The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1160: The Demon: Dragon Council

Souta narrowed his eyes and rubbed his temples, deep in thought. A troublesome yet intriguing idea surfaced in his mind.

Since his [Archetype: Great Blood of the End] was still incomplete, it might be possible to modify and integrate it with the [Archetype: Eternity Stellar Formation].

However, the process would be time-consuming and complex—just like when he restructured the [Archetype: Vajra Extremity].

And once he began, he knew the consequences. He wouldn’t be able to use his Archetype for a while.

...

In the battlefield.

Doranjan stood calmly, his golden-green eyes sweeping across the chaos before him. He turned his gaze toward the edge of the [Five Elements Barrier Formation], where a tide of enemies was gathering.

The enemy’s numbers had swelled drastically. There had been only one Seventh Shackle Realm expert before—now there were six.

A total of six Seventh Shackle Realm experts, and nearly a hundred Sixth Shackle Realm combatants. Beyond them, an army of approximately seventy thousand stood poised for battle—far outnumbering the forces of the Astros.

Fortunately, most of those experts were still waiting outside the barrier, merely observing.

Only a few thousand had actually entered and engaged in combat.

Torkez approached, his steps steady despite the tremors shaking the ground. ”Once those Hero-ranks make their move, it’ll be your turn,” he said, eyes fixed on the distant sky. ”They won’t be able to hold back for long. They believe our leader is still drained from slaying a fifth stage monster.”

Doranjan’s expression remained composed, though his tail flicked slightly. ”I have no issue with that,” he replied. ”But the enemy’s numbers are... exaggerated. Even for us, it’ll be difficult to claim victory against such odds.”

”Our goal isn’t to defeat them,” Torkez said, his tone firm and steady. ”It’s to survive this challenge and escape with our lives intact. The preparations in the Involin Forest are nearly complete.”

The battle raged on as waves of enemies surged toward the Guardian Fortress. Corpses piled across the scorched land while explosions of power painted the battlefield in chaos and light.

Thanks to the [Five Elements Barrier Formation] and Isabella’s potions, the Astros’ casualties remained minimal—at least for now.

Then, without warning, the sky split open.

A flash of searing light erupted above the battlefield, outside the barrier formation.

A pillar of flames descended from the heavens, tearing through a cluster of enemy combatants.

BOOM!!

The impact shook the land. The ground melted beneath the heat, and several nearby experts were instantly reduced to ash. The overwhelming energy caused both sides to freeze mid-battle, eyes turning toward the burning sky.

Doranjan narrowed his gaze. ”A Hero-rank...?” he muttered.

Across the field, Berfien and the other Seventh Shackle Realm experts tensed, their expressions shifting from confidence to alarm. The flaming pillar had annihilated hundreds of their subordinates in seconds, shattering their formation.

”Who’s that?!” one of the Seventh Shackle Realm experts demanded, his face dark and wary.

”I recognize this energy signature...” Doranjan muttered, his eyes narrowing as the fiery pressure surged across the battlefield.

”It’s Lady Erkigal,” Torkez replied with a nod. ”Our leader already made contact with the Dragon Council.”

The Dragon Council had convened and decided to send reinforcements to aid Souta in this crisis. While they wouldn’t deploy their full might, their assistance was invaluable—especially when the Guardian Fortress was sorely lacking in manpower.

Swoooosh!!

The flames above slowly faded, revealing hundreds of figures standing amidst the scorched earth.

”The battle’s already this intense?! It’s far worse than I imagined!”

A tall man stepped forward, his sharp gaze sweeping across the chaotic battlefield. The oppressive aura in the air made it clear—this fight had already escalated to the level where top-tier SSS-rank experts were involved.

He was the Eighth Head of the Dragon Council.

”It’s only natural,” a woman cloaked in flames remarked beside him. ”Soon enough, this place will be flooded with Hero-ranks.”

The Eighth Head grinned and lifted his massive sword, his voice booming like thunder across the plains.

”Then let’s make sure they know the Dragons are here! EVERYONE—BEGIN THE ASSAULT!”

Roooaaaar!!!

Hundreds of powerful experts surged forward, joining the Astros’ ranks in a tide of blazing energy. Their arrival reignited morale across the battlefield—yet even with their combined might, the enemy’s numbers still dwarfed them.

The real war was only beginning.

...

”This is worse than I imagined,” the Sixth Head muttered grimly.

Among the Heads of the Dragon Council, three had come personally to assist the Seventh Head in this battle. Each brought their own contingent of elites, warriors whose presence alone shifted the balance of the field.

They were the Second Head, Sixth Head, and Eighth Head.

With the arrival of the Dragon Council’s forces, the suffocating pressure that had weighed on the Astros’ experts began to ease. A new wave of power surged through their ranks as the two sides collided—a fierce and unrelenting clash that shook the battlefield to its core.

...

On the Guardian Fortress.

Erkigal descended from the sky, landing firmly on the fortress deck. The wind whipped around her as she stepped forward to stand beside Doranjan and Torkez.

