Chapter 130
·
9 Apr 2025
·
For sale
. The action is enhanced, character tension is increased, and vivid details are added to deepen the atmosphere:
…The attention of all the guests!
Every head turned in stunned silence as a figure was hurled out of the ornate bridal chamber with such force that the walls trembled.
The body crashed heavily into the marble courtyard, sliding several feet before coming to a stop. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the air.
It was the Governor-General.
His appearance was ghastly. His once dignified ceremonial robes were torn to shreds, one sleeve completely ripped away. His pale skin was laced with rapidly spreading black and green veins, like rotting vines crawling across a dying tree. Dark, muddy blood oozed from the corners of his lips, dripping to the ground with a sickening plop.
The patriarch of the Henry family—a towering man known for his iron will—stood frozen in disbelief. The wine cup in his hand slipped from his fingers and shattered with a sharp clang, staining the pristine white floor red like a silent omen. He stared blankly at the crumpled figure of the Governor-General, unable to reconcile what he was seeing.
"W-What in heaven's name…?" someone whispered.
The courtyard, filled with prestigious guests from noble families and military factions, fell deathly silent. Faces turned pale. Some were too shocked to speak, while others instinctively began to back away.
Suddenly, from within the bridal chamber, the doors creaked open once more.
A figure stepped forward.
Ben.
He was dressed in a flowing red wedding robe, his long sleeves rippling slightly in the breeze. But it was not the attire that drew the guests' attention — it was his presence. Cold, sharp, and commanding, he looked more like a divine general descending from the heavens than a groom on his wedding night. His eyes were like twin blades, piercing through the soul of everyone who met his gaze.
"D-Demon!!" someone screamed, the voice cracking under fear.
That one word shattered the uneasy silence.
"A demon?!"
"A demon infiltrated the court?!"
"No wonder he rose to power so fast—he's not human!"
The voices came from all directions now, blending into a wave of hysteria.
Ben ignored the chaos around him. He took one step after another, slow and deliberate, until he reached the edge of the courtyard. There, sprawled on the stone tiles, the Governor-General was twitching violently. His body convulsed, his bones snapping in unnatural directions, his skin beginning to bulge and stretch.
His face—once stern and proud—was now misshapen, his jaw unhinging slightly. Glowing green eyes peered out from behind the human facade, filled with hatred and something worse: hunger.
Ben's voice rang out, cold and emotionless. "You've been living too comfortably in this human skin," he said, raising a single hand. "Let me peel it off for you."
The Governor-General growled — a deep, guttural sound, not born of any human throat.
With a sickening crack, his body snapped backward. His skin split open at the seams, and something far larger, far more grotesque began to emerge from within.
The transformation was horrifying.
His limbs elongated, joints bending backward as jagged scales erupted from his back. Black and green armor-like plates covered his skin, emitting a foul stench of rot and sulfur. His face stretched into a lizard-like snout, fanged and dripping with acidic saliva. When the process was done, what stood in the courtyard was no longer a man — it was a demon, nearly three meters tall, a monster from the abyss.
Screams erupted all around. Nobles stumbled over chairs. Servants ran for the exits. A woman fainted beside a pillar.
Only Ben stood firm, a lone figure facing the beast.
The demon opened its jaws, letting out a thunderous roar that cracked the tiles beneath its feet. It lunged forward.
Ben vanished.
At least, that's what most people thought — he moved so fast that only a blur remained in the air.
The next instant, he appeared mid-air, bringing his palm down like a sword.
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded outward as his strike connected with the demon's shoulder. The creature let out a furious shriek, stumbling backward, scales shattering like broken armor.
Ben landed gracefully, his crimson robe fluttering in the air.
But the demon recovered quickly. It roared again and swiped its massive claw, the force enough to shatter stone.
Ben dodged, barely a flicker in the wind, his footwork fluid and precise. He weaved between attacks, each motion calculated. Then — in a single motion — he struck the demon's chest, delivering a blast of inner force that sent the creature hurtling backward through three thick pillars.
Dust filled the air. The courtyard trembled.
From the cloud of debris, the demon howled. It wasn't down yet.
"You'll need more than brute strength to kill me," the demon snarled in a warped voice. "I've devoured entire cities!"
"I'm not here to kill you," Ben replied coldly. "I'm here to erase you."
The demon charged once more, faster and more vicious than before. Its claws sliced through the air, leaving deep grooves in the stone. Ben narrowed his eyes, then leapt high into the sky, summoning a ripple of energy around his body.
This time, he didn't strike with just martial strength. A faint blue light began to shimmer around his hands — ancient runes etched themselves into the air, glowing with ethereal power.
He spun, and with a shout, hurled a wave of energy toward the demon.
The impact was thunderous.
The entire courtyard lit up as the demon's chest exploded in black flame. It screamed — a sound that shook every soul present.
The body began to collapse, twitching violently, then disintegrating into ash.
Silence fell again.
The guests, previously screaming and scrambling, now stared wide-eyed at Ben — this mysterious man who had just slain a demon in front of their eyes, with powers no ordinary human could wield.
Ben turned slowly, facing them all.
His eyes swept over the assembly — nobles, scholars, generals, emissaries from North America, and foreign dignitaries from America. He didn't speak, but the message was clear.
You saw the truth. Now live with it.
In the distance, Emima, leader of a powerful sect, stepped forward. Her gaze was calculating. Beside her, Robert, a trusted advisor, whispered something.
Mark Wood and Trump, both renowned figures in the military world, exchanged glances.
Smith, the quiet strategist from the Chicago region, narrowed his eyes.
And Elisa, daughter of the famed Hales, clasped her hands tightly as she watched Ben's back.
A single thought began to form in the minds of everyone present: Ben was not just a groom. He was a force beyond imagination.
The wedding was no longer a celebration — it had become a declaration.
A declaration that something old, powerful, and terrifying had returned.
Let me know if you'd like me to continue with the aftermath, develop more characters (like Clara, Rogers, or Eowyn), or explore Ben's backstory and how he gained this power!
For more chapters
patreon.com/Liamlivingstone