Chapter 549: Alacador's Most Useful Episode (Happy New Year!)
Deep within the Wanren Mountains lies a hidden cave nestled in a crevice between rock strata.
There was no light source here, only the dim blue magic circle on the ground emitting a faint glow that made the surrounding uneven rock walls look like a tomb.
"call--!"
Edgar Kaufman, who was sitting on the ground in the center of the magic circle, suddenly woke up.
He was like a drowning man who had finally emerged from the water, panting heavily, his gray robes instantly soaked with cold sweat.
Just one second away—
The cold light pierced through the lower back of his clone!
Just as Luo Yan guessed, the one who confronted Sisi in the forest just now was not Edgar's real body, but a "mirror image" clone that he created using the secret formula of the Academy, based on a slice of his own soul.
As a wisp of faint blue light pierced through the void and entered the tip of his nose, the excruciating pain that felt like his soul was being torn apart was slightly relieved.
With his trembling right hand pressed against his chest, Edgar spent several minutes calming his wildly beating heart, his breathing gradually returning to normal.
"That was close..."
Although the killing of the clone does not kill the original body, the backlash at the soul level will still damage his extraordinary foundation.
If I hadn't run fast enough, and that elusive guy had caught me by the tail, the consequences would have been unimaginable...
After calming down, Edgar's eyes turned extremely gloomy as he began to carefully recall the last question he had heard before disappearing.
'Whom do you want to interrogate?'
The innate aura of authority and the witty banter hidden beneath the languor quickly reminded him of someone... a guy who talked about "science" in the magic temple.
"Colin?!"
The moment the name popped into his mind, Edgar's pupils contracted sharply.
As a member of the academic community, although he had no direct interaction with Prince Colin, he was familiar with the prince's "sound, appearance and smile".
After all, that guy was quite the star in the academic community, and even brought down a "candidate sage"... although in the end he was forced to leave himself.
However, Edgar simply couldn't understand why this noble prince, a member of the empire, would appear in this godforsaken place!
Not only are the Wanren Mountains a desolate wasteland, but the Spinor County south of the Wanren Mountains is also clearly in this category.
and--
The demon even called him His Majesty.
Edgar's expression gradually became serious, even revealing a hint of fear.
He couldn't understand why a human prince would be associated with a demon from hell, nor could he understand why a human prince would be addressed as "Your Majesty" by a demon.
But one thing is certain—
If the "His Majesty" that the little devil was talking about really is Colin, then things are in serious trouble.
"The data must be destroyed..."
Edgar muttered to himself, not daring to linger for a moment, and stumbled to his feet from the magic circle.
His laboratory and altar are also located near Burial Peak!
Now that Prince Colin has appeared in the Earldom of Spinor, setting foot on Burial Peak is just a matter of lifting a foot...
Grabbing the crystal staff leaning against the wall, he stuffed the notes on the soul experiments on the table into his pocket, then hurriedly pushed open the door and went out.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the stone chamber, he saw that the passageway outside was in complete chaos.
Countless ratmen scurried about in panic like headless flies, their sharp cries echoing everywhere. Many ratmen were even trampled to the ground by their companions in the crowd.
Edgar grabbed a passing ratman overseer and demanded an explanation.
"what happened?"
The rat-man overseer was being grabbed and squealed in terror, pointing in a direction deep inside the cave.
"No, I don't know! But the brothers saw smoke being lit over Burial Peak! Lots of guys are saying... that the human army is attacking!"
Ratmen are inherently easily frightened low-level creatures. The slightest disturbance can terrify them, while a small misunderstanding can suddenly make them feel powerful.
Burial Peak is quite a distance from here, separated by several strongholds. Even if humans were to launch an attack, it would be impossible for them to break through the defenses so quickly.
Edgar didn't believe the henchman's words, but he was still chilled to the bone by another piece of information revealed in those words—
Colin's outstretched foot actually stepped onto Burial Peak!
He swallowed hard.
What fast movements!
...
At the same time, at Burial Bone Peak, the rat holes under the granite were in complete chaos.
Countless ratmen in tattered leather armor were screaming and scurrying about in the intricate tunnels, shouting all sorts of things.
