ALL NOVEL Seal From Hell
He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting hers with a steely resolve. "I'm Karl Ruprect Kroenen, Hitler's top assassin."
"....."
"....."
A few seconds passed, but Scarlett didn't say anything. She rolled her pupils in circles repeatedly and started tilting her head as if trying to make sense of his words. After thinking for a while, she finally stopped and asked him, "Hitler? You mean Adolf Hitler?"
"Yeah," he said casually.
"I'm saying again, that Austrian painter's assassin?" she asked, her tone filled with incredulity.
"Yeah, yeah," he replied nonchalantly. "So you really are an otherworlder too, since you know about him."
Although he said that, Scarlett didn't respond immediately. She was lost in her thoughts. Many points swirled in her mind: "Should I really believe him? What if he betrays me in the future?" Doubts and considerations like these wandered through her mind.
After a moment of contemplation, a smirk emerged on her face. In the midst of complexity, she found a potential advantage. "Since he was an assassin before, that means he definitely has muscle memory. These kinds of guys, after dedicating their whole lives to someone else, even if given freedom, still can't live fully satisfied," she thought.
"During our fight, he had no idea if I really intended to kill him. If it had been someone else, they would have fled the scene, but he fought till the end because his chief's order was like a mission to him. If I can make him mine, he'll definitely be a loyal servant. And who doesn't want an assassin who will kill anyone with a single word?" She grinned with an evil smirk.
But to do that, she would have to earn his trust by proving she was superior or at least equal to his previous master. There were two things she could do. First, she could make a contract and earn his trust over time. Second, she could make his previous master look inferior by revealing his weaknesses or failures—in other words, "talk bad about him," though she knew she couldn't cross the line, or Kroenen would become angry.
Scarlett's gaze sharpened as she leaned forward, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "You must have seen a lot, working for someone like him. I bet you have stories that would make even the bravest shiver."
Karl's expression remained neutral, but his eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity. "There are many stories," he admitted, "but why does it matter to you?"
"Because," Scarlett said, her voice smooth and persuasive, "understanding the past helps us shape the future. I want to know what made you follow someone like Hitler. What drove you to become the assassin you were?"
Karl's eyes narrowed slightly, his guard momentarily dropping. "It was about power and loyalty. I was trained, Since childhood. I was good at what I did, and I believed in the cause."
Scarlett nodded, her mind working quickly. "Power and loyalty, huh? Those are things I value too. But let me ask you this—did Hitler ever truly appreciate your skills? Did he recognize your worth?"
Kroenen's eyes narrowed, his thoughts racing. "Ughhhh! Manipulating me? What am I, a two-year-old child to get caught up in something like that?" he thought. As an experienced assassin, he was immune to mere words. He had been through countless interrogations and psychological manipulations. But Scarlett's next words caught him off guard, his eyes widening in surprise.
"What's the point of working for him? In the end, he lost World War II and committed suicide on April 30, 1945. I'm pretty sure you would have died in the war too. Unlike him, I'll never lose, and I'll give you better treatment," Scarlett said, pride evident in her voice.
Kroenen was taken aback, confusion swirling in his mind. He scratched his head, trying to reconcile Scarlett's words with his memories. In his world, events had played out differently. "What do you mean, lost? I still remember it clearly. My boss won World War II. German became the international language, and soon after, he became the World President. I died on a mission without any regrets," he said hesitantly, puzzled.
"What the f*ck?" Scarlett yelled, "Germany won?" It was Scarlett's turn to be puzzled. She quickly pieced together what was happening.
Scarlett remembered hearing from Avion, the first demon king, that there were "no parallel worlds." This only meant one thing: the Kroenen before her came from a different universe with a completely altered history. In his world, the German army won, and many things happened that weren't meant to occur in her own.
Kroenen, too, realized this, and a heavy silence filled the room. The atmosphere grew thick with tension and realization. Scarlett understood that badmouthing his boss was pointless now. Instead, she opted for her first plan: making a contract.
Alright, let's put history aside," Scarlett said, her tone more measured. "What matters now is the future. Just like you said at the beginning of our meeting, I want to propose a contract. In return for making an alliance, I want three things."
Kronen listened intently, his eyes locked onto Scarlett's.
"First, I want business transactions of Latin fiber, silk, and other textile products. Before establishing regular transactions, I want an advance supply. Your village will also need to set up a production house inside Dreadhaven and teach my villagers how to produce these materials." Scarlett paused, letting her words sink in. "In return, you'll gain an army of strong warriors willing to lay down their lives in the war. It's a more than fair exchange."
