"Who are you…?" Erlius's voice cut through the hall like a blade, cold and lethal. "And what are you doing in my palace?"
Only now did the truth settle in his chest like a stone.
Marquis Vein had betrayed them.
There was no other explanation. The Imperial Palace was a fortress layered with countless protections like barriers, formations, guardians. No outsider should have been able to step inside so easily.
And yet… here an unknown person stood.
"I am Tasman Everlasting, King of the Everlasting Kingdom."
The man's voice was calm, too calm. It carried an eerie stillness, as if everything around him was beneath notice. His eyes locked onto Erlius, unwavering.
"A calamity is coming. One that will swallow this world whole." A faint pause. "I came to offer you a choice… Submit. Join the Blood Realm."
The air seemed to grow heavier.