"Damn it! Humans are attacking!"
"Damn it! Has anyone seen my prisoner?"
"My tail!! My tail!"
Forget about your tail! Quickly take the flag to the King—!
"Who stole my gold coins!?"
Just now, a messenger suddenly arrived from the rear headquarters, bringing a brand-new battle flag and news that both delighted and terrified all the mice—
They are free!
Mok, the leader of the Carrion Clan, announced that he would grant the entire territory around Buried Bone Peak to the local commander, "Wildbit Shrek," and the Shrek family, and promote him to the position of the new ratman clan warlord in the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Sitting on a stone seat piled with bones, Earl Shrek, who had just been promoted to "Wilderness Bite Warlord," looked at the flag in his hand with a broken tooth totem, feeling both excitement and fear.
What excites him is that becoming a warlord is the Ratman's lifelong pursuit!
However, the ratmen's coin has two sides. Shrek always felt there was something fishy about how easily Mok had fulfilled his lifelong pursuit.
As expected—
That fat pig treated him like a discarded pawn.
Although they had occasionally clashed with human kingdoms in the past, it was clear that they had messed up big time this time.
The one who comes must be at least an earl!
"Get moving, you bunch of lazybones!"
Shrek slammed the flag, a symbol of power, into the ground and roared at his men who were already running around in all directions.
"Quickly reinforce the cave entrance! Prepare rolling stones and poison gas! Also, go and clear out the largest cave for me! Now that I am a warlord, the Earl's palace is no longer worthy of my status! I want to build a larger palace!"
As he was shouting, a scruffy-looking rat-man henchman tumbled in in a panic, scrambling and kowtowing as he went.
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! Your Majesty!"
"Call him a warlord! You idiot!"
Shrek kicked the rat, sending it rolling several times.
The younger brother, ignoring the pain, rolled over and got up from the ground, crawling on the floor trembling, his voice filled with fear and sobs.
"Warlord... Warlord! Several caves below Burial Bone Peak have been occupied!"
"What?!" Shrek's eyes widened, his teeth grinding in anger. "These good-for-nothings... who are they? Count Spinor?"
"No, no! Not humans! They're cave spiders!" The rat-man henchman sobbed, his mouth trembling. "Spiders are everywhere! There are so many that you can't even count them! They're like a black tide... they just flooded in!"
"A cave spider?!"
Shrek was startled, and all the gray fur on his body stood on end.
Cave spiders are not uncommon in the Wanren Mountains, and the ratmen sometimes eat them as snacks. However, when swarms of cave spiders move in an army-like formation, the ratmen can no longer laugh.
There's something dirty going on with these guys!
Shrek instantly grasped the meaning behind it and finally understood why Soul Shatterer Mok would throw this hot potato at him!
That cunning coward!
Shrek cursed inwardly, hastily throwing aside the flag he had just treasured, drawing the runic short sword he had snatched from the dwarf, and roaring with bluster but no fear.
"What are you doing here? Go and call my guards! Charge and kill them all! Lord Gerlo, a few spiders have scared you like this? I'm ashamed of you!"
"Yes, yes!" Sniffing the snot back into his nose, the rat-man underling, having been scolded, hurriedly turned around and ran out of the burrow to call for reinforcements.
It's worth mentioning that although the ratmen always give humans a messy feeling, chaos is actually their characteristic, and their fighting power is not weak.
Under Shrek's command, the heavily armored ratman guard quickly assembled and led a large army of clan rats and slave rats to the front lines.
The battle has only just begun.
Meanwhile, Shrek, having given the order, did not lead the charge like the dwarven lord. Instead, he turned and crawled back into his lair, shouting at the rat-man concubines who were enjoying a delicious feast inside.
"Stop eating! Pack your bags!"
The female mice stirred.
Several plump female mice raised their heads somewhat discontentedly and chirped.
Why are you packing your luggage?
"Could it be that group of humans has broken in?"
"Aren't human beings our allies?"
"You guys don't know anything!" Shrek cursed as he frantically stuffed gold coins and gems into his sack.
"Something a million times more troublesome than humans is attacking! If we don't run, we'll all turn into spider shit!"
