The imperial palace of Lut Gholein was quite different from the palaces Duanmu Huai had generally seen. Most imperial palaces were built upward, with the higher the better. Lut Gholein's palace, however, did the opposite. There were only two floors aboveground, while the levels below had been dug quite deep... Actually, it was understandable when one thought about it. In a desert city like this, with sand flying everywhere, opening a window meant getting a face full of dirt. Compared to that, the underground might not let in any light, but at least it wasn't as hot as the surface. It was fairly comfortable, wasn't it?
Of course, for the guards stationed here, it was a nightmare.
"It's down there?"
Duanmu Huai stared at the dim staircase before him and asked. Hearing his question, the guard beside him answered timidly.
"Yes, yes, Hero... The demons have been appearing down there. There's nothing we can do..."
According to the King, the lowest level had originally been his harem, but it had now become a playground for demons. Nearly everyone who had been there was already dead. At first, the King had been full of confidence and wanted to send troops down to drive out the demons and reclaim the palace. But after several teams had gone down without sending back any word, he obediently lost his nerve.
For now, he had completely sealed off the passages to every level. Even so, the guards stationed there were still terrified, afraid that the demons would rush out from below at any moment and kill them. In this dark, narrow, and frightening environment, the guards' nerves were already at their limit.
"I understand. Leave it to me. Open it."
"Yes...!"
Hearing Duanmu Huai's command, the torch-bearing guard hurried forward, opened the sealed iron hatch,