Chapter 247 The Last Struggle

In the eerie and dark dungeon, Doc slowly woke up in the dead silence.

As a goblin, he is much stronger and smarter than other goblins.

Because of this, he was chosen by his superiors to join the Red Flame Legion's artillery unit and became a glorious artilleryman. Since then, he not only used new equipment that made other goblins jealous, but also had two more chicken legs for lunch than other goblins.

However, the good times did not last long.

After training for a month, he had just stepped onto the battlefield when he experienced the most tragic defeat in his life.

to be honest.

Even though a long time had passed, he still felt that the loss in that battle was extremely unfair.

A day ago, they were still bombarding the humans in Port Saldo with magic crystal cannons, watching those damn two-legged creatures running around with broken heads and bleeding... In just one day, flapping griffins were riding on their faces.

If the humans hadn't wanted to get the secret recipe of the magic crystal cannon from them, I'm afraid they wouldn't have left any of them alive. After all, too many people died that night, and most of them were civilians.

Doc's head was dizzy, his hands were bound by heavy shackles, the cold metal pressed against his thin wrists, bringing a hellish chill.

He swallowed instinctively and tried to figure out his situation from his surroundings.

"Is this... the prison in Port Saldo?"

The interrogation room was eerily dark, and the walls were branded with magical patterns that seemed to absorb light, giving the entire space a sense of being swallowed up.

The humid air carried the smell of metal and sulfur. There were faint flickering lights in the distance, but they could not illuminate any corner here.

This was different from his previous cell.

Could it be that the defenders of Saldo Port sold him to Xuebang? Just as Doc was worried, a low and cold voice suddenly sounded in the darkness.

"woke up?"

Doc's breathing hitched and he looked up suddenly, only to see a mysterious cloaked figure standing in the darkness ahead of him.

Due to the hood, he couldn't see the guy's face clearly, but he could still feel a hint of invisible majesty from the shadow under the hood -

The majesty even surpassed the oppressive feeling brought to him by the griffin, causing him to tremble involuntarily.

"What happened to you in Port Saldo?"

Doc shuddered instinctively.

He had heard this question countless times, and he repeated the same answer every time, but this time... he felt an inexplicable fear in his heart.

"I, I've said this many times!" Doc's voice trembled, and he stared at the figure standing in the darkness in fear. "I'm from the artillery unit, I'm just a loader! Doc, Doc didn't kill anyone! Really!"

"And then?" The eyes in the darkness stared at him, like a dragon playing with its prey, and the invisible pupils spread the terror that penetrated deep into the bone marrow. "I need to know the details, especially... how you were captured."

Doc tried hard to search the corners of his memory, recalling the scene of that day, and his voice became more and more urgent.

"I was... reloading my gun and preparing for the next volley! But just a second before I put the magic crystal into the barrel, suddenly... a darkness enveloped the entire position!"

His body trembled slightly. "Everyone can't see anything, and the magic circle is completely ineffective! We thought it was holy light magic, but... no, that darkness doesn't feel like holy light..."

"What do you feel?"

"It's very cold..." Doc couldn't help but shiver and answered tremblingly, "It's the coldness from the depths of my soul... It's like it's freezing my soul..."

He took a deep breath, recalled the chilling feeling, and continued in an affirmative tone.

"That's necromancy! I'm sure..."

The mysterious man didn't speak, and the silence made the air even colder.

Doc's panic grew, and his throat went dry.

"By the time I came to my senses... the Griffin Knights had already rushed to our position! We were completely unprepared..."

"Then, I was captured, along with other captives, and was grabbed by the griffin's claws and thrown into the human camp... Really, that's all I know! You have asked me many times, and I don't know why the defensive magic circle failed. You should ask our General Sebes. Maybe it was never set up from the beginning. As for the undead magic... Maybe the magician in the rear threw it at the wrong target? Please, spare me!"

The mysterious man still did not respond.

The room was silent. The candlelight flickered slightly, illuminating Doc's figure trembling with fear.

Until this moment, he still thought he was in the dungeon of Port Saldo, not knowing that he had already been transferred back to hell.

Moreover, it was the devil's city that he could only look at from afar and not dare to dream of setting foot in, the very center of hell's power.

…

Outside the interrogation room, the lights were dim and the magic crystal was emitting a faint glow.

