59 Demon Coun (1/2)
Compared to the clear skies of the surface world, the sky of the underground world is always yellow and dark. People are already used to thinking it through before deciding to drink that murky underground water which is full of impurities. They are also used to have their clothes full of dust if they hang it outside from too long and coughing blood at the young age caused by all kind of respiratory problems.
Perhaps, this is the basic reason why the descendants of those exiled look forward to the blue sky and white clouds of the surface world. After all, who wouldn't hope for a better life for their children.
At this moment, the yellow sky turns even more awful. The clouds in the sky turned into an eerie blood-red color. The crepuscular wind blows slightly and if it were to be slightly closer to the surface, one could smell the nauseous smell of blood.
The crepuscular wind isn't formed naturally. In the world of Eich where souls are an actual entity, the echo of the gloomy wind is the ghastly apparition formed by the fragments of the soul. When sufficient blood fills the land at one go, sufficient people have died, it would create a natural relatively confined land of negative energy that is known as the Land of the Rise of Undead — The Cursed Land.
When too many people die at one go and the souls linger around, reluctant to die just like this, their feelings will resonate and the dead will remain in the world. Undead will rise in bulks. In history, there was even an incident when a city is massacred, the entire city turns into a Necropolis and the knights who gave their life for their country turned into Death Knights.
This is also the main reason why the battlefield has to be cleaned by the victor at the end of a great battle. Other than collecting their spoils of war and burning the corpses that could bring plague, they have to invite Priests to purify the souls of warriors who died with grievances.
Otherwise, if this land turns into another Cursed Land where Undead gather in the next few decades, it would really be a big source of trouble.
Even so, as evidenced from those Undead Lords often prowling around ancient battlefields, if the death toll numbers up to several tens of thousands or several hundreds of thousands, coupled with the death of sufficient powerful people, the heavy Aura of Death might be unwilling to scatter. The bright red blood stains even a few meters beneath the ground. The despair of the experts lingers around the mortal world as a curse. When all of these conditions are met, the Purification of the Priests won't work, it will still forcefully turn into a Cursed Land. Or even worse, it might be the high-tier Land of Death.
This time, surroundings around the mine outside Vance is destined to become the new Land of Death.
This is smell of a battlefield belonging to the medieval era. The scent of blood drifts along the wind, even people a few miles away could smell it clearly. The dark and murky crepuscular wind prowls high in the air of the battlefield. The tears of the living and the cry of agony of those surviving echoes throughout the battlefield.
Standing on the bloodstained land, the Old Lion looks at his old subordinates who have followed him for several decades for a last time. Carrying his axe, he offers the final relief to an old soldier who only has half of his throat remaining.
”Clean the battlefield.” There is no place for kindness on the battlefield. This is an order squeezed out from gritted teeth.
On the battlefield, Healing and Potions are always insufficient. The Priests and other healing jobs have long expended all of their mana on the battlefield. The phrase 'cleaning the battlefield' refers more to offering relief to both the enemies and allies who are on the brink of death.
”Have we won?”
Yes, the Old Lion and his army have won. After losing over half of his army, after the fearless charge of over tens of thousands of soldiers, after face of innumerable destruction of life and souls, the experts whose rationality have been overran by their greed finally weigh the importance of keeping their lives as greater than the pursuit of future authority and strength.
Those living have all started to scatter. But those who are dead and heavily injured are bound to remain on this foreign land forever.
At this moment, it was already too late.
”HAHAHAHA, such a pleasing sight. Shou.Nuya, I have seen your doomed future. I never thought that the curse would be taking effect so soon. I will be waiting for you in hell!”
The Red Dragon who witnessed everything, the one whose fresh blood has filled the entire altar and is being tied to it as though a poultry waiting to be slaughtered, mocks her archenemy without any sympathy.
”I lost huh?”
Yes, despite winning this battle, the Old Lion lost as well. What he lost is everything.
