927-933

Chapter 927: Unsettling Night (3)

In the end, Rhode purchased the metal egg that he wasn't aware of what purpose it served. Although it was huge, it didn't pose a problem for him to stuff it into the spatial bag. Even though he was also interested in other items, it was a pity that plane merchants could only sell one item to each customer. This meant that Rhode could only buy this metal egg his entire lifetime.

"Alright, I'm happy to work with you."

After settling this deal, Stefania revealed a relieved expression. Frankly speaking, the most troublesome customers were those who were picky and unreasonable. If it weren't for the Roulette of Fate, they would have haggled for a long time before reaching an agreement.

"It's finally settled."

On the contrary, Rhode felt troubled because he didn't know what that thing was exactly. But it seemed like some sort of a vessel. But the problem was... Was this vessel good or bad? Even with his 'unlucky looting aura', this item shouldn't be defective, right?

He finally had the chance to meet a plane merchant and yet, he received a defective item due to his 'unlucky looting aura'?

Just thinking about it made him embarrassed.

If it were possible, he wanted to demand Stefania to stay by his side for future deals. But it was apparent that Stefania possessed the powers to prevent it from happening. As a plane merchant, she possessed a unique ability called 'plane teleportation'. Not only could she transmigrate to other planes of existence, but she could also change her form in other dimensions. It was just like previously when she concealed her presence entirely from Rhode and Angelina. But this was also to be expected since it wasn't possible that a plane merchant would be so easily discovered.

This was all that Rhode could do for now. As for what exactly was inside the metal egg, he could only investigate further after returning to his territory.

He hoped that it wasn't defective...

All he could do now was to pray.

Stefania left after deactivating the time control while Rhode and Angelina headed back to the banquet hall. Perhaps the entire process seemed like less than half an hour to others, but in fact it was 10 hours of negotiations.

Even Rhode couldn't tolerate it anymore.

"Hmm?"

The instant when time regained its flow and he returned to his senses, he instantly sensed a fierce battle happening faraway that involved clashes of swords and loud war cries. Although the battle was too far away for ordinary people to realize, he could easily hear them.

The sound of clashes in battle stopped shortly after. But after a few seconds, he heard hurried footsteps and desperate screams from the same place. He lifted his head and looked in the direction of the clamors where he witnessed flares erupting into the sky. Although it wasn't huge, he knew that it would turn into a prairie fire soon.

He had to admit that those people chose the opportune timing.

Rhode turned around and headed back to the banquet hall.

At this moment, the banquet hall was as bustling as ever. The merchants raised their glasses and threw all the past horrifying incidents to the back of their heads. They didn't realize that the soldiers guarding the manor were hurriedly rushing toward other places at the same time.

What's going on?

Shane felt annoyed when he heard the urgent report from the orderly. A few moments ago, he had also received a report about a riot led by the lower-class people! Back then, he didn't take them seriously and simply sent his men to suppress the riot. He wasn't surprised that the lower-class people rebelled. In fact, he was ready for it after Morey's death.

However, the change in the state of affairs left him dubious. He thought that with his experience, the garrisons who he sent out could scare the people into obedience since they didn't want to risk hurting their wives and children.

But this time, things were rather strange. Not only did the violence not stop, but it became much more serious. Could it be that one of those idiots he sent accidentally killed their people and aggravated the situation? If that was the case, things would get really troublesome.

However, after hearing his subject's report, he was bewildered. According to them, the garrisons witnessed the rioters charging toward them with raised weapons. Although the garrisons attempted to repress their aggression like in the past, the rioters seemed fearless this time, where not even threatening their family members worked. On the contrary, the threats infuriated them even more. As a result, even though the rioters paled in comparison to the garrisons in terms of weapons and armor, they actually chased the garrisons away and were even setting fire around the city!

Shane was stunned by their craziness, but he didn't take them seriously. After all, apart from the useless garrisons in the city, he also had plenty of strong soldiers from the Viper Gang. Tonight was his important banquet night and if this news were to spread, it would hurt his reputation greatly. Therefore, after learning the failure of the garrisons, he quickly sent out his elite soldiers to deal with the crisis.

But who would have thought that the elite soldiers also failed?

This left Shane completely baffled. According to the report, there were too many rioters who were extremely familiar with the terrain and streets. On the other hand, even though the soldiers from the Viper Gang were elites, they were still humans who would die to a stab to their hearts. Therefore, they only manage to resist the rioters for a while before being completely overwhelmed. No matter what, a human wave attack would become advantageous after reaching a certain stage.

W-What exactly is going on?

Shane remained perplexed after much thought. He thought this was just a one-time situation, but similar incidents were happening everywhere in Highland City. Besides, the prairie fires were blazing increasingly wilder and the situation was getting out of control! Shane instantly felt fretful and restless. Although he continued to send out more people, the reports that he received were getting worse. According to the reports, not only were the people leading the riots, but plenty of soldiers were also involved now!

Even though Shane ordered the city owner to appease the people, he suspected that the useless old man could hardly stand on his feet after witnessing the violent riots. Hmph. Trash is always trash. It seems like I'll need to get involved personally. Damn it... Shane swept a glance at the bustling banquet and gnashed his teeth.

Those bastards chose to mess with me today. They're asking for death!

"... Sir-Sir Shane!"

At this moment, an orderly scampered toward him. He sucked in a breath of cold air upon seeing Shane's sulky expression and quickly reported the situation.

"The front line is surrounded by the rioters completely. They're closing in to the manor, Sir. What should we do?"

"What did you say? Those bastards dare to surround my manor?!"

Shane was gobsmacked. He had never imagined that this day would come!

"Send soldiers to defend and seal all the entrances and exits! If anyone dares to enter, kill———"

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted and black rolling smoke, as well as scarlet flares rushed to the night sky. The cheery merchants came to an abrupt halt with their actions. They whispered to one another's ears while turning to face the flares in the distance. The melodious music echoing in the hall had completely stopped and many of them headed out to gaze at the city enveloped by the deep, dark sky.

However, they quickly realized that it wasn't dark at all.

Because the entire manor was surrounded by hot, blazing flames.

Shane's expression darkened instantly because he knew that...

He was in big trouble.

Chapter 928: Boiling City

The temperature is almost there.

Rhode lurked in the shadow and revealed a smile while observing the scarlet blaze and smelling the burned smell in the air. At this moment, Highland City was like a wok of boiling water. As the temperature rose, the water boiled increasingly faster and the things hidden underneath would be revealed. If Gillian were to handle this, she would do a perfect job. However, Rhode preferred to do it himself. No matter what, he was a player and players were passionate about adventures. He hated staying in Grandia all day doing nothing.

And now, his setup was about to produce the results.

Rhode refused to believe that the Light Parliament wouldn't make any moves after his dragon soul protection had enveloped Highland City. Highland City's strategic and political significance was clear and important, so it was impossible that the Light Parliament had never thought of resolving this issue, especially after they had dispatched their men to check on the situation. They also couldn't possibly think that the people of Highland City were powerful enough to resist them. So, could it be that the Light Parliament wasn't prepared for this?

Rhode didn't think so. Also, he needed to give this city a thorough cleansing.

That's right. Cleansing.

It was just like what Lydia did to the Reformist Party; she let them indulge in their craziness until the point of self-destruction. That was when she struck and made those idiots realize what foolish acts they had done. This was also why no one in Southern Port dared to defy her orders. After personally experiencing the terror and cruelty of war, those people abandoned their glorified rhetoric, sought their most instinctive desires, and stayed honest and obedient. Only the ones who experienced war understood the value of peace.

Just like them, Highland City needed to be cleansed too. Rhode didn't know what those people thought of his rule but he didn't care.

And now was the time.

He had gotten news from Gillian that everything worked out as planned. He supposed that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary also couldn't wait to get in on the action.

To Rhode, sinking Highland City into chaos was only a means. After all, this city was overly rigid like a puddle of stagnant water that stayed constant. However, constant didn't mean that no changes could happen. After the people of Highland City had had enough of the riots, they would face the terrible mess that they couldn't restore. It was at that moment when Rhode would have an easier time gaining control of the city. Not only that, but the chaotic city also allowed the things hidden underneath the water to reveal themselves. Perhaps it was only for a split second, but as long as the hidden rats dared to show themselves, it would present a perfect opportunity for him. Moreover...

Boom!

Another loud explosion shook the ground. The merchants were baffled and flustered. At this moment, Shane finally appeared on the platform.

"Everyone stay calm!"

His voice wasn't loud, but he managed to suppress the clamors in the banquet hall. Shortly after, everyone turned to him and he revealed the confident smile of a ruler. He raised his arms and announced.

"Please remain calm! There is only a small accident out there. For your safety, I suggest that you wait here while we handle everything! I guarantee that the commotion will come to an end in just a while!"

