Chapter 3974: Failed Experiment (Part 1)

"A fair ruler?" Baba Yaga scoffed. "The last time I checked, being fair was the least desirable trait for the High General of the Night Court. Only the most merciless and bloodthirsty among my children espouse the deranged ideology of my wayward daughter and join your Court."

"If you despise us so much, why didn’t you step forward millennia ago when the Night Court was founded and do something about it?" Cyrra said, hating herself for talking like a petulant little girl.

She wanted to argue and criticize Baba Yaga. To show her what the Night Court was capable of achieving even at its lowest point in its history, yet both her physical and mental strength had left her body.

Meeting the Red Mother’s gaze and talking loud enough to be heard was the best Cyrra could do.

"To what end?" Baba Yaga replied. "The Night Court serves my goals as it is. It gives all those like you a place where you can lump together and tear each other apart while leaving the rest of us alone.

"Your mortality rate is the highest, and entire undead bloodlines I regretted creating went extinct after joining your ranks. The Night Court is the perfect trash can of the undead society as I envision it. Isolated, short-lived, and self-cleaning."

The Banshee had no blood flow and her skin was as pale as snow, but at those words, she became even paler. The other members of the Night Court in the room couldn’t help but replay the story of their lives in their minds and realize that the Red Mother was right.

Her aura lifted the veil of arrogance and self-importance that the undead of the Night Court normally used as justification for their cruel actions, and her words shoved the raw, unfiltered truth right under their noses.

The stench of it was so revolting that most of them would have pucked, if only they were still physiologically capable of doing it. The members of the Night Court lowered their eyes in shame, and some even started to weep in silence.

Being told by their creator that she considered them a failed experiment and that she cared nothing for them was too much even for centuries-old monsters.

"What about my Dawn Court, then?" Bhaz’s brain begged him to shut up, warning him that he would regret opening his mouth. "What about the Dusk Court?"

’I’d rather regret asking her than hide in willful ignorance.’ He thought. ’This is probably the only chance I’ll ever have to speak with the Red Mother. Her words may be harsh, but if there’s a lesson that I can learn from them, I’m not going to miss it just to coddle my ego.’

"You?" Baba Yaga blinked a few times before stabbing the Blood Warlock in his heart with a powerful enchanted knife. "I dislike the Dawn Court the least."

Bahz would have been proud of those words if not for the pain and shock. The blade pierced through his armor and immortal flesh like paper, tearing a hole in the weak spot of any Blood Warlock.

All undead races had one or more weak spots, and once even one of them was damaged, they would die as easily as a mortal.

Bhaz screamed in surprise as he searched in Baba Yaga’s expression an answer for her sudden betrayal.

’Why go through so much trouble just to kill-’ His scream went on and on, under the annoyed gaze of the Red Mother and the ill-repressed hilarity of his subjects.

Cyrra, however, didn’t hesitate to laugh in his face. It made her feel better about herself after she and her Court had suffered the humiliation of a lifetime.

"I’m not dead!" The Blood Warlock patted his chest, discovering that his flesh had healed faster than his armor.

"Of course you are not." Baba Yaga sneered. "Why would I go through so much trouble just to kill you?"

’That was my question.’ Bhaz thought.

"How am I still alive?" He actually asked.

"Thanks to the Harmonizer." The Red Mother replied. "It gives healing abilities to your weak points as well. Being harder to kill than your enemy expects will give you quite an advantage against Poopie’s troops, especially if you leave no witnesses."

"Indeed." The Blood Warlock nodded, finding his confidence back. "This and the ability to stay awake during the day will foil most of Meln’s most effective strategies against us. By the way, what do you mean, you dislike us the least?"

"Let me be clear, child, I dislike all Undead Courts." Baba Yaga sighed. "None of you were supposed to exist. According to my original plan, my children would form communities in the Eclipsed Lands and retain their humanity by coexisting with the living.

"You were supposed to use the time before you reached the full-red blood core to get your revenge, master magic, and heal from your trauma. This way, when you reverted into mortals, you’d have everything you needed to live a happy life.

"Instead, you guys formed a whole society based on perpetuating the same injustices that brought you to my attention, just with you as the perpetrators instead of the victims. I gifted you your strength as a shield to protect and avenge yourself.

"Yet you turned it into a sword and spilled the blood of those who had never wronged you. Call yourself a king all you want, but the duty of a ruler is to lead and protect his subjects. You just accumulate riches and look good dressed in silk.

"You and your Court are no nobles, just blood merchants."

Baba Yaga paused for a moment to study the reaction of the members of the Dawn Court. Their lowered eyes and contrite expressions were a good sign, but she doubted they would last long after she left.

"As for the Dusk Court, it’s an abomination." She resumed. "All those damn Liches are good for nothing and care for no one but themselves. I mean, look at this place. Meln swore to destroy the Dusk Court as well, yet not one Lich bothered to join your alliance.

"The entire Mogar could be set ablaze, and the only thing those idiots would ask is, What’s this smell? Did I leave the stove on?"

"Then why do you allow the Dusk Court to exist?" Bhaz asked.

"Because sometimes the Liches do leave their labs and some of them commit unspeakable atrocities to continue their perverse experiments." Baba Yaga replied. "They already tortured and maimed themselves.

"They have no qualms about doing it on others and experimenting with the foulest forms of Forbidden Magic."

"It sounds like all the more reason to destroy the Dusk Court." Cyrra said.

"Quite the contrary." A savage smile twisted Baba Yaga’s delicate features. "This way, I know where most of the Liches live and how to find them. The best part is that when I kill one of those morons, nobody ever notices.

"Liches are so forgetful that you could wipe their communication amulet clean and they would never find out unless one of your victims owed them something."

"Did you kill many of them?" Bhaz had no physiological need to swallow, but he did it anyway.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.