Chapter 669: Entering the City
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 669: Entering the City
The massed, dark army of the Demon Race finally receded like a ebbing tide.
The entire battlefield grew empty, falling into an even deeper, deathly silence. Yet, the countless mangled corpses and severed limbs left behind, along with the blood that had pooled into rivers, bore silent witness to the carnage that had unfolded here.
Smoke drifted through the air as dark crows took flight. The demons had retreated in such haste that they hadn't even had time to collect their dead, leaving behind many pieces of siege weaponry.
Long after they had vanished, the Pitch-black Sun hanging in the sky—and the will residing within it—seemed to finally grow bored of the now-tranquil, tedious scene and vanished as well.
All things returned to peace.
It was only then that the Imperial soldiers on the city walls finally dared to poke their heads out, cautiously observing the outside world.
"The demon scum... they really retreated?"
"Looks like it."
"It’s not a trap, is it?"
"An army that massive can't just pull back on a whim. They ran so fast and so far, there's no way they can just turn around and pounce again immediately."
"It was that black sun just now that scared them off, wasn't it?"
"It seems... so."
Many soldiers, having just found a moment to breathe in the wake of the bloody battle, didn't even have time to rest before they looked up at the sky again with lingering fear.
The hazy sky was empty once more, but the Imperial soldiers remained just as shaken as the demons by the Pitch-black Sun that had hung in the heavens.
Though they couldn't sense the aura of an Evil God, the mere existence of a "black sun" was terrifying enough, especially for men accustomed to the normal sun.
"Was it some trick by those demon bastards?"
"Unlikely. Who plays a trick that scares off their own people?"
"Then... does that mean there really is something..." One soldier couldn't help but shudder.
"What are you all muttering about?!"
Suddenly, a roar cut through the soldiers' whispers.
A knight clad in blood-stained armor, still clutching the severed head of a demon in his hand, stepped forward. His fierce gaze swept over the soldiers who had relaxed their guard on this section of the wall.
His thick eyebrows were arched high, looking like heavy blades poised to strike.
"Vi... Viscount Donnik." These elite soldiers, who hadn't flinched before the Demon Race, trembled under the knight's gaze.
"Are you all that idle? If you have time for idle gossip, why aren't you out there clearing the battlefield?"
Donnik roared in fury, "There are two gaping holes smashed into the western walls! Get moving and transport stone to repair them! Who knows when the demons might pounce again? If the walls aren't fixed by then, I'll use your own damn flesh to fill the gaps!"
"Yes... Yes, sir!"
The soldiers responded loudly, then hurriedly dragged their exhausted bodies away to continue the post-battle labor.
As Donnik watched their staggering figures, the fire in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness.
He knew he was pushing these soldiers too hard. He knew they were all running on fumes, their minds and bodies pushed to the very brink of collapse.
But there was no other way.
The Duke was heavily wounded, and the demon offensive was relentless. Everyone in Dolonslei Fortress was hanging on by a thread. At a time like this, it was a battle of sheer will and endurance—a question of who would break first in this bloody meat grinder.
If they let that tension snap for even a moment, it would truly be the end.
"I wonder when the Empire's reinforcements will finally arrive. We can't hold out much longer at this rate."
Donnik shook his head and tossed the head of the high-class demon aside with a look of disgust.
This had been a Demon General, a powerful foe and the leader of the demon vanguard. Yet, Donnik didn't even have the heart to claim credit for the kill.
He knew clearly that if they couldn't hold this fortress, no amount of merit would matter; it would all be buried in the dirt with him.
Just like the countless Imperial soldiers who had perished on this defense line over the centuries.
"Report!"
One of Donnik's personal guards suddenly approached.
"What is it?"
"Someone is at the gate, calling to be let in."
"What? Calling at the gate?"
Donnik turned his head with a bizarre expression, wondering if his guard had taken a blow to the head during the fight.
"Are you joking? Do you not know what the situation is? A million demons just retreated. Who would be calling at the gate? One of the corpses down there that isn't even in one piece?"
"But..."
The guard looked aggrieved. "Someone really is calling at the gate."
"Nonsense! Believe it or not, I'll have you charged with filing a false report! If there's actually someone down there calling to be let in, I'll eat that demon's head right here on the spot—"
Donnik leaned his head over the battlements to look down, mid-sentence.
