The Monster King's Legacy - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Another Offer Chapter 66: Another Offer That night the atmosphere in the camp was tense as Lance sat near the central fire, the glow of the flames casting flickering shadows on his face.

The knowledge of the demons’ growing influence weighed heavily on him, and the decision before him felt like a critical fork in the road.

Sitting out like this had become something he did to clear his head a bit.

Elsewhere, near Lia’s tent, the old elders gathered around, something that was rather rare to see, especially with Kaeli being present.

Rynne leaned against her spear, her golden eyes lazy from the days work.

Lia sat cross-legged, while Zarra fiddled with an arrow, her usual smirk replaced with a rare seriousness.

Kaeli and Mira sat side by side, their expressions mirroring Zarra and Rynne.

“The demons are working to destabilize the entire region, and we know they’ve already started targeting the other tribes…

The question is, what do we do about it?” Mira asked.

She was the first to hear of the recent development before Kaeli.

“It’s obvious, we need to strengthen ourselves first,” Kaeli said, crossing her arms.

“Better weapons, better defenses-if they come for us directly, we need to be ready.” “And if we wait too long?” Rynne countered, her eye opening slightly in a lazy fashion to look at Kaeli.

“The demons aren’t going to stop.

If we don’t confront them now, they’ll grow stronger while we sit here ‘preparing.'” “We’re not ready for a direct confrontation just yet either,” Lia said, her tone calm.

“The rituals they’re performing, the corrupted creatures… they’re working with forces we barely understand.

Charging in blindly could cost us everything.” Mira nodded in agreement.

“If we act too soon, we could walk right into their trap.” Zarra, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke up.

“Then we don’t wait, but we don’t go in blind either.

We act swiftly and precisely.

Take out key targets, gather more intel, and disrupt their plans before they have a chance to escalate.” “I don’t think we have the luxury of time,” Rynne said with a soft sigh.

“Every day we wait gives them more opportunities to grow stronger and spread their influence.

If they destabilize the region enough, we won’t stand a chance, no matter how strong we make our defenses.

What will be the point if every other tribe around us meets the same fate as the rest?

We’ll only be waiting for death alone.” “Hahhhh!

Why don’t we just leave all the planning to Lance?!

He’s good at it.” Zarra protested, plopping to the ground arms spread.

“All we need to do is follow his orders… no matter where they take us.” “Well, it doesn’t mean we should stop thinking for ourselves to support, you know.” Lia sighed.

Just then, a scout burst into the clearing, her breath coming in short gasps as she came towards Zarra and the others.

“We’ve spotted something-someone-near the eastern border of our territory.

They’re cloaked, but they’ve been lingering there for hours, watching.” “Then why are you out of breath?” Zarra questioned before continuing immediately, “report to the chief immediately.

Once Lance received the message, his expression hardened as several possibilities swarmed his mind.

He thought about it then, and the possibilities were that it could be someone from another tribe or race, but whether they came with good intention was the issue.

Without hesitation, he brought his sword with him as he met up with the elders before they all headed towards the eastern forests.

The group moved quickly, their movements heavy as they approached the eastern end.

The forest was eerily quiet, the usual sounds of wildlife seemingly absent.

It was not a good sign at all.

Lance signaled for the others to halt as they stopped in a hidden position to watch first.

There, standing partially obscured by shadows, was a figure cloaked in black.

The air around the figure seemed to ripple with the darkness itself.

“Definitely from the demons,” Lia murmured as her eyes narrowed.

The figure turned suddenly towards their position, as if sensing their presence.

“I know you’re there,” the figure said, their voice low and smooth, dripping with malice.

“No need to hide.” It was a masculine voice.

Lance stepped forward after a little while.

It was clear he had already been exposed, there was no need to hide behind the bushes anymore.

His eyes locked onto the cloaked figure as he walked forward a few steps.

“You’re a long way from home,” he said evenly.

“What do you want here?” The figure chuckled, the sound cold and hollow.

“To observe.

To understand.

You’ve done something… interesting here, human.

Leading goblins, uniting them.

It’s almost-impressive.” “Almost?” Rynne said, stepping forward with her spear tightly held in her hand.

The cloaked figure tilted his head, the faint glow of red eyes visible beneath the hood.

“Your little tribe is growing strong, yes.

But strength is so… fleeting.

Tell me, human, do you really think you can stand against what’s coming?” “More than you expect,” Lance replied, his voice firm.

“We’re always ready.” Following Lance’s words, the figure’s laughter echoed through the clearing before subsiding.

“Bold words.

But even the boldest flames can be snuffed out with the right pressure.

Think about it, human, you and your goblins could be more than pawns.

Join us, and I can offer you power beyond your wildest dreams.” ‘The demons…’ Lance thought to himself.

“Let me make something clear, I don’t take kindly to threats, and I don’t work with demons.” The demon sighed, his tone mockingly disappointed.

“A shame.

I had hoped you would be… reasonable.” Before the demon could continue, Lance gave the signal.

Rynne surged forward, her spear flashing as it struck the agent’s side.

The figure moved unnaturally fast, dodging the blow and countering with a burst of dark magical energy that sent Rynne skidding back.

It didn’t make a difference though, as Lance came charging next, his sword crashing into the ground where the demon had stood moments before.

Several arrows flew from the shadows, each one aimed with deadly precision, but the demon deflected them with a flick of his wrist.

Just then, Lia’s magic flared, creating a barrier to protect the group from another wave of dark energy.

Without stalling, Lance and Rynne pressed forward, with Rikka and Zarra hiding in the near shadows ready to enter the fray at any opportunity.

Lance and Rynne redoubled their efforts, their combined strength overwhelming the agent’s defenses, albeit, momentarily.

Finally, a well-placed strike from Zarra forced the demon to dodge into the air, creating a clear opening for Rikka to strike.

Her short sword pierced the demon’s cloak and into their body, and they let out a hiss of pain.

Before the demon could get a hold of Rikka, she slipped away, only suffering a shallow injury from the demon’s attack.

The demon used the opportunity to create some space between himself and the group, placing a hand on the spot he had been stabbed.

“You think this changes anything?” he snarled, his voice hollow and dripping with venom.

“You’re already too late.” With a burst of dark energy, the demon disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind only the faint hum magical energy.

They all watched as he escaped, unable to do much as it looked like he had disappeared.

Teleportation or not, it would be difficult to track him.

“He’ll certainly be back,” Lia said, her tone grim.

“Let them come,” Rynne said fiercely.

“We’ll be ready.” Lance went to Rikka, placing a hand on her head without bothering to check the injury, “are you alright?” He asked.

“Yes, just a scratch… that is now gone.” She said.

Lance nodded, then turned to the others.

“Now that we’ve refused his gesture for us to join him, we’ll be next for sure.

Let’s head back for now.”