Read Novel Full Chapter 1503: Premium Bait
Chapter 1503: Premium Bait
"Besides," Corren hissed, his serpentine body undulating in the swells, "we know the coordinates of this world. We leave now, yes. But when we are stronger... there is nothing stopping us from clawing our way back."
The threat hung in the salty air. Coraline and Vaelor said nothing, but the glint in their eyes acknowledged the vow. It was a promise of vengeance, deferred but not forgotten.
Deep Beneath the Surface
Meanwhile, Orion, Leonidas, and the Kraken were plummeting toward the abyss, their psychic link buzzing with conversation.
"Brother," Leonidas transmitted, "you think those three are going to stick around? Loiter on the doorstep like unwanted guests?"
It was a valid concern. If the Sea Gods decided to be petty, they could project avatars into the realm to harass Orion’s forces endlessly while their main bodies stayed safe in the void.
"If they stay," Orion replied, his mental voice devoid of emotion, "I will destroy every avatar they send. I will grind them down until their Divinity runs dry."
It wasn’t a boast. It was a statement of fact.
"See that, Squiddy?" Leonidas cackled, reaching out with a massive draconic claw to slap one of the Kraken’s trailing tentacles. "That’s what a real warlord sounds like. Take notes."
"Boss, I can’t learn that!" the Kraken whined. "I’m not a Demigod yet. Even if I was... you haven’t learned it either, have you?"
"Watch your mouth, calamari." Leonidas smacked the tentacle again, harder this time.
"By the way, Squiddy," Leonidas continued, pivoting to a subject that actually interested him. "That thing—Vaelor. The one with eyes all over his tentacles. Is that what you’re going to look like when you ascend?"
"Hell no, Boss. That guy is a freak," the Kraken retorted. "Even among the Dreadfin, Vaelor is an aberration—a true deep-sea nightmare. I’m strictly standard-issue. Top tier, but standard."
Orion rolled his eyes as he swam ahead. Since when is an Invincible Archlord-level massive octopus considered standard-issue?
"Hey, Orion," Leonidas wasn’t done. "What about the girl? Coraline? She was quite a looker. Didn’t feel a spark? With your heroic physique, you wiggle a finger and she’d probably jump right into your lap."
Orion ignored the trash talk, focusing on the crushing pressure of the depths.
Not every woman is like that dragon Daize, Orion thought to himself. You can’t just beat them all into submission and call it romance.
Titanion Realm, Southern Coast
The battle was over. The swarm had been purged.
The coastline was breathtaking. Waves lapped gently against the reefs in a rhythmic lullaby, and the sea breeze carried a cooling, salty mist. But the beauty was lost on Jorik. The Glacial Dragon paced the sand, a storm of anxiety brewing in his chest.
"Prince Kaelen," Jorik asked, his voice tight, "are you absolutely certain this Dragonlouse swarm has a Broodmother?"
The drones were dead, but the queen had vanished. For Jorik, this was a nightmare scenario. As long as the Broodmother lived, the swarm would rebuild. They would return.
"Insectoid swarms operate on a strict caste system," Kaelen explained, his tone clinical. "Workers, soldiers, builders, nursery attendants... didn’t you see the differentiation in the corpses? The physiological traits of the dead prove there is a King commanding them, and a Broodmother breeding them."
"Without a Broodmother to classify and lay the eggs, the swarm collapses. The organization I saw today was too precise to be leaderless."
Jorik stared blankly. He knew dragons; he didn’t know bugs. To him, a bug was a bug. But Kaelen was different. He was the Prince of Giants, but he was also an Insect King. He read the anatomy of the dead swarm like a scholar reading a map.
"The Dragonlouse feeds on your kind," Kaelen said, turning to face the ocean. "The Broodmother will go where the food is. She will appear wherever dragons gather."
He gazed out at the vast, shimmering expanse. It was magnificent—wide, boundless, and free. It made the troubles of war feel insignificant.
"But what do we do?" Jorik wrung his hands. "I need to find her. I need to kill her before she lays a new clutch."
Kaelen glanced sideways at the dragon. For a legendary creature, he’s not very bright, is he?
He had practically spelled it out, yet the dragon was still panicking.
"The Dragonlouse feeds on your kind," Kaelen repeated slowly, enunciating every word. "She. Will. Go. Where. The. Dragons. Are."
He locked eyes with Jorik. His gaze was sharp, piercing, and utterly unwavering.
It took a moment—perhaps a full minute—but finally, the gears in Jorik’s head turned. The panic evaporated, replaced by clarity.
"Prince..." Jorik whispered. "You mean... we bait her? We set a trap?"
His eyes lit up. If the Dragonlouse was addicted to dragon blood, that was her weakness.
"Not we," Kaelen corrected, his voice dropping an octave. "You."
"This continent is Stoneheart Horde territory. You and your kin have overstayed your welcome."
The dismissal was polite, but the underlying command was ironclad. Get out.
Kaelen had his reasons. His Second Legion and the Volunteer Corps utilized dragon-beasts—Raptors and Wyverns—as mounts. If a Dragonlouse Broodmother was lurking nearby, his cavalry would be an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Furthermore, as an Insect King, other swarms usually avoided him. To the insect mind, Kaelen’s army was his personal herd of livestock. Only a desperate or expanding swarm would dare poach from a King’s pantry.
The best way to protect his "livestock" was to send the premium bait somewhere else.
"Take your dragons," Kaelen said. "Leave the continent. The Broodmother will follow the scent of your blood."
Jorik, to his credit, understood immediately. He didn’t argue.
"Prince Kaelen, I understand. We part ways here." Jorik bowed his head. "If you ever find yourself in the north, you are welcome at Whitecliff."
Jorik didn’t waste another second. He roared a command to his kin, and the dragons took flight, heading out to sea to lure the nightmare away from the Horde’s lands.
Kaelen stood alone on the beach for a long time, watching the dragons disappear into the horizon. Only when the sun began to dip did he turn and walk back to his camp.