Chapter 341: Hunters in the Dark

The sun hung high overhead. At the soldiers' urging, the tourists who had crowded around the Demon Cage gradually dispersed.

Aside from the guards maintaining order around the perimeter, only the cages holding the Demons remained in the square. Perhaps sensing their impending doom, the Demons inside struggled even more violently. They gnawed at the bars, headbutted the iron, and pounded with their fists, making the cages ring with loud clangs.

The crowd watched with cold detachment. Toward these murderous Demons, they felt nothing but hatred and disgust.

"Damned Demons! I curse you!"

"The Abyss will surely be destroyed!"

"..."

The tidal wave of angry curses gradually subsided as the crowd noticed a procession of clerics stepping onto the stage. They wore milky-white divine robes and cradled massive Sacred Scriptures in their arms.

Under the watchful eyes of thousands, the clerics took their places at the edge of the square, forming a ring around the entire area. Facing the Demon Cages, they stood in silent reverence, clutching their Sacred Scriptures.

Down below, the dense crowd spontaneously parted to clear a path. An elderly man wearing a warm smile waved in acknowledgment to the people bowing on either side. He was the representative of the God of Justice in the Emdas World.

The old man walked to the center of the square and stopped in front of the Thousand-Handed Demon's cage. Compared to the massive, tens-of-meters-tall enclosure, he seemed no bigger than an ant.

On an energy level, however, the situation was the exact opposite. The White Dragon Lord noticed that the concentration of divine power radiating from the old man was nearly on par with Weak Divine Power.

It was common knowledge that the divine power bestowed upon priests by The Gods was highly diluted. On one hand, divine power required faith as raw material and was limited in quantity; on the other, an ordinary mortal body simply couldn't withstand too much of it.

Forcing a bucket of water into a cup would only end with the cup shattering. No matter the profession, advancing in strength simultaneously expanded a person's capacity. Yet to house the power of a true god within a mortal vessel...

The White Dragon Lord was absolutely certain that as long as his contributions were sufficient, this old man could ascend directly to become a subordinate deity to the God of Justice upon receiving his lord's call.

Upon seeing the old man, the imprisoned Thousand-Handed Demon squirmed uneasily, its mouth moving incessantly. The White Dragon Lord couldn't hear a sound, however. The old man had completely shielded the Thousand-Handed Demon's voice—and not just its voice, but those of all the Demons, preventing any of their cries from leaking out.

A Golden Holy Scripture, seemingly formed of pure energy, materialized from the void. The old man caught the scripture and opened it to the first page. At the same time, a divine prayer meant to commune with the gods spilled from his lips.

Like a mirror image, the numerous clerics simultaneously repeated the old man's actions and opened their Sacred Scriptures. Their prayers merged into a single, perfectly synchronized chorus.

The prayer acted like a soul-purifying magical ritual. It calmed the restless hearts of the crowd, washing away their hatred, anger, and other negative emotions toward the Demons, leaving only a profound sense of peace and beauty in their minds.

Standing at the edge of the square, even the White Dragon Lord couldn't help but feel a welling sense of happiness and contentment, the corners of his mouth tipping up slightly. Snapping back to his senses, he hurriedly steadied his mind.

'How terrifying. This level of infectious influence... Even a High-Tier Legend is affected?'

Sensing something, the White Dragon Lord turned his head and found Mage Alan of the Otag World looking at him curiously.

The White Dragon Lord offered a slight nod in greeting before observing the others. He noticed that aside from Mage Alan and a few High-Tier Legends from the Emdas World, everyone else wore obvious expressions of bliss.

Gradually, the High-Tier Legends broke free from the atmospheric trance created by the prayer, looking at the old man in the center of the square with lingering apprehension.

Of course, the old man wasn't trying to harm them. On the contrary, if they simply allowed themselves to sink into the trance, they would actually reap some minor benefits.

But High-Tier Legends were proud individuals without exception. None of them were willing to passively accept a boon in such a manner.

The time it took them to break free provided a rough measure of their comprehensive strength. After making a quick calculation, the White Dragon Lord shifted his gaze back to the square, where a radiant glow of divine energy resembling golden dust had begun to rise.

'This is... a sacrifice!'

The White Dragon Lord suddenly understood. Sacrifice was one of the most effective ways to curry favor with a deity, and even the God of Justice was no exception.

Enveloped in the dense holy light, the Demons' bodies slowly dissolved into dust. Due to its immense strength, the Thousand-Handed Demon was the very last to completely break down.

Finally, all the Demons vanished. It was a true erasure in every sense—body and soul obliterated, leaving not even ashes behind.

The prayers ended. The crowd gradually woke from the lingering trance, feeling wonderfully strange. Their moods were inexplicably brightened, and their minds felt remarkably clear.

