Chapter 191: DESERVING PUNISHMENT
Realizing he couldn’t defeat Aaron, King Oren closed his eyes, focusing inward as he tried to connect with his planet, not far away in the cosmic scale, its blue orb visible as a distant speck against the stars.
After a tense moment, he resonated with his planet, his strength surging temporarily, surpassing his eighth-star God rank. His power increased exponentially, breaking through the God rank barrier and reaching the elusive Eternal rank, his body glowing with a halo of mana that warped the vacuum around him.
Unlike the God rank, which granted the strength of a single planet, the Eternal rank meant harnessing the power of an entire solar system, the energy flowing into him like a cosmic river, his tattoos flaring brighter as his form expanded slightly.
Aaron glanced at the strength of King Oren, finding the unique ability of Resonance interesting, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the change, the void seeming to still in anticipation.
[Odeon]
Race: Merfolk
Rank: Eternal(★)
Strength: ★
Agility: ★
Vitality: ★
Stamina: ★
Mana: ★
Luck: ★
Charm: ★
Soul Strength: ★
Talent: Dominion of the Sea
Bloodline: Water Merman
With the pseudo-strength of an Eternal rank, King Oren smiled confidently, believing he could finally fight Aaron on equal footing if not surpass him, his regenerated limbs flexing with newfound power, the stars reflecting in his triumphant eyes.
King Oren made his move again, his speed faster, his strikes stronger, the trident whistling through the void with enhanced force. But still, it wasn’t enough to contend on equal terms—the illusion in King Oren’s head shattered like fragile glass before the oppressive nature of Aaron, who continued toying with him, dodging and countering with effortless grace.
Aaron matched King Oren’s energy, defending with his fists when the king attacked with his trident, his punches sending shockwaves that rippled the vacuum. Aaron countered with abilities whenever King Oren summoned his control over water, shadows and flames clashing against tidal surges in bursts of steam and darkness.
The battle raged on for hours, the void filled with the silent explosions of mana, until King Oren was completely beaten, his body battered and his mana depleted, floating limply in space.
"Have enough?" Aaron asked, holding the neck of King Oren in a vise-like grip, his fingers digging into the scales, the king’s eyes bulging as he struggled futilely.
King Oren was extremely exhausted, unable to comprehend how Aaron remained full of energy and stamina, his breaths ragged, his crown lost in the void, his once-regal form reduced to a broken shell.
Aaron used Origin Point, reverting time until King Oren’s body was totally healed, the wounds sealing as if they had never existed, the king’s limbs reattaching with a soft snap, the void resetting around them in a blink.
"What fitting punishment do you deserve?" Aaron asked rhetorically, still holding the neck of King Oren, his mind deliberating as the king’s eyes widened in renewed fear. After much contemplation, he finally settled on a suitable torment for the insolent king.
"Cause of Immortality," Aaron intoned coldly, placing a curse on King Oren, his eyes locked on the King of Atlantis, the curse weaving into Oren’s essence like an unbreakable chain, granting him endless life but eternal suffering.
"Luck Drain," Aaron followed, draining the luck of King Oren completely, the king’s karmic weight shifting as fortune abandoned him, leaving him a vessel for misfortune.
Despite draining the luck and imposing the curse of Immortality, Aaron still didn’t feel satisfied. He wanted King Oren to endure more, his fury demanding a deeper retribution.
Appearing before King Oren, Aaron extended his hand, engulfed in hell flames that danced like malevolent spirits, their crimson glow illuminating the king’s terrified face.
"I want you to suffer so much. Every day, I want you to regret ever laying your eyes on my wives," Aaron continued, slowly driving his hand into the chest of King Oren, the flames searing the scales as he pushed deeper, the king’s body convulsing in agony.
King Oren groaned in pain as Aaron’s hand drove further until he firmly held the heart of King Oren, the organ pulsing frantically against his palm.
"Eternal Flames," Aaron said calmly, setting the heart of King Oren ablaze, the infernal fire igniting within, burning without consuming, an endless torment that amplified the king’s suffering a thousandfold.
"Aarghhhh!!!!!!" King Oren screamed, tears trickling down his eyes as the pain intensified, his immortal body regenerating only to burn anew.
With the curse of Immortality, King Oren was already subjected to torture of its own kind. But with the eternal flames scorching his immortal heart, his pain and torment were magnified a thousand times over, an unending cycle of regeneration and destruction.
"Now, these lips that don’t know when to speak and when not to speak," Aaron frowned, reaching into the king’s mouth, hell flames still flickering on his fingers.
With one fluid movement, Aaron yanked the tongue out of King Oren’s mouth, causing the Atlantean king to emit a muffled scream, blood gushing forth as the organ was severed.
The tongue tried to regenerate since King Oren was now immortal, but with the wound’s edge coated in hell flames, it was unable to heal. The inability to regenerate subjected King Oren to even more pain than he was already enduring, the raw nerve endings screaming in perpetual agony.
"Protect His Majesty!!" Aaron heard a voice screaming from afar, the words empowered by mana, carrying through the void with resonant clarity, echoing like a battle cry.
From the distance, Aaron could make out several spaceships exiting the atmosphere of Atlantis, their hulls gleaming under the starlight as they accelerated toward him. Some merfolks flew out from the planet’s surface, their forms propelled by mana-infused currents, their targets locked on Aaron.
Aaron watched the parade of merfolks drawing closer, each and every one of them radiating aggression, their weapons drawn and eyes burning with loyalty to their king.
"Father, allow us to take care of them on your behalf," Flameborn said, exiting the Sanctuary rift behind Aaron. The young dragon had regenerated from the obliteration he suffered from the trident, his scales gleaming anew, accompanied by Aaron’s three wives, their expressions a mix of concern and readiness.
Aaron didn’t turn to face King Oren but glimpsed the smile on his face amid the torture, a flicker of hope in his bloodshot eyes.