Chapter 135: Fading stars
Demons and monsters were the first to discover the changes of the Border Forest, much earlier than humans.
It was a bloody human arm that was thrown away by the garrison of Roadside Town into the damp shrubs. It would have rotted quickly and then turn into a broken piece of corpse that wasnât an uncommon sight in the Border Forest, but instead of rotting, it remained in its original state in the hot and humid woods, faintly exuding an aura that made demons extremely uncomfortable. Even ordinary insects and beasts without demon blood subconsciously avoided the strange flesh.
It laid there quietly among the rotting leaves and dirt. Its growing powers seduced the surrounding creatures, but aggressive fluctuations pushed them away.
Until an injured earth dragon swallowed it.
The earth dragons had a medium IQ and a big head, but their reaction wasnât very responsive. It didnât have an overly complex mind. People didnât have much interest in this kind of intermediate demon. The earth dragons lived in the deep dark lairs of the Border Forest. Their flesh was rough and poisonous, and their scales, skins, and bones were of little practical use. They only move in groups in small areas of activity, looking for other creaturesâ eggs, rotting meat, and juicy water mushrooms, the latter in particular.
They often pass through shrubs in droves, sniffing at rotten roots and marking stumps where the mushrooms may grow. Theyâre extreme cautious and once a powerful predator approached, the earth dragons would quickly evacuate under the command of the leader.
It all started with an accident.
Humans held testing activities in the forest from time to time, and the life in the forest had long been accustomed to it. Not long ago, a superior demon appeared inexplicably in this event, but fortunately, it took the initiative to dedicate its flesh and blood. The active predators successfully got a piece of the action and their strength soared, causing the balance in the forest to begin to tilt.
Unfortunately, this didnât include the cautious earth dragons and it was because of this that after Pandorater left its collapsed flesh and blood, this caution became the cause of the disasterâ With their leaderâs judgement, no earth dragon took a piece of Pandoraterâs flesh so none could resist the sudden strengthening of their natural enemies. The number of earth dragons had declined sharply, and the survivors had to run around daily to escape with their lives.
They finally had nowhere to go.
The leader of the earth dragon had lost an eye and a leg. The flesh on its chest was torn apart by fangs, revealing white ribs. Its companions screamed in its ears, pleading for the baby earth dragons that hadnât even had the chance to hatch.
Its race was about to disappear.
There was a vague and painful groan in the throat of the leader of the earth dragons. Its breathing became more ragged. Remorse tormented it along with toxins seeping from its wounds. The dying demon lowered its head and arch its nose over the arm on the ground.
As a kind of creature that wasnât intelligent, its idea was simple and direct. Since it would die anyways, it was better to try to become stronger and win a glimmer of hope for its kind.
Wasnât there still a piece of flesh of the superior demon here? Even if the rejection and fear derived from instinct numbed its brain, and the overly intense fluctuations in power almost took away its standing strength, even if it was scared, extremely scared, this was still an option. The instinct of survival and the responsibility as leader tore at each other in the small skull of the earth dragon and it almost fell into chaos.
The earth dragon let out a small whine, struggled in place for a long time, and finally swallowed the dismembered arm into his stomach.
Then it sank into thick darkness.
It didnât know how long it took before it finally saw light again. The world had never been so clear, and the majestic power was pouring out of its body, but what followed was pain. The body melted and deformed, and its heart almost burst. The earth dragon instinctively sensed something bad. It could smell the breath of death close at hand.
But it didnât matter. It thought for a moment it still had time to clean up the enemies of its species. Despite being puzzled by the suddenly smaller trees and mountains, it raised its head and began to sadly call for its group.
The Preceptor Bishop, Felix Waldron, was anxious.
Since arriving in Roadside Town, he hadnât had a good nightâs sleep. The Knights of Judgement persuasion to the civilians did not have any practical effect and the people who left were far less than the adventurers who came to inquire about the news. At the behest of the Preceptor Bishop, the Knights of Judgement of the Laddism Church had laid down the highest level of defenses. To ensure that the response was fast enough, half of the troops were on standby in the area adjacent to the demon cocoon, while the other half stepped up inspections and threw every demon worshipper nearby into the dungeon.
