The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

”So, this is the Nethravel Valley, huh? It lives up to its reputation,” Erkan muttered as he scanned his surroundings warily.

The valley was quiet and deserted. There was nothing as far as the eye could see except for thick fog and vines creeping across the ground.

Fortunately, thanks to the Thousand Faces, they managed to pass through without any trouble. Otherwise, Erkan and his twenty thousand troops would have become monster food right here.

It wasn’t just Erkan—the soldiers were also looking around with curiosity.

As one of the most dangerous places in the kingdom, no one dared to enter Nethravel. Many rumors circulated about it, but no one knew whether they were true or just nonsense.

But after witnessing firsthand how terrifying this place was, they had to admit the rumors were indeed real.

The group of twenty thousand continued moving forward. Occasionally, they encountered monsters ranging from low to high levels.

The soldiers were clearly terrified, especially when facing high-level monsters that could easily shatter their formation if a battle broke out.

Fortunately, the shield surrounding them acted like an invisible cloak. It was as if their very existence had been erased, invisible to the monsters’ eyes.

’If this keeps up, we’ll catch up to them soon,’ Erkan muttered with a faint smile.

His decision to work with the Thousand Faces hadn’t been in vain—the results were well worth it.

But suddenly, his expression turned serious. He raised his right hand, signaling the soldiers to stop.

Thousand Faces frowned slightly and turned around. ”What’s wrong?”

Erkan stared ahead and muttered cautiously, ”There’s an enemy up ahead.”

Thousand Faces’ eyebrows rose slightly. He couldn’t sense it because all his focus was on maintaining his magic.

He shifted his gaze forward and narrowed his eyes.

In that instant, his eyes widened in shock. ”A city-level monster is coming!”

Upon hearing that, the soldiers immediately drew their weapons and assumed battle positions.

A city-level monster was capable of easily destroying a small city. Its power was not to be underestimated. It was a nightmare feared by many across the continent.

Erkan drew his sword and pointed it forward. His expression tightened, and his breathing grew heavier.

The vibrations, faint and barely noticeable at first, gradually grew stronger with each passing second. By the second minute, the ground beneath them began to tremble, as if a small earthquake were forming below the surface.

By the fifth minute, they finally saw the monster’s silhouette in the distance—a shadow ten meters tall.

As it approached, its form became clearer: a wingless dragon.

It stood on two legs, had two horns, and had skin as hard as stone.

Its eyes glowed red, radiating a crushing pressure that immediately weighed down on the soldiers.

They swallowed nervously. The monster was enormous, making them feel like insignificant ants beneath its presence.

”Don’t be afraid, everyone!” Erkan shouted, raising one hand. ”If that monster attacks, we’ll fight back! Form your formation immediately!”

The soldiers dared not let their guard down. They immediately carried out the order and waited in a tense atmosphere.

’Earth Dragon… I never expected to encounter that monster here,’ Thousand Faces muttered with a serious expression.

Earth Dragons were land-based monsters with dragon blood coursing through their veins. They were not only powerful but also extremely aggressive. What set them apart from other dragons was the absence of wings on their backs.

It was said that their habitat lay in the western continent, where dragons dwelled. Who would have thought one would appear in this valley as well?

Moreover, the monster’s size was absurd. An average adult earth dragon stood eight meters tall. However, the one before them was even larger, suggesting it had grown exceptionally well—perhaps even becoming the ruler of this valley.

”Erkan, I’m going to—”

Before Thousand Faces could finish his sentence, the Earth Dragon suddenly stopped about twenty meters away. It opened its mouth, and a giant fireball roughly three meters in diameter began forming between its jaws.

Thousand Faces’ eyes widened instantly. He raised his staff and shouted, ”Celestial Barrier!”

A shield-shaped barrier five meters tall materialized in front of him. The next second, the fireball shot forward like lightning and slammed into it.

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted, and the shockwave was sent backward, striking the soldiers.

Their formation immediately collapsed under the impact.

The black smoke slowly dissipated, revealing that the Celestial Barrier had successfully withstood the attack.

However, its condition was poor. Cracks and scorch marks spread across the side that had taken the hit.

”This is just terrible luck,” Thousand Faces whispered through gritted teeth. ”How can a city-level monster possess such power? It doesn’t make any sense!”

The Celestial Barrier was an ancient spell known for its extraordinary durability. Even an attack from an Earth Dragon shouldn’t have left a mark on it, let alone caused it to crack.

But the reality before his eyes struck him hard. The shield was on the verge of shattering from that single attack.

ROAR!

The Earth Dragon let out a deafening roar. Fueled by fury, it began advancing toward the soldiers.

Thousand Faces soared into the air and shouted, ”Everyone, I’ll hold it off as long as I can! Use that chance to take it down!”

With that, he darted toward the monster and unleashed a barrage of devastating offensive spells.

Erkan pulled the reins of his horse and commanded, ”Attack!”

”Attack!” the soldiers roared in unison, their voices burning with determination.

With that, the battle between the Earth Dragon and twenty thousand soldiers officially began.

…

”Your Majesty, this is dangerous! Its attacks are growing more aggressive! Twenty-five percent of the city is already paralyzed!”

”Your Majesty, the casualty count keeps rising! Twenty thousand people have suffered severe injuries, while five hundred others have died! This is an emergency!”

”Your Majesty…”

Dozens of ministers frantically delivered their reports in rapid succession.

Gulvar sat on the throne with a grim expression. His hands were clenched tightly, as if he wanted to strike something just to release the anger and anxiety weighing on him.

”Your Majesty, we’ve found a lead on the perpetrators! They’re a relatively unknown assassination group, but they’ve been rising in the southwest! Please issue an order to mobilize the troops and capture them!” the Minister of Oversight reported with a strained expression. ”We must apprehend them and calm the public. Otherwise, this incident will backfire on us!”

Gulvar took a deep breath and replied, ”It’s not that I don’t want to, but we don’t have anyone reliable to lead the troops. Erkan is away, while Alex and Eldrin must remain in the palace to protect the royal family.”

The Ancient Kingdom of Eron was indeed facing a severe shortage of talented military personnel. It was a serious problem that had remained unresolved for an entire year.

The ministers’ expressions grew somber.

But suddenly, footsteps echoed through the hall, followed by a calm, confident voice.

”Father, let me take responsibility for this.”