There were many cemeteries in Stygai, but one stood out for its large size and location. It was located very close to the city center. Inside it, in addition to the many tombs, graves, and crypts, there was something that stood out from the rest: the existence of a large and mysterious empty coffin. Its origins were unknown, and it could even precede the arrival of the shadow men in Asshai and Stygai.
As soon as Immortal and Zhang entered the city, the ground around the mysterious empty coffin began to change. First, there was a slight tremor, then the earth began to churn. Inside the empty coffin, a red light flashed briefly before disappearing again very quickly. Seconds later, from the disturbed ground, six more coffins emerged, three on the left side and three on the right side, with the empty coffin positioned in the center.
Unlike the central coffin, all the new coffins still had their lids on, completely sealed. Except for one of them, which had several cracks and some holes, as if the passage of time had been worse for it.
This entire event, from the initial tremor, the red light on the empty coffin, and the appearance of the six new coffins, took less than 30 seconds. Going completely unnoticed by all the few inhabitants of the city, with the exception of two individuals…
***
Not far from where the six new coffins appeared, leaning against a grave, an old and dusty skeleton lay. Going completely unnoticed, since it was a cemetery, the skeleton moved slightly, turning its head in the direction of the new coffins that were appearing. Not even the red light that briefly appeared on the empty coffin went unnoticed by it.
After waiting a few more minutes and confirming that nothing else had changed in the cemetery, two ghostly blue lights shone inside his skull in the place where the skeleton's eyes should have been. He used one of his bony hands to pluck one of these lights before it floated away and moved towards the depths of the Central Tower of Stygai.
***
Inside the Central Tower of Stygai, on the second underground floor, a hooded Senior Lich was sitting when a small sphere of blue light passed through the walls and ceiling of the tower, reaching him. A cadaverous hand, missing flesh in several places, grabbed the light, bringing it to its mouth and swallowing it. Soon after, the Senior Lich's eyes shone, and he stood up, entering a freight elevator, quickly reaching the last underground floor of the Central Tower.
Inside, his master was still in the same position he had seen less than 2 years ago. His beautiful robe was still dusty, and he remained in the same position, holding the strange square jewel in his hands. His face was still the same, the right side being that of a handsome man with black hair and eyes, and the left side being a cadaverous face, with pale white hair and eyes. The Senior Lich bowed and gave his report.
"My King, there has been a change in the central cemetery, six new closed coffins have appeared next to the empty coffin. The empty coffin also showed signs of necrotic magic for a few seconds."
The Eternal King, who still had both eyes closed, opened them upon hearing his servant's report. His eyes swept over a large double door with several strange symbols very close to where he was. Aside from a strange and peculiar lock on the door, three other symbols stood out. For many years, only two of these symbols had glowed, but now the third symbol was finally lit up, even though it only glowed faintly compared to the other two. He immediately understood the reasons for the changes in the city.
"It seems that the Immortal has already returned to Stygai, and he has also brought his new disciple. Give him all the resources that the boy will need to strengthen his soul, and also immediately deliver the two gifts I prepared for him. We don't have the luxury of waiting 100 years. If I'm right, trouble will arise very quickly… Continue observing the cemetery, and let me know if anything unusual happens again."
"As you wish, your majesty!"
As the Senior Lich bowed and left the room, the Eternal King took out a huge pile of soulstones from his bag and continued refining the mysterious artifact that vaguely resembled a purified soulstone…
***
On top of the same tower where the Eternal King stood, a 2.5-meter-tall creature dressed in a tattered black robe and holding a huge black scythe watched the two newcomers enter the city. No living being could escape the detection of the Stygai's Reaper, his eyes could see even through the walls of the many houses and towers. But this time, something caught the Reaper's eyes, and it wasn't the living beings; his eyes briefly left the new visitors to the city and swept over the large central cemetery. He saw all the changes that had occurred within, before finally looking back at the two visitors.
At that moment, one of the visitors who was wearing silver-white armor and had a large axe on his back stared back at him as if trying to observe him, the Reaper felt challenged and increased to the maximum all the eye curses he could cast on the targets while trapped on top of this tower. This finally scared the new visitor, making him stop looking at him and quickly take refuge in his tower. Only then did the Reaper's anger pass.
His eyes then swept across the city, observing all the living beings that were here; among them, 14 Master Necromancers stood out as the strongest; they had the most powerful souls and stood out like a bright beacon in the eyes of the Reaper. The rest of the lives inside the towers was insignificant in his eyes, with the exception of one peculiar soul.
This soul, despite not being as strong as those of the 14 Necromancers, stood out for something even more tasty in the eyes of the Reaper. It had a powerful life energy, and now, in front of this powerful life energy. There was a small creature with an even more powerful life energy. The Reaper tightly gripped his scythe, anxious for the moment that would reap all the lives of this city…
***
Inside the tower of the Immortal, on the second underground floor, completely unaware of the eyes that watched him, Esmer smiled as he witnessed the birth of the small dragon, which he had stolen from the Lords of Valyria. Now, his experiments could finally begin…
****
Special thanks to the Patreons:
Sage's Supporter: Jan, Vinnie, frimorigo, Leery Falcon, Parsa, Scott Robertson, and Pato Senalima!
Magical Apprentice: Axel Bour, Gabriele Sulpizio, Takatchi, mandeep singh, Austin, Kobe Robertson, Paul Gaslac, Niteo akuma, and 704Corleon!
Senior Magic Apprentice: Cole Bromley!