Corruption Spreads

Silverpine Town's militia camp.

The local lord, Victor Baron Guss, hurriedly arrived from his manor in a carriage.

Seeing the sheriff, A De Lai, who had just returned from the Maze, he directly raised his whip and lashed it across the man's shoulder, berating him mercilessly.

"Idiot! Madman! Who allowed you to gather my people! Eight hundred lives! Do you know what that means?! Are you going to plant the fields for me next year?!"

Silverpine Town's permanent population was just over ten thousand, and eight hundred able-bodied men was already a considerable loss, and it would probably take several years to recover!

A De Lai knelt on one knee, his head buried low.

"I'm sorry, Lord... the Conscription of soldiers was an order from the Public Security Headquarters, we must constantly monitor the Maze's activity to prevent the invasion of Demon Lord's minions—"

"Shut up!" Baron Guss interrupted him furiously, roaring, "The Demon Lord is dead, and it won't be long before the Maze collapses on its own! A Maze without a Demon Lord, tell me, where will the Demon Lord's minions come from?!"

A De Lai: "But—"

"I didn't ask you to speak!" Baron Guss glared at him with murderous eyes, gritting his teeth as he said, "Besides, gathering militia is one thing, but who told you to go down into the Maze?!"

"..."

"Cat got your tongue?"

"No... you just told me to shut up."

Ah.

How annoying.

A De Lai suddenly had an evil thought: if he killed him here, and then had Lord Demon Lord resurrect him as a ghoul, wouldn't he no longer have to look at this hateful, ugly face?

But this idea only appeared in his mind for a moment, and was quickly dismissed.

The cost of killing a noble is completely different from killing an ordinary person, not to mention replacing him with a ghoul.

These guys are not only blessed by Saint Siss from birth, but also have intricate family relationships.

Unlike clergy who make lifelong vows, whose networks are all within the church, and are unlikely to be exposed.

"Damn it..."

Seeing the little sheriff contradicting him again and again, Baron Guss raised the whip in his hand, about to give him a profound lesson, when a low, hoarse voice suddenly came from the side.

"I told him to do it."

Baron Guss shuddered and quickly turned around, only to see Priest Matt standing at the entrance of the barracks, wearing a priest's robe.

He had changed into a clean and tidy priest's robe, with a holy cross hanging on his chest.

For some reason.

Guss felt that Matt seemed a little lifeless today, but when he thought that the old priest had just returned from the Maze, he was relieved.

People who have finished reciting Spells are all like this, and the servants of Saint Siss are no exception.

"Matt... Priest? You?" Guss opened his mouth, and asked in astonishment, "But why?"

"The Demon God is Saint Siss's enemy, and guarding against the activities of Hell is our duty as servants of God," Matt said sternly, without a trace of a smile, following the lines A De Lai the sheriff had taught him. "What? Do you doubt the sacred cause?"

That rigid and inflexible appearance was indeed Old Matt's usual style.

Startled for a moment, Baron Guss stammered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"No... but..."

Not pushing him too hard, Matt took a step back and offered the prepared statement.

"The church will compensate you and those farmers for their losses. Also, I will write to your lord to explain the situation, telling the Earl that the reduction in Silverpine Town's conscripted soldiers was due to demon infestation, not your responsibility..."

Compensation.

And exemption from responsibility.

With both demands met, a relieved expression finally appeared on Baron Guss's face.

"Thank you..."

His only confusion was how this stingy miser had become so generous today. Matt stared at him and said expressionlessly.

"Is there anything else?"

Baron Guss hurriedly shook his head.

"No, nothing."

As long as the money was in place, everything was easy to talk about.

The nobles of the Ryan Kingdom had always been very easy to negotiate with.

Matt nodded.

"Then that's settled, esteemed lord. I still have to deal with the aftermath of this demon invasion, so I won't waste any more of your precious time."

Resisting the demon invasion...

Baron Guss smiled inwardly; these clergy really didn't bother to draft their lies.

Ah...

Saint Siss above, I certainly didn't mean to neglect you, but you really need to discipline your servants.

After mentally criticizing Priest Matt, Baron Guss then looked at A De Lai, doing a favor for Silverpine Town's priest.

