Chapter 674: The Demon Dukes
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 674: The Demon Dukes
Deep within the Abyss.
The Sea of Extinction.
This was a black, dead sea.
Stagnant water, having flowed from the desolate lands across the Abyss over countless years with no outlet, gathered here, condensing into immeasurable levels of toxicity and death.
This was a forbidden zone for life. Even the Dark Crows, the most common creatures of the Abyss, dared not flap their wings to cross it. Only dense clusters of ghastly white corpses floated upon the surface, sketching a horrifying tableau.
Deathly silence and toxic mist shrouded the area; no living thing would dare set foot here.
But suddenly, the entire Sea of Extinction began to vibrate.
The poisonous miasma that had blanketed the sea for eons was instantly torn asunder. Raging waves tossed up countless skeletons, crashing against the shore composed of nothing but black, decaying stone.
Eight grotesque spires rose from the depths.
Constructed from an unknown material, these high towers possessed a metallic luster yet felt like giant bones. The base of each tower was cast from the stacked heads of countless creatures, while the sharp peaks were crowned with flickering clusters of ghostly green flames.
One of the flames suddenly flared.
The ghostly fire transformed into a hazy shadow, resembling the silhouette of a mountain—grand and majestic.
"Hmm? To think I would be the first to arrive."
"Heh, you’ve done nothing but eat and sleep lately, Demon Mountain. Naturally, you have the leisure for this."
A second flame flickered and then vanished, replaced by a mist-like phantom drifting upward.
"Extinction, do you wish to trade blows with me again?" The crimson pupils within the phantom narrowed as Grand Duke of Demon Mountain spoke coldly.
"Fight now? I’d like nothing more. Tsk, tsk. Given your current state, the title of 'Demon Mountain' might actually be struck from the Demon Race's records for a while," Grand Duke of Extinction sneered.
"If you hadn't intentionally held back when we faced the Lion King—allowing him to focus his attacks on me—how could I have been wounded to such an extent!"
"Hah, that was your own incompetence!"
"You..."
"Enough. Stop your bickering."
A third flame flickered. This time, the figure outlined by the light was tiny compared to the first two.
He was so small he looked like an ordinary human.
Yet, when he spoke in a calm tone, both Demon Mountain and Extinction fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
Both were suppressed by his sheer presence.
While there was no official ranking among the Demon Dukes—and several had spent ages in constant struggle and slaughter—even the most arrogant among them had to admit that one individual stood unshakable in both seniority and strength.
The most ancient of the Demon Race... Grand Duke Divine Will.
"Now that we have finally managed a semblance of unity and have a hope of walking out of this wasteland, do you two wish to shatter that hope and become the villains of the entire Demon Race?" Though he was also a phantom, his solemn expression seemed visible even across the vast distance.
"...I wouldn't dare," Demon Mountain rumbled.
"Forgive me, Elder," Grand Duke of Extinction’s attitude instantly turned respectful.
"It is well that you know your error. The Demon Race no longer has the capital to make mistakes. I hope you can temporarily set aside these pointless grudges."
Grand Duke Divine Will sighed softly.
As he sighed, four more ghostly flames transformed into various phantoms atop the spires.
Grand Duke of Demon Mountain.
Grand Duke of Extinction.
Grand Duke of Bewitchment.
Grand Duke of the Dark Abyss.
Grand Duke Rotting Iron.
Grand Duke of Collapse.
And him... Grand Duke Divine Will.
Seven of the current Demon Dukes were gathered here. Though it was only through a form of projection, the sight alone was enough to send tremors through the entire Demon Race.
"So... Ghost Blood is truly dead? I thought her Blood Sea Technique might allow her a chance to escape like a cicada shedding its skin. It seems she was careless after all."
Divine Will looked toward the final, empty spire and sighed again.
"I said before that trading with humans is fine, but going deep into the Empire is far too dangerous. I did not expect her to be so blinded by the hatred of the previous Grand Duke Ghost Blood's death that she would sneak into the Empire behind my back... Utterly foolish."
"It seems we must select a new Grand Duke Ghost Blood," Grand Duke Rotting Iron said, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Giggle, where can the Demon Race find another Crown Level expert nowadays?" Grand Duke of Bewitchment let out a charming, melodic laugh. She had always been at odds with the Ghost Blood lineage and was naturally delighted to see the name "Ghost Blood" swept into the dust of history.
"Perhaps Chi Nu Haza could do it. Though his strength is a bit lacking, his magical attainments..."
"Chi Nu Haza’s bloodline is flawed. He cannot withstand the baptism of the Ten Thousand Blood Transformation."
"Giggle, that is a dilemma. Perhaps I should trouble myself to take over their..."
"Enough."
Divine Will rebuked her. "Have you already forgotten what I just said? I did not summon you here to carve up the Ghost Blood clan's interests! Look at the bigger picture!"
Silence returned to the Sea of Extinction.
Divine Will looked at the phantoms of the Demon Dukes. He knew that while the Demon Race currently held the upper hand on the battlefield, these Dukes all harbored their own schemes. Getting them to truly pull in one direction was no easy feat.
Then again, if the entire Demon Race could be so easily united, why would they have been trapped in this Abyss for a thousand years?
The current temporary unity was only because...
"Let us speak of business," Divine Will said, his tone returning to calm. "Dark Abyss, is the intelligence you sent back accurate?"
"It is," Grand Duke of the Dark Abyss replied. "Not long ago, I indeed encountered the projection of an Evil God before Dolonslei Fortress. It took the form of a black sun. To be safe, I temporarily withdrew the army."
"A wise move. However..."
Divine Will pondered. "Why would the projection of an unknown Evil God suddenly appear on the battlefield between demons and humans? Was it drawn by the 'blood food' on the battlefield?"
"In such a case, it’s usually the Evil Believers who are drawn," Demon Mountain rumbled. "Those high and mighty deities look down on such carrion. If they could intercept the souls before death, perhaps they might descend as a projection, but the preparations required for that are immense. Even an Evil God couldn't accomplish all that without us noticing."
"I am not certain of the reason either, but what puzzles me more is how an Evil God whose very believer is a Crown Bearer could remain so obscure until now." Grand Duke of the Dark Abyss’s black robes billowed. "Forgive my lack of knowledge, but I can find no record of that deity's origin. It was as if He appeared out of thin air. Sometimes I even wonder if it was some trick played by someone skilled in such arts to deceive us."
"A black sun... It resembles that Sun, yet it is indeed different. And..."
Divine Will’s eyes narrowed slightly. "A Crown Bearer as a believer? Why would His believer actively reveal their presence to you when the Evil God's projection appeared? Don't you find that a bit too strange?"
"That... I do not know."
"It seems this matter is indeed shrouded in mystery."
Divine Will said coolly, "Regardless, the offensive against that fortress cannot stop. Resume the attack tomorrow."
"Will such an action not..."
"It doesn't matter. Ignore everything else and simply attack."
Divine Will interrupted Dark Abyss. "An Evil God cannot fully interfere with this world, especially this Abyss, which is even more remote to Them. Perhaps that projection was truly just passing through."
"Understood." Dark Abyss nodded. "I will mobilize the army again as quickly as possible."
"This time, you must break Dolonslei Fortress as soon as possible. Our time is running out."
Grand Duke Divine Will gave a few more instructions, then muttered in a voice only he could hear:
"As for the other possibility... Given what we are currently doing, it’s only natural to draw the gaze of an Evil God, isn't it?"
"Not just the siege. Everything must be accelerated."
...