Chapter 235: Kamu Dragon

Where there are people, there is a Jianghu, and where there are Goblins, there is naturally a Goblin's Jianghu.

The Demon King can decide the upper-level order of Black Wind Fortress, but the lower-level order is like a black box to that Lord... After all, the taller the person, the harder it is to see their own feet; this is a universal iron law, and also a proverb passed down by Goblin ancestors.

Although Snik had only been the director for a few days, he had a deep understanding of his work.

He knew very well that the Demon King chose him not because of his combat power; he didn't have that thing at all.

On the contrary, precisely because he had no combat power, he had practiced the ability to survive in the cracks, and could shuttle freely and comfortably in the crowded and narrow Goblin community.

In just one night, he cooperated with the lackeys he bought with beer to keep an eye on those unusual Goblins.

Once they made any move, he could guarantee that they would definitely not escape his eyes.

As the night fell silently, Black Wind Fortress had gradually sunk into a dream, and only the insignificant wails and curses of Hell Dwarves, and the sound of rats crawling through the sewers, could be heard on the street.

Under that scorching molten iron, two invisible undercurrents had silently intertwined.

The Dragon family's layout had long since begun.

And the Demon King who came from afar also nailed an iron nail the first moment he arrived in his territory.

At the same time, on the other side of the Demon Capital.

The Dragon family's manor stood silently, like a fortress isolated from the world.

Scorching magma flowed around the manor, reflecting the pitch-black high walls, on which greedy man-eating vines were entrenched, their tentacles occasionally moving slightly, as if waiting for prey to approach. Above the main building of the manor, a black spire stood in the night, like a sharp blade piercing the void, casting deep and eerie shadows.

In the study of that manor, the elder of the Dragon family—Zacro Dragon—was sitting on the carved high-backed chair in the study.

That hunched figure was elongated by the flickering candlelight, reflecting a deep darkness. His eyes were calm and deep, reflecting the faint firelight, as if staring at the notebook spread out in front of him, or as if staring at some unfathomable direction in the void.

That notebook was the notebook of the previous head of the Dragon family, his dear eldest son, the former Demon King of Thunder County, Lei Ji Dragon.

The yellowed pages were filled with dense text, occasionally interspersed with obscure runes and special marks.

It could be seen that his child had poured a lot of effort into this notebook and had already achieved quite impressive progress.

It was just unfortunate that his child was ultimately a little bit short, falling on that path to godhood full of thorns...

What exactly was that little bit missing?

Zacro sighed, closed his turbid eyes, and suppressed the torment and madness about to burst out from under his eyelids.

He had poured too much effort into becoming a god, and seeing that everything was about to have a result, he didn't expect it to turn out like this.

His knuckles tapped the table rhythmically, and the low echo filled the entire study.

At this time, footsteps came from outside the study, accompanied by a creak, and the door opened gently.

Kamu Dragon stepped into the study, stood opposite Zacro, his steady expression showing a hint of dread and exploration.

"Grandfather, you called me?"

"Yes." Zacro's gaze was locked on the notebook, not raising his head, although he was the one who called his grandson.

Kamu waited for a long time, seeing that his grandfather had been silent for a long time, and finally couldn't hold back, asking in a low voice.

"What exactly happened? You called me so late..."

Although he was the head of the Dragon family, and his grandfather had retired behind the scenes for more than a century, he knew deeply that the influence of this grandfather in the family had never weakened. Even because his father, Lei Ji Dragon, had been the Demon King of Thunder County, this old man's control over the main family was even stronger than a century ago.

Many key decisions were still controlled by this elder, and even today he had not fully handed over the decision-making power.

It was precisely because of this that although Kamu respected his grandfather, he still harbored a hint of precaution in his heart.

"... Luo Yan is back." Zacro spoke slowly, his voice low, like a whisper from the abyss, "You shouldn't be unfamiliar with this name, right?"

Hearing Luo Yan's name, Kamu's face sank instantly, gloomy and terrifying.

"Even if that guy turned to ash, I wouldn't forget him." He said through gritted teeth, his teeth clattering.

