Chapter 535
The Great Demon of the Abyss
Chapter 535 The Great Demon of the Abyss
Late spring of the year 462 in the Gregorian calendar.
The border between the Seran Plain and the Unier Mountains in Middle-earth.
The hills and meadows of yesteryear are no more.
This place was once a major route for caravans. In spring, wildflowers bloomed everywhere, and the grass was knee-deep. Meltwater from the distant mountains formed streams that nourished this land.
But now, everything has changed.
The area centered on that purplish-black fissure was corrupted, turning into an exotic landscape of charred black and dark red.
The land is cracked and the vegetation is withered.
The abyssal energy surging from the depths of the rift is like an invisible tentacle, continuously eroding every inch of the material world.
Meanwhile, a massive fortress is gradually taking shape.
The abyssal material, along with the tainted remains of the floating city, together constitute its main body.
The fortress walls are hundreds of meters high, with a rough and uneven surface covered with spikes and protruding bone-like structures. They are predominantly purple and black, giving them an indestructible feel.
Inside the fortress, the buildings were in disarray.
They were built without any plan, simply according to the devil's preferences.
Towering altars, prison-like barracks, mountains of bones, boiling pools of blood...
Everything here highlights the inhuman nature of this place.
On the magnificent outer city wall, a tall and dangerous figure stood silently.
That was a female six-armed snake demon.
Her upper body was humanoid, with smooth lines, and six arms hanging naturally at her sides. The nails on each hand were sharp as knives, and her skin was dark purple, covered with fine scales that shone with a metallic luster under the light.
She had a beautiful face and long hair that fell over her shoulders.
However, those eyes revealed a chilling coldness, devoid of any allure.
Her lower body was a thick snake tail, over twenty meters long, covered with shiny black scales with sharp, blade-like edges. When it swayed gently, it rubbed against the surrounding walls, making a soft, grinding sound.
The six-armed snake demon.
Among all the demon races in the Abyss, the six-armed serpent demons are considered to be of a mid-to-high tier.
They not only possess great physical strength, but also remarkable intelligence, making them outstanding warriors and tacticians who often hold positions as commanders or high-ranking officers in the demon legion.
In the depths of chaos, few demons can remain rational and devise strategies.
The six-armed serpent demon is one of them.
Verishka is also one of the best among the six-armed serpent demons.
Her rank is equivalent to the Grand rank in the material world, and in the Abyss she is known as a "High-Ranking Demon General".
At the same time, she is also the commander of the demon legion in the material world, and has come here on the orders of a lord.
The lord promised that if she could successfully defend the rift and create conditions for the arrival of a more powerful being, she would be promoted to become a Great Demon of the Abyss, and might even have the opportunity to obtain a territory of her own.
"The fortress is complete, and the legion is ready."
Verishka murmured, her gaze sweeping over the scene inside and outside the fortress.
On the open ground inside the outer wall, the Iron Cavalry Demons were lined up.
These demons, at first glance, resemble centaurs but are even more ferocious. Their thick hooves end in hooked claws that can easily tear through heavy armor; their bodies are covered in armor-like keratinous layers, seemingly indestructible; their tails are long and powerful, ending in sharp bone spikes that can peel away the flesh of their enemies.
They are also naturally adept at using all kinds of heavy weapons, such as giant axes, flails, and warhammers, and are so brave that they are almost foolish, and know nothing of fear.
These Ironclad Demons, under the command of the vast majority of lords, played the role of heavy cavalry, serving as a striking force and a sharp blade to tear apart enemy lines.
At this moment, they are impatiently pawing at the ground with their hooves.
Closer to the rift, countless lesser demons and cowards huddled together, creating a noisy and chaotic scene as they tore at each other.
They are cannon fodder, but also reserve food.
When the legion needed to replenish its energy but had no other food, these low-level demons were the most convenient source. Therefore, they were the most numerous and died the fastest.
High points throughout the fortress.
The Thorn Spear Demon stretched out its limbs covered with spear-like bone spikes, like a series of living crossbows.