The clerics offered a deep bow to the audience before forming a neat line and stepping off the stage amidst thunderous applause. At the same time, the Amethyst Human staff moved in with Spatial Equipment to clear away the empty cages.

Once the square was cleared, Princess Nina teleported into the air above it once more.

"The Abyss shall be purified, just like these Demons..."

"Now, let us cast away all our worries and revel together!"

The next seven days were a nonstop carnival of celebration. As the representative of Nordhill, the White Dragon Lord sat alongside delegates from other worlds in the foreign guest seating, watching the performances of the Emdas World's various major races.

These performances distilled the cultural essence of the entire Emdas World. A visual feast featuring traditional folk dances as the main course, exhibitions of bizarre and fascinating handicrafts, and all manner of friendly sparring competitions... It was a true feast for the White Dragon Lord's eyes.

Happy times are always fleeting. When the seven-day celebration concluded, the White Dragon Lord paid his customary farewells to the Amethyst Human Sovereign before teleporting back to Nordhill.

After submitting his mission report to Merlin Heavenly Principle, the White Dragon Lord returned to the Overseas Archipelago and dove right back into his intense magical experiments.

A pleasant trip and reuniting with old friends certainly lifted his spirits, but the Blood War Battlefield hung over his head like a sharp sword. It made the White Dragon Lord keenly aware of what he truly needed to do.

...

Time marched on, bringing with it the year 47 of the White Tower Calendar.

Right now, the White Dragon Lord was in an excellent mood. His Mage level had just increased by one, adding an extra layer of security for his upcoming trip to the Blood War Battlefield. He stepped out of the White Tower and into the bright sunlight.

Viewed from the sky under the golden morning sun, a massive, twenty-eight-meter-long white dragon emerged from the pillar-like White Tower. He strolled past the lush green lawns of the courtyard and headed toward the majestic, luxurious marble palace complex.

Unlike other dragons who went about completely naked, the White Dragon Lord wore a ring on each of his horns—one gold and one silver. On closer inspection, a transparent bracelet also encircled his left wrist.

Ignoring the vibrant flowers blooming in the courtyard, the White Dragon Lord passed through an exquisite gallery and headed straight for the grand hall of the White Castle. Next year would mark the time for the White Castle to officially take over the defensive duties of the Blood War Battlefield.

But that was merely the official handover date. To ensure that successors weren't completely in the dark when taking charge, the Council required all major rotators to head to the Blood War Battlefield a year in advance. They were to participate in the defense as the current commander's adjutant to familiarize themselves with all the necessary details.

The White Dragon Lord was about to depart. Before leaving, he planned for his true body to personally host a meeting.

Making his way to the White Castle's grand hall, a meeting was already underway inside. A twenty-three-meter-long white dragon lay coiled upon the throne.

Upon seeing the true body arrive, the White Dragon Lord's avatar vanished. The White Dragon Lord strode over and settled himself onto the throne.

Most of the people in the hall were already accustomed to this sight. Over twenty years ago, the White Dragon Lord had introduced his avatar to everyone, delegating the kingdom's affairs to it while his true body focused entirely on researching magic and enhancing his power.

Thanks to over two decades of tireless effort, the White Dragon Lord's Creature Level had increased by one, and his Mage level had increased by two, making him a Level 23 Dragon and a Level 24 Mage.

Sitting upon the throne, the White Dragon Lord swept his gaze across the officials below. There were a full two dozen of them, a mix of both old and new faces.

Following recent reforms, the roles and duties of the White Castle's various positions had become highly specialized, expanding the management hierarchy several times over.

Not everyone in this managerial class was part of the White Dragon Lord's immediate retinue. Some belonged to the Dragon Brother or the Dragon Sister, and a few individuals weren't part of any dragon's retinue at all. Rather, they were outstanding commoners who had proven their exceptional competence through rigorous selection processes.

"Everyone! An era of glory is about to arrive!"

The White Dragon Lord spread his massive wings. Spanning over thirty meters, they looked like two gigantic sails. Simultaneously, an unrivaled, tyrannical dragon pressure swept out in all directions, instantly silencing every insect in the White Castle and throughout Oqi City.

Amidst the absolute silence, the officials bowed their heads in submission.

After forcing the noisy insects into unconsciousness, the dragon pressure vanished in the blink of an eye, and the White Dragon Lord folded his wings.

"Hobbes!"

"Here!"

The Chief Steward of the White Castle hurriedly stepped forward.

"I will be leading the main forces of the White Castle to participate in the Blood War Battlefield. During this time, the White Castle is under your authority!"

"Understood!"

