1231-1238

Chapter 1231: Dark Region (15)

Verna was desperate.

Her two armies of reinforcements had crumbled, while the remaining dark elf mages basically went to her to take refuge. But come to think of it, these dark elf mages weren't outsiders in the first place. Back then, in order for Verna to protect herself from both of her daughters' conspiracies, she sneaked a group of spies into her daughters' families to monitor their activities. Due to that reason, it went without saying that these spies weren't devoted to their so-called 'matriarchs' and were the first to hide in the back of the army once battle commenced. That was how they avoided disaster and retreated to report the situation.

Upon hearing their reports, Verna was put in a tough spot. She realized she seemed to have made a rather foolish decision. She considered the situation from the perspective of dark elves, so it went without saying that she thought no matter how strong the enemies were, they were still a small group, after all. As long as she diminished their strength, even if she couldn't annihilate them all, she could still suppress their arrogance and teach them that Carlesodar City was a city belonging to the dark elves!

And that it was not a place for outsiders like them to act brazenly!

Verna was already ashen at the thought of this sentence. She felt as though she were slapped several times in the cheeks, and they were red and swollen now. Not only did she not force the enemies back, but she also sacrificed two families that she groomed with utmost care. Moreover, several smaller families were also implicated and buried to the ground. Right now, it was complete chaos for Verna.

As the largest city of the dark elves, Carlesodar was huge. Even though the underground was different from the surface, this city was about the same size as Casabianca and also divided into districts. Duergars and bugbears basically resided in the slave distract of the outer city. A little deeper inside would be the business district, followed by the district for dark elves. Despite that, as smaller families were weaker in strength, they were situated on the periphery of the inner district, while larger families were based in the core. That was why the inner city was categorized into civilian, lesser-noble, and core districts.

Rhode's group were currently located in the business district, while Verna's directions of attack came from the civilian and lesser-noble districts. As a result, the three districts were in complete disorder right now. The civilian district was turned into a living hell by Shira, where the dark elves were minced, becoming a part of the bloody battlefield without a chance of survival. The lesser-noble district also struggled and eventually collapsed to Angelina's undead army. Even though vampires weren't as skilled as liches at creating undead creatures, they were experts in creating ghouls. Well, this wasn't too surprising since many legends on this continent about one turning into ghouls after being bitten by vampires started from them. Even though Angelina wasn't that thirsty to sink her teeth into dark elves, she, who was born in the first vampire family, naturally possessed the ability to turn her victim into ghouls without sucking their blood.

Facing the sudden emergence of so many undead creatures, the nobles were apparently unready. They never anticipated a situation where undead creatures would attack them in their own city. Moreover, Anne had also transformed into the Elemental Spirit and flattened more than half of the entire lesser-noble district. Her wind element was undoubtedly an attack that ravaged the entire 'map'. As a result, some dark elf families who didn't send out their troops and decided to enjoy the show were killed by the lack of air despite being in the safety of their homes.

The families who survived struggled whilst at death's door. But before they pulled themselves together from the wind element's suppression, they faced an ambush from the sea of undead creatures. Not only were low-level troops like duergars and bugbears turned into undead creatures, but Angelina also manipulated countless dark elf corpses into becoming her able-bodied soldiers. In the end, those families resisted, but to no avail as they were swept away by the undead army's human wave attack. Meanwhile, those family members who weren't captured struggled and couldn't hold on for much longer.

On the other hand, it was even more miserable for the civilian district. Shira was entirely addicted. Other than those dark elves who fled upon witnessing the unfavorable situation from the start, none of the rest escaped. Shira was alone and didn't use any AoE skill to bombard the battlefield like Anne and Angelina—until the wave of explosive arrows struck her and she released the steel chains from her body like a huge spider web to envelop the entire civilian district.

It wasn't that none of the dark elves tried to escape. But as soon as they neared the steel chains, they were immediately shackled and minced to their death. Not only that, but Shira also continued to roam the battlefield, letting out a peculiar laughter as she smashed everything she saw, be it a building, person, or anything else...

Verna was also distressed over a thorny problem. Mini Bubble Gum practically charged her way over and slaughtered anyone who obstructed her. Right now, she had arrived at the east periphery of the lesser-noble district. Judging from her aggression, it seemed like she was about to barge her way into the core district and obliterate all the dark elves. The dark elf army was also utterly defeated by her. This young lady didn't seem to understand what limit and holding back meant as she eradicated everything in her path. Even if one weren't standing in front of her and were simply unpleasant to her eye, she would still murder one.

I don't care if you are good or bad; dark elves should all perish!

Carlesodar City was in a complete disaster. The core district rumbled as all sorts of dazzling, holy bursts of light thundered from time to time. The city was as though torpedoed by bomber aircrafts and the dark elves were about to be sent back to the Stone Age.

Meanwhile, hair-raising screams of victims and roars of undead creatures rang in the south and echoed within the tall, pitch-black cave, leaving one's hair standing. On the other hand, the west was in complete silence like a still, ice-cold cemetery. Perhaps not even the presence of life could be felt, not to mention voices being heard.

It was entirely out of Verna's prediction for Carlesodar City to be tormented to this degree. She didn't expect the enemies to be this powerful to ignore the deterrence of dark elves and launch attacks to eradicate anyone on sight. It was as though the dark elves who terrified everyone in the underground were nothing more than a group of free-range chickens. The enemies just couldn't care less about what the dark elves were capable of.

This feeling... This feeling... This feeling...

At first, Verna was enraged. Then, she panicked and was now terrified. It had been a long time since the dark elves tasted this feeling. In the past, even though the Dark Dragon had indeed crushed them once, that happened a long, long time ago, after all. No matter how long the lifespan of dark elves was, none of them lived right after the Creation War ended (especially considering their unique values in life). Therefore, none of the dark elves experienced that catastrophe. Even though they heard of relevant legends from word of mouth and through historical records, it was only after they experienced it themselves that they felt petrified.

What gave Verna a headache was that the entire hall was in loud clamors before she came up with any counter solution. She didn't know whether it was due to the continuous failures that made her reputation plummet or that the dark elves forgot the rules out of extreme fear for them to break out in huge quarrels in the hall.

But what they were fighting over was ridiculous. They were actually debating which enemy was the most terrifying.

The dark elves who were repelled by Anne insisted that Anne and Angelina were the enemies they should worry about the most.

We're all spell casters, but have you ever witnessed an Elemental Spirit? Even if you haven't seen one, you should have heard of it before, right!? How can we possibly defeat it? Also, that vampire created so many ghouls in the blink of an eye. It is obvious that she is definitely not someone we can defeat effortlessly. In that case, shouldn't we focus all our strength on her?

Meanwhile, the dark elves who were fortunate enough to flee from Shira stood firm that she was the scariest enemy. They had never seen a crueler murderer than her!

I think we should get rid of her as soon as possible. If she comes knocking on our door, none of us will be able to escape! So what if it's an Elemental Spirit? It's just a materialization of a spirit and the top 10 matriarchs should have ways to deal with it.

On the contrary, the mysterious undead creature was entirely different. The dark elves tried coming up with various solutions, but just couldn't figure out how to kill her. If Shira relied upon some skills and methods to defend herself, perhaps the dark elves could come up with some countermeasures. But the problem was that Shira didn't need any of that as she defended using her own flesh. Facing such an invincible enemy, the dark elves were at their wits' end. That was why the dark elves believed that Shira was their biggest threat, especially with her peculiar and frightening enjoyment while slaughtering her victims.

Upon hearing the complaints from both parties, the spell casters on Verna's side were instantly displeased.

The reason why you bunch here are yelping is because your families are ranked in the 20s and 30s. Even if the top 10 matriarchs were to send out humans to deal with the enemies, the former will surely defeat them, not to mention dispatching dark elves. The whole lot of you are exaggerating. In terms of danger, that petite young lady is the most dangerous!

The petite young lady they referred to was Mini Bubble Gum. She faced the elite army of the fourth family along the way, which was termed as one of the best armies in Carlesodar City. However, the army was utterly defeated by her and even some advanced mages were killed! Besides, judging from the intelligence they gathered, it was apparent to them that Mini Bubble Gum was the leader of her pack. Therefore, their priority should be to form an alliance to crush her. As long as they eliminated her, the others shouldn't pose an issue.

The quarrels between the three parties grew fiercer with one despising the other for being timid.

They can't even bear to witness some blood. What an insult to the honor of the dark elves!

The despised party was unwilling to admit defeat either as they reprimanded the other party for fleeing upon witnessing the Elemental Spirit, claiming that they were really weaklings.

If it weren't for you cowards, our family wouldn't have lost so quickly!

Meanwhile, the third party insisted that the other two parties were worthless trash.

We will show you what true power is! If you were the ones taking on that petite young lady, you wouldn't even dare to let out a fart!

The first and second parties were furious, of course. The first party yelled: "If you've the guts, go and check out how your matriarch choked to death due to the wind element!"

The second party also berated: "Perhaps you would faint once you witness how the Undead Puppet slaughtered everyone and wouldn't be standing here talking to us now!"