This thing was extremely dangerous was the hunch that the Preceptor Bishop had. The current situation couldnât tolerate anyone from the Abyssal Church to disrupt it. Although the Abyssal Church headquarters was gone, greatly affecting their vitality, he couldnât relax his vigilance because of this.
âPull the dragon breath stone fort to the southwest corner. The defensive formation there is too weak and could be used as a breakthrough point,â he ordered in a numb voice. âWhereâs the demon toxins? Is it all ready? We have to prepare for the worstââ
A violent earthquake suddenly struck, and the sound of flesh tearing through the night sky made everyone skin tightened. A mass of deformed creatures fell from the cocoon, then the cocoon melted and disappeared like hot wax.
A strong sense of oppression followed, as if a blacksmithâs hammer instantly shattered all the ribs in oneâs chest. Even under the layers of protection of the magic arrays, the Preceptor Bishop still vomited a mouthful of blood.
âTeam 17, go to Roadside Town!â the middle-aged Preceptor Bishop bent down slightly as he shouted in a trembling tone. âGo to the most crowded place to stabilize the scene and guide them to evacuate! This is a superior demon. A complete superior demonâŠâ
What slid out of the cocoon was like an immature dragon embryo; not healthy or normal looking. It let out a sharp and unpleasant howl, crawling on the ground, as if struggling. A dark shadow-like liquid flowed from the cracks in the Abyss, quietly entangling the newly born demon and the pain in the demonâs howl became heavier.
Itâs the law. Felix thought that the complete superior demon wouldnât be able to come after all. The demon who violated the law was about to die, but why was the sense of oppression getting stronger?
âKenyattaâs gunners should be in place. The dragon breath stone fort is on standby,â he raised a hand.
âI said, stand by. This thing canât get out of control. Absolutely not.â
âWeâre always willing to dedicate ourselves to the glory of Zenni, but if the fort blows over, youâll alsoâŠâ
âNonsense! Iâm the commander!â the Preceptor Bishop roared. The skin on his neck flushed with anger. âI must grasp all its changes immediately. Stand by! Damn itââ
The oppression of the superior demon suddenly weakened sharply.
In this extremely abnormal situation, too sudden changes were the most terrifying. The Preceptor Bishop Felix almost ordered to fire with his shaking hand, until another steady and familiar sense of oppression appeared. Felix raised his head with some difficulty, subconsciously looking at the source of another powerful force.
He still looked the same, with a black robe condense into a black shadow, and his face wasnât visible. He held an equally dark staff in his hand. The ominous figure floated in mid-air, one hand pointing at the direction of the superior demon, motionless.
This was truly the worst time.
Felix made a quick decision. He made a quick gesture, and the defensive array was launched, layer by layer, like a blooming white ephiphyllum. âThis was a great time to confirm the identity and position of this âdark omenâ,â he thought calmly. âHow lucky.â He may have the chance to die with the most terrifying demon.
He didnât have time to be afraid of this height and he didnât even dare to be distracted by the defensive array that was launched by the Laddism Church. At this moment, all his attention was fixated on the superior demon who was still struggling. The dazzling star flickered frantically in his mind, and its thoughts and shouts also pierced his brain.
It was the leader of the earth dragons. It was calling for its most cherished thing, its group.
Perhaps it had been sleeping for too long. Nemo could sense there were few life reactions of the earth dragons in the forest. He didnât dare to convey the news to it. It was still calling non-stop, and its cry became sadder.
Nemo closed his eyes. He emptied his mind, trying to touch the dazzling star. Finally, under the light, he could clearly see the complicated magic circuits like capillaries.
He always thought that magic came from the ability of the creatures themselves, but now it seemed that the opposite was true. What it returned to him was pure energy, and what flowed out of him was âAbyssal magicâ.
It was like a transaction.
When they first met, he didnât think there was anything wrong with Jesse Dylanâs metaphor. Yes, it was no wonder why only he could use Abyssal magic without any need for spells and prayers⊠No, now it seemed that those mysterious spells and prayers were just signals for trading.
