Chapter 304
Earlier, Chris had been quietly supporting Hwang Gong’s domain of control, meticulously analyzing every weakness.
Of course, Hwang Gong had deliberately exposed those vulnerabilities, intending to eliminate Chris. But he had seriously underestimated him.
“Since you’ve already exhausted your strength fighting the Beast King, this should be easy.”
Hwang Gong’s face was pale as he took a cautious step back.
But then Chris did something unexpected.
“Yurian noona.”
“Sorry I’m late.”
Silently, Yurian appeared—she had vanished earlier on Chris’s orders—holding a sword in her hand.
“That sword?”
“You recognize it? It’s the Ghost Soul Sword, the treasured heirloom of the Ghost Sword Clan.”
Chris had sent Yurian to steal the Ghost Sword Clan’s heirloom!
“Why bring the Ghost Sword Clan’s blade? Could it be…?”
“Bingo.”
Chris nodded.
“What do you think will happen to the Triangular Alliance if you die by the Ghost Soul Sword?”
“!!”
The Beast King was killed by Hwang Gong.
Then Hwang Gong, who killed the Beast King, would be slain by the Ghost Soul Sword.
What would happen next?
“This is the start of chaos.”
The three great families of the Triangular Alliance would turn into bitter enemies.
Hwang Gong’s face drained of color.
“You don’t mean you planned this from the start?”
Chris smirked and nodded.
“Yes. The Ghost Sword King, the Beast King, Hwang Gong—you were all just pawns to me.”
“!!”
Chris leveled his sword.
“Let’s end this now.”
Hwang Gong desperately unleashed his illusions again, but it was useless.
Chris assumed a stance.
It was the Taesan Sword technique, the signature move of the Ghost Sword King.
Not only the Ghost Sword King but also the direct descendants of the Ghost Sword Clan used this technique, making it perfect for Chris to imitate.
“I’ve seen it enough times; copying it is easy.”
Flash!
A massive burst of light erupted, and Hwang Gong froze in place.
Lines appeared across his body, then a fountain of blood spurted out as he lost all strength and collapsed.
Victory.
The Triangular Alliance was shattered in that moment.
The next day.
The bodies of Hwang Gong and the Beast King were discovered, throwing the Triangular Alliance into chaos.
The Beast King had been killed by Hwang Gong, and Hwang Gong by an unknown figure from the Ghost Sword Clan.
“This is horrific!”
“Isn’t this all the work of the Phantom Shadow Clan’s conspiracy?!”
“Silence! Judging by the signs of battle, it’s clear the Phantom Shadow Clan struck when the exhausted clan heads were vulnerable!”
What made things worse was that both Hwang Gong and the Beast King had intended to keep this conflict secret, hoping to eliminate their opponents quietly.
So each family blamed the others for the disaster.
Civil war erupted instantly.
Ghost Sword, Phantom Shadow, and Beast Clans all drew their swords against one another, plunging the Triangular Alliance into terrible turmoil.
“…Everything is going according to the Grand Duke’s plan.”
Alos looked at Chris with a pale face.
For reference, Melin had rescued Alos earlier on Chris’s orders.
“This guy’s a real demon. Ugh, why did I have to get on his bad side?”
At that moment, Chris shook his head.
“It’s not over yet.”
“What? What more devilry do you have planned? Aaah!”
“How dare you speak to the Grand Duke like that?”
Melin smacked Alos on the back of the head, then bowed.
“The people you requested have arrived.”
Chris stood up.
Now it was time to truly bring the Triangular Alliance to heel.
“Welcome. It’s an honor to meet the three younger lords of the Triangular Alliance.”
The newcomers were seasoned masters from the Ghost Sword, Beast, and Phantom Shadow Clans.
Each was a top-tier 7-star master, key figures within their families.
“They’re famous for their friendship that transcends clan boundaries.”
But there was more.
