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.
————–
At this moment, our group was moving slowly, chatting while walking slowly, as though like we were on a tour.
From the very start, I didn’t think that those greedy fellows would be sufficient to deal with an Underground Autarch. After the Alliance Conference, it’s perfectly okay for an Underground Autarch to launch a war campaign against another underground city lord. In the end, power is all that matters.
TL: Truthfully, I don’t get the point of what he is saying. I’m just going to translate directly
The location for the final battle has been decided. What is left is the entrance of the audience.
We don’t have much people here. Me, Adam, Little Red and Margaret who is still at Sulfur Mountain City, excluding Lisa who can’t be here, the entire team back then is all here.
However, we intentionally brought Annie and Elisa this time.
Little Red and Adam are excited on being able to get on the battlefield and Elisa maintains silence as per usual. On the contrary, Annie lowers her head, looking depressed.
Her state affects the progress of my Epic mission. Whether she breaks through legend or not, I intend to get Adam to pass on the seat of the City Lord to her at the end of this battle so as to fulfill the basic conditions for my revival.
“I am finally on the verge of getting my physical body. If I were to continue on with the weak state I am in now, how can I deal with future troubles.”
As long as I revive with a new body, using the system and my advantage from being knowledgeable about the ‘events’, I can grow strong rapidly and start on my series of plans. Furthermore, I look forward to the class of the physical body I would get when I revive.
There are different classes for physical body? Of course there is, the Goddess of Order and Goddess of Chaos weren’t fair from the moment they worked on their creations.
The direct creation of Goddess of Order, the great Dragons are considered as the Golden Race. Without doing anything, they will be able to attain the minimum strength of a Gold-rank when they come of age. Yet, the 2nd generation humans could hardly be considered as the Iron Race. Normal grown adults can’t even defeat a Skeleton Soldier.
TL: The 1st generation humans are the Mountainous Tribe that fell to become Devils.
My current body of Lich is actually called ‘The King of Undying (Silver)’, it is equivalent to the more powerful Silver Race. The strength that it provides me isn’t inferior in any ways to the bonus Elisa gets from Demonification.
It is unfair, but it is the cruel reality.
Adam might have reached the peak of humans as a SemiGod, but he might not even be a match for Little Red who isn’t at the same level as him. Back then, Elisa could beat Annie using just one hand despite both of them being of the same rank. This is effect of physical body to one’s total fighting prowess. It determines the basic stats and the race talents, race abilities and even serves as the basis of all strength and magic.
No matter how skilled your swordsmanship is, you can’t do anything with a weak body. Imagine wielding a sword with both hands and meeting an 8-handed monster whose strength is 3 times of yours, if you are both of the same skill level, there is totally no way you could beat him.
A building of ten thousand fathoms high is built from the ground. The height of the building is dependent on how solid the base is. For one’s fighting prowess to be strong, the physical body and bloodline is important.
TL: Around 18.2km
Of course, the weak races have the advantage in numbers and tools. Furthermore, normal Golden Bloodline grow extremely slow. Otherwise, the surface world wouldn’t be dominated by the weakest race, the humans.
But, in order to face the problems that will occur in the future, power is something I cannot lack. The Demon army won’t go talk sense with you. Their race talents and basic stats are even more so, strong, that it makes one shiver.
“How strong would the race talent of The Favored One of the Abyss, the Demon Prince be? Most probably, even the Dragons who are known as the Golden Race can’t compare with him. Hehe, the last time, I am already of Silver-rank. This time, will I get a body with talents that is equal to the Dragon Race? Or, even a rank higher.”
However, in history, the Demon Prince still ends up getting slaughtered by humans. This shows that perhaps, race talents aren’t everything… Fine, I know that the unlucky Demon Prince in history is ‘me’ and the Hero who killed ‘me’ is Annie in front of me, who is obviously not in a good state.
“Why? Are you afraid?”
Suddenly, recalling the history, do I count as a Demon King who counsels the Hero before the battle? If someday, she was to grow up and slices me apart with her sword, then don’t I have to prepare a medal for myself ‘The Demon King Who Touches the World, Trying His Best to Dig His Own Grave.”
