Chapter 448
As soon as Amiya entered the rooftop, she discovered a large, strangely drawn pattern on the ground.
There was also a well-mannered young man standing by the rooftop railing, admiring the view from above.
Ascalon brandished his dagger, his eyes wary.
"Amiya, watch out, it's Shapeshifter."
The Shapeshifter turned around at the sound, smiled as if seeing an old friend, and chatted with her casually:
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"
"Stop talking nonsense, what are you doing here?"
The Shapeshifter raised a finger to the sky, then pointed at Amiya:
"We are very interested in that powerful being. And while we're at it, let's exchange greetings with this Little Demon King from another race. The Mistress of Banshees who has joined your ranks has wiped out quite a few of our clones these past two days."
Ascalon sensed something was wrong and frowned, warning him:
"Amiya, step back!"
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Chapter 524 She's still a child (Bonus Chapter)
Amiya possesses the Demon King Power, allowing her to sense the emotions of others. She doesn't believe the Shapeshifter is waiting for her here to launch a surprise attack.
If that's the case, one person coming is far too few.
Amiya had heard Kal'tsit describe the Ten Royal Courts of the Sarkaz. The Shapeshifter within them were called the Shapeshifter Collective. Because a single Shapeshifter was relatively weak, it often required many clones to gather together to unleash their power.
"Ascalon, it's not hostile. I'd like to know what brings you here?"
Seeing that Casters was neither humble nor arrogant, the Shapeshifter nodded in acknowledgment of her courage.
"You were reading my memory just now, weren't you, Little Rabbit? It seems you are a genuine Demon King, otherwise you would have suffered a backlash and died on the spot. Collective memory is our most precious thing, but sometimes it can also be a deadly poison."
The Shapeshifter still didn't explain their purpose, so Amiya could only try to guess:
"You currently serve Regent Theresis. Did you come here alone to see if I am worthy of the crown of 'Demon King'?"
"Heh, I'm not loyal to anyone. I only accepted the job of infiltrating the enemy and gathering intelligence because I was interested in the future blueprint he painted."
Unlike the other Sarkaz who addressed Theresis as "Your His Highness," the Shapeshifter used a more casual form of address. This suggests that their group did not hold the Regent in the same esteem.
A Demon King who ended the Sarkaz civil war did indeed accomplish something. But compared to these Elders had lived for tens of thousands of years, he was nothing more than a child.
How can Old Man have respect for a child?
"Then, may I ask you a few questions?"
The Shapeshifter Collective didn't dislike this polite Exotic Demon King.
"It's not really asking for advice, what would you like to ask?"
Since inheriting the Demon King Power, Amiya has gradually begun to shoulder the Demon King's responsibilities. Although Kal'tsit sometimes tries to comfort her, she still feels lost.
"As an ancient Sarkaz, what do you think constitutes a qualified Demon King?"
"To be honest, you shouldn't have asked that question. We've never been Demon King, nor do we care about that position, so we can't give you a satisfactory answer."
Besides, you're too young. You have a long road ahead of you. Whether you continue to lead Rhodes Island in its antics or follow the Sarkaz's guidance... oh, sorry, I forgot. The Sarkaz won't accept you, just as they won't accept us. In their eyes, we're both outcasts. If I had to offer an opinion, I could only say that Demon King in history ultimately walks the path of world destruction."
Amiya shook her head, her eyes unusually resolute. No matter what the future held, she would not choose this path.
"I won't, never."
"Don't be so quick to dismiss them, Little Demon King. We once had high hopes for some clever Demon King, but they only had one path: to fight against the world. Even if they did nothing, they still couldn't escape the fate of destruction."
But you're different, Little Demon King. The Sarkaz won't accept you, so you won't have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of maintaining the Sarkaz civilization. Besides, you're the youngest Demon King we've ever seen, and your future is full of infinite possibilities."
As the Shapeshifter spoke, he casually walked towards them, his movements perfectly natural.
Ascalon remained in a fighting stance and immediately issued a warning upon seeing it approaching:
"Get away from me, what do you want?"
"Don't be nervous, Ascalon. I can assure you, there is no ill will towards the Little Demon King."
If you were like us, having lived for tens of thousands of years, you would understand that whatever happens in this world is within your expectations. Nothing beyond your comprehension can stir up any emotional waves.
But now, we've encountered something we've never seen before. How could we possibly resist getting closer to such a wonderful surprise?
Upon hearing Ascalon showed a look of disgust:
"You old folks are disgusting! Amiya is still a minor!"
"Ah?"
The Shapeshifter was startled, but quickly realized what was happening:
"Ascalon, language reduces information to a certain extent compared to writing. You misunderstand, the surprise we're concerned about isn't the Little Demon King, it's him..."
At this point, it raised its hand and pointed to the sky:
"In the sky."
Ascalon looked up at the sky; tonight, not only could he not see the moon, but he couldn't even see the stars.
In the sky?
What's in the sky?
Based on the Shapeshifter's description, Amiya vaguely guessed at a possibility, but was not entirely sure:
"You mean... Doctor Zhongli?"
His various abilities have indeed repeatedly challenged my understanding, so it's not surprising that Shapeshifter haven't seen them before.
"That's right, that should be his code name when he walks among humans. As for his true identity and background, even we are curious. Since the birth of Tiracaz, we have never seen such a being before."
He was so powerful and dazzling, yet so unassuming. Like Elders had seen all the world's splendor and then disappeared from the mortal realm.
We dare not approach him directly, fearing that unstable factors might lead to a falling out. Fortunately, we Elders have no shortage of time and patience.