He was prepared to give this idiot guard a swift kick to the backside the moment he saw there was no living soul down there, just so the man would learn to use his brain in the future.
But to his surprise...
"There really is someone goddamn calling at the gate?" Donnik was stunned.
The walls of Dolonslei Fortress were over a hundred meters high. From that height, the people in front of the gate looked no larger than ants. However, with Donnik's eyesight, he could clearly see several figures standing there.
"Damn, it couldn't be the corpses coming back to life, could it? Is there any Holy Water left from the Church? Someone go pour a few bottles down there!" Even the usually hot-tempered Donnik couldn't help but shrink back slightly.
"That... well, the person calling claims to be the Duke's son, Muen Campbell."
"So what if it's Muen Campbell? If Muen Campbell's corpse is walking, do we not pour Holy Water on it? Forget Muen Campbell—even if it were his old man, Lorne Campbell, at a time like this, we'd still have to... Wait, what did you say?"
Donnik whipped his head around, his eyes bulging like copper bells.
"Who did you say it was?"
"The visitor claims to be the Duke's son, Muen Campbell. Oh, and he sent this up."
The guard handed over a badge.
Donnik silently took the badge, which was engraved with the emblem of the Dragon-Slaying Sword.
After scrutinizing it for a long time, he suddenly slapped his guard's helmet.
"You idiot! Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
"But sir, you—"
"Shut up! Quick... quickly, take me down to welcome him!"
*
Outside the city gate.
Abel looked up at the familiar, towering walls, feeling an inexplicable sense of trepidation.
Since the start of that strange phenomenon, he had experienced too much, and it had all been too miraculous. Even now, he worried it might all be a dream.
Perhaps there was no Young Master Muen Campbell coming to reinforce the Abyss. Perhaps when the gates opened, all they would see were the ruins left behind by the demons...
"Are you alright?"
The golden-haired man suddenly turned around, offering Abel a smile.
"I'm... I'm fine!"
Under that smile, which felt like warm sunshine, Abel's heart immediately settled. Those unrealistic fears dissipated at the sound of that very real voice.
There were no "perhaps" about it. The Young Master Muen Campbell who would bring hope to everyone was standing right here, wasn't he?
"Good. Get ready. We're entering the city."
"Understood!"
Everyone held their breath solemnly, waiting for the gates to open.
Muen, having just turned back around, heard the Indra King's voice transmission in his ear.
"Are you alright?"
"What?"
"Can you still stand?"
The Indra King looked at Muen's perfectly straight back.
Unlike Abel and the others, he could tell at a glance how weak Muen was right now.
Manifesting a Pitch-black Sun capable of terrifying a Demon Grand Duke was no simple parlor trick.
Maintaining that sun had been enough to drain his spiritual power completely.
"Ha, I thought you were going to say something else."
Muen adjusted his collar nonchalantly, the smile on his face becoming even more flawless.
"Don't worry. At a time like this, I won't fall."
"Is that so."
The Indra King closed his eyes and said no more.
Creeeeeak—
A piercing sound rang out, like two pieces of scrap metal grinding together.
Having been through too many battles, the gaps in the gates and gears had long been filled with a mixture of blood and bone. The soldiers had to put in a great deal of effort to clear the nauseating debris before they could finally raise the massive portcullis via the mechanism.
The first thing that met Muen's eyes was a squad of elite soldiers with iron discipline. Even after days of continuous combat, their backs were straight and their spears sharp.
In the center of the squad stood a burly man with a thick beard, a full head taller than the soldiers around him. Just looking at his weathered face, one could feel a ferocity that rivaled any demon's.
"Hello. I remember... you are Viscount Donnik, aren't you? One of my father's deputies." Muen spoke first.
It wasn't just from intelligence reports; Muen had memories of this Viscount as well. As Duke Campbell's deputy, he had visited the Duke's estate many times.
Muen remembered his father describing him: brave in battle, powerful, and highly decorated... Had it not been for the suppression by the noble factions, he would have likely been promoted long ago.
His only flaw was that his head worked, but not quite right... Muen hadn't quite understood the meaning of that contradictory statement back then.
"Hold on."
Faced with Muen's polite greeting, Donnik remained cold and aloof. He looked Muen up and down, his voice icy.
