[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-523":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1162645,1504,"Chapter 523: Slaughter Demon","ember-dragon-chapter-523",523,"\u003Cp>Chapter 523: Slaughter Demon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another furious roar echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gaunt yet muscular Goat Demons were draped in filthy gray beast hides. They raised their withered staffs in unison, chanting a foul hymn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The terror of the Abyss is endless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And it, the child of the Abyss, slaughters other races eternally.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Soul Judge Demon cracked its long whip, watching expectantly as the murky, jagged spatial rift trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A savage roar once again erupted from within the rift, its twisted summoning circle flickering with eerie light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, a razor-sharp, insectoid claw emerged, followed by mantis-like limbs gripping the edges of the rift. Then, a massive, grotesque figure slowly stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monstrous demon towered over ten meters high, its enormous, deformed body a grotesque amalgamation of the worst traits of multiple creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Bear, mantis, wolf, and a reptilian humanoid form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It appeared as though it was an experiment gone horribly wrong. In truth, that was precisely the case. According to legend, these creatures were the creation of a powerful demon lord, formed from the tortured souls of sadists and murderers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost every terrifying creature in the Abyss was driven by an insatiable lust for slaughter, and among them, the Slaughter Demons were the most relentless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More terrifying than most demons, their physiology combined the deadliest aspects of insects and beasts, making them enormous and lethal killing machines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the demons’ reinforcement, a brutal executioner of the battlefield—the Butcher Demon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Butcher Demon’s arrival, the Soul Judge Demon approached and whispered, \"Karl, Lord Jezal Slak requires your assistance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The towering demon inhaled deeply, as if savoring the scent of death in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoo—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its multifaceted eyes turned toward the Soul Judge Demon, and from its massive jaws came a harsh, metallic rasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do not need you to tell me what to do. It has been too long... since I last savored the slaughter of mortals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Soul Judge Demon’s expression darkened slightly, it said nothing more. In the Abyss, strength was everything, and the Butcher Demon was far stronger than it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon’s presence on the battlefield was due solely to the will of its demon lord, not because of any favor toward the Soul Judge Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, they could break through that disgusting defensive line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Soul Judge Demon turned its gaze toward the fortress, eyeing the countless gun barrels and cannons protruding from it. A twisted grin crept across its face, baring its sharp fangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a commander in the demonic legion, it had invaded the Material Plane countless times and had fought enemies far stronger than the Empire—Celestials, Giants, Fey...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, never before had it suffered such humiliation. Its proud demon army had been unable to even reach the defensive line, forced to retreat under relentless long-range fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a disgrace!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No nation, no force had ever dared to treat the Abyss this way. Even extraordinary beings regarded them with fear and caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roar—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Butcher Demon let out a bone-chilling roar, stretching its colossal body before charging straight at the Imperial Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind it, more than a dozen Bull Demons trampled over the charred wasteland, each step shaking the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These monstrous creatures moved like living mountains, advancing toward the Imperial soldiers, while the Butcher Demon at the front cleared the path with sheer devastation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless demons followed in their wake, unleashing deafening screeches, occupying both sky and land, forming yet another surging demonic tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On platforms atop the Bull Demons’ backs, emaciated Goat Sorcerers waved their bone staves, chanting whispers from the Abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Layer upon layer of chaotic blood-red energy enveloped the demons, cursing the land beneath them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic legion was surging back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For the Ember Empire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Suppress them! Make these Abyssal bastards scream!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bunkers echoed with the roars of commanding officers, the ragged breaths of soldiers, and the rapid bursts of gunfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy machine guns spewed flames, their bullets raining down like a storm, interweaving into a deadly net of firepower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alongside each thunderous explosion, fortress cannons roared, their muzzles flashing, filling the air with thick smoke as shell after shell was fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Moo—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep, guttural bellows rang out as the massive bull-like heads exhaled white smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bull Demons lifted colossal boulders as shields, their cursed blood acting as armor, charging headfirst into the hail of bullets and artillery fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Butcher Demon was far more terrifying. With its insect-like exoskeleton and beast-like hide, it ignored the bullets and shells entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clang, clang, clang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bullets struck its body, but not even a scratch remained as they ricocheted off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoosh—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shell arced low through the air, launched from a distant cannon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, with a swift motion, the mantis-like limbs on the Butcher Demon’s back flashed, slicing the projectile in midair, cleanly splitting it in two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It picked up a broken fragment from the ground, bringing it to its nostrils and sniffing the scent of steel and gunpowder before letting out a low chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Interesting. But merely... a toy of prey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Butcher Demon bent its four powerful limbs, veins bulging beneath its skin, its grotesque body pressing against the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an explosive boom, the ground beneath it collapsed, forming a deep crater. Then, like a coiled spring, it launched itself into the air, propelled by its monstrous strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This nightmarish chimera of a demon soared dozens of meters high, covering hundreds of meters in an instant, closing in on the Empire’s defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another thunderous impact followed as the Butcher Demon landed, shaking the ground violently. Dust clouds billowed, debris scattered in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive crater formed where it landed, and from within the swirling dust, its towering, monstrous silhouette emerged, sprinting toward the defensive line like an unrelenting nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each step it took sent tremors through the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the bunker, Imperial officers and soldiers were momentarily thrown into disarray. They had never seen anything like this before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quick!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That demon is coming! Aim at it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, rifles, machine guns, and cannons all turned toward the colossal beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bullets, shells, and grenades rained down on the Butcher Demon in an attempt to obliterate this monstrous threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom! Boom! Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Explosions erupted across the battlefield, flames engulfing the area, swallowing the Butcher Demon whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick smoke filled the air, dust and debris rising, carrying the acrid stench of burning flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it over?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did it die?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the question lingering in every soldier’s mind within the bunker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George watched the swirling smoke intently, his heart pounding wildly for reasons he could not explain.\u003C\u002Fp>",1101,"2026-06-03T12:47:13.304Z","2026-06-03T12:47:20.796Z",1,"novelbin.me","372d2384c83411f75ec2f71e67b0b1eea54479c4220fc16db20e02c6ef46bb6b","ember-dragon-chapter-524","ember-dragon-chapter-522",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]