Chapter 304: He is just playing

Royal Castle — King Adwin’s Chambers

King Adwin stood motionless before the full-length mirror, golden-plated armor gleaming coldly under the torchlight. In his open palm rested a delicate necklace: a single emerald leaf pendant etched with flowing ancient Elvish script.

He stared at it for a long moment.

"Hah..."

A tired breath escaped him.

Without another word, he dropped the necklace back into the velvet-lined drawer and slammed it shut. His reflection stared back hard, unyielding, the face of a man.

He reached for the sword at his side, sheathed it with a metallic *click*, and strode out.

The heavy door swung open.

*Thud*

"Your Majesty."

The Army General bowed down the instant Adwin appeared.

He didn’t slow down and continued to walk forward.

"Rise. Walk with me."

They moved through the echoing marble corridor, boots ringing in perfect unison.

"Is the army ready ?" Adwin asked, voice flat.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Ten thousand standard soldiers, one hundred battle-mages, sixty healers, twenty-five Elite Royal Guards, seven Royal Mages, and three Army Commanders. All assembled and awaiting your command."

Adwin’s jaw tightened.

"Any word from the Mage Tower?"

"They’ve departed in carriages, sir. And... they’re bringing Sir Dreulis with them."

Adwin halted mid-step.

The corridor suddenly felt colder.

"Dreulis?" His voice dropped dangerously low. "Why?"

"Ruben’s letter stated that the lich has taken personal interest in the explosion. They intend to examine the site themselves."

Adwin’s gloved hand flexed once around the hilt of his sword.

"What of Dredis ? Why hasn’t my messenger returned ?"

"His trace was detected near the centre of the Duran Mountain’s southern entrance.

But... Royal Mages report that his aura was completely severed by a powerful barrier casted around the entire valley. No mana is being tracked inside that barrier." The army general informed.

Both of them stepped out into the blinding daylight of the grand courtyard.

Before them stood thousands of steel-clad soldiers in perfect ranks, banners snapping in the wind like war drums.

"The rest await at the kingdom gates, Your Majesty," the General added quietly.

Adwin drew a slow breath.

"I needed all of them to hear this, but fine..."

Then he unsheathed his blade in one fluid motion.

<Enraging Spirit>

Crimson aura exploded outward from his body, washing over the courtyard like spilled blood. The air itself seemed to scream.

"MY SOLDIERS!"

His voice boomed, shaking the very stones beneath their feet.

"TODAY YOU WILL SEE THINGS YOU HAVE ONLY HEARD IN NIGHTMARE TALES YOU ONCE TOLD YOUR CHILDREN TO KEEP THEM INDOORS!

TODAY YOU WILL FACE POWERS THAT DWARF YOUR OWN!

BUT I—YOUR KING—WILL STAND IN THE FRONT LINE WITH YOU! I WILL CARVE A PATH THROUGH HELL ITSELF IF I MUST!

AND I WILL LEAD EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU TO VICTORY!

MAY THE GODS WITNESS THIS MOMENT AND WELCOME US INTO THE HEAVEN WITH OPEN HANDS!

BECAUSE NO MAN TODAY WILL DIE WITHOUT RAISING THEIR SWORD AND GIVING IT THEIR ALL!!

TO VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!"

A deafening roar answered him.

Thousands of swords ripped free of their scabbards in perfect unison.

"TO VICTORRYYYYYYYYYYYY!!"

Adwin swung himself onto the royal warhorse without another word.

The warhorse reared once, then surged forward.

Behind him, the sea of steel and crimson banners rolled like an avalanche toward the kingdom gates.

---

Duran Mountains, Southern Entrance

The dust still hung thick in the air, a gray shroud over the blackened crater that used to be forest.

Leon stood at the very edge of Rees’s barrier, bare hands loose at his sides, crimson eyes calm behind the white mask as he watched the settling ash.

"Sir..." Rees murmured. "I sense something."

Fruela’s finger snapped upward from her perch.

"There. In the smoke."

Dredis’s breath caught.

A towering shadow loomed amid the gray veil, four arms, easily twelve feet tall.

"That thing can’t be human," Dredis whispered, voice shaking. He reached into his belt and pulled a thin blowpipe, loading a poisoned dart with trembling fingers.

Leon didn’t even glance at him.

<Inspect>

A faint yellow window flickered in his vision alone.

[Name: Melare]

[Class: Martial Artist]

[Race: Demon]

[Level: 55]

[HP: 780000/780000]

[MP: 5000/5000]

[Description: One of the twelve rulers of the demonic village Juhorn. Born with hyper-regenerative flesh. Mastered the martial arts of a human adventurer after killing him.]

The dust finally parted.

Melare stepped forward.

Half his blue hide was charred black and weeping, the other half still steaming. Rage twisted his fanged face into something demonic.

He raised one clawed finger straight at Leon.

"Were you the one who caused that explosion?"

Leon summoned Nyxter in a single fluid motion. The black blade materialized in his grip, edge shining from the sunlight.

"Assassin," he said lightly, never taking his eyes off Melare, "you can leave now."

Dredis didn’t need to be told twice.

"T-Thanks..."

He vanished from the branch like smoke.

Leon tilted his head.

"Yes," he answered simply. "I was the one."

<Flowbind Breathing>

*Fuuuuu—*

Melare’s lips peeled back.

"You are dead."

He vanished.

A heartbeat later he reappeared directly behind Leon, four massive fists already hammering forward.

<Iron Punches: Dimensional Hit>

Each punch turned metallic, the air screaming as they tore through sound barrier itself.

<Blind Spot>

Leon disappeared from Melare’s vision for exactly one second.

THUD—THUD—THUD—THUD!

Four craters exploded into the scorched earth where Leon had stood.

"Master..." Fruela breathed with a worried expression.

"His head..." Dusk said, already rising to his feet as his eyes focused on Leon completely.

Melare’s eyes widened.

"What the—"

A white flash spread across his neck.

Leon reappeared behind the demon, Nyxter’s edge dripping vivid blue blood.

*Swish.*

*Thud.*

Melare’s head toppled cleanly from his shoulders and rolled across the ash.

"Wow... he died that fast?" Rees asked in low voice.

Enid’s voice trembled.

"He’s not dead. Master, his head is regenerating—"

A brutal fist exploded from the side toward Leon’s face.

"I know," Leon said, smiling as he looked at Enid.

He ducked under the blow without hurry.

The punch whistled past his mask, close enough to stir the air.

*Swish—*

Leon straightened, turning slowly.

Melare already stood whole again—new head sprouting seamlessly from the stump, flesh knitting with sickening wet sounds.

"Well, well..." Leon murmured, smile widening. "Aren’t you regenerating fast?"

"Oh... I have seen this before." Rees spoke as he looked at Leon.

"Hmm...? What do you mean ?" Dusk asked with a confused expression.

"Didn’t I tell you about the Hob-goblin that sir Leon played with ?" Rees asked in return.

"Yes, what about it ?" Dusk replied.

"Well... He is doing same with the Demon. The movement of sir Leon’s body are lazy and slow, he is dodging the attacks slowly on purpose."

"You are telling me that you think master is playing with that demon ?" Dusk asked with a shocked expression.

"I don’t think that, I just know he is playing with the Demon." Rees replied.