Chapter 531 The King on the Bone Throne

Vito dismounted, and the Soldiers behind him followed suit, obediently leading their horses from behind.

This was especially hard on the Cavalry clad in plate mail. They were as swift as the wind when charging on horseback, but once their feet touched the ground, walking in the cumbersome armor that weighed dozens of pounds was sheer torture.

The ground wasn’t exactly level, which made walking an agonizing affair.

The warhorses were also restless, forcing Vito to use all his strength to keep his own steed in check.

‘There’s a chance we can negotiate peace, so it’s best to avoid any actions that could be misinterpreted.’

They ventured deeper and deeper.

Vito felt his heart slowly rise into his throat. This was completely different from the intelligence he had gathered. In truth, just a few months ago, many adventurers had come and gone from this place. But after a certain day, they suddenly began to disappear in large numbers. According to his investigation, those who entered for the first or second time could usually escape, but anyone who insisted on a third trip underground would vanish without a trace.

At the time, he had assumed it was some kind of curse. But looking at the situation now, it was clearly an order from a powerful lord of the Dark Creatures: do not attack humans who stumble into the underground world, but deal directly with any who stubbornly return.

In truth, he was giving them too much credit. The Scorpion-tailed Lions and Ogres weren’t smart enough to distinguish between a first-time intruder and a second.

Any encounter with them, regardless of the number, was the final one.

However, adventurers who encountered the more intelligent centaurs might be given a first, second, or even a third chance—right up until they had the misfortune of running into the Scorpion-tailed Lions and Ogres.

The path ahead remained flat. After they crossed a few low, gently sloping hills, a thick stench hit them—like wet earwax mixed with the pungent, stale smell of a urine-soaked bed that had never been washed.

It was then that Vito noticed several small Ogre younglings playing in a clearing.

This was the gathering place of the Ogre Tribe.

They had to walk for quite a while longer before the acrid, nauseating smell finally faded.

Ahead lay another encampment. But compared to the filthy, chaotic home of the Ogre Tribe, this place was kept very clean, and the air was much drier.

A group of female centaurs was on the ground, using small knives to butcher carcasses. They needed to make jerky and store provisions; after all, the centaurs were raising many young, and their food supply had to be constant.

From behind rocks of all sizes along the path, shy and fearful foals peeked out at the procession.

‘They’re a whole new civilization,’ Vito thought, gazing at the underground creatures who, despite their disparate strengths, coexisted peacefully. His curiosity about the great personage he was about to meet grew.

It was precisely because he had seen “harmony” created through brute force before that he felt such awe for this “great personage” who could do the same. Moreover, Prince Hoffman expended enormous effort just to keep humans in line, whereas this “great personage” could make even ferocious, evil beasts submit.

‘Doesn’t that mean even Prince Hoffman himself might not be his match?’

The path ahead was still desolate.

“SKREEE!”

A sharp cry suddenly echoed from overhead. Vito looked up to see a black creature with a wingspan comparable to a Falcon’s. It had no feathers, a long neck and tail, and four long legs.

Its body was covered in a row of black scales, so dark they seemed to devour the light. Oddly, there were golden markings around its neck, making it look as if it were wearing a gold chain.

The creature dove down from high above.

The warhorses collapsed to the ground. Even the Scorpion-tailed Lions, which had been drooling over the horses for the entire journey, and the Ogres, which had been drooling over the Scorpion-tailed Lions, began to tremble in unison.

BOOM—!

A Fireball grazed their heads and slammed into the open ground before them, instantly erupting into a towering inferno as high as a city wall.

Vito’s eyes widened in shock.

‘Such a tiny creature, yet its flames possess such terrifying power!’

The ferocious flames parted like the red curtains of a stage play, revealing a figure seated upon an enormous chair constructed entirely of skulls.

It could be called a chair, perhaps. Countless white skeletons were piled on top of each other, resembling a throne crudely forged from a thousand bone swords. One had to crane their neck back and turn their head from side to side just to take in the entirety of the bone chair.

Leech had shamelessly plagiarized the concept of the Iron Throne, tossing together all the bones the centaurs hadn’t finished processing and those he’d snatched from the mouths of Ogres, piling them into a small mountain.

A figure clad in bizarre armor covered in black thorns and wreathed in black mist sat upon that chair, gazing down at Vito.

