Land of War. Dragon Heart (A LitRPG Wuxia) series: Book 10, page 1
The Saga:
Dragon Heart
Land of War
Book X
By Kirill Klevanski
Text Copyright © 2021 Kirill Klevanski
All rights reserved.
No part of this book can be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.
Introduced by Valeria Kornosenko
Translated by Julia Kharkova, Marina Zikic
Edited by Damir Isovic
Cover designed by Julia Jdanova
Illustrated by Valery Spitsyn
Contents
Chapter 831
Chapter 832
Chapter 833
Chapter 834
Chapter 835
Chapter 836
Chapter 837
Chapter 838
Chapter 839
Chapter 840
Chapter 841
Chapter 842
Chapter 843
Chapter 844
Chapter 845
Chapter 846
Chapter 847
Chapter 848
Chapter 849
Chapter 850
Chapter 851
Chapter 852
Chapter 853
Chapter 854
Chapter 855
Chapter 856
Chapter 857
Chapter 858
Chapter 859
Chapter 860
Chapter 861
Chapter 862
Chapter 863
Chapter 864
Chapter 865
Chapter 866
Chapter 867
Chapter 868
Chapter 869
Chapter 870
Chapter 871
Chapter 872
Chapter 873
Chapter 874
Chapter 875
Chapter 876
Chapter 877
Chapter 878
Chapter 879
Chapter 880
Chapter 881
Chapter 882
Chapter 883
Chapter 884
Chapter 885
Chapter 886
Chapter 887
Chapter 888
Chapter 889
Chapter 890
Chapter 891
Chapter 892
Chapter 893
Chapter 894
Chapter 895
Chapter 896
Chapter 897
Chapter 898
Chapter 899
Chapter 900
Chapter 901
Chapter 902
Chapter 903
Chapter 904
Chapter 905
Chapter 906
Chapter 907
Chapter 908
Chapter 909
Chapter 910
Chapter 911
Chapter 912
Chapter 913
Chapter 914
Chapter 915
Chapter 916
Chapter 917
Chapter 918
Chapter 919
Chapter 920
Chapter 921
Chapter 922
Chapter 923
Chapter 924
Chapter 925
Chapter 926
Chapter 927
Chapter 928
Chapter 929
Chapter 930
Chapter 931 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...544
Chapter 932
Chapter 933
Chapter 934
Chapter 935
Chapter 936
Chapter 937
Chapter 938
Note from the author
ASH The Legends of the Nameless World
The 11th book’s PRE-ORDER
German version
What to read next
LITRPG groups
HELLO ALL!
My name is Kirill Klevanski and you are reading my adventure LitRPG wuxia saga.
The whole story is planned out and will have 2000 chapters. Now the story has almost 1500 chapters spanning 18 books.
10 books are translated into English and released.
To read the story from the beginning click the link:
Dragon Heart: Stone Will
…Enjoy your reading…
Chapter 831
“M y Queen!”
Elaine turned and nodded at General Moon Lian. A long, thick lock of copper hair covered the General’s left eye and the scars of past wars. If one looked closely, the leather strap and rivets of her eyepatch could be seen peeking out slightly from underneath the lock of hair. The injury that Lian had received during the battle against the Black Gates sect had some magical properties to it, and even after Lian had become a true cultivator, it still hadn’t healed.
“Stand up, dear Lian,” Elaine said kindly.
Her heavy, Spirit level armor clanked, and the hem of her silver coat bearing the emblem of the Moon army slid upwards and off the floor as the General stood at attention. They were alone in the hall. Its stone walls were covered with tapestries woven from precious threads. The scenes of battle from the past that were depicted on them occupied Elaine’s thoughts when she wasn’t busy with her duties.
“My Queen,” Lian repeated.
She held her fist against her heart, bowed her head low, and then snapped back to attention. Elaine sighed and went out onto the balcony. A beautiful garden stood at the foot of the tower. In the center of it, near the lake, were several hills. They were covered in lush grass and dotted with flowers. Birds nested in the soft grass on the slopes of the hills. Occasionally, when the wind blew, the moss-covered stones of the old tower peeked out from between the green blades of grass.
On the other side of the lake, where the meadow ended, there were several tombstones. All of them bore the surname ‘Duran’, except for a single tombstone, which was made of black granite and had no inscription at all.
“So many years have passed, Lian,” Elaine sighed. Subconsciously, she touched the hilt of the flame-wreathed, Imperial level blade that she had received so long ago in the ancient cave from the Tree of Life. “How long are you going to hold on to this grudge of yours?”