Although the merchants were dubious, most of them didn't reveal their doubts. It was apparent that something was really off outside. Moreover, armored soldiers had sealed off the entire manor. As long as one wasn't that stupid, one would know that this was a precarious situation.

"Hmph!"

Shane gazed at the lifeless banquet hall and couldn't hold his anger any longer. He let out a scoff and shifted his gaze to the blazing flares in the near distance outside the manor. The flares were as though the burning wrath that was inside him right now.

"Have all the soldiers been deployed?"

Shane turned around and asked a mysterious man wrapped in black cloak. The latter nodded slightly.

"Hiss—— Everything is ready, Sir Shane. Hiss—— Those humans will stop acting so savagely soon, so please don't worry. They will fail and everything will go as planned by you, Sir Shane."

"Good."

Shane nodded. He turned around and entered the room.

"Remember, don't keep anyone alive. Since they desperately want to die, let them have an eternity of death!"

"Of course. Hiss—— My master."

The man in black cloak stooped over slightly for a respectful bow and said with a voice filled with unprecedented frenzy and joy. When he turned around, the flares were coming closer and there were also indistinct human silhouettes raising torches seen among the blaze. They snarled as they charged toward the armored soldiers who were their most hated enemies.

But...

"Slaves... will always be slaves..."

The man in black cloak muttered under his breath. He extended his right hand and the wide sleeve swayed in the wind. A few seconds later, the blazing flames surrounding the manor were instantly extinguished while an enormous shadow shrouded the entire manor like an enchanted field of darkness.

The man in black cloak revealed a mocking smile. Then, he raised his right arm.

He began a deep, mysterious chant where suddenly, the eyes of the stone statues above the roof and walls flickered in bright, menacing red. Then, they leapt off the buildings, howling and pouncing into the darkness...

Damn it! I'm too late!

Hidden in the dark alley, Clive witnessed the blazing flames and heard the fierce bellows. He gnashed his teeth and his complexion had turned pale. He didn't expect them to take actions so soon, which turned his plans into wasted effort. It was only yesterday when he finally met the Void Territory's representative and convinced them to assist in taking control of this city. In order to express his devotion, he had even accepted the bind of a soul contract. But he didn't expect that those guys were this quick. No, perhaps he had underestimated their insanity. They had completely lost their rationales and in such a situation... Damn it...

Clive clenched his fists in anger and helplessness. He didn't know what he should do next but he was aware that if this continued, everything would turn out worse than he had imagined. He thought that those people would take some time to come up with a plan before starting riots against the Alanic Family. Meanwhile, he could open the city gates and lead the troops from the Void Territory to suppress the violence and uproot the entire Alanic Family from the city. Thereafter, he could rely on his trusted aides and represent the city in submitting to the Void Territory before the Country of Light dispatched their soldiers.

Clive wasn't without a political mind. He knew that the Country of Light's army was weakened from the war with the Country of Darkness. If he could settle the city's ownership before the Country of Light attacked, the Country of Light surely wouldn't risk forcefully launching an attack on a city within the Void Territory. In fact, this was also another reason why Clive wasn't supportive in submitting to the Country of Light. Apart from the wonderful Void Dragon soul protection, the other reason was due to the current state of the Country of Light. If the Country of Light was wealthy and powerful, he might be hesitant with his decision. But now, the Country of Light was in a terrible mess after war. Perhaps Highland City would be exploited even more if they continued with this arrangement, so it wasn't too difficult for him to make this decision.

But now...

Clive shivered at the sight of the massive human wave. If the Alanic Family realized that they couldn't handle the riots, Shane would surely seek reinforcements from the Country of Light. On the other hand, if Clive failed to get help from the Void Territory before the Country of Light's reinforcements arrived, everything would be done for!

However, another cause for concern was that the Void Territory was still a new territory. What gave him a bigger headache was that it would take a longer time for reinforcements to come from the Void Territory than the Country of Light. Would they be here just in time?

"Wait for a while more."

Rhode showed a wicked smile. Now wasn't the time yet as the Alanic Family's trump card hadn't been revealed. Even if Rhode didn't have the dragon soul powers and only possessed legendary powers of over level 60, he felt no pressure against the rioters. Although the rioters appeared aggressive, a single person could be more than enough to take them all down. Even Marlene in her pre-awakened form could defeat them because they were only humans. After all, they lacked spiritual powers and precious magic armors and weapons to protect themselves. They were nothing more than critters in the face of a powerful Mage.

So...

Finding the balance is an art.

Rhode extended his arm and two cards flashed in his hand.

"I'll leave them to you, my princesses."

"Hehehe..."

Crisp giggles sounded and the window behind him burst open with its curtains fluttering in the breeze. The adorable voices gradually faded away and into the other end of the dark, night sky.

"Stand up, brothers!"

The leading rioter snarled as he witnessed the armored soldiers and enormous manor on the hills. He held a torch in his left hand and a bloodied sword on the other. Behind him was a group of people filled with anger and murderous intent. They were mostly young and middle-aged men who were miners. They were once incredibly afraid of this place as though it was the demon lord's home. But now, they no longer needed to fear the ones who enslaved them because they were about to use their blood, weapons, and turn their lives into the screams of their souls to make those bastards learn their wrath and power!

"Stop right now and leave this place!"

The captain standing at the top of the watchtower shivered at the sight of the masses. He clutched his crossbow and couldn't calm down at all. The streets were filled with people and flares like slow, flowing lava. Not only that, but he also realized that his soldiers were exceedingly nervous. Damn it! You guys aren't any country bumpkins! You're the elites of the Viper Gang! What's there to be tense about some slaves!

"Push forward and block the door. Get ready for battle!"

The captain kicked one of his soldiers fiercely and ordered in panic. Shortly after, the defensive line was formed by the powerful elites from the Viper Gang, Shane's direct subordinates!

"Hiss——"

All of a sudden, the captain heard a sinister and ice-cold voice from behind which made him shiver. He turned around hurriedly and witnessed a man who had his entire body wrapped in a black cloak. The captain turned from a fierce bear into a docile lamb instantly. He quickly stooped over and bowed.

"Sir."

"Those slaves are still unwilling to leave?"

The man in black cloak gazed at the group of rioters gradually approaching.

"Yes, Sir, I've warned them many times. Those damn rioters... I wonder why they are so bold today..."

"Hmph."

The man in black cloak let out a scoff and the captain instantly shut his mouth. The captain looked cautiously at the other man and asked.

"Sir, what do you intend to..."

The man in black cloak didn't answer. Instead, he extended and swung his right hand.

Boom!

Several enormous, pitch-black stone statues descended from above and crashed into the crowd. The group of rioters came to an abrupt halt. No matter how angry they were, they were still surprised by the sudden appearance of monsters.

"Foolish. Lowly. Shameless."

The man in black cloak gazed coldly at the people as though they were a bunch of brainless animals.

"Although I don't know why you lowly slaves suddenly have the guts for this, this is the end. You've crossed the line so be prepared to pay with your life."

The man's voice sounded so sinister that it brought about an unprecedented, cold breeze. Then, he swung his arm and let out a snort.

"Kill them all."

He ordered. The enormous stone statues widened their menacing jaw and growled as they pounced at the rioters.

The slaughter began.

Chapter 929: Balance

Blood and chunks of flesh splattered.

The gargoyles slashed their stone claws at the humans ruthlessly, lifted them up, and tossed them aside like rag dolls. Trails of blood splashed in midair onto the humans. But instead of fleeing in fear, the humans widened their blood-shot eyes and raised their weapons like a group of maniacs, hacking at the gargoyles with everything they had got. The metal blades struck the gargoyles but failed to turn the situation into their favor. The menacing gargoyles swung their tails and blasted off several humans into the air, crashing onto the city wall.

It was a messy, horrific, and bloody sight.

The man in black cloak let out an evil laughter at the sight of the pathetic, powerless humans. But he was curious as to why they didn't retreat because according to his past experiences, humans turned around immediately upon seeing the gargoyles. Thereafter, he simply ordered the gargoyles to give chase and slaughter them altogether. However, he didn't expect them to be this stubborn and naive. Not only did they not escape, but they also charged forward to their death. Well, this was fine too, since it saved him time from tracking them later on.

He gazed at the tragedy in disdain.

Within 10 minutes, blood had merged to form a river in front of the watchtower with hundreds of corpses piling up on the streets. However, this didn't stop the humans from advancing. The soldiers on the watchtower felt chills running down their spines. They were elites of the Viper Gang and logically speaking, they shouldn't be bothered by these rioters. As soon as the gargoyles crashed onto the ground and began to massacre the rioters, the soldiers were cheering. But now, the entire watchtower was in complete silence as the soldiers watched palely at the bloody river and hill of corpses. However, it wasn't this horrendous scene that frightened them. It was the rioters instead.

The rioters are continuing to charge forward!