The quarrels between the three parties reached the point where they were about to break into a fight. They didn't even think that their actions had shattered everyone's morale. The dark elves who were stationed in the family premises were already feeling anxious over the constant reports of failure. And now, after learning just how terrifying and powerful the enemies were, they turned as white as a sheet. If it weren't for the exceptionally stern rules of the dark elves, perhaps they would have already made their escape. Even though they stayed around, their morale took a dive. It was almost certain that if the three parties were to break out into a fight, perhaps many of them would turn around and flee right away.

"Alright, shut up, all of you!"

Verna returned to her senses and snarled, realizing that the situation was far from good. Fortunately for her, she was the matriarch of the fourth family and her prestige hadn't completely gone down the drain yet. Upon hearing her rage, the dark elf mages in heated arguments and about to roll up their sleeves for a fist fight closed their wide-open mouths. They looked at one another anxiously. After venting their frustrations, the dark elves also knew that they were wrong to behave this way. They acted simply like moronic fans who hurled punches at naysayers to protect the image of their idols... But the problem was that they had no form of 'worship' toward those enemies at all.

"..."

Glaring at her subordinates, Verna didn't know what to do. According to her, these dark elves who spread rumors and fear should be executed on the spot. But it was a pity that Mini Bubble Gum and her group were pressing hard on them right now. Verna's side suffered huge losses with advanced mages lining up in their graves. And now, the dark elf mages who survived were still useful for the situation. It would be utterly foolish if they didn't die in the battle against the enemies, but in her hands instead.

What should we do?

Verna kept considering this question. She hesitated whether she should pull out her forces, but even she wasn't of aware whether she could do it in time. She also didn't know whether she held the authority to negotiate with the enemies because they were simply too powerful. Besides, judging from the situation, negotiation didn't seem to be able to bring the enemies any benefits. So what if Verna were to give them countless compensations? The enemies were still capable of barging into the treasure house of the fourth family and pillaging everything inside, wasn't it?

As for women? It was even more impossible. Mini Bubble Gum was a spell caster and there were lots of spells that could manipulate and even brainwash minds. If the enemies needed women, they could simply capture the dark elf mages, brainwash them, and do whatever they want. The dark elf mages also wouldn't be able to retaliate in any ways. No, when that happened, perhaps they wouldn't even know who they were.

What should we do now? Continue to fight to the death with the enemies?

In an instant, Verna was at a complete loss. According to the intelligence, even though Angelina and Mini Bubble Gum didn't seem to have the intention of advancing, the situation also wasn't looking anywhere better. Angelina was focused on expanding her undead army and it seemed like she intended to wipe out all of Carlesodar City at once. The other problem now was that Mini Bubble Gum was as though an insane person who smashed anything in her path. It didn't matter if anyone attacked her or not as they were thoroughly slaughtered the very next moment. Verna initially hoped that they would expend a lot of their strength and become weaker. But now, it seemed like Mini Bubble Gum was still going strong and could last for another day and night.

But Verna wasn't aware that while she was in a tough spot, a meeting regarding the fate of the entire city was going on in the peak of the towering stalactite building in the core district.

"It seems like we're in a horrible situation."

Matriarch Durelle curled up in the chair with a sneer, gazing at the other matriarchs who wore the same robes, embroidered with a red spider. Nine of the most authoritative matriarchs sat quietly on their chairs, exchanging gazes with one another. The huge mess caused by Mini Bubble Gum naturally alerted members of the top 10 families. While Verna was in a headache, the other nine matriarchs of the top 10 families gathered in secret and discussed their options.

Verna wasn't aware of this meeting. As a matter of fact, this meant that she and her family were abandoned. And now, the nine matriarchs naturally weren't discussing issues regarding the fourth family, but problems about their safety instead. Frankly, the dark elves were also bewildered that Mini Bubble Gum caused such a huge ruckus. They had never seen anyone so formidable and odd that she wasn't willing to listen to the words of others. The dark elves were at a complete loss.

Durelle, who raised the issue, was secretly glad that Verna's family had an idiot who attracted all the firepower over to her side. Fortunately for Durelle, her Bailey Family was safe and sound right now. If it weren't for that foolish daughter of Verna who tried to probe the situation and lured attention over, perhaps Durelle would be the one in deep trouble.

Even though Mini Bubble Gum hadn't slaughtered her way into the fourth family yet, it seemed like it was only a matter of time.

"..."

Facing Durelle's words, the other eight matriarchs remained silent. After a few moments, one of them puckered her brows and saidspoke

"Yes. So what should we do?"

"Giving up is our only option."

No names were mentioned. This was the consistent rule of the council. They never specifically mentioned the names of a certain family or matriarch. This was 'fairness' among dark elves. As long as no one said it, it didn't exist. As long as there was no evidence, one didn't need to admit one's fault. As long as there was no failure, there was only victory. That was why even though they didn't speak straightforwardly, everyone knew that person they were referring to wasn't present.

"But we aren't sure whether that is the best choice, right? Will our threats end just like that?"

At that moment, the matriarch of the third family asked with knitted brows.

The place fell into complete silence.

This was also one of their biggest doubts. Back then, even though Rhode said he was only passing through the city to reach his destination, judging from the situation now, it was no different from an all-out war. Although there were only five members in Rhode's group, no one ignored the fact that Rhode hadn't attacked yet. Moreover, the five of them were enough to flatten their paths. As soon as the core district crumbled, they would surely take over the entire city. When that happened, what should they do?

Should they just type 'GG' to the enemies?

Of course, they didn't know what 'GG' meant.

Even though Rhode said he was only traversing the city, what if his true intention was to attack the city in the first place? There was a possibility for that. The matriarchs knew that the surface wasn't peaceful right now through their own intelligence network. They were also aware that the alliance of the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom had been attacking the Country of Darkness constantly, while the Dark Dragon couldn't hold his ground. What if Rhode came here specifically to subdue them? It wasn't entirely impossible. Dark elves were a race who desired authority, where dominating everything seemed only right. If any of them were to think that Rhode wasn't interested in authority, they would simply treat him as an idiot or lunatic. Therefore, based on the current situation, the matriarchs believed that the possibility of Rhode taking down Carlesodar City and dominating the underground world was most likely.

This point reached a consensus among the matriarchs. But they couldn't agree on their next step. To dark elves, it seemed like nothing significant to change a ruler. But the problem was that they had no intention of giving up yet. No matter what, Rhode came to the underground and stirred trouble with them. If the dark elves were to shrink without saying a word, it went without saying what would happen to their reputation in this underground world.

And the pressing situation now was that Mini Bubble Gum was closing in on them. Angelina was also leisurely expanding her undead army, while Shira was massacring with grins and bursts of laughter. The three of them were having fun. In this one-sided situation, the dark elves were overwhelmed. Of course, it wasn't like they didn't have any ace in the hole. But...

There is a Void Dragon amongst them. The Void Dragon hasn't even attacked and Carlesodar City has already ended up in this pathetic state. What would become of the situation after the Void Dragon attacks?

"Matriarch Durelle."

All of a sudden, a voice shattered the silence and Durelle was instantly taken aback. She looked up and gazed at the figure in the middle seat of the round table. For some unknown reason, she felt like the situation was far from good for her.

"We hope you can represent us in visiting His Majesty the Void Dragon and seeking his true intentions. After all, we are at our wits' end right now."

Upon hearing this statement, Durelle's vision turned pitch-black.

Of course, she knew why she was selected.

At the same time, she also knew that she perhaps couldn't escape this responsibility.

Chapter 1232: Ceding Territory, Paying Indemnity

Rhode sat by the edge of his bed. The corners of his lips perked up into a gentle smile as he looked at Icy Snow, who had fallen into a deep slumber. The young lady's schedule never changed. She always slept at the time she indicated. Of course, before she fell asleep, she blushed and asked for a small request from Rhode.

And that was for him to tell her a bedtime story...

As a matter of fact, this was something that Rhode and his younger sister had always done. When Icy Snow was still a child, she spent a lot of time in their home as her parents were working. So it became a habit for Rhode and his younger sister to look after Icy Snow, which explained their close relationship. When Icy Snow was still a child, Rhode and his younger sister took turns to read her bedtime stories, and it also became Icy Snow's habit over time.

The god of destiny sure enjoys making fools of people...

Gazing at the young lady in deep sleep, Rhode shook his head. Frankly, one would suspect if Icy Snow was brought up too solemnly by her parents when she was a child whenever one witnessed how stubborn she was in following the times she set. Some even misunderstood whether she was suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people, including her teachers and classmates, thought that she was brought up by old-fashioned parents, and she merely had a strict curfew.

However, Rhode was the only one who knew that wasn't the case.

Of course, Icy Snow was indeed brought up by her parents, but none of them were free to watch over her at home. One of her parents was involved in foreign trade, while the other engaged in tourism, where they would only be home every other day. Of course, her parents treated her well. Not only did they buy all sorts of interesting, fun toys for her whenever they returned home, but they also showered her with concerns from time to time. Perhaps it was due to this reason that her parents were rather enlightened about their daughter's education. As long as Icy Snow didn't get involved with drugs or mix with the wrong company, they would be more than happy. As for what kind of path Icy Snow chose to take, they supported her fully.

