Chapter 227: The Sun Blazes High!

At the very moment Xiang Nuo saw Karson Shatterskull, the latter also saw him standing in the battlefield.

That ugly face immediately twisted into a bloodthirsty grin, a pair of pupils burning with murderous intent as if saying, "We meet again."

Xiang Nuo stared at him in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock.

Undead?

No—

That bastard is definitely not undead!

He felt not a trace of deathly aura emanating from that ogre!

And at that very moment, a faint possibility suddenly surfaced in Xiang Nuo's mind.

He really was killed by me!

But shortly after, the Karson I killed entered the Chaos Rebirth Pool, received the baptism of the Flame of Destruction, and soon after, reborn with his memories intact, stronger than ever!

This bastard was reborn once more!

And with the aid of ritual magic, he rapidly grew to adulthood!

Looking at those fearless Kao soldiers, Xiang Nuo suddenly understood their way of survival—and finally grasped why such bloodthirsty creatures never destroyed themselves.

They spent their brief lives pleasing Kalmandes, and upon death, their souls ascended, only to be reborn again as His warriors!

Kalmandes did not grant them immortality—but it was no different from immortality.

For soon after death, they returned to the battlefield, stronger than before, facing their enemies anew!

This was their way of survival!

Had I been the one killed back then, my final fate would likely have been the same—trapped in this endless cycle of death…

"What an utter desecration…"

Xiang Nuo swallowed hard, his scalp prickling.

Especially when he imagined losing to that bastard behind the Gate of Chaos—his end would surely be the same: trapped in endless cycles of death and rebirth, experiencing death again and again…

Even the demons born in the deepest pits of Hell would instinctively think this was too much even for Hell.

Blue blood seeped from Valgur's carapace, suddenly freezing into frost that crawled upward along the blade piercing the false sheath, finally reaching Karson's fingers.

Karson, who had been laughing wildly, suddenly froze, yanking the blade out of the giant frost beetle's skull with swift motion.

Though his reaction was fast, it was still too late—in mere moments, his fingers had turned to ice sculptures.

That was the curse flowing within the frost beetle's blood!

Looking at his frozen fingers, Karson suddenly grinned with a cruel twist, clenching his right hand hard—crushing the frozen digit into shards!

Seeing the tiny insect clinging stubbornly to his back, Valgur finally tilted his head and roared in fury, pressing his belly flat against the ground.

As his massive, clumsy body sank, thousands of frost beetles began crawling up his back.

Karson swung his blade, cutting down a dozen frost beetles that crawled near him. But against the tidal wave of attackers, even as a Chosen of Chaos, he was momentarily overwhelmed.

As the swarming nest threatened to engulf him, the ogre suddenly roared upward and hurled his blade high into the air.

With a screeching clang of metal, the chains wrapped around his body shot skyward like fishing lines flung from a winch, dragged along by the whistling blade.

At that moment, a wyvern rider soared past, snatching the flying chain, then yanking the reins upward.

Under the wyvern's pull, Karson, gripping the chain, shot into the air like an elevator—escaping the swarm just before it swallowed him whole.

Seeing the tiny insect on his back about to fly away, Valgur roared in rage and spat a torrent of frost breath toward the sky.

The solidified mist surged like a waterfall reversed, as if even the air itself had frozen into ice.

But the frost breath was too slow—the wyvern rider dodged effortlessly, not even brushing a single hair.

Karson's face curled into a mocking, cruel smile.

Just as he spun midair, preparing to charge back, a dense rain of arrows suddenly erupted into the sky!

The whistling of arrows sounded like a swarm of locusts!

The wyverns circling above had no time to react before they and their riders were pierced like hedgehogs by the whistling bolts.

"Gaaah—!" The wyvern, gushing blood, shrieked in agony, spinning wildly in midair before plummeting downward.

At that exact moment, Valgur tilted his head wide open and snapped his jaws—crunching the falling wyvern into a mist of blood and bone.

At the brink of death, Karson released his grip on the chain, using inertia to fling himself clear—barely escaping being swallowed whole by the giant frost beetle.

