Chapter 163: The Hidden Serpent

The day has come for us to go to Itz. I brought Helga with me. She wore the clothes that Lam handpicked for her. I just wonder where he gets the chance to go out and buy these kinds of things...

Her main armor is still the Gazer form but we were just wearing our casual clothes. I grabbed on to Helga's shoulders and then casted, "Mass Teleport!" And after a few seconds, we were in the castle of Itz.

"I knew that you have the skill Mass Teleport which is a rare and lost skill... But seeing it in action is truly amazing." Helga was in awe.

"Let's go. Let's talk to the king."

We walked directly to the king's throne and the guards raised their weapons at us.

"Lower down your weapons." The king of Itz ordered and the guards followed it. He then let out a giant sigh. "Zieglind, must you not send a notice when you're coming?"

"It's a bother. We'll set up a messenger between us someday. But anyway, can we talk?" I replied.

"Fine." The king raised his hand. "Leave us be for a moment." And everyone left immediately.

"Thanks."

"Let's go to the conference ro-"

"No need. This'll be short.

"Well then. Anyway, who's that woman behind you?"

"Helga, she's one of the slaves that we rescued before in the black market?"

"I see. I hope Zieglind here is giving you a befitting life."

"No, no, he's already given me such luxury. I couldn't possibly ask for more." Helga replied.

"What a modest woman."

"Alright, enough of that. I just came here to tell you something." I interrupted.

"What is it?" He asked.

"We're going after the Serpent union."

The king's face suddenly got dark and started sweating. "W- what do you mean by that?"

"A week from now we will be raiding one of their bases."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"It was said that the Serpent union are controlling the rest of the kingdoms whose ruler is not a player. That's why I gave you a heads up." I smirked and the king understood it immediately.

"I- I never heard of that union." The king then signalled by putting his finger on his mouth trying to silence us.

"I don't know. You told me one time that you aren't the true ruler of Itz." I wanted to see how the Serpent union will react to this.

"No, no I did not!" The king of Itz began to even get more scared by the situation.

"..." I'm curious as to why he's scared... I must know more. "I'm pretty sure that you're just feigning ignorance since you're under the influence of the serpent union aren't you?"

"No, I'm not. You better take your leave now Lord Zieglind before you're banned at the kingdom of Itz. If you don't we'll be forced to give you the directions out of the castle." Itz said that with confidence but his body and mannerisms are telling the complete opposite. Faltering lips, excessive sweating and shaking hands.

"Just tell it to us. We'll find a way to help you."

"Just get out."

"No."

"Guards!" The king raised his hand and all the guards kicked the door and surrounded the two of us. "Kick them out of the castle."

"Too late old man. You actually told someone about us." A voice was then heard all around the room.

"No! No! NO! I didn't tell anyone about you." The king pleaded.

"But they know about the Serpent union. So that means that you did. You broke the terms. We were generous enough to let you sit on your throne and live your life as a king as long as you followed orders and kept the secret... I guess we weren't firm enough."

"DON'T DO IT! PLEASE!"

"TOO LATE. Re Fa Si Dej Nur Ga!"

"NOOOO!!!" Suddenly, the king of Itz's neck darkened and a snake came out of it.

"What!?" I rushed over to it and grabbed the snake but it began to flail around wildly. The king began to pass out due to shock. "Helga! Come here!"

"Y- yeah!" Helga ran up to me and looked at the king. "Darkened neck, passed out due to shock I'm pretty sure, a snake coming out of his neck, you're right. This is a curse. But I don't know this curse."

"You foolish man." The unknown voice suddenly came out of hiding and appeared in front of us. "You seriously saved this fool?"

"What is it to you?" I asked.

"He's just a pawn an-... Wait... You have that arrow indicator on your head... You're a player?"

"I am."

"Then right now I'll give you a chance. Join the Serpent union. You'll receive anything you want and you'll be under the best player in this world."

"I decline."