They resemble giant hedgehogs, but are more ferocious, covered in bony spikes of varying lengths with sharp, spear-like tips.
Beside them, the Brain Demon floated in mid-air.
These demons have no fixed form; their main body is a bloated brain tissue about one meter in diameter, exposed to the outside, with pulsating blood vessels and nerve bundles covering its surface. A dozen tentacles extend from below the brain tissue, with suckers or spikes at their ends.
The brain demon cannot speak, but its invisible fluctuations appear and disappear intermittently.
That's them communicating.
They are the 'sorcerers' of the demon legion, responsible for casting various curses, mental attacks, and defensive spells.
A single brain demon isn't very strong, but when they gather in groups, their skills can stack up, creating a qualitative change.
In the air, patrols of vulture demons crisscrossed like streaks of black lightning, occasionally letting out piercing screams.
Besides these.
There's also the Berserker Demon, a heavily armed elite force.
Their muscles bulge, and they enter a berserk state during battle, feeling no pain and fighting to the death.
Moreover, the berserkers are enormous in size, far surpassing most other biological races at the same level. They are scattered throughout the fortress, training, resting, or fighting each other.
Even worse, they fight each other to the death.
There is no camaraderie among demons, only a power dynamic and temporary obedience.
"Everything is proceeding according to plan."
Verishika flicked her tail contentedly.
Today, this fortress is capable of withstanding an attack from the material world's allied forces.
Materials tempered and refined by abyssal energy are far more resilient than metals and rocks in the material world. They have extremely high resistance to both magical and physical attacks, making them almost indestructible. When combined with well-placed defensive formations, they can even withstand the fierce attacks of the abyssal demons for a certain period of time.
According to known intelligence.
On the surface of this continent, there are no beings of destiny equivalent to great demons, nor are there any demon kings.
The strongest are the Grand rank, and their numbers are limited.
As for the slightly stronger material world empire, the Holden Empire, it is currently preoccupied with its own problems and dares not approach the surface. It can only eke out a living in the sky for the time being and put up a stubborn resistance.
Meanwhile, the size of this surface fissure is slowly expanding.
Every moment, more abyssal energy seeps out, eroding the surrounding spatial structure and making the rifts wider and more stable.
We are not far from being able to pass through when the stronger ones are able to.
"leader."
A voice came from behind, rough and grating, like a rusty saw cutting through bone.
Verishika didn't turn around; she knew who it was.
Harvest Morhekas, one of her most impulsive and valiant generals.
His appearance is typical of an Abyss Reaper.
It has a strong body, a pointed head, sickle-shaped forelimbs, and a mouth full of sharp teeth that opens and closes constantly.
Hecarus climbed the city wall.
He then walked to Verishika's side, but did not get too close.
"Chief, when can we start moving?"
The reaper said impatiently, "I can't wait to shred those fragile limbs and enjoy the wonderful blood and death. My claws are almost rusty from being here for so long."
Not only him, but the vast majority of demons are enduring it.
They came to the material world not for sightseeing, nor to build cities.
In the abyss, they fight every day, either against other demons, against devils, or against creatures from other planes.
Fighting is their instinct, killing is their pleasure. Here, they only want to kill and destroy, tearing everything they see into pieces.
For demons, life in the material world is a great tonic.
Consuming flesh or souls from the material world allows demons to advance at a faster pace, an irresistible temptation for demons who crave power.
Are you in a hurry?
"The six-armed snake demon asked."
"The legion has been assembled, and the fortress has been built. Those people from the material world don't even dare to show their faces!"
Hecas's voice rose, "Ah, I'm so thirsty! Let me lead the team out. I want to harvest that sweet flesh and blood. I don't need many, just a small team will do. I'll go around and bring back all the living things I can see. We can have a feast!"
Verishika finally turned her head and looked at the Harvest Demon.
Hecas instinctively shrank back, but his words didn't stop.
"I think... it's too frustrating for us to just sit here and wait for them to come and attack us. Look at those Iron Cavalry Demons, their hooves are practically rusted. And those Berserker Demons, they attack each other when there are no enemies. Yesterday, two of them got into a fight, and their brains were practically spilled out."
