Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 470 - 432: The King of Broken Crown

The central square was identical to what it had been before, if not for the scholar collapsed on the central platform, Lyle might have thought it all just a nightmare.

The majority of the people had already assembled in the center.

"Your Majesty Irene/Scholar sir/Teacher, are you alright."

The scholar leaned against the emerald branches, the Magic Giant Dragon lifting its head to gaze at the Arcane Eye, infusing Magic Power into the barrier that enveloped the city. Twisted tendrils had already corrupted half of his skeleton, and the burning flame of his soul repelled the writhing tendrils of flesh that were creeping upwards.

"I’m fine, for now."

Behind the scholar, an Emerald Tree radiated the glow of life, its tender branches extending down to connect with the scholar, helping him resist the corruption, like a breathing machine. The Green Dragon Priest Eason lay sleeping on a massive leaf, in her hands, a twisted, wriggling sphere pulsed like a heart.

As the newcomers arrived, the scholar summarized the current situation.

"Eason is helping me fight off the corruption. I’ve linked the magic grid with the dream world to suppress the force of corruption, and those twisted citizens will gradually fall into a deep sleep. But the situation is still very grim. The Evil God fledgling named Serio has brought the City of Wandering into the Void, the Void, a dim graveyard without light. The power of the Void will eventually erode everything we have. Death is just a matter of time."

"We need to go back, if we can’t stay in the Void, we go back," William declared as he stood up.

"And correct these twisted lives." Lyle stepped forward.

The two youths held the same resolute expression on their faces.

Facing the two of them, the scholar’s soul flame flickered faintly.

"Lyle... William..."

William looked at the gentle Lich, in his ragged robes, wrapped in broken chains all over his body, a large hole pierced through the center, and the throbbing rooted in his bloodline rendered William silent.

The scholar was the first to speak.

"That’s William... my grandson; it’s indeed a bad first meeting. I had planned on giving you a good cleanup."

"Grandfather Irene..."

The scholar extended his palm, in it, the bloodstained crown shone brightly.

"The Dolgette legacy has continued on..."

"... Father..." William remembered the man who would boast and drink at the bar, always throwing an arm around his shoulder with some trash joke, especially after William started dating, the dirty jokes became even more pronounced, making William almost suspect this old bastard had something up his sleeve. That’s all he remembered about Carlos, memories few but happy.

There will be time for grief later, but the cruel reality didn’t afford them the time to be in pain.

William, holding the crown, looked at his kin.

"How do we save the City of Wandering, Grandfather?"

"Serio twisted the citizens, used the power of your key to transport the entire city into the Void. The Void, like a man-eating labyrinth, you may enter, but it’s very difficult to return the same way you came in; we have lost our way. To teleport a long distance to an exact location requires a considerable mastery of space-time magic, a Master of Teleportation. And I, due to corruption, can only manage to communicate."

"Then, is there another Master of Teleportation here?"

"Your father, he was once the finest Master of Teleportation."

"But I, I only have the talent for the Elemental Domain." Across three generations, Carlos inherited Irene’s talent for space-time, William inherited Irene’s elemental talent.

"That is one problem," the scholar’s gaze shifted to Lyle. "If you wish to save the citizens here, Lyle."

"Only an Evil God can fight an Evil God."

"To twist life, for an Evil God, it’s as simple as breathing, but to reshape life."

"That is power akin to the creator’s, creation is always harder than destruction."

"Your problem is the same, your abilities aren’t sufficient."

William pounded the ground with his fist, the frantic elements reflecting the rage of their master rising in columns from the earth.

Lyle clenched his fists, paying attention to his mentor, he wasn’t disheartened, but rather looked back at him, his eyes showing the Lich’s madness.

"So, teacher, how do I become a creator? You have a way, right?"

"The way isn’t with me," the scholar’s voice grew quieter, as if he wasn’t planning to reveal the only way to everyone, or perhaps it was out of shame, regret.

At William and Lyle’s questioning, Irene never made another sound, like a piece of sculpture.

Echel loudly expressed his dissatisfaction, "Irene, now that it has come to a matter of life and death, how can you still be so secretive? If you have a way, just say it! We are trying to save your own city!"

"Enough, Echel, don’t you understand yet!"

The roar of the former King Dreyan drowned out Echel’s voice.

"The method that Irene spoke of is ’that’ ah, if it were you, could you bring yourself to say it!"

"’That’?" Echel stopped shouting, his gaze shifted away from Irene, becoming just as hesitant and stammering, casting an obscure look towards that group of people.

Twilight Memories, Forgotten Kings.

"Hahaha, look at that bear-like look on you, Echel!"

The cloaked former king, Lucimar, stepped forward, clapped the tall body of the Ranger Former King, and walked to Lyle and William’s side.

"Young fellows, don’t mind it, our leader Irene is thin-skinned, and the mumbling is a common problem for those magic wielders with things on their minds."

"Forgive him, indeed, such matters are difficult to articulate."

While Lucimar and Lyle were chatting idly, the former kings of Twilight Memories had already surrounded Lyle and William at the center.

"Kick out Echel and Reed, what are these two guys meddling for, don’t they still have two granddaughters to take care of? These two conscienceless men, they’ve no right to stay in Twilight Memories, I suggest Irene expel them!"

"That’s right! They are not fit to be called Forgotten Kings! Too rubbish, I’m ashamed to associate with them!"

The heckling Forgotten Kings laughed and chatted, squeezing out the two silent former kings.

Perceiving that the atmosphere was amiss, Lyle and William did not speak, only silently watching these deceased kings.

"King’s Power, the miraculous strength that belongs to us, made our soldiers brave and skilled in combat, united our people as one."

"The miracle the heavens granted us is also a key, a key to unlocking the potential hidden within our bloodlines."

Lucimar took off the sparkling crown on his head, gesturing it before Lyle.

"See this, Lyle? This is our proudest power. The proof of our nation, the witness of our once glorious past."

"From the day you joined us, we’ve been anticipating, hoping that one day you would don such a dazzling crown like this, just like us... No, perhaps not just like us."

"To lose everything, only left with a withered symbol of a king, to become a Forgotten King, to become a phantom that reminisces about the past."

"I thank you for your guise, Lyle, you might hardly imagine how the re-experiencing of those emotions has brought life to Twilight Memories, enabling us, daring us to make the choices we do today."

"I thank that bastard named Serio for giving us, the dry bones in the grave, another chance to make waves."

"I thank the gods for granting us, the Forgotten Kings, one last gleam of light."

The King’s Power, contained within a fragmented nation, a Forgotten King, is meager. But, this world has its rules, an opportunity, giving those on the brink of death a chance to make a desperate final effort.

"I, Lucimar, King of Hanging Fort! Hereby! willingly shatter my glory!"

The crown in his hands cried out, and from the broken diadem burst forth a dazzling silver light.

Lucimar, holding the light, his towering frame poured the blossoming King’s Power over Lyle’s head.

One after another, shattered crowns, one after another, proud oaths, one baptism of blessing after another.

"I willingly shatter the twilight of Streit!"

"I willingly shatter the dawn of Rafadime!"

"I willingly..."

"I willingly..."

"Hereby! Crown William Dolgette/Lyle Butler!"

"The Forgotten Kings will eventually fade away..."

"And you, will be crowned as kings!"

With the gifts from the Forgotten Kings, two men inheriting the King’s Power, are about to save their broken homeland.