Chapter 27:
Kunos' body was finally completely solidified. He held a pose unique to the devil, with four hands spread out, waiting for the believers to greet him.
"My believers, kneel at the feet of the great Kunos!" Kunos shouted loudly, but the response he expected did not come. He opened his eyes angrily and saw Kama Taj's dragnet closing in.
"Damn, what's going on? This is a trap!" Kunos realized too late. He was already surrounded by mages.
"Welcome, Kunos," the Ancient One said kindly, but the gentleness in her voice made Kunos' body tremble. "Are you the Demon God's Sorrow, Lord Dormammu's old enemy—Ancient One?"
"Since you've heard of my name, why would you dare to come to Earth?" the Ancient One asked, stepping forward. She looked up at Kunos, who stood seven or eight meters tall. The difference in size between the two was striking, and it was Kunos, despite his towering presence, who felt the tremor in his bones.
"Lord Gu Yi, I didn't mean to come to Earth. I didn't know this world was Earth," Kunos stammered, his realization dawning that he was in trouble. This was his first time selecting a world with such high difficulty—he had chosen the worst one to make his debut.
The name "Gu Yi" was known to all demon gods, and it carried with it a heavy weight. Many demon gods feared the Ancient One, as she had sent countless powerful beings to their ends. Even Dormammu had faced setbacks against her. For a fledgling demon god like Kunos, encountering her was akin to a death sentence. His instincts screamed for him to flee, but his return spell was useless. Kama Taj had sealed off this dimension.
"Lord Gu Yi, please ask your mages to lift the space-time blockade. I will leave immediately. I won't come back to Earth. I was just born over two hundred years ago, and I'm still a baby. Babies should be forgiven for their mistakes..." Kunos pleaded, his voice hoarse and strangely soothing, but the words left a chill in the air.
Li Ji couldn't help but marvel at the demon god's acting—if it weren't for his intimidating appearance, he might have been convinced. Kunos seemed utterly pathetic in his pleas.
"Kunos," the Ancient One replied with a slight smile, as if she were humorously aware of the demon god's naivety. "Your father is Turvas, the gazer of the abyss, isn't he?"
"Yes! Yes, my father is Turvas, and I am his only son. If you don't let me go, he will surely join forces with Lord Dormammu to deal with you!" Kunos almost shouted in his desperation. He had forgotten his own bloodline for a moment, but now that he remembered, he clung to it as if it were his last hope.
"Ah, Turvas," the Ancient One mused. "No wonder it's so difficult for you to tap into your dark powers, yet you remain so weak." Her tone was dismissive, almost patronizing. "But you say you're his only heir. I wonder what Dinez and Portias would say about that?"
The names Dinez and Portias—other powerful bloodlines of Turvas—had far more power and influence in the demon world than Kunos. They were much stronger than him and far more respected among their peers. Kunos had nothing on them.
"Lord Gu Yi, I'm just a baby demon god! I live in the dark dimension where there's no food or warmth! I can only drink the cheapest blood wine from the Scarlet Hell! Please, think of me like a human child and forgive me!" Kunos' voice trembled with mock sincerity, and Li Ji, despite himself, felt a chill. The demon god's theatrical display was unsettling—if only Kunos were less terrifying in his appearance, he might have made an excellent actor.
The Ancient One, however, wasn't moved. "Kunos," she said softly, her smile fading. "You should have known better. I, the Ancient One, have never been a forgiving person."
"Then you're not afraid of my father's revenge?" Kunos sneered. "I can guarantee you'll never be able to bear it! You might have defeated Lord Dormammu, but Turvas is a whole different beast. You don't stand a chance against someone like him!"
The threat hung heavy in the air, but the Ancient One merely shook her head, unperturbed. "If I were to let you go, I would have already played right into your father's hands. You see, Turvas has been coveting the position of King of the Dark Dimension for a long time. But there's a problem. He hasn't defeated Dormammu's power, and worse, he hasn't surpassed Dormammu's achievements. That's why he's been after Earth. He wants to prove himself by conquering this world, where Dormammu once failed."
The Ancient One's words were methodical and precise. "Naturally, Dormammu can't let that happen. That's why he has kept Earth's coordinates hidden from Turvas. It's likely the reason you arrived here by accident—you didn't even know this world's time-space coordinates."
Gu Yi's analysis was flawless, and Li Ji couldn't help but admire her wisdom. "She's truly a master," he thought, his mind racing with respect. But when he glanced back at Kunos, his view shifted. "Well, except for this guy. And Thor too, of course."
"So," Gu Yi continued, "do you really think I'd let you go back to hand over Earth's coordinates to Turvas? I initially feared he might have found them and sent you as a scout. But it turns out you were just a small fry who stumbled in by accident."
Kunos' body stiffened. He now realized how utterly insignificant he had become in the grand scheme of things.
Before Kunos could speak again, his body erupted in a wave of dark energy. "Dark Curtain!" The entire room was swallowed by a deep, oppressive darkness.
"Ancient One, you've forced my hand!" Kunos' voice rang out from the darkness, full of sadness, as if he had suffered some great personal loss. His words echoed in the air, carrying a strange sense of betrayal.
The darkness spread quickly, and Li Ji felt a searing pain as it engulfed him. His skin began to darken, as though it were burning from the inside out. He heard the cries of the other mages as the same dark energy spread over them. It was excruciating.
"What is this?"
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