A small, dark figure was perched on his shoulder. Vito had to look closely to recognize it as the same creature that had just spewed a column of fire taller than a city wall. As he stared intently at the fire-breather, a thought struck him—the creature’s form strongly resembled an illustration he had once seen in a book.

A Giant Dragon!

Normally, Vito would never have made the connection to a Giant Dragon. According to the few surviving records, Giant Dragons were legendary creatures. They were incredibly long-lived, grew more powerful with age, and would never deign to be someone’s pet.

But the terrifying blast of fire, combined with the mysterious powerhouse whose aura was completely imperceptible, led Vito to subconsciously make the leap, bestowing a mysterious and powerful identity upon the creature on his shoulder.

‘Why hasn’t he said anything?’ Vito was surprised, but he didn’t dare make a move. He could only keep his head bowed, staring at a piece of white bone still flecked with blood and gore.

Little did Vito know, Leech, sitting on his throne, was just as confused.

‘Why isn’t he talking? Am I supposed to go first?’ Leech wondered. This stout, dark-skinned man before him was clearly no ordinary person. Leech’s greatest fear was that the more he spoke, the more likely he was to make a mistake. Killing him wouldn’t be easy, and letting him go… well, he’d have to negotiate terms before that could happen.

Therefore, it was far more advantageous for Leech if the other party spoke first. He maintained his cold, mysterious facade, staring motionlessly at Vito as if lost in deep contemplation.

The two of them remained locked in silence.

The centaurs bowed their heads, lost in thought.

The Ogres were still drooling, though their gazes had shifted away from the Scorpion-tailed Lions. The lions had noticed the Ogres’ predatory stares and raised their stinging tails in response.

The Cavalry, who had been the object of the Scorpion-tailed Lions’ attention, finally breathed a sigh of relief. They no longer had to struggle to restrain their warhorses. No one could imagine how much effort it had taken to control the steeds as they tried to break free, utterly terrified.

Finally, Leech spoke. Shielded by the Black Dragon’s innate talent, he had no fear of being recognized. “Why do you invade Our domain?”

*Phew.* Vito let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. ‘He finally spoke.’

“Please forgive our uninvited intrusion, Great One,” Vito said, bowing his head. He was uncertain of this powerhouse’s identity and could only rack his brain for the right words. “We come from the Lu Leiyi Continent, on the material plane.”

“In the southern lands of the Lu Leiyi Continent, in a place called Giant’s Foot within the Koso Mountain Range, an entrance to your world appeared. We entered this place by accident, and we apologize for disturbing you…”

It never even occurred to Vito that the powerhouse before him could be a fake. The terrifying monsters were real, the Palace Level warrior was real, and the Giant Dragon whelp was very likely real. Therefore, the mysterious figure that they all feared and respected had to be real, too!

“Mm…” Leech gave a slight nod, making it unclear which of Vito’s statements he was acknowledging.

“We have no interest in the human world. Thou need not worry.” Leech was recalling the mannerisms of the Brass Dragon. When it wasn’t getting flicked on the head, the Brass Dragon loved to put on airs, using archaic words like “We” and “thou.” Leech decided to adopt them for himself and found the effect surprisingly good.

“Yes, of course,” Vito replied, though he didn’t believe a word of it. ‘Would such a powerful being truly be content to hide in this barren underground, rather than venture to the surface?’

Vito said, “Great One, our Soldiers inadvertently injured your subordinates. We are willing to offer compensation.”

His logic was simple. ‘If you claim to want nothing, then by insisting on providing compensation, we can gauge your true interest in the human world.’

‘Giant’s Foot truly can’t take any more pressure. If another fire starts in our own backyard, even the Prince won’t be able to contain it. Especially with a powerhouse like this one… if he were to lead a horde of powerful Dark Creatures to the surface…’ Vito drew a sharp breath. ‘The consequences would be unthinkable!’

‘It’s best if I can stabilize the situation. If I can’t, I have to escape and report back to the Prince to discuss how to deal with this.’

Leech glanced at the injured centaurs, who lowered their heads in shame.

Aside from the troglodytes, the centaurs had become the weakest contingent under Leech’s command.

“Since it was the centaurs you injured, I will let the centaurs negotiate with you,” Leech said with an air of indifference. “Beck, I leave this to you.”

“Yes, Great One!” Beck bowed his head.

Leech vanished in a flash, leaving behind only the roiling curtain of fire and the solitary Bone Throne, as if he were truly uninterested in the entire affair.