Chapter 687

I was instantly wary of the man, and I heard my girls pulling out their weapons as well. He didn’t appear on my Map at all. His ability to hide his life was greater than that of even the Champion. Worst of all, I didn’t recognize the man. He definitely wasn’t Lord Reign. When I didn’t speak, he let out a soft laugh that made my skin crawl.

“So, you’re Lord Deekson.” He said, and when I reached up to touch my face, he let out another hoarse laugh, lifting up a necklace in his hand. “Don’t act so surprised. After all, you’re the one who gave me this little gift to see through illusions.”

“Lord… Reign?’

“Lord Reign is merely a puppet I use. You could call me the true ruler of Alerith.” He sighed, pulling back his hood.

“A demon!” Shao was the first to cry out.

He glanced at her, and then his eyebrows rose. “I heard a Demon Lord appeared in the Capital. They never told me she was so… beautiful.”

Shao instinctively grabbed onto my shirt. The other girls got close to me too. I had ordered them all to hold hands and get close through Slave Command. Only Ruby didn’t get that command, but she picked up on it. The man watching us seemed to notice the group as well.

“Are you leaving so soon?” He grinned.

“Return!” I cried out.

“Why don’t you stay awhile!”

The world began to warp as I disappeared from that place. There was no time to cast a Portal. If this guy could counterspell, then he could keep stopping me from casting Portal. Thus, I had to depend on Return. It worked almost instantaneously. The only set back was that it was one direction, taking me back to my mansion in Chalm. Given the danger I was feeling from this man, I didn’t take any chance with anyone.

However, while I said it worked almost instantaneously, it turned out almost was the problem. As the group disappeared, a hand shot through and grabbed my neck. I felt like my soul was being torn open. I didn’t even understand how, but he was forcibly keeping us from returning. Fear started to push through me, but with fear, I felt an intense determination.

He had a grip on my neck, there was no saving me, but if I stayed, so would the girls. With a scream, I wielded miasma like a blade, cutting it into my soul. Like a rabbit caught in a trap chewing his own leg off, I too cut a chunk of my soul off, and sent it with Return.

“Hmm?” The man holding my neck made a surprised sound.

The entire act only lasted a second, but when it was done, the girls were gone, and I was still there hanging from his hand. The pain was so intense I felt like I was about to pass out. That’s what I thought, but where his hand was, I felt even more pain. A burning sensation wrapped around my neck, and I felt like I was being choked. All of my life was leaving me, and I felt like death was imminent. Furthermore, he had a grasp on my very soul. If it died, there was no resurrection.

Just as fast as it started, it stopped, and I was dropped to the ground. I let out a painful gasp for air, grabbing at my neck.

“That was just a little seal. I wouldn’t have you taking off on me again, would I?” The man chuckled. “How interesting, you actually wielded miasma. Could you be… no… that’s impossible.”

“Wh-who are you?” I demanded, coughing painfully.

“I am Lord Aberis… the real Lord Aberis.” He said, grinning malevolently at me. “I’m the Demon Lord Aberis!”