[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-black-dragon-necromancer":3,"chapter-black-dragon-necromancer-black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-43":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Black Dragon Necromancer",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312803,4521,"Chapter 43","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>The flames of Shigui Fortress had not yet fully died out; the air reeked of charred flesh, sulfur, and the swamp-like decay unique to the Black Dragon. The massive Black Dragon Klausuna rested atop the shattered dome of a destroyed mage tower. Her scales, like shards of obsidian, glimmered with a greasy, dark green sheen under the distant firelight of the burning city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Barot, my forces have already destroyed five Pig-Headed fortresses. It’s time you fulfilled your promise. Don’t tell me you haven’t prepared the reward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Klausuna, you haven’t done enough. Barug’s army has suffered another defeat recently; morale is plummeting. We must continue our actions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so? Then you’re not going to pay at all. How many defeats your Pig-Headed brutes suffer is none of my concern. If you can’t give me a reward I’m satisfied with, you’ll regret it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji ji ji, little black dragon, you’re truly amusing. How does a Master-tier dare threaten me? I’m genuinely curious how your brain is structured.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never said I came alone. Your wisdom matches your Pig-Headed underlings—pitiful, demon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean the harpy and those five dragon beasts with you? That’s all? You dare intimidate me with such weak power? How laughable. Then again, with so few followers, you can only bluff.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think carefully before you speak. Behind me stands Duke Sakavi. If anything happens to me here, are you certain you can leave alive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That foolish black dragon who only guards treasure? He’s merely a legendary-tier spell. What’s there to fear? Don’t forget—I’m also legendary-tier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t pretend I didn’t hear that. If you die, will your Queen even know a demon like you ever existed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Klausuna, I must admit your wisdom surpasses my expectations. I intend to honor our agreement. Frankly, working under that foolish dragon wastes your talent. Consider this: the treasure you’ve risked your life to seize—he takes most of it. Isn’t that deeply unfair? What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I find your reasoning very sound. If you could back it up with something tangible, I’d seriously consider your proposal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I like dealing with intelligent beings. Your reward is right here. Count it yourself—once you leave this door, I deny everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His assistant, Master-tier demon Bazael, appeared silently beneath him. Bazael wore a tailored crimson suit, his skin polished like rubies, with wisps of smoke from some unfortunate soul clinging to his small horns. With an elegant gesture, he summoned a massive chest of twisted metal and screaming faces, which thudded onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As agreed, Lady Klausuna,” Bazael’s voice glided like silk over glass. “This is your due reward for breaching five fortresses. Equivalent to one million standard gold coins, we’ve converted it into something… more interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Klausuna slowly lowered her massive head, her molten-gold vertical pupils locking onto the chest. She did not reach for it immediately, but drew a deep breath, as if savoring the “taste” of the treasure in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smelled the thick, cloying scent of metal and gemstones—but beneath it, something more complex, more alluring: the arcane perfume of ancient parchment, the cold sharpness of arcane crystals, the faint wails of imprisoned souls, and a trace… of the demon’s signature sweet deceit. The aroma intoxicated her, yet stirred caution. Demon artifacts always carried the fragrance of contracts, souls, and lies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single claw-tip, sharp as a dagger, she pried open the lid. Inside lay a mountain of coins—but they were no ordinary coins. Some were soul-coins etched with screaming faces; others, fire-realm coins with molten lava flowing along their edges; still others, pure black iron coins radiating despair—the coins of the netherworld.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad, demon. You’ve brought me a small surprise this time. These currencies, valid only in specific realms, are indeed rare collectibles—but that’s all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted a layer of coins, revealing the weapons beneath: a longsword wreathed in eternal soul-fire, its crossguard embedded with a cursed eyeball; a black obsidian tower shield that absorbed all light, its surface screaming with countless silent faces; and a whip woven from the tendons of dwarf heroes, each segment carved with runes that weakened the will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Klausuna picked up the flaming sword, examined it closely, and praised: “Good. A fascinating toy—useful for passing time, but useless in battle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath it lay a full set of adamantine dragon scales—coincidentally sized for a young dragon—etched with protective arrays; three floating longswords, each blazing with different-colored flames—green hellfire, blue death-ice, and pale soul-sucking blades; and a dragon cavalry shield, its snarling dragon-head carving so lifelike it seemed ready to breathe fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gazed at the weapons, nodded slightly, and spoke: “Better. Now this is what I expect. Finally, something that satisfies me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the bottom lay several scrolls made of beast hide, inscribed not with ink, but with congealed blood—complex arrays. Mara’ko needed only one glance to recognize them as a high-tier “Death Array,” capable of instantly draining all life-force from an area and converting it into pure negative energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wasteful,” she judged. “Such exquisite death art, usable only once. But… as a one-time surprise, it’s deadly enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze was drawn to several strange artifacts: a brass compass whose needle did not point north, but slowly rotated, tracking the nearest life-signs—a perfect tool for hunting and predation; a statue of a succubus carved from magical wood, its seductive pose hiding potent cursed radiance, radiating ill omen; and an unremarkable bone amulet, yet Klausuna sensed within it the power to warp space—a single, precise short-range teleport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside a small, unassuming box lay dozens of flawless gems—star sapphires, red zircons, imperial emeralds—haphazardly piled. One soul-prism even trapped within it a tormented, screaming elven phantom. Klausuna silently slipped it into her space ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The reward is generous—unquestionable. The payment for the next fortress is already on its way. But demons never make losing deals, lady. I expect you to continue honoring your promise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seven fortresses lie ahead,” she replied, voice laced with satisfied laziness. “When I tire of these ‘toys,’ I’ll clear the way for you again. Now, don’t disturb me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, black dragon, don’t forget—during this time, your underlings have looted many Pig-Headed towns. Understand: this wealth belongs to us, not you.” Bazael’s voice intruded at the wrong moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The agreement didn’t forbid looting. How I plunder is my freedom. Demon, no one has ever forced a dragon to give back its treasure—and you won’t be the first. But I guarantee you’ll be the one who dies the worst. Without exception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demon Bazael bowed, a faint, barely perceptible smile curling his lips, then vanished silently. He knew: this dragon had been firmly “invested.” Whoever took his money—dragon, human, or orc—would eventually sell their soul to a demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After twenty years in the Duke’s domain, Klausuna had learned one truth: unless a dragon’s power was overwhelming, fighting alone was nearly impossible. Unfriendly humans and organizations would swarm like vultures over carrion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Sakavi wasn’t afraid his subordinates would disobey—without the strength to defeat him, they could only obey. Under the ever-present balance of power in his domain, no one dared carve out an independent fiefdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sakavi turned a blind eye to Klausuna’s habit of skimming a little extra for herself during missions—as long as the job got done. If he gave nothing to his subordinates, no one would risk their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But anyone who thought Sakavi didn’t know when they stole half the spoils during a mission? He would make them understand—clearly, painfully—that he knew exactly what they’d done out there, and they’d never forget the lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those useless, deceitful, lazy vermin who cheated and slacked off, Sakavi’s method was always the same: hang them from the city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But anyone who, when sent out on duty, thinks Sakavi doesn’t know and simply pockets half the funds—such an extremely vile act—Sakavi will surely make them understand just how much he knows about what they’ve done out there, and ensure they never forget the lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those useless troublemakers who enjoy deceiving, swindling, and slacking off, Sakavi’s method has always been to hang them directly from the local city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>",1346,"2026-06-20T13:10:04.638Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","10d93b2f60693105bfdb3a170ef585162c70383cdc5f422b28b53d4a654634a0","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-44","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-42",145,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fblack-dragon-necromancer-cover.jpg"]