Adon shivered at the sight of the entrance.
āWeāre backā¦ after four years,ā she stuttered, rubbing her arms.
Gusto laughed and raised one hand.
āBlack forest!ā he yelled. Then he leaned forward with a wide smile, clutching his hammer tightly. āIt seems like the monsters are out of their hibernation!ā
Gusto leaped into the air and slammed his hammer down. The dirt clouded around him. Once the dirt cleared, a pack of monsters surrounded the entrance.
Adon smirked and raised her hand.
āWhat a warm welcomeā¦ā
Jun grabbed his arrow and aimed, nodding. Opheli stopped her horse and dismounted. She tilted her head right to left, protecting the carriage.
āYou guys start aheadā¦ Iāll protect Her Grace,ā Opheli chimed.
Kael smiled and flew into the air with his Light power. He whipped out a Light string and frowned.
āIf there is a new Demon King or the Demon King has never diedā¦ letās finish this once and for all,ā Kael commanded.
āYes, Commander!ā they said in unison.
Valencia peeked out of the window. Each monster that lunged at them walked on four legs. Not a single grish? Then that means they are waiting after we finish these animal-like monsters first. Valencia gripped the curtains tightly, her eyes dropping.
Gusto smacked one of the monsters into the air, flying over the dead trees, while Adon glided down from the air, holding her staff.
āHow would you know if itās dead?ā Adon frowned.
Gusto widely smiled and laughed. He pointed at himself.
āWhat do you mean by āhowā? Iām Gusto the Smasher!ā
Adon exhaled, her arms falling to her sides and her face in disbelief.
āYouāre an idiot. We donāt want them to alert any monsters that humans are here,ā Adon explained, shaking her head.
Gustoās face fell in horror. He looked at Jun, who shook his head and closed his eyes.
āIā¦ I didnāt meanā¦ā
āIdiot,ā William muttered, crossing his arms.
Gustoās puppy eyes grew as he looked at Kael. Kael had already disappeared to be near Valencia. Gusto whimpered, sulking.
āAre you okay?ā Kael asked Valencia.
āYes, Dame Opheli had guarded the carriage,ā Valencia answered.
Opheli blushed as she looked at Valencia.
āYour Grace, just call me Opheliāā
āDame Opheli,ā Valencia smiled.
Kaelās temple vein appeared as he slowly turned his head. His glare frightened Opheli.
āSince whenā¦ did you get close with my wife?ā
Opheli gasped, holding her breath. Iāve never seen Commander this irritated before. Heāsā¦ scary!
Valencia chuckled as she watched them. Then her gaze shifted toward the Black Forest. Her warmth quickly hollowed as she bit her tongue. Fatherā¦ did you come here before to seal the Demon King alone? Will you be upset that your daughter chose to come here? She clenched her fists, her hands trembling.
āWhy does it matter if heās upset? The Demon King is nothing but a pest to be removedā¦ā Vrastos said in her head.
Valencia lowered her gaze. A pestā¦ doesnāt bring harm. But a virus does. The purple stars shimmered over her green pupils. Thatās why itās best to destroy the cause so it wonāt spread.
In the void dimension, Vrastos cackled as he stared into the vast darkness of the starry sky.
"Eureon... you understood the Demon King better than anyone. You knew he would kill you for your aura core the moment he got the chance," Vrastos whispered. He lowered his gaze. "But in reaching for my power, he walked straight into your trap."
A grin spread across his face.
"No damned demon will ever dare wield my power."
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