”Where’s your leader?” Erkigal asked, her golden eyes scanning the area.

”He’s inside,” Torkez replied. ”He’ll be out soon. But be prepared—our goal isn’t to defeat the enemy.”

”I understand,” Erkigal said, nodding slightly. ”Defeating them outright would be impossible, especially with more Hero-rank experts on the way.”

Her gaze shifted toward the humanoid dragon standing silently beside Torkez. The aura radiating from him was nothing short of terrifying—dense, refined, and heavy with the unmistakable power of a fifth evolution stage being.

Back then, during the attack on Ekatoe City, she remembered him as nothing more than a weak dragon struggling to hold his ground. But now...

It was different.

This was the power of a being who had transcended.

At the fifth evolution stage, monsters no longer relied on instinct or brute force alone. Their strength became something absolute—something that could shatter armies and alter the fate of entire battlefields.

Torkez glanced at the time and said, ”No—our leader will come out now.”

”Now?” Erkigal raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Doranjan and Torkez both turned their gaze toward the entrance. Erkigal followed their line of sight.

Footsteps echoed across the deck.

From the shadowed corridor, a figure emerged—calm, composed, and exuding an overwhelming aura. Behind him loomed a giant nine-headed hydra, each head radiating blood-red energy.

It was Souta.

”Here he is,” Erkigal murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. ”The legendary Blood Lightning Monster.”

Souta’s gaze swept across the deck before landing on Doranjan. ”Congratulations on your successful evolution.”

Doranjan bowed his head lightly. ”It’s nothing compared to your strength, Leader.”

Souta gave a faint smile. ”So, what kind of dragon are you now?”

”A Golden Mark Primal Green Dragon,” Doranjan replied.

Souta’s eyes flickered in surprise. ”A Primal Dragon...?”

”Yeah,” Doranjan said with a small grin. ”It’s an extraordinary evolution. It allowed me to reach the Fusion Stage of my elemental power instantly. That’s one of the defining traits of a Primal Green Dragon.”

”Well...” Souta turned his gaze toward the battlefield.

Across the barrier, the Seventh Shackle Realm experts stiffened. They felt it—a chilling pressure, like lightning coiled within their veins.

The Blood Lightning Monster was looking directly at them.

”That’s the Blood Lightning Monster.”

”He finally appeared.”

”Should we make a move?”

”Not yet.”

They watched him closely—the legendary Fourth Stage monster who had slain a Fifth Stage being. They had witnessed that battle through the projection in the sky, but seeing him in person was different. The oppressive energy surrounding him made their hearts pound.

For now, they tacitly maintained the scale of the battle. None of the Seventh Shackle Realm experts had made a move. The highest-ranking participants engaged were only those at the Sixth Shackle Realm.

Boom!

A chain of explosions erupted across the battlefield.

Eztein roared, his energy erupting like a volcano. His twin spears tore through a Fifth Shackle Realm expert, splitting the ground beneath him wide open.

Everywhere, the clash of steel and bursts of power echoed. The air quaked as spells rained down, painting the sky in chaotic light.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Every minute, warriors fell. Corpses littered the ground—some shattered into nothingness by relentless bursts of power.

Alice and Vashno fought fiercely alongside the others of Astros, their figures moving like storms through the chaos. Isabella, meanwhile, didn’t engage directly in combat. Her hands were busy brewing and distributing potions, her presence the lifeline that kept their warriors standing.

The land was utterly devastated—a world torn apart by fire, lightning, and blood.

Soon, the number of enemies grew even larger. The experts of Astros were slowly being pushed back toward the Guardian Fortress. Even with the assistance of the Dragon Council, the balance of power tilted heavily against them.

There was nothing they could do.

The entire battlefield had become a meat grinder, a place where life and death were reduced to numbers. Every clash, every explosion, every scream—everything fed the chaos. The enemy’s sheer numbers devoured any formation Astros tried to hold.

”In half an hour, they’ll breach the fortress,” Erkigal said, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the flow of the battle.

Souta gave a silent nod.

Doranjan and Kessa focused their gazes on the distant figures behind the enemy ranks—the real threat. The number of Hero-rank experts had grown over the past hours.

Twenty-two Hero-rank experts.

And among them, one radiated power on the level of the Eighth Shackle Realm.

”Let’s start,” Souta said at last, stepping forward. ”Kessa—you’ll deal with the Eighth Shackle Realm expert.”

He could feel it—the restlessness spreading across the battlefield. It was unnatural, almost as if someone was stirring the army’s bloodlust from behind the scenes.

”Are you sure about this?” Erkigal asked, her brows furrowed. The surprise in her tone was clear—she hadn’t expected Souta himself to initiate the Hero-rank clash.

”It can’t be helped,” Souta replied calmly. His crimson eyes glowed faintly as he glanced toward the horizon. ”Those people will attack sooner or later. If we strike first, we’ll have the initiative—”

His aura began to surge, rippling across the deck like a storm of pressure.

”—and more importantly, we’ll buy ourselves the time we need to escape this place.”