Lian grabbed her wide, studded belt tightly with both hands and gritted her teeth as she turned toward one of the tapestries. It depicted the battle against the nomad tribes. The sky and the earth were covered in flames, terrifying creatures filled the sky, giants were throwing their horses around like toys, and all the while, roaring cannons and hissing cannonballs did their grisly work. Lian still remembered that battle as if it had happened yesterday, not nearly fifteen years ago. Moon Leen, the first General of the Moon army and one of her predecessors, was depicted on the tapestry, fighting in the center of the battlefield. In the corner, two small figures, a black-haired and white-haired swordsman, were flying on an unknown creature. If she hadn’t known where to look, she would’ve missed them.
“On this day, fifteen years ago, the Moon army defended our homeland, my Queen,” Lian nodded. “The whole country is celebrating this monumental occasion. You should go out and mingle with the people.”
Elaine stared at the black headstone. Her gaze seemed distant as the memories flashed before her blue eyes. The gentle breeze made her golden hair flutter, and it shone in the sunlight.
Over a decade had passed since the Moon army had captured the Royal Palace. As time inevitably marched onward, everyone had grown older, and some of them had even become wiser, but the Queen didn’t appear to have changed in the slightest. She was still the most beautiful woman in all the Northern Kingdoms. All these years, Kings, Princes, and Dukes had been courting her. However, none of them had been able to find a way to win her fiery heart. Elaine touched the hilt of her sword. None of them had been able to stop her blade…
“Lian, you-” Elaine turned around, then she abruptly stopped talking.
A tall, lean man strode into the Hall of History, which only a few officials of the Kingdom were allowed to enter, after kicking the door open. He had sharp cheekbones, an aquiline nose, and piercing, unpleasant gray eyes. His emerald cloak, embroidered with the Darnassus Empire’s coat of arms, quietly rustled as he walked.
As soon as he entered the hall, Lian and Elaine, who were both Heaven Soldiers, felt an incredibly heavy aura press down on them. This was the aura of the Governor from the Empire who’d been assigned to Lidus, a Spirit Knight.
“You’re delaying deliveries again, Elaine!” His voice was sharp and grating on the ears.
Lian, moving to intercept the Governor, nocked the heavy bow she wore over her shoulder and aimed it at him.
“You are talking to the Queen, Governor!” She growled. “Show some respect!”
The Governor merely glanced at Lian, but she felt as though someone invisible and incredibly strong had just punched her right in the stomach. She staggered, crouched, and spat out blood.
“Know your place, you one-eyed dog,” he hissed as he walked past Lian, who was trying to catch her breath.
Elaine gripped the hilt of her sword, but didn’t show any emotion. She knew that even if she got lucky enough to defeat the Governor, it wouldn’t do her any good. At best, the Empire would demand
“I don’t see why you’re angry, Richard,” Elaine said as calmly as she could manage.
“What? You can’t see the problem?” The Spirit Knight’s voice made deep cracks appear in the floor.
I’ll have to pay the builders to repair the floor again... and the treasury is already in a miserable state!
“Should I take your useless eyes, then? Then you’ll be like your favorite one-eyed dog!”
Elaine tried to draw her blade, but failed. The Governor was faster. In what seemed like a single step, he moved several feet toward her. His slender, strong hand closed around Elaine’s wrist. He forced the Queen’s sword back into its scabbard.
“Stupid woman,” he growled. “The war with Lascan is on the horizon! The Empire needs more Solar Ore!”
“We’re already giving you everything we can,” Elaine said through clenched teeth. “A tenth of the population is working in the mines.”
“I don’t care! Send more people!”
Elaine choked with indignation.
“Do you understand what you’re asking of me, Richard? This will destroy our country!”
“Your country?” The Governor imitated her mockingly. “It’s more likely to be destroyed by your folly, wench, or by Lascanian troops.”
He gave her a look she was all too familiar with. Many of her suitors looked at her with longing, but he never bothered to hide the lust in his gaze.
“You know what I want,” he whispered in her ear. He moved his free hand to her hair and playfully twirled a lock of it around his finger. “You’ve been rejecting me for more than a decade, Elaine… I’ve been patient for long enough… By the gods, I’ve been patient for too long! But right now, I don’t know if I’ll even get to see the next rainy season… By the demons and gods, if you’re the last person I get to fuck before I die, then so be it!”
“No!” Elaine screamed as he moved his hand down and started tearing her dress off.
“My Queen!” Lian nocked her bow again, but a quick strike from the Spirit Knight broke her arms. The General collapsed, screaming in pain.
“You’ll be mine-”
“I would advise you, Lieutenant, to release Baroness Elaine Duran, ruler of the Barony of Lidus.”
The Governor turned around. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“What the fuck?” He barked.
“Shall I repeat myself?” The man who’d spoken asked him dryly.
A group of people came into the hall. The tall, stately men and women were dressed in Heaven level armor. All of them had white capes embroidered with the red coat of arms of the Empire. A fair-haired and bright-eyed young man walked at front of the group. He exuded the aura of an advanced-stage Spirit Knight. He held his winged helmet in his hands, and at his hip hung a scabbard that contained a broad saber. The medallion of the military forces of Darnassus was displayed prominently on his chest. Judging by the image on it, this young man was no lower than the rank of a junior officer.
