Epilogue — The Rising Tide
The Red Zone had never known peace.
For decades it had been a place where predators hunted predators.
But today…
It had become a proving ground.
For an entire day the forest trembled under the footsteps of a growing army.
At its center walked one being.
And behind him…
An army of monsters that now recognized only one ruler.
The Hunt of the Red Zone
The expedition through the Red Zone was nothing short of brutal.
From sunrise to sunset the forest echoed with roars, explosions, and the clash of power.
Draven's commanders spread across different territories.
Every region of the Red Zone contained a boss monster.
Some had ruled their territory for decades.
Others had evolved through endless combat.
But none of them had expected what arrived today.
A monarch.
Monsters That Submitted
Some creatures sensed Draven's aura the moment he stepped into their territory.
A colossal stone-backed tortoise slowly emerged from a swamp lake.
Instead of attacking…
It bowed.
Draven glanced at it.
"Smart."
The tortoise immediately joined the army.
Throughout the day many monsters made similar choices.
A horned thunder wolf.
A giant poison serpent.
A three-headed swamp hydra.
They all felt the same thing.
Draven's Domination Aura.
A presence that screamed one message.
Submission… or death.
Most monsters were intelligent enough to choose survival.
Monsters That Fought
Not everyone accepted the new king.
Some monsters were too proud.
Too territorial.
Too violent.
One such monster appeared in a volcanic valley inside the Red Zone.
A colossal magma gorilla.
Its body burned with cracks of lava.
When it saw Draven…
It roared and charged.
A1 stepped forward.
"Allow me."
His sword glowed with silver energy.
"Mountain Slash."
The slash tore through the valley.
The magma gorilla lost an arm instantly.
But it continued fighting like a mad beast.
Eventually Draven finished it with a single strike from the Abyssal Blade.
The monster died.
Its territory was absorbed.
Its surviving followers joined the army.
Monsters That Ambushed
Some monsters preferred tricks.
Deep inside a fog valley…
A group of shadow panthers attempted an ambush.
They attacked from all directions.
But they underestimated one thing.
C3.
The spirit wizard raised his staff.
Wind spirits spread across the battlefield.
The fog vanished instantly.
The hidden panthers were exposed.
B2 fired a storm of elemental arrows.
None escaped.
Monsters That Tried to Flee
The most amusing encounters were with monsters that attempted escape.
A gigantic crystal stag sensed Draven's aura and immediately ran.
It ran through valleys.
Through rivers.
Across hills.
But Draven simply floated above the forest.
Using Short Range Teleportation.
Each teleport placed him closer.
Finally the stag stopped.
Realizing escape was impossible.
It lowered its head.
Submission.
Draven patted its head casually.
"Good decision."
The Result of the Expedition
By sunset…
The Red Zone had changed rulers.
Draven sat quietly on a rocky hill near the ocean.
The sunset painted the sky crimson.
Behind him stretched an enormous army.
The results of one day of conquest.
Monster Army Expansion
Boss Rank Monsters — 279
Mid Boss Rank Monsters — 692
High Rank Monsters — 12,300
Mid Rank Monsters — 60,000
Entire legions had been formed.
Different species organized into squads.
New commanders appointed.
The monster army had grown into something terrifying.
A true Monster Kingdom.
Prince Varuk's Decision
Standing beside Draven was another figure.
The young morlock warrior looked toward the massive monster army.
Then toward the ocean.
"My father will protect the shores."
His voice carried pride.
"But I…"
He looked at Draven.
"…will fight beside you."
Draven raised an eyebrow.
"You're abandoning your tribe?"
Varuk shook his head.
"No."
"My tribe will guard the forest."
"But the future…"
He glanced toward the massive monster army.
"…belongs to conquest."
Draven smiled.
"Good answer."
Prince Varuk officially joined the monster army.
The Dark Elf's New Role
Meanwhile inside the bunker.
Deep beneath the forest.
