91. Azazel the Evil Prince

A dark forest looks so scary, the forest that was long abandoned by the elves is even called the devil's forest. Apart from the dark history, the forest also has strange living creatures that are different from creatures in other places in the green land.

“Abere, is that you? You came looking for me?” said Azazel.

“Your Highness Azazel, here I come! I went through a dimensional portal and came here, I'm sorry it took so long!” said the reddish-haired woman.

"No! You've done so much, Abere! I thought you died after impersonating me! Oh Abere, seeing you now, I become so happy!” said the man.

"They didn't think of killing me, Your Highness! They thought I was you! So I was locked up in the shadow world right under the river of darkness!” said Abere telling her story.

“It will take some time for you to escape from there! I never thought you could come back here, Abere! Come closer!”

“Your Highness, Azazel!”

Abere, who is a female elf, endured all these long punishments to save someone she loved. Azazel,  a man who was one of the princes of the elf world was exiled because of his madness. Azazel, who has powers more like a devil than an elf, makes the elves in the Green Land hostile to him.

A war occurred but Azazel, who was thought to be dead by everyone, was able to escape and flee to a remote place.

“Come closer, Abere! You look very fresh, have you eaten a lot?” asked Azazel.

“I sucked out a lot of humans' dead spirits, My Lord!”

"I am very hungry!"

Azazel's figure, which looked like a moving shadow, began to spin, something lit up from its gaping mouth, sucking something from Abere's body. They share powers, powers that Abere got from curious spirits.

“Argh!”

The girl started to struggle. Her master sucked so much of her strength that she felt very weak. It's just that it wasn't a wasted effort, Azazel, who initially only looked like a moving shadow, began to look tangible.

“Abere! I'm back!" he said.

"My Lord!"

The two of them embraced, the two evil creatures who loved each other seemed to complement each other.

“I'm sorry I made you suffer, Abere! I will repay you!”

"My Lord, Azazel!"

“I will reclaim everything that has been taken from me!"

***

Lea, who caught up with Drex at Rucif's house, immediately received a warning from her sister not to disturb Drex.

"Is he in the room?" Lea asked.

"Yes, he's there! He said you can't come in!"

"Good grief,"

"What is going on?" asked Rucif.

"Nothing! I'll go home first, okay?"

"Aren't you staying here?"

"No, I'll just stay with Winter!"

The girl left, she didn't want to disturb Drex who didn't want to be disturbed. In his room, Drex was looking in the mirror, he seemed annoyed because he still looked like a kid. He really couldn't understand how it all happened.

Drex sat on the bed and began to meditate to restore his strength, indeed he had never cultivated his strength. He needs to practice a lot more because he doesn't know what he will face in the future.

Sit, close his eyes, take a breath, empty his mind, and begin to gather strength. Drex felt like communicating with his protective Lycan spirit, he searched for Drexy within himself.

Long night, and long meditation, Drex didn't come out until the next day. Meanwhile, in the elf palace, chaos occurs, and a horrific murder case is discovered in the palace garden area. A maid who worked in the palace died with a terrible corpse. There were no eyewitnesses, and no one knew who the killer was.

Prince Xavier summoned his palace advisor, a man named Geoff. An old elf trusted by previous kings who was always asked for help with all the difficulties that occurred in the palace.

“Geoff! Do you know what's going on?” Xavier asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty, what a strange death for a maid! He could have been poisoned!" said Geoff.

"Poison?"

"Yes, try ordering the guards to see if there is any suspicious food, drink, or liquid in the palace guard's room!" explained Geoff.

"Are you sure? Poison? Is there any poison that could make an elf die so horribly like that, Geoff? I think someone killed him and sucked out his soul. His body is dry, haven't a single elve's pure soul remains!” Xavier replied doubtfully.

“Soul sucking? In this peaceful land? Are you sure, Your Majesty? Be careful with your assumptions, Your Highness, what you think could make the people of Green Land uneasy!" Geoff replied.

“Okay, order the guards to check our servant's residence! Investigate whether there is anything suspicious like what you suspect!” said Xavier ordering Geoff.

The man nodded obediently and left immediately. The man who was known to be wise began to gather his men to inspect the servant's residence. Food, drink, and anything related to the corpse are checked. The result was found to be food mixed with a strong poison as predicted by Geoff.

All of the servant's family, friends, or people who interacted with him became suspects. This all became clearer when a bottle of poison was found in the kitchen which made the elf chef a suspect.

“I've never seen that bottle of poison, Mr. Geoff! Please, I'm trapped!" said the chef.

“Who else do you want to hand this case over to? All the perpetrators will scream like you if they are found out! Chef Grey, you are sentenced to death!” said Geoff.

"Death penalty? No! I'm not guilty! I'm not a murderer!" shouted the man, starting to struggle in the detention cell.

“You have to drink your poison!” said Geoff, taking a small bottle containing a red liquid which was evidence of the murder.

“Guards! Force this man to drink the poison he used!” Geoff command.

A bodyguard held the chef's body, strangely the man couldn't struggle and could only accept his fate.

