Danisos had appeared in his dragon form rather than his human one, signaling his deep-seated antipathy toward humanity. After all, the Pope who had killed his wife Aurora was human, and the vast majority of the Church of Truth's faithful were as well.
As he spoke, an invisible wind seemed to sweep across the venue, carrying with it a sense of vast antiquity and the passage of eons. The eyes framed by charcoal-gray scales held no pupils — only layer upon layer of transparent ripples, like a surging river of time that flowed ever forward and never returned. This made Danisos seem like a lofty witness to history itself, coldly and dispassionately observing the changes of the world and the lives within it, yet rarely venturing into their midst.
In that instant, Lucian felt Danisos's gaze fall upon him — cold, indifferent, watching him — and an involuntary shiver ran through his body. It felt as though he were growing numb alongside the slowing of time around him. The glow of the "Moon Chronometer" tucked inside his vest pocket took on a charcoal tinge, as if it had been dimmed into insignificance before this "ruler" of time.
Just as Lucian was about to release his aura and merge his demiplane projection to contend with Danisos, the dragon suddenly averted his gaze. He didn't question why Lucian had received an invitation to attend — instead, he looked toward the dozen-plus Legendary powerhouses of the Dark World and repeated: "The meeting begins."
"The Dragon of Time and Radiance, the 'Silver-Eyed Count,' and the 'Abyss Lord' have yet to arrive. They are all figures of tremendous influence within their respective races or domains, and they very likely hold differing opinions. I believe we should wait a little longer." Few among the Dark Council members dared openly contradict the primordial Time Dragon Danisos, but the "Elder Brain" was one of them — for he was the "proxy" of the mysterious and unfathomable "Master Brain."
The "Silver-Eyed Count" Rhein was a first-generation vampire, the only Legendary who could directly summon the descent of the Silver Moon. He held a position of immense importance among vampirekind, no less than Dracula's. If he were absent from the meeting, it was foreseeable that whatever decisions were reached might not necessarily be enforced within the vampire ranks. And the "Abyss Lord" Natralavos, though only a second-tier Legendary mage, was the culmination of the ancient Arcane Empire's bloodline experiments — he had transformed his own body into that of a Demon Sovereign, and his actual combat strength was no worse than a third-tier Legendary's. He was considered one of the Dark Council's most core members.
Of course, after his transformation into a "Demon Sovereign," Natralavos had apparently become even more cruel and bloodthirsty, and had developed a tendency toward self-harm as well.
Before Danisos could answer, a hoarse, deep voice echoed from within the valley: "Rhein's absence will not affect the vampires' decision. If Natralavos arrives late, he will be considered to have forfeited his rights. All that remains is for each of you to make your final choice based on our announcement."
A man in a tailcoat walked toward the front of the "meeting grounds" with steps that appeared leisurely yet covered hundreds of meters each. He was a middle-aged gentleman of tremendous mature charm, his pair of mustaches trimmed to meticulous perfection, his deep crimson eyes sweeping across the entire "venue."
With his arrival, the whole "venue" darkened once more, as though all the light had been drawn into him. Around his cape — crimson on the inside, black on the outside — faint, elusive darkness twisted and warped, hinting at the silhouettes of humans, dragons, elves, villas, and towers hidden within.
This was the vampire prince, the "Night Sovereign" — Dracula!
After Dracula had surveyed all the powerhouses of the Dark World, his gaze lingered briefly on Lucian's face. Then he tilted his chin upward with an air of arrogance and spoke in a commanding, low voice: "The vampire race has already reached an agreement with the dragon race. Together, we will form a new Dark Council — no longer a loose alliance, but a unified whole acting as one against the outside world. Now is the time for you to decide whether you wish to join. If you do not, then I ask you to leave this place."
His attitude was nothing short of imperious — it bore no resemblance to a negotiation. It was an announcement of a decision. The only right you had was to accept or refuse, and he seemed entirely unconcerned about driving away the other Legendary powerhouses of the Dark Council. Perhaps in his eyes, having them made little difference, and losing them mattered no more.
Arrogant as Dracula might be, his preparations for the matter at hand were impeccable. Once the vampires and the dragon race had unified into a single entity, he had already secured an overwhelming advantage. He could easily step outside the loose framework of the Dark Council and establish an entirely new power. Moreover, although the number of Legendary powerhouses had been reduced to just over half, the combined might included two peak Legendaries, several third-tier Legendaries, and — crucially — complete internal unity with "no" infighting. Their overall combat strength far surpassed that of the current Dark Council.
After hearing Dracula's announcement-style address, every Legendary powerhouse present fell silent. They had assumed there would be room for debate on this matter — after all, the opinions of Legendaries had to be respected. But who could have expected that Danisos and Dracula would be so domineering and imperious, leaving them no opportunity to speak at all? The only answer they could give was yes or no.
Dracula's deep crimson eyes once again fell upon them with icy detachment: "Once the new Dark Council is established, the Dark Mountains will serve as our primary sphere of influence. Everything that does not belong to us will be attacked. Of course, if you manage to hide yourselves well enough, there is nothing we can do about it." Many places in the Dark Mountains were far too dangerous, and even Dracula could not guarantee that he knew every secret hiding spot.
With these words, the atmosphere suddenly froze. That same sense of a world in flux — of winds howling and rain lashing — that had accompanied Lucian's arrival returned once more.
Too arrogant — simply too arrogant! We are Legendary powerhouses, not your foot soldier vampires!
If it came to it, they could simply leave the Dark Mountains — head deep into the Northern Lands, or find other powers willing to take them in. Could a Legendary not survive anywhere? Could they not live well wherever they went?
Of all those present, Stanis was the most composed. He had long been in secret contact with the Mage Parliament. Had it not been for the lingering fear he harbored toward Arcana, he would have gone to Allens long ago.
Lucian cast a glance at the "Nightmare King" with a smile. In a moment, he would have to thank Dracula — thank him for helping Stanis make up his mind, thank him for helping the Mage Parliament win over one more Legendary mage.
Earlier, Lucian had told the "Nightmare King" that whether the Dark Council succeeded in its consolidation or not, the Parliament didn't particularly care — it made little difference either way. Now, however, Lucian had to admit he had misjudged the situation, and he felt genuinely delighted. Given the way Dracula and Danisos were handling things, this development was enormously beneficial to the Parliament.
Hmm, should he also try to win over those two Epic-tier knights? The Parliament still had many prosperous island chains, and was short on manpower to guard its maritime borders. And the mind flayers, beholders, and werewolves — perhaps those races could be contacted as well, to see if they were willing to come to Parliament-controlled territory to conduct research... or rather, to be researched...