Through a translucent magic crystal wall, one can clearly see everything in the room, and the person standing in the observation area is none other than the Demon King Luo Yan.

He took off his hood, revealing his calm and elegant face, and quietly watched Doc's reaction in the interrogation room.

Beside him, the judges from the Ministry of Truth were watching with thoughtful expressions on their faces.

Not far from the crowd, a floating magic crystal ball projected an image. That was – the complete video of the transaction in Port Saldo.

The video recorded in detail how Luo Yan's servant, a human named Lumir, sneaked into the port of Sardo with his zombie subordinates and bought the captured goblin artillerymen from a drunken human alcoholic.

That’s not all.

The video also included testimonies from the human side. Almost everyone in the tavern believed that the battle was not only due to the weather and General Hamelton's superb military tactics, but more because it was the help of the gods.

This image was sent back to the Demon City through the teleportation array of the Demon King Management Bureau. The entire image is intact, and it can be verified that there are no modified parts.

Earlier, Lumire's identity had been reported at the Demon King's report meeting as one of the achievements of "corrupting the Principality of Campbell", and the entire chain of evidence can be said to be complete.

The faces of some judges gradually became ugly, while others stared at the crystal ball with unfathomable eyes, trying to see more details from the gauze-like mist.

"There is no doubt... General Cebes betrayed the Demon God."

"The only uncertainty is whether he made a deal with a human officer or sold his soul to a false god of mankind."

"I think there is no difference, it's just betrayal! He has let down the extraordinary power bestowed on him by the Demon God! We should capture him immediately and crush his soul!" A judge who was born as a demon gnashed his teeth in hatred and let out an angry low growl in his throat.

As their leader, the senior judge in a dark red robe stood quietly, as if thinking about something.

After a moment, he spoke.

"From Doc's confession and Lumire's video, there is no doubt that General Cebes is a major traitor. Next, we just need to find traces of the curse on this goblin, and the truth should be revealed."

Luo Yan nodded gently: "That's right."

Any magic will leave traces, and the experts from the Ministry of Truth have ten thousand ways to squeeze every secret out of this goblin's body.

They are experts in their field.

The Minister of Religion in charge of the Ministry of Truth, Gorigo Soran, is a demigod lich who is as powerful as Principal Allen. The long years have endowed him with unparalleled knowledge.

The senior judge paused for a moment and continued speaking slowly.

"This can prove part of your accusation. However, the fact that General Cebes was once a subordinate of Zakro Dragun is not enough to prove that the Dragun family is also involved. After all, Zakro has been retired for a long time. As early as a century ago, he passed the position of head of the family to Reggie Dragun."

Luo Yan chuckled, his expression calm and confident: "Zakro has not handed over the power in his hands. He has been controlling everything behind the scenes. This is no secret in the upper class of the Magic City, and General Saibes was instructed by him."

He actually learned this information at Mia's birthday party.

That’s not all.

He also knew that he had verified a guess that he had made a long time ago -

There is no demon named "Demon God Bayeli" giving orders in hell. Instead, it is a group of families who are half-believing and half-doubting the demon god, and they rule the majority of demons who truly believe in the demon god in the name of the demon god.

They fight and cooperate with each other, sometimes their interests coincide and sometimes they conflict. In this dynamic balance, they make their own decisions, which are ultimately reflected in the grand hell level and manifested as the will of the demon god Bayeli.

As for the cabinet, parliament, and departments... they are just tools of rule.

They have explicit rules.

There are also those below the water surface.

In other words——

For a patrol agency like the Ministry of Truth, it is impossible for them to be absolutely impartial when it comes to core rights.

Only relative.

"Do you have evidence?" The senior judge's eyes moved slightly, and the look in his pupils was unpredictable.

He seemed to be testing, but his testing was not too obvious.

Luo Yan put away his smile, his expression still calm: "Yes, but I need some time."

When he said this, he paused slightly and looked at the senior judge in front of him.

"Before I gather the evidence, I hope you will hold your ground and not alert General Sebes for the time being."

The judge in the dark red robe hesitated for a moment and finally nodded: "Okay, but don't make us wait too long."

A smile appeared on Luo Yan's face.

"Thank you for your understanding."

The senior judge didn't say anything, but just cast his gaze towards the crystal ball not far away.

That was a video shot by Lumiel, the servant of the devil.