"We'll just let him die slowly in prison!" said Geoff inviting all his bodyguards to leave.

The palace chef looked confused, he tried to vomit the poison he was forced to drink. The man looked scared, but after a while nothing happened to him. He did not die or feel his health was compromised.

"What happened?" he muttered.

“Khikhikhi!” someone's laughter was heard.

Something oddly shaped came closer, something with the figure of a man with an unclear face came closer.

"You won't die, young man! All they give you is water!" he said.

"Who are you? How do you know?" asked the man scared.

“Khikhikhi, because you are not in this punishment room to be killed with poison! But become my food!” said the man.

"Go away! What creature are you! Go!"

“No one will hear you poor elf! Shout! None of the elves will hear you!"

"Go away! Get away from me, Hus! Aaaarghh!”

The chef's screams, which were initially very loud, became inaudible and there was no sound. All of that happened because the palace chef died of drying up. Death was not caused by poison, but because Azazel had sucked his soul.

“Good job, Abere! Find me more prey! Khikhikhi!” he muttered.

Azazel, who was shaped like a shadow, began to look more perfect, his body was more tangible with the face of a man with dark blue eyes. Slowly the form changed like a shadow again leaving the iron bars of the basement and leaving.

Prince Xavier, who had no idea about the punishment Geoff had given his palace chef, was immediately shocked. He never gave the death penalty to his people. But the great Geoff's advisor took a unilateral decision without asking his opinion as a leader.

Xavier walked quickly to the advisor's room, his anger visible on his face.

“Geoff! What are you doing?" Xavier snapped.

“Welcome My Lord, how may I help you?”

“Why did you sentence my chef to death? That man has worked in the elf palace kitchen for a long time and has never caused any trouble!” he said.

"So? Could that be a measure for someone not to betray My Lord? I didn't kill him, I just told the man to drink the poison he kept for himself!" Geoff replied, looking like he didn't want to be blamed.

"You! Where is he, now? Where's the poor chef guy?

“The traitor is in the dungeons, Your Majesty! Don't worry, if the liquid he drank wasn't poison he would still be alive now! But, if he dies in the same form as the victim, that means he was the perpetrator!” Geoff replied.

Xavier invited his bodyguard to go to the basement, he wanted to ascertain the condition of the suspect who had drunk the poison found in his workplace.

The guards opened the basement door, something rather odd he began to feel. Aura of darkness! In addition, the body of the palace chef was the same as the body of the servant found previously. There was no trace of the elve's holy spirit left in his dried-up body. Xavier squatted down to check the surroundings, and then he left there.

The news of the death of the palace chef spread to all the elf servants. They also know that Prince Xavier is the heir to the throne with a soft heart. He may be a playboy, but when it comes to government affairs, this man does everything wisely. However, this time the servant elves felt that there was something strange about the death penalty decision.

“The palace chef died drying in the cellar! Advisor Geoff himself executed him on the prince's orders!” said one of the elf servants.

"Not like that! One of the guards told me that Prince Xavier didn't even know that the palace chef was given the death penalty! This certain that this was all Councilor Geoff's doing!” suspected one of the waiters.

“Don't speculate! Don't let all this news spread! We have to see for sure what  happened!”

"Yes, you're right!"

Without anyone's knowledge, after that incident, Xavier went secretly to the house of the forest elf Rucif. This was because he wanted to ask Rucif for help, who was known to have a lot of knowledge about medicine and magic potions.

Knock! Knock!”

No one opened the door, that day Rucif went with Princess Kiora to the mountains. The two people who seemed to like each other began to approach each other, without knowing what events happened in the palace that day.

“Where is this man?” grumbled Xavier who came without a bodyguard.

Knock! Knock!

Xavier started shouting again to call the owner of the house, footsteps were heard, and someone walked towards the door and started to open it.

Two men looked at each other.

“Prince Xavier?” said someone in the house.

"Who are you?" Xavier was surprised to see a handsome young man with golden brown hair and yellow eyes with a large body who opened the door to the Rucif tree house.

"Ah, yes, you don't know what I look like, huh! Come on in, wait inside! Rucif is looking for medicinal plants in the mountains, maybe he'll be home soon!” replied Drex who casually entered the house again.

“Hey, how rude! I asked who are you?”

“I'm Drex! The lycan you said was a black monster the other day!” he answered without even looking at the person he was talking to.

"You can change shape!" Xavier wondering. 

“Rucif gave me a nutritious potion! I was able to restore my energy quickly, I just found out that guy is good!”

“Rucif is a magic potion expert! He's great! Not just good!” said Xavier.

“Yes, this time I agree! Did you come here alone? Where's your bodyguard? You didn't invite your wife? Don't you have a lot of wives!” Drex asked bluntly.

"I'll go alone!"

"Why? Is there a problem with your complicated love story?”

"None of your business! You want me to behead you, huh!”

“I am not your people! So your laws don't apply to me!" said Drex with arrogance.

“But you live in my territory, so you have to obey the rules I make!” said Xavier.

