Chapter 70: Who killed that fool?

In the Fallen Realm, where everything was shrouded in a thick, dark mist that clung to the ground and obscured the landscape.

Two demons hurried toward a massive castle, their footsteps echoing across the desolate surroundings. Both had curved horns protruding from their heads and bat-like wings folded against their backs.

Their dark robes billowed as they moved, and panic was evident in their expressions.

The slits of their blood-red eyes glowed with a dark, ominous hue.

The demons guarding the castle gates did not stop them. Nor did anyone interfere as they hurried deeper into the castle, passing through vast, dimly lit corridors lined with grotesque yet strangely exquisite objects crafted from the remains of dead beings.

They finally came to a halt before a large chamber draped in heavy crimson curtains.

Inside, an enormous bed dominated the space, its shaking brown frame partially obscured by a dim, blood-colored glow.

The air was thick with the faint sound of wandering moans. Atop the bed, human men and women in nothing but scraps of silk clung to a tall, naked figure at the very center. He laughed with lechery, his hips moving in a rhythmic grind as he gripped a nearby woman’s breast with bruising force.

Sensing the two newcomers, the man called out with amused malice, his voice cutting through the haze of pleasure.

"What a pleasant surprise. Two Demon Servants at my castle so suddenly? Have you two come to join the fun? Hahaha!"

Outside the crimson curtains, the two demons faltered. For a heartbeat, their panic-stricken eyes flared with hungry lust, drawn in by the decadence within.

But they controlled their impulses. One stepped forward, his voice barely steady.

"Demon General, Slar is dead."

For a second, complete silence descended upon the chamber. Even the movements on the bed completely stopped, leaving behind only faint breaths and the soft rustle of silk.

Then, the tall man spoke.

This time, there was no amusement in his voice. Instead, it carried a hint of shock.

"What did you say?"

The Demon Servant repeated himself, his voice trembling beneath the pressure that had suddenly descended upon his body.

"Slar, the strongest of the seven Demon Servants, is dead. His Life Plate shattered completely just a short while ago."

He swallowed hard before continuing.

"The last time we both heard from him, he had gone to investigate one of the Human Realms after sensing something unusual. That Realm had not only triggered the First Demonic Dungeon but also cleared it in an incredibly short amount of time. Slar went there to find out what was happening."

The chamber fell silent once again.

The tall, naked man remained motionless for several seconds, as if trying to process what he had just heard. Then, the shock in his eyes faded, replaced by irritation.

"Damn that fool..."

His expression darkened.

"How could he have been killed by mere humans so suddenly, despite possessing so many life-saving treasures?"

He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Now I have to report this to the Demon Lord. One of the Demon Servants is dead."

With that, he kicked away the men under him, who did not even dare to cry out, and leaped down from the massive bed. His feet struck the floor with a powerful thud.

"Find out exactly what happened to him!"

He roared.

"I want every single detail. Where did he die? Who killed that brainless fool?"

The two Demon Servants trembled under his command.

Although they were powerful in their own right and had a relatively good relationship with all the Demon Generals, there was still a big difference in status between them.

The Demon Generals could kill the Demon Servants with nothing more than a thought.

They immediately lowered their heads.

"Yes, Demon General!"

Without daring to waste another second, the two Demon Servants turned and left.

Only after they had vanished beyond the crimson curtains did the Demon General’s expression become completely grim.

Slar was dead. One of the seven Demon Servants had actually fallen in a Human Realm. Somehow, that fact felt far more troublesome than it should have been.

***

On the other hand, in B City, the situation around the Dungeon, whose rank was still unknown, had grown even more chaotic. In just a single morning, the Dungeon Break had already claimed the lives of countless civilians and sent the entire city into panic.

Smoke rose from shattered buildings, fires burned in the distance, and the once-clean streets of B City were littered with nothing but corpses after the area was sealed off and the surviving civilians were rescued.

