Chapter 522 - 508: The Netherworld Guide’s Gaze

Chapter 522: Chapter 508: The Netherworld Guide’s Gaze

Outside the Azure Sky Fortress, this asymmetrical war of annihilation was drawing to a close.

Three Golem Legions pushed outward across the battlefield.

Spider Slayers burrowed into the piles of corpses, finishing off Demons feigning death. Peacekeeper PX-3s formed multiple blockades, silently and efficiently clearing out the Demon remains on the scorched earth to establish a cold, steel defensive perimeter.

Occasional explosions echoed from the distance.

With every blast, the people inside the fortress grew a fraction quieter.

The Ten Thousand Miles of Sunshine hung like a stagnant storm cloud, bearing down heavily upon the Azure Sky Fortress.

Below, four Witch Kings gathered in the council chamber. The corridor outside was packed with First-level Wizards from the two major factions, yet no one spoke a word.

"Did you notice? That ship... it didn’t even use its main cannons." The Storm Witch King’s voice was hoarse. "It wiped out the Demon legions using only conventional weapons."

"What are you afraid of? We joined the Association, but we are not their colony!" The True Silver Grand Chairman struck the table, the gemstone atop his Magic Staff flickering erratically. "Having powerful reinforcements is a good thing, but we cannot invite a wolf into our home! Ionia is the homeland we have guarded for generations. We can’t just hand it over to someone else."

Kassen watched the perfectly synchronized Golem Legions outside the window, his gaze complex. "When we requested aid from the Association, the agreement was very clear. We would fully integrate into the Association’s system in exchange for their protection. The other party is a Morning Star Wizard representing the Association. Legally speaking... we must follow his commands."

Back then, the three factions had been engulfed in infighting, idly watching as the Star Secret Place was annihilated. It wasn’t until the Demon army reached their gates that they reluctantly swallowed their pride in despair and sent a plea for help to the Wizard Association.

They had expected a traditional Wizard legion led by High-tier Wizards, never imagining that the arrival would be an unprecedented steel Giant Beast.

"I don’t object to cooperating, but we cannot hand over complete command. The two major factions must retain control over our armies, territories, and personnel appointments," the last Witch King stated. "He can provide the combat power, but how the war is fought must be up to us! That is our bottom line!"

The True Silver Grand Chairman took a deep breath, seemingly making up his mind. "Exactly. When we meet with him shortly, we must present a united front. Acknowledge his power and thank him for his aid, but clearly establish our right to autonomy. Ionia must be governed by its own people."

The other two nodded heavily. Under the threat of absolute destruction, they had finally reached a belated consensus.

The Central Square of the Azure Sky Fortress had already been cleared.

The four Witch Kings were waiting there, followed by hundreds of First-level Wizards—the last elites of Ionia.

They gazed up at the massive battleship blotting out the sky, forcing themselves to remain calm as they prepared to welcome the mysterious Morning Star Wizard.

They waited for five minutes, but the Ten Thousand Miles of Sunshine did not lower a single boarding ramp.

The Storm Witch King frowned. "Is he testing our patience?"

Just as Kassen opened his mouth to speak, a noise suddenly came from the edge of the square.

SCRAPE.

The sound of metal dragging across stone pierced everyone’s ears.

Two breaths later, it sounded again.

SCRAPE.

The Lighting Magic Skills dimmed one by one, reducing the once-bright Magic Light Balls to the size of beans.

At some point, the temperature in the square began to plummet.

White frost condensed on the surface of the stone bricks. Every exhaled breath instantly turned into mist. An icy, deathly stillness originating from the depths of their souls seized everyone by the throat.

The Wizards began to panic.

"What’s going on?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a vertical rift tore open in the center of the square, revealing a world devoid of light behind it.

"SCRAPE..."

A hand gripping a scythe reached out from the rift. Pitch-black chain links clattered against the ground, dragging out a frosted trail.

