DKIE CH19: The Final Meeting

The gemstone was the finishing touch.

The collar was high, and the gemstone in the center of it was dazzling, adding a touch of magnificence to the entire outfit.

Luka didn’t bother to style his hair much, just let it hang loose.

He didn’t know if it was because he had been rushing his manuscript day and night recently, but there was a hint of red deep in his pupils.

Due to the special nature of the Quill Pen, and with something installed in the room, Luka had specially set up a small table in the courtyard to write every day, with a small breeze blowing and a single lamp at night.

He wasn’t worried about arousing suspicion.

Well, he was a writer.

Writers always have their little quirks when they’re writing.

The Quill Pen, ever eager for chaos, was unusually cooperative and even took the initiative to remind him that it was time to leave so as not to be late.

After being quiet for so long, it was very eager to watch the show.

After packing his things, Luka looked at the aristocratic figure in the mirror and slowly put on his mask. “After preparing for so many days, I can’t be late.”

Taking one last look at the room, Luka closed the door and left.

At the entrance of the guesthouse, Cullen and Lilian were already waiting there.

Lilian let out a “wow.” “You look really good today!”

Cullen handed him a form that detailed the schedule of the Myriad Dynasties Assembly.

“Today is just the opening. The main event is tomorrow,” Cullen emphasized. “The high-level officials of the Holy City and the most distinguished guests will all make an appearance.”

Luka was surprised. “Shouldn’t they attend on the first day?”

Cullen shook his head. “The situation at the Myriad Dynasties Assembly is special.”

“Only the best in each field can introduce their products in the most prominent areas, and have a better chance of winning the favor of the big shots.”

“The recent popular competitions all have different powers behind them,” Cullen explained. “The powers are intricately connected, so naturally, there will be many hidden gems. To suppress this situation, on the first day, there will also be a team specially formed by the Holy City to visit all the stalls. If they find good products, they will make corresponding arrangements as appropriate.”

Halfway through, noticing that Luka was somewhat absent-minded, Cullen stopped and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I just feel… maybe I won’t have to wait until the second day.”

Alec had installed the ‘surveillance’ in advance. This crown prince, who advocated for immediate results, would most likely take action today.

The guesthouse was not far from the final venue. The three of them chatted as they chose to walk.

The streets were crowded with people, and even ordinary carriages had difficulty passing. This grand occasion gave Luka the illusion of it being New Year’s.

But he was quickly brought back to reality by the increased number of guards on that day, a merciless reminder that he was now in another time and space.

There were checkpoints set up in layers ahead.

From here on, the number of people gradually decreased. On the day of the opening ceremony, the only ones who could enter the inner field, besides the major families who had received invitations and the high-level officials of the First Magic Academy, were the winners of the various competitions.

It wouldn’t be until the second day that it would be fully open, and all the exhibits would be displayed in the various exhibition areas.

Once they were noticed by the guests attending the Myriad Dynasties Assembly, they would not only receive a large number of orders but also gain fame.

After seven or eight rounds of verification, they finally passed the last round of security checks.

Luka let out a breath and received his nameplate. “It’s finally over.”

“Luka, look quickly!” Lilian suddenly said with some excitement, looking ahead.

Although it wasn’t her first time attending the Myriad Dynasties Assembly, it always brought a considerable shock.

Luka looked up and was also stunned for a moment.

Armadillo Square, a venue nearly one hundred thousand square meters in area, was shaped like a ferocious giant beast. There were rumors that an armadillo was actually sealed beneath the square. Standing on the periphery, at a certain moment, one could almost hear angry roars from underground, and from time to time, one could even see sparks shooting out from the ground.

The entire square was magically divided into a dense, honeycomb-like space.

Lilian: “Amazing, right? This is the kind of work only a major clan can produce. That’s why my mother specially had my household registration placed with the Human Clan.”

Mingji was household registration.

The importance of the location of one’s household registration.

Luka lamented that his own household registration was still unsettled, and that he now only wanted to cancel his entire family’s registration.

The entire venue was too vast. As he was looking for his position, his gaze was drawn to the front.

“Why is there such a long queue?”

What product was so attractive?