In their previous lives, during the Age of Ruin, they had opposed the Triangular Alliance’s alliance with the Bloodthirsty Demon King.
Naturally, they were deeply concerned about the current state of the Triangular Alliance.
“…Why has the Grand Duke of the Dark Clan summoned us?”
“To reveal the true mastermind behind this crisis.”
Their eyes shifted.
“Who is it?”
“The Four Kings’ Castle.”
“!!”
It was a blatant lie.
But Chris presented evidence without hesitation.
“Look here.”
The corpse of Navid, the executor of the Four Kings’ Castle who had attacked Chris.
“We have proof that an agent of the Four Kings’ Castle approached His Highness the Beast King. Moreover, there’s evidence they also manipulated Hwang Gong and the Ghost Sword Clan.”
Except for the claim about approaching the Beast King, all the evidence was fabricated.
But as always, Chris’s skill at forging evidence was so masterful that even their keen eyes couldn’t detect the deception.
“This can’t be.”
“The bastards from the Four Kings’ Castle, attacking our Triangular Alliance.”
The three ground their teeth in fury.
“The Four Kings’ Castle is our Dark Alliance’s enemy. I hope you three will join forces with us to stand against them.”
“…But we are not heirs to our clans.”
Though not yet finalized, the vice heads of the three families were likely to become the next clan heads.
All were absolute masters ranked just below 8 stars.
In contrast, these three were mid-level 7-star masters, important but unlikely to inherit leadership.
“I will raise you all to the 8-star level.”
“!!”
“You’ve probably heard of the miracles I’ve performed in the Dark Clan. With my power, it’s entirely possible.”
Their eyes widened.
It was an outrageous claim, but they couldn’t dismiss it outright.
After all, it was known that Nordian had reached 9 stars and that the Dark Clan had recently made remarkable progress—all thanks to Chris.
Still hesitant, Chris pressed his point.
“Will you just watch the Triangular Alliance collapse like this?”
“!!”
“You know as well as I do that the current vice heads are not fit to lead. If they take charge now, they might sell out the Triangular Alliance to the Four Kings’ Castle.”
The three swallowed hard.
Chris was right.
“I will follow the Grand Duke’s words. But will you truly help us?”
“Yes. It’s also for the sake of our Dark Alliance. But there is one condition.”
“What is it?”
“That during the war with the Four Kings’ Castle, you must obey the Dark Clan’s orders.”
“!!”
The three fell silent.
“For victory. To stand against the Four Kings’ Castle, we must cooperate perfectly. I promise it will not harm the Triangular Alliance.”
They exchanged glances, then nodded.
“Agreed.”
And so, Chris decided to raise their ranks through his attribute power.
“They’re people I already know well.”
These three younger lords had stood with the alliance against the Bloodthirsty Demon King.
Chris had met them several times.
“And this benefits me too.”
They were among the top masters of the Ghost Sword, Beast, and Phantom Shadow Clans.
Using the excuse of guiding their progress, Chris could secretly study their core secret techniques.
“A chance to steal the key arts of Ghost Sword, Beast, and Phantom Shadow for free.”
He taught them through his attribute power, and fortunately, all three made significant progress.
“This can’t be! The rumors were true!”
“The Grand Duke is our savior!”
“No, the savior of our Triangular Alliance!”
They bowed deeply, overwhelmed with gratitude.
In truth, Chris was the one who had destroyed the Triangular Alliance, but he shamelessly nodded and accepted their thanks.
“If you’re grateful to me, then please restore the Triangular Alliance properly.”
“Ah! To think you care so much for the Triangular Alliance. Who called you a dog?”
“……”
“The Grand Duke is truly a master among masters!”
The three, usually hotheaded and foolish, quickly became Chris’s devoted followers and returned to their clans.
The Triangular Alliance would be reborn around them.
“It’ll take some time for them to seize control. Meanwhile, I’ll head to the Karn Empire.”
To stand against the Four Kings’ Castle, joining forces with the Triangular Alliance wasn’t enough.
