Bloodline. Though not as exalted as the Progenitor Bloodline of Lortell Mariette, which was considered the strongest and most royal among vampires, the Transylvania Bloodline was still a noble lineage. It was the third strongest, granting Trynne significant influence and command over a formidable vampire force.

Lortell Mariette's bloodline could outshine Trynne's in strength and prestige, but Trynne's was clearly not someone to be underestimated.

Colac Village was the closest settlement to the infamous Seven Kings' Mountain. Its proximity to Trynne Transylvania's domain meant it lived under her shadow—both figuratively and literally.

The rules imposed on the villagers were cruel and inescapable. No one was allowed to leave the village, no matter the reason. Every woman was required to bear at least four children, ensuring a steady supply of humans for Trynne's purposes. Outsiders were permitted to enter and live in Colac Village if they dared, but their safety was far from guaranteed.

Trynne's whims were law. Whenever she needed humans to turn into vampires, experiment on, or use as ingredients for refining essence stones, she took whomever she pleased. It didn't matter if it was a crying child or a promising young adult; none were spared from her cold, unfeeling grasp.

Yet, despite years of such terror, one might wonder: did the Anastasia Kingdom truly not know about this horror?

Of course, they knew. The kingdom's highest authorities were well aware of Trynne's reign of terror. But they chose silence over action. A direct confrontation with Trynne and her forces, even with the mighty Lortell Mariette on their side, would result in devastating losses. Victory was certain, but the price would be immeasurable. Too many lives would be lost, and the kingdom itself face many losses. Sacrificing one medium-sized village, no matter how heartless, was the "practical" choice.

It was a silent agreement between the kingdom and Trynne—an unspoken truce to avoid total war.

But now, something had changed in Colac Village.

For the first time in years, the air was lighter, and the despair that once clung to the villagers had lifted. Laughter filled the streets, and a cautious joy spread among the people. Why?

Because for over two months, Trynne hadn't come. She hadn't taken anyone, not a single child, mother, or young man. The usual dread of her arrival was replaced by tentative hope.

The villagers didn't know why she hadn't appeared, and frankly, they didn't care. For the first time in their lives, they could breathe without fear.

Happiness was a fragile thing in Colac Village, and though it might be fleeting, they clung to it with all their might.

Suddenly, two glowing teleportation gates appeared in the middle of the village square. They stood about one and a half meters tall, crackling with an blurry energy. From each gate stepped a girl. No doubt, the figures emerging were none other than Esdeath and Maruti.

As soon as they exited, the essence stone that had powered the gates closed back into its Rubik's cube shape, floating gently back into Esdeath's hand.

Maruti's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she glanced around the village. The wooden houses, dirt roads, and ancient structures gave the place a distinctly old-world charm. She let out a small laugh.

"It looks like we're back in the 16th century!" she remarked, clearly amused by the primitive surroundings.

Esdeath, however, wasn't in the mood for jokes. She shot Maruti a sharp glare.

"Stop wasting time. We're already late, thanks to your identity issues!" she snapped, her voice cold and impatient.

For the villagers, this was an unsettling and awkward moment. The two girls had teleported right into the heart of their village, an act so strange, it left them frozen in shock. Dozens of villagers stood around, staring at them like they'd just seen something like alien.

Esdeath, ever aware of her surroundings, noticed the gazes but paid no attention to them. She didn't care about the villagers or their thoughts. All she needed was a place to teleport safely. If she had told the shopkeeper earlier that her destination was the Seven Kings' Mountain, they would never have allowed it. This village was merely a stepping stone, nothing more.

But a young man, likely in his twenties, stepped forward from the crowd. His clothes were plain, but there was a hint of arrogance in his posture. In his hand, he carried a spear, though he held it upside down, more for show than actual use. He was an Awakened, but being born in this village had limited his opportunities. He hadn't even managed to acquire a proper essence stone, yet his status as an Awakened made him act as though he ruled the place.

"Hey, you two! Where did you come from? And why are you here? Answer me now!" he demanded, his tone loud and filled with false bravado as he stepped closer.

Esdeath didn't even spare him a glance. She simply began walking forward, her expression cold and indifferent. Her lack of reaction was more insulting than any words could have been. The villagers watching couldn't help but chuckle nervously at the sight. The man's self-important stance was completely ignored, leaving him looking like a fool.

His face turned red with anger as he clenched his fists.

"You! Don't ignore me! Do you even know who I am? I'm Ma—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Esdeath cut him off with a sharp, icy voice.

"Stop whining."

BANG!...

In the blink of an eye, she struck him in the forehead. The force of the blow sent him crashing to the ground, blood pooling around his lifeless body. The villagers gasped in horror, their fear paralyzing them for a moment before the realization set in.

"He… he's dead!" someone screamed, breaking the tense silence.