Kronen considered her first condition, recognizing the mutual benefit. He nodded slowly, indicating his agreement.
Scarlett took a few seconds, her brow furrowed in deep thought, before proposing her second condition. "Before I make my second condition, I need to ask—how are you all planning to defeat those Succubus sisters?" she questioned, her voice steady but laced with curiosity and a hint of skepticism.
Kronen responded immediately, as if he had the strategy etched in his memory. "The whole village has already made plans," he explained. "What we lack are seasoned warriors. Almost every village has some treasure left by their ancestors."
Kronen's eyes darkened with the weight of history as he continued. "Hundreds of thousands of years ago, when Medusa was alive, her powers were growing rapidly. Her eyes turned everything into stone. To the point that even when she closed her eyes, everyone around her still started to turn into stone."
Scarlett's eyes Shrunked slightly, her boredom piqued but she wanted to know what kind of treasure they have, As Kronen delved deeper into the tale. "At that time, there were actually seven kingdoms. One of them was the Kingdom of Elves. Elves are very sensitive to nature, and their kingdom was filled with beauty and prosperity. Medusa, out of worry, began to seek relics that could control her eyes. But no matter how powerful the relics she found, none could restrict her gaze."
Kronen's voice dropped to a hushed tone, the atmosphere growing tense. "Her powers kept growing. Her eyes became so strong that if she didn't control them with all her might, the whole planet would have turned to stone in a single blink. Unfortunately, one day she went berserk and attacked the Elven kingdom alone, turning everyone to stone to relieve her eyes temporarily."
Scarlett didn't wanted but still her mind itself started feel the scene of horror and desperation of that day as Kronen described it. "Half of the Elven kingdom was wiped out in just one day. Everyone hid out of fear. Even the strongest High Elves, the Royal Elves, lost to Medusa. When all hope was lost, some Royal Elves made a desperate decision—to take the path of evil."
Kronen paused, his eyes reflecting the darkness of the elves' choice. "They began experimenting with curses and black magic, summoning many Arch-demons. As a nature-loving species, they started to corrupt, their skin darkening as they became Dark Elves. Despite their efforts, they couldn't create anything to suppress Medusa's eyes. It felt like all their sacrifices were in vain. The population of Elves dwindled from 8.1 billion to a mere 110 million, bringing them to the brink of extinction."
Scarlett's heart ached at the with exclusive boredom,She could sense Kronen's bullshit as he recounted the tale. "Desperate and losing hope, the remaining Elves went mad. All the royals turned evil, creating an underground base. In the name of a safe place, they started killing their own species and collecting their souls. This gruesome practice went on for a long time until they attempted the most powerful summoning known to their world."
Kronen's voice trembled slightly as he revealed the horrifying climax. "They used the organs and blood of murdered elves and thousands of souls to summon 'A Primordial Demon.' Against all odds, they succeeded. From the summoning circle emerged a being whose appearance and name were unknown, but he called himself 'Second King of Hell.'"
"Second King of Hell?, Avion is First king of hell, So if course there would be someone after him."Scarlett thought, What kind of appearance and personality have second king of hell, If first king is like a joker.
"In exchange for one hundred million souls, he gave them materials and a recipe to make a blindfold powerful enough to suppress Medusa. After delivering these, he vanished. Following the recipe, many more lives were lost in the process, but in the end, they succeeded. They named the blindfold, 'Seal from Hell.'"
After crafting the blindfold, the Dark Elves, now fearless and resolute, marched directly to Medusa. She was perched atop the ruins of the royal palace, a macabre throne of her own making. The Elves had nearly been wiped out, and Medusa, somewhat satisfied with the destruction she wrought, sat momentarily content. The fierce battles against the Elven kingdom had forced her to release her powers multiple times, temporarily controlling her devastating eyes.
As the Dark Elves appeared before her, the leader of the group held the blindfold aloft. They approached without hesitation, knowing that Medusa desperately needed something to control her eyes. As she saw the Dark Elves bearing the blindfold, a glimmer of hope and greed lit up her features. They presented it to her, and she was overjoyed at the prospect of relief.
Medusa quickly took the blindfold from the leader and placed it over her eyes. But then, something unexpected happened. The blindfold was far more potent than anyone could have anticipated. It didn't just suppress her sight—it obliterated all her senses. She couldn't see, hear, or even feel anything. Her powers, her strength, her agility—all started to wane dramatically. Within seconds, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
She tried to raise her trembling hands to remove the blindfold, but she was too weak. The Elves, witnessing the once invincible Medusa trembling and struggling, realized the magnitude of what they had created. This was no mere "legendary relic"; this was a "mythical relic."
