WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom-Chapter 241: Prince Zeratul

Chapter 241: Prince Zeratul

The prince’s eyes glinted with curiosity, his hands folded behind his back as if unconcerned.

“Who sent you?” he asked again.

Ben didn’t answer, he already make his move. A crack echoed through the air, then Ben appeared in front of the prince in a blur of motion, his fist already flying toward the prince’s face.

BAM!!!

The punch connected, but not with flesh. A ripple of invisible force flared around the prince’s body, like a bubble of condensed power. The impact shook the air, sent nearby debris flying, and cracked the ground beneath their feet.

The prince didn’t flinch. He raised a hand, and struck.

BAM!

A palm strike slammed into Ben’s chest, the force delayed by half a second, then released all at once like a cannon going off inside his body. Ben flew back, feet skidding through the dirt, his heels carving twin trails behind him.

He grinned. “What is that? Artifact from the royal family?”

Ben dashed forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat. He feinted with his left shoulder, then twisted his hips and drove a punch straight toward the prince’s ribs.

The Nephirid prince reacted instantly, rotating his torso just enough to let the blow glance off his forearm. H

Ben didn’t stop. He pivoted on his back foot, shifting all his weight and driving his right fist upward in a brutal uppercut aimed at the prince’s jaw.

But the prince dipped low and turned his head at the last instant, Ben’s knuckles grazed his cheekbone, drawing a single line of blood.

The prince’s smile vanished. Ben followed up immediately, bringing his knee up in a rising arc.

The prince blocked it with both palms, absorbing the impact but sliding half a meter back across the cracked ground. The force dug twin grooves beneath his boots.

Ben was already airborne, twisting mid-spin, elbow whipping around in a wide arc toward the side of the prince’s skull.

CRACK!

The elbow struck something, but not his head. A shimmer of energy had flared into place just in time, an aura barrier formed purely from will and aether. The blow still sent a pulse of shock through the air, rattling the prince’s stance and flickering his defenses.

The prince stepped into Ben’s space with a blur, his palm striking outward, not toward Ben’s chest, but his hip joint, throwing off his center of balance.

Ben’s footing staggered for just a split second, and that was all it took. The prince twisted behind him, hooked a leg, and swept him low, then drove his fist into Ben’s back with a downward arc that detonated like a thunderclap.

Ben rolled, caught himself on one hand, flipped, and launched himself back into the air.

The two collided again, each impact sent out ripples of force that fractured stone and warped the space around them. But none of them use any energy, it’s pure physical power.

Then the prince shifted stance, and Ben saw it coming too late. The Nephirid’s foot pivoted slightly.

A faint distortion rippled around his right shoulder.

BAM!

A spherical shockwave detonated from the prince’s palm as it met Ben’s torso, compressing all the force of their previous clashes into a single, focused burst.

Ben’s eyes widened as his body was launched into the sky, spinning through the air like a missile. He crashed through a few tree.

The prince exhaled slowly, brushing the dust off his cloak.

“I hope you’re not done yet.”

“Of course I’m not.”

A voice echoed from above.

High in the air, Ben hovered, the space around him rippling with distortion. Dark aether gathered around his feet.

BAM!!

He crashed down like a meteor, the impact splitting the ground beneath him into a spiderweb of shattered stone.

But the strike didn’t hit the prince.

Instead, two Royal Guards, already regenerated, stood between them, blocking the attack with crossed weapons and flaring armor.

Ben clicked his tongue with annoyance, then stepped back.

The Royal Guards moved to strike again, but the Nephirid Prince raised a hand, halting them with a simple gesture. He took a few slow steps forward, studying Ben.

“You’re too short to be a Nephirid,” he said calmly. “And that disguise… even my artifact couldn’t pierce it. Just who are you? I doubt my siblings sent you.”

Right now Ben were disguised. His body was wrapped in black cloth, concealing everything but his eyes. Even his height and build were altered.

He chuckled. “Maybe I’m a Nephirid half-breed.”

The prince’s expression didn’t change, but his gaze narrowed.

“Funny,” he said coldly. “But that wasn’t an answer.”

“Well now,” Ben said, voice dripping with mockery. “As nobility, where are your manners? Don’t you usually introduce yourself before asking someone else’s name?”

The prince’s eyes widened. No one had ever spoken to him like that.

