Despair Fortress

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Despair Fortress (绝望魔堡)
Alias(es)	Despair Fortress Guild (its governing guild organization) 14
Species/Race	Guild city and fortress; former Myth guild territory 2
Affiliation	Despair Fortress Guild; ruled by Lord Avilan 8 13
Occupation/Role	Fortified capital, military base, industrial center, and seat of Avilan’s expanding domain 31 40
Status	Active; rebuilt from ruins into a growing multi-racial military state 2 39
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Ruined guild territory	2	The fortress is found heavily destroyed, with unusable buildings and most servants dead; revivals require unavailable funds and items. 2
Emergency defensive activation	3–4	Its remaining systems seal invaders inside a grand hall, while Arthur’s undead force destroys the invading adventurers. 3 4
Initial reconstruction	13–15	After more than a month of repairs, the Throne Room resumes formal assemblies, though the outer city remains too damaged and underpopulated for full restoration. 13 15
Concealed stronghold	14	Zhou Yu and Mi Yue establish a massive illusion barrier over the fortress and urban district; the surrounding giant forest further obscures it. 14
Demon Gate restored	38–39	The activated Demon Gate consumes nearly ten thousand corpses and produces 8,465 Horned Demons, over 300 winged Demonkin, and Flame Demon Bat; it later continues producing two Horned Demonfolk per hour. 38 39
Militarized regional power	39–40	The fortress reaches nearly 70,000 inhabitants and can field 20,000–30,000 elite soldiers, supported by mage corps, watchtowers, magic cannons, and standardized equipment. 39 40
Territorial expansion	43–48	Despair Fortress captures Oldwood Fortress, installs Tian Ye as its lord, develops satellite towns, and prepares to monitor the southern waterways. 43 48

Background / History

Despair Fortress originated as a guild territory in Myth. Its lowest-ranking automatically spawned Abyssal Demon Realm NPCs could reach level 30 and revive without cost, while original player-created NPCs could be customized with equipment and AI and reach level 100. These created NPCs functioned as territory bosses rather than ordinary guards. 2

The fortress was designed by Avilan’s former college roommate, Shen Jiecōng, who based its structure on an enlarged Neuschwanstein Castle model. Shen personally designed its mechanisms, traps, city structures, and interior to create a demon castle steeped in despair. 6 7

By Avilan’s arrival in the new world, Despair Fortress had become a ruin. Its buildings were shattered, its servants were marked dead, its warehouse had been stripped of equipment above Gold quality, and its location no longer matched its former position. Arthur, the guardian NPC protecting the guild cornerstone, was its only surviving original defender. 2 7

Avilan gradually transformed the ruined territory into a functioning state. Reconstruction prioritized manpower, gold production, food, the Demon Gate, military training, industry, commerce, intelligence gathering, and satellite settlements. 8 19 31 47 48

Appearance

Despair Fortress is a vast black castle-city built in a Gothic style. Its original grandeur is contrasted by scarred walls, collapsed towers, ruined districts, and shattered gatehouses left by the guild’s destruction. 3 7

• A black, enlarged Neuschwanstein Castle forms its central structure. 7
• The central castle features black walls, demon sculptures, sharp barbs, dark doorframes, and ornate interior furnishings. 3 7 15
• The fortress contains four major districts, including an Eastern District devoted to industry and magic technology. 5 50
• Its underground levels contain freezing vaults for food, rare corpses, and experimental materials. 6
• The South District became the first major area restored and later developed into the fortress’s most populous urban center. 15 19
• Towering trees in the Messiah Great Forest conceal the fortress from distant observers. 9 14

Infrastructure & Capabilities

Defensive Systems

Despair Fortress combines conventional fortifications with magical security systems.

• Interior passages can seal intruders inside halls, where magical white light illuminates trapped targets. 3
• The illusion barrier conceals both the central fortress and its urban district from outsiders. 14
• Ten Magic Watchtowers in the South District provide surveillance across nearly half the district and can attack aerial or ground targets. 39
• Each South District watchtower is equipped with four Magic Cannons, whose shots have the power of fourth-tier spells. 40
• The Destruction Secretariat serves as the fortress’s internal security force and enforces order through bloodkin and undead conversion. 36

Demon Gate

The Demon Gate is Despair Fortress’s primary source of naturally produced Devil Race soldiers.

• Its repair became a strategic priority because it could create new Devil Race members without direct summoning. 19
• Its activation required 100,000 gold coins and nearly ten thousand corpses. 38
• The first major activation produced 8,465 Horned Demons, more than 300 winged Demonkin, and Flame Demon Bat. 38
• After repair, it produces two Horned Demonfolk per hour; its output is expected to increase as the gate levels up. 39

Production & Commerce

The fortress supports its military growth through agriculture, crafting, and trade.