At this time, he suddenly asked again.

"You only brought one of the two captives that appeared in the crystal ball... where is the other one?"

Luo Yan smiled slightly and said calmly: "In Black Wind Castle."

The judge frowned slightly: "Why did you separate them?"

Luo Yan raised a meaningful smile at the corner of his mouth: "I don't like putting all my eggs in one basket, how about this reason?"

After hearing this, the senior judge stared at Luo Yan for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"understand."

…

As night fell, red magma roiled in the darkness, illuminating the eerie outline of Dragon Manor.

The atmosphere in the manor's meeting room was depressing and solemn.

Kamu Dragun sat at the round table, holding a secret letter tightly in both hands. The flickering candlelight illuminated his ashen face, and his pale knuckles revealed his inner shock and anger.

“…I didn’t expect this demon king to be so cunning!”

His voice was low and his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

The secret letter was secretly sent by the Dragun family's spy in the Ministry of Truth.

According to the spy, the demon king's human servants sneaked into Sardo Port and brought the captives back to the Demon City from the teleportation array in the suburbs of Sardo Port! To be honest, if Elder Zakro hadn't personally handed him the letter, he wouldn't have believed it! The labyrinth of Thunder County is separated from Sardo Port by a whirlpool sea and a vast ocean. Even if the demon king has developed human servants on the surface, he wouldn't have reached so far, right? !

Kamu never expected that the Demon King, who had been on the passive defensive since a month ago, not only silently turned his painstakingly concocted conspiracy into a stepping stone, but also suddenly stabbed him in the back where he least expected.

A drop of cold sweat unconsciously slid down Kamu's forehead.

This opponent might be more difficult to deal with than he imagined...

Unconsciously, a thought of retreating began to arise in his heart.

After all, is it necessary for the Dragun family to continue fighting him to the death? Counting from the stupid duel last year, they have almost fallen three times in a row.

Some people who originally supported the Dragun family also began to become fence-sitters, or simply chose not to help either side out of consideration for the relationship.

Kamu suddenly remembered that his younger brother Shino Dragun actually had a good relationship with that guy.

That guy is not a petty person who would kill everyone if he disagreed with someone. In this case, if he shook hands and made peace now, he would have a chance to surrender and lose half of his money.

Sitting next to Kamu, Elder Zakro had his eyes slightly closed, like a stone statue that had experienced thousands of years of wind and frost. His bony fingers tapped the table lightly, one by one, as if he was thinking.

Perhaps he sensed the hesitation in his grandson's heart and knew he could not wait any longer.

Opening his cloudy pupils, he spoke slowly.

"General Cebes, I'm afraid we can't save him."

His voice was very soft, but it instantly cooled the hot room down by a few degrees.

Kamu's pupils contracted slightly and he looked at his grandfather in shock.

General Saibes, who led the Red Flame Army, was also a famous general. He had expanded countless territories for Hell and made great military achievements! But this was not the most important thing. The most important thing was that he was once his grandfather's old subordinate and still had a close relationship with the Dragun family.

But now, Zakro's tone was so decisive, and he didn't even frown! Feeling the bone-chilling cold, Kamu couldn't help swallowing his saliva, his brows furrowed.

Even by the standards of a demon, this guy is too cold and indifferent...

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Zakro looked at his grandson meaningfully and spoke earnestly.

"Kamu, my grandson, this is hell. Soft-hearted demons will only become sacrifices to other demons. You must remember this. If one day you become a demon god, you must do the same. Anyone who threatens your authority must be eliminated without hesitation. Remember, everything is for the Dragun family..."

A drop of cold sweat slid down his cheek. Kamu held his breath for a long time and slowly lowered his head.

"Been taught a lesson……"

Looking at Kamu who lowered his head guiltily, Zakro nodded with satisfaction.

"One failure is not terrible, my child, you have to be more patient. Although Luo Yan has some evidence, it does not mean that we have lost."

"Hell is not human society. We follow rules, but we don't just follow rules. If he thinks he can beat us with a 500-year-old foundation by being clever, then he is too naive."

As he said this, a raging fire burned in those cloudy pupils, emitting an all-consuming madness that made Kamu, who was staring at it, no longer dare to have any inappropriate thoughts.

Kamu took a deep breath and looked at the elder seriously.

