Chapter 1351 Sacrificed as Tribute
Chapter 1351 Sacrificed as Tribute
After the guards consulted with their king, they allowed him into the palace. He was guided through the labyrinth of portals until he reached the courtroom, which had no doors or windows. A man sat on the throne before him, and blue torches lit the room.
"Welcome to my abode," said the masked man on the throne. Judging by his gruff voice, he was a middle-aged man. "What brings the almighty king of wrath to this dogshit of a city?"
"Never heard a king say that about their city"
"The entire world is shit, so what makes my kingdom any different?" asked the king with amusement as he tilted his head. "I heard about how you handled my son, Kirk
"Those old feuds are over now, right?" asked Arthur with a smile. "Echo never delivered what I asked for, either!
"Ah, yes. He told me about your request for an artifact that could carry your Runic Dome, the king said, examining his fingernails. "I hired my best researchers and runemasters to finish the job, but it's impossible. The amount of mana needed to stabilize that space is enough to wipe out our world! "I understand the difficulty of my request, but there is no longer a need for it," Arthur said with a grin. "I'm here for a different matter"
"And what might that be?" asked the king.
"I need your teleporters to save the people of Kera. It's a long story, but I need to evacuate as many people as I can in the next hour."
"Oh, oh!" The king clapped. "A matter of great urgency! Now, why the fuck do you think I would help you after what you did?"
"What I did?"
"Merging the two fucking worlds, the king slammed his fist onto the throne, making the entire hall shake. "We worked for generations to ensure that didn't happen, and we trusted that we shared the same priorities.
"My highest priority is the people I care about; explained Arthur. "I know that every deal we once had doesn't mean anything after what I did. But these are innocent people who don't need to die"
"My people are innocent too, and far from deserving endangerment. I have no reason to sacrifice a single hair of theirs to aid your quest, no matter how heroic!
"Out with it," Arthur spat, his expression crumbling. 'Don't give me that bullshit. Just say what you want in return. I know that you have something you want from me!
"You have keen insight, indeed, the king replied with a chuckle. "I want power!
"How would I be able to give you that?"
"I know the truth, Arthur Netherborne. The creator can give any power to any creature he desires, as long as he desires it. I studied your entire life and saw the people and creatures you have strengthened with your runes. I want you to inscribe my soul with a rune of my choosing!
Arthur stood silently before the king. It was bound to happen sooner or later. As long as others knew of his powers over creation, they would demand to be empowered using them. He was surprised it lasted this long before someone came and demanded this from him.
"What rune do you desire?"
"The same powers that you gave to our ancestor, Spatial Manipulation," replied the king without
hesitation. "As long as you give me that power, I can evacuate as many citizens as you want."
Arthur knew the rune, *Space Manipulation*. It was a higher form and a combination of Teleportation and Spatial Compression. He could use this rune himself, but it required an abundant amount of mana, which he lacked.
If he had enough mana, Arthur would have evacuated the citizens himself. However, he needed both mana and manpower to do it before the ritual and the battle began.
"What do you plan to do with it?" asked Arthur with a frown.
"Expand our lands and take back what is ours. We lost countless cities after the merge because vast wilderness divided our territories. Creatures we never imagined began appearing on our doorsteps, dragging the bleeding bodies of our neighbors.
Arthur thought for a moment. "I agree, but you have to save the citizens first. If you fail, there will be no deal"
"How can I trust you after what happened?" asked the king as he rose from his chair and descended the steps, stopping a few meters away from Arthur. "You betrayed us once!
"I was never your ally, but I can be now. As long as we have the same goals, then we are on the same side," Arthur answered, offering a handshake. "You have my word!"
"And you have mine," said the king as he reached out and shook Arthur's hand. "My name is Draven Berilo."
"Nice to meet you," Arthur replied with a grin. "Now let's get those citizens evacuated!"
"Give me ten minutes to gather my soldiers. We will be in Kera before you know it," answered Draven with a nod. They broke off their handshake, and Arthur teleported back to Kera.
Draven stood in the same spot, staring ahead. His mask hid his expression, but one could see his trembling hands. This was not fear but excitement.
***
Arthur teleported outside of Kera and found the barrier that blocked off his runes. He descended from the sky and landed beside the barrier, watching his reflection in it. Then, he attempted to touch
it.
"Something is blocking my entry, muttered Arthur in understanding as he stared at his hand. "But what about wrath?"
Black lightning crackled on his hand before Arthur took a step back. He summoned a giant bolt of lightning that hovered atop his palm. Arthur retracted his arm and threw the bolt toward the barrier, but the wrath disappeared before it could hit the barrier.
His powers were being negated.
Arthur frowned as he raised his hands and summoned a rune. It was the Dispel rune, which had helped him dispel countless barriers before. Arthur placed it inside his Sandbox and began experimenting with his spiritual energy.
The rune collapsed as he received his report. Arthur understood the issue and began to fix it. It was a race against time before the people of Kera turned into lambs sacrificed as tribute.