Understanding the opportunity, the Dark Elves launched their attack. Medusa, the terror who had single-handedly decimated their kind, was now vulnerable. It took hours of relentless fighting, but eventually, they succeeded in killing her. Relief washed over them—they had saved their race from extinction.
However, their victory was bittersweet. The real problem soon emerged. The rest of the Elven race, those who had survived, harbored deep resentment towards the Dark Elves. The Dark Elves had killed over a hundred million of their own kind in their quest to summon the demon and create the blindfold. Though these sacrifices had ultimately saved them, the surviving Elves could not forgive the means.
Scarlett could feel the weight of this dark history in Kronen's recounting. The once-unified Elven race was now fractured. The Dark Elves, despite being the saviors, were banished from the Elven kingdom. This exile rendered the Elves one of the rarest species in existence, their numbers now just a few million.
Kronen gave a thumbs up as he finally reached the conclusion of his story. "Dark Elves were banished, but they took the blindfold with them. That's our treasure now. Our plan is to somehow make one of the Succubus sisters wear this blindfold. If we succeed, we'll only have to fight one of them, greatly improving our chances of winning."
"You son of a bitch!" Scarlett yelled in anger. "Why couldn't you just say you have a blindfold that can suppress her powers? What's with that hella long story?" She glared at him, her irritation and annoyance palpable.
Kronen looked taken aback, but before he could respond, Scarlett sighed heavily, waving her hand dismissively. "Forget it... forget it." She had asked the question because she knew that almost every village possessed a treasure. Her second condition had been to claim that treasure, but now that she knew it was the blindfold—a mythical relic that could suppress even the most potent of powers—she realized how fortunate she was to have encountered it.
But how could she take it? She couldn't simply demand it for her own use and expect them to hand it over willingly. The blindfold was a crucial part of their plan. There was no way they would give it up easily. So she devised a strategy and proposed an alternative. "My second condition is this: I'll be the one to make one of the Succubus sisters wear that blindfold," she stated firmly. Her plan was to take the blindfold, defeat the Succubus sisters herself, and then keep the blindfold when it was all over.
Kronen thought for a while, the weight of the decision clear on his face. Handing over their lifeline to someone else was risky. What if Scarlett sided with the Succubus sisters and turned against them? But then a thought struck him— a contract. If they bound her by a contract, she wouldn't be able to betray them.
"Okay," he finally said, "but I'll give you the blindfold on the battlefield." As long as Scarlett got the blindfold eventually, it didn't matter if it was a few days later. Scarlett nodded slightly in agreement.
"How long is your lifespan?" she asked, her tone shifting to one of casual curiosity.
"Umm... since I'm also a Royal Elf, around eight to ten thousand years, I guess. Why do you ask?" he responded, puzzled.
"Well then, my last condition is I want you," she declared with authority and pride in her voice. "You'll work for me for one hundred years. Since you can live that long, it doesn't seem like a big deal, right?" She said it with a mocking tone, a smirk playing on her lips.
Kronen didn't respond immediately. Instead, he placed his hands on the ground, pushing himself up, and began walking towards the exit. Scarlett watched him, her eyes narrowing as he moved. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back, his gaze locking onto hers with a fierce intensity.
"You know what? The Elves and Dark Elves have one thing in common. They are very sensitive. Royal Elves can also detect someone's inner aura. You said you can sense that I'm evil and have killed many people, giving off a dark red aura," he began, his voice calm but cutting.
His eyes bore into hers as he continued, "You, you are evil too. Far more than me or anyone I've ever encountered in my life. The aura I sense from you is not dark red but a complete abyss. No, even bigger than an abyss—a whole world of darkness. I need some time to think about this. So, I'm going back to the village."
As Kronen turned towards the door, a thought struck him, chilling him to his core. "Just how many people has she killed? Thousands? Lakhs? Crores? Billions? No! More than that. Even a trillion might be a small number, Just who exactly is she?, No!, What the hell exactly is she?" he pondered, each step heavy with dread.
But as he reached the door, he collided with an invisible barrier, the impact resonating with a loud thud. Stunned, he turned back to Scarlett, confusion and frustration etched on his face. "What now?" he sighed, rubbing his forehead.
In front of him, Scarlett stood with an evil smirk on her face. She raised her hands, rolling her fingers elegantly, exuding the aura of a tyrant queen. Her posture was regal, commanding. Her voice, heavy and authoritative, filled the room. "You have yet to explain the term you used—'World President.' What the hell is a World President anyway?"