1307-1311

Chapter 1307: Restless Crisis

Rhode glided across the sky. The shimmering blade rays around him enveloped him in a perfect halo. He looked at the battlefield with a stern expression. Frankly, he wasn't surprised that the soldiers of the Country of Light were utterly defeated. If they didn't retreat in this bloodbath, he would be even more astonished. Besides, the quality of those soldiers was also questionable. That was why, from the start, Rhode didn't have high expectations of them. But now... This defensive line couldn't be abandoned. It was currently just a prelude, and if any layer of defense was lost at that point, it would be a very unsettling factor for their plans.

That was why they had to secure this defensive line at all costs.

Rhode collected his thoughts, looked up, and took his eyes off the body of the fallen skeletal dragon to the obstacle in front of him. There were about five to six skeletal dragons that attacked this defensive line. Their massive bodies erupted with a gloomy, blue spiritual fire, while black fog wrapped around their bodies. Although there was no telling what Chaos had done to these skeletal dragons, judging from their wild, scarlet eyes, it was apparent that they had completely lost their minds and were turned into frenzied beasts. After witnessing Rhode kill one of them, the remaining skeletal dragons turned around and pounced on him with their razor-sharp teeth and claws.

"Inhale..."

Looking at the skeletal dragon closest to him, Rhode took a deep breath and flipped his right hand around. Soon after, a stack of cards appeared between his fingers. He narrowed his eyes, aimed at the skeletal dragons, and flung his right arm forward. At the next moment, a bright, glowing light escaped his hand. It was a sharp blade coalesced from pure light.

The light blade whistled ahead.

"———!"

In the face of this attack, the skeletal dragon let out a furious roar, raised its head, and snapped its jaws open. At the next moment, a roaring spurt of flames sprayed out of its gigantic mouth, blasting at the light blade.

Shing———!

The moment its fiery breath collided with the light blade, the light blade dispersed all of a sudden. It seemed at first glance that it shattered in the dragon breath. However, that wasn't the case. The instant the light blade clashed with the dragon breath, the light blade split into five, spread out in all directions, and formed a circle that surrounded the skeletal dragon. Looking at this scene, Rhode's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he held his right hand forward in an empty grip and made a downward chopping motion.

Swish!

The moment he made that action, a light blade behind the skeletal dragon jumped up and expanded in size. In the blink of an eye, the holy sword glowing in a divine brilliance heavily slashed the skeletal dragon's body. With a loud bang, the skeletal dragon's body tilted and an endless source of holy power bombarded its body, shattering the dark fog that had enveloped its body completely.

Upon sensing the blazing holy power, the skeletal dragon howled in wrath and agony, instinctively extending its claws and swinging backward to strike the sword away. But at the same time, another scarlet longsword flew out and whirled from the other side, hacking at its menacing claws. In the sound of a crack, the skeletal dragon's strong, enormous claw shattered in this ambush by Shira like fragile pieces of glass. Not only that, but half of its right arm was also demolished.

Feeling the intense pain, the skeletal dragon shuddered, swinging its head and attempting to get away from the holy swords. However, its resistance was futile. The moment it turned around, its head shook abruptly. At the next moment, its neck was cut by a criss-cross stroke and almost imperceptible blade rays, to which a stark wound appeared. Shortly after, along with a dazzling thunder, a huge, serrated, chainsaw-like blade also stabbed the wound.

Roaring thunder, exploding flame, ice-cold frost, and collapsing air current proliferated within the skeletal dragon's body in an instant. The crowd witnessed its huge body expanding like a balloon, before blowing up into pieces, while the murky, black fog was also shredded in the whistling winds. Soon after, the skeletal dragon that was completely sliced to pieces collapsed onto the ground, joining its lifeless companions from before.

Something doesn't seem right.

Looking at the dark fog dissipating before his eyes, Rhode stretched his wrist. His attack this time wasn't just as simple as just destroying the enemy anymore. He also needed to determine which attributes worked together more effectively and how he should get them to work together to pose the strongest threat. But now, with two attacks in a row, he didn't feel satisfied yet. This time, he used five holy swords in this attack. First, Celia's holy power overwhelmed the undead power that enfolded the skeletal dragon. Then, Shira coordinated with Gracier and Madaras in attacking the skeletal dragon. In the end, it was up to Dona to finish things off with a fatal blow.

However, this combination didn't seem to be very effective. It wasn't surprising because Rhode hasn't even figured out the attributes, attacks, and effects of these cards so far. And the ones he was most familiar with were Celia, Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras. He didn't use the other holy sword cards as much. Besides, there were many differences between being in sword form and physical form. Rhode could work with them while they were in physical form to conduct battles. But after they returned back into their sword form, they needed to rely more upon his control of the battle to be able to use their powers again. This was also something new to him as he had no prior experience in this field as a Spirit Swordsman. Spirit Swordsman was a class that summoned spirits and displayed swordsmanships to perform powerful combinations and attacks. And now, it was rare for him to be in a situation that required him to fully control the battle as the lone swordsman.

I need more practice.

At this thought, Rhode turned over and projected his gaze at the other skeletal dragons that rushed toward him. Upon hearing their bellows, the corners of his lips perked up into a smile.

All I have is time for now.

The outcome of the battle had been determined upon Rhode's arrival on the battlefield.

Although the fleeing soldiers of the Country of Light had put the defensive line into perilous danger, after Rhode devastated the skeletal dragons crisply, Lydia didn't miss the chance to call forth the magic fleet and battle angel army to take on the Chaos creatures again. After facing the strong resistance, the Chaos creatures stopped persisting, but turned back and left the battlefield quickly instead. In the end, the safety of this defensive line was guaranteed.

However, although they were victorious, not a single person showed a relaxed expression; instead, everyone, including Rhode and Lydia, looked grave.

"Thanks to you, Your Majesty Rhode. If it weren't for your help, this first line of defense would have most likely collapsed."

Looking at Rhode in front of her, Lydia revealed an expression of helplessness and relief. In fact, she also knew that if he didn't show up, she would be the only one fighting it out. But this wasn't a really good idea to her, and more importantly... As a matter of fact, her current situation wasn't looking exactly great.

Rhode didn't know that while Lydia gained rule of the Country of Light under Lillian's appointment, that didn't mean she earned the heartfelt acknowledgement of its people. Aside from the fact that the Country of Light had been tarnishing the reputation of the Munn Kingdom for so many years, Lydia's image had long been deeply rooted in their hearts. Moreover, after the continuous battles between the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom, as well as the Country of Light and the Void Territory, the people of the Country of Light had deep and unfavorable impressions of Rhode and Lydia. That was why most of them were still more or less resistant to them.

Previously, they were willing to accept Lillian's rule because Lillian was born and raised in the Country of Light and considered one of their own. The people believed that she would make the right decision for them. But what about Lydia? She was the archangel of the Munn Kingdom. And now that the Country of Light was in her hands, would she be able and willing to give them good lives ahead?

It seemed like the people of the Country of Light knew that they had bullied Lydia back then... And now, they were feeling nervous about karma.

For that reason, the people of the Country of Light were actually quite wary of Lydia's rule and management. They had so much fun tarnishing her reputation at first. But now, she became their biggest boss. According to the rumors, this archangel was a murderer who didn't bat an eye whenever she killed someone, so it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn't settle old scores. What if she hit on the idea of sending the people to the front lines as an excuse, but actually meant to send them to their deaths? Wasn't she capable of doing that? Well... It was hard to say.

With these thoughts from the higher-ups, the soldiers below had even more ideas. None of them were willing to be scapegoats, much less letting someone else drag them to their graves.

Back then, you were the one shouting for joy out there in the first place. We're just ordinary soldiers, so why must we die for the conflicts between higher-ups like you?

In fact, Lydia knew all about this, which explained her awkward expression when she saw Rhode. But honestly, she couldn't be blamed for that. People were selfish by nature. Even now—so what if it concerned the existence of the entire world? How could one expect everyone to hold such a high level of consciousness to abandon their past differences and strive for the Dragon Soul Continent? Hahaha, how was that possible? Not to mention, in order to avoid causing a panic, Rhode and the rest didn't tell the truth to the general public. After all, there were only two choices: either succeed or die. Just think about it. Imagine if some scientist on Earth suddenly made an announcement to the world claiming to have discovered that the sun would soon explode and destroy the whole solar system. Humans would either choose to move the Earth out of the solar system or accept their fate and die. What would the reactions be?

