Cucking The Demon King
Chapter 96: A real, breathing Heretic

Chapter 96: A real, breathing Heretic

But no matter how much he moved, the darkness remained the same.

It was like he was trapped in an endless void, and nothing he did mattered.

His mind reeled, the weight of the situation crashing down on him.

And for the first time in a long while—

A cold, dreadful realization settled into his bones.

He was completely alone.

His mind raced.

The scattered fragments of his what happened before he found himself here started piecing themselves back together.

Then he finally remembered what he had been doing before he found himself here.

He remembered pacing around in his room, seething with anger and embarrassment.

And then, a strange shadow suddenly formed beneath his feet.

The shadow wrapped around him like a hungry beast, and before he could react, it had yanked him down.

Dragging him into the abyss.

A violent shudder coursed through his body.

The same, raw horror he had felt then came rushing back, slamming into him like a tidal wave.

His hairs stood upright, goosebumps crawling over his bare skin.

A sharp tingling sensation ran down his arms, his fingers slightly twitching.

His hands kept shaking, his breath coming out in shaky, uneven gasps.

But he tried not to let the fear consume him, hoping to at least put on a brave front.

He remembered the teachings at the academy; you shouldn’t show weakness before an enemy, lest the fight had ended before it even started.

With a sharp inhale, he clenched his fists and forced his lips to move—

His voice steady, yet strained.

"S-show yourself."

He tried to sound firm, commanding, his voice still cracked due to fear.

A slight, betraying quiver that exposed his fear.

His stomach twisted, and he subconsciously took a step back, his gaze darting around the endless void.

But expect for the same, pitch-black emptiness, there was nothing.

He felt as though it was mocking him, and his jaw clenched, his hands tightened into fists.

His breath hitched, the seed of desperation starting to blossom within his heart.

But, another spark of defiance flared within him.

His teeth gritted, and his lips curled in frustration.

His patience was gone.

A cold, sharp rage simmered beneath his fear.

If he couldn’t see his enemy, then he’d just have to force them out!

His gloved hands shot forward, mana surging through his veins.

"Light Beam!"

A blazing white streak erupted from his palm, slicing through the void like a spear of radiance.

However, it was quickly swallowed up by the darkness, exactly like before.

It didn’t even feel like his attack connected with anything, with barely any sound produced.

His pupils shrank, his mind reeling in confusion.

And yet—

He refused to stop.

His teeth clenched even tighter, his muscles coiling with pent-up frustration.

"Coward!" he snarled, his voice echoing into the void.

"Come out and fight me!" He shouted, stretching his hands out.

But there was no answer, just the same, deafening silence.

His chest heaved.

His fingers twitched.

His mana surged again—

"Light Beam!" He shouted, angrily firing off another beam to the side.

However, the attack also vanished in an instant, leaving no trace of its former existence.

He growled, sweat trickling down his temples.

"Face me, you damn bastard!" He shouted again.

Still—

Nothing.

The darkness didn’t even ripple.

As if it was... mocking him.

He didn’t stop.

He kept firing beam after beam, over and over again.

A rapid, desperate barrage of Light Beams exploded from his hands—

Each one instantly consumed.

Each one leaving no trace behind.

His throat burned from shouting.

His arms ached from exertion.

His chest rose and fell rapidly, his breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.

Until—

His vision blurred slightly.

His knees felt weak.

A dull ache spread through his limbs, his muscles trembling slightly.

His breath hitched.

His heartbeat quickened.

And then—

A deep, sharp throb pulsed through his core.

His brows furrowed.

A cold realization settled in his chest.

’Why... do I feel so drained?’ He mumbled inwardly, gasping for breath.

He had used up some mana, sure.

But not enough to make him feel this exhausted.

Not enough to make him feel lightheaded.

His hand clutched at his chest.

His breathing turned shallow.

Something... was wrong.

His mana reserves were depleting far too quickly.

It wasn’t just from the spells, the darkness... it was eating at his mana!

His mind raced, his fingers twitching in fear.

A single word surfaced in his mind—

’Darkness...’

