Chapter 78: The Royal Crusade Begins
Arthur Thorne’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets as he watched Liam slaughter so many high-level experts in such a short time. Pure, unadulterated rage consumed him. He wanted nothing more than to tear Liam limb from limb, but the cold reality was clear—the tide had turned.
"Retreat!!"
The order was bitter on his tongue, but Arthur gave it nonetheless.
"Alistair! You failed to keep eyes on the Frost Monarch. This defeat rests solely on your shoulders!"
Even in retreat, Arthur didn't panic. In his mind, the only reason things had gone south was because Alistair had let Liam slip away.
As Arthur’s forces pulled back, the Demon’s Den and the Night-Walkers quickly reclaimed Blackwind City. The condition—Three Cities, One Capital—had been met. Finally, the Veiled Overseer could establish his own sovereign regime.
"Hahaha! At last, we build our own power!"
The Overseer was ecstatic. After years of being suppressed, he finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The Night-Walkers began systematically taking over administration for Blackwind City, Frostfall City, and Crimsonpeak City.
Meanwhile, Arthur had already returned to the Astral Capital.
Astral Capital, The Grand Throne Hall.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Marshal was professionally negligent. He failed to contain the Frost Monarch as agreed, and that is why the mission failed."
The moment Arthur returned, he immediately moved to impeach Alistair.
"Not only that, but Archmage Abyr and General Flynn have both fallen to the Frost Monarch’s hand."
King Abraham’s expression darkened. "Summon the Grand Marshal."
A few moments later, Alistair Thorne strode into the hall with a confident, effortless gait. He glanced at Arthur and offered a thin, mocking smile. "Arthur, tell me—is Blackwind City ours yet?"
Arthur exploded. "Alistair! How dare you show your face! Do you even remember what the King tasked you to do?"
Alistair knew exactly what had happened, but he maintained a mask of total confusion. "What are you talking about? I followed the orders to the letter."
"To the letter?" Arthur sneered. "If you had followed them, how could the Frost Monarch have appeared at Blackwind City and then proceeded to seize Frostfall and Crimsonpeak as well?"
Alistair fought the urge to laugh. "You actually saw the Frost Monarch there?"
"Of course I did!"
"Are you certain you saw him?" Alistair pressed.
Arthur frowned. "Well, no... but that black-robed Archer appeared again. Those abilities—it couldn't have been anyone else."
Alistair shook his head dismissively. "Don't be so quick to make assumptions. I’ve been personally watching over the Frost Monarch this entire time."
"That’s impossible!" Arthur’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"If you don't believe me, see for yourself."
Alistair flicked his wrist, projecting a recording. "This is the mission log. Your Majesty, Arthur—you can both see that I’ve been with the Frost Monarch the whole time."
In the recording, Alistair and the Frost Monarch were casually sitting together, drinking tea.
Arthur’s face went pale. He staggered back, his mind reeling. "How... how can this be?!"
He couldn't fathom it. Why would the Frost Monarch be sitting peacefully with Alistair?
"Wait... does that mean the black-robed Archer isn't him?"
Alistair turned to King Abraham and bowed. "Your Majesty, although Arthur is my own brother, he has not only failed to reclaim Blackwind City, but he has lost two more of our cities in the process. Such a grave failure demands severe punishment."
Hearing those words, Arthur felt as if he had been plunged into a vat of ice water. "Your Majesty, the failure only occurred because the Archer among the Night-Walkers was far too powerful!"
"Enough."
Abraham’s mood was foul. He had intended to use this opportunity to give Arthur a political boost, but now, even if he wanted to shield him, he couldn't justify it.
Just as the King was weighing his options, Chief Wang entered the hall.
"Your Majesty! Arthur is not at fault. The black-robed Archer is the Frost Monarch!!"
The statement hit the room like a thunderclap. Every eye turned toward Chief Wang.
"Chief Wang, what are you talking about?" Alistair asked, his voice cold. "I was with him."
