CHAPTER 262: THE DRAGON’S SPIRITS, THE ETERNAL GROUP FIGURED IT OUT

Sam reached toward the hovering spirits of the slain awakeners, his hand glowing faintly as he overpowered their struggling wills one by one.

He could feel the strength that lingered inside each of them, the faint resistance that refused to fade even after death.

But it didn’t matter.

His power crushed their will completely, bending them to his command.

’Wait,’ he thought, narrowing his eyes, ’I already recruited all the monsters I could today after my grinding session.’

He looked at the swirling souls around him, their forms flickering like embers in the dark.

’But these awakeners should be stronger... right?’

The spirits already stored within his [True Primordial Spirits] list were all at level 100—immensely strong creatures, each capable of tearing through armies alone.

Yet, compared to these beings—awakeners with divine energy and cultivated strength—they might not even come close.

’I mean,’ Sam thought, his lips curling slightly, ’I lose nothing by getting rid of a few spirits, do I? I can always summon them back later if I want.’

With that thought, he summoned seven spirits from his collection, each one materializing before him like transparent beasts flickering in and out of existence.

And then, without hesitation, he raised his sword.

Slash!

The sound cut through the air, sharp and final.

All seven spirits were sliced apart in one sweeping motion, their essence scattering into thin wisps of energy.

"What the hell is he doing?" Seraphine asked, tilting her head with a confused frown.

"Also," she added, her eyes narrowing, "I can feel pressure on my [Privacy Zone]. People are trying to get in."

"It’s been a few minutes already," Belle said, her voice calm but serious. "They’re bound to get curious and try to look. Better get this done fast."

Ding!

The notification sound rang through the air as Sam’s system confirmed the recruitment.

Each of the seven dragon spirits had been successfully added to his command list, now bound to his will and ready to be summoned at any time.

It worked.

He could now call upon them whenever he wanted.

But there was no reason to use them right now.

"I can use my [Kingdom Teleporter]," Belle said quickly, her fingers glowing faintly as she prepared the spell. "We should leave now before they actually manage to break through."

"Wait."

Sam lifted his hand, a grin forming on his face.

"Primordial Hellscape."

The moment he spoke those words, flames burst from his palm.

They weren’t ordinary flames—they burned crimson and black, devouring the air itself as they descended upon the corpses of the dragons.

In a matter of seconds, the bodies disintegrated completely, leaving behind nothing but dust and flickering ash.

The intense heat vanished as suddenly as it appeared, the air turning still again.

"Now we can go," Sam said calmly, lowering his arm.

There was no evidence left behind.

Even if anyone remembered the dragons’ faces, Belle could easily say she was the one who had killed them.

Sam felt satisfied with how neatly everything had been wrapped up.

But that feeling didn’t last long.

"QUICK!" Seraphine shouted suddenly, her eyes glowing with alarm. "Someone’s trying to break through the bubble! And they’re strong—it won’t hold much longer!"

Sam didn’t waste a second.

He rushed toward Belle, grabbing Seraphine by the arm as Belle activated the [Kingdom Teleporter].

A flash of light enveloped them.

And just as the [Privacy Zone] shattered with a thunderous burst—

Pop!

They were gone.

Teleported out in the very instant before being discovered.

No one saw them leave. No trace remained.

"You people said something strange was happening here," a deep voice echoed through the broken air.

Lucien, leader of the celestial group known as [Eternal], stepped into the ruined area.

"Where?" he demanded.

One of the celestials crouched near the center of the ash-covered floor, running his fingers through the remains.

"Many people died here," he murmured. "There’s something... unusual about this."

A girl walked closer, her eyes glowing faintly as she analyzed the particles of ash with her mana.

Then she froze.

"Oh..." she breathed out softly, stepping back. "It’s Alphox Draconian."

Lucien’s eyes widened.

"The King of Dragons?" he said in disbelief. "Impossible. No one could’ve killed him, unless..."

The realization hit them all at once.

The Primordial. It had to be him.

"FIND ANY INFO YOU CAN!" Lucien roared, his voice cracking through the air. "ANYTHING!"

The celestials scattered instantly, searching every corner of the area for traces of who had been there.

They didn’t realize they had missed their target by only a fraction of a second.

Lucien stormed toward the edge of the square, where crowds were starting to gather.

His gaze swept over them, furious and demanding.

"WHO WAS IN THERE!" he shouted, his voice booming across the plaza.

Silence. Nobody answered.

But when the other celestials emerged from the ashes behind him, when Lucien raised his arm and summoned his [Thunder Spear], crackling with lightning, people began to tremble.

He pointed the spear at one of the elves near the entrance.

"Tell me," he said coldly. "Or are you with the enemy?"