And the âstarsâ in his mindâ Whether they use Abyssal magic or not, returned pure energy. Although he didnât know why they kept flashing like real stars, he had learned enough facts. Nemo carefully dredged the power in the demonâs body to make it less violent.
The power of this demon was so powerful that the subtle power fluctuations felt like the tide. The exchange and flow of power gradually became clear, and the starry sky in his mind began to expand. It was getting wider and clearer.
This was the first time he had close contact with the flow of power after he had his definite guess. Now Nemoâs mind was as clear as ice, and his cognition had never been so real. It really wasnât detection magic. It wasnât even magic. It was just pure⊠Perception.
The perception of those lives that were connected to him and provided him with strength. It was like perceiving petals falling on the skin. Those who had just been born, those who were about to die. Born as a demon or making a contract with a demon. Countless stars appeared quickly, one by one lit up in his mind, and began to flicker.
Oliver, who had a contract with him, had the ability to use Abyssal magic. Now he could be sureâ As long as he has this ability, even if he didnât use it, Oliver would become his source of strength. Then naturally he would be able to find the star that belongs to Oliver.
He finally clung to a glimmer of hope, but he couldnât take back his abandoned limbâ He still couldnât save the dying earth dragon.
The newborn superior demon didnât move. It roared sadly, its voice becoming more desperate. Finally, an earth dragon responded to the call. The weak earth dragon dragged its wounded body and looked up suspiciously at the unknown monster in front of itâ And the dying superior demon lowered its head, wanting to sniff its own kind and be intimate as usual.
However, it hadnât yet learned how to control its power.
Under the excessive pressure, the weak earth dragon instantly became a pile of flesh.
The deformed superior demon let out a sharp roar. The light of the defensive array suddenly became a little heavier. Its power was still increasing but it may have now recognized the sad fact.
At this time, that power was no longer important.
It began to struggle violently and roared with all its strength, but only one person could understand its meaning. Nemo took a deep breath, and the smell of the forest mixed with flesh and blood rushed straight to his nose. He took out the communication crystal in his pocket with slightly trembling hands and glanced at the Knights of Judgement who had gradually gathered due to the abnormal condition.
âAnn,â his voice was gentle and soft. âYou guys go. The farther away the better. It can get dangerous here.â
âNemo? âŠâŠWhat are you planning?â the voice of the female warrior came from the other side of the crystals. âWe just caught the bastard you saidââ
âI need to deal with that superior demon. You should be able to see it now. Itâll be over soon⊠Now I can find Oliver and Iâll act as soon as itâs over.â
ââŠThen Iâll go to you, with Ollie,â he lied. âYou can take advantage of this time to send the prisoner to the Insular Court.â
Nemo didnât wait for Ann to answer. He directly crushed the crystal that was still flashing. âIâm really not good at saying goodbye,â Nemo thought.
The superior demon in front of him was crying bitterly. Its power was so strong that it began to corrode its body. Strong enough for it to detect the condition of the entire forest.
It had long lost its reason to fight.
The former earth dragon wept helplessly, praying in a voice that no one understood from the swollen flesh. Unlike when he was participating in the Black Chapterâs test, Nemo no longer treated those thoughts as wonderful murmurs.
This superior demon was just like Pandorater. It found him and began to pray.
[Kill me.] It spoke. [Kill me.]
âOkay,â Nemo responded dryly. âIâm reallyâŠâ
He didnât care about the gathering Knights of Judgement anymore. He didnât care about how many pairs of eyes were watching. There were originally only two choices for himâ Either let go of his power and confine the explosion in a small space or wipe out the superior demon before the explosion.
He shouldnât be so sad. It made a request, the least painful way. Everyone would be safe, butâŠ
âIâm really, really sorry.â
Nemo murmured repeatedly. He cut off those circuits and extinguished the star, as if gently blowing out a burning candle.
The huge superior demon disappeared.
There was no exploding flesh. No splashing blood. It quietly turned into ashes in an instantâ Ashes fluttered in the night sky, like falling snow in winter. It slowly fell on the armor of the Knights of Judgement, before accumulating into a thin layer on the ground.