Cullen smiled and didn’t answer, just watched him quietly.

Luka said tentatively, “It wouldn’t have something to do with me, would it?”

Cullen no longer kept him in suspense. “They’re selling the merchandise you mentioned.”

Luka was even more surprised. He looked forward again, a trace of suspicion flashing in his eyes. “Is it already this popular?”

No matter how you looked at it, the composition of this queue was very complex, with men, women, old, and young.

The capital hadn’t even started to operate, so how did the audience come?

Cullen lowered his voice. “Guess who’s at the very front of the queue?”

Luka understood in a flash. “…Dragons?!”

Cullen nodded.

The opportunity to queue up with dragons to buy things was not common. With the effect of the strong, there were of course many people gathering to watch the excitement.

Literary products didn’t need orders; they were sold on the spot.

Cullen had already picked an experienced veteran from the merchant guild early on to go to the stall and make preparations.

“There’s still a while before the sale starts, so the queue has been held back.” But Cullen also pointed out another reality. “Besides the bustling square, the other synchronously selling merchant guilds outside have had no customers so far.”

Luka only asked, “How are the preparations for the live-stream screen?”

“It was done a few days ago. I also left an inscription master on site to prevent any mistakes.”

Cullen’s shrewd eyes suddenly looked straight ahead. “For you, this is a good opportunity.”

Luka understood his hint.

This was a natural opportunity to meet the dragons.

In fact, Luka had already met dragons in Boulder City, but on those two occasions, he was singing awkwardly once, and the other time he was extremely disheveled.

At that time, he was still a poor nobody with empty pockets, and his clothes were tattered. He estimated that the other party hadn’t paid him any mind at all.

As long as he met the dragons and exchanged a few words in front of everyone, his status would instantly rise.

“Don’t be happy too soon,” the Quill Pen transmitted its voice.

This time, it wasn’t throwing cold water on him.

It had no eyes, no limbs, but it seemed that nothing in the entire venue could escape its perception. “A little demon brat is bad-mouthing you.”

…

The actual number of people in the queue was even more than Luka had seen.

As long as one was strong enough, there would be a buzz wherever they went. The dragons who had specially come to wait to buy the goods on the spot did not conceal their aura.

No one dared to be so reckless as to queue in front of the dragons, but the mentality of the people who were queuing at the beginning had changed a little.

The temptation of the four words “dragon clan’s same style” was too great. It was said that the items being sold this time also came with some kind of limited edition number. Since they were going to buy it, of course, they wanted to buy the best they could.

“Why aren’t they selling yet?”

Someone who had been waiting impatiently grumbled.

“I’ve never heard of selling things having to start at a specific time.”

Usually, they would just open for business. It wouldn’t be specific to a certain time. If it weren’t for the location, he would have wanted to start cursing.

He had only complained a couple of times when he suddenly felt a chill all over his body.

Alice turned around. Her pupils seemed to be naturally branded with flame patterns. The complaining person instantly shut his mouth and started talking in his head instead.

I can’t figure it out!

According to the dragons’ temperament, why would they be willing to queue? What’s even more ridiculous is that they’re still waiting here.

Actually, the answer was simple. The official release time was precise to the minute and second. The official explanation was that this was the time of the cub’s hatching.

What a heartwarming moment!

The Dragon Clan was naturally willing to pay for this wait.

During this time, Alice kept scolding Berlanie and Rio for not telling her about such a loving book.

Three minutes, two minutes…

When there was only one minute left on the countdown, the specially dispatched manager of the Rhine Merchant Guild smilingly put the goods on the shelves. Since the first buyer would definitely be a dragon later, he had to ensure that there were no mistakes or accidents.

But just then, an accident happened.

“Your Excellency, are you really going to buy this?”

Besides the dragons, all the people in the queue turned to look. After seeing the newcomer, their expressions changed somewhat.

The man was wearing a unique black and gold robe, more in the style of a magician’s attire. Every symbol and pattern on the robe had an extraordinary meaning.

His face was extremely handsome. The features of the Demon Clan were usually more three-dimensional.

A high-bridged nose, deep-set eyes. In his every move, besides elegance, there was also a scholarly air that the Demon Clan lacked.

