Chapter 1061
The Rules of the Mad King’s Skull
“–Oh?”
Count Orléans sneered, turning back and raising his cane. He didn’t see where the Child of the Moon from the Vendome Family had appeared, nor did he know when the attack would come. But the sudden inspiration in his heart was enough to block this attack. This was the result of his research on the “Mad King’s Skull”!
Apart from an ability similar to wishful thinking, manipulating coincidences, the “Mad King’s Skull” also possessed a peculiar field effect: the closer one was to it, the more the causal logic of everything around them would become distorted. It was like… a stage play or a novel. In a story, if a person could maintain their aura while fighting multiple opponents, it often indicated that they were far stronger than their enemies. Otherwise, there would be no need to deploy so many people to surround and eliminate him; it would not only diminish his prestige but also be meaningless.
–Yes, “meaning.” This was Count Orléans’s understanding of the Mad King’s Skull. Reality didn’t have so much logic, nor so much precise meaning. A group of powerhouses could very well gather to bully a weaker person, and the weaker person might not bow down because he could be a tough bone, or just stubborn, or perhaps he simply didn’t understand the situation… Reality didn’t have so many “inevitabilities” and “logics.”
But within the influence of the Mad King’s Skull, everything was not like that – the development of the story would become “more reasonable,” and the deeper “Energy Level” and “trump cards” would be unable to overcome the displayed “aura” and “words.”
When the other party agreed to a three-on-one fight, even a war of attrition, Count Orléans had already breathed a sigh of relief – because he could sense that the Child of the Moon among them should be a Fifth Tier, no weaker than him, and the remaining two were weaklings. If he fought them head-on, he truly wasn’t sure of the outcome.
But the moment he accepted the “predicament” of fighting three against one, he immediately felt the powerful enhancement from the Mad King’s Skull filling his body!
–This was a sure win! All he needed to do next was maintain his aura, defeat the two weaklings one by one, deliver some harsh words, and then face that clansman after the war of attrition… In this way, not only would his deficient power be replenished, but he would even become stronger! Under the blessing of “Fate,” he didn’t need to look for the opponent’s weapon. Simply raising his cane was enough to block the attack!
Thus, this strike, as expected, missed. The cane cut through a graceful arc, colliding violently with something in the void.
*Clang—*
Along with a melodious and crisp clanging sound, the tip of the cane seemed to have faintly touched something. Then, with a sharp tearing sound, like fingernails scratching a blackboard, it was hair-raising – sparks burst from the void. In Count Orléans’s perception, he seemed to vaguely see the outline of a sickle’s tip. But in the next moment, it once again hid in the darkness with ripples.
“Disappearing without a trace after one strike…”
Count Orléans narrowed his eyes. He had personally witnessed this stealth ability – it was a skill mastered by the assassins of Eagle Eye. How peculiar… a Child of the Moon from the Vendome Family, yet possessing the skills of Eagle Eye assassins? He found it amusing.
However, although he was cautious in his heart, he showed no outward signs of vigilance. Instead, he meticulously tidied his slightly disheveled collar.
“How interesting, it has piqued my interest somewhat—”
The Count said leisurely, “Shall we try again? Perhaps the next time will yield better results?”
This was the trap he had laid. If the other party took the bait, it would mean they had automatically fallen into a disadvantage, weakening the “aura” of the enemy he feared most. Yes, his greatest fear was not that Fifth Tier clansman, but Arsen.
Back then, after Arsen’s phantom thief reputation had spread throughout Iris Flower and before he retired from the Eagle Eye organization, Arsen had been personally captured by Count Orléans. At the time, the person Arsen was trying to steal from was Count Orléans’s “child,” so Count Orléans, who was interested in this phantom thief, had ambushed him in advance and successfully captured the thief, even marking him with a Charm Kiss.
However, Count Orléans was only Fourth Tier at the time, and the effect of the Charm Kiss was not that strong. The result was that Arsen, relying on his willpower, broke free from the curse’s control, and even incited other Blood Slaves to escape with him. Under the control of the Charm Kiss, this was almost impossible. The history of the Children of the Moon was almost as old as the history of human birth; no one had ever been able to break free from the shackles of “Charm” cast by a Child of the Moon of a higher Energy Level than themselves.
But Arsen inexplicably received the enhancement from the Mad King’s Skull in the basement.
–And thus, a miracle was born.
This was why Count Orléans was eager to kill Arsen. It wasn’t simply because of “making him lose face,” as he had just said to Arsen. The real reason was that if someone were to learn of Arsen’s experience at the time, they might realize that it was impossible for the Third Tier Arsen to break free from the Charm Kiss cast by a Fourth Tier Child of the Moon, and thus realize that a higher-level power had intervened. In this way, someone might realize the existence of the Mad King’s Skull within the Box of Nothingness.
–But he couldn’t openly pursue Arsen; that would also imply an abnormality. Therefore, when he learned that Arsen had married into the Vendome Family, and that the Grand Duke of Vendome himself had personally intervened to erase the records of the matter, Count Orléans actually relaxed – he finally had a valid excuse to bury this matter as an unknown secret without pursuing Arsen.
And now, Arsen had returned with the Vendome people. This scene made Count Orléans wary – had the Vendome Family realized something? Arsen, as an avenger, was also well-prepared. So, would he trigger the Mad King’s Skull’s enhancement and create another miracle of the weak defeating the strong?
Count Orléans had always been worried and apprehensive.
–Until now, he had finally relaxed a little. Arsen was defeated. What else could stop him? Who else could defeat him!? What if he had the Winter Demon’s scythe?
“Next time?”
That gloomy, light chuckle echoed from the void again, “You won’t have a ‘next time’.”
“Oh?”
Count Orléans chuckled with feignedinterest, casually twirling his cane like a gentleman, “Such audacious words… Interesting. I’m truly looking forward to seeing what kind of confidence you have to say such a thing.”
“My confidence?”
Eivass spoke as he gradually revealed himself in front of him. Count Orléans was slightly startled. He wasn’t holding that scythe – where had the scythe gone? And Eivass’s voice sounded, “Rather, I am the one who is more expectant. – Expecting, when you will finally realize… that you are already dead.”
(End of Chapter)
