Nothing Left (english)

Chapter 6 : Corruption

After the Scream - 1 Billion Universes remaining

Following polite measures, Zoltar first invited them to sit in the two chairs facing the desk.

His butler then served him a cup of Eternity before providing his guests with a simple cup of water.

He then stood in a corner of the room, ready to respond to any request from his employer. His white hair gave him the appearance of a sixty-year-old man with impeccable posture, as his wrinkle-free uniform implied.

Jason, however, noticed the immense vitality hidden in his eyes, which matched that of an immortal who had lived at least a hundred thousand years.

'He must serve as Zoltar's right-hand man, carrying out all the tasks that he considers beneath him,' Jason thought.

"Good day, Your Highness. We hope that you could help us obtain crucial information for our search," Jason sincerely announced.

"No problem, my friends!" Zoltar exclaimed.

"But why, even as a person as altruistic and full of light as myself, should I give you the information you seek for free?" Zoltar asked, a surprised look on his face.

"What might interest Your Highness in exchange for this information?" Jason questioned.

Zoltar turned to Orion, his immense smile still plastered on his face.

"What do you think of this planet, young man?" Zoltar asked Orion.

"I don't really like the color; I prefer blue and green because the landscapes seem more lively, and there are often more hiding places when I participate in hide-and-seek," Orion naively replied.

"Oh, a child's soul in a young man's body. It's important to maintain a joyful and innocent view of life and the world around us," Zoltar explained.

"But why build an empire? You must shoulder many responsibilities for very little benefit, right?" Orion inquired.

"Ah, I see you're quite observant, young man. To answer your question, one can always derive benefits regardless of the situation. Have you had time to walk around the ring surrounding this planet? All this life, all these souls, it truly pleases me to welcome them and grant them a haven of peace," he answered poignantly.

Yet there were many contradictions in his speech that only a monarch could understand the origin of.

'He's building an army and increasing his power by improving his mastery of the laws of madness attributed to him,' Jason thought as he listened to Zoltar's response.

"Now, to return to your question, I am willing to give you the information you seek, and in exchange, you will stay on my planet for 100 years to learn the customs and traditions of my empire. What do you think?" Zoltar asked with a smile.

His smile now seemed sincere, like a child receiving new toys on their birthday.

Jason then held back his response, wanting to test this childlike version of Orion's intelligence and determine if he could rely on him throughout their journey.

"Why not stay for a while? What do you think, big brother?" Orion answered, turning to Jason.

Jason sighed, thinking of his companion's unreliable nature due to his childlike naivety.

"So you're asking us to join the community living on the ring so that we gradually fall into madness and serve you as soldiers, or be parasitized to spread your holy existence to the civilizations we have visited. Isn't that right?" Jason asked, as if expecting confirmation from Zoltar.

Although Jason had seen through his plan, Zoltar's smile grew wider instead of shrinking, and a touch of madness and bloodlust briefly flashed in his eyes.

His predatory grin now resembled that of a predator watching its prey rather than a polite smile between men.

"Isn't it?" Jason repeated, his voice now possessing an authority it hadn't before.

"Indeed," Zoltar agreed before adding, "Dismember them Vésan," he then ordered in a sinister tone, as if preparing to enjoy a magnificent spectacle.

The butler then charged from the corner of the room, a massive mace in hand. He was on them in a heartbeat, a staggering speed even for an immortal, aiming his mace at Orion's shoulder.

The latter, seemingly oblivious to the butler's approach, simply sighed before announcing in all seriousness:

"Damn fog, I can't see a thing."

In a movement even faster than the butler's charge, he removed his glasses to clean them.

In that moment, a cold, inexplicable shiver coursed through Zoltar's spine, a primal response hardwired into his being. It was as though his survival instinct, honed over countless millennia, was sounding a deafening alarm. It screamed that a force, something unequivocally terrifying and insurmountable, was coming in this very room.

He tried to teleport, but it was too late. The world around him had lost its color, and he had lost all mobility. He could no longer move his eyelids, his pupils fixed on the most dreadful creature he had ever seen.