[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-black-dragon-necromancer":3,"chapter-black-dragon-necromancer-black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-76":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},2312836,4521,"Chapter 76","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-76",76,"\u003Cp>\"Koen, I am well aware of your past misdeeds—don’t even think of hiding anything. My drow elves will show you what serious consequences mean. You may keep your position as Viceroy, but best stop your petty schemes. I am not that foolish king.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, please believe me—under the bond of servitude, I shall be a loyal and reliable servant. Hamodo will become a vital source of your wealth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good, Zog. I trust the trolls more. As long as you serve me, you shall gain wealth beyond your dreams—and territory. The Grayleaf Island region is far too small. But everything comes at a cost. Though my domains are vast, I give nothing to any subordinate who offers no contribution.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Respected Black Dragon Duke, the troll race vows to be your most savage warhammer. Give the order—let us smash whose citadel to powder!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need an army. How many can you send? That will determine your worth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grayleaf Island has five major tribes and twenty minor ones, totaling about five thousand people—I’m not even sure of the exact number. After all, I’m only the nominal Grand Chief; I cannot fully control the tribes beneath me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you cannot provide me with elite warriors? Very well! I shall go there myself—and simultaneously intimidate those who refuse to obey. Why haven’t the dwarves sent anyone? Do they refuse to acknowledge my rule? Or do they intend to wage war against me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Duke, I believe you misunderstand them. For many years past, a certain Viceroy frequently raided dwarf caravans, breeding deep hatred toward humans. Let our Sea-Wing clan persuade them instead!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need. I have my own plans. I wish to know how many troops your Sea-Wing clan can provide—and what magic you specialize in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Duke, we are born of the ocean. Wind is our invisible wings; waves, our eternal allies. Every adult Sea-Wing is a child of wind and wave. We currently have two hundred elite seafarers, ready at your command, sworn to tear apart any fool who defies you. Additionally, thirty new-bloods will come of age soon, prepared to serve you at any moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You wield both wind and water magic—unusual indeed! Your intellect seems highly advanced. Why are you confined to this tiny Monoko plane?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You speak truly, Duke. We are a race deeply devoted to poetry. Once, we were pets of the Elven Divine King Kirelon. Later, during the war with dragons, we were corrupted by a green dragon and betrayed the elfkind. That Divine King was furious and cast a curse upon us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Since you so despise the land, henceforth, the land shall be your prison. Your blood shall forever be bound to the sea; leave the water, and you wither; set foot on land, and you die.' All knowledge of cloud-city architecture and high magic gradually vanished, becoming legend. Only fragments of poetry remain, passed orally among us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you cannot leave here? Can the curse be lifted?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once, a necromancer attempted to transform our kin into undead forms and succeeded in exiting the plane. Some humans also sealed Sea-Wings within containers of seawater and transported them to other oceans. We have tried countless methods to break the curse—all failed. Perhaps a wise Duke like you might find a way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Sakavi’s current abilities, he could easily craft a puppet to transfer the curse via contract—but there’s no need yet to anger the elves. Perhaps one day he could discover a way to lift it, letting them break their own chains and thus avoid trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you still possess any inherited magical knowledge? If I teach you wind magic from outside, can you learn it quickly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes. In our nest, there are magical inscriptions carved on stone tablets, passed down from the Dragon Age. But over time, the lineage has become fragmented, and our power has declined generation after generation. Now, the highest among us are merely Gao Jie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the Duke is willing to teach us, we can learn new magic swiftly. Please believe us—most Sea-Wings can read Common, and we won’t trouble you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sakavi said nothing. This beast’s attitude was too aggressive; if he grew too powerful, he risked losing control. But humans were even more unstable. Currently, the Duke’s domain could spare no manpower. The islands needed strong military force to resist threats—and equally needed balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Koen, how many men do you currently command? How many capable ones? If you rebuild the fleet, how long will it take?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Duke, I currently command three thousand armed personnel under the Viceroy’s office, with twenty capable individuals at Mid-Stage or above. Based on last year’s tax revenue of fifty thousand gold coins, rebuilding the fleet would take three years. The shipyards in the harbor district cannot build large vessels. Humans and merfolk are at war—they won’t sell complete ships. We can only buy damaged ones for repair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for personnel, Hamodo’s total population is five hundred thousand, with two hundred thousand engaged in maritime work. Recruiting sailors won’t be a problem. But my Duke, you may have overlooked one thing: most islanders worship the Church of Justice. This is a vital commercial hub on the sea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t bother with the Church of Justice. If they don’t provoke us, treat them as if they don’t exist. How many adventurer groups are here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My Duke, you may misunderstand adventurers. They are less explorers than bandits and murderers. Most of their time is spent carrying out unsavory tasks. Mercenary companies are much the same—but they are excellent at crushing bandits and cultists. The peace of Shattered Star City is maintained by them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Currently, fifteen adventurer groups are registered with the Adventurers’ Guild, all with five or more members. Two of them include Mid-Stage capable individuals. Five mercenary companies are registered with the Viceroy’s office—all currently employed by the Viceroy. Is there anything else you wish to know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. That’s all I need. Zog, I’m going to Grayleaf Island. Come with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you command, Duke!