The Damned Demon

Lysandra's shoulders tensed, a silent battle waging within her as she heard Asher's question.

She glanced sidelong at Asher, her lips pressed into a thin line, betraying her reluctance to reveal the depths of her plight,

"You shouldn't be concerned with my affairs," she said, her voice edged with a detached coldness.

Asher could see that Lysandra was trying to distance herself on purpose.

But he felt that to truly gain her loyalty and trust for the sake of the survival of his own kingdom, he should make her feel like she can depend and trust him.

And so he stepped forward, his voice carrying a mix of concern and frustration, "I thought we considered each other as allies, albeit we never had to state it. Is it wrong for an ally to want to know what's going on with the other?"

Lysandra, her posture rigid and her side facing Asher, replied with a clipped tone, her voice laced with impatience, "Allies don't have to know each and everything about the other. This isn't important. Can you bring him out now?"

But Asher, undeterred, moved to stand directly in front of her, blocking her view of the tranquil yet eerie lake, "Whatever afflicts you, weakens us all. You know I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."

Slowly, Lysandra raised her eyes to meet his, a flicker of vulnerability flashing across her usually impenetrable gaze.

With a resigned gaze, she lowered her hood and removed her cloak, revealing a full-sleeved dark red gown that covered her till her neck. The fabric clung to her form, emphasizing her frailty rather than her usual regal bearing and allure.

Her back, which was usually as straight as an iron pole, was now slightly drooping.

Asher's expression shifted to shock as he took in her pale, sickly complexion and bloodshot eyes—clear signs of severe poisoning...a far cry from her usual regally breathtaking face.

"Did he do this to you?" he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. For some reason, the sight of her condition made him feel an indescribable yet subtle prickle in his chest.

Lysandra nodded slowly, making Asher's fists tightening, "Why? Did he catch onto us?" Asher's voice was thick with worry. If Drakar finds out, then he might never be able to use the draconians in the future.

Quickly, Lysandra shook her head, dispelling his fears, "You don't have to worry. It isn't because of that. This is just how Drakar is. The moment you hurt his pride by even a fraction, he reveals his true nature, casting aside any poise of a king. And he's planning much worse for you, because you utterly and completely crushed his pride," As she said this, her last sentence carried a hint of cold satisfaction.

She would never forget that image of him lying on the ground like a pathetic dog, his pride crushed to pieces.

She knew that it was not losing those life crystals that made Drakar truly mad but the fact that he once again failed to get his hands on Asher.

This filled her with a strong determination to keep Asher alive other than for the sake of her son because he was the only one who was willing, capable, and brave enough to stand up against Drakar.

Asher's eyes briefly flashed with a cold, deadly light, "I can't care less about a dead man's threat," he spat out, his voice laced with cold contempt.

His brows furrowed, puzzled by her appearance, he pressed on, "But why didn't you treat yourself?"

Lysandra revealed a tone as chilled as the winds whisking across the water, "Drakar uses the poison of the Dreadspine Serpent because nobody can remove the poison without using its venom as an ingredient to prepare the right medicine."

Asher furrowed his brows and even if the name of this creature sounded a bit familiar, he didn't exactly know much details about it except it sounded like it was a snake with a very lethal venom.

"He wants me to suffer for weeks like this until the poison wears off. But I will be fine. He can only use a weak version of the venom. This pain is nothing compared to what I have lost. I would rather endure this than give in to him."

Asher's features hardened as he listened, the revelation sharpening his respect for her resilience.

A cold scoff escaped him, a sound more of admiration than disbelief. The more he learned about her, the stronger his astonishment grew at her enduring spirit.

"I will get rid of that poison for you. My mana can burn off anything," he stated, his voice resonating with unwavering resolve.

Lysandra's eyes flickered, disbelief and a trace of vulnerability crossing her face for a fleeting moment, "What? No. I won't die if that's what you are worried about," she countered, her voice a blend of cold refusal and defiance.