Perhaps some might resign themselves to fate, but panic and riots were certainly inevitable. It was already unavoidable on Earth, which was a planet that was technologically-advanced and had a higher literacy level per capita. In that case, how could one expect this continent that was pretty much medieval, aside from magic and civilization, to have high awareness? Moreover, this wasn't even a natural disaster, but a man-made one instead. While his troops were dealing with Chaos, Rhode wasn't willing to waste his energy dealing with riots possibly arising from internal conflicts.

That was why the soldiers actually didn't know what they were facing, as well as the consequences, which explained why they had no pressure fleeing from the battle.

Frankly, even if Lydia were to tell them the truth, they would perhaps even suspect if she had made it up just to send them to their deaths...

The soldiers didn't trust their commander, so how was it possible to rely upon them to fight properly? Wasn't it ridiculous?

On the other hand, Rhode didn't give it too much thought. After all, as a player of the Munn Kingdom, he was sick and tired of watching the soldiers of the Country of Light fleeing. That was why, like the players, he didn't particularly look into them. Anyway, fleeing from battle was considered a talent of the people of the Country of Light, in his opinion.

Despite that, his expression was still as solemn. It wasn't about the problem surrounding the Country of Light, but that he realized that the defensive line that he had crafted himself seemed to have a hard time holding out against Chaos's attacks for long.

According to his predictions, the first three defensive lines were enough to last until he finished building all the signal towers. Besides, Chaos's attacks shouldn't be able to get through the defensive lines that quickly. Of course, only ground enemies were considered when he previously made this call, and he didn't expect the skeletal dragons to show up. After all, skeletal dragons were too uncommon. Even though they weren't as strong as Erin, they were still ancestors of the night wyverns and considered powerful creatures. In addition to the influence of Chaos, their strength had risen, which was why extra manpower had to be deployed.

But the lack of high-end forces was nothing new for the Dragon Soul Continent... Otherwise, Rhode wouldn't have used his power to summon tens of thousands of players. But even so, the number of players still wasn't enough. Despite that, he no longer had sufficient power to create additional high-end players. He could only hope for quality to offset quantity. Anyway, Chaos creatures were difficult to deal with in the eyes of average people. But in the eyes of high-end players, except for creatures at the caliber of Chaos Lords, the rest was still easy to annihilate.

But with the addition of the skeletal dragons... Things were different.

The reason why Rhode was able to wipe out the skeletal dragons was due to the addition of the holy sword cards. If he didn't have the holy sword cards, he would need to group up a squad of five to take on these skeletal dragons, at the very least. The highest level for players was level 85, so they weren't invincible. And although these skeletal dragons didn't have particularly strong moves after being influenced by Chaos, as dragons, they were powerful enough on their own to be a fairly huge threat. Coupled with Chaos creatures on the surface, it would be an even tougher fight.

If the skeletal dragons didn't show up, Rhode would be confident in withstanding the attack of the Chaos creatures. But he didn't expect that as soon as the skeletal dragons appeared, the defensive line on his side, which was able to hold on, would immediately waver like fragile straws swaying in a storm as if they would completely snap at once. This left Rhode in displeasure. This was just a front line battle. If he couldn't even win one, what could they do if Chaos were to come all-out? The skeletal dragons weren't a benchmark of Chaos—that honor belonged to the Chaos Lords instead. Now that the Chaos Lords hadn't even shown up and his side was already struggling... If they couldn't even withstand this level of attack, wouldn't they all pop after being poked by the Chaos Lords?

Sounds rather wrong using that description... Well, forget it.

The main problem now was whether they could defend against Chaos successfully. This time, Rhode relied on himself and finally won. But the crumbling defensive line caught him by surprise. If this were to happen a few more times, he couldn't guarantee that the two defensive lines at the back would be able to handle the pressure. Even though strategic turnarounds and retreats were the exact same thing at times, the meaning would be different if the phrasing was different.

If one were to say that it was a strategic necessity, which explained why they abandoned the defensive line, it would definitely sound classy and endowed with the extraordinary intelligence of the superior Zhuge Liang[1].

If one were to say that their defensive line collapsed and they had no choice but to retreat to the defensive line at the rear, their morale would definitely take a huge hit. When that happened, perhaps the soldiers would be on the edge of their seats and the last two defensive lines wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. Even if Rhode were to set up the Holy Sword Barrier, no one knew how long he would last.

That was why this problem must be solved soon.

"We need more manpower."

Rhode tapped the map that displayed the after-battle report in his hand with dissatisfaction. This time, the defenses on the side of the Country of Light had lost about one-fifth of their manpower (with the exception of players, of course). It could almost be considered the most costly of all the losses. It wasn't that surprising, though. Even though Rhode introduced the rule of resurrection to this world, the prerequisite for it was that the victim had to be a devout believer of the dragon soul heir in order to be resurrected. That was why this was a good cycle as seeing people come back to life from the dead would make one be in awe of the power of the dragon soul heir and thus have more faith...

But it wasn't necessarily the case that things would head in that direction. There was also the worst case scenario, which was to see that the people didn't come back to life from the dead. Thereafter, people would start having doubts about faith from deep in their minds and thus deny it. This made it even less likely that they would be resurrected, and that they would doubt and deny the entire thing again. Right now, the Country of Light was trapped in this vicious cycle. Since they didn't have much respect for the Light Dragon in the first place, most of them weren't able to enjoy the benefit of the great resurrection spell after their deaths and would actually die in battle.

This was also the reason why this defensive line suffered the most as compared to the rest.

"But we don't have any more manpower to spare, Your Majesty Rhode."

Lydia was also helpless about that. And that was the truth, as a matter of fact. She could be considered to have recruited every qualified person in the Country of Light. As for the rest, they couldn't be trained to form a strong fighting force within a short period. Besides, they really didn't have the strength to fight, to begin with.

Even though Lydia considered sending out soldiers from the Munn Kingdom for defense, it still wasn't enough for this long battlefront.

"... That's indeed a problem too."

Rhode bit his lip and knitted his brows. This was an unavoidable problem and currently, he hadn't come up with a good solution yet. However, as he and Lydia were troubling over it, a voice sounded from beside them all of a sudden.

"Your Majesty, can't you summon demons? If I recall correctly, didn't you open Hell's Gate and summon armies of demons to raze Casabianca to the ground? If we have them by our side, there shouldn't be much problems."

Rhode and Lydia were taken aback. They turned to Gaya, who stood silently at the side. At that moment, the young lady didn't seem anxious or nervous about her question. On the other hand, Lydia felt a little awkward about seeking help from demons. But Gaya, as a human, didn't feel any pressure asking for assistance from the demons. Besides, judging from the current situation, this was indeed a solution. But...

"I've thought about it too. But I won't do it unless it is absolutely necessary."

Facing Gaya's suggestion, Rhode shook his head. Honestly, from the very start, he never thought of relying upon the power of hell. In fact, he had already decided to abandon hell as part of his transmigration projection. After all, it was the solar system and Earth that they were heading to. Although he wasn't sure if there would be any problems between completelyDragon Soul Continent and Earth, he was certain that if the hell plane was also brought to the solar system, those demons would definitely not leave Earth alone. Rhode wasn't about to scourge his homeland... at the very least.

That was why he didn't mention a word about this transmigration project to the demons. The people who learned about his plan were those he trusted and wouldn't inform the demons. But if he were to seek help from the demons, with their craftiness, they might read his thoughts. When that happened, side issues might arise and cause even more trouble.

Upon hearing Rhode's answer, Gaya fell into silence again. Shortly after, as though coming up with an idea, she said.

"Your Majesty, I think I may have another solution..."

[1] A Chinese politician, military strategist, writer, engineer, and inventor.

Chapter 1308: Angel and Dragon (1)

Rhode's concerns were grounded in reality because at that moment, the forces of the main plane had largely been tapped into by him. From elves to dark elves, dwarves to half-beasts, there was basically no race that he hadn't touched on. That was the reason why he had no other choice left. Because this time, Chaos attacked on all fronts, so it was impossible for him to summon beings from other planes for help. Although Christie and Gillian mentioned that they could ask the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and elemental planes to help out the main plane, he considered the proposal over and over, but eventually refused. The two previous experiences in Erin's trials and his subsequent trip to the water elemental plane taught him that the other planes also weren't in safe hands. Every place needed sufficient strength to defend against the influence of Chaos. If they mobilized forces from other planes, even if the main plane was defended, other places would still collapse. It was especially so for the four main elemental planes that were crucial for the continent.