The primordial was their greatest threat.

Anyone who aided him, even unknowingly, would die.

"I—"

ZAP!

Lightning burst forth, striking the elf before he could finish.

His body hit the ground instantly, lifeless.

Lucien’s eyes burned with fury.

"Either you tell me," he shouted, his voice shaking the air, "or everyone dies!"

He turned toward another bystander, this time a dragon, trembling where he stood.

"I-IT WAS THE SAINTESS OF THE ELVES AND THE DRAGON PRINCESS!" the dragon blurted out, his voice cracking. "T-THEY WERE WITH SOMEONE WHEN THE KING TRIED TO ATTACK THEM!"

Lucien’s expression shifted instantly.

His lightning flickered brighter, his jaw tightening.

That "someone" was all they needed to know. The Primordial.

"And who was that person?" Lucien demanded, stepping closer until the spear’s point nearly touched the dragon’s throat.

"I-I don’t know," the dragon stammered. "I couldn’t see his face clearly."

"Very well." Lucien turned his gaze toward the crowd. "DID ANYONE SEE HIM? WHOEVER DID WILL BE REWARDED!"

No one spoke. Fear hung over the plaza like fog.

Even with the promise of riches and power, no one dared to move.

Lucien clicked his tongue.

"I guess nobody saw him," Damon, another celestial from the group, said quietly. "But it doesn’t matter. We know he was with Seraphine Lunaris and Belle Draconian."

"Indeed," Lucien said, his lips curling into a grin filled with venom. "He won’t escape any longer. We’ll capture them all."

"The girls too?" asked Maeva, the celestial who had examined the ashes.

"Yes," Lucien replied sharply. "They were with the Primordial. They must have known. That barrier that blocked us? Their doing."

"Alright then," Grok, a massive celestial towering at over two meters tall, roared, slamming his fists together. "We’ll SMASH their bodies to pieces!"

The [Eternal] group, the fifteen strongest awakeners in the Upper Realm, stood ready.

Each one emanated power enough to level a city.

They were relentless, and now, their target was clear.

"Let’s move," Lucien ordered, lightning flaring around his body. "We’ll stop him and fulfill the king’s will."

...

Meanwhile...

Fwish! Ding!

A flash of light.

Sam, Seraphine, and Belle appeared in front of their mansion.

The air was calm again, but the weight of what had happened lingered.

"I’m sorry," Belle said immediately, lowering her head. "Because of them... it ruined our da— I mean, our outing..."

"It’s fine," Sam replied quietly, brushing it off. "People like them need to be purged anyway."

His eyes flared faintly with power.

"If any more of them come, I’ll do what needs to be done."

"I had fun too," Seraphine said softly, smiling despite everything. "And the food really was great."

Belle smiled back, relieved, and pulled them both into a hug.

"Thanks."

For a brief moment, it almost felt like things had calmed down.

But Sam’s expression grew darker.

’They pierced through the [Privacy Zone],’ he thought grimly. ’Meaning whoever did that is strong.’

Whoever had managed to break Seraphine’s spell wasn’t an ordinary awakener.

That meant they had reacted the moment the disturbance appeared, believing it could be connected to the Primordial.

And though Sam’s identity was still unknown, Seraphine and Belle’s weren’t.

Once people inside the restaurant were questioned, it wouldn’t take long for the truth to spread.

They would connect the dots.

They would learn that the Primordial had been with the Saintess of the Elves and the Dragon Princess.

And when that happened... both of them would be hunted.

Neither could stand against the [Eternal] group.

They would die before even understanding what hit them.

[Before leaving, we need to get "rid" of the last obstacles =)]

’Right,’ Sam thought, his jaw tightening.

The [Eternal] group, those fifteen celestials, were his biggest threat now.

They were the most devoted to kill him.

It was only a matter of time before they connected everything.

Sam had to act first.

"You two should stay hidden," he said, resting a hand on each of their heads. "I’ll deal with the rest."

"You mean..." Belle began.

"Yes," Sam said firmly. "There’ll be more coming after you, and I can’t allow that."

Both girls looked at him, worry clear in their eyes.

They knew he could handle himself.

He could probably complete the seventh mission alone if he wanted to and move on.

But he was staying, for them.

"Thank you," Belle whispered, her fingers fidgeting nervously. "I... I don’t even know what to say."

"No need," Sam said with a grin. "Didn’t I say we’d be together eventually?"

Both girls blushed slightly at that.

"W-We’ll stay inside," Seraphine said quickly, flustered. "We won’t come out until you’re back. And when you return... I’ll prepare a feast."

"Alright," Sam said, nodding once. "Stay safe. I’ll handle the rest."