"I know," Asher pressed, his tone insistent, "But I can't let you continue like this. As an ally, I need you to be strong and healthy. Can you guarantee that the poison won't suddenly spiral out of control while it's in your body?" His question hung heavily in the damp air, forcing Lysandra to look away momentarily.

When she met his gaze again, her expression was set, her resolve like steel, "I will take my chances. You should only worry about yourself. I have survived all these years and I can survive this as well. But I won't let someone else's mana inside my body."

Asher knew nobody would trust any foreign mana to enter inside their body. But he knew that other than this reason, there was a form of self-imposed penance, likely tied to her unresolved grief over Agonon and those she lost.

"Then I will go and kill that damn serpent and get its venom. I don't want to hear any excuses after that," he declared, his figure tensing as he prepared to launch himself into the sky.

Asher didn't care how poisonous it was since how hard it could be to kill a beast when poison doesn't affect him at all? He had already decided to contact Merina to ask for its location on the way.

"Wait!" Lysandra's cry was a mix of protest and alarm, her voice cracking as she reached out to him.

*Boom!*

But it was too late; Asher was already shooting upwards, his figure a blur against the darkening sky and leaving behind shockwaves.

How can he say that without even knowing what he was getting into?

Feeling a surge of shock, frustration, and helplessness, she, too, propelled herself into the air, trailing after him, her cloak billowing behind her like a dark banner.

Not too long after,

In a place between the Dracyra and Oseon continent, Asher descended into a valley so steeped in dread that even the shadows seemed to recoil in fear.

The land here was blighted, cursed ground where no light dared linger.

Twisted trees with claw-like branches reached out as if to snatch those who dared to trespass, and the air was thick with a miasma that turned the stomach and clouded the mind while lowering the visibility to a great extent.

Even a Soul Purger would feel sick with terror within seconds and run away.

The ground beneath his feet was a mosaic of bone fragments and rotting leaves, crunching softly with every step.

Based on how much they decayed, Asher could tell that these were not-so old bones. Either they belonged to unwary travelers or foolish ones who overestimated their strength.

He did hear from Merina that the Dreadspine Serpent was considered a treasure in itself due to its potent venom that had many applications other than just causing a very agonizing death. With its venom as an ingredient, it could be used to cure any poison.

But no one with a sane mind had ever dared to face this creature, and thus, it was considered just another unobtainable treasure.

He also never expected a snake could be a lot more dangerous than he expected after hearing the details from Merina.

But what he was most interested in was what could be in its lair and the benefits he could gain from killing it.

"You...stop right there," A strained yet cold voice echoed from behind as Asher turned around.

Emerging from the sickly fog, Lysandra stepped forward with labored breaths, her expression a mix of frustration and incredulity.

She looked around; her heavy chest heaved from the effort of the flight, and her face was painted with vexation at Asher's reckless move,

"This...This is madness, Asher. Even for you," she gasped, her voice tinged with the weight of their grim surroundings.

"Then you don't know me well," Asher said with a smirk.

Lysandra took a deep breath as if to calm herself down and said with a firm gaze, "You have no idea what you are going to deal with. The Dreadspine Serpent is not just a peak Soul Devourer, but its body itself emits an invisible but poisonous miasma that can spread for a few hundred meters. It can kill you before you can even get anywhere near it. Why do you think even Drakar didn't take any risks but bought the venom that was harvested from a dead one?"

Asher turned to face her, his expression set, his resolve as hard as the stones that littered the ground, "You are the reason I am here. Since you are refusing my way, I am trying to go with the alternative here. Do you think Agonon would want to see you all sick and injured like this?"

Lysandra let out a resigned sigh as she briefly averted her gaze and said with a timorous flicker in her eyes, "Okay…I will let you treat me. Now can we go back?" She asked firmly, though she averted her gaze briefly.

Asher smirked as he said, "See. That wasn't so hard," Saying so, he stepped forward to leave with her, deciding to come back here later when he was alone.

*Hisss….*

Suddenly, a sinister hiss echoed, stopping both Asher and Lysandra in their tracks as they glanced at each other.