NOVEL NEXT Chapter 789: -31- The Unknown God
An obscure surge of magic power swept past, as Marda provocatively looked into the eyes of the young Queen on the throne.
Specks of golden brilliance spread within her pupils, adding a touch of charm to her gaze.
[Charming Eyes]...
This was a talent that could only be awakened by a very few of the Bloodline outside the Kilari Clan, which held the Bloodline of Royal Authority.
At the same time, it was one of the most powerful forms of Spiritual Control magic among the Bloodline.
Since Marda had awakened this ability, no one had been able to resist her Spiritual Control, not even the Blood Count.
Facing the young Queen, who lacked even the Blazing Sun, she had absolute confidence that she could bring the other under her control.
Of course, Marda didn't actually want to do anything to her.
Behind the Falling Star Kingdom was the True Ancestor, after all. She was merely displeased with her clan's compromises to humans and wanted to teach the other a lesson, to embarrass her.
Her powerful spiritual power concentrated in her pupils, shining into the eyes of the young Queen.
However, the anticipated spiritual feedback didn't occur.
In Marda's perception, her magic power and spiritual power seemed to vanish into the sea, eliciting no response whatsoever.
No...
That wasn't the sea...
It was an abyssal vortex, boundless and unfathomable!
Her spiritual power rapidly drained away, and her magic power was pulled out as if it were being drawn out.
Before those eyes, as beautiful as sapphires, Marda discovered in terror that she had lost control of her spiritual power and magic power!
Time seemed to freeze in an instant, and everything around her began to collapse.
The lights disappeared, the human Nobles disappeared, and even the banquet hall vanished.
Everything seemed devoured by the Dark, with only the Queen on the throne remaining in existence.
When had it happened, the Queen on the throne was no longer young. Her silver hair whipped about, her gold-red pupils were unfathomably deep, a black Divine Robe wrapped around her, surrounded by crimson Divine Power, utterly mysterious and majestic.
A terrifying pressure came from all directions, and Marda felt as though she was sinking into a bottomless abyss.
A grayish mist spread from the darkness, and Marda, with terrified eyes, saw twisted arms reach out from the dark. They grabbed at her from all directions.
Wrapped around those arms was a strange white mist, with palms that bore grimacing mouths and constantly rotating eyes, relentlessly tearing at her body, devouring her Blood and Flesh.
"No... don't come here! Stay away!"
The fear beyond words and soul-tearing agony overwhelmed Marda's heart and mind. She let out pitiful screams as she wailed woefully.
But she, having lost control of her body, couldn't resist at all, and could only watch as she was gradually torn apart and chewed up by those grisly arms.
First her limbs, then her torso, finally her head.
In the agony of a thousand cuts and boundless terror, Marda watched in despair as she was slowly devoured.
Her consciousness gradually blurred, and finally... she dissipated into oblivion.
And in the last moments before her consciousness snapped, she seemed to see those grisly arms that had devoured her clawing their way towards the figure on the throne, only to be engulfed in a sea of crimson light...
...
"Marda? Marda?"
A faint call reached her, like a whisper in a dream.
"Marda? Marda?"
The voice grew clearer, gradually awakening her consciousness.
Marda shuddered and slowly opened her eyes.
Before her was still the brilliantly lit banquet hall.
She seemed never to have fallen into Darkness, nor to have been devoured by those "Monsters".
But everything she had just experienced felt so real, making her body tremble uncontrollably.
"Marda, no need to kneel any longer. I did ask you to be cautious, but I didn't expect this; you've been kneeling quite long enough," reminded Yulster, her companion, helplessly by her side.
No... stop kneeling?
Marda was somewhat bewildered.
She looked down hazily, only to discover that at some point, she had begun kneeling on the ground.
Her robe clung to her body, already soaked through with cold sweat without her noticing, and her legs were weak, devoid of strength.
The surrounding human Nobles whispered amongst themselves, giving her strange looks.
"What's going on with her? Kneeling for so long in front of the Queen?"
"Could it be she's trying to appease her?"
"It seems that the Bloodline too holds the Queen in great awe."
The... Queen?
Marda shuddered slightly.
She slowly raised her head, seeing again the slight figure.
The young Queen was still seated on the throne, looking down at her with a hint of playfulness and scrutiny in those azure pupils.
The pain of being gradually chewed and the fear of falling into the abyss once again filled Marda's mind, feeling so real that it couldn't possibly be an Illusion.
But beyond the pain and fear, she felt as if something had been stripped away from her soul, as if it had gotten lighter than before.
Looking back on everything she had seen in the "Illusion Realm," Marda had a dreadful realization.
Her face showed terror, which quickly turned to panic.
Almost subconsciously, she bowed her head, with only one thought shouting in her mind:
"She is not the Queen I saw yesterday! She is definitely not the Queen I saw yesterday!"