You promised to wreak havoc on the dungeon, but instead you've got Dragon Slime!

The carriage stopped below the main building of the castle.

With mixed feelings, Ron got out of the car and walked towards Carolina's private meeting room on the top floor, gently knocking on the door.

The door opened.

Carolina stood gracefully behind the door.

Those beautiful eyes were indeed slightly red and swollen, with a trace of moisture remaining, but when she looked at Ron, her gaze was unusually cold.

She didn't even let Ron in, blocking the doorway instead, her voice flat and devoid of any emotion:

"Ron, you're moving out of here today."

Ron was stunned.

Good grief, before I even had a chance to say anything, she already said she wanted to kick me out?

This saved him the trouble of explaining, but the atmosphere... it just feels a little strange?

"Uh... ok."

Ron nodded subconsciously and continued, "..."

"I'll go pack my luggage in a bit. Also—"

He added something more important:

"Regarding the heretic prison, after that one-month 'adjustment period' is over, I'll discuss maintenance and optimization with you again?"

Carolina seemed not to be listening to him at all, only staring coldly at him with her still red eyes, and uttering a short syllable through her nose:

"Ah."

Things went so smoothly it was almost inexplicable.

Ron returned to his temporary room, completely bewildered, and quickly packed up all his belongings—the design drawings, personal items, and some tools.

He summoned a carriage and quickly stuffed all his belongings inside.

Under the servants' complicated gaze, the carriage slowly drove away from the castle where they had temporarily taken refuge.

Ron glanced back one last time at the familiar window on the top floor of the castle, only to see Carolina standing in the shadows, her figure exuding an indescribable loneliness and...resoluteness?

He shook his head.

The thoughts of a noble lady are indeed harder to fathom than those of a high-level magic scroll.

Ron looked away and urged the driver to leave.

What he didn't see was that, by the castle window, Carolina was looking in the direction the carriage had disappeared when a single, crystal-clear tear finally slipped from her stubborn chin and fell onto the cold windowsill.

She whispered, so softly that only she could hear:

"Ron... I wish you weren't Lilith's..."

In the blink of an eye, Ron had become a "tycoon" with millions of gold coins in his hands.

He quickly rented a high-end magical apartment in the most prosperous "Heart of Lava" area of ​​Ironflame City.

Although the space and luxury are far less than the huge suites in Carolina Castle, they are worlds apart from the somewhat cramped living conditions of Miss Lilith's family!

It is well-equipped, has tight security, and even a temperature-controlled magic array, making it quite comfortable.

I had just settled in and spread out the blueprints on the brand-new workbench. Before I could even tidy up, there was a rapid knocking on the door.

When I opened the door, Lilith was already standing outside.

Today, she was dressed in a formal gown, a rare sight for her – an expensive, perfectly tailored, floor-length pale purple velvet dress with intricate and ornate silver embroidery on the hem, which shimmered with a noble luster in the soft light of the apartment corridor.

But her delicate face was expressionless, with a hint of complexity in her eyes.

"Change your clothes immediately and come with me."

She didn't waste any words and spoke very quickly:

"An urgent summons from the Grand Lord. The ceremony for bestowing titles must begin immediately and cannot be delayed!"

Ron felt a chill run down his spine.

The investiture of nobles! This is a momentous event in the underworld!

He dared not delay, quickly changed into a decent-looking dark suit that had been prepared beforehand, and followed Lilith downstairs.

A luxurious carriage was already waiting outside the apartment.

The wheels rolled on, heading towards that awe-inspiring region beyond Ironflame City—

A group of active volcanoes.

The moment you enter the volcanic area, the air immediately becomes scorching and dry, and the strong smell of sulfur irritates your nasal cavity.

Looking out, countless active volcanoes rise into the clouds, some roaring and erupting, others just panting and spewing black smoke and dark red lava flows.

The winding lava river, like the blood vessels of the earth, radiates terrifying light and heat.

