CHAPTER 67

Hajna, who hadn't expected such a severe reaction, trembled."Yeah…"She closed her eyes, preparing for death, but Hazard's furious voice still rang out."How many of them had surrendered?!"

Hajna knew that Hazard, as her superior, could easily detect lies from her, so she had no choice but to tell the truth. And now, witnessing Hazard's reaction, she regretted her previous decision."All of them!"

At that moment, she felt a violent gust of wind and a massive force gripping her neck, lifting her up while squeezing tightly. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw Hazard holding her."You—!"

Before she could finish, Afrid removed a ring from her mouth and slid it onto her finger. With a swift motion, she summoned a full set of A-rank gear and aimed a black bow at Hazard's head."Let her go!"

Hazard's gaze shifted to the bow and the elf's intent to kill."Haha, you little brat! You think you can kill me with that bow?!"

Despite her struggle, Hajna barely managed to speak."I told you… not to!!!!"

All the sorceresses lowered their heads in fear, but Afrid released the bowstring after her words."I'm sorry, Mother, but I can't!"

The arrow was unleashed, carrying immense energy that even surprised Hazard. But what shocked him more was the word he had just heard."Mother?"

There was no time to think about it. Hazard now had four arms, and one of them was shattered by the dark arrow. He quickly twisted his body to avoid the projectile striking the crystal embedded in his chest, but he reacted too late. Underestimating the elf champion would cost him dearly—it would strip him of his immortality for six months and put him under the shadow of death.

However, that fate didn't come to pass. Hajna had used her magic to protect the crystal in Hazard's chest, causing the arrow—its primary energy depleted from hitting his arm—to fall harmlessly to the ground."Mother, why?"

The liches wasted no time and launched an immediate attack against the elf, unleashing a torrent of defensive spells onto Hazard. Meanwhile, demonic undead giants raised their bone clubs before the gates, and hundreds of vengeful spirit towers began summoning thousands of wrathful ghosts—all preparing to strike down the one who had dared attack their king in the heart of his domain.

Yet, it was Hazard who summoned defensive barriers, blocking all incoming assaults."Enough!"

With that, he released Hajna and turned his gaze to Afrid's furious eyes."Who are you, little hero?! Do you think you're the protagonist?! If your arrow had hit its mark, I would have fed you to my dogs alive!!!"

Afrid, unfazed by the threat, kicked Hazard's leg, only to break her own toe and stumble back slightly."If it had hit, you'd be dead, you bastard!!! Even if you're my mother's boss, you have no right to treat her like this!!"

Hazard was astonished—what had given this girl such courage to stand unafraid of death?"Look who's talking, someone who fed on the blood of my allies?!"

Hajna coughed violently, blood dripping from her nose, and collapsed to her knees."Please… listen to her story! She's not like the other heroes!!"

Hazard ignored Hajna and attempted to snatch the bow from Afrid's hands. However, she swiftly jumped back and fired another arrow at his head, which he effortlessly blocked with a magic shield. But then, three more arrows came from different angles, all targeting the crystal in his chest. That made Hazard realize the true danger.

Immediately, he conjured a spherical magic shield around the crystal, but by focusing solely on that small area, his ribcage shattered from the force of the attacks.

At that moment, the eyes of several new arrivals gleamed, and they hurled themselves from atop the fortress like falling meteors. Thirty creatures, radiating a deadly aura, attacked Afrid without hesitation.

Seeing them, Hazard was reminded of the first time he encountered a mare and how they had always treated him like their most precious treasure. But now was not the time for reminiscing—the thirty mares swiftly pinned Afrid to the ground, waiting for Hazard's command to devour her.

"No, please, no!!"

Hajna screamed as tears streamed down the sorceresses' faces. They had spent a month with the energetic girl, whose kind and childlike nature had touched them. They knew that if their king decided on something, with the support of those beneath his fortress, no one in this world could stop him.

Yet, after healing some of his wounds, Hazard glanced at Hajna."Convince me not to kill her!!! Convince me that whatever you see in her is worth more than the demon kings!!""Listen to her story!!""Her story matters to me now?! When the demon kings are anchoring their ships on this continent, seeking my head, what use is this damned hero's story to me?!!!""But—""99 breaths… 98 breaths, Hajna, you'd better cherish your final ones!"

Realizing she had only about a hundred breaths' worth of time, Hajna's mind began racing as Afrid lay unconscious from the mares' brutal strikes.

"50 breaths!"

Hajna stood up and locked eyes with Hazard."If the demon kings are coming for your head, then train this hero and send her after theirs! With a powerful hero on your side, you won't need the unreliable demon kings! You can take everything for yourself!"

"35 breaths."

But then, Hazard fell silent, staring at Hajna for nearly five minutes—five minutes that felt like a lifetime to her.

"What's her level?"

A spark of hope lit in Hajna's eyes after those agonizing minutes."She's level five! If she consumes the right resources, she can easily become a key piece in assassinating the demon kings!"

The flames in Hazard's eyes hadn't extinguished yet, but he finally commanded the mares to lift the hero and follow him as he departed."Every demon king you find, you bring them to me first! If I find out you killed one without my permission, consider this girl dead!"

With that, Hazard disappeared behind the fortress gates, leaving Hajna collapsed on her weak knees as the other sorceresses rushed to her aid.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the fortress gate, Hazard inspected his wounds. A strange holy power had slowed his regeneration."Only level five?"

If only he had known that sparing Afrid's life today would lead to troublesome scenarios in the future—scenarios that would drag him into full-scale wars—he would have regretted his decision.