They expected the rioters to struggle before finally turning around and fleeing in terror. However, they charged forward insanely as though their ripped and slaughtered companions were non-existent. They continued to raise their weapons, trampled over their corpses and slippery internal organs, and snarled at the gargoyles. As soon as the ones leading the charge were killed, those in the back immediately pushed forward and picked up the dropped weapons.

They were so decisive that it was terrifying. No one retreated, not even when the gargoyles swept their razor-sharp claws or swung their enormous tails to shatter their bones.

They aren't humans anymore!

The soldiers might accept the truth if the rioters were to remove their disguise and fight as monsters. Even the most experienced soldier wouldn't make such meaningless sacrifices in such a scenario because it wasn't worth it. This was the most basic instinct of humans, no, of all living creatures: preserve and protect oneself. However, the rioters didn't seem to have this notion and were throwing their lives away!

The soldiers of Viper Gang were experienced veterans, but this scene left them trembling in fear. This had exceeded what their common senses could accept and entered a level that couldn't be understood. The rioters weren't humans like them; they were monsters!

"Hmph. How strange..."

The man in black cloak scoffed and scanned their strange behaviors. After a few moments, he discovered that something was amiss. But at this moment, an unnoticeable breeze blew across the battlefield, and the bloodied gargoyles came to an abrupt halt and suddenly cracked!

How is this possible?!

The soldiers on the watchtower were bewildered. How was it possible that the gargoyles were destroyed by the rioters? As elites of the Viper Gang, they knew how powerful and terrifying magical creatures were. Although they were capable of destroying the gargoyles, that was because they had high-grade armor and strong magical weapons, unlike like the rioters who were clad in tattered clothes and clasping tools like iron hammers or axes!

"Kill the nobles! This is our home!"

"Kill the nobles! We have to protect our city!"

"Kill them all! Sir Morey's will is here with us! For the sake of freedom!"

Without the gargoyles stopping their way, the rioters stormed to the watchtower relentlessly, screaming disorganized slogans. Although the periphery of the manor was enhanced with rock walls and a steel gate and protected by arrow towers, the soldiers began to panic.

"Shut up. Look at your pathetic selves! Sir! Please give your orders! Sir!"

The captain berated the soldiers before turning to the man in black cloak.

"Sir! Please give your orders... Sir?"

To his surprise, the man in black cloak stood on the spot and didn't respond as though he heard nothing. At the next moment, he swayed to the side while a stream of blue blood spurted from his body. Then, his body split in half from the middle and he collapsed to the ground. Boom! The body wrapped in the black cloak instantly shriveled and within a few seconds, it vanished into thin air and only a lifeless black cloak was left.

"Sir is dead!"

The captain and soldiers witnessed this horrifying scene. They were aware of how powerful their commander in black cloak was, but he actually died before their eyes without uttering a word? What happened?

The soldiers were scared witless.

"Run! I'm leaving this place!"

"Oh no, we're doomed!"

"Shut up you fools! Grab your weapons and kill the———"

As the saying went, blessings never come in pairs.

A gentle wind blew and in the blink of an eye, the entire watchtower became silent. A petite figure clad in a pure white cloak darted out of the shadow in a flash. She turned around and gazed at the dozen soldiers who collapsed to the ground in disorder. They widened their eyes in fear and anger. All they wanted to leave on this world was the proof of their existence but it was all too late.

"Hehe..."

The gentle wind blew as the petite figure dashed and vanished into the night sky.

At the same time, the steel gate below crumbled. Scarlet flames gushed through the opening like lava as they headed for the manor on the hill.

The periphery that was filled with blood and clamors was emptied shortly after. At this moment, a young lady leapt off the roof of the house on the side and landed lightly on the surface. Angelina lifted her head and her scarlet pupils glowed ever so brightly. She shut her eyes and took in a deep breath of air.

Ah... The scent of blood and death. This is what I'm most familiar with.

"Master, just as you've predicted, those lowly scumbags aren't even worthy of a mention. They should be deeply grateful to be the pieces of your chess game."

Angelina narrowed her eyes and said with a beautiful smile. She turned around and gazed at the nearby watchtower that was in dead silence. However, she knew what happened there a few moments ago because everything was controlled by her. The seeds that she planted had bloomed completely in this extreme environment. If the rioters were in their usual conditions, they would have given up to the threats of death or at least have made a strategic retreat just like the man in black cloak expected. But now, without any rationale in their heads, the extreme wrath had burned their brains completely. Right now, they were like wild animals manipulated by anger, and not to mention their master, Angelina, had personally arrived at the scene. Even though she didn't possess the manipulation skills of the Lustful Demons, it was still an effortless task for her to control humans who had their brains filled with desires.

Step one of the plan was completed and now they were moving onto the next step.

Angelina shifted her gaze away from the watchtower and let out an inward sigh.

They're so powerful...

This was the first time that Angelina witnessed Gracier and Madaras' strength. She knew that there were several formidable beings around Rhode. When Angelina first saw them, she thought that the twin elf sisters were purely assassins. But after witnessing their battles, she discovered their intimidating strength. Their flawless assassination skill was as though the incarnation of art. Although many vampires were enthralled in assassination skills, compared to the two elf sisters, theirs were only child's play. Angelina knew that even if she had gotten stronger by hundred times of her current strength, the two elf sisters could easily take her life as though she was no different from the lowly bugs.

There was no doubt in her mind that no vampires or even Ashvril could escape their blade.

Forget it...

Angelina shook her head and retrieved a card from her pocket.

[Sacrificial Shift]

"Go! Wind of the dead!"

Angelina extended her right hand and hurled the card elegantly into the air. In an instant, the card vanished into thin air and a massive white fog erupted to envelop the blood, corpses, and land entirely. Shortly after, an ice-cold aura of the undead slowly permeated the place, where the broken pile of corpses twitched and one by one, they crawled to their feet as their flesh rotted quickly before her eyes. Soon, they turned into walking white skeletons while their pitch-black eye sockets flickered in scarlet radiance.

"Tsk..."

Angelina curled her lips. Even though she hated and treated the necromancers as a bunch of idiots, she had to admit that they were truly capable of creating an army of undead. In fact, vampires were also able to create an army of undead. However, they had to bite the humans, and mix and spread their blood like a virus in order to create an army of zombies. Although zombies were compliant to orders, they were still weaker than the skeletons. Moreover, after the vampires' experiments, they discovered that if they produced zombies on a massive scale, there might be chances of atavisms. In other words, it was possible that their blood would awaken the zombies and they would possess the first vampire abilities!

Thereafter, vampires strictly forbade the use of one's blood to create servants because they didn't wish for their precious and valuable blood to be awakened in some lowly humans. To the vampires, this was no less than a scenario where a prince married a princess, only to find out one day that he had a son with a prostitute.

In comparison, undead soldiers were much easier to create and had lesser problems to worry about.

"Sigh..."

Angelina let out a sigh and extended her arm and the same card appeared in her hand. Currently, all the people who died in the battle against the gargoyles had turned into undead soldiers. They stood quietly before her, awaiting her orders.

"Go on, master's servants."

Angelina chuckled and pointed at the manor on the hill. At this moment, the manor was surrounded in flames and the rioters arrived at the final line of defense. As long as they broke through the defense, everything would come to an end.

"Kill those lowly humans who dare to surround Master... Huhuhu. This is all for <aster's sake. Everything is for Master's Kill those worthless trash!"< p>

"..."

The army of undead soldiers turned around and marched in unison toward the manor. Angelina narrowed her eyes and chuckled before walking into the shadow.

"What?"

Shane jumped up from the expensive sofa. He stared at the ashen soldiers in disbelief. He couldn't understand, no, he refused to understand what he just heard. The rioters broke through the several lines of defense? How was it possible? The commander in black cloak was also there. Could it be that he failed to stop the rioters?

Shane sulked instantly. He thought that the rioters were simply giving it a shot just like any other times. But this time, since the gargoyles and the commander in black cloak failed to stop them, the situation wasn't as simple as it seemed. If this continued, it would become much worse. The Alanic Family's remaining forces were all here. If the rioters had other reinforcements, Shane wouldn't be able to hang on much longer. What should I do? Although I still have the strongest members with me, I may make the situation worse if I act rashly. It seems like I may need to seek help from a third party.

Seek reinforcements from Viper Gang? Forget it. Those bastards can't wait for me to die, so they can take over my position. It's the same for the Alanic Family. If I ask for their assistance, I won't get any help even if I waited for a year. So then... It seems like I can only rely on those old farts from the Light Parliament. As long as I can get them to suppress the rioters, I just need to defend my manor. But it seems like those unfortunate merchants... Maybe I will need to abandon them. But wait... It really isn't considered as abandoning them totally...

Shane gnashed his teeth and made his decision.