Thanatos slowly emerged from the Shadow Realm.

Shrouded entirely beneath the Soul Concealing Cloak, its exact form was indiscernible; only a vague humanoid outline and a skull-like head could be seen.

In its other hand, it held the Soul-Trapping Lantern. Inside the lantern swirled a continuously twisting, shapeshifting mass of grayish-white luminescent mist. Countless agonizing faces drifted within the mist, letting out silent shrieks.

When Thanatos fully stepped out of the rift and stood in the center of the square, all the Lighting Magic Skills across the entire fortress completely extinguished at the exact same moment.

Darkness enveloped everything.

The only source of light was the pale, soul-freezing glimmer emanating from the Soul-Trapping Lantern.

"Argh—!"

The First-level Wizards in the square could not even let out a complete scream before collapsing to their knees in unison.

They trembled violently, their faces as pale as paper, as if a giant, invisible hand was gripping their souls and forcefully tearing them from their bodies.

They lost even the courage to raise their heads.

The situation was no better for the four Witch Kings standing at the forefront.

They were horrified to discover that their own souls were now flickering like candles in the wind. Their connections to their physical bodies were being violently torn by an irresistible, mighty force.

It felt as though with a single thought from the entity before them, their souls would instantly leave their bodies, becoming just another trophy inside that terrifying lantern.

This was absolute Suppression on the level of life itself!

At this moment, Thanatos finally drifted to a stop in front of them. Deep within its skull-like visor, two points of eerie green light flared to life.

Thanatos’s gaze fell upon the four Witch Kings, completely choking off the words the Storm Witch King had been about to say.

"I am Allen Wesren." The voice echoed from within Thanatos, eerie and distant. "The executor of this mission for the Association’s Anomaly Threat Response Department.

"From this moment on, I will take charge of the defense of the Y-417 Plane."

There were no lengthy introductions, nor were there any requests for their opinions. He could have used an ordinary Golem as an avatar to engage in a "friendly negotiation" with these Second-level Wizards.

But Allen loathed wasting time.

When dealing with these narrow-minded natives, the most effective method was never reasoning. Rather, it was making them understand the absolute disparity between their echelons of power.

Yet to Allen’s surprise, these people were unexpectedly resilient.

The True Silver Grand Chairman plunged his Silver Staff into the ground, using it to steady his body.

"Respected Lord Wesren." With every word he spoke, his chest endured a soul-shaking tremor. "We... we are already members of the Association. This is not... not a hostile plane that needs to be conquered."

"I know. That is why I am here to talk to you."

Allen naturally couldn’t attack them directly; that would violate the basic guidelines of the Association’s assistance missions and negatively impact his promotion assessment.

"I can tell you frankly that I am a newly advanced Morning Star Wizard."

Allen’s abrupt statement made the four Witch Kings feel an even deeper sense of unease than before.

Newly advanced? A "newly advanced" Morning Star possessed such terrifying might?

"According to the Association’s intelligence and my assessment of the Demon vanguard, Sargeras, the Lord of Purgatory invading your plane, is highly likely to be a veteran Dawn Star Level existence, or perhaps even stronger." Allen calmly threw out his judgment. "His legions are endless, whereas for every one of my Golems lost, I have one less.

"Therefore, the ensuing war will be... much more difficult than you imagine."

Thanatos raised its right hand holding the Soul-Trapping Lantern, the pale light illuminating the instantly bloodless faces of the four Witch Kings.

"To fight him, we need to cooperate.

"And the prerequisite for cooperation is efficiency.

"I need all the resources, all the manpower, and all the strength of this plane to be mobilized in a unified and highly efficient manner. After my orders are given, I do not wish to hear any questioning or see any hesitation."

Allen’s voice rang out like a final judgment.

"Now, tell me your choice.

"Will you become the support I need to win this war, and survive?

"Or will you become an obstacle... that I need to conveniently sweep aside while clearing the battlefield?"