Even so, the impact flung him hard—he crashed heavily onto the open ground a hundred meters away.

The cracked, parched earth actually caved in under his weight, forming a deep crater!

Only his thick layer of fat cushioned the blow—if not, that single impact would have killed him again, mere moments after his rebirth!

Karson staggered to his feet, shaking off the dirt clinging to him, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

But as he raised his battered head, he saw a disciplined elite force appear at the horizon.

The demonic soldiers wore identical black armor, each carrying a square shield on their backs and a heavy crossbow half their height, engraved with inscriptions.

As a former member of this labyrinth, he knew their identity all too well—

They were the Black Dragon Crossbowmen of the Endless City!

Legend said the bowstrings of their three thousand crossbows were forged from the tendons of black dragons, using the secret arts of dragon hunters—capable of piercing the protective aura of a Silver-rank warrior at a hundred paces!

In raw power, these weapons far surpassed firearms; their only flaw was scarcity—dragons were rare, and harder to hunt.

Lei Ji Dragon had publicly claimed three thousand Black Dragon crossbows, but whether he had two thousand was doubtful—no one had ever counted them, and many were likely ordinary bows masquerading as the real thing.

But regardless of how many were genuine, the Black Dragon Crossbowmen's reputation across the Lei Ming Prefecture was legendary.

It was said that even the famed Trident Knight Order had to avoid their line of fire… though even without their special reputation, few knightly orders would ever charge head-on into a crossbow formation.

Karson Shatterskull's pupils narrowed slightly.

What troubled him wasn't the Black Dragon crossbows—but the fact that three of the four remaining demonic generals in this labyrinth had appeared here.

Clearly, much had changed in this labyrinth during his absence.

Come to think of it—

He still hadn't seen that half-breed shadow demon.

At that moment, Karson suddenly realized something.

But just as he reached for a weapon nearby, a cold dagger had already pressed against his throat.

In an instant—too fast for him to react—a thin veil of black smoke swept past, severing his head.

Watching the shadowy figure appear behind the Chosen of Chaos, Branxia lowered the whip she had just raised.

At that moment, Xiang Nuo ran up from afar, axe in hand.

"Wait—"

No sooner had he spoken than the headless corpse and the flying head both thudded to the ground.

Looking at Xiang Nuo Dragon approaching, the figure beside the headless corpse frowned in confusion.

"What's the problem?"

"You can't kill him…" Xiang Nuo, realizing it was too late, gritted his teeth and repeated his discovery.

After hearing him, Tanos looked surprised, frowned deeply in thought—but remained unmoved.

"Irrelevant. Just an ant," he said casually, flicking his dagger. "I'll kill him again when the time comes."

Even if the Chosen of Chaos can resurrect endlessly, his power cannot grow without limit.

Ultimately, it is the mortal who determines the total amount of transcendent power—the gods only set the rules of distribution.

Tanos didn't understand these deeper truths, but experience told him mortals could only bear so much divine grace.

Otherwise, the war between Hell and the surface wouldn't involve mortals at all—it would just be a contest of who could brag louder.

As he spoke, his gaze turned to the black knight locked in fierce combat with Grak, and he licked his lips with excitement.

Unlike that ogre.

That one might prove an interesting opponent!

Watching Tanos turn away, Xiang Nuo had no reply.

At that moment, shadows darted past him, following Tanos toward the black knight.

They were Tanos's assassin corps.

Though their numbers were far fewer than the troops under the other three demonic generals, no one dared underestimate this force hidden in the shadows!

Dressed in full armor, Branxia stood beneath the Endless City's banner, watching the shadows vanish into the distance with a cryptic smile.

She had assumed Tanos would act alone—but now he'd brought his entire hidden arsenal to the battlefield.

It made her wonder: had he secretly done something to the Demon King—or did he have some leverage over him?

Shaking off the swarm of offspring clinging to him, Valgur turned toward the direction the arrows had come from, his deep voice mingling with his frost-laced breath as it hissed from his monstrous maw.

"Thank you."

There was little genuine gratitude in his tone—he believed he could have handled those buzzing insects himself, even if it took longer.

Branxia didn't mind. She merely smiled.

"You're welcome."

As she spoke, she lashed her thorned whip forward—and the reloaded Black Dragon Crossbowmen unleashed another volley of arrows into the rear of the Chaos army.

The battle was not over!

Xiang Nuo had no time for anything else—he caught his breath, then charged back into battle, axe in hand.

Even if Kalmandes's servants were immortal and would soon resurrect, to close the Gate of Chaos, he had to crush them on the battlefield!

Meanwhile, at the heart of the battlefield, watching the arrows and magical flashes whizzing overhead, the players cheered wildly.

This battle's scale and intensity had surpassed the Fog Forest skirmish by more than one level.

The only regret was the bland models—no flying squids, upside-down heart-eaters, or rock-throwing cyclopes this time.

Kalmandes's followers resemble a traditional army, composed of light and heavy infantry, cavalry, and archers.

And that black knight with a boss-like appearance was entirely modeled after a human knight, nowhere near as terrifying as the creature with tentacles beneath it.

But as the saying goes, the stranger the appearance, the weaker the foe—this black knight wielding a longsword looked unremarkable, yet he was far more formidable than the previous mad speaker, Mel, even holding his own against Glark, who possessed peak Platinum-tier power, and even gaining the upper hand!

Glark let out a furious roar and swung his double-bladed axe in a powerful horizontal arc toward the black knight's mount.

Facing this thunderous strike, the silent black knight made no move to dodge or evade, merely parrying it with a casual, effortless block.

"Clang—!"

The clang of metal echoed across the battlefield, sparks flying meters away like molten iron splashing from a forge!

Feeling the pain in his palms, Glark was struck with a chilling sense of dread.

In that strike, he had unleashed his full strength and activated the ancestral blessing flowing through his blood.

Even a Diamond-tier demon, such as Reggie Dragon himself, could not have withstood his full-power blow without a scratch!

Yet this creature not only blocked it—he showed no sign of injury whatsoever!

Diamond?

Amethyst?

Master or demi-god? Surely not…

A bead of sweat formed on Glark's forehead; he couldn't gauge this opponent's true strength, and felt the creature was growing stronger with every passing moment.

But it wasn't his fault.

The Chosen from beyond the Chaos Gate were not beings of this world, and their supernatural power did not originate from this realm—thus, their strength could not be measured by this world's standards.

The black-armored knight looked down at him, his sword ablaze with silent flames, and from beneath the burning armor glowed a bloodthirsty, scorching glare.

Without a word exchanged, both sides seemed to reach an unspoken understanding; the moment their eyes met, they clashed again.

Even though he sensed his opponent was stronger, Glark showed no sign of retreat—his battle fury only intensified.

At that moment, a dark shadow suddenly drifted over from nearby, creeping like a shadow toward the black knight's back.

Sensing the threat from behind, the black knight swiftly spun his sword backward, drawing an arc of blazing flame behind his horse's hooves.

"Ping—!"

The whistling dagger struck as if hitting a solid wall, unable to pierce the burning wall of flame at all!

The elusive shadow recoiled instantly, like a feather blown by the wind, landing ten meters away and solidifying into a human form. The warhorse neighed, and the black knight, gripping the reins, grew noticeably more alert.

Though the shadow demon's power was clearly inferior to the orc before him, the threat it posed far exceeded that of the orc.

Seeing Tanos cloaked in black, Glark grinned, a flash of clear delight in his eyes.

He shortened the grip on his axe, assuming a dual-wielding stance.

"Never thought I'd team up with you."

Tanos twirled his dagger nonchalantly.

"Neither did I. You can still back out."

Glark raised an eyebrow.

"Scared?"

Tanos gave a faint, mocking laugh.

"I mean, you can just stand aside and let me handle him."

Glark burst into a mocking laugh.

"Bullshit!"

As he spoke, he exploded forward with his legs, charging after the black knight who was trying to create distance.

The black knight, now cornered, abandoned his retreat and swung his sword to meet Glark's double-bladed axe.

Meanwhile, Tanos, arriving to assist, did not stand idle—his twin daggers struck like venomous snakes toward the black knight's back.

One-on-one became a group assault.

Facing the combined assault of long and short weapons, even with Chaos's blessing, the black knight struggled to defend himself.

Seizing an opening, Glark swung his axe with full force, striking squarely at the horse's neck!

Most of the flesh on its neck was sheared away; the horse didn't even have time to neigh before collapsing lifelessly to the side.

With his mount suddenly dropping, the black knight was thrown off balance and tumbled from his saddle.

As his iron boots touched the ground, before he could rise, a dagger stabbed straight at his face—he barely managed to raise his sword in a desperate block.

Tanos didn't relent after the failed strike; he unleashed dozens of rapid thrusts, and amid a flurry of metallic clangs, he leapt backward, his retreating form freezing mid-air.

Seeing that frozen, mysterious smile, the now-mountless black knight instinctively sensed something was wrong.

But before he could react, the shadow demon dissolved into countless dark afterimages, striking him like a thousand arrows piercing his heart.

"Dagger Rain!"

The flickering afterimages darted through the air like shuttles—one moment aimed at the black knight's face, the next emerging from his chest.

In an instant, the black knight's armor was riddled with holes, revealing crimson blood and swirling Chaos miasma.

Severely wounded, the black knight knelt on one knee, leaning on his sword for support, and from beneath his silent black armor finally emerged a piercing, agonized scream.

It sounded like a cry of torment—and yet also like a fervent prayer.

At the very moment that scream echoed, an omen suddenly appeared in the air beneath the labyrinth's dome.

A burning head loomed above, its sun-like eyes gazing down, scorching the entire battlefield with searing radiance.

Bathed in that blazing light, both Kao warriors and orc soldiers screamed in agony.

Their skin smoked as if set ablaze.

Meanwhile, bathed in that same heat, the black knight's power seemed to ascend—his wounds healed visibly before their eyes.

Glark stared in shock at the risen black knight, his expression visibly shaken.

"Is this… holy light?!"

Tanos, cloaked in black, spoke with a grim, hoarse voice.

"Holy light doesn't look like this…"

Holy light doesn't burn the living—it only destroys undead and demons.

But this searing light was the opposite: it affected all living beings equally—demons included—except the undead.

The undead suffered no harm at all.

This was more like pure sunlight!

Seeing the risen black knight, Tanos and Glark raised their weapons again, bracing themselves as if facing a dire threat.

The black knight removed his helmet, revealing a face covered in pustules, his scarred lips curling into a chilling grin.

Suddenly, he spoke in a stammering voice.

"You are strong… you have earned my master's favor… but this ends here."

Watching the black knight raise his sword, Glark sneered, axe in hand.

"I thought you were mute. Didn't know you could talk."

The black knight ignored him, instead gazing at his sword as he uttered arcane, incantatory words.

"My name is Atum, servant of the Flame that destroys all, the Sun that burns all… die with honor!"

The sword in his hand blazed like a torch, its murky crimson glow resembling a sun sinking below the horizon!

At that moment, a small, graceful figure suddenly appeared in midair, her crimson eyes radiating murderous intent.

"Die!!" Cissy let out a muffled snarl, her youthful face twisted in rage.

A spear of psychic energy coalesced at her brow, piercing straight toward the black knight's skull.

But something went wrong.

Perhaps because her people were suffering under the scorching sun, they could no longer supply her with the torrent of psychic energy as before.

The psychic spear struck like a toothpick against a wall—unable to harm him at all, it was instead consumed and burned by the Chaos flames.

A searing pain shot into her brow; Cissy cried out in agony and plummeted straight down from the sky.

The black knight named Atum merely glanced in her direction and sneered.

"What fly is this?"

Glark glanced at where the little demon had fallen.

He didn't care if she lived or died—but he was alarmed: this creature had taken a full psychic assault from a demon and remained unharmed!

"This is problematic…" Tanos flicked his dagger, eyes glinting. "If Branxia backs down, the two of us alone won't be enough."

