Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Why the hell are they not attacking?

Gasping as we walked past Astra alongside Jinx without issue despite Arsene’s utter disregard for these people, I couldn’t help but be confused. Why did they not attack? Why did they just let us pass? Was it not enough to humiliate their patriarch before her people? Do they sense something? That has to be it, right?

I turned to Arsene, whose cool expression had not changed as if he had expected this to happen. I could still tell he was still angry by his clenched jaw, but I still felt unsure if I should reach out my senses to his. Arsene is far too perceptive.

“Papa, are they cowards?” Ty said, speaking the words I wished to ask.

“Naw, just dumbasses who think themselves the peak of creation.” He replied, and the contempt oozed from each of his words. “I have a few theories about why they didn’t attack, but nothing definitive. However, they seem to be wary of this ring.” He said, lifting the tattered-looking black ring to his eyes. FIlled with a bit of crack, with a hint of scarlet hidden beneath its surface, he chuckled. “But who the hell cares. We made it in. Cleo, you lead.”

“Me?” I said, pointing to myself.

“You said you sensed a Chosen and maybe a master. Well, let’s see. I have officially lost interest in this group of bitches, and their clan of sexy ninjas; such a wasted dream.”

Rey Nala snorted. ” Please. You are just mad because you are looked down upon. Well, welcome to the club; this is how we, women are treated in—”

“Yeah, no offense, but I don’t care. Cultivation is all about breaking the cycle of equality. By absorbing the Qi of heaven and Earth, you push past gender roles and step into a world of power. Look at what these bitches here did. They built a society of just women. Do just that. They found their equality despite abyssal Fiends, both male and female, being born with the exact amount of strength. If that’s what you want, do just that, but I don’t care until it affects me.”

“And when it does?” I said.

He smiled. “Well, you saw what I just did. I do whatever the fuck I want.”

“Do you hear how insane you sound?” Ezra noted, her brow scrunched into a frown.” You realize that despite”

“Again, I don’t care.”

“You’re an asshole. You know that.”

Arsene nodded with a cheeky smile. ” I sure do know it—a sexy ass one, to boot.”

Grunting at this narcissistic asshole, I sighed, leading them through the many strange-looking homes. I believe Ren called it Minka’s. They were downright beautiful, especially with the green vines coiling around their homes. It gave it a rich sense of nature.

Discerning a few shadows following us, I pondered whose aura I was sensing. I was sure this clan was using a formation or runes to mask their auras. Why else would I not immediately pick up on who is here?

Focusing on the aura in the distance, I began to talk to Arsene. When he wasn’t being a complete ass, Arsene was rather funny and fascinating. More so than most people. He was a bit ignorant about the Bed of Chaos matters due to not being well-traveled, but his grasp over others’ psyche was insane. It was so high that it made me question why he was such a dick when he was so aware of other people’s feelings.

Would he not make more friends if he just acted kind? Why antagonize? Why toy with the heart of man?

A knot of wonder clung to my heart over this hateful intrigue. I couldn’t decide whether I hated Arsene or not. There were many things I hated. His selfishness, the way he loved to make sexist jokes just to piss everyone off, he was a dick, but it never came from a negative place. Like some cultivators who honestly thought women were less than a person.

“A well?” Arsene suddenly said, dragging me out of my thoughts.

I received a tugging sensation of a familiar aura scratching my brain with its puzzle, when Ren tossed a gold coin into the Well. Waiting a few seconds to hear a splash, we all frowned.

“Holy shit, there really is a dungeon!” Arsene remarked, cracking a smile. “Damn, I am good.”

“You’re really going to take credit for that? You realize every clan has a dungeon, right?” Said Ezra, rolling her eyes so hard I could feel them spin from here.

“This is most likely not the main entrance. I’ll go down first to make sure there are no traps.” Freya kindly offered, leaping down before anyone could argue against her words.

A soft rumble quickly sounded off, gathering my attention when suddenly Arsene leaped in. “Help papa out, Ty.” He shamelessly cried in laughter, falling into the depts of the wooden Well.

“I swear he is a man child,” Ren muttered, jumping in right after, followed by Rey Nala, Ezra, and Zan till I was the only one left. Releasing a bitter sigh, I rolled my eyes,

“I guess I’m not leading anymore, huh?”

Leaping into the depths of the well. The fluttering of the winds, that smelt of moss, whipped across my face and hair as I fell downwards. Enjoying the feeling of free-falling, a powerful force seized control of me, allowing me to land without injury.

“Thanks, Rey,” I said, glancing around at the torches that hung on the walls of this stone dungeon. It was silent, eerily so. Maybe it was due to the amber light, but this dungeon made my skin crawl.

“Be careful,” Freya warned, patting my shoulder. ” There are a few powerful formations capable of killing a Mid-God.” She lifted her head and glanced around, ” Also. Something here seems off. It’s too clean. I’ve never seen a dungeon that doesn’t carry the stench of death.”

Taking her warning to heart, I nodded and made sure to have Freya take the lead while I led the way. Based on where we fell, there were only two directions to go, North and South. And south was where I felt those familiar auras.

Following the torches along the walls south, through the somewhat narrow dungeon halls that could only fit two side by side, Freya and I pressed ahead till we came upon a particular door.

“Anyone has any guesses?” Arsene responded, “My money is on Yu Jing; we have enough men on our team.”

Freya giggled, ” I say Talos. He is cute.” 𝙗𝒆𝙙𝒏𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡.𝙣𝙚𝒕

“My Master?” I muttered with burning cheeks.

“What about the big-breasted bimbo?”

Having heard enough, I pushed open the door, and my eyes widened in shock at the caged—

“You!”