Chapter 442: The Emergence of the Cardinals of Wrath and Sloth

"Orion, have you finished your part?" Lyra asked, leaping toward him.

"I’m done, Lyra. How about you?"

"I’m done too. I’ve taken care of all the demons in the hall. It was challenging, given their extraordinary regenerative abilities, but I managed it," Lyra said softly.

Orion sighed in relief and patted her shoulder gently. "Good job."

Lyra felt a flutter of embarrassment at his touch.

"Then let’s go to His Majesty. I’ve activated the capital’s barrier. At least the Underworld Gate members can’t call for outside help or wreak havoc among the civilians," Orion said seriously.

The appearance of the Underworld Gate had caught him completely off guard.

Fortunately, he had acted quickly. The safety of the capital’s citizens was paramount.

After all, they were innocent, and there was no way he could let them die in vain.

"I understand. Let’s go!"

Just as they prepared to teleport, something unexpected happened.

The space within a two-hundred-meter radius began to compress. At the same time, the air grew heavy, as if a terrifying presence was approaching.

Orion and Lyra stiffened and immediately assumed fighting stances.

"A powerful enemy is coming," Orion whispered.

Lyra nodded grimly, scanning their surroundings warily.

Suddenly, two energy fluctuations appeared about fifty meters away.

The fluctuations tore open a rift in space, and from it, two figures in black cloaks stepped out.

They wore thick black masks adorned with terrifying fangs.

"Long time no see, Orion, Lyra. How have you been?" One of the figures greeted, followed by a cold chuckle.

Orion narrowed his eyes and recognized them instantly.

"The Cardinal of Wrath and the Cardinal of Sloth," Orion growled.

He hadn’t expected the two of them to appear. Both were powerful figures at the Celestial Mage stage.

Their strength was equal to his and Lyra’s. At first, he believed the attack involving the Underworld Gate would not include them.

But it seemed he had been too naive. They had come fully prepared.

"Hmmm... It seems you haven’t forgotten us," the Cardinal of Sloth said with a smile hidden behind her mask. "Do you miss us, Orion? Lyra?"

Lyra snorted and sneered. "Yes, I miss you, Cardinal of Sloth. So much that I want to reduce you to ashes."

"Woohoo! So fierce! Careful, or that attitude will leave you single for life. Oops—looks like I’m right. You’re still single, aren’t you?" The Cardinal of Sloth mocked with a chuckle.

"You—" Lyra gritted her teeth and was about to lunge forward, but Orion stopped her.

"Don’t be provoked. It will only put you at a disadvantage."

Lyra clenched her fists, barely managing to suppress her anger.

"Tsk. You’re as annoying as ever, Orion," the Cardinal of Sloth said irritably.

She was deliberately provoking Lyra. If Lyra lunged, the Cardinal of Sloth and the Cardinal of Wrath could trap her and kill her instantly.

Fortunately, Orion was as sharp as ever. No trickery would work in front of him.

"Enough of this nonsense. Tell me—do you intend to declare war on the Great Empire of Velmora?" Orion asked, staring intently at them.

"Declare war?" The Cardinal of Wrath’s smile was thin and mocking. "Orion, have you really grown so foolish? We’ve already attacked you and your empire. Does that question even need asking?"

Orion did not take the bait. He straightened and opened his left palm.

Instantly, a silver spear materialized in his hand. He gripped it and thrust it forward.

"Since you started this, don’t run away like cowards this time. Understood?"

The Cardinal of Wrath bristled at Orion’s words. The "coward" he referred to was his former self.

Years ago, he had fought Orion and suffered a crushing defeat, forced to flee mid-battle.

But that was in the past—now, he believed he could defeat Orion in just a few moves.

Boom!

A black aura erupted from him and the Cardinal of Sloth. The atmosphere grew heavy, as if space itself was being crushed beneath their presence.

Orion and Lyra responded immediately, releasing their own auras, equally overwhelming.

Their eyes met, and in the next instant, they charged at each other with all their might.

Boom!

...

"Hoaam! I’m so sleepy."

On the ship, Nolan yawned lazily, resting his face on his folded arms atop the railing.

He stared at the sea ahead, where snowflakes fell without end.

"Glarvic should have made his move by now. Why is he taking so long? Doesn’t he take the White Dragon situation seriously?" he wondered.

He had instructed Cassiopeia and Draco to spread the news of Netherium’s existence to the kingdoms surrounding Kaldarion.

By his estimation, it wouldn’t be long before those kingdoms acted.

After all, Netherium was an extremely valuable material with a very high market price. It was impossible for anyone not to covet it.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed across the deck, accompanied by a familiar female voice.

"Your Highness, there’s good news!"

Nolan lifted his head and saw Cassiopeia approaching, her face glowing with excitement.

"What is it? Have the neighboring kingdoms taken action?"

Cassiopeia blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"

"It was easy to guess." Nolan waved his right hand dismissively. "The important question now is, how many troops have they sent?"

"They sent fifteen thousand troops, all highly skilled cavalry. In total, thirty thousand troops are set to attack the southeastern border of the Kaldarion Kingdom," Cassiopeia explained, her voice trembling.

At first, she had been somewhat skeptical of Nolan’s plan. After all, whether Netherium existed was still uncertain—at least from the perspective of the other kingdoms.

Yet, they had acted faster than she expected.

It was clear that Nolan was extremely intelligent, particularly in reading human emotions and desires.

Cassiopeia reminded herself not to make the mistake of underestimating him again—otherwise, she could be the one to pay the price.

"Thirty thousand cavalry, huh? That’s quite a force," Nolan said. "In that case, let’s move on to the next plan. You know what that is, right?"

Cassiopeia nodded briefly. "I understand."

The second plan was to spread news of the attack throughout the Kaldarion Kingdom. The process would take some time, but not long.

The information would travel by word of mouth, and the most influential spreaders were the cross-city merchants.

Therefore, they were the primary targets.

After a few more words, Cassiopeia turned and disappeared from the deck.

Nolan leaned against the railing, staring at the night sky veiled by dark clouds.

"This is what you get for messing with me, Glarvic. But don’t worry—it’s still early. There’s a big show waiting for you... hehe..."