The White Dragon Lord shifted his gaze away from Hobbes and the internal affairs officials, turning to the other side—the monstrous retinue led by Gurgalu. This retinue comprised the high-ranking commanders of the White Castle's core military might. They controlled the army, the high-tech magic factories, intelligence gathering, and other vital institutions.

Brilliant managers were common, but true powerhouses were exceedingly rare. Therefore, the monstrous retinue was held firmly in the grip of the four dragons, with the White Dragon Lord at the helm.

"Gurgalu, what is the status of the Golem Legion's preparations? How were the results of the third inspection for the Abyss Teleportation Portal?"

"The Golem Legion boasts a total of 215,000 constructs! There are 150,000 Clay Golems, 50,000 Rock Golems, 10,000 Steel Golems, and 5,000 specialized golems for various situational needs! The Abyss Teleportation Portal constructed on Glamorgan Island is functioning perfectly and is ready for real combat deployment at any moment!"

"Excellent! Hogger, how are the army's preparations?"

"One hundred thousand Ogres and 500,000 gnolls are on standby! As for the adventurers, thanks to the Royal Theater's years of publicity, 500,000 have already registered to fight. And it's not just the Afiaiv Kingdom; adventurers from other nations are eager to join as well. The registration numbers are still growing..."

"Thaurissan Darkforge! The equipment forged by the gray dwarves is a crucial safeguard for our victory! Is your task complete?!"

"The gray dwarves will never disappoint your expectations, Your Majesty."

"..."

Having confirmed that his retinue was fully prepared, the White Dragon Lord teleported to Sky City and arrived at Merlin Heavenly Principle's office. A gold dragon—Leopold Chodmartin—and another member of the Black Robe Wizard's Association—Sular Grey Dove—were already waiting inside.

These two, alongside the White Dragon Lord, constituted the replacement personnel for this rotation to the Blood War Battlefield.

"Right on time."

Merlin Heavenly Principle glanced at the timer on the wall.

"Alright, everyone is here. I trust you are all fully prepared for your duties, but just in case, I will explain it to you one more time."

"On the Blood War Battlefield, there are three factions: The Gods, the Demons, and the Devils."

"The Gods and the Devils have joined forces to counter the Demons. Our foothold in this struggle relies on the fortresses scattered across the Blood War Battlefield. These fortresses serve as base camps for hunting Demons, as well as safe havens for exhausted demon-slayers. Some of the larger fortresses are also equipped with a teleportation array to facilitate the dispatching of reinforcements from various factions..."

"The Alliance controls twenty-eight cities. Ten of these border demon territory. These ten cities require a High-Tier Legend to hold the fort. The garrison personnel are decided through discussions among the five major planes, and generally, each plane is responsible for two cities."

"A fair distribution system is one of the foundations of the Alliance. Therefore, these ten cities are also categorized by grade. The more dangerous locations are naturally graded higher, but they also offer greater rewards. The risks you undertake are directly linked to your personal gains, as well as the share of benefits Nordhill receives from within the Alliance."

"You will learn the specifics naturally once you arrive at Alliance Headquarters. If you are ready, you may depart."

At this point, the White Dragon Lord and the others obviously weren't going to back out. They all signaled their readiness and followed Merlin Heavenly Principle out of the Speaker's office.

Merlin Heavenly Principle led the group to a special Teleportation Chamber. The Teleportation Platform inside was larger and more complex than any the White Dragon Lord had ever used. Four intersecting bands of magical runes continuously rotated around it.

"You are all invaluable members of Nordhill. I advise you to use the Alliance Headquarters' Teleportation Platforms for both your departure and your return. These platforms are specially constructed, which can help you avoid certain hazards."

This remark was clearly directed at the White Dragon Lord, who was heading to the Blood War Battlefield for the first time. He looked utterly bewildered.

"Lord Speaker, could there be some hidden danger in teleporting to the Abyss?"

Merlin Heavenly Principle nodded.

"Ordinary people needn't worry, but High-Tier Legends must be cautious. Unspeakable horrors roam the spatial currents of the Abyss, and High-Tier Legends are barely qualified to be their prey."

Merlin Heavenly Principle gave the White Dragon Lord a solemn look.

"While in the Abyss, try to use teleportation magic as little as possible. The magical fluctuations from teleporting might attract their attention. Even though the chances are slim, you don't want to gamble with your life, do you?"

Merlin Heavenly Principle would absolutely not deceive him at a time like this. The White Dragon Lord nodded, taking the lesson to heart.

"Alright, step up. I will personally operate the teleportation for you."

The White Dragon Lord and his two companions stepped onto the Teleportation Platform. Merlin Heavenly Principle pressed a hand against the console. Boundless magical power flooded wildly into the console and then surged into the platform, lighting up its intricate runes.