Honestly, Lord Emberon didn't care at all about the opposing faction's plan for the territory, their chosen name, their ultimate goals, their ideals or whatever is inside their egg-like head.
All that mattered was that they were blocking his path, and he couldn't allow that to continue, so he eradicated them without mercy and burned them to ashes.
Well, it's not their fault but Lord Ember will never ever underestimate, so that's given he showed mercy
However, when Lord Emberon heard the dying knights mention the dreaded 'Red Horse Faction,' he started to doubt.
From the memories, this villainous group was destined to oppose the hero of the Kingdom, once the Flame hero decided to confront the Demon General who had ties to this realm, plus they are even stronger compared to the demon general.
It would be a chaos, him who was seeking for strength, would be detrimental for now, in his position.
"Now, this is really troublesome," Lord Emberon muttered to himself, not losing his determination.
"But well, if they come to me, I'll just skin them all alive," he added with seriousness in his tone of voice.
He wasn't one to avoid a fight, even if the truth was that he and his dungeon were much weaker compared to these formidable enemies, he still didn't care.
He got the knowledge If he wanted any chance of winning, he had to strengthen himself before facing them directly, but well that doesn't matter, he is ready.
Lord Emberon decided to retreat from the current scene and already began thinking about his next actions.
As he walked, his footsteps echoing through the empty landscape, Lord Emberon considered his options.
"At first, I planned to acquire weaker abilities, using them to capture many beasts and then channel their strength into my dungeon, making it and myself stronger," he thought. But soon, he thought about Devin, the human he had recently defeated, as well as the Baron, or Wallace's father in the human world.
"Now, they talked about Devin wanting to go to university. Maybe I could go there to learn too?"
In both the game and the overall story, Lord Emberon's vulnerability was his susceptibility to elemental magic attacks.
Even though his status made him immune to their additional effects, like getting burned or frozen after a fireball, he wasn't impervious to direct physical or magical assaults.
The memory of his defeat in the game and the story, the burning flames reducing him to ashes, stayed in his mind.
The idea of enrolling in an academy suddenly seemed appealing—a way to gain experience and to counter ranged attacks and magical abilities, ensuring they would never again be his downfall.
Suddenly, Lord Emberon froze on his tracks.
[ Ding!
The host Lord Emberon competed and chose the mission C, which is to end the foe in one skill! ]
"Hmm?"
Lord Emberon furrowed his brow, realizing he had forgotten about the mission assigned by the system. He recalled that it required him to torture his enemy, but he lacked the necessary skills since his abilities were mostly destructive.
Moreover, the mission seemed dangerous, as if the system had ulterior motives. It appeared to want him to harm and defeat humans just for amusement.
Therefore, he chose not to follow the system's instructions and instead finished off Devin with a single attack.
Lord Emberon was aware that underestimating his opponents, particularly humans, could lead to his downfall.
He had vivid memories of stories from the reincarnator where the villain played with the protagonist, only for the protagonist to grow stronger as a result and ultimately defeat the villain.
Lord Emberon was determined to prevent that from happening.
Hence, he made a promise to himself that when facing someone, especially humans, he would do whatever it took to eliminate them swiftly in a single strike.
"Their weakness is boredom, so they would play with their opponent, and I promise I won't become as foolish as them!"
Lord Emberon promised in his heart.
[ Ding!
Please choose your reward:
A. Jackal Skull.
B. Goblin Staff.
C. Feather flush.
D. Deep sea fish scale. ]
His brow furrowed as he laid eyes on the rewards. He had no idea what to choose, or even what they were.
Soon, the system would add.
[ Ding!
Item information.
Jackal Skull - Made from the bones of ancient jackals, it possesses a curse that can cause dog and wolf-like creatures to go on a rampage.
Goblin Staff - An aged staff that, when given to a goblin, instills eternal loyalty towards the one who gifted it.
Feather Flush - A weathered feather from an unidentified bird that can restore the beauty of any magical bird creature by changing its feathers.
Deep sea fish scale - Enables the user to catch a normal carp in areas where fish are scarce. ]
Seeing this information and using these things left Lord Emberon speechless.
"Are these things useful to me?" he asked, particularly the Jackal Skull.
Why would he want to do something like that to a random canine?
Shaking his head, Lord Emberon could only choose the second option, which was the best among the four. It meant having an eternal slave.
Wouldn't that be better, even though he didn't need it as much?
And finally, thinking that would be the end, Lord Emberon declared, "I'll go with 'B'."
However, he honestly didn't know when and where to employ it because, ultimately, he couldn't recall encountering a goblin on his journey to Baron Willard's domain.
The system reply was abrupt.
[ Ding!
[ You have chosen letter 'B - the Goblin Staff' ]
The system announced, although it sounds like a robot in Lord Emberon's ear, its tone filled with an air of mystery and intrigue.
He was right.
[ Ding!
[ Please prepare yourself. ]
It continued, its voice echoing with an otherworldly resonance.
Lord Emberon's heart skipped a beat as he read those words, and his mind raced to understand the meaning of the system message.
What did the system intend with this cryptic message?
However, before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, the world around him began to shake and shimmer, as if reality itself was being reshaped.
The hall he was walking to become blurred and twisted, colors merging and swirling like a cosmic dance.
Not long after, Lord Emberon's surroundings dissolved into a whirlwind of light and darkness, and he felt a sudden dizziness, threatening to pull him into the abyss.
In this chaotic maelstrom, he felt his body being transported, his very essence crossing the boundaries of space and time.
Images flickered before his eyes, fragments of landscapes and vistas that were impossible to comprehend.
He caught glimpses of towering mountains covered in mist, lush forests filled with mythical creatures, and vast oceans stretching to the horizon.
Each vision was fleeting, a tantalizing taste of the unknown that lay ahead.
"What's going on?"
He asked, confused.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, the tumultuous journey ended. Lord Emberon found himself standing on solid ground, the remnants of the vortex fading away.
He blinked, adju
sting his eyes to the new surroundings.
Before him stretched a landscape unlike anything he had ever seen.
"Just what is this?"