Chapter 461
"You could say it is, or you could say it isn't. I was hallucinating in that thick fog and saw a woman who looked very much like me. We talked a lot, and she resolved the doubts that had been lingering in my mind."
Take this war, for example. Victory belongs only to the Sarkaz or the Victorians. Whether it's a crushing victory or a stalemate, the victor will ascend to the throne of power in Londinium and even Victoria.
To change the future of so many people, one can only rely on someone powerful enough to defy fate. I'd been hesitant and conflicted for a while, wondering which side Doctor Zhongli should help. Until yesterday, I finally understood the perfect answer. It wasn't Sarkaz or Victoria, but Third Path."
"Third Path?"
"That's right, the Third Path. I believe that although Doctor Zhongli was teleported away, he won't be in danger. I'll tell him about it when he returns to Londinium. Perhaps that's the best answer."
Amiya felt that he was like Kal'tsit, speaking in a roundabout and confusing way. She tilted her head, pondering for a long time without any clue, so she simply asked:
"The Doctor, I really can't figure it out. What exactly is this Third Path you mentioned?"
Just then, Logos quietly jumped down from above to their side. Seeing that they were not asleep, it reported:
"The Doctor, W and Miss Ines are missing."
"What?!"
The Doctor wasn't sure if Texas had orchestrated this. The three of them were all staying at Miss Nian's Scroll Realm tonight, perhaps still unaware of what was going on.
As dawn broke, he decided against going to sleep. Considering it might be inconvenient for a man like him to ask, he asked Amiya to inquire on his behalf.
The truth of the matter was exactly as expected.
The three of them were completely unaware of this and prepared to set off immediately to find the person before dawn.
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Chapter 536 Great Man Lives Between Heaven and Earth (4K)
Without needing to investigate, everyone knew that W and Ines were heading towards the Shard Building.
W showed strong interest mainly after Amiya revealed last night that Theresia was still alive.
She went to sleep obediently, but disappeared early the next morning. Ines wasn't sure if she was a colleague, or if she chased after W after realizing he was gone.
Broca, the Qianyan Army Commander, offered no comment. He knew exactly what kind of position the Empress held in the hearts of most Sarkaz.
Actually, Broca discovered that W had secretly slipped away that morning, but he turned a blind eye. After all, he and Shi Lei hadn't given any orders, and her leaving without saying goodbye was purely her own behavior, nothing to criticize.
"Look over there!"
Hearing Logos's exclamation, everyone looked in the direction he was pointing. There, the Blood Altar that had been destroyed yesterday was now sprouting vibrant Red Crystals again.
The difference from yesterday is that there are no guards; it seems to have sprung up overnight.
If the Blood Altar can multiply indefinitely after being built, then their destruction will be meaningless.
As Logos, one of the Ten Royal Courts Banshee, has a certain right to speak on this unsettling matter:
"I examined these Red Crystals yesterday and discovered they represent an ancient Originium Arts."
The Blood Demon Great Lord uses the power of sorcery to collect the blood shed by both sides in the war, and uses it to bless and enhance the physical abilities of the Sarkaz Warrior.
However, these increases only account for a small portion of the collected energy; the whereabouts of the majority of the energy are unknown. I tried to trace its source, but found that it all pointed to the Shard Building. It feels like the Blood Demon Great Lord is using some kind of Forbidden Ritual to gain power several times greater than his own."
"Forbidden Ritual?"
"That's right, Bloodfiend feed on blood. They can use the collected blood as a medium to do many things."
He and the King of Scavengers of the Ten Royal Courts are practically the Sarkaz's perpetual motion machine. One needs blood, the other needs corpses. By working together, they can endlessly produce minions and bloodlines as free cannon fodder.
Judging from the current situation, it seems the Blood Demon Great Lord has already gathered all the conditions required to complete the ritual.
Amiya looked worried upon hearing this and asked:
"Then we might have to stop them before Doctor Zhongli returns. To be honest, we've seen magical altars that enhance physical abilities in Ursus before. But these Blood Altar are far superior in both scale and the feeling they evoke. Do they require blood to be drawn as a price?"
Logos stared solemnly at the shadows within the Red Crystals. Countless scarlet worms swarmed indiscriminately in all directions. He believed that once the Blood Crystal was broken through, new Blood Demon Creation would be born.
"Usually, witchcraft that enhances physical abilities does have limitations or requires a price. But these altars draw on a continuous stream of blood, and the beneficiaries don't have to pay the price themselves. Amiya, we don't have much time left; we need to get to the Shard Building!"
The group abandoned their continued engagement with the Blood Altar and quickened their pace towards the designated direction.
Halfway there, Amiya seemed to sense something and slowed down to walk alongside Heredrey.
"You seem to have something to say, but you're holding back. Is it something you can only tell Ines and Miss W, or do you feel we're not trustworthy?"