But now, Rhode was stunned that Gaya actually said she found a group of forces that were strong enough to go against the skeletal dragon. However, facing his question, Gaya didn't explain further, but stated that she needed to make some preparations and left. In this situation, apart from exchanging looks with each other, Rhode and Lydia had nothing else to comment.

But come to think of it...

"Your Highness Lydia, do you know where Gaya has gone to?"

Rhode put down the teacup and gazed curiously at the archangel. After the battle ended, Rhode stayed at the front lines by the border of the Country of Light temporarily. After all, this defensive line was weaker than others and the soldiers were the most worrisome. Rhode could do something that Lydia couldn't do here: if one were to flee in battle, he could slaughter one... And he wouldn't feel any pressure doing it at all.

Another thing worthy of a mention was that most of the soldiers who couldn't withstand the pressure and fled were caught and stationed at the forefront under the supervision of the players. Meanwhile, those who fought until the end were transferred to the second defensive line instead. If the soldiers dared to escape once more, they wouldn't be the only ones killed. Their whole families would also be annihilated. Rhode couldn't be bothered to console those fools. Since they were that afraid, he might as well let them be more terrified. If they resisted, Rhode also had a choice to not kill them all. He wasn't sure about Lapis, but he knew that Sara needed a lot of experimental products for her undead spells. If those soldiers were really that naive, they would all be forcefully converted into specters, which would be more obedient than humans.

In order to stop Chaos and make his plan work, Rhode couldn't care less about how much blood they spilled. As long as he could succeed, he would do it at all cost.

This was the kind of thing that Lydia and the battle angel army couldn't achieve. And while Lydia was a ruthless person, she only targeted and punished those who sinned severely. Angels had different values from humans and viewed 'sinfulness' from a different perspective. That was why there was a misconception of Lydia as a cruel person.

But Rhode was different. He adopted a collective punishment system similar to the army. Whenever one person made a mistake, the whole squad would go down together. In a critical situation like this, as soon as one did something wrong, everyone associated with one was out of luck, whether they had something to do with one's action or not. Rhode also knew that this wasn't a permanent solution, but he wasn't going to make it one either. As long as the defensive line could hold strong, it was enough. That was the difference between him and Lydia. While Lydia didn't really agree with his doings, looking at the bigger picture, she didn't comment much. After all, she also knew very well that things wouldn't work if they continued this way. And if she couldn't do this sort of thing herself, she could only rely upon Rhode.

"I'm not very sure either, Your Majesty Rhode. To be honest, I've never cared much about the Eastern Plains."

In response to Rhode's question, Lydia revealed a helpless, bitter smile and gave her response. As she stated, the Eastern Plains was enclosed and pretty much trouble-free, which explained her lack of meddling with their affairs. Besides, there were also many secrets in that place. Although she had been in power in the Munn Kingdom for several years, she knew very little about the secrets of the Eastern Plains. In fact, even Rhode didn't dare say that he knew all their secrets because it was simply too mysterious.

Moreover, the mysteriousness wasn't the kind that made players even more curious. On the other hand, it was the kind that was unintentionally hidden in everyday life, where some players couldn't guess at all. In some cases, unless they said it themselves, players would be foolish enough to think it was just part of their daily activities... Rhode, however, remembered clearly that in the Eastern Plains, there was a ritual around the mountain named the 'Path of Discovery'. Players had to walk from the foot of the mountain to the top with a handful of incense. Basically, all players saw this as a boring daily task in the game. In the end, due to a random mistake, that was when they found out that the incense was used to seal the ghosts of the nearby ancient battlefield...

That was why even though Gaya said there might be a way in the Eastern Plains that could solve this problem, Rhode didn't know what she was referring to. For now, the fighters in the Eastern Plains had been mobilized. As the Munn Kingdom was unlikely to be attacked by Chaos due to its safe location between the Country of Light, Country of Darkness, Country of Law, and the Void Territory, Lydia gathered all fighters of the Munn Kingdom and sent them to the border of the Country of Light to help defend with Rhode and the players. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be anything special hidden in the Eastern Plains.

But since Gaya said so... Perhaps...

"Seems like we can only wait for her findings. Let's hope Chaos doesn't find trouble with us anytime soon."

Since Lydia also wasn't sure, Rhode didn't continue pestering her for an answer. Instead, he shrugged and poured himself another cup of tea. At that moment, he noticed her gaze felt a little abnormal.

"Is anything the issue, Your Highness Lydia?"

"Oh, it's nothing important... Just that..." Lydia replied and winked her bright eyes at him playfully. She looked at him and the corners of her mouth perked up into a mysterious smile. "... I'm not sure if it's an illusion, but you seem to get along really well with Erin, Your Majesty Rhode."

"Oh...?"

Rhode raised an eyebrow and responded without moving a muscle. His relationship with Erin did, in fact, change after he used the Plane Destruction Bomb to destroy Chaos outside of the Country of Darkness and create the void storm. Thereafter, Erin mobilized most of the remaining guards of the Country of Darkness to other regions that were under attack by Chaos. Of course, with the favorable relationship between Lydia and her, they frequently contacted each other.

Due to the fact that this matter required coordination from all Creator Dragons, Erin didn't have a lack of chances to meet Rhode. After the trials, Erin's and Rhode's relationship was never actually finalized as they were really busy, so naturally, they didn't have time to even talk about love. But Erin was a young lady who was eager to get her first taste of love, after all. Moreover, facing such troubles at that moment, everyone was under a lot of stress and needed to let off steam.

That was why Erin sought Rhode out for a few 'sessions' in private, to which he welcomed every time. But on the surface, he didn't show any special care for her, not because he was afraid that their relationship would be exposed and whatnot, but because he needed to consider the harmony of his harem. After all, everyone was busy right now, doing their best for his plans. While Erin certainly needed to be taken care of, the others weren't robots either. If Rhode only treated Erin well and ignored the rest, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't leave the impression of him being bored with the old.

And if he didn't want that to happen, he had to treat everyone equally. But the problem was that he had so many women in his harem that if he really wanted to treat them equally, perhaps he would exhaust himself to death before Chaos destroyed the Dragon Soul Continent.

Right now, his power as the Void Dragon was already scattered, leaving behind only the attributes belonging to him as a player. No matter how strong his waist was, that wasn't the way to torment himself.

That was why he had no choice but to try to downplay his relationship with Erin, at least to the point where they weren't in a honeymoon period and had to stick together all the time. Erin was no fool either and naturally knew that now wasn't the time for such things. That was why she held back a lot and because of that, with the restraint from both sides, not many people actually took notice. But what Rhode didn't expect was that Lydia seemed to be aware of their relationship?

No way. After having an intimate relationship with Erin, he clearly remembered meeting Lydia with Erin less than five times. He thought he acted normal in front of others, so how was he actually exposed? Could it be that this archangel could read minds?

However, Rhode wasn't sure why this archangel mentioned this topic now. That was why he didn't respond quickly, but decided to adapt to the situation instead. He observed what Lydia was building up to before commenting further. Upon hearing his response, Lydia didn't continue speaking. She smiled and turned to look outside the window instead.

In an instant, both of them fell into silence. This tea session that Lydia invited Rhode to wasn't held on the ground, but in their flagship instead. After all, the surface was full of devastation and was unsuitable for admiration. However, the floating magic warship was different. Even though the commander of this flagship was Gaya, the real owner was Lydia, which was apparent from its extravagant decorations. The tea table was rosewood, with a beautiful ceramic tea set, and a soft, cooling breeze blew from the outside through the open glass. The floor was covered with a soft, comfortable fur rug. As far as the eye could see, this place looked less like a captain's room and more like a VIP lounge.

None of them said a word. He would respond right away if this question were asked by one of the women in his harem. After all, it was related to all of them. But with Lydia's identity, it wasn't that simple for him to respond. Even though he knew that Lydia was considered bosom friends with Erin, besties were besties, after all. Since Rhode and Lydia hadn't been in the same bed before, he wouldn't let her get away with it so easily when it came to his personal privacy. So in the face of the archangel's hint, he pretended to know nothing and didn't intend to talk more about it. After all, the more he spoke, the more wrong he would be. The less he spoke, the less wrong he was.

"I'm surprised that Erin actually became the Dark Dragon. Frankly, I never thought she would be where she is today."

After a few moments, Lydia broke the silence. She gazed out the window quietly. Her beautiful face grew with some melancholy, while her fair, slender fingers caressed the edge of the teacup. Upon hearing her words, Rhode shrugged.