Chief Wang let out a derisive snort. "You weren't watching the real man. You were watching a Phantom Double. Given his level of power, it’s hardly surprising he possesses a high-tier clone skill."
Arthur’s eyes lit up. "He’s right! After the Archer killed Chief Wang, there was a Server-Wide Broadcast. That proves the Archer isn't a local Night-Walker, but an Adventurer!"
"The Frost Monarch is already a freak of nature. I refuse to believe there’s a second Archer among the Adventurers who is just as monstrous."
Kaslow stepped forward and gave a respectful nod. "Your Majesty, at this point, debating the Archer's identity is secondary. The Night-Walkers now occupy Blackwind, Frostfall, and Crimsonpeak. They have met the requirements to establish a rival government."
"One kingdom cannot have two rulers. This cannot be allowed to stand."
Abraham narrowed his eyes. "Then what does the Grand Chancellor suggest?"
Kaslow bowed again. "Since Arthur has failed, there is only one path left to us."
"And that is?"
"A Royal Crusade!"
Kaslow had finally spoken the words Liam wanted to hear. To kill King Abraham, Liam needed him out of the palace. Within the walls of the Astral Capital, the King was untouchable.
"A Royal Crusade?" Abraham frowned.
Arthur immediately cut in. "Your Majesty, your life is far too precious! How can you go on a crusade? I am willing to lead the troops again. I swear I will not fail this time!"
Alistair scoffed. "Arthur, you’ve failed twice already. This last time, we lost Archmage Abyr and General Flynn. If you go back out there, you’re just throwing the lives of our warriors away."
Arthur opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. Alistair was right. He had no counter for the Frost Monarch’s power. The man was simply too strong.
"I implore Your Majesty to lead the Royal Crusade and reclaim the three cities," Alistair said, bowing low.
With both the Grand Chancellor and the Grand Marshal in agreement, the rest of the court followed suit.
"We implore Your Majesty to lead the Royal Crusade!"
King Abraham took a deep breath. Something felt off, a nagging sense of unease. But he felt the Spatial Escape Talisman tucked against his skin. With that, he had total confidence—if things went wrong, he could vanish in an instant.
Besides, he was a king. He didn't believe for a second that the Frost Monarch could actually best him in a fair fight.
"Very well. I shall lead the Royal Crusade myself and take back what is mine!"
"The King is wise!" the courtiers shouted in unison.
Alistair and Kaslow shared a subtle, knowing glance. Their goal had been achieved. Now, everything rested on whether Liam could actually finish the job. If the King died on the battlefield, the board would be cleared.
Suddenly, a system announcement echoed across the world.
[Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to The Veiled Overseer of The Demon's Den for successfully establishing the "Demon's Den" Regime. Players may now enter the Demon's Den Capital City. New features have been unlocked!]
[Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to The Veiled Overseer of The Demon's Den for successfully establishing the "Demon's Den" Regime...]
The broadcast repeated, shaking the player base.
Abraham’s expression turned venomous. A rival government had been officially recognized within his borders. It was a humiliation beyond words.
"Alistair! Assemble the legions immediately. We march now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As the Astral Kingdom began its massive mobilization, Liam heard the broadcast and knew the real peak of the Realm War was about to begin. The skirmishes at Blackwind City had been a mere warm-up.
He sent a message to Monty.
Liam: "Monty, get ready. The real Realm War is starting."
Monty: "Holy shit, Liam! Another one? Hell yeah, one good Realm War is enough to make a man rich for life."
Liam was focused, but Monty sent another follow-up.
Monty: "By the way, Specs is out. He completed his Class Advancement. His sub-class is Celestial Tomb-Warden, and it’s even scarier than his main. He’s got Curses, Ethereal Invincibility, and Spatial Distortion. He’s a total beast now."
Liam: "..."
Liam: "Wait, that guy was Specs?"
Monty: "Huh? You ran into him?"
Liam: "Yeah. He tried to hit me with his Curses and Spatial Distortion."
