Chapter 1449
With just a word from Leon, the massive black serpent went limp, flopping down like an obedient pet, not even daring to glare—like it was meeting its cranky old grandpa.
Giovanni's face went even paler. He stared at Giacconi in the distance—who was busy snapping his broken bones back into place, waiting for them to heal—his eyes practically ignited with rage.
This idiot... Why didn't I strangle this foolish son when I had the chance? This Skeleton King is obviously King Fergus's personal project, and even pals with the Dynosaurian clan. We're toast. This time, Giacconi's stupidity is going to get us killed...
Giacconi was still reeling, having no idea why Leon suddenly pulled out the Undead King's banner—then his dad booted him across the room, broke more than twenty bones, and nearly killed him with one kick. Barely patched up, before he could say a word, his father popped up in front of him, grabbed him like a sack of potatoes, and hauled him into the castle.
While Leon was catching up with the black serpent, Giovanni dragged Giacconi into a castle's secret chamber, shooting him a glare cold enough to freeze blood.
Spill it. What happened—everything. Don't sugarcoat it. You idiot, if you want to die, don't drag me and the family down with you!
As soon as he finished, Giovanni couldn't hold back and just went to town breaking Giacconi's freshly healed bones.
Giacconi screamed in agony, not daring to talk back or even ask why—just howling.
Once Giacconi was done screaming, Giovanni knocked out one of his fangs with a slap.
Idiot, spit it out already!
Giacconi was sprawled out like a dead dog, mind spinning with questions. He couldn't figure out why, after all the effort to deliver a message, he got beaten up instead of starting a fight.
But with Giovanni glaring murder at him, Giacconi kept his mouth shut and just started explaining what happened.
From the moment they ran into Leon, to Leon casually wiping out his army, then dragging him along as a guide, and everything else...
After Giacconi finished, Giovanni's eyes literally erupted with blood-red fire. The flames shot out, wrapping Giacconi up. No visible wounds, but the pain was hellish—his eyes looked ready to pop.
Giovanni shot a hateful glare at the screaming Giacconi, then slammed the door and left.
Idiot, you almost caused a disaster this time. Burn in these flames for five hundred years!
Stepping outside, Giovanni saw Leon and the black serpent were still catching up.
Leon took out a bit of the Golden Crest and Bloodline Essence Rick had given him. Rick said only a drop was needed, but Leon had more than enough. Now was the perfect time to hand some to the black serpent and wave the alliance flag.
By Leon's count, it was only ten drops—nothing compared to what he got before. But the black serpent sensed the essence, and its scales bristled.
The purest Bloodline Essence from a true Dynosaurian powerhouse—bloodline power at its peak. Only given willingly, never stolen. Stolen essence just doesn't have the same punch. For the black serpent, this stuff is worth ten thousand times more than a forty-ninth rank Soul Fire.
The black serpent lay there, mouth wide, respectfully accepting Leon's gift. Swallowing the Bloodline Essence, it became the catalyst he needed. Without it, he'd never strengthen his bloodline, no matter how hard he tried.
With the Bloodline Essence and a bit of Golden Crest, the black serpent's bloodline could jump a rank. For Dynosaurians, bloodline is everything—rank is just a number.
Don't be fooled by the black serpent's forty-seventh rank. When he first met Rick, Rick was only forty-sixth, but in a real fight, the black serpent wouldn't stand a chance—instant KO.
Giovanni walked out and saw it all, face growing darker. If Leon could call the black serpent a friend, he clearly knew the Dynosaurians. Seeing the Bloodline Essence and Golden Crest, Giovanni realized Leon's ties to the Dynosaurians were way deeper than his own with the black serpent.
After getting Leon's gift, the black serpent just lay there, meek as a sidekick, waiting for orders. When he looked at Giovanni, he sent a flood of messages his way.
Feeling all that, Giovanni could barely hold back—he wanted to march right back and finish off Giacconi.
After thousands of years together, his old friend was actually warning him not to get any funny ideas...
Lord Boddy, did King Fergus send you here for something?
Giovanni asked honestly. He knew the undead didn't care about time—plenty to waste, so why rush?
Leon turned, saw how cautious Giovanni was, and knew he'd fooled him. This ancient geezer had lived forever—maybe not much experience in the Undead Plane, but definitely sly.
With that death scythe way above his rank, the Dynosaurian banner, and a bit of Rick's Bloodline Essence, Giovanni had zero doubts left.
After all, except for the Skeleton King, no other Skull King could pull this off. So Leon had to be the Skeleton King's right-hand man...
Giovanni followed along obediently, the black serpent slinking nearby.
Now, if anyone tried to mess with Leon, these two would be the first to jump in and take care of it.
Leon smirked to himself—everything was falling into place. From the moment he saw the black serpent, he'd planned this: act like an elder, toss out a bit of Rick's Bloodline Essence, boost the serpent's bloodline, wave the big banner, and Giovanni would buy it—he couldn't not.
Lord Giovanni, you know the Undead Plane just collided with another realm. King Fergus is watching closely—we have to make sure the Undead Plane devours it.
So, you set traps to lure powerful humans into the Realm of Nightmares, but things changed—one of them is just too strong. King Fergus thinks the traps aren't enough, so we have to go in ourselves to guarantee victory.
Plus, the seven Vampire Progenitors haven't come back from the Realm of Nightmares. Even the one who survived is gone. King Fergus needs answers, so he sent me in.
If you really picked apart Leon's story, there were plenty of holes—the biggest being all seven Vampire Progenitors went into the Realm of Nightmares and never came out. Clearly, something unknown happened inside.
Vampire Progenitors are the only ones who can come and go from the Realm of Nightmares, and every one of them outranks Leon.
So why would the Skeleton King send a forty-seventh rank Skull King in?
Yeah, right...
But Giovanni had stopped doubting ages ago. Who'd dare question the Skeleton King's plans? As for thinking Leon was there to save humans, that never even crossed Giovanni's mind.
Undead are undead, humans are humans. Humans might turn traitor, but undead? Never.
Giovanni didn't doubt Leon, but you could see a hint of worry on his face.
Vampire Progenitors can sense each other. In less than a year, Giovanni had felt two of them die. Hearing Leon's story, he believed it right away.
He could sense the other seven hadn't died, but their condition was bad, and the connection was fading. The timing fit with recent events.
It all lined up with Leon's story. Giovanni remembered his brother saying they'd been summoned by the Skeleton King for a mission, but never learned the details.
Hearing Leon now, Giovanni's face showed concern.
Lord Boddy, let me go. It's not my first time in the Realm of Nightmares—I should be fine. If I stick to the edge, it shouldn't be that risky...
All seven Vampire Progenitors are stronger than him, and none have come back from the Realm of Nightmares. That means they must've gone deeper, not just hung around the edges.
Since the Lord of Nightmares died, the Realm of Nightmares has gone haywire. His rules were replaced by the world's own, and you can't change them unless you're as strong as the Lord of Nightmares or really get his rules.
Leon glanced at Giovanni. If he was really a Skull King, he'd send Giovanni in first. But this time, he was rescuing Agalon and the others, so Giovanni was just a walking beacon.
If Giovanni ended up trapped in the Realm of Nightmares too, it would be game over. All the beacons would be stuck inside, and finding another gullible Vampire Progenitor would be nearly impossible...