All the roads cleverly avoided the most dangerous areas, and the carriage climbed along the "Road of Glory," a magically reinforced road carved into the massive volcanic cliff face.

The destination is the largest, most volatile, and most revered core of this volcano—

Flame Demon Volcano!

The location of the residence of the High Lord Lagos.

The closer they got to the summit, the tighter the security became.

Highly vigilant guards can be seen everywhere.

They are not made of flesh and blood, but humanoid creatures made of pure fire element!

Each one is nearly three meters tall, its body made of rolling, flowing lava and blazing flames, and it holds a halberd or a giant sword that seems to be forged from solidified magma.

Just standing there, it exudes an astonishing heat and an oppressive aura.

Ron curiously scanned the nearest guard with the system:

Fire Elemental Guardian - Crimson Flame Patrolman

Race: Elemental Being (Fire)

[Level: LV50]

[Experience: 37343/151674]

[Racial Trait: Complete Immunity to Fire Magic]

[Skill Slot 1: ???, Skill Slot 2: ???, Skill Slot 3: ???... (3 additional hidden skill slots detected)]

Hiss! Ron inhaled sharply, taking a deep breath of the scalding air.

The gatekeepers alone are level 50 elite elemental creatures!

A chill ran down his spine involuntarily; the lord's actions were terrifyingly grand!

Chapter 52 Knight's Medal

The carriage traveled up the Avenue of Glory and finally arrived at a huge platform on the edge of the crater, which had been leveled by immense magic.

An incredible golden-red palace stands majestically atop it!

Its main body appears to be carved from a single solidified volcanic crystal with flowing golden-red fire patterns, with sharp edges and a powerful feel.

The entire palace, reflected in the ever-churning lava lake below, radiates a dazzling golden-red light, magnificent, majestic, and full of primal and terrifying power and beauty!

Compared to it, Duke Cedric's castle suddenly seemed dull and lackluster.

Ron followed the solemn-looking Lilith out of the car, and two silent, tall fire elemental guards immediately came to greet them.

They have no facial features, only a pure energy core shimmering deep within their lava-formed faces.

They bowed slightly in acknowledgment, then guided the two into the breathtakingly magnificent palace in a silent gesture.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, they were finally led to an extremely wide road that ended in two golden gates, each more than ten meters high, carved with huge roaring fire demon patterns.

The door opened slowly and silently inward.

Ron squinted instinctively.

The huge hall was so spacious that it seemed to have no boundaries.

At least a hundred Crimson Flame Patrolmen stood in neat rows on both sides, their flames seemingly blending into the pulse of the entire palace.

At the end of the hall, there are steps, also made of gold.

Above the steps was not a throne, but a strange platform made of constantly flowing, pure golden lava.

On the platform stood the largest and most imposing figure!

That is the Balrog Lagos!

With just a glance, Ron was so shocked by the data displayed on the panel that he almost stopped thinking:

[Name: Flame Demon Lagos]

[Race: Legendary Fire Elemental (Highlord)]

[Level: LV89]

[Experience: 62449011/185771740]

[Racial Traits: Absolute immunity to fire magic; High Elemental Authority; Divine Heart of Flame (Fragment)]

[Skill Slot 1: ? ? ?, Skill Slot 2: ? ? ?, Skill Slot 3: ? ? ? ...]

level 89? !

To advance to the next level requires... over 180 million experience points?!

"What are you standing there for?"

A low, suppressed urging voice came from beside me, and at the same time, my arm was lightly poked.

Ron jolted awake, instantly snapping out of his shock and forcibly suppressing all the discomposure on his face.

He quickly followed Lilith's example, lowering his head and bowing slightly, following a step behind her as he walked toward the godlike golden-red figure.

On the platform, the magnificent golden-red figure remained motionless, yet its voice, like a deep, rolling thunder, echoed clearly in every corner of the vast palace: