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The Ardem Market, located right in front of the Royal Palace in the capital of the Risen Kingdom, Grimancia, had been completely destroyed. In place of the flat ground, a massive crater had formed.
Inside the crater lay the corpses of the Risen Kingdom's monsters and demons, buried under the rubble. It was as if death itself was performing a naked dance in the crater.
Despite this gruesome sight, a large crowd of monster and demon citizens had gathered around all four sides of the crater. Many of their faces clearly showed expressions of awe, excitement, fear, disbelief, solemnity, and anger. Some citizens of the Risen Kingdom were continuously cheering for their king, Gorgathar Hellwrought Malakar, while also trying to demotivate his opponent, Vance.
At that moment, two figures were engaged in a ferocious battle in the middle of the crater. From outside, only the clanking and clashing sounds of weapons could be heard, and the only visible signs of the duel were the sparks generated by the colliding weapons. Their speed was so intense that the spectators could barely tell who was winning and who was losing.
The shockwaves generated by their strikes were so terrifying and powerful that they were affecting the surrounding environment.
A young female minotaur guard, watching her king Gorgathar and the human opponent Vance fighting, spoke to the ogre who was fucking her pussy: "Doyll... either fuck me properly or just watch the fight between His Majesty and that human... because if you keep fucking me like this, forget getting pregnant, I won't even feel like I've been fucked at all."
Doyll replied, "Hmmm... Sicri, you're right... but what can I do? Tell me... His Majesty's battle with that human is drawing all my attention... that's why I can't fuck you properly."
"Besides, it's your fault too... why did you want to have sex right now?"
Sicri said, "What else am I supposed to do? Just keep staring at His Majesty and that human... when I can't even understand what's actually happening?"
"Tell me this... can you understand what's going on in the middle of the crater? Because I can only see sparks."
In response to Sicri's question, Doyll said, "Yeah, that's true."
This situation was not unique to Sicri and Doyll; most of the spectators were in the same boat.
Yet, despite not being able to see things clearly, the citizens of the Risen Kingdom had complete faith in their king, Gorgathar. That was why cheers could be heard from all directions:
"My king... kill that human!"
"Human meat is fabulous!"
"My king... I'll be your lifetime slave... just feed me his single finger!"
"Human... you will die here!"
"Aaah... Human, be an exquisite feast for Queen Syrakara!"
Meanwhile, among the crowd, some people who could perceive the fight saw that the human named Vance was in bad shape.
His entire left arm had been severed from the shoulder, with the bone dangling, his left eye was burst, and his chainmail full-plate armor was in tatters.
Surprisingly, the condition of the Risen Kingdom's king, Gorgathar, was not good either.
Yes, Vance was weaker than Gorgathar, which was why he had lost his left eye and left arm... but even though Vance hadn't inflicted much physical damage on Gorgathar, he had tormented him mentally a great deal.
At that moment, Gorgathar's golden-black armor had many piercing holes from which his blackish-red blood was oozing. The power of the runes embedded in his body had been exhausted, his demonic bat-like wings were torn, and his two frontal horns were broken.
And the breaking of these horns was the greatest insult for Gorgathar.
After all, those eight horns were what enhanced his royalness and regalness... but now only six horns remained.
After the fight continued for some more time, Vance and Gorgathar once again stood facing each other.
When the citizens saw the sight of Gorgathar's missing frontal horns, they could not contain their outrage and began chanting together:
"You filthy human, how dare you do this to our king!"
"Die human, just die... I'll feed your corpse to my pet dog!"
"Chaste fool, just die... If you won't die, then I'll eradicate your whole race!"
Vance was unaffected by the booing from the Risen Kingdom's citizens.
The only thing that mattered to him was whether he could live up to his master Lucifer's expectations. Even now, he was doing his best to fulfill the responsibility given to him by Lucifer.
