Chapter 73: The Demon King

Ta Ke, who had spent a long time underground, finally stepped back onto the surface of La Mo'er.

The sky of La Mo'er seemed to be heavily smeared with thick black ink.

From the thick‑ink darkness, a faint huge outline of the ashen day's dark red could be seen.

Besides that, the whole world was immersed in the waves of the dim sun, ash, and dark tide.

Weak pollution had already begun to spread within La Mo'er's steam tower ecosystem.

"In the past, during the ashen night period, although it was colder, at least when on the surface one could still save some usage life of the horse lantern."

"That damned Dim Sun Church now won't even let me save the horse lantern."

Ta Ke muttered under his breath.

Ta Ke, who had intended to go to the surface and put away the horse lantern, could only throw another densely packed fire‑oil bomb inside.

The orange‑red firelight became much richer again.

It pushed the darkness outward by four or five meters.

At this time, the tower district still had light leaking from tower windows, as well as lantern‑bearing night watchers patrolling the perimeter defenses, plus scattered lantern‑carrying pedestrians.

Aside from that, La Mo'er seemed to have been completely swallowed by darkness.

"I don't know where Old Kem fled to."

"Old Kem and the underground people have a stable trade channel; even if they go underground they can still survive."

"I'm just afraid those underground people will resort to foul play."

Ta Ke, moving forward in the darkness, secretly pondered.

Shadow tendrils appeared as thick as yarn, condensing from Ta Ke's shoulders, extending forward about one and a half meters to grab the horse lantern.

The horse lantern did not sway with Ta Ke's steps; instead, it remained very steady.

And he was also in the form of combining the Shadow State with normal walking.

This is Ta Ke's researched usage method that fits the Shadow State better for himself.

This way he can maintain the burst and use of his physical strength while also preserving the uncanny flexibility of the Shadow Condition.

Ka Luosi closely followed Ta Ke beside him.

When walking alone in the darkness, Ka Luosi was still more cautious.

After all, the darkness around the tower district was not safe either.

A couple of days ago I heard that someone had been ambushed and assassinated.

But now, when following Ta Ke, Ka Luosi feels relieved.

Near‑third‑stage elite magic wolves were all subdued by Ta Ke into obedience.

Even if they encountered assassins infiltrated by the Dim Sun Church, only they themselves would be unlucky.

He glanced at the steam tower still desperately spewing out steam source energy.

Ta Ke gradually withdrew his gaze.

"Let's discuss in detail the current situation of the underground demon king's seal."

Ka Luosi, who had come for this very matter, quickly organized his thoughts and began to speak.

"Currently, the passage to the demon king's tomb has been blocked."

"On the steam tower, an independent magic gate has been built, allowing direct entry from the tower to……"

Ka Luosi lowered his voice slightly.

"The place where we first lit the fire."

"The energy level of the door we previously chiseled open has reached the tier that can admit a 17th‑level superior being."

"Reaching 18th level is coming soon; in a few days, 19th level won't be a big problem either."

"Entering seems fine for now, but the problem is……"

Ka Luosi stopped speaking here and looked at Ta Ke.

Ta Ke then added slowly and methodically:

"After going in, whether one can come out alive—that's the real problem."

"You, you guessed it right." Ka Luosi raised his eyebrows.

As they went forward, Ta Ke spoke in a low voice.

"If La Mo'er had not suffered an attack from the Dim Sun Church,"

"this expedition to the demon king's tomb would inevitably be a slow‑advancing harvesting operation."

"but anyone can see that La Mo'er cannot hold out."

"La Mo'er might not even see the next sunrise."

Ta Ke said after mentioning the ashen day.

Ka Luosi beside him glanced at the ink‑like dim sky, his eyes showing a hint of emptiness.

Ta Ke also glanced slightly at Ka Luosi's somewhat unusual state.

After a moment, Ta Ke withdrew his gaze.

Obviously, Ka Luosi was unaware that he had entered a void of thought and cognition.

