Ghelgath's Return

"Ha ah ah ah....."

A ghastly laugh reverberated through the halls of the Grey family estate. Of course, the person laughing was none other than Edwin Grey. Before him lay Arnold's unconscious body, continuously emitting an eerie blue aura that seemed to pulsate with dark energy.

"Hmm, it's amazing how he can still emit such an aura in the state he is in. I shouldn't expect less from a Dragon Lord, after all," Edwin mused, a sinister smile creeping across his face. He ran his fingers through the tendrils of the aura, feeling the raw power emanating from Arnold. Soon, this power would be his, and then he would be unstoppable.

His thoughts drifted to the recent events and the role of Branson. "Hmm, I still wonder what they needed Branson for. Did he have something to do with the vessel?" Edwin pondered aloud, his voice echoing through the empty hall. "No, I doubt that. Maybe he was used as a sacrifice during the ritual. It's not like I care anyway. I have what I wanted at last."

Edwin's eyes gleamed with malice as he uttered another maniacal laugh. The sound bounced off the walls, amplifying his twisted delight. He stepped closer to Arnold, his eyes fixed on the inert form that would soon grant him unparalleled power. The thought of absorbing the Dragon Lord's essence filled him with a heady mix of anticipation and arrogance.

"With your power, Arnold, I will transcend all limits. No one will be able to stand against me," Edwin whispered, his voice dripping with venom. He relished the image of his enemies kneeling before him, powerless and broken.

As he continued to revel in his dark fantasies, a sudden movement caught his attention. The blue aura around Arnold flickered, intensifying for a brief moment before settling back to its steady glow. Edwin's grin widened.

"It won't be long now," he murmured. "Soon, I will command the power of a Dragon Lord, and all will bow to me."

The grand hall, adorned with ancient tapestries and towering statues, seemed to close in around him as he basked in his triumph. The echoes of his laughter faded into the distance, leaving a chilling silence in their wake. Edwin's thoughts turned to the obstacles that lay ahead, but with the power he was about to wield, they seemed insignificant.

With one last glance at Arnold's body, Edwin turned and strode out of the hall, his mind racing with plans for his impending reign of terror. The future was his for the taking, and nothing would stand in his way.

"It's time..." He whispered. Yes, the moment has arrived. For a moment, Edwin's thoughts turned to the obstacles that came with absorbing the power, but his greed deemed the obstacle insignificant. Edwin's body started changing form. His body took a green, liquidized slimy form, and the slimes began to latch onto Arnold's body, covering him from his head to his toe.

"It's time..." he whispered, the words barely escaping his lips. Yes, the moment had finally arrived.

For a brief moment, Edwin's thoughts turned to the obstacles that came with absorbing the Dragon Lord's power. He knew the process would be fraught with danger and challenges, but his insatiable greed deemed these obstacles insignificant. He had come too far to be deterred now.

Taking a deep breath, Edwin began the ritual. His body started to change, morphing into a green, liquidized, slimy form. The transformation was both absurd and yet mesmerizing, his human features dissolving into a mass of pulsating, writhing slime. This was the essence of his true power, the form that allowed him to merge with and absorb the abilities of others.

The slime, now fully animate, began to latch onto Arnold's body. It spread across his skin, covering him from head to toe in a thick layer. The eerie blue aura surrounding Arnold pulsed more intensely as Edwin's slime enveloped him, the two energies intertwining in a dance of dark magic.

As the slime enveloped Arnold completely, Edwin felt the Dragon Lord's power seeping into him. It was a heady rush, an intoxicating blend of strength and raw energy that threatened to overwhelm him. But Edwin was prepared. He had trained for this moment, honing his willpower to ensure he could control the power once he absorbed it.

Suddenly, he found himself in a vast void of endless space. He turned around to observe his surroundings, half-expecting this disorienting shift. This was the process where Ghelgath's soul essence would challenge him. If he lost the fight, Ghelgath would take control of his body; if he won, he would gain the Dragon Lord's formidable powers.

"You're here..."