“I have to bring the Karn Empire completely under my control.”
“Bring under control?”
The phrase was loaded with meaning.
“The Karn Empire is the backbone of the alliance. Mere cooperation won’t suffice. I have to have it fully under my feet. It’s entirely possible.”
At that moment, Melin and the others approached.
“Grand Duke, we’re returning to the front lines.”
“Good.”
Chris nodded, then briefly glanced northeast—the direction where the Dark Alliance and the Four Kings’ Castle were locked in battle.
“They seem to be holding out for now.”
Thanks to securing the Death Corridor.
A natural fortress that allowed a handful of troops to hold off overwhelming numbers.
“But it’s dangerous. If they lose ground in the Death Corridor, it’ll spiral out of control.”
After some thought, Chris spoke to Melin.
“Tell my father and the clan heads what I’ve said.”
He had a plan.
Melin’s eyes widened.
“Heh heh, as expected of the Grand Duke. Just thinking about spilling the Four Kings’ Castle’s blood gets me excited.”
“I want to get back and fight too.”
“Ugh! I don’t want to go!”
Melin disappeared with Jupien and Alos, leaving only Yurian behind.
“I don’t want to go.”
Yurian smiled faintly.
“Honestly, I don’t care about the fight with the Four Kings’ Castle or anything. I’m not even a member of the Dark Clan originally.”
Having achieved her revenge, Yurian felt a sense of relief.
But she wasn’t empty inside.
“I’ve found a new purpose in life.”
“??”
“To help you.”
An unexpected confession.
“You’re not really fighting for the Dark Clan, are you?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m an elf, you know. I have the ability to empathize with others’ emotions, so I can vaguely sense what’s on their minds. And besides, you’re my ‘master,’ aren’t you?”
Chris frowned.
Come to think of it, Yulian was his subordinate.
So it made sense that she could indirectly pick up on his feelings.
‘Did she catch that I’m just a shallow person chasing wealth and glory? Well, it’s true, so whatever.’
But then Yulian spoke with a serious expression.
“You’re struggling because you want to make the world a better place, right?”
“…”
“I know. I see how hard you’re fighting for others.”
…That was a huge miss.
It seemed Yulian’s empathic ability was flawed, much like Evan’s clumsy insight.
“…No, that’s not it.”
“I know. You’re deliberately playing the villain. Still, it’s kind of cute.”
“…”
Yulian chuckled softly.
“I want to be your strength, too. After all, I’m your subordinate and your older sister.”
Chris was about to say he didn’t need the help, but then shook his head.
‘No, this might actually be useful.’
Yulian’s rank was six stars—not an overwhelmingly powerful achievement at the moment.
But she could use spirits to perform various special tasks.
‘She might come in handy in the Karn Empire, too.’
After finishing his thoughts, Chris gave Yulian a few instructions.
“What? You’re going to do that? You’re seriously crazy.”
“…”
“Heh, I’m serious. Anyway, Karn Empire’s the capital, huh? It’s been a while. Back in my elf days, I used to go there often. They have some great taverns. I’d love to have a cold beer.”
Yulian smiled.
“You can’t drink, so I’ll take you to lots of delicious cake shops instead. Places that serve fresh milk with it. Well then, see you later.”
That was definitely teasing!
Before Chris could say anything, Yulian vanished in a flash.
“Seriously…”
Chris shook his head in disbelief.
Suddenly, a chilling aura settled around them.
‘…What is this?’
It felt like fierce hostility was binding his soul.
As if the whole world was being swept by terrible screams.
An overwhelming presence that surpassed even the Demon Sword King he’d faced recently, or the Nordian who had become the Soma King.
Chris recognized the source of the energy and swallowed hard before speaking.
“…I pay my respects to the great Demon King.”
An astonishing revelation.
The eighth-ranked Demon King of Sorrow.
The true ruler of the Western Magic Kingdom had revealed himself.