Chapter 206: New King Allen, the Bane of the Night Owls
"Report to the King! While we were out hunting, we picked up a Hellhound. Should we make it into soup or barbecue it?"
The Serpent Guard was carrying a droopy husky-looking dog—clearly one whose magical energy had been completely drained.
Allen was currently crawling on the ground with his butt in the air. When he looked up and saw his long-lost magical pet, he immediately called out to stop them: "Don't eat that. It's my summoned creature."
Disappointed, the Serpent Guard released the dog—it had all been a misunderstanding.
They had been looking forward to a hearty dog meat meal. After all, Hellhound flesh was said to be both delicious and highly nutritious for magical creatures.
Among magical beings, devouring one another was nothing out of the ordinary.
The most common method was eating the opponent to digest their magic in the stomach.
However, this process caused a severe loss of magical energy, making evolution or transformation nearly impossible.
Naturally, this didn't apply to mages' magic pools. With a method like Allen's, it could actually stimulate growth.
But the husky needed rest. Completely wilted, it was impossible to siphon its magic again—it'd truly turn into a hell gatekeeper at that point.
Out of collective self-interest, the serpentfolk unanimously chose Allen as their new Serpent King.
And Allen was taking the position very seriously.
He began by leading by example.
Mimicking the serpents' movements, Allen squirmed forward on the ground like a maggot.
"Can't you just walk on two legs?"
Hisius looked on with a mix of helplessness and dismay as Allen practiced his snakelike slithering. It was quite a pitiful sight.
A guy like this as Serpent King? She was sure they'd be laughed out of any proper gathering.
"I represent the future of the serpentfolk! I must lead by example."
Allen straightened up seriously and asked, "Has my crown been prepared?"
"It's ready."
Hisius produced a sun hat woven from speargrass.
Its sides flared out like fan-shaped ears.
"Pretty cool, right?"
Allen shook the sun hat proudly and explained, "I based it on the king cobra's hood—perfect fit for a king like me."
"..."
Whatever makes you happy.
No one's going to stop you even if you want to be a garden snake.
"Yaha!"
Allen suddenly sprang onto Hisius's back, yanked out a toilet plunger like it was a sword, and declared, "I've decided—the Queen shall be my second mount starting today!"
"Who's the first mount?"
Hisius realized that wasn't the point and protested, "I'm the Queen. You promised me—how am I your mount now?"
"A royal steed queen—just thinking about it gives me a rush."
Allen muttered gleefully, "Then it's settled."
Says who?
Are you insane?!
Hisius wanted to resist, but the sharp stares from the guards around them made her freeze.
Her authority had been completely hollowed out.
Her people had collectively betrayed her. The bitterness was indescribable.
Some of the Serpent Guards were even looking on with eager eyes—as if hoping to take her place as his mount.
They must've been starving too long if they were willing to comply with such humiliating demands.
Their bodies weren't struggling, but that didn't mean their minds had submitted. The movement of their snake hair revealed their inner thoughts.
Hisius's serpentine locks twisted and lunged at Allen.
But Allen, bold and skilled, wasn't afraid of a few venomous snakes. He casually grabbed one and yanked out its fangs.
"Hiss… What are you doing?!"
Hisius winced in pain, watching Allen go about plucking venomous fangs like it was a hobby.
"You should be grateful you've met my beauty consultant, Tony."
Allen wasn't just stopping at the fangs—he grabbed three snakes and began braiding them into pigtails.
Less than an hour later…
Allen was sitting on Hisius's shoulders. Her towering 2.5-meter frame easily supported his small body.
But Hisius felt nothing but shame, her pride shattered.
Sadly, the serpentfolk no longer acknowledged her authority—they only recognized Allen.
Dinner Time.
The entire tribe gathered, eyes fixed on their new king, waiting to see what he would do.
"If you've got something to say, say it. If you've got gas, let it out. I'm busy as hell and don't do overtime."
Allen spoke while tearing into a mystery beast leg, grease dripping down his chin.
"Your Majesty," a brave snake-woman asked, "when is the next blessing ceremony?"
Allen glanced at the husky gnawing on a bone and answered righteously, "Once a month. Any more and it's bad for the kidneys. Major festivals might get you a bonus."
The answer left the serpentfolk clearly disappointed.
