Chapter 485 The Fire Demon’s Birth

“Lady Laki, the Red Mist Volcano lies just ahead.”

The Dwarven Legion had marched at full speed, finally reaching the volcanic zone.

“Oh? We’ve arrived already?”

“Hero, you and I shall scout ahead first. It would be far too dangerous to lead the entire army inside.”

“Agreed. That was my intent as well.”

At that moment,

“Roar——!”

A deafening roar tore through the sky.

Aralond lifted his head

and spotted a dwarf riding a wyvern, circling high above.

“They’re the Wyvern Riders. They must have spotted something.”

Aralond sent a signal toward the sky.

The wyvern banked and descended toward him……

Meanwhile,

on the outer perimeter of the Red Mist Volcano.

“Lord Inasil——!”

A subordinate of Gulos came sprinting over in a panic.

“It’s a disaster! A disaster!”

“You fool, watch your mouth!” Fagu snapped. “Lord Inasil is in perfect health.”

“No, Lord Fagu—I mean everything has gone wrong!”

“Huh? You imbecile, speak clearly next time!”

“I……”

“Enough. Spit it out at once, then get lost.”

“The D-Dwarven Legion is here——!!!”

“What?!?”

Fagu paled in panic at the words.

“Lord Inasil——!

What do we do now?!?”

“……”

Inasil stared at the two with a look of bitter disappointment.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath to steady his rage,

and when he opened them again, his gaze was cold and ruthless.

“Hmph! Perfect timing. We need wait no longer. Pass the order——we act now!”

“Yes, my lord!”

Deep beneath the Red Mist Volcano,

Bubble, bubble……

Within a churning pool of magma,

a colossal head was submerged, staring down a dwarf on the rocky shore.

“Dwarf! Cease these futile efforts! You cannot stop me from breaking this seal!”

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“One never knows until one tries.”

Fulmir replied, his expression unyielding.

“You bastard!”

The demon in the lava roared in fury.

“Mark my words! When I emerge, I shall unleash a tide of fire that burns your dwarven kingdom to ash!”

“Mm-hmm. I’ll be waiting.”

“YOU BASTARD——!!!”

The demon raged helplessly, powerless to strike.

Just then,

a stream of bubbles rose from the magma.

A tiny flame serpent slithered out from nowhere, glided through the lava, and dove straight into the demon’s head.

When the serpent returned to his being, the information it carried made his eyes light up with wild joy.

“Hee hee hee……”

A low, sinister chuckle escaped his lips.

Fulmir frowned, tightened his grip on his weapon, and stared at him with heightened vigilance.

Splash!

The magma roiled violently, and the demon’s massive frame erupted from the pool.

“HAHAHAHA! Dwarf! Today is your last day——!”

With that,

the demon raised his enormous fist and slammed it into the ground.

BOOM!

A violent tremor rippled outward in all directions.

At the exact same moment,

beyond the Red Mist Volcano,

Gulos operatives stationed at dozens of locations activated their magic circles simultaneously.

BOOM!

In an instant,

the entire Red Mist Volcano shook violently.

Crack!

The earth split open.

Blistering red waves of fire erupted from the abyss-like fissures.

“Aah!”

Any Gulos members too slow to flee were swallowed by the magma in an instant, vanishing without a trace.

BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!

The volcanic tremors grew more and more violent.

“L-Lord Inasil!!!”

Faced with nature’s terrifying, destructive power, Fagu’s voice trembled uncontrollably.

“Run! Get out of here! We’re done here!”

Panic flashed across Inasil’s face.

He abandoned his men and fled at top speed, racing away from the Red Mist Volcano.

The others snapped to their senses and gave chase,

but only Fagu could barely keep pace.

The rest fell further and further behind.

And then……

Crack!

“Aaaaah——!!!”

One by one, they were swallowed by the crumbling earth, falling to their deaths in the endless sea of fire.

“Help me!”

“Sa…… save me!”

“No, please……”

“Lord Inasil——!”

“……”

The desperate screams of his subordinates echoed behind him.

But neither Inasil nor Fagu so much as glanced back.

At last, all sound from behind vanished.

……

“Hurry! The Gulos dogs are right here! We must stop them before they complete whatever scheme they’re plotting!”

The Dwarven Legion charged toward the Red Mist Volcano,

intent on halting the remnants of Gulos hidden within the area.

The Wyvern Riders’ scout report made clear that the enemy was preparing something catastrophic.

But……

they were already too late.

BOOM!

Without the slightest warning, the Red Mist Volcano erupted in a cataclysmic quake.

“Halt——!”

Aralond roared at the top of his lungs.

The entire legion froze on the spot.

He stared ahead, his face ashen.

“Lady Laki, we’re too late……”

“Yes. This old one understands.”

Whoosh~!

Laki shot into the air.

“Hero, lead your forces in retreat. Remaining here will only get every last one of you killed.”

“Wait, Lady Laki—you’re not going to——”

“I must check on Fulmir.”

“I……”

Aralond hesitated.

After a moment, his gaze hardened with resolve.

“Very well. I leave it in your hands. Please—be careful.”

“Rest easy. This old one does not throw her life away so lightly.”

Boom——!

A sonic boom cut through the air.

Laki’s figure streaked toward the erupting volcano at breakneck speed.

Watching her vanish into the distance,

Aralond spun and shouted:

“All troops, retreat at full speed! Move!”

……

Deep beneath the volcano,

“HAHAHAHA——!”

The colossal demon laughed wildly and without restraint.

“Fire Demon!” Fulmir snarled, stunned and bewildered. “What have you done?!”

“Hmph!”

The demon looked down at him, sneering:

“You dare address me as ‘Fire Demon’, dwarf? Kneel and call me Lord Sugart——!”

BOOM——!!!

A massive fist wreathed in fire crashed down toward Fulmir.

Fulmir gripped his spear with both hands and held it horizontally above his head to block.

Bang!

Under the impact of titanic force,

the ground beneath Fulmir’s feet shattered instantly.

He was driven deep underground, vanishing into the dark depths below……

“HAHAHAHA——”

Sugart threw back his head and laughed.

“This is the price of opposing me!”

When his laughter faded,

Sugart raised both hands high above his head.

“It is time I returned to the surface.”

Hum! Hum! Hum……

Blistering, searing energy converged into his palms.

When the power reached its peak,

BOOM——!

A towering pillar of fire erupted straight upward.

On the surface,

at the summit of the Red Mist Volcano,

BOOM!

A pillar of fire shot into the sky.

The entire volcano exploded in a deafening roar.

Boiling magma gushed endlessly from the crater, and flaming boulders sprayed in all directions, hurtling toward the northern lands.

Ash and smoke darkened the sky, spreading outward in a suffocating shroud.

BOOM!

Another earth-shattering detonation.

From the churning, molten crater,

a colossal figure wreathed in living flame slowly rose to its full height.

“ROAR——!!!”

A terrifying roar shook the heavens and the earth in an instant.