There are intelligent rats among the rat people.
Seeing that even King Shrek was so panicked, a group of female mice finally realized the seriousness of the problem and hurriedly began to pack up the bottles and jars in the palace, preparing to migrate deeper into the mountains.
...
Meanwhile, in the caves surrounding Burial Peak that had fallen, a one-sided massacre was unfolding as ravenous cave spiders feasted on their prey.
"Hiss—!"
A massive black spider, as large as a small mountain, was grinning as it bit a ratman centurion who was trying to resist in two. Blood and flesh splattered all over him, making him look even more ferocious.
That's Alakdo.
As the Demon King's mount and general, he always appears as a docile and obsequious pet in front of Luo Yan, but in front of outsiders, he is more like the Demon King than the Demon King himself.
After all, the Demon King's smile only makes young girls blush, while Alacdor's smile can scare even the dead to death.
Behind him, a vast swarm of cave spiders surged into the cave like a black flood, and despair was etched on the faces of every little mouse.
"Kill them all!" Alakdo roared hoarsely, and the entire cave echoed with deafening insect chirps.
Tsk tsk tsk—!
The sound that made their sanity plummet caused the ratmen's legs to go weak, and they scattered in all directions like birds and beasts!
"Help!"
"Don't kill me—"
"Aaaaaah! My tail!"
Arakdo completely ignored it.
Its enormous body swept across the black curtain of a stage, and with each nimble forelimb it extended, several slave rat warriors perished.
The Alakdo of today is not the Alakdo of the past; it is now a Gold-level Alakdo! And the Shadowweavers of today are no longer the small tribe that once eked out a living at the bottom of the labyrinth!
With the resources poured into the Demon King's Tomb and Lady Alacinos's efforts to lay eggs, this spider army is now armed to the teeth!
The battle spiders marching at the forefront each had their carapaces covered with fine steel plates crafted by the Great Tomb Workshop, and the plates were engraved with the underworld runes "Sturdy" and "Sharp" that shimmered with a ghostly green magical light.
They wielded their scythe-like forelimbs, and with each charge they cut down a row of ratmen like wheat!
And in the rear, there are even more deadly troops!
On the backs of the smaller, agile spiders rode skeleton archers wielding crossbows, following the tank-like advancing combat spiders, unleashing wave after wave of arrows within the narrow cave.
The undead have better night vision than the ratmen!
The little mice had almost nowhere to hide!
The rats in Burial Peak had never seen anything like this before. Their pride in their numerical advantage was as fragile as paper in the face of an iron torrent whose numbers were in no way inferior to theirs!
"Wait, wait a minute! Don't kill me!!"
A ratman general wearing half-body armor was cornered. He dropped his weapon and screamed for mercy.
"Is there some misunderstanding between us? We have no past grievances or recent feuds with you..."
"Misunderstand?"
Arachdo's eight compound eyes gleamed with a cruel light, and his mouth opened and closed, emitting a chilling low laugh.
"You've forgotten what happened outside Twilight City, but our Emperor hasn't. This is the consequence of daring to touch His Majesty's things."
The shifty-eyed general rolled his eyes, then knelt on the ground with a thud, stammering his explanation.
"Misunderstanding! This is absolutely a misunderstanding, sir! We are not the Carrion Clan! We...we just became independent! We are the Wildbite Clan! Those attacks on humans were done by that bastard Mok, it had nothing to do with us—"
Click.
A gigantic Shadow Warrior beside him clearly had no patience for his nonsense. It bit his head and chewed it like a cartilage, making a crunching sound, before letting out a satisfied burp.
"Boss, why does this little mouse talk so much nonsense?"
"Tsk."
I haven't had enough of showing off yet!
Arachto glanced disdainfully at the headless corpse on the ground, ignored the troublesome subordinate, and continued to advance on his eight legs.
The Shadow Weavers don't care which clan they belong to, and I'm sure the Demon King doesn't care either.
Just then, a nimble scout spider descended down the rock wall by rope, quickly approached Alakdo, and began to chatter rapidly.
