Chapter 176: Life or Death, Fight Without Fear

Words : 1526 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Two sun-hours later. Grote stood in his manor, eyes scanning the dozens of Northern warriors in his courtyard—each clad in armor forged by dwarves, fully prepared for battle. A flicker of satisfaction passed through his gaze. Northern warriors were born for war on the Glory Main Plane. Even civilians who had never seen them before could recognize them at a glance. Because their aura was too distinct. Tenacious. Fearless. No one could break a group of Northern warriors from the front. Even if they had to die to the last man, warriors with fearless blood running through their veins would never retreat a single step. “Form up!!” With a thunderous shout—shua~ The warriors moved in perfect synchrony, forming five squads, each consisting of ten men. These powerful fighters were the very kin Grote had brought with him twenty-five years ago when he left the Northern Highlands. There had once been three hundred of them. But over time, more and more perished in wars. These fifty were all that remained of his original retinue. Emi, however, had a different focus. Silently assessing their aura, he calculated their strength. Fifty Northern warriors. Twelve were at level 10. The others ranged from level 8 to 9. Plus one level 16 Grote. Emi took a deep breath. This was a full-strength formation of Northern warriors. Once they formed ranks, they would charge into a hundredfold enemy force without flinching. Fearless to the last. Even with absolute confidence in his plan, Emi couldn’t help but feel a bit of pressure. No one dared underestimate the Northern warriors. They were not praised across the Glory Plane for nothing. Their reputation had been forged through countless bloody wars. Tap tap tap— A white carriage, drawn by a pair of pure-white horses, rolled slowly into the courtyard. Emi narrowed his eyes. He could sense an almost nonexistent life force from within the carriage. His eyes gleamed. The Northern Valkyrie. “Lord Emi, we’re ready to depart.” Emi gave the carriage a long look and nodded. “As you wish.” The attendants brought horses from the rear courtyard. The Northern warriors mounted up, surrounding the carriage on all sides. --- Fifty kilometers outside Green City, within a tall and narrow valley. “Your Majesty, do you think Lord Emi will really bring that Northern warrior here?” Standing behind Li De, Odys looked down at the empty valley below, his tone solemn. Last night, when Li De had revealed their true opponent’s strength, a heavy pressure settled over the second-generation bloodlines. This was the second time in history the vampires had faced such a powerful enemy. The first was a hundred years ago—when the Transcendents of Green City marched against the vampires. Everyone still remembered the outcome. The fear left by those Transcendents had never faded. It was a nightmare no one wanted to revisit. This time, while there were no Transcendents, the enemy was nearly as strong. But unlike last time... Now, even in the face of overwhelming odds, whenever the vampires looked upon that lone figure standing tall at the cave entrance, a surge of confidence filled their hearts. So long as Li De was there, no challenge could not be overcome. Because in just half a year, their great Progenitor had grown the vampires tenfold. They were now a force capable of opposing what had once suffocated them with fear. So long as His Majesty was with them—there was nothing to fear. What Li De had built wasn’t just faith among the citizens of Dawn City—it was unshakable trust among his vampires. This trust went beyond his Progenitor bloodline. It was faith in his power. Faith in the future. And all of it—Li De had earned himself. “There’s no need to worry. No one can make the vampires bow. So long as I’m here, even gods will not be feared.” “The vampires fear nothing.” His calm yet resolute voice instantly raised the morale behind him. “Teacher~” A crisp, clear voice cut through the air—standing out among the demonic, bat-winged vampires. Li De turned around and saw the worried face of a young girl. He smiled and gently ruffled her flaxen hair. “Isha, are you afraid?” The petite girl looked at the vampires who had revealed their true forms—faces now demonic and enchanting—and then looked back at Li De. Suddenly, a radiant smile blossomed on her face. “Isha’s not afraid. Because Teacher is here.” She stepped forward and gently held his hand. In those ruby eyes was a level of reliance and trust no outsider could ever