"Activate the magic cannons immediately. Seal off the entire manor and contact the Country of Light's border army—inform them that there is an unprecedented riot in Highland City and we need their assistance!"

Chapter 930: Won't One Die Miserably From... Courting Disaster?

While Highland City sank into chaos, it was a totally different scene inside the manor. Although the invited merchants were calm, their tongues were still wagging. As long as one wasn't an idiot, one could see that it wasn't peaceful right now on the outside. They also guessed that this time, Highland City had gotten into a troublesome situation. After all, two hours had gone and with the Alanic Family's authority, the fact that the problem wasn't resolved was concerning. The merchants weren't foolish. If the Alanic Family couldn't resolve the issues within a short period of time, it proved that the problem might have upgraded to the 'disaster' level. If that were true, the merchants truly had rotten luck. They didn't have powerful forces like the Alanic Family. After all, they would be taunting if they brought armed soldiers into foreign territories. Besides, their small families couldn't compete with the Alanic Family even if they formed an alliance. Although the merchants brought a few of their trusted aides to this banquet for safety's sake, there were less than 200 people in total which wasn't enough to do anything.

It was due to this that the atmosphere in the banquet hall was tense and stressful. From the start, some idiots had even tried to harass Rhode, who was disassociated with the group. Back then, most people thought that the purpose of being held in the banquet hall was to prevent them from seeing the Alanic Family's secret weapon. But this wasn't too strange because as one of the five largest financial groups, the Alanic Family had been established for years and it wasn't entirely impossible that they possessed some secret weapons. Although the merchants were surprised that the situation required the use of secret weapons, they were confident that the Alanic Family was capable of dealing with troublemakers.

But now...

The banquet was stopped a long time ago. Although there was still a spread of sumptuous food and alcohol on the table, no one was in the mood to savor them anymore. The people gossiped and the clamor became increasingly louder. What concerned them wasn't only the soldiers who guarded the entrance. Instead, it was the fact that Shane didn't show up. After all, since he wasn't around, it meant that the situation might have reached an irreparable stage. If that was the case, what should they do?

How amusing.

Rhode didn't mix with the merchants. Instead, he held a glass of wine, narrowed his eyes, and gazed in disdain. He knew what those guys were thinking about; in the face of calamity, they should unite for a way of survival. However, they were basically dead to him at this point. If everything went on as he predicted, these guys couldn't possibly survive until their reinforcements arrived. Yes... After all, Rhode was the one who made the call as to when reinforcements would arrive.

He knew that Shane dispatched his men to seek reinforcements from the Country of Light. On the other hand, the reinforcements couldn't possibly arrive soon unless they used teleportation rituals. But as the dragon soul heir, there were no secrets to the land under his dragon soul protection. If anyone were to activate teleportation rituals in his territory, he just had to switch his thoughts and... Those guys would be transported to another dimension.

Rhode didn't stop Shane from seeking reinforcements and it could also be said that he needed Shane to do so. This was also the main reason why Rhode didn't send out his army but instead sneaked into this place. Although he was confident that the army of Bow Knights from the Astral Temple could eliminate everyone cleanly and had seriously considered this option, what made him change his plans was two very important people.

Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.

After he opened up the land of Chaos, the two young ladies were overjoyed. As phantom guardians created by the system, they were only able to roam around his territory. In the past, Rhode only had a small territory of the Land of Atonement, which they basically could only remain in the fortress. Thereafter, even though Lydia had conferred him Grenbell, it was a barren place where not even a blade of grass grew. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary weren't literary fans who loved sitting on the top of hills, drinking tea, and admiring the sun set for the moon while appreciating the meaning of life. It was only after Rhode opened up the land of Chaos when the two young ladies were finally freed. Apart from teaching magic spells and battle skills, they also loved to form parties to raid ruins and dungeons. It was previously mentioned that many ancient ruins had resurfaced after Order was stabilized. Why don't we go instead of the NPCs?

With this thought, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary began heading to the ruins and dungeons. But...

They weren't called the 'unlucky looting trio' for nothing and the two young ladies weren't like Rhode who took a laissez-faire attitude on fate. Why do humans exist in this world? For battles of course! The undecided fate and tragic fantasies are meant to be smashed!

Initially, the two young ladies were self-disciplined since Rhode had always been their leader and a devout fatalist. Everything was fated and they shouldn't defy it. Everything was the choice of the stone gate of fate and any resistance was useless. Therefore, they never had the chance to loot corpses.

But now, after they led each of their own parties to clear the dungeons, for some reasons they began to challenge fate!

"Let's see who can break the fate of the 'unlucky looting aura'!"

Mini Bubble Gum said with utmost passion. But this was the start of tragedies for Rhode.

They completed six level 70 dungeons and no equipment was looted at all!

Not even one!!

Level 70 dungeons!!!

Six level 70 dungeons!!!!

Not only that, but they were also like the addicted gamblers in the casinos who lost all their money. The more they failed to loot any equipment, the more dungeons they went on to complete. The moment Rhode learned about it, blood instantly trickled from his heart! The dungeons were all from ancient times. After completing six dungeons, they should have at least gotten a legendary grade kitchen knife, no?! Why couldn't they understand that they wouldn't die if they didn't court disaster?!

But it didn't matter if they understood or not, at least Rhode stopped them from completing the level 75 dungeons. But later on, Mini Bubble Gum actually made a small promise with him and Canary also agreed. Thereafter, even though Marlene expressed uncertainties and objections, Rhode couldn't do much to change anything.

It was better than them ruining all the dungeons in his territory, right? The system didn't have the ability to build department stores for equipment, so where should he start finding equipment if all the dungeons were ruined?

"Miss Miranda."

While Rhode swirled the wineglass in his hand, a voice dragged him back to reality. He turned around and saw a man dressed as a servant inviting him politely.

"Our master would like to speak to you. Please come with me."

"All right."

Rhode nodded and shifted his gaze to the merchants who were panicking over their destined fate. They didn't notice him and the servant, but were instead constantly discussing and disputing softly. However, this didn't matter to him anymore. He waved his hand to the shadow in the corner and got Angelina to return to his side through the spiritual communications. Then, they left the hall with the servant.

They were brought to a luxurious guest room on the same floor without anyone noticing. What surprised Rhode was that Emily and Stefania were also around. Then, he realized that apart from Emily and himself, no one knew that Stefania existed. It was proven through the fact that no one noticed that Stefania was sitting on the window ledge right behind Shane.

Emily apparently understood the strength of her companion but even so, she was still feeling nervous until she saw Rhode entering the guest room. She jumped up in excitement.

"Sister Miranda, where have you been? I've been looking for you."

"I was out there thinking about some problems, Emily."

Rhode displayed a graceful smile. Then, he shifted his gaze to Stefania who was also smiling at him. Come to think of it, when would Stefania stop following Emily around? Could it be that Stefania wanted to recruit Emily to her harem? Or she was looking to groom Emily into being a plane merchant too? Although Rhode admitted that Emily indeed had the qualities to be part of Stefania's harem, her strength was too far apart from Stefania, who could transmigrate and was in the Peak Legendary Stage, wasn't it?

"By the way, Emily, why are you here?"

Although Rhode asked, he already knew the answer. As expected, Emily answered promptly.

"Ah, I accepted Sir Shane's invitation. I heard that there's something important..."

Kacha.

At this moment, the tightly-shut doors opened and Shane stood before them. His lips rolled into a vibrant smile.

"Ah, welcome, everyone! My apologies, for we were delayed by some matters. Have you enjoyed yourselves at the banquet tonight?"

"Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Shane."

Unlike Rhode, Emily was apparently much more respectful to Shane. Or perhaps to a traveling merchant like her, it was essential for her to be respectful. Rhode nodded slightly to Shane's warm greetings. Unlike Emily, he knew that Shane was definitely up to no good to invite them under such circumstances.

"This was what happened, ladies."

Shane smiled before putting up a stern expression and said.

"I guess you're dubious of what happened, right? In fact, the situation isn't looking too good for Highland City. According to my intelligence, the people are causing a riot!"

"Huh? Riot?"

Emily instantly turned pale. It seemed like this was her first time experiencing one.

"That's right. Besides, according to reliable sources, the Void Territory may possibly be involved too. Currently, with Highland City's strength, it is impossible to hold back the rioters. I've sought assistance from the Country of Light's border army, but it will take a long time before they arrive. I, as the owner of this place, will protect this city and the Alanic Family; I will not leave. But I would like to ask you to leave the city while the situation hasn't worsened. Our Alanic Family has a secret passageway that leads to outside the city. Please follow me. There's no more time to waste..."

What a lackey of Country of Light indeed; splashing dirty water around conveniently—although this was in fact the truth.

"What about you, Sir Shane?"

Emily asked while Shane revealed a bright smile.

"Don't need to worry about me, Miss Emily. I'm a man and it is my duty to protect you two from harm. I will not let you be hurt in any way."

