Chapter 186: The Demon King, II

A few minutes before the light exploded from the Dominant Empire’s camp:

Kendrick and Tania’s mouths dropped open at the sight of the vast number of troops spread out across the plain.

“Wow…”

“Holy cow…”

The Flame Siblings were currently high in the sky. Their initial surprise and flurry when Louis first took them flying had completely vanished. Now, they could only marvel at the magnificent scene unfolding beneath their feet.

Suddenly, Kendrick shuddered slightly.

To find war majestic…

Tens of thousands faced off against each other—their valiant struggle would claim countless lives. Despite knowing full well the merciless nature of war, the simultaneous display of military might by tens of thousands was enough to stir the hearts of the Flame Siblings, who followed the path of weapons.

The two disciples gazed at Louis, their eyes sparkling.

Incredible…

Did our teacher bring us here just to show us this?

Through Louis, they had learned so much. Now, they were experiencing one extraordinary event after another, things that most people would never encounter in their lifetime.

They had arrived on the Winter Continent, a place they had never even imagined visiting, and were experiencing an environment completely different from the world they had lived in for 20 years.

They had met new people, including the Order’s warriors, as well as a king of a country.

Now they stood on the brink of witnessing a massive battle, a spectacle that most people would never see even once in their lives.

Kendrick and Tania couldn’t help but realize that their narrow worldview was broadening with each new experience.

Kendrick and Tania looked at Louis with eyes full of admiration and love for giving them this opportunity.

Unsure if Louis was aware of their gazes, Pablo watched as he casually extended his hand while observing the volatile situation unfolding beneath his feet.

Fin, perched on Louis’s shoulder, began counting aloud:

“One thousand, nine hundred, eight hundred…”

Pablo tilted his head, puzzled by this display.

Is he gauging the distance between the two camps?

It was easy to deduce that the numbers Fin spat out indicated the distance between the two opposing forces. The real question was: Why was Louis measuring this distance?

What could he possibly be planning now…?

After witnessing Louis’s actions up until this point, Pablo couldn’t help but be awestruck.

Absolutely mind-boggling…

Kendrick and Tania were also in the dark about the full extent of Louis’s and the Twins’ influence over the monster army, despite realizing it was controlled by them.

It was all thanks to Pablo. As the only one aware of Louis and the twins’ true identities, he alone understood the intricacies of this situation.

This unfathomable plan… is actually coming to fruition.

Who in their right mind would propose redirecting 80,000 monsters against their enemies? And who would have the audacity to carry it out?

Yet, this incredulous scenario was unfolding with alarming ease.

…Such a feat can only be accomplished by dragons.

This was possible only for dragons—and it piqued my curiosity. I couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises Louis, the dragon who had already astonished the Winter Continent with his audacious moves, had in store.

“Five hundred, four hundred, three hundred and ninety…”

The numbers rapidly decreased.

And then,

“Three hundred. They’ve entered firing range, Sir Louis!”

“Excellent!”

At the precise moment count hit 300, a radiant glow emanated from Louis’s palm. An enormous sphere of light split the sky, hurtling directly towards the Dominion Empire encampment. Louis snickered as he beheld the dazzling display.

“Behold the true power of an EMP pulse!”

Meanwhile, Pablo, who had been closely observing the situation, furrowed his brow in confusion.

“What exactly did you do?”

Pablo couldn’t discern any significant changes after the burst of light. In response to his question, Louis silently gestured with his chin towards the ground below. Instinctively, Pablo and the flame siblings followed his gaze. Their eyes widened with bewilderment at the sight before them.

“Huh?”

“Good Lord!”

“What the…?!”

In the blink of an eye, during the brief moment it took for them to turn their attention back to Louis, the once-tense atmosphere had undergone a complete transformation.

The armored giants, who were supposed to hold their positions and cut down monsters with their weapons, toppled over helplessly. The horde of monsters trampled over the fallen Transcendents and continued their rampage.

Graaaah!

S-stop them!