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Departing from the Viceroy’s office, twenty minutes later, Flint Island came into view. The central volcano, Forge-Throat, quietly belched thick smoke. Almost no dense vegetation remained—only exposed rock, massive mines, and hellish orange-red glows seeping from deep within the mountains. The air reeked of sulfur and molten metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene on Shellcliff Island was utterly different. Along the western towering white cliffs, Sea-Wing nests clustered like giant beehives. As his massive form swept across the sky, countless Sea-Wings erupted from their nests, circling and shrieking—not in attack, but in warning and display. Their wind magic stirred the clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrified merfolk scattered in panic across the beach; the entire tribe descended into chaos. Their haphazard nests and reef-built huts now served as fragile shields for their young. The young, strong merfolk warriors had abandoned the land, racing toward the waves with near-frenzied speed, desperately swimming into the deep sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the mad, trampling merfolk below, Sakavi realized his dragon aura felt to these lowly creatures like an incomprehensible natural disaster. Staying longer was meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a low growl, laced with contempt and boredom. His wings churned the damp sea breeze, his massive body carving a black arc through the air as he turned toward the chaotic, violent island of Scalefin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barren outline of Scalefin Island rapidly expanded in his slit pupils. Unlike the order of Emerald Plains or the binary balance of Shellcliff, here lay only naked survival of the fittest. On the relatively flat valleys and plateaus ideal for hunting, the ogres’ “settlements” dotted the land like scabs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their dwellings were crude monuments to savage strength: massive, unworked stones, mixed with twisted planks and torn sails looted from wrecked ships. Main structures were haphazard huts built from giant logs, roofs covered in thick, rotting animal hides that reeked of foul stench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most prominent were the “trophies totems” standing beside each hut—entire dead trees adorned with dried beast heads, rusted armor, and even the skulls of enemy tribe members, flaunting their brutality and power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the centers of larger settlements, crude earthen and stone hearths could be seen, filled with charred bones and ash—the shared “banquet” sites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Sakavi flew low, casting shadows over these nests, the ground reacted swiftly and violently. Packs of ogres burst from their huts, swinging bone-studded clubs and massive stone axes, roaring hoarsely at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their cloudy little eyes burned with primal hostility; their muscular bodies tensed with battle-lust, openly seeking to drive away this unwelcome lord of the sky—though they dared not strike first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the southwestern rugged coast of Scalefin Island, a bay was cleverly concealed by wind-eroded rock pillars and dense mangroves—this was the old nest of the Graytail Tribe: Pirate’s Bay. It was a strategic forward post, meticulously chosen by the jackalmen, adjacent to the main shipping lane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It directly faced the primary trade route from the main island Hamodo to Flint Island and beyond. Frequent merchant vessels provided ample “prey” for the jackalmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the sea, the bay was obscured by thick black reefs and twisted rock spires, appearing as a dead end. Only jackalmen helmsmen familiar with the currents knew how to navigate the narrow, turbulent “Razorwater Passage” into the calm lagoon within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sole land route was a narrow ridge path, riddled with hidden sentries and traps, known as “Jackal Path.” Any army attempting to cleanse them from land would pay a heavy price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A murky, muddy-yellow river, like a grotesque scar, cut through a mosaic of red and green marshes and rocky terrain, emptying into a turbid lagoon half-hidden by reefs. The tiny, writhing figures along the riverbanks and cliffs, and the slender boats darting like water beetles across the lagoon, all proclaimed the thriving existence of a cunning, cruel aquatic predator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jackalmen’s camp clung to an easily defensible cluster of weathered rock formations, skillfully exploiting natural terrain. Their dens were dug directly into cave mouths at the rock base, reinforced crudely with twisted hardwood and thorns, coated thickly with a sticky mixture of mud and filth as crude waterproofing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the dens, crude defenses of sharpened stakes and piled boulders formed a chaotic barrier—yet one that subtly followed the land’s contours, leaving hidden attack exits and baited trap zones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the center of the camp stood their totem of faith: a wooden pole stained deep brown by blood, adorned not only with prey skulls but woven into a massive, twisted symbol representing their god, Ye Kemu. The altar stone beneath had been soaked for years in blood, turning into an ominous purplish-black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scattered around the caves were crude huts made of ragged animal hides and sailcloth—homes for low-ranking members or slaves, living beside stinking garbage heaps and cleaned skeletons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the dragon’s shadow fell like a shroud of death, the jackalmen reacted swiftly and orderly. They emitted a series of short, hoarse barks as alarm. Packs of jackalmen warriors poured from their dens, wielding barbed spears and rusted curved blades, pressing against rocks and stakes, their yellow-brown eyes locked unblinkingly on the dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Sakavi’s shadow swept over the sun-baked, cracked salt flats of eastern Scalefin Island, a wholly different scene met his cold slit pupils. This was the domain of the Scaleclaw Tribe—a place where primitive worship and cold-blooded instinct were woven into every inch of earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their settlement was built on a relatively dry, elevated plateau overlooking sulfur-scented swamps. Their dwellings were semi-submerged mud-holes, crudely constructed from sun-hardened bricks, reeds, and clay paste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Low and circular in shape, they effectively blocked daytime heat, preserving cool, damp interiors. Each entrance hung a curtain of dried intestines or thin hide, swaying gently in the hot wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside some larger dens, wooden racks displayed dried hides, and neatly stacked, polished bone and stone fragments—tools for crafting weapons and armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon’s pressure descended like a physical weight. The lizardmen reacted with chilling calm. Groups of lizardmen warriors slid silently from their dens, wielding spears tipped with stone shards and heavy bone clubs. Their scaled faces showed no expression—only forked tongues flickered rapidly, tasting the air for danger.\u003C\u002Fp>",2011,"2026-06-20T13:10:04.638Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d53d39d977769a6c643c48481782682595a1a22f6caf61bbc96f8cd44e2806d4","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-77","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-75",145,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fblack-dragon-necromancer-cover.jpg"]