Chapter 398
The Sarkaz had actually anticipated this sudden betrayal. This wasn't just true for the Cumberland family, but also for other nobles still residing in the Central City District.
They outwardly flattered him, but behind his back they cursed the Sarkaz's ancestors countless times.
Which one of them doesn't want to drive out the Sarkaz and restore the glory of Victoria?
After the Blood Demon Great Lord took over the area under the jurisdiction of the King of Scavengers, he began to build altars on a large scale.
However, the Cumberland family's betrayal led him to delegate the task to his subordinates and personally come to the Duke's Mansion.
Accompanying him was Leto, a former Gallic Officer and now Lieutenant Colonel Leto Sarkaz City Defense Army.
When the Blood Demon Great Lord arrived at the scene, he couldn't detect any living beings in the Duke's Mansion. He guessed they were all in that wagon and had escaped with Alda.
Too lazy to search, he set the place on fire.
The fire engulfed the expensive wooden furniture, growing ever fiercer. The billowing smoke resembled a sharp sword piercing the dark sky.
"Your Great Lord..."
"Shh, you're disturbing my enjoyment of the beautiful scenery."
The Blood Demon Great Lord interrupted Lieutenant Colonel Leto, explaining to himself just how beautiful the firescape was:
"The once splendid history of Victoria is now gradually turning to ashes. The proud mansions of those nobles have become scorched ruins. Bricks and tiles, meticulously crafted by numerous artisans, are peeling away piece by piece, curling up and dying along with the precious flowers cultivated in the gardens. Don't you think this scene is beautiful?"
Lieutenant Colonel Leto was not an arsonist and could not appreciate the beauty of art from the scene of the fire.
"I've said it before, these nobles should be investigated."
Seeing that he was changing the subject and didn't want to talk about it, the Blood Demon Great Lord wouldn't let Leto have his way and forcefully pulled him back:
"What? Don't you like these flames? Try to listen, savor, and feel them. It's like blood gradually vaporizing inside your body, hissing, hissing. Oh, listen, what a beautiful sound."
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502 Snatching a Chestnut from the Fire 4K
The Kal'tsit Five passed through the Sardien District and walked towards the Central City District of Londinium.
Many citizens can be seen on the streets.
Most of them were residents who were preparing to move out overnight because they were afraid that the City Defense Cannon would bombard their Residential Area again.
Even if they were reluctant to leave Londinium, leaving still offered a glimmer of hope. But if they stayed, they might just die in their sleep.
Local residents gradually evacuated, and no Sarkaz City Defense Army intervened to stop them. It was as if they were indifferent to the lives of the Victorians.
Since entering the Sardien District, Kal'tsit five companions haven't seen the Sarkaz again. They presumably retreated to the Central City District, consolidating their forces to create an impenetrable fortress.
Although these citizens need help, there are more important things to do right now, and they cannot linger here.
Kal'tsit was single-mindedly searching for the Doctor, and that indescribable sense of unease grew stronger and stronger.
After the group had crossed three blocks, Ascalon, who had been hiding in the shadows, suddenly issued a warning:
"Doctor Kal'tsit, please be careful."
The four stopped and stared at the crossroads a few hundred meters away. Misery and Logos spotted a large Sarkaz force, roughly estimated to be nearly a thousand men.
Only then did Mon3tr beside Kal'tsit belatedly realize what was happening. It bared its teeth at the crossroads and made low growling noises.
Due to his enormous size, Broca moved much slower than an average person. Even at full speed, he was still several hundred meters behind the group of four.
Fortunately, Kal'tsit and the others stopped, Broca the opportunity to reunite with them.
The commander of this group of the Sarkaz City Defense Army was General Manfred, who rushed over upon hearing the news.
His main purpose in gathering troops to lie in wait was to find the Doctor and the 'Exotic Demon King' Amiya.
Unfortunately, neither of them came; instead, Lord Kal'tsit, who had a close relationship with the Sarkaz, was present.
Now that she's entered Londinium, she'll inevitably reunite with the Doctor and Amiya. If they can capture Lord Kal'tsit, they can achieve their ultimate goal as well.
Manfred's attention was still focused on Wendigo and the Mistress of Banshees, and he asked:
"I don't understand why you, the Ten Royal Courts, would side with the Exotic Demon King?"
