Pirate Kingship

Chapter 421 - 337: Waiting for the fall of your nation, fools

Chapter 421: Chapter 337: Waiting for the fall of your nation, fools

This Dragon Lizard Warrior was none other than one of the three Wild Hunt Servants under Byron who still retained their self-awareness—Alvin, the Falcon of the Skinning Cult. He was also that infamous admirer of Beatrice, the Versatile Enchantress, the one who had debased himself for her only to end up with nothing.

His appearance here wasn’t because Byron possessed the foresight to predict trouble in Tayapan; it was purely routine. Governor Violet had dispatched him, a Skin Wearer and an envoy familiar with indigenous civilizations, to deliver a stern diplomatic note to Tayapan. When Teotihuacan, the Coiled Nose King, convened a meeting with the high nobility, Alvin naturally slipped in using the highly effective Black Sorcery, the Thousand Faces Rites. The branches of the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company stationed in various city-states also functioned as intelligence outposts, in addition to their trade activities. Thus, preparing one or two undercover identities was quite reasonable.

Upon hearing Teotihuacan’s brazen war declaration, Alvin realized an unexpected turn of events had occurred and immediately summoned the consciousness of his master, Byron.

Steal the swords and firearms acquired through foreign trade, all to attack Torrent Fortress and then seize my five Crystal Skulls? I didn’t expect the first skull to possess the ability to command the other twelve Crystal Skulls. However, the epic that recounts the deeds of the Sacred Relics has been lost for centuries. For this Coiled Nose King to suddenly find it... isn’t that too coincidental?

After receiving Alvin’s report, Byron couldn’t help but feel surprised; the new king’s rationale was powerful and irrefutable. According to the Coiled Nose King, the dragon-shaped Itzamna was the foremost among all Taya gods. With the five Crystal Skulls in Byron’s possession, plus the one they held and another in Uxmal City, they would have seven in total. Combined with the first skull’s Authority as "Commander of the Gods," it would be enough to summon winds and rain, and call forth the dragon-shaped Heavenly God, Itzamna. This entity shouldn’t be much weaker than Xipe Totec, the Skinning Master and God of Tyranny of the Aztec Empire, who had devoured all its own gods (Chapter 142). Furthermore, by holding a grand Blood Sacrifice in conjunction with the Crown War—an event suppressed for over half a year—they could achieve unprecedented strength!

The plan was, quite frankly, perfect. Moreover, as Byron closely observed the colossal, five-headed, five-colored light and shadow on the altar, he recalled the legends of the Five-colored Dragon Kings of the Old Continent and couldn’t help but pay particular attention.

Could there be any connection between the two?

He remained silent, continuing to listen. Since the leader had established the tone and strategic objectives, the next step was to devise a method to achieve them.

One of the more rational nobles voiced his concern, "Your Majesty, our high-ranking warriors suffered grievous losses in the Aztec Royal City; most perished from the smallpox epidemic. I’ve also heard from foreign merchants that Hightins and the Sea Hunter have grown rapidly in strength, now ranking just below the Kingdom of Castile. Even if we launch a surprise attack on Torrent Fortress under the pretext of offering an apology, conquering their Edge Fortress will be no easy feat."

Upon hearing this, Teotihuacan, the Coiled Nose King, roared with laughter, the sound vibrating through the entire temple. "Have you forgotten the source of our Extraordinary Power and forbidden knowledge? It might have been difficult in the past, but is it still a problem for us now?"

The noble who had spoken first hesitated for a moment. "Are you referring to the earliest shamans, Emperors, and the great Heavenly God Itzamna from the Empire Era?"

Byron, naturally, had also considered this. In Taya mythology, the thirteen gods—Nature Spirits—residing within the Crystal Skulls are one and the same as their ancestors. Each ancestor who made outstanding contributions, teaching the tribe specific knowledge, was typically the Emperor at the time. After death, they would leave behind a skull. This skull, continuously venerated through Blood Sacrifices, would eventually allow the ancestor to become a Nature Spirit residing within a Crystal Skull, thereby gaining corresponding Authority. It was, in fact, a form of Black Sorcery similar to a Life Box. However, after death, they would rapidly lose their Human Nature, retaining only Divinity and becoming a god of principles. For instance, the third Crystal Skull originated from an Emperor named Yum Kax, who, during his life, taught his people agricultural knowledge, specifically how to cultivate corn. After his death, his skull, venerated through Blood Sacrifices, eventually allowed him to become The Corn God, residing within a Crystal Skull and possessing the Authority of life, prosperity, and abundance.

The corpus of Black Sorcery, the very foundation of the Taya Empire, was bestowed upon the Taya city-states by Itzamna, the first Emperor and shaman Wizard, the Heavenly God. The later-ascendant Aztec Empire also inherited Black Sorcery knowledge from the Taya Empire, enabling it to gradually catch up and surpass its predecessor.