"Alright then. Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Shane."

Rhode presented a beautiful smile which distracted Shane for a split second. But he quickly returned to his senses.

"Oh, it's nothing, Miss Miranda; this is my duty. Now, hurry up and follow me. Time is running out."

"But before that, I have a question."

Suddenly, Rhode interrupted. He knitted his brows at the man.

"Can you please tell me what spice this fragrant scent comes from? For some reason, it makes me relax."

"Hahaha..."

Shane's expression changed slightly. Then, he let out a chuckle.

"How surprising, Miss Miranda. I've heard some rumors about you, but I didn't expect you to be this sensitive..."

"It's just my habit."

Rhode said. The moment that they entered this room, he instantly smelled a faint, aromatic scent. Although this smell didn't affect him in any way, he sharply detected some strange aura within it. That definitely wasn't any ordinary spice and Emily didn't seem to have noticed it.

"Huh? Miss Miranda, what..."

Emily tried to stand on her feet, but instantly fell back to the sofa like a puppet with its strings cut. She slowly felt uncomfortable while Shane revealed the proud expression like a hunter whose trap had successfully caught prey.

"I'm sorry, young ladies. I'm indeed concerned for your well-being. But humans are selfish, isn't it? Of course, both of you are merchants and should understand exchange and transaction. I'm a merchant too, so I won't break this rule. Don't worry, I will respect the principles of business deals. From now onward, both of you are my private assets. In exchange, I will give you a high-class status, position, and wealth. What do you think of this deal?"

"I'm sorry; I'm not interested. I know Miss Emily isn't either."

Rhode's expression remained unchanged and Shane didn't seem too mindful.

"Ah... By the way, Miss Miranda, I've almost forgotten. I heard from Miss Emily that you have pretty powerful sword skills. Indeed, with your beauty and skills, there's nothing that you can't do. But it's a pity that compared to an untamed fox, I prefer obedient dogs."

Shane raised his right arm and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, the air trembled and the group heard some ear-piercing screams. At this moment, three creatures wrapped in black cloaks appeared out of thin air and surrounded Rhode, Emily, and Angelina. They were taller than most ordinary humans, with complexion so pale that seemed lifeless. Not only that, but also their heads resembled unsightly octopus brains.

"This is...!"

Emily leaned to Rhode instinctively. She widened her eyes in shock, staring at the creatures that suddenly appeared. On the other hand, Shane was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

"Allow me to introduce—they are the allies of our Alanic Family; Brain Eaters. Don't worry, although they mainly feed off human brains, I won't make them kill you. I only hope that you'll become my most loyal and adorable slaves who live and die for me forever."

Shane lifted his head proudly and gazed at the three young ladies. But shortly after, he realized that something was wrong. Apart from Emily who was obviously in a fluster, the other two had no slightest reactions at all. 'Miss Miranda' even continued to relax on the sofa and looked at him with a gorgeous smile as though he had just cracked a joke. On the other hand, the female servant also didn't faint from fear like he expected. Instead, she scanned the Brain Eaters interestingly as though they were just some bulldogs.

What's going on? Their reactions...

"Is this all to your crap?"

Before Shane understood the situation, he suddenly felt a powerful burst of mighty presence that enveloped the entire room. He took a few steps back in shock and witnessed 'Miss Miranda' standing to her feet.

What's this power?!

"Don't worry, Mr. Shane."

Upon seeing the fear in Shane's eyes, Rhode revealed the world's gentlest, most elegant, vibrant, and alluring smile.

"I won't let you die."

Chapter 931: No One Cares if You die Miserably from... Courting Disaster

"Attack!"

Shane turned pale with fright. He stepped back hurriedly and commanded. The three Brain Eaters also seemed to have sensed the unprecedented danger from Rhode's exploding aura. In response, they swiftly aimed for him and ejected the tentacles fluttering around their heads!

But Rhode didn't move a muscle. He merely narrowed his eyes as though they were a pile of trash.

"Scram."

Rhode only said a single word.

In the blink of an eye, the Brain Eaters flaunting their powers instantly retreated as though they were struck by an invisible force. At the next second, their bodies suddenly vanished without leaving a trace. Shane widened his eyes in shock. The three Brain Eaters were his core and most powerful troops and could slaughter any human. More importantly, they came from another plane of existence where not even the angels on this continent had fought them in the past. Besides, they possessed a mysterious and unknown skill called 'Soul Strike' that could penetrate magic barriers! The Brain Eaters were the ultimate secret weapon of the Alanic Family.

But now... The three strongest weapons in his arsenal had instantly vanished. Not only that, but the ring on Shane's finger also shattered simultaneously, which meant that they were all dead!

As expected, creatures from other dimensions give so much more EXP.

Rhode whistled to the ringing tune of his level-up. In fact, if Rhode and Angelina were to fight the Brain Eaters based on level, they might have a tough time. But... That was based on level, after all.

Rhode was the Void Dragon now. As long as they were under the Void Dragon soul protection, he was like the omnipotent god. Unfortunately for the Brain Eaters, they were creatures from another plane of existence and this meant that they were...

Outsiders.

You want to buy a house without a temporary residence permit? Dream on!

After realizing that the Brain Eaters were creatures from another plane of existence, Rhode decisively used his authority as the Void Dragon to eradicate them out of this world and kindly sent them back to where they belonged. He was as though a ticket inspector discovering three scumbags who boarded the high-speed rail without purchasing tickets and instantly pushed them out of the train moving at 300km/hour—this was when their fate was sealed.

The pitiful Brain Eaters who were shredded to bits by the turbulence of time had no right to speak up for themselves at all.

"W-Who are you? What do you want?!"

Shane lost his head out of fear after witnessing his strongest troops get eliminated so easily. Rhode smiled at him, lifted his head, and gestured to the young lady behind him.

"Miss Stefania, I'll leave Miss Emily to you. A great change will be happening soon in Highland City and it will be dangerous to stay here. I hope..."

"Sure. No problem."

Stefania smiled and swiftly went up to Emily from the window ledge and held her hand. On the other hand, Shane gawked at the young lady wrapped in a black cloak. If Stefania didn't say a word, he wouldn't have realized her presence at all.

"Alright, Emily, we're about to leave this place now. It's not safe here, so how about we go to some other place?"

"Huh? But, Miss Miranda..."

Emily stared blankly, reluctant to part with 'Miranda'. Rhode had to admit that his disguise was so successful that Emily didn't even realize there was something off with the identity of 'Miranda'. She was unwilling to part with 'Miranda'. After all, she finally had the chance to meet her again.

"Aren't you leaving with us, Miss Miranda?"

"I have some matters to attend to. I'm a merchant from the Country of Light, after all."

Emily's and Shane's expressions changed slightly. Although this statement was absolutely true in this disguise, there seemed to be a subtle meaning behind it. 'Miranda' was indeed a merchant from the Country of Light. But now, she chose to stay when there was an opportunity for her to leave safely and this meant that her identity might not be as innocent. It didn't matter much to Emily, but it wasn't great news for Shane.

Who exactly is this woman?

"Alright then, Miss Miranda. Please take care of yourself."

Emily shook off her indecisiveness and took in a deep breath. She gazed at Rhode and spoke softly while holding onto Stefania's right hand. Shortly after, the shadows in the room trembled and merged to form a flat door. On the other side of the door was a vast sky full of stars. Stefania held Emily's hand and they entered the shadow door together. The door closed shut, vanished, and the shadows returned to their original position.

What an amazing skill.

Rhode knitted his brows. Normally, he wouldn't miss the presence of teleportation skills within his dragon soul protection. But while he clearly witnessed Stefania opening the plane of existence door, he didn't sense anything out-of-the-ordinary. This was really strange. It seems like plane merchants aren't ones to mess with...

Boom!

Suddenly he heard a loud bang. He turned around and saw Shane held up to the wall by the throat by Angelina, who was showing a malevolent and eager smile.

Why am I so unlucky!!

Shane gnashed his teeth, but the situation was so complex that he was speechless. In fact, as one of the managers in the Alanic Family, it went without saying that he had escape items. A few seconds ago, when he realized that Rhode was focusing his attention on the shadow door, he secretly activated the teleportation device in his pocket. The teleportation ritual bloomed beneath his feet and all he needed to leave this place and return to Casabianca was just one more second... Yes, it should have been this way until...

The young lady who stood behind 'Miranda' turned around all of a sudden. Then, she extended her right hand and grasped the air, where scarlet radiance flashed and hurled him out of the teleportation ritual!

Oh mighty lord! Shane swore that he had never seen such a thing happening ever in his life!

What bewildered him more was that the young lady's seemingly slim arm was as tough as an iron tongs. She clasped his throat firmly and despite him being much taller than her, he felt completely powerless as though he had no control over his body!