"A De Lai, thank Priest Matt, otherwise, even if the Thunder City Public Security Headquarters let you off, I would never spare you."

Municipal officials were not worth his flattery, but priests who held ecclesiastical power were different and worth building a good relationship with.

After all, there would be a day when he needed holy water.

"Yes..." A De Lai lowered his head, hiding his sneer.

Baron Guss piously made the sign of the cross on his chest, then waved the whip in his hand and swaggered away with his two servants.

He didn't want to stay in this backwater for another moment.

In just a few seconds, his expensive silk dress had already picked up the smell of mud...

It wasn't until Baron Guss left that Sheriff A De Lai breathed a sigh of relief and raised his lowered head.

Looking at the expressionless Priest Matt, he squeezed out a friendly smile.

"Well done..."

Priest Matt nodded indifferently.

"Your Majesty Demon Lord asked me to cooperate with you, so naturally I will... What's next?"

Sheriff A De Lai stroked his chin and pondered for a long time before speaking.

"Next... let me think, we must first take stock of the church's property, and then spend some money to dismiss those old nuns who are in the way and replace them with new people."

"Also, we have to pick a few more orphans and train them to be your apprentices. During the service, you can have them recite scriptures, and you can just stand aside and pretend."

They had even deceived the local lord, and they had successfully passed the most difficult hurdle.

As for those peasants who come to the church to pray every day, just deal with them casually... Anyway, they may never leave this town in their lives, and their understanding of the Saint Siss doctrine depends entirely on the priests in the town.

Even if they stuff some private goods into it, as long as it's not too outrageous, no one will notice.

After all, the entire town's "judges" are in their hands!

A De Lai was surprised to find that he was unexpectedly talented at doing this kind of sneaky thing.

"This is not good... I shouldn't have been a demon in my last life."

"Not very realistic," Matt shook his head, seemingly already embracing the role of a clergyman, and said seriously, "But there won't be a problem in the next life, as long as you are loyal enough to Your Majesty Demon Lord, Your Majesty Demon Lord will arrange your next life properly."

On the other side, the second level of the Maze.

The Little Devils flapping their wings returned to their lair—the altar called Nightmare Country.

"Damn it, boss!!"

"Damn it, something bad happened!"

"Demon Lord! It's a new Demon Lord!"

"He's back!"

They flew around, shouting loudly.

The sound, which was hard to tell whether it was a smirk or a scream, echoed in the jagged cave, causing countless Little Devils to poke their heads out, then lower their heads and shrink back.

In the center of the altar in the distance, a wicked and awe-inspiring queen leaned against the towering Obsidian Rock Throne.

Her height was less than one meter, her legs accounted for half of it, her facial features were exquisite and enchanting, exuding an evil aura, and her bright red eyes and lips were like blood gushing out.

In addition, the most striking thing was the two slightly raised horns on her forehead. A pair of slender bat wings were folded behind her, and the tail hooked to the side was like a poisonous snake waiting for an opportunity to move.

Because the rock throne was too huge, she looked like a doll sitting there.

However.

Even though this monarch looked like a doll, none of the Little Devils present dared to disobey her.

In front of her, these guys full of bad ideas were as docile as sheep.

"Demon Lord?"

Xi Xi, leaning against the Obsidian Rock Throne, narrowed her eyes, her cheek lazily resting on the back of her hand, her fangs hanging from the corner of her mouth gently rubbing against her little fingernail.

"What's the background of that guy? Did you see clearly?"

The two Little Devils flying in the sky scrambled to answer.

"Succubus! Seems to be a Succubus! He's super good at draining humans! All the humans in the Maze have been drained by him!"

"Wrong! Clearly a Vampire! He sucks up human things in one gulp!"

"Succubus!"

"Vampire!!"

"It's a Succubus!!!"

The two Little Devils started fighting in the sky, baring their teeth at each other.

Seeing their leader fighting, the heads of the Little Devils immediately poked out from behind the strangely shaped rocks, cheering for the left side for a while, and waving flags for the right side for a while.

"Bite off her ears!"

"Tear her mouth apart!"

