"Me?"
After being scolded by the Elf Queen, Kurose Akira wore a thoroughly innocent expression. He quickly asked, "Your Majesty, are you misunderstanding something?"
Sensing that he didn't seem to be joking, the Elf Queen pressed him at once, "How exactly are you planning to use your tongue to deal with an enemy? Don't joke at a time like this."
Naturally, she couldn't make sense of what he meant.
After all—who could possibly imagine that a human tongue could possess an 'invincible' buff?
In the Elf Queen's understanding, Akira's tongue could at most be used for… hmph!
"I'm really not joking!" Kurose Akira said with a wry smile, trying to explain. "Your Majesty, please trust me, I really do—"
Before he could finish, the Elf Queen was forced to divert her attention under the threat of the Death God's blood.
"Fall back!"
She shoved Kurose Akira away, gathering her magic once more. At the same time, her domain expanded, bracing itself against the impact of the Death God's blood.
But the excessive drain on her mana was too much—even for her. A trace of crimson spilled from the corner of her lips, dripping onto her pristine white gown.
Seeing there was no time left to explain, Kurose Akira rushed forward and pulled her into his arms.
"Kurose Akira… Guildmaster?"
The Elf Queen trembled at the sudden move, her beautiful eyes flashing with shock.
Her magic faltered in that instant, the balance collapsing—causing the barrier to lose its integrity. Unable to withstand the erosion of the Death God's blood, it shattered instantly!
"Careful!"
The Elf Queen moved to shield Kurose Akira, intending to take the blow for him—
But before she could act, Kurose Akira opened his mouth and swallowed the drop of Death God's blood into it.
In that instant, a suffocating stench of blood exploded across his senses, flooding straight into his brain. It felt as though he had plunged headfirst into a sea of blood, robbing him of breath.
Disgusting!
Kurose Akira almost spat it out on reflex—but his glowing tongue was already working at full force, suppressing the power contained within that drop of divine blood.
No matter what, he could not open his mouth!
"Kuro—"
The Elf Queen, panicked, cupped his face, trying to check his condition.
But when she realized that—just as he had claimed—he had not suffered any fatal damage from the Death God's blood, a trace of astonishment appeared on her exquisite face.
His tongue… was it really that powerful?
To reassure her, Kurose Akira immediately used telepathy to speak into her mind:
"Your Majesty, I can't open my mouth right now. Let's leave this place first."
"…Understood."
The Elf Queen nodded gently, rising from his embrace. The two of them withdrew from the center of the battlefield together.
At the same time, she issued an order to the elves—to burn everything within the Undead Mountain Range to ash.
Under Elena's command, raging flames spread across the mountains, incinerating everything in their path and leaving the undead nowhere to hide.
The sheer spectacle left the observing players and adventurers stunned.
But compared to the all-consuming inferno, what drew even more attention was the guildmaster standing beside the Elf Queen.
The players began to buzz with discussion:
"Was that guy just now… a player?"
"A player accepted a commission from the Elf Kingdom and joined this war?"
"No way. The danger level of this war has to be at least A-rank, right? Could an A-rank guild be involved?"
"Impossible. I know most A-rank guild leaders. That guy isn't one of them."
"Then how do you explain it? A special promotion quest for advancing to A-rank?"
"Does that mean… the 24th A-rank guild is about to appear?"
"Why are you all focusing on that?! Didn't you see?! That bastard princess-carried the Elf Queen! He actually held the Elf Queen!"
"Damn it! I just noticed! That bastard—how dare he?!"
"Doesn't matter. I'm a meta player. As long as the Elf Queen doesn't join his guild, I don't care what he does."
"…"
The players speculated wildly, shocked that a player had appeared in such a battle—yet unable to identify him.
Even Xu Feiyan's circle of friends failed to recognize Kurose Akira. At the time, he had been in a half-draconic state, and the distance had been too great to inspect his player data.
Only one person recognized him.