“Alec.” His identity was quickly recognized, and someone let out a low cry.

Alec was one of the few demons who had some reputation among the Human Clan. Most people believed that when he took the throne in the future, he could continue to promote peace between the two races. Of course, there were also those who believed that Alec was the real wolf in sheep’s clothing, and all his calculations were hidden under a gentle facade.

As Alec approached, the crowd was more puzzled.

From what he had just said, it seemed to mean that there was a problem with the product?

Alec finally stood in front of Rio and the other dragons, nodding slightly as a greeting.

He then waved his hand freely, and a water wall instantly appeared around them. The magical fluctuations radiating from it were no weaker than the magic that divided the space in the venue.

The water wall could not be seen through by sight and also provided absolute soundproofing.

Many people’s faces changed. This Crown Prince of the Demon Realm had become even stronger.

After blocking the prying eyes of the outside world, a diamond-shaped crystal appeared out of thin air in Alec’s hand. He smiled slightly and said, “I received a little gadget a few days ago. It was originally to confirm the whereabouts of a wanted demon, but I made some unexpected discoveries.”

In fact, when he saw the image in the crystal this morning, Alec had been stunned for a moment.

At that time, he had stared in disbelief at the somewhat familiar figure in the image, especially that rare long black hair, and had been lost in thought for a long time.

Luka didn’t wear a mask when he was in his room. Although he hadn’t seen him many times in the Demon Realm, Alec was certain that this was his ‘younger brother’ who had been exiled to the desolate lands not long ago.

No wonder.

He had been curious about who would be so bold as to use a novel to target the Dragon Clan.

Now, only a part of the image he had intercepted was preserved in the crystal. On it, Luka’s scummy merchant theory was being replayed word for word.

“The key is to stimulate the dragons’ collecting habit and maximize profit. Because the audience itself is small, so we need to do some external promotion, such as having the same pendant as the dragons, etc…”

Every word sounded exceptionally sarcastic.

Even though he had heard it once, seeing it again now, he couldn’t help but feel disgusted.

Alec couldn’t help but sneer in his heart.

He had already pointed out that the author of this book was a demon fugitive. According to the dragons’ intelligence, they would definitely be able to figure out that this author was targeting them from the beginning, seeking protection.

If deliberate approach and calculation were already enough to disgust the strong, the next part would confirm his good brother’s ‘greed’.

Thinking of this, Alec curled his lips into a cruel smile. “From the very beginning, this fugitive was after money and a backer. Your Excellencies, you should think twice before paying.”

As he was bad-mouthing him, Luka, who was now defined as a fugitive, was listening to the Quill Pen’s live broadcast on the other side of the square.

Luka suddenly felt that this was the real camera. The thing installed in his own room, compared to the Quill Pen, had a much worse listening function.

Just as he was lost in thought, he was pulled back to reality by the Quill Pen’s cold taunt.

“It’s all about to come to nothing, and you still have the mind to be in a daze?”

“Come to nothing?” Luka said in a puzzled tone. “Just because I came prepared, targeting the Dragon Clan?”

The Quill Pen: “Nonsense.”

Who would like to be approached with all sorts of schemes?

Not to mention hearing on the spot that the other party had deliberately figured out your preferences just to make money.

Luka shook his head and said softly, “Alec is very far-sighted.”

This could be seen from the fact that he didn’t give his competitors any room to grow.

“Unfortunately, his mistake was in the angle from which he looked at things.”

Not only was he wrong, but he was dead wrong.

For the first time, the Quill Pen didn’t understand what he meant at all.

Luka gave an example: “Suppose you now have endless money, endless energy, and a very long life.
One day, you finally find something that interests you, and you only need to spend a little bit of money that flows from between your fingernails.”

After stating the major premise, he continued slowly, “Then on the day the new product is released, you excitedly come to buy the merchandise. When you’re finally about to reach the front of the queue, someone tells you… oh, stan-chasing is wrong, stan-chasing is bad, the money from 2D is easy to cheat, actually, all the merchandise is just for the author to make money. Your money shouldn’t be spent on an unscrupulous merchant, indirectly implying that what you’re buying is actually very cheap. What would you do?”

