"Potion!" Mira shouted.
Carlos heard her shout and wanted her to calm down. If only he could speak.
His body still refused to move, but the inventory responded to his thoughts. He forced it open and released a Medium Recovery Potion.
The bottle appeared above his chest and Mira caught it before it fell.
"Carlos, you need to swallow." She said and tried giving some to him. But it was a struggle.
He could not tell her that he was trying too with how he was currently.
She poured only a few drops between his burned lips and rubbed his throat until his body swallowed them. Warmth entered his chest right away.
It was weak compared to the fire that had cooked him from the inside, but it was enough to remind his body that it was still alive.
--
HP: 31/360
[Condition stabilized]
--
Carlos’s fingers twitched and seeing that, Mira released a broken breath.
"Again."
She gave him another mouthful to help him grow back in strength.
Kaia looked toward Brann.
"What happened beyond the portal?"
The Bearkin remained on one knee. His armor had been torn open, and one leg rested at an unnatural angle.
"Lord ran on chains," he said. "Climbed Warden. Broke eyes."
Brann had never used more words than necessary. But this time, he made himself continue. Everyone around Carlos became silent.
Brann pointed toward the place where the black portal had disappeared.
"Lord saw Warden heart. Told Brann break mask."
He struck one fist against his damaged armor.
"Then Lord jumped into fire. Went inside Warden."
Mira stopped with the potion against Carlos’s lips.
"Inside it?"
Brann nodded.
"Fire everywhere. Lord went anyway. Warden crushed him inside. I hit outside."
The Bearkin looked down at Carlos.
"Warden died. Place broke. Brann opened dead Warden. Lord still held claw. Still tried move."
Kaia stared at Carlos as if the wounds across his body had changed shape.
"Just what kind of lord summoned us..." she said, with eyes darting across the secoung degree burns all around the body getting healed. The hair on his head were gone too but magically, hair was growing back.
"Knew he die" Brann answered. "Went anyway."
[Brann Favorability increased by 50]
--
Favorability: 85/100
--
Brann placed his fist against the ground beside Carlos.
"Mad Lord," he said.
There was pride in his voice. The system panels finally forced themselves across Carlos’s blurred vision.
[Reverse Conquest completed]
[Conquest Level 3 cleared on forced Hell difficulty]
[Impossible combat condition detected]
[Lord entered a collapsing commander’s body and destroyed its core from within]
[Achievement Unlocked: HEARTBREAKER]
[Calculating Level 3 Hell rewards]
[Calculating Reverse Conquest rewards]
[Calculating compensation for territory damage]
The final panel appeared in red instead of gold.
[Warning]
[The Chainbound Hell Warden was a sealed commander]
[Its death has been detected by the force that sealed it]
Carlos read the warning once. Mira pushed the system panel away even though her hand passed through it.
"You can read that later."
She held the potion bottle against his mouth until he drank the rest.
"You are burned, your leg is broken and I do not know how you are still awake, my lord."
Carlos forced his head to turn. He had some level of mobility left.
Blue had pulled water from the damaged Mana Spring and spread it over the remaining flames. One had extinguished smaller patches near the kitchen.
Rowan and two guards had dug a line through the soil to stop the fire from reaching the surviving wheat.
Kaia’s four guards finished the last injured Ash Hounds near the broken Gate Anchors.
Carlos managed two words.
"Brann. Potion."
Mira looked toward the Bearkin’s leg. That was twisted at a very weird angle. The sheer thought of him running with Carlos in tow seemed like an impossible feat.
"All right. But you are not moving."
Carlos released a Troop Recovery Potion from his inventory. Mira caught it and hurried toward Brann.
Blue reached Carlos next.
The Sprite’s watery body was blackened by smoke.
"Bloo..."
It wrapped both arms around his hand.
One pressed against his other side.
The slime’s core moved rapidly inside its body as if it was still frightened.
"I came back," Carlos whispered.
Blue tightened its hold.
[Blue Favorability increased by 20]
[One Favorability increased by 15]
Rowan approached when the fire line was complete.
He looked at Carlos’s broken leg and burned clothes.
"You left the territory... again" the Farmer said, there was the same matureness on his face but Carlos could feel some concern from his this time.
"I... did not have choice." He spoke with all he had.
"Then you returned. I am glad, my lord." He spoke and stared at Carlos for a few seconds. Especially at the burn marks that would make a grown man scream in agony.
Rowan looked toward the Common Farmland.
More than a quarter had been destroyed between the raid and Reverse Conquest. Black fire had burned several rows so completely that nothing remained but ash.
"Most of it can be planted again," Rowan said.
"Don’t.... worry... we plant again... soon" His voice was coming back as the potion started working its wonders.