fathom. She didn’t care whether Li De was human or something else. All she knew was that he was her teacher. He was the one who pulled her from hell back to life. She would never forget that when the whole world had abandoned her, this man had vowed to protect her with his life. When Li De had revealed his true identity to the little girl, her first reaction wasn’t fear—it was awe. “Wow! Teacher is actually the legendary Vampire Progenitor?” Li De himself had been shocked by her strange thought process. Isha was Li De’s final trump card. He couldn’t guarantee the Dark Pact wouldn’t launch a surprise attack. So wherever he went these days, he brought Isha. Even if it meant losing the Crimson Mage Tower—he would never let Isha come to harm. As for Vina, he had already sent her out of the city under the pretense of buying magical materials. She wouldn’t be back for half a month. The Dark Pact was too powerful. Li De had to move cautiously. The only regret was time—there simply hadn’t been enough to prepare perfectly, even though he’d done his best. Squeezing Isha’s hand, Li De turned back to the valley below. His eyes were filled with unwavering determination. Leading a race to rise wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Every decision, every move, would shape their future. And the pressure only grew heavier. But in times like these, pressure only made Li De’s will stronger. He was never the type to run. When he learned the Dark Pact had multiple level 15+ beings—and a leader near the Transcendent tier—he never once considered abandoning the Crimson Mage Tower. “Life and death? Doesn’t matter. If you don’t like it, come fight.” When Grote and his warriors passed through the third valley and entered the fourth, the long-silent warrior finally gave voice to his impatience. “Lord Emi, how much longer until we arrive?” Grote quietly observed everything around him. It was nearly dusk. Birds chirped and insects hummed in the trees, peaceful and harmonious. But Grote, weighed down by anxiety, couldn’t enjoy any of it. This was already the fourth valley they had passed. The mountainous terrain outside Green City was close to the Far Mountain Range, full of valleys and caves. It wasn’t strange for Emi to have raised the Golden Race hatchling here. At first, Grote had been extremely cautious, sending scouts ahead to probe the path. But now, after three valleys, he was eager only to find the hatchling quickly. The Northern royal must not be lost. The Valkyrie’s life hung by a thread—time was running out. Hearing his question, Emi’s lips curled into a wide smile. “Lord Grote, we’ve arrived.” “Arrived??” “Yes, welcome... to the land of death.” Hmm? Grote’s warrior instincts exploded—his face changed drastically in an instant. Danger!! Every pore in his body screamed a warning. Just as he was about to act—poof~ Emi vanished from sight. Second-tier spell: Shadow Step. At the same moment— Around the valley, massive shadows took flight. In the darkening sky, enormous bats blotted out the light. Gray-black wings tipped with bone spikes, glinting fangs, huge pointed ears, and throat-rending shrieks filled the air. It was as if the Bottomless Abyss had burst open into the main plane. Demons were descending. Whooosh— But the giant bats weren’t alone. An even more terrifying barrage followed. With howling winds, over a dozen massive boulders—like siege engines hurling stones to smash down walls—hurtled at terrifying speeds toward the Northern warriors. “Ambush!!” “Scatter into squads!!” “Protect Her Highness!!” At Grote’s furious roar, the mounted Northern warriors swiftly broke ranks, their elite forming the core of the defense. But the stones were already upon them. No one could imagine what kind of strength it took to hurl rocks of this size. The largest one was a full ten blades long and six to seven blades wide—a small mountain crashing from the heavens. BOOM— A meteor from the sky. Earth shattered. A boulder smashed into the ground, ripping the entire meadow apart. One unlucky squad of twelve Northern warriors couldn’t escape. Both they and their horses were instantly pulverized. Blood sprayed through the air. The rock continued rolling, smashing through three massive trees before finally stopping. “No!!” Grote’s eyes went bloodshot at the sight. Then he turned toward Emi—who had just teleported to the far side of the valley—and his gaze was filled with murderous intent strong enough to make a dragon back down.

Chapter 176: Life or Death, Fight Without Fear

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