As Leon settled into the luxurious carriage, he gazed out the window, his mind wandering to the events that had transpired earlier.
His eyes drifted to the book lying on his lap, its cover adorned with intricate golden script: "DRAGON BODY TEMPERING ART".
"A body tempering art, huh..." Nox's voice cut through the silence, his tone laced with a hint of disappointment.
Nox's words caught Leon off guard, and he turned to face his companion. "I thought he'd give you a legendary technique, but it was just a Body Tempering Art," Nox continued, his brow furrowed in concern.
Leon smiled, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This is no ordinary Body Tempering Art, Nox."
Nox's curiosity was piqued, and he leaned forward, his voice taking on a questioning tone. "Then?"
Leon paused, a hint of reverence in his voice. "It's a Body Tempering Art derived from the body tempering art of a real dragon."
Nox smiled,his smile spreading across his face. "Well, that's a good thing, Leon. You should temper your body in the Mortal Realm to advance to the next level – the Qi Realm."
Leon nodded, his thoughts drifting to the challenges ahead. "But still, I coincidentally managed to attract Ariana von Celastalis." His voice was laced with a mix of awe.
Nox's face twisted into a doubtful expression as he queried, "Hey, Leon, that Ariana... is she really your mother's sister?"
Leon's response was measured, "To be exact, she's a half-sister to my mother. She was born between the patriarch of Celastalis and a maid."
Nox's eyes narrowed. "She's basically illegitimate."
Leon nodded solemnly. "Yes, but it's kept secret. The patriarch of Celastalis, to protect his reputation,spread misinformation that he adopted Ariana from a orphanage,due to her talent."
Nox snorted in disgust. "Tch... what a garbage human society. Nobles always run after reputations..."
Nox's gaze narrowed as he posed the question, "If she's an illegitimate, why is she given guards and treated like a legitimate noble?" The words hung in the air, laced with skepticism.
Leon leaned back in his seat, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. "She wasn't treated like this before," he replied, his voice measured. "She reached such a position because of her ability."
Nox's curiosity was piqued. "What special ability is that?" he asked, his tone tinged with intrigue.
"The 'Blood Mutation,'" Leon responded, his words simple yet laced with significance.
Nox's eyes widened as understanding dawned. "Blood mutation... isn't that the ability of a vampire to Make another person into a monster servant?" Leon nodded in confirmation, his expression solemn.
Leon said "yes,and Ariana's mom is a Vampire.Hence Ariana is a Half Vampire."
Nox's tone turned venomous, his words dripping with disdain. "Those lowly vampires!..."
Leon's curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "Do you hate vampires?"
Nox didn't hesitate, his response laced with animosity. "Yes, those pesky bastards! They're a race that sucks demons' and others' blood to get stronger."
Nox continued "They get stronger just by lying down and sucking the blood of others... And importantly, that Vormus! The demon lord of Blood!"
Leon pressed for clarification. "You mean the former vampire king Vormus?" Nox's response was laced with disdain. "Yes... and that bastard isn't even worth being a demon lord."
The conversation flowed like a dark, winding river, revealing hidden truths and ancient rivalries. Leon's eyes locked onto Nox's, his mind racing with questions. "How is he a demon lord?He is Just a Vampire king,and..And He's not part of the 50 demon lords."
Nox's smile was cold, his words dripping with calculation. "He was a demon lord before I became a demon lord."
Leon's eyes widened in surprise. "Before you?! Aren't you the founder of the 50 Demon Lord Council? And aren't there only 50 demon lords?"
Nox nodded, his expression unyielding. "Yes, but that doesn't mean there were no demon lords before me. Actually, I didn't create demon lords. I just defeated the other demon lords and made them join my Council of 50 demon lords."
The air was thick with tension as Leon asked, "Then, before you, how many demon lords were there?" Nox thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Hmm... 100 demon lords, I think."
Leon corrected him, his voice firm. "100 demon lords!?,but why did only 50 demon lords remain in the demon realm?"
Nox's expression turned calculating, his words laced with a dark intensity. "That's because of me. When I was young, I challenged demon lords, defeated them, and made them my servants. But I was only able to make 50 demon lords come under my command."
Nox continued as His expression became slightly dim "The remaining 50 demon lords... those bastards didn't want to serve me. So they joined together and formed an organization called the Demon Alliance. The Demon Alliance and my Demon Council waged wars for years..."
The silence that followed was oppressive, heavy with the weight of ancient conflicts. Leon urged him to continue, his voice barely above a whisper. "And?"
Nox's smile was triumphant, his eyes glinting with a malevolent light. "We finally killed all the demon lords of the Demon Alliance!"
Leon's eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "I... I never read this in the novel, how can there be such a thing!" His voice trembled with a mix of astonishment and disbelief.
Nox's words dripped with amusement as he said, "Whether it be the time when we met Zorville and now, you still don't know many things."
His gaze seemed to bore into Leon's very soul, as if highlighting the vast chasm between their knowledge and understanding.
Nox continued, his tone laced with a hint of mockery, "I see...That novel you read did not have accurate details."
Leon's confusion boiled over. "Nox, why is this happening to me? Getting sucked into a novel, facing life-or-death situations, and living in a power-obsessed family,and even the things i read in that Novel is not accurate! it's all so strange!"
Nox's response was cryptic. "You're the strange one, Leon. You read about our world's past like a book and somehow entered it."
The carriage stopped, and Felix announced their arrival at the Katana castle. Leon noted the swift journey. "This carriage is fast."
Nox explained, "It's pulled by Black Witted Horses, a rare breed known for speed.Even in my Period,these horses were used by you humans."
Leon nodded "It's a good thing Ariana gave me a Carriage."
Then Both Felix and Nox Felt something strange.
Felix's eyes snapped up, his gaze locking onto something in the distance. Nox's head jerked up simultaneously, his expression turning grave. The sudden tension in the air was palpable.
Leon's confusion was evident as he asked, "What is it?" His voice was laced with concern, unsure of what was happening.
Nox's response was laced with a hint of urgency. "There is something coming towards here, from... the sky!" His words hung in the air, like a warning bell tolling in the distance.
Before Leon could react, Felix sprang into action. With lightning-fast reflexes, he positioned himself in front of Leon, his body shielding him from the impending danger. Leon felt a surge of surprise and gratitude as Felix's movements were swift and decisive.
As Felix covered Leon, the young man's gaze followed Nox's and Felix's, his eyes seeing the sky. And then, he saw it. A massive fireball, its flames burning bright and fierce, hurtled towards them.
The air seemed to shimmer and distort around it.
Felix's voice was a shout, laced with alarm and urgency. "That's... that's a magic spell! A high-ranking one!" The words were barely out of his mouth before the fireball was mere seconds away from impact.
Leon thought "It..It is Going To Hit the Katana Castle!."