The elite core of the 12 divisions all have losses numbering over half. 2 of the divisions were completely crushed. This ace army, the Du Yan division, in the face of the primary charge have casualties over 90%.
However, what he lost was not just those on the surface.
War is an extension of politics. If a war is unable to bring about any profits, then even if they won the war, it is still a loss that is determined from the very start.
Looking at his trembling hands, Shou recalls the moment when he was smashing the skull of 'The Great Mathematician” Penny.Horst. He could see absolute madness and curse within her eyes as her green Soulfire extinguishes.
He knows that this isn't the end of things. Since Liches don't die that easily, when she revives, the assault of great army of Undead could be almost said to be inevitable.
The death of Xiluo Empire's 11th Senator is just the smaller part of the trouble. The 10th Senator 'Ant King of Corrosion' Lamost doesn't have the ability to resurrect himself after death. The look of his old partner Crimspur as he leaves with his incomplete body, the gaze of intense hatred, it was also the shadow of a new war that is looming about.
Furthermore, the Undead Senators were just a portion of the experts there who met with casualties.
”Done. I'm done for.”
Just as how Molly mocked him, Shou's career as an Underground Autarch is done for.
He and his army just chopped off the head of a Knight of Royalty of Felix Elf Kingdom and hung the head of an Advisor of Auland Kingdom on a spear. Even the legendary Beast Tamer Jeredas's only disciple was slaughtered. Eventually, the Beastmen could no longer recognize which 'influential figure' it is and which power was backing him. They were already numb.
Shou knows that there is no individual or organization that can still live under the wrath of so many powers. No one…
Needless to say, this is the underground world. The ones with the highest casualties is still the underground city lords who he has barely met with or even those under his command.
”A debt of blood.”
Shou doesn't regret his actions at all. Should he surrender his head just because the enemy have the backing of powerful figures or organizations? Since the enemy have already expressed clearly of their intention to get rid of this successor of the God Equipment to become the next Emperor Yongye, should he obediently pass his head and God Equipment to them?
The only thing he regrets is the looks his soldiers were staring at him with. Those were no longer respectful and trusting gazes. Their eyes are full of confusion and fear. Sometimes, when their eyes locked together, they would divert their gazes and whisper silently about his secrets.
”Look at those yellow pupil, and the claws and wings of the Demons… Our king is actually a Demon, then why are we fighting for him.”
Shou was forced to his limits under the Undead Senators. In order to survive, he was forced to tap into the powers of the Demon, causing the traits of Demons that would never appear on an ordinary Beastman to materialize. He couldn't fool the eyes of tens of thousands of Warriors.
The enmity of the underground world towards the Chaos Faction isn't as strong as on the surface. As an underground city lord, one could collude with the Demons, side with the Malevolent Gods and scheme together with the Devils. However, if the Underground Autarch which represents the entire Beastman Tribe isn't even a Beastman, then what rights does he have to sit on this position.
Shou can already imagine the situation when these rumors spread through the entire underground world. Those ambitious underground city lords will use this as a reason to raise the flags of betrayal. The soldiers under him would probably be confused for whom should they should fight for.
”No, I am not done for yet!! I still have this!! I am going to be the next Undead Emperor.”
The brilliant God Equipment in his hands has become his final straw.
Suddenly, from the back of an altar, a blinding light of blood-red and countless souls and blood were absorbed into the altar by an intangible force. The fresh blood forms a river and the grievances of the souls of the experts who died were crying in despair. All of it were pulled into the gate leading to another Dimension.
”Tributes. Such rich tributes! So many high-quality souls, so many delicious dishes! I… I,
The altar has already been activated. By a series of coincidence, unexpectedly, this fight became the best tribute for the Demon Count Kakajil.
In this war, thousands of Legends have fallen and hundreds of thousands of elite Beastman Warriors perished. Their souls and fresh blood is even sufficient to allow this Demon Count who is known for devouring souls to step into higher realms. Perhaps, in less than a thousand years, a new Demon Duke would be born.