"But aren't you the same, Your Highness Lydia? Even though you didn't become the Light Dragon, you still hold the power of the Country of Light."

"Yeah, this is also something that I've never imagined..."

Lydia said, turning around and looking straight at Rhode.

"Your Majesty Rhode, ever since I met you, you've given me many surprises. If it weren't for your help, Erin wouldn't have become the Dark Dragon. Without your support, perhaps Her Majesty Lilian wouldn't have made such a decision..."

"I'm just trying to do what I can, Miss Lydia... But sometimes, I do want to call it quits."

Unknowingly, Rhode addressed Lydia as 'Miss' instead of 'Your Highness'. In fact, when he heard her words, he also let out an inward sigh. He recalled the days when he first transmigrated to this world. Back then, he simply wanted to live and help the Munn Kingdom change its fate of being destroyed. Then? What would it be like later? Back then, he couldn't have thought about it at all. But now, everything was different.

Not only had he become the Void Dragon, but he also had the fate of the entire Dragon Soul Continent on his shoulders. If someone said this to him at the beginning of his journey, he would have thought that person was a psychopath. After all, even in the later stages of the game when he transmigrated to this world, their goal was to only defeat the Void Dragon and prove that Starlight was deservingly the number one guild in the Dragon Soul Continent. As for what the future of the Dragon Soul Continent was... Not even he thought about such a distant question.

But now, he had unknowingly become the leader of the entire Dragon Soul Continent. He was even going to transmigrate the entire continent to another world to find a safer and more peaceful life. Such a change in identity had never occurred to him before.

Besides, he didn't only change his own fate, but the others' too.

Lize didn't die in the crash of the floating boat. Marlene was freed from her original fate, even awakening to become one of the deity wardens. Erin went from being the moon princess to the moon queen. Anne went from being an ordinary mercenary to the child of an elemental lord. The destinies of the people around him changed one by one. He had never thought about this before, but this time, after feeling rather moved by Lydia's words, he suddenly found out that he had done so much more without realizing it...

If he treated this entire journey as a huge mission, did that mean the mission would be over after he successfully transmigrated the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system?

But would things get easy for me after this mission is over? The threat of Chaos may be gone, but what about the future of the Dragon Soul Continent?

At this thought, Rhode felt somewhat bored all of a sudden. He could imagine that even if he transmigrated to the solar system, it didn't mean that the Dragon Soul Continent would be able to live in peace and tranquility for the rest of its life. Maybe he would have to deal with Earth as the Void Dragon sooner or later. He felt a little unmotivated. This kind of feeling... was similar to the struggles of having to finish finals and deal with piles of holiday homework before one even had the time to relax.

"The sapling will someday grow into a towering tree, but it will also bear fruits and scatter its seeds on the ground. Mr. Rhode, I don't think you need to be in such a hurry... Do you know what I mean?"

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing Lydia's words, Rhode felt a little dubious. He lifted his head and looked curiously at her. Even though he was used to her poetic speaking style, this time, he realized that she actually meant something behind her words.

"Miss Lydia, I don't really understand what you mean."

"You will know it one day, Mr. Rhode."

Facing his question, Lydia smiled.

"Well, no matter how big an ancient tree is, its presence can't shroud the entire land. Its seeds, on the other hand, will drift and spread in the wind, eventually growing into a forest. So I think you might not need to worry too much about that."

Lydia said and came to a pause. Then, she said something totally irrelevant.

"Recently Erin doesn't seem to be feeling too well."

"..."

Upon hearing her remarks, Rhode's eyes glinted.

Because at that moment, he recalled something.

Even though his dragon soul powers were scattered, he was still the Void Dragon in terms of race. On the other hand, Erin, as the dragon soul heir, had the race of the Dark Dragon, to begin with...

Since we are dragons and Lydia is beating about the bush...

At this thought, Rhode was bewildered.

It can't be...!

Chapter 1309: Angel and Dragon (2)

If this were a television program, Rhode definitely would have heard this opening: "Spring is here. Snow and ice are starting to melt and everything is coming back to life. It's mating season. In the Dragon Soul Continent, wyverns from the land of darkness and dragons from the Void Territory came all the way here for the flourishing of the races..."

But.... This wasn't Animal Planet[1]!

Rhode was skeptical about Lydia's words. After all, she didn't explain it clearly and was the kind of person who always liked to bring in similes in her speeches, which sounded particularly ambiguous when listened to closely. But he knew that she must be hinting something towards him since she and Erin were best friends. Rhode was also well aware that they shared gossip that couldn't be said to a man with each other. It had nothing to do with how close they were, but it was simply a difference in identities. It was just like how Marlene and Lize often whispered secrets between themselves. Well, he didn't know what they were talking about and, of course, even if there wasn't anything about him, it would be embarrassing if their private conversation was overheard by him. Beyond everything, girls were also really bold when it came to private communication. If Lize and Marlene were discussing whose body Rhode lasted longer in, wouldn't he be asking for trouble if he were to hear it?

Erin and Lydia were best friends, not to mention the fact that in order to coordinate with the troop movements of the Country of Darkness and Country of Light, both sides must have contacted each other a lot. It would be reasonable to say that during this period, they must have exchanged some private talks.

But even so, Rhode didn't understand the true meaning behind her words. At least, for the time being, news about Erin feeling unwell was certain. Of course, he didn't react too agitatedly or nervously. Even though he was bewildered at that possibility, he was still calm in front of Lydia. He merely inquired a few more questions about Erin's health and Lydia also didn't seem to be dwelling on it, so the topic was considered to have ended for now.

But after the tea session was over, Rhode apparently couldn't keep his cool any longer after returning to his room. Fortunately, he was already prepared... Didn't Angelina remain in the Country of Darkness for this?

Angelina was like a fish back in water after returning to the Country of Darkness. Even though she adapted well in the Void Territory, she had never forgotten about restoring the pride of her vampire family. Rhode didn't disagree with her, but wasn't supportive either. Because the reproduction method of vampires was different from other races. Perhaps one should say that the reproduction method of undeads was distasteful to other races. No matter what, the Void Territory was a nation full of mortals. Angelina wasn't foolish either, which was why she kept her intention only to herself. After Rhode sent Angelina over to aid Erin, it was considered the perfect timing and opportunity for Angelina.

Comparing the Country of Darkness to other countries, the biggest advantage for Angelina was the difference in their values. Other countries might have poor systems in place, but mortals regarded their lives highly. But the Country of Darkness was different. After hundreds and thousands of years of brainwashing, humans in that country wholeheartedly accepted their lowly ranks and status. If it were humans in other countries, they would definitely not offer their lives to undead creatures and whatnot. Meanwhile, humans in the Country of Darkness would be as joyous as striking the lottery upon hearing that they were the 'lucky ones' chosen to be converted into undead creatures.

It was a supreme honor and also a Cinderella story to them. Losing their lives wasn't the end, but a new beginning instead. If undead creatures were willing to resurrect their human corpses, it was considered the best reward for humans in the Country of Darkness. This was the result of thousands of years of brainwashing in the Country of Darkness. If not, how would humans, as mortals, possibly live an honest life in a nation of death until this very moment?

Such twisted values were deemed insanity in the eyes of foreign mortals. Despite that, it was apparently better for Angelina. Besides, Erin also needed to strengthen her forces, which was why she supported Angelina's movement. Furthermore, Angelina had been thinking of restoring her family's glory for centuries, so she definitely had a plan in mind. In the past, she was weak and had no strong background. But after she became a supporter of Rhode and Erin, regardless of whether she was willing or not, she performed well like a fish back in the water. With each passing day, she grew in individual strength. Of course, she knew how to please Rhode too. According to her, she searched for plenty of young, beautiful female vampires as 'gifts' for him in the future. Even if the vampires couldn't work under him or enter his harem, he could still have some fun if he wanted to.

One had to admit that as a subject, Angelina was rather talented at reading Rhode's mind.

"Master, is anything the matter?"

Rhode called out for Angelina through the spiritual communications. Upon hearing his calling, Angelina seemed a little surprised as he seldom contacted her. At the very most, he would inform her to pass a message to Erin to meet up and such. As for the relationship between Rhode and Erin, Angelina naturally noticed it. But she was happy to see it happen since it was also beneficial for her. Even though Angelina was considered one of his useful subordinates, she knew that he actually ranked her at the bottom and didn't care much about her.