They couldn't help but fantasize about how amazing it would be to get ten rounds every night.
Allen didn't mind, but the husky was on the verge of collapse. Being a living magic battery was tough.
Goooo…
A long, echoing cry cut through the night sky.
In an instant, the serpentfolk's faces changed—they looked ready for war.
"Alert! It's the Night Owls—protect the Quee—His Majesty!"
The guards shouted, and the ordinary tribesfolk rushed into the caves while the serpent mages and warriors braced for battle, eyes locked on the sky.
"What's a Night Owl?"
Allen munched on his food, puzzled, and looked to Hisius.
"They're the serpentfolk's natural enemy—a flying humanoid demon immune to toxins. Their sharp claws can easily tear through our hide."
Hisius added with a frown, "But why are they here too?"
The serpentfolk's home was far from the Night Owls' territory.
They had personally witnessed the dimensional screen vanish—it didn't make sense for them to be transferred together.
The fear of Night Owls had long been etched into the serpentfolk's hearts.
Their original population had numbered over ten thousand, now reduced to just over three thousand. Over time, they'd developed an ingrained belief that resistance was futile.
Among magical creatures, survival of the fittest was the rule.
In the multidimensional domain, species extinction was a daily occurrence.
Allen tossed aside his meat bone, still perched on Hisius's neck. "Just catch one and ask."
"I can't fly—how do we catch them?"
Usually, serpentfolk could only hide in caves or underwater to avoid capture. The Night Owls' potential wasn't even on par with Hellhounds—their only advantages were intelligence and humanoid form.
But in a hostile world like this, civilization and technology never had the chance to develop.
Being recruited as retainers by a powerful humanoid species would be a tremendous honor.
Unfortunately, serpentfolk weren't even on their radar.
"I'll fly us."
Before Hisius could react, a sudden choking pull on her neck left her breathless.
Looking up, she saw Allen clad in a glowing green battle suit, with two tube-like devices on his back spewing dark green flames.
Allen hadn't learned a flight spell yet, so he was using his Lantern Ring.
There was no visible ring on his hands—it was likely hidden on some protruding part of his body.
"Cough… you're choking me."
Allen had his legs tightly locked around her neck, making it hard for her to breathe. Her face turned beet red.
"Does my love… take your breath away?"
Allen quickly adjusted, hooking his legs under her armpits instead.
"I'm no help in the air—why bring me?"
Hisius complained, frustrated.
On land, she could hold her own against the Night Owls. In the sky, she was useless.
"Knights never abandon their mounts."
Allen waved his toilet plunger with pride.
"…"
Hisius silently cursed. If she'd known this would happen, she'd have stayed in the Emerald Realm.
From Queen to lunatic's ride—what a fall.
More and more Night Owls gathered in the sky.
They had likely spotted food and rushed to the area en masse to hunt.
"They're heading straight for us."
Hisius grew anxious.
Allen was glowing too brightly in the sky, making them the perfect target.
"Don't be scared!"
With that, Allen conjured a rocket launcher, closed his left eye, and lined up the crosshair with his right.
Fwoosh…
A rocket trailed fire as it shot into the Night Owls.
Boom!
A fireball engulfed dozens of them instantly.
[Night Owl slain. EXP +150]
[Night Owl slain. EXP +150]
[Night Owl slain. EXP +150]
...
The long-lost system notifications made Allen's face light up with glee.
"Oh yeah… time to farm XP again."
He'd been stuck on this timeline for over six months, still a Level 10 Mage. In previous timelines, he'd have been committed to Arkham Asylum by now.
"What kind of weapon is that?!" Hisius asked, shocked.
Judging by its power, it rivaled mid-level spells.
"Just a little anti-armor baby. I've got bigger toys too."
Allen then held out the plunger. "This thing's getting in the way."
Hisius instinctively bit down on the plunger's handle.
Allen leaned forward, their faces close. "Couldn't you just hold it with your hand?"
"…"
Hisius blushed. She'd unknowingly fallen into his chaotic rhythm.
Allen summoned a Gatling gun next.
He didn't fire right away—he wanted to wait until the Night Owls got closer.
The rocket's result made it clear: modern firearms were devastating against ordinary magical creatures.
