"Hmm, I've only recovered 17% thus far. As I thought, I need a strong stimulus to accelerate my recovery—"
"Oh, so you're like a smartphone charger? Only functional with an original plug? Then how about I stick this 'original' plug into your fucking ass–!"
"...Cid, what's the meaning of this?" Anos asked calmly, his hand darting out to effortlessly intercept Cid's assault.
In an unanticipated deviation from the standard assassin's lethal trajectory for the head, Cid's punch was inexplicably targeted towards Anos's posterior.
As Cid's punch, powered with unearthly force, was abruptly halted, an echo of the collision resounded around the room, making the walls shiver. A visible shockwave rippled out from their interlocked hands, distorting the air and pushing back the dust particles. The floor beneath them trembled, mirroring the remarkable display of power. Despite the intense force, Anos held his ground, unaffected.
The floor beneath them not only quivered in response to this staggering show of might but also began to fissure. Shadow channeled more power into his halted fist. The persistent pressure applied on his fist acted like a potent hammer, and the once unyielding floor started to crack under the relentless onslaught, fracturing like a spiderweb radiating out from their point of contact.
Despite being in the path of such a fearsome kinetic onslaught, Anos remained steadfast, seated and as unmoving as a timeless monolith. With a serene countenance and an air of invincibility, he faced down Cid's formidable power from the comfort of his chair, giving the impression of being entirely unaffected by the display of superhuman strength.
Following the failed, and somewhat 'questionable', assault, the face of Anos's human brother, concealed beneath the shroud of a black hood, contorted in fury. His forehead was etched with throbbing veins, visibly surfacing as symbols of his simmering rage.
"Meaning?!" Cid bellowed, yanking his gloved hand free from Anos's grasp. "The meaning is, you royal pain in the ass, we're royally screwed! Literally!"
Anos maintained his composed demeanor, his poker face unchanging. "Royally screwed, you say?" he repeated in a bemused tone.
"Yes, damn it!" Cid snapped, huffing like a bull ready to charge and turn Anos into a puddle on the floor. "You and me, we're both betrothed!"
Anos blinked. "Betrothed?" The Demon King of Tyranny blinked again, a little confused. "To whom, exactly?"
"To princesses, you smartass. Fucking princesses! What in the world have you done?!" Cid screeched, tugging at his hair like a madman in despair. "I'm engaged to the second princess, Alexia. And you, you wretched, mushroom-smelling son of a peacock, you're engaged to the first princess Iris!"
"..."
A thick pall of silence fell over them.
"...what— [You can read the rest of the chapter on P atreon for free]
—-
Hey, guess what's got me scratching my head? I've got this shiny new chapter 20 sitting over at p atreon, completely free! But it's been kind of lonely because only 2 out of a thousand of you awesome readers have swung by. Yep, you heard right, just 2! Makes me wonder if my previous note got sucked into a black hole.
Alright, let's go through this one more time. You just have to put together an account on p atreon, opt for the free plan and VOILA! - you've got your ticket to free chapter 20! No hidden fees or strings attached, promise!
- Meet the two smarty-pants readers who beat everyone else to the punch and feasted on chapter 20 for absolutely free yesterday:
HeatDeath [ Casual Reader - Free Trial ]
ธีรพันธุ์ กาญจนศักดิ์ [ Casual Reader - Free Trial ]
And while we're at it, let's roll out the red carpet for my latest Patrons who've been soaking up all the chapters till chapter 22:
Jeremy [ Random Omnipotent Being ]
Maxwell Sarabi [ All-access Patron ]
John [ All-access Patron ]
Jaylin Jordan [ Donator ]
Your support? It's like the ultimate power-up for my creativity—encouraging me to pour in more time, amp up my efforts, and ensuring that I can keep bringing you the engaging content you enjoy. Essentially, every paragraph, every sentence, every word I write, you've played a part in.
Now back to you guys! Here's a little bonus for you all, because let's face it, you guys are brainless slaves to this platform. I've decided to do something a little unexpected to make you move your reluctant ass. I'm gonna let the Casual Reader - Free Trial tier score a special invite to our private Discord server, where all the Patron VIPs hang out. You never know, if luck's on your side, one of those sneaky Patrons might just slip you a copy of those behind-the-scenes chapters.
But, here's the thing - and it's a BIG thing - if I catch wind of any clandestine chapter-sharing, then it's bye-bye time for both the giver and the receiver. Yep, instant ban! So, keep it cool, folks. It's all in good fun, right?
Alright, let's make it happen. Looking forward to seeing more of you over on p atreon and in the Discord. Who knows what adventures lie ahead? Happy reading!
My p atreon page: www.p atreon._com/ridoux
www
p atreon
com
/ridoux
(You'll find fanart like this on Discord.)
...fanfiction_net is so limited I can't even put images in chapters.