But Erin was different. Three of the four legendary generals were dead, leaving Garcia to bear the brunt of the disaster. Angelina's return was also considered her becoming Erin's right-hand man. Her position in Erin's mind was far higher than in Rhode's ranking. Angelina also knew that with her identity and strength, it was impossible for her to be fighting for affection with the young ladies around him, which was why she might as well forget about it and focus on other matters. And now, upon seeing Erin and Rhode walking so close together, it meant that she had a good opportunity. As long as Erin were able to occupy an important position in Rhode's heart, Angelina would also rise in power... But now, it was rather bewildering that Rhode actually looked for her instead.

"Angelina, how is Erin doing?"

"Her Majesty Erin?"

Upon hearing Rhode's question, Angelina was surprised and soon, she quickly recalled the recent happening.

"Her Majesty Erin has been staying in Moon City all this while and handling important affairs of the Country of Darkness, as well as the mobilization of troops..."

"What about her health? How is she feeling?"

"Her health..."

Angelina fell into silence and knitted her brows. Frankly, undead creatures weren't particular about health because the dead wouldn't fall sick, and it was the same for Angelina. Apart from feeling uncomfortable under sunlight, undead creatures wouldn't fall ill to flu, fever, and whatnot. That was why she didn't notice too much earlier. But now that Rhode mentioned it...

"Her Majesty Erin has been eating less recently..."

Angelina wasn't sure. But she clearly remembered that Erin had indeed eaten much less. But this wasn't surprising of Angelina since undead creatures didn't need to consume three meals a day. That was why since Erin didn't have three meals a day, it was considered 'eating less', in her perspective.

"And?"

"Come to think of it, Her Majesty Erin seems to be feeling unwell too..."

"Hmm..."

At that moment, Rhode completely didn't consider how ridiculous it was to ask an undead creature about the health of someone. Meanwhile, Angelina also wasn't willing to let him think that she was a useless subject. Fortunately, she had been following Erin around everyday, so even if there was a misunderstanding... It shouldn't be far off.

After hearing Angelina's narration, Rhode finally got a grasp on Erin's situation. Unsure if she was just overly exhausted, she seemed to be really busy and ate much less than usual. She merely grabbed two bites and became unwilling to move. Not only that, but she was also dazed at times and often revealed uncomfortable expressions. However, she had high self-control in this regard, where only Angelina who followed her around all day like a personal maid noticed it. If it were anyone else, perhaps one wouldn't have noticed any problems with her at all.

However, even though Rhode received some information about Erin from Angelina, he was still hesitant. Frankly, he spent countless nights with different women, but Canary was the only one who got pregnant. Although he had a child with his younger sister, the child wasn't conceived from his younger sister, but was born through the merging of their souls. If not, with the younger sister's weak body that was under examination in the hospital all day, her pregnancy would have been discovered a long time ago.

Of course, considering his younger sister's age back then... It didn't seem likely to happen.

After transmigrating to the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode slept with even more women and yet, none of them got pregnant. Although the Dragon Soul Continent was different from Earth and didn't have a care in the world about contraception, currently no one had been impregnated by him. According to Christie, this was because Rhode's dragon attributes were too strong and ordinary races wouldn't be able to withstand his strength. That was why it was hard for them to get pregnant. Of course, it wasn't entirely impossible. There were dragon hybrids among the half-beasts; it was just that the probability was like one in 10,000, so he hadn't become a father yet.

That was why his concept of pregnancy was pretty much the same as any other man's—women would mostly begin to favor eating sour food, vomit at times, and show other common pregnancy signs. But the thing was that they were humans, while he was surrounded by basically no human bedfellows other than Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. Lize was an angel hybrid, Anne was a half-beast, Marlene was a deity warden, Lapis was an elf, Gillian was an elemental half-beast, Nell was a dark elf, Angelina was a vampire, Celestina was a demon, and Erin was the Dark Dragon...

Come to think of it, would pregnancy be the same for dragons and humans? A deeper question was... Would it be an egg or a fetus?

All of these were tough questions...

Rhode had never imagined that he would actually have to seek out information on this. But now, he had to resolve this matter on its own. Erin hadn't told him about it, probably because she wasn't certain herself, which wasn't entirely impossible. From what he observed, the Dragon Soul Continent was downright backwards when it came to sex education. The average woman simply didn't have that knowledge. Anne, for instance, was still convinced that all children in this world popped out of rocks and were picked up by someone else later. Rhode was speechless at that, especially considering her origins... And like Marlene and aristocratically educated ones like Lize, while they weren't as naive as Anne, their knowledge of this topic was simply that this behavior could create a child, but the symptoms of pregnancy weren't really taught to them. That was why it was common that many people didn't know they were pregnant. So it was also possible that Erin hadn't noticed it herself, but Lydia sensed the possibility and was just beating around the bush to remind him.

Another possibility of Erin not informing Rhode was that perhaps she realized the symptoms, but wasn't too sure herself. Because in this world, there weren't pregnancy kits or maternity hospitals for her to do checkups. That was why she might not be aware of it, but mentioned this issue to Lydia during their private talks. After all, a chat between best friends was often most relaxing. After hearing Erin's words, Lydia raised this matter to Rhode, which wasn't entirely impossible.

Of course, all of this was established on the fact that Erin was indeed pregnant, which Rhode hadn't even figured out the truth yet.

This was the first time Rhode found Lydia's bourgeois prose to be a real pain in the butt. And if she expressed herself properly, she could save him a lot of grief. But with the metaphors and analogies... It wasn't like they were doing reading and reflections! Should he empathize with the feeling of agony and frustration of the author just from the description of falling leaves and flower petals? Should he feel the sadness of a devastated country during times of upheaval? Maybe the author simply wrote it without much thought after seeing a falling flower petal out his window! Who knew!

Of course, it was too late now for him to head back and demand Lydia explain herself. After all, this was his personal problem and would make him seem a little on edge.

But he wasn't entirely out of ways to find the answer.

After all, he had someone around him who was knowledgeable in this field.

"Child?"

Upon hearing his question, the younger sister blinked curiously, before looking dubiously at him.

"Didn't we already have Christie, Big Brother? Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

"It's just one of my thoughts when I'm bored..."

It went without saying that he wouldn't tell his younger sister the truth. Even though his younger sister didn't stop him from having a harem, he wasn't that foolish to spread this news. But come to think of it, when he raised this doubt to the younger sister, he suddenly realized that he might need to consider this issue seriously. After all, if he were to become a father, there would be more than one potential mother...

"Don't you worry about getting pregnant with a baby when we haven't even done any safety measures here? Besides, your body right now...."

Upon hearing his words, the young lady revealed a gentle smile. She extended her arm, caressed her belly, and spoke with a smile.

"Don't worry, Big Brother. I've completely restored my strength and health. Even if I'm pregnant, my body will not be hurt."

The younger sister came to a pause with some hesitation. But eventually, she continued.

"Besides... I think even if I do get pregnant, you don't need to consider this problem now, Big Brother."

"Why?"

Upon hearing her response, Rhode was taken aback. Logically speaking, shouldn't she consider how she should take care of herself after being pregnant?

"If we were humans, things might indeed be so. But Big Brother, we are dragons now, and a dragon child will have a different birth cycle. If I were to conceive your child in a human body, I will indeed give birth to the child in nine months. And even after the child is born with characteristics of a dragon, the child will still grow up like a normal human just like Christie... But I've restored my identity as the Void Dragon. So even if I bear your child, I won't give birth as quickly as humans. Besides, the child will also take longer to grow up than humans do."

"I see..."

Upon hearing the younger sister's response, Rhode nodded. He had never expected something like this to happen.

"So how long do dragons need to give birth to a child?"

"Hmm... About..."

Facing his question, the younger sister pondered for a few moments before showing a wide, gentle smile.

"30 to 50 years, at the very least."

She replied.

[1] An American multinational television channel.

Chapter 1310: Angel and Dragon (3)

"At the end of the day, I still made my way here."

Gazing at the castle bathed in the moonlight, Rhode couldn't help but scratch his head and mutter to himself.

Based on the news from his younger sister, it seemed like a pregnant dragon needed 30 to 50 years to give birth to her child, which explained the low birthrate of several powerful races. The process of conceiving a child was more than half of the human lifespan. Moreover, even after the child was born, the child also required a long, long time to grow from a young age. Take Erin, for instance. She lived for four to five centuries since she was born, and despite that, she looked like a 16 or 17 years old. This went to show how slow dragons grew, which kind of put Rhode's mind at ease a little. Because even if Erin were really pregnant with his child, she didn't need to fight against Chaos with a big belly. After all, no matter how busy his side was, the situation wouldn't last more than a year or two. And according to the younger sister, even if Erin did conceive his child, the effects on her would be basically zero. After all, a dragon's body was still really strong and healthy, and normal injuries wouldn't affect the child too much either.

