Chapter 198: Those Who Stand in the Way Shall Die

Chapter 198: Those Who Stand in the Way Shall Die

Over the past forty years, the Northern Kingdoms, free from the threat of the Demon Clan, have fully recovered their prosperity. Villages and towns along the way are thriving economically, and while people still have concerns about their lives, they no longer live in constant fear as they did in the past.

Luk sat in the carriage with his eyes closed, probing the countless possible futures. It was a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. The Future Vision spell could only be experienced one scenario at a time, and while he could speed through irrelevant scenes, it still took time to uncover valuable information.

The next day, when Luk opened his eyes, he saw Trela, already dressed and sitting on a cushion, watching him.

"You didn't sleep well last night. Your brow was deeply furrowed, and your eyes kept twitching."

"Just had a nightmare."

"What kind of dream could make you react like that?"

Luk looked puzzled. "What, is having a nightmare something worth paying attention to?"

Trela smiled, a gentle and kind smile that had a touch of Lady Roine's aged grace.

"Considering you've always been the prodigy who sailed through everything smoothly, it's a bit surprising."

Luk replied casually, "Imagination is the foundation of magic. Maybe I was just born with a more free-spirited mind, making it easier for me to think outside the box."

"Actually, I have faced setbacks. Let's set aside the problems I encountered while researching magic. Some things happened before I met you."

He pushed open the window, and the fresh air, mixed with the scent of flowers, drifted in.

Trela gazed at the sky, which was still dark, dawn not yet breaking. It wasn't the best time to travel, so she leaned back, ready to listen.

Seeing Trela's expectant look, Luk could only recall the past and share a few stories.

"Nothing too significant. When I was just a month old, Lenis seemed to get lost in the scenery and forgot the time. By the time she returned, I was almost starved to death."

"That sounds dangerous."

Trela's expression was disapproving.

"Once when I was a child, I had a high fever. She used a healing spell to suppress the illness but then ignored it. It was only thanks to Amiral's cries that Lady Roine was called to bring in a monk, saving my life."

Trela frowned deeply. "That's extremely irresponsible. A mother shouldn't treat her child so carelessly. If I had a child, I would definitely..."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "Next time you see her, you should give her a good scolding."

"Elves can be quite dense in some areas... She did apologize when she left."

After all, she was his mother, and Luk couldn't say much more.

"Tell me about your childhood. I never really got to know much about your life before you turned twenty."

"There's not much to tell."

Seeing Trela's serious expression, Luk sighed and began to recount his story. "I was born in a dark cave, probably near Barum..."

...

When dawn broke, the carriage resumed its journey. With clear roads, the trip to Eodor wouldn't take too long. However, to take care of Trela's health, the journey inevitably slowed down. It had been four years since they set out, and they had traveled through many places.

The beautiful sunrise over the Granz Strait, just as it had been before. The now unguarded city of Val, the increasingly deserted Sword Village, the Apetito where Amiral had once served, and the ice cherry blossoms on the Offen Mountains that could heal diseases...

Luk would take Trela to experience what she wanted, but otherwise, he always tried to speed up their journey.

This occasionally drew complaints from Trela, who felt they weren't enjoying themselves properly, but she quickly added that having Luk by her side made it not so boring.

By the end of the fourth year, they finally reached the last stop before Eodor.

"Rest here. I have some business to attend to."

Luk gently laid the nearly exhausted Trela on the bed and kissed her forehead.

Trela looked at him silently. "Can't you stay?"

"I'll be back soon."

Saying this with a firmness that brooked no refusal, Luk cast a protective barrier around the room. His expression turned cold as he focused on a small black dot in the distance.

Trela closed her eyes wearily. "He'll be fine, right?"

In the corner, the cloaked figure of Shulahart slowly materialized. He didn't answer her question but asked instead, "Do you hope he succeeds in his risky attempt to keep you here?"

"If I were younger, I would probably stick my tongue out at you and cling to Luk's arm, saying, 'I want to be with him.'"

Trela smiled bitterly. "But now, I only hope he returns safely."

"Feelings change with time, which is quite fascinating," Shulahart's voice was flat. "Unfortunately, only the Demon King can truly understand this."

"Are you feeling sorry for yourself?" Trela asked.

"No, a Demon without emotions is better suited for survival. In my view, the Demon King is probably the most desperate and the most suffering of all Demons."

Xula Hart's gaze turned toward the direction of the Demon King's Castle.