"You're Young Master Muen?"
"Yes, I am Muen Campbell. Viscount Donnik should recognize me."
"Don't try to get cozy with me!"
Donnik's eyes bulged as he barked, "I'm asking you why you're approaching from the front. You aren't some demon in disguise, are you?"
"I jumped directly down from the top of the Abyss to take a shortcut. There's spatial turbulence above the Abyss, so it's hard to control one's landing position. You should know that, Viscount Donnik. Besides, I have the Campbell family badge..."
"Then it's possible Young Master Muen was killed and a demon took that thing to impersonate him!"
"..."
Muen was silent for a moment before asking, "How does Viscount Donnik suggest I prove myself?"
"Simple."
Donnik adopted a businesslike manner and pulled out a smooth crystal ball.
"Demon mana is different from human mana; it's tainted with impurities from the Abyss. You need to channel your mana into this to prove who you are. And I'm warning you, don't try any tricks. No trick can escape my keen eyes!"
Donnik widened his copper-bell eyes again, his thick eyebrows arching high.
"...Fine."
After a pause, Muen took the crystal ball under Donnik's intense scrutiny. He forced a sliver of mana from his depleted circuits and channeled it inside.
Soon, the crystal lit up with a brilliant glow. The light was pure, like moonlight, signifying that the mana within Muen's body was equally pristine.
Of course, for a magical genius who only ever used the Illumination Spell, the mana in his body was untainted by other elements. It was naturally as pure as it could possibly be.
"Viscount Donnik, you see..."
"Oh my, isn't this Young Master Muen?!"
Donnik suddenly lunged forward with enthusiasm. He grabbed Muen's "delicate hand" with his own blood-stained paw and gave it a violent shake.
"What's with this 'Viscount' business? Call me Uncle! Your uncle here watched you grow up! I even held you when you were a babe. Look at you, two years apart and you've grown so distant."
Donnik's smile was radiant, his manner intimate and almost fawning. His sincerity was palpable, but those twitching, bushy eyebrows made it hard to feel truly touched.
"..."
"Oh, don't be angry. Your uncle was just following procedure. These are special times, after all."
"..."
Muen's cheek twitched. After a long silence, he managed to squeeze out the word: "Uncle."
"Uncle... Donnik, uh, why don't you take a look at the person behind me? Do you recognize him?"
"The person behind you?"
Hearing this, Donnik tilted his head and finally noticed the Indra King following Muen.
"Huh... now that you mention it, this guy does look pretty familiar. Have I seen him somewhere?"
"Greetings."
The Indra King pressed his palms together. "I am the Indra King."
"Oh, the Indra King... that famous Crown Bearer. I know him, I know him. After all, as a martial artist who's only half a step away from that realm, I have to know my seniors..."
Donnik suddenly froze, his copper-bell eyes bulging once more.
"The Indra King?!"
"Indeed."
The Indra King nodded. "While I may not be a top-tier powerhouse, I am capable of escorting Young Master Muen to the Abyss and ensuring he isn't swapped out by demons. After all, among the eight... no, the seven remaining Demon Grand Dukes, none of them should be my match in a one-on-one fight, except for those two old fossils ranked at the top."
"..."
"So, Uncle, the fact that the Indra King came with me is a secret for now, but I did clear it with Celicia before I left. With your rank, you should have been informed, right?" Muen said.
"Ha... haha, I must have forgotten." Donnik scratched his head, laughing sheepishly.
"..."
Muen couldn't help but pat Donnik on the shoulder.
At this moment, he finally understood what his father meant when he said Viscount Donnik's "head works, but not quite right."
*
After that minor interlude, Muen finally stepped through the city gates under Donnik's lead.
Before him was a massive excavated pit used to separate the first and second walls. The majestic fortress, which was built directly into the silver cliffside, now stood clearly in his sight without any obstruction.
A heavy atmosphere pressed in on him, thick with the scent of blood, smoke, and the stench of rotting flesh.
Muen took a deep breath, carefully absorbing the essence of blood and fire contained within.
Days of traveling day and night, crossing half the Empire, and the gamble of leaping directly into the terrifying Abyss...
Finally, he had arrived within this fortress—the place his father, and generations of Campbells before him, had defended with their very lives.