Galaxy's First Ruler

Death Separation - 3rd Level

The Wailing Land of Mist

"You… You can't be a Count."

Trifon took a red-colored vial of potion, with bubbling liquid inside it. He gave a glance to his uncle, hearing his mutters, before pouring the vial's content on Tomislav's stomach.

Viscount Rayko would have already run away, if not for his senses that warned him of his immediate death. Only the shivers and the impossibility of the situation made him disregard those warnings as he whispered out of his mouth.

"How can you be a Count, when… even Drago with the entire House behind him couldn't Rank-up? I… I refuse to believe it. I refuse…"

The blood and flesh on Tomislav's wound wriggled and closed up as Rayko asked the question. Trifon saw Tomislav's fluttering eyelids and stood up. He approached the pinned down Berb and with a jerk of his hand, the four roses nailing down his palms and legs vanished.

"I think it's time to let you know, uncle. Father became an Earl around 30 years ago."

"Imposs…"

"Impossible? Ah! Uncle, are you thinking how could he resist the temptation to rule dozens of planets, right? Or are you thinking that House Twin Shield would run away, finding out his true Rank?"

The incredible shock portrayed by Rayko's gaped mouth easily said aloud that he was thinking both questions. Trifon pointed his chin at one side to gesture Berb to check up on the unconscious Christin.

"The answer to the first question is that I told him to hide it. The second is even easier to guess."

Trifon pointed his finger at the petals under Rayko's feet. Those petals were the body of Viscount Trifon before they turned Rayko's world upside down.

"Count level Rose Clone…"

"So you can still think to some extent, uncle. Very good! Because I need you to remember the circumstances of my mother's death."

Seeing Trifon's sharp gaze and narrowed eyes, even the premonition of death wasn't enough for Rayko to prevent him from taking several steps back. Trifon seemed to follow him like a wraith and took the same number of steps towards him.

"Uncle, weren't you in the raid from which my mother never returned? Father thought little about it, you being his older brother, but I found it odd that none of the other Viscounts returned except you."

Rayko wanted to take more steps back, but an invisible wall prevented him from doing so. Trifon kept walking towards him and nudged his glasses.

"When I became a Dreamer, I secretly pretended as you. A loving older brother, a loving uncle, and a great Dreamer. But no wife, no children, and no goals? Then I dove deep into you or me. I couldn't tell. The feeling of seeing my little brother giving me orders. The feeling of seeing my nephew getting praised by House's priests and scholars. And the feeling of getting older and older ate me from inside."

Trifon came close to Rayko's face with a paper-thin gap between their noses.

"So either you were a Divine Soul or a rotten being under that disguise. A dam that could burst at any moment. And then I found out that it was my mother who had planned that raid, so far from home in that Separation, looking for something."

Trifon's hand reached out and grabbed Rayko's neck and lifted him. The grip made Rayko's eyes roll back to reflect the spotless moon in them. Trifon's calm voice, like a rumble of distant thunder, rang around the pair of uncle and nephew.

"Where is it?"

"I.. cough… I don't know… what are you talking about."

BANG!!!

Trifon punched Rayko's chest so hard that his hand almost got out of his uncle's back. Blood came pouring out of Rayko's mouth, but it failed to land on Trifon. Hundreds of petals rotated around Trifon as if worshipping him. Trifon brought Rayko's face even closer and whispered in his ears, while his fingers were almost dug deep in Rayko's neck.

"You know what the Ancient Oracle told me. That our House is tasked with collecting four materials for this very day, since the time of Duke Goranov. Yes, the Progenitor! I have three of them with me, and my mother was supposed to get the last. The Oracle told me that if I take you with me, then I will have the fourth one. Haha! Who came along with whom, Uncle? Me with you, or you with me?"

Trifon brought the terrified face of Rayko in front of him and again nudged his glasses.

"I had never seen a Devil before, but now that I have, don't make me pretend like one. Where is…"

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

The sudden shout came unexpectedly, but Trifon didn't flinch. He eyed the abnormal change taking place in Rayko's body, who was looking at him with fear and hate.

Rayko's chest, throat, and mouth swelled like a balloon. Even with the strength of a Count, Trifon struggled to maintain his grip. The more bizarre was the heat that he felt from the contact between his hand and Rayko's neck.

Hisss!

The flesh on his hand burned, making him lose his grip. He looked at Viscount Rayko's face and smelled a roasting meat kind of smell. Whatever was happening was burning his uncle from inside.

Thooo!

"Haha! Burn you bastard! Like I burned your mother! HAHAHAHA!"

Trifon saw the thing that Rayko had spit out. It was like a golden viscous liquid, which evaporated as soon as it came out from his mouth. It only left behind a red hairlike thread, only an inch long, and it rushed straight towards Trifon's forehead.

Sizzzleeee!!!

Even the air seemed to burn around the barely visible thing. Trifon hurled his hand, and a sword appeared in his hand. Green veins ran on the blade and there were many tiny thorns in place of its sharp edge like a saw. Trifon slashed, but the hairlike thread didn't even quiver, and the Viscount level Sword got melted in half like butter.

"HAHAHAHA! Nothing can stop it!"

Trifon dashed backward as he heard the crazed laughter of Rayko. He was about to take out one of the 'Material' in despair, but the red-thread of death had sped up and now was only an inch away. Trifon felt a piercing heat on his forehead and closed his eyes as he thought.

'The Ancient Oracle can't be wrong.'

Suddenly a voice echoed in the Dungeon as if the sky and the world itself had spoken.

"WATER."