Chapter 40

~ A New, Powerful Ally ~

SW/SW/SW

Kail woke up with a gasp. His demonic eyes darted around swiftly and carefully, taking notes of his surroundings. He was in a dimly-lit throne room, sitting on his throne. Slowly he brought a hand to his face, exhaling in relief.

It was a dream.

Just a dream.

However, it was too real that Kail’s hands trembled just by recalling the nightmare. He dreamt of being impaled and his arm severed. Not to mention that he had killed someone, a woman none the less.

…and it ended with him getting guillotined.

Kail’s hand automatically reached out to his neck, which was covered in armor.

Was it just nothing but a terrifying nightmare?

…I want to go back…

I want to go back…!

I don’t want to die!

Everything hurt. Being stabbed hurt, being slashed hurt, being slammed against the wall hurt…

Everything hurt…

I want to go home…

Kail’s breath became quite erratic for some time, before he calmed down thanks to his perk. However, the shock was too great that he felt as if a hammer was pounding at his head. Feeling exhausted all of a sudden, Kail opened his map to see that a room, which was the biggest one in the top floor, had been marked.

It read ‘Azariel’s Room’.

Without question, he went to that room. As much as he wanted to slouch as he usually did, he couldn’t. Something unknown forced his posture to remain straight, with chest jutted out confidently and head pointed straight forward.

The door opened by itself before Kail and he was grateful for the nifty enchantment. His eyes immediately settled on the huge, four-poster bed that often appeared in fantasy stories. It needed him just one look to know one thing: it was soft.

Kail let his leg hit the edge of the bed. As he fell onto the bed, his armor shattered, turned to cinder, and disappeared, leaving him with just a pair of black pants.

The softness of the pillow quickly brought him to the dream world…

0000

He sensed someone nearby. They climbed the bed, their silhouette was tall and their cascading hair gave them a look similar to a lion. Kail faintly saw coal-colored eyes with a red slit staring at him lustfully.

In an instant, Kail knew who it was.

Hathor.

...then it was not a dream at all.

The succubus let out a shriek when a hand flew to her throat. Kail spun, pinning down the succubus. The succubus was in her true form. Her body was light purple and devoid of any clothing except the metallic slabs on her chest. She looked terrified yet quite aroused. Her lips were slightly parted and cheeks reddened.

He still couldn’t forgive her for what she had done to him…

“What now, cunt?” he asked threateningly slow. “…are you going to cut my feet? Or is it my middle? Or skin me alive?”

“…what are you talking about?” Hathor asked back. “You’re acting weird…”

“Let me tell you something, slut,” Kail leaned forward, their faces just mere centimeters to each other. “…that imposter you just killed… is me.”

Kail didn’t know what possessed him, but he loved that hateful expression on Hathor’s face. It… made him happy for some reason.

“Surprised?” Kail tightened his grip a little, just enough to threaten her not to do anything stupid. “I, the imposter, am pretty much alive. Thanks to you, I don’t think I’d ever have a peaceful sleep.”

Hathor had the gall to smirk, “And? Is that all you have to say?”

He slapped her.

“You know what, slut? I hate women, so you’d better shut your mouth if you don’t want to get hurt.”

Oh, he loved it. He just loved her face, which was blazing with impotent anger. If only he could make Hilda express such emotion…

He caught Hathor’s arm, which had grown razor sharp claws, before it cut his head off. He drunk on her misery and laughed rather maniacally, “Bad succubus. What were you trying to do? Slashed my head like you did last time? Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Where is he?” she spat angrily, “where is the king?”

Kail shook his head and pretended to be shocked, only to aggravate the succubus even more, “Hathor, how could you do this to me, your own husband? Don’t you recognize me? We’ve been married for hundred years!”

“Stop imitating him, you bastard! Tell me where you are keeping him in!!” she kicked him forcefully, but to no avail. Her effort to free herself was rewarded with a hard slap on the cheek.

Kail felt nothing but insulted. Her rabid behavior slighted his dominance and he was terribly pissed. Maybe gouging her eyes would do the job?

“If you kill me, it won’t do you any good,” she chuckled evilly, “I will revive again and again, no matter how much you kill me. Why don’t we call a truce?”

Kail arched his brow, “Oh? Why should I?”

“Mainly to prevent any useless bloodbath,” Hathor explained with her trademark smug smile. “You can pretend to be our king, do whatever you want within our castle, while you let me roam free.”

Kail didn’t believe in that one-sided compromise. It was too good to be true.

