From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 491

"If you keep those assassins from my throat, my life and death belong to you from this moment on."

Celia's posture held no hesitation. The woman known across the underworld for her beauty and lethality lowered herself before Leander with complete surrender. Disciple of the last King of Assassins, feared across continents, she pressed her forehead to the ground in a silent plea for mercy.

Anyone who saw her name on the International Assassin Leaderboard would have laughed at the thought of her bowing to anyone. None of them had the slightest idea of the nightmare closing in on her tonight.

Netherweb was no ordinary organization; it was a ruthless machine forged from cold blood and ancient rituals. To ensure only the strongest survive, every killer who pledged allegiance was bound by a single law—failure was death. There were no excuses, no exceptions, and no appeals.

Tonight, she arrived with Barrett to eliminate Leander. Barrett died, and she hesitated. She even revealed Netherweb's secrets. One mistake was considered a failure, but her actions were seen as treason.

Netherweb hunted defectors like hungry wolves. Its reach spread across borders. Hiding from it felt like hiding from a hurricane.

Celia carried too many scars. She refused to die under Netherweb's blade. Leander's victory over the Blood Demon had cracked open the tiniest ray of possibility.

If she wanted to survive, she needed a shield powerful enough to stand against the very organization she betrayed. Leander was the only one she could place her gamble on.

Most men would have stumbled over themselves under a plea like hers. Leander didn't flinch.

"Become my slave?" His fingers flicked dismissively. "I work alone. I don't need followers. You're alive because I allowed it. You can leave."

He turned away, though Celia lifted her head sharply.

"My loyalty isn't the only thing on the table," she pressed. "Everything I own can be yours. My body included."

Her voice trembled only once before she regained full control. "During a mission in the Sahar Wastes, I found a hidden vault abandoned by a Western Divine from centuries ago. If you protect me from Netherweb, I can lead you to it."

That word froze Leander mid-step.

"A Divine Vault?"

He pivoted slowly, interest clearly sparked. Even Jimmy and Christopher stiffened at her tone.

"What exactly is that?" Leander asked.

Celia inhaled, staying bowed on her knees. "Western cultivators call their highest realm 'divine,' a level above the King Phase. In the East, the same tier is what people call the immortal."

Leander's gaze sharpened. "Beyond the King Phase?"

The King Phase stood at a level where one person could tilt the fate of nations. Powerholders of that tier moved the world from behind the curtain, shaping events, directing outcomes, and influencing state affairs with a single decision.

Yet Celia spoke of something beyond them.

Leander reached the peak through relentless ascent, although this was the first time he had heard the realms explained this plainly.

"So, actual immortals existed?" His voice dropped into curiosity.

"They did," she answered. "Three hundred years ago."

Christopher chimed in, "Records mention a prodigy from the East five hundred years back. He started from martial arts, cultivated his spirit, merged the two, and proved the immortal path two centuries later.

"He became the last immortal in recorded history. His fall three hundred years ago remains a mystery. People remember him as the Divine Emperor."

"Divine Emperor?" A faint smile tugged at Leander's lips. "So the treasures they left behind became Divine Vaults or Immortal Vaults."

Celia nodded. "That's right.

"This is a Dragonfire Seed. Swallow it. If you ever betray me, one thought turns you into ash."

He didn't underestimate her. Celia looked fragile on the surface, yet she ranked among the world's deadliest killers. Accepting her without restraint would be foolish.

Celia froze. She hadn't expected something this absolute. Swallowing it meant surrendering every ounce of freedom she had left.

Leander didn't blink. "I'm not forcing you. Walk away if you want."

A deep breath shook her, and her eyes filled with resolve. She opened her mouth, inhaled sharply, and pulled the Dragonfire Seed down her throat.

Warm sparks instantly ignite within her, spreading throughout her organs, seeping into her bones, and lingering at the edges of her mind.

Daily life remains the same, but a single thought from Leander could erase her entirely.

Leander nodded slightly. "Good. Your life belongs to me now. No one else has the right to kill you."

Celia rose into a graceful bow, voice soft. "Yes, Master Leander."

Jimmy and Christopher traded stunned looks, each one carrying the same thought: the third-ranked assassin in the world had just pledged her life to Leander?

Leander quicklу moved on, his eyes scanning the city sprawling beneath the mountain with cold precision.

"The Blood Demon is gone. Highcliffe still hides plenty of vermin. Tonight, I'll send Netherweb a little message."

A deep breath steadied him as his back straightened. A burst of spiritual energy surged outward, making the air crackle under its pressure. It spread across the world like an invisible tidal wave sweeping the land.

One breath traveled across more than three thousand miles.