“No, I just myself really dumb, not being able to help much.” Different from the awkward Elisa, Annie is a straightforward kid. When someone asks her about her trouble, she replies directly.
However, Adam and Little Red, who was listening in by the side, smiles. In their eyes, the trouble Annie was facing really don’t count much.
I used my gaze to invite Adam over to console her. However, he looks at the ceiling, trying his best to feign ignorance. At the same time, Little Red was suddenly interested in the ant holes on the ground. Frustrated, I look around me. In the end, I could only do it myself.
“Heh, those fellows have been training for hundreds and even thousands of years. You aren’t even 20, so it is normal that you are unable to catch up with them.”
“That isn’t it! If it is just strength, Annie can accept it. However, Annie just finds herself really dumb. Despite seeing everyone being so busy, I can’t help much with them. Big Sister Elisa can do everything well and little Victoria was able to suppress everyone during the Conference. But, as the future City Lord, I could only look from one side.”
Looking at Annie who was truly frustrated, my head hurts. Young boys and girls like to compare with others of the same age as them, so it is much easier for them to corner themselves.
Just like how the one who was the most carefree in our team is dumbass Adam because he thinks that he will screw things up if given the responsibility, this generation, compared to Elisa who is the head of ‘Observer’ and the seemingly mild but cunning and devilish Victoria, Annie does seem immature.
However, if I were to say the truth, she would probably just get more depressed. If the future City Lord were to lose her confidence, my Epic mission would go down the drain.
“Hehe, it seems that you have misunderstood something. Remember what I told you the last time? The thing is that the most important to a City Lord is to use talents properly. Throw the troublesome things to those who are skilled in dealing with them. I mean, look at the current City Lord, isn’t he still eating and slacking around without a guilty conscience?”
“Cough cough!” After hearing my evaluation of him, Adam fakes 2 cough, indicating me to stop talking about him. It looks he still have some self-awareness, he knows that nothing good comes out from talking about him.
“But, Uncle Bones, you said that everyone’s path is different. I don’t want to be like godfather. Everyone is obviously so busy and there is so many things he could do, but he chose to hide and slack around. Normally, he also lazes around, inciting criticisms from the people. I think that this is very embarrassing.”
Being said to be embarrassing by her goddaughter, Adam face immediately turns sorrowful. Little Red bends over, laughing loudly. Elisa nods her head and looks at me with a meaningful look that says ‘you are the same’.
Normally, I would pull down his reputation further without any hesitation. But this time, even if it gets my frustrated, I have to help to protect his image.
“Actually, there is also another important task for the City Lord to work on other than protecting everyone. It may be hard to rush to gain sufficient strength to protect everybody, but there is another thing which you can try work hard on now, and Adam is quite successful in that aspect.”
“What?”
“You are the head, so you have to point out the direction for everyone, so that everyone would have more confidence in tomorrow, giving them the motivation and hope to live their hardest every day. Even if you can’t find one, it is alright to make one up.”
“But, I don’t even know my own direction.”
“Then, you can try asking your subordinates what do they wish the future to be like. Combine all the dreams and expectations for the future of everyone and maybe, that is the direction where you should lead them towards.”
Hesitating for a moment, I felt that perhaps this is the moment for me to clarify some things. I started to talk about my own personal experiences.
“Giving an example, many years ago, there is a tyrant who decided to stop invading other countries. He started peace talks with the surrounding kingdoms. However, if he were to say this to those city lords and generals beneath him, there could only be one conclusion.”
“What conclusion?” Annie asks curiously.
“He would be overthrown. His hungry generals aren’t satisfied yet and the noble city lords beneath him aren’t content with the new territory and population they earned. They will overthrow the current king who is in their path and swiftly nominate new leader, continuing their invasion.
The one who answered Annie’s question is Adam. Looking at his leisurely look, it is apparent that he has been considering this question for more than a day or two.