But even so, Rhode eventually came to the Moon City. Although he wasn't sure about Erin's pregnancy, those words from Lydia also weren't entirely not reliable either. However, since Lydia mentioned about Erin's weak health, there had to be no doubt about it. That was why after serious considerations, Rhode finally decided to check on Erin. Even if he didn't discuss anything about her pregnancy, he had to care for her in terms of her identity as the Dark Dragon. After all, the combined strength of the five Creator Dragons were needed to open the plane channel in the future. If Erin were to get into a mishap like her big brother, things would be much more troublesome.

As the Darkness Capital had been demolished into scraps by Lapis's Plane Destruction Bombs, it was inevitable for the Country of Darkness to move its capital. In the end, Erin chose the Moon City, located in the southwest and in the middle of the Moonlight Forest, as the new capital city of the Country of Darkness. This land was Erin's, to begin with, and could also be considered her villa. Although it was a bit out of place to be used as a capital of a country, the Country of Darkness itself had also lost a large chunk of territory, so it was like a perfect match...

But after witnessing the Moon City for the first time, Rhode had an inexplicable feeling of déjà vu.

In the shimmering moonlight, the white, towering castle by the sea glowed softly against the darkness of the night and seemed incomparably bright in comparison to the pitch-black ocean under the night sky. For some reason, upon seeing the Moon City, Rhode couldn't help think of the Munn Kingdom's Golden City. Although the geographical locations weren't quite the same, both cities felt equally beautiful and mesmerizing. The Golden City was as dazzling as the sun, while the Moon City was as bright and crisp as the moon. Looking from a distance, the Moon City was built on a peninsula surrounded by a dark ocean, glowing brightly like a full moon in the night sky. No one could ignore its brilliance.

It seemed like it wasn't without reason that Erin and Lydia were so close with each other.

"Master, you're here."

With Rhode's identity, he didn't need to inform of his arrival beforehand. As a matter of fact, before he arrived, he had already informed Angelina through spiritual communication. At that moment, Angelina stood at the entrance of the Moon City, ready to welcome him. Upon seeing his arrival, she stepped forth and bowed immediately. She intended to hold a grand welcome for him, but he wasn't interested in such formalities in the slightest. Besides, it would also waste his time, so he rejected her idea. This time, only Angelina was here by the entrance to invite him in.

Despite being a city of undead creatures, the Moon City was much more livelier than other cities. After all, this was Erin's fief, and she was quite fond of humans. For that reason, there were more humans in the Moon City as compared to other cities. According to Angelina, this place was also a territory shared between her and Garcia. However, she was in charge of the east, while Garcia watched the coast in the west. That was because undead creatures disliked the ocean, which was the opposite of humans. Come to think of it, Rhode was really curious as to how these people were going to fish a land of eternal darkness. That would be a problem too, wouldn't it?

But this time, he didn't come to the Moon City to explore their customs.

"Where's Erin?"

Following Angelina into the Moon City, Rhode sized up the castle around him and asked casually. He had to admit that this place was really made to Erin's liking. At a glance, one could see expensive artwork hanging along the corridor. And in addition to the paintings, there were also some unknown, ancient artifacts dug out from the ruins that were very pleasing to the eye under the illumination of luminous pearls. Rhode estimated that if all the treasures in this corridor were to be recovered, they would be worth enough to buy half of Casabianca.

"Her Majesty Erin is handling some government matters right now, but it is also about time for afternoon tea."

Angelina said, leading Rhode further down the corridor. Along the way, beautiful young ladies in maid costumes bowed to them. But what astonished Rhode was that he sensed that they were mostly ordinary humans and not undead creatures at all. This felt rather strange because earlier, judging from the information that Angelina gave him, it sounded like her forces had clearly expanded. But now... It seemed like she wasn't as successful as he had thought.

"What's with the maids?"

"Her Highness Erin still prefers humans more, and because of what happened to His Majesty Ion before, Her Highness Erin isn't really that fond of vampires anymore. That's why I didn't get my subordinates to serve Her Highness Erin. My subordinates are responsible for foreign diplomacy and intelligence reconnaissance at the moment. The maids here are all dispatched by Sir Garcia. In terms of loyalty, there is no problem."

"I see."

Upon hearing Angelina's explanations, Rhode nodded. He had also gotten Angelina's report about the dealings between Ion and the vampires, so naturally, Erin must have also witnessed that scene as well. It made sense that she wasn't very fond of vampires. If it weren't for the fact that Angelina had always been on good terms with Erin, it would have been impossible for her to get the support she received from Erin now.

But looking at the indignant way Angelina talked about Garcia, it was clear that she felt rather upset, which was quite a normal reaction. To put it bluntly, the Country of Darkness was a nation of death, and mortals had no place here. Even amongst the four legendary generals, the one with the lowest status was, in fact, Garcia, not Ashvril, the reason being that Garcia was human. That was why Angelina was unhappy with Garcia. Although Garcia, being one of the four legendary generals, was powerful and wasn't going to live less than 100 years like an ordinary human, he couldn't be compared to long-lived undead creatures. Despite that, he was still valued highly by Erin, so it wasn't surprising that Angelina felt a little depressed about that.

However, it wasn't something of Rhode's concern. He roughly guessed that Erin was doing this to check and restrain the power of her men. But this was an internal matter of the Country of Darkness, and he had no right to interfere. It was also true that Angelina's desire for power was a bit too strong. If she didn't restrain herself, it would be hard to guarantee that she could achieve her goal of becoming one of the four legendary generals.

On the other hand, Angelina also didn't seem to have the intention of letting Rhode put in a few good words to Erin for her. Angelina casually mentioned this topic, but their conversation quickly returned to the right path.

"How is Erin feeling lately?"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Her Majesty Erin... She isn't acting strangely from before, so everything should be fine."

Upon hearing Rhode's question, Angelina hesitated for a while and eventually answered. As a matter of fact, after Rhode looked for Angelina and inquired about Erin, Angelina volunteered to be Erin's personal servant again. Of course, with her identity, she couldn't possibly be by Erin's side 24/7. But in response to her master's expectations, Angelina bit the bullet and gave Rhode the answers he wanted.

"I see..."

Rhode responded plainly to Angelina's reply.

... She's got nothing on her end. Looks like I can only rely upon myself then.

And the moment this thought came up in his mind, Angelina gaped with a difficult expression, pondered for a while, and said.

"Erm... Master, although Her Majesty Erin is fine, she did face some trouble recently."

"What trouble?"

Rhode asked with a twitched brow. Upon hearing his question, Angelina thought about it, but eventually continued.

"... According to my investigation, there seems to be someone chasing Her Highness Erin..."

"Oh?"

Facing this surprising answer, Rhode's eyes glinted in a cold flash. Who was so daring to grab food from his mouth? Erin was his woman. Even though no one was aware of their relationship except for themselves, even without this matter, wouldn't Erin's identity as the Dark Dragon stop every suitor? Someone was actually so brave to chase the Dark Dragon?

"What exactly happened? Who is so daring? Is he sick of living already?"

"Hmm..."

Angelina revealed an awkward expression.

"... I heard it's someone of the same race as Her Majesty Erin..."

"..."

Facing Angelina's response, Rhode twitched his brow, but eventually said nothing.

Just like that, under Angelina's lead, both of them arrived outside Erin's study. Then, Angelina raised her arm and knocked the door gently.

"Her Highness Erin, His Majesty Rhode is here."

"Please come in."

Upon hearing Erin's reply, Angelina opened the study door and gestured an invitation to Rhode respectfully. Without saying a word, he walked straight into the study. This was the first time he had been in Erin's study. Unlike Lydia's splendidly atmospheric and luxurious-looking room, Erin's study was more chic and beautiful, decorated with a pure white sofa, scarlet velvet curtains, pale yellow carpet, and mahogany bookshelves. With the burning fireplace at the side, the study felt warm and comfortable. It wasn't until he entered the room that he deeply felt the difference between the living and the dead. Although Erin was the Dark Dragon, she was a living creature, after all. Instead of making her study like the ice-cold catacombs of undead creatures, it was filled with a homely warmth.

It gave a deep-seated sense of peace and tranquility, especially under this eternal night sky in a country filled with coldness and death. Not only that, but it also gave him an illusion of wanting to lie and rest here forever.