However, Demons are beings that doesn't know the concept of satisfaction.
”Scepter. Quickly, pass Eternal Night Scepter to me!!”
Even to Demon Counts, a God Equipment that conceals the profound secrets of a SemiGod Undead Emperor is a rare treasure. Perhaps, after laying his hands on the Scepter, he is able to add 'Death', 'Undead' or similar Chaos concepts into his power. If so, his route to breaking through would be smooth.
Hearing that his master wants the Scepter, Shou's face immediately hardens. He wants to escape with the Scepter, but with the sufficient tributes, the connection to the Lower Realm has already been established. In the face of a Demon Count, it is impossible for him to escape.
Large deformed hands stretch out from the empty space within the Dimension Gate. With slight gesture from his fingers, the Scepter flies into his hands.
”Ha, Eternal Night Scepter! This is great. Is it my lucky day today? Later, I will go beat up some Devils for entertainment.”
Shou kneels despairingly onto the floor. Even his final straw is gone. His position of the Beastman Sovereign will be stripped very soon. With such rich tributes, the Demon Count could probably descend onto the mortal world himself. His job as his proxy has probably come to an end.
Suddenly, a furious roar causes this entire space to tremble.
”Fake, it is fake! Who is it! Who dares to fool this noble and great Kakajil!! I must tear him into pieces!”
The entire Dimension Gate starts to tremble. Very quickly, a gigantic hoof with blazing with inferno steps out of the Gate of Hell. Soon afterwards, that savage goat-head appears from the gate.
The entire world starts to darken and the cracks appear on the ground. The fire hidden beneath the ground all rises to the surface and a few extinct volcanoes erupts.
With great rage, Demon Count, Soul Eater Kakajil descends on the mortal world!
At this moment, Shou was still in shock over the fact that the Scepter is a fake. He gave everything but in the end, he was made a fool of from the very start?
”Impossible, impossible!!”
In his mutterings, that word suddenly appears in his mind once again.
”You, might regret it.”
”WUMIANZHE!! YOU DECEIVED ME!!!”
At this moment, the frenzied howling of Shou was ignored by everyone. The furious Demon Lord already has him in his hands, holding him straight in front of his face.
”Who is it? Who dares to deceive the great Kakajil? Is it you? You Demon bastard!!”
Just by standing there, the hundred-meter tall body seems to corrupt the earth. All of the plants wither and dies. The volcanoes explode and cracks appear on the land. Kakajil's existence starts to destroy the Rules of the surroundings. A Demon Duke is capable of crossing blows with Gods while the Demon Count, which is a tier lower, can be said to be an unrivaled existence on the mortal world.
The stinging stench of sulfur makes one feel suffocated. His great strength crushes all of Shou's bone together. The gigantic mouth that devours blood, flesh and souls is right in front of him. The Beastman Sovereign had to justify everything for the sake of his life.
At this moment, under the questioning of his master, the silhouette of the hateful man appears once again in Shou's vision.
”No, it is Wumianzhe and that darned Sulfur Mountain City. The Scepter was sent by them. It was all their scheme! That man deceived you, noble Demon Count!”
Hearing that, the Demon Count hesitates. Looking at the frightened Beastmen by the side, he decides to spare the life of this mixed blood.
”No one can deceive Kakajil without paying the price. Use your life to atone for your sin. If you do well, then I will spare your wretched life.”
The Demon Count waves his hand and the Dimension Gate opens entirely. Countless Demons crowds in. At the same time, another brand-new gate on the other side opens.
In there, a beautiful city by the mountains could be vaguely seen — Sulfur Mountain City!
”Our new tributes are there. That city is filled with the hateful Power of Order. Fool, show the way to where the Fire Elemental God is sealed. If you were to delay Prince Karwenz's plans, I will make you cry in agony for all eternity in my lantern.
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