"... It seems you haven't forgotten what he did, I am very gratified. Failure is not terrible, what is terrible is forgetting." Very satisfied with Kamu's reaction, Zacro's mouth lifted slightly, his tone gentle but carrying a hint of deep meaning.

Kamu looked at him and said in a low voice.

"Did that guy do anything else?"

"He didn't do anything, but he did everything."

Looking at his grandson who showed a confused expression, Zacro continued unhurriedly.

"The development of Black Wind Fortress is too fast, and with the help of the Partridge family, the changes there can be described as having wings. And you know, Hell is a place where the strong are respected, and the nobles' understanding of power is not just strength, but also the most critical governing ability. After seeing the changes in Black Wind Fortress and the Thunder County Labyrinth, some people started to discuss... does the Dragon family not have the ability to govern? Otherwise, why is this fertile land of Black Wind Fortress like garbage in our hands."

Fertile?

Kamu sneered.

"Let that group of idiots who don't understand anything say it."

Black Wind Fortress's achievement is entirely because of the Ministry of War's orders; this is a well-known thing, and it has a fart relationship with the land.

Not to mention, the Demon King of Thunder County himself gained the appreciation of the Partridge family, and also had an unclear relationship with the Colin family.

With so many factors superimposed, even if a dog were tied to the Lord's position, Black Wind Fortress would still be able to develop. And to be honest, Luo Yan didn't manage it at all, it was completely behind-the-scenes operation, and he didn't even go there until recently.

"We can ignore rumors, but we have to guard against the ulterior motives of others."

Zacro looked at the unconvinced Kamu meaningfully and continued.

"When someone wants to do something, it will become a sharp blade, held in their hands. We are not the Partridge family who can play both sides; our enemies are probably no fewer than our allies. If you let the jackals outside doubt your governing ability, the Dragon family's territory may not be as stable as we imagined, you have to think clearly."

Kamu's brow jumped slightly, and a hint of urgency gradually rose in his heart.

Black Wind Fortress was once their Dragon family's fief, but now it has become a booming industrial center, and the person controlling all this is actually a Demon King who doesn't even have noble blood.

The noble circle of the Demon Capital indeed had some criticisms about this, and many people were watching their jokes.

Admittedly, for the Dragon family, Black Wind Fortress itself is not important, but they cannot ignore Luo Yan's power constantly expanding, and his potential hostile relationship with the Dragon family.

If that guy was willing to be a Demon King in a remote area forever, that would be fine, but he not only came back every few days, but also got so close to the Partridge family.

This is definitely not a good sign.

Looking at his grandson whose eyes were flickering, Zacro turned the pages gently, his gaze falling on those obscure research results, and changed the subject.

"My child... that is your father, he once believed that the path to godhood was hidden in some ancient alchemy laws. However, I have studied this notebook for a long time, but I have never been able to crack the mystery... this is actually very abnormal."

"After all, in the final analysis, Lei Ji was cultivated by me personally. As his father and teacher, I can't understand his research."

He raised his head slowly, staring deeply at Kamu.

"And Luo Yan, the outsider who stole Black Wind Fortress, was able to easily make Black Wind Fortress develop so rapidly, and also took out alchemy technology we hadn't seen before at a critical moment. Don't you think... this is too coincidental?"

Kamu frowned and couldn't help but say in a low voice: "You mean... the notebook Luo Yan gave us is missing something?"

Zacro smiled slightly, not answering directly, but continued to turn the pages, his fingertips stopping on a line of obscure text.

"Missing? Kamu, my grandson, you are too kind, thinking of human hearts too simply. In my opinion, the notebook he returned to us is more than just missing a few lines? He has very likely completely hidden the most critical parts, and what he gave us are all trivial and superficial things... Your father's research definitely didn't stop there. I can even boldly speculate that he has actually mastered the path to godhood, otherwise, how could a Bronze-tier Undead Mage rise to Silver in such a short time?"

Looking at Kamu who was holding his breath, he smiled faintly, his voice saying viciously.