At the center of the chaos stood the flickering Dungeon. Five massive S-rank monsters had emerged from its depths, each one radiating a terrifying pressure.

Many S-rank Espers had gathered around them, forming a massive encirclement to prevent the monsters from advancing any farther into the city and causing even more destruction. However, even with so many Espers, the situation wasn’t looking good.

Even after attacking for so long, they had barely injured the five S-rank monsters.

To make matters worse, countless lower-ranked monsters were constantly pouring out of the Dungeon like a tide.

Although the lower-ranked Espers were killing many of them, some still managed to escape into the surrounding areas.

Erick had joined the S-rank Espers.

Meanwhile, Nox had joined the lower-ranked Espers.

Behind the fighting Espers, many Guides who had arrived with their teams or had been brought in to assist during the crisis had gathered in a small area guarded by a shield created by an S-rank Esper. Since the Espers had no time to retreat and go back to the safe zone for guiding, many Guides had been called and stationed nearby to provide immediate guiding when needed.

The scene was very chaotic.

So, when Zephyr’s figure stopped atop the ruins of a building near the area where the Guides were stationed, no one noticed his arrival. Lucien, still on Zephyr’s back, felt as though his head were not his own. Zephyr had moved far too fast, leaving Lucien not only scared but also wanting to throw up.

Lucien clung tightly to Zephyr’s shoulders, breathing heavily as he struggled to steady himself. He still needed a few minutes to calm down and settle his spinning head!

Zephyr didn’t set him down either.

His eyes curved mischievously.

As he hoisted Lucien up to steady him, his hands slid down to squeeze his thighs—not with force, but with a lingering reluctance.

Lucien shook his head, then finally patted Zephyr’s shoulder and looked ahead. The moment his eyes fell upon the battlefield, his heart thumped in his chest. Countless ugly monsters were scattered throughout the area, their roars filling the air. And that was without even counting the S-rank ones.

The sheer number of them was enough to make his stomach tighten with fear. Still, Lucien forced himself to remain calm and kept his expression composed as he said,

"Okay... put me down now."

Zephyr paused but put him down.

His mana had already spread out to cover their surroundings, creating a circle. With it in place, he knew Lucien would be safe.

Lucien glanced in the direction where the Guides were stationed. Suddenly, seeing someone familiar, he let out a cold sneer.

"Eleven got here before me, even though I came to B City before him. He’s guiding his favorite, Sylvia Wales. Oh, there’s another familiar figure from the Wales family too."

Hearing the familiar name, Zephyr’s gaze hardened slightly. He tilted his head toward Lucien, asking without much interest.

"You seem to dislike the Wales family."

Lucien’s expression soured.

"Don’t mention them. They are nothing but hypocrites. Trust me, they probably came here just to make sure no one can accuse the Wales family, the strongest family in M City, of standing by and doing nothing while B City was in danger. As for actually helping..."

His gaze shifted toward Sylvia.

"I can already see where they have placed themselves. Right beside the Guides. How long has it been since they even came? She and her brother are already getting guiding while all the other S-ranks are fighting."

Zephyr’s gaze lowered slightly.

"Brother?"

Lucien did not notice the subtle change in his expression.

"Yeah. Sylvia has a younger brother named Ryan Wales. They are both S-rank Espers. But honestly, they are pretty useless. Worse, they are both rotten to the core, even though they spend all day pretending to be saints, just like Nana."

Zephyr let out a quiet chuckle at Lucien’s blunt assessment.

He already knew that his name had been erased from the Wales household. But to think that, in the eyes of the outside world, Sylvia had only one younger brother... His parents had clearly gone to great lengths to erase his existence completely.

"You are right. There is no point wasting your thoughts on people like them. Tell me, what should we do next?"

Lucien was surprised and looked at him.

"You are going to follow my lead?"

"Hmm, we left Jake far behind. He asked me to follow the team. But since no one else is around, I will follow your lead."

Lucien’s eyes immediately lit up with excitement. He even blurted out.

"Then let’s cause chaos!!"