Many Sarkaz now know that the Exotic Demon King is the leader of Rhodes Island. But the real Behind the Scenes Manipulator is Lord Kal'tsit.
The Banshee refused Theresis's summons and explicitly joined Rhodes Island. Although there was no intelligence on Wendigo, his alignment with Kal'tsit clearly indicated he had also defected.
Broca n't recognize the other, given the Sarkaz's long lifespan. Manfred might not even have been born when Bozocasti became famous on this continent.
"First, I am not loyal to your king. Second, my mission is to protect them."
Upon hearing that Wendigo hadn't yet joined the Exotic Demon King's camp, Manfred felt there was still a chance to win him over. Getting such a powerful figure back to the Royal Court Army would be a great achievement.
The destruction of the City Defense Cannon and the failure to prevent assassins from breaking into the Shard Building can offset the previous mistakes.
Manfred sought no reward or honor, only to do more practical things for Theresis:
"I can refrain from attacking them, but would you come with me to see our king?"
Broca knew the other side wanted to persuade him to surrender, but he had already chosen another lord. He couldn't remain loyal to two forces simultaneously and had to sever ties with the royal court.
Furthermore, I have a mission to complete and cannot leave Kal'tsit and the others, therefore I cannot go with Manfred.
"If you dare to make a move, I dare to make a move. Theresis is your king, not mine. What I saw along the way was you ravaging this city. No matter how much you emphasize the suffering you have endured, it cannot change the fact that your hands are stained with the blood of innocent people."
Manfred frowned upon hearing this; it seemed Wendigo harbored a deep prejudice against the Sarkaz.
"You seem to have misunderstood this point. It is undeniable that the Blood Demon Great Lord and the King of Scavengers have a penchant for slaughtering and torturing civilians. But I have never supported such practices and feel genuine disgust. I am different from those royal courts; as a soldier, I want to assist Your His Highness in seeking a better future for Sarkaz."
"The future of the Sarkaz is not limited to supporting Theresis. You bring him to see me; I have a mission now and cannot leave."
Since ancient times, it has always been Royal Court Member who have come to see His Highness. How could His Highness personally seek out Royal Court Member?
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Wendigo to return to the royal court, Manfred felt deeply disappointed. He stared at Broca and said in a very serious tone:
"Then I'll have no choice but to consider you an enemy!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he forcefully threw something towards Kal'tsit.
The thing triggered an electrical surge the moment it landed, and a powerful Spell Shockwave quickly spread outwards.
Broca stood still, showing no intention of dodging. With his massive size, he was hardly the type to nimbly dodge.
Misery, who was skilled in Space-Time Ability, sensed something was wrong with this energy shockwave and immediately issued a warning:
"Doctor Kal'tsit, back off!"
If one possesses keen perception, one will discover that the Spell Shockwave is composed of tiny magical threads. It's like a spider web, instantly shredding anything it envelops.
Kal'tsit's mortal body was no match for such an attack, and she immediately retreated upon hearing the warning. The pitch-black Mon3tr stood in front of her, absorbing the oncoming magic.
Logos also noticed something amiss and used his agility to retreat dozens of meters to a safe distance.
As the Spell Shockwave spread, Broca in front of the other four. He was like a solid rock, unyielding no matter what attack he faced.
After discovering that the Spell Shockwave would corrode the Qianyan Armor and Thousand Rock Spear, Broca the power of the Vision to activate the brown shield.
Even though Manfred was using a legendary Sarkaz artifact, it couldn't easily penetrate the defenses due to the different power systems involved.
Broca at the young Sarkaz general in front of him and uttered the name of the artifact:
"The Root of Tiracaz, given by Theresis?"
Seeing that Wendigo was completely unharmed by the Spell Shockwave, and that even his armor showed little sign of corrosion, Manfred's expression became extremely grave:
"That's right, it was His Highness who bestowed it upon me."
He Sarkaz the Military Committee, the core of Sarkaz power, at a young age, thanks to Theresis's trust and the power of the Root of Tiracaz.
The energy released by this artifact was so powerful that it could even devour Dolak's flames. Why then did Wendigo stand still and withstand it without suffering any harm?
This shows that the two sides are not even on the same level in terms of strength.