Yes, back then, there are 7 Undead Lords who are just slightly weaker than me in the Yongye army. Even if there is a screw loose in their head and they agreed to stop the invasion, how can I explain this to the middle-tier and high-tier Undead Generals? When every single Undead General is anticipating the arrival of the Age of Undead, I don’t even have the confidence to convince my Four Heavenly Kings to make peace with the living. The only outcome for me then if I did so is the occurrence of a coup d’etat and getting overthrown.
“So, many times, the enthroned rulers are just the combined will of his people. The direction that he must point everyone towards is just the future which majority anticipates. So, you don’t have to overthink it and just try your best to listen.”
“Look, there might be a lot of freaks in our city, but everyone is living happily. Even those perverts who often get locked in the cell didn’t leave the city. If you like this city too, protect it well, allow it to operate just as it did. Isn’t that enough?”
Yes, just like I said, given the strength of Beifeng, Eaglestorm, Xueti and Beyar Brothers, they could go anywhere in this wide world. Who knows, they might even be able to become nobles in some other locations. However, they chose to stay in this city that is full of rules here and there. Despite messing around, they were willing to lower their pride and accept the punishments. This shows that there is something that they want here, something that other places won’t provide them.
My words were too broad, the female City Lord nods her head, confused.
“Try your best to think about it and build up using your effort bit by bit. Everyone walked the same path like that. Your Big Sister Elisa will help you.”
This time, Elisa spares me some face and just nods her head solemnly.
“Un, Annie will work hard.” There is still a bit of confusion in her eyes but from the look of her clenched fist, it seems that she has regained her spirit.
?Congratulations, Epic mission The Revival of the Phoenix is 50% completed. Please try your best. When the mission is completed, there will be a special reward depending on how the situation turns out.?
The system also brushes up its existence at this time. However, the tangible rewards bring me the motivation to work hard.
Before we even reach our destination, the earth starts to shake and split open. Even more so, the volcanoes far way starts erupting and the sky is full of ominous red clouds. Something is obviously wrong.
At the same time, with the God Sword that he borrowed from Annie, Adam slashes the rock wall while charging forward, splitting apart half of the hill.
Then, he raises his long sword, making the standard pose of a Knight preparing to charge as he roars towards the hill.
“Who are you! Come out! Otherwise, I will cut you along with this hill.”
The lazy Adam is actually agitated. There isn’t any need to draw his sword to split the hill, so, Little Red and the rest had looks of incomprehension on their face. But, I just frown in disdain. My Magic Eye has already told me the conclusion.
“Heh, isn’t it just cause you just lost face in front of your juniors, so you hope to salvage the situation by this? You will just end up crying.”
Following Adam’s furious roar, a bald Gnome spy appears runs out from the back of the hill.
“City Lord, don’t cut, it’s me! ‘Observer’ number 4267. We are on the same side!”
“Just you?”
“Just me.”
“It’s enough, you don’t have to say anything. Looking at your thick eyebrows and large eyes, to think that a person with such honest face would actually be a revolutionary. You traitor, to think you lured us here to ambush us. I will kill you in the name of Sulfur Mountain City!”
“Pah!” This isn’t the sound of a gunshot. It’s just that I really can’t watch one and kicked the Adam who despite obviously knowing that he is wrong but persistently pushing on. This spy obviously has important intelligence. If we were to continue messing around, it might end up in a disaster.
Quickly flipping through the intelligence, even I was dumbfounded. Looks like there is an explanation for the earthquakes just now. A Demon Count won’t be easy to deal with.
I threw the information to Little Red. After reading it, she turns into her Dragon form without any hesitation.
Due to the existence of Dragon Knights in all kinds of knight novels, a large portion of giant Dragons actually dislike mortals riding on their back. However, at this moment, Little Red couldn’t care less.
“Come up, I will fly as fast as I can. We must make it in time to stop them! The opponent this time won’t be easy. You all better recharge your energy and prepare for the final battle!”
Alright, I will upload twice a week until the end of October. I’m going to be out for October so… Hopefully I would have an editor by then to correct my grammar and sentence structure 😛