Chapter 369: The Beast Emperor

"Welcome, Your Majesty!"

The Orc Lords’ relief became a roar of fanatical joy. Their emperor had returned.

Almost at the same moment, the blood-red Barrier finally shattered.

"What a surprise. The mysterious force raiding my kingdom belonged to an outsider Lord."

Vargul stood a thousand meters above the ground, looking down at Cassian. Curiosity gave way to greed.

"You’re more than ten times stronger than your earlier battles suggested. There must be a remarkable secret behind that strength. Kill you, and it becomes mine."

His gaze passed over the army below.

"Mythic troops too. Perhaps you’ll even leave me a Mythic Troop Soul."

Cassian studied the information that appeared before him.

[Vargul]

[Office: Blood King — All attributes of all units belonging to his Domain +40%.]

[Race: Orc | Level: 115 | Aptitude: S — Mythic]

[Combat Rating: 2,100,000 stars]

[Physique: 2,900,000]

[Skills: ???]

A Lord’s attributes already exceeded those of an ordinary troop at the same Level and Quality. Add his office, the War God Statue, his Lord Talent, and the other benefits available to him, and the Beast Emperor had reached a terrifying two million nine hundred thousand Physique.

Orcs rarely lacked a powerful burst skill, either.

Blood-red rings appeared beneath the million defenders. Their auras swelled. Compared with the fighting at the entrance, the army’s strength had risen by at least forty percent.

That appeared to be an aura skill belonging to Vargul himself.

Normally, one Lord could not inspect another’s attributes. Cassian had recently bought and consumed a complete Skill Book for Worldsight, one of the finest Grade-A sight techniques, spoken of alongside Golden Truthsight. It let him see part of the Beast Emperor’s information.

Behind Vargul came six Heroes. Their presence was weaker than his, but every one was a Level-115 Legendary Nine-Star.

Cassian let out a quiet breath.

"One can hold him. Even if she can’t win, she can keep him occupied."

He glanced at the opening the statue had torn through the void.

"And forcing a passage through the seal must be expensive. He could only bring a few Heroes back with him."

Excitement began to replace his concern.

He had been wondering how to reach Vargul inside that billion-strong army. Now the emperor had brought himself straight to Cassian.

The palace would be harder to take. He might suffer casualties. On balance, though, this was an opportunity worth having.

"Vargul! You coward!"

His voice carried across the battlefield.

"Will you fight me?"

Before the emperor could answer, Cassian cast Disarming Toast. Light settled on one of the Orc Heroes, taking his Command bonus and adding it to Aurelia’s. The Dawnwing ranks grew stronger again.

His small army advanced against an enemy hundreds of times its size.

"Impudent!"

Vargul’s face twisted with anger.

"The last Homeworld Lord who insulted me was crushed to pieces. You still dare speak that way? I’ll make you beg for death!"

He took one step forward.

Pale-gold totems spread densely across his green skin. His power surged, and he charged straight at Cassian. Below him, the Orc army roared and followed its emperor into battle.

"There it is. A burst skill."

The Crystalkin had Extreme attributes, but no comparable burst of their own. Cassian would have to make up the difference with money.

He winced and gave the order.

"Dragon’s Blessing. Increase One’s Physique."

Another hundred billion Aether burned away.

The higher an attribute already was, the more expensive it became to strengthen. Even that fortune bought only a thirty-percent Physique boost for the Crystal Princess.

One flew up to meet the emperor. A crystal blade hundreds of meters long fell toward his head.

"A cheap trick."

Vargul reached for it with his bare hand.

The blade shattered like glass. A faint line of blood appeared across his palm.

Cassian kept talking.

"I’d heard Orcs were poor. I didn’t realize it was this bad. An emperor, ruler of a whole kingdom, and you can’t even afford a weapon?"

At Vargul’s strength, an ordinary Legendary weapon would probably break before his body did. The few pieces of Legendary armor he wore seemed useful mainly for their attributes.

Killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"Keep talking, Human. We’ll see how clever that tongue is in a moment."

One showed no anger at the loss of her blade. Her arms changed shape again, becoming two broad, heavy swords, each ten meters long. They sacrificed reach and some cutting sharpness for far greater strength.

The two fighters collided.

A tremendous pressure wave swept over the ground, knocking Orc troops from their feet. One flew backward a hundred meters.

Vargul had won the exchange. He still looked astonished.

"A Level-95 Mythic troop? How can you be this strong? Are you above Mythic Three-Star?"

A volley answered him.

Without noticing, he had entered the Kinetic Mechs’ range. More than a hundred gravity rounds struck his body.

He gave a startled shout as his weight dragged him out of the air and slammed him into the ground.

Lethria and the other Faerie Dragons attacked from phased space. Void Entanglement wound around him from every direction, pinning him at the center.

One dived.

Her heavy sword came down on his head. Vargul managed to block it, throwing her back several dozen meters, but a deep wound opened along his arm.

The Blood Emperors and the other powerful fighters joined in. More bloody cuts appeared across his body.

"How do you have so many of them?"

Vargul’s roar carried both anger and shock.

The warning he had received had been urgent enough. He had contacted the War God Statue at once and spent Faith Power accumulated over countless years to force a passage home.

He had known the invader was strong.

Only now did he understand how strong.

Golden light blazed from his totems as he drove them to their limit. He stopped trying to advance and put everything into defending himself.

"But this must be most of your fighting strength!" he roared. "Warriors of the Bloodmaw Court, kill them!"

Cassian issued his own orders.

"Heaven’s Battle Array. Defensive formation. Hold the army back!"

"Everyone else, concentrate on Vargul!"

"Celia. Be ready."

There was one useful thing about Orcs. They respected strength above all else, and their strongest fighters usually led from the front.

It had given him a clear shot at their leader.

Brilliant sacred light poured from Heaven’s Battle Array. The immense outline of a holy mountain took shape above the Dawnwings. The physical Crystal Maidens who had remained outside One’s convergence helped hold the line beneath it.

The six Heroes leading the defenders were each far stronger than an individual Blood Emperor in Cassian’s force.

One physical Maiden tried to stop an Orc Hero. She lasted ten seconds before his mace smashed her body apart.

The six Heroes drove the million-strong army against the formation. Orc troops crashed into it in wave after wave.

Dawnwings poured Aether into the Array, drinking bottle after bottle of Life Water to keep up with the drain.

Liora opened her Abyssal Grimoire.

"Demonic Calamity!"

Demons streamed onto the battlefield. More than a hundred thousand threw themselves against the advancing Orcs, heedless of their own lives.

Her Level-85 summons were too weak for the task. Most lacked the Quality to stand against these native elites as well. They could only spend their bodies buying time.

Heaven’s Battle Array began to waver.

Vargul laughed. Golden totems shone across his body as he struggled to fend off the fighters surrounding him.

"How long do you think that formation can last?"

Cassian smiled.

"Let’s see which side breaks first."

"Celia. Strike."