Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x! - Chapter 817 817: The Demon War Begins

Nox did not move when Emerald said it, and his face stayed calm even as his eyes narrowed a little. He had known she would not call him for nothing, but he did not expect it to be this early. He kept his voice even and said, “You need my help, but why now. What happened.”

Emerald stepped closer and her tone stayed serious. “The demons want to launch another attack. Not rumors. They are gathering commanders and moving supplies. I heard it from the inside.”

Nox stared at her for a moment, then asked, “Another attack on the human continent.”

Emerald nodded once. “Yes. The same direction. They think they can strike while the humans are still weak and scattered.”

Nox let out a slow breath, then said, “That’s not good. The human continent is still trying to recover from the last attack. Cities are still fixing walls. Most of the strong awakened are spread thin. If the demons hit now, the damage will be worse than before.”

Emerald’s jaw tightened. “That is why I called you. If we wait, they choose the timing. If we move first, we decide it.”

Nox kept his posture relaxed, but his eyes sharpened. “Then we make our move now. We take out the top demons while it is still early, while they are still reorganizing, while they still think they have time.”

Emerald did not soften, but she nodded once. “That is the plan. But my current army will not be enough if they react fast and bring out their real troops.”

Nox asked, “How bad is it. Give me the numbers.”

Emerald answered quickly. “They are weakened,” she said. “Reduced greatly because of the last war. Their numbers are very few compared to before. Whole legions were wiped out. Many floors lost leaders. They still have elites, but their bulk is thin, and that is why they want to hit the human continent again. They want resources and fear.”

She kept her eyes on him as she continued. “Even if they are reduced, they are still demons. Their commanders are still cruel. My army cannot hold a full clash alone. I can strike and sabotage, but if I am pinned down by numbers, I will lose ground.”

“That should not be a problem,” Nox said casually. “I have an army that will do.”

Emerald’s eyes narrowed. “What army.”

Nox lifted his hand slightly. “Watch.”

The space around him tightened, and a moment later a blue portal appeared. The first dragon formed beside him in spectral shape, then a second, then many more. Dozens of Scourge Dragons appeared from all sides, wings half spread, claws set, heads lowered as they waited. Their bodies looked like red haze with black undertones, and each one had dark, listless eyes, just like their master who had summoned them.

They did not roar or thrash around. They only held position like soldiers.

Emerald paused and stared, then her gaze moved across the ring and back to him.

Nox lowered his hand and said, “This is only part of it. I have more where this came from.”

Emerald nodded slowly, a smile appearing on her face. “So this is your army.”

Nox kept his tone level. “They do not get tired. They do not panic. If I tell them to hold a line, they hold it. If I tell them to tear down a wall, they do it.”

“That’s very good,” Emerald said, nodding with excitement. “The council is arguing, but there are three main lords pushing for war. They want a quick raid, not a long campaign, because they cannot feed a long campaign right now.”

“The demon prince you escaped from last time is the one leading the whole thing.”

Nox did not flinch, but he vividly remembered the demon prince, known as the Firstborn, someone far stronger than most commanders.

Emerald continued, “The other two are floor lords from floors ninety eight and ninety nine. They did not join the last war, and they possess some of the best troops among all demons. They want to prove they are still strong, and they think the human continent will fold if they hit the major cities at once.”

Nox held out his hand and one dragon leaned closer, waiting for orders. He spoke to Emerald instead.

“We have two moves,” he said. “One, we go all out. Two, we strike the leaders directly while they are still arguing and sleeping.”

Emerald said, “Direct strike is better, but getting inside without raising alarms is the problem. The demon empire has watchers. If they sense you, they will alert the whole floor.”

“My aura will not be the problem,” Nox said. “Plus, apart from having a similar aura to demons, these dragons can move quietly in spectral form. We position them first, then we move.”

“How many can you place without drawing attention,” the succubus asked.

“Enough. We do not need hundreds. We need the right ones in the right spots. We isolate, we kill, we leave.”

Emerald nodded, a smile on her face. “Fast and clean. I like that.”

Nox replied, “Exactly.”

⸻

He stepped to the side and traced a rough layout Emerald had provided, and the two began to go through the plans with serious expressions.

She looked around the circle of dragons again, then said, “We also need to decide what happens after the strike. If we kill the leaders and leave, the rest will scatter, but they might still try to raid out of spite.”

Nox said, “We are not leaving anyone alive. After all, our goal is to make you the new demon empress.”

Emerald nodded, liking the sound of that.

Then she straightened and added in a serious tone, far more urgent than before, “There is one more reason I am pushing this now.”

Nox met her eyes. “What.”

Emerald took a short breath and said, “The demon emperor has been in slumber for some time now. Everyone is waiting for the day he wakes, and when he does, the whole empire will move at once. We need to act fast while he is still asleep.”

…

End of volume 3: Vermilion Kingdom’s last stand.