CHAPTER 197: VOW

As the group stepped into the throne room, an invisible weight immediately bore down on them. The source: Adam’s skill, Presence an active ability applying the use of Monster Energy as technique to generate an aura of fear and raw power that is so overwhelming in its force that even seasoned warriors struggled to remain upright beneath its oppressive pressure, and can even erase a person physically out of existence if they are too weak.

The group muscles all began to tensed, their knees buckled slightly, and many found their instincts screaming at them to kneel or flee.

For the servants atleast, the clear difference in power was vividly evident.

Even from behind the great doors of the throne room, and when did they cross it, and enter into it.

That was when they saw him properly for the first time.

Seated high upon the stone-carved throne, framed by the ambient glow of the chamber’s eldritch light, was a boy.

But calling him simply a "boy" felt very wrong.

He couldn’t have been older than twelve in appearance, yet he radiated an ancient, terrifying majesty. His long, straight black hair flowed past his back like a silken waterfall, too immaculate to be natural, too still to be mundane. Despite his small frame, there was an unmistakable gravity to his presence outside it’s crushing fear.

His golden eyes, furious, unblinking, and radiant like twin miniature suns, swept over the group. Each gaze from him was like a divine judgment cast down from on high. No words were spoken, yet each person felt as though they had been seen, measured, and quietly found lacking.

To say they were merely surprised would be a grotesque understatement. Shock gave way to confusion, and confusion rapidly turned to dread. This was no child as their eyes wants them to believe, some Monster do tend to take child like appearance to sway the mass, or hide their identity.

Vampires especially ironically speaking, would dawn’s the appearance of a child to seal their power, and hide their true forms.

Like a certain Shinso Vampire in he Shinso family.

But Kifril could tell almost immediately, this boy wasn’t a vampire.

Not even close, all things considered he also smells like Sidhe too, but strange enough it was clear he was not one.

And to be honest there was something wrong about his scent. At first, it was oddly human, faintly reminiscent of the typical mortal you would find back on earth... but layered atop that was a chaotic blend of different monster’s altogether, too many to count. While the dominant scent clinging to him was unmistakably the scent of a Gordon, a brutal, ancient monster race known for their depravity and lust, but even that wasn’t the whole story.

It was as if the boy’s very existence was stitched together from dozens of monster from different lineages, yet they all held in harmony without tearing each other apart.

’A Metahuman... perhaps?’

Kifril thought, narrowing his eyes.

’No... Something feels off, and that wouldn’t make any sense either. My nose should be able to isolate his race, but all I get is barrage of different monster species.’

He tried again to place it, to define the boy with the sense of smell that had served him faithfully for centuries.

But nothing clicked as far as he can tell.

’What a strange lifeform I have come across.’

But even then...even if Kifril couldn’t determine his race, it didn’t change why he was here to begin with.

After all, he was here to form a good relationship with the new king of the Sidhe, and by the looks of it, this one seemed vastly more efficient and far more powerful than Alustus. For that reason, he began the conversation like this.

Asking him as such.

"Greetings current King of the Sidhe, I am Kifril Fallenblood Supreme Commander of the Royal Army of the Cain Family. And also the 3rd son of the Vampire King Hector Cain, with my introduction out of the way. And if I may so humbly asked, who exactly do I stand before in this new order?"

He asked Adam, who had yet to speak, his emotions cold, calculated, and unreadable.

It didn’t help that the soldier who had gone missing was now confirmed dead.

No one said it aloud.

But it was surprising to see that one of their own had been here all along... and had died after disappearing just a while back, a couple minutes ago.

Still, that wasn’t the priority right now.

On the other hand, Adam looked calmly at the group and spoke.

"My name is Adam Novels... but that is my independent name. The person standing before you now is the youngest and most recent addition to the Shinso Family. For that reason, you may refer to me as Shinso Adam."

He said this while locking eyes with Kifril, whose expression froze, eyes wide, a subtle smile forming. It was hard to believe, but it made Alustus’s death finally make sense.

Still, the thought was surreal.

Those overpowered monstrosities, those freaks of nature, had actually added a man to their small but terrifyingly powerful family.

It confused him.

And being ever so observant, it made him wonder.

Were they grooming Adam? Or was he artificially created somehow? Knowing those Shinso women, it seemed more likely they had make a man rather than bother to find one.

One that was more to their taste, more than anything else.

If only Kifril know how close he was to the truth, minus the making part, but his guess was almost correct.

But to him atleast.

That would also explain why Adam smelled like a mix of Gordon, Oni, Vampire, and Mimic, races that just so happened to be the known bloodlines of those terrifying women.

But Adam didn’t just smell of Vampires, Mimics, Gordons, or Oni.

No, Kifril’s senses picked up far more than that.

There were traces of countless other monster lineages tangled in Adams scent, shifting, layered, too complex to categorize. It was unnatural... or perhaps transcendent. Whatever he was, it was more than just hybridization. It was like standing before a walking convergence of monster evolution.

Still, knowing what he knew now, who stood before him, Kifril composed himself and stepped forward.

He was an imposing figure in his own right. Towering at 6’9", his build was lean yet powerful, the epitome of vampire nobility and martial prowess. A dark crimson cloak, lined with silver and red embroidery, billowed slightly behind him, the interior shimmering faintly like moving blood quite literally. His pale skin was almost deathly white, contrasting starkly with his sharp crimson eyes and neatly groomed silver hair. Though middle-aged in appearance, his features were sharply handsome, his carefree and noble looks, and base on his power dwarfing Alustus currently was easily among the greats of his species.

He can inspired fear or admiration depending on one’s allegiance. Fangs lightly peeked from beneath his lips even when he wasn’t smiling.

Kifril’s voice echoed through the room.

"I see... So, you’re from the Shinso family. I take it that means you’re a Shinso yourself?"

Adam didn’t answer in the straightforward way Kifril might’ve preferred, but his words were clear enough.

"Yes. I am indeed a Shinso existence. These Sidhe are now my subjects, along with the other monsters who inhabit this floating dominion. After I killed and consumed Alustus, I decided to take everyone here under my wing."

Adam’s golden eyes gleamed with a subdued but terrifying pride as he continued, his voice steady and domineering.

"That was the status quo, until you all reached out to request a meeting. So let’s not waste each other’s time. If it wasn’t clear by now... I serve directly under the Monster Lord of Fantasy, the Lady of Nightmares. My big sister Shinso Minerva."

He paused for a moment, letting the weight of the name settle over them like a suffocating shroud.

"A moniker I am sure many of the powerful in the Monster World are all too familiar with."

These words where indeed true, many knew of Lady Minerva one of thirteen concepts of the Monster World.

Unlike our king, who represents the physical existence of all Monster. The Body of the Monster World.

Lady Minerva was the representation of all fantasy and dreams good and bad within the Monster World. Her true form can be said to be the dreams of all those of the Heritage.

So he looked back at Adam and commented.

"Heheh I see, well then your majesty Adam, we are not here to start a fight, rather we want to form friendly relations you see. I mean, you will also benefit for having us as an ally."

"An ally you say?"

Adam said casually, before pausing and continuing.

"And how do I know you words are true?"

"If you must know, vampires are not the most truthful being, if they don’t make a vow."

Kifril just laughed as he said.

"Why don’t I vow right now then?"