Hero of Darkness

Chapter 1198: The Expedition

[[CrimsonWolfAuthor: I apologize to all the readers for another monthly hiatus. My sister’s condition had worsened from the Lung Infection. She spent almost 27 days of October 2025 in 3 different hospitals.

The whole family was taking turns again and again as we looked after her for weeks without end. Her body is still unable to gather Oxygen on its own, and we are using an Oxygen Concentrator even after all the treatment was done, and she is still suffering from consistent joint pain due to Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Everyone in the family has been physically and mentally exhausted, and due to the intensity of the situation, I wasn’t able to focus or find any peace of mind to even come up with new plots or have anything in mind to write in the novel. Hence, the prolonged break.

I will try to post at least 1 Chapter daily this November. I hope that things get better for once.

So take care of your health and your loved ones. Because a healthy body and mind would always win over everything else.]]

Chapter :

The Next Morning...

Whoosh!

Swoosh!

At the near border of the No Man’s Land from the Rakos Empire’s side, a flying ship arrived covertly.

And a group of flying saints was already waiting for them in the sky right above one of the guard posts.

In total, there were 15 saints. 16 if you count a dead man’s soul.

Rustle!

Rustle!

The grass on the open ground below rustled just from the exhausts of the engines of this flying ship as the deck was finally opened.

A group of guards with a 4-meter-tall warrior leading them.

His entire form was encased in black armor, and emerald flames danced across his body, including where his eyes should have been... replaced instead by burning fire.

The warrior leading the guards was a 5th-stage saint himself.

”We’re ready to depart when you are, young lord.” spoke the warrior of the mysterious species.

The one he referred to was none other than Kahn.

At this moment, Kahn was tagging along with Kassandra, Vildred, and all of his subordinates.

For this expedition, Kahn was taking all the subordinates with him, everyone who hadn’t been in the limelight of the main storyline for quite some time.

As for the management of the Rakos Empire... Kahn left all the other saints of the empire, tied to his will via the Stigmata of Bloodlines, in charge of all the stations and positions to make decisions for the empire under the pretext of offering them a chance to have a better future under Kahn’s imperial rule.

However, all of them would still be reporting to one of Kahn’s cosmic replicas, who has been maintaining the reign over the last month while Kahn was away.

The reason why Kahn was taking the whole crew was that what he needed to accomplish was many times harder.

However, he didn’t have the time nor the will to prolong his preparations since there were only 2 months left for the Great War to officially begin.

So his entourage consisted of all the 12 Legendary and Mythical Rank subordinates, including Tobias and the other 3 that were tasked with guarding Kassandra all these years.

Kassandra on the other hand, left Veronica in charge of the Mikealson Clan while saying that she would be discussing and expanding the clan’s influence throughout the empire with Kahn’s help.

As for Rathnaar’s secret to becoming a Demi-God... it had been postponed, given the constraint of time, since it too would take them another month just to recover the other half of his soul.

The procedure was certainly dangerous because even Rathnaar had advised Kahn to do it only after he became an 8th-stage saint.

As for Argos... he had to make a necessary visit to the frontlines of the Demon Empire and would meet them in the Belmont Kingdom directly.

Morrigan would also be waiting for them there, and without the Bran Castle as their medium to fly, the journey would take them a couple of weeks.

Due to the risks and lack of time to focus their attention, the knowledge about becoming a Demi-God would have to stay a mystery for some time.

Hence, this group was led by an envoy tasked to lead them to the Belmont Kingdom.

Kahn and the group now stood in front of Boris, one of Lucian Varangis’ generals whom Kahn had already met after he visited the Belmont Kingdom the first time.

The flying ship Boris could travel at Mach 2 without overheating for days.

With Vildred’s magic formations, it became invisible.

Since there were no Godbeasts or unique mythical monsters to detect them anymore, their journey was secretive but also uninterrupted.

Hence began Kahn’s new endeavor towards world peace... a path filled with blood.

******************

In an unknown realm, the sun shone brightly over a pristine golden palace with dark red roof tiles. This Renaissance-style palace had many floors and plenty of room for holding banquets and small meetings between important people for important matters.

In one of the most heavily guarded rooms, a man was sleeping, his body barely breathing.

He was not taking an afternoon nap; rather, he was in a coma.

Outside the bedroom was an open garden where a black haired and blue-eyed man, donning silver armor with bluish outlines, was talking to someone while sitting within a tea palace.

”My lord, your claim for the official Crown Prince position is almost solidified, even if the emperor doesn’t wake up soon.

The nobles are shifting sides, and even the neutral parties have grown impatient.

If we strike the iron when it’s hot, we will take a massive lead over the others.” spoke a middle-aged red-haired man with a long mustache, his garbs resembling a French aristocrat from earth.

Soon, they started discussing how the other faction, led by commoners, was also being swayed.

”Some of them want to enter nobility by marrying their children to the noble clan heirs who support me.” spoke the prince as he lamented.

”A bunch of rodents who think that they can buy class and history just with money.

Well, let us entertain these cockroaches until I become the Emperor.” he stated firmly with a playful tone.

”Afterwards, we will systematically control the clans and use these government officials to expand our influence even among those idiots calling themselves... ’Free People’.” he spoke with a devious tone, almost snickering.

Thud!

It was right then, a messenger ran towards their gathering, cloaked in dark red garbs.

”My lord, there is an emergency!” shouted the messenger.

The aristocrat who was about to speak, got interrupted.

His demeanor turned cold as he spoke angrily...

”You’d better have a proper reason to have barged into this meeting so abruptly.

Or else, your head will roll on the ground right here!” he warned, his tone filled with resentment.

Gulp!

The messenger gulped in fear, his body shivering.

”The news... the news is, the news is...” he stammered due to the sheer terror he felt.

”Out with it, now!” shouted the red-haired aristocrat.

The so-called prince, on the other hand, held the glass of a cup over the saucer gently, his eyes cold and piercing as he spoke softly...

”You may speak.”

His stern command resonated in the surrounding as the messenger finally mustered the strength to relay the message.

”He has been found.”

”Who?” asked the prince.

This time, the messenger felt the tension in the air and instead of controlling his voice, the anxiety took over his senses as he blurted out with all his remaining strength...

”The Hero of Darkness!!”