Navy Admiral

There was another figure behind them. Though Avilan had not noticed him at first, he had been among the Intermediate Horned Demons from the very beginning. Once he revealed himself, the mystery was finally solved.

"Arthur!"

The one whose name had been called showed a surprised expression. It could have meant, "Why is my master here?" or "Why is there a mysterious monster here?"

Betting on the slightest possibility, Avilan stepped forward. If he stopped now, it would be stranger if his true identity was not discovered. In any case, he slowly moved closer along the wall, intending to ignore the Horned Demons and pass by them.

He clearly knew that all their gazes were focused on him, but Avilan showed no fear. He held his chest high and continued forward.

As the distance between them gradually narrowed, all the Horned Demons seemed to have agreed beforehand. They dropped to one knee and lowered their heads in salute. Naturally, Arthur was the one standing at the front. His crisp movements made him seem steady and reliable—the perfect knight.

"Lord Avilan. What brings you here alone without any attendants? And dressed like this, no less."

Within Despair Fortress, Arthur might have been a warrior, but he also possessed remarkable intelligence. It was only natural that he had seen through him. After all, Arthur was now a living "person," with thoughts and judgment of his own.

Only then did Avilan notice the person standing behind Arthur: she wore a large white coat with phoenix epaulets on the shoulders, a black naval ceremonial uniform beneath it, and possessed a devastatingly handsome face.

Avilan blinked instinctively. Navy Admiral Zhou Yu had already been revived.

"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. Your subordinate will certainly devote everything to serving you." Zhou Yu dropped to one knee and looked calmly at Avilan.

Her deep, spirited eyes immediately gave the impression of someone exceptionally resourceful.

"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. She waited for several breaths before speaking.

"My deepest apologies. I failed to understand Lord Avilan's far-reaching intentions—"

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

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

Huh? How was it?

Avilan suppressed the urge to ask.

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

"I have gained some understanding of Lord Avilan's profound foresight. As expected of the ruler of this place, such concerns are only natural. However, I still cannot turn a blind eye to your traveling without companions. I know this may inconvenience you, but I hope Lord Avilan will be merciful and allow us to accompany you."

"...I really can't do anything with you. Fine, only one person may come along. Arthur, go take care of your business 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 need to add 'Lord.'"

"How could that be! Such a form of address must never be allowed. Of course, if I were carrying out undercover work, an extremely special mission, or a direct order, I could obey that command. But within Despair Fortress, who would dare address Lord Avilan without an honorific?"

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

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

"Understood, Lord Zhou Yu."

Avilan walked past the bowing Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu raised her head and 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 in utter confusion.

Although 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 an arrival was one of their own. Within the guild, the aura surrounding Avilan, the master of Despair Fortress, was the aura of an absolute ruler to the servants. That powerful aura could be easily detected even from a great distance.

Therefore, even if Avilan were reduced to ashes, they would never mistake him for someone else. Compared with the auras of others, his was also much easier to distinguish.

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

"It was Lord Avilan's order. Despair Fortress gave top priority to reviving this subordinate, and I was revived last night." Zhou Yu wore a respectful smile that was not at all fawning, perfectly measured and very pleasing to Avilan.

"Mm! What do you think of Despair Fortress?" Avilan did not continue exchanging pleasantries with Zhou Yu and instead asked directly.

Zhou Yu had long heard about this matter from Arthur, her elder brother in the fortress. After pondering for a moment, she said, "This subordinate believes we should advance both internally and externally."

"Oh, tell me." Avilan said, pretending to ponder.

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

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

Seeing Avilan's reaction, Zhou Yu immediately lowered her voice. "My apologies, Lord Avilan. This subordinate spoke out of turn."

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

Zhou Yu looked at Avilan with gratitude and repeatedly said that she did not deserve it.

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

In the game, there was 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 ever seen Avilan's true appearance.

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

Avilan's appearance was very ordinary: an East Asian face, a hint of 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 vanished, it would be time for Avilan to reveal his demon form.

"This subordinate will devote herself until death and will not disappoint Lord Avilan's expectations." Zhou Yu answered with a smile.

Looking at the unbelievably handsome face before him, Avilan shook his head, while inwardly muttering without end.

With that face, if she returned to Earth, even Wu Yifan and Lu Ming would have to step aside. She's practically an idol among idols. Especially that noble, elegant temperament—it's simply not something a human could possess.