Monty: "No way! Seriously?"
Liam: "Yeah. Tell him I’m the black-robed Archer. He’ll put two and two together."
Monty: "Wait! You're the Archer?! Specs was just complaining that some 'cowardly' Archer wouldn't stop camping him!"
Liam: "Just tell him. And make sure you guys stay sharp so we don't have any friendly fire incidents."
Liam closed the chat and looked at the Veiled Overseer.
"The King definitely heard that broadcast. He’s going to launch a Royal Crusade."
The Overseer stood up, his face grim. "If he comes himself, we’re in deep trouble."
"How much do you actually know about Abraham’s strength?" Liam asked.
He knew of the King from his past life, but he had never seen the man actually fight, so his knowledge of the King’s specific kit was limited.
"He’s at the Third Advancement Cap. A Level 200 Platinum Grade entity."
"And his class?"
"Summoner."
Liam’s pupils constricted. "A Summoner. That’s a problem."
"Exactly. A Level 200 Platinum Summoner is a headache. It wouldn't be unusual for him to pull out ten Level 200 Gold Grade War Beasts at once."
"That is... complicated," Liam admitted.
Summoners were fragile themselves, but their pets were a nightmare to chew through. Especially at that level.
"We’ll deal with it when he gets here," Liam said.
Just then, another announcement rang out.
[Server-Wide Broadcast: Due to the massive invasion by The Demon's Den, the Astral Kingdom Realm War has officially begun! Adventurers will receive massive rewards for slaying Night-Walkers. Protect the Kingdom!]
The call to arms went out, and players everywhere felt their hearts race. You can always regain lost levels, but Achievement Points (AP) were hard to come by. Slaying Night-Walkers was a straightforward path to top-tier loot.
"Commander! Emergency!" a scout rushed in. "King Abraham has arrived outside Blackwind City with a million-man army!"
Liam glanced at the Overseer. "Do you have any quests that reward a Luck State buff?"
The Overseer looked at him, confused. "No? Why? What are you planning?"
"I need to boost my Luck."
The Overseer shrugged. "I don't have anything like that... but my Eldest Brother might."
"Speaking of which, where are your brothers? We’re about to be erased from the map and they still haven't shown their faces?"
The Overseer gave a wry, bitter smile. "They have more important things to attend to."
Liam narrowed his eyes. More important? Establishing a government wasn't important? A Realm War wasn't important? Then what the hell was?
"What are they doing? Do they need help?"
The Overseer shook his head. "I don't know."
Liam didn't push it. He didn't believe for a second that the man didn't know; it just meant Liam wasn't cleared for that information yet.
"Fine. Let's go. This fight is going to be brutal. I won't be showing myself on the front lines for now."
The Overseer frowned. "You’re not fighting?"
"Not openly," Liam clarified. "My goal is to assassinate the King. I can't do that if he’s focused on me."
"You’re actually going through with it?" The Overseer looked at him like he was a Berserker. "Killing the King... that's insane."
"I took your quest, didn't I? You think I’m doing this for the exercise?"
Outside Blackwind City.
A sea of a million soldiers surrounded the city. The sky was darkened by volleys of arrows raining down like a localized storm.
Liam stayed hidden, peering into the heart of the enemy formation. With The Immaculate Eye active, he finally spotted King Abraham.
The King was flanked by Kaslow, Alistair, Arthur, and... a little boy.
Liam paused. He had no memory of this child from his past life. There was no record of a boy standing by the King's side during this era. Because of the distance, he couldn't see the boy's stats, but his gut told him one thing:
That kid was dangerous.
Liam pulled his gaze back to the King. At this distance, landing a shot was impossible. Even with Glacial Wings, flying straight at him was suicide. With Arthur and the others guarding him, a single arrow would never hit its mark.
After a moment of deliberation, Liam slipped out of Blackwind City through a side path. He needed to find a different angle—a way to turn the King into a target.