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Athena's General - Chapter 355

Nathan Evenhart:

“My son!” King Bartholomew exclaimed as the Inquisitor stepped forward, his name still echoing in the minds of those around him—Leonhard Olarion.

“Is everyone safe?” Leonhard asked, his voice calm despite the chaos. He raised his hand and pointed toward the direction the undead were pouring in from. A colossal barrier of wind erupted across the battlefield, spanning the entire clearing—forceful, blinding, impenetrable. The undead hurle...

Athena's General - Chapter 354

Nathan Evenhart:

In the dead of night, they emerged from the forest.

A tide of corpses—once human—now little more than walking husks, armed with rusted weapons or bare hands, frozen mid-step as they stared at us in absolute silence. And from every direction—trees, roads, shadows—more kept coming.

I knew what they were. Not quite like the Corrupted I’d fought in the tunnels beneath Nikolaus Wolves. These were different. These were dead. And far more...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 82

The flames roared, devouring the trees with a savage hunger, while the smoke swallowed the stars, turning the night sky blood red.

He stood at the heart of it—

A titan orc wrapped in muscle and firelight. Nearly four meters tall, skin carved with scarred symbols that looked more like ancient curses than warpaint.

“YOU WILL DIE HERE!” His voice cracked the air like thunder.

[Morvat, Orc General – Lvl ??]

From the treeline, the forest e...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 81

Nearly twenty orcs blocked the path ahead but three names burned brighter in Luke’s vision:

[Kayn, Orc Captain – Lvl 22]

[Drukar, Orc Captain – Lvl 21]

[Morvat, Orc General – Lvl ??]

The largest stepped forward, towering above the rest. His voice oozed contempt. “You saw the fortress. That leaves us no choice.” He raised his voice, words cutting like steel.

“Not that this wasn’t inevitable. But no...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 80

The orcs pressed forward. Heavy feet trampled over root and stone, following prints too small to be theirs. Human.

Their grunts echoed low and deep between the trees. From the distant ridge, they’d heard it— the unmistakable roar of a Midnight Warden. A hunter had found prey.

And now... the trail led here.

They had already discovered the first bodies—scouts slain near the riverbank. And now another lay face-down in the dirt, throat torn open, blood still fresh.

U...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 79

Luke jumped. Allison in his arms. No plan. No strategy. Just instinct. Just the only way out.

The cliff stretched into nothing—a drop without end. The fall was chaos, violent. Wind screamed past. The world spun.

And then—water.

SPLAAASH!

The river exploded around them. Cold. Crushing. They were swallowed whole.

Darkness wrapped around him like chains as the current tore them apart.

“Allison!” Luke thrashed, spinning, reaching blindly through...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 78

Atop the shattered husk of a forgotten building, amidst the debris of a war long lost to time, it stood—a waking nightmare clad in obsidian armor that drank in the moonlight like a void.

A Midnight Warden.

“No... way...” someone whispered, the words barely escaping their lips.

The air shifted—grew heavy, oppressive. As if the night itself held its breath.

Then—

It dropped.

CRAAAAASH.

The impact shattered the earth beneath it. Concret...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 77

The group pushed deeper along the Wild Zone’s edge.

Every time a beast lunged from the shadows, arrows flew, and steel followed. Silent. Fast. Efficient.

Luke had stopped by his tent before joining the expedition. Bag stashed inside the Artemis pendant. Potions checked. Gear double-checked. Ready.

He and Allison had joined the formation as it moved out—twenty-eight strong.

Six mages brought up the rear, casting low-level spells that layered everyone’s vision with...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 76

Luke opened his inventory and tapped the latest item he’d received after slaying the spider.

[Aracna’s Leggings – (Uncommon)
Description: Light, flexible pants crafted from the hide of Aracna, the spider guardian. Reinforced for durability without compromising agility.
Enchantment:

[Spider's Leap (Uncommon)]: Grants enhanced jumping capability.
Requirement: Level 10+ in any class or race.]

He tapped [Equip].

In an instan...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 75

A spider dropped from the ceiling like a living nightmare.

[Aracna, Guardian of Artemis – Lvl 20]

Too many eyes. All of them glowing red. Its body was pure obsidian, armored in darkness. Its legs—long, curved blades, sharp enough to gut a tank.

Something stirred in Luke’s chest.

Fear.

Not now…

Since the dungeon, he’d realized he had... arachnophobia.

The creature shrieked.

FWOOOSH!

A mass...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 74

The plaza was packed. People moved in all directions, voices overlapping in a constant murmur. Makeshift tents lined the square—stretched under patchy tarps and stitched-up banners flapping in the wind.

The air was thick with the stench of leather, sweat, and metal.

Anna and Cecília were already heading toward the fenced-in area near Bastion’s military fortress. A soldier in light armor blocked their path, barely looking at them.