"Hard work? Effort? Wasn't he hard-working enough when he was at the Demon King Academy? That kind of thing is enough to fool Goblins, don't tell me even you believe that stuff." "Soul level..." Kamu said with difficulty, "But... there are many ways to improve soul level, and it doesn't necessarily have to involve the realm of gods, there are also some forbidden secret arts—"

"What you want to say is the soul fusion ritual in Undead magic, right?" Zacro smiled faintly and said, "The Undead Mages who take this path are Lichs without exception, and they will definitely go crazy in the end. Do you think he looks like a Lich, or like he has gone crazy?"

Kamu's heart jumped violently.

This is indeed too abnormal!

But what made him feel most abnormal was not the speed of Luo Yan's own transcendental power progress, but the magic crystal cannon technology he suddenly mastered after a trip to the Thunder County Labyrinth.

That is ancient technology, not mushrooms in a labyrinth; would it be so easy for him to pick it up?

And there was his younger brother Xino Dragon when he dueled him; usually there were no problems at all, why was he targeted by Chaos as soon as he landed in the labyrinth?

This is also too abnormal!

But if he associated it with his father's research, Kamu understood all the abnormal situations in an instant.

This is actually not that hard to understand.

Things that transcendental power cannot do, a certain power can easily do...

That is the power of miracles mastered by gods!

【Note: The text here is a garbled anti-piracy placeholder.】

"You mean... the notebook Luo Yan gave us is actually only a part? A smoke bomb to paralyze us?" Kamu swallowed a mouthful of saliva, looking at his grandfather nervously, his fists slightly clenched, "And my father... has actually found the path to godhood?"

"This is the most reasonable explanation. Isn't His Majesty Bayeli today also asking for the god position as a Demon King? The power of the Demon King is actually seriously underestimated. Although this is the need of Hell, it is also the inevitability of history, but you must not be confused by that kind of thing."

Zacro sighed gently, closed the notebook in his hand, stared at his grandson, the current head of the Dragon family, with turbid pupils.

"Kamu, you are the head of the Dragon family, you must be clear—if you let that Luo Yan continue to develop, he might become an existence we cannot shake before long. And the Partridge family is a famous speculator in Hell; they might push him to a height we cannot imagine, even to the god position... This is very difficult, but it is not impossible."

Zacro said slowly, his gaze staring at his grandson like a poisonous snake, "My child, are you really willing?"

This sentence sounds a bit treasonous, but that is only for the ordinary demons of Hell; after all, they only learned half of history.

And for those truly noble families, they have all read complete history. They know very well that Bayeli is not irreplaceable, and naturally they will not superficially think that the Demon God today is truly omnipotent, and the power they hold is also secure.

Although Zacro has no evidence, he has reason to believe that Luo Yan holds the thing he wants, and this thing has also attracted the attention of the Partridge family.

And he has absolute reason to believe that the guy who can sit firmly in the Demon King position is definitely not the group of idiots who die on the front line of Hell, let alone those wine bags and rice sacks who are afraid of the Demon King position, this guy must not be 100% loyal to the Demon God, and must be ambitious!

And this also means that if this kid masters the path to godhood, he will definitely use it without hesitation.

Kamu's face was uncertain, his fists clenched tightly.

Of course he was not willing.

He was born in the Demon Capital, and the pride of the nobles had long been engraved in his marrow. Once upon a time, not only was the Thunder County Labyrinth their industry, but Black Wind Fortress was also their Dragon family's territory.

And he, his original goal should have been greater power, but he didn't expect to go from bad to worse because of a guy who popped out of nowhere.

But he was the head of the Dragon family after all, and could not act on impulse, especially without a clear advantage.

"However, the Partridge family is already standing on Luo Yan's side, acting rashly is probably not good for us. And, if the Partridge family has decided to place a bet on Luo Yan—"

"Betting does not mean putting all the chips on the line. Do you think they have a heart-to-heart friendship? The Partridge family probably doesn't know as much about that kid as we do; they are also observing the situation and increasing their chips according to their own rhythm."

A cold smile appeared on the corner of Zacro's mouth, and he took a letter from the drawer and said lightly.

"This letter is from the front line."

Kamu reached out to take the letter suspiciously, scanned it, and his pupils shrank instantly.