Manfred was terrified, but he still tried his best to test Broca's limits. The more information he gathered now, the higher His Highness's chances of winning would be later.
He unleashed another Spell Shockwave, this time with more and denser Spell Thread. Furthermore, these threads contained Originium crystal, which would unleash a devastating force comparable to Originium bomb upon contact with an object.
"Come and experience it for yourself, and see if you can break free from the cage I've woven with my own hands!"
Such a wide-range Magic Attack would be tantamount to a fatal blow to ordinary people. However, it was still no match for Broca, feeling like a mere trifle.
After all, he had participated in battles between Great Beast and witnessed firsthand the cage where his master sealed away the year.
In comparison, Manfred's network of Spell Thread is as childish and ridiculous as cat's cradle.
"Too weak, no power."
Broca his Thousand Rock Spear, easily tearing through the large net woven from Spell Thread. He threw a horned stone at Manfred, simultaneously charging up and throwing the Thousand Rock Spear in his hand.
Oh no!
Seeing the opponent tear open the magic net, Manfred was terrified and quickly dodged the falling Horned Stone.
But the next second, his body began to uncontrollably and forcefully attack the Horned Stone, moving closer to it.
Seeing a long spear descending from the sky, about to pierce his forehead, Manfred's hair stood on end. He roared and unleashed astonishing Psychic Power.
He managed to break free of his restraints before the Thousand Rock Spear hit the ground, thus avoiding being impaled through the head and killed on the spot.
"Hoo... Ha..."
Manfred gasped for breath, still shuddering at the memory of Wendigo's bizarre attack methods.
We can't beat them, we really can't beat them.
With the blessing of the Root of Tiracaz, he can usually hold his own against the Blood Demon Great Lord and the King of Scavengers.
But now their most prized attack is failing to produce the desired effect, and is being completely suppressed by Wendigo.
Even if you take up a sword and engage in close combat, the opponent's massive size is not to be underestimated.
What a pity, what a real pity.
With such formidable strength, how wonderful it would be if it could be used by His Highness. That would bring us one step closer to the Great Sarkaz Revival.
Seeing Manfred dodge the combination attack, Broca nodded slightly, acknowledging the opponent's strength.
He wanted to show Sarkaz a completely new path without Shi Lei knowing. But with outsiders present, some things were inconvenient to say outright.
Given his assigned protection mission, he couldn't have both. His only option was to have the other side send Theresis to find him; there was no other way.
"Go, go and summon your king to see me."
At first glance, this statement sounds like pure sarcasm.
Manfred's face was grim as he stared at Wendigo's Antler Helmet. After a moment, he waved for his men to leave.
"Withdraw!"
Even he couldn't defeat such a powerful figure; if these thousand Sarkaz City Defense Army charged in, they would be doomed.
The city's military strength is dwindling, and they are stretched thin trying to fight off the various Duke. The Victorians and those nobles are two-faced, and once the war begins, they can only rely on the Sarkaz.
Since Wendigo wants to see His Highness, Manfred will surely convey this message upon his return.
Seeing the large number of people leaving, Kal'tsit knew the crisis was temporarily averted. But as long as the Sarkaz remained in the city, the threat would not be completely eliminated.
The dust blown by the wind dissipated at her feet, and the cicadas' chirping on the summer night had stopped sometime earlier.
The Sarkaz City Defense Army had left, but the ashes scattered everywhere were blown about. Just like this long and protracted war, it was far from over.
Kal'tsit gazed silently at the Ruined Walls of a bombed-out structure. A black Fowlbeast perched on a Wooden Plank pointing skyward, uttering mournful cries.
As the five set off again, the Fowlbeast seemed startled and took flight, rushing into the night winds of Londinium ahead of them.
Broca up at the dark clouds looming above the Shard Building. Then, with heavy steps, he resolutely walked into the storm.
June 23, 11:50 pm
Sardien District, Seventh Avenue.
"What the hell is this thing?"
Looking at the disgusting white worms on the ground, the Rhodes Island members felt physically uncomfortable.
He suppressed the nausea and vomiting, carefully stepped forward with the dagger, and pried one of them open.
Beneath the white worm lay a mangled, bloody corpse. The stark white bones were visible, while the remaining flesh was being greedily devoured by the other worms.