Chapter 121: A Garden of Monsters
Abyss shrugged, glancing at the Shadowling embedded in the wall. “I told you, you shouldn’t have touched her.”
Shadowlings possessed intelligence, but lacked human emotions. The Shadowling, momentarily stunned by Flora’s slap, quickly recovered, pulling himself free from the wall and charging towards her again, his speed now enhanced, his Dou Qi flames leaving a trail of light in his wake. His hand, contorted into a claw, reached for her face.
Although Flora’s physical abilities had been greatly enhanced by Abyss’s necromantic link, she wasn’t trained in combat and couldn’t handle a high-ranking Dou Warrior in a direct confrontation. Abyss didn’t hesitate. He rushed towards the Shadowling, and as he ran, he glanced at Baron Shoko, who was frozen in terror. He discreetly activated a ring on his finger, summoning two invisible wraiths that swiftly pinned the baron’s limbs to the floor.
Shoko, unable to see his assailants, felt a pair of cold, strong hands gripping his wrists and ankles. He had never experienced anything so terrifying in his fifty years of life. He wet himself in fear.
The Shadowling was fast, but Abyss, empowered by Leona’s shared strength, was faster. Before the Shadowling’s claw could reach Flora, Abyss grabbed his wrist.
He didn’t give the Shadowling a chance to react. These creatures were merely mass-produced pawns of the Lord of Nightmares, expendable and of no value to him. He chanted a spell, and an icy chill spread from his hand, enveloping the Shadowling, freezing him solid before he could retaliate.
Then, he kicked the frozen Shadowling in the stomach, shattering it into pieces, revealing the black goo within.
Abyss glanced at the trembling servants, pointing at the Shadowling’s remains. “Take a good look. This is the ‘warrior’ your master hired to protect you. See what’s inside him. If you let him stay here any longer, he might eventually slaughter you all.”
The servants stared at the shattered Shadowling, their faces contorted with disgust at the sight of the black goo. They didn’t know about the Lord of Nightmares or Outer Gods. Such knowledge was esoteric. They simply knew that this creature, filled with black goo, wasn’t human. It was likely some kind of dark magic creation.
Their instinctive revulsion towards dark magic, combined with their fear of the Shadowling, emboldened them. They glared at their master, no longer afraid of him.
But Baron Shoko was no longer concerned about his servants’ loyalty. Abyss, having effortlessly disposed of the “warrior” he had once revered, was now approaching him.
“Don’t come any closer! No… Please!” he shrieked, his voice cracking, his limbs pinned to the floor by an unseen force. “Stay away from me!”
Abyss looked down at him, his foot raised, ready to deliver a swift kick to his gut, then hesitated, lowering his foot.
Shoko, his emotions swinging wildly, cried out, “What do you want?!”
“Silence. You have no right to speak,” Abyss said, waving his hand dismissively. The two wraiths, understanding his command, clamped their feet over Shoko’s mouth, silencing him. He struggled, muffled groans escaping his throat.
It wasn’t pity that had stopped Abyss. He had sensed something approaching.
He turned towards a window. Two figures crashed through it, their movements swift and aggressive, heading straight for him.
“Aah!” a maid screamed.
It wasn’t the broken window or the violence that terrified her, but the appearance of the two figures.
They were humanoid, but their forms were distorted, grotesque. Their bodies were composed of viscous black mud, some parts resembling human skin, others like ink. Their limbs were misshapen, their lengths uneven, their torsos twisted at unnatural angles. They moved with unnatural speed, their hands and feet leaving trails of foul-smelling black goo on the floor.
“The apple trees in the garden,” Abyss said, a cold smile spreading across his face. “You’re retaliating, aren’t you, my old friend?”
The two creatures didn’t attack him. Instead, as they reached him, they exploded, showering him with black goo.
Abyss snapped his fingers and vanished, reappearing by the window, unharmed.
“Mmm! Mmm!” Baron Shoko, still pinned to the floor by the wraiths, couldn’t escape the black goo. It covered him completely. The stench was overwhelming, making him gag, but his mouth was clamped shut. The smell assaulted his senses, driving him to the brink of madness.
Then, the pressure on his limbs vanished.
He was free! He tried to get up, but a wave of drowsiness washed over him. The black mud on his body evaporated, transforming into black smoke, which he inhaled. He lost consciousness instantly.
“Flora, take the servants and leave. I’m going to burn down his garden,” Abyss said, stepping over the broken windowsill and jumping out.
Flora, without hesitation, began evacuating the servants.
Abyss had anticipated this. He had been prepared for the Lord of Nightmares’ retaliation.
Now, the tables had turned. It was no longer Abyss and his companions, or the Restoration Army, facing a desperate situation.
