DEMON CASTLE-Chapter 109

Upon witnessing the duel and its outcome, the eyes of the beheaded graveyard were filled with nervous energy. However, a promise was a promise, and their reluctant acceptance came from above. Perhaps the lower ranks were unaware, but those in power could grasp the might of the God of Destruction over this legendary being. The fact that a mythical creature followed him like a servant only confirmed their suspicions.

Hours of flight with these legendary Dullahans were not as silent as Hazard had expected. Neither he nor Mary were talkative, but the Dullahan, on the other hand, simply could not shut its non-existent mouth for a moment."If only you knew what those cakes or that cream cheese tasted like!""Shut up!""That cook was really skilled at baking!""Will you shut up?""Ah, I still can't forget the stretch of that cheese, the taste, the smell!""I swear, I'll kill this undead!"

Mary stared at Hazard with exhausted eyes. Throughout the journey, she had been satisfied with Hazard's silence and only the occasional essential question. But this new companion talked enough for ten people, providing details that Mary had absolutely no interest in."He won't last five more minutes, I warn you..."

Hazard, too, felt his mana depleting. Though their passage through the beheaded graveyard was granted protection by its guardians after the duel victory, he still didn't feel completely secure.

Hours passed until the second pregnant woman was about to give birth. Hazard stopped and delivered the babies himself. It wasn't a stressful task for him—at his level of power, he didn't need medical knowledge. He could control even the slightest movements, ensuring a perfect delivery. He watched, waiting to see how the mother would react to her child. Contrary to his expectations, the mother didn't even hold the baby. The sight of that skin color, which had tormented her for years and forced her to carry children who would later violate their own mothers, filled her with such anger and hatred that it had erased any maternal love.

Hazard picked up the child and looked at the five women. None of them were pregnant anymore, which meant he could increase their travel speed. Over time, as they consumed better food—something Hazard struggled to find—the women's lost muscles began to regenerate, and their bodies started to regain some fat. With these physical changes, their mental clarity also returned, which pleased Hazard deeply. If he could talk to them, he might finally understand why he felt drawn to them. All five were young and beautiful women, as if Hazard had chosen a goblin's elite cart of selected beauties.

After abandoning the goblin baby, to whom he felt no attachment, he approached Mary with his massive frame."I can see the end of the mist. After this, is it the Ruinous Church?"Mary, weary, looked at him and reflected on the long journey they had taken."As far as I remember, yes..."

Hazard then found the Dullahan returning from scouting ahead. Hazard never missed an opportunity to send it away, and while he was delivering the goblin child, he had sent it to find a safe path. But when the Dullahan returned, it bore unexpected news.

The knight kneeled on the ground, its armor slightly damaged, and its mana nearly depleted."Oh, your majesty—""Just tell me what happened!"

The Dullahan nodded and began its report."Between the beheaded graveyard and the Ruinous Church, there is a neutral land, a barren stretch that takes a full day to cross at maximum speed. I went to scout for powerful mythical creatures that could pose a risk to us, and upon identifying them, I was about to—"

Hazard took off, deciding to see for himself. He believed he would reach a conclusion faster than waiting for a full report."Ah, damn it..."

On the border, a vast wasteland of blackened soil stretched out. Beyond it, a hundred-meter-high gray wall loomed. And in front of it, nearly ten million beings stood. A single entity at the front radiated such immense power that, even from a great distance, Hazard could tell—it was beyond mythical strength.

He turned and saw Mary flying alongside him, silent. The air between them was tense until Hazard finally spoke."They're definitely not here for me."

Mary's eyes burned with fury. Was Hazard implying that he intended to abandon her? Powerful and ancient beings didn't need many words to convey their intent. Over the past few days, Hazard had been obsessed with his own safety and reaching the Ruinous Church as quickly as possible. Now, faced with an army blocking his way, was he considering leaving her behind despite her loyalty and service?

"So now that we've reached your destination and I've outlived my usefulness, you're just going to leave me?"

Mana flared violently around Mary—she was preparing to attack. If Hazard abandoned her, she would be trapped in the beheaded graveyard with no escape. And her current hosts were far from fond of her; they might even curse her for entertainment.

"Don't jump to conclusions... If I can reach the Ruinous Church, I can definitely get help for you, right?"

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

Hazard had known throughout this journey that this Nightmare Queen was the sole representative of her kind in the Abyss. Despite her legendary strength, she still faced countless threats in this world. Without a god backing her, she was vulnerable to the divine entities.

Mary's gaze was one of betrayal—like a mother abandoned by her own child. She had been certain that Hazard wouldn't leave her behind, trusting in his protection all this time. But now, as her enemies stood before her—those whom she had clung to the Abyssal God of Destruction to escape—she realized she was losing the only support she had.

"Either you leave the Abyss with me, or neither of us leaves at all!"

The Nightmare Queen began to reveal her true form. Black, tar-like blood seeped through the cracks of a skin so beautiful it made succubi envious. The gathering blood and twisting fangs formed an elongated, towering figure. The magic radiating from her unveiled the true peak of her mythical power, its pressure forcing Hazard to the ground, making him feel the damage from their close proximity.

Her form kept growing—ten meters, twenty, thirty—until it finally stood still.

A humanoid figure, yet monstrous. Forty pairs of arms, each wielding a blade of bone. A towering, slender body with a faceless black head. A mouth—no, countless mouths—lined with infinite teeth. Atop its head, a white bone crown, marking her status as queen. Each arm stretched ten meters, making her resemble a centipede, though she stood on two legs. A spine of spear-like bones jutted from her back, unsuitable for comparison to any earthly creature.

"I am the Queen of Nightmares! The Queen of Terror! The First of My Kind! Miranda Exenari, Sovereign of the Nightmare Realm!"

Her voice—deep, otherworldly—resonated from the countless mouths across her body, each screaming in unison, as if echoing from the depths of the Abyss itself.

Witnessing and feeling the presence of such a being at close range would drive any creature, even heroic-level warriors proud of their strength, to the brink of madness and ruin.