Edwin turned toward the voice and saw Ghelgath. The dragon lord walked with an elegant, almost regal air, as if he had been expecting Edwin.

"I promised you we'd meet again, didn't I?" Edwin said, a murderous grin flashing across his face. Their last encounter had ended in Edwin's defeat, but this time he was prepared.

"Yes, I remember, and I've long waited for our meeting," Ghelgath responded calmly.

"You act too calm for someone who got defeated by a mere rank X human," Edwin mocked, his voice dripping with scorn.

"Really? I didn't know Slime Lord Lukas was a rank X mage," Ghelgath replied sarcastically, his tone hinting at something deeper.

"Uh? Wha... What do you mean, Slime Lord Lukas?" Edwin asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh... It seems you don't even know that your brother is also in this world," Ghelgath said.

"What?!!! That's a lie, I... I... I don't believe that!" Edwin yelled, his voice cracking with disbelief.

"Oh... Really? So you think I can be defeated by a rank X mage, huh? If that's what you think, then why do you need my power?" Ghelgath asked.

"Impossible!" Edwin thought to himself. He couldn't deny the fact that there was no way a rank X mage could defeat Ghelgath, but he couldn't accept the possibility that his brother was in this world. He had always feared his brother's power and obeyed him without complaint. When he heard his brother had died or disappeared, he had been excited by the news.

"On the brink of my defeat, I thought to myself, just how powerful will I be if I have both the powers of a slime and a dragon," Ghelgath said, his voice echoing in the void. "Though I'd have considered your brother's power but I can't clearly remember his new face since he's now a human"

"You fool! You must think I'm easy to deceive!" Edwin shouted. A large shield morphed and emerged from his back, protecting his head from ice spikes that rained down suddenly.

"Trying to pull a sneak attack won't work on me!" Edwin yelled as he dashed toward Ghelgath, his body glowing with the absorbed power. He moved with the speed and ferocity of a predator, every muscle coiled with anticipation.

Ghelgath smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You think you can beat me in my own realm, Edwin? You are even more delusional than I thought."

Edwin's shield deflected another barrage of ice spikes, and he closed the distance between them. His hand morphed into a sharp blade, aiming straight for Ghelgath's heart. "I'll show you just how wrong you are!" he snarled.

Ghelgath sidestepped with grace, his movements fluid and precise. "You forget, Edwin, this is not just a battle of strength. It is a battle of will," he said, summoning a storm of ice and fire around them. The elements clashed violently, creating a chaotic vortex that threatened to tear apart the void itself.

Edwin gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with determination. "I've come too far to lose now!" he roared, his body glowing brighter as he tapped deeper into the Dragon Lord's power. He thrust his blade forward, piercing through the storm toward Ghelgath.

The Dragon Lord's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. "Impressive, Edwin. But not enough," he said, his voice a whisper.

With a swift, fluid motion, Ghelgath's form shimmered and split into multiple copies, each one a perfect replica. They surrounded Edwin, their eyes glowing with an eerie light.

"Let's see how you handle this," the copies said in unison, their voices blending into a haunting chorus.

Edwin's eyes darted around, trying to discern the real Ghelgath. "Cheap tricks won't save you!" he shouted, swinging his blade wildly at the nearest copy. The blade passed through it harmlessly, the copy dissipating into mist.

"Focus, Edwin. Use the power you crave so desperately," one of the remaining copies taunted.

Edwin's frustration boiled over, but he forced himself to calm down. He closed his eyes, tapping into the Dragon Lord's power, letting it guide him. The blue aura around him intensified, and he could feel the presence of the real Ghelgath.

"There!" he shouted, lunging toward the true Ghelgath with renewed vigor. His blade struck true, piercing Ghelgath's chest. The other copies vanished instantly, leaving only the two of them in the void.

Ghelgath gasped, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "Well done, Edwin... you truly are... formidable," he said, his voice weakening.

Edwin twisted the blade, his eyes filled with triumph. "This power is mine now," he growled, pulling the blade out and letting Ghelgath's body fall to the ground.

