Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Lord's reaction, the tide of darkness.

The perspective unfolds in a grand, cold throne room, where the air carries a palpable sense of majesty and authority.

Tapestries adorned with scenes of valor line the walls, while the polished marble floor reflects the dim light cast by ornate chandeliers hanging overhead.

As the perspective slowly zooms in, attention is drawn to a figure seated upon a magnificent throne at the room's far end.

Lord Xander, his demeanor commanding and his gaze unwavering, sits with an air of quiet dominance.

His long, dark hair cascades over broad shoulders, framing sharp features that radiate power and authority. He is draped in regal attire, a fur-lined cloak enveloping him in a regal splendor.

His eyes narrow in scrutiny as Lord Xander's gaze falls upon the ranking board.

Among the unfamiliar names, one stands out – "Lord Liam" at the top of the list.

A hint of curiosity dances in his cold, calculating eyes as he mutters to himself.

"A new lord with potential has emerged."

He remarks, his voice low and tinged with skepticism and intrigue.

"But potential alone does not guarantee success."

His gaze lingers on Liam's name, and doubt clouds his expression momentarily.

But as he takes in the staggering power displayed beside it, a flicker of apprehension crosses his features.

"Over 170,000 in power"

He murmurs, his voice betraying a trace of uncertainty.

"Such strength... could prove troublesome."

A sense of unease settles over Lord Xander as he contemplates the implications of Liam's ascendance.

"The next stage of this world is close to revealing itself. Let us meet on the battlefield, Lord Liam."

The perspective then fades to black, leaving an air of tension and anticipation lingering in the air.

And somewhere not too far away from Liam's castle.

In the chilling space of Lady Irenevirst's throne room, nestled dangerously close to Liam's domain, an air thick with trepidation hangs heavy.

Lady Irenevirst, known for her timidity and propensity for retreat even in her past life, now finds herself in a frenzied panic within the confines of her lavishly adorned chambers.

Once a bastion of security, her castle now feels like a prison, its opulent walls closing around her as if to suffocate her with her fears.

Lady Irenevirst's eyes darted frantically to the map across the panel, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she traced the path to Liam's stronghold.

The realization strikes her like a thunderbolt – Liam, the formidable lord with unimaginable power, resides dangerously close to her location.

"This is bad! This is bad!"

"Why is the number one ranked lord next to me!!"

Fear grips her heart with icy tendrils as she envisions the horrors that could befall her fragile domain.

Will Liam unleash his wrath upon me?

What recourse do I have in the face of such overwhelming strength?

Will he spare me?

I heard that someone from the chat says that he's a bloodthirsty monster!

These questions torment her fragile mind, each more terrifying than the last.

With trembling fingers, Lady Irenevirst searches for any indication of Liam's intentions, her pulse racing with every passing moment.

Yet, her efforts only deepen her sense of dread – Liam's fortress stands silent and foreboding, a looming specter poised to strike at any moment.

And to add to the marching activities around Liam's castle, her fear deepens inch by inch. Looking over the red footsteps trail currently marching elsewhere on the map.

'H-he must have known I am here by now, r-right?'

'w-wait, maybe he never checks his surroundings.'

'Y-yes that!'

As her fears threaten to crush her, Lady Irenevirst recoils from the looming threat, her resolve crumbling like sandcastles in the face of an oncoming tide.

She knows she is ill-equipped to face Liam's might, her cowardice consuming her like a ravenous beast.

In the suffocating grip of her terror, Lady Irenevirst retreats further into the recesses of her mind, seeking solace in the false sanctuary of denial.

She does not know what lies ahead or dares to face it.

"I-I can surrender myself, yes! Just a concubine. I don't want anything else as long as I can live."

She stammers, her voice trembling with desperation, the words barely audible even in the confines of her chambers.

With each passing moment, her resolve wanes, and she resigns herself to a fate dictated by forces beyond her control.

For in the shadows of her cowardice, Lady Irenevirst finds herself powerless to defy the looming specter of impending doom.

Liam's sudden presence within the ranking board brought forth an uncontrollable storm that swept every Lord on this continent. Be it fear and apprehension or even jealousy and envy.

From now on, every Lord will have to recognize this new uncrowned King upon their heads. The staggering amount of Liam's power is enough to weigh more than their so-called pride.

Somewhere among the Lords of the people, one reacted differently to this news or didn't even care.

Lady Firya stood upon the precipice of her volcanic stronghold, her fiery gaze fixed upon the tumultuous landscape below.

The air crackled with the raw energy of the molten earth as rivers of lava cascaded down the mountain's slopes, carving fiery paths through the rugged terrain.

As she surveyed her domain, a sense of anticipation flickered within her heart, igniting the flames of her warrior spirit.

Her crimson cloak billowed in the scorching wind, a testament to her indomitable will and unwavering resolve.

