Chapter 417 - 287: A Night of Hidden Killing Intent (Part 2)

Just then, Zat blurted out of nowhere, "Boss, why do I hear someone yelling and screaming outside?"

"No way. Who’d be out wailing like a banshee in the middle of the night?"

Levi, glad for the distraction, immediately chimed in.

"No, someone really is yelling!" He frowned. He hadn’t heard it before because his attention wasn’t focused outside, but now that Zat had mentioned it, he noticed. And he heard more.

"My Lord, there’s a situation!"

The tightly shut door burst open, and two Beastman Barbarians jogged in, dragging a panicked soldier between them.

The soldier was wearing the Standard Armor of the Southern Territory, and it was clear at a glance that he was one of Damon’s men.

He was covered in blood, his helmet was nowhere to be seen, and he looked completely terror-stricken.

"What in the world happened outside?"

"My Lord, the Thorn Corps colluded with the Demons! They opened the city gates, and countless Demons have already poured into White Bone Fortress. Fujero is a traitor planted among us by the Demons!"

The soldier clearly recognized the renowned Lion Hunter Knight and immediately screamed himself hoarse. His voice was so desolate it made one wonder what inhuman horrors he must have endured.

The words were barely out of the soldier’s mouth, and while the Lord remained calm, Fujero at his side was already in a full-blown panic. He was so stunned he didn’t even notice the flatbread fall from his mouth to the floor.

’Damn it! I just came here to mooch a meal. How the hell did I suddenly become a traitor? I had no idea!’

"Lord, please listen to my explanation!" he blurted out, terrified that the famous Holy Sword that had made its wielder a legend was already unsheathed and at his throat.

"You know me! We’ve known each other since we were in the Wilderness. How could I possibly be in league with Demons? It just doesn’t make any sense!"

His voice even trembled on the last sentence.

"Old Fu, come on. I definitely believe you."

Even as he said this, Levi pushed the Holy Sword—which he had already drawn halfway—back into its sheath.

Fujero only breathed a sigh of relief after he saw the Secret Silver Longsword slide all the way back into its sheath with his own eyes, wiping away the non-existent sweat from his brow.

Even though his own Martial Arts were not weak, he had no confidence he could block even a single, casual blow from the peerless killer standing before him.

"You..." The soldier who’d escaped from the city gate never imagined that the prime culprit would be right here in the High Cliff Castle camp, and on such good terms with the Lion Hunter Knight, no less.

Despair instantly flooded his heart. He couldn’t believe that even the renowned Lion Hunter Knight was in cahoots with the traitor.

"Get a grip." Before the soldier in front of him could stir up more trouble, the Lord smacked him hard across the face. "Tell me exactly what happened outside!"

The soldier, dizzy from the blow, seemed to regain some of his senses. Clutching his swelling cheek, he obediently recounted the events in detail.

As he spoke, he found himself becoming increasingly grateful to the Lion Hunter Knight before him.

With the knight’s power, if he had truly meant to strike, he would be a corpse right now, not just nursing a swollen cheek. This was probably the man’s version of a "gentle caress."

After a moment of thought, the Lord snapped his fingers. "I have a theory. Either someone impersonated the Thorn Corps soldiers, or some of them were controlled by the Magic of a Demon Wizard."

The first was just his theory, but the second had precedent.

Back in Kolon, that Horned Witch had controlled a Knight to try and trick them into opening the city gates.

But that kind of mind-control Magic has many limitations on its Casting, unless the user’s Magic Cultivation is exceptionally high.

It’s either limited by range or requires the target’s will to have already been shattered.

The only opportunity the Thorn Corps soldiers had to encounter Demons was during this morning’s battle. But given the intensity of that fight, it would have been impossible for any Magic to discreetly control them.

Therefore, Levi leaned toward the first theory.

"Brilliant, my Lord," Fujero immediately chimed in. "That’s what I was thinking, too."

"Brother-in-law, what do we do now?" Mier asked with concern, looking at the High Cliff Castle forces beginning to gather outside.

Even after a few defeats, the Demons still outnumbered the forces stationed inside White Bone Fortress.

The main army was still some distance away. Even if they realized something was wrong and sent reinforcements at once, it would probably be too late. Besides, they might run into their own Demon ambushes along the way.

Levi glanced around at the faces of his men. Pair after pair of eyes stared back, all filled with a trust that placed their very lives in his hands.

He knew the Demons still had tens of thousands of Six-armed Snake Demon Warriors in reserve. He didn’t know if these creatures, whose numbers alone were enough to cause his Barbarians casualties, had made it into White Bone Fortress.

He also had no idea if Damon’s army, or Fujero, who had already rushed off to quell the chaos, could beat back the Demons that had broken through.

But regardless, the best option was to get out of this powder keg first.

High Cliff Castle had managed to hold off the Demon assault so far mainly because the main army and Damon’s troops had been taking most of the heat.

If they faced the Demon Army alone, everyone in High Cliff Castle besides himself would suffer immensely.

"Go gather the men. Every last one of them. Take only your weapons and armor. Drop everything else. We’re breaking out through the north gate."

Only one gate had fallen. It would take time for the Demons to spread throughout White Bone Fortress, so breaking out now wasn’t impossible. But that window of opportunity was small. They had to race against the clock and escape to rendezvous with Fulina’s group before the Demons seized control of the entire fortress.

Mier immediately turned and left to rally the men.

"Chief, not even the food?"

The Barbarians were pained to hear this. They had known starvation and understood the value of food.

"Leave it! You’re all much more important than food!" Levi said fiercely. "As long as everyone is safe, if it comes to it, I’ll sell my own body to beg for scraps for you! I will not let you starve."

"So long as the people are saved, the land can be retaken! I want you to burn those words into your minds!"

’He still remembered what Liya’s mother, Lady Onaya, had said. The worst-case scenario would just be shacking up with a rich older woman.’

’She might be a little older, but as they say, an older wife is a treasure. And what she held wasn’t just treasure; it was the entire Southern Territory. She could support ten High Cliff Castles, let alone one.’

The Barbarians were deeply moved. They knew their chief valued his "honor" immensely, so for him to even joke about such a thing showed how determined he was.

Everyone in High Cliff Castle sprang into frenzied action. In the distance, at the city gate, Demons poured into the fortress that had thwarted them for months, their faces twisted into malevolent grins.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Bodun was sitting in his room, drinking alone. He leisurely cut into a piece of fresh beef with his knife and fork. While other commanders felt the need to go and console their soldiers, he saw no such necessity.

These soldiers were the property of the Debei family. They were his dogs. Some losses were to be expected. At worst, it just meant sending some compensation to their families.

Compared to such meaningless trifles, a fine meal was a far more worthy endeavor.

"My Lord, terrible news! The Demons are in the city!"

Just as he was enjoying himself, a Knight burst into the room in a panic.

He frowned, set down his knife and fork, and raised a hand, gesturing for the man to speak.

After quickly hearing the report, Bodun waved the knight away to assemble the army. His gaze then shifted, turning dark as he looked toward a figure concealed in the shadows of the room.

Suppressing his rage, having already guessed part of the truth, he asked, "Was this your doing?"

"As you can see. Only we of the Inverted Man could pull something like this off." A hoarse voice, tinged with pride, drifted from the darkness.

"You damn dog! You’re nothing but a hound on my leash." Hearing the admission, Bodun flew into a rage, flinging his knife and fork. "Not only did you defy my orders, but you’ve also done something completely and utterly stupid!"

"My Lord, do you still not understand?" The figure in the shadows, completely unfazed, dodged the flying silverware and let out a sigh.

"Chaos is a ladder!"