“Line starts there,” he said flatly,...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 73

An arrow sliced through the air.

From floor, something massive and grotesque burst upward—a giant centipede, half-buried, half-exposed, mandibles gnashing like steel jaws, its segmented body writhing with sickening speed.

Luke sprinted between falling arrows, kukris drawn. The centipede’s maw opened wide, aiming to bite—

“Get back!” a mage shouted.

Luke rolled sideways just as a gray sphere whistled through the air and exploded on the centipede’s back. A de...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 72

Before Luke could dig deeper into the thought, a loud voice cut through the air:

“There they are—my two star rookies!”

Angelica appeared, tossing an arm around both Luke and Allison with far too much energy for the dark conversation they’d just been having.

“Come on. I’ve gathered a few people. We need to talk.”

They followed her to a large tent. Inside, a group of young faces waited—all around the same age. Likely other recent arrivals.

Paul and ...

Athena's General - Chapter 353

Katherine Evenhart:

“When the private ceremony concludes, Nathan will be officially granted dual citizenship,” said Queen Haiten, visibly excited. “But his elven citizenship will be the dominant one. He will not be bound by any human laws. You and he will be recognized as part of the royal family—and when you join us in the Elven Kingdom, we will hold a great celebration in your honor!”

She had spent the entire journey speaking about it—the long-awaite...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 71

The event was over—and with it came the quiet. The camp exhaled in relief.

Laughter, improvised music, and the smell of roasting meat filled the air. People walked around without glancing over their shoulders.

Luke understood why: the end of an event meant a pause in the nightmare. For non-combatants, that was everything.

“Blood Demon! Blood Demon!” the archers chanted, dancing around the bonfire.

At the center, a boar was being carved up in a hurry. Mugs were ra...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 70

Luke froze inside. “The King? The Midnight King?” But he didn’t have time to finish the thought — Orbald charged.

The twin axes came down in a storm of violence, faster than any creature that size had any right to be. Luke dodged with short bursts of movement, his body reacting on instinct — even as his mind spun faster than his feet.

Orbald slammed a fist into the ground. A shockwave rippled out — and before Luke could even recover, a kick caught him mid-step. His bod...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 69

"Looks like I found something to use as a toothpick!" The orc laughed, eyes fixated on Luke’s arms with animal delight.

He was massive, the largest Luke had ever faced. Muscles like tree trunks, green skin marked by dark tribal tattoos, and bones forming a crude armor across his chest and shoulders. A human skull hung from a cord around his neck. It was him. The boss of the event.

[Orbald, Orc Captain – Level 20]

Luke rose slowly, breath ragged. Mounted ...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 68

The Special Mission had appeared for everyone.

Luke’s eyes scanned the glowing system prompt still hovering in front of him.

[Special Reward: Orc Captain’s Weapon]

He glanced to the side.

Allison was staring into the air—no doubt reading the same thing on her interface.

“You got the special mission too?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she replied softly, eyes still locked on the screen.

Before they could speak further, Paul’s voice...

Athena's General - Chapter 352

Kinue

I’d decided to spend the day with my tutor—Professor Adrihna. She was more than a mentor to me, though I’d never say it aloud. In truth, I saw her as a mother figure.

Not that I’d ever tell her that. I didn’t want to burden our relationship with something that heavy.

But if I’m being honest… I owe her everything I’ve accomplished so far.

Today was also the day Nathan and Chloe were supposed to take the next step in their relations...

Athena's General - Chapter 351

Nathan Evenhart:

The king’s face twisted into a deep scowl.

“You’re right—gold may mean little to men like us,” he said, his voice tight. “But ten skyhorses? That’s something every soul in this world dreams of owning.”

“Not me,” I replied.

Duncan stepped forward, his tone sharp and bitter.

“You’re denying my father?” he snapped. “Your king? You’d deny both him and me?”

The soldiers around us stared me down, h...

Athena's General - Chapter 350

Nathan Evenhart:

I sat in a chair along the corridor, the cold stone beneath me doing little to ease the tension coiled in my body. I watched the constant flow of people as they hurried past with purpose—nobles cloaked in embroidered finery, messengers gripping scrolls like lifelines, and officers whispering urgently behind gloved hands. Their footsteps echoed in waves, a steady reminder that the palace never truly slept.

At regular intervals, armed guards stood...

Becoming the Dark Lord - Chapter 67

Luke tapped on the newly added item in his inventory.

A helmet.

“The system gives loot when you kill people too?” he muttered.

It made sense. Monsters dropped items—so why wouldn’t humans?

Driven by curiosity, he opened the system panel and clicked on the item.

[Pugilist Knight’s Helmet (Uncommon)

Description: A pugilist once trusted in nothing but his fists—until, in a clash against a demon, the demon’s clever servant...