"Lord Alakdo! There's something going on at that large cave entrance to the south! A large group of humans are running out of the cells inside; they look like slaves kept by these ratmen."
"Quantity?" Alakdo asked in a low voice.
"Several hundred!"
Upon hearing that there were several hundred, the nearby burrowing spiders instinctively began to salivate, their compound eyes gleaming with a desire to feed.
Arakdo merely swept his gaze around with an imposing air, and his golden-level aura instantly calmed his restless subordinates.
"Our target is those rats. Swallow your saliva, you bunch of useless trash!"
The sound of swallowing saliva rose and fell, and the spiders actually swallowed their saliva back, but the sound echoed in the dark cave, making it even more eerie.
Arachto turned to the scout who had come to deliver the message and continued to give the order in a deep and authoritative voice.
"Ignore those humans, let them run!"
Alacdor kept in mind the Demon King's instructions: the objective of this operation was to eliminate the ratmen, seize key facilities, and pave the way for the advance troops.
As for humans, they are not the target.
Keeping them around would only get in the way; it's better to let them run away on their own.
“Understood, boss! What about those humans in the cage? Should we release them?” the scout spider continued to ask.
"No need, just leave them there... Hmm, throw them a few rats, don't let them starve to death, the Demon King has a use for them."
Alakdo has absolute confidence; he is the demon general who understands the Demon King best.
After all, a demon general usually only has the identity of a demon general, and even Sarah is just a pet with multiple titles. But Alacto is not only a pet, but also a mount!
Upon receiving the order, the scout spider immediately raised its forelegs and gave a standard Demon King's military salute.
"yes!"
The massive burrow spiders continued their rampage into the depths of the cave, soon engaging in close combat with the clan rat army that had come to reinforce them.
Blood flowed like a river in the cave, which was filled with the corpses of ratmen and cave spiders.
Shrek's men exerted all their strength to barely hold off the cave spiders' attack, but the spiders still managed to build nests on several hilltops.
All the ratmen wore expressions of shock, wondering where these spiders had come from and how many there were.
It's fortunate they didn't know the truth, otherwise they would have been in despair again.
The cave spiders are merely the Demon King's construction crew; the methods their leader had already witnessed once in the Twilight Province, the Demon King hasn't even brought to them yet...
...
The fighting on Burial Peak continued. The several burrowing spiders that had built their nests at the foot of the mountain did not wipe out the ratmen soldiers. Instead, they headed straight for the sacrificial altar and the laboratory, and together with the imps and the engineers of the hell dwarves, they sealed off the area around Burial Peak.
The Demon King's men don't necessarily have to take the Campbell's railway to reach the Ten Thousand Mountains; after all, the Hell Dwarves on Shattered Rock Peak have long been the Demon King's buddies.
Strictly speaking, the railway from North Peak City to Calamity Fortress was the first railway in the history of the continent of Os.
As for the Campbells' railway, it should be considered the first in the human world—
"Clang—Clang—"
The sound of wheels rolling over the gaps in the rails echoed by the window. Eileen looked out the window now and then at the carriage door, appearing restless.
Just then, the carriage door suddenly opened, and Colin walked in calmly from the next carriage.
Those emerald green eyes, like a startled rabbit, darted back into the darkness outside the window, only to casually wander back a moment later.
"Why did it take you so long?"
Eileen remained seated at the table, holding a book in her hands.
However, Luo Yan saw through her disguise at a glance—the page of the book was still the same one he had left on, and even the folded corner hadn't changed.
The concerned inquiry was tinged with a hint of resentment that was being carefully concealed.
It wasn't out of distrust of Sarah; she was simply instinctively a little jealous that her sweetheart had spent an hour alone with a man in a confined space.
"I'm sorry, there was a bit of an unexpected situation just now... but thankfully it's all taken care of now." Luo Yan gave Eileen an apologetic look and naturally sat back down opposite her. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
His calm and composed demeanor made it seem as if he had never left the adjacent carriage and had no connection whatsoever with the battle hundreds of kilometers away.
"Really? That's good." Eileen breathed a sigh of relief, her emerald green eyes still filled with concern and worry.
