Cursed Immortality

Chapter 1148: The Scheme Unfolds (2)

Once the formation was set, everything happened so fast that both Quasi-Myths weren’t able to overcome their disbelief, and before they could react, the next moment, the world inverted without any spatial transition!

There was no sense of movement or teleportation; in one instant, the two Quasi-Myths were trapped within the runic sphere aboard their stealth craft; the next, they were kneeling upon a cold, obsidian-black platform inside the Zodiac Night Federation’s flagship.

Their knees struck the ground not by force, but they appeared right in that humiliating position. Not only that, but runic chains were wrapped around their bodies like living serpents, each link carved with layered inscriptions that pulsed in synchronized rhythm.

These were not ordinary restraints, as every rune was a refined extraction array, draining not just energy, but law, and siphoning fragments of their very Mythic foundation.

More terrifying still, a translucent, peculiar membrane clung tightly around their forms.

It looked flexible, almost soft, like a thin layer of liquid crystal, but no matter how Myth of Earth strained, not a single muscle responded. His war-forged frame, capable of cracking continental plates, was rendered utterly inert as if his strength had never existed in the first place.

Myth of Myriad Cry inhaled slowly, his runic scales flickering erratically as the membrane disrupted the resonance between his laws and his flesh.

”...Law-isolation membrane,” He muttered grimly, with a hint of apprehension, ”And soul-drain chains layered on top of it. Both of these things have long vanished from the Legendary Plains. Who could’ve...?”

Suddenly, his eyes lifted abruptly, and Myth of Earth did the same as before them stood three figures seemingly forged with shadows.

All were cloaked, but not in fabric alone, but in something deeper as dimensional veils that obscured their outlines, making their silhouettes flicker between clarity and distortion.

Their faces could not be seen, no matter how the eyes tried to focus, as if perception itself slid away from them. They stood in a shallow arc, elevated slightly above the kneeling Quasi-Myths.

At the center, the one holding the formation plate, the same plate whose symbols mirrored the runic sphere that had entrapped them, the plate hovered calmly in his palm, its runes rotating slowly, steadily draining power from the restrained pair as if feeding on their existence.

Myth of Earth’s tusks clenched so hard that cracks spread along their engraved battle-scripts.

”Kneeling...” He growled, his voice vibrating with murderous intent. ”Me?”

A massive surge of power suddenly coursed through his veins as if everything would explode at his almost suicidal attempt to break free from that humiliating position.

However, the chains wrapping around his figure merely flared before pain erupted. Although the pain wasn’t physical, it was conceptual, like something was peeling away the meaning of strength from his body.

Still, his eyes burned with defiance as he glared at the cloaked figures.

”Show yourselves, dogs of Zodiac Night Federation!” He snarled with unhidden rage and hatred, ”Do you Zodiac Night dogs truly believe that you can hide your identities from me!? Do you have any idea what you’ve done and who you are offending? Furthermore, who gave you the courage and means to pull something like this!? If you reveal everything, I’ll spare your race! Or do you really believe that you could hold us forever?”

In the face of Earth’s furious threats, all he got was utter silence as the cloaked figures did not respond immediately, or they simply felt no danger at all.

On the other hand, Myth of Myriad Cry’s gaze was colder, sharper, but beneath it lurked something unfamiliar...disbelief, as he was more rational than Myth of Earth.

”...Zodiac Night Federation? It’s impossible,” He said quietly. ”Even within the Federation, there should be no one capable of deploying a complete Quasi-Myth suppression formation without alerting the Mythical Coalition. Not to mention those Coalition bastards won’t leave any myth within three factions, let alone use such a precious formation on us when they should be hiding such a trump card to stay on top!”

Myth of Earth calmed down slightly as he stared at his companion with disbelief before he shot a sharp glare at the three silent assailants.

Myth of Myriad Cries’ eyes narrowed, paying no attention to Myth of Earth, ”And yet despite all odds... here we are.”

The membrane tightened subtly around his chest, disrupting his breath, not suffocating him, but reminding him that even breathing was now permitted, not natural.

”You didn’t capture us by coincidence,” He continued, staring directly at the central figure. ”You baited us. You knew our route. Our stealth. Even our caution.”

A faint pulse rippled through the formation plate.

At last, the central cloaked figure spoke, his voice calm, measured, and disturbingly close despite the distance, ”Well, my lords, Quasi-Myths or not, one should not overestimate themselves.”

The words were humbled and carried no arrogance, but only certainty.

”You were not captured today,” The figure continued. ”You were captured the moment you chose to investigate this place.”

The figure to the left shifted slightly, ”And the moment you believed the ’Cursed One’ was your prey, or should I say, Myth of Reverend, believe so, but was too afraid to come here personally, so he sent his minions to test the waters.”

When ’Myth of Reverend’ was mentioned by the figure on the left, Myth of Myriad Cries, and Myth of Earth’s pupils shrank violently as realization dawned on them.

”...So, the source was you!”

Myth of Earth growled, stating the obvious, while Myth of Myriad Cries remained silent, which were heavy as myriad words.

”Heh, no. The source was real.” The figure on the right let out a soft, almost amused breath, ”Just incomplete.”

At that moment, the central figure stepped forward as the formation plate’s light intensified, and the chains tightened further, drawing faint strands of luminous essence directly from the Quasi-Myths’ cores.

”You came here to confirm an existence,” He said calmly. ”So, did we.”

Myth of Myriad Cry’s eyes widened slightly as if guessing something, ”...Confirm what?”

The cloaked figure tilted his head as he said softly, ”That even beings like you can still be made to kneel...the experiment was a success!”