• South District soilless farms and restored northern granaries provide abundant food supplies. 31
• Horned Demons are naturally fire-attuned forging specialists capable of producing silver-grade equipment. 31 36
• The fortress sells standardized equipment, grain, and weapons to outside settlements, including Essin City and the Munk Kingdom. 36 47
• Its commerce guild is intended to recruit blacksmiths, carpenters, tailors, alchemists, mages, and race-appropriate trade representatives. 47
• More than 1.5 million mu of northern farmland is cultivable, though labor shortages initially limit planting to 500,000 mu. 47

Training & Military Organization

Aptitude testing and tailored instruction dramatically improve the fortress’s armed forces.

• Citizens are tested with Aptitude Crystal Balls before being assigned to appropriate camps and training. 40
• The fortress develops thousands of Third-Tier Great Swordsmen, nearly one hundred Fourth-Tier Swordmasters, and a 300-member Mage Corps. 40
• Its weakest regular soldiers wear Refined Iron-grade equipment, while elite units receive Silver-grade equipment. 40
• Carter’s recruitment establishes a formal sword-training system for the fortress’s non-demonic races. 32 33

Society

Despair Fortress is governed through a rigid three-tier hierarchy. 33

Social Tier	Members	Position
Ruling class	Avilan, Arthur, Zhou Yu, and other fortress-born lords	Hold supreme authority; even castle servants rank above most affiliated outsiders. 33
Citizens and affiliated races	Horned Demons, early allied races, Ratkin, Catfolk, Goblins, Wild Men, and other accepted groups	Receive district benefits, protection, and limited authority in return for service and loyalty. 19 33
Captives and slaves	Defeated enemies and coerced laborers	Forced into harsh labor; freedom is possible only through meritorious service. 33 39

The fortress’s subject population becomes increasingly diverse as it absorbs or conquers surrounding peoples. Catfolk under Miuo are integrated into the Security Battalion, while Wild Men, Goblins, Ratkin, Demonfolk, and other groups are incorporated into the city’s labor and military systems. 19 39

Relationships

• Avilan — Absolute ruler and guild master. His aura identifies him to every servant of Despair Fortress regardless of disguise. 8
• Arthur — Guardian NPC, chief steward, defender of the guild cornerstone, and enforcer of fortress hierarchy. 2 31
• Zhou Yu — Southern District lord, strategist, administrator, and principal adviser on reconstruction, infiltration, expansion, and logistics. 8 43
• Mi Yue — Bloodkin progenitor and defensive commander whose abilities provide bloodkin troops, midnight-bat scouts, and nighttime security. 14 36
• Aranda — Horned Demon Lord appointed commander of the Horned Demon Legion. 28
• Mize — Fourth-tier Horned Demon commander who leads military suppression campaigns and expansion operations. 19
• Miuo — Former Catfolk chieftain appointed commander of the Security Battalion after his people submit to the fortress. 18 19
• Tian Ye — Wild Demon Man installed as lord of captured Oldwood Fortress and tasked with gathering scattered Wild Men. 43

Story Role / Major Arcs

1. Ruins and invasion — The fortress awakens with Avilan in a devastated state, then repels and massacres treasure-seeking adventurers who mistake its ruins for an unguarded trove. 2 3 4

2. Restoration of command — Avilan revives key servants, appoints Zhou Yu to oversee economic recovery and infiltration, and reestablishes the fortress’s hierarchy under the title of “Sovereign.” 6 8 13

3. Concealment and assimilation — The illusion barrier protects the recovering city while Ratkin, Horned Demons, Catfolk, and other races are recruited or forced into its expanding social order. 14 18 19

4. State-building and commerce — Despair Fortress develops farms, forges, weapon sales, military training, and trade networks while using instability in the Kompno Duchy as an economic opportunity. 31 33 36 47

5. Regional militarization — The activation of the Demon Gate and the development of large-scale forces turn the fortress into a major military power within the Messiah Great Forest. 38 39 40

6. War with the Dark Elves — Despair Fortress attacks and captures Oldwood Fortress, replacing Dark Elf rule with a Wild Demon Man-led administration loyal to Avilan. 40 41 43

Trivia

• Avilan leaves the damaged throne unrepaired as a reminder of the fortress’s destruction and of humanity’s cruelty. 13
• The fortress’s servants recognize Avilan by his unique master aura, even when he disguises himself as a holy mage. 8
• Although its central castle remains structurally impressive, the outer city was initially far more devastated and lacked even basic usable buildings. 7
• Despair Fortress’s original Eastern District was both an industrial zone and a magic-technology zone, but it was left in ruins after the guild’s fall. 50