Chapter 473, Section 472: A Hero's First Quest After Leaving the Starting Village
Tanaka was actually quite guilty.
This is, after all, the capital of the empire, and there are far more demons coming and going than in the previous border cities. Not to mention, in the majestic Twilight Fortress in the distance, the legendary emperor of the empire and the progenitor of the vampires resides.
However, upon hearing the title "Progenitor of the Vampires," Kiro suddenly scoffed.
Without saying much, Kiro simply raised a finger to his hairy mouth and looked up at the blood-red sky that covered the city.
Tanaka had no choice but to swallow his doubts and dissatisfaction.
That's how Guiro always is; he arranges everything, but he's always willing to reveal his plans at the very last minute.
For the next two days, Quiro led him on a aimless wandering through the city. They passed through bustling markets and turned into dark alleyways, each time skillfully avoiding the newly added patrols.
Tanaka was surprised by Kiro's familiarity with the city; it was as if every street was already imprinted in his mind.
On the third day, a low hum suddenly came from the sky. Tanaka was shocked to see that the blood curtain that had been covering the city day and night began to churn and surge, flowing southward like a receding tide.
Amid the doubts and complaints of the vampires within the city, the long-awaited sunlight finally shone on the mottled bluestone streets of Twilight City.
After the bloody curtain had completely receded, Kiro immediately led Tanaka into the cellar of a secluded mansion. The damp air was filled with the smell of mildew and the distinctive aroma of some kind of herb.
There, they found a thin, seemingly neurotic old demon descendant.
Kiro finally revealed the purpose of his trip, his voice exceptionally clear in the cellar: "Did you know that three hundred years ago, Twilight City was actually called Demon King City? Since it was called Demon King City, naturally there was a Demon King!"
Tanaka shuddered upon hearing this: "Wait, you're not going to tell me... that the Demon King is sealed inside Twilight Fortress?"
Kiro shrugged: "To be precise, it's part of it."
Tanaka felt a wave of dizziness.
He originally thought that the so-called breaking of the Demon King's seal would be like those adventure stories, where one would go to some ancient dungeon or ruins.
"What kind of mission starts with a direct assault on the emperor's lair?!"
Amid Tanaka's devastating wails, the demonic figure beside him burst into maniacal laughter.
When the maniacal laughter gradually subsided in the cellar, Tanaka took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down: "So... how many people did you plant in Twilight Fortress?"
"Twilight Fortress?" Kiro waved his hand dismissively. "There's not a single one. It's full of the emperor's direct descendants. Even if we could turn them against him, it would be a very troublesome matter. In fact, everyone involved in this operation is now standing in this cellar."
Tanaka's mouth dropped open. He first pointed at the neurotic old demon descendant, then at himself, and finally looked at Kiro in disbelief.
After receiving a nod of approval, he almost jumped up: "Are you crazy? Even if the emperor left with the divine artifact, anyone with a brain knows that the place where the Demon King is sealed is heavily guarded! Just the three of us? This old man... he's only a Diamond-level!"
Having been in this world for so long, Tanaka had long since developed the habit of checking stats first upon meeting someone. The old demon descendant, Latir, was indeed quite powerful; a diamond-level rank would make him a formidable figure anywhere.
But to suggest that such a small force could be used to storm Twilight Fortress is arguably the most ridiculous joke imaginable.
"Don't rush, let me explain slowly." Kiro's tone remained calm and unhurried. "The outside of the sealing room is naturally heavily guarded, with layers of defenses. But inside the sealing room, the entire space is filled by the seal itself. There are no additional defensive formations, and it's impossible to station guards there. We just need to teleport you directly inside, and you can easily break the seal."
"Wait! Are you trying to fool me into thinking I don't understand magic?" Tanaka couldn't help but raise his voice. "Teleportation requires two-way positioning to complete, I know that much common sense! And how could that emperor leave such an obvious loophole in something as important as the Demon King's seal?"
Kiro nodded approvingly: "Under normal circumstances, it really won't work. There's a barrier outside the sealing room that interferes with magic. Let alone long-distance teleportation, even if you're standing outside the gate, it's impossible to teleport in without breaking the barrier."
“However,” he changed the subject, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes, “there is a kind of magic that transcends common sense, one that ordinary people can neither defend against nor utilize!”
Tanaka glanced at the old demon's panel instinctively, then suddenly realized something: "The magic you're talking about... it wouldn't happen to be abyss magic, would it?"
“That’s right!” Kiro pointed to the old demon descendant. “Latir possesses an abyssal magic called ‘Random Teleportation.’ Without the Blood Curtain’s monitoring, this is the only way to enter the sealed chamber besides a direct assault! In fact, if the Blood Curtain were still there, even this method wouldn’t be possible; the magic would be detected before it even starts.”
Tanaka remained doubtful and continued to press, "Since it's called a 'random' teleportation spell, what guarantees it will send me in? Are we supposed to gamble with luck?"
"In the eyes of the world, abyssal magic is indeed mysterious and unpredictable, full of uncertainty. The same location, the same magic circle, can yield drastically different results in a single moment. But for me," Kiro's voice suddenly became clear and powerful, full of confidence, "the outcome at every moment is predetermined! As long as I cast the spell at the right time and in the right place, I will inevitably get the result I want!"
Tanaka rarely saw Kiro with such an expression. His usually calm eyes were now flashing with a different kind of sharpness, causing Tanaka to nod involuntarily: "So... you want me to go?"
The only thing he could possibly use was his clone ability, but Tanaka was being rather vague, mainly because there was an old demon descendant he didn't know nearby.
Kiro, however, seemed to trust him quite a bit: "That's right, your clone is the only way that won't leave a trace. You just need to release the clone after breaking the seal, and they will definitely not be able to trace it back to us."
"Won't they be able to find it? Doesn't abyssal magic leave obvious traces?" Tanaka still had doubts.
The old demon descendant, who had been silent all along, suddenly let out a hoarse chuckle. Latier raised his face, his demonic runes now much dimmer, his cloudy eyes gleaming strangely in the candlelight:
"Rest assured, human. After the teleportation is complete, I will take the secrets of you two alien races with me... and end my life with abyssal magic." His withered fingers formed a strange hand seal in front of his chest. "I promise, I will leave nothing behind."
The old demon's voice suddenly turned sharp, filled with long-suppressed fanaticism and hatred, his eyes fixed on Kiro: "I don't care if you're dealing with that traitor Mortis, or anything else. Even if you want to destroy the entire empire, it doesn't matter! As long as you can break the Demon King's seal, I'm willing to risk my worthless life to help you! Tell me, you can succeed, right?"
Kiro clapped his hands several times, then met Latir's gaze: "Of course, everything is going according to plan. There's no need to rush. The Emperor has only just left. We'll make our move after he's gone some distance. Before that, there's still a lot of preparation to be done..."
(End of this chapter)
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