Rhode lamented whenever he recalled this. Icy Snow and Canary were polar opposite cases. Icy Snow's parents adopted a laissez-faire style of education while Icy Snow grew up almost having obsessive-compulsive disorder with time. On the other hand, Canary's parents taught her sternly, which triggered a rebellious psychology in her and caused them to bring up an obedient, yet rebellious daughter...

Just... What can I say about that?

Rhode gave some thoughts and determined that it was a personality issue. Icy Snow was self-disciplined, which couldn't be considered common in people of her age, but through and through an elite and rare existence instead. In fact, even though she spent most of her time with Rhode and his younger sister, they were still teenagers at that time, despite them being older than her. Even though they exercised control over themselves, they weren't as strict as Icy Snow in treating themselves.

For instance, when a teenager played, there would often be times when the thought of 'it should be fine playing for a while longer', 'five more minutes', or 'I'll have dinner after watching this episode' came cropping in their minds. It went without saying that Rhode had such thoughts too, and the same went for his younger sister. But Icy Snow was special. Whenever time was up, she would move on to the next activity without fail.

Rhode clearly remembered when the TV station broadcasted an exciting adventure movie. However, as the movie lasted longer than usual movies that played for one and a half hours, it played for two hours and the most exciting part happened to crossover to Icy Snow's sleeping time.

Back then, Rhode and his younger sister persuaded her to finish the movie since it was at the climax and another half an hour wouldn't hurt. However, Icy Snow gnashed her teeth, looked at the television with a yearning stare, but eventually turned around and headed to bed. It was only later that Rhode realized that Icy Snow wept in the dark for not being able to watch the ending of that movie. But even so, she wasn't able to change this habit of hers.

Judging from this behavior of hers, it was obvious that she had a self-disciplined and strict personality. But it was due to this reason that her strengths were often overlooked. For instance, most people thought that Icy Snow was leading a tiring life and that became the focus of their attention. Meanwhile, it was also due to this reason that they neglected the fact that she was smart and talented. For instance, she spent two hours doing assignments, so why wasn't she concerned about not completing her assignments on time? Wasn't being able to handle everything in a neat fashion the reason why she was able to follow strictly to her schedule? Perhaps ordinary people could keep up with this for one to two days, but what if there was a sudden situation that cropped up? What if the workload increased? Who could guarantee that one could complete them in the stipulated time?

Judging from this point, it wasn't surprising that Icy Snow became the best far-range shooter in the Dragon Soul Continent. Ordinary players who played the game all day couldn't possibly accomplish this achievement. However, Icy Snow came online for only a few hours and yet, she was able to increase with her level and skills and keep up with Rhode.

That was what it meant to have true capability. If it were others, who could spend three hours on the game everyday and be capable of defeating powerful players who devoted themselves to the game wholeheartedly?

Unlike Icy Snow, Canary's personality was soft, but just. She was like a spring; the more one applied pressure, the more the recoil there would be. Therefore, facing the blame and coercion from her parents, even though Canary tolerated and took a step back, it didn't mean that she didn't have any thoughts of her own. If not, she wouldn't have a casual sexual relationship with Rhode and come up with ways to bear her own child.

Rhode couldn't help but let out a sigh. Among Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and Icy Snow, he was least worried about Icy Snow. It was because her parents treated her well and didn't force her to take on a path they planned like Canary's parents. Their entire family also wasn't in a vicious relationship like Mini Bubble Gum's family. The reason why their original selves were willing to follow Rhode to this world was that, to put it bluntly, they didn't have any feelings left for Earth. However, Icy Snow was different. She had a pair of parents who doted on her and also decent classmates and friends. She couldn't be compared to the other two at all.

"The destiny of humans sure is strange... Especially when different people have different choices. It will often bring about different consequences."

Rhode spoke softly. But at the next moment, he shifted his gaze to the shadow around the door in the distance.

"Don't you agree?"

"..."

Along with Rhode's question, the seemingly-empty shadow by the door warped all of a sudden. Shortly after, a dark elf clad in a pitch-black robe sauntered out of the shadows and approached him. There was an imprint of a vibrant, red spider on her robe, which was the marking of a dark elf. At that moment, the dark elf stooped over and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, respectful Your Majesty the Void Dragon..."

"Speak outside."

Before the dark elf finished her sentence, Rhode waved his arm and interrupted her words. Upon hearing his reply, the dark elf was taken aback. Then, she gazed at the asleep Icy Snow, turned around, and left immediately. Rhode stretched out his hand to arrange Icy Snow's hair, before turning over and leaving the room.

"Greetings, respectful Your Majesty the Void Dragon..."

The dark elf bowed to Rhode respectfully again in the corridor and said.

"I'm the matriarch of the Bailey Family of Carlesodar City, Durelle Bailey. We apologize on behalf of the reckless actions of the fourth family... I represent the council in offering our apologies. We didn't realize the intention of the fourth family beforehand, which brought forth such troubles and offended you."

As expected of dark elves; the ability to sell out their companions was always maxed out and they could even betray the whole fourth family. As for the dark elves and families who died in the civilian and lesser-noble districts, Durelle simply skipped over them with the casual mention of the word 'troubles'.

"Alright, cut the crap."

Rhode waved his hand to disrupt Durelle's words. The instant he heard her name, he knew exactly the reason why the council sent her over. It was apparent that they knew Nell was among his group and were using this fact to cotton up to him. Rhode wasn't amused at all, at least in the current situation. The reason for his arrival at Carlesodar City was simply to pass through the area and didn't want to stir more trouble...

Of course, gaining some benefits along the way was also a given, wasn't it?

"I'll get straight to the point. Are you ceding your territory or paying indemnity?"

"Huh?"

Durelle was taken aback by his question. As a dark elf, she wasn't comfortable with such direct and uncomplicated negotiations. She initially intended to pull some nonsense, but eventually decided to abandon this thought. She clearly knew that Rhode was one who attacked without speaking a word.

If I continue with the nonsense, I'm not even sure if I can leave this place in one piece.

At this thought, Durelle couldn't help but ask cautiously.

"Your Majesty, what you mean is..."

"Indemnity; and that is to hand over all the good stuff in Carlesodar City to compensate for our mental loss. As for the amount..."

Rhode pondered and calculated the dark elves' wealth that players gathered and revealed. As an underground race, dark elves had a whole lot of worthy items, especially magical equipment and treasures that left one in envy. Since Rhode was already here, he wouldn't be standing on ceremony, of course.

"... It shall be the assets of Carlesodar City, and just 70 percent of them will do."

"..."

Upon hearing his words, Durelle felt a shiver run down her spine. She swallowed her saliva and stared at Rhode carefully.

"What about the territory?"

"Simple."

Rhode responded calmly as though he had already made up his mind a long time ago.

"As long as all of you are willing to submit to me and become a part of the Void Territory, we will have no issues."

Chapter 1233: The Dark Elves' Choice

Facing Rhode's response, Durelle was completely speechless.

She was mentally prepared. As a matter of fact, when she heard his request, she heaved an inward sigh of relief. Matriarchs were most afraid of not knowing what was going on inside the other negotiator's head. Even though the matriarchs correctly guessed that Rhode was surely plotting something with Carlesodar City, for safety's sake, if the other negotiator said: "I don't want anything. I just dislike dark elves like you", the matriarchs could only head home and weep helplessly.

But now, Durelle felt restless because Rhode mentioned his conditions so effortlessly. It would be within the dark elves' expectations if he overwhelmed them with one aggressive statement or spoke calmly to give them a chance to make decisions. But now, Rhode's tone of voice was entirely as though he were saying: "Since I'm here, it would be a waste if I didn't get my hands on something before heading back."

There was no need to guess the true meaning behind that intention and it left Durelle depressed because she couldn't figure out whether Rhode was joking or being serious.

No matter what, since Rhode gave them two choices, they could only choose one no matter how unwilling they were.

But the dark elves disliked both choices.

Rhode said he wanted 70 percent of Carlesodar's assets, which was a huge amount. Of course, the dark elves could take their time, but Rhode apparently wasn't amused. Durelle was also aware that Rhode wouldn't wait for them to hand over 70 percent of their assets, but would seize all of them instead, before returning the remaining 30 percent to them...

And they weren't sure if he would even return the 30 percent.

Therefore, this was entirely a joke. Maybe Rhode only spoke casually because the operability was truly too low and he couldn't possibly not understand it. Rather than waiting for the dark elves to hand out their assets, Rhode would rather annihilate them all and take his time to recover the assets, wouldn't he? At least, judging from the current situation, Rhode was capable of messing over all of Carlesodar City.

The reason why Rhode gave them two choices was entirely for cover. But everyone knew that it was apparent he intended to lay hands on Carlesodar City.

Durelle's guess was right. Rhode had indeed decided to do it. But she didn't know that he actually came up with this idea after the group of idiotic dark elves caused trouble for him. Before that, Rhode was honestly passing through the city...

But now, he changed his mind. As the saying went, 'one chose to visit hell instead of heaven with its doors open', since the dark elves were so eager, he wouldn't mind taking advantage of them. However, despite the sudden idea, he had given it some serious considerations.

