Unholy Player

Chapter 446: Only I Will Decide

"Can you give us a little time to say our farewells to them?" Zephan’s eyes lingered on his family, his voice leaving his lips as a faint, fragile whisper.

"Of course. Call me whenever you feel ready." Adyr nodded once and turned to leave, giving them their private moment to break and grieve on their own.

He had already secured his massive gain from them, so he did not mind waiting a little longer for his harvest. He could also keep up the image of being a kind and selfless man in their eyes.

He walked to the doors of the cave and pulled one open just enough for his body to slip through. After stepping outside, he pulled it shut again with care, sealing the strange aura inside, then began climbing the stone stairs back upward, feeling the weight in the air lighten with each step.

While waiting, he wanted to tour the Lunari Kingdom a bit more. After obtaining his new bloodline talent, he did not know what other surprises this race might still hold for him, since he had no intention of missing any potential gain.

Leaving the underground passage behind and returning to the palace floor, he started walking through the long, polished corridors.

Whenever he walked by, Practitioners from Rank 1 to Rank 3 stopped what they were doing, lowered their heads, and placed a hand across their chest, bowing in respect, not lifting their gaze again until he had vanished around the next corner.

Among them were even the Lunari Practitioners he had faced during the Legacy Domain tournament.

Back then, they had all looked down on him as just another rival, something to surpass or crush. Now that they were acting with high respect and even a little fear, Adyr found it very interesting to watch.

A moment is just one of time’s lies. I was once nothing, now a king, and as for the future, that is something only I will decide.

Finding amusement in his thought, he allowed a small smile to tug at the corner of his lips and kept walking forward at an unhurried pace.

As he walked through the corridors that held the history of the Lunari, he sometimes slowed his steps, letting his eyes wander over the paintings on the walls. Old battles, sworn oaths, portraits of important figures, and grand ceremonies looked back at him, every brushstroke carrying pride and struggle. He moved on at an easy pace, quietly taking his time to appreciate each one.

Then, from somewhere ahead, a pleasant sound brushed against his ears, soft at first, then growing clearer as he approached. A melodic line, strong and emotional.

Piano? he thought with slight surprise, finding the pattern of the notes too familiar to ignore.

Curious whether this world truly had such an instrument, he followed the source of the music and stopped in front of a door made of polished, dark wood, its surface decorated with intricate golden patterns that flowed like vines.

Even the door alone was enough to tell him that this was not an ordinary room. Still, Adyr gently pushed it open just enough to peek inside.

The door was not locked. It yielded easily and silently, opening with no more than a soft movement and creating a narrow gap that gave him a clear line of sight into the room.

Inside, as he expected, was no simple chamber. It resembled a luxurious bedroom, quite spacious, its walls painted a rich, vibrant red. Every corner was filled with high-quality furnishings: carved wardrobes, soft-looking couches, crystal lamps, and a large bed draped with fine sheets. Everything carried the scent of wealth and status of the royal Lunari culture.

But none of this richness caught his attention for long. What truly held his gaze was the instrument in the corner, the source of the melody.

It looked much like a piano, or more accurately, a pipe organ. Behind it, several metal pipes extended upward and to the sides, and with every press of a key, the sound that emerged from those pipes was deep and resonant, giving the melody a full, layered echo.

It was not exactly like the instrument he had once played in his previous life during one of his adopted identities, but it was close enough that each note carried a nostalgic weight in his ears.

The woman playing it was undeniably talented. Her fingers moved confidently over the keys, and the melody she created was not just a collection of notes but something that carried emotion, like a voice telling a quiet story.

With her long silver hair falling down her back, her straight posture, and the natural curves of her body that made her look as if she had been carefully sketched by an artist, she gave the impression of a living painting. Someone could sit in a chair, watch her play, and feel both peace and the strange sense that life had meaning, just by looking at her with that instrument.

Adyr did not disturb the playing, nor did he leave. He simply stood there in silence, hidden behind the partially open door, and listened until the piece reached its end.

The final notes spread through the room and slowly faded, strong yet delicate, filling the red walls one last time before dissolving into quiet.

The woman lifted her hands from the keys and let out a deep sigh, as if dissatisfied with her own performance despite how flawless it had sounded.

"Must be very difficult to level it up to 4, right?" Adyr called out with a light laugh, revealing his presence as he waited to see her frustrated expression.

"Who?" The woman shot to her feet at the sudden voice, the bench scraping lightly as she turned. She faced the uninvited guest at her door with sharp eyes full of killing intent, her body tensing like a drawn bow.

But when she saw the man standing there with a calm, relaxed smile on his face, her guard dropped just a little. Surprise and confusion replaced immediate hostility. "You... what are you doing here?"

"Sorry, I did not mean to scare you." Adyr offered an apologetic smile to Thalira. "I just heard the melody, and my legs brought me here before I even realized it."

Thalira stared at him doubtfully. "And your legs also opened my door without you realizing it, and then started watching me without you realizing it?"

She added, with her tone still tense, "How did you even manage to open the door and remain hidden? I did not sense you at all."

She was a strong Rank 3 Practitioner, and on top of that, it was her private room. There were safeguards to protect her from outside danger, Spark-based barriers that kept the room completely safe and secure.

Yet somehow, Adyr had managed to open a skill-protected door and stand there long enough to listen to the entire piece without her noticing his presence even once.

Even Adyr found that part strange. He had not used any Spark skill to hide himself, and more strangely, the door had simply opened when he first pushed it, as if nothing was blocking it at all.

***

A/N: Thanks to all your phenomenal support we are currently keeping our 10th place in the Golden Ticket rankings. We just need to stay there 3 more days and we can get our first honor badge for being in the top 10 of the Golden Ticket rankings. Thank you so much for the kind attention you have shown to my work so far.