Chapter 324: Duel of the Two Kings

Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Duel of the Two Kings

The eerie, prayer-like sound echoed through the vast hall, giving even Lance goosebumps.

He cast his gaze toward the Bronze Throne at the far end of the hall.

A figure was reclining there.

He was an incredibly imposing man.

He was clad entirely in a set of ancient-looking Full Bronze Armor.

From the gaps in the Heavy Armor, a Purple Red mist slowly seeped out.

The armor’s surface wasn’t polished smooth, but was covered in a fine, intricate pattern resembling Dragon Scales.

Embedded in the man’s chest was a colossal, slitted serpent’s eye that was still slowly rotating!

Galeos’s face was hidden in shadow, but a mane of wild, flame-like red hair cascaded over his shoulders.

On his head rested a Thorn Crown, woven from nine miniature, entwined serpent heads.

The colossal serpent eye in his chest had already locked onto Lance, who had just stepped into the hall.

But the crowned man seemed utterly unconcerned by the intruder’s arrival.

He remained lazily reclined on the throne. His right hand, clad in a Bronze Hand Armor, casually toyed with a Hydra Sphere carved from white bone.

The nine skeletal serpent heads on the sphere were actually writhing and struggling in his palm.

"Nieve, let’s stop here."

Lance stopped and turned his head, speaking softly to the girl beside him.

"Don’t go any further. It’s too dangerous."

"Mhm, Nieve understands."

Nieve nodded obediently.

"Nieve will wait for you here. Nieve believes Lance will definitely win."

Lance let go of her hand, took a deep breath, and prepared to walk toward the center of the hall alone.

But just as he lifted his foot,

Nieve suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

Lance turned back, confused.

The usually aloof Snow Woman Knight tilted her fair, delicate face upward and closed her eyes.

She raised a slender finger and gently tapped her own soft, pink lips.

"Nieve wants a kiss."

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was perfectly clear at the edge of the silent hall.

Naturally, Lance had no reason to refuse.

However!

He suddenly felt a bone-chilling coldness prickle the back of his neck!

It was as if something was staring daggers at him.

A powerful Intuition screamed a frantic warning in Lance’s mind: ’If you actually go through with this kiss, your little head is getting twisted off!!’

The feeling was too real and far too terrifying.

It made Lance, who was leaning in, freeze halfway.

He coughed awkwardly.

"Um... ahem. After I’m done fighting, we’ll kiss then."

Lance rubbed his nose, feeling a little guilty.

"Oh."

Lance could clearly hear a trace of disappointment in Nieve’s short reply.

Lance didn’t explain further.

He turned and strode into the central area of the hall, which was surrounded by bronze statues.

When he was still several dozen meters away from the throne,

He didn’t waste any more words.

Lance shot up his right hand and directly activated [Crown of the King].

"Seizing Proof!"

Following this low shout,

The entire environment of the Bronze Hall underwent a heaven-and-earth-shattering change in an instant!

VMM!

An invisible spatial ripple erupted from Lance, spreading outwards.

At the entrance of the hall Lance had just walked through,

A translucent Energy Wall, woven from countless golden runes, slammed down!

This Energy Wall completely sealed the hall from the outside world, creating a completely enclosed one-on-one dueling arena.

Nieve, who was left outside, was instantly blocked by the wall, able to only watch the situation inside through the translucent layer of Energy.

At the same moment Seizing Proof was activated,

Lance felt his consciousness being elevated to an infinite height.

In that instant, he had an illusion.

He had taken Galeos’s place, becoming the temporary master with the highest authority over the "Rusted Stone Echo" Underground City!

Immediately after,

With the authority of the Underground City enhancing him, his vision instantly penetrated through layers of rock.

He saw a scene unfolding at the entrance of the Underground City.

In front of the massive entrance tunnel,

The main retreating force, led by Julius and the others, was now completely surrounded by a tide of surging Demons.

The Heavy Knights at the front were forming a shield wall with their very bodies, desperately protecting the low-combat-power support staff and the wounded in the middle.

But the number of Demons was simply too great.

The defensive line was already starting to falter.

It was clear that the knights’ armor was battered and broken. Many were wounded, their blood staining the ground. ℴℴ𝗺

The entire group was struggling to hold on.

