Demon King of the Royal Class-Chapter 627

“Ugh... Ughhh!”

“Here, bite down on this.”

“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!”

Crunch!

Louis Ankton stared in disbelief as the stick that Ludwig was clenching between his teeth snapped clean in two with nothing but the force of his jaw.

“This is going to hurt.”

Sizzle!

Cristina poured an unknown liquid onto Ludwig’s shoulder. A sizzling sound filled the air, and black smoke began to rise.

“Ugh! Grr... Ugh!”

Ludwig’s exposed right arm was engulfed in a dark shadow. He tried to suppress his groans, but they slipped through his clenched teeth, while the pain rendered his eyes bloodshot. Blackened blood flowed continuously from the point where his right arm and shoulder connected.

Cristina, her expression stern and focused, worked diligently on Ludwig’s arm. Meanwhile, Anna used a binding spell to restrain Ludwig’s entire body, preventing him from thrashing about.

Crack! Crackle!

Even so, the sheer physical force he was able to exert meant that the binding spell often shattered, and it had to be frequently recast.

Unable to wield magic himself, Louis Ankton diligently supplied Cristina and Anna with the necessary reagents, medicines, and scrolls.

Ludwig’s breath came in short, sharp bursts. “Ugh... Ugh!”

“Just a little more, it’s almost over,” Anna reassured.

The pain was beyond what any ordinary human could endure. Ludwig had already been sedated with what would have been a lethal dose of painkillers for a normal human being, and Anna was also using dark magic to enchant him to dull his pain. Even so, his mind was nearing its breaking point.

Even if he had been given a regular, healthy arm, his body would have tried to reject it. But this wasn’t an ordinary human arm; it was one enhanced with dark magic, which essentially transformed it into a powerful magical artifact.

Ludwig should have succumbed to shock the moment the transplant occurred, but his incredible resilience had kept him alive.

It was as if some mysterious force was watching over him, allowing Ludwig to withstand the agonizing rejection that would have claimed the life of an ordinary person many times over.

By the time his condition stabilized, Ludwig, along with Anna and Cristina, who were helping him to manage the symptoms stemming from the rejection, were soaked in cold sweat.

“Are you feeling any better now?” Cristina asked, glancing at Ludwig, who sat shirtless and drenched.

“Yeah... I can manage now,” he replied.

All three of them knew Ludwig was lying. The pain had only dulled; it never truly vanished. It was just no longer intense enough to make him scream. Ludwig was trapped in relentless agony, making him feel like his right arm was burning from within.

His blackened arm seemed more like a relic from the dead than a part of his living body. The veins connecting his arm to his shoulder were stained an ominous black, as if the arm was slowly consuming him.

In truth, the dark magic that infused his new arm was indeed poisoning his body. This arm had belonged to the Grandmaster, and in exchange for its immense power, Ludwig was paying a steep price.

Cristina gently wiped his damp skin with a chemically-treated towel before carefully wrapping his arm up. The bandage was no ordinary cloth; it was infused with special chemicals and doubled as an extensive magic scroll.

The long magic scroll, crafted by Louis and brought to life by Anna, was a way to control the rejection reaction that was affecting Ludwig’s body, and also kept the dark magic’s sinister energy from seeping out. It was a means of protecting Ludwig from his arm as much as it was to protect others from it.

Anna gazed at Ludwig with a sorrowful expression. “Ludwig... the rejection reaction cycle is getting shorter.”

He puffed out his cheeks in response. “I guess there’s always a price for taking shortcuts.”

This new power hadn’t been earned through hard work. Ludwig forced a bitter smile, accepting the pain he had to endure.

He had been the only living human participant in the assault on Gersonosia. Remarkably, not a single life had been lost in battle. That small achievement made him feel like he mattered.

He wasn’t a nobody anymore. He had accomplished something. So even if he died without purpose, it wouldn’t be for nothing.

‘Just a little longer...‘

As long as his body could still move, he could keep going. He could make a difference. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

His body felt like it was on the verge of breaking, but until it actually did, he wasn’t done.

If he could bring an end to the war without anyone else having to fight, wouldn’t that give his life some meaning?

The rejection reaction would eventually reach its limit, but it hadn’t yet. Enduring the pain wasn’t the hard part. Pain was fleeting. What truly terrified him was the thought of his body giving out.

Ludwig, eyes bloodshot and breath ragged, fought through the agony.

***

The role of the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights was a unique one.

