?


    In his wildest dreams, Splurt never imagined that the conservative old Oleg would bring the "ze Steed" to the battlefield.


    That was the coveted "Secret Saber: ze Steed" he longed for!


    — (There can be no mistake... those sinister mes... that de hot enough to slice through iron armor...)


    Splurt inserted his finger into his mouth, gnawing on it like a madman.


    Since the "ze Steed" had appeared, there was no need to capture hostages to threaten Oleg any longer; all that remained was to seize the "ze Steed" for himself!


    Splurt''s strategy suddenly simplified; he had originally nned to abduct that young fox-girl named Emilia, who was said to be regarded as a granddaughter by Oleg.


    Now, seizing the de was precisely what Splurt enjoyed!


    "You''ve worked hard, Serpent King; rest now."


    With a wave of his wand, Splurt dismissed the Ash Serpent, conserving his magic energy.


    However, as a consequence, Oleg immediately charged toward Splurt, brandishing the "ze Steed."


    — ("ze Steed" is wasted in the hands of someone like you.)


    — (Serpents in Hiding!)


    Splurt summoned dozens of venomous snakes to slow Oleg''s advance, and during this opportunity, he located Nassar, who had been nning to flee.


    "Don''t run, Nassar; aren''t we allies?"


    With a grin, Splurt grabbed Nassar''s hand, and at that instant, a venomous snake sprang from Splurt''s sleeve, viciously biting Nassar''s wrist!


    "Aaaah!"


    Nassar struggled wildly, shing the snake in half with a swift stroke, but it was toote; the venom had already entered his bloodstream through his arteries.


    "Fear not, it''s a paralytic venom prepared especially for you; it won''t kill you."


    By the time Splurt finished speaking, Nassar had bepletely limp and powerless.


    Incapable of speaking, he was lifted like a puppet by Splurt and used as a human shield.


    Only then did Oleg arrive, the 73-year-old''s energy nearly spent after the intense battles.


    "What a pity, Oleg; do you dare to kill him?" Splurt asked with a smirk.


    Oleg did not respond; he hesitated for a moment, then resolutely continued to close the distance between himself and Splurt.


    "Oh, wait, I underestimated you; don''t be so hasty. There''s something you may not know; this fellow is the illegitimate son of the mayor of Sunny Town, you know?" Splurt threw another bargaining chip into the mix.


    Taking advantage of Oleg''s halted steps and wavering heart, Splurt hurriedly added, "The mayor is nning to give Nassar a proper status. If you kill him too, I''m afraid you won''t be able to exin it to the mayor, right?"


    Hearing this, Olegughed.


    "That''s easy; I''ll just say you killed him!"


    Taking the opportunity to catch his breath, Oleg suddenly attacked, swinging the "ze Steed" at both Splurt and Nassar!


    Yet, once again, Splurt managed to seize the initiative.


    — (Serpent King''s Call: Phase One!)


    Using Nassar''s body as a shield, Splurt stealthily executed his skill, unbeknownst to Oleg.


    Thus, when the Ash Serpent sprang forth from the magic circle once more, Oleg was caught off guard, instantly seized by the snake and carried away!


    —(No one excels at deception more than I.)


    Splurt drew forth a dagger engraved with a demonic visage, then without hesitation, plunged it into Nassar''s heart.


    "A pierced sacred armor..."


    "Umbilical cord of a premature infant..."


    "Depictions of saints trampled upon a burning cross..."


    "...Demons Control: Ritual Empowerment!"


    In an uncharacteristic move, Splurt chanted to control a more formidable demon.


    As the incantation progressed, his ritual dagger absorbed every drop of Nassar''s blood, and then crumbled into fine powder. On this windless night, the dust drifted towards the target Splurt sought to control...


    "S P L U R T!"


    Oleg roared, enraged by Splurt''s madness.


    In the brief moment prior, he had already in the Ash Serpent, now charging furiously at Splurt.


    With this, Splurt had no more serpents to summon.


    "Oleg, I suggest you worry about Emilia and the others before getting any angrier."


    Merely hearing Emilia''s name from Splurt''s lips left Oleg momentarily stunned.


    "You should know, I have two ways of controlling demons: One is summoning them with magic, like the snake swarm and the Ash Serpent. In this case, killing me would end the snakes as well. The other way is merely attracting nearby creatures and issuingmands... The rat swarm around us is an example."


    Splurt''s words clearly had a hidden meaning, implying that killing him might not save the young adventurers.


    Finally, Splurt revealed his trump card.


    "Here''s some good news for you, hehehe. Just now, I sacrificed Nassar''s life to summon the Poison de Rat King from the depths of Sunny Forest."


    Splurt''s twisted grin grew wider as he spoke of the Poison de Rat King, the top-ranking monarch of the rotting rat hordes. If it arrived, everyone present would surely perish!


    "You''d better hurry and lead your team to evacuate, Oleg."


    Splurt''sughter became more gleeful, knowing that Oleg could only choose to save hisrades rather than kill him.


    "Splurt, you madman!"


    Oleg spat with fury, then turned and sprinted toward his guildmates.


    However, Splurt''s scheme was far from over. If he allowed Oleg to sessfully rescue everyone, how would he sleep at night?


    No matter what, Splurt was determined to seize the "Secret Saber: ze Steed" that night.


    To do so, he needed to possess equivalentbat prowess to face Oleg, who wielded the "ze Steed".


    Now that Oleg was preupied, Splurt could calmly execute his ultimate skill.


    —(Serpent King''s Call: Phase Two.)


    Splurt raised his wand with both hands, slowly inserting it into his own throat.


    As the wand plunged deeper, his urge to vomit intensified.


    Blood poured from his orifices as his internal organs churned in turmoil, but he paid it no mind, never once pausing in his relentless self-infliction until the wand was fully embedded within him.


    —(Even the mightiest have a lifespan.)


    —(The serpents shed their skin to gain eternity.)


    —(Descend upon me, Crimson Serpent King!)


    A swirling, dark purple magic circle unfolded beneath Splurt''s feet. His body liquefied into sludge, merging with the circle.


    Once it had absorbed his entirety, the Crimson Serpent King covered in ming scales burst forth from the magic circle, its deafening roar echoing through the night!