"Master, how should I deal with him?"

Angelina asked while staring at her prey. It was common for dark nobles to capture such fellows. Backstabbing was a never ending occurrence in the Country of Darkness and the dark nobles couldn't be more familiar with teleportation tricks as a means of escape. Therefore, they naturally knew how to deal with them and Shane was basically seeking death for showing his little tricks before a royal vampire.

"I came up with a solution. Don't worry."

Rhode said with a gentle smile and Angelina felt a chill run down her spine. It was the smile for the sake of a smile and didn't have any emotions behind it—it was scarier than Ashvril's smile by a thousand times!

Rhode squinted and sized up Shane. Then, he retrieved a bottle of potion from his pocket and passed to Angelina. The young lady gazed with uncertainty, but Rhode merely gestured.

"Make him drink this."

"Yes, Master!"

Angelina heaved a sigh of relief, realizing that she wasn't the one who would be drinking it. Apart from being Rhode's servant, she also became his guinea pig due to her undead properties. There were many times when he approached her for experiments with new potions. Well, it made sense since she wouldn't die, wasn't it?

From every aspect.

Angelina took over the bottle humbly and tightened her grip in her right hand to force Shane's mouth open. Then, she poured the whole bottle of potion down his throat before letting loose.

"Pffff——!"

Shane didn't struggle to escape. Instead, he held his throat with both hands while his eyes turned oddly red and his body burned in scorching heat. His blood flow reversed directions and he felt his flesh and bones reshaping. After letting out a blood-curdling scream, he plunged to the ground and fell into a coma.

"Master, what should we do next?"

Angelina took a gulp of her saliva. Thank god the potion wasn't for me.

"Simple."

Rhode stooped over and whispered to her ear. Angelina's expression changed slightly. She gazed in sympathy at the unconscious man before leaving the room.

Rhode twitched his brows slightly after the young lady left.

"This is my last act of kindness to you. Have a good time, my chess pieces."

After an unknown period of time, Shane slowly opened his eyes and saw the most familiar ceiling and gorgeous chandelier. This is my room... I remember that I swallowed the horrible liquid...

"I..."

Shane was gobsmacked. He realized that his voice had turned shrill. He sat up hastily and looked at his body, only to discover that he had become much slimmer and for some reason, his hair had also grown longer. Wait. What's these two lumps on my chest... Shane caressed his chest.

"C-Could it be..."

Shane widened his eyes in terror. He stood to his feet, went up to the mirror, and froze on the spot.

There was a beautiful young lady with golden, long hair opening her eyes wide and looking back at her reflection blankly. Or perhaps, his reflection.

"I didn't expect that changing of gender would lead to this; golden hair and large chest. What a decent combination."

All of a sudden, Rhode's ice-cold voice sounded from the back. Shane turned around and saw him standing relaxedly with a beautiful smile. "Yes... It's not too bad and frankly speaking, I would've had some fun with you if I didn't know how you looked before your transformation. Well, forget it. I have no interest in something that was transformed from a man. Also, Miss Shane, it's time for you to pay the price."

"Price?"

"That's right. Since you've dragged so many people into your conspiracy, shouldn't you compensate them a little... with your body?"

"You...!"

Shane suddenly realized the disaster that was about to fall on him. He turned to the door and was instantly stumped. There was a massive crowd blocking the only exit. Among them were his soldiers and merchants who he had invited to the city. At this moment they were standing without the slightest consciousness like lifeless puppets.

The female servant who attacked him earlier was standing beside the door, looking at him with a mocking and anticipative smile. Then, she snapped her fingers.

"Alright, my slaves, enjoy your final bit of happiness!"

"Yes, Master."

The soldiers in front of the pack entered the room and surrounded Shane. Then, they stretched their arms...

"W-What are you trying to do! Let me go!"

Shane snarled but these loyal soldiers couldn't seem to hear his commands at all. The soldiers quickly stripped off his clothes and soon, a fair, slender, and naked figure stood before them.

"Let me go right now!"

Shane turned ashen and struggled to break free. But he felt weak and powerless and the most terrifying part was that he witnessed his soldiers taking off their pants and revealing their incomparably ugly manhoods.

"Y-You can't... Argh!!!"

Shane screamed in utmost fear when suddenly, the soldiers grabbed his head and forced their ugly, stinky manhoods deep into his throat. The stench was so strong that he almost fainted on the spot. But this wasn't the end of his misery. The soldiers caressed his body and despite his struggles, he couldn't resist them at all. All he could do was to be held down strongly to the bed by a group of filthy men. Then, he widened his eyes in distress as the soldiers spread his legs apart.

A-Are they...

"No... No...!"

Shane twisted and turned his body to avoid penetration. But all he saw was the countless shadows enveloping his entirety.

"Ahhh————!"

He felt two warm objects entering his body mercilessly. At the same time, he blanked out completely.

Chapter 932: Beginning of the Siege

"Oh my goodness..."

The city owner shivered as he watched the city covered in thick smoke and blazing flames. He heard howls of wild beasts and the screams of humans. Fortunately, he had sealed up the entrance to this residence before the riot began and stationed armored soldiers to stand guard. If not, he wouldn't have been safe from this disaster. He initially believed that the problem would be resolved quickly by the Alanic Family. He knew that he was only a puppet with no authority.

And now...

It was apparent from the blazing flames that no one attempted to put out the flames. The entire city was also in a horrible mess with scattered objects, corpses, and blood. Currently, bandits who lived in the shadows of the city were also wreaking havoc. The garrisons were completely useless and none of them were seen on the streets. Moreover, the Alanic manor was surrounded by a sea of flames. No one was available to stop the bandits from plundering. The only thing that ordinary citizens could do in this situation was to defend their doors, praying softly that those troublemakers wouldn't enter their homes. But even so, many of them couldn't avoid the tragic fate.

"What should I do..."

The city owner gnashed his teeth and looked into the distance as a group of bandits threw torches into one of the houses. Shortly after, thick black smoke rose from the chimney and a mother and son pair ran out of the house, only to be captured. In an instant, the bandits slitted the son's throat while the wailing mother was dragged into the dark alley.

What should I do... What should I do... I've lost contact with Sir Shane and my dozen garrison men are totally an inadequate measure. It's impossible to rely on them to deal with the bandits!

Screech...

"Who's there!?"

The city owner turned to the door in a fluster. It was a person who he couldn't be more familiar with.

"C-Clive? Why are you here? How did you get in?"

"You've forgotten that I'm your assistant, Sir. How would I not know about the secret escape route in your home?"

Clive felt complicated emotions at the sight of this pale, miserable old man. He was powerless while watching all the disasters bombarding Highland City. The entire city was in complete chaos now. Although he did find some subordinates who supported him, their numbers were far from enough to be effective in any way. If it weren't for the response from the Void Territory, he wouldn't have waited this long. No matter what, this was their city, one that he grew up in. How could he possibly do nothing to rescue it?

"W-What are you doing here?"

The city owner's expression instantly turned stiff. But shortly after, he seemed to have recalled something.

"Clive, you must have a solution, right?! Tell me, Clive. What should I do?"

"I don't have any solution, Sir."

Clive gnashed his teeth. Frankly speaking, if he had a choice, he wouldn't have chosen this path. But now, the so-called choice was totally meaningless. All he could do next was to continue heading down this path and trust that the Void Territory kept their promise. And now, he came here in order to fulfill this promise.

"Our forces alone aren't enough to prevent this situation from worsening. Sir Morey's death has sent the entire city into turmoil and the Alanic Family can no longer handle the situation either. The nearest Country of Light's army will require at least three days to arrive. Sir, do you think we can hang on until then? Perhaps the city will turn into ruins by then."

As though affirming his words, deep and loud explosions erupted yet again on the outside. A streak of scarlet flare flashed in the sky and scared the city owner witless.

"T-Then what should I do?"

"Sir, we only have one solution to save this city..." Clive paused and eventually said. "We have to submit to the Void Territory and accept the rule of the Void Dragon. Only this will make the riots and chaos stop!"

"What?! Void Territory?!"

The city owner exclaimed. After a few moments, he shook his head quickly.

"N-No! How can we seek protection from the Void Territory? Aren't we done for too if the Light Parliament knows about it? Haven't you heard, Clive? Monsters live in the Void Territory! Are you willing to let the people of Highland City carry the reputation of monsters? I would rather this city be destroyed completely!"

"Huh? Monsters?"

Clive revealed a bitter smile.

"Sir, please don't believe in your own lies. Look at the sky above us. Are you really so naive to think that the Country of Light treats us as humans? No! In the past when we were under the Light Dragon soul protection, did they ever treat us like humans? What do you think we are now, Sir? And what do you think we were in the past? We're nothing. We're just ants and chess pieces. Same goes for this city and its people. Do you think we have a choice? No, we don't."

Clive went up to the city owner.

