Chapter 434: Dream of King Julias

"Aren't these… Dark Lamias?" Alex whispered while brandishing his sword at the first incoming army. He would only leverage his swordsmanship and leave the rest to the dullahan race, paying respect to the Ancestral Grounds.

"Yes, we weren't in alliance eons ago," Sara chuckled, her new clothes shining with mana, her spear exuding dark mist specks which swirled gently around her tip.

The army of humanoid people had only the upper half of their human bodies, which was also quite controversial. Their bodies were scaled despite human form, and their heads looked as though they wore thin helmets.

Their bottom part had scaled of the same scales snake tail, thick and tough, their undulating movement fast and unstoppable.

Alex knew them because he had talked about them with Nektor. Dark Lamias' king sat on one of the highest seats in the Darkmana Empire and was equal to Thanas. Of course, as the earthling quests were going on, there was a substitute king in every kingdom as of now — nearly every, for dullahans had taken things differently, and now that bit them in the ass.

"Perfect training for us, then," Alex chuckled, and his girl did the same. They were already in the battle stances, waiting for the best occasion to strike dark snakes. And it was not when they circled around them, it was when they were within reach.

"Ha!" Alex and Sara drew sword and spear arcs, respectively, their techniques coated in mist and their understanding of their weapons. Their slashes looked thin, as thin as the scales on Dark Lamias' curves, but when these two connected — the question of who was stronger was answered.

And that was Deathwill Lovers party.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

After drawing more long-distance skills, the couple clashed with Dark Lamias. Their opponents chucked their tails and cleft them, but Alex and Sara answered their attempts to wound them effortlessly, for their bodies had been swathed in dense mist.

As that mist swallowed their enemies, they became able to select their opponents and get more room for each other. Fighting in such a style and clearly covering their backs, the couple seamlessly went through their first obstacle.

There was no loot, but their experience bars had risen significantly.

And as the fallen bodies hadn't turned into particles yet, Sara had her eyes fixed on them. Soon, the defeated dark lamias burst into black mana particles, leaving no trace behind of their bodies.

"It went east," Sara looked in the direction she had just murmured, then turned around to face her beloved, "Ancestral Grounds test us. It's similar to mechanics left in the Deathwill Castle but better. If we follow the dark wind, we will find our goal."

Alex nodded, following his girl. Their goal was to become stronger, get rewards, and get accepted by other dullahans — the last mainly concerned Alexander.

To achieve all of this, they had to fight. There was no other language in the Ancestral Grounds and even outside of it. Everything boiled down to people wielding the strongest power and their purpose.

In Alex's case, he didn't want two worlds to be in danger, for he wanted his family to live in a happy and bright environment.

That had always been the same — the only difference was that Alex's family grew quite rapidly. He had more girls and already three kids who respected and loved him.

Had Alex not been aware of a different time flow in the Ancestral Grounds, he would've been worried about his other girls outside. He also would be concerned about his body in the capsule.

That was because Alex and Sara had already been in the Ancestral Grounds for days.

Fortunately, it could be said that only their souls were on those grounds, and their bodies on Earth still followed the same time flow. They still needed rest and sleep, so they took turns protecting each other while they slept.

At the very least, Alex and Sara reached their end goal.

"This is a castle waiting for us," Sara lifted her eyes at the broken castle. There were many castles around in the dark world, but simply stepping into one of them would be an asinine choice.

Taking refuge in those buildings would be like running away, which would rile up every ancestor, no doubt. And picking them without finishing all battles would be like cowardice or simply laziness, an unforgettable sin.

Alex jested that it was a blessing that Stella wasn't born as dullahan, then picked up his pace together with his girl. They entered the castle and looked after the throne room — a place where the king spoke to his aides and citizens.

"I've been waiting for you," an unfamiliar voice rang out from an unknown direction, startling the couple. As the man behind it voiced out his surprise about Alex, for he could see that Alexander wasn't born dullahan, Alex and Sara realized where the man spoke from.

The voice stemmed from the Dullahan King's Sword!

"King Julias, I reckon?" Alex asked with respect, for the Dullahan King's Sword's Ultimate Skill wouldn't have been within the weapon had it been not for the previous king! Undoubtedly, the man was strong, and he had many unsettled dreams before his demise, resulting in the birth of the legendary sword.

King Julias confirmed Alex's inquiry, "I can speak with you because of the sword and because of you — who can fulfill my dream. That should answer your shock, young lady."

Sara was shocked the most because she knew that her grandpa and others learned information and skills differently — no one had spoken with the ancestor.

Alex patted her hair affectionately, then the king's voice echoed again.

"Though I've said you can fulfill my dream, that is because you have what it takes to achieve it, but can you actually do it?" Julias declared, his voice breaking the sweet mood between the lovers and forcing them to stay serious. "I… As a kid, I always wondered; why can I only separate my head? My childish dreams consisted of me separating my arms and legs to have fun, and even my eyes just to have an easier time peeking at others.

I couldn't do it, which built up into frustration that eventually faded as I grew older… When I was an adult sitting on the throne, the dream suddenly reignited within me. I understood what such a full-body separation would enable us, however.

It would render bladed weapons useless against us. Moreover, if we could move our hearts out, move our organs and vital spots unconsciously in a battle, wouldn't that turn us invincible? What if we could move our souls, too… What if we could implant such a state into our enemies… There were many possibilities…"

That was King Julias' dream.