The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne
Chapter 75: A Plan to Resurrect the Demon Emperor

Chapter 75: A Plan to Resurrect the Demon Emperor

Jisha’s eyes widened as she looked at Nolan, her face filled with fear.

"B-But what about you?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Don’t worry about me," Nolan replied firmly. "Take Alicia and run. Melissa is too powerful—you’ll only get in the way. Go with her. Now!"

Jisha clenched her teeth in frustration. Her eyes flicked to the soldiers, who were clearly struggling against Melissa. She was far stronger than any of them.

Without hesitation, Jisha wrapped her arms tightly around Alicia and snapped her fingers.

Whoosh!

A bright green light enveloped them, and their bodies began to fade, slowly turning transparent.

"No! I don’t want to go! I want to stay with Father!" Alicia screamed hysterically, thrashing in Jisha’s arms but unable to break free.

Jisha only held her tighter—until, finally, both of them vanished from sight.

"Phew... they’re gone too," Nolan muttered, exhaling in relief.

He turned to Orlan, who now wore a rare serious expression.

"Argh!"

One of the soldiers screamed in agony as Melissa’s monstrous black claws severed his arm.

The sight froze the others in fear—but only for a moment. Fueled by rage and desperation, they charged again, attacking her with renewed ferocity.

Despite her immense power, Melissa was eventually overwhelmed by the onslaught of dozens of elite soldiers and captured.

She collapsed to the ground, her right arm severed and black blood oozing from the gaping wound.

Her pitch-black eyes burned with hatred and fury.

"You’ve lost, Melissa," Orlan said coldly.

He stepped forward, took a sword from one of the soldiers, and pointed it at the woman’s neck.

"No... I should say, you’re not Melissa," he added, narrowing his eyes with a murderous glare. "Who the hell are you? Are you one of the Underworld Gate mages who possessed her body? If so, where is the real Melissa? Is she... dead?"

"Hehehe... Orlan Caltheron, I didn’t expect you to be this sharp." Melissa let out a raspy, mocking laugh. "Yes, that woman—Melissa—is indeed dead. I was the one who killed her, years ago. Since then, I’ve taken over her body and pretended to be her. Shocking, isn’t it?"

"You..." Orlan growled but quickly composed himself. Without hesitation, he thrust the tip of the sword into her neck, causing black blood to drip from the wound. "Tell me—what’s your purpose? Why are you targeting us? Is it because of the extermination I led years ago?"

"The reason isn’t that simple," Melissa replied flatly. "We, the Underworld Gate, are preparing for something far greater. Something that will shake the Great Empire of Velmora—no, the entire continent. We’re going to resurrect the Demon Emperor! Hahaha!"

Orlan, Nolan, and the surrounding soldiers froze, their eyes wide with horror.

The name "Demon Emperor" was a taboo that should never be spoken. According to legend, the demon race had once been a dominant force—equal to, if not stronger than, mankind.

Under the Demon Emperor’s command, the demons had conquered numerous human kingdoms and wiped them from existence.

Fortunately, the Great Velmora Empire and other major powers united and summoned heroes—known as the Transcendents.

It was these heroes who ultimately defeated the Demon Emperor once and for all.

From that moment on, the demon race was erased from the stage of history. They became a people without a homeland—outcasts, forgotten by time.

Orlan never imagined that the black mages of the Underworld Gate would ally themselves with the demons to enact such a plan. This... this is truly dangerous!

Suddenly, his eyes widened. Something felt wrong.

"Wait... why would you tell us such a massive secret? Are you—"

Before he could finish, a giant magic circle flared beneath their feet.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted, hurling Orlan, the soldiers, and even Nolan in every direction.

"Hahaha! You fool!" Melissa cackled as she slowly stood. "You were all so naïve and reckless. Did you really think I’d reveal everything without a trap?"

She flashed a wicked grin as she looked around at the unconscious bodies scattered on the ground. They had been flung like rag dolls, clearly knocked out by the force of the blast.

But Melissa had no intention of finishing them off. Even if Orlan managed to warn the Emperor, it would change nothing.

Their operation was far beyond the reach of the Great Velmora Empire—in a land where imperial influence meant nothing.

Furthermore, they had planted numerous puppets and spies across the continent. If anyone attempted to interfere with their plan, they could vanish without a trace.

Melissa’s gaze shifted toward the window, and her eyebrows lifted slightly at the sight of something unexpected.

"Oh?" Her grin widened. "So the prince is still conscious? Impressive. His body is quite resilient."

With those words, her figure vanished from the scene.

***

Meanwhile...

"Ahem!" Nolan coughed violently, his face contorted in pain.

His body had been thrown hard into the wall of his room, shattering it into rubble.

The impact was severe—his spine felt fractured, and his right arm was broken.

The pain was unbearable. Even standing felt like an impossible task.

"I... I have to get out of here..." he whispered, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips.

"Run? And where exactly do you think you’re going?"

A mocking voice came from beside him, making Nolan’s eyes widen in horror.

Before he could react, a hand clamped around his neck and hoisted him into the air.

"Argh!" Nolan groaned, struggling desperately against the grip—but it was useless.

Instead of weakening, the grip around his neck tightened. Sharp nails dug deep into his skin until fresh blood began to drip, soaking his clothes.

"Hahaha! It’s so satisfying to see you suffer, Nolan Lorian!" Melissa laughed darkly, her pitch-black eyes gleaming with murderous intent. "If not for your meddling, my plan to wipe out the Caltheron family would’ve succeeded long ago. But you just couldn’t stay out of it... and now, this is your reward."

Her expression turned cold as she continued, "And one more thing... I have a personal score to settle with that bastard father of yours. If it hadn’t been for him, my comrades wouldn’t have died so pointlessly."

A cruel smirk curved her lips. "But that’s fine. Killing you will be my revenge for their deaths. And the best part? Your death will make the Emperor blame Orlan and the entire Caltheron family. Two birds with one stone—don’t you think?"

"You..." Nolan snarled through clenched teeth, rage burning in his eyes.

"Hehehe..." Melissa smirked, relishing his helplessness. "Now then... time to die."

Without hesitation, she drove her left claw forward. With a sickening screech, it tore through Nolan’s stomach—its sharp tips erupting from his back in a spray of blood.

Nolan’s eyes widened, his body trembling as a wave of excruciating pain tore through him.

"Pfft!" Blood spurted from his mouth, and his face turned ghostly pale.

Melissa withdrew her claws without mercy, and Nolan collapsed to the ground, unconscious—blood gushing freely from the gaping wound in his abdomen.

"Hahaha! Ragan Lorian!" Melissa cackled, lifting her gaze to the sky. "I’ve killed one of your descendants! But this is far from over! I’ll slaughter them all, one by one—until you know true suffering!"

But suddenly...

"Oh? Is that so? Your plan is as cruel as it is foolish... But I promise you this—you’ll never live to see it succeed."