Ever since that kiss at Glenstonburg, their relationship has become strange, as if separated by a thin veil, yet also as if they both know the truth.
Luo Yan extended his index finger, subconsciously wanting to use magic to reheat the cup of black tea on the table, which was definitely cold by now.
However, the moment his fingertips touched the cup, he felt a warm sensation, which surprised him.
Seeing the surprise on Colin's face, Eileen smiled smugly; it was the reaction she had been waiting for for a full half hour.
She raised her index finger and tucked her silver hair and moonlight behind her ear, a captivating smile playing in her eyes.
"I heated it up for you."
"Thank you," Luo Yan replied hastily.
Although the Demon King of Thunder County is always on the offensive, the Demon King may not be as good at defense as he thinks.
He's just very good at keeping it in check, since there's always Youyou, who's really bad at it, laughing for him.
'Hahahaha! Demon King—'
'Shut up. '
'Waaah...'
Fortunately, the brave warrior was also someone who was good at attacking but weak at defending. A simple "thank you" brought a blush to his smooth cheeks.
"No, don't mention it, you often take care of me too..."
She hurriedly averted her gaze, her index finger gripping the page of the book, trying to force a conversation when there was nothing to say.
"Speaking of which... are you really okay drinking tea at night? Won't you have trouble sleeping?"
Luo Yan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and regained his calm smile, replying in a gentle tone.
"I don't usually sleep."
"Not going to sleep?" Eileen looked at him in surprise and asked a question that she herself thought was silly. "But... what if you get sleepy?"
"Magicians are accustomed to using meditation instead of sleep."
Luo Yan put down his teacup and continued speaking in a gentle tone.
"In a meditative state, mental energy is reshaped and bodily functions are rested. The effect is the same, or even more efficient than sleeping."
"Magician...what a convenient profession."
Eileen sighed softly, her tone tinged with envy.
"That way I won't have to worry about insomnia."
Have you been having trouble sleeping lately?
"It wasn't recently..."
Eileen's fingers unconsciously traced the edges of the pages as she muttered softly, "Ever since I became... like that, I've become very energetic at night and have a hard time falling asleep. Sometimes, lying in bed, listening to the wind outside the window, it takes me a long, long time to fall asleep."
Although legend has it that vampires are creatures that do not need sleep and even become more excited at night, it is clear that Eileen has not yet fully adapted to her non-human identity.
Human habits are still fighting against the instincts of the vampires, which leads to a tug-of-war between her mental exhaustion and physical excitement.
Otherwise, with Eileen's strength, she would never have allowed that brat Vivian to "take advantage of the situation" so easily.
After a moment's thought, Luo Yan spoke.
"I happen to have some calming and sleep-inducing potions here, which may help improve your condition."
"Really?"
His emerald green eyes lit up instantly, and Eileen looked at him with delight, though she quickly coughed lightly and returned to her solemn demeanor.
"Then... I'll have to trouble you, Your Highness Colin."
She would never entrust her health to anyone else, but entrusting it to Mr. Colin gave her a sense of security.
Perhaps it's more than just peace of mind.
There was also a hint of a racing heart.
Looking at that face full of trust, Luo Yan smiled slightly and said politely.
"It's an honor to serve you."
...
The train carrying the Chosen Ones continued its journey toward the territory of Earl Spinor, while under the same night sky, the Raven City outpost was gradually welcoming the dawn in the east.
The morning breeze swept through the watchtower, startling Clark, who had been fast asleep. He abruptly opened his eyes and rolled over to his feet.
However, his movements were too abrupt, and he stepped on the edge of the ladder, nearly falling off the watchtower.
Luckily, Tom, who was sitting next to him, reacted quickly and pulled him back.
"careful!"
Clutching Tom's arm, Clark, drenched in a cold sweat, leaned against a pillar to steady himself before plopping down on the edge of the watchtower railing.
He pounded his head with his fist and cursed under his breath.
"Damn it... what happened?"
His mind was like a wad of waterlogged cotton, with only fragmented memories remaining.
In a daze, he remembered a little devil, who seemed to be sitting on the railing he was now holding, chanting some kind of spell at him with a mocking smile on his face.