"..."
Heredrey paused for a moment, without giving a direct answer:
"I've heard that the Exotic Demon King can easily read people's minds; that's a truly terrifying ability. Even if Ines can read shadows, she's far inferior to you. Miss Amiya, I admit there are some things I want to say."
"Oh? I'd like to hear more about it."
"You must understand, wars don't start without reason. Theresis has prepared a final trump card in Londinium, so you must not underestimate them."
"It seems you know some of the inside story, but why are you unwilling to tell us?"
Heredrey grinned wryly, as if he had something on his mind:
"I don't know how to convince you, but we can't kill Theresis right now. At least not in the near future, he absolutely cannot die."
Theresis is the spiritual symbol of the Sarkaz, the Demon King to whom most Sarkaz are loyal. He has bound many of his fellow races to the wheel of war, shaping himself into the only option for the future of the Sarkaz.
Like you, I also hope the war ends. But if he dies, the Sarkaz will surely reignite the civil war. Once Theresis's death is made public, the deterrent he left behind will vanish. The Sarkaz who still have fighting power will adhere to the principle of pacifying the internal before fighting the external. They will not hesitate to kill their own kind in order to first determine a new Demon King.
Theresis has gone all in, draining Kazdel of its elite and new forces. If internal strife breaks out again, Kazdel may cease to exist. Countless Sarkaz will then be homeless and displaced.
Moreover, the Dukes of Victoria would indiscriminately slaughter the Sarkaz within their borders. This racial retribution would soon spread to other countries.
Every nation and every civilization has a legitimate reason to exterminate the Sarkaz. They would quickly organize an Allied Forces to justly and justly divide up all the legacy left by Theresis and Theresia.
Honestly, I don't care at all about Theresis's life or death. But the consequences of his death are something that neither I nor the entire Sarkaz race can bear.
War is complex; it's not just about killing and fighting. Exotic Demon King, there are some things you must think clearly about. When you control the future of these Sarkaz, how will you deal with their hopes?"
Amiya fell silent; she completely understood Heredrey's concerns. If someone's death carries too much weight, then one must think carefully before taking action.
But some things are simply beyond our control.
Although she was the leader of Rhodes Island, she couldn't give Heredrey a promise on this issue, so she steered the conversation to something more interesting:
"So, Theresia is still alive?"
"Yes, I met her once when I was working for General Manfred. Although I never spoke directly with Her Highness the Empress, that all-encompassing royal aura remains unchanged."
Amiya's expression was complicated, and she didn't continue the conversation.
After confirming that Theresia was still alive, she desperately wanted to ask her directly: if she had faked her death, why had she given herself the Demon King Crown in the first place?
If Amiya didn't possess the Demon King Power, she might just be an ordinary Operator on Rhodes Island right now.
But in this way, one would not have to endure the suffering and torment that one should not have to endure in the first place.
"BOOM!"
A loud explosion interrupted Amiya's conversation with Heredrey.
W and Ines fought their way back, pursued by a large group of Spine Guard and Ursula.
"You are... a demon Demon King from another race?"
Someone recognized Amiya and immediately charged forward, roaring and brandishing their weapon.
"Sarkaz traitor, die!"
Do you guys treat me like I'm invisible?
Texas, Mudrock, and Yu were at the front of the group. Seeing that the Sarkaz were about to charge the back row, they immediately used their abilities to meet the enemy.
As soon as the Xuanji Screen opened, countless jade stones rushed towards them. Without needing to expend Mudrock's health to summon Stone Statues, the Ink Specter summoned by Xi alone forced the Spine Guard into a retreat.
Logos gazed into the eerie space deep within, where a Giant Skeleton floated in the air.
What is that?
Seeing that things were not going well, Ursula immediately made her escape.
June 26, 6:30 am
The Blood Demon Great Lord sat on the Blood Throne, leisurely picking at the dirt under his fingernails.
He had just encountered Lord Kal'tsit and several elite Rhodes Island Operator within the Defense Zone. Using only a portion of the Energy Amplification from this Forbidden Ritual to amplify himself, he utterly overwhelmed them.
If we used all the Energy Amplification, the effect would be unimaginable. Maybe then, we could even go toe-to-toe with that Zhongli!
Hearing the approaching footsteps, the Blood Demon Great Lord lowered his head and looked down arrogantly. The only Sarkaz who could enter this place without prior notice could be Regent Theresis.
"If I remember correctly, I should have a position in your so-called Military Committee. But are you hiding something from me?"
Having gained forbidden power, the Blood Demon Great Lord no longer addressed the other party as "Your His Highness." He abandoned his respect for the Demon King, adopting the demeanor of an elder towards a child.
The Blood Demon Great Lord is over a thousand years old, several hundred years older than Theresis. Previously, we treated him with respect out of courtesy, but now there's absolutely no need for that.