We gathered many clones here, more than thirty of whom were killed by the young Banshee. The remaining small group has infiltrated the Self-Rescue Army.
We explored every possible way to meet him, but none of the results were ideal. The only feasible option was to find a middleman with whom he had a good relationship to introduce us.
"Little Demon King, we are truly delighted. After living for so many years, to witness such a completely new being. Everything about him has exceeded our expectations. Even the smallest of these 'unexpected' discoveries is enough to keep us up all night."
Amiya's guess was right; the Shapeshifter really did come looking for him.
During my time on the This Ship, I often overheard the Operator discussing the mysteries surrounding Doctor Zhongli, each one utterly perplexing.
"So, this is the real reason you came to find me? What about Theresia? I sensed her presence down below just now. Could you please explain?"
The Shapeshifter remained motionless upon hearing this, seemingly communicating with the entire Shapeshifter Collective. After a moment, he finally raised his head and stared at Amiya before him:
"Little Demon King, I can tell you something that the Military Committee considers top secret. Those Restrictive Clauses can only bind one me, not every one of me."
Just an hour ago, Theresia was on the airship. She later used the Teleportation Array to return to the Shard Building. As for her current location, if you want to know, I can send a clone to find her right now."
"..."
Amiya opened her mouth, but said nothing. Shapeshifter would have no reason to lie in order to gain cooperation; in other words, Theresia hadn't died years ago at all!
If you're not dead, why don't you show yourself?
A flood of unsolved mysteries overwhelmed her, leaving her momentarily speechless.
"Little Demon King?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. There are some things I really want to know the truth about. Wasn't Theresia assassinated by Theresis's men a few years ago? Or was it a faked death?"
The Shapeshifter shook its head, denying the claim:
"No, there is no doubt that she had truly lost Vital Signs at that time. But the Confessors used some kind of Secret Art to bring her back to life."
"Little Demon King, I know you have many questions. But it's best to ask her directly. Asking me to forward the message will compromise its content."
Knowing that Theresia is still alive is enough.
Amiya will take this message back so that the Doctor and Doctor Kal'tsit can decide on the next course of action.
"Okay, thank you for your generous answer. However, I cannot directly fulfill your request."
The Shapeshifter sensed the hidden meaning in the words and asked in return:
"Oh? What does that mean?"
Amiya knew that if she rashly introduced him to Doctor Zhongli, it might offend the doctor. At this point, his own wishes became extremely important:
"I need to ascertain his wishes before deciding whether to act as the introducer. If he doesn't want to meet you, I can't just make the introduction."
If someone else said that, the Shapeshifter would think that the other person was extremely arrogant and putting on airs.
However, if it's that person, you should definitely get their consent first, otherwise it would be very offensive.
"In that case, I'll trouble you."
The Shard Building, Central City District of Londinium.
Theresis was very unhappy.
He received the intelligence from the Confessors the moment the airship exploded.
Just minutes before receiving this notification, Manfred had reported that everything was normal.
The airship has now completely exploded, and tens of thousands of Sarkaz Lost Soul inside the engine room have vanished into dust. Without the Black Box, the cause of the explosion will remain unknown.
Was it an invasion by a Duke's Elite Squad that ultimately led to this tragedy? Or was there a design flaw in the airship, which only became apparent after it had been in operation for some time?
If it's the former, then it only took a few minutes from the Elite Squad's infiltration to the detonation of the airship.
With Manfred's abilities, stalling for a few minutes shouldn't be a problem, right? The Sarkaz stranded on the airship should be able to send a distress signal to the Shard Building.
The problem is, there isn't.
If it's the latter, then what part of the airship malfunctioned and caused the explosion?
This is an airship built using Sarkaz craftsmanship and with undead as its energy source. It was personally supervised by Theresis, and both Theresa and Theresia inspected it countless times.
Even so, it still exploded.
For a moment, Theresis even wondered if it was Manfred's fault. The kid seemed to be plagued by bad luck lately, messing up everything he did.
But he quickly shook his head, banishing the absurd idea from his mind. Because it was too far-fetched.
Manfred's abilities are beyond question.
It was precisely because of this that Theresis withstood the dissatisfaction of the Blood Demon Great Lord and the King of Scavengers, and overruled all objections to support him as the general of the Sarkaz City Defense Army.
Why, why exactly?
Just hold on for another half a day, no, just a few more hours. Once the high-speed warship formations of the various Duke enter the core of the strike range, the airship's mission will be successfully completed. After destroying a large number of warships, the Sarkaz will gain air superiority.
There are no ifs, no buts.
The stark truth is right before our eyes.
As the airship exploded, the tens of thousands of Lost Soul carried in the engine room turned into Green Fire Rain. The Duke's army, which had ventured deep into the Norbert District to seize the airship technology, was suddenly thrown into a panic and began to flee.
Therefore, deploying a storm would be pointless, as the high-speed warship formation would be out of range and unable to inflict sufficient damage, making it better not to deploy one at all.
The Military Committee had been preparing for months a crucial operation that could have turned the tide of the war, but for reasons unknown, they were forced to swallow the bitter pill.
Is it fate that has decreed the destruction of Sarkaz?
The Confessors knew he was in a bad mood, so he carefully comforted him while observing his expression:
"Your His Highness, a minor setback is not enough to shake the Sarkaz's victory, we..."
That's enough.
Theresis's brow unfurrowed, her face no longer as gloomy as before. Besides this plan, the Military Committee had also developed other alternative plans.
Admittedly, the cost of doing so would be much greater.
But right now, there's no better way.
The airship explosion had a huge impact, making those cowardly Duke even more vigilant.
It will be completely impossible to gather them all together and capture them all in one fell swoop in the future.