Olica's amber eyes reflected the figure of the Pale Queen.
The Pale Queen, one of the oldest elven gods, the supreme goddess of the dark elf pantheon, and once the queen of the gods. Even though she had now ceded her position to Khaine, the Pale Queen's power remained formidable.
More importantly, the Pale Queen's power did not wane as rapidly as that of other elven gods. The souls of the dead continued to accumulate, growing stronger over time. Even though the dark elves now worshipped Khaine as their king of gods, the Pale Queen still held considerable influence among the Druchii.
However, the Pale Queen had not always been a deity filled with malice and hatred for all things.
Once, she had been friends with Isha, the elven mother goddess of the heavens. The two often walked the mortal world together. But it wasn't long before she began to envy Isha's happiness—Khaine and Kurnous fought fiercely for Isha's affection, leading to the famous War of the Heavens.
The War of the Heavens ended with Khaine's victory—Kurnous and Isha were defeated and imprisoned by Khaine. But then, an unexpected event occurred. The elven smith god Vaul approached Khaine with a request: he would forge a hundred perfect divine weapons in exchange for Kurnous and Isha's release. After much deliberation, Khaine agreed.
The most powerful and perfect of these weapons was the Widowmaker, Khaine's sword.
However, Vaul did not fully fulfill his promise. He forged ninety-nine weapons, but the hundredth was a counterfeit. Vaul believed that mortals also needed good weapons. Khaine was initially fooled but soon discovered the deception. He blinded Vaul and crippled him.
Hellebron quickly realized that Vaul, too, loved Isha.
The Pale Queen could not understand why all the elven gods were infatuated with Isha while she had no suitors. She then sought the affection of Asuryan, the Phoenix King of the gods, but was brutally rejected. In her rage, Hellebron stole countless elven souls and retreated to the underworld, waiting for the day of her revenge.
"My daughter." After a brief moment of thought, Olica did not rush to attack. The dark elf knew all too well how powerful her mother, the Pale Queen before her, was, and how vast her combat experience was. Olica simply maintained her fighting stance, bending slightly, one hand gripping the Blade of Vengeance, the other holding the Omen of Sorrow in a reverse grip. Seeing Olica remain still, the Pale Queen, though strikingly beautiful, with her gaunt cheeks sunken in, wore a twisted, sickly expression of madness. "Why aren't you coming?"
"Mother, you are truly foolish." Olica remained calm, feeling the psychic energy from Ryan continuously flowing into her body. Thus, the dark elf pretended not to be in a hurry to act. "If you kill me, you will also lose your mortal avatar. Why not simply hand everything over to me, hmm?"
The dark elf greedily licked her lips, tempting her mother.
"Hah? Hahahahahahahahahaha!" The Pale Queen laughed maniacally, her voice twisted with madness. "My foolish daughter, you don't really think you can stand against me, do you? All your power comes from me. Even if you've found a human man with special abilities, do you really think you can defeat me?"
"Master says, you never know until you try," Olica sneered. "Mother, have you been stuck in this place for so long that you've forgotten how to move?"
Almost simultaneously, Olica and Hellebron's figures turned into purple shadows. The only difference was that the Pale Queen's power leaned toward a purplish-red, while Olica's was more of a purplish-white.
In an instant, the two clashed dozens of times in their shadow forms. All the onlookers could see was a storm of sparks raining down from the air as the two figures collided.
The two shadows landed. The Pale Queen was unharmed, while a strand of Olica's black hair and a piece of her cloak fluttered to the ground.
The dark elf gritted her teeth. She was at a disadvantage.
"Clang!" The Withering Blossom clashed with the Blade of Vengeance. The pure forces of the two weapons shook the entire hall, causing the tapestries to tremble. The Pale Queen narrowed her eyes.
Her daughter had indeed grown stronger, daring to challenge her now.
This was good.
This was perfect!
"Blade Tempest!" With a chant, thousands of blades emerged from the Pale Queen's underworld realm. Olica snorted coldly, leaping into the air and spinning.
Her cloak whirled around her as the dark elf's figure transformed into dozens of butterflies, weaving through the storm of blades without a single scratch.
Seeing this, Hellebron abandoned her spells, for Olica knew her powers and magic all too well.
Similarly, Olica did not use any spells either.
The dark elf knew all too well that all her magic came from the Pale Queen. Using magic in front of her mother now would be akin to exposing her weaknesses.
"My daughter," the Pale Queen sighed. The supreme goddess of the underworld clashed with Olica using her twin swords while trying to reason with her. "Look at the mortal world. Rhana Dandra has begun. Why are you still so stubborn? I can understand you not wanting to lend me your body, but don't you think about it? With your own strength, can you survive Rhana Dandra?"
"Then do you want to survive Rhana Dandra, Mother?" Olica mocked, her expression twisted and terrifying. "In my eyes, your goal isn't to survive Rhana Dandra. You don't even want to live, do you?"
