Chapter 73: The Fallen City

Chapter 73: The Fallen City

Rescuing the Paladin warriors wasn't difficult. After finding the keys on those cultists, Fina and Alex quickly unlocked the chaotic shackles binding the Paladins. Without the shackles, these Paladin warriors seemed much better off.

"Thank you both for your assistance."

The leader of the Paladins nodded respectfully to Alex. Earlier, Alex had explained his identity to them, and to his surprise, many of these Paladin warriors had heard of his "heroic deeds." It seemed that after returning to the base, Knight Conan had eagerly recounted the events that took place in Shadow Canyon, leading these Paladins to treat him with considerable respect.

Of course, this was good news for Alex, as it meant he didn't have to expend much effort to earn their trust.

"No need for formalities. In fact, the reason I chased after you, besides saving you, was mainly to figure out what these cultists are planning. Do you have any clues?"

"Well…"

Hearing Alex's question, the leader, a Paladin named John, looked somewhat uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Lord Alex, but we don't know the true purpose of these cultists. They've been very tight-lipped along the way, and we couldn't gather any information. The only thing we know is that they intend to take us to the Dark Swamp…"

"Dark Swamp?!"

Fina suddenly exclaimed upon hearing this, her eyes widening as she stared at the Paladin in front of her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, they mentioned taking us to the Dark Swamp…"

"What's the matter? Is there a problem?"

Noticing Fina's pale expression, Alex frowned and asked. Upon hearing his question, Fina hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

"No, Mr. Alex, maybe I'm just overthinking it…"

"In any case, go ahead and tell us. Even if it's just a small clue, it's better than nothing. I doubt these cultists are taking their captives to the Dark Swamp for a vacation."

"Well… I'll say it then…"

After hearing Alex's words, Fina hesitated for a moment but eventually gritted her teeth and spoke softly.

"If I remember correctly, deep within the Dark Swamp… lies the ruins of the Forgotten Kingdom… Samel…"

"Samel?!"

Upon hearing this, Alex hadn't yet reacted, but John, the Paladin, turned pale.

"You mean to say these cultists intend to take us to that cursed Fallen City?!"

So that's the place…

At this moment, Alex finally understood what Fina was talking about.

It had been mentioned earlier that long ago, this continent was plagued by wars. Because a certain country, under threat, sacrificed all its citizens to open the gate to hell, the continent endured over 150 years of darkness. It was only after that period that the nations of the continent signed the Violet Covenant, ending the conflict.

And the instigator of all this was Samel.

According to historical records Alex had seen in the temple, Samel was once a very prosperous small nation. However, as the fires of war spread, Samel, due to its wealth and advantageous geographical position, became a target for a neighboring nation called Kadra.

At that time, Kadra was one of the most powerful countries on the continent. They coveted Samel's location and riches and launched an invasion to completely annex it.

But the people of Samel were strong-willed and fiercely determined. Although there was a significant disparity in power, they fought bravely without fear. However, despite their efforts, the nation was ultimately destroyed by Kadra, and their capital, the City of Light, was surrounded by Kadra's army.

The Emperor of Kadra sent a final ultimatum to the people of Samel, demanding they open the city gates and surrender within three days, or the capital would be bathed in blood.

Under immense pressure, the people of Samel eventually agreed to the Kadra Emperor's demands and promised to surrender after three days.

But on the third day, the gates of the City of Light still did not open. Enraged, the Kadra Emperor personally led his army to breach the gates, and what they saw next was a horrifying scene.

The city was filled with corpses.

Bodies of men, women, children, and even infants were strewn everywhere, forming an unbroken chain that created a massive, malevolent magic circle. Just as the Kadra Emperor entered the city, the magic circle was activated.

It tore through the fabric of space, using the entire city and the souls of all the wronged citizens of Samel as a sacrifice to summon one of the most powerful demon lords from Hell—Gretis Drek Bab.

In an instant, the dark legion obliterated the entire Kadra army. Immediately afterward, they began to spread outward. The ruler of Samel had made a pact with the demon lord, offering the souls of all his citizens in exchange for the annihilation of every nation that had either invaded Samel or remained indifferent during its time of war. Bab gladly carried out this agreement. The demonic army destroyed Kadra and the surrounding nations, then frenziedly invaded every corner of the continent.

For the next 150 years, the entire continent was engulfed in darkness, death, bloodshed, and chaos. The Twilight Legion of the Order's Borderlands launched massive counterattacks, but darkness and demons continued to ravage the land with fire and evil. Countless nations were destroyed, disappearing into the flames.

Finally, under the leadership of the Holy Nation and the Magic Nation, the remaining forces of the continent united for a desperate counterattack. A group of warriors, blessed by the true gods, formed a suicide squad. Following a plot straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster, they disguised themselves as evil fallen ones, infiltrated the City of Light—now a dark demonic nest—and sacrificed their own souls to summon the power of the true gods. They sealed the spatial rift, banishing the demon lord Bab from the mortal world. Deprived of their reinforcements, the demonic army was eventually wiped out by the allied forces.

This dark war lasted 150 years, and countless lives were lost in the struggle against the darkness. But even more significant was Chaos's invasion of the orderly world. Before this war, Chaos had been distant from this continent. But now, why is the Order's Fortress built so close to the Dark Swamp?

Because what was once the vast territory of Kadra has now become a playground for the minions of Chaos!

And all of this started simply because one great nation tried to annex a small one.

It was only after this that people finally understood: Never push a nation to the brink of destruction, or else... who knows if it will drag others down with it?

"But wasn't that place completely sealed off? I remember the records saying that the Goddess of Order personally placed the seal."

"That's what I thought too, but I still have some concerns... Sorry, maybe I'm just overthinking it..."

Seeing Fina's hesitant expression, Alex could understand her concerns. It was like a police officer going out to arrest a criminal. If you capture a murderer who's involved in drugs or weapons, it's understandable, something you can handle. But if you arrest a criminal and discover they're planning to launch a nuclear bomb to destroy the world, you'd question your entire reality.

This storyline just doesn't seem realistic.

"Whatever the case, we just need to capture these cultists and interrogate them to find out what they're really up to."

Alex waved his hand, about to say something else, when suddenly, Nymph's voice rang in his ear.

"Master! I've detected the energy signature of that mage; he's returned to the camp!"

"Oh?"

Hearing Nymph's report, Alex's eyes lit up.

"Looks like we're about to find out what's really going on."

(End of Chapter)

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