Chapter 854 Into the Darkness: Confronting Niccoli's Domain

854 Into the Darkness: Confronting Niccoli's Domain [Filler Chapter]

Leonel, Isolde, Roz, Avaris, and Lethargia

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"I'll be on the sidelines, cheering you on, of course," Avaris replied with a nervous laugh. "Not like I'm scared or anything, but I have Lethargia to worry about. She's asleep, and she needs me in case something happens."

The others looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and suspicion.

"Why are you a warlord if you're scared?" Leonel asked bluntly, his tone accusatory.

Avaris frowned, his pride wounded. "How rude! I'm a warlord because I'm strong, of course. One of the strongest demons in the entire Netherworld!"

"If you're strong, you can take care of this demon yourself, then," Isolde challenged.

Avaris looked away, muttering under his breath, his facade crumbling under their scrutiny. "I'd like to, but as I said, I need to take care of Lethargia."

"We'll take care of her," Leonel reassured him. "Don't worry about Lethargia, we will take good care of her while you fight this Niccoli kid."

"What?! No! Lethargia doesn't want anyone taking care of her but me!" Avaris protested, his desperation evident.

"You're just making that up so you won't have to fight," Leonel accused him.

"I am so not," Avaris retorted, his frustration mounting.

"Admit it, you're scared, aren't you?" Leonel pressed, his gaze piercing.

"What?! No warlord is scared of anything!" Avaris protested vehemently.

"Hey, guys," Roz interjected, pointing towards an ominous-looking castle looming in the distance. "I think we've reached the place."

Roz voiced his apprehension, his tone tinged with uncertainty. "I'm having second thoughts about this," he admitted, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Isolde's suggestion cut through the tense atmosphere like a blade. "Let's just kill him to eliminate the threat," she proposed, her voice edged with determination.

Avaris swiftly silenced them with a hushing gesture. "Shh!" he admonished, his hand raised to forestall any further discussion.

"That's precisely why you leave the talking to me. You three tend to act like children at times. If any of you engage Niccoli in conversation, it could spell disaster for us. So, once we're inside the mansion, I don't want to hear a single word from any of you, understood?" Avaris instructed firmly.

"You're more childish than any of us," Leonel muttered under his breath, his words barely audible amidst the tension of the moment.

With that directive firmly in place, Avaris stepped forward and rapped his knuckles against the door, signaling their arrival.

An undead butler emerged, causing Leonel to nearly lose his composure at the sight of the ghastly, gore-covered figure.

"What can I help you with, Master Avaris?" the butler inquired, its voice hollow and eerie.

Avaris maintained his composure despite the unsettling sight before him. "Is Niccoli here? I just want to talk with him," he requested, his tone steady but tinged with a hint of urgency.

The butler blinked slowly, its undead gaze fixed upon Avaris, before it widened the door with a creaking groan.

"Come in," it intoned monotonously.

The group stepped over the threshold, and Leonel couldn't suppress the chill that ran down his spine as he beheld the horrifying sight that awaited them inside.

The interior of the mansion was a chilling tableau of decay and darkness. Cracked and mold-covered walls loomed over them, cobwebs hung like drapes from the ceiling, and the air was heavy with the stench of decay.

Eerie shadows danced in the dim light, casting grotesque shapes upon the worn and tattered furniture that dotted the room.

It was a scene straight out of a nightmare, and Leonel couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over him as they ventured further into the darkness.

Soon to be COMPLETED