"Wings! Pluck her wings!"

These guys would start fighting without paying attention, and Xi Xi, sitting on the throne, was already used to it.

She yawned and reprimanded them indifferently.

"Enough."

Hearing the BOSS's reprimand, the two Little Devils twisting in the air shuddered and bounced to the sides as if electrocuted.

"I asked you to go to the first floor to see the situation, but you didn't even see what his background was. I really want to dig out your eyes and stuff them into your mouths."

The two Little Devils trembled with fright, quietly landed on the ground, and prostrated their heads, not daring to speak.

Xi Xi did not continue to embarrass them, and continued in a lazy voice.

"What about those Lizards? What's their situation?"

Hearing the boss's question, the two Little Devils quickly raised their heads and chirped again.

"Dead! All dead!"

"The Lizards are no match for him at all!"

"All chopped into eight pieces!"

"Damn, too scary!"

"Damn, the one who came is probably another Diamond-level demon!"

Listening to the chaotic report, Xi Xi raised her index finger and pressed it against her brow, roughly sorting out her thoughts.

In short, the new Demon Lord not only annihilated the Lizardmen's forces but also conveniently dealt with the humans who had come to join the fun... roughly that's what it meant? That previous wave of explosions was probably some Silver-level spell.

Daring to use such an unconventional power in the Maze, that Demon Lord must have absolute confidence in their strength... even if they were Gold-rank or even Platinum, she wouldn't find it strange.

Of course.

This was just her guess.

After all, strength wasn't something written on one's face; you couldn't see it just by looking, not to mention she herself was only Silver-level.

Looking at her distraught subordinates, Xi Xi said in a languid voice.

"Tsk... who told that bunch of ungrateful bastards to defect to the Dragon God's embrace? It's perfectly normal for them to be chopped into eight pieces by the Demon Lord."

She felt no sympathy for that group of four-legged snakes; she even wanted to laugh with schadenfreude.

But having said that, if that group of Lizards died out like this, Nightmare Country would be in danger...

Clearly, she wasn't the only one who thought of this; the two Little Devils prostrating on the ground were just as cunning.

"Boss, what should we do?!"

"Fight with Lord Demon Lord? Or should we... pretend to submit to that guy first?"

Xi Xi glanced at them, pondered for a moment, and said slowly.

"Don't rush, those four-legged snakes will keep them busy for a while; we can observe first. You Xi, go to the four-legged snakes' tribe to gather information, in the name of forming an alliance. Mi Xi, go take a look at the Demon Lord's side, also in the name of forming an alliance... As for who to ally with specifically, I'll consider it before making a decision."

If the Demon Lord was stronger, then she would sell out the Lizardmen. If the Demon Lord was actually weak, or not a Demon Lord at all, then she wouldn't mind helping that group of four-legged reptiles and nipping the threat in the bud.

Understanding her boss's meaning, You Xi's eyes immediately lit up.

"As expected of Boss! Truly insidious and cunning!"

In contrast, Mi Xi's face showed panic and fear.

"Ah?! Me, go to the Demon Lord's side?"

With her right leg crossed over her knee, Xi Xi impatiently glanced at the timid Little Devil.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, I wouldn't dare..."

Mi Xi was so frightened that she shrank her neck and shook her head like a windmill, not daring to say a single "yes."

"Then go quickly."

Xi Xi waved her hand, making a gesture of dismissal.

"Yes..."

Giving a salute to Her Majesty Queen, Mi Xi, with a mournful face, fluttered her wings and took off, retreating with the gloating You Xi.

Meanwhile, on the other side, near the ruins of the Maze's first level, Leon, riding on Arakdo's back, was counting his loot.

One thousand elite Lizardmen, eight hundred human soldiers... plus their equipment.

This time it's really like Quinn touching an electric wire!

With an irrepressible smile on his face, Leon happily gave the order.

"You You, add two more options to the Reincarnation function—Zombie and Lizardmen. The Zombie option requires Black Iron-level to Class Change!"

"As for the Contribution Points needed for Reincarnation and resurrection, you can handle it. Just follow the previous rules."

You You responded excitedly.

"Roger that!"