Although there were some strange words in it, the general meaning could still be understood.

The Quill Pen thought about that scene and answered almost without hesitation, “I would swat him dead.”

I can spend my own money however I want. Who are others to point fingers?

Almost as soon as the Quill Pen answered, a loud bang suddenly echoed throughout the square. The water wall was broken, and black smoke rolled into roaring flames in the air, connecting into a sheet and falling from the sky.

The earth shook, and the sudden explosion-like movement threw the entire square into a panic.

Faced with a sudden crisis, the well-trained Law Enforcement Team appeared at the first moment. However, when they saw the source of the smoke, the Law Enforcement Captain was stunned for a moment.

How could it be the dragons attacking?

And the one being bombed… was the Demon Prince Alec?

What happened?

There was no time to confirm what had happened now. Although he wished in his heart that something would happen to the Demon Clan, the Law Enforcement Captain still rushed forward nervously and shouted, “Your Excellency Berlanie, please stop!”

He felt his head was about to explode. If this wasn’t handled well, it could become a serious diplomatic incident.

Berlanie was considered one of the more good-tempered dragons. He didn’t know how this usually suave crown prince had offended him.

Alec had even less of a clue.

His previously faint smile was gone. He didn’t understand why the dragons had suddenly attacked.

“You were just… teaching me how to do things?”

Berlanie, who was usually never without a book, calmly stuffed the book into his clothes and instantly transformed into an ice frost dragon at least a thousand zhang long.

His lithe but, compared to a normal dragon, slender body was exceptionally beautiful. However, no one on the scene dared to associate him with such words. Some of the weaker people in the square had already succumbed to the dragon’s pressure and couldn’t move.

“Your Excellency Berlanie!” The Law Enforcement Captain’s heart was in his throat. He reminded him, “Please do not break the thousand-year-old rules of the Holy City.”

Just when he thought his words were useless and that half the square could be submerged in the dragon’s frosty breath at any moment, the next second, the cold, sharp dragon tail directly coiled around Alec and shot up ten thousand zhang into the sky.

On the ground, Rio stood coldly to the side. Because of Alec’s interruption, they had missed the perfect moment to get the merchandise at the time of the cub’s birth.

Alice, on the other hand, had her red hair flying. She looked at the Law Enforcement Captain and suddenly smiled leisurely, asking, “Does the high sky belong to the territory of the Holy City?”

The Law Enforcement Captain subconsciously nodded.

“Do the stars above our heads belong to the Holy City?”

“Of course not.”

Alice’s smile deepened. “So as long as it’s high enough, it doesn’t belong to the category of the Holy City.”

The Law Enforcement Captain’s eyes widened. He wanted to refute but couldn’t.

Just in this short time, a terrifyingly cold blue light faintly appeared in the sky above. The dragon’s body blotted out the sun. Alec immediately released a demon clan secret art, but that bit of demonic energy quickly dissipated in the ice-blue water mist.

“Father, help!”

At the moment of life and death, his face changed dramatically. He didn’t have time to think too much and directly burned his blood to send a distress signal.

Holy City High Tower.

A red-haired man and the Saint sat opposite each other. The former’s outer robe was covered with some strange scales, and the edge of the robe seemed to have torn space, full of deterrence.

In comparison, the Saint’s posture seemed much more casual, not so solemn. He just lowered his eyelids slightly and said with a faint smile, “It’s a pity the Elf King didn’t come this time. That guy doesn’t like crowds. The three of us haven’t gathered for a long time.”

The Demon King glanced at him and was about to speak when the sky outside the window suddenly darkened, as if the sunlight had been swallowed in an instant.

The darkness disappeared quickly, but the sky was still dark. A hurricane raged in the high sky, and a hurried scream could be heard faintly in the distance—

Father, help!

The Saint frowned slightly. His gaze seemed to be able to see everything from ten thousand zhang away.

The Demon King, with a blank expression, raised his hand and tore open space, disappearing from the Holy Tower.

__

Author’s Note:

Luka’s Diary:
Stop, don’t fight anymore, you guys, don’t fight anymore.

Who are you writing this in your diary for?
Is it for me?
—Alex.