Policy

Mole Xiu watched Zhou Yu's receding back with trembling fear. He subconsciously glanced at himself, then even deliberately sniffed his own body.

"There's no smell at all!"

The four members of Allen's squad standing nearby collectively collapsed upon hearing that. The stench on these Ratkin was exactly like the smell of a garbage heap, sickening beyond measure, yet they actually claimed there was no smell.

Allen's group of four were now the assistants to Zhou Yu's group of four. The reason was simple: although the Horned Demons were far stronger than them, they were somewhat lacking in social conduct and comprehension. Thus, most tasks were dispatched by Allen's group, who were responsible for carrying out Zhou Yu's orders.

Compared to the terrifying Arthur, the elegant and wise Zhou Yu had conquered the four with his personal charm, making them wholeheartedly devoted to serving him.

They had no choice but to be utterly devoted. Forget Arthur and Avilan—even Zhou Yu was beyond their ability to oppose. Especially as they saw more and more demons being born within the territory, they feared that one day these demons would charge out of the Messiah Great Forest and invade their worlds.

But now, they feared even more that these demons would attack their villages and slaughter all their relatives.

"If you don't want to die, go bathe over there in the southwest immediately—and wash yourselves clean. Lord Zhou Yu always keeps his word." Covering his nose, Allen pointed southwest.

Mole Xiu had lived for quite some time and understood a thing or two about the ways of the world. He immediately led his clansmen running toward the riverbank.

As for running away, they had never even considered it.

To be protected by such powerful beings and still have enough to eat—unless they were killed, they would never run.

Such was the survival law of the Messiah Great Forest.

The strong were revered; the weak relied upon the strong to survive.

After more than a month of sorting and repairs, Despair Fortress gradually recovered its former glory.

Avilan sat in the seat of honor within the hall. The throne, once covered in scars, remained as it had been. Avilan had not repaired it; he wanted to keep it as a memento, a constant warning of the terror of human nature.

"Greetings to the supreme Lord Avilan!" Arthur shouted, taking the lead in kneeling.

Zhou Yu followed close behind. The Ratkin and Horned Demon guards behind them all knelt as well, shouting in unison.

"Greetings to the supreme Avilan Sovereign!"

This was the form of address Arthur had insisted upon. Lowly creatures like them had no right to address Avilan as "Lord"; they could only call him "Sovereign." Only those of Arthur's and Zhou Yu's status and standing were qualified to call Avilan "Lord."

Clad in military attire, Avilan lightly flicked his right hand, sweeping the cape before him behind his back. A faint breeze rose, making the cape behind him flutter in the wind and displaying all the bearing of a king.

Avilan nodded. "Rise."

In this sealed hall, wind should not have existed at all. That faint breeze had actually been deliberately released by Zhou Yu, who had just knelt, to accentuate Avilan's noble image. Even Aslan had not understood this at first.

Seeing the knowing smile Zhou Yu gave him, Avilan nodded expressionlessly, though inwardly he could not help but grumble.

"Zhou Yu's skill at flattering others is unmatched under heaven. He usually gave nothing away, but every time he made a move, it was just right, leaving no fault for anyone to find."

Seated upon the throne, Avilan quietly surveyed the scene beneath the steps.

Almost all his subordinates had gathered below. Looking down upon everyone like this truly felt magnificent and imposing.

Although there were not even a tenth as many people here as there had been in the guild back then, the sights in a game and the sights of reality were completely different.

Even so—because the Throne Room was so spacious, the sight before him did not seem crowded.

"I apologize first for summoning everyone here."

Avilan apologized in a tone completely devoid of guilt. It was merely a formality, but apologies were very important. Although gathering everyone had been Avilan's arbitrary decision, it was to let his subordinates know how much Avilan trusted them.

"Long live Lord Avilan! Supreme Sovereign Lord Avilan, who leads us! We shall offer everything and swear loyalty unto death!"

"Long live Lord Avilan! Everyone should know just how great Lord Avilan, who possesses terrifying power, truly is!"

The shouts of long live and songs of praise from his subordinates thundered through the Throne Room.

Basking in his subordinates' praise, Avilan thought.

"Perhaps this is heaven's compensation for the suffering of my previous life."

"Then..."

Avilan looked toward everyone before him.

"—Next, I will announce our guiding objective." Avilan paused here. Every subordinate before him turned solemn. "To make Despair Fortress into an eternal legend."

The Golden Cavalry Lance clenched in his right hand struck the ground. As though answering Avilan, the Golden Cavalry Lance emitted a brilliant golden radiance, and the surroundings trembled in response.

"If there are many heroes, kill them all, and let everyone living in this world know the name of Demon King Avilan! If there are stronger people in this world, then use methods other than force. If we encounter mages with many subordinates, we must find other ways to achieve our goals. For now, this is only the preparation stage. Let us strive together for a future where everyone knows the name of Demon King Avilan!"

He would spread this name into the ears of everyone in this world. As one of the top ten guilds in Myth's Chinese region at the time, Despair Fortress had been one of the greatest, while Avilan himself had been among the top ten experts of the Chinese region. Back then, his name alone had been enough to make many Myth players scream.

That was why he needed to elevate the name Avilan into the realm of legend, turning it into a name known by all, a name every intelligent lifeform would recognize.

If this name reached the ears of the "players" in this world, something very interesting might happen.

Avilan's domineering voice was astonishingly powerful; no matter which corner of the Throne Room one stood in, it could be heard clearly.

At that moment, everyone gathered in the Throne Room lowered their heads and raised their voices. It was a lofty sound that could be called prayer.

The entire Throne Room brimmed with the fervent excitement of boiling blood.

Receiving the command of their supreme ruler and acting together ignited boundless fighting spirit in every person, especially those who had been given orders, whose passion surged sky-high.

"Everyone, raise your heads."

Hearing Arthur's steady voice, everyone who had just lowered their heads in prayer raised them together.

Avilan, who should have been sitting majestically upon the throne, had vanished without a trace.

Arthur's gaze remained fixed upon the Avilan Royal Banner behind the throne—or rather, the guild's royal banner. The subordinates behind him also stared at that banner.

"Zhou Yu, tell everyone what Lord Avilan said to you."

"By your command."