Absolute Cheater

Chapter 62 Catherine Past III

For the Bloodcrown, it was a common occurrence that they soon forgot, as the years passed and their lives continued unchallenged. Many decades later, the Crown Prince ascended to the throne as king, but he never lived peacefully. He refused to marry, haunted by the fear that one day the Bloodcrown would return to destroy him. His paranoia consumed him, and he eventually left the palace, obsessing over dark magic and dedicating his life to finding a way to counter the Bloodcrown's power.

Despite countless attempts, centuries of research, and endless abductions of scholars and mages, he found nothing. His obsession deepened as he continued his search for a way to exact revenge. A thousand years passed, and he remained as determined as ever, clutching onto the throne of fear rather than strength.

The throne had long since passed him by, yet he clung to life, sustained by forbidden magic and an insatiable hatred for the Bloodcrown. His fear of their power had twisted into a dark ambition to destroy them once and for all.

Locked in his desolate tower, surrounded by the remnants of his once-proud lineage, the former prince poured over ancient tomes.

Finally, one fateful day, he found something—a forbidden book, its pages filled with grimoires and incantations for summoning entities from other worlds. The Crown Prince, now more a shell of his former self than a king, gripped the ancient tome with trembling hands.

The book contained a ritual that promised the summoning of a being powerful enough to annihilate even the Bloodcrown. He believed this entity would finally allow him to rid the world of the family that haunted him.

But then, a darker thought crossed his mind.

"No... not Catherine," he murmured, his lips curling into a vile grin. "I will make that wretched girl mine. I will break her, over and over, every day and night, in the ruined halls of her ancestors' corpses. She will suffer as I rape her in front of her dead family"

His laughter echoed in the dark chamber as he prepared the ritual. It was a spell requiring nearly 1,000 years of accumulated energy, the culmination of every sacrifice, every stolen soul, and every ounce of dark magic he had hoarded. The Crown Prince, driven by his boundless hatred, began the preparations, unaware of the doom he might be inviting not just upon himself, but upon the entire world.

Years of preparation culminated in this moment. The prince, now a shadow of his former self, stood before an intricate circle carved into the floor of his chamber, glowing with malevolent energy. He began the incantation, his voice cracked but resolute.

As the spell neared completion, the tower shook violently. The air grew thick with the scent of sulfur and blood. Shadows coalesced within the circle, taking on monstrous forms. A rift tore open in the air, revealing a glimpse into another world—a plane of darkness and chaos.

From the portal emerged a towering figure cloaked in shadow, its eyes burning like embers. It spoke, its voice reverberating like thunder.

"Who dares summon me?"

The prince dropped to his knees, his body trembling. "I am your servant, great one. I have summoned you to grant me the power to destroy my enemies—the accursed Bloodcrown clan."

The creature studied him, its gaze piercing. "You seek power to rival the Bloodcrown? Their strength is rooted in blood, ancient and eternal. What will you offer in exchange for my aid?"

The prince hesitated only briefly. "I offer my soul. My life. Anything you desire—so long as you grant me the strength to destroy them."

The being's laughter shook the tower. "Very well. Your soul will be mine, and I shall grant you a weapon—a force capable of annihilating even the Bloodcrown. But beware, mortal. Such power comes at a cost."

The prince nodded frantically, his desperation outweighing his fear. The creature extended a clawed hand, and a black, pulsating orb appeared in its palm.

"Take it. Use it wisely, and it will help you rule the world."

The prince reached out, his fingers brushing the orb. Instantly, searing pain shot through his body as the orb's dark energy fused with him. He screamed, his body writhing as the transformation began. The orb sank into his chest, its energy twisting his form into something monstrous—a being neither human nor vampire.

When the pain subsided, the prince stood, his body radiating with unholy power. His eyes glowed with malevolence, and his voice carried an unnatural echo.

"I am no longer bound by mortality," he whispered, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "The Bloodcrown will fall, and Catherine... she will be mine."

The Crown Prince stood tall before the swirling portal, his body thrumming with an unnatural energy that pulsed through his veins. His Blood Jewel ability, once a formidable power to control dark energy and matter, had been twisted and amplified by the pact he forged with the otherworldly entity.

