My interracial harem of beautiful queens-Chapter 142 Progress... 1%
One hour had passed. Adam felt the magical energy becoming easier to control. He didn't need to exert himself or imagine anything anymore; his subconscious desires guided the magic effortlessly in the right direction, shaping it as he wished. The fourth hour.
The sensations were unusual as if he had merged with magic – he became magical energy, and magical energy became him. Everything was as easy and intuitive as moving a hand.
After 15 hours, Adam experienced a significant leap in his control over magical energy. Despite some difficulties, he could still manage it well. This time, he succeeded in reducing the expenditure of magical energy and enhancing its influence on the external world.
[Strength Increased]
[Casanova Experience (Level 33): 83/555]
"Heh..." he sighed.
As soon as Adam opened his eyes, he was blinded by a bright light. His eyes, unaccustomed to it, took five seconds to adjust and then returned to their usual state. Getting up from his seat, the man began stretching out of habit, and after a series of cracks throughout his body, he looked at the screen in front of him, which was emitting a bright golden light.
[A subclass has been chosen based on the user's characteristics...]
[Confirm] | [Cancel]
"Cancel? I suppose there's a certain freedom of choice here," Adam thought, but only smirked. "Although, in reality, I don't have much of a choice, but it's better than nothing. I just hope it's not something related to sex, or else I won't be getting any real strength."
Raising his finger to the [Confirm] button, Adam felt a slight tingling at the tip of his finger, followed by excruciating pain. However, his reaction was only furrowed brows, as he had long grown accustomed to pain. Nevertheless, this sensation was unpleasant, evident from his wrinkled face and cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
The pain felt as if thousands of insects were simultaneously biting him, while a fire raged inside, consuming his internal organs. It was agonizing.
DING! DING! DING!
[Progress: 1%]
[Progress: 2%]
[Progress: 3%]!
Three consecutive notifications appeared before his face with the characteristic "ding" sound, and the suffocating pain only intensified. However, by that point, Adam could only hope that it would end quickly. But the progress was excruciatingly slow as if he were trying to download a heavy 20GB game with beautiful girls on his phone using mobile data. In simpler terms, very slowly.
DING!
[Progress: 6%]
"How painfully slow this is..." Adam mumbled, sitting in a chair that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Oh, convenient."
DING...
[Progress: 7%]
"Ding!"
[Progress: 8%]
"Ding!"
[Progress: 9%]
"It's going to take a while," he thought.
And he wasn't wrong. Five hours had passed since the "update" started, but the progress had only reached 20% before getting stuck. Adam lay in his chair with a tired look, too exhausted to even complain. He tried not to move unnecessarily, as he didn't want to exacerbate the pain that had already reached his pain threshold.
"Ding!"
[Progress: 21%]!
"Fuck..."
***
While Adam suffered in pain and cursed the slow progress, a war raged between Avalonia and the Chaos Empire. Two generals with severe injuries rested in their tents. The battle between them had lasted a week, during which the landscape had been deformed, and high mountains had turned into open fields. Both sides were in a temporary ceasefire, and for now, they were clearing the battlefield - Avalonian soldiers were carrying their fallen comrades, while the demons didn't even bother. Many of them were even burning the bodies, which horrified and outraged the people.
"They're burning their kind! Creatures of the same race, not even burying the fallen in battle. You can't even see sorrow on their faces," grumbled a rough voice, more like a growl.
On the Avalonia side, numerous tents where several people had lived were destroyed. Among these people were Edward and his friends, Bill and Eisen. Edward was a man with light-yellow eyes, closely cropped hair, and long mustaches. He had a cunning look in his brown eyes. He was not of a robust build and shivered at the slightest breeze.
"Of course, they'll do that! We're talking about demons, where losers are trash, and winners are kings. It's a cruel but somewhat fair hierarchy system," replied Bill, adjusting his glasses.
Bill was very young, and his appearance indicated that he had recently turned eighteen. His skin was pale, with no calluses on his hands, and his black hair was neat and well-groomed. He didn't smell of dust or blood but rather had a flowery scent. He was an aristocrat sent to war, although his father's goal was merely to make his son more influential.
"What?! Are you trying to say you sympathize with the demons?!" Edward grumbled, scratching his head, visibly irritated. His brows were furrowed, and his face showed clear disdain, while his voice was filled with hatred.
"Calm down. He didn't mean that. He just emphasized a fact, an undeniable one. You're overreacting, Edward," Eisen reassured him.