"So, please give up your position as the city owner. If you do it now, you can still enjoy the rest of your life, Sir. I've contacted the Void Territory; this chaos in Highland City can't continue any longer. As long as you're willing to hand the city owner stamp to me, everything will come to an end. I guarantee that Highland City will not perish."

"I refuse!"

The city owner snarled in his ashen expression.

"Don't even think about it! Clive, I know you've been eyeing my position for a long time. I refuse to let you hand Highland City over to a group of monsters! Indeed, we may have been treated as slaves by the Country of Light, but we're humans after all! Monsters are still monsters no matter how well they treat us! I would rather die than hand Highland City over to the monsters! I would rather let the people lead miserable lives under the rule of humans than to be ruled by monsters! If you want to stop me, you will need to kill me!"

"As you wish."

In an instant, an ice-cold blade penetrated the city owner's back and through his chest. The city owner widened his eyes in disbelief. As the blade was withdrawn, the city owner's flame of life instantly extinguished and he became an ice-cold corpse as soon as he hit the ground.

"Didn't I say leave him to me?"

Clive clutched the sword in his hand and glared at the elf assassin who emerged from the shadows.

"I know, but sometimes it is best that humans don't carry the burden of some unnecessary matters. Now, let's carry out our agreement."

The elf vanished into the shadows while Clive stared blankly. After a few moments, he lowered his head and let out a sigh at the sight of the corpse.

"Yes, Sir. I guarantee that Highland City will not be destroyed."

"The Country of Light's army will arrive in half a day's time? That's fast."

Rhode was astonished. He didn't expect them to arrive so quickly. But it seemed like everything was as he predicted. The Light Parliament had already sent their men to monitor the city a long time ago, which explained why they were quick to send reinforcements. Shane even thought that they would never seek assistance from the Light Parliament unless it was absolutely necessary, but to the Light Parliament, no matter how small the scale of riot, it was a perfectly justifiable chance to station their military here, which would bring them closer to their goal. Therefore, Rhode was clear that the Light Parliament would definitely mobilize their army earlier, but he didn't expect them to be this fast. Come to think of it, if he recalled correctly, hadn't more than half of their forces been wiped up during their war against the Country of Darkness? How were they able to mobilize troops so quickly? This wasn't logical at all... Well, forget it. Nothing was logical in this world to begin with.

"We should get down to business soon."

Rhode sneered and gazed at the hall that had completely turned into a sensual banquet.

"Argh... Argh... N-No... Stop..."

Shane laid on the ground naked. His, or perhaps her, snowy, soft skin was stained with the warm, viscous liquids of men. Right now, a man with a big belly was drooling all over her body. Below her was a muscular man who lifted her legs and thrust his waist forward while another man held her head against his manhood. Not only that, but her hands were also forced to pleasure two other manhoods and satisfy their craving desires.

"Ah... Argh... Argh...!"

All of a sudden, the golden-haired woman shuddered. She widened her eyes, let out some indistinct screams, and kicked her beautiful long legs desperately. But along with her movements, streams of turbid liquid erupted onto her body.

"There's so much... No... Ah... Ah... My stomach is... bloated..."

She widened her mouth and muttered to herself blankly. The white turbid liquid trickled from the corner of her mouth and onto the floor.

"That's all? Sigh. It was fun in the beginning, but only 10 hours have gone by and you can't handle it anymore."

Rhode shrugged lazily. Then, he turned around and snapped his fingers.

"Alright, Angelina, game's over. Let them toy her to death. We should get down to business now."

"Yes, Master."

A red glinted flashed in Angelina's eye and everyone in the hall instantly pounced onto the woman like crazy, wild animals. Shortly after, mixed screams of joy and agony echoed in the large hall but was blocked out from the outside world by the heavy doors.

Rhode and Angelina left and vanished in the approaching blaze.

"The Country of Light's army is arriving soon?"

Clive stood on the balcony and widened his eyes in disbelief. He didn't expect that they would be this quick.

"What should we do now? Where is your army now? How long do they need?"

Clive asked anxiously. He couldn't be blamed because he would be in big trouble if the Country of Light's army arrived sooner than the Void Territory's reinforcements. He had confirmed earlier that the Alanic Family had lost their powers in the city. Since this was the case, the Country of Light would justifiably become the new owner of Highland City if their army arrived first! When that happened, it would be too late. Under the worst case scenario, there might even be a war between the Country of Light and Void Territory. This way, Highland City would be engulfed in a war of flames, though in reality, they were in one right now. The garrisons had sealed off Highland City's entrance before the riots worsened and no one knew where they were now. It was impossible to gather the people and escape at the moment.

"Don't worry."

The elf standing silently in the shadows spoke casually.

"You don't need to determine the strength of our Void Territory using your human brain. Now..." Nell went silent and lifted her head.

"They're here."

"Huh?"

Clive shifted his gaze to the direction that Nell faced. Then, he widened his eyes in shock.

A burst of vibrant and colorful magical radiances erupted in the empty, starry sky. The gorgeous lines coalesced in the air and merged to form a door-like presence. Shortly after, three young ladies appeared. They looked at Clive and slowly descended on the balcony.

"All settled, Nell?"

The girl who wore a white long robe and seemed to be the youngest asked in dissatisfaction. On the other hand, Nell lowered her head respectfully.

"Yes, Madam Bubble, Madam Canary, and Madam Lesa. We've received the city owner stamp and according to the intelligence earlier, the Country of Light's army will arrive at the city in less than half a day's time. There are about 5000 troops."

"What?!"

Mini Bubble Gum and Clive exclaimed at the same time, however for entirely different reasons.

"5000 troops?!"

"5000 only?! I won't get any decent EXP if there aren't at least 50,000 of them! Hey, NPC over there! Shut up!"

Mini Bubble Gum glared fiercely at Clive, who interrupted her. She let out a snort and turned to the other two young ladies.

"Alright then, Lesa, I'll leave it to you."

"Don't worry, Madam Bubble, Madam Canary."

Lesa bowed slightly. Then, she turned around, raised her staff, and tapped the ground lightly.

Clink.

Suddenly, a dazzling, azure light beam descended from the sky and enveloped the empty field. Shortly after, thousands of armored soldiers appeared within the azure light beam. They carried exquisite long bows on their backs and short knives around their waists. Their eyes were filled with unwavering determination.

"Leave the matters in the city to me."

"Okay."

Mini Bubble Gum responded and clenched her fists in excitement.

"Let's go, Big Sister. Now is our time to enjoy and fulfill the agreement with Leader!"

Chapter 933: You're Seeking Death!

Highland City is just right ahead.

The captain of the Pale Blue Army gazed at the ruined city gloomily. Just a day ago, he received orders from the Light Parliament to suppress the riots in Highland City. But it seemed like the situation was better than he expected. Other than the billows of thick black smoke, everything seemed to be well under control. It seemed like the Alanic Family had successfully suppressed the riots. Tsk, how annoying! How would I not know what those superior old farts are planning. I'm so unlucky to be chosen for this!

The captain looked at the pitch-black sky in resentment. The dazzling stars, silver star ring, and enormous sun—this ridiculous place sure is creepy. Damn it, I suppose hell looks similar.

"What happened?"

Shortly after, the army arrived at Highland City. However, what caught the captain by surprise was that the entrance was tightly shut and there were no soldiers on the watchtower or city walls. Not only that, but the entire city was also in absolute silence. Apart from the breeze of the wilderness, the city seemed completely dead.

"Hmm?"

At this moment, the captain spotted two triangular flags hanging on both sides of the entrance. They had a black base, as well as an eye-catching, white cross symbol. Why are the flags here?

"This is the end, you worthless scum!"

All of a sudden, the army heard a crisp, childish voice. They looked up subconsciously and saw a petite young girl standing on the city wall above the entrance. She had pigtails and was clad in a white robe for Clerics. She crossed her arms and looked down upon everyone in disdain.

"Who are you?"

The captain asked sternly. The young girl let out a snort and lifted her chin with pride.

"Who do you think you are? Don't you know that you should report your name before asking for someone else's? Idiot! Stupid! Brainless! Forget it... It seems like a group of fools like you with less than 30 IQ can't understand logic that smart humans with high IQ can. Alrighty then, I shall cut the crap."

The young girl coughed a couple of times. Then, she puffed out her chest and sized up everyone with narrowed eyes.

"Listen up you idiots down there. This city is now serving Leader... No, the Void Dragon! In other words, this city belongs to the Void Territory and is Starlight's turf! I'll crush any idiot who finds trouble with us! Go back to where you came from, tiny worthless shrimps! You hear me?! Useless trash with battle strength lower than nine and EXP less than five!"

"..."

In an instant, the captain and his soldiers fell into a strange, awkward silence. They were speechless. Although they predicted the possible situations before arriving here, they didn't expect this at all. There were no rioters or fights and schemes between nobles, but instead there was this young girl who didn't make any sense.