Now, he could shape the abyss itself, pulling forth nightmares from its depths to do his bidding. With a flick of his hand, shadows erupted from the portal, morphing into grotesque creatures—beasts with elongated limbs, hollow eyes, and jagged, serrated teeth. Their forms defied logic, as if they were crafted by madness itself, bound together by his will.

The air around him crackled with power as his Blood Jewel ability merged seamlessly with the dark magic coursing through him. He grinned, a sinister glow radiating from his body as the creatures knelt before him, awaiting orders.

"This is just the beginning," he murmured, his voice resonating with a chilling echo. "The Bloodcrown will face the terror they deserve."

His Dark Jewel, now bathed in corrupted energy, emitted waves of malevolent power. It gave him dominion not only over the shadows but also over the very fabric of dark matter. This newfound strength allowed him to mold the creatures into even deadlier forms, binding them with dark energy so dense that their mere presence warped the air around them.

With his enhanced Blood Jewel ability, he extended his influence far beyond what any of his ancestors could achieve. He could summon not just one or two creatures but entire battalions of these abominations, each infused with a fraction of his own sinister power.

The Crown Prince turned to his growing legion, the grotesque forms shifting and snarling in unison. With a wave of his hand, he directed them forward. "To the Bloodcrown estate!" he roared. "Leave nothing but ash and ruin!"

The creatures surged forth, their unholy cries piercing the night. As the Crown Prince followed, his form wreathed in dark energy, he whispered to himself with a twisted grin.

"Catherine, prepare yourself. I'm coming for you."

*****

As the ground trembled with the march of the grotesque army, the Bloodcrown estate stood as a bastion of defiance. Its crimson walls, reinforced with ancient enchantments, shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Alaric watched from the estate's high balcony, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon as the monstrosities approached.

Behind the horde loomed the towering figure of the Crown Prince, now a six-meter-tall monstrosity. His cracked, grey skin pulsed with veins of dark energy, and a glowing, pulsating orb embedded in his chest radiated malevolent power. Every step he took left cracks in the earth, the sheer weight of his presence spreading dread among even the bravest defenders.

"What are these creatures?" Alaric asked, his voice calm yet filled with a dangerous edge.

One of the elder Bloodcrown knights, his crimson armor gleaming, responded grimly, "They appear to be constructs of corrupted energy, my Lord. Abyssal constructs, summoned from a realm of pure darkness."

Another elder nodded, sending a group of Bloodcrown knights to engage the advancing horde. The knights, clad in shimmering blood-red armor, unleashed devastating strikes. Their Blood Warrior constructs clashed with the dark abominations, bursts of energy erupting as the two forces collided.

However, the abyssal creatures were resilient, their forms regenerating with the corrupted energy that sustained them. The knights fought valiantly but soon realized their weapons had little effect.

"The only way to destroy them is with absorption," one elder declared. "We need the aid of the Mephis Clan!"

Alaric nodded. The Mephis Clan, known for their Dark Absorption ability, could neutralize and consume dark energy, turning it into power for themselves. A call was sent for their assistance, while the Bloodcrown defenders held the line, their resolve unwavering.

Just as the Bloodcrown forces began regrouping, a chilling scene unfolded.

"Let's hold—" an elder began, but his words were cut off as blood spewed from his mouth. His body collapsed, cleaved cleanly in half.

The defenders froze, their eyes darting toward the figure standing over the elder's bisected corpse. A humanoid figure, taller than most, with razor-sharp claws that dripped with blood, smirked as his glowing crimson eyes scanned the defenders with predatory amusement.

"Who... Who are you?" another knight stammered, raising his weapon.

The figure chuckled darkly, flexing his claws. His voice was smooth yet laced with menace. "I am Razo, the Crown Prince's chosen harbinger of death. And you... You're just tonight's entertainment."

Razo's aura surged, a mix of dark energy and bloodlust that sent shivers through even the most seasoned warriors. His movements were a blur as he dashed forward, cutting down a line of Bloodcrown knights with ease.

"Hold the line!" Alaric commanded, stepping forward as he summoned his Blood Warrior constructs. Crimson energy flowed around him, forming massive armored knights that stood ready to confront Razo.