The skies above the southern region were dark and cloudy. A light drizzle fell, turning the rivers gray and making everything feel quiet and tense across the swamp-filled land.
The clouds split apart as three massive dragons soared through the air. Riding atop each of them were Nox, Adrian, and Eve.
Nox’s hair billowed as the wind rushed past, his eyes locked onto the land below.
"We’re here..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
The southern region of the Vermilion Kingdom looked calm at a glance—serene rivers flowed lazily through winding banks, tall mangrove trees swayed with the breeze, and amphibious birds chirped atop mossy rocks.
But to the trained eye, this calm was false.
"Seems the enemies were expecting us," Adrian noted, scanning the land with narrowed eyes. "News really travels far, huh?"
"Five towns," Nox murmured, staring at the glowing holographic map floating beside him. "Each one built on a small isle, all linked by narrow wooden bridges."
He raised his gaze and looked at the twin-town below.
"If I’m not wrong, this should be the first town—and the duchy as well."
Adrian nodded. "Confirmed. It’s the central town among the five and the largest. We should expect stronger resistance."
As if on cue, they noticed movement below—at least a thousand demons emerging from the clusters of trees and rising from the waters.
Nox’s eyes flashed. He realized Ria had been right when she said the likelihood of the demons possessing abilities that matched the current terrain was high.
He narrowed his eyes. "The demons really considered all factors before sending their forces out."
It was easy to tell the demon emperor had purposely assigned his men based on the terrain.
This raised his impression of the demonic emperor.
At that moment, dozens of weird-looking demons began crawling out of the swamp. Some had slimy blue skin and long limbs that dragged behind them. Others looked like snakes, slithering through the muddy water with glowing yellow eyes and gaping mouths.
However, what stood out the most were the huge monsters near the riverbed.
They were covered in moss and looked like they were made of rocks and plants. If you didn’t look closely, you’d think they were just part of the swamp.
With a fierce look on his face, Nox held out his palm and unleashed a torrent of frost energy across the swamp. The cold wave turned trees into brittle icicles and instantly froze the outermost ranks of the demon army.
Adrian and Eve nodded. All three of them leapt from their dragons mid-air.
The sky split once more as the trio descended like comets. Their landing shattered the ground and sent a ripple of energy that blasted back dozens of swamp demons.
Instantly, a massive gate tore open in front of Eve, and over 10,000 undead demons poured out.
The number far outnumbered the demons present in the entire southern region, and when the demons saw the army, they became terrified.
"Attack!" Eve commanded.
The undead army didn’t waste a second—they charged forward.
The demons roared back, but they were already on the back foot. The sudden frost from Nox had slowed many of them, and now the undead were pushing through with sheer numbers.
In a couple of minutes, all the demons there were slaughtered by the undead army, which was immune to poisons and other toxins.
As the weak demons fell, a deep guttural roar echoed.
The trio expected this and remained calm.
Then the ground trembled, and a few clumsy undead fell, staring into the distance with curiosity in their eyes.
Something huge was crawling out from beneath the dome-like structure in the middle of the town.
It was a monster. Literally.
A massive demon that looked like a twisted crab—its body covered in barnacles and black slime. Six thick legs stabbed into the mud as it moved, and its upper half was weirdly bloated, holding four giant scimitar-shaped blades.
Steam hissed from its back, and a cluster of glowing red eyes blinked from all over its shell.
Adrian squinted. "A demon crab king? That’s... new."
It was a level 100 monster—and even before anyone could make a move, Nox dashed forward in a flash, his body a blur.
’No one is fighting you over it.’ Adrian felt like face-palming.
However, little did he know, Nox was farming monsters to increase his shop points.
His body blurred, hopping from shadow to shadow like a ghost, and appeared right beside the demon.
One clean slice—and the crab-like demon was separated from its head.
After the fall of the central duchy town, Nox wasted no time. Riding atop their dragons once more, the trio began moving from isle to isle.
The second town had acid-spitting toad demons and flying insect beasts nesting in trees. Adrian handled the air, Eve’s undead tore through the ground forces, and Nox froze everything in a wave of icy death.
The teamwork was unlike anything the demons had ever seen.
And in the span of a day—with over 10,000 demonic undead and the three powerhouses—the region was reclaimed as well, and the captured citizens were saved.
All the citizens were gathered in one place, their eyes filled with a mixture of relief and confusion as they stared at the three individuals who had rescued them.
"I’m the Duke of the South. If you don’t mind... may we know the names of our saviors?" an elderly man with a beard, dressed in a tattered robe, asked.
"My name is Nox Aegis Cromwell," he said flatly. "The one beside me is Prince Adrian, and the necromancer is Eve."
When they heard the word necromancer, he had expected them to panic or show some fear—however, they were all eerily silent.
’I guess times have really changed.’ Nox chuckled in his mind.
"Cromwell... like the Nathan Cromwell? And you’re the prince of the Vermilion Kingdom?" the man asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Yes." Nox nodded and started to walk away. "We have somewhere safe for you to stay in the meantime."
He then waved his hand, and a portal appeared before him.
It was Sovereign Gate, the very skill he had copied from Noir.
One after another, everyone began to step through the portal. Meanwhile, Nox’s gaze was fixed on the screen before him with a small smile.
[Shop Points: 380,000 Points]