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While Vance and the monster knights and mages of the Risen Kingdom were engaged in a fierce and terrifying battle, everything was proceeding exactly according to Lucifer's plan. Lucifer had complete confidence in Vance. He was certain that Vance would create such a massive commotion outside the royal palace that the King would have no choice but to come out to calm the situation.
Before Vance, Zyrene, and Mara had even arrived at the Risen Kingdom, Lucifer had used his skill [Power Manipulator] to raise their ranks by one tier. As a result, in Lucifer's [Depraved System], Vance's rank had increased from SS+ to SSS-. Meanwhile, Mara and Zyrene's ranks had risen from S+ to SS-.
This was why Lucifer was so calm. He was confident that even if Vance found himself in a dire situation, he would at least be able to flee. And if he couldn't… Lucifer himself was present. If Vance ever fell into real danger, Lucifer would definitely rescue him.
At this moment, Vance had already entered his beast mode. The soldiers of the Risen Kingdom could neither match his physical power nor his magical prowess. Scattered corpses of guards and soldiers lay everywhere. It looked as if death itself was dancing naked across the battlefield.
To stop Vance's slaughter, the soldiers had tried every possible tactic. They had attacked him with both physical and magical assaults, yet they still couldn't hold him back for long. Whether they were elite monster races like Morghyra, Ashmaws, Vampires, Baalreths, Mythrakar, Malbranche, Minotaurs, Ogres, Orcs, and Dragons, or common races like Succubi, Goblins, Kobolds, Lizardkins, Werewolves, or Imps—Vance showed no mercy to any of them.
The Morghyra were the most troubled by Vance. These creatures were renowned monsters, second only to the Malakars. They possessed a unique ability to slowly decay their opponent's body and then behead them with their scythes. However, neither their attacks nor their unique ability had any significant effect on Vance. The reason was simple: Vance was far more powerful than them.
After the battle had raged on for some time, the massive gates of the royal palace slowly began to open, and everything fell silent.
From inside the gates emerged a terrifying figure.
The moment the monster soldiers caught a glimpse of him, the entire ruined Ardem Market fell deathly quiet. In the next instant, all the monsters bowed their heads and dropped to their knees. Their eyes held not only respect but also deep, visible fear.
The figure who had stepped out was no ordinary monster. He was a Demon.
Large, twisted horns adorned his head, symbolizing his immense power and dominance. A golden crown gleamed between those horns, clearly marking him as a ruler. He stood roughly 3.5 meters tall, appearing far more terrifying and imposing than any monster around him.
Huge leathery wings spread from his back, their clawed tips adding to his fearsome presence. His glowing red-orange eyes burned like raging flames, enough to instill terror in anyone who looked at him.
His face was filled with sharp fangs, and a snarling smile played on his lips, radiating cruelty. Glowing runes covered his entire body, resembling ancient and powerful magical inscriptions.
He wore magnificent black and gold armor adorned with spikes and intricate designs that gave him both a regal and menacing appearance. His long, razor-sharp claws looked capable of tearing any enemy apart with ease.
He stood silently, yet his mere presence was so overwhelming that thousands of monsters were forced to bow before him. It was as if the Emperor of Darkness himself had descended from his throne.
He was none other than the King of the Risen Kingdom — Gorgathar Hellwrought Malakat.
As soon as Gorgathar stepped out, the royal palace gates slammed shut with a loud **GRaaannnKKK** sound.
At that very moment, someone had already infiltrated the royal palace using concealment magic, slipping inside without raising any suspicion.
The moment the gates closed, Gorgathar's eyes fell on the human standing before him — a human half his height. The man wore blood-soaked mailplate armor and held a large spear, its tip currently piercing through the skull of a Baalreth soldier.
Gorgathar stared at him for a moment before speaking mockingly:
"So you're that human, Vance — the one who dared threaten me… and that too inside my own kingdom, my own capital?"
He let out a mocking laugh. "What did you say again, human? That I hide behind my wives?"
Gorgathar burst into loud, mocking laughter. "Haaaahhhaa… Kukukukuk… Haaahhhaaa… Kukukuku…"
"Well, here I am, standing before you. I'm not hiding behind my wives, human… and that's bad news for you."
"Do you know what that means?"
Before Gorgathar could finish, Vance interrupted him sharply with savage grin :
"It means you're a coward who is Spineless and unmanly."
"It means you're a pathetic cuck who hides behind his wives' skirts like a spineless bitch. The great Demon King only crawls out of his hole when his fragile pride gets stepped on. How does it feel knowing a mere human is forcing you to show your face?"
Vance's taunts struck deeply at Gorgathar's pride. In the 150 years since he had taken the throne of risen Kingdom, no one had ever dared speak to him like this. And now, a mere human was mocking him.
