Chapter 189 - A True Leader
"..."
Diyael was outside the castle when a massive dome suddenly enveloped it.
He rescued Groo and the others when Verc threw their bodies outside earlier.
And now, he’s just watching—waiting for Verc’s return as he stands guard to the injured.
"What the hell is happening there...?"
Diyael asked himself as he stared at the massive dome of darkness.
He can’t feel anything from it. Nothing to hear, nothing to see.
It was like the space inside the dome doesn’t exist at all!
The massive structure of the castle lobby was completely hidden behind a pitch-black wall that absorbed all natural light around it. There were no vibrations traveling through the dirt, no sounds of stone breaking, and no stray bursts of violent mana escaping into the surrounding environment.
Diyael couldn’t even feel the presence of Verc and Morcant inside. Which was absurd for him because the two have such an overwhelming presence that you can probably feel from far away.
Just moments ago, the sheer weight of their clashing aura made it hard to even draw a proper breath. The aura was so intense that the ground trembled constantly, and the air burned with red sparks.
Now, everything was completely cut off, replaced by an absolute, unsettling silence.
"..."
Diyael couldn’t do anything but wonder what’s happening inside. And then he looked at the injured people on the ground.
He glanced down at the bodies lined up neatly behind the stone wall.
If they don’t get treatment soon... Their lives will be in danger, especially the humans and the dog.
Nara’s face was completely pale, her small chest barely moving as she struggled to inhale tiny bits of air. Beside her, Onyx lay motionless, his dark fur matted with dried blood and his breathing so shallow that he looked almost dead. Pwyll, Bernia, and Rick were in no better shape, their bodies battered, bruised, and bleeding from the horrific attacks they endured under Morcant.
The others who were turned into vampires by Verc were already starting to regenerate.
Groo, Mamon, Kuma, and the other orc family heads were still severely wounded from being impaled for a long time, but their bodies were actively fighting the damage. The dark vampiric energy inside them was faintly knitting their torn muscles together, keeping them stable even without immediate medical help.
Diyael doesn’t know any of them, but he can feel that they’re very important to Verc—his master. And so, he swore to protect them with everything he had.
He adjusted his stance, shifting his heavy body to shield the wounded from any potential danger that might come. His hands gripped the hilt of his war axe tightly, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding for any unexpected or hidden enemies.
’I can’t afford to let anything happen to them while Lord Verc is fighting inside.’
Diyael thought to himself, his jaw tightening.
’If any enemy shows up right now, I’ll tear them apart before they can even take a single step toward this place.’
*****
Minutes felt like agonizing hours as Diyael stood alone in the quiet settlement. The heavy silence hanging over the dark dome made his heart beat faster with anxiety.
Every second that passed without any sound made him worry about the outcome of the battle taking place within that dark space.
But after a few minutes of guarding the wounded—
FWIIIPSH~
The dark dome suddenly disappeared.
"Huh...?"
Diyael’s head quickly turned toward it in curiosity when that happened.
The black barrier didn’t just shatter; it rapidly pulled back, shrinking into nothingness in a split second and revealing the interior of the castle lobby once again.
And when he did—Diyael saw the castle completely destroyed!
The walls were shattered into pieces that you can see the castle’s inside, it even looks the castle is about to fall!
But ignoring all of that... Diyael saw something else that caught his attention.
"..."
He saw Morcant’s beast body lying on the ground.
Its tail was cut off, one of its wings was missing, and its head... It was cleanly decapitated. A massive pool of dark blood was forming under it.
The giant four-legged red monster was completely still, its dark, terrifying aura entirely gone. The massive head rested a few meters away from its severed neck, its wide, black eyes completely lifeless.
Morcant was dead.
A DEMON KING HAD DIED!
"...!"
Diyael’s eyes widened. He had hoped that his master would win, but seeing that outcome with his eyes still surprised him.
’Master Verc is definitely weaker than that demon when we arrived... but now...’
Diyael searched for his master.
