The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1208: Dragon Council

Esriel sighed and glanced out the window. ”I don’t know. I don’t have any goals right now.”

She had recovered her memory and learned the truth about her brother, but he had perished in the recent battle. Now branded a betrayer, she could no longer return to the Angel Faction.

”Well, if you don’t have anything else to do, you might as well come with us. Of course, you can leave anytime,” Eztein suggested.

With a Tenth Shackle Realm expert accompanying them, their journey would be considerably safer.

The four of them talked for a while before Esriel finally agreed to join them.

The next day, they departed, continuing their journey.

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, five days had gone by, and the group arrived at the Hall Plains. They flew straight toward the Mine Valley.

Along the way, they encountered a few unruly groups, but all were dealt with easily. Esriel didn’t even need to intervene, as Eztein and Vashno were more than enough. After all, both were at the Seventh Shackle Realm. While not at the very top of Hero-rank, this level still marked them as powerhouses across the continent.

...

Mine Valley.

Four figures hovered above the valley, their silhouettes stark against the gray expanse below. Eztein, Vashno, Doranjan, and Esriel stared down at the desolation.

Eztein, Vashno, and Doranjan could barely hide their emotions. The city beneath them, once a bustling hub known as Ekatoe City, now lay in ruin. Shattered buildings jutted out like broken teeth, streets were littered with debris, and an eerie silence hung heavy in the air. Not a single living soul remained.

Esriel’s gaze swept over them, sharp and unreadable, as though measuring the weight of their grief.

They did not linger. The cold wind of the valley whispered around them as they turned, leaving the ghosts of Ekatoe City behind.

Soon, they approached Bland City, its walls rising like a muted barrier against the sky. They descended silently, their presence invisible to the city’s A-rank guards. Not a single person could sense them; the air itself seemed to bend around their power.

”What are we doing here?” Esriel asked, her eyes scanning the streets with predatory precision. Her perception pierced every alley, every rooftop. The strongest individual in the city? Only a Sixth Shackle Realm warrior, not even a true challenge for her.

”To gather information,” Eztein said, his voice calm, almost detached, cutting through the tense quiet like a knife.

They moved like shadows through the streets, their steps soundless, until they reached a four-story building. A single placard hung above the entrance: ’White Night Dream’. The letters seemed to glow faintly in the dim light, promising secrets and danger in equal measure.

The air grew heavier, charged with anticipation, as the four prepared to step inside.

Under Eztein’s lead, the group slipped into the building. Vashno and Doranjan, unfamiliar with the interior, scanned every corner, their eyes sharp and alert.

They twisted through narrow hallways and descended a flight of stairs, eventually arriving at an underground chamber. The room was dimly lit, shadows clinging to the corners. In the center, a man sat with perfect composure, a cup of tea held delicately in one hand.

Esriel’s gaze locked onto him immediately. This was the individual she had sensed. The strongest in the city, and the only Sixth Shackle Realm expert present.

”How is it, Fourth Head?” Eztein greeted with a warm smile.

The man rose slightly in acknowledgment.

The Fourth Head of the Dragon Council.

A figure whose influence stretched across the entire Mine Valley. His presence alone commanded respect, even without displaying overwhelming power.

Though his strength was less than theirs, his authority was undeniable. A Head of the Dragon Council, with numerous subordinates at his disposal, he was a man whose word could shape the city itself.

He returned Eztein’s greeting with a polite nod before sitting back, his expression calm, composed, yet carrying the weight of experience and command.

”It’s been a while, Eztein. I’ve gathered everything you might need,” the Fourth Head said, his voice calm.

”Then, thank you in advance,” Eztein replied. With a small motion, he placed a needle the size of a finger on the table. ”Here. Take this as compensation.”

The Fourth Head’s eyes lit up as he picked up the needle, turning it over in his hands with careful scrutiny. ”Good. This is indeed a red-grade artifact,” he said, a faint smile breaking his composed demeanor.

He set the needle aside and turned back to Eztein. With a smooth motion, he opened the drawer beneath the table and pulled out a thick stack of papers.

”Here... all the information the Dragon Council has gathered,” he said.