If this dragged on, it would only be a matter of time before the ten-thousand-plus people were completely swallowed by the Demon Sea.

Seeing this,

Lance, standing in the center of the hall, didn’t hesitate for a second.

He immediately used the supreme authority he had just intercepted to issue a forced command to the Underground City.

"Lift the entrance seal!"

The moment the words left his mouth,

Far away in the area of the entrance,

The red sealing barrier that had enveloped the outside of the tunnel suddenly filled with cracks, like glass.

Then, with a sharp CRACK,

The sealing barrier that had trapped tens of thousands of people shattered with a boom before everyone’s disbelieving eyes, dissolving into a sky full of dissipating red specks of light!

Outside the tunnel, the long-awaited fresh air from the outside world blew in.

"The barrier shattered!"

"The seal is broken! We can leave!"

A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.

This sudden chance at survival made many tremble with excitement, tears of joy welling in their eyes.

"Red Dragon United Strategy Group! On my command!"

Julius snapped out of his brief shock and reacted immediately.

He raised his Longsword and roared.

"Adjust formation now! Front line becomes rear guard! Cover each other and retreat from the Underground City!"

At this juncture between life and death,

No one was thinking about the reward of the Summer Crown anymore.

For these Adventurers, just getting out of here alive was the greatest hope they could ask for.

However,

even with the hope of survival right before them, the united group did not descend into chaos or stampede over each other to escape.

Their formation remained in a tight, defensive posture.

Julius stood at the very rear of the formation, cutting down the pouncing Demons while looking up toward the depths of the Underground City, toward a place obscured by layers of rock.

"Lance..."

Julius shouted.

"Was that you? Did you do that?"

He knew Lance couldn’t possibly answer him.

"See you outside the Underground City! You have to make it back alive!"

With that said, he took a deep breath and continued to fight alongside Felix and the others.

They fought desperately at the rear of the line, covering everyone’s retreat.

As time passed, the vast main force gradually evacuated the Underground City.

...

「Inside the Bronze Hall.」

Having seen everyone retreat safely through his authoritative vision,

the weight on Lance’s heart was finally lifted.

Now, he finally had no more worries holding him back.

He had perfectly fulfilled the promise he made in the camp—to that little girl, and to everyone.

Next, it was his turn to put on a good show on this stage that was now his!

Lance retracted his vision.

His footsteps on the hard bronze floor were steady and rhythmic.

CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.

The sound echoed in the quiet hall, carrying an air of unstoppable forward momentum.

He slowly walked toward the figure on the throne.

"Why didn’t you try to stop me just now?"

Lance asked Galeos, who was seated high on his throne, as he walked.

Lance asked this question with utmost seriousness.

Because,

just now, when he had forcefully activated "Seizing Proof" in an attempt to snatch control of the Underground City,

he had actually sensed it.

Although he had seized control,

but!

the one on the throne had not seemed to lose control completely.

He could have even snatched it right back and regained command of the situation.

And yet,

what he found strange was that in the face of this power grab,

Galeos, the king, had sat there without moving a muscle, showing no intention of stopping him, allowing him to let tens of thousands of people escape.

Hearing Lance’s question,

Galeos’s right hand, which had been toying with the bone sphere, finally stilled.

He adjusted his posture slightly.

The colossal, slitted serpent eye on his chest stared down at Lance with a lofty, mocking amusement.

A deep, magnetic voice emanated from his mouth, hidden in the shadows, and echoed through the hall.

"Stop you? Why would I?"

Galeos’s tone was laced with amusement.

"Isn’t this a game between us two kings?"

He slightly raised his right hand, clad in the Bronze Hand Armor, and waved it casually.

"Since this is a duel of kings, if you thought those lowlifes were an eyesore and wanted to let them out,"

"then as the host of this game, I naturally have no objections."

Galeos paused here.

The serpent eye on his chest narrowed slightly.

"Oh, right."

"That ’little gift’ I specially sent you outside..."

Galeos leaned forward from the shadows, looking down on Lance, and slowly uttered a name that made Lance’s pupils tremble.

"Did you like it?"

"Balthazar Lot."