[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-black-dragon-necromancer":3,"chapter-black-dragon-necromancer-black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-81":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},2312841,4521,"Chapter 81","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-81",81,"\u003Cp>Walking along the coastal salt marsh, the ground beneath his feet was gray-white, cracked and dusted with fluffy salt crystals that shimmered with tiny glints under the thin sunlight. Dry clumps of mud curled up with sharp edges, revealing networks of white salt crystals woven like lace in the fissures. Every step produced a crisp “crack,” startlingly clear in the silent air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Morax, why didn’t you tell me earlier about the demons invading sooner? The mass migration of fishfolk and lizardfolk across the entire salt marsh, the construction of coastal defenses—such massive undertakings, and you did it all alone? Do you think I’m invisible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, don’t blame me for speaking bluntly. Of the fifty masters or higher in your entire duchy, thirty are dragons or dragon-beasts, each wanting their own territory. Even generals like Sharut and his pig-headed kind want to profit from this war.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You hesitated, so we made the decision for you. Everyone knows you’re unwilling to take this risk—you have fiefs, vassals, and countless riches. But what do we have? Only ambition.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right, my lord. Even Grap wouldn’t pass up this chance. Without you, we’d scatter to the winds. To join this dangerous feast, we had to drag you into it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you were involved too, Sulede? Have I trusted you too much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, if you’d seen the Mechanical Realm, you might understand me. In that forgotten corner, countless powerful beings still exist—so strong we dare not even look at them. I don’t care about land or wealth, but I won’t stop here. For this, I can only say I’m deeply sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, murky puddles scattered across the marsh like shattered mirrors, reflecting a leaden sky. Salt-tolerant salicornia clustered along the water’s edge, their dark red plants merging into a continuous patch like scabs oozing from the earth. Occasionally, clumps of reeds stubbornly pierced through the salt crust, their yellowed leaves coated in white dust, whispering raspy sounds in the sea wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the distant landscape, Sakavi fell silent. No wonder the chromatic dragons suppressed their subordinates’ growth—even with vassal contracts, Sharut and others still slipped through the cracks. As for Verna, since she voluntarily became his vassal, she’d been scheming against him. Sakavi had no desire to wade into this muddy water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve poured all my wealth into this place. Now I can’t even leave. Morax, can we really hold off the demon army here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, rest assured. After I returned, we reopened the Abyssal Passage. After three years of training, all six of our legions are battle-hardened veterans, and we have ample reinforcements ready. We can certainly repel the demons here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, don’t hold them here. Let them advance to Agrik. We’ll make our stand there. Only two legions are stationed here; the rest are relieved by garrison units. Two legions withdraw to Ironhoof Steppe, two hold the Bohe Plains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? That would destroy the entire duchy. Many of our people are natives here. Isn’t the cost too high?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A normal Abyssal plane has a demon lord in command. We don’t need to risk it. If we commit everyone here and lose them all at once, what will you use to claim your share later? Your losses? What you hold is yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, hand over your duties. Take ordinary dragon-beasts to the Soro Islands. Watch them closely—don’t let those troublemakers cause chaos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Won’t I be participating in the upcoming battle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those self-proclaimed righteous fools should earn their keep. You’ll fight when you return from assaulting the Abyss. That’s when your time comes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood, my lord. Your wisdom remains as admirable as ever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come, walk with me. You lot have gotten on my nerves. Today, I’ll take the chance to see this marsh one last time—it won’t be here much longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three humanoid figures walked along a winding path. In the distance, twisted dead trees stood deep in the marsh, their branches like bleached bones pointing skyward. Their bark had long peeled away, eroded by salt into gray-white skeletons; some branches hung with tattered moss, like dying banners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A salty sea breeze blew from the left, carrying the scent of seawater, decaying organic matter, and the briny bitterness unique to salt marshes. When it swept over the water, it stirred fine ripples, shattering reflections into thousands of silver scales. Foam and broken reeds piled along the tide line, forming a blurred boundary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the sharply salty air, the three halted atop a slightly elevated mound, gazing forward. As the first line of defense against the demons, the scene before them