"Mr. Rhode."

Upon seeing him, Erin stood up from her desk with a grin, walked over, and greeted him. It was obvious that she was happy about his arrival. Even though she spent secret nights rolling in bed with him, her status was on the line, after all. Marlene and Lize could keep him company, while Anne could climb into his bed whenever and wherever she wanted. On the other hand, Erin wasn't that 'fortunate'. As the Dark Dragon, she spent most of her time on the Country of Darkness. Not to mention, the entire country was in a mess because of what happened to Ion. Not only that, but she also spent a lot of time appeasing the restless undead creatures. That was why she had minimal time to meet him. They even had to race against time to carry on a clandestine love affair, so it was impossible for them to even have time for proper romance.

That was why Erin was delighted to see Rhode show up all of a sudden.

"Why are you here? How is the front line? I heard from Lydia that the previous battle wasn't too great."

"There's been no problem as of late. Chaos doesn't look like it's planning to attack soon after we drove it away last time. That's why I came over to see you..." Rhode paused briefly, sized up Erin, and stopped his gaze at her abdomen. But to his relief, there didn't seem to be any significant bump as her figure was still smooth and gracefully curvy. Of course, many women's bodies were so well maintained that they didn't look pregnant at all, except during the last few months. If it were before, Rhode would have been a little worried. But after learning from his younger sister that it would take at least 30 to 50 years for a dragon to give birth to a child, he was much more relaxed, and Erin didn't realize anything wrong. After scanning her body for a few moments, Rhode withdrew his gaze and asked "... By the way, I heard from Lydia that you're not feeling well lately? What happened?"

"I just overworked myself a little. It's nothing to worry about, Mr. Rhode."

In response to his question, Erin responded frankly and didn't seem to be hiding anything. Her expression was still as soft as ever, showing a calm smile, while a deep attachment and happiness could be detected from her eyes. It did seem as if there was nothing worth caring too much about.

"To be honest, I've always been reluctant to do these jobs in the past. So when Big Brother forbade me from getting involved in politics, I didn't have any objections. After all, these things are such a pain. I didn't expect myself to be doing them now. It really gives me a bit of a headache..."

Erin said and held her forehead as though she were really dejected.

"If I could, I would prefer to return to my leisurely and carefree life so that I can follow you around, Mr. Rhode. But unfortunately, it looks like I'm not so lucky."

"You should rest more if you're tired. Look at Lydia; she has been a duchess for so many years and solves most troubles by sending out her subordinates. You don't have to do everything yourself. Just leave some matters to people you trust..." Rhode replied and couldn't help but look at Angelina, who was standing respectfully beside her. "Anyway, unlike you, they won't be overworked. So make the most of them."

Just like that, Rhode sold Angelina out in front of her face.

Rhode didn't notice that when he mentioned Lydia, Erin's eyes glinted with an odd smile. After Rhode finished his sentence, the smile in Erin's eyes disappeared immediately, which was why he didn't realize anything strange. Facing his words, Erin forced a bitter smile.

"I would like to do that if it were possible, Mr. Rhode. But the Country of Darkness is in a terrible shape now. Besides, I've been having a little trouble lately..."

Knock knock knock.

As Erin spoke, someone knocked on the study door all of a sudden. Upon hearing the knocks, Erin let out a subtle, helpless sigh and said.

"Who is it?"

"Reporting, Your Highness Erin, Sir Kolt is here to ask for an audience."

"Sigh..."

Upon hearing the maid's report, Erin let out a long, powerless sigh. Then, she lifted her head and winked playfully at Rhode.

"This is my other trouble, Mr. Rhode. It gets really troubling to have such an admirer, don't you think?"

Chapter 1311: Angel and Dragon (4)

"Admirer?"

Upon hearing Erin's sigh, Rhode twitched his brow.

"During this period?"

"Yes, it is precisely due to this period. Sigh... What a headache."

Facing Rhode's doubt, Erin spread her arms apart helplessly and explained to him. The cause that started everything was her brother, the former Dark Dragon, Ion. Although he was killed by Rhode and Erin, he left behind quite a few troubles. Among them, the one that gave Erin the biggest headache was the Dragon Cemetery of the night wyverns.

For Erin and Rhode, the trouble Ion caused didn't really have much to do with them per se. Ion had only gone mad after being influenced by Chao. Even if he had taken the Dark Dragon's status as a dragon soul heir by less than honorable means, it had been his own doing. Erin was a complete outsider. But it didn't look that way to the night wyverns. Both Erin and Ion were a family, anyway, and as far as the night wyverns were concerned, it was a matter created by them. Moreover, the fact that Ion actually took the ancestors' corpses and sold them to Chaos enraged the night wyverns further. Although Ion was dead and Erin had solemnly apologized to the night wyverns, in the words of Earth, what was the point of having police around if an apology would suffice?

The dragon race had always taken the issue of corpses very seriously, not to mention the fact that Ion sold them to Chaos, and among them were many ancestors of the night wyverns. It was impossible to put the matter to an end with just an apology. So even though Erin apologized to the other dragon races, she didn't receive any favorable responses. And because of that, she was unable to mobilize the night wyverns at all. Even though she had now become the true Dark Dragon, where she had all the power to make the night wyverns, who were her dependents, do things for her, if she really did that... The night wyverns would definitely revolt. That was why until now, the night wyverns hadn't participated in the war in the slightest.

Of course, it wasn't that Erin hadn't told them about the consequences of the Chaos invasion, but with this kind of conflict, the night wyverns naturally refused to believe her words. Ion had already lied to them once in the past, so who knew if the younger sister would follow her big brother's lead and trick and send them into their deaths? That was why Erin had no choice but to put the night wyverns aside for the time being and let them be. Right now, Erin would count her lucky stars as long as the night wyverns didn't mess things up for her. She was also not expecting much of them to help anymore.

And it was in this situation that Kolt launched his pursuit of Erin. On a normal day, he wouldn't dare to do so. But things were different now. Ion had sort of ruined their family's credibility, and Erin couldn't come up with anything trustworthy and reliable to reassure the night wyverns, so they finally decided to strongly support Kolt. This way, if Erin accepted Kolt's pursuit and both of them got married, it would be considered as Erin's proof of allegiance for the night wyverns and they would be relieved with this Dark Dragon.

It wasn't surprising that the night wyverns thought of it this way. As Rhode's and Erin's interactions were private, or rather really secretive, where only Angelina more or less knew (whether Lydia knew was another matter), Erin was still single in the eyes of outsiders. So it didn't seem like a big deal for Kolt to chase her. Of course, Kolt didn't do it to gain power because even if he married her, he wouldn't be able to become the Country of Darkness's ruler. But he didn't care about that as night wyverns themselves were of the same tradition.

In the dragon race, it was the task of the male wyverns to build nests, store treasures, and whatnot. They had to work hard to hone their fighting skills, build a larger and more ornate lair, and store more wealth, which was the only way to attract the opposite sex. And in the dragon race, females were always the strongest, and males couldn't match them in any way (Ion wouldn't be able to defeat Erin without the dragon soul power). That was why even if they got married, they would simply be storing up wealth in the nest and bringing up kids, while external affairs were managed by females. So Kolt didn't care if he gained any power or not in return because in the dragon race, males didn't have much power and status to begin with...

"Tsk, how boring."

After hearing Erin's narration, Rhode finally understood the whole story and the reason why even though she became the Dark Dragon, there was not a single night wyvern on the battlefield fighting against Chaos. Even though there were only a small number of night wyverns, they were still really powerful. The twin dragons had dispatched the rule wyverns into battle. With Erin's personality, she couldn't possibly stand idly by. And now, Rhode finally learned that it wasn't that Erin didn't want to, but that she simply couldn't summon the night wyverns.

It was actually really simple to resolve this matter. As long as Rhode announced to Kolt that Erin was his woman, the matter would be settled. No matter what, night wyverns were just night wyverns, who definitely knew to retreat and not steal the Void Dragon's woman.

But... Rhode couldn't do that now.

If it were any other woman, he would just open his mouth and say it. But Erin was different; she was the Dark Dragon. And if Rhode declared in public that she was his woman, he was certain that in a few days' time, this news would spread throughout the entire Dragon Soul Continent. By that time, the higher-ups of various territories would likely be concerned and he would get into a lot of trouble. Because Erin wasn't the only one in his harem. If he were to announce it in public, apart from Anne who didn't care about anything, the other discreet young ladies like Canary, Marlene, and Lize would inevitably feel depressed or something.

