Chapter 416 The Divine Threat



"A new dragon lord that has risen from the ashes of their dead kin, if you have come in peace then welcome, if you have come to conquer then be sure I will not cede my territories."

The words of the death dragon resounded in his head, carrying both welcome and threat.

Vesuvius felt no reason to start a war and had no feuds with the being hiding in the shadows of the long death kingdom.

"I have come in peace." Vesuviuse's domain stretched out, carrying his words encoded within the domain itself. He just came to find out about the unnatural kingdom, but now he saw a chance to gain more information about the past event.

'Such an old being must know a lot.' Just from the sprawling domain stretched across the kingdom, Vesuvius could tell that the dragon used to be extraordinarily strong in its life, 'Probably an ancient dragon. Even with it, they died. I am sure the circumstances of their dead contain information on a potential future threat.'

"I want to trade for information. A single chest of gold will be your payment" It hurt to spend his hard-earned gold and jewels, but if it would save his life in the future, he was ready to finish it.

"Five chests!"

'So you are greedy even after death...'

"Two!"

"Five!"

"One!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Three? So be it!"

The exchange ended as suddenly as it started, the domains of both dragons still in unrest.

"The accursed gods! They gave the mortals powerful weapons that pierced through my scales and flesh!" The entire domain of unlife flickered with an ancient fury that made the ground tremble, and trees sway.

"Dragon-slaying-weapons?"

"No, you are wrong, they are nothing but poor imitations forged by the hands of mortal smiths. I am talking about their divine weapons, weapons forged by the gods themself. They can make even the weakest mortal into a deadly monster cutting through entire armies."

'So the visions by the fallen dragon weren't a lie.'

The voice filled with ancient spite continued, "You have attacked and defeated some mortals but don't make the same mistake of arrogance as your ancestors did. Mortals are only as much of a threat as their divine puppeteers allow them."

A doubt resurfaced in the dragon's mind as he considered the words he heard, 'Was I too rushed with this invasion?'

He was sure the gods, especially the aggressive god of light, wouldn't let it be. He was certain they would react, maybe not now or even in a year, but in the end, they would.

'No, what would be the alternative? Hide and wait for them to strike my kingdom? This way I am at least the one who took the initiative.'

"I will give you some advice. Conquer the mortal's kingdoms but stay away from the churches. If you try to purge them from this continent, the answer of the gods will be swift and wrathful. Otherwise, you still have time."

Vesuvius had already conquered the wast human empires, but the temples still remained active and were already on top of his purge list.

"Gods are slimy like snakes, their own infighting taking most of their attention with the rest wasted by their complacency. They have already won the war and they are still drunken with their victory so their reaction will be slow if you don't cross any of the big red lines."

The thought of keeping his potential enemies freely roaming across his land made his blood boil and hearts pound angrily. He wanted to destroy them and annihilate them.

'It is like keeping snakes on my chest. It is only a matter of time before they bite me.'

Still, he collected his resolve and pushed back his dislike and the negative emotions, 'I can see the logic behind their words. They are gods, a dragon conquering the continent might irritate them, but on the other hand, purging their churches throughout the entire continent would be a personal insult and attack.'

He would even go as far as comparing to being their equivalent of him stealing their golden hoards.

'Anyway, at most, I can destroy the buildings and clergy, but I can't eradicate the faith from their believers.'

Now Vesuvius knew what he needed. He was spiteful and frustrated at the gold he spent and the enemies freely roaming his territory.

"Good, you fulfilled your end of the bargain, the gold will be delivered by my minions." The dragon flapped his wings and rose back into the sky.

Luckily he knew where to vent out all his frustration as there was still the one last stop that was like a sore spot on the map of his empire.

'The kingdom the players created. It is time to pay them a visit and put them back into the line.'

POV ?:

A massive golden throne stood in the chamber of colorful stone, playing with pastel colors, and rainbow light passed through the stained, painted windows, showering the giant on the regal throne in its rays.

The divine man in golden sateen robes and aura of might obscuring his visage slightly stirred in his throne.

'At first the visitors from another world and now this. Those past years are simply too chaotic.'

His eyes shone with a colorful hue, and his body towered above the mortal men with its two and a half meters height, even when sitting. The air shivered under the divine pressure radiating out of his immaculate skin.

Suddenly the entire palace shook under his roaring voice as he stretched his bulging muscles. "I the divine emperor of the eternal Chrysanthemum empire will not stand aside any longer!!!"

'This is the opportunity I have waited for. Gods will be distracted by that overgrown lizard so it is time to expand my empire.'

"Summon all the lords and generals. The time of war has come."

He hated inactivity as he was a demigod, and he wanted to conquer and use his power. Instead, the pesky, decrepit gods threatened him into his pathetic state of only preserving his current empire.

'What is the point of having power when one can't use it?' He couldn't help but feel respect and envy towards the dragon, who wasn't afraid to do what it wanted.

POV ?:

Over a dozen players sat in their stone chairs in a large circle. Their looks and even their clothes were hidden beneath veils of magic-induced darkness.

"What should we do? Can we even rebel against such a might?"

"We need to end this madness and either submit or leave this continent!"

The entire continent was conquered in a single day, with their principality becoming a single island that wasn't controlled by the dragon. It was madness in his eyes to think they could somehow prevail.

"Do not forget that we are doing this for Earth. We must weaken this world at any cos..."

He couldn't even finish his sentence before the aura of pure might froze him on the spot.

(AN: I will be honest with you... I dislike this chapter. Maybe I will massively edit it in the future, but you don't have to reread it as there will be no changes to its overall story, just its execution.'