His expression hardened.

And then—

It clicked.

His eyes widened in horror.

The power of Darkness!

A sharp, icy jolt ran down his spine.

That meant—

Whoever was doing this to him... was a Heretic.

His fists clenched.

His breath came out in a shaky exhale.

He had been a fool.

Any normal person would have realised this long ago, but Rex was quite slow in nature.

Besides, his fear had clouded his thoughts, so he failed to realise this simple fact sooner.

However, realising this didn’t help in the slightest.

If anything, it only meant he was in more trouble.

Though he had never fought against an heretic, he heard they were very evil people who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

’Fuck!’ He thought, sweat dripping down his face.

But then—

A new determination burned in his gaze.

He swallowed, then straightened his posture.

With a deep breath, he spoke again.

This time—

His voice was calmer, more focused.

"I know you’re a Heretic, show yourself!"

His words echoed through the darkness.

He expected nothing.

He expected the same silence.

Just like before.

But—

"Hehehe!"

A sound suddenly pierced the void.

It was a low, deep chuckle, echoing ominously around the void.

The sound slithered into his ears like poison, sending a sharp chill down his spine.

’W-what?’ His breath caught in his throat.

The chuckle grew louder, deeper, before finally stopping.

"So you finally figured it out, aren’t you an intelligent one... Rex Silvagold?"

What followed was a cold voice, sounding like it was being whispered into his ears.

Rex subconsciously snapped his gaze backwards, but all he met was the same endless darkness.

’He knows me...’ He thought, gnashing his teeth.

"S-show yourself!" He shouted once again, his voice cracking in horror.

The words had barely left his lips when something shifted in the distance.

His breath hitched.

A figure appeared, standing eerily still within the abyss.

At first, it was nothing but a vague silhouette, a blurry outline in the overwhelming blackness. But then—Rex saw him.

The darkness still surrounded them, vast and all-consuming, but strangely enough, he could see the man clearly.

He was average in height, with a lean build that wasn’t particularly intimidating.

His head was completely bald, and though his clothes were simple—a long black hoodie with the hood down—his face was anything but that.

Rex’s stomach twisted in disgust as he stared at him.

One of the man’s eyes was significantly larger than the other, bulging out grotesquely.

Even from this distance, Rex could see the yellow pus collecting at the corners of his bloodshot eyes.

His tongue was long and unnaturally thin, extending past his chin like some kind of ghastly appendage.

Drool dripped from it in thick strands, staining his coat.

Some of it splattered onto the ground, forming small, murky puddles beneath him.

Yet, the man didn’t seem to care. If anything, he seemed oblivious to how horrifying he looked.

Rex instinctively took a step back, his stomach churning. His body tensed, and a cold sweat trickled down his neck.

’What the hell am I looking at?’ He thought, his face twisting into a frown. ’Is he even... human?’

Still, he forced himself to speak. "W-who... who are you?"

The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he let out a wet, slithering chuckle, his unnaturally long tongue flicking slightly as he laughed.

Spit flew from his mouth with every breath, some of it landing on the front of his coat.

Then, in a voice that sent shivers crawling down Rex’s spine, the man grinned—a twisted, gaping smile—before shouting:

"I’m the one... who put you through hell!"

His bony finger shot out, pointing directly at Rex.

The words slammed into him like a hammer. Rex’s whole body froze as an involuntary shudder crawled up his back.

This... was an actual Heretic.

Not just some vague lesson from class.

Not a practice drill under a professor’s guidance.

A real, breathing, terrifying Heretic.

His instincts screamed at him to run—but there was nowhere to go.

He forced himself to breathe, forced his lips to move, forced himself to think.

’Remain calm.’ He mumbled inwardly. He had to stay calm.

His jaw tightened, his hands clenching at his sides as he squared his shoulders. Though his heart pounded, he lifted his chin, forcing a mask of confidence over his fear.

He couldn’t let this bastard see him break.

With forced arrogance, he placed a hand on his chest, his voice rising with forced authority.

"Do you know who I am?!"

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