It was certain that if Rhode announced the news, most people on both sides would want them to get married soon. But that was never going to happen for him, not to mention the fact that it involved a first come, first served basis for the other women in his harem. If he didn't announce this news to his harem first, but announced that Erin was his woman directly to the entire Dragon Soul Continent, it was bound to be a recipe for disaster. He had already seen the consequences of almost picking the wrong route once with Lapis, and he wasn't prepared to experience it again. Not to mention, as much as he liked Erin, she was definitely not the first in line in terms of ranking.

In his mind, his younger sister was always his top priority. If he really wanted to get married, surely it would be a wedding between him and his younger sister before everyone else. Of course, the best thing to do would be to simply hold a mass wedding and everyone would just show up together. But now that Chaos was here... With Rhode and his harem busy fighting Chaos, they didn't have time for one. According to him, it was best to wait until the Dragon Soul Continent had transmigrated into the solar system. After everything settled down, he would then take care of these bothersome issues. In any case, these young ladies had followed him for a long time, so credit had to be given where it was due. The weddings must also be grand, which would show his attitude and sincerity.

Rhode initially decided to bring his harem back home and marry them after this war... But why did this flag seem so red?

Of course, Erin was aware of his troubles, so she never thought of bringing this out in the open. Moreover, they didn't have the luxury of time for that either. The Country of Darkness was in ruins, and aside from the fact that its citizens were more obedient than the Country of Light's, Erin had no less trouble than Lydia. Even though Lydia wasn't popular with the people, it wasn't easy for the people to rebel since most of their powerful beings were dead. But things were different on Erin's side. The undead creatures that sensed that something was wrong and survived until now were all converted human spirits. It wasn't that easy to make them willingly do things for Erin. It was also too late for her to get a headache now, so where even was the time for her to gloss things over?

According to Erin, Kolt was pretty stubborn, where he wouldn't leave until he met her almost every day, leaving her with quite a headache. What was worse was that if he didn't see her, he wouldn't cause trouble, but would stand outside the city and wait without saying a word. But no matter what, the Moon City was still Erin's city, so how appropriate would it look for a man to wait outside her city all day? Without a choice, Erin had to find time to meet and entertain him a little. On the other hand, that guy was also somewhat tactful. As soon as he saw Erin, he would say his goodbyes and leave soon after, which left her completely speechless.

"Hmph, what a boring trick."

Upon hearing Erin's complaint, Rhode let out a snort. Erin might not understand it, but Rhode clearly knew what was going on. It seemed like this guy named Kolt was a real piece of work. The method he used to chase Erin might seem stupid and inconspicuous, but it was obvious to Rhode, who had read the minds of numerous women. Sometimes, it was such clumsy and sloppy methods that worked best. Didn't Erin meet him helplessly without a choice? Although it was just a routine meeting that happened every day, it would become a habit over time and as soon as that guy disappeared all of a sudden, it might capture her attention. It wasn't an issue of whether Erin was worried about him, but was more about her instinctive response as a living creature. If this continued, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't get away with it someday.

It was a pity that even though this method might be useful on others, it was meaningless against Rhode's woman. The number of women around him was enough to form a platoon. He was the master of attracting women's attention and winning their hearts.

How dare this Kolt teach his grandmother how to suck eggs!

At this thought, the corners of Rhode's mouth perked up to reveal a gentle smile.

"So what are your plans, Erin?"

"What else can I do? I will just meet with him and send him away like before. Sigh, if it weren't for the sake of his mother, who is the matriarch of the dragon race, I would think that Lydia's idea of hitting him with a stick isn't that terrible..."

... That archangel sure is dangerous, from every aspect.

Of course, as a matter of fact, Rhode actually agreed with Lydia's suggestion. But now... He had a better idea.

"Alright, Erin, go and meet with him then. By the way, keep him here for a cup of tea this time. I'll be right back."

"Huh? Okay then... Mr. Rhode."

Facing Rhode's response, Erin was obviously really surprised. She didn't expect him to keep Kolt around. Frankly, she felt a little nervous. She knew that Rhode had a ruthless temperament. Although she would be glad to see his plans happen if Kolt was just an ordinary person, he was the son of the matriarch, after all. Even though male wyverns had no high status in the family, Kolt's mother held a pretty decent position among the night wyverns. If Erin were to let Rhode kill Kolt off, the situation would be considered best if the night wyverns didn't rebel in the slightest...

That was why Erin felt nervous when she heard Rhode's response. But as to what he was up to, she didn't pursue further. She knew that he was a calm and smart man. He must have already analyzed the pros and cons from what she said, and presumably wouldn't do something that hot-headed. That was why she didn't say anything and simply nodded in agreement. Upon seeing her reaction, Rhode nodded in pleasure, reached out his hand, and gently patted Erin's shoulder.

"Alright, head over there now, I'll be right back... Angelina, get me one of the finest guest rooms!"

"Ah. Okay. Please follow me, Master."

Angelina, who was also baffled by his order, locked eyes with Erin in confusion. Eventually, she nodded in agreement, left the study with Rhode, and headed deeper into the hallway. While Erin was puzzled as to what exactly Rhode was up to, she knew it wasn't nice to have a guest waiting outside, which was why she put the questions aside for the moment and headed down the other side of the hallway.

When Erin arrived at the parlor, the first thing she witnessed was Kolt seated on the sofa. This young man who belonged to the same dragon race as her immediately put on an enthusiastic smile after seeing her. Then, he stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Your Majesty Erin. I'm so sorry to bother you while you're busy..."

"It's fine, Mr. Kolt."

Upon hearing his speech, Erin criticized in her mind since he came everyday despite knowing that she was busy. However, even though she was displeased, she still showed a gentle smile as though nothing happened.

"Although I am busy with my affairs due to the arrival of Chaos, I can still afford to spare some time."

With some subtle sarcasm in her words, Erin sat down on the master seat. It wasn't until Erin sat down that Kolt also sat respectfully across from her. One had to admit that although Kolt was an annoying pest, he didn't come to pester Erin with nothing. Although both of them were in their human form rather than dragon form, Kolt's human form wasn't ugly and could even count as handsome. With his robust posture, he even looked a bit like a general who had experienced many battles.

Technically, they didn't really have much to talk about. In the past, Erin always wandered in front of him casually and left without even a greeting. On the other hand, Kolt was also quite interesting. He felt satisfied as long as he saw her, and he didn't ask for anything more. And today, after learning from the maids that Erin actually invited him to have tea together, he was elated.

It seems like my pursuits have finally moved this young lady!

However, Kolt wasn't aware of Rhode's arrival. After all, the latter always kept a low profile and there was no one welcoming him to this city with fanfare. Angelina was the only one who welcomed him, and even if she had bumped into several servants in the Moon City along the way, they didn't know of Rhode's true identity. That was why Kolt was also unaware that the Void Dragon was actually here. Otherwise, he couldn't have possibly stayed here looking so undisturbed.

Even though it was a simple tea session, Kolt was a pain in the butt for Erin, which was why she listened and responded with perfunctory courtesy to his nonsense. Although she seemed to be listening earnestly on the surface, she was actually quite puzzled as to what Rhode was planning to do. After all, it seemed to her like no matter how much Rhode intervened in the matter, nothing good would come of it with his tall identity. But it was also rather interesting to see that confident side of him. At the same time, she felt a little anxious waiting for the show to begin, to see what exactly he was going to do about this troublemaker.

Knock knock knock.

As wild thoughts ran through Erin's mind, someone knocked on the door. Upon hearing the knocking, Erin arranged her thoughts and said.

"Please come in."

Along with her words, the door to the parlor squeaked as it opened, and Angelina showed up before her. She swept a glance at Kolt, before bowing respectfully to Erin.

"Your Majesty Erin, sorry for the long wait. Miss Elizabeth has arrived."

Miss Elizabeth? Who's that?

Upon hearing Angelina's words, Erin was astonished. But fortunately, her expression remained unchanged as she said with a soft smile.

"I've been waiting for a long time and thought she wasn't coming. Please invite her in."

"Yes, Your Majesty Erin."

After hearing Erin's reply, Angelina smiled, turned around, and made a gesture of invitation respectfully.

"Please come in, Miss Elizabeth."

"Sorry for the wait, Erin."

In the sound of an ethereal, soft, and beautiful voice, an attractive young girl with pitch-black, long hair and donned in a pitch-black dress walked into the parlor.