"Let them fight."
Verishka said, “Chaos is in the nature of us demons and cannot be completely suppressed. As long as the fortress structure is not destroyed and there are no massive casualties, let them be. The battle can keep them in shape, which is better than complete relaxation.”
"But……"
Hecas wanted to say something more.
The six-armed serpent demon interrupted him, "I ask you, how long did you live in the Abyss before you came to the material world?" The reaper demon was stunned for a moment, but still answered honestly.
"One thousand one hundred years, or even longer if you include the time spent in the larval stage."
How many battles have you fought?
“Countless,” Hecas said with pride. “Fighting demons, fighting devils, fighting elemental creatures…”
Have you ever lost?
Hecas said, "I've lost, of course I've lost. The worst time was when half my body was eaten away, and I almost died."
"Besides being weak, why did they lose?"
Verishika continued to ask.
The Reaper scratched his head and said reluctantly, "Because of carelessness, sometimes I rushed too fast and didn't wait for my teammates to catch up; sometimes I was too greedy and chased after fleeing enemies deep into enemy lines, where I got ambushed; and once I was too excited and didn't notice that the enemy had set a trap..."
Verishika glanced at him.
"You're doing the same thing right now."
"Impulsive, impatient, driven by appetite and fighting spirit, disregarding the big picture... That's why you can only ever obey my orders, even if you're no weaker than me. In pure combat, we might be evenly matched."
In the abyss, combat power is not scarce.
Powerful demons are everywhere, and every day new powerful beings are born while old ones fall.
The rarest thing is a brain that can think normally.
Verishka has this ability, so she is the commander; Hecas does not, so he can only fight on orders.
The six-armed serpent demon turned back to the land outside the fortress.
"What you see is that the creatures of the material world dare not show themselves. What I see is that they are preparing, gathering, and converging on us. Scouts report that traces of large-scale military movements have been discovered in the east, south, north, and west. Although they are still far away, they are definitely coming, and not just one army, but several, from different directions."
"That's perfect!"
Hecas became excited, brandishing his scythe-like limbs. "Let them come! The more the better! Let our blades taste enough blood! Haha, I want to eat more human brains; they say that makes demons smarter."
Perhaps it's because I'm too excited that I'm saying this.
The reaper's scythe tip had accidentally slashed its own head, and black blood was flowing out, but it didn't care at all. In fact, it was even more excited and stuck out its long tongue to lick the wound.
The serpent demon asked, "And then?"
"And then?" Hecas paused for a moment. "Then, of course, we'll kill them all, conquer this material world, and turn it into our new hunting ground!"
Verishika did not respond immediately.
Her gaze passed over the fortress, over the circling vultures, and landed on the purplish-black rift.
The fissure is like a huge scar, stretching across the earth, with surging darkness deep within.
It is slowly spreading, becoming wider and more stable every moment.
Deep within the rift, a faint pulse was intensifying, like the heartbeat of a colossal creature, deep and powerful, detectable only by the most perceptive demons.
"Hecas, do you know why we were sent here?"
The six-armed snake demon suddenly asked.
"Because we are powerful! We are deeply trusted by the lord!"
The Harvester answered without hesitation.
"No, because we are consumables."
Verishika turned her head and stared at the Harvest Demon.
"The current limit that this rift can withstand is our level, high-level demon generals, and crown-level. Those stronger than us cannot pass through for the time being. The spatial structure is not stable enough, and forcibly passing through would result in being torn apart. So we will go first."
“We build cities, we defend them, we attract the power of the material world, we fight them, we bleed, we die, and when we are all entangled with them and blood flows like a river, that blood, that death, and that dissipated soul energy will be absorbed by the rift and transformed into abyssal energy, allowing the rift to quickly accumulate enough stability.”
"Then, an even more powerful being will descend."
She paused, then spoke again.
"Therefore, our mission is not to conquer, not to hunt, not to enjoy, but to defend this fortress, to defend this rift, until the great demons, or even our lords, our king, descend upon this place."
"The conquest will only truly begin then."
The reaper's scythe-like limbs slowly lowered.