[Rowan Favorability increased by 20]
Kaia came closer after confirming every Ash Hound was dead.
Her four guards followed.
All of them looked exhausted. One guard’s shield had melted around the edge. Another could barely use his left arm.
They still stood in formation.
"Report," Carlos said.
Kaia stared at him.
"You are asking for a report now?"
"Yes."
She released a slow breath.
"No deaths. The northern tower was destroyed. Three wall sections failed. The kitchen, Mana Spring and Bearkin Hall are damaged. Crop damage is still being measured."
"Mira and Rowan suffered minor injuries. Blue exhausted its mana. One took several direct attacks but protected the Lord’s hut."
Carlos looked at the four guards.
"And you?"
"Still standing."
"Good work.... All of you."
The guards straightened.
[Veteran Guard Squad Favorability increased by 20]
Kaia did not move, "You crossed the gate for Brann, that was a very risky move, my lord" she said.
"I crossed it to stop the Warden... not just Brann."
"You kicked my hand away so I would remain here."
"The territory needed its Captain. Without me and Brann... you were the only one who could protect it" And the voice was back.
Kaia looked toward the portal and then at the people working around the damaged fields.
"And if Brann had not pulled you out?"
"Then I would have made sure the Warden died before I did."
Kaia’s jaw tightened. She placed one fist against her chest.
"I contracted to defend this territory. But from today, I swear to defend its Lord as well."
[Kaia Favorability increased by 50]
--
Favorability: 70/100
--
Brann approached with Mira supporting one side of his body.
The Troop Recovery Potion had straightened his leg, but he still moved slowly.
The Bearkin stopped in front of Carlos.
"Farm fought," he said.
Carlos almost smiled but his face was fully burned so it looked more pitiable than good.
"Everyone fought well"
Brann struck one fist against his chest.
"My territory now. I guard it with my life."
[Brann Favorability increased by 5]
--
Favorability: 90/100
--
Brann had arrived unwilling to protect a production territory and now he claimed it as his own.
Mira returned to Carlos and crouched beside him.
"You heard everyone. The territory is safe so please rest now."
Carlos opened the chat instead.
"Carlos..."
"I need to know if this happened to anyone else."
He opened the class group first.
--
[PookAcrylic]- My raid was so scary! Two waves. Ten Horned Rabbits and six Big Rats. One wall broke. : (
[IronWall]- I got two waves. There were 15 Goblins total. But fortunately, no casualties.
[RainFall]- One wave of twenty slimes. Lost two fucking troops...
[BlackForge]- Got two waves to. Building damage’s at 4%.
--
No one mentioned a Reverse Conquest.
Carlos opened the world chat.
Thousands of Lords discussed their first raid. Most had faced one or two waves. A few high-development territories had faced three.
Carlos searched for Hellbound, Reverse Conquest and Chainbound Hell Warden.
There were no current results. Cosmic sent a private message.
--
[Cosmic Merchant]- Why were you unavailable for almost an hour?
[Carlos Goldwin]- Conquest Level 3 attacked my territory.
[Cosmic Merchant]- What?
[Carlos Goldwin]- Fucking Reverse Conquest. A Level 7 commander came through the portal while we were repairing the raid damage. The fight was fucking unfair. I don’t know anymore.
--
Carlos sent the record. Cosmic did not reply for almost a minute.
--
[Cosmic Merchant]- The more the time passes, the more it feels like your journey is cursed, buddy. I am just glad you are okay.
[Cosmic Merchant]- But I may know why this happened bro... it was bcause of the because of Hellbound, didn’t it?
[Carlos Goldwin]- Yes.
[Cosmic Merchant]- Remove the title, save yourself. There is still 29 days left before we can return. Be smart about this, Carlos.
--
Carlos opened his profile.
The Hellbound title remained equipped.
He tried to remove it.
[Title removal failed]
[Hellbound becomes permanent after accepting a Priority Challenge]
Carlos showed Cosmic the message.
--
[Cosmic Merchant]- You are cursed.
[Carlos Goldwin]- I can agree on that.
[Cosmic Merchant]- ...
--
The reward panels still waited at the edge of Carlos’s vision.
He closed them without reading. There was smoke still rising from the field.
The damaged Mana Spring leaked water into the soil. Wheat lay beneath broken wood, and the surviving northern wall leaned toward the Rare plot.
Rewards could wait but the land could not.
Carlos put both hands on the ground and tried to stand. Pain passed through his fractured leg.
Mira caught his shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
"Rebuilding."
"You cannot walk."
Carlos summoned a Wooden Hoe and used it like a crutch.
"Now I can."
Mira’s cheerful expression disappeared. Everyone saw this situation and couldn’t believe it.
Most already realized, they had signed up for one hell of a journey.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter