Chapter 269: So, this

【To His Majesty the Demon King:

Respected Demon King, I wonder if everything has been going smoothly with your grand undertaking lately? I hope the sacrifices I offered to you have been of some meager use.

I apologize for only contacting you now. As you receive this letter, I am currently on an unknown land, with nothing around me but pirates, ghouls, and burnt-out hope.

As for why we ended up here, it all began with an episode a month ago.

After setting sail again from Port Sardo, our voyage was smooth... until we entered these strange waters, where the tentacles of misfortune finally entangled our sails and engines.

The compass malfunctioned, the stars shifted, thick fog rolled in, and storms were constant... these various unusual phenomena caused us to lose our way. However, when we adjusted our course with reverence for the sea, intending to return the way we came for resupply, we could not find the familiar coastline or Port Sardo for a long time.

At this point, we had to accept the cruel reality—we were lost in this vast, boundless ocean.

Fortunately, heaven does not cut off all paths. Just as we were at our wit's end, thanks to your protection... we encountered a group of pirates who were also in a desperate situation.

They came aggressively, like starving hyenas, pouncing on us without regard for anything, completely unaware of who was the hunter and who was the prey. Thinking they might know these waters, I deliberately let the ship slow down, gradually shutting down the steam power to create the illusion of a breakdown, luring them to approach.

Sure enough, they pounced on us with greedy, glowing eyes. However, they never expected that the sailors on deck were not living men, but your loyal and brave subordinates! The battle lasted less than a quarter of an hour before this group of insidious and cunning scoundrels became our prisoners.

Yet, misfortune did not seem to let us go.

Just as I was preparing to slowly pry open the mouth of Teach to gather more intelligence, a tsunami suddenly swallowed us!

That was no ordinary storm, but something deeper and more evil manipulating the ocean. The giant waves tore our masts and swallowed the cabins; we tumbled and struggled in the dark deep sea, and were finally abandoned by the tide on this strange land.

When I woke up, the ocean liner you bestowed upon me was already broken, half-buried in the sand. Our enemies were in the same state, tormented by the storm, with only thirty or so survivors left.

Your loyal servants are in a similarly grim situation; only fifty remain capable of movement, barely better off than those living men. Furthermore, the food and fresh water on the ship were swept away by the waves, and our survival has become an imminent problem.

Faced with the predicament before us, I made a risky decision—to temporarily cooperate with Teach.

Although this man was once a noble of the Aus Empire, he abandoned the faith of Saint Xisi many years ago and threw himself into the embrace of the Demon God. As an experienced pirate, he possesses a wealth of navigational experience, which is crucial for us.

Of course, this does not mean I trust him completely; everything is for your plan.

After cooperating with the pirates, we tried to explore along the edge of the coastline, but we could never see an end. Various signs indicate that we are not on an isolated island—it is highly likely to be a continent not marked on any sea chart!

To obtain more clues, we sent people deep into the rainforest. The humid air was filled with the stench of beasts and the scent of decay; the soil beneath our feet was black and soft, like a vibrant graveyard.

I do not know if I should describe it this way, but from the moment I stepped into the forest, I felt a strong sense of unease. Every leaf seemed like the eye of a beast, covetously eyeing us.

Although your servants do not fear fatigue, they move slowly in the jungle. Moreover, whether due to the humid air or other unknown existences in the forest, they seem to have fallen ill, their bodies growing weaker, as if rotting...

The pirates are the same; many have fallen ill, curled up on stretchers waiting for death. Fortunately, because of this, they have not cast their covetous eyes upon us, and we can maintain that temporary, superficial unity.

However, these are not the biggest problems.

The biggest problem is that we discovered footprints deep in the forest that do not belong to us.

They are somewhat like the lizardmen from the swamps southwest of Lei Ming City, but it is clear that the lizardmen here are much larger; the depth and width of the footprints are quite astonishing.

This is not good news, especially as we gradually realize that those fellows may have already discovered us and are becoming increasingly frequent in their activities nearby, even making some unfriendly probes.

Deep in the forest at night, the sound of drums and low roars echo. In the middle of the night, we can occasionally hear the sound of huge wings flapping, as if some behemoth is circling above us.

Supplies are already scarce, and unknown hostility is spreading toward us.

We have salvaged shipwrecks, cut timber, and built a temporary camp, but this is not a long-term solution. We cannot go deep into the jungle, let alone leave this coast... we need reinforcements!

Demon King, if you are willing, please lend a hand, dispatch reinforcements to descend upon this place, and use your power to conquer this unknown land. Although we have not found any valuable treasures here, at least the soil is fertile enough; perhaps it could become a cornerstone of your hegemony!

If support is difficult to arrange... at least, please take your loyal servant away from here!

——Your forever loyal Lumier, respectfully】

……

On the strange coastline, the whistling sea breeze made the dilapidated wooden house creak, occasionally accompanied by one or two shrill whistles—that was the wind blowing through the gaps in the wooden planks.

Lumier stretched out his cracked fingers and carefully placed the written letter in the center of the crooked teleportation array.

Demon God above...

And the respected Demon King!

Please, you must bless me; this time, the letter must be sent to the right place!

Lumier prayed silently in his heart, placed the remaining magic crystals on the teleportation array, and then silently recited the incantation to activate the array.

With the fall of the last syllable, a faint green light flickered, circulating once along the patterns drawn with magic crystal powder, and lighting up the magic crystals at the nodes.

In the blink of an eye, the letter with the crooked handwriting disappeared from the center of the teleportation array.

A burst of ecstasy filled Lumier's heart, but immediately after, a bitter smile appeared on his face.

Because the notebook bestowed upon him by the Demon King was soaked by seawater, he could only try again and again like this.

However, helplessly, he was not a professional mage, nor did he have the ability to remember things at a glance. Even if he had drawn this thing once before, after more than a month, he had almost forgotten it.

Watching Lumier sitting motionless in front of the teleportation array "praying," Teach finally could not suppress the restlessness in his heart. He smashed the wooden cup in his hand into the corner of the wall and stood up from the creaking chair.

"Damn it... how many more times do you have to try before it works! We've already wasted at least two baskets of magic crystals on your piece of junk! Do you think this stuff is like seashells lying on the beach, where you can pick up a pile just by bending over? Demon God above, I've had enough!"

Just to get these damn magic crystals, he had already lost five men. Even if he didn't care about those damn lazybones, he had to consider the unsettling whispers behind their backs and the hatred and suspicion in their eyes.

If he didn't do something, it was only a matter of time before those fellows mutinied!

Lumier closed the wrinkled notebook in his hand, his face equally gloomy, cold light flashing in the depths of his eyes, and said in a hoarse voice.

"Do you think you're the only one who's had enough? Unless you have a better way, just shut your mouth!"

Teach's brow twitched, suppressing his nearly uncontrollable anger, and he walked to the opposite side of Lumier and roared.

"You said the Demon King would send someone to save us, but we've been waiting for almost a week! Where are the reinforcements you promised?! Is there any response from the other side? Has your letter even been delivered!"

Lumier shook his head.

"I don't know."

"Don't know?!" Teach widened his eyes, staring at him fixedly, "That's your answer?"

"What else?" Lumier looked at him expressionlessly and repeated the previous sentence, "Or do you have a better way, like fixing the two broken ships outside."

Teach was instantly speechless, his lips trembling for a while, and his tone softened slightly.

Although only slightly.

"... I need a deadline! You at least have to tell me how many more times you have to try, or how many more days! Instead of giving us hope first and then leaving us in despair!"

A deadline?

Lumier sneered.

"I'll tell you honestly, there's no such thing. Don't think that just because you prayed, the gods will definitely hear you, and don't think that just because the gods heard you, they will definitely respond. Do you know why you were abandoned by the god you once believed in? It's because you are always in a hurry to get a result or an answer, but the truth is cruel... only humans will make deals with you; gods do not make deals."

Rather than saying this was to persuade Teach to calm down, it was more like he was comforting himself.

He had already made every attempt he could; whether it succeeded or not was no longer up to him.

All he could do now was pray.

And then leave the success or failure to heaven's will.

Teach's Adam's apple moved, and his cracked lips spat out a sentence.

"I just want to live..."

Lumier said calmly.

"Me too."

Tichi gritted his teeth.

"If this goes on, we'll all die here!"

"Enough, I know our situation better than you do. Even if you have a fight with me, it won't help!"

Lumier paused, his low, hoarse voice carrying a hint of warning.

"... You'd better keep your men guarding the camp instead of wasting time here, disturbing my next attempt."

Next time!?

Did it fail again this time?!

Teach's fingers trembled slightly. He had never been a person accustomed to taking orders from others, especially since this guy was suspected of being a half-human, half-ghost necromancer.

He didn't know how much longer he could endure.

If this went on, before being swallowed by disease and hunger, he would likely be defeated by despair first.

The echoes of the argument had not yet dissipated, and just as Teach was about to say something, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to tremble slightly, as if an earthquake had struck!

"What's going on?!"

Teach was suddenly startled, subconsciously drawing the short sword at his waist, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

Lumier frowned, looking at the creaking wooden planks above his head, a sense of foreboding gradually rising in his heart.

And just at this moment, rapid footsteps suddenly came from outside the dilapidated wooden house. Not long after, a pirate with a face full of terror rushed into the house.

His face was pale, his trembling voice carried a hint of fear, and he stammered, shouting.

"Boss! Over by the forest!"

"What's wrong over by the forest?" Lumier quickly walked up to him, his hands gripping the pirate's shoulders.

The pirate swallowed hard, nervously saying.

"Lizards... so many, lizards holding spears! There might be over a hundred of them..."

Lumier and Teach looked at each other and rushed out of the wooden house almost simultaneously.

When they stepped onto the soft sand and looked into the distance, both of their faces changed.

There, at the edge of the dense jungle not far away, emerald-green heads were emerging from the shadows of the woods.

They were burly, their eyes fierce, saliva or blood dripping from the corners of their mouths. The dark green scales exposed to the sun emitted a cold, chilling luster, like wolves eyeing their prey.

Crimson oil paint smeared fierce symbols on their faces, and what was even more unsettling were the weapons in their hands—

Those spears engraved with ancient runes and arrowheads glowing with dark green light exuded a strange, ominous aura from head to toe; they were clearly not ordinary items.

The pirates confronting them were retreating in panic, and although the ghouls responded silently, they appeared thin and weak in the retreating crowd.

Seeing the enemy so weak, the lizardman warriors sneered with disdain, proudly straightening their backs, shouting and clamoring while striking their shields with spears, exerting even stronger fear upon their prey.

Watching those lizardmen showing off their power, Teach's hoarse voice carried a hint of trembling, his palms covered in sweat.

"... Damn it! This... there must be at least two hundred of them!"

The lush dense forest blocked everyone's view; there might be even more hidden in places they couldn't see!

Lumier was the same, his brow furrowed, his palms covered in sweat.

However, unlike Teach, as a warrior who truly held faith, even though he did not possess powerful supernatural strength, his courage far surpassed these fallen pirates.

Watching the pirates shrinking back, he stepped forward, drew the flintlock pistol hanging at his waist, and shouted loudly at them.

"What are you doing! Retreating? Running away? Where can you run to? Behind us is the sea. Would you rather return to the storm than face the enemy in front of you?"

"Wake up, everyone! The Demon God's will brought us to this strange land; this is both a punishment for our fratricide and a test of our loyalty and will! We have no way back! And no choice! Only by fighting to the death can we carve out a path to survival!"

"Pick up your weapons! Stuff the bullets into the barrels! Look at the enemy in front of you, look into their eyes... unless you want to surrender and be drowned in the sea by them!"

Lumier's shouting stopped the pirates' retreat.

Although expressions of fear and despair were still written on those disheveled and downcast faces, at least they regained the courage to fight and gripped their guns tightly.

The atmosphere on the beach instantly tightened, like a string that could snap at any moment.

And at this very moment, a three-meter-tall lizardman was standing on a protruding rock at the edge of the forest, watching the group of uninvited guests on the beach with sinister eyes.

His scales were dark red, as if stained by blood, and on his chest, a twisted black mark flickered with a faint light. That was the "Hunting Mark" bestowed upon him by the priests of the Sacred Armor Dragon Kingdom, making his senses sharper than ordinary warriors and granting him greater strength.

Traker, this was the name bestowed upon him by the kingdom's priests, meaning "born hunter."

Beside Traker, a slightly shorter lizardman deputy named Saku sneered with contempt, squinting his vertical pupils as he also looked toward the beach, his face full of disdainful arrogance.

"These filthy, unclean ones, a bunch of trash who can't even build a nest... and they dare to step their dirty feet on our sacred soil! I think they're tired of living!"

His long, forked tongue licked the corners of his mouth continuously, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

Traker did not respond; his gaze remained fixed on the group of cowardly humans and the monsters wearing tattered military uniforms with stiff movements.

The fresh sea breeze was filled with a faint aura of death, which made him, a devotee of nature, instinctively feel disgusted.

"They are undead."

He finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, filled with disgust and naked murderous intent.

"They have polluted the coast."

Hearing Traker's voice, Saku cracked his mouth, revealing a row of sharp fangs.

The war blade in his hand struck the ground heavily, creating a deep pit in the soft soil, while a hoarse sound came from his mouth.

"Then let their blood... purify this place!"

Traker raised a claw and made a simple gesture, and a low sound of war drums immediately echoed through the rainforest.

The hunters' clamoring grew more intense; they held bone blades and obsidian spears, the hunting marks on their bodies faintly glowing, like beasts ready to pounce!

The next instant, Traker coldly spat out one word—

"Kill."

The sound was like the horn of an attack. The hunters who received the order let out excited howls, leaping suddenly from the edge of the forest toward the beach, like a black-green tide, rushing straight toward the beach just inches away, against the direction of the waves!

Watching the lizardman army rushing toward the beach, Lumier stood with the pirates, the flintlock pistols in their hands gripped tightly, pointing shakily forward.

Three hundred meters...

Two hundred meters!

One hundred meters—

Now!

Looking at those twisted and ferocious faces, he pulled the trigger without hesitation and shouted loudly at the same time.

"Fire!!"

"Bang—!"

The scorching lead bullets tore through the air, luckily hitting the lizardman hunter at the very front!

The lizardman's chest instantly exploded into a bloody hole, and he staggered and fell, blood spraying onto the damp sand.

Other pirates followed suit, a row of flintlock pistols ignited the gunpowder simultaneously, and the sound of gunfire exploded continuously!

The volley of bullets whistled through the air, and the lizardman hunters charging forward like a tide fell one after another, so much so that a gap was forcibly torn in the charging formation!

Blood filled the beach, corpses littered the ground, and for a time, the momentum of the lizardman army's charge was halted, and many panicked lizardman hunters were even scared into running to the sides, falling into chaos.

Watching the lizardmen's formation fall into chaos, the pirates, whose morale had been wavering, regained their courage to fight, and their movements in reloading became nimble.

Watching the flames exploding on the beach and his clansmen falling one after another, Traker's vertical pupils shrank slightly.

He had lived on this land for decades, and this was the first time he had seen such bizarre weapons!

However, his surprise lasted only for an instant.

Soon he realized that although those flaming sticks were powerful, they were not without weaknesses!

They needed to be close enough to be effective!

Not only that—

To make those sticks fire again, one had to cooperate with a lengthy ritual, including pouring powdered sacrifices into the sticks and using another thin, long rod to ram them.

Realizing this, he snorted coldly, then raised the spear in his hand high and shouted loudly to the hunters on the front line.

"Archers, fire!"

As the lizardmen holding short bows drew their bows and nocked arrows, a round of arrows rained down toward the front!

Faced with the sudden rain of arrows, a dozen pirates and ghouls fell instantly, and the scales of victory tilted toward the lizardmen again.

Traker did not stop; the spear in his hand swung forward again, and he shouted loudly at the same time.

"Sprinters, scatter! Hunt them down!"

A bronze-colored light enveloped the battlefield, and the lizardman hunters, who had fallen into chaos because of the sound of the muskets, instantly calmed down, red light shining in their amber pupils.

"Awooooo!!!"

Shrill screams drifted from their mouths, like a tsunami raging on the coast.

Lumier's face changed slightly.

Just at this moment, those lizardman hunters quickly changed their tactics; the originally dense formation quickly scattered, and they closed the distance between the two sides at an incredible speed, then brandished the spears and bone blades in their hands, engaging in close-quarters combat with the ghoul troops in the front row!

"Roar—!"

The ghoul troops in the front row let out a low roar, dragging the wooden shields and swords in their hands and colliding solidly with the lizardman troops.

Although the ghouls' morale did not waver due to the lizardmen's intimidation, both their strength and physique were not on the same level, and the former were quickly knocked flying by the latter.

The originally stable formation was scattered, and after firing his last shot, Lumier had to draw the war blade at his waist and bite the bullet to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the lizardmen who had rushed close.

"Watch out—!"

Watching the lizardman warrior killing toward Lumier with lightning speed, Teach was suddenly startled, fiercely drawing his scimitar and killing his way over, engaging in battle with that lizardman warrior!

In just a few breaths, the two sides slashed at each other for a dozen rounds, swords drawing residual images in the air, and intense sparks bursting between the man and the beast!

Perhaps not wanting to prolong the battle, the lizardman suddenly lunged forward, his war blade aiming straight for Teach's face!

Looking at the cold light coming toward him, Teach fiercely pulled his blade back, dodged the lizardman's thrust sideways, and simultaneously slashed backhand at the opponent's neck.

This fatal blow should have decapitated the lizardman, but the moment he hit the target, a violent tremor crawled up to the web between his thumb and index finger, almost shaking the scimitar in his hand away!

The opportunity was fleeting!

The lizardman, whose strike failed, jumped back to open up the distance, white mist of breath spraying from his nostrils, with only a shallow scratch on his neck.

Watching the unscathed lizardman warrior, Teach's heart was greatly shaken, his eyes full of astonishment.

