Re-Awakening: I Became a Pay To Win Boss Monster-Chapter 223: Before The Attack

Chapter 223: Before The Attack

[King Diederich’s POV]

There were currently hundreds of soldiers gathered in the throne room, yet not one even uttered a word. They were all waiting for the call to go through the portal beside them.

It was a gateway engineered by the ancient Azterians, the ones who thrived before Aztera acquired the barbarian axe and transitioned to a different power source.

And it was currently directed to the underground tunnel under Celestara.

The soldiers remained silent for a little while longer until, eventually, a haggard-looking soldier ran in and bowed in front of Diederich.

“Your Majesty, he’s here…”

The moment he heard those words, Diederich tightened his grip on the throne, shattering the remaining armrest.

There were a lot of thoughts going through his mind. But what truly pushed him over the edge was the pop-up he had seen earlier.

Reinhardt… Diederich thought with a pained heart. I might’ve not been the best father to you… but I never expected you to die before me.

He was blaming Reinhardt, but at the same time, he was blaming himself.

Had he been better prepared, Reinhardt wouldn’t have had to go out and fight. Maybe he’d still be alive.

But never in his wildest dreams could he have predicted that some wannabe king was strong enough to kill his son.

From the intel he had gathered, Rael Sutekh was strong enough to clear a level 50–60 Wolf Den dungeon.

Taking into account his known feats, his level was estimated to be between 100 and 150.

As for Reinhardt? He was way above that. His level neared 1,500.

Yet he perished in battle against that… that thing.

Diederich stood up and looked to his men.

“Enter the portal shortly after I leave. Kill the Queen, and occupy Celestara. Wait for further instructions after I arrive.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” the soldiers shouted in unison.

With that, he walked past the soldiers and left the throne room.

Ever since the death of his wife, Diederich cherished his family, even if he didn’t show it directly.

Reinhardt was a kid who had great potential for war and combat. So with that in mind, Diederich steeled his resolve to suit that of a sovereign.

Then there were his two daughters, Shyvana and Azarielle.

Shyvana was someone he had with his actual wife many years ago. While she didn’t share the same talents as Reinhardt and Azarielle, she had a knack for manipulation.

Because of that, Diederich surrounded her with two types of people: manipulators, and those who only tell the truth.

It was a testing environment where she’d need to distinguish those types of people. And since her decision-making was remarkable, she excelled in that environment and became a woman who could outsmart the smartest of rulers.

Then there was Azarielle. She was the best of both children.

Not only was her intellect superior to her peers, but her strength was unrivaled as well.

She was stronger than Reinhardt, and she was smarter than Shyvana.

Yet despite all of that, Diederich never saw her as his legitimate daughter, even if he didn’t voice it.

After all, Azarielle was a baby between himself and the woman who masqueraded as his wife.

It makes me sick just thinking about it, Diederich thought with a frown as he strolled through the halls and into the city.

He wasn’t particularly rushing this confrontation. In fact, he wanted his rage to build up by the time he got there.

Yet as he walked through the bustling capital city, he saw the soldiers swarming toward the wall, carrying all sorts of long-range artillery.

Diederich spotted a soldier nearby and walked up to him.

“What’s happening?” he asked. “Is he evading the bows? I suppose it’s possible, considering he should be as fast… if not faster than my son.”

“N-No, Your Majesty…” the soldier bowed, flustered. “O-On the contrary, he’s catching all the arrows…”

Diederich tilted his head. “Don’t we have high-class archers up there? Can they not hit their shots?”

The soldier swiftly shook his head, then met Diederich’s eyes head-on.

“Your Majesty… that man is catching all the arrows with his body… We see blood spilling, but we’re not dealing any lasting damage. There have also been reports of soldiers losing their money once they attacked him, so their morale has hit an all-time low.”

“…”

“What?”

Even for someone durable, catching steel-tipped arrows with their body was reckless. Even Diederich wouldn’t attempt it.

And yet, the person who killed his son was purposefully taunting the entirety of Aztera right under his nose.

Diederich decided it was time he made a move, so with a quick step, he reappeared on a nearby rooftop. With another step, he appeared atop Veltharin’s capital wall.

He saw soldiers run around, grabbing arrows from wherever they could. There were even a few loading the ballistas and firing without hesitation.

The soldiers were so focused, in fact, that most didn’t even realize their King had arrived.

But at this moment, Diederich had no interest in scolding them. That could wait for later.

Instead, he passed by the soldiers, then leaped off the capital wall.

He landed gently on the sandy terrain and turned his gaze to the man responsible for the chaos.

Rael Sutekh.

To Diederich, he looked like an absolute clown.

He ran around with his chest puffed as he caught the many ballista arrows heading for his body.

His heart was pierced multiple times, but he merely shrugged it off and continued doing whatever he was doing.

Diederich continued staring at him, his arms trembling in anger.

And finally, he snapped.

Diederich focused on the sun, which was in the middle of the sky.

The moment he did, his muscles grew significantly. Yet despite that, his armor was made to last and even expand to accommodate his muscle increase.

He stretched his hand out in the air, and soon, a halberd manifested. It glowed just as brightly as the sun above, and it was almost as if the power was coursing straight into his body, further enhancing it.

Diederich was ready, so with a single step, he appeared before Rael.

His halberd was already at Rael’s neck, but just as it was about to land, Rael ducked.

Diederich scoffed at the attempt. Yet when he prepared to follow up with another strike, he realized Rael had disappeared.

And that was when he felt a powerful blow to his back.

[HP -424M! 623,436B/623,860B]

He reappeared behind me? Diederich thought as he slid across the sand for a few meters, then met Rael’s smug face.

“You killed my son,” Diederich muttered with a frown, dusting himself off. “For that, I will make sure you pay the appropriate price.”

Rael’s brows suddenly furrowed as he turned to the side, almost as if he was reading a text.

But not even a moment later, he turned back toward Diederich and chuckled.

“An army of 1,000, huh? You’d have to do better than that if you wish to take over Celestara.”

With those words, Diederich prepared to move in, however, his eyesight soon began to darken as a few rows of pop ups appeared.

…What?