He glanced behind him instinctively.
It was empty, except for the wood that was wet with dew.
Is it just an illusion?
Frankly, he hoped it was just his imagination.
"Boss...did you sneak a drink last night?" Seeing the captain calm down, Tom released his grip on his arm and sat back down in his chair, asking in a low voice, "You smell strongly of alcohol."
What he actually wanted to say was—
Why didn't you take me with you?
Clark paused for a moment, then subconsciously raised his sleeve and sniffed. Sure enough, there was a strong smell of cheap alcohol.
He couldn't remember when he drank or how much. But if it was a hangover causing hallucinations, it all made sense.
After all, how could there possibly be any little devils here?
The labyrinth of Thunder County was some distance away, and it was the closest place to hell that he knew of.
"...Speaking of which, how did I get here?"
Upon hearing the captain's voice, Tom looked somewhat embarrassed and didn't dare to admit that he didn't know either.
He fell asleep after yawning last night, and when he woke up, he saw the captain lying at his feet. He was wondering when this drunkard had climbed up there.
Seeing Tom stammering and unable to speak, Clark shook his head and finally waved his hand, saying, "Never mind."
Although he felt there was something sinister about what happened last night, his years of experience fighting on the border told him that since he was still alive and hadn't lost any parts, it was best not to investigate further.
And then there's that witness named Hellager; all the strange things seem to have happened after he revealed the truth.
He's just a nobody; let the Grand Duke worry about these troublesome matters.
Clark glanced at the outpost below the watchtower and made up his mind that he couldn't delay any longer and had to hand this hot potato over to the royal family as soon as possible.
Just as he was thinking this and preparing to climb down the watchtower to wash his face and clear his head, Tom suddenly jumped up from his chair and moved closer to the railing.
"What's wrong?" Clark noticed the sentry's movements and looked at him questioningly.
However, Tom did not respond. Instead, he grabbed the monocular telescope hanging nearby and looked towards the northern forest.
"There seems to be some movement to the north... By Saint Sith!"
Upon hearing that short, surprised curse, Clark's heart sank, and an ominous premonition crept into his mind once again.
He stood up from the ground, holding onto the railing, walked over to Tom, and took the binoculars the latter handed him.
"See for yourself, boss..." Tom's voice was a little weak, as if he had seen something terrible.
Clark raised his binoculars and looked in the direction he was pointing. In that instant, the cavalry captain, who had served for many years, also changed his expression.
In the northern forest, a few faint stars shone, illuminating a group of ragged people along with the light of dawn.
They supported each other, their faces filled with fear, or perhaps even bruised and battered.
Some people were probably too badly injured to run, but they were still limping south, as if they were avoiding something.
Clark said nothing, handed the binoculars back to Tom, and said, "You keep an eye on things here."
He then shook the alarm bell hanging from the ceiling twice, picked up the rifle that had fallen to the side, and hurriedly climbed down the ladder.
The outposts in Jackdaw City quickly sprang into action.
The smoke signal was the first to rise.
Then a dozen or so sleepy-eyed sentries, fully armed, mounted their horses and, with confused and dazed heads, charged toward the northern border of the Spinor County.
They hadn't run far from the outpost when they witnessed an astonishing scene at the edge of the forest—hundreds of refugees were emerging from the forests of those towering mountains!
“...It seems that Hailagal wasn’t lying,” the veteran on horseback swallowed hard and said in a low voice, “Even if he told me now that the ratmen had captured a city’s worth of prisoners, I would believe him.”
"Hundreds escaped, but how many were buried..."
"Only the dead would know that."
"Damn, what a hellish joke."
Listening to his comrades' whispers, Clark's Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt a chill run down his spine.
Just as he was about to get rid of the hot potato in the outpost, hundreds of even bigger and hotter potatoes were smashed into his face, and he couldn't dodge them.
He now only hoped that these guys didn't carry the "plague" and wouldn't drag the people of Raven City into it...
-
(Happy New Year, brothers! Wishing you all a prosperous and fulfilling 2026!! Also, considering I didn't take any leave last month, I'm humbly asking for a monthly vote... Thank you!)
(End of this chapter)
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