Dangerously close to the nexus of the Spiritual World, an isolated dimension stood, concealed by dark powers. There, an underground crypt stretched out, with a myriad of ruby coffins that aligned in a neat pyramid.
A variety of ancient symbols and occult marks decorated the coffins, rippling with bone-chilling energies. But though all carried immense power, the six at the summit of the grim pyramid no doubt stood in a league of their own—all excessively large and bearing two gold-purple marks surrounded by burning wheels. Shapur appeared before one of these, grasping at the lid.
[Hollowed Resurrection]
A blast of corrupt energies flew in, and in a loud, grating sound, the coffin lid slid out of the way, revealing a pale-blue youth with a lean frame and a mane of dark and golden dreadlocks. But while on Shapur, the pale-blue skin of the Rashukan created a demonic and monstrous feel, in this youth it had the opposite effect, enhancing the wild yet graceful air that surrounded him.
But once the blue-skinned youth's eyes opened, shining with burning-red flames, all gracefulness vanished, replaced by the dreadful and suffocating aura of a warmonger born and bred on a pile of corpses.
The blue-skinned youth stood up, emerging from the coffin with a sonata of cracking bones.
Hakim, the Huntmaster…had returned to life.
"Old blood, long time no see. I'd say I missed you…but it's a fucking lie. So, to what do I owe the displeasure of looking at your wrinkled face?" Hakim asked, addressing his Blood Father with the rude and disrespectful tone that only he dared to use.
"Old? You're only a few decades younger than me. So, from now on, I will stop referring to you as a junior and give you the honesty reserved for my peers.
Hakim, you are the blood of my blood, and the Prince of the Rashukan...but I've lost hope in you a long time ago. If it was up to me, you'd stay in Stasis for an eternity so that your deeds do not shame me before my lord...and force me to end my heir.
Your compatibility with my bloodline is the only reason I didn't replace you after the stunt you pulled 97,000 years ago. But one more mistake--one--and you will be leaving me with no other choice but to bear the infamy of my grandchild's murder.
For your late father's sake, I hope it never comes to that." Shapur made his stance clear, yet despite the obvious threats in the words, the Huntmaster stayed unmoved.
"You mean the guy you sacrificed to become a Fylkir? No worries. He was stupid enough to die for you and Odoacer, so I'm sure he wouldn't care.
Bloody idiots. I am 100,000 years old. Life or death, for one who has lived as long as I have…are worth no more than the dirt under your boots.
All I crave…is the thrill of the hunt! So, old blood…who will be my prey?" Hakim asked, and in that instant, the ambient temperature dropped to zero, the Fylkir holding his chest as his heart rate sped up.
"Mithras…di Hadubrangr. Your job is to bring him back to his father. The troops await," Shapur answered directly, immediately causing Hakim's face to twist into a frown.
"The boy? Is this for real? You awoke me to go fetch a teenager?" Hakim couldn't believe his ears, and yet…this was the truth.
"I awoke you because my lord and emperor has a task for you. Complete it and you will have no shortage of sheep to slaughter. Fail and you die." Shapur had no time for nonsense, in a flash laying down the details of the job.
"Only the boy must be brought back? No other instruction? I'm free to act at will with the rest?" Hakim asked with a suspicious look, surprised that Odoacer would give him this much freedom.
"Indeed." Shapur didn't object, nodding in approval as he conveniently forgot the part where he'd be trailing Hakim. The huntmaster's lips curled up, his blazing eyes flashing with infinite murderlust.
"Sweet. Let the hunt…begin," Hakim said, setting out to gather his troops and make way…for the Jade-Faced Academy.
---
Meanwhile…
*Slurp!* *Slurp!* *Slurp!*
Mithras awoke with a blowjob, Nagini draining his shaft in her throat while Honoria massaged his legs and sucked his balls. Ishtar lay over him, tits lactating in her brother's mouth: the perfect awakening!
"Ah, life…all we're fighting for! This is life!" Mithras said with a loud groan, unloading in Nagini's premium-cunt-tier throat. The Nagaraja swallowed without a hitch, taking a moment to enjoy the sweet aftertaste of her Mithras dearest's cum.
[Ding! Ding! Ding!]
[Hidden Quest: The Perfect Awakening…completed!]
The system's voice echoed. But Mithras ignored it, finishing his morning routine with another passionate romp before leaving his cum-drunk girlies to adjust to the changes caused by his five-star secret juice.
Talking about changes, as he returned to Cassandra's side, and looked at his reflection in the mirror, Mithras was pleasantly surprised to see…that he'd gotten even taller and more ripped!
"It really happened! A chiseled 1.98-m tall, a built and perfect Adonis! Ishtar, Nagini—mostly Ishtar, but still thanks to you two...I am officially...the Michael Jordan of Man-Whores, and the Johnny Sins of sluts!
Except I got hair!
Zeus ain't got shit on me!" Mithras shadow-boxed in excitement.
This was it! Now he just needed the accolades, the track record, and he could proclaim himself…the GOAT!
What a glorious day! On the side, Cassandra watched slack-jawed. Eyes blinking nonstop as she stared at her golden boy.
"Unbelievable. Where did I go wrong? Mithras…I must have failed you somewhere…but where?" Flabbergasted by Mithras' performance, Cassandra was at a loss—wondering how the prince she'd raised could so easily turn into a professional scoundrel.
"Fail? What are you talking about? Success is a gamble. Most of the time, you'll fail. But on the topic of Mithras' upbringing, I'll have you know that we the jury find you guilty…of a masterclass!
I am perfect, Cassandra! Be proud of your achievements!" Mithras saw nothing wrong with his act, and with a theatrical spin, vanished with his godmother, appearing before a legion of 6,000 servants lining up in the same northern plains where he bred Elektra.
A ruby altar similar to the one Mithras used for his Divine Blood Marriage faced the legion, flickering with the same burning red flames.
The time to handle the servant issue had come. And Mithras' solution…was about to shift the power balance of the Purple Dawn Continent!