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Chapter 134: Seven Sages of Destruction Sounds Better Than Four Heavenly Kings
[30 YEARS LATER â PRESENT TIME]
Time flowed on.
And so Kurtz and Serie's journey continued.
This time, the two arrived at a dwarf village. To Kurtz's surprise, it was located at the foot of a volcano. He could even smell a faint sulfuric odor in the air, sharp and metallic against his tongue.
Were these dwarves not afraid that one day the volcano would erupt, turning this place into an otherworldly version of Pompeii?
Moreover, their arrival caused a small stir, as it was very rare to see an elf and a human together. Curious faces peered from doorways and workshop windows, hushed conversations following in their wake.
"Hey! Outsiders! Need weapons repaired or items bought?"
An old dwarf blacksmith, whose beard was long enough to make Somo envious and who wore an unknown beast hide around his waist, poked his head out of the village's only shop, his voice booming across the settlement.
"Thank you, but not at the moment."
Kurtz smiled and waved his hand, handing over a few gold coins. The metal clinked warmly against the dwarf's calloused palm. "May I ask something?"
For the sake of the gold coins, the old dwarf's smile grew even wider.
He extended a rough, large hand, took the coins, and asked, "Alright, as long as it's something I know, I can answer you."
"I'd like to ask, is that a volcano?" Kurtz pointed to the volcano's crater, clearly visible within their line of sight, with thick black smoke billowing from it like a giant breathing.
"Of course it is!" The old dwarf nodded indifferently.
"And are you not afraid this thing will suddenly erupt one day?"
"It's fine! This volcano last erupted two hundred years ago, so there's no chance of it erupting for at least another hundred years. Besides, using the volcano's temperature here helps us forge weapons and armor better." The dwarf's confidence seemed unshakeable, born from generations of experience.
"Alright, then, have you encountered any monster attacks here recently?"
This village was located relatively far north. Theoretically, the further north one went, the more monsters there would be. Kurtz wanted to inquire about related information.
"Monsters?" The old dwarf's smile instantly vanished, and his face turned ashen.
He spat fiercely, the sound harsh against the volcanic stone. "Bah! Don't mention those damned bastards!"
Judging by the old dwarf's reaction, there really were monsters nearby.
Kurtz was somewhat moved. Mainly, the uneventful adventure was a bit too boring; occasionally, fighting monsters and taking on quests was more interesting.
Besides, his elf companion was also a bit itching for action, so it would be a way to relieve her boredom. He could see it in the subtle way her fingers flexed.
"Can you please tell us more about it?"
"It's been happening for the past month. A strange demon suddenly appeared at a mine we used to excavate ore from, and directly occupied that area."
"He beat back many of our warrior lads. Their leader even called himself some Four Heavenly Kings? Hmph! Just a bastard putting on an act!"
"Four Heavenly Kings?" Kurtz raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Serie.
A hint of understanding flashed in Serie's golden eyes, and then she shot Kurtz a look that seemed to say, "Look what you've done."
Kurtz felt a bit guilty.
He remembered that when he was idly chatting with Eric back then, he had jokingly said, "A truly strong organization must have a Four Heavenly Kings structure, and sometimes the Four Heavenly Kings can be more than just four people."
Who knew Eric would actually use this on the demons?
But did this indirectly indicate that Eric's will had not entirely vanished?
Although he knew his guess was very slim, Kurtz was still hoping for it to be true.
"Was anyone injured? Also, what magic did that demon use?"
Serie was more concerned about the magic the demon used, as every demon possessed some strange and unusual magic, which one had to be wary of.
"That demon's magic is very strange," the old dwarf blacksmith's face was grim. "Anyone hit by him would turn stiff, like stone. We had to find a specialized mage who spent a lot of effort restoring them to normal. Seriously, what a complete bastard!"
"Petrification magic, huh?" Serie pondered, her expression growing more serious. "Kurtz, what do you think?"
"My Lady, I think there's something fishy about this!"
"Hmph, Baka!" The elf miss slightly pinched him, glaring at him irritably.
"Let's move on. Be careful, I don't know if holy magic will be effective."
Serie finished speaking and walked in the direction the old dwarf had indicated. Kurtz quickly followed, not forgetting to wave goodbye to the old dwarf during the process.
"Thanks, old man, we'll go take a look."