The 50,000 soldiers who had put their faith in the Transcendents were swept aside by the monster army before they could react.

Even Louis, who had orchestrated this situation, was left speechless.

“Tsk. How could not a single Transcendent be operational?”

What Louis had employed was an EMP—an electromagnetic pulse. This powerful electromagnetic shockwave destroyed all electronic devices within its range. Of course, Louis’s EMP wasn’t exactly like a typical EMP.

However, the effects merely resembled each other.

What Louis had just accomplished was to render all Transcendent Era dynamos inoperable.

The reason for this was simple:

All dynamos created during the Transcendent Era were based on the one I invented.

Despite the passage of time, no creation had surpassed the original; thus, most dynamos were built upon Louis’s foundational design.

At best, the dynamos of the present era merely offered improved output, but with the underlying structure known, it was easy to destroy them.

The results lay scattered at his feet.

I only intended to sabotage the dynamos based on my original design…

Yet, there on the ground, he saw the Empire’s ancient dynamos strewn across the battlefield.

His voice carried the weight of the entire Transcendent Era’s arsenal being harnessed by his dynamo.

“Tsk, tsk. Still no progress, huh?” Louis shook his head, his voice dripping with disappointment. “Kendrick, Tania.”

The Flame siblings, who had been idly watching their army being devoured by the monster hordes, started at the sound of Louis’s voice.

“Yes?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Remember this well: No matter how powerful a weapon you wield, you must never let down your guard. That sword you hold could easily become the noose around your own neck.”

“Yes, sir! We’ll keep that in mind.”

“Yes, Louis.”

Kendrick and Tania nodded in agreement with Louis’s words of wisdom.

Meanwhile, Pablo, observing this scene, couldn’t help but grimace.

The Kanburk Kingdom claims Louis is their envoy from the Pantheon, does it not?

Pablo had heard about it too. The rumor that Louis was the Apostle of the Pantheon was quickly spreading through the kingdom, which had been tricked by someone pretending to be a god. But…

Apostle of the Pantheon…?

Pablo’s gaze landed on Louis.

“Good job! Good job! Our ally is doing well!”

Pablo clapped at the sight of the Dominant Empire army being trampled by the horde of monsters. How could this man be called an apostle of the Pantheon? He…

Let’s see, what do you call someone who controls monsters and invades empires?

A word that fit this description perfectly popped up in Pablo’s head.

He muttered as if possessed:

“…Demon King?”

The moment he uttered these words, Pablo’s body abruptly dropped from midair.

“Aaargh!” Pablo’s screams echoed through the sky as he plummeted from great heights.

Louis growled at the sight of him falling. “You bastard! Who are you calling ‘Demon King’?”

Louis was remarkably adept at not taking things personally.

“Aaack!”

After that, Pablo’s body repeatedly fell and rose hundreds of meters in the air.

“P-please spare meee!” His screams reverberated in vain, drowned out by the cries of the soldiers of the Dominant Empire.

The emperor’s face was a mask of disbelief as he stared at the soldier who had stumbled to his knees in the throne room. This morning, the warrior from the Baiholegion had arrived from the eastern front in a woeful state. His face was caked with dirt, and the bandages wrapped around his wounds had turned yellow from who knows how long since they’d last been changed.

Normally, someone in such a condition would never be allowed into the emperor’s throne room, but these were extraordinary times. The emperor himself had summoned the soldier, bypassing all intermediaries, to hear the tale firsthand.

The emperor, who had already been briefed on the general situation, now turned to the soldier with a stern expression. “Tell me… everything you saw and experienced, in detail.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The soldier found himself facing not only the absolute ruler of the empire but also the powerful nobles arrayed in a semicircle around the throne. Struggling to control his racing heart—this was his first encounter with the emperor—he began his account of that fateful day in a steady voice:

“It happened when we,…”

Though countless beings had gathered, not a single breath was audible in the eerie silence as the warrior’s vivid narrative unfolded amidst the great battle.

Soon enough, the warrior’s tale came to an end.