The void around them began to dissolve, and Edwin felt the full weight of the Dragon Lord's power settling within him. He stood tall, his new form radiating with an unstoppable energy. He had won.

"Now," he said, his voice echoing with newfound authority, "I am truly unstoppable."

Ghelgath's form, now collapsed on the ground, began to shimmer and fade. Edwin's victorious grin was short-lived as a sudden, cold realization washed over him. The fallen form of Ghelgath began to dissolve, not into nothingness, but into a swirling mist that reconstituted itself before his eyes.

"You... you were just a distraction!" Edwin gasped, stumbling backward.

The mist coalesced into Ghelgath once more, his eyes blazing with an otherworldly light. "Did you really think it would be that easy, Edwin? The true power of a Dragon Lord cannot be claimed by a mere slime," he said, his voice resonating with ancient authority.

Edwin's newfound confidence wavered as he watched Ghelgath rise, his form more imposing than ever. "I... I defeated you!" Edwin stammered, his voice losing its edge.

"You faced a fragment of my essence," Ghelgath corrected, "but the true battle is only just beginning."

With a roar, Ghelgath unleashed a torrent of energy, the force of it knocking Edwin off his feet. The void around them solidified into a battleground of swirling ice and fire, each element vying for dominance.

Edwin scrambled to his feet, summoning all the power he had absorbed, but he could feel it slipping through his grasp. The blue aura that had once surrounded him began to flicker and fade. "No! This power is mine!" he screamed, desperation creeping into his voice.

Ghelgath advanced, his eyes locked onto Edwin's. "You sought power without understanding its cost," he said, his voice like a thunderclap. "Now, you will pay the price."

With a final, devastating blow, Ghelgath's essence surged forward, engulfing Edwin. The slime lord's screams echoed through the void as he felt his consciousness being ripped apart, piece by piece until there was nothing left but silence.

When the storm finally subsided, Ghelgath stood alone, his form radiating with renewed strength. The essence of the Dragon Lord had reclaimed its rightful place, and the usurper was no more.

Back in the Grey family hall, Arnold's body lay still, the eerie blue aura now gone. The hall was silent, the air thick with the remnants of a battle fought on another plane. The Dragon Lord had won, and the world would soon feel the weight of his return.

Ghelgath stood in the center of the Grey family hall, his newly acquired powers humming within him. The combined essence of a Dragon Lord and a Slime Lord coursed through his veins, a fusion of elemental might and slimy adaptability. He looked at his hands, now shimmering with a faint, greenish-blue glow.

"Let's see what this new form can do," he muttered to himself, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

He extended his arm, willing it to change. The flesh rippled and then liquefied, transforming into a long, whip-like tendril of slime. Ghelgath swung it experimentally, and it lashed out with a speed and precision that surprised even him, slicing through a nearby column with ease. The stone crumbled, and Ghelgath's grin widened.

"Impressive," he mused. "But there's more."

With a thought, he split the tendril into multiple smaller ones, each writhing and twisting like serpents. They moved independently, responding to his will with perfect synchronization. He flicked his wrist, and the tendrils shot out in different directions, wrapping around various objects in the hall. Chairs, tables, and chandeliers were ensnared, lifted into the air, and then hurled against the walls with a force that shattered them into splinters and shards.

Ghelgath's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He retracted the tendrils, and his arm returned to its normal shape. "This power is truly remarkable," he said, feeling the energy thrumming through him. "Now, let's see how it handles more complex forms."

He shut his eyes and concentrated, picturing a giant, grotesque figure. His body started to grow and increase in size, the goop inside him boiling and moving. He had become a giant dragon-slime monster with scales mixed with slimy, translucent slime. His limbs were thick and powerful, but not stiff and rigid; they were graceful and supple, making him look both menacing and majestic.

"Wow, he said to himself as he morphed into the form of Edwin Grey. He looked at Arnold's lifeless body lying on the floor but he did not pay any attention to it and stepped out of the hall. He had no use for a weak vessel any longer.