"Hey! Young man, don't go there, that numbjack is very powerful!"
The old dwarf shouted from behind, but Kurtz and Serie's figures had already disappeared on the path leading to the mine.
"Kids these days, always ignoring what elders say. Hmph," Old Dwraf muttered, wondering.
This mine was not far from the dwarf village, but the landscape was much more desolate, with the few trees having unhealthy black-red branches that seemed to writhe in the sulfurous breeze.
Even the air was filled with a burnt smell and a faint, almost imperceptible demonic aura that made Kurtz's skin crawl.
Not long after they went deeper, they found clear signs of battle in an open area.
Scorched earth, broken weapons and armor, and several scattered, grayish-white stones on the ground, clearly different from the other rocks around them. The stones had an unnatural smoothness, indicating organic origins.
"Looks like this is the place." Serie stopped, sensing the residual magical fluctuations in the air.
Her fingers traced patterns in the air, reading the magical signatures like a book.
At the same time, she gave Kurtz an inconspicuous look, and he immediately understood, secretly activating his magic.
It seemed that the so-called Four Heavenly Kings was nearby.
After applying a layer of defensive magic to both of them, Kurtz lazily spoke, "Come out, Four Heavenly Kings; hiding like rats will not help you much."
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly echoed through the surroundings.
"Your senses are quite sharp, human!" A voice devoid of emotional fluctuation rang out.
From behind a rock, a tall, thin, pale-faced demon with two horns on his head appeared. His movements were fluid, predatory.
His chin was slightly raised, carrying a deliberate arrogance, but his eyes were fixed intently on Kurtz.
"How about you introduce yourself first?" Kurtz opened his mouth with a smile, though he was already preparing to cast magic.
"Hmph, you may call me Four Heavenly Kings Lattland."
"Four Heavenly Kings Pff?" Kurtz burst out laughing, and then he asked with a "sincere" expression, "No offense, Sir LoLand, but how many people are there in your Four Heavenly Kings?"
"Seven! And my name is Lattland, not LoLand, idiot human."
"Pfft!"
Serie couldn't help but let out a slight snicker, then immediately straightened her face.
However, in her eyes, which were fixed on Kurtz, the meaning of "It's you again, as expected" almost overflowed.
This dumb Kurtz had spouted nonsense in front of Eric back then, and now even the demons were poisoned by his twisted logic!
"Huh? What is the meaning of that laugh, Elf?" Lattland was a bit confused, his arrogant expression faltering slightly.
"No offense, Sir Lattland, but your title seems a bit undeserved!" Kurtz responded
"What?!" Lattland's face sank, demonic energy beginning to leak from his form. "How dare you question the honor bestowed by His Majesty the Demon King!"
"It's not questioning, it's feeling that it doesn't match your strength!" Kurtz waved his hand, saying earnestly.
"Look, Four Heavenly Kings sounds like there are only four people, but you actually have seven people all called Four Heavenly Kings. Isn't that a bit too stupid?"
Lattland was stunned for a moment, seemingly thinking that what Kurtz said actually made sense, and subconsciously replied, "That makes some sense."
Serie continued to stare at Kurtz, wanting to see what this man was cooking here. She could practically see the gears turning in his head.
Kurtz ignored Serie's gaze and slapped his thigh at Lattland: "See! I told you, seven strong individuals squeezed into a title for four, how misleading! I suggest you should change to a more resounding and more numerically appropriate title!"
"Oh?" Lattland was led astray by Kurtz's thoughts and subconsciously asked, "What title?"
Kurtz cleared his throat and announced solemnly, "How about 'Seven Sages of Destruction'? Or maybe Seven Sages of Calamity, doesn't that sound much more imposing?"
"Seven... Seven Sages of Destruction? Hmm, Seven Sages of Destruction, yes, yes."
Lattland repeated it in a low voice, and a hint of interest and thought actually flashed in his eyes.
The title rolled off his tongue like honey. "It sounds like it really is more...suitable than the 'Four Heavenly Kings'."
"Indeed, now that is a title more befitting the Demon King's prestige and your strength!" Kurtz quickly interjected, striking while the iron was hot. "Think about it, am I Right?"
Just as Lattland was attracted by the new title "Seven Sages of Destruction" and fell into a brief moment of thought, Kurtz suddenly made his move!
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[End of Chapter]
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