Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 872: Chapter 468: Monster (Part 3)

“Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!”

The sound of a diamond structure grinding through tempered steel, bone, and flesh echoed through the night sky…

…

The night wind blew down from high above, carrying mine dust and the bloody stench of scorched metal.

The terrace jutted out over the Obsidian outer wall, with a bottomless Abyss beneath his feet, while the distant basin was lit by an unnatural golden radiance as bright as day.

The Duke gripped the high-magnification alchemy telescope mounted on the railing with both hands.

He saw Kaelin standing in the golden molten flow, saw the sword that symbolized imperial authority shatter the moment it swung out.

He saw five thousand Imperial Knights lifted like scattered iron filings, men and armor alike torn into that Abyssal maw made of diamond.

Every act of devouring was accompanied by the screech of metal and the snapping of bones.

The veins on the back of Raymond’s hand bulged, as if he were about to crush the telescope tube.

His stomach churned, a sour burn rose in his throat, but he forced it down.

What was that?

A living creature? An alchemical construct? Or a God deliberately raised and fed?

He had once thought that the Dragon Blood Youth hidden in his secret chamber was a trump card enough to steer the course of the world.

But before that thing which used a mountain range as its body and an army as its snack, all his scheming looked like a tower of wooden blocks built by a child.

All it needed was the lightest breath, and it would come crashing down.

“I must not show fear.” Raymond forced this thought on himself.

He raised his wine, using the motion of tilting his head back to hide the uncontrollable twitch at the corner of his mouth.

The crystal glass gave off a faint sound between his fingers; a nearly invisible crack had already appeared along the wall of the cup.

The Federation councilor standing beside him gently swirled his wine, yet his gaze never left the distant golden light, as if he were enjoying a grand fireworks display.

“Duke, you seem quite surprised?” The councilor’s voice was mild and casual. “Do you feel our ultimate weapon… is a bit too lively?”

Raymond did not answer immediately.

The councilor walked two steps forward and leaned against the railing, a near-reverent look coloring his tone.

“Please don’t misunderstand; it is no mere weapon. It is the bedrock of the Jade Federation, the guardian God we have worshiped for a full three hundred years.

In these three hundred years, we have sent the purest mana stones and the most expensive metals into its mouth, batch after batch.”

The councilor lightly raised his glass toward the distant, slowly lifting colossal silhouette. “Today, to welcome our guests from afar, it has finally awakened.”

He turned his head to look at Raymond, his smile still gentle.

“In this world, no one can stop an awakened God from feeding—be it the steel of the Empire, or Louis Calvin, who is rising in the South.”

A chill ran down Raymond’s spine.

He set down his glass and, with elegant motions, dabbed away the cold sweat beading on his forehead, taking a deep breath to slowly steady the trembling in his chest.

When he looked up again, his expression had returned to calm as he remarked, “Truly impressive. The Federation’s alchemy… lives up to its reputation.

That idiot Kaelin deserved to die; all he took with him was the vanguard. The Empire’s main Legions, its logistical system, and the provinces controlled by the Remont Clan remain intact.”

Raymond adjusted his cravat, straightened his back, and assumed the posture befitting a Duke.

“I will not present myself on a platter the way he did. I know how to read the situation.

I am willing to bring the remaining Imperial Legions, as well as the complete intelligence on the Empire’s defense system, and fully join the Jade Federation.

In exchange, I expect a place for my family within the Federation’s new order.”

The councilor stared at him for a few seconds, his gaze like that of someone appraising an asset about to be added to a vault.

Then he nodded slightly. “A clever choice.”

He snapped his fingers. A waiter appeared soundlessly, carrying two glasses of blood-colored red wine.

“Then it’s a deal, Councilor Remont.” The councilor raised his glass in salute.

Raymond took the glass. Even with all his effort to control it, the wine still trembled slightly within.

From this moment on, he was no longer a Duke of the Empire, but a Federation sheepdog at the feet of this monster.