The underground races had always been unique in the Dragon Soul Continent. There was only one reason for that. Even though underground races were also inhabitants of Order, they didn't live under the dragon soul protection. Rules were most stable on the continent and even in lands of Chaos, rules wouldn't be eroded by Chaos.

Judging from this fact, it could be seen that the land itself possessed unique rules of Order. Due to that reason, creatures living in the underground were considered another force of Order because the underground world they resided in wasn't influenced by the dragon soul protection.

Be it the dragon soul protection of the Void Dragon, Judgment Dragon, Trial Dragon, Dark Dragon, or Light Dragon, it didn't influence the underground world too much. This was also why the Dark Dragon had to head down to the underground back then. His dragon soul protection was powerful on the surface, but it was a pity that it wasn't useful in the underground. If not, he didn't need to show up personally to deal with the dark elves and could simply manipulate the dragon soul protection to wreak havoc in the underground to make the dark elves go extinct.

But the Dark Dragon couldn't achieve it. So he had to do it personally.

This was what the dark elves once relied upon because even though they were inhabitants of Order, they didn't need the dragon soul protection. One of the reasons why they continued to follow the Country of Darkness was that its 'cultural atmosphere' was similar to theirs. The other reason was that undead creatures were their natural enemies. If they were to break into a war, the dark elves would definitely be crushed, which was why they gave in and became a part of the Country of Darkness.

And now, Rhode had the same plan in mind.

Of course, it wasn't like Rhode had a strong desire for power and yearned to control the surface and underground world like the Dark Dragon. The problem for Rhode was that he knew that the Country of Darkness was in a complete mess right now, where he wasn't even sure of how much Ion was under the influence of Chaos.

But he was certain that Chaos definitely wouldn't let this large slice of the cake off. On the other hand, the dark elves had no experience in dealing with Chaos. Rather than letting them be annihilated and assimilated by Chaos to increase their strength, Rhode would rather add them to his force. That was why he made this decision. It went without saying that he understood the dark elves' personality inside out. Even if he were to flatten Carlesodar City, they wouldn't possibly be willing to follow him.

But Rhode naturally had his ways to manipulate them.

After hearing Rhode's suggestion, Durelle didn't answer immediately. She pondered for a few moments, lifted her head, and bowed respectfully to him.

"My apologies, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. This matter is of major importance. I think we will need some time to discuss."

"You guys only have half a day."

Rhode said, waving his hand and turning around to leave. While gazing at his back, Durelle knitted her brows tightly, but eventually closed her mouth and strolled into the shadow. Shortly after, her slender figure blended into the darkness like a drop of rain falling into a pond, vanishing entirely.

***

Noon.

When the matriarchs of the council received the news from Durelle, they fell into silence.

They didn't feel relieved after receiving reports from the front. It could be seen that Rhode had no intention of stopping his assault even though he was in the midst of negotiation with them. Angelina continued to expand her undead army and attempted to upgrade them to death knights. Shira didn't seem like she would be satisfied until the blood of corpses across the land flowed into a river. Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum was carrying on with her massacre. Judging from her aggression, perhaps the core district she was in would collapse like the other districts in just three hours.

Durelle passed on to the council the two choices that Rhode had raised. Of course, the matriarchs treated the first choice as a joke and were more focused on the second option. Dark elves were naturally cunning and had a strong desire for authority. That was why they quickly realized that the reason why Rhode gave such choices was that he needed their strength in some areas. Even though they didn't know the exact reason, they were sure that it was related to the surface. Because no matter how formidable Rhode was, he was still an inhabitant from the surface and wouldn't stay in the underground 24/7. On the other hand, dark elves were genuine underground creatures. If Rhode had any scheme against the underground, manipulating the dark elves would be a good direction to start in.

"Is this the only choice for us?"

But even so, the matriarchs were unconvinced. Even though it wasn't like they weren't used to submitting to a dragon soul heir, the Country of Darkness spoke the same language with the dark elves, after all. As for the Void Territory? Other than them being tens of thousands of miles apart, could Rhode successfully beat the Country of Darkness?

The dark elves were also aware of the situation on the surface. During this time, the alliance of the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom didn't seem to have any intention of pressing ahead. Even though the dark elves weren't aware of the battle progress, it was apparent that the alliance faced some difficulties. If they agreed to submit to Rhode and he failed to resist the Country of Darkness and retreated, wouldn't they be facing the wrath of the Dark Dragon? When that happened, wouldn't they all be dead?

The only difference now was whether they would die earlier or later...

Was there still a need for consideration?

"I think we should make our decision now."

Durelle spoke softly. She swept a glance at the other eight matriarchs and smiled in her mind. Just a few moments ago, she came up with a rather decent plan. If she succeeded, she could regain the status of the first family in Carlesodar City...

"Everyone. Our choices are limited, aren't they?"

"Of course."

At that moment, the dark elf clad in a black robe and sitting in the center of the table spoke. Upon hearing her voice, Durelle narrowed her eyes.

The first family; the biggest obstacle of her progression.

And now, what would the first family do?

Would they give up on their authority?

"We, the first family, have decided to accept His Majesty the Void Dragon's proposal."

At that moment, the dark elf announced her decision.

Chapter 1234: Mark of the Dragon Soul

"The dark elves have decided to surrender?"

When Nell heard this news from Rhode, she was astonished beyond words. Shortly after, this dark elf with unique skin color puckered her brows and gazed at her master in uncertainty. She sized him up and tried to get a read on his face, but it was a pity that his face was as emotionless as ever.

"Your Majesty, please pardon my rudeness. Surely you don't believe in the matriarchs' promise, right?"

"Why can't I?"

Facing Nell's question, the corners of Rhode's mouth perked up into a confident smile.

"Dark elves are a bunch who keep their promises; at least, that is the case in certain aspects. Nonetheless, I think we do need spies in the underground too, don't you agree?"

"But..."

Nell gazed at Rhode speechlessly. She felt like his smile concealed a hint of oddness as though the situation wasn't as simple as she imagined. Although Nell was confident in her master's abilities, destroying the dark elves was one matter, while manipulating them was another, especially in the current situation.

"Your Majesty, isn't our most important mission right now to rescue Her Highness Erin?"

Nell blinked in confusion and asked.

"That's right. This is our mission."

Upon hearing her doubt, Rhode nodded.

"But it isn't yours... Nell, your mission is completed the moment you lead us to Carlesodar. Your next task is to gain control over the city in the shortest time possible... How about that, Nell? Aren't you interested in becoming the essential ruler of dark elves?"

"Me?!"

Nell couldn't hold in her emotions any longer. She widened her eyes in bewilderment, staring straight at Rhode. She couldn't believe that Rhode actually gave her a chance like this. Ruler of dark elves... This title was indeed tempting, but the problem was that Nell knew her own strength. She was just a fighter who couldn't cast spells. Strength was always the most crucial in the world of dark elves. In terms of physical skills, Nell regarded herself as the strongest in Carlesodar City. But in terms of spell-casting, she didn't stand a chance.

"But, Your Majesty..."

Nell just couldn't figure out whether Rhode was messing with her or not. She considered her words carefully and continued.

"... Please pardon my rudeness. I don't think I can do it."

"I'm aware of that."

Rhode squinted at her.

"But I will make you succeed."

Rhode replied and beckoned to her. Upon witnessing his hand gesture, Nell sauntered toward him in puzzlement. Then, she witnessed Rhode placing his right hand in front of her, where dazzling, brilliant starlight emanated and displayed a mark of a dragon in midair.

"Hold my right hand."

Upon hearing his order, Nell stretched out her hand without hesitation and held his hand.

At the next moment, Nell sensed a strong torrent of energy rushing into her body. All of a sudden, her entire body was bursting with strength. Not only did she feel the surging spiritual power, but she could also touch the rule threads. She widened her eyes in disbelief. If one were to show her reflection in the mirror, she would immediately notice that she was emanating faint rays of starlight from head to toe, while the mark of the dragon shone at the center of her forehead.

"Your Majesty, this is..."

Nell stared blankly at her hands. It went without saying that she knew what happened to her just now. In the blink of an eye, she gained immense strength that was beyond imagination. Her strength used to only be in the Master Stage. But now, she clearly felt like she was in the Peak Legendary Stage. Not only that, but in her head right now, there was also new wisdom that taught her how to control her strength and what she was capable of.

"This is the mark I bestow upon you."

Rhode announced. The dragon mark was a power that Rhode obtained after becoming a Void Dragon. He was able to bestow the dragon mark upon others, passing on part of the dragon soul protection to them, which was similar to the relationship between God and angels. Of course, the dragon mark wasn't completely flawless. Firstly, the power wouldn't belong to the holders permanently. If the holders were to do anything that didn't meet Rhode's expectations, he could revoke his dragon mark and bestowed strength. Secondly, the mark was also divided into high, medium, and low ranks. For instance, a high-mark holder would be absolutely dominant and superior over a low-mark holder.

This was the power that only belonged to the Void Dragon. Perhaps because the Void Dragon was the true creation God of the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode was able to create his very own 'dependents' to a certain degree. He didn't have a suitable purpose all this while and now, he finally found one. This was the reason why he wanted to dominate the dark elves' city. With the help of the dragon mark, he didn't need to worry about the dark elves betraying him because when that happened, they would find out that they couldn't refuse his orders at all...