Panic erupted instantly. Villagers scattered in every direction, running for their lives. It didn't matter that the two girls looked human; their actions made it clear they were far more dangerous than any demons lurking in the mountains.

Esdeath glanced briefly at the chaos she'd caused but didn't spare it a second thought.

Esdeath manipulated the ZK-20, The object shimmered, transforming back into its liquid form with an almost mesmerizing fluidity. The substance glided smoothly into her body, vanishing without a trace. With that done, Esdeath gave Maruti a brief glance and began walking out of the village, her footsteps calm and deliberate.

Maruti quickly fell into step beside her, her expression a mix of curiosity and unease.

"You just killed someone out here in the open. Isn't that going to cause trouble?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Esdeath turned to her, a small smile playing on her lips, though her eyes remained sharp and calculating.

"Nope," she replied with unsettling confidence. "First of all, he wasn't an academy student or a noble. And, more importantly, he was just a member of this village—an isolated place the kingdom doesn't control. Nothing's going to happen, even if I kill the whole village."

Maruti stared at her for a moment, processing her words, before shaking her head with a sigh. There was no arguing with Esdeath's logic—twisted as it might be.

With that, the two of them departed, heading toward the Seven Kings' Mountain.

The mountain was already visible in the distance, its towering presence dominating the horizon. It wasn't a massive peak that reached the skies, but it was a little big than a small hill.

As they walked, the mountain grew closer, revealing more of its rugged slopes. From this vantage point, Esdeath could already tell that it was tall enough to offer a clear view of the village they had just left behind.

Maruti, meanwhile, seemed to have no intention of staying quiet. She twirled as she walked, humming a cheerful tune that quickly turned into a song.

"Me and the devil~

Walking side by side~

Me and the devil~"

She spun on her shoes, adding a little dance to her steps as she sang.

"Stop calling me a devil!" Esdeath snapped, her voice laced with annoyance.

"Huh? I didn't even include your name!" Maruti shot back with a playful grin, her tone mocking.

Esdeath sighed, realizing there was no point in arguing with her. Maruti always had a way of twisting words, and Esdeath knew better than to waste her energy on such trivialities. Instead, she turned her attention to the scenery ahead.

"Finally, after so much trouble, we're here," she said, a rare smile gracing her lips. For once, it wasn't her usual smirk of confidence but a genuine expression of accomplishment, as though she'd just overcome a great hurdle.

In front of them stood the Seven Kings' Mountain—a series of seven peaks connected like siblings standing shoulder to shoulder. Each mountain had a grand castle perched atop it, their silhouettes stark against the sky. But it was the castle on the central peak that truly stood out. It was the tallest of them all, its spires reaching higher than the others, exuding an aura of dominance and majesty.

Maruti whistled softly, her eyes widening as she took in the sight.

"Wow… they really went all out with the architecture, huh?"

Esdeath's lips curled into a daring grin. "Is that so? How about we go a little deeper inside?" she challenged, her voice carrying an edge of excitement. Without waiting for Maruti's response, she started moving forward, her boots crunching against the uneven ground at the mountain's base.

Maruti followed hesitantly, glancing around at the serene landscape one last time before reluctantly keeping pace.

They had barely walked a hundred steps when an inexplicable sensation washed over them. It felt as if they had passed through an invisible wall—a momentary shift that sent a strange tingle up their spines.

Maruti instinctively halted, her eyes darting around. "Did you feel that?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Esdeath didn't reply immediately, her sharp gaze fixed on the path ahead. Something was wrong.

The vibrant scenery they had admired moments ago—the lush green trees, the breathtaking mountains, and the majestic castles perched high above—had vanished. In its place was a scene straight out of a nightmare.

The once-thriving forest was now a graveyard of charred trees, their branches skeletal and lifeless. Many trees were completely bare, stripped of leaves, while others were consumed by flames that burned endlessly. Thick mud covered the ground, and scorched earth stretched as far as the eye could see. Even the air was thick and heavy, carrying the acrid stench of smoke and ash.

The ground was riddled with massive craters, clear signs of a fierce battle. The once-pristine mountainside now bore scars of destruction on an unimaginable scale.

But the most unsettling sight lay further up the mountain.

All six of the seven castles that had once stood proudly atop the peaks were now in ruins. They had been reduced to nothing more than shattered remains—walls crumbled into rubble, towers split in half, and debris scattered everywhere.

Only the central castle, the tallest and grandest of them all, still stood. But even it had not been spared. Its structure was battered, with massive sections of its walls collapsed and its spires broken. What had once been a symbol of majesty now loomed like a ghostly monument to despair.

The silence was deafening. There were no animals, no beasts, no monsters, no demons—nothing that indicated life. Even the cheerful chirping of birds had been swallowed by the eerie quiet.

The only sounds were the crackling of flames and the faint whistle of a chilling wind that seemed to seep into their bones.

"What the hell happened here? This place is even bigger chaos than the Vanara Tribe…" Maruti gasped.