NOVEL NEXT Chapter 152
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Fortunately, they had managed to subdue the Dragon Lord. A dragon, especially one of the Lord’s caliber, was far too powerful for a single True Demon to handle. But luck had been on their side this time.
It was due to the Dragon Lord’s arrogance and the newly completed artifact designed to counter dragons. Though it was only a prototype, its power was more than sufficient.
The demons, already weakened by the Royal Knights, had been pushed back. If they could seize this opportunity, they could slowly regain their footing. But it wasn’t over yet.
🚨 Important Notice 🚨
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The demon’s gaze shifted to the side.
Standing next to him was Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights. There wasn’t a demon, at least among the True Demons, who didn’t know Hans’s face.
He wanted to retreat, but he couldn’t just back down after capturing such a valuable prize as the Dragon Lord.
The demon composed himself and said,
“I have a proposition for you.”
“What is it?”
“Leave the Dragon Lord, and I’ll let you live.”
“…”
It wasn’t a bad offer for Hans. He could claim he had been caught in a trap and had no other choice. If both the Lord and the Commander died here, things would become complicated.
The demons already knew that the Royal Knights were planning something. They were trying to exploit that knowledge to force Hans to retreat.
They had the advantage.
Yet, the reason the demon was offering this chance was simple.
He didn’t want to risk fighting the Commander of the Royal Knights and increase the uncertainty.
Hans finally spoke,
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“I’m not offering this mercy out of kindness.”
“…”
“I’m strong enough to crush you right now.”
It wasn’t empty boasting. He had nearly a thousand monsters prepared for this plan, plus himself, a True Demon. Even if Hans was strong, he couldn’t possibly defeat them all.
“But the reason I’m not doing that is…”
“Because of the thousands of monsters behind you?”
“…Amazing. How did you notice?”
“I sensed a ferocious aura emanating from behind you.”
“I see… So, the Commander of the Royal Knights is capable of that much?”
The demon was genuinely impressed.
To sense the aura of thousands of monsters from such a distance. But what was even more surprising was that Hans hadn’t run away.
According to the information gathered and analyzed by the True Demons, Hans excelled in one-on-one combat, not in large-scale battles.
In other words, even Hans would eventually tire if overwhelmed by numbers.
Yet, despite knowing that thousands of monsters were behind him, he hadn’t fled. He simply stood his ground.
This gave the demon pause.
“Can you handle thousands of monsters alone?”
“No, even I can’t do that.”
“So, there’s room for negotiation…”
“Yes, I can’t, but the Dragon Lord can.”
“What…?”
Crack!
BOOOOOM!!
A crashing sound echoed from behind them.
A sense of foreboding washed over the demon as he quickly turned his head. The giant iron tower was tilting.
The demon’s gaze snapped back to Hans. That artifact couldn’t collapse on its own. It was designed to be indestructible.
Yet, it was collapsing. There was only one explanation.
“What did you do?!”
“I don’t think that’s what you should be asking.”
“Phew, I owe you one.”
“Damn it…!!!”
The Dragon Lord, freed from the artifact’s restraints, stood up. The moment he realized what had happened, the demon was already retreating.
He had no chance of winning here.
Even a True Demon couldn’t handle the Dragon Lord alone, and there was also Hans, who was on par with the Dragon Lord in one-on-one combat.
And he was supposed to fight them both at once? That was impossible.
The demon quickly assessed the situation and fled before the Dragon Lord’s wrath reached him.
[Leave the rest to me.]
The Lord, transformed into a giant dragon, soared into the sky. His massive form, large enough to cover the entire mountain, cast a long shadow.
The Dragon Lord’s fiery breath, infused with rage, struck the mountain.
BOOOOOM!
WHOOSH!!!
The blazing flames melted the glaciers and ice on the towering mountain. The demons caught in the flames were incinerated. They couldn’t possibly survive such an intense inferno.
But the Dragon Lord had it all planned out. With a simple gesture, the devastated mountain was restored to its original form.
Hans blinked, stunned by the instantaneous change.
“Phew, I apologize. I got a little carried away.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“I’ll take care of the rest myself. Will you be returning?”
“If you’re sending me back, I don’t mind.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to repay you later.”
Perhaps realizing he had lost his composure, the Dragon Lord cleared his throat and gestured.
Hans blinked, and he was back at Lionheart Fortress.
He was slightly worried about the Dragon Lord, but after seeing his power, he decided it was unnecessary. He briefly considered what to do with the artifact, but chose to keep it a secret.
If others knew about it and tried to create similar artifacts to control dragons, it would only create more powerful enemies.
“You’re back!”
“Helia? What are you doing here?”
“I know where Teacher is at all times!”
“…I see.”
Hans smiled and patted Helia’s head. Helia didn’t resist his touch. Instead, she nuzzled her cheek against his hand like a puppy.
How cute.
Hans thought unconsciously.
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The Dragon Lord’s wrath was beyond imagination. He didn’t just eliminate the monsters on the mountain. He began to eradicate all the monsters in the north.
Was that even possible?
Surprisingly, the Dragon Lord was capable of it. But there was a reason he hadn’t intervened directly before. His mere presence caused massive collateral damage.
But this time, the demons had crossed the line. An artifact that could restrain even him, the Dragon Lord.
If that were the case, his brethren would be slaughtered like dogs without any resistance.
As the Dragon Lord, he couldn’t tolerate that. That’s why he had intervened personally. It was a selfish reason, but understandable. He was stepping up for his own kind…
Could that be considered wrong? No, it wasn’t.
The Dragon Lord’s wrath extended to all the monsters in the north. He incinerated all manner of monsters, even the Imps.
Having suffered immense losses, the demons were forced to admit defeat and completely withdraw from the north. All their plans were reduced to ashes in an instant.
“The Dragon Lord’s wrath is truly terrifying.”
“It’s only natural. He’s a transcendental being who has lived since the mythical age, even before that.”
“Subduing him was a significant achievement…but even the remaining resources have been burned to ashes.”
“Indeed.”
The resources prepared for this plan could only be obtained from the north. They had been manufacturing them with Zaerkan’s cooperation, but sadly, they had been discovered.
“So, shall we hear your excuses? You failures?”
“…The Commander of the Royal Knights, Hans, came with the Lord.”
“Hans came himself? To the north?”
The atmosphere shifted at his words. It was only natural.
Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, was already considered a greater threat than even the Dragon Lord by the demons.
It was understandable. He had persistently thwarted their plans. He had been a formidable opponent even when facing Yuren, but now he was a thorn in their side, as if he knew everything about them.
The Alliance had reunited and was now cooperating with each other.
In contrast, the demons had suffered heavy losses, their forces greatly diminished.
Especially due to the Dragon Lord’s wrath, all traces of their presence in the north had been erased.
“It can’t be helped. I wanted to kill him for sure.”
But he couldn’t hesitate any longer. He had been patient until now, under the pretense of ensuring a decisive victory, but the price had been the annihilation of all the monsters in the north.
“The lesser demons aren’t happy either.”
“Hmph, what can those insignificant creatures do?”
“We have to consider them in our current situation.”
“Huh? Why?”
The one sitting at the head of the table spoke.
“Because we need to throw everything we have at them.”
An all-out war.
No more holding back.
They would fight with their full strength.
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[Translator Notes]
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