"We, the first family, have decided to accept His Majesty the Void Dragon's proposal."

A crisp, melodious voice echoed in the meeting room. Everyone couldn't help but turn around and stare in bafflement as soon as they heard the first family's matriarch's decision. Many among them were doubtful as to why the first family's matriarch made her decision so quickly. Durelle was the only one whose heart sank slightly. It was apparent that the first family's matriarch was the same as her. They realized the rich, hidden benefits and opportunities, which was why she made this decision.

I wonder what the other matriarchs think about it.

At this thought, Durelle shot a look at the other matriarchs. At that moment, they were stumped as though they didn't expect the first family to give up their authority and position. Of course, no one was sure how many of the matriarchs were actually putting on an act to disguise their surprise, that was.

While the matriarchs exchanged looks, a voice shattered the silence.

"I'm glad all of you made a smart choice."

"Who's there?!"

Upon hearing the voice, the matriarchs turned toward it, gripping the snake whips hanging on their waists instantly. The thick shadow before their eyes warped. At the next moment, a man donned in a black attire sauntered out of the shadows. Upon witnessing his emergence, the matriarchs tensed up. There was only one man who was powerful enough to slip into the secret meeting room guarded by dozens of secret spells.

"Y-Your Majesty the Void Dragon."

The matriarchs stuttered. They didn't know how Rhode learned about this place and managed to enter. But this wasn't the most important right now. Judging from his decision to arrive here, it was apparent that he wasn't interested in waiting for their final decision. To the dark elves, apart from making a decision immediately, they didn't have any other choice.

"Seems like you've made up your mind?"

Rhode unveiled a strange smile, sweeping a glance at the matriarchs. Upon sensing his gaze, the proud matriarchs couldn't help but lower their heads. It wasn't that they were trying to express their loyalty, but the moment Rhode turned around, his overwhelming dragon's prestige enveloped the entire meeting room. If it weren't for the matriarchs' years of experience, perhaps they would have already plopped to the ground.

"Your Majesty, we..."

One of the matriarchs puckered her brows and tried to speak under the suppression of the dragon's prestige. But Rhode merely swept a glance at her and she shut her mouth instantly. Shortly after, another matriarch knelt on the ground, lowering her head respectfully. They already knew that since Rhode came knocking on their doors, any resistance against him was futile. If they didn't want to die like that bunch of idiots, the best choice for them was to surrender.

"We're willing to accept your conditions and become your most loyal followers, Your Majesty the Void Dragon."

"Good."

Upon hearing the matriarchs' answer, Rhode gave a short reply. He narrowed his eyes, scanned the surroundings, and nodded.

"Seems like you've agreed to submit to me. In that case, I shall not mistreat you."

Rhode spoke and extended his arm. Along with his words, the dragon mark gradually took shape in midair. Upon witnessing the mark, the matriarchs couldn't help but lift their heads. It went without saying that they sensed the pure, powerful energy brimming from it. At the same time, Rhode's deep voice rang in their ears.

"In return for surrendering to me, I shall bestow strength and honor upon you..."

Chapter 1235: Limit of Collapse

"Will everything be fine, Leader?"

Mini Bubble Gum asked, resting her hands behind her head and gazing forward lazily. Rhode lifted his head, scanned the deep tunnel ahead, and shrugged.

"Who knows. We'll have to leave it to her now."

After the dark elves chose to submit to Rhode, he bestowed upon them the dragon mark. Unsure if it was due to the new powers they received or because they were terrified by Mini Bubble Gum's massacre, the matriarchs didn't even dare to exchange pleasantries. When Rhode requested them to remove the seal on the tunnel, they nodded in agreement and unlocked the seal on the east tunnel as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Rhode dragged Nell out and commanded the matriarchs to listen to her commands in the future. Then, he left right away, leaving the terrible mess behind for Nell. Nell felt helpless by his actions. But despite that, she didn't comment much. After all, she knew what he meant. She had already gained the formidable power and authority of the high dragon mark. If she couldn't even handle the trivial matters of Carlesodar, it would only prove her incompetence.

As for how she would go about establishing her forces in Carlesodar and put the cunning matriarchs in order, it wasn't something within Rhode's considerations. Anyway, Nell could try her best for now and if she couldn't, he could still take over later. But Rhode didn't have much time to waste now. While Mini Bubble Gum and the rest wreaked havoc in the city, Rhode and Icy Snow rested for half a day, left Carlesodar, and headed to the Darkness Capital.

Due to the close connections between the dark elves and the Country of Darkness, Carlesodar had a direct path that linked to the Darkness Capital. But recently, as the situation was too unstable, the path was sealed off by the dark elves. Now that Rhode wanted to use that path, the dark elves unlocked the seal immediately and teleported Rhode and his group to the mountains outside the Darkness Capital.

Icy Snow felt refreshed and energetic after waking up from her sleep. On the other hand, perhaps because Mini Bubble Gum caused too much trouble earlier, she followed the group listlessly with Angelina, who yawned beside her. Rhode transferred the undead army that Angelina beat her brains out to create to Nell as her guards. Angelina was depressed. She missed the feeling of superiority over undead creatures... Because such an opportunity was too rare to receive around Rhode.

Meanwhile, Anne wasn't as exhausted as them. After smashing the stalactite pillars, she went back and caught up with her sleep. She only got up when Rhode was about to leave. Right now, Anne and Icy Snow were speaking to each other as they skipped ahead of the group. Come to think of it, it felt rather odd. Icy Snow with a strict personality couldn't get along with Mini Bubble Gum. However, she jested with Anne, who was equally as lazy and undisciplined as Mini Bubble Gum. Considering that both Anne and Icy Snow were half-beasts, could they be considered 'birds of a feather flocking together'?

The path was neither complicated nor long. Despite that, Anne and Icy Snow became restless shortly after. Not only them, but Rhode also gazed grimly at the tunnel exit that was 200 meters ahead. It was total darkness, which it wasn't surprising considering that it was the country of eternal darkness on the outside. However, what Rhode felt wasn't the displeasure against darkness.

But against that mysterious aura instead.

They didn't react to the aura while in the deep underground. But now, as they approached the surface, a gloomy aura left them in discomfort. It became denser and was as though eroding them. They also felt like they were walking in smelly sewers, where every movement and breath made them nauseous and giddy. When one breathed in the air, one felt dizzy and even one's reactions became sluggish. In an instant, one couldn't differentiate the directions at all...

"Hmph."

Rhode let out a snort. Of course, he knew what was going on. They faced this situation more than once in the land of Chaos. As an inhabitant of Order, they reacted instinctively toward Chaos. Besides, the stronger the Chaos, the bigger their reactions. For instance, Rhode, Icy Snow, and Anne were inhabitants of Order as rule representatives. Their auras were as though clashing with Chaos like water on fire. Upon sensing the strong aura of Chaos, they naturally felt uncomfortable.

Rhode couldn't help but knit his brows. Even though he learned from Angelina that the Country of Darkness was gradually being infected by Chaos, he didn't expect it to be so quick. Judging the aura on the surface, it wasn't too different from a land of Chaos!

Could it be that Ion had been completely influenced by Chaos? This spells trouble.

In the game, Rhode knew that BOSSes who were entirely influenced by Chaos would possess vastly different attributes and skills. What was troublesome was that even though Rhode knew the stats of the Dark Dragon inside out, if Ion were entirely influenced by Chaos, his skills would be another huge issue...

Forget it. It's not like I don't have ways against him.

Rhode shook his head and threw the worries to the back of his head. He extended his right arm and along with this action, an azure halo expanded with him in the middle, enfolding his group completely. Shortly after, the gray scenery ahead transformed as its colors turned vibrant.

"Phew... Anne finally feels alive."

Up until that moment, the stifled Anne let out a long sigh of relief. Icy Snow's ears also perked up normally as they would. It could be seen that under the influence of Chaos, the group seemed listless and sluggish. And now, after Rhode cast the halo of his Order realm, they finally returned to their usual selves.

"Master, something isn't right."

At that moment, Angelina responded.

"Previously, before I left, the aura of Chaos wasn't this strong yet..."

"It really seems like a problem."

Upon hearing Angelina's words, Rhode nodded and hastened his pace.

"All in all, we're better off leaving this place to find Erin as quickly as possible."

As the group conversed, they were nearing the tunnel exit. What they had to do next was find the area where Angelina escaped from and go through that tunnel to rescue Erin. But... When Rhode's group stepped out of the tunnel and witnessed the scenery, they were stunned.

"This..."

Even Angelina was struck speechless by what she witnessed. At a glance, the entire mountains were covered in white fog, as though the entire world were shrouded in clouds. Apart from the silhouettes of towers in the Darkness Capital, everything else was indistinct.

The severity of Chaos has reached this far?!

Looking at this scene, even though Rhode was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but feel baffled. This place was no different from the land of Chaos he opened up back then! It was totally unprecedented for a place under a dragon soul protection to be in a state worse than a land of Chaos!

Seems like trouble.