Eisen was a middle-aged man with chestnut hair and a muscular build. His bloodshot eyes were filled with martial determination, and the constant presence of his sword reflected his vigilant nature. Waves of magical energy emanated from him, serving as a radar - any suspicious presence, and Eisen would notice it.
These three had met in the war when they were assigned to the same unit. Besides Edward, Eisen and Bill were also aristocrats, although not of the highest level. Since Edward was strong and his talent was recognized even by their unit commander, these two started to befriend the commoner more warmly, as it was important to gain the trust and connections of talented warriors.
And now, they sat around a campfire that was already half-extinguished. The night was cold, and with each breath, vapor appeared. The grass was covered in frost, and the wind began to affect the soldiers, making them retreat to their tents and wrap themselves in warm blankets.
"Who's going to be on watch tonight? I did it yesterday, so it's up to you guys to decide, okay?" said Edward, yawning, as he got up from his log. Without waiting for a response from his friends, who were smiling amiably, he entered his tent.
And then...
"That wretched commoner."
"Agreed. What does he think he's doing? How dare he ask us to be on watch for him?!" Bill exclaimed, echoing Eisen's sentiments.
Quiet insults and curses were spewed from their mouths towards Edward. These two didn't like him, considering that the commoner took too many liberties, but for their selfish purposes, they pretended to be friendly, hiding their cunning natures.
And this scene played out throughout the Avalonian army camp. In the darkness of the night, they concealed their malicious intentions. Some were currently robbing their allies, while others were secretly trying to reach the demons in an attempt to make a deal but were killed by observers and guards. Compared to the demons, who were controlled as a unified whole by Azaroth, the Avalonian army... was in dire straits. This distrust and hostile actions towards their allies created a problem for the commanders.
***
Even the most severe public punishments couldn't reform those ruled by greed. Therefore, this became one of the main problems, which was not surprising considering the size of the army, with over five hundred thousand soldiers in the main force and another four hundred fifty thousand from other major detachments.
Where there are people, there is always conflict, as well as a myriad of problems.
The war dragged on because, for some reason, the demon side had become passive, as if they were waiting for something. Avalonia's commanders were in a tense state because they didn't know what was happening and whether this was the calm before the storm, followed by a devastating wave. For them, the demons' capabilities were too blurry, making it hard to fully grasp their combat power.
It had become a game of cat and mouse.
***
Ten kilometers from the city of Sedyon. This place was considered off-limits, and no one had ever ventured here. There were rumors that an ancient dragon lived here, and if someone disturbed its slumber, it would be the cause of world destruction. However, for some people, this became the main reason they came here, only to disappear in the end.
But the truth was much simpler. In an area the size of 7 square kilometers, there was silence and flatness. But in reality...
Thud! Clank! Crash! 𝚋𝚎𝚍𝚗ｏ𝚟𝚎𝚕.ｏｒｇ
Construction was in full swing. Builders were actively working on a defensive wall, while others were already sketching out the future streets of the city. Some discussed security measures.
"I see the construction is going well," a familiar female voice echoed.
Next to Elyra, who was sitting on one of the completed towers with a drink in hand, observing the construction, Amarantha landed. She looked tired.
"Mm... they work fast. There were some issues with certain things, but I've resolved them, so everything is going smoothly," Elyra replied, putting her drink aside. She looked at Amarantha, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, "Listen... how is... he?"
"Adam?" Amarantha smiled, leaving Elyra stunned. "He's showing signs of awakening. Plus, his magical energy has become stronger, and his body has strengthened. Besides, there are some changes in the second egg."
"Egg? Uh... Ah! I remember." Elyra didn't initially understand what was being discussed, but then she realized and nodded, indicating that she was listening attentively. "What's happening with it?"
"How should I put it... cracks have appeared on its surface. It might hatch soon, but it makes me uneasy," Amarantha frowned.
Elyra raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised that the usually carefree Amarantha showed such a reaction. However, since Amarantha didn't elaborate, she didn't press further.
***
In the Chaos Empire's camp, there was rustling inside the general's tent. It was Azaroth, whose facial expression contorted with ecstasy. His eyebrows were relaxed, and a wicked smile adorned his face.
"Hehehe..."
An unpleasant, chuckling sound escaped his mouth as the demon's hands gently caressed the surface of the object in front of him – a dragon egg. It stood as tall as Azaroth himself.
"At last... I will revive the dragon race with my own hands and become their ruler. Then, neither my mother nor Mirethasil will be able to compare to me!"
To be continued...
