The Epic Dragon Titan

"What is going on?" In a lavishly decorated palace, a corpulent duke stared with a grim expression at the projection before him, which showed scenes from the entrances to the necrotic caverns within his nation's borders.

Visible waves of deathly black mist surged out from the cavern entrances. Although the sunlight above hissed and crackled as it purified the mist at a visible rate, the death energy pouring out of the caverns far exceeded what the sunlight could neutralize.

It was clear that under the cover of the deathly mist, undead creatures were launching assaults on the legions stationed near the cavern entrances. These undead, empowered by the mist, had grown exceptionally formidable. After enduring a barrage of spells from the accompanying mage units, they engaged the stationed legions in brutal close combat.

Undead attacks on the legions stationed at the cavern entrances were a common sight, but those usually occurred under the cover of night, with the moon high in the sky. The scenes unfolding before the duke's eyes, however, were happening in broad daylight.

The duke, who had never heard of an undead attack during the day, was suddenly gripped by a deep-seated fear. When things that had long been taken for granted suddenly changed, a sense of terror inevitably arose—even for a duke of great power. The scenes before him made the duke realize that something was slipping out of his control.

"Your Grace, it's not just the stationed legions that have come under attack. Of the adventuring parties that recently entered the necrotic caverns, less than a thousand have returned alive. According to their reports, the undead within the caverns have become extraordinarily violent, and their power has surged. Even ordinary skeletons have bodies as tough as steel."

"What on earth is happening in the necrotic caverns?" The overweight duke's face turned pale as a dreadful premonition crept into his mind.

"Based on the information we've gathered and comparisons with ancient records, our preliminary conclusion is that an undead calamity is about to erupt."

"Are you joking?" The duke's face turned ashen, and he stood up, his expression flushing with a strange mix of anger and fear. "Are you trying to fool me? Don't think I'm ignorant. The last undead calamity was eight hundred years ago; there should be at least two hundred more years before the next one. How could it be happening now?"

"But, Your Grace, these are indeed the signs that precede an undead calamity. When the undead, who usually dwell in darkness, dare to emerge in daylight to attack humans, it signals the impending eruption of a calamity."

"How can this be?" The duke, now in a daze, slumped back onto his throne. As a member of the ruling class, he naturally possessed decent talent for cultivation, but such talent was largely irrelevant once one reached the Soul Intent level. 

As such, his current strength was only at the Gold level, which was more than sufficient for a human ruler to govern a kingdom for several hundred years. He had already calculated that by the time the next undead calamity occurred, he would have abdicated, and the grass would have grown tall on his grave. He wouldn't need to worry about it; that would be his son's problem. After all, once he was dead, what did it matter if the world was flooded? All he had to do now was maintain the stability of his domain and enjoy life. Life is short—why not live it to the fullest?

But now, someone was telling him that the undead calamity was going to break out during his reign. If the calamity erupted, how could he continue to enjoy life? As the duke, he would have to step up and manage everything. In the face of the nation's greatest crisis, he would have to lead from the front. If you wish to wear the crown, you must bear its weight.

He had enjoyed the best offerings from his duchy's people, so in times of crisis, he had to stand up, even if he didn't want to. The education he had received told him that he must do so, for the honor of the duchy.

"What about the other countries? Is this happening in other nations as well? If only our duchy is experiencing this, it might just be a coincidence and not necessarily a sign of the calamity," the duke asked with a hint of hope in his voice, looking at his court mage.

"Your Grace, I regret to inform you that before reporting to you, we contacted the mages of other nations," the court's chief mage responded naturally. After all, when dealing with a duke who only sought pleasure, it was essential to have all the facts straight before reporting anything, otherwise, what orders could they expect from him?

"This isn't just happening in our duchy; the same situation is occurring in other countries as well. Low-level undead are emerging during the day and attacking the stationed legions."

"I see, I understand now." The duke's previously pale, even furious, expression gradually returned to normal, regaining the dignity befitting his position. "Issue a nationwide order to prepare for war! Instruct my attendants to prepare my armor and weapons. The long night approaches, and I will stand with my duchy until the very end."

"At your command, Your Grace!" The court mage who had come to report was momentarily stunned by the duke's sudden shift in demeanor. He looked at the somewhat corpulent duke sitting above him and suddenly recalled what the duke had been like when he first ascended the throne. Back then, he hadn't been so fat; he had been a young man full of ambition and drive. Over time, he had become the indulgent man sitting before him now.

...

As the necrotic caverns exhibited unprecedented signs of unrest, the nations across the Obistor subcontinent immediately took action. For humans, a short-lived species, a thousand-year time span was an eternity.

The events of eight hundred years ago were as if they had occurred in legends for most people. However, the top human powerhouses would never forget such a catastrophe that had affected the entire continent.

Thus, the entire Obistor subcontinent fell silent. All conflicts ceased, and all wars were called off. The rulers of various nations unanimously withdrew the legions stationed at their borders.

In the face of a true calamity that could devastate the entire continent, what significance did the grudges between nations hold? Moreover, at times like this, any ruler who dared to continue internal conflicts would be the first to be eliminated.

The undead calamity was a threat to all living beings on the continent, regardless of race or status. The undead made no distinction between friend or foe; they hated all life equally.

...

"The undead calamity is about to erupt!" As the nations of the Obistor subcontinent rallied their forces, preparing for the disaster to come, Muria, who was cultivating in Synapse, also received the news, along with a plea for aid from the church. It was a plea issued jointly by all the churches on the continent.

"They're asking me to intervene and assist some countries during the outbreak of the undead calamity." There was no forceful demand or directive, only a respectful request for Muria's help.

"Your Highness, if you are willing to intervene, we will offer you generous gifts," said a cardinal dressed in a gold-trimmed red robe and wearing armor, as he spoke in the council chamber.

"If I recall correctly, the undead calamity in Obistor erupts once every thousand years, and the next one shouldn't be for another two hundred years or so."

"Your Highness, the so-called thousand-year cycle is merely a myth. A thousand years is just an approximate estimate. The calamity can sometimes occur later or earlier. However, this time, the eruption is indeed much earlier than expected, and we are not prepared at all. In fact, we have no preparation whatsoever," the cardinal explained with a wry smile. "Although the nations of the continent have begun preparations after noticing the signs, this time, it happened too suddenly. In previous calamities, we always had ten to fifty years of preparation time."

Because of this, the powerhouses of this continent had begun seeking any external assistance they could find, and naturally, Muria and his Synapse became one of their primary targets for aid.

"When the undead calamity erupts, helping some human civilians is, of course, no problem," Muria slowly nodded after a moment of silence. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. He had a suspicion that this undead calamity might be related to him—perhaps it was due to his destruction of Barbosa's lair. But could a single lich possess such terrifying power?

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] 

[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]

[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]