Rhode knitted his brows. Just a few moments ago, he attempted to contact Canary, Gillian, and Marlene using the spiritual communication, but to no avail. The signals were consistently cut off, as though they couldn't be transmitted out of this place. This went to show how much Order had crumbled in this place.

"... Angelina, can you find that place you came out from?"

Rhode sighed and instantly asked. All they could do now was to risk and see whether the foundation of Order in the Country of Darkness was completely influenced by Chaos. This way, at least his group could find the tunnel that Angelina exited from back then. As long as they entered the underground, at least they wouldn't be influenced by Chaos to this extent. But if the foundation of Order collapsed entirely, it meant that even if Angelina found the right place, the exit might move tens of thousands of miles away on its own... Which wasn't rare to see in any land of Chaos.

"I-I'll try..."

At that moment, Angelina wasn't certain of her chances despite cautiously scanning the terrain when she left. But the problem was that this godforsaken place was basically shrouded in mist, where the terrain wasn't even visible. It made it harder for her to be able to spot the right tunnel. Angelina squinted her scarlet eyes and scanned the place. Shortly after, her scarlet eyes glinted in a faint, red radiance. She pointed at the northern hill with some hesitation.

"If I recall correctly, it should be in that direction. But now, it is impossible to clearly witness the scenery on the other side, so I'm not too sure..."

Upon hearing her answer, Rhode nodded as this was within his expectation. Fortunately, Rhode had ways to handle the situation. He turned around and gazed at Icy Snow who stood beside him.

"Little Icy."

"Alright, Big Brother. Let me try."

After hearing her name, Icy Snow understood his intentions thoroughly. She stretched out her arm and widened her eyes in the direction Angelina pointed. Shortly after, the blurry scenery in front of Icy Snow became clear and distinct. Different sceneries flew past her eyes, flickering like countless cameras shooting from all directions. After a few moments, the scenery before her vision stopped abruptly and three dark tunnels appeared before the group.

"Over there!"

Upon witnessing one of the tunnels, Angelina yelled immediately. She didn't leave any identification marking on the tunnel. But even so, she used her own unique method to memorize the place when she left. At that moment, when the three tunnels appeared before them, she instantly recognized the tunnel that she escaped from.

"There!"

Sweeping a glance at the tunnel that Angelina pointed at, Icy Snow made her decision swiftly. She extended her hand and pointed at it. All of a sudden, a ray of light emanated from her fingertip, shooting at the white mist. This was Icy Snow's expert skill—Pathfinding Beam. In the later stages of the game, many dungeons consisted of intricate mazes and traps. This skill could specify a coordinate and emit a beam that sought an automatic path. Through this skill, she could successfully exit the maze or find items she earned.

Rhode's group relied upon this skill from Icy Snow in the game to overcome tough obstacles a lot. It was especially so with Icy Snow's 'space' skill, which meant that as long as she spotted the target, their group could arrive at the destination in the shortest time possible. And now, it was the same for them. Using her abilities, the group finally confirmed the location.

"Good!"

Rhode heaved a sigh of relief after witnessing the ray of light. He gazed at his surroundings swiftly. At that moment, among the white mist, he heard some strange sounds of friction and deep growls, which were unnatural. Rhode hesitated no more. He stared ahead and commanded.

"Let's go."

Chapter 1236: The Fallen Princess

How long has Angelina been away for?

Erin shifted her gaze away from the book in her hands to the Dark Dragon who prostrated beside her. At that moment, the Dark Dragon had shut her eyes and was sleeping. Erin had no intention of waking her mother up as she sensed the weakness in her. If her mother didn't save her energy by sleeping, perhaps she wouldn't have held on for so long. But even so, Erin felt like her mother's flame of life was nearing its end.

"Mother..."

The moon princess called out to the Dark Dragon, closed her eyes, and leaned back on the cold wall again. For some unknown reason, Erin felt like she was losing her powers day by day. The heavy exhaustion engulfed her entirety. Not only that, but she also felt like her connection to the moon became weaker. The moon princess couldn't help but feel worried and anxious. She hadn't been to a land of Chaos like Rhode, so she didn't know what all this meant. But even so, she felt like the Country of Darkness had likely sunken into huge trouble, so much so that the rule connection between her and the moon was blocked off.

"..."

Erin shook her head, trying her hardest to gather her consciousness. But for some reason, she began to feel sleepy over the days. Sometimes, she felt like she was having a fever and her head was in a complete mess. There were some instances when she didn't know what exactly was running through her mind, or perhaps she wasn't thinking about anything at all. Right now, she shivered weakly and didn't even have the strength to lift her weapon. Fortunately, there were no other creatures except for the Dark Dragon in this prison, which was why she avoided being chased by critters. It would be humiliating if the moon princess were to be chased by a bunch of goblins or slimes.

I wonder if Angelina returned to His Majesty Rhode safely...

Gazing at the pitch-black dome, Erin focused her blurry consciousness and forced herself to consider this question. After all, no one knew whether the Undead Skeletal Dragon was guarding the true exit that led to the outside world or a tunnel that led deeper underground. If it were the latter, perhaps Angelina might not even be able to return to reunite with her anymore. Erin was clearly aware of Angelina's strength. Even though Angelina was powerful as a vampire of her age, she couldn't compete against the four legendary generals. If she faced an enemy who was more powerful than the Undead Skeletal Dragon, maybe Erin would never meet her ever again.

"Ugh..."

Her sense of fatigue grew stronger. Erin felt her heart pounding. Not only that, but her blood also rushed inside her body and her vision turned blurry. The burning heat in her continued to surge. She closed her eyes and leaned on the slippery, ice-cold stone wall. It was only this chilly sensation that barely decreased her high body temperature. But she didn't know how long she could hang on for. She was certain that this wasn't the result of her mental or physical injuries, but her body's reaction instead—the connection of the source of Order.

As a moon princess, it went without saying that Erin was an inhabitant of Order and one at the highest level. Due to that reason, after losing the support of Order and rule, the effects she felt were much stronger than ordinary people. This was also why in the battle against Chaos, most ordinary people survived, while formidable beings like Alice and Marlene had no choice but to flee or deal with their own deaths using reincarnation.

I wonder how His Majesty Rhode is doing...

While Erin felt giddy, this thought cropped up in her mind all of a sudden. She couldn't help but reveal a beautiful smile.

That strange world... I heard from His Majesty Rhode that was where they came from? How amusing. But it's a pity that I didn't have enough fun while I was there. If there's another opportunity, I wonder if His Majesty Rhode will be willing to bring me there for a tour again... A fascinating, interesting, and unknown world. No adventure is more fun than that... If it were possible... But... I feel so sleepy...

Erin closed her eyes gradually.

... I shall take a nap then...

"Everyone, don't stop! Move! Hurry!"

Rhode snarled, swinging the pitch-black sword in his hand and streaking dazzling blade rays across the air. The two mysterious, rotten, and putrid creatures before him were sliced into halves, before being struck by razor-sharp blade airwaves. Mini Bubble Gum raised her right arm before her. Several light beams emanated from her palm, blasting the ground to scatter the dense fog and reveal the dirt path behind. Icy Snow continuously released arrows from her bow. The arrows flitted across the air like a wild storm, scattering the dense fog farther ahead. Along with terrifying screams, pitch-black figures collapsed to the ground one after another. Filthy blood and stench dispersed from their bodies, leaving one nauseous.

Even though Rhode was mentally prepared, he didn't expect the situation of the Country of Darkness to be this terrible. Shortly after they moved off, they faced the encirclement of thousands of undead creatures that were influenced by Chaos. Under the influence of Chaos, the undead creatures became much stronger and more dangerous. Moreover, as they lurked in the Chaos fog, they became true 'undead' creatures. No matter how they were slashed to halves or chunks, as long as they weren't smashed into bits, their broken and severed body parts would fuse together into their original state, returning into brand new undead creatures that continued their relentless attacks.

Rhode didn't have any countermeasure against these annoying undead creatures. The extent of damage caused by Chaos on the Darkness Capital was nearing the breaking point of Order. Judging from the speed of fusion of these undead creatures, they were as though situated in a land of Chaos right now. In this case, Rhode couldn't eradicate them at all. The only thing he could do was to dash toward the tunnel as quickly as possible. Then... He would leave the 'then' to later!

"Angelina, how much farther?!"

"That... I..."

Angelina scanned her surroundings that were enveloped in white fog. Unsure if they had entered the hinterland, the fog here seemed much denser, where she could see nothing up to 10 meters ahead. Rather than saying Angelina relied upon her vision, they were better off counting on Icy Snow's Pathfinding Beam to lead the way. But the problem now was that the fog was so thick that they couldn't figure out the exact situation around them and estimate the specific distance.

"... I'm not too sure, Master."

Angelina had no choice but to give up. Almost at the same time, the Pathfinding Beam shivered abruptly as though it were disrupted. Looking at this scene, Icy Snow sulked.

"Big Brother, the coordinates are unstable!"

"Hurry up! Don't stop! Everyone, run as fast as you can!"

Another undead creature pounced on Rhode as a swinging blade sent it to its death. Rhode's expression changed entirely. Of course, he knew what Icy Snow meant by the unstable coordinates. Icy Snow's Pathfinding Beam was fired to the destination. It was as though one tossing out a signal generator and using a radar to scan for signal waves to determine the location. And now, the Pathfinding Beam was unstable, which meant that the influence of Chaos was getting stronger. Meanwhile, the tunnel was also getting increasingly shaky. If Rhode's group couldn't enter the tunnel in the shortest time possible, perhaps the tunnel would disappear at the next moment. When that happened, Rhode would be in a tough spot.

Upon hearing his orders, the group sprinted as fast as they could. Anne and Mini Bubble Gum also stopped assaulting the undead creatures, but activated a wind barrier and holy shield instead, shrouding everyone from the attacks as they sprinted up the mountain slope.

"Over there!"

The group almost reached the end of the Pathfinding Beam. Halfway up the hill, the fog became less dense, bringing a wider vision for everyone. At that moment, Angelina finally spotted the tunnel that emanated a dazzling light and yelled out. Right now, their group was less than 50 meters away from the tunnel! But at the same time, the tunnel began to sway like a translucent mirage in the desert. Looking at this scene, Rhode's heart sank. This was the behavior of Order that was under attack. It seemed like the tunnel couldn't hang on much longer!

"Full speed ahead!"

Rhode said, stretching out his arm and pointing at the tunnel. The azure halo circulating around him vanished abruptly before appearing in the middle of the tunnel. Along with the shine of Rhode's Order halo, the trembling, translucent tunnel stabilized.

"Hurry!"

Upon hearing his command, Icy Snow leaped into the tunnel like a nimble cat, followed by Angelina and Anne. Mini Bubble Gum and Cassidy were the only ones who followed Rhode closely and faced the omnipresent undead creatures. As they picked up speed, thousands of undead creatures pursued Rhode. Without Cassidy and Mini Bubble Gum guarding their backs, perhaps they would be held back by the undead creatures and couldn't flee in time.

"One last time. Cassidy, repel them! Bubble, get ready to cast your shield!"

"Got it!"

Upon hearing Rhode's command, Cassidy nodded. She unsheathed and flourished her sword ahead!

Along with this attack, the undead creatures that swarmed their group like a torrent retreated instantly. The power of contrast was unleashed at that very moment, forcefully stopping the undead creatures' pace. But shortly after, they gave chase again.

Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms immediately in response. A golden barrier emanating close to Rhode's nose stopped the undead creatures. Rhode turned around without any hesitation, carrying two young ladies in each of his arms, before vanishing in a black lightning bolt and dashing into the tunnel!

Boom!

Almost at the same time, the sturdy barrier was smashed into bits by the undead creatures. Then, the gloomy, pitch-black army swarmed the tunnel like a violent tide!

Chapter 1237: Dragon Prison

Rhode transformed into a bolt of lightning that zoomed into the tunnel. He shifted so quickly that he couldn't slow down in time. He turned around, but crashed onto the wall. Rhode gnashed his teeth and hurled out Mini Bubble Gum and Cassidy!

"Bubble, collapse the tunnel entrance!"

"Got it, Leader!"

Bubble, who was thrown into the air, had no hesitation at all. While she was in midair, the pure, white brilliance coalescing between her hands erupted. At the next moment, the bright, holy light beam smashed onto the wall in a loud explosion. In an instant, the earth quaked, sturdy rock walls crumbled, and large rocks fell from the ceiling. In the blink of an eye, the tunnel entrance was buried entirely in gravel. Along with the rumbles, one could hear the snarls of undead creatures. But after a few moments, all the voices were gone as though they were submerged completely.

"Phew..."

Up until that moment, everyone let out sighs of relief. Not only were they relieved that they escaped from the underground creatures' chase, but because the underground tunnel collapsed, the Chaos aura was also kept out. The heavy, depressing atmosphere vanished instantly, which was the main reason why they felt relieved. To be able to return to the world of Order from the pressurizing Chaos aura felt as wonderful as though a drowning person surfacing to catch a breath of air.

But... Even though the tunnel entrance collapsed and stopped the undead creatures from further pursuing, it also meant that Rhode's group's exit was also blocked off. Even if they found Erin, leaving the tunnel was another issue for them now. Order on the surface had reached an unstable critical point, where if it weren't for Rhode who used his own power of Order to stabilize this tunnel, perhaps Order would have disappeared completely before they entered the tunnel. Judging from this point, even if Rhode's group were able to dig the tunnel and climb to the surface, maybe they couldn't find the dark elves' communication channel. No, perhaps when that happened, they wouldn't even know where they were.

This is a huge problem.

At this thought, Rhode shook his head, sighed, and stood up. He admitted that his judgment was wrong this time. Even though Angelina reminded him that there were signs of the Country of Darkness being affected by Chaos, he didn't expect it to be this serious. The situation seemed really dire. Even after rescuing Erin, perhaps they couldn't evacuate as planned. Maybe a mistake would cause them to be trapped in this godforsaken place forever.

What should we do when that happens? Do we really have to learn to dig holes like dwarves? Forget it. I'll consider it when it happens since there is always a way out. Maybe I can still find some maps, secret exits, or some other thing...

After all, Angelina and Erin were focused on escaping earlier and didn't search the area cautiously. Maybe they didn't discover some secrets yet and now, he would know the results after checking things out himself.

"Let's go, Angelina. Lead the way."

"Yes, Master."

While Rhode considered the situation, Angelina took the time to observe the surroundings. In the end, she was relieved to confirm that this was indeed the path she escaped from. She let out a sigh of relief. After all, she didn't expect the Country of Darkness to have such dramatic changes in just a few days. If she made a mistake again, she would be thrown off balance. When that happened, not only would they be unable to rescue the princess, but she would also implicate her master. This definitely couldn't be considered a good result to her at all. Therefore, she didn't continue speaking, but turned around and led Rhode's group into the deeper tunnel instead.

The pitch-black tunnel was dead silent. There was no sound apart from their footsteps. It was as quiet as when Angelina left before. Meanwhile, Icy Snow also confirmed that there weren't any signs of life in this place. Despite that, everyone continued to raise their guard. After all, no signs of life didn't mean there weren't any enemies around. Moreover, the area they were in was the territory of undead creatures, who couldn't be considered to be alive.

"Ah...!"

While Angelina led everyone down the tunnel, all of a sudden, Mini Bubble Gum clapped her hands and yelled, startling the group. Angelina trembled and almost jumped up on the spot. Icy Snow's expression changed slightly. Her constantly swaying tail stood straight up instantly. Cassidy also turned to Mini Bubble Gum with an odd expression, raising the sword in her hand vigilantly. On the other hand, Anne didn't react at all. She cocked her head and looked curiously at the young lady who suddenly lost it.

"What's wrong, Bubble? You gave Anne a big fright."

"Ah—hahaha, it's nothing. I just suddenly thought of something important..."

Facing the curious gazes from everyone, Mini Bubble Gum smiled and waved her hand airily. On the contrary, her words made everyone more curious. She said it was nothing and yet, she said she suddenly recalled something crucial... What exactly was up with her? However, Mini Bubble Gum didn't explain her words. She turned around and gazed at Rhode instead.

"Leader, Erin is a princess, right?!"

"Yes, you should remember this as clearly as me, shouldn't you?"

Facing this ridiculous question from Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode didn't know what was going through her head. However, he still answered her. Upon hearing his response, Mini Bubble Gum vigorously nodded, clapped her hands, and mumbled to herself.

"Hmm... In that case, it is right! Right! Right! Ahahahaaha!"

What's going on with her?

Facing Mini Bubble Gum who burst into a fanatical laughter, Rhode and Icy Snow exchanged curious looks. The others who witnessed this scene also couldn't figure what happened. Even though Mini Bubble Gum's intermittent madness wasn't anything new, just which universe's ultra-long range radio waves struck her this time? While everyone was puzzled, Mini Bubble Gum sized up Rhode and nodded with satisfaction.

"Hmm, that's right. Princess... Prince. That's how fairy tales are written. We are going to rescue the princess now! Leader, you're the prince! That's right, we're lacking a white horse now... Really, how wonderful would it be if there were a white horse here! Really, how could such an oversight happen?" Mini Bubble Gum soliloquized and as though she came up with an idea, her eyes glinted brightly. She turned to Anne. "Right! Anne, weren't you capable of transforming? Hurry, turn into that big white wolf and let Leader ride you! Even though there isn't a white horse prince, a white wolf prince sounds exciting too!"

"Huh? Really? Leader wants to ride Anne?"

Anne asked curiously, widening her sparkling eyes and staring at Rhode. Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms in excitement and yelled.

"That's right. Leader, go ahead! Let us witness a fairy tale come true... Ouch!"

"Stop spouting nonsense."

Before Mini Bubble Gum finished her sentence, Rhode threw a ruthless punch to her head. He felt strange earlier when the usually noisy Mini Bubble Gum became so quiet. At the end of the day, she was actually thinking about such nonsense!

"Ouch... You cried, telling me... that fairy tales are lies..."