Right in front of Vance, standing at a short distance, was Gorgathar. His already red eyes had become even redder, filled with bloodlust.
After staring at Vance for a while, Gorgathar said, "Human, I have to say... you are quite different from other humans. You do have the power to become my Royal Guard, but it's a shame... I don't want to see you alive anymore."
"And that's why... now playtime is over. You have to die."
Listening to Gorgathar's provocation, Vance gave him a mocking smile. "What a shame... I spit on your dignity."
"You are a damn coward, Gorgathar. I agree that I'm a bit less powerful than you... but even so, you aren't able to defeat me... and now you're saying you want me as your Royal Guard?"
"Really, what a shame... imagine if a demon king gets thrashed by his Royal Guard who is a human... what a disgrace."
"But you are lucky... I have no will to join your side as I have my own master, whom I serve wholeheartedly... and believe me, my master will arrive here anytime."
As Gorgathar heard Vance's words, his eyes flared as he said, "I'll see who your master is when he comes here. And to welcome him... I have to prepare a damn gift, no?"
"How about I prepare your damn head for him?"
As Gorgathar finished speaking and once again prepared his claws, a voice suddenly rang out: "Well, I don't prefer Vance's severed head as my welcoming gift... but I do prefer yours."
The voice was so loud that everyone heard it clearly. Upon hearing it, the crowd began murmuring among themselves.
Inside the crater, Gorgathar said in his authoritative voice, "Who is it that dares to speak to me like this?"
"If you have the guts, come forward and—"
Before Gorgathar could finish his sentence, a dark violet space portal opened right beside Vance, and six people emerged one by one.
At the front was a young adult human boy with silver hair and violet eyes, possessing a well-chiseled and muscular body. He wore a simple white shirt and black trousers.
Right behind him were two more people — one human and one elf.
Behind them were two beautiful girls with stoic, cold expressions on their faces. One of them was holding a bound female werewolf guard.
As soon as the silver-haired boy stepped out of the portal, Vance knelt before him and said, "Master."
Hearing Vance's voice, Lucifer looked at him and saw that his condition was very serious. His left eye was burst, his left arm was missing, and only the bone was dangling from the shoulder.
Seeing this, Lucifer cast his [Rapid Regrowth] healing spell on Vance, causing his wounds to heal at a visible speed.
After that, without looking at his surroundings, Lucifer directly stared at Gorgathar and said in a highly aloof manner, "So you are the one who did this to Vance?"
Gorgathar replied with utter arrogance, "Yes, and now I will make your condition even worse than his, and the people who came with you even worse than you."
After saying this, Gorgathar's gaze fell on the female werewolf guard, and he said in astonishment, "Flegris... you are here with these humans?"
But Flegris did not reply from the other side. However, Gorgathar did not go unanswered.
The elf who had come with Lucifer — Galathor — said, "Demon King... just as there was a time when I and Sir Valdren were your wives' and your feeble toys and slaves... now this monster is Sir Lucifer's meat supply."
Hearing Galathor's words, the blood of all the monsters and demons began to boil.
"How dare these livestocks try to rebel against us?"
"Do we citizens of the Risen Kingdom look like a joke?"
"Humans and other races ought to be toys and food for us... it's your privilege that we even consider you as our food. Be grateful."
"That limpdick said Lady Flegris is their meat supply. How dare he... Does he not fear Queen Syrakara's anger?"
"Saying this about Lady Flegris... knowing that she was Queen Syrakara's personal guard."
At that moment, a female dragonkin, driven by anger, attacked Galathor. But her luck was bad.
Her attacks didn't even reach Galathor. Mara neutralized the female dragonkin with swift motions and bound her just like Flegris.
Seeing this, Gorgathar's anger reached the seventh heaven, and he said, "Syrakara had told me that she wanted Vance as her new toy... that's why I wasn't applying too much force on him... but now I can't watch anymore. Forget Vance... I will kill all of you and bury you in this very crater."