Chapter 1601: Rallying The Masses
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Drakogon was perpetually looked down upon, underestimated, and treated like a child who didn’t know his place in the world. His brother and the others never accepted him as their equal, constantly insisting he needed more years, more experience, more everything...
When he made that fateful decision, Drakogon knew he could never turn back, could never reclaim his former self, and had become someone as malevolent as, if not worse than, the Hive Queen.
And he was at peace with it.
For him, what was the point of life if he could not dominate others and revel in its finest luxuries?
Yet now, he received a stark reminder of who truly held power and how his fragile empire could crumble through the actions of a single individual.
It wasn’t Quick Hare, no...
Ultimately, it was her.
That small, delicate-looking human.
"Maria was her name?" His eyes gleamed with red light. "You turned that foolish rabbit against us, but I wonder how she’ll react once she realizes you’ve also turned the entire world against her?"
His face twisted into a sly smile as he swiftly regained his composure, striding out of the throne room to greet dozens of alarmed Zodiacrons.
"My lord, what was all the commotion about?"
"Are you okay?"
"What happened?"
"MOVE, LOWLY RATS!"
Drakogon, overcome with nerves, kicked away the small Rat Zodiacrons who worked diligently in the marketplace every day. They screamed in agony, some of their parts breaking.
Drakogon didn’t glance back, heading toward the grand terrace within the temple, where his right and left hands had already gathered the attention of most of the population.
Dozens of floating cameras streamed his arrival as he smiled at them and spoke.
"Everyone, we face a dire emergency! With great pain, I must share something that shocked me to my core tonight. The Zodiacrons Quick Hare and Vyperion have betrayed us, allying with Players from another world led by a woman named Maria! Not only have they killed many of our brave soldiers, but they have also allied with the Hive Queen, becoming Corrupted Zodiacrons!"
The city’s inhabitants gasped in disbelief. Many Zodiacrons knew Quick Hare, the newbie who was always bustling about. Most laughed at her, though a few admired her charisma.
Vyperion, a near-veteran soldier who had endured years of battles and survived multiple catastrophic events, was widely respected. Hearing from their God King that he and Quick Hare, the young Zodiacron he was tasked with mentoring, had betrayed them was a profound shock.
"Just now, two of the Hive Queen’s spaceships are advancing toward us, part of their sinister plan to eradicate us completely! Zodiacrons! We must unite and fight for what is right! We cannot allow the Hive Queen or these traitors to dictate our fate! We Zodiacrons stand together, bound by the Divine Zodiac Beasts!"
Drakogon’s speech ignited the Zodiacrons’ hearts. None dared question him, wholly believing his words.
"Please, I need your help more than ever. Every one of you, even a Rat or Rabbit Zodiacron, is welcome to join! A large squad is forming outside. We will pursue Maria and her vile party to the ends of the earth and prove we won’t fall easily! The fate of our society, our world, rests in your hands! This is an unprecedented state of emergency! We must stand united for our future!"
After his speech, the great city’s people were left speechless yet brimming with determination to fight for their kind’s future.
"Who will volunteer to save our future? To stand against these criminals by my side? Every individual can make a difference."
Zodiacrons across the city emerged from their homes, wielding weapons. Everyone who could fight, even those with little experience, including many young ones, rallied for the same cause.
"Aahhh, I see your willingness to fight for our kind’s future, everyone! Thank you! Thank you so much! Let’s march together. I will lead you to where they are. We will confront them as a unified army!"
"Yeaaaaah!"
"We won’t disappoint you, Lord Drakogon!"
"We will fight by your side no matter what and see this to the end!"
"Please count on us until the end!"
"We shan’t let this slide!"
"I always thought Quick Hare was a strange one! To think she would betray us..."
"Vyperion must be the mastermind behind this!"
"That Maria and her party... I knew we should never trust the small people!"
"But can we really go against the Hive Queen and her spaceships?"
"Lord Drakogon is by our side!"
"Besides, if we can capture and slay the traitors in time, the Hive Queen might not find us!"
"Even if she does, the Hive cannot overcome our unified hearts!"
Drakogon nearly burst out laughing, the gullible crowd’s words were almost just too much for him. He smiled joyfully, suppressing his amusement.
"Thank you, everyone, thank you so much!"
Drakogon mobilized an army of over a thousand Zodiacrons as swiftly as possible, assembling them in just an hour and a half with new armor and weapons funded from his own budget. He knew he could recoup the cost once this was over.
"Everyone! Thank you for joining me! The traitors are already approaching. We must intercept them before they lead the Hive Queen to our city! Follow me, I shall lead you! Do not believe any words they say to you! They are lies meant to deceive you! They will try to sway you to their side but know they are wicked and evil! I am the only one who truly cares about you and your future!"
With those words, Drakogon ensured the people would never question him, no matter what lay ahead. Even if hundreds perished, as long as their collective sacrifice stopped Maria’s party, it would be worth it.
"Are you sure this is fine, my lord? Maria’s power...! If she was able to defeat one of the Hive Queen’s Daughters, then...!" Stryphex muttered, still shaken by the powerful otherworldly presence he felt when the spaceship exploded.
"Silence!" Drakogon snapped. "Speak of this no more! We will catch them off-guard. They cannot stand against our numbers, no matter how strong they are. I will ensure they don’t escape. I possess the Divine Throne. I am second only to the Hive Queen in this world! If it comes to it, I will drive them toward her to let her finish them off."
"I see... as always, your plans are brilliant!" Gravox praised Drakogon.
"Hmph, naturally," Drakogon smirked. "Nobody will take away everything I’ve built all this time... nobody."
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