Mini Bubble Gum hugged her head and squatted. But after a few moments, she stood up without conscience, continued to follow the group, and hummed the lyrics of a song out of tune. She stared at Rhode with some ill intentions and her eyes displayed a 'meaningful' emotion. Meanwhile, Rhode didn't notice her evil expression.

"This is the exit!"

After that small episode, Angelina finally led the group to the exit she escaped from. It looked similar to when she left the place and nothing had changed. The seal rune shone a faint radiance on the pitch-black, exquisite door. Looking at the door, Angelina felt relieved. This meant that she didn't bring the group in the wrong direction and that was enough on her part.

"Here?"

Rhode gazed at the stone door and turned to Angelina. The latter nodded. Rhode lifted his hand and shortly after, a card appeared in his palm, emanating a green, spiritual radiance. Then, a transparent, shapeless sword shimmered in his hand.

It feels really odd.

Even though Rhode wielded several holy swords, this sword felt strange to him. Other than the fact that it was transparent and he couldn't decipher its length, the hilt didn't feel normal to the touch at all. On the contrary, it was like the warm, finished product of a jade carving.

I wonder what the true identity of this sword is...

Rhode considered the question, but quickly returned to his senses. After all, it wasn't a suitable time for him to consider such questions. He raised the sword and faced the stone door. Along with his action, a dazzling, spiritual radiance erupted from the blade. The brilliance scattered into a dozen light rays, blasting at the stone door and drawing a mysterious rune swiftly and accurately on the surface.

Then, the stone door opened gradually.

Rumble...

Along with the deep rumbles, cold draughts escaped the gap of the stone door, blowing on everyone's faces. In the blink of an eye, the heavy stone door opened, unveiling a path to the visitors.

But this time, Angelina turned grim.

"How is this possible... T-This isn't the tunnel that I escaped from!"

The vampire widened her eyes and stared in disbelief at the path emanating a pure, white brilliance.

Chapter 1238: Dragon Inheritance

Angelina clearly recalled that when she ran out of the tunnel, it was just a seemingly ordinary, ice-cold, and dim stone path. But now, the path unveiled before her eyes was the complete opposite. Beautiful magical runes unfolded linearly, drafting mesmerizing patterns on the ceiling and ground like running water. A dark, serene aura pounced on their faces. At a glance, the tunnel was like a gorgeous and atmospheric palace corridor.

"It isn't?

Rhode gazed at Angelina with knitted brows and turned around to size up the path that lit up with a white brilliance. Indeed, Angelina didn't mention anything about the tunnel before. Even if escaping frantically, she couldn't have missed this detail. And now...

"Are you sure?"

"This... Master, everything is exactly the same, at least before you opened the stone door... But now... I don't know what is going on..."

Gazing at the mysterious tunnel once more, Angelina lacked the confidence she once had. Even though she trusted her memories, this reality was too conflicting, after all. She didn't know which was true. But Rhode didn't give it much thought. He narrowed his eyes at the transparent sword in his hand and shook his head. Then, he restored his expressionless face and strode ahead in large strides.

"Let's go."

Unlike the confused Angelina, Rhode seemed to realize something. It was clearly the same door and yet, the path behind was entirely different. This phenomenon also existed in the game of the Dragon Soul Continent. The map and location would turn out completely different from the main storyline according to the adventurers' equipment level, mission completion rate, reputation, race, and other factors. An NPC protected by the party might turn out to be the final BOSS that another party was looking to slaughter. Due to that reason, when Angelina said the tunnel was different, Rhode considered the issue in this direction immediately.

Fortunately, even when the content behind the door was different, the dungeon map was still the same. Therefore, as long as one entered and spent some time searching for it, one would be able to find the target location. That was why Rhode headed off without any hesitation. Looking at this scene, Angelina couldn't help but gape at him. She eventually didn't say a word, but followed him on the path instead.

Dragon soul power.

The instant Rhode entered the door, he sharply detected the presence of dragon soul power. It flowed and fused with the veined patterns of the tunnel. Rhode couldn't help but knit his brows. For some unknown reason, he instinctively felt like even though it was true dragon soul power, it was entirely different from Ion's... How should he put it? It was as though when one compared an authentic and fake product. Even though the touch didn't feel any different, an expert would recognize any difference between them immediately. Right now, this was what Rhode felt. This dragon soul power was apparently much purer and stronger than Ion's.

What exactly is going on?

Rhode extended his arm and held onto the wall, sensing the flowing dragon soul power. The warm power undulated as though it were asleep. Not only that, but he also felt like the energy was powerful, ancient, and was even comparable to his Void power!

How strange... If the Dark Dragon possessed such powers, I shouldn't have been able to overrun him in the game...

At this thought, Rhode couldn't help but suspect. In the past, he thought that the Dragon Soul Continent was purely a game. But now, he believed that there were differences between reality and the game. But after learning the truth of the game, he knew that the situation definitely wasn't as simple as he had imagined. Back then, the Void Dragon inherited less than one-tenth of the Void Dragon's power and yet, it still managed to wipe out Rhode's 100-man elite party. If Ion possessed such powers, Rhode couldn't have possibly led players to annihilate him... Not only that, but for some reason, a hot topic that was once debated by players on the forum also cropped up in his mind.

Who is the strongest Creator Dragon?

This thread on the forums hadn't died down ever since debates began. As players belonged to different camps, they were naturally interested in the topic. While the game was in the Light and Darkness version, there were hundreds of thousands of discussions centering around it and almost no players could convince one another. Only after Rhode led his party and trampled on the Dark Dragon did the discussion come to a conclusion.

No matter how powerful the Creator Dragons were, they couldn't compete against players.

But was that the truth?

Rhode didn't think so. As a matter of fact, even among the elites of Starlight, there also wasn't any debate because after killing the Dark Dragon, people were bursting with confidence as they urged Rhode to lead them to wipe out the twin dragons. As soon as they did it, Starlight could dominate the Dragon Soul Continent!

Of course, Rhode dismissed their proposal directly. Even though defeating the Dark Dragon made many elite players feel invincible, the twin dragons were entirely different. In the end, the proposal wasn't approved. Apart from the fact that everyone felt like it wasn't reliable, the reason that ultimately made them not make this decision was that...

They didn't think that they could defeat the twin dragons.

That's right. They defeated the Dark Dragon and weren't hesitant in facing the Void Dragon. But why weren't they motivated to defeat the twin dragons?

As a matter of fact, in Rhode's elite party, almost everyone agreed to never stir trouble with the twin dragons.

But what exactly was the reason?

Why were players willing to face the Void Dragon, but afraid to kill the twin dragons? Even if they couldn't figure out the attack pattern of the twin dragons, wasn't that the case for all online games? Searching for weaknesses in the BOSS's attack patterns and defeating them thereafter was the fun of the game. Besides, it seemed like there were many other invincible BOSSes in the Dragon Soul Continent, even in hell and the abyss. But despite that, didn't players defeat them all too?

As a matter of fact, Rhode knew the answer. The reason why they didn't cause trouble for the twin dragons was that in their minds, they subconsciously believed that the twin dragons were stronger than the Void Dragon and Dark Dragon, so much so that even the lawless players didn't dare to consider fighting against them. Besides, after Rhode awakened the power of the Void Dragon, he also felt odd.

Back then, they were known as the five Creator Dragons, and not 'Void Dragon and her four subjects'. Besides, judging from the Creation Poem, the Void Dragon created space, while the other Creator Dragons also contributed to other aspects. Why was the Void Dragon much stronger than the other Creator Dragons?

Could it be that... the Dark Dragon's current strength wasn't all the power he should possess?!

At this thought, Rhode felt energized. If it were in the past, this thought definitely wouldn't emerge in his mind. But after learning from Angelina that Ion used underhanded means to become the dragon soul heir, Rhode felt like his judgment might be correct, after all!

Because in the game, there were four Creator Dragons. Come to think of it, Lilian couldn't retaliate because her dragon soul power was sealed. On the other hand, the reason why Ion was overrun was that he didn't inherit all the dragon soul power. This was also why players were able to defeat him. The twin dragons were the only ones who fully inherited the rule power of their ancestors. Perhaps this was the reason why players didn't stand a chance against them because the strength displayed by the twin dragons belonged to the true Creator Dragons!

In that case...

At this thought, Rhode pondered. If that was the truth, perhaps he didn't even need to leave because wouldn't everything be resolved after killing Ion here? What a joke. Ion was only a Dark Dragon with incomplete dragon soul power, while Rhode received 100 percent of the Void Dragon's power. Why would he be afraid of taking on Ion?

...

But after a few moments, Rhode shook his head and dispelled the idea. It was better to be safe than sorry. Even though Ion didn't receive 100 percent of power from the Dark Dragon, he was already contaminated by Chaos and gained the power of Chaos. In this situation, Ion's power would definitely be further upgraded. One would be seeking death to initiate a battle against a BOSS with the power of Chaos within a land of Chaos. That was why Rhode merely considered the question and gave up decisively.

We're better off saving Erin first.

At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum's voice sounded once again, interrupting his thoughts.

"Leader, be careful! There's something ahead!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The instant Mini Bubble Gum yelled, Rhode saw two shadowy figures shuttling out of the tunnel. Shortly after, razor-sharp blade air waves scattered, striking straight at him!