Even now, despite their diminished influence, the Order of the Holy Knights remained one of the top five most formidable forces within the Allied Forces. Their power was indispensable on the battlefield, especially their power to heal.

No faction within the Allied Forces could afford to overlook the Order of the Holy Knights. As a result, no one dared to criticize the commander’s lack of respect. In the end, respect did not matter. The commander of the Order of the Holy Knights had made it abundantly clear with just a few words: delving into the Empire’s secrets would come with immense risk.

If they sought the truth, they would get hurt. Very badly.

They knew that the Empire had amassed a force that rivaled the main body of the Allied Forces in strength, and it was obvious that it had not acquired this power through honorable means, given its secrecy. And it was equally clear that it was too formidable a power to relinquish easily.

No matter what one imagined it to be, one fact remained: it had to remain unknown.

As the commander of the Order of the Holy Knights pointed out, the commanders of each army should have been thankful that the emperor had kept it under wraps thus far. Learning the truth might force them into a situation in which they were forced to bear collective responsibility.

They all understood that, instead of yearning to uncover the Empire’s secret, they should turn a deaf ear, even if someone tried to whisper the truth to them.

Alongside that, they also quickly realized one thing: not only was the new commander of the Order of the Holy Knights incredibly unpleasant, but she also seemed to know the truth.

“It’s quite unsettling to have someone like her in charge,” Sabioleen Tana remarked.

“There’s no other choice, not for me or Reinhart,” Vertus de Gradias replied with a bitter smile, glancing over at Sabioleen, who looked visibly displeased.

While Vertus had little to say, Sabioleen was filled with thoughts of how she would swiftly remove the new commander if given the order.

If Reinhart hadn’t intervened in time, Rowen would have reduced the capital to ashes.

It was unbearable for Sabioleen to see someone so indifferent holding such a crucial position.

“It’s enough that she does what is expected of her,” Vertus said. “It’s hard to expect her attitude to align with ours.”

Ultimately, regardless of the commander’s demeanor, the fact that she had stopped any further questions, as Vertus had intended, was sufficient.

It was always more satisfying when one’s opponent played right into one’s strategy, rather than having to meticulously maneuver one’s pieces about.

Rowen had acted just as Vertus had anticipated. Whether she had done so intentionally or not, it had all been within his expectations.

Using only the Immortals to subdue Gersonosia was sure to create a significant buzz among the Allied Forces.

Vertus had to choose between making a splash by waging war without losing any power or saving the Immortals for a critical moment.

“By the way, what was the casualty rate?” he asked.

“About 8 percent,” came the reply.

Some losses were inevitable, even among the Immortals.

“It’s a fascinating army,” Vertus mused. “Even if they’re damaged, they can just be recalled, repaired, and sent back to the battlefield...”

The soldiers were humans that had been transformed into golems. They did not face death, but suffered damage. And when they suffered damage that incapacitated them, they could be recalled, repaired, and sent back into action.

The Immortals were a force that couldn’t truly die because they were already dead. No matter how damaged they became, they could be fixed and sent back to the front lines.

The Immortals could carry out the war on their own. The main army did not seem to be required.

“It seems like it won’t be much longer now.”

Sabioleen Tana thought she understood what he meant. But was he only talking about the end of the Gate Incident?

She gazed at the emperor with sorrowful eyes.

“By the way, the combat data... does this even make sense?”

A single human had taken part in the assault on Gersonosia. All the combatants had been Immortals, except for one: Ludwig.

Vertus knew what had happened to him. He had gained power far beyond his original abilities.

“Can this kind of strength really come from just an arm transplant?” Vertus wondered, furrowing his brow as he analyzed Ludwig’s physical and combat data.

By the time Vertus had tried to intervene, it was already too late. Cristina had already performed the procedure on Ludwig.

“Technically, it wasn’t just an arm transplant,” explained Sabioleen. “It was a dark magic transplant.”

The arm, which had belonged to a formidable person in life, had been further enhanced with dark magic.

The new arm wasn’t just enhanced with a stronger mana circuit; it had been infused with incredible strength through alchemical means. It wasn’t like getting a simple arm transplant. It was more like receiving an entire magical spell in physical form.

“Is that even possible?” Vertus asked, clearly puzzled.

“They say it’s not.”

Vertus’s confusion deepened. “Sorry? Are you telling me they achieved the impossible?”

“No, Your Majesty,” Sabioleen Tana replied, shaking her head. “They’re just enduring the impossible.”

