Chapter 1553 - 979: In the Eyes of the Demon Hunter_2

Chapter 1553: Chapter 979: In the Eyes of the Demon Hunter_2

Below the city wall, there wasn’t the imagined moat or open ground, but a vast, chaotic yet orderly "processing field."

As far as the eye could see, were rolling "hills"—corpse mountains formed by countless layers of demon bodies!

Various bizarre and oddly sized demon remains were crudely dumped and piled here, forming grotesque "landscapes" that emitted a potent stench of decay and burning.

The air here grew thick and scorching, with sulfur mixed with the burned flesh scent so intense that Sharp Claw’s barely settled stomach churned once more.

Countless ant-like figures shuttled between the corpse mountains.

Strong multi-armed races dragged massive hook chains, hauling demon corpse hills to fixed regions;

There were "butchers" in simple protective suits, wielding sharp cutting tools.

On hastily constructed platforms, they swiftly disassembled bodies, skinning, removing horns, dismembering bones, moving so fast it was dizzying, like workers on an assembly line.

Piles of roughly processed materials—shells, sharp claws, bones, internal organs, certain types of demon organs are highly valuable.

Many organs, even viscous blood, were categorized and piled together, then transported to nearby packing areas by small transport constructs or hand carts.

Further away, the sight of a huge convoy camp could be seen, packed with beast carriers and transport vehicles loaded with boxed demon materials, forming a long line.

Under the watchful eye of armed guards, they slowly departed this land of death, heading into the fortress or beyond, where only the Blood War Fortress awaited.

This place was clearly a highly efficient, death-driven factory, far exceeding the "retail" scenes they witnessed at the marketplace in scale.

"Gods above..."

Nightingale’s voice carried a hint of trembling, not from fear, but from the shock of this pure, demon corpse-focused death processing.

Nap was completely rid of any sleepiness, scanning the hellish scene below with sharp eyes.

The Priest’s voice calmly introduced beside them.

"It wasn’t always like this, but now they call this place ’Harvest Plain,’ hahaha.

"It’s also the first ’barrier’ outside the fortress. Every demon’s impact leaves their ’tribute’ here.

"These materials sustain the fortress operations, incentivize mercenaries, and provide crucial resources to allies.

"See those processing points? The craftsmanship is indeed superb. Even amidst the most chaotic demon mutations, they can quickly find the most valuable parts and remove useless pollutants. This expertise is gained through countless lives and blood."

Sharp Claw’s gaze passed over this gigantic "slaughterhouse" and busy camp, looking into the distance.

At the horizon’s end, another colossal, more rugged and primitive style giant wall occupied the view.

Like an ancient giant beast sprawling across the filthy earth, it silently resisted impacts from deeper darkness.

There, energy beams faintly flashed through the dark red sky, with muffled explosion sounds rumbling distantly.

"That’s the outermost defense line."

The Priest pointed into the distance.

"The battlefield’s frontline. You arrived at a good time; half a year ago, when the demons attacked fiercely, standing here would allow you to witness the overwhelming demon tide assaulting the walls.

"But now, we’ve pushed the battlefield beyond that wall. According to arrangements, you need to adapt to the environment here for a few days and pass a basic assessment before heading there."

Sharp Claw nodded silently, feeling his throat somewhat dry.

Everything he saw today, from chaotic marketplaces to the corpse mountain factory, and the distant blood fire barriers, continually stretched his cognitive limits.

The Abyss Battlefield’s grandeur, cruelty, and its twisted "order" made this self-proclaimed knowledgeable Demon Hunter feel an unprecedented insignificance and an indescribable thrill.

They stood silently on the wall for a while, sensing the cold steel beneath and the distant battlefield’s faint pulse, until the Priest signaled it was time to descend.

Before going down, they saw an alchemy machine launch into the sky.

It seemed some flying demon was shot down.

Leaving the wall, returning inside the fortress, the Priest led them through some relatively quiet passages, eventually arriving at an area.

The architecture style instantly became familiar—simple, efficient, modular, with evident Night Watcher design imprint, clean lines of metal and stone, alchemy lamps emitting stable white light.

The air no longer reeked of the market’s mixed stench, but had a faint smell of disinfectant and freshener.

Most importantly, the pervasive Abyss whispers and chaotic will were weakened to their lowest extent here.

Nearly indistinguishable from the Main World’s familiar environment.

The Peaceful Heart Stone Ring’s cool sensation became purer, as if shedding a heavy shackle.

"Phew..." Sharp Claw exhaled deeply, genuinely relaxing, feeling his tense nerves finally had a moment to breathe.

Nightingale, Rock, and Nap also displayed clear signs of relief.

"This is the Night Watcher’s exclusive residential area," the Priest stopped in front of a two-story building made of prefabricated metal modules, "Number B-17. Both levels are allocated for your team. The upper level is for resting and living, the lower level is for equipment maintenance and team meetings, with an independent warehouse next to it. The access system has been registered with your information."

The Priest handed them several Permission Crystal Cards.

"Rest well, adapt a bit. Within the fortress, there are facilities like a canteen, training ground, and tactical data library, all accessible with the permission cards.

"Remember, within the residential area, the Order Barrier effect is strongest, use this time to recover your spirit. There will be someone to inform you of subsequent arrangements."

After saying this, the Priest nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Shadow Swirl swiped the Permission Crystal Card to open the hefty explosion-proof alloy door, a burst of purified, slightly warm air greeted them.

The five-member team filed in.

The door closed behind them, completely isolating the Abyss’s noise and filth outside.

The room lighting automatically turned on, soft and bright.

Standard Night Watcher dormitory layout:

Simple metal bedding, embedded storage cabinet, small purification vent quietly operating.

Even a small simulated sunlight bathing device stood in the corner.

Everything was so familiar, so normal.

Sharp Claw tore off his helmet, deeply inhaling the "fresh" air almost devoid of sulfur smell, as if to replace all accumulated impurity in his lungs.

He surveyed the "homey" temporary stronghold, recalling the corpse mountain blood sea on the wall and the distant war fortress, a strong sense of division surfaced within him.

He walked to the window, pushed open the inner protective panel, and looked outside through thick bulletproof glass.

Only seeing similarly styled buildings and quiet streets within the residential area, the marketplace and wall’s noise seemed to come from another world.

"Damn..." Sharp Claw leaned against the window, viewing the orderly yet abyss belly scene outside, bared his teeth, uttering a complexly meaningful sigh, "This damn place is really eerily wicked."

Nightingale already started checking the room facilities, Rock silently rested his heavy spear against the wall, and Nap immediately crashed onto the nearest bed, releasing a satisfied sigh.

Shadow Swirl stood in the room’s center, eyes scanning each team member, finally resting on the falsely serene scene outside, expression impenetrable behind the metal mask.

The Abyss’s first lesson, on chaos and order, death and survival, had only just begun.

And their demon-hunting career is about to meet new, unknown tempering in this most brutal furnace.