Admiral

Behind them stood another figure. Though he had not been noticed at first, he had been there from the very beginning among the Intermediate Horned Demons. Once he revealed himself, the puzzle was finally solved.

"Arthur!"

The person whose name had been called showed a look of surprise. It could be taken as confusion over why his master was here, or why there was a mysterious Demonic Beast here.

Avilan gambled on the slimmest possibility and stepped forward. If he stopped now, it would be strange if his true identity were not discovered. For the moment, he pressed himself against the wall and slowly approached, intending to ignore those Horned Demons and walk past them.

He knew perfectly well that all their eyes were fixed on him, yet Avilan showed no fear. He held his head high and continued forward.

As the distance between both sides gradually closed, all the Horned Demons seemed to have agreed beforehand. They dropped to one knee and bowed their heads in salute. Naturally, Arthur stood at the front, paying his respects. His crisp movements gave off a sense of steadiness and reliability—the perfect knight.

"Lord Avilan. Why have you come here alone without any attendants? And dressed like this, no less."

Though Arthur was merely a warrior in Despair Fortress, he possessed great wisdom. It was only natural that he had seen through Avilan. After all, Arthur was now a living "person," with thoughts and judgment of his own.

Only then did Avilan notice that behind Arthur stood someone wearing a long white coat with phoenix epaulets on the shoulders, a black naval dress uniform beneath it, and a face so handsome it beggared belief.

Avilan blinked unconsciously. Admiral Zhou Yu had already been resurrected.

"Zhou Yu, you're back too." There was a trace of relief in Avilan's voice. With Zhou Yu here, the burden on his shoulders would be much lighter.

"Yes, my supreme master. This subordinate will certainly devote everything to serving you." Zhou Yu dropped to one knee and looked calmly at Avilan.

Her deep, lively eyes immediately gave the impression of someone resourceful and full of stratagems.

"Ah... there are many reasons. If it's you, Zhou Yu, you should know why I'm dressed like this, right?"

A complicated expression appeared on Zhou Yu's composed face. He waited through several breaths before speaking.

"My deepest apologies. I did not understand Lord Avilan's far-reaching plans—"

At that moment, a look of sudden realization appeared on Zhou Yu's face.

"So that's how it is... I see now."

Huh? How was it?

Avilan suppressed the urge to ask.

How exactly had this incomparably intelligent Zhou Yu reasoned things out, and what conclusion had he reached? Avilan, a mere mortal, had no way of guessing. All he could do was break out in a cold sweat beneath the hood covering his entire head.

"I have gained some understanding of Lord Avilan's far-sighted vision. As expected of the ruler of this place, such concerns are only natural. However, I still cannot turn a blind eye to the matter of you traveling without companions. I know this may cause you trouble, but I still hope you will show mercy and allow us to accompany you."

"...You really leave me no choice. Then only one person may come with me. Arthur, go attend to your duties first!"

"Yes, Lord Avilan." Arthur gave a respectful salute and immediately left with his men.

Zhou Yu revealed an elegant smile.

"Thank you very much, Lord Avilan, for accepting my willful request."

"...Just call me Avilan. You don't have to add 'Lord.'"

"How could that be allowed! Such a form of address can never be permitted. Of course, if one is carrying out undercover work or an exceptionally special mission or order, then that command may be obeyed. But within Despair Fortress, who would dare address Lord Avilan without an honorific!"

Hearing Zhou Yu's passionate declaration, Avilan was somewhat moved and could not help nodding.

"My apologies, Lord Avilan, for taking up your precious time." Zhou Yu turned to the Horned Demons beside her. "You will remain here on standby."

"By your command, Lady Zhou Yu."

Avilan walked past the bowing Zhou Yu. Once she raised her head, she followed after him.

"Why is Lord Avilan dressed like that?"

"I don't know, but there must be some reason."

The Horned Demons left behind asked their questions one after another, all utterly bewildered.

Though Avilan could not sense it, within Despair Fortress, anyone who joined the guild and became a servant would emit a distinctive aura. The servants could use that aura to determine whether someone was one of their own. Within the guild, the aura surrounding Avilan, the master of Despair Fortress, was for the servants the aura of an absolute ruler. That powerful aura could be easily detected even from far away.

Therefore, even if Avilan were reduced to ashes, they would never mistake him for someone else. Compared to everyone else's aura, his was also far easier to distinguish.

"When were you resurrected, Zhou Yu?" Avilan asked curiously as they walked.

"This was Lord Avilan's order. Despair Fortress gave full priority to resurrecting this subordinate. It was last night." A respectful yet unflattering smile rested on Zhou Yu's face, perfectly measured and making Avilan feel quite comfortable.

"Mm! What do you think of Despair Fortress?" Rather than continue exchanging pleasantries with Zhou Yu, Avilan asked directly.

Zhou Yu had long heard about this matter from Arthur, her senior brother. After pondering briefly, she said, "This subordinate believes we should proceed both internally and externally."

"Oh? Tell me." Avilan said, pretending to be deep in thought.

"Internally, we should prioritize repairing the Gold Pool. Only then can Despair Fortress produce an endless stream of gold coins. This is the key to repairing Despair Fortress and resurrecting the other comrades. Externally, we should accelerate our infiltration of the surrounding powers, especially several nations. They may become Despair Fortress's greatest enemies in its restoration."

The moment Avilan heard that, he slapped his forehead. How had he not thought of it?

Seeing Avilan's movement, Zhou Yu immediately said in a low voice, "My apologies, Lord Avilan. This subordinate has spoken out of turn."

"No, no, Zhou Yu, you're right. I was being too hasty." Aslan shook his head.

Zhou Yu looked at Avilan with a face full of gratitude and repeatedly said he would not dare.

"Zhou Yu, you are one of the rare wise minds in Despair Fortress. I'll leave these two matters to you. Come up with a plan as soon as possible." Avilan suddenly pulled down his hood, revealing his true appearance.

In the game, there had been no such thing as stuffiness or heat from poor ventilation, so he had never taken off his helmet. Thus, almost no one in Despair Fortress had seen Avilan's true face.

Zhou Yu could not help raising his head to look at the master he had admired for so long.

Avilan's appearance was very ordinary: an Eastern face, a trace of world-weariness in his eyes, and a strange black rune imprinted between his brows. It was the rune that sealed Avilan's demon body. Once the rune dispersed, it would be time for Avilan to reveal his demonic true form.

"This subordinate will exhaust himself unto death and never fail Lord Avilan's expectations." Zhou Yu replied with a smile.

Looking at the outrageously handsome face before him, Avilan shook his head, though his heart kept muttering.

"With that face, if she returned to Earth, even Wu Yifan and Lu Ming would have to step aside. She's simply an idol among idols. Especially that noble, elegant aura—it's something no human could possibly possess."