Su Jing quietly watched the figure standing beside the Elf Queen, murmuring softly, "We've definitely met somewhere before… haven't we?"
While all eyes remained fixed on Kurose Akira and the Elf Queen, deep within the Undead Mountain Range, countless undead began crawling out from fissures in the earth—launching their final counterattack.
Their numbers reached into the millions. Among them, dozens of crippled bone dragons struggled to take flight.
"Elves! Prepare for battle!"
Elena immediately issued the command, rallying the elves for the final clash.
Even so, the overwhelming number of undead left the elves with grim expressions, tension tightening their features as they readied themselves.
Meanwhile, Kurose Akira's condition continued to deteriorate.
His veins had turned pitch black, and his pupils were laced with dark, bloodshot streaks, exuding an ominous aura.
"Guildmaster, are you alright?"
Fuli and Fulu rushed to his side, their voices filled with concern.
Kurose Akira simply shook his head and smiled, reassuring them.
But inside, he was burning with anxiety—waiting desperately for Lucía to arrive.
Because he could feel it…
Even his invincible tongue was starting to lose its grip on the Death God's blood.
The divine essence was beginning to erode it.
His tongue might be invincible—but the rest of his body wasn't.
"We should return to the Elf Kingdom. The Mother Tree may have a solution."
The Elf Queen urgently wanted to send him back at once.
But Kurose Akira shook his head, silently waiting for Lucía.
The war wasn't over yet. If the Elf Queen left now, it could shatter the elves' morale.
And besides—
Where the hell was that idiot Canludia? Why hadn't she come back yet?
Although Ivsha and Loserine had been sending updates and were currently safe, their reports indicated that Canludia had already ventured deep into the very core of the Undead Mountain Range.
What exactly was drawing her in?
Just as Kurose Akira was lost in thought, a disturbance suddenly broke out among the players at the rear of the battlefield.
"Another army just showed up?"
"Where did they come from?"
"Wait—aren't those the banners of the Holy Church?"
"That's strange. Why would the Church's army be here?"
"There are a lot of high-ranking members too!"
"Could it be… a Saint-level figure personally leading the charge?"
"Is the Church joining this war?"
"What the hell is going on?"
"…"
The players were filled with shock, unable to understand why the Holy Church had suddenly appeared.
When Kurose Akira saw the figure seated upon the radiant solar chariot, a faint smile tugged at his lips—only to vanish immediately due to the blood in his mouth.
Lucía's true body.
She's here.
But something felt… off.
Her true body seemed slightly different from her avatar.
As confusion lingered, the Church's forces reached the battlefield. Under the Elf Queen's signal, the elves did not obstruct them, allowing Lucía's solar chariot to approach.
When the figure seated within the chariot rose gracefully to her feet, the entire crowd fell into stunned silence.
A woman clad in a golden gown stepped down slowly.
She wore neither mask nor veil, openly revealing a face of breathtaking beauty. Her golden-red eyes shone like the rising sun—radiant, captivating, impossible to look away from.
Her silver hair was elegantly styled, accentuating her refined features, while her poised confidence only heightened her allure.
And her identity—
Triggered an uproar.
"Holy shit! I know her! She's the Pope of the Holy Church!"
"What?!"
"Why is the Pope here?! What is going on?!"
"Did the Church and the Elf Kingdom form an alliance?"
"No way. As far as I know, they only have basic trade relations—nothing more."
"Then why is the Pope here?!"
"…"
No one could understand why the Pope had appeared. Surely she hadn't come just to watch.
As the crowd reeled in shock, the Pope approached the Elf Queen.
She cast a brief glance at Kurose Akira before offering a polite greeting.
"Elf Queen, I've long heard of your reputation."
"The Pope is just as the rumors say…"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two spoke in perfect unison:
"You first."
"…Then I shall."
The Pope stepped forward, issuing her command to the Church forces.
