CHAPTER 80

In a speed no one expected, a month passed. During this time, many events unfolded—the news of the fall of the Ice Kingdom's capital, which instilled fear in the Empire about the one responsible, leading Archduke Lancelot to adopt a defensive strategy.

In the Empire's Magic City, the only academy protected by a powerful magic shield was under siege by a massive army of elves, while the Empire's army was rapidly approaching.

In the south, the Kingdom of Death found itself facing a serious crisis as hundreds of epic dark dragons began advancing toward its territory, accompanied by hundreds of millions of dark faction soldiers. Meanwhile, all the demon kings who had once sworn allegiance to Hazard betrayed him and had now become mere pawns of the Dark Dragon King.

While this chaos unfolded in the south, in the northern territories of the Kingdom of Death, the armies of bandits and sorcerers clashed with an overwhelming force—the Loot Army, equipped with powerful magical weapons, along with reports of a hundred thousand giants approaching.

Hazard, now cornered and with no allies in this war, desperately summoned reinforcements. However, even with five hundred mercenaries from the Death's Heaven and a hundred abyssal epic beings, he dared not make an offensive move, fearing that stepping out of his lair would leave it vulnerable. That was until a message reached him.

In the south, Artemis, commanding an army of eighty abyssal skull giants and a full legion of living armors, maintained a defensive position on higher ground, keenly observing the dark army. A full week had passed, and neither side made the first move. However, if any army were to be at a disadvantage, it would not be the undead, for they required neither food nor rest, standing guard at their posts every moment of the day.

Amidst this tense standoff, thirty epic beings were inside Artemis's command tent, locked in constant debate, and every hour, their discussions erupted into battles, reducing the tent to ruins. The number of times the tent had to be rebuilt was beyond count. Yet, Artemis was pleased with the presence of these thirty beings, for each of them was far stronger than the previous King of Death. However, none displayed his fatherly leadership or command skills.

Still, Artemis awaited orders from his king or a reaction from the opposing army. Then, after a week, a message arrived—an order to attack.

The Dark King, Dracula, sipped the blood of a noble maiden as he glanced at the Dark Dragon King beside him. The dragon's eyes were void of light, reduced to nothing more than a puppet under the dark skills of Genibas.

With such power in his grasp, Dracula felt satisfied with his decision to imprison those who called themselves heroes, along with individuals whose personalities and behaviors had suddenly changed. With that order, he had unknowingly secured the fuel necessary for his new weapon.

"If I can capture more heroes, conquering the Central Continent will no longer be impossible."

After all, he had the dragon race under his control—a race with an exceptionally pure bloodline. However, his expectations were shattered when he saw the undead army before him begin to move.

"What gave you such confidence?"

Dracula narrowed his eyes but found no additional epic-ranked beings among the opposing forces. He knew that many more epics resided in the Demon King's castle, but due to concerns for the safety of the sanctum, the Demon King dared not deploy more epic beings.

"Has he finally mustered the courage?"

Turning, Dracula spoke to Genibas.

"Prepare the army for battle! We'll approach them slowly."

He then donned his armor and reached for his weapons—only for a series of explosions to shake the ground around him.

"Why the sudden haste?"

Fear flickered in his eyes as he rushed outside, witnessing massive giants throwing themselves into the ranks of his army with unwavering determination. The dark dragons above unleashed their breath attacks, yet the giants did not retreat, instead striking the army relentlessly and seizing the dragons from the sky. Meanwhile, the army of living armors was encircling the Dark Camp.

"They're trying to trap us all?"

His gaze darted around, but he found no additional enemy reinforcements.

"Are you throwing everything you have at us?"

He was still perplexed when he heard a distinct flapping sound—a rapid, rhythmic beating he recognized all too well.

"Ants?"

His pupils constricted as he looked upward. Thousands of three-meter-tall ants were flying toward him and the dark dragons. Above them, a colossal ant—fifty meters long with six translucent wings—hovered beside an enormous undead warrior with four arms, its blazing eyes seemingly piercing into Dracula's soul.

It took only minutes before even more ants emerged on the battlefield—some towering, others smaller, but none showing even a hint of fear. With their powerful mandibles, they tore through any enemy in their path.

The dark dragons, once boasting of their impenetrable defenses, now found themselves shredded like paper by the ants' claws and fangs. As they fell from the sky, they were hammered down by the giant titans or had their throats slit by the Death Kings.

Still, the Dark Army, reinforced by dark dragons and armed with magical bombs and ballistae, retaliated fiercely, bombarding the giants and ants in a relentless rain of destruction.

Yet, in that moment, two lights began to shine—one in the sky and another beside Dracula.

Both belonged to two Demon Kings. They had finally fulfilled the requirements for advancement, stepping into a new rank of power.

Seeing the legendary strength of the Dark Dragon King beside him, Dracula felt reassured. But that comfort turned to horror when he noticed a new light shining in the dragon's eyes.

"Genibas!!!"

He roared in fury, realizing that the dark magic controlling the dragon had faded now that it had ascended to legendary status. But as he looked around for Genibas, he saw that the master escape artist had once again slipped away from death.

His gaze then fell on the dragon beside him—whose jaws opened wide and swallowed him whole. Within mere seconds, Dracula was dissolved in the legendary dragon's highly corrosive stomach acid, losing his life instantly.

Chaos consumed the Dark Army. With no commanders left, the dark dragons turned against their own ranks, sending the army into a panic. Soldiers abandoned their positions, desperately fleeing for their lives, while the Dark Dragon King roared—finally freed from its cage.

With the full might of a legendary dragon, it clawed through two abyssal skull giants and unleashed its fiery breath, instantly incinerating eight royal ants. The sight alone sent terror through the two legendary beings in the sky.

"You want to kill it now?"

"If I consume its body, I can birth countless epic offspring!"

That was all that needed to be said—taking us back to an hour before.