blended haste, resilience, and a touch of tragedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First to catch the eye was the winding main rampart, like a great serpent. Built from local materials, it was formed by compacting resilient peat soil mixed with felled, twisted trees into a wall nearly five meters high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outer face bristled with sharp wooden stakes, angled toward sky and sea. Their tips had been charred and hardened by fire; faintly visible were fragments of shells and salt crystals embedded within, glinting coldly under the gray daylight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morax the silver dragon-man’s silver scales faintly reflected the dim light as he coolly assessed: “The wall isn’t uniform, but it’s thick enough. Built quickly with local materials. Weakness: vulnerable to prolonged rain and powerful magical strikes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Never expected it to hold long. Just slow the demons down a little,” Sakavi said, seemingly unconcerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s check out those watchtowers over there! See what Morax’s years of work have achieved!” Sulede pointed to several wooden-and-stone watchtowers standing at key points along the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They rose half again as high as the wall, their structures crude, held together by thick logs and ropes. On their platforms, fishfolk archers stood guard, their silhouettes stark against the low-hanging clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sulede looked up, his white hair stirring slightly in the damp sea wind. “The towers offer excellent visibility—cover the entire tidal flat and nearshore. But the structure seems unstable. If flying demons attack….” He didn’t finish, but his furrowed brow betrayed his concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These were always meant to drain demon manpower. Too bad for the fishfolk on this line, Morax. Spending so long with the chromatic dragons has made you less kind, hasn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, you’re joking. Don’t you remember? I’m a dragon-beast who couldn’t withstand the Dragon Legacy. You erased all my soul’s memories back then—I was reborn. The innate lawful good nature of metallic dragons never affected me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the watchtower, they could see the open ground before the rampart had been meticulously transformed into a death zone. The naturally muddy salt marsh had been further excavated and flooded, forming wider, deeper ditches filled with murky, bubbling sludge. Besides natural toxic organic matter, other substances had been mixed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sakavi the black dragon-man’s dark vertical pupils swept over the area, a cruel smile curling his lips. “The sludge’s been laced. I can smell rot and poison. Enough to trap low-tier demons and keep them from ever crawling out.” Skull markers and disguised traps dotted the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the wall and towers, defensive equipment and personnel were visible. Besides standard bows and crossbows, heavy, cumbersome ballistae were mounted, their bolts as thick as an adult’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some fishfolk soldiers inspected their weapons. Their armor and arms were caked with white salt crust, their faces bearing the weariness of long-term coastal garrison duty, yet their eyes remained sharp, fixed on the mist-shrouded horizon. Sulede sighed: “They’ve held here too long. Climate and waiting are wearing them down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can these fishfolk really hold their ground? I fear they’ll drop their weapons and flee the moment they see the demons. Fishfolk have never been fighters—even those with basic training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, you can rest easy. Grap anticipated this. Once the demons land, the entire trench will bloom with flowers emitting a scent that induces frenzy—fishfolk will temporarily lose their fear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha! Morax, you’re becoming more like a blue dragon slavemaster. You actually came up with this method of exploitation? I’m astonished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I simply believe Verna was right: shed the burden of racial identity, and do what you believe is right. I used to obsess over what a normal silver dragon should be, how to be worthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, Verna told me: you’re a pure black dragon, yet you possess traits only humans have. No one says you aren’t a wicked chromatic dragon. You don’t have to mimic anyone. Just do what you believe is correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. That’s the student I raised. Why learn from other dragons? Do what you want. The world doesn’t lack strange dragons—ours aren’t the only ones. By the way, do you know the green dragon Ilrog mentioned?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know him. Since childhood. He always spoke with an air of superiority. I recall he sneaked into the academy himself—somehow tricked the registration clerks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s enough for today. Let’s go to Agrik and meet that green dragon—see what he’s capable of. Your subordinates are truly impressive.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1486,"2026-06-20T13:10:04.638Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","afc3a183407772338cdbae765f90ee1a9b3af2bc27536df2fb201f8269baef8a","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-82","black-dragon-necromancer-chapter-80",145,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fblack-dragon-necromancer-cover.jpg"]