But amidst the chaos of the volcanic eruption, a voice rang out, cutting through the roar of the flames like a beacon of clarity.

It was the voice of her trusted dragon companion, a majestic creature wreathed in flames, its scales shimmering with the intensity of a raging inferno.

"My lady"

The dragon spoke, its voice resonating with power and authority.

"I sense a true dragon species apart from us within this world. This is great news!"

Lady Firya's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation, her mind racing with the possibilities ahead.

A true dragon species—a being of unparalleled strength and majesty—dwelling amidst the realms of mortals.

"How far is it? Can you determine the location?"

Firya asked in a hurried tone.

But then, the dragon's words could only disappoint her.

"I am sorry, My lady, but the distance is too far. I could never pinpoint its location unless the dragon is close to our vicinity."

"How wide is the range?"

Firya continued to ask, and the dragon responded.

"1000km at best, no further than that."

"I see"

But as she contemplated the implications of this newfound knowledge, her dragon companion continued, its words ringing with solemnity and reverence.

"My lady, a true dragon species is few, but we all share something. We are united as one at all times."

"And judging by the intensity of this dragon aura that I am feeling, the purity of its blood is extremely high."

The dragon's words echoed in the caverns of her mind, giving her a rough understanding of her summon's species background.

Then, a doubt emerged within, and she continued asking,

"Is it the same as you, being the summons of the lord of the people?"

Hearing this, the dragon shook its head and responded.

"No, my lady. This dragon is not subjected to any Lords."

"It seems as if... this dragon is free. Unrestrained by anything... "

While those scenes were happening, Liam scanned the surrounding area around the castle's territory for more signs of rouge bandit groups.

Dragging his finger across the map, he carefully surveyed the area, fearful of missing any enemy locations, which meant losing experience points.

As Liam meticulously surveyed the expansive expanse of his domain, his eyes, sharp as the blade he wielded, detected the lurking shadows of imminent threats.

"There you are. Ah, there's also one more delicacy for my slimes to have a taste of... "

Three rogue bands of outlaws, their presence betrayed by the faint traces of disorder they left in their wake, and a solitary monster encampment, its sinister inhabitants biding their time for unsuspecting prey.

"The three rouge bandit groups are all level 1. It won't be an issue for my slimes to eradicate them."

"Though for the monster camp."

Liam then tapped on the question mark icon on the monster camp panel.

[A level 1 monster camp driven by the world's will. This group of monsters huddled together to form an army of ferocious mixtures. Ranging from level 1 to level 5, with the leader at the peak of the first sublimation threshold]

[The number of monsters within this camp is over 100. It is advised for the Lord to possess over 30 thousand powers first before challenging this camp]

Seeing the detailed explanation of the monster's camp. Liam then immediately decided.

With a decisive look, Liam issued his commands, his voice resonating with authority as he directed his forces to engage and cleanse the land of these vermin once and for all.

The slimes set out before had already grouped together with the rest. Forming a tide of dark-cloaked knights standing eerily silent in the middle of the woods.

The slimes, obedient to their master's will, swiftly altered their trajectory towards the nearest bandit enclave, their movements purposeful and resolute.

As the slimes, adorned in knightly regalia, traversed the desolate plain, a palpable sense of dread descended upon the landscape. Their cold and unyielding demeanor instilled fear in any who beheld them, a silent harbinger of the swift and merciless justice they delivered.

The journey was smooth and quiet, mostly due to their aura. None of the surrounding wild monsters dared to get close, giving way to a smooth journey.

Liam naturally discovered this as he immediately changed the trajectory of the moving trail once again, but this time, much more time was saved during the journey without evading any place.

Thus reducing the journey time from the original 1 hour to 20 minutes.

Upon reaching their destination, the slimes wasted no time launching their assault.

Liam's forces descended upon the unsuspecting bandits with a thunderous roar, their blades flashing in the harsh light of day.

The air reverberated with the slash of the knight's heavy weapon and the cries of the wounded as the battle raged.

The bandits, caught off guard by the ferocity of the slime onslaught, faltered in the face of overwhelming odds.

Some tried to parry the attack, though the moment their blades intertwined, it felt like a mountain was pressing down on their bodies, and not even a moment had passed, the blade broke apart as the enemy's sword remained undiminished and swung down to cleave them into two parts.

In mere moments, the tide of battle turned, the ground littered with the fallen bodies of those who had dared to oppose the knight's ruling.

As the last echoes of battle faded into silence, Liam surveyed the scene before him with a steely gaze through the map.

And the slimes remained motionless in the middle, not an inch of movement. The cold blade hung on the side, and drops of blood slid down from it. The scene was cold and eerily quiet.

Seeing this, Liam must admit it.

"They are always in character, and in fact, they are better in acting than me."

He nodded in approval.

[Ding, congratulations to the Lord for eradicating a level rouge bandit camp]

[Gaining 1100 experience points]