The emperor, his back propped up and shoulders trembling, asked:

“So… what’s the extent of the damage?”

“At present, all Transcendentals under the Eastern Command are rendered unusable due to some inexplicable anomaly. The only silver lining is that, given the scale of the conflict, the number of casualties is extremely low…”

“How dare you leave your sentence hanging?!”

“T-That is because there are so many injured that the number of those who can be immediately deployed… will be less than a thousand.”

“Hmph…”

Finally, the emperor expelled the deep breath he had been holding and leaned back against his chair. His vision blurred.

The warrior who had returned from the battlefield was essentially telling him that fifty thousand soldiers had been wiped out.

Five thousand soldiers… all lost…

The emperor gritted his teeth against the vertigo of disbelief. “What… what kind of light was that?”

“I… I’m not sure, Your Majesty. I only know that after the light exploded, all the Transcendents crumpled to the ground, powerless.”

”… I see. You may withdraw.”

The guard departed as the emperor waved a tired hand. Yet even in the ensuing silence, the emperor’s mind remained restless. He turned to his royal mystic for answers.

“What, according to you, was this light the guard spoke of?”

“Humbly, I dare not jump to conclusions based on what I’ve heard.”

“Then let me ask another way: Is it possible to neutralize a thousand Transcendents according to our laws?”

“It is impossible, not only for me, but for anyone.”

“But this impossible thing happened! What was this light?”

”…”

The emperor’s face contorted as he watched the Palace Mystic bow his head without a word.

Nothing ever goes right!

Duke Hoan, who had promised victory, was now missing, and the eastern forces had been annihilated. The once mighty Transcendent Generals now lay rusting in a heap of scrap metal. And the biggest problem of all was yet to come.

The emperor clenched his teeth. “Duke Samuel.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Where are they now?”

“The Monster Army is currently moving across the eastern region. However, there’s something odd about their behavior. They’re not plundering anything; instead, they’re moving quickly in a straight line.”

“No pillaging? By monsters?”

“That’s correct.”

A spark flickered in the emperor’s eyes.

Monsters, devoid of reason or restraint, were advancing without plundering?

Sensing something amiss, the Emperor pressed Samuky, Duke Samuel of Ma.

“Where… where do you believe their destination to be?!”

Duke Samuel looked as if the moment he has been dreading had arrived. He took a deep breath. If his calculations were incorrect, the words he was about to utter would plunge the Empire into great turmoil once again. However, now was the time to speak the truth. He held his breath briefly before opening his mouth.

“If my prediction is accurate, the destination of the monstrous army… no, the Snow King’s destination is… here. The Islet.”

If this place were to suffer a strike, the Empire would wobble. In worst-case scenarios, the Dominant Empire might vanish from the winter continent.

The Emperor asked with a hardened expression, “fare-thee-well” shrugged a bit as he answered, “I am committed to this endeavor, yes.”

Duke Samuel nodded his reply.

With such assurance from the Duke, the Emperor breathed deeply and stood up.

“General Zerling.”

The masked Imperial Captain acknowledged the Emperor’s call, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Let thee be granted authority over the Central Guard of twenty thousand souls. So too shall thee exercise the power of conscription, pledged to defend the regime with utmost resolve.”

“Sir! Your orders will be fulfilled!”

“Palace Mystic.”

“I eagerly answer Your Imperial Majesty’s summons.”

As the Palace Mystic bowed his head, the Emperor addressed the nobles, raising his voice.

“From this hour forth, a national emergency is declared across the entire Empire. Any noble of the Empire who refuses this call-up shall be judged by the sacred laws of our nation.”

The Emperor’s command hung in the air, tension palpable in the Great Hall.

One week after the eastern command post had been crushed by the monstrous hordes, the Empire’s second line of defense was established midway between the islets and the eastern border, aiming to halt the Snow King’s forces in their tracks.

Before long, the Empire’s secondary defense corps clashed with the encroaching monster army.

And the very next day…

Word reached the Imperial Palace like a thunderbolt: the second line of defense had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of their monstrous adversaries.