~King Raolet the seventh POV~

*Sigh*

I didn't expect that slut Alianora to have power that could rival mine if I knew I wouldn't have provoked her. Now that I have failed, the other nobles will be wary of my ambitions. Relations will be stiff, and that bitch might decide to retaliate with all her might.

Her army doesn't scare me, but if a full war broke out, both sides would lose, weakening our might and thus become easy pickings for the other kingdoms.

*Sigh*

Challenging Alianora wasn't an impulse to garner power for my own, no. Ever since his highness, the Emperor allowed for organized fights within the nobility to promote 'healthy competition', I started to plan. My most trusted advisers recommended I challenge the bitch since she was the weakest of the four kingdoms, and I would receive less resistance from the common folk if I combined our territories since she wasn't a real royal. Her position was obtained by siege. She is a no-name that appeared out of nowhere.

"Your majesty, you don't have to worry. At least now we know her strengths and weaknesses," Williame, my advisor, strokes his long white beard while his old eyes stare intently at me.

Honestly, if I didn't know him well, I would have questioned his loyalty and have him executed based on his ominous gaze alone.

"What about my honour? What will the people say when they hear their king lost a fight with a minor kingdom?" Although I didn't lose, I didn't win either, the problem is that I took the first step to issue the challenge. In the eyes of the common folk, I had to have been confident in a swift victory. And I was.

*Sigh*

I think my injuries are acting up again. I summon my inventory and fish out a vial containing a blue syrupy liquid. This is a high-quality healing potion made by the elves of the whispering woodlands. I pull the wooden cork open with a pop, and a sweet aroma of herbs and spices fill the entire carriage.

"Damn it, why is this carriage so rickety?" As I try to drink the potion, the carriage shakes, causing some of it to spill on my golden armour. Williame looks at me as if contemplating, and I ignore him. In one fell swoop, I drink the entire thing.

That's the stuff. There is something about this potion that makes me covet for more. Unfortunately, those bastards with their pointed ears sell them at a price that even I need to think twice before ordering a batch. I can enslave them and force them to produce as I wish, but my advisors said something about elves being secretive and mysterious for a reason.

As the potion calms my wounds, the scenery outside is starting to look familiar. This can only mean one thing. I'm finally arriving home. I can hear the shouts of joy from my loyal subjects.

From a distance, I can see my first line of defence, the great wall pioneered by my powerful ancestor, king Raolet the first. I wonder how I shall face his grave after this shameful defeat.

The cheers and ululations get closer, and finally, my carriage passes the massive grand silver gate.

"Sire, why don't you wave?" Williame asks, but I tactfully ignore him. I don't have the strength to face them now.

*Sigh*

"Your majesty, it's better if you show them you are unaffected by the results of the battle. How do you think they will react after they find out later?" Williame, as always, makes a good argument, but what does he know? It is easy for him to speak freely since he isn't me. To stop further inconveniences from him, I adopt a pondering posture. I stroke my well-shaven short beard. What I'm trying to do is to buy time for us to reach the castle gates.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Finally, the carriage halts, and I can hear the coachman calming the neighing horses. The stiff atmosphere dissipates as the carriage door is opened after whoever it is announces. I step out of the carriage, and Williame follows behind.

Knights dressed in elegant shining armor forged by the most skilled dwarf line up neatly on either side of the red carpet leading to my castle surrounded by fortresses.

"His highness king Raolet, the seventh has arrived!" The knights announce my presence, much to my delight. From afar, I see someone running toward me—my pride and joy.

A smile forms on my perfect face as he runs into my open arms.

"Father! Father! You're back!" With his voice, my resentment is cured.

"How have you been, my son? Tell me who dared touch you?" I ask my son heartily.

"No one dared. They all listened to my orders," haha, good for them.

"Father, why is the moon red?" My son's innocent gaze travels to the sky, and he points at the moon. I furrow my brows at his question. I don't even know why the moon suddenly turned red four months ago when I had gone to challenge the slut. At that time, I ignored it since I had important matters at hand, but now that I look at it, it is somewhat foreboding.

"Don't worry, my son. The gods are playing a game. Don't mind it." Although I casually brush it off, I know the truth is more than the 'gods game', to be safe. I order my guards to increase security at the borders.

For now, I have to listen to my son's tales. This should calm my depression.

****

~the bat's POV~

The first thing I saw after teleporting out of the [dungeon], was the red mist. I can see perfectly well despite the mist's thickness.

The land is vast, but it's in shambles. Did a fight happen here? That's the only thought I can come up with. As I study the strange surroundings, something bizarre happens.

*Rumble*

My stomach makes a sound I'm unfamiliar with. This is followed by pangs of pain that attack me in waves.

"Ilhena, what is this pain?" Unable to endure or figure out what is the cause, I decided to ask her.

"Since you're out of the dungeon, it can no longer feed you with constant energy hence your hunger," Ilhena explains calmly.

"So this is hunger? How do I get energy now?" I cork my head to the floating Ilhena.

Before she answers, I hear a rustle followed by footsteps. My ears perk, and I turn towards the direction of the sound.

"A greenskin?" The creature emerging from the bloody mist is indeed the evil goblin, I can see a slight difference from the goblins in the dungeon. That aside, something else is different. I can see the blood flow of the goblin.

A compelling urge awakens deep inside me, and I'm no longer in control of my body, with speeds strange to myself. I appear behind the goblin. The stupid greenskin can't comprehend what's going on.

Without warning, I sink my fangs on the goblin's neck. I can feel a powerful suction forcefully pull the goblin's blood into my body. The sucking happens for only a moment before I can no longer suck anything. I pull out my fangs, and the dried goblin falls on the ground with a thud.

You have slain level 19 goblin

No exp gain

"How was it?" Ilhena, who remained silent, speaks up.

"Just so-so," honestly, my answer might be fueled by my hate for the race.

"How about your hunger? Is it finally gone?" Ilhena floats closer to me.

"I can't say it's gone totally, but right now, it is better," I answered while feeling the aftertaste.

"Good, because we have to go now," Ilhena suddenly turns into a beam of light and shoots straight to my head and completely disappears. "Something you currently can't handle is approaching," I can now hear her voice inside my head.

I don't need further explanations," I shoot towards the sky at my fastest speed. Behind me, I can hear a powerful blast, but I don't look back. If the enemy is that powerful, then a slight hesitation might cost me my life.