Chapter 966: A Dragon and a Slime

In the heart of the former dwarven territory in the Titanion Realm, the battle between the clown Ogu and the human Saint, though lacking demigods, was no less fierce.

“I truly did not expect you to break free from my Shadow Bind,” Ogu’s voice was a low growl. The power Saint Noel had displayed before should have been completely insufficient to escape a restraint of that level. “I’m curious. What method did you use?”

“Your is powerful, but the human kingdom is not a faction you can afford to provoke,” Noel’s expression was solemn and divine. A phantom of a crown appeared above his head. “Begone!”

It was the kingdom’s relic, the Crown of Kings.

It unleashed a cascade of radiant light that shone down upon the clown. The light pulsed with a power of rules that was both familiar and alien to Ogu, and he instantly realized what was happening.

“A relic!” he cried out.

He tried to flee, but it was too late. The holy light enveloped his will projection, binding him in place. A golden flame ignited upon his form.

“Swap!”

At the very last second, the clown played another of his trump cards. His will projection vanished, and in its place stood the figure of Grand Duke William. The golden flames continued to burn, and in the space of a single breath, the Grand Duke’s body was incinerated into nothingness.

The clown had used his puppet substitution technique to escape a mortal blow.

When Ogu reappeared high in the sky, he kept a healthy distance from Saint Noel.

“If you retreat now,” Noel’s voice boomed with authority, “I can still act as if this never happened.”

It wasn’t that he wanted to spare the clown, but he knew he was only fighting a will projection. Though Noel was also only a phantom, this was his home turf, and with the aid of the Crown of Kings, it was highly unlikely he would lose.

Ogu said nothing, staring at Noel, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

“Fine,” he finally conceded. “But I’m taking the Northern Coalition forces below with me.”

It was his one condition. As long as the Northern Coalition survived, he retained the leverage to continue confronting the human kingdom. It would give him a temporary base of operations on the continent, a vital foothold for his future plans in the Titanion Realm.

“That, Your Excellency, is impossible.” Saint Noel did not agree.

The Northern Coalition was the fundamental threat to the kingdom’s stability. All threats had to be eradicated. Furthermore, this was an alliance of four races. If the stoneheart horde, the dragons, and the blood elves did not gain sufficient spoils from this war, the human kingdom would be forced to reward them from its own coffers. Noel would never agree to a plan that undermined his own foundation.

Besides, Noel knew this arch lord was not from the continent of Utessar. He had no roots here. As long as the Northern Coalition was wiped out, the human kingdom would, on the surface, have no enemies left on this land.

“In that case,” Ogu sighed, “let’s continue.”

Although Saint Noel had a relic, the clown’s primary objective was to test if this continent had any demigods watching over it. A relic was troublesome, but it wasn’t something he hadn’t encountered before. He had no guarantee his own ultimate attack could kill the Saint, but that wasn’t reason enough to abandon his mission.

Ogu produced a badge. Instantly, eight more of his will projections shimmered into existence in the void. It was an Insignia of Illusions, a precious, one-time-use item.

Only one of the eight projections was real. But to Saint Noel, they all appeared genuine.

The battle between them erupted once more.

In the lower altitudes, the battle between the lords was far less chaotic. Aside from the furious duel raging between Torin and King Harold at the center, most of the other lords were just going through the motions.

This was war, but it wasn’t a war with no retreat, no other options. They were here for the loot, not to die. So, after an initial show of force, both sides had become more restrained, waiting for the duel between Torin and King Harold to decide the victor.

If the fight between Ogu and Noel was the key to the war’s outcome, the fight between Torin and Harold would determine the future course of the battle.

“Treason is unforgivable!” King Harold grew more enraged as the fight dragged on. Torin had been his subject, a lesser being. Now, relying on some vile power, he was fighting him to a standstill. For the king, being his equal was the ultimate humiliation.

“Treason? You were the ones who forced my hand!” Torin snarled back. “Besides, with the power I now command, why should I kneel before you? Why should a man’s station at birth decide his destiny? Power answers to strength, not blood!”

“Hahaha… Kill! KILL!”

Torin’s transcendent power surged, and the phantom of the spectral dread crocodile behind him grew more solid. King Harold snorted in contempt and surged forward, sword raised.

Not far away, the ogre lord Aldous slammed his club against the warhammer of Brokk, the King of the Dark Dwarves, sending the annoying enemy staggering back into the arms of another human Grand Duke.

Aldous’s attention was fixed on the fight between Torin and the king. The giant lord Orion had given him a secret mission: find the right moment and crush that powerful-looking human lord, Torin.

The fight had reached this stage, and Aldous still hadn’t found his opening. He was growing impatient.

Pathetic, he thought, watching the king fight. This is the king of the human kingdom? Compared to Orion, My lord, this is the difference between a dragon and a slime.

Orion, My lord, was Aldous’s special term of respect for his friend.

Honestly, for the leader of what was once the largest faction in the south, King Harold’s performance did not impress the ogre lord. It fell far short of the power he had expected.