BXBX NOVEL Chapter 164 Duking It Out With A Duke [Pt 1]
Sure, I had my suspicions that the ten Mid-Demons weren\'t the only ones involved in the invasion on Dulum.
I thought that perhaps some bigwig was calling the shots. I didn\'t understand the reason why, though... at least not until after seeing the resources buried under Dulum.
It was official—this city had value!
Some hotshot probably used a Divining Orb and found this spot. Yes, that had to be the only explanation.
For one, if it was a major power in the Demon Realm—say, a Duke—the army would be a lot more devastating, whether it was against a.human civilization or not.
They would have definitely sent more impressive people.
That was why I assumed the bad guys were probably some folks who couldn\'t afford to do any better.
At this point, though, I realized how dumb that logic was.
After all... the true mastermind turned out to be one of the greatest menaces in this world—Demon Lord Valefor himself!
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>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<
Several beasts poured out of Valefor\'s gate. They were humongous, horrendous creatures, having massive bodies.
Compared to the Labyrinth monsters, these were the cream of the crop.
Massive carnivorous worms, terrifying Demon Beasts, and even several Hydras.
\'One of the smaller versions of the Hydra here was the Final Boss of the Great Helios Labyrinth... this is unbelievable!\'
The monsters numbered only a thousand, yet their might was enough to make my own army look like fodder.
I was still in shock, wondering what to do next with the emergence of these nerve-wracking forces, when I heard the damning voice of my foe.
"This should solve the basic requirement of a battle. Now, then... shall we begin?"
\'No... no wait!\'
"Destroy them all."
>WHOOOOOSSSSHHHH<
In an instant, the massive beasts lunged toward my army—both the Golems and monsters—tearing them apart in a flash.
\'No! Shit!\'
I wasn\'t particularly concerned about the wellbeing of any of my foot soldiers anymore. No, there was something more important that would occur as a consequence of their demise!
\'If they kill all the soldiers, their next target will be the humans in Dulum!\'
I had to prevent that at all costs.
However—!!!
"I certainly hope you have not forgotten about me." The Demon Lord, Valefor stared coldly at me.
I was completely stuck.
With every second I wasted, my soldiers were dying. However, the choice on what to do was difficult.
\'I have to hurry... fast!\'
There was no time to think very hard. I had to employ a basic strategy that ensured I prevented the utter demise of my army, while also focusing on the prime antagonist here.
\'Looks like I have to reduce the number of monsters he summoned. That\'s the best first step!\'
Using Inventory, I summoned several Mana Bombs and launched them in multiple directions.
"What\'s that contraption?" Valefor asked, watching as the orbs lunged in multiple directions—toward his enemies.
\'Ah, right. Demons would rather not use Mana Bombs since the damage caused by it doesn\'t add to their EXP. They never developed it too, because it\'s too simple.\'
As a result, I had an edge.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!<
As planned, the Mana Bombs worked wonders, and many of the summoned monsters died. Still, they were still plenty enough to be overpowering.
A desperate seat fell from my brow.
"Ah, I see. An explosion. I can\'t allow that, now can I?"
I felt the Miasma from Demon Lord Valefor rise, but before I could even react...
"Ah, shi—"
... He teleported right in front of me and shoved a purple blast in front of me.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<
Instantly, I rapidly descended to the ground. The blast nearly made me lose consciousness, and the damage was great, even though I was supposed to be protected by my Crystal.
>K-KRIKKKAAAA<
The crystal shattered instantly, and I found myself in the worst situation ever.
>WHUSH<
Valefor suddenly appeared directly overhead, gazing down on me with a cold stare.
"Nice barrier. It seems one wasn\'t enough." The Demon Lord stretched out his hand, sending another blast my way.
This time, things were going to get fatal. As such, I had no choice but to use all the Skills at my disposal... just to survive.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<
I crashed to the ground, creating a massive crater upon my descent.
"Gark!" I found myself coughing out blood, feeling the entirety of my being sizzling as a result of the damage.
Fortunately, it wasn\'t fatal.
"Oh? A draconic form. Interesting..." The being floating above me commented.
He was in his base state, yet this Demon was pushing me this far.
\'I\'ll have to cancel the [Domination] effect I have on the monsters now. There\'s no point since they\'re worthless now.\'
I needed to be able to utilize all of my Mana, while resorting to my Mana Batteries when I required them.
\'This will take everything out of me!\'
The reason why I was so cautious and pessimistic about my situation wasn\'t solely due to my opponent\'s title, or his infamy in the novel.
No, it was because of something I was seeing right before my eyes.
\'Demon Lord Valefor... Level 250.\'
He was far stronger than me!
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The Demon Generals—ay least the ones who survived and we\'re conscious—were immensely grateful that they had not surrendered.
It seemed Pierrus was spot-on concerning his decision. His instincts had been correct, after all.
"Whew! Thank goodness..." Kiko heaved a sigh of relief.
"If he hadn\'t killed your Dragon, would you have joined him?" The utilitarian beside her asked in suspicion.
"W-what? No wayy! All hail the Demon Race!" She sharply responded.
Truthfully, she considered joining the human. If he had asserted more pressure, she was probably going to change her initial stance.
However, seeing that same intimidating figure get schooled by their leader, Kiko was grateful for not being so impatient.
"It seems the battle is as good as done." Heshu murmured, looking at how the advantage now belonged to the Demons.
"Did you predict this would happen? Is that why you didn\'t surrender.?" Pierrus asked the de-facto leader.
"Not at all. I just... thought it would be my lot to die against a stronger foe. That\'s all."