Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"Hey, kid, you alright?"

"We didn't mean to scare you or anything. You're still young, and your cultivation level doesn't seem that high. The Desolate Wastes have been acting strange lately, and it might not be the best place for you right now. Maybe you should leave and come back when you're stronger."

"Yeah, seriously. If we end up jinxing it and a Beast Monarch shows up, you probably won't even have time to run."

Saving one life is like saving the entire world.

Seeing the odd look on Timothy's face, the group of middle-aged practitioners quickly tried to reassure him. "Of course, nothing's going to happen."

But contrary to what they expected, the young man in front of them didn't seem scared at all. In fact, Timothy patted the shoulder of the lead practitioner, his face full of excitement. "Thanks, bro, but I'm staying in the Desolate Wastes."

"Huh?" Stay updated via empire

The group of middle-aged practitioners were stunned for a moment.

Suddenly, they couldn't help but wonder—was this handsome young guy... maybe a little crazy?

They'd seen practitioners risk their lives for a chance at fortune, but this? This was just asking to die!

"Alright, alright, if you really want to stay, then stay. If you get scared, just stick close to us. Maybe if something does happen, we can lend you a hand."

The lead practitioner, Thalric, sighed and waved his hand, clearly not wanting to deal with Timothy anymore.

The vast forbidden zone was filled with swirling sand and dust. Aside from a distant exit, all they could see was desert and more desert. There was no sign of anyone else, including the other practitioners who had entered the wasteland with them.

The group turned away from Timothy and continued walking deeper into the desert, no longer paying him any attention.

As they walked, one of the practitioners couldn't help but voice his concern to Thalric. "Hey, Thalric, you don't think we're really unlucky enough to run into a Beast Monarch as big as the one from Ocean's Gate, do you?"

"That's not gonna happen."

Thalric, though a bit uneasy himself, shook his head. "Sure, this place feels a little off, but a Beast Monarch from Ocean's Gate? Do you know how powerful and rare a Demonic Beast like that is? This is one of the safest, lowest-level forbidden zones. There's no way we'd run into something like that here. Just stick with me, and we'll be fine.

What are the odds we'd run into any real danger? Once we find some low-level treasures or spirit herbs, I'm heading back home to get married."

"Ugh, why does that sound like…"

"Like you're jinxing us…"

"Come on, no way. I might not be the strongest, but I've been out here long enough to know how to stay alive. Don't worry about it."

Thalric waved his hand dismissively, clearly not taking the concern seriously.

Rumble…

Just then, the ground in front of them began to tremble.

The earth shook violently, and cracks started spreading across the ground at an alarming speed. The fissures widened rapidly.

Suddenly, a dust-covered tentacle burst out from one of the cracks, revealing a massive, armored body.

The surrounding sand and rocks were thrown into the air by the sheer force of the creature's emergence.

With a terrifying roar, a colossal figure finally rose from the desert.

Its enormous body, covered in dust, looked like a small mountain. The hard, gleaming shell on its back made it clear that this creature was nearly indestructible.

"Dunecrab!"

Though the creature's massive, armored body seemed a bit clumsy, the faces of Thalric and the other practitioners turned pale.

Because the beast in front of them was none other than the infamous dunecrab, known for its incredibly tough shell.

Despite its seemingly awkward, sideways movement, the dunecrab was terrifyingly fast.

What was even more terrifying was the sheer power of the dunecrab's massive pincers, capable of snapping even the most refined magical artifacts in half with ease. Its shell was practically indestructible.

Even an ordinary dunecrab was a formidable opponent, far beyond what they could handle. But the one in front of them? It was enough to send chills down their spines.

The enormous creature cast a shadow over the group, its massive body far larger than any typical dunecrab. The oppressive aura it exuded weighed heavily on them.

Thalric's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the dunecrab's enormous pincers, which shimmered faintly with a golden hue.

That pressure… those pincers…

"This… this is an Ocean's Gate Beast Monarch dunecrab!"

As Thalric's voice rang out in shock, the entire group froze in place, dumbfounded.

They couldn't believe it. Just moments ago, they had been casually joking about the possibility, never imagining it would actually come true.

Wasn't this supposed to be the lowest-level forbidden zone, a place no one even bothered to visit?

"Thalric, could you be any more of a jinx?!"

"Damn it, you've doomed us all!"

"I just wanted to finish this trip and go home to get married!"

"Shut up already!"

Despite their bickering, panic had already set in.

This was an Ocean's Gate Beast Monarch. If they didn't run for their lives, they were all going to die here.

Boom!

At that moment, the dunecrab noticed them.

Its stalk-like eyes swiveled, locking onto the group. Suddenly, one of its massive pincers rose high into the air and came crashing down.

Boom!

Sand and rocks exploded into the air as the ground trembled violently. The spot where the pincer struck caved in, cracks spreading outward from the impact.

"This… this really is a Beast Monarch!"

Thalric barely dodged the attack, cold sweat pouring down his back. He didn't dare say another word.

"Run! Run for your lives! If we don't, we're all dead!"

The group descended into chaos, scrambling to grab their fallen magical artifacts and fleeing in a blind panic.

But the dunecrab was already on the move, and the ground shook violently with each of its steps. Worse still, it was much faster than they were, quickly closing the distance.

Thalric's face was filled with terror. He had no idea if he could escape this nightmare.

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something strange—the young man who had been following them, Timothy, was still standing in the same spot, completely unmoved.

Not only did Timothy show no sign of fear, but he was watching them flee with a calm, almost amused expression, like a spectator at a show.

"Run, you idiot! That's a Beast Monarch! Do you have a death wish?!"

Thalric shouted at him, his face pale, his legs trembling.

"A Beast Monarch? Even better."

Timothy didn't budge. Instead, he gazed at the dunecrab with a look of greed in his eyes.

Suddenly, the dunecrab stopped in its tracks.

Despite being a Beast Monarch, a creature that feared nothing, the dunecrab felt a sudden chill run down its spine.

This human was staring at it intently, and the look in his eyes was… unsettling.

It was as if… he was admiring its body!