“As I said before, I let you be the king and in exchange you let me free. Seeing that Azariel was pretty much a worshipper of autocracy, agreeing to my offer makes you nearly invincible. What I’m going to do is to look for the king you have hidden from us. Don’t get me wrong. This is a game. Whoever discovers what others are thinking wins,” even if the situation was unfavorable for her, she was still trying to tease him by discarding those metallic slabs covering her breasts.

Her silly antics amused him. Wanting to see more of her stupid act, he decided to play it along. “Do you realize that I can obliterate any search parties you’ll be sending?”

That smug expression clearly expressed confidence, “And do you think my soldiers are a bunch of weaklings?”

Although the proposal was quite stupid, it was the thrill that tempted him. It was like playing hide and seek, with death in every corner.

One thing Kail didn’t understand was her statement about letting her roam free. Kail was not an expert in politics, but Civics taught him that a king was in a much higher position than the queen. If she said about Azariel being a tyrant was true, then she was clearly in a disadvantageous position. He could easily overrule her orders and hinder her aim to search for the real Azariel (who ironically was right in front of her).

Why was she so confident?

“Before I say anything, does being a king make me own you?” the question didn’t catch her off guard. Rather, she looked like she had been expecting this. Kail understood her intention clearly. While they were playing a deadly hide and seek, she’d use his body to sate her thirst. A pretty bold move.

“Of course. Want me to pleasure you? I’m quite needy…” and she was smiling like she had won everything. He didn’t know what she was planning, but he knew one thing.

She was a sly, rotten woman who thought nothing but sex. He was the one to talk, though.

Finally Kail released her, chuckling, “No. I’m impotent.”

He caught a weird look on her face before it vanished completely. Did he say something wrong again?

Suddenly she pulled him closer and, with unbelievable power for someone who had a slim figure, spun around, bringing him under her. Deftly Hathor undressed him and take hold of his member, giving the sensitive head a lick.

It remained limp.

She let it go and all of a sudden threw herself into his body, snuggling at his neck, “…it’s you…”

What?

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she apologized profusely, “I thought you were… I’m so sorry… I hurt you and… and… oh, I’m so sorry...!”

Kail didn’t know why, but it seemed that she believed that he was the real Azariel. That was such a good turn of event. It made everything easier. All he needed to do now was manipulate her to his liking. Her brute power might come in handy later on.

“You are forgiven. Hathor, actually I… don’t really know who you are,” he began bluffing, “it seems that when those adventurers killed me, some of my memories disappeared. I didn’t know what magic they used, but when it was all over, I forgot all about you and myself.”

“Ah, it makes sense why you were acting so suspiciously,” Hathor placed her hand on her chin, “if that’s true, then we should strengthen our defense before they attack again.”

“Again?”

“I don’t know why, but those adventurers always attack this castle on Friday. Always Friday. It’s kind of creepy, don’t you think? But you don’t have to worry,” at this, she cupped his cheeks and pecked on his nose, “because I definitely will protect you. If you still can’t figure it out who I am, I’m your queen. Your only queen…”

Kail was taken aback. This woman… she was serious! So trusting, so sincere, so loving… She was totally different from what Helluva, the Scylla Queen, had said.

Giggling, she stamped his torso with her luscious lips and it ended with them making out. To be honest, it was his first kiss and he was doing it with an NPC. He discarded the pathetic thought as she lay down on his strong body, her big, smooth chest creating a delicious friction against his skin.

“I love you,” she murmured before grinning, confidently showing her pair of fangs to him.

Touched by her loving persona, Kail lifted a hand to caress her tattooed cheek. She leaned against his palm, smiling as sweetly.

All of a sudden a flash of memory played itself in Kail’s mind.

---

I’d been having the same dream for days…

A dream of being molested.

It was… quite pleasant to tell you the truth. I was lying down on the bed, someone atop me. Purple skin, soft and silky-like to the touch and deep, wavy crimson hair caressed my body softly. Soft melons met my chest as I relaxed to her touches.

I vaguely remembered red lips roaming my body before they crushed themselves into mine. I saw tattoos on her arm and cheek. They were gleaming faintly, looking eerie as well as sacred. The mouth, it moved as she spoke mutely to me, and I swore I could see fangs behind her luscious upper lip.

I saw pale arm, laced with wounds, flew to her face. The hand caressed her cheek and she leaned against it, smiling…

---

Finally Kail knew what the dream was about. It wasn’t a dream. Rather, it was a vision.

A vision of the future.

As he embraced his ‘wife’, his mind wasn’t right in its place. He stared into space, pondering on his unforeseen fate and completely ignoring the notification of a perk acquisition:

[Skillful Liar] has been unlocked!

[Skillful Liar]

Lying is as natural as you breathe air with your lungs. Gain 30% successful chance of deceiving others.