He didnât have the slightest fatigue after consuming his strength. Only unspeakable heaviness and depression.
Nemo turned around and felt the vast starry sky in his mind. Vergilâs intel was more valuable than he thoughtâ There was more than one dazzling star in the starry sky, but only one was in Walden.
In other words, the Withered Castle.
But before he could taste this rare little joy, the familiar despair struck again. The star was darkening at an abnormal speed. It was extinguishing, and he was about to lose it.
The snow-like ashes had not completely scattered to the ground and for a moment, his body seemed to really have turned into bitter winter.
âHe has to hurry,â Nemo thought. âGo there immediately. He must be quickââ
But as he expected, several surveillance spells and restraint spells came at the same time. This crisis was over, but the Knights of Judgement naturally wouldnât leave. A more terrifying threat than a superior demon was at hand.
Compared with before, the atmosphere of the Knights of Judgement was more tense. When power exceeded a certain limit, position and motivation were no longer important. They would no longer use his behavior as a main basis for judging whether heâs good or evil. Nemo fully understood this, but right now he didnât have the time or energy to entangle with the people in front of him.
What was waiting for him would be their attempts at stalling him while more troops and support arrive. The Knights of Judgment were still trying to protect Roadside Town and the people.
âThere could be a peaceful solution,â Nemo thought to himself. As long as he was willing to cooperate, made a harmless appearance, and obediently dispel their doubts, but that would take time, maybe lots of timeâŠ
Black shadows rose into the air, their sharp shadow blades pressed against the throats and eyes of the knights.
âRemove the restraining arrays,â Nemo shouted in a cold voice. âPlease get out of the way!â
The knights didnât move. They stayed firmly, guarding the twinkling town behind them. Countless restraint arrays wrapped around Nemoâs body, slowly gnawing at the dark shadow. His disguise was about to break.
They were indeed heroic and upright people, but the star that belonged only to him was about to fade.
âGet out of the wayââ Nemo repeated again, trying to suppress the crying in his voice. He exerted his own binding spells in vain as the magic belonging to the surface would not follow his instructions. The magic array that had been arranged in all hidden direction interfered with his judgement. He couldnât find the right strength, and he was likely to hurt everyone by mistake. âI donât want to fight with you!â
He couldnât handle multi-tasking at this moment. He knew a faster wayâ Ignore all their defenses and spells, stop trying to talk, and directly use enough power to crush all the lives present.
He heard someone on the surface arguing about firing. Although Nemo didnât know what the dragon breath stone fort was, he could probably understand what the other party was trying to say. They didnât mean to compromise, and they wanted to die together.
âI donât want to fight with you,â he repeated, trying to repair the disguise woven by the black shadows, but as soon as his attention was distracted, the shadow blade threatening the knights suddenly began to shake, so more binding and restraint arrays came.
Time was too tight. Perhaps there was only one way.
His disguise was about to peel off, and this place was likely to soon be destroyed. All the magic array used to deal with the superior demon were being used on him, but he didnât want to hurt others. He may not be able to master his strength, but serious injuries were better than death.
He might never be able to go back. Nemo finally glanced at the twinkling town not far away, ready to take a risk.
But another force broke out earlier. After a loud explosion, countless plumes of smoke and dust rose from the Border Forest in an instant. A myriad of lightning flashed across the edge of the dense black smoke.
A hand stretched out and took away the staff from Nemoâs hand.
âGo find your Oliver,â another voice came from not far away. âI canât believe youâve learned how to lie, you bastard.â
The female warrior turned her spear. âCross and I know better than you at how to deal with these guys.â
She smiled at him and raised her hand.
âThis smoke will only help interrupt their binding spells for a bit. Now get lost!â
Oh, I cried this chapter. The poor earth dragon. Nemoâs feelings. AhhâŠ
Did anyone make the connection? The skull helmet Ollieâs wearing is an earth dragonâs skull. I love these small details.
I also love how everything is intertwine and connected. Previous events of this novel had led to present consequences. Things just arenât happening out of nowhere. Everything is connected. Ahhh so good!