He wasn't stupid; he understood the meaning behind it at that moment.
"Then... how long do we have to hold out?"
He asked.
"It will take as long as it's supposed to."
Verishka said with a cold laugh, "The mission will be complete either when the rift widens and stabilizes further, or when we are all killed in action."
Her gaze swept across the fortress, both inside and out.
A procession of ironclad demons, a chaotic horde of cowardly demons, circling eagle demons, hovering brain demons, and berserker demons locked in fierce combat...
These are all her bargaining chips, her consumables.
Just as she was a tool under the lord's command.
Verishika was very clear about her position, but she never complained or felt dissatisfied, because that was how the Abyss was.
It's all meaningless unless you can become a lord.
"Don't underestimate the living things in the material world."
The six-armed serpent demon continued, as if reminding the reaper demon, and also as if reminding himself.
"Don't forget how many casualties Holden inflicted on us in the war in the Abyss. The humans of that empire are crazy, cunning, and reckless. They once repelled our legions, invaded our territory, and even captured several great demons, nailing them to the edge of our territory for centuries."
As he spoke, the snake demon suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"However, those humans were truly arrogant and conceited, believing they could control everything and obtain everything in the abyss without paying the price, ultimately awakening our king from his slumber."
"Their immortals believed they could defeat the Demon King."
"Heh, now they've learned their lesson."
"When more floating cities fall, more rifts burst open, our legions will descend upon this land in full force, and our king will arrive. At that time, the Holden Empire will collapse like a sandcastle in the wind, with no way out. Those arrogant humans will wail as they become slaves or food."
"Then……"
Verishika's lips curved slightly, revealing a devilish smile, beautiful yet dangerous, like a poisonous flower blooming on bones.
"This entire planet will become part of the Abyss, it will become ours, and our king, after conquering new lands for the Abyss, will go a step further and become a true Abyss Lord, gaining more power and authority. We, his followers, will also be rewarded, become stronger, and even have the opportunity to acquire territory."
At this point, her gaze once again turned to the distance.
Something was moving faintly on the horizon. Small, fast, and fleeting.
Perhaps it's a bird in flight, perhaps it's a cloud shadow, perhaps... it's an enemy conducting close reconnaissance.
"Hecas, pass on the order."
"The six-armed snake demon said."
"All legions shall remain on high alert, but are prohibited from launching attacks. If a small enemy squad approaches, drive it away with ranged attacks and do not pursue it. If a large enemy force appears, report it immediately, but do not engage in battle proactively. Wait for them to attack the city."
“Let them come and see, let them investigate, let them bring back everything they have to their decision-makers.”
"When they thought they had grasped our secrets, had formulated a plan, and were full of confidence, they launched a full-scale attack."
Verishika turned around, her six arms outstretched simultaneously, like blooming flowers of death.
"We'll show them what real war is, what despair is, and what... the abyss is!"
The reaper demon retreated and left in a hurry.
On the city wall, the six-armed serpent demon stood alone.
The wind brought the scent of the abyss, but also other scents.
That's the smell of grass, the smell of trees, the smell of living things.
The life force of the material world is so sweet and tempting to demons, like the fragrance of a clear spring to a traveler who has been thirsty for countless years.
Verishika took a deep breath, inhaling the breath and feeling the life energy it contained.
almost.
She thought silently.
The fortress here is impregnable; any attack from the material world will be futile.
Then, at the moment the lord arrives...
All the waiting, all the patience, all the sacrifices will be rewarded.
At that time, she will be promoted, gain power, and gain status, and all the beings in the material world will understand that all their resistance has been in vain.
They will all become nourishment for the abyss.
Without exception.
Book Recommendation: "The Dark History I Wrote Has All Come True"
Synopsis: Years later, when Evan is sent to the gallows, he always remembers the night in his past life when he first wrote his dark history novel in his notebook.
This book is also known as "The Story of How I Reincarnated into a Dark History Novel."
Elements: [Adventurers], [Hodgepodge Worldview], [Pseudo-D&D], [Twisted Literature]
(End of this chapter)