"I will fulfill his lifelong wish."

...

The dark castle loomed closer, and the uninvited guest burst into the magic detection range, instantly startling the great demons within the city.

The long-sealed gates creaked open, revealing a young girl in her teens standing at the entrance. She had two small horns on her head, emerald green eyes that shone with a pure and flawless beauty, and shoulder-length hair that made her look both quiet and endearing.

Unnamed Great Demon — Solitaire.

The Great Demon who loved to study humans, radiating a corpse-like stench. She had no title because all humans who saw her died, but now she was known among humans as the "Negotiator."

Over forty years ago, she signed a peace treaty with humans as a representative of the demon race.

"Excuse me, but what brings you here? Beyond this point is the Demon King's Castle, and entering will mean certain death. My fellow demons have been particularly temperamental these days."

Solitaire warned kindly, her face full of concern.

Luk stopped his flight spell, his expression unchanged as he extended his arm, and the purple-wooden staff appeared in his hand, pointing directly at the Great Demon.

"Get out of my way."

"Please don't be so rough," Solitaire's expression remained unchanged, still gentle. "We share the same appearance, the same language, and we are both immortal. We can have a good conversation."

The ground suddenly began to tremble, and a giant dragon made of earth rose beneath Luk's feet, raising its body high with flames burning on its outer layer, creating a grand and imposing sight.

Standing atop the fiery dragon, Luk looked down at Solitaire from a height, his voice cold.

"This is your final warning. Get out of my way, or die here."

As he spoke, dozens of fire dragons emerged from the ground behind him, their momentum overwhelming, and the waves of heat and killing intent locked onto Solitaire.

Solitaire's body trembled slightly, as if she were scared, but her face showed an unusual excitement.

"Under normal circumstances, I would have fled in fear, but being locked up here for a while has made me desperate to have a proper conversation."

Suddenly, the sky was filled with cold, gleaming swords. Solitaire licked her lips, a sickly smile spreading across her face.

"Let me sever your limbs, and then we can have a proper chat, handsome elf."

Luk watched Solitaire coldly as the fire dragons charged forward with unstoppable momentum, while the countless swords in the air whistled toward the fire dragons.

The moment they collided, the outcome was clear. The swords cut through the fire dragons like butter, decapitating them. The headless fire dragons collapsed, and the swords continued their assault on Luk.

"My swords are very sharp."

Just as Solitaire smiled, she saw Luk sidestep a sword's attack and grab it with his hand. His body moved so fast that even she could barely see it. The sword in his hand was wielded with expert skill, effortlessly knocking all the incoming swords out of the air.

Before Solitaire could react in surprise, the fallen fire dragons suddenly sprang to life. Some launched a surprise attack from close range, while others exploded, sending countless sharp fragments tearing through her body.

In the critical moment, Solitaire concentrated her magic to protect herself, the massive impact of the earth dragons feeling like her insides were shattering, and the exploding fragments pierced her body.

Just a moment too slow, her body was riddled with wounds, blood flowing freely.

Before the dust from the explosions had even settled, Luk charged in at incredible speed, facing the ragdoll-like Solitaire. He showed no mercy, swinging his sword with ruthless efficiency.

The process was smooth, and Solitaire's head fell to the ground.

Mages are very vulnerable when engaged in close combat by warriors. Even powerful mages like Fleurian or Solitaire, or even the ancient elf Selie, would be at risk if confronted by a top-tier warrior.

"How did you do it?"

The doomed Solitaire asked as her body began to dissipate.

"You fell into two cognitive blind spots. First, just because I am a mage doesn't mean I only use magic. In fact, I have never stopped training my body since birth."

"Second, the fire dragons I created are not living beings. Their essence is my manipulation of the earth. Even if you cut them into a thousand pieces, it wouldn't matter."

Solitaire: "The correct response would have been to use magic to isolate the earth and disrupt your control. That's why you didn't directly manipulate the earth beneath me at first—my surrounding magic would have interfered with your control."

"Too late to realize that."

With the death of their master, the sharp swords in Luk's hand dissipated into points of starlight.

"Do not continue forward. Apart from the All-Knowing One, who is mysteriously absent, all the Great Demons are inside, including the Seven-Collapse Sage and the Corrupt Sage."

He glanced coldly at Solitaire's beautiful, delicate head, stepped forward, and crushed it with his foot.

Crack—

"I came for them."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end