Chapter 280 - 156: Allowed to Leave the City

The Underworld was in chaos.

News of the Undead spread from Komeilan City once again. This time, it wasn’t just the people of Komeilan City talking. People from other Underground Cities had now come forward with their own accounts. As a result, the news traveled farther and wider.

The skeptical Demonized Creatures in the three cities of Komeiyat, Komez Fortress, and Kemeston now believed it too. They had met residents returning from Komeilan City and heard them recount their firsthand experiences.

It couldn’t be faked. If it were false, they couldn’t have described the Undead in such realistic detail, especially the ones that had never appeared in legends before.

In the legends, "Undead" was just a word. Even the Demonized Creatures had no concrete image of them. They only knew that Undead included Skeletons and Ghosts, and that they were all called Undead.

But when the residents who had been to Komeilan City returned, they told others that the Undead were real Skeletons—skeletons that could move and cut people down. Most were in Human form. Besides the numerous Human-form Undead, there were also Wild Beast forms and other strange types.

The descriptions were too specific, and everyone was saying the same thing. It was impossible that they had all conspired together. How could thousands of people have all coordinated their stories?

And so, more and more people began to believe: Undead had appeared in Komeilan City!

After accepting the truth about the Undead, the more cunning among them began to ponder another matter: the legend that Soul Fire could make them stronger. They tried to wheedle information out of those who had seen the Undead, wanting to know if the Soul Fire really worked.

The Demonized Creatures who returned from Komeilan City hadn’t wanted to share this information. Becoming stronger was, of course, something best kept to oneself. But they couldn’t resist the "hospitality"—all the liquor they could drink, all the food they could eat, and females sent right to their homes. It was impossible to keep quiet under those conditions. There were always some with loose lips.

Whether through drunken slips of the tongue or being coaxed by females in bed, the secret was out. In short, the benefits of Soul Fire for Demonized Creatures were finally revealed.

Those who returned had indeed grown stronger!

Soul Fire could make Demonized Creatures stronger!

This news drove the Demonized Creatures into a greater frenzy than the Undead themselves.

Faced with the chance to become stronger, Demonized Creatures left the cities they lived in, flocking to Komeilan City from all directions.

As tens of thousands of Demonized Creatures converged from every city, White Hair Pulan’s face nearly contorted with laughter. ’Welcome, a warm welcome to all! These are all money-bags, the foundation for me to take the next step and seize control of more cities!’

The residents of Komeilan City were also beaming. In just a few days, prices had multiplied several times over. It couldn’t be helped—too many people had arrived, and resources were scarce. If you wanted to eat, you had to spend more money. If you wanted to drink, fine. No money needed, just resources.

In White Hair Pulan’s eyes, everything was developing in the right direction. His only worry was whether there were enough Undead. If there weren’t enough for the Demonized Creatures to kill, then he’d have a problem.

However, with the gathering of the Demonized Creatures, the issue of public order in Komeilan City landed squarely before White Hair Pulan. These newcomers were restless. Brawls, petty theft, and even murders were increasing rapidly every day.

In the eyes of the Demonized Creatures, their roots weren’t in Komeilan City. After killing Undead and strengthening themselves, they would definitely leave. Here, they were just guests. And since that was the case, they could do whatever they wanted, right?

’So why not go wild and stir up trouble? Anyway, if I’m not happy, I’ll make a scene. What are you gonna do about it? You arrest me? I have companions. I have people from my hometown. Besides them, I have my Underground City at my back. If you really piss me off, I’ll go back and snitch, and our two cities will go to war!’

This was a bit of a headache. White Hair Pulan wanted to expand his own power, not go to war with other Underground Cities. If a war broke out, wouldn’t all his hard work be for nothing? But he couldn’t just ignore it, either. The city had descended into chaos.

"Lord City Lord, we can’t go on like this," a City Defense Army officer reported to White Hair Pulan, his face grim. "We’re getting over a hundred cases a day now. Theft is the least of it. In just the last two days, there have been dozens of murders. The Commoners are getting very restless."

He was at his wit’s end. The newcomers from other cities were completely uncontrollable. On top of that, to deal with the Undead, White Hair Pulan had ordered the city gates opened wide—anyone who paid could enter Komeilan City. It wasn’t normally like this. They used to at least screen people entering the city.

Letting anyone into Komeilan City had allowed many criminals from other Underground Cities to slip in unnoticed. These criminals were the ones behind many of the cases and were stirring up trouble. They were very difficult to handle. Furthermore, with residents and even Nobility from other cities present, managing them was also a challenge.

"That’s right. We have to think of something. It can’t go on like this. We don’t have enough manpower," another City Defense Army officer chimed in. His unspoken message was clear: ’This was your order, City Lord. We in the City Defense Army are just following it. If you don’t come up with a good solution, we’re going to stop trying.’

White Hair Pulan frowned as he listened. He knew the city had been chaotic these past two days, but he hadn’t expected it to reach the point where even the City Defense Army was at a loss. He looked at the surrounding City Defense Army officers, hoping they could offer some useful suggestions instead of just expecting him to come up with all the answers.