“What are troops from Darnassus doing here?”
The young man looked from the Governor, who appeared to be terrified, to the proud and unbroken Baroness.
“So this is what the Mad General’s sister looks like...” The young man whispered admiringly.
Everyone there was shocked by his words. Lian’s eyes flashed even as she lay in a puddle of her own blood.
“My General...” she whispered.
“Who are you?” The Governor roared.
“I told you to release the Baroness.”
No one saw what the young man did, but a moment later, he was sheathing his sword. The Governor stared at his hands in disbelief. Or rather, at his stumps. Flailing around and screaming, he took a step back, hit the balcony rail, lost his balance, and fell over. His scream faded as he slammed into the ground below and his head split open like a pumpkin, drenching the rubble in gore and blood.
“My Lord, you-“ Elaine, having recognized the man’s coat of arms, covered her torn dress with one hand and tried to grab the railing with the other.
“Baroness Elaine Duran,” the soldier bowed deeply. “Milady… I’m just a junior officer in the army of Darnassus. I don’t deserve your politeness.”
“But, I don’t understand…”
The young man took out a scroll that had the Imperial seal on it.
“By decree of his Imperial Majesty, Morgan the Fearless, the Kingdom of Lidus is hereby officially recognized as part of the Darnassus Empire. According to the law, from this day onward, it will be a Darnassian province and ascend to the rank of Barony!”
The nine soldiers who’d followed the young man into the hall immediately saluted and bowed to Elaine.
The former Queen, and now Baroness, didn’t have time to process anything. She heard a terrible hum behind her. When she turned around, she saw dozens of mythical flying ships pierce the clouds. Warships and freighters alike were hurrying toward the capital of Lidus. And not all of them bore the red Imperial crest.
A tear rolled down Elaine’s cheek.
“Brother...” She whispered.
Chapter 832
“D amn Lascanians,” the captain of the military ship ‘Whisper of the Grave Wind’ growled. The two-deck caravel had three masts and six sails, as well as eighty cannons, forty on each side. It was heading for one of the border forts, Fort Darigon.
“What is it, boatswain?” The captain asked.
When the boatswain entered the richly decorated cabin, he found his captain was doing what he usually did: holding a bowl of brew and standing over sky maps covered in various tools.
“The latest news from the capital, sir,” the boatswain handed the captain a sealed envelope.
“Something at last!” The captain, leaping over the table, snatched the envelope from the boatswain’s hand and tore the seal off. “Everyone says the war is coming, but the Lascanians haven’t left their steppes yet.”
Opening the letter, the captain read the reports from Darigon. Fortunately, the mail birds moved much quicker than even the fastest of ships.
However, rumors claimed that, in the capital, the quickest ship ever made, the ‘Fury of the Mortal Skies’, had recently been built. The captain honestly couldn’t even imagine how any ship could be faster than a corvette.
“What does it say, captain?” The boatswain asked after noticing how rapidly the captain’s expression was changing.
“The great swordsman…” The captain sat down on the table and almost dropped the letter. “The great swordsman Orune was executed by the Emperor.”
The cabin was silent for several long seconds.
“W-what?” The boatswain asked, stuttering due to shock.
He’d spent at least two decades on the captain’s ship, survived many raids and forays into the steppes, as well as pirate attacks. And yet, he’d never seen the captain as shaken as he was right now. Darnassus didn’t have many great heroes. Orune was one of them, one of the pillars upon which the country’s military might was based on. How could the Emperor execute one of them and deal such a huge blow to Darnassus’ might just before the war started?
“They say Orune took a disciple,” the captain wiped the sweat from his brow, “and was executed for his disciple’s past sins.”
“What?”
“Fucking laws!” The captain threw the letter down on the table. “Orune took his disciple’s sins upon himself and submitted willingly to the Emperor’s sword!” He repeated.
The boatswain stepped back, and once his back hit the wall, he slid down it. He held his head in his hands and stared at the red carpet that covered the cabin floor.
The upcoming war between Lascan and Darnassus was the largest war the seven Empires had seen in millennia. And, at a time when the scales were constantly tipping, one of the great heroes had just died in such a stupid way.
“Damn it! Who chooses disciples like that?” The boatswain slammed his fist against the cabin wall. “He didn’t take any disciples for so long and just sat on his Storm Mountain!”
“Then he took one and fu-”
The captain’s cursing was drowned out by a war drum that meant ‘all hands on deck’. The captain and the boatswain exchanged glances. They briefly got stuck in the doorway as they rushed out, and then ran out into the narrow corridor. As they climbed the stairs to the upper deck, they looked out over the Lascanian steppes.
