The puppets asked, "May we kiss you somewhere else?"1
Hey!!!
The puppets' request seemed to leave Rhine at a loss again.
But the puppets insisted, even threatening to go on strike...
"All right..."
Rhine wore a doting expression that said, "There's just no saying no to you little sweethearts."
Rhine said, "Then let's do that."
The puppets were overjoyed:2
"Yay!!"
"Kisses!!"
And while the puppets were celebrating,0
they didn't forget to glance at Hela.
Seeing Hela's resentful yet helpless expression, too intimidated to act up in front of her boss,
the puppet girls seemed even more triumphant,
their infuriating little looks silently taunting their creator.
Oh my~
Feeling frustrated?9
44. The Dragon Princess, Obadiah
After another two days of travel, Rhine and Hela finally reached their destination.
On the windswept frozen land, a short distance away, lay a pitch-black rift that stretched endlessly across the earth.
No one knew how long it was, and its depth was impossible to fathom.
[Blazing Sun Deep Wall]
That was the name the Leita people had given the great rift.
According to their legends, in that ancient age, before the Goddess of Order slaughtered and transformed the elven gods, reducing them to demigods,
the elves' chief god had cleaved a "wall" across the frozen land, extending in the opposite direction, to hold back the strange monsters lurking in the depths of the Desolate Frozen Land.
It cut across the center of the Desolate Frozen Land, forming a clear boundary that separated the deep-frozen region from the Leita Empire on the other side.
Throughout the journey,
a red line had always appeared in Rhine's vision, guiding him forward.
It was a navigation marker Olivia had set up for him.
Now, that red line had reached its end.
Here, Hain saw the corpses of countless divine beings, frozen in the blizzard. No one knew how long they had been dead.
Now, their own weapons had been used to hoist them up and plant them in the frozen earth.
Like a series of horrifying flags, they fluttered in the frigid wind.
Most of these corpses... were demigods of various races.
On the other side of the Blazing Sun Deep Wall, in the deep-frozen region, countless unrecognizable, misshapen carcasses had piled up into a black mountain.
The one who had killed them
was the ancient being dwelling beneath the wall.
"Obadiah is down there."
Olivia's voice rang out. "He's busy molting right now. This is the perfect chance to deal with him."
Olivia was taking this campaign against Obadiah quite seriously.
On one hand, as the princess of the ancient dragons, she had to respond forcefully to anyone who challenged her authority.
On the other hand...
she was very curious.
"Rhine Hyun, are you really planning to take on an ancient dragon with only that Imperial Guard at your side?"
Rhine remained calm. "Of course."
"You still have a chance to accept my help."
Olivia reminded him, "Just so we're clear, once you enter Obadiah's domain, there'll be a delay before I can come to your aid."
As the most powerful and ancient dragon race, they were also homebodies. Like their shut-in relatives, Obadiah had set up powerful barrier spells in his lair to protect the home he'd painstakingly built.
Even Olivia would need a second or two to break through a barrier spell painstakingly constructed by an ancient dragon, from the distance between the Nether Realm and the mortal world.
But battles between demigods could change in an instant.
A second or two was enough to decide the victor.
Even so, Rhine turned down Olivia's offer again.
"You and I should keep a low profile for now."
Although Order was currently offline,
the Gods of Order she led were still somehow managing to keep things running.
"How about this, Princess Your Highness?"
Rhine said calmly, "You're so eager to help that I'd hate to spoil your fun. So, to make you feel more involved, why don't you give me a reward on the same level as your support in killing an ancient dragon after this battle, as compensation?"
"Hmm, I suppose that could work..."
Olivia furrowed her brow and thought for a moment before finally agreeing:
"All right, then wait with all your heart and soul. If you can kill Obadiah, a supreme treasure unlike any other in the mortal world will be yours."
Olivia rubbed her hands together, looking expectant. "Good luck! Give him hell!"
Olivia's figure gradually blurred and disappeared.
Olivia had entered spectator mode.
Beside Rhine,
Hela gazed into the abyss. She found that some kind of force field was blocking her senses, preventing her from perceiving what lay below.
Above ground and below it, everything was clearly telling Hela the same thing—the ancient dragon was right here.
Rhine had told her
that Olivia had stripped her subjects of their immortality and allowed mortals to hunt them
because this ancient dragon had actually tried to usurp Olivia's position.
The current princess of the ancient dragons was Olivia, the lustful Evil Dragon.
Legend had it that she was once the most beautiful being among the ancient dragons.
Now, she had become the most beautiful deity.
Having become the living embodiment of lust, Olivia possessed a terrifying allure that could make even gods fall under her spell.
She also had another title.
The Goddess of Beauty.
So, what sort of person was the candidate for the new Dragon Princess, the one who dared to challenge Olivia's authority?
It was time to find out.
Hela prepared to set out. "Your Highness, I'll create a safe shelter for you. Stay here while I go deal with that ancient dragon."
Rhine stopped her. "No. I'm going with you."
Huh?
Hela froze. "Your Highness, are you serious?"
Rhine said, "I'm serious."
This...
Hela was at a loss.
The decisive battle was at hand, and Hela felt she had to make some things clear to Rhine.
After all, the enemy they were about to face wasn't someone Hela could handle casually.
As the saying went, fortune favored the bold.
Hela had to be ready to risk her life in this battle.
Their opponent was an ancient dragon.
Among all beings who could be called "human,"
only demigods with a great deal of divine blood in their veins stood a chance against one.
As for mortals, they were utterly useless, without the slightest value.
The battlefield wasn't for them.
There was no doubt about it—
Rhine's presence would only be a liability.
Of course,
Hela still had to phrase things tactfully to her boss.
Hela said seriously, "Rhine, please don't joke around. I can't protect you and fight an ancient dragon at the same time."
Just then, the puppets poked their heads out of the Spatial Rift.
When it came to Rhine's request,
the puppets were fully supportive!
They patted their chests and smiled. "Then we'll protect Rhine! Even if he's about to be attacked, I'll act as His Highness's shield and protect him to the very end!"
Deeply moved, Rhine said, "Then I'll be counting on you. By the way, Lilia, don't appear when we fight the ancient dragon. Hide yourself first, then wait for my signal."
Lilia Hela nodded. She was even more obedient to Rhine than she was to her mother. "Understood. I won't let the enemy find me, Rhine!"
Hela: "..."
Beside them, Hela's expression darkened.
A shield...
Hela was reminded of the painful days on the battlefield when these brats had routinely used her as one.
You treat your mother as a shield,
but you're willing to lay down your lives to protect Rhine?!
The disappointment on Hela's face was plain to see!
She was about to say something...
But just then,
Rhine stepped in front of Hela.
Rhine knew exactly how Hela felt. He gave her a sincere smile and took her hand.
"Lady Hela, hear me out."
Rhine's expression was serious. "I know how dangerous the enemy below is. You can try trusting me just this once. I won't let you down."
Before you continue