Chapter Forty-Seven

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on here?" Dedeline's expression was a little stiff. Although she had expected this to be troublesome, she hadn't expected it to look so strange from the very beginning.

However, after seeing so many strange and unusual things, one becomes accustomed to them.

She just said that, and then went inside with the little spider.

The door slowly closed, and the three people were immersed in darkness in the pitch-black room.

Lori suddenly began chanting some strange syllables. Deedley listened to the seemingly singing syllables and frowned as she looked at the child in front of her.

This child is strange. These are all things related to the demonic path, but I can't see any magic in her at all. She seems to have no affinity for that kind of thing.

But as she chanted, Deedri sensed a change in the entire space.

It was as if the ghosts in the underworld heard her voice and echoed it.

A few minutes later, Lori walked past her and pushed open the same door again.

Dedeline turned her head to look back at the place she had returned from, feeling a chill run down her spine.

The ground was covered in red blood, and crows' eyes were rolling on the ground.

She felt a mix of nausea and excitement. The former was a normal physiological reaction, while the latter was the excitement stemming from the acute sense of crisis she felt as a mercenary.

The red sky was not quiet; the cawing of crows and other noises could be easily heard.

......

It really hurts.

A crimson light flashed across the blade of the scythe, and blood pulsated in the air.

Almost simultaneously, a golden light erupted, and pain spread throughout its body. But Twelve endured it. At this moment, the distance between it and Karl was pushed to the limit, and both of their fists swung at the same time—weapons bestowed upon humanity by heaven for combat.

Twelve could feel the pain of her bones breaking and her muscles being torn apart, feeling that pain so clearly.

The feeling was unbearable; the pain made her whole body numb and tremble. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Karl, who had also been knocked away. That guy definitely wasn't having an easy time! He was probably in even more pain than she was.

Twelve thought fiercely, he looked truly terrifying now, because the shadow had already merged into his core.

He was far more suited to being possessed than the previous one; after all, he was a pathetic monster with a magic core embedded in his body. This was an excellent way to channel magic power, allowing him to feel power surging throughout his body.

Accompanied by pain, he could hardly bear the magic coursing through his body. He felt agony, a pain throughout his body like worms gnawing at his bones.

Even his head felt like it was about to split open. Twelve stopped thinking and let his body be controlled by instinct. He had to decide his fate with this arrogant, lucky man in front of him.

Why? He didn't know either. Just a short while ago, he was still on the human side, making a living by hunting monsters.

But now he has so naturally stood on the opposite side of humanity, without even bothering to think properly about why he has to do these things.

Perhaps it was out of jealousy; he was jealous of those lucky ordinary people. He had already given his all just to survive, yet he was still killed by them. And no one would even remember him.

Twelve brandished the scythe in his hand, a seemingly sturdy object riddled with cracks. This creature's entire body appeared even harder than his scythe; it was utterly incomprehensible how such hardness could be maintained while retaining a human form.

This time, the two sides were pushed back a sufficient distance, each standing in the ruins, watching the other adjust their state.

Neither side is in a rush to attack, because neither side is in good form, yet neither is in bad form. Rushing in would give the defending side a clear advantage and might even turn into a suicidal move.

Twelve slowly unfurled the black bone wings behind her, and the scythe seemed to come alive, wriggling and repairing itself. Metal began to spread across the ground.

It can guide these things into the substance and form it desires; theoretically, it could instantly erect a fortress from the ground. However, it clearly lacks that level of skill at the moment and can only turn the fragments into projectiles that can be launched.

Karl on the other side was far less formidable than he appeared. He simply wiped the wound on his face with the back of his hand; he was the best doctor himself, and such a wound could heal in an instant.

"I wonder how much holy power you still have left, High Priest?" Twelve said with a strange smile, opening his palm to reveal a black spear in his hand. "To be honest, you should have noticed how strange this place is. Can your holy power still be restored?"

Carl frowned; his words had hit the nail on the head regarding the current predicament.

Indeed, he can store a large amount of holy magic power in his body, but it is far from being exhausted.

However, he had no idea how much magic this guy had in reserve, and if things dragged on, it was hard to say what the outcome would be.

If he had his own weapons, the battle would probably have been over by now. But he didn't bring any of those, so he's in a very passive position. Without any sacred artifacts to enhance him, he has no sustained combat power or burst damage.

After all, he was still a priest, not a paladin or an ascetic. The fact that he had managed to fight this far was astonishing in itself.

The reason he followed was because Ark had happened to run into that guy outside when he came out today.

This guy caught Carl's attention, so he followed it all the way here.

He genuinely didn't know such a place existed in this city; he'd never heard of it, much less seen it. He still had no idea what this place was.

Even if this space was indeed created by a demon, by definition, it already reaches the level of a demon lord...

Although demon lords do exist in the world, they haven't committed any atrocities; instead, they've reached some kind of agreement with humanity. He didn't know the specifics, as that was something only the participants in the Central Church had the right to know.

Could there be an unrecorded demon king in this city? Karl's mind became more and more agitated as he thought about it, but he quickly calmed himself down.

The Demon King is too far-fetched; he's probably just a Demon Lord or a Grand Demon Lord at most.

This is the church's classification of monsters, limited to demonic spirits. The demon hunters' classification is sufficient for ordinary monsters; their maximum potential is to become a calamity after level five. However, demonic spirits directly blessed by ancient demon gods don't have such a low potential; they can become even stronger.

