Chapter 111 - Pain

Blasts of gold and red could be seen appearing in and out of the huge battlefield as the strongest powers of LEGENDARY rank clashed against one another. The King of the Frozen Kingdom looked like a sculpted figure of gold as he displayed a graceful fighting style that used his skill, [Gold Man], to the fullest.

A vigorous fighting style was being used as all sorts of punches and kicks were thrown out heavily, blasting into the body of the Demon King. Roark was dishing out purely physical attacks with extreme speeds that the smiling Gremory had to bring all his attention to blocking the strikes with his fair palms.

BOOM!

Their figures clashed once again as Roark looked at the battlefield around him. The EPIC Commanders were furiously clashing against their counterparts while trying their best to protect their regiments, but many deaths were occurring.

The [Komodo Dragons] would throw out blazing flames as an area of attack that burnt tens of soldiers, while the [Mephitic Turtles] were throwing out poisonous beams of light that decimated the human forces.

OOOH!

Roark let out a roar as his body moved faster, keeping an eye on the Demon King as his figure quickly went to reinforce a struggling Battalion Commander. The commander was being overwhelmed by two EPIC Ogres that were using their powerful maces to corner him. If he didn't get help soon, he would only face death.

Roark saw that the Demon King stood still at the position he left him in as he neared the Battalion Commander, glad he could save at least one of his friends in this battle.

He just missed the imperceptible smile on the Demon King's face.

The two ogres were near his attack range as he prepared to intercept them, when a drastic change occurred as he felt a large impact.

BOOM!

Seemingly out of nowhere, even with his eyes still kept on the Demon King behind him, something of similar strength had smashed into him and pushed him back. His golden figure looked up in shock as he was met with a beast shining in blue color. It had the striking head of a lion, a pulsating red venomous tail, and wide outstretched wings.

He could hear the laughs of the Demon King as he confirmed the identity of a LEGENDARY ranked beast in front of him, his face changing all color.

This was a primal beast called upon from Demon King Gremory's unique skill, {Primal Conjurer}

The [Blue Manticore] roared furiously as another one exactly the same size as it with terrifying power also appeared.

A demon king in the back, two LEGENDARY beasts in the front. The King was cornered.

OOH!

A battle cry escaped his lips as his body flared up even more, pushing [Gold Man] to its fullest as he disappeared from the location and began to fight the two beasts. The Battalion Commander he had wanted to save? Only a pile of flesh remained as the two ogres finished him off.

Pain.

Weakness.

That was all Roark felt. He looked around the battlefield at the many dying soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers. All they left behind were dying screams. Blasts of gold continued to clash with the two LEGENDARY beasts, Roark was actually moving speedily in the air and avoiding the sharp stingers the [Blue Manticores] were waving back and forth.

The Demon King had a red cloud supporting him as he rose in the air, his voice ringing out.

"Haha, you actually had the strength to hold out against the attacks of two primal beasts? Good, good! Look around you though, look to your people that are dying by the thousands!"

Gremory's mocking voice rang out as the King kept his focus on trying to tear down the defenses of the LEGENDARY beasts before their owner decided to participate too, but the words shook him as he observed the despairing state of the battle.

His EPIC commanders were being pushed back, some of them dead. His two sons were far in the back commanding the forces and preventing more deaths, but nothing was changing the state of the battle.

He didn't want this. He couldn't watch this. His body raged as essence was used up without reservation, his stature becoming even bigger and the gold energy inlaid in his attacks became all the more destructive.

He could do it. He would take down these beasts first, and then he would sav-

GUH!

An unexpected situation had occurred where Roark was about to go all out, when he felt a searing pain spread throughout his body. The momentary lapse gave an opening as one of the stingers of the [Blue Manticore] struck his arm.

BOOM!

His golden figure smashed into the ground as he rolled out and breathed heavily. He didn't understand what had just happened as the searing pain he felt in his body became even more intense. What was happening at such a crucial juncture?!

The floating Gremory in the air was laughing wickedly as he neared the position of the fallen king.

"Do you feel pain spreading throughout your whole body? You can't as easily move your essence? Hmm?"

His voice rang out in a mocking tone towards Roark. There were dead bodies of demons and humans on the position they were at as Gremory looked down at the golden man who was glaring at him ferociously.

"What the hell did you do?! I'm sure my defenses were not broken through!"

Gremory looked at this valiant figure as the wicked smile on his face became even bigger.

"Oh but that is where you are wrong, little human. Your defenses were broken through long ago, haha!"

Roark tried to move his strength as he listened to the demon's mocking tone, but all he felt was more pain. His face turned ashen as he realized he couldn't put in any more power. He still did not understand, and could only watch in rage as the two primal beasts and Gremory came close and surrounded him.

"Yes! That's the expression I wanted to see! The King of a kingdom kneeling on the floor in despair, not even knowing what happened. Are you not curious, little human?"

The stingers of the two manticores acted like flexible joints as they wrapped around Roark's golden arms and raised him up. His right arm that was stung before had turned a deadly shade of purple as it pulsed horribly.

The forces of the Frozen Kingdom had noticed this development and were trying to break through the ranks of demons to get to this position, but the many large beasts, goblins, ogres, and orcs gave them no respite.

The princes in the far back of the defense line had horrible looks, as the older one pulled out a communication medallion hurriedly.

Gremory was about to continue berating the king in his mocking tone so he could see more of the despair in his eyes when he felt the buzzing of the medallion. His face warped even more as his twisted mind worked and he took the medallion out, looking at the raised figure of Roark in front of him.

"Now yes, I could just easily kill you now and do the same for your forces, and then go on to enslave your people. Before that though, why don't we listen to something interesting?"

He neared Roark with the medallion on hand as he placed some mana into it, the message sent across coming out.

"Hey! You promised me my father's life, what are you doing?!"

The voice seemed desperate, but was easily recognizable. Roark's face drained of all color as he heard this message and painfully turned his head over to where his two sons were being protected while commanding the soldiers.

He felt the searing pain in his body that did not allow him to do anything as he heard the voice of his son coming out from the medallion of the demon. He wanted it to be a lie, an illusion from the magic of this demon, but his sharp eyes could see his desperate son in the distance holding a red medallion.

This f.u.c.k.i.n.g fool.

What had he done?!

UGH!

The pain in his body increased as the poison from the stung arm continued to spread, with the two manticores to his left and right twisting their grips even faster. Gremory seemed to have a flushed red face as he looked at the changing emotions on the King as well as the desperate voice that continued to come from the medallion.

His mocking voice came out as he brought his palm to cover his flushed face. "Ah, I understand your plight. You gave your best and fought with all that you had, only for everything to fall apart as you realized a betrayal had taken place."

The golden figure of Roark was raised up as Gremory looked at him.

"You may be asking yourself now, 'Is this it? Is this really how everything I have built up crumbles down?' Ah!"

Gremory seemed to be in euphoria as he looked around at the bloody battlefield and the despairing faces as his face became malicious.

"I'm here to tell you yes. All that you have built will crumble down, and nobody can do anything abou-"

BOOM!!!

…

"What the f.u.c.k?!"