DEMON CASTLE-Chapter 45

A massive stone, weighing at least ten tons, struck the Death King's head, causing it to tilt slightly to the side. Meanwhile, five mares gripping his right ankle pulled him backward, forcing the Death King to the ground. However, he swiftly transitioned into a form of mixed martial warfare and began rolling over himself.

Hazard, completely taken aback, flew farther away. Meanwhile, the mares could no longer withstand the immense weight of the fifty-meter-tall Death King, and their bones shattered under the pressure. Unable to resist or evade, they were forced to revert to their original forms.

The battle raged on for at least two hours until Hezhna had fully adapted to her newfound mana level. From the sky above the battlefield, she observed the warlord creatures below.

"Ice Island?"

She pondered to herself, unable to suppress the wild curiosity of what level of high magic she could now wield.

Above her, a mass of ice began to form from tiny snowflakes. As it grew larger, she carefully regulated her mana to keep it at the brink of activation, then restarted the process to solidify it further. By leveraging this technique—where converting snow into ice was significantly more efficient and required less mana—she created a more effective shrapnel-like spread upon impact. However, halting mana flow mid-elemental formation was extremely risky; the spell could fail or, if explosive, cause unintended collateral damage. Nevertheless, with her legendary magical broom acting as a highly effective catalyst and centuries of experience, Hezhna had no such concerns.

On the ground, Hazard stood atop a distant mountain, recovering his mana while contemplating how to handle the enormous problem currently thrashing his mares.

"Maybe I should just let him go? He can't break through the domain's defenses... but if he escapes, he'll return with a powerful army, likely regaining his legendary rank... And surrender isn't an option, so how do I—"

Suddenly, a howling sound filled the sky, carrying with it a chilling wind. Hazard looked up, and his jaw dropped at the sight above.

A colossal mass of ice, the size of a football field with a thickness of thirty meters, loomed in the sky. It was visible from hundreds of kilometers away, provided no obstacles were in the way.

Hazard felt the deep cold pierce his very soul, but upon seeing the caster responsible, he was reassured. Yet, this spectacle raised new questions in his mind about the accuracy of power rankings.

If a being like the Death King—ranked as a level 2 Warlord—could stand against such a vast number of warlords, including someone at the peak of the Warlord tier, then witnessing Hezhna—still early in her Lord rank—cast such an immense spell raised doubts about how rankings truly worked.

"Mastery... experience..."

The answer was simple, and he quickly deduced it. The key differences between him and them were mastery—the refinement of skills through techniques like Hezhna's—and experience, much like the Death King's, who Hazard suspected had once been at a legendary rank while alive. It made him wonder who had managed to defeat him back then.

The howling of the ice mass grew louder as it descended. Seeing this, Hazard swiftly issued retreat orders to his mares and the Grand Undead General. As the massive structure fell, he activated his gravity magic—a skill from his Elemental Lord mastery—using all his mana to slow the Death King's evasive movement.

"You cannot defeat me with your tricks!"

If Hazard had the ability to smirk, he would have. Instead, he directed his gravity spell onto the ice mass, increasing its speed by twenty percent.

With the Death King unable to dodge, he raised his sword above his head. The sky and earth bore witness to the skeletal smile stretching across Hazard's face.

Then, impact.

The ground trembled. Mountains cracked and crumbled, burying some of the mares beneath avalanches. However, Hazard was unconcerned; in their original forms, they had no bones and could easily reform from beneath tons of rock and dirt.

His gaze shifted between the remaining mares and the Grand Undead General, until Hezhna approached him, flying on her newly acquired enchanted broom.

"Does this help repay my debt for the gift you gave me?"

Hazard turned to face her. If he had a face, his expression would have screamed, Which gift are you talking about?

However, upon seeing the white magical broom emitting its distinct, cold aura, he activated his appraisal skill. The moment he noticed its legendary rarity, his gaze shifted back to Hezhna's bright, excited eyes, which now reflected the realization of her promotion to the Lord rank.

"Ohh, that gift... Hmm, yeah, I suppose! But only a little, just a little. Still, congrats on your promotion!"

Hezhna immediately realized that Hazard had completely forgotten about the legendary treasure he had given her and was about to sigh. However, she knew Hazard relied on her loyalty and spirit, and this was an opportunity—an advantage she could use to ensure she kept such a valuable artifact for herself. So, she continued her act.

"Thanks! But I'll make sure to fully repay my debt for saving my life and gifting me such a treasure!"

Hazard internally cursed himself. He then imagined himself using the white magical broom—a five-meter-tall undead with black bones, golden veins, multiple wings, long horns, and a unique cloak—riding a tiny, sleek broomstick.

He quickly banished the thought. The mere idea was humiliating.

"Hmm, sure, but it's not over yet..."

His gaze fell upon the massive ice mass, now fractured due to the uneven ground. The cracks trembled and expanded—a clear sign of something.

Hazard ascended above it and peered down. The fractures rapidly spread, and then, a gigantic hand burst through them, reaching skyward. However, just as it attempted to pull itself up, Hazard summoned his scythe and severed the mana-depleted, weakened hand, its protective skill no longer active.

"You'll remain buried here forever, nameless vagrant!"

The ice shook, and a voice that seemed to rise from the depths of hell roared:

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

"Servant of the God of Destruction! If you believe in your power, then face me in sacred single combat!"

Hazard landed on the ice, but a thought crossed his mind—one that would shake even the spirits of the stars.

"I accept!"

"Don't think that, in my current state, I'm incapable of defeating you!"

"But!"

Hazard began walking on the ice.

"You will wait until I reach the Legendary rank. Until then, you will defend these borders against the darkness lurking nearby. Now, do you accept?"

Hezhna and the Grand Undead General's eyes gleamed with realization. By unleashing such a force in this region, Hazard could buy time to prepare himself for three fronts—assigning two to the Death King. He wasn't sure if the Death King could truly withstand the dark forces, but given his strength and potential, Hazard had no doubt that, for a while, he would be their nightmare. Even if they defeated him, they would believe he was their true enemy and waste time hunting him, leaving Hazard free to build his army and focus solely on the empire.

The answer the Death King gave would determine the fate of darkness—an era that would later be remembered for decades as the Years of Despair.