Published at 11th of April 2026 6:46 am

Chapter 1665 Dark King's Orders

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The night grew darker.

Far south of the military outpost that now burned in flames, Ulrich and his men ran across the vast plain, heading to the rendezvous point.

Their mission was a resounding success with zero casualties, and now all that was left for them was to regroup with the rest of the Dark King's forces aboard the Red Wind.

Valerian had comfortably made Ulric's head his seat. But he wasn't looking ahead. Instead, his gaze was fixed behind them, on Edward's battlefield. The distant sound of battle faintly echoed in his ears.

The young dragon had known Edward practically all his life. So it would be an understatement to say he wasn't worried about him. Especially given that, at the moment, the youth was fighting one of, if not the most important, battles of his life.

Please be alright, Valerian thought to himself, his grip around Ulric's head subconsciously tightening.

Below him, Ulric couldn't help but lightly wince at that action. As he continued to sprint, he raised his head slightly and asked, "Young Master Valerian... is everything okay?"

The little guy turned back around, his expression turning solemn.

"Myu!" he grunted, masking the concern in his eyes. "Everything's fine. Let's-"

Suddenly, his words got caught in his throat, and his topaz eyes narrowed. Right then, he received a mental transmission. A moment later, his expression turned even more serious.

"Ulric, you need to take the men and head to the rendezvous point without me!"

With that said, he leapt off his shoulders.

Ulric was startled. He came to an abrupt halt and turned around, his gaze landing on Valerian, who was now in the process of transforming from a cat to a mighty dragon.

Filled with a momentary sense of awe, Ulrich quickly snapped back to his senses. "What's the matter?" he blurted out. "Did something happen?"

Valerian, in his proud draconic form, scanned the faces of all the surprised Magi. Finally, his gaze settled on Ulric. His maw parted, and he replied in a deep voice, "The Dark King's orders."

He then flapped his wings and took to the skies, leaving behind his parting words.

"Head to the location now! I will meet you all shortly!"

Ulric and his men remained in a state of stunned daze for a few moments as they gazed at the gray dragon's departing figure.

They quickly realized that Valerian was heading back in the direction they had just come from. Toward the battlefield!

Ulrich's expression turned utterly grim. He wanted to go with the young dragon, in case something unexpected happened.

But orders were orders. And they had to be carried out no matter what.

Besides, he found solace in the fact that Valerian was far stronger than he was and could definitely hold his own should something bad happen.

He gritted his teeth and turned back around. Then he glanced at his men and nodded.

"You heard him, lads. Let's go!"

***

Valerian soared through the skies in a gray, shadowy blur.

His wings cut through the air as he raced across the stormy weather. In moments, he had crossed several miles, drawn by the fading echoes of thunder. Beneath him, the military outpost was now ruined and scorched black from the flames. And a little further away, he found what he was looking for.

He descended just as quickly. Below him, Edward's battlefield came into view. It was utterly and thoroughly ruined.

The ground was torn open in long, jagged fissures. Craters scarred the land, some still smoking. Uprooted trees lay scattered, broken, and charred. Lightning still crawled across the earth in fading arcs of blue, snapping and flickering before reluctantly dying out.

There was no movement. And there were certainly no enemies left. It was why Valerian was instructed to come here in the first place.

Only one figure remained, bruised and bloodied.

The Storm King stood alone at the center of all the destruction. His body was tense, his posture was straight, and his eyes were bloodshot and sharp as they searched for the last of his foes.

He still clearly remembered that he had to take care of the Necromancer who summoned the undead creatures, as well as the elderly Magus he had previously dealt with. He would not leave until he killed them with his own

hands.

Lightning still clung to him, faint but ever-present. The youth turned constantly, scanning his surroundings with clear alertness. He was ready to fight again at any moment.

When Valerian's gaze landed on Edward, he heaved a deep sigh of relief. He inhaled deeply and then roared.

"Eddie!!!"

Edward felt a jolt run through his body when he heard that familiar voice. His head abruptly snapped toward the source of the voice, and there he saw a gray dragon quickly flying toward him.

The youth was initially happy to see Valerian unharmed, but soon that feeling was replaced by apprehension and suppressed fury.

"Stupid boy!" he roared angrily. "Get out of here! It's not safe!"

He feared that the two cultists would capitalize on Valerian's sudden arrival

and attack him, or worse yet, hold him hostage.

With a resounding thud, the dragon landed on the ground before Edward, dust

and debris spiraling around him.

Noticing the lightning around Edward's body, even Valerian felt that it was

slightly dangerous to him. He then shifted his attention to the youth's bloodied

and battered body.

"Eddie, it's alright," he said. "The cultists have fled. It's safe now. We need to get

aboard the Red Wind quickly!"

Edward's pupils constricted. "The cultists... what?"

"Yes!" Valerian replied, urgency laced in his voice. "Brother confirmed it himself!

We need to leave this place before more enemies arrive!"

The moment Edward learned that Adam himself had confirmed the cultists' escape, whatever strength he had left slipped away. The tension left his body all at once. The lightning around him flickered one last time, then died.

His stance broke, and his shoulders sagged. The focus in his eyes faded, replaced by exhaustion. In his earlier battle, he had truly given it his all and overcome his limits time and time again.

He had been able to reach his true potential and even awaken his Innate Physique to a degree. He had truly done his best and bested his opponents.

If there was any regret lingering in his heart, it was that he was unable to kill those cultists with his own hands...

For a brief moment, Edward tried to stand upright. But then, his legs gave out,

and he collapsed to the ground.

The last thing he heard was Valerian's panicked cry.

What followed came to him in fragments. He saw clouds. He saw a giant ship

with red sails. He saw a dim cabin. He saw some familiar faces.

And then...

A blonde woman with green eyes.

Oh, how deeply he missed looking into those eyes.

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