This was a private letter from a general on the front line. Logically speaking, such a letter should not appear here, but it just so happened that the general was once Zacro's confidant.

In this letter, the front-line officer revealed a key piece of information—although the magic crystal cannons sent to the front line by the Ministry of War were powerful, their mobility was too poor, and assembly took a lot of time, and so did dismantling.

These magic crystal cannons did indeed put considerable pressure on the Austrian Empire's army when they were first sent to the front line, especially greatly restraining the joint chanting of the spellcasting group.

However, humans are not stupid either. After discovering the weaknesses of the magic crystal cannons, they immediately changed to guerrilla tactics, relying on the advantages of air forces to suppress the logistics of the Hell artillery units.

Not only that.

Because the front line changes frequently, the transfer of magic crystal cannons has become a big problem. Unless it is a magic crystal cannon deployed in a fixed fortress, all magic crystal cannons pushed to the front line to support operations basically cannot come back, and most of them are blown up by their own people to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy.

But in fact, this trend is also difficult to stop; the Empire's vassal Xuebang has already started to imitate this weapon based on the wreckage captured on the front line.

Therefore, improving existing magic crystal cannons has become an imminent problem for Hell.

If they cannot maintain the lead, their original advantages will turn into disadvantages.

Standing at a strategic height, this is almost bound to happen.

Of course, Kamu knew that his grandfather definitely didn't want to discuss any national affairs with himself by taking out this letter, but that the information revealed in this letter might become a knife in their hands.

"This... can become a breakthrough?"

Zacro nodded, his gaze revealing a hint of coldness.

"Generally speaking, it's difficult, but it's different if someone exerts pressure behind the scenes. For example, if the council passes a resolution requiring Black Wind Fortress to solve the problem of insufficient mobility of magic crystal cannons in a short time, this will become the first card in our hands."

Kamu understood instantly, a hint of joy rising in his eyes.

"Whether it's adjusting the production line or improving equipment, it takes time!" He said in a low voice, "If they cannot complete the task, the council and the logistics department have reason to exert pressure on the Ministry of War, and the pressure will eventually be transmitted to Black Wind Fortress. And we can take advantage of the situation to propose to the council that Black Wind Fortress be merged into the direct jurisdiction of the Demon Capital, or that the Demon Capital buy Black Wind Fortress..."

"This is the second card."

Looking at his grandson who understood at once, Zacro nodded slowly, revealing a satisfied smile, and continued unhurriedly.

"As long as his roots in the Demon Capital are pulled out, everything will return to last year, and then we can slowly plan for the Demon King territory of Thunder County... while urging him to expand his results through council pressure, waiting for him to make mistakes, while winning over his subordinates in his territory, and inciting rebellion at the critical moment."

This is actually not a very fresh trick; what is important is actually taking the first step.

In the face of the temptation of godhood, he decided to gamble for himself, and for the future of the Dragon family!

And he could feel that Kamu was already moved.

But being moved was not enough; he wanted Kamu to make up his mind completely and place a bet in the name of the head of the Dragon family.

Zacro stood up, walked slowly to Kamu's side, and said in a tone with a hint of bewitchment.

"If Luo Yan masters the secret of godhood, if he is allowed to continue to grow, then all of us will be trampled under his feet."

"By that time, our family might be drowned in the long river of history, becoming forgotten losers... my child, I am old and don't have so much ambition, but you are still young, are you willing to be such a head of the family?"

Kamu's breathing became rapid, his heart beating violently.

Of course he wouldn't!

He would never let the glory of the Dragon family perish in his hands, let alone let an outsider without noble blood trample on them!

And this means—

He must do something!

A moment later, he exhaled slowly, his gaze gradually becoming firm.

"... I understand."

Kamu said in a low voice, his voice carrying a hint of determination, "But this matter is not enough with my own strength, I need your help."

Zacro smiled slightly, a hint of satisfaction flowing in his eyes.

"I will do my best to support you."

"As long as you can prove to me that you are a qualified head of the family, I can even... hand over everything I possess to you."

"That is the power that your father... that is, my son, never possessed."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 236 =====