The Blood Spring Chamber had changed.
It now contained something new.
An alchemy laboratory.
And working inside it was the former prisoner.
She carefully placed a glowing object inside a crystal container.
The Cursed Coral.
The artifact Prince Varuk had offered.
Its surface pulsed with dark green energy.
A plague artifact from ancient times.
The dark elf whispered.
"This… could create a weapon."
A weapon capable of spreading devastating disease.
But she needed time.
And Draven had given her exactly that.
Resources.
Protection.
And a laboratory.
For the first time since her exile…
She could continue her research.
Chaos in the Border Town
While Draven built his kingdom…
Human civilization was collapsing.
The border town had become a battlefield.
The monster barrier had destroyed the town's economy.
Adventurers had no monsters to hunt.
No quests.
No income.
And desperation turned into violence.
The civil war had begun.
Adventurers vs Town Guards.
Streets of Fire
The town streets burned.
Shops were looted.
Treasuries broken open.
Gold stolen.
Houses set on fire.
Smoke filled the night sky.
Screams echoed across the town.
Some adventurers had gone completely insane.
The Guild Master's Stand
At the center of the chaos stood one man.
His clothes were torn.
His sword stained with blood.
And he had not eaten for two weeks.
But he still fought.
Beside him were his disciples.
And the guild management team.
They formed a defensive line protecting the remaining civilians.
"Hold the line!" the guild master shouted.
Dozens of rogue adventurers charged.
Steel clashed.
The guild master cut down two attackers instantly.
Despite exhaustion…
He refused to fall.
Saint Steve
Elsewhere in the town…
A golden light shone near the orphanage.
Holy chains shot through the air.
They wrapped around violent adventurers.
Binding them instantly.
Steve stood in front of the orphanage gate.
Protecting dozens of children.
"Leave this place," he warned.
"This is sacred ground."
Another group of adventurers attacked.
But the holy chains restrained them before they could reach the building.
The Noble Houses
The four noble families were also under siege.
Angry adventurers blamed them for the economic collapse.
One mansion was already burning.
Another had been looted.
Guards fought desperately to protect their masters.
But the town was descending into total anarchy.
News Reaches Meralius
Far away…
Across mountains and volcanic plains…
Lay the monster territory of Meralius.
Its ruler remained asleep inside a volcano.
But his subordinates governed the land.
Inside a stone fortress…
Wyvern scouts had returned.
They knelt before a goblin wearing dark robes.
One of the goblin triplets.
Master of surveillance.
The scout spoke nervously.
"My lord…"
"We discovered something near the no-man forest."
Yu's yellow eyes narrowed.
"What kind of discovery?"
The scout swallowed.
"A barrier."
"A massive forest barrier."
"And inside…"
His voice trembled.
"A demon."
The scout placed a crystal orb on the table.
The orb displayed an image.
Draven standing atop a hill.
Behind him…
Hundreds of thousands of monsters.
Yu stared silently.
Then slowly smiled.
"This…"
He whispered.
"…is not normal."
Another scout added.
"The monster army is massive."
"And growing."
Yu leaned back in his chair.
"This demon…"
"…might become a problem."
He tapped the table thoughtfully.
"We must inform Ku and Za."
The goblin triplets would need to decide.
Whether to ignore this new power.
Or eliminate it.
Before it grew too strong.
A Calm Before the Storm
Back at the corrupted forest.
Draven watched the sunset over the ocean.
The wind carried the scent of salt and blood.
Behind him stood an army.
Monsters that now recognized him as their king.
His kingdom was growing.
His domain expanding.
And soon…
The border town would fall.
But Draven was unaware of something.
Many eyes had begun watching him.
The Eastern Empire.
The Bloody Circus.
The Dragon Knights.
And now…
The monster territory of Meralius.
The world had begun to notice the rise of a demon king.
And the next conflict…
Would shake the continent.
TO BE CONTINUED.....