What kind of move is this?!

At the same time Teach's heart was greatly shaken, Saku, standing opposite him, was also greatly astonished.

What's going on with this two-legged monkey?

For over a decade, he had hunted countless prey, but this was the first time he had seen such a difficult opponent!

However—

This was not a bad thing for him.

The forked long tongue licked the scale-covered lips lightly, Saku staring fixedly at the prey in front of him, the originally suspicious vertical pupils gradually stained with a trace of bloodthirsty ferocity.

Only powerful prey has the value of being hunted!

After realizing the power of his opponent, not only was there no fear in his heart, but he became excited because of it.

Watching that gradually perverted gaze, Teach felt his scalp tingle, but he didn't dare to leave this guy alone, so he had to set up a dueling stance again, the scimitar in his hand dancing a sword flower.

The longer this battle dragged on, the more unfavorable it was for his side.

Although the ghouls did not fear life or death, they still appeared sluggish and clumsy in the face of the lizardman hunters' swift attacks. Their bodies were continuously torn apart by spears and claws, and severed limbs were scattered on the beach; it was only a matter of time before they were completely wiped out.

And the pirates were not much better; they couldn't even beat the ghouls, and in the face of the lizardman army, they had no advantage at all, almost being unilaterally crushed!

What to do?

If this goes on, even if he wins this duel, he still won't be able to escape death in the end!

Just as Teach fell into despair, a huge roaring sound suddenly came from not far behind him.

That was the roar of a steam engine!

Teach was slightly stunned, and before he could react to what had happened, he saw a look of terror on the face of the lizardman opposite him.

He subconsciously looked back, and then saw a scene he would never forget in his life—

A towering steel body was standing on the ruins of the wooden house, thin iron pipes circling around it, and a thick, long iron pipe pointing straight ahead!

What is that?

Teach was stunned on the spot, losing his speech for a time, and even the hand holding the sword lost its strength.

The steel armor emitted a chilling roar, and pitch-black gas drifted from the gaps in the armor shell.

It advanced like a monster, the flat "wheels" crushing the ruins of the wooden house and the arrows and bones scattered on the beach, slowly rotating the thick, long iron pipe amidst a dull creaking sound.

A scarlet light was brewing in the pitch-black opening, and before he could come to his senses, a flash of red light smashed heavily into the center of the battlefield not far from him!

"Boom——!"

A huge explosion sounded, and the terrifying energy dug a huge pit in the sandy ground, swallowing a dozen lizardman hunters in an instant!

Watching his clansmen suffer heavy casualties in an instant, Saku was stunned on the spot, those originally bloodthirsty pupils now left with only irrepressible astonishment and fear.

What the hell is that?!

And just at this moment, a torrent of undead entwined with nether energy surged onto the teleportation array behind the tank.

Skeleton soldiers wearing heavy armor held chilling war blades, ghostly soul fire flickering in their skulls, just like evil ghosts from the abyss!

Seeing this scene, Teach, whose face was full of astonishment, instantly turned into ecstasy.

It's reinforcements!

Demon King above!

He really didn't abandon his believers!

And at the same time, Traker, standing on the protruding rock, had his vertical pupils shrink, his eyes looking in astonishment at the man standing behind the sea of skeletons.

A dark green nether force enveloped the entire beach, so much so that even the vibrant sea breeze was stained with eerie and terrifying death!

He felt a terrifying power spreading toward the forest beneath his feet...

That was the corrosion that devoured everything.

Its power far surpassed everything he had seen in this forest in the past decades!

"Could it be... Chaos?"

With his soul and body trembling together, he suddenly turned his head to look at the drummer behind him, a low roar surging from his throat.

"Quick—"

"Let the brothers retreat!"

He ordered in a panic, but it was already too late!

The man standing on the teleportation array just quietly watched the lizards on the beach, then gently waved his raised right hand.

"Go—"

"My servants!"

The low and magnetic voice echoed in the skulls of every undead, untying the shackles that bound them.

The desire for slaughter and bloodthirst was released, and what responded to him was the sound of bone friction like a tide.

"Kill——!!"

"For the Demon King!!"

"Experience!! Awooooo!!"

Lumier knelt devoutly on the ground, bowing toward the Demon King, his eyes full of worship.

Although Teach was not as devout as him, he also put on a devout appearance, following suit.

Standing on the protruding rock, Traker couldn't understand what those undead were shouting, but he could feel the death blowing toward him with the sea breeze.

He swallowed hard, his heart pounding, his blood surging, but his limbs were cold!

At this moment, the real war had just begun... ===== CHAPTER 270 =====