A Poisoned Food

The sky was dim. It kept an empty courtyard surrounded by tall marble walls dark too. Marble walls on which large-winged birds and wyrms were carved into.

CRUNCH!!!

A violent bite echoed through the stiff air, shaking even the earth to its core. Then, again and again, just like a sharp object tearing flesh with a juicy splash of blood.

CRUNCH! GRUUGH!

The metallic scent of blood swirled from a corpse at the yard's centre... around which the white-cloaked man crouched, digging his sharp fangs into the abdomen. Whatever facial identity the corpse had, it was gone now. The skull peeked through the torn, bloodied flesh...

SQUELCH!

Lord Phantom, feasting on a human's flesh like a monster, let out a sickening slurp as he tore into the body. A wet rip followed every bite. Blood splashed in his mouth in a juicy manner, giving him a relaxed feeling of being full already. He had savored his hunger.

A sturdy iron gate at the yard's far end creaked. Then a tall, muscular man with silver hair stepped in, while a tunic-clad guard followed behind. This man walked with the grace of a superior, having gray hair but with a build that defied old age.

In a moment, Lord Phantom stopped and glanced forward. Blood had smeared across his mouth.

He saw the newcomers. But he didn't seem too surprised. Shortly after the men stood before him, he said,

"It's you, grandmaster." But his sharp tone defied respect.

The old man was the leader of the House of Ursa, one of the few Overlords in the world. He asked with his arms crossed behind him, "Yes. Are you enjoying your meal, Your Lordship?"

The guard behind him let out a sudden cough. But no one minded him. He turned away as he fell to his knees, vomiting the rice he had eaten not long ago. The mutilated corpse he saw now clung to his mind.

He panted, whispering, "What the heck is going on? Lord Phantom is eating a whole human being. And.... and the grandmaster is even respecting him..."

SWOOSH!

The guy gasped as a shadow closed in on him. He didn't dare look up.

Lord Phantom stood close, his cloak resembling a crimson moon. He asked, "Is he the one you talked about, Grandmaster?"

The old man turned to him. "That's correct. He has the notable traits of an incarnation. And has the tendency of being even stronger than the poison clone incarnation."

The guy held his breath as Lord Phantom spat.

The cloaked man looked at the naked corpse. "He could have lived longer if he were smart enough to see through my intentions. Tch... how can a local hitman dream of killing my dear friend? Someone strong enough to put me in this condition? Scarlet Hayes is a disaster that only I can put an end to!"

A few days ago, he was a heartbeat away from the plateau where his hitman attacked Scarlet. The Thousand-Faced Warlord's incarnation. He didn't even wait any longer when the dumbass pushed Scarlet down the elevated spot. If it were easy to end her, then he would have succeeded long ago.

Some guards from the main house later came back with the man's corpse. Lord Phantom couldn't help but laugh. Then he prepared himself to devour the cocky dumbass.

"I guess I can't be thankful enough for this new meal," he mused, squatting beside the guard.

He then smacked his neck. The guard dropped unconscious. For a moment, the ghostly man stared at him. He smirked, suspicion underlying his eyes.

"Thanks for the food, my alleged father," Lord Phantom said, glancing at the grandmaster.

"It's my pleasure, Your Lordship," the old man replied. "What's your next move? Will you go after her now?"

Lord Phantom rose. "She's on a different level whatsoever. Humans determine the strongest based on hierarchy and common Constellations. But she's different," he explained. "I should give them time to play around. Them. Both of them."

"Huh? Who's the other person?"

Lord Phantom hesitated, smiling. "Just someone I need. One I should bring back with me."

"I'm sorry, but I don't quite follow."

"Anyway, my dear father," Lord Phantom cut in, a strong sense of foreboding creeping behind his gaze. A purple glow wrapped around his fist in an instant. He asked with a snicker, "Did you get over yourself again? Of course, I would know, dear father. Why?"

In that moment, the grandmaster held his jaw tight. Red fumes coiled around his fists as well. A breeze from an unknown source billowed his long jacket.

"Why would you poison the food your dear son is going to eat? Huh?" Lord Phantom asked again, his tone almost mistaken for being understanding.

The grandmaster frowned. Before he could even react, Lord Phantom blurred. Then, his voice rang out as his form materialized behind the man.

"Years ago, I warned you. We can't be aiming for greater things together while one of us continues pulling silly tricks." Dragging a smirk on his face, he asked in a deep voice, "Hey, old fool. Were you bored disguising yourself as my father? That's a title you should tell your grandkids... if you'll have one in your next life."

The old man clenched his teeth. "You bastard!" he yelled, lunging as he turned around.

But Lord Phantom grasped his fist mid-swing.

The man groaned, "Of course, you asked that I disguise myself as your father. And stood by your promise of making me an Overlord, one of the strongest humans! Even thanks to you, I became a high-ranked Ursa bearer-"

Lord Phantom cut in, his voice holding a profound weight, "Why do you want me dead then? You must know the slow-burn poison you placed in that guard is the strongest one you can make. In around four hours, he will have burned to ashes."

As the man clenched his fist more, Lord Phantom's skin began to cut open. Like cracks spreading over a rock. His blood tapped the ground. But the ghostly man tilted his head with a smirk and waited for a response.

"You killed my son!" the grandmaster yelled. "Because of you, I have no heir—"

"Oh, well... I asked you to choose. But your covetous mind chose power over your son's life," Lord Phantom responded. As his smile faded, he groaned, "What a piece of work. You humans keep disappointing me."

"You-"

SLASH!

He reappeared behind the grandmaster, whose head rolled over the grassy ground. The ground shook to its core as his body crashed. Blood trickled down the phantasmic man's sharp claws.

Looking at the other wasted efforts, a pang of regret made his heart ache. Either allies or the nobodies he made into powerful ones, they all ended up disappointing him. He turned at a deliberate pace and walked down the yard.

A plain expression wrapped around his face. His saliva felt sticky...

'You're just an Ascendant. Why try at all?'

Maybe it actually was time to focus on the real business. He knew he should claim back his position as soon as he could. And to return, he needed both the flower and the butterfly. Because to attract the butterfly, you should first have the flower.

'Don't disappoint me. You two.'