Thankfully, the dimensional invasion had happened five centuries ago. If it had occurred in the 21st century, magical beings would've become research specimens.
Especially humanoid monsters—they'd be treated as valuable resources.
Allen would've had Bruce set up sweatshops, and then rope in the comedy troupe for some wild interdimensional maid café ideas.
Hell on Earth, literally.
His goal: make the very mention of "the human world" strike terror into the hearts of all magical beings.
The Night Owls closed in, and Allen finally got a good look.
Bat wings for arms, eagle talons for legs, hairless wrinkled skin like tree bark—ugly didn't even begin to cover it.
He opened fire.
A barrage of green bullets cut through the night like a scalpel.
Wherever the fire went, Night Owls shrieked and fell from the sky.
"All hail the King!"
"His Majesty is so handsome—powerful and capable…"
"Thank the heavens for our new ruler—I can't live without him for even a day!"
...
On the ground, the serpentfolk watched Allen massacre their mortal enemies, filled with indescribable joy.
"Sisters! Hunt down the fallen Night Owls—they're helpless without flight!"
The serpent mages and guards swiftly organized and gave chase into the woods.
Night Owls hunted by diving, grabbing prey with their claws, and dropping them from heights to kill them. Serpentfolk could only run or hide.
But on the ground, Night Owls were useless. Their eagle talons made them hop awkwardly and slowly.
[Night Owl slain. EXP +150]
[EXP fulfilled. Mage level: Lv30]
[New Skill Acquired: Omniscient Perception]
[Omniscient Perception: Completely lifts illusions; vision and hearing can perceive beyond the limits of physical reality.]
"Why is the sky getting brighter?"
Suddenly, Allen was surprised to notice faint streams of light of various colors filling the space between heaven and earth, while the forest before him was covered in a soft green glow.
He checked his class panel and saw that a new skill had been added.
That's when it all clicked.
"Spiritual Perception"—the hallmark of an innate magical awakening—grants the ability to see magical elements in the world, and also perceive supernatural entities.
In Eastern folklore terms, the guy just opened his third eye and started seeing ghosts.
"That's the Demon Owl King. We can't let him escape."
Hisius pointed with a toilet plunger at the only physically imposing monster surrounded by the horde of demon owls.
"You trying to teach me how to do my job?"
Allen raised an eyebrow, and with a quick squeeze of his legs—
Hisius's broad chest shook violently, bouncing from side to side.
"Is it… raining?"
A bead of warm saliva dropped to the horizon line over the sea, prompting Hisius to glance up in confusion at the star-filled night sky.
"Sluuurp…"
Allen wiped the corner of his mouth and charged after the fleeing demon owls. "XP monsters, don't think you can escape from the palm of this king's hand!"
Under the night sky, a bizarre scene unfolded.
A swarm of grotesque, terrifying demon owls fled in a panic, while behind them, a snake-woman roughly five or six meters long carried a green figure on her back in hot pursuit.
Normally, a magic serpent's tail served only for balance. At a glance, they might appear just two meters tall, but when fully stretched out, they easily measured four to six meters in length.
The chase continued all the way to a cliffside.
More demon owls emerged—judging by their size, they were the old, the weak, the women, and the children of the tribe.
"Please, stop!"
Seeing that less than one in ten of the hunted remained, the Demon Owl King began to panic. The few survivors left were nowhere near enough to safeguard the tribe.
"No chance."
Hisius was the first to speak, her tone furious. "When our tribe begged for mercy, why didn't you show any?"
The Demon Owl King, naturally recognizing the Queen of the Magic Serpents, gave a sheepish excuse: "That was the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest. You can't compare the two."
"So now that our new king wants to slaughter your kind, that's just survival of the fittest too, huh?" Hisius let out a furious, mocking laugh.
The Demon Owl Clan, being humanoid monsters, possessed a decent level of intelligence—making such "law of the jungle" excuses completely absurd.
The Demon Owl King noticed Allen was human and quickly deduced that he had conquered the magic serpents. Trying to negotiate, he offered, "I'll trade a secret in exchange for my entire tribe's lives—and I swear we'll retreat to the Emerald Domain and never again set foot in the human world."
"A secret? I love secrets."
Allen's interest was immediately piqued. But his voice turned eerily sinister as he added, "If it doesn't satisfy me… kekekeke…"