They had done something they never should have, and because of that, Ludwig’s demise was inevitable. Still, Ludwig’s dilemma was deeply personal. No one had forced his hand; he chose this path on his own.

Yet the real problem lay elsewhere.

The real issue was with the Immortals.

The emperor commanded the Immortals for the moment, but their allegiance could shift in an instant.

The true masters of the Immortals were the three mages who had brought them into existence. The Empire’s mages could no longer control the Immortals. The foundation had already been laid, and there was nothing to be done but find a way around it.

The Immortals had been created as instruments of war, and once the conflict ended, their purpose would ostensibly fade. Yet those who commanded the Immortals were already contemplating their role in a post-war world.

What was the best way to proceed?

It was crucial to note that while the research had been spearheaded by three mages who had gained knowledge from the Black Order, the Empire’s mages had also been involved in the experiments. Though they couldn’t wrest control of the Immortals, they understood the consequences of carelessly confronting the three mages.

Vertus sat before the reports compiled by the Empire’s mages.

“It’s clear and straightforward, yet that’s what makes it more challenging,” he mused.

Despite the complexity of the content, the key points were succinct.

Sabioleen Tana’s eyes widened. “Did you see a way to neutralize the Immortals?”

It was ironic that instead of appreciating the immense power of a weapon that has proven so effective in war, their priority was finding a way to disable it. Yet, given the circumstances, it was the most pressing concern.

“No. Attempting to neutralize them will trigger something even crazier.”

“Something crazier?”

“If Cristina is killed, the Immortals are programmed to turn into indiscriminate killing machines.”

“What...?!”

Cristina’s safety mechanism had not been to create additional controllers. If anyone tried to interfere recklessly, the Immortals would go berserk, attacking indiscriminately without distinguishing between friend and foe.

Sabioleen Tana clenched her jaw, frustration boiling within her.

“Why would anyone resort to such a tactic...?” she muttered, bewildered.

“They’re aware that by doing this, they render themselves untouchable,” replied the emperor. “Perhaps they even wanted us to discover it.”

She fell silent, her mind racing.

“Attempting to neutralize the Immortals would be futile. Even the small comfort of believing all this is for a greater cause vanishes.”

This wasn’t about slaughtering people. But when those who aimed to defeat the Immortals realized their true nature, they would understand that they could never touch those three.

They knew what kind of people the emperor and the Demon King were.

They understood that the Demon King wasn’t out to destroy humanity but to protect it, which was why they had taken these drastic steps. This way, they would remain untouchable.

“Don’t do anything reckless. Just consider fading away quietly once it’s all over... It seems that’s their message.”

They were doing this in order to save.

They were orchestrating these plans for peace.

In the past, neither the Demon King nor the emperor realized that their actions would lead to the Gate Incident. That was how the Gate Incident was triggered.

Cristina knew that this was what had happened to them. This time, she was offering the right solution.

The Immortals would pose the greatest threat to them after the Gate Incident.

Eliminating a minor alchemist who planned to use the Immortals against them was a simple task. It was something they could easily do right now. However, they hesitated because they had not yet known the consequences of killing Cristina before the conclusion of the Gate Incident.

Now, though, they understood the truth. If they kill Cristina, the Immortals will go on a destructive rampage, a greater threat to the world than any monster horde.

In such a scenario, any claim that they had acted for some trivial reason would be impossible.

“If they are killed, the Immortals will rampage. They would indiscriminately run wild, so no one would be safe from the Immortals, even assuming they have the ability to escape from the Immortals.”

“Your Majesty...”

If the Immortals went on a rampage, only the strong would survive. They could either teleport away, or find refuge beyond the reach of the Immortals. In the end, only those without such abilities would meet a miserable fate.

For those who had dedicated themselves to a cause, choosing to kill the Immortals to survive would not be an option. If they chose survival, they might live, but all their reasons and purposes would vanish.

This was both a cruel taunt and a challenge.

‘If you truly care about the world and the vulnerable, prove it. Killing us is easy. We won’t flee. If you killed us, you could survive. But can you really make that choice?’

If they chose that option, Cristina would laugh at their hypocrisy as she died.

But if they didn’t?

The Immortals would hunt them down after the Gate Incident.

It wasn’t like they were trapped on a single path. There was an alternative path to salvation that was available, but it meant going against everything they had used as justification thus far.

The moment they choose that path, they would be turning their back on every moment since the beginning of the Gate Incident.

Cristina had laid out two paths.

“In the end, it’s a binary choice.”

‘Choose to die, and only you will die. Choose to live, and you are the only one who will.’