Gorgathar's eyes sharpened dangerously as he began releasing his aura. The surrounding monster guards immediately started suffocating. Even Vance felt the pressure, realizing that Gorgathar was indeed far more powerful than him.
Yet Vance could not back down. His liege, Lucifer, had given him the responsibility of keeping Gorgathar engaged. Death was acceptable, but retreating or allowing his master to be disgraced was not.
Seeing the human still defiant, Gorgathar sneered:
"Human, your struggle is futile. Your kind are nothing but filthy livestock in my kingdom — slaves, sex toys, or food for my table. But I admire your courage, however stupid it may be. So I'll give you two options."
"First: Become a breeding slave for my wives. I'll let you live."
"Second: Die here. Today, my wives and children will feast on your flesh."
Vance smirked mockingly and spat on the ground.
"Hey, you limp-dicked horned bastard… enough yapping. Stop hiding behind words and fight me like a real male. As for your wives and kids eating my flesh? Keep dreaming, impotent fuck. Who knows… after I'm done breaking you, your own subjects might drag you off the throne while your wives are on their knees begging me to fuck them instead of you."
This final provocation completely shattered Gorgathar's patience. He extended his razor-sharp claws.
And thus began the great battle between Vance and Gorgathar.
---
Gorgathar exploded forward like a living cataclysm, his massive frame blurring with explosive speed. His razor-sharp claws slashed downward in a devastating arc. Vance met the strike head-on, his adamantite spear whipping up in a crimson flash. The collision erupted in a deafening **CRAAAAACK**, unleashing shockwaves that pulverized the ground beneath them and sent massive stone shards hurtling skyward like deadly hail.
They became twin storms of annihilation, clashing with unrelenting fury.
Gorgathar pressed forward, claws raining down in a savage barrage. Each blow thundered against Vance's spinning spear, the impacts echoing like colliding titans. Vance countered with equal ferocity, whipping his spear in lethal circles—thrusting, slashing, and sweeping in a whirlwind of strikes that tore through the air with lethal precision. Gorgathar weaved through the onslaught, deflecting blows with his forearms and answering with brutal swipes that gouged deep marks into the spear's shaft.
**BOOOOM!**
Gorgathar's claw smashed down on the spear's midsection, driving the weapon into the ground and carving a deep trench through the ruins. Vance ripped it free in a fluid motion and countered instantly with a lightning-fast upward thrust toward Gorgathar's throat. The king twisted aside, the blade slicing a thin gash across his chest, then retaliated with a bone-crushing kick that sent Vance skidding back, cracking sections of his armor.
Vance flipped mid-slide and charged straight back into the fray without hesitation. He unleashed a furious storm of thrusts and slashes, each one faster and heavier than the last. Gorgathar met every strike with raw power, his claws flashing in perfect lethal precision—blocking, parrying, and countering with such force that sparks and shockwaves exploded between them. The ground buckled and trembled violently under their feet, fresh craters forming with every thunderous impact.
Gorgathar seized the spear mid-thrust with one clawed hand and yanked Vance forward, slamming his other fist into the human's armored stomach. The blow lifted Vance off his feet and dented the metal deeply. Vance twisted free and drove the spear's butt into Gorgathar's jaw with neck-snapping force, snapping the king's head sideways.
They separated for a heartbeat—both bleeding, chests heaving—then collided again in a frenzy of violence.
As the duel wore on, Gorgathar began to press with overwhelming ferocity. His claws transformed into a blinding hurricane of slashes, each attack carrying the destructive weight of a collapsing mountain. Vance's spear became a desperate yet masterful blur, blocking and redirecting the onslaught even as bone-rattling vibrations coursed through his arms. Gorgathar's strikes grew heavier and faster, slowly pushing Vance back step by bloody step across the shattered square.
Yet Vance refused to yield. He planted his feet and launched a devastating counter-thrust aimed straight at Gorgathar's heart. The king barely evaded, the blade carving a long, deep gash across his torso. Enraged, Gorgathar grabbed the spear shaft with both hands, headbutted Vance with crushing force, and used the weapon as leverage to hurl him across the crater.
Vance tumbled violently before skidding to a halt, blood dripping from his helmet. Gorgathar was already surging forward again, claws raised.
The duel raged on in a chaotic, otherworldly frenzy—two unstoppable forces locked in relentless physical combat. Gorgathar held a slight edge in raw power and ferocity, his blows landing heavier as the fight dragged on, forcing Vance to fight at his absolute limit. But Vance's spear mastery and unyielding tenacity kept him firmly in the battle, turning every opening into a deadly counter. Neither gave ground. The battlefield continued to crumble around them as their earth-shaking clash showed no signs of ending.