"That's not true, Blood Demon Great Lord. You've always had command; it's not hard to find out what you want to know."
"Ha, command? I don't need to command my bloodline; they are born to serve the royal court. You are not their master; I am."
Theresis had already sensed the disdain in the Blood Demon Great Lord's words, but he showed no change on his face:
"In that case, you should take good care of them. The war is nearing its end, and the outcome will soon be decided. Those bloodlines should be playing a more important role, but they have been staying in the Defense Zone of Duke Windermere and Duke Wellington for too long."
The plan he mentioned involved the Military Committee seizing the opportunity while Ablana and her elite troops were away. The Blood Demon Great Lord would send a large number of Bloodborne to raid Duke Wellington's Defense Zone. Then, through the Kouzi they had deliberately created, they would invade Duke Windermere's Defense Zone.
To ensure the plan's success, the Blood Demon Great Lord and the Shapeshifter even went to the high-speed warship to carry out the Decapitation Operation against Duke Windermere, but unfortunately, it was forced to be canceled.
"What's the rush? This is necessary for Forbidden Ritual. Originally, we didn't need that much blood, but Zhongli's appearance forced me to change my plans. If I don't consume enough blood to amplify my strength, I won't have much confidence to fight him when we encounter him again."
Finally, the Blood Demon Great Lord sat on his throne, looking down at Theresis with a condescending gaze:
"A weak Sarkaz might call you Regent. But in my eyes, you're just a Sarkaz who got lucky. To be honest, you and Theresia are quite an interesting brother and sister pair. The reason I tolerate your misdeeds has nothing to do with your identity, power, or status, but rather with the Demon King Power within you."
I have bestowed the blessing of the Blood Royal Court upon this battlefield. I have mercifully awakened the power that was already latent within the Sarkaz Bloodline. I wonder how much power can be extracted from your mixed blood?"
The arrogant tone and disdainful attitude made Theresis's face turn ashen. His eyes were fixed on the Blood Demon Great Lord, but he ultimately managed to suppress his anger:
"This war is nearing its end; don't let your impatience ruin it."
"I don't need you to remind me, Regent. This isn't Kazdel; this is the capital of Victoria. I will lead the Sarkaz to final victory."
Theresis was already thinking of leaving; staying any longer would only be pointless.
"Theresia is ready. The Shard Building will unleash a power that the Duke can never imagine. Once their Allied Forces launch their attack, this war will be over. Before that, I give you one last warning: don't mess it up."
Even the Blood Demon Great Lord was amused. He now possessed the blood amplification from the Forbidden Ritual, making him fearless against any Royal Court Member, and even confident he could exchange blows with Zhongli.
Whether it's quickly killing the King of Scavengers or destroying the City Defense Cannon and airships, these have all become effortless tasks for him now.
The blood amplifies not only personal abilities, but also the confidence to challenge the strong. Whether Zhongli is more powerful or he is superior, only a clash will tell.
"Heh, you laugh at my impatience, but aren't you the same? You're just better at hiding your emotions and don't show them directly. Instead of worrying about me messing up the plan, you should pay more attention to the Shard Building. Don't point fingers at others only to drop the ball yourself at the crucial moment."
"Don't worry, I will bring a brighter future to the Sarkaz. I will spread the name of the Sarkaz to every land I touch. My people have suffered too much these past years. They are resentful, they curse, they are powerless. They have even forgotten their bloodline, forgotten the names of their ancestors. They mate in numbness and sorrow, giving birth to generation after generation of ugly, mixed-race descendants. But I will bring hope to the Sarkaz and lead them onto the right path!"
"..."
The Blood Demon Great Lord's words implied a desire to replace the Demon King. Even though Theresis was mindful of the bigger picture, she couldn't help but feel angry.
Using Forbidden Ritual can indeed greatly enhance an individual's strength. However, by not requiring the original body to pay the price, the result is that more blood will be absorbed.
Once the blood supply is interrupted, the amplification effect of the Forbidden Ritual will immediately subside.
Heh, just you wait, Blood Demon Great Lord. You'll only be able to be a little arrogant for the next few days.
Once the allied Allied Forces of the Duke have suffered devastating blows, I will then have the resources to deal with you.
At the same time, a figure streaked across the sky above Scherzag, like a shooting star in broad daylight.
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Chapter 537 Regaining Glory (4K)
The Blood Demon Great Lord sat on his throne, silently watching Theresis leave with a livid expression.
Victory will ultimately belong to the Sarkaz.
But it won't be this Demon King siblings who lead their fellow clansmen to stand up, but—it will be—me!
Two hundred years ago, the Sarkaz were defeated by Allied Forces of nations brokered by Lord Kal'tsit. They painstakingly built Kazdel in the desolate land, giving the displaced Sarkaz a home.