Born in Blood

Chapter 421 Dread

WHOOOOOSH!

As soon as the words were spoken, Usan's hair and body was pushed back.

A fierce gale was shooting past him, strong enough to put pressure on his Rank 6 body.

Vague murmurs accompanied the winds like an ill omen, the words of which were to faint for Usan to understand.

But the way they were uttered made him think it was a curse of some kind.

'I'm already cursed,' Usan thought randomly. 'What's another?'

Following the winds was an umbral darkness. As if there was even a mote of light to begin with, now, it was closing in on him like a box.

Usan's gaze snapped towards his clones, but they were no longer there.

But neither was the Abomination, nor the Empress.

It was just him.

Gripping his blade, his urge to act was hanging on a thread, but the less light there was, the stronger Usan was.

That's why he didn't resist it.

Before long, everything was covered in shadows, and Usan was stronger than ever.

DOM!

A spotlight suddenly illuminated Usan's figure, as though he was on a stage.

He flinched and subconsciously gripped the sword tighter, but he couldn't sense anything.

DOM!

DOM!

A moment later, two more spotlights appeared in the distance, illuminating a scene.

One ahead, one directly to his right.

Usan looked forward. There was an ornate, sinister shrine there. At its feet were bones and skulls of various monsters, piling atop one another.

Beads of sweat formed on Usan's face.

He didn't sugar coat it. If he went through that, he'd die. No doubt about it...

No!

He couldn't fall prey to his thoughts. What stopped this from being a mental illusion?

But then, Usan looked towards the right.

A pleasing, worry-melting scent of vanilla and ripe peaches drifted past his nose.

A smell familiar only to him.

This couldn't be…

There, amidst a lush expanse of sakura trees, a graceful, well-dressed, beautiful silver-haired woman stood with a young baby in her arms.

She gave a dazzling smile to Usan.

Usan's heart sank. A tremor ran through his body and determination at once.

A pang of pain shot through his heart. It wasn't physical, but it hurt a lot more.

A loud voice echoed amidst the domain, and continued echoing. It was the Empress:

"Choose. Live the rest of your life in blissful ignorance, but forsake the world? Or bitter truth, and inevitable death?"

Silence.

"I'll make you suffer eight times as much for using my wife and daughter," Usan growled from the depths of his soul, his eyes widened with sheer anger. "Eight times."

The handle of his sword bent from the pressure he exerted on it.

…And yet, he didn't move from his place.

When his gaze fell on the silver-haired woman and child again, the rage slowly melted away, turning into sadness and desire.

'She's not real,' Usan thought with pity. 'She's not real. She's just a fake rendition.'

"Life's been hard to you, hasn't it, dear?" the woman said with a sad but warm tone. "Your weary eyes have lost their light."

A painful silence.

"I know it's been hard, my little light."

Usan's eyes widened.

Little light.

That's what she used to call him.

It sounded just like her.

"He never got the chance to be born, did he?" the woman said, raising the baby in her arms. "I've named him Veran. Do you remember? Just like we agreed upon."

Smelled just like her.

Was just like her.

And the baby…

The baby had Usan's eyes and his mother's hair.

The lands the two were in were just as he remembered.

Pink trees. Lush, tall grass. Blue skies and lovely clouds.

Pre-war Ilali.

A safe haven.

Subconsciously, Usan's right foot took a step forward. There was no mental tinkering. It was of his own volition.

Instantly, he stopped himself.

What was he doing?!

It was fake!

But…

Did that really matter?

Sometimes, dreams were more appealing to people than reality. Fantasy more than real life.

And the burdens on Usan's shoulders were heavy.

Why couldn't he take a rest?

He killed those who deserved it. Killed a few that didn't. Did good things. Did bad.

He was a hypocrite. A selfish man. A slave to his revenge.

Another slow step forward.

But at the end of the day, it didn't matter. He was going to die soon. Time was running out.

One more step forward.

Another step and he would enter through the gate.

His wife outstretched her lithe, gentle hand, urging him inside.

Usan reached out.

And severed it with his sword.

There was no blood, and the woman didn't scream.

She didn't react.

She was blank.

Empty inside.

It didn't expect that.

Usan heaved a tense breath he didn't know he was holding.

Then came the anger.

"You think I'd accept a fake if you'd killed the real one?" Usan growled.

His shadow demon mask was blazing with black flames, and his voice was even more distorted.

"Do you think I'm as green-hatted as your emperor?!"

Faster than sound, Usan's body burst through the black gate on the other side.

The anger in him was enough to boil oceans.

He let his body express the anger, and let his mind control it.

As soon as he approached the shrine, something slowly emerged from behind it.

The ground was covered with skulls, bones and skeletons, belonging to various monsters.

"Should have taken the deal, fool. She would have been the same as the one in your mind. Would have felt the same. Could have raised the child. Shame."

Fury flared in Usan's chest, warming his body.

A moment later, the figure appeared in full view.

It was the Empress… except, she was no longer human.

Instead, she was 6 meters tall.

With a female, muscular, broad-shouldered, humanoid form.

She retained a human-shaped head, but without eyes. Other than long, snake-like tentacle hair.

She still had a mouth, though. Filled with square teeth pressed together.

Instead of ears, little white wings sprouted from the side of her temples.

"I am Rhea, Mother of Abomination," the Empress announced, spreading her arms proudly. "Empress of Fear."

Her voice was too deep to be called feminine.

Entering through the shrine and crushing the skulls below her monstrous feet, she spoke two words:

"Now dread."