The Crown's Fire - Chapter 134

Chapter 134: The Golden Dragon’s Sword
In the other chamber, Ezekiel lay unconscious as Sibil diligently worked on extracting Vulcan’s soul from his body. It was a daunting task, as no one had ever attempted such a feat before—at least not in recorded history. Nonetheless, Sibil was determined to fulfill his master’s wishes.

“Let’s see what makes you tick, Your Majesty…” Sibil muttered to himself as he cautiously began his magical probing of the king’s body. His goal was clear: to extract Vulcan’s soul and trap it within a magical box for his master’s use.

“A dragon with this much power shouldn’t be this docile,” he pondered aloud, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Surely, there is more to this than meets the eye.”

With focused determination, Sibil continued to weave his magic into Ezekiel’s body. The king began to glow under his ministrations as Sibil poured his power into the task at hand. It depleted a considerable amount of his reserves, but eventually, both the king’s soul and Vulcan’s soul became visible to him.

“That’s the king’s soul visible… Now for the dragon…” Sibil murmured, his attention fixed on the two souls within Ezekiel’s body.

With meticulous care, Sibil turned his efforts towards extracting Vulcan’s soul. It required even more power, but he persisted, gradually coaxing the dragon’s soul to yield to his command. With each gesture, the red glow of Vulcan’s soul obediently followed his lead, inching its way towards the prepared magical box.

“That’s it… Just a bit more…” Sibil smirked, a sense of triumph coursing through him as he manipulated Vulcan’s power to his will.

As the red glow of Vulcan’s soul submitted to his control, Sibil couldn’t help but revel in the intoxicating feeling of directing such immense power. Though not as potent as his master, the ability to command Vulcan’s dragon soul filled him with a sense of authority and ambition. It was a tantalizing thought, one that made him briefly entertain the idea of seizing control of the dragon himself.

However, Sibil’s illusion of control quickly shattered as Vulcan began to resist his influence.

“What the—?” Sibil exclaimed in alarm as he struggled to contain the dragon’s rebellious spirit. With his master preoccupied tormenting Nikolai, there was no assistance forthcoming. In fact, revealing his inability to control a subdued dragon might lead to his own demise at the hands of Devon.

Desperate to maintain his facade of dominance, Sibil exerted every ounce of power he possessed to restrain Vulcan. Yet, despite his efforts, the dragon continued to slip from his grasp, growing increasingly defiant with each passing moment.

“Yield, damn you!” Sibil shouted, his frustration boiling over.

With desperation driving him, Sibil poured every ounce of his power into his spell, attempting to compel the dragon to submit. Yet, despite his efforts, his control slipped, and Vulcan’s soul broke free, hurtling towards the adjacent chamber. Why? Sibil couldn’t say for certain.

One thing was certain: Sibil was in deep trouble once Devon discovered his failure. Right now, he could no longer resist losing consciousness after exerting so much of his inner energy.

***

Back in the chamber where Nikolai was held captive, a red mist suddenly tore through the walls, catching everyone off guard. Devon’s expression twisted into a mix of surprise and frustration as he beheld the unexpected phenomenon.

“What the… Is that what I think it is?!” Devon snarled, his tone betraying his confusion. “Clearly, someone screwed up…”

Before Nikolai could make sense of the chaos unfolding around him, the red mist surged towards him. With no means to evade it, he braced himself and absorbed the energy, feeling his body vibrating with an overwhelming surge of power. It was an intense experience, leaving him reeling with the sheer magnitude of what he was absorbing.

“You… You dare take what is rightfully mine?!” Devon’s enraged voice echoed in the chamber as the events spiraled out of control.

In the aftermath, a blinding burst of light enveloped the room, incinerating everything in its path. Mineah, having just arrived, managed to shield herself with a magical cloak, witnessing the devastation wrought by Vulcan’s unleashed power. Devon and another man lay unconscious amidst the destruction, having somehow managed to protect themselves to a degree.

Summoning her courage, Mineah hurried to her brother Ezekiel’s side, moving him onto a magical carpet before turning her attention to her husband, Nikolai. But to her bewilderment, Nikolai’s unconscious form had vanished.

“Lai?” she called out, her heart pounding with worry as she gripped the divine dagger in her hand. This was the crucial moment Tarah had foreseen—the time to save Nikolai, vanquish Vulcan, and break the curse.

“Mine…” Nikolai’s voice echoed through the room, and Mineah found herself surrounded by multiple manifestations of her husband. Each one seemed identical, leaving her uncertain which was the true Nikolai.

“This is annoying,” the Nikolais grumbled collectively, their voices blending with Vulcan’s unsettling hiss.

Mineah frowned, recognizing the dragon’s presence from her previous encounters within Ezekiel’s subconscious.

“Your brother’s body managed to reject my soul, but your husband’s body accepted me willingly…” Vulcan sneered, his voice echoing through the chamber. “Now I see why…”

*****

Meanwhile, as the vision ended, Tarah found herself panting heavily, her heart racing with the intensity of what she had just witnessed.

“Sister, are you alright? What happened? Who needs help?” Levi inquired as Tarah hastily exited the chamber and made her way towards another secret chamber where Devon stored all of the magical and ancient weapons he had collected from every kingdom he had conquered.

“It’s my friends, Levi. I’ll help them in a moment, then we’ll leave soon. I need that sword that can at least weaken Devon, if not kill him for good,” Tarah explained. Upon reaching the chamber, she found it securely protected by Devon’s powerful spell, preventing anyone from entering without his personal authorization.

Closing her eyes, Tarah concentrated on recalling the spells necessary to break Devon’s enchantment. With determination, she began chanting the spell, and a white formation materialized, dispelling the black mist covering the doors.

“I did it!” Tarah exclaimed triumphantly as she swiftly entered the chamber. Without hesitation, she grabbed the golden dragon’s sword that belonged to their kingdom—a double-edged blade made of golden dragon scale and equipped with draconite, allowing it to become invisible at the wielder’s will.