"The undead plague this world. As followers of the Light, we cannot stand idle. I will assist the Elf Kingdom—we shall stand with the elves against this threat."
"Your Holiness is righteous!"
The faithful showed no doubt—only absolute trust and devotion.
The Pope nodded slightly, raising her Sun Scepter once more.
"Followers of the Light—grant them illumination. Purge their sins."
"At your command!"
"For the God of Light!"
The Church forces surged into action. Hundreds of Holy Guards raised their weapons, enchanting them before leading tens of thousands of believers in a charge against the undead pouring from the fissures.
Behind them, thousands of priests and nuns chanted in unison, unleashing sacred magic that countered the undead and supported the frontlines.
With the Church joining the fray, the Elf Queen immediately ordered the final offensive.
With the Undead Lord destroyed, no matter how vast their numbers, the undead could not withstand the combined might of the elven and holy armies.
In mere moments, the battle became a one-sided slaughter.
Under the crushing force of holy light, the undead were reduced to dust, unable to resist in the slightest.
To the players and adventurers, it all seemed obvious—the Pope had come to deal with the undead threat.
Little did they know—
It was merely a smokescreen.
While the war raged on, Kurose Akira had already been brought inside the Pope's solar chariot.
As the golden curtains fell, everything within was sealed off—sight, sound, even perception itself.
Inside, only three remained:
The Pope.
The Elf Queen.
And Kurose Akira.
"Is there any way to save him, Lucía?" the Elf Queen asked anxiously, even dropping the formal address.
"Rest assured," Lucía replied calmly. "I've already had the archives searched. A method to neutralize the Death God's blood has been found."
"What method?" The Elf Queen's eyes locked onto her, filled with hope.
After a brief pause, Lucía spoke with measured precision.
"To neutralize it, at least three demigods must work together—sharing the burden of the deathly essence contained within the blood."
"…Three demigods?"
The Elf Queen's expression darkened.
Where were they supposed to find a third demigod?
And—
Her gaze fell upon Kurose Akira.
His condition had already worsened drastically. The aura of death had invaded every cell of his body.
"I've considered that," Lucía continued. "Though I've never met her, she should reside within his soul."
Her gaze shifted to Kurose Akira.
"If you wish to save him as well… show yourself, legendary Life Dragon."
As her words fell, a blue light shimmered into existence.
Mira Orei's phantom form appeared before them.
As soon as she manifested, she spoke with some reluctance, "I may not be able to help him. The seal prevents me from freely using my power."
"Don't worry. I have a way."
Lucía responded immediately, retrieving a golden dragon scale from her pocket.
"This is… a Sacred Dragon's heart scale?" Mira Orei's eyes widened in shock. "Where did you get this?"
She knew the Sacred Dragon was the Holy Church's guardian—but how could such a thing be in Lucía's possession?
"That is not something I can disclose," Lucía said calmly. "Just answer me—are you willing to save him?"
"…Heh. Of course. Of course I am."
Mira Orei smiled.
She still needed Kurose Akira to break her seal—there was no reason to let him die.
"Good. Then let's begin."
Lucía handed the Sacred Dragon's heart scale to Mira Orei. Though she only had three, she showed no hesitation in using one to save him.
"So…" the Elf Queen blinked. "What exactly do we do?"
"Where is the Death God's blood?" Lucía asked.
"In Guildmaster Kurose Akira's mouth," the Elf Queen replied.
"…In his mouth?"
Lucía raised a brow, puzzled. "How did it end up there? Did he swallow it?"
"No."
The Elf Queen shook her head.
"He told me… his tongue is very powerful. Invincible, even…"
"…???"
Lucía slowly turned her gaze toward Kurose Akira, her expression turning complicated.
She could admit his tongue was… impressive.
But invincible?
Wasn't that taking it a bit too far?
Want to unlock up to 60+ early-access chapters with NFSW Content and exclusive novels ?! Join my Patreon today and dive deeper into the adventure!
patreon.com/denji21