“What rules? Can't I mention the prince's wife and love story? Or is it not permissible to speak directly to the prince? Or what? I don't even know what your rules are!” said Drex impolite.

"Good grief! You turned out to be so annoying!” 

"Thank You!"

Drex took the glass and pitcher containing the magic flower drink, bringing them to the table as if to give the prince a drink. But what he did was different. Drex sat in front of Xavier, poured the delicious-smelling drink, and drank it quietly without offering.

“Humph! You don't even offer guests drinks? Haven't you learned any manners?” asked Xavier.

"Manners? Every world has different manners, Prince! I don't want to study it because it makes me dizzy!" said Drex.

“Ah, forget it!”

"So you're interested in drinking this?" asked Drex, finally sensitive.

“I don't want to drink that! But at least offer it to guests who come to your house!" said Xavier giving advice.

“This is not my house, and this is not my tea either! I took it there, it smelled good so I drank it!”

"A moment! Did you drink Rucif's tea carelessly?”

"Emm__ can't I? I'll ask him for permission later!” Drex answered.

“Mostly, Rucif makes a strange magic drink, Drex! Don't you feel something happening in your body?”

“Strange magic drink? Did Something happen to my body? I just felt a little dizzy, my eyes started to blur, my heartbeat felt fast!” Drex started shaking his head.

“Drex! You're not kidding, are you?"

"About what? Hey why am I so sleepy!” he said.

Xavier started to back away, he noticed a strange behavior in Drex. The big Lycan man was seen shaking his head, then he glared with burning yellow eyes.

Grraa!

Drex's body, which was originally ordinary, suddenly turned big, huge, had black hair, and bloomed! He became a huge wolf monster. Seeing Drex's figure, Xavier ran out of the house. The ceiling in the living room of Rucif's tree house couldn't accommodate Drex's body, who now wanted to go out after Xavier.

"Oh no! As I thought he drank the wrong potion! Hey, Dude! Calm down!” Xavier shouted.

Graaaa!

Drex begins destroying the exit. Bruak!

"Wow, what kind of creature are you, Drex!" said Xavier flying and jumping up the tree.

Rucif's tree house had a huge hole in it, and a giant black werewolf figure with glowing yellow eyes came out of the forest elf's house. Make the bell flowers, and the plants talk around Rucif's garden screaming.

“Rucif! Rucif! There are monsters! Monsters!” shout the plants.

The bells were ringing indicating danger, shouting from all over the place signaling Rucif on the mountain.

***

That morning Kiora came to Rucif's house alone. Without inviting her bodyguards, the princess of the Green Land kingdom came to meet Rucif with the mushroom soup Rucif had ordered. Apart from bringing food, the woman also brought supplies to accompany Rucif on his journey.

“Princess Kiora! Have you come?” said Rucif who turned out to be outside the house.

“Hi, I'm delivering soup!”

"Hmm, very good! I feel so lucky!” said Rucif.

"Eat first, while it's still warm!"

"Yes alright! You have eaten? Let's eat together!”

"Do you mind?"

"Certainly not! I've made something for you too, Princess! Come in!”

Rucif invited Kiora to come in. On the dining table in the living room, there was already some food that looked delicious.

"Ah, I only brought mushroom soup, you provided a lot,"

“Hey, no problem. Mushroom soup goes well with red seaweed from the Gobi Forest, Cubi fish meat, and golden bean sauce!” said Rucif pointing to the dishes on the table.

“Wow, have you made everything by yourself?”

“Yeah, try it!”

The two of them ate, then chatted intimately before both of them prepared to go to the mountain.

“Hemm, your cooking is quite delicious! You have talent as a palace chef!”

“Haha, I think you're exaggerating!”

“Hey, no! I'm telling the truth, sometimes I feel bored eating palace food,"

“You can eat here anytime if you want!”

"Thank you, Emm,__ what plants do you want to look for in the mountains?" Kiora asked.

“Golden Waterlily!”

“Looking for aquatic plants in the mountains? Not in the river valley?”

“That plant only grows in high water sources! So I have to go to the mountains to get it.

“Wow, what a unique plant! What are the benefits?"

"Many things! Which is good for health! I will create a new combination formula using the flower crown extract!” Rucif explained.

“Ah, I see. You are very clever at concocting Rucif. Where did you learn from?” asked Kiora.

“Every elf has their talent. I've liked experimenting since I was little, it's not a skill, it might be said to be a unique hobby!”

“Hihi, yes that's right! Unique hobby,"

The two finished their meal and then prepared to leave.

“By the way where is Drex? I haven't seen him since yesterday,"

asked Kiora.

“He's in the room, probably sleeping. Ah, yes, I forgot to give him something,"

Rucif took his magic potion and started knocking on Drex's room.

Knock! Knock!”

“Drex! Are you in there?” calls Rucif.

"Yes!" he answered.

"I want to go to the mountains with Princess Kiora, there is food on the table, just eat if you are hungry. Then I put the magic potion in front of the door! Try drinking it, I hope it's effective and can change you back to your original form!" shouted Rucif.

"Okay, thank you! Just go, I love to be alone!" Drex shouted.