With my current profound knowledge of the extraordinary, interpreting the origins of Black Sorcery from the perspective of a non-human Black Witch brings me closer to the truth of the matter: All forbidden knowledge held by Black Sorcery cults has an origin; one hundred percent of it points directly or indirectly to some Old God long dead. The Beast Spirit Warrior phenomenon, prevalent throughout the Bantaan Archipelago, is no exception. Its earliest source is said to be the Book of the Beast Kinship (Volume One), from the Mother of Monsters·Echidna and her monstrous offspring. Itzamna, then a shaman Wizard, obtained it through Blood Sacrifice. Even now, many of the Fallen Ones among the natives can hear the whispers and roars of those monsters. Speaking of Blood Sacrifices, which Black Sorcery cult can claim a longer history or greater scale than the natives? After hundreds, even thousands, of years of unceasing Crown Wars and Blood Sacrifices, the various city-states have long since gathered the Bloodline Codex required for the transformation into Mythical Creatures. It’s a bold conjecture that these Blood Sacrifices are directed towards one, or perhaps several, Old Gods of monstrous lineage. To what level have they recovered?

Teotihuacan, the Coiled Nose King, couldn’t hear Byron’s thoughts. He simply waved his hand grandly, and the silk covering the Crystal Skull was swept aside, revealing its true form. It was indeed a corrupted half-human, half-dragon. Its semi-draconic face was not only scaled but also covered in disgusting, swollen tumors. An intense, malevolent Divine Light instantly flooded the entire temple, coalescing into the form of a giant, five-headed Demon Dragon. This light also cast Teotihuacan’s deformed face in flickering shadows, making him appear demonic.

"Lakamha, you are first. Step forth and receive the Heavenly God’s gift," Teotihuacan commanded.

Before the dumbstruck tribal chief could react, a white Ice Dragon, sharing his elemental affinity, violently blasted a torrent of breath at him.

AWOOO—!

Lakamha threw back his head, howling mournfully, as he involuntarily transformed into a white Dragon Lizard. His Divine Light surged, climbing higher and higher, yet it also grew increasingly turbid. Evidently, while his Power had indeed increased, he was also inevitably succumbing further to Beastliness. The saying "corruption grants tenfold strength" was no mere exaggeration.

Some in the temple sensed the danger and attempted to sneak away, but the heavy temple doors slammed shut with a resounding BOOM. It was the Great Shaman Calakmul, a sinister grin plastered on his face, who now blocked the doorway. "No one leaves! Join us and embrace this grand evolution! BWAHAHAHA..."

Teotihuacan’s face grew even more grotesque and twisted. From behind him, torrents of colorful dragon breath engulfed everyone present.

AWOOO—!

ROAR—!

A chorus of agonized screams rose one after another. "HAHAHA! The thirteen Crystal Skulls and the Emperor’s throne will all belong to me, Teotihuacan! My master... the eldest daughter of the Mother of Monsters, the Hundred-Headed Dragon Mother·Tiamat, shall be the first to return!"

Over millennia of protracted Blood Sacrifices, the thirteen Crystal Skulls had accumulated the knowledge contained within countless offerings, thereby encapsulating the essence of the entire Taya civilization. Individually, a Crystal Skull was a Second-Class Relic, its influence confined to a single city or region. However, if someone could gather all thirteen, they would amplify each other, reaching the level of a Zero-Tier Relic. And the last Great Shaman of the Empire Era once left a prophecy: "If someone can reassemble the thirteen Crystal Skulls, he will become the new and deserving Emperor of the Empire. The thirteen Crystal Skulls, speaking through the mouth of the third skull—The Corn God, the only one capable of speech and a symbol of life and fertility—will reveal to us the secrets of the past and future, quell all disputes, and reunify the Taya Empire."

This prophecy was the source of the Coiled Nose King’s confidence. Yet, consider the unfamiliar name he cried out. He had clearly been unwittingly corrupted by the forbidden knowledge within the first skull, becoming Affiliated with one of the Mother of Monsters’ offspring. Much like Yemengade, the former Nightmare, he had become a devout follower of the Old God, the Hundred-Headed Dragon Mother·Tiamat.

Byron, possessing Alvin’s body, gazed at the cackling Coiled Nose King and the first Crystal Skull, whispering to himself, Why did you carve your name on *my* Crystal Skull? You’ve truly chosen the path to annihilation! In the future, the third skull will only proclaim: ’Taya’s Prosperity, King Byron!’ Await your nation’s destruction, you overconfident fool!

His consciousness instantly withdrew. Immediately thereafter, Alvin too was struck by a blast of dragon breath.