The Pale Queen's expression shifted slightly. The gaunt noblewoman seemed to be seeing her daughter in a new light. Her amber eyes, identical to Olica's, reflected the dark elf's figure. "It seems that since I began sharing my power with you, you've learned much, much more..."
"Your only goal is to kill Asuryan, even if it means dying with him." Olica sneered, secretly drawing more of Ryan's power. This was her only hope of victory. As she had said, using the Pale Queen's power against her was suicide. "And if there's anything else, it's Malekith, our Witch King, also beloved by Asuryan. You plan to kill them all, and then you can rest in peace."
"....." Hellebron's face twisted with extreme hatred and madness.
Mother and daughter's weapons clashed in the mist, the two shadows entangled in a fierce battle. Sparks flew every second as the two exchanged dozens of blows. Clearly, Olica was no match for Hellebron in close combat, but the dark elf's words kept distracting her mother.
"For the sake of revenge, you've toyed with life, stolen souls, and trapped the souls of Asur, Druchii, and Asrai in your underworld, experimenting on them, reveling in their agonized screams, imagining them as Asuryan." Olica's Blade of Vengeance blocked Hellebron's Pale Feather and Withering Blossom. The dark elf continued with a twisted smile. "It's truly laughable, Mother. You've always been a loser. You'll always be a loser!"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!!!" Hellebron let out a mad roar. The Pale Queen could not tolerate this, could not endure it. She went berserk, summoning dozens of venomous snakes that coiled around Olica's body. "Then what does serving a human as a maid, as a servant, make you? You wretched daughter, you bastard!"
"I! Want! To!" Olica sneered. The dark elf watched as the scaled, fanged snakes touched her, only to be incinerated by Ryan's psychic energy. She laughed sweetly. "I've found love and care. I've received my master's concern and affection. A venomous snake like you, hiding in the shadows, filled with malice and hatred, will never know what it feels like to soar in the sky, will you?"
The Pale Queen nearly lost her mind. Hellebron attacked furiously, forcing Olica to retreat step by step. The feeling of having her scars torn open by her own daughter almost made her faint.
"Souls of the underworld, lend me your power!" Hellebron reached out, and millions, tens of millions of elven souls in the underworld wailed as their power was drained.
Olica was no match. The dark elf was soon struck by the blades, suffering multiple wounds.
"Soul-Severing Blade!" Divine power flowed through the Pale Feather and Withering Blossom. The blades pierced through Olica's defenses, one thrusting toward her chest, the other stabbing into her thigh. The dark elf spat blood, barely managing to block the chest strike with her dagger.
"Shadow Kill!" Hellebron's body spun instantly, two dense whirlwinds of blades forming, slicing Olica's body into three pieces. The dark elf was dismembered, blood gushing everywhere.
But in the next moment, everything turned into purplish-white mist. Olica's figure reappeared behind Hellebron. A dark elf rune, "Slaughter," appeared above the Pale Queen's head, and Olica split into two clones.
One in the air, Olica descended vertically with sword and dagger.
One on the ground, Olica reversed her grip and scissor-slashed.
"Instant Prison Shadow Kill!" Olica's voice rang out.
Hellebron was first surprised, then sneered. She, too, turned into a shadow, causing Olica's sure-kill strike to miss. At the same time, the Slaughter rune appeared above Olica's head.
"Instant Prison Shadow Kill!" Identical to Olica's move, the shadow passed through the dark elf's body. The Pale Queen split into two, one appearing in the air, the other on the ground.
"What?" Olica quickly turned around.
"Die, daughter. Give everything to me!" Four blades descended simultaneously.
Blood gushed.
"This... this is impossible." The Pale Queen in the air looked at the Blade of Vengeance piercing her chest. Hellebron shook her head in pain.
The Blade of Vengeance, originally a hand-and-a-half sword, suddenly transformed into a bizarre, oversized greatsword over three meters long. The blade pierced through Hellebron's chest.
"You probably didn't know, Mother?" Olica bared her teeth, mocking her mother. "Master's sword can grow thicker and longer at any time!"
"Ugh!" Hellebron was suspended in the air, the Pale Queen hanging there. The divine twin swords, Pale Feather and Withering Blossom, fell to the ground.
"Then, it's all over. Die, Mother!" Olica laughed maniacally, raising the Omen of Sorrow to deliver the final blow to the Pale Queen's head.
But at that moment, something unexpected happened. The divine dagger suddenly exploded, shattering Olica's right hand and arm!
Olica was severely wounded, kneeling on one knee. Her right hand and arm were obliterated in the explosion.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" The Blade of Vengeance vanished. The Pale Queen, clutching her chest, fell to the ground. She laughed madly, as if her life's wish had been fulfilled. "Daughter! You're the fool! You're the real fool! How dare you use my divine weapon against me? Who gave you the courage?"
