"Oh Nyx, how I have missed your strange, emotive comments," laughed the masculine voice as the beserkers below moved to create a space in their lines. "It's almost like you had returned to your old self before you started putting up that boring facade."

Unlike when they had faced the guards and royal knights, showing no sign of fear, it was evident by how uncomfortable and hesitant the reactions of the beserkers were that the origin of the voice was not held in the same regard. An existence that, to them, was more terrifying than death.

A tall, well-built man dressed in regal, golden robes with white, angelic like wings sprouting from his back, gracefully fell from the sky and landed without the slightest sound. This appearance standing in stark contrast to the devastated, gory surroundings.

Nyx's eye twitched as she subconsciously stepped back, holding the chipped dagger in her hand in a death-like grip.

While she didn't recognise the man, she would never be able to forget the particular style of clothing, nor the words and tones used. The fear that had been gripping her heart had, with the man's appearance, been confirmed without the possibility of doubt. Her master had survived, even if it was in a different body.

Warm, brown eyes locked onto Nyx, as the man revealed a friendly smile. "I have to say, while not as imposing as the bodies I provided for you in the past, this form has its own unique charm, especially with that ice maiden attitude and sadistic streak. A true femme fatale."

The man's smile vanished as if it was never there while his wings folded behind him, their weight not affecting his balance in the slightest. "Though the fact that your current body is so weak and powerless is utterly disgusting. While you might amount to something in backwater cesspit, it will be decades if not centuries before you can retake your place by my side and strike fear into the hearts of my enemies in the prime continents like you once did."

Nyx's face twitched violently, her complexion looking extremely pale as she moved back a few more steps, her gaze never leaving the man for an instant. It was clear that the man's cultivation level was extremely high. So much so, that even with her extensive experience, she couldn't guess with her current ability.

At the back of her mind, Nyx wanted to protest that the rules that governed this world would never allow such a powerful entity to appear on the third or fourth continents yet, with the truth standing before her eyes, she was yet again forced to accept reality.

Seeing Nyx move away, the man revealed a hurt look, but due to the smile that his eyes couldn't hide, it wouldn't be able to fool anyone. "Come now Nyx, is that any way to treat your Master after he has spent two months travelling just to see you again?"

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Nyx desperately tried to reapply her emotional mask, yet she was before the one being that she had never been able to hide from. The one who had turned her into the monster she saw herself as now.

A small tear, appeared at the edge of her eye, slowly running down Nyx's cheek until it fell from her face, something the previous Nyx would never have done.

A complex, somewhat solemn look appeared on the man's face as he watched the tear fall.

Nyx had honestly, without even a shadow of a doubt, believed that the one she called Master was dead. The relief and joy she had felt, as well as the hope for the future, instantly rebound upon her soul upon realising that this was not the case, causing her mind and thoughts to become hazy.

"You're dead," whined Nyx, in a voice that sounded more like a desperate prayer from a small child than a statement. "I watched you die."

"Alas, it seems all my hard work towards achieving immortality was a wasted effort," the man's features instantly returned to normal, revealing a beaming smile. "All I had to do was know enough that those old goats couldn't bear to let my soul return to the yellow river and forget it all. Though not quite as immortal as you summoned, I am now similarly bound to this plane of existence."

Nyx instantly understood the meaning behind the man's words. Nyx's master had been obsessed with immortality, no matter the method or cost, which had lead to her breaking ties with her allies before turning against them.

However, even though she hadn't had a breakthrough, it seemed that in her defeat, Nyx's master had been victorious. Those that had struck her down instead raising her to a new plane of existence and power.

Suddenly, Nyx remembered the documents and summoning ritual that she had been so determined to destroy as a chilling realisation crept through her bones.

As if struck by lightning, the pieces of the puzzle that had eluded Nyx started to fall into place. The one responsible wasn't trying to summon a god-like existence, but to become one.

"Still, I should probably thank you," the sincere smile and look in the man's eyes caused Nyx to shudder and pull herself back even further, her back colliding with the carriage behind her. "If it wasn't for all those years of attempts you made on my life, all the loopholes you tried to exploit or all the impressive abilities and skills you developed while entertaining me with your futile resistance, I might still be nothing more than a puppet."

The man's smile was more haunting than even the most terrifying monster or death Nyx had ever faced, causing her entire body to violently shake.

Ignoring the crushing blow she had received finding out her master was still alive, or that she had inadvertently aided him to such an extent. Usually Nyx would have been mentally prepared to face her master, however, no matter how much Nyx internally struggled, she couldn't seem to regain control of her emotions.

Even the dark essence she had been absorbing had been scattered to the wind, as if afraid of the abomination before her.

Tilting his head to the side, the man's smile grew even more, a hint of lust appearing in his eyes. "While I still have the same appetites as my old, feminine body, I have to admit that seeing you like this, is extremely... captivating. I guess I could find some time to experiment a little when we return."

A loud explosion caused the clouds in the distance to ripple, causing the angelic-looking man to frown. "OK, Nyx, fun time is over. You have the same ultimatum that you delivered to so many of my foes in the past. Submit to me, swearing an oath on your soul, and I shall let you live. Refuse, and only the most painful, terrifying death awaits."