"It seems like it's impossible to communicate with these low-IQ NPCs..."

Mini Bubble Gum held her forehead and shook her head.

"All right, I shall drop my 135 IQ to your level that is lower than low! Cough cough. Listen up! Highland City has declared their subordination to the Void Territory. In other words, Highland City no longer belongs to the Country of Light. So... A bunch of lackeys like you from the Country of Light get lost from my sight right now! Also, you have even entered Void Territory without permission. Who do you think you are? Shoot. I give you two choices; get beaten up by me before you scram or before you scram, get beaten up by me! Pick your choice!"

"What did you say!?"

The captain sulked. He finally understood the situation now. Damn it!

As one of the captains of the border army, he knew the risks involved with Highland City in this area. In fact, before the Void Dragon soul protection stabilized the land of Chaos, he and the other captains had proposed to their superiors to dispatch their army and station them in Highland City. If not, no one knew what twists and obstacles would arise if this issue wasn't settled promptly. However, the idiotic old farts of the Light Parliament were afraid of causing disputes with the Alanic Financial Group. As a result, they bid their time waiting for the perfect opportunity.

This is the so-called 'perfect opportunity'? Highland City has been dominated by the Void Territory already! What should I do?

The captain pondered in silence while gazing at the petite figure above them. There was no sound or clamor in Highland City. Although he didn't know the situation inside, the fact that this little rascal was so arrogant proved that the Void Territory must have gained control over the city. Hold up. Could it be that the riots in the city were the doing of the Void Territory? Surely they didn't send their army into the city while the riots were going on to gain control, right? If that's the case, this situation will be a big trouble.

Wrong!

The captain came to a sudden realization.

He had been sending his soldiers to monitor the city all along. There weren't too many people accessing the city apart from the merchants. But the merchants were also from the Country of Light and had no relations with the Void Territory. On the other hand, he didn't witness anyone from the Void Territory entering Highland City apart from the emissaries who made up less than 10 people.

According to the intelligence, the ones capable of opening up the land of Chaos must be incredibly formidable. Since they possessed strength in the Legendary Stage, it wouldn't be hard for them to repress the city. But... Do I just walk away? We may face dangers if we force our way through. It should be the right choice to retreat before getting into a clash, since it's the fault of those idiots. I should let those old farts clear up their own mess! But... It doesn't fit our identity as the 'Pale Blue Army' if we back off now. Besides, we're unsure of how strong they are, so we need to probe to a certain degree. Hmph...!

The captain lifted his head and glared at the young girl.

What kind of joke! A new territory not giving a damn about the Country of Light?! Does this young girl really think that her arrogant claptrap can scare us away?!

"We won't back off just like this. Highland City belongs to the Country of Light. As soldiers of the Country of Light, we..."

Before the captain finished his sentence, the young girl snapped.

"In other words, you're asking for a beating!"

At the next moment, a pure, dazzling light beam shone on the army from the sky. Along with thunderous rumbles, violent explosions and powerful airflow erupted in the blink of an eye, smashing an enormous sunken hole on the ground.

"What are you trying to do?!"

The captain snarled in dismay. He didn't expect this young girl to be so powerful. What shocked him was that she immediately launched her attack on them! Oh mighty lord. He had never seen anyone disregard the prestige of the Country of Light. This was as though declaring war with the Country of Light!

"Do you know what you're doing? You're declaring war with the Country of Light!"

"So what? A bunch of useless scumbags like you dare to threaten me with that weak, idiotic country who can't take down the undead army? Come if you've got the guts. Send out 10,000 soldiers and I'll kill 10,000. Send out 100,000 soldiers and I'll slaughter them all! You NPCs really think that you're humans?! You came to Starlight's turf without permission and are still acting like a bunch of arrogant bastards? Huh? So what if you're from the Country of Light! You're seeking death by taunting me!"

Boom!

Mini Bubble Gum leapt into the sky, dove, and crashed into the ground heavily. The dazzling radiance from her body erupted like she was a bomb. The massively powerful light beams swept across the enemies and even the flat ground became full of potholes. The soldiers collapsed in disorder.

"Sh*t! Retreat! Retreat!"

The captain's heart sank to the bottom. He fled and ordered as loudly as he could. The soldiers escaped in panic as the petite figure wreaked havoc with her light beams. No matter what, this was too terrifying for them to witness.

"Oh yeah! It feels the best to massacre those sluts from the Country of Light! Yeaaaaaa!"

Mini Bubble Gum thrust her right fist forward, and a white light beam erupted and blasted at the fleeing soldiers. In an instant, the exploding airflow, soil, dust, and screams turned the battlefield into an unprecedented hell.

"Yea———! Thousand-man slaughter! I'm the true dynasty warrior!"

Mini Bubble Gum jumped on the spot in exhilaration. But it still wasn't enough for her.

She spread her arms apart and pushed her palms forward. Then, white radiances began to coalesce on her palms and within a few seconds, the radiances had gathered to form two light spheres that were the size of basketballs. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of light beams emanated from the light spheres and blasted the fleeing soldiers into bits.

"Hahaha... Awesome! Nothing makes me happier than seeing the people from the Country of Light die before my eyes. This deal with Leader is the best one ever!"

"This little rascal never changed."

Rhode shrugged while watching Mini Bubble Gum blast her light cannons at the pitiful soldiers. In terms of grudges against the Country of Light, Mini Bubble Gum was definitely in the top three within Starlight. Apart from the destruction of the Munn Kingdom, another main reason for her hatred came from personal grievances that happened before she met Rhode. Back then, she had spent a lot of money to purchase the border territory connecting the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light. The territory had a favorable geographical location and it took lots of effort to construct the buildings. Mini Bubble Gum was initially thrilled to establish her kingdom, only to have her dreams crushed by a sudden war. Not only that, but she was also fooled by them.

She received a mission from the Country of Light to assist in defending their territory. However, the Country of Light used her as the shield to attract the undead army's hostility and didn't send any troops to support her. As a result, the undead army trampled over and occupied her territory, which she had spent hundreds of millions of gold coins on. What made the situation worse was that she had set her respawn point in her territory. Back then, she was only an ordinary Cleric with above-average equipment and had no powerful offensive stats. In order to reset her respawn point to another location, she would need to escape that territory first. As a result, she was killed over a hundred times by the undead army in her attempts to escape from her territory to Golden City. As a result of her tenacity, she finally succeeded after spending an entire day running away from the undead army.

Thereafter, Mini Bubble Gum abhorred the Country of Light. After Rhode destroyed the Country of Light later on, she even grumbled on the fact that the Country of Light couldn't respawn like monsters so she could crush them repeatedly.

"Don't you want to join in the fun?"

Although the battlefield was bloody and gory, Rhode felt as though he had returned to the game as he watched the matchless Mini Bubble Gum slaughter the enemies. Sigh... He reminisced the days of them leading a large group of players, wiping out the Country of Light, and spreading warnings of death and destruction. Now that he thought about it, those days were filled with unprecedented sweetness and blissfulness. After all, it was such a reminiscent treasure to experience how everyone worked with a common purpose...

Rhode shrugged helplessly and turned to Canary.

"Not this time."

Canary shook her head and smiled at the utterly defeated army. What terrified the soldiers more was that as they attempted to retreat, they were stopped by the sudden appearance of an invisible light barrier. Now, they had nowhere to run.

"There's too little of them this time. I can get rid of them in an instant if I joined her, but I might as well let her exercise. There will be plenty of chances for me in the future too since the Country of Light... has a huge population."

Indeed, Rhode had no intention of getting into war with the Country of Light now. After all, both sides had to be on the same level for either of them to stand a chance of winning. 500 ants still couldn't move an elephant. Who would even treat it as a battlefield? A new territory had to display their powerful strength so they wouldn't be looked down upon by others. And now, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were carrying this duty.

"..."

Angelina heard Canary's words and felt a chill run down her spine. In fact, as a noble of the Country of Darkness, she wouldn't feel anger, sorrow, or fear when she killed someone. But ironically, the light-hearted conversation between Rhode and Canary terrified her. It was as though life was only part of the game and it was the same for humans or any other beings. Besides...

Angelina turned pale as she watched the petite young girl brazenly wreaking havoc with her light of destruction.

Although many things had happened along the way, she suddenly recalled that her mission wasn't complete yet!

Even though Mini Bubble Gum seemed to be in a great mood now, if she were to know that Angelina didn't complete her mission...

"..."

Angelina shivered in chills as she observed how Mini Bubble Gum swung her arm and the enormous light beam descended from the sky to burn a large group of soldiers into ashes. Even humans with high resistance to holy light are immediately burned into ashes; what will happen to a vampire like me?!

Angelina stole a glance at Rhode.

I must, must think of a way to survive!