But instead of anger, a smile tugged at his lips. He found it… amusing.

“You’re right. Where are my manners?” He gave a shallow bow, eyes never leaving Ben. “I am Prince Zeratul, 69th son of the Ashking. Some call me the Ashprince of Blood.

Ben tilted his head, eyebrows raised. “Ashprince of Blood… now that’s a title.”

Zeratul chuckled. “Yes, it’s a bit exaggerated, but I believe I’ve earned it, given what I’ve done for the kingdom.”

Then his voice hardened. “Now. Who are you?”

Ben shrugged, eyes glinting behind the black cloth. “Me? Just call me… Gangstar.”

He grinned beneath the mask. If Elvira were here, she’d probably be laughing her lungs out.

The word meant nothing in this world, but in Ben’s?The meaning was clear.

She’d definitely say something like:

“Covered in black cloth, blocking the road, setting up ambushes… Yeah, you’re a damn gangster.”

But the prince didn’t know that.

He stared at the name, brow furrowed.

“Gangstar…”

The word rolled awkwardly off his tongue. He had no idea what species Ben belonged to.

Ben crossed his arms, tone turning casual. “As for why I’m here, I want to talk about your daemon problem.”

Zeratul’s gaze sharpened. “Daemon problem…?” His voice lowered. “Interesting. But why would I discuss that with you?”

Ben let out a loud, sharp laugh. “Please. You hired those three, you bet big with them, knowing exactly how dangerous they are.”

He leaned slightly forward. “That smells like desperation, Prince. And lucky for you, I’ve got business with one of those daemons too.”

“One of those daemons?” the prince repeated, his voice quiet.

“Apophis,” Ben said calmly. “Ever heard of her?”

moment the name left his lips, the entire atmosphere shifted. Zeratul’s expression froze. Then, without saying a word, he made a few hand gestures.

In the blink of an eye, the Royal Guards leapt away, disappearing into the shadows around the pass. He hadn’t simply told them to give him space.

No, he’d ordered them to secure the perimeter. Whatever they were about to discuss, it was a matter not meant for any ears but theirs.

With a snap of his fingers, a stone table materialized from the ground, flanked by two heavy chairs adorned in gold and obsidian carvings.

Zeratul gestured to one. “If you truly know that daemon, then I’m more than interested to talk.”

His gaze narrowed slightly. “But don’t you think it’s a bit impolite to keep your face hidden during a private conversation?”

Ben raised an eyebrow beneath the cloth, amused. ‘Compared to the other Nephirid I’ve met… this prince is surprisingly diplomatic.’

Politeness wasn’t something he expected from their kind.

Wordlessly, Ben took his seat. With one hand, he pulled back his mask, revealing a disguised face created to look Nephirid in shape and bone structure… but with one unmistakable difference, a Human eyes.

The Nephirid Prince narrowed his gaze, thoughts swirling behind his calm expression.

‘Is he the result of some kind of experiment? Or is he truly a half-Nephirid?’ fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

He kept the question to himself. It wasn’t relevant, at least not yet.

With a snap of his fingers, a silver cup appeared on the table, filled with a dark red liquid that shimmered faintly. It looked like blood, but Ben caught the aroma immediately, rich, spicy, and strangely sweet.

“A fine wine,” Ben said, lifting it slightly. “Is this the so-called Ash Wine I’ve heard the Ashking loves?”

Zeratul scoffed. “Hmph. Ash Wine, I’ve always hated that name.”

He smirked as he leaned back in his seat.

“This is Crimson Armadillo Wine. It’s made from a rare berry that only grows on the top of the creature’s head. Crimson Armadillos are incredibly strong, each hunt costs us dearly.”

Ben nodded slowly. “I see. So that’s the origin. Does this Crimson Armadillo live in your so-called ‘Special Zone’ then?”

Zeratul raised a brow, amused. “Since you know about the daemon, of course you know about that, Gangstar.”

Ben kept a straight face, but inside, he was grinning. ‘He really said that with a straight face.’

Then he set the cup down and leaned forward slightly. “Let’s get to the point. Just what kind of problem are you facing?”

His voice lowered. “I know your ‘Special Zone’ exists. I know it’s where ancient kingdoms once lived… but I’ve never been able to get inside. Is the daemon causing havoc there now?”