"Why? The Serpent union is filled with thousands of players that managed to unite because of this game. We all wished to be here to be reincarnated but not to be reborn into a battle royale game wherein we'll die."

"What are you getting at?"

"Our leader made a promise. Once we eliminate all of the players in this world other than us, he'll kill us all to win the battle royale. Then he'll resurrect us all."

"You believed him?"

"Of course. And even if we did fought back, we'd lose. He's too strong. But I'd rather be with my lord rather than fighting in this brutal game. This is the best chance we've got."

"Even if it kills the inhabitants of this world?"

"Monsters are also inhabitants of this world! And even if these npcs die, there's no law here! And in the first place, can these npcs be called people? These are all generated by the gods. They're far different from us players. We're superior than them."

"The hell are you talking about... Then what'd you if you come back here when you're resurrected?"

"But of course... We can do anything... So that means... WE'RE FREE TO TAKE OVER THIS WORLD! We can do anything we want! Women, food, money, power and everything that we wouldn't have easily gotten back in Earth. WE'RE GODS IN THIS WORLD!"

"You're all insane..."

"I know we are. But deep in our hearts this is what exactly we want. That's why I'm offering you a chance. Join us. Everything that you want, power, money, women, castles or the whole sky itself. We can give it to you. You just need patience as our lord completes this god damned trial."

"I decline."

"..." I could see his veins on the top his head. "Fine. You know of us too much. Then I'll kill you."

"Stay there." I passively activated aura without casting. The man couldn't move.

"...This... Kind... of pressure... I felt it before... This... overbearing... FEAR! I must... report you back at the headquarters..." The man used up all of his strength to unsheath the dagger that was on his side and stabbed his own shoulder with it.

"Impressive. You broke out of my aura by stabbing yourself to regain your senses."

"I must... flee!" The man then jumped to the ceiling and was about to get out by crashing into the windows there.

"You aren't going anywhere. Judgment!"

An overbearing pressure was felt in his whole body as he was slammed down on the ground by my power. He couldn't move. "What's this!?" He was confused. He couldn't lift any of his fingers and everytime that he tries to, he'll just break one of his bones with it.

"Stay there while Helga finds a way to cure this curse."

"Cure..? No... That's impossible. There's no cure for that. Because this'll happen to you when you get bitten."

"What?"

"Snake Charmer!"

"Tsk!" The snake that I was holding on to suddenly bit me. I let go of the snake and it disappeared. I then took off the gloves that was on my hands, the part where I was bitten. "It's turning black... I'm poisoned?"

"Hehe. The longer you're in that state the more it'll grow on your body."

"Zieglind!" Helga then stopped her inspection on the king and came over to me.

"Don't stop what you're doing!" I ordered her.

"But..."

"Don't worry! Just try to save the king!"

"...Got it." She went back to chant a spell.

"You're done for now. You're powerful. You'll definitely be a match against our lord. But with that poison, there's no escape!" The man then laughed as he thought he won.

"Tsk." I don't know how to cleanse this. And if I use all the cleanse I have as a skill to purify ailments and stuff, the quick spread of this will just take over my body in mere minutes. Then the only thing I can do is that.

"DIE!"

"Come, Bloodlust!" Lightning struck both of my hands and summoned my weapons. I then make the other one disappear and grabbed the other one with my left hand. "Argh..." I then swiftly cut off my whole arm. "I didn't want to do this."

"HAHAHA! You fool! Even if you got rid of the poison, you'll be forever a one armed man and you'll die from loss of blood."

"Is that so?"

"Wh- what..?"

Ever since I got reborn, my blood changed from the better. "Nothing will come out. The blood that is."

"What..?"

"Die. Judgment!" I then crushed his whole body with judgment completely killing him off. I then rushed over to Helga. "Is he fine?"

"Yes... I managed to heal him... But your arm..."

"Don't worry. It'll regrow in a day."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Let's just leave the king here. Looks like the three of us will infiltrate the Serpent union. That poison managed to penetrate through my defenses. Let's go back and prepare."