"We...what should we do next?"

Not only does he need to seek Zakro's wisdom, he also needs more cards.

Zakro's fingers slid slowly over the carved armrests of the chair, a subtle smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his sharp eyes were like a sharp knife.

"It's simple. He wants to arm wrestle with us on the table, so we just overturn the table... Don't worry, I have prepared the next move for you."

Kamu looked at him in surprise and astonishment.

Are you ready?

When? Zakro did not explain, but just patted his skinny palms lightly.

"Night song."

Under the stone pillars of the council hall, a gargoyle with wings and fangs walked out from the shadows, its deep and dark eyes carrying a hint of cunning and cruelty.

He nodded slightly, like an elegant gentleman.

"Lord Zakro, what can I do for you?"

Zakro thought for a moment and spoke slowly.

"Go to Black Wind Castle, find Grok, and give him a message. Just say... the opportunity for advancement is right in front of him. Let's see if he can seize it."

"Yes." Ye Ge accepted the order respectfully and retreated back into the darkness.

Kamu looked at his grandfather in surprise.

"Grok? The goblin from the Sawtooth Merchant Guild?"

Zakro said slowly.

"That's right."

Kamu's brow twitched, thinking that his grandfather was joking, and couldn't help but speak.

"What good can a goblin do..."

Zakro gave him a meaningful look.

"Don't underestimate the goblins. Where do you think the demons get their power? Isn't it the fantasy of these guys who have nothing that they can be omnipotent? Even our power is a share of the fantasy of those low-level demons. It is true that they live a mediocre life most of the time, but at certain times, they can also become a force that can destroy everything."

It's not magic though.

But it is also a kind of extraordinary power in another sense.

Looking at Kamu who was lost in thought, Zakro curled up a smile and closed his eyes leisurely.

"...We have been preparing this chess piece for a long time. It is time to make it play a role."

…

Black Wind Castle, the headquarters of the Sawtooth Chamber of Commerce.

As night fell, Grok Sawtooth's room was the only room in the entire three-story building that still had its lights on.

Looking at the huge magic crystal lamp gradually going out outside the window, Grok's face was heavy, and he put his hands behind his back as if he was thinking about something.

Suddenly, a breeze blew behind him.

Sensing the movement behind him, Grok's slender ears moved slightly and he quickly turned around, only to see a demon with folded wings sitting on the sofa, fiddling with his tea set.

The visitor was none other than Zakro's servant Yege - a gargoyle with platinum-level strength.

Strictly speaking, he has followed Zakro longer than Reggie Dragun has lived, not to mention the current head of the family, Kamu.

It's pretty clear who this guy represents.

Although he was afraid of the power of the Dragun family, Grok couldn't help but complain in a low voice in annoyance.

"When did you come in?"

Ye Ge didn't even look at him, but just looked at the teacup in his hand and spoke lightly.

"I want to come in, and no one can stop me."

It’s okay as long as no one can stop it.

Grok's eyebrows twitched and he chuckled.

"Then why don't you just go and kill the devil and save yourself all the trouble."

As he finished speaking, a scarlet eye glanced at him.

The moment his eyes met, Grok's breathing seemed to be frozen, and his whole body felt a chill deep into his bones.

Grok's pupils shrank slightly, and a hint of fear gradually appeared in his eyes. He wanted to retreat but couldn't move.

After half a minute, the pressure on him suddenly disappeared.

Grok was breathing heavily, unaware that his back was covered in sweat and his knees were shaking slightly.

He is just an ordinary goblin.

It was not until this moment that he suddenly remembered that even if he possessed a fortune, the other party would only need to move a finger to crush him to death.

Looking at the goblin's humble expression, Ye Ge smiled faintly and spoke slowly.

"You are not naive enough to think that I am the only one in the entire Demon City who possesses extraordinary powers."

Although His Majesty the Demon God rarely appears, the death of a demon king in the Demon City is a huge matter.

If something happened to Luo Yan at this time, even if it had nothing to do with the Dragun family, it would definitely be related.

The Padrich family doesn't even need to retaliate. As long as there is a little bit of evidence to implicate them, such as someone's soul making a complaint when returning to the reincarnation pond, ten thousand feet will come to trample on them.

Supernatural powers are useful, but they cannot be used casually.