"....." Olica pursed her lips tightly, her face pale. The dark elf remained silent.
Master... Olica is going to lose.
Master~
"Good. Your body, your soul, everything of yours, I'll take it!" The Pale Queen turned into a cloud of mist, enveloping the defenseless Olica.
"Reincarnation Ritual, begin!"
Then, darkness.
Olica's consciousness began to awaken after an unknown period of time.
The only light came from a psychic rune—a six-winged feather, an inverted blade, and intricate, beautiful patterns illuminating the path through the void and mist.
Not a single mistake! The first release of this content is at 69 Book Bar!
Olica stood in this unknown realm, looking around. "Where is this?"
"This is inside me, my daughter." The Pale Queen emerged from the void, a twisted shadow and soul flame, with only a face remaining. "The Reincarnation Ritual takes place here."
Olica's body began to be engulfed by pale flames and purplish-red mist. "What is this?"
"It will consume you, my daughter. Then you will be me, and I will be you." Hellebron laughed maniacally.
"Sigh." Olica seemed to concede, letting out a long sigh.
"Don't be sad, my daughter. I will use your body and power to fulfill my revenge." The Pale Queen, in her victorious stance, delivered her speech. "You can rest in peace."
"So, you really are a fool, Mother." Olica smiled, her expression sweet. "You missed that chance, the only chance to defeat me."
"What?" Hellebron was shocked.
Then, a change occurred that altered the entire dimension.
The rune!
The rune on Olica's abdomen burst into flames!
No, it wasn't the rune burning—it was something within the rune being activated!
The rune's flames consumed and transformed the Pale Queen's pale fire, then, in turn, corrupted everything of the Pale Queen.
"Reincarnation Ritual, begin!"
"Impossible! This is impossible!" The Pale Queen frantically tried to sever her connection with Olica, but the dark elf's power had already surged back. The pale flames turned into azure psychic fire, and the purplish-red mist was purified into purplish-white.
"No!!!"
...I am the dividing line of your foolishness...
About two hours later, the palace doors opened.
The Pale Queen, Hellebron, strode out of the palace.
Her son, Nethu, the god of the underworld and gatekeeper of the dark realm, immediately knelt and tentatively asked, "Mother, is it over?"
Hellebron nodded. "It's over."
"That's good." Nethu breathed a sigh of relief. The gatekeeper of the underworld was about to order the guards to stand down when a sharp blade pierced through his body, shattering him completely.
Hellebron shook her head. "No."
Under Nethu's horrified gaze, like a snake shedding its skin, cracks appeared on Hellebron's face. The mask of the former Pale Queen peeled away, revealing Olica's face beneath.
"All inhabitants of the underworld, Pale Guards, countless souls, the Pale Queen Ritual has concluded. I, Olica Dis Klandiah, am the supreme goddess of the dark realm!" Olica tore off Hellebron's skin and raised the Staff of Malediction. "Hear my command!"
The underworld trembled as the divine throne changed hands.
All the Pale Guards and countless souls heard Olica's voice and immediately knelt, pledging their loyalty to the new Pale Queen.
"Hellebron's promises and plans are all lies!" Olica declared. "There is no ascension back to the heavens. The souls of the underworld cannot kill Asuryan and be redeemed by his divine blood!"
"But I, Olica, am allied with the Moon Goddess Lileath. I can bring you her redemption and mine! Every soul will have a chance at salvation." Olica continued. "I will fight the tide of Chaos. I will face Rhana Dandra. I will battle our ancient enemies to the end. Will you join me?"
"Olica! Olica! Olica!" Millions of elven souls roared, their voices shaking the underworld.
Olica would free them. The Moon Goddess Lileath would grant them salvation!
"Hehehe~" The new Pale Queen smiled with satisfaction as she watched the boiling underworld and the forty thousand Pale Guards swearing their allegiance. Olica suddenly felt a deeper understanding.
"Cruelty, brutality, bloodshed, and slaughter will not lead our race to prosperity."
"When the fires of Chaos pass, our cities, our nations, our people will be reduced to ashes."
"But in the embers of that fire, new power and order will lead the Druchii to a new dawn."
"I will forge, with my own hands, the destiny of the Druchii!"
Olica pulled out a black, viscous sphere from her chest, half-liquid, half-gas.
It was 5% of the Pale Queen's divine power, divine flame, and divine spark—everything Olica did not want. Hellebron's malice, hatred, painful memories, and the obsession with revenge were all contained within.
"Farewell, Mother." Olica smiled.
"No! No! Daughter, you can't do this. I am your mother. I'll give you everything. It's all yours. Spare me..." Within the sphere, a weak divine soul pleaded desperately.
"And my weakness."
Olica clenched her small hand.
The sphere shattered.
The former Pale Queen, Hellebron, was no more.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.