He'd originally planned to present this foe's head as a gift to appease the Demon Lord—but now he was stuck in a dangerous situation.

Glark remained silent, staring at the blazing sword, his face unreadable, lost in thought.

Where was the Demon Lord?

The Bloodblade Clan had shed enough blood to prove their loyalty—yet he had never shown up…

As Cissy fell from the sky, her mind grew hazy, her fading consciousness flickering like a slideshow before her eyes.

She tried to flap her wings to stabilize herself against the rushing wind—but her body refused to obey.

The Chaos backlash had nearly burned through her nerves; she could no longer feel anything below her neck.

Perhaps she shouldn't have let her anger cloud her judgment because of her people's suffering… perhaps she should have been more cautious… but now it was too late.

She felt her descent accelerating, past the point of no return—there was no way to pull up now.

Feeling the wind roar past her ears, Cissy forced a bitter smile onto her face.

Though no Queen of Nightmare Land has ever ruled longer than ten years, she might become the shortest-lived one… and the only one to die by falling.

Hard to say whether that's more humiliating than being impaled on a flagpole.

I hope the Demon Lord will, in recognition of her unwavering loyalty to the Grand Cemetery until her final breath, show a little mercy to the Land of Nightmares.

I also hope Mixi can shoulder the responsibility upon her shoulders.

Among all her subordinates, only that fellow's mind seems slightly more functional, though lacking in steadiness…

But these are things that can be cultivated gradually.

Just as Queen Cici closed her eyes and nearly accepted her fate, a warm, solid sensation suddenly cradled the back of her head.

The rushing wind seemed strangled by that powerful arm, and her rapid descent halted abruptly.

Feeling that heart-pounding warmth, Queen Cici snapped open her eyes—and found herself staring at an unexpected face.

"D-Demon Lord?!"

Her face was filled with shock: she couldn't understand why the Demon Lord was here, nor how he, a mere Bronze-tier, could fly.

To be honest, Luo Yan's flying wasn't impressive at all, but lifting himself with air magic was no problem.

Never mind that he was now Silver-tier.

Even when he was still Bronze-tier, he could easily accomplish it through his understanding of spells and control over mana.

"Does this count as repaying the favor I owed you?" Luo Yan joked lightly, glancing at her blushing face.

The situation now mirrored exactly what had happened in the Misty Forest—except then, he had been the one below, looking up at that effortlessly calm smile.

Now, their roles were completely reversed.

Unlike him, the Queen of the Land of Nightmares was clearly not as composed—or as shameless.

Her delicate face had turned fully crimson, like a ripe apple, the color spreading past her translucent earlobes and climbing up her fair neck.

He'd just pretend it was the sun's doing.

After all, it wasn't just him who needed face—his vassals needed it too.

Usually composed and elegant, Queen Cici flusteredly opened and closed her lips, stammering for a long while before finally squeezing out a single sentence.

"D-Demon Lord… you shouldn't have come here… that fellow… you're no match for him…"

Luo Yan's eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Who gave you permission to say that?"

"S-Sorry! Forgive my impertinence… I-I-I… I was just worried about you…" Realizing her slip, Queen Cici bowed her head in shame, wishing she could break free and smash her head into the ground.

Watching Queen Cici curled up in his arms, Luo Yan smiled faintly. Though he found her contrasting demeanor amusing, he refrained from teasing her further, mindful of their future interactions, and stopped at once.

Guiding the air current beside him downward slowly, Luo Yan's feet touched the ground, then he looked up at the "sun" burning beneath the dome like a blazing star.

That sun resembled a giant's skull!

A pair of burning pupils gazed down upon the earth, watching the pawns manipulated and scorched by Him.

Gradually, He seemed to sense an unusual gaze—and those eyes, brimming with slaughter and defiance, turned sharply toward Luo Yan.

Responding to that burning gaze with the authority of a Demon Lord, Luo Yan answered Queen Cici's earlier incoherent concern in a casual tone.

"You needn't worry for me."

"This is my Demon Lord's domain."

"And my home turf."

(End of Chapter)