"...I'm just offering a suggestion, nothing else. You can't wait until he and Miss Padridge have a child before you take real action against him."

After defending himself, Grok swallowed again and continued with difficulty.

"Besides, you don't dare to do anything to him. He doesn't need to frown if he kills me."

"So Mr. Zakro sent me here." Ye Ge poured himself some tea, and then continued slowly, "If you are willing to cooperate with us, I can protect you from death."

"Aren't we cooperating now?" Grok couldn't help but say, "I've done so many things for you, including bribing their engineers, tampering with the raw materials, inciting the dissatisfaction of the hell dwarf craftsmen, and even raising the price of beer, but it's useless. What can I do... Of course, I don't mean to complain, but... I feel that this little harassment is nothing to him, but I have to risk losing my head."

The Lord of Black Wind Castle didn't care at all.

Even though it faced many troubles, the Magic Crystal Cannon Factory still completed the requirements of the hearing, and the new equipment will be put into production soon.

The same is true for the railway leading to the Greystone Ridge mining area. The tricks of the Chamber of Commerce Alliance can at most torture the residents of Black Wind Castle, and the goblins happen to be the ones who can tolerate torture the most. If he were the lord, he would not care about the lives of those guys and would just control them.

If it were just that it would be fine, but the problem now is that due to a series of actions by the Chamber of Commerce Alliance, the conflicts among the people of Black Wind Castle have gradually shifted to them.

A few months ago, if the new lord wanted to deprive them of their property, he would have to consider his own reputation and the impact on the existing order in Black Wind Castle.

But if he wanted to do this now, he wouldn't even have to do it himself. With just a word, his lackeys would do it themselves and do it beautifully, and then use his property to establish a new order.

That's why Grok was filled with fear.

If he had not been reluctant to give up the money he invested in Black Wind Castle, and if he had not had the support of the Dragun Family behind him, he would probably have fled here and developed somewhere else.

Ye Ge obviously knew his current situation, so he had no intention of discussing it with him at all.

"If it doesn't hurt, that's because you haven't shown your true ability yet. Think about it carefully."

Grok said tremblingly.

"What else can I think... I can't blow up the magic crystal cannon factory, right?"

Ye Ge stopped drinking tea and looked at him with interest.

"I didn't say that, but if it did happen, the Dragun family would be very happy."

Grok looked at him in horror and spoke with trembling lips.

"…Are you serious? Blow it up? Blow it up?! I have nine lives but it's not enough to kill me…"

"So, you need to be more clever," Ye Ge stood up from the sofa, walked to Grok's side with a smile, and patted him on the shoulder gently, "What you did before was actually very good, but it was not good enough."

"You can't just tamper with the raw materials, you have to tamper with daily necessities, pollute their drinking water, put chronic poisoning potions in food, and make his servants feel pain and fear. You can't just raise the price of beer, you have to make Black Wind Castle's goods shortage and soaring prices. You can't just bribe their engineers, you have to bribe their craftsmen and laborers, spread panic among them, and point the conflict to their Demon King and the Magic Crystal Cannon Factory."

"You have to tell them that their lord is developing an extremely dangerous war weapon for the Ministry of War. That thing is much more powerful than the magic crystal cannon, and it is the culprit that caused their suffering."

"Finally, you have to give them weapons, magic stone guns and muskets, and mobilize them to occupy the arsenal."

"Wait, are you planning a rebellion?! On the edge of the Demon City?!" Grok looked at Ye Ge as if he were a madman, and said in horror, "I think you might as well go and kill the Demon King. This might cause less trouble."

"Rebellion? Who asked you to rebel?" Ye Ge smiled faintly, "I just asked you to win over the Chamber of Commerce Alliance and cooperate with us to make the life of Black Wind Castle more difficult, so that the demons there will unite against their lord, so that we have the opportunity to question his governance ability and take the opportunity to deprive him of his baron title... Is it difficult to understand this?"

Grok said with difficulty.

“It’s not difficult to understand, but it’s probably not easy to implement…”

"If it's simple, what else do I need you to do?" Ye Ge took out a test tube from his arms and placed it in Grok's trembling palm. "Elder Zakro is proficient in alchemy. This is a potion he personally prepared. It is enough to cause a plague in the goblin community of Black Wind Castle."

"Work hard, and you will definitely get some benefits after the success."

(End of this chapter)