Eztein took the pile, quickly sorting through it. He pulled a few sheets from the top and handed them to Vashno, Doranjan, and Esriel. ”Familiarize yourselves with the current state of the Dragon Council,” he instructed.

As Eztein organized the remaining documents, the other three bent over their papers, scanning names, positions, and reports. Each page carried not just information, but the subtle weight of power, influence, and hidden agendas.

The papers detailed everything about the current Dragon Council.

”The Second, Sixth, and Eighth Heads... really died in the war,” Vashno murmured, his voice heavy with regret. ”What a pity. I truly wanted to repay them for trying to help us.”

With three vacant seats, only six Heads now remained. Yet, in the past few months, the Dragon Council had already filled one of the vacancies... the Eighth Head’s seat.

Her name was Xue Yi, known across the continent as the Transcendent Lightning. Two months ago, she had been pursued by two Freedom Realm experts from the Gluttony Army but had escaped with barely a scratch. The reason for the pursuit was remarkable: she had thwarted the Gluttony Army’s attempt to seize a major city by killing a Ninth Shackle Realm expert sent to conquer it.

Xue Yi was a formidable woman, a true Ninth Shackle Realm powerhouse. She joined the Dragon Council under the recommendation of the Ninth Head, and her peers quickly welcomed her. Her strength and reputation leaving no doubt of her capabilities.

Vashno’s eyes lingered on her name in the papers. She was more than a replacement; she was a force that could reshape the balance of power in the Dragon Council and across Mine Valley itself.

Doranjan and Vashno exchanged astonished glances as they read about the new Eighth Head. They hadn’t expected a figure of such magnitude to emerge within the Dragon Council.

Their gazes inevitably shifted to the Fourth Head.

”Don’t look at me like that,” he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. ”I’m doing my best, you know.”

The difference in strength was staggering. He was a Sixth Shackle Realm expert, while the Eighth Head was a Ninth Shackle Realm powerhouse—a chasm separating them that seemed impossible to bridge.

Esriel’s curiosity flared as she read about the Eighth Head, and she continued through the documents with sharp focus.

The Ninth Head: Alexander Dreyfus.

Little was known about him beyond the fact that he was an Eight Shackle Realm expert and a master of seven elements. He traveled with a companion named Yaniesvyl, herself a pinnacle Sixth Shackle Realm warrior. Always together, they drew little attention despite their power.

Esriel frowned as her eyes fell on the Seventh Head.

”Blood Lightning Monster?” she muttered.

She looked up at the others, her voice laced with awe. ”Blood Lightning Monster? The legendary Blood Lightning Monster? The one who slew countless beings... the strongest Fourth Stage monster in history... the one who broke the absolute gap?”

She had heard the name months ago, and she had even witnessed a projection of his battle against a Fifth Evolution Stage monster in the sky.

The title had spread like wildfire. His feats stunned everyone who heard of them; countless beings had stood in awe of his might.

It was said that the Blood Lightning Monster had destroyed a Demon Stronghold before vanishing. Rumors swirled as some claimed he had perished in that very battle.

”Yes, that’s the one,” the Fourth Head said. ”The Blood Lightning Monster is the Seventh Head of the Dragon Council.”

Esriel’s eyes widened. ”But... how? Is he here? There are rumors that he’s dead.”

”Rumors are just that... rumors,” the Fourth Head replied with a shrug, his expression calm but tinged with helplessness. ”He’s alive. We simply don’t know his current location.”

Esriel exhaled slowly, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

Vashno and Doranjan paid her little mind. Their attention remained on the documents before them, absorbed in the Dragon Council’s current state. Despite losing three Heads in the recent battle, the organization had not crumbled. Instead, it had grown stronger, bolstered by new members of remarkable power.

The papers laid bare a new council. It was more resilient, formidable, and still capable of influencing the entire Mine Valley.

Most of the Heads of the Dragon Council now wielded power at the Sixth Shackle Realm. Previously, the organization hadn’t counted a single Head at this level. Now, even the weakest among them had reached Sixth Shackle Realm, an enormous leap that made the entire council far more formidable than before.

The transformation was undeniable: the Dragon Council had grown stronger, its influence and authority solidified, and its presence in the Mine Valley more imposing than ever.