His eyes scanned the broken hall, moving past the fallen pillars and shattered stone tiles.
And not far away from the dead beast—he saw Verc standing still. He looks a bit tired, but it seems like he’s recovering his stamina at a very fast rate.
"He became even stronger."
Diyael mumbled to himself.
The raw density of the mana surrounding Verc right now was completely different from what it was before the battle started. It was heavier, darker, and vastly superior, carrying the unmistakable weight of the demon king blood he had absorbed from Morcant.
Just then—Verc turned to where he and the others were.
His cold, sharp gaze locked onto Diyael and the group of injured bodies lying outside.
FWOOSH~
Verc teleported to where they were, Diyael was surprised when he did so.
But before he could even respond or do something—SLASH!
Verc cut open a vertical wound on his left arm... He let his blood gush out violently!
Then looking at the injured laying on the ground—
"Don’t die on me."
Verc said that and started letting his blood flow from his hand—to their mouths!
He made Onyx and Nara drink his blood first. Then followed by Bernia, Pwyll, and Rick.
He kneeled down beside Nara, tilting her chin up slightly to guide the steady stream of dark vampiric blood onto her lips. As soon as the blood entered her throat, her body twitched violently.
Next, he moved his bleeding hand over Onyx, letting the blood fall directly into the dog’s mouth.
Verc moved down the line quickly, giving his blood to Bernia, Pwyll, and Rick one by one.
The five of them were in the most dire situations because they don’t have any regeneration abilities.
Without the vampiric trait, their mortal bodies were rapidly breaking down from the severe injuries and blood loss they suffered. Verc’s blood was the only thing capable of forcing their bodies to stay alive and slowly rebuild their damaged organs and tissues.
After them—Groo, Mamon, Kuma, and all the orc family heads. Verc made them drink his blood as well.
He walked over to the orc leaders who were propped up against the wall. Although their natural vampiric regeneration was already working, receiving a direct dose of Verc’s newly enhanced blood accelerated their recovery process tenfold. Their torn flesh began to knit together visibly, closing the massive gaps left behind by the wooden stakes.
’Drink... consume every drop...’
Verc thought to himself, his expression remaining cold and focused as he watched the life signals of his people slowly stabilize.
The blood loss from his self-inflicted wound didn’t seem to bother him at all. His body was continuously generating fresh blood at an absurd pace, fueled by the massive reserves he had taken from Morcant earlier.
And as his blood was still flowing out of his self-inflicted wound—
"Diyael, search for anyone that still has a bit of life in them and bring them to me—I will not give up on anyone."
He ordered that without turning his gaze away from his patients.
His tone was quiet, but it carried an unquestionable authority that echoed clearly in the silent area outside the castle.
"..."
Diyael kneeled in one knee and bowed his head, then with a determined look on his face—
"I will now let the others enter and have them search every corner of the village to find survivors."
He stated that.
Diyael stood up straight, his massive frame towering over the ground as he turned around toward the outer edge of the settlement. He raised his arm high into the air, releasing a short wave of signal mana to call forth the rest of his tribe members who were waiting in the distance.
"Every warrior, move in!"
Diyael shouted, his voice booming across the open field.
"Search every ruined house, every pile of debris, and every alleyway in this settlement! If you find anyone breathing—even if it’s faint—bring them directly to Lord Verc immediately! Do not leave a single corner unchecked!"
He followed with an even louder voice.
The people and his tribesmen who had been waiting outside the perimeter quickly rushed inside the settlement, their boots thundering against the dirt paths as they began clearing away broken wood and stone to hunt for any remaining survivors.
Diyael turned back to look at Verc, who was still kneeling beside the wounded, making sure every last drop of his blood reached those who needed it most.
’This man...’
Diyael thought, his chest swelling with pride as he watched his lord.
’He isn’t just a monster with immense power... He is a true leader.’
The sun broke through the heavy clouds above, casting a warm light over the ruined castle grounds as the rescue effort began in full force.