From bottom to top, it would be roughly the first Demon Spirit, then the Demon General, and then the Demon Lord.

There is a branch of the Demon Lord who, without inheriting the power of a demon, still manages to reach that zero point.

Then he would become the Demon Grand Duke, which is the top category in this series.

However, if one inherits and is favored by a demon, one can become a Demon King. As the name suggests, this is far more powerful than a Demon Grand Duke. Basically, just by appearing, one can attract a large crowd, forming a gathering place dominated by demons in the chaotic region.

For example, the most typical case is the largest known gathering place of monsters—the Land of the Dead. It is a stronghold formed with a Demon King as its core. Some even speculate that there may be more than one Demon King in this gathering place.

Of course... this place exists because the Demon King compromised with the council of the Central Church. He won't harm humans first unless they invade. Furthermore, he'll help eliminate those mindless monsters that only know destruction.

As an aside, some individuals who receive the favor of demons without having cultivated to a sufficient level are called Demon Kings. These individuals can become Demon Kings once their abilities break through that threshold.

As for "demon people," it's practically a disguised term for the Demon Lord race. Demon Lords might not be demon people, but demon people will definitely be Demon Lords. These beings, destined to become Demon Lords, naturally wouldn't let the Church watch them grow up; otherwise, the city wouldn't have descended into such chaos.

Could this guy be a Demon King? Karl looked at the twelve figures before him. It didn't seem likely. Although this guy was strong, according to the classification, he could only be categorized as a Demon General, or at most a Demon Lord. After all, even without his equipment, Karl had only managed a draw with him; clearly, a Demon King wasn't that weak.

But this space is truly bizarre; Karl still hasn't figured out how to leave. It doesn't seem to have been created in the first place; if the original space were a main road, this would be a corner. Stepping inside reveals an inexplicable space.

Should we run away? If we continue to drag this out, we might put ourselves in danger.

The thought flashed through Karl's mind for a moment, then was instantly dismissed.

Obviously not, because he has scapegoats and Lady behind him. Although these two might not care whether he lives or dies, according to the church's rules, Karl has the responsibility and obligation to protect humanity.

“Say something, don’t be so stingy with your threats.” Twelve twirled the scythe in his hand, then hoisted it onto his back: “Now you stand on the side of justice, and I am the sinner. Oh, judge, a just person judging a sinner should say something, not remain silent.”

"Are you a sinner?" Karl suddenly asked. "Just a short while ago, you were on the city walls helping us fight against the monster tide in order to protect the people of this city."

"Yes, but I was still killed by you." Twelve revealed a ferocious smile: "You really went to a lot of trouble. Was it so shameful for you to let me die at the hands of that monster? If I had died then, at least I could have lived up to the name of a hero. But you insisted on taking me back from that monster and putting me on trial again in front of everyone in the city, forcing me to die with the name of a sinner!"

“Both Ketchum and I believe Alpha was wrong in this matter. I feel very sorry.”

To Twelve's surprise, Karl actually bowed slightly to it to express his apology.

"Ha, is this kind of apology useful?" Twelve laughed again, shaking its head with a ferocious and terrifying expression.

“I’m not clean anymore. I’ll tell you the truth, I’ve killed someone almost every day this week. God won’t forgive me, I’m not pure anymore, I’m fucking impure!”

Large cracks appeared in the ground as Karl's uppercut struck the side of the scythe, knocking it away while his shoulder strike and knee strike collided. Another booming sound followed, which had barely subsided before it rang out again.

The excessive clash of holy magic and magical power had distorted the surrounding environment, with fragments of the earth flying everywhere. Amidst the intense attacks, the abandoned pawn huddled with Lady in a relatively safe corner.

This scene would be unforgettable for anyone who witnessed it, as everyone knows that high-ranking clergy are very powerful. However, the extent of their power has never been definitively defined. It is estimated that only those who have personally seen even priests classified as not skilled in combat face off against such ferocious monsters without any weapons can truly understand how arrogant and presumptuous it is to believe that one can compensate for divine gifts through hard work and talent.

"This is a bit much." Dedeline slowly drew her weapon from its sheath and stared blankly at the chaotic scene before her.

Even in this location, metal fragments still hurtle through the air every moment. Chrison used spiderwebs for simple protection, and the metal fragments clanged against them with a series of loud clattering sounds.

Lori squatted on the ground, looking at the scene in front of her, and seemed to be trembling slightly.

The child was terrified; she didn't know why things had turned out this way. She also didn't know what would happen to Karl in the end; the sight of such a rare occurrence had filled her with fear.

Twelve suddenly stopped moving, abandoning its original trajectory and rolling on the ground to avoid it.

Suddenly, a gap was smashed into the spot where they were standing because a chain had fallen there.

If it hadn't dodged, it would have likely collided directly with the chain.

Carl and Twelve both turned to look at the girl who had appeared there at some point. She seemed to have been there all along.

Twelve turned his head and looked at the guy standing behind him.

Like himself, he was a fellow who used a sickle. The man stood there, hunched over, supporting himself with his sickle, while crows rose and fell around him.

"Is the guy he was talking about dealing with you guys?" Twelve took a deep breath to calm his heartbeat: "I really shouldn't have been thinking about instantly killing a high-ranking priest here."

Dark and Gray joined the battle at the same time, and Ark finally couldn't persuade the two cats anymore. They didn't intend to watch the ending, but planned to end the fight on their own.