Ta Ke continued his narration.

"Moreover, the Dim Sun Church also covertly covets the demon king's tomb."

"The demon king's tomb is inevitably a losing venture; since it's a losing venture, there's nothing to hold back."

"If just one person inside starts acting recklessly, the fragile trust will collapse instantly, and then everyone will become reckless."

Saying this, Ta Ke gave a faint smile.

"Perhaps Sheng Lan De still has some reservations, but the other tower city‑states…… probably can't wait for everyone from La Mo'er who goes in to die."

"After all, everyone seems friendly on the surface, but in secret, every one of them has done their share of underhanded deeds."

"Just from what I know, the Lighthouse Mine on the northeast side of Ramore was bombed, killing over a hundred people and even losing a large mining area — that dealt a heavy blow to Ramore."

"Even now, no one knows who did it."

"Those people don't care whether Ramore lives or dies. All they want is to gnaw fiercely on Ramore's corpse!"

"To them, a dead Ramore is the best Ramore!"

Taku's words made Carlos realize that Taku clearly understood this Demon King's Tomb expedition far more deeply and thoroughly than he did.

He had naively assumed this was a cooperative exploration for everyone.

Until his sister Xilu'er told him righteously and sternly.

"You can be naive, but others won't be naive along with you."

The shift in circumstances outside Ramore had made this expedition increasingly dangerous.

"Then... are you sure you want to participate?" Carlos asked.

"After all, when my sister invited you before, Ramore wasn't in the predicament it's in now."

This question was also the core issue Carlos had come to confirm on this trip.

"I'm going. Why wouldn't I go."

Taku said lightly.

"After all, the Demon King is there. Not going to pry open the Demon King's coffin lid would be doing this Demon King's Tomb trip a disservice."

"The Demon King's coffin lid?"

Carlos was taken aback.

"You... you're not actually planning to do that, are you!"

Taku smiled.

"Didn't you say it yourself? I'm the gravedigger of the Demon King's Tomb!"

"But..."

Carlos still wanted to say more, but Taku cut him off.

"Your sister should have given you the files on the other Tower City-States that might participate this time, as well as those level-18 and level-19 extraordinary geniuses inside the Holy Land Extraordinary Academy, right?" Taku asked.

"Yes!"

"Give them to me."

Carlos took out the document pouch his sister had entrusted to him.

"Hmm, quite substantial. Looks like those people aren't weak." Feeling the thickness of the parchment pouch, Taku said.

"Holy Land is the core of our Dark Curtain Province. Even within the Celyons Duchy, Dark Curtain Province is considered sizable."

"Many knight families with bloodlines, wizard families, or other noble families — nearly all the gifted extraordinary geniuses in the entire Dark Curtain Province have gathered in Holy Land."

"Even my sister only qualified to study at the Holy Land Extraordinary Academy."

"A killing ground where so many extraordinary geniuses and formidable experts are entering."

"You... really want to go?"

Taku ignored Carlos's well-meaning rambling.

Instead, he looked up at the colossal steam tower where the roar of machinery was clearly audible, and at the steam ring that was being eroded step by step.

"Did your sister tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Carlos was startled.

Taku pointed at the steam ring above.

"You mean the secrets inside Ramore's steam ring — machinery, steam, angels, and the like?"

Taku smiled: "Your sister really doesn't treat you as an outsider."

Carlos: "???"

"Did you go up and try it?"

"I tried."

"How did it go?"

"That secret is completely fake." Carlos looked thoroughly unconvinced.

"My sister spent three days up there, and the steam spirits even started dancing beside her. In the end, she still didn't feel a thing."

"Maybe... the method was wrong."

"Method? What method?" Carlos couldn't help leaning closer.

After thinking seriously for a moment, Taku finally spoke slowly: "In many adventure stories, there's this kind of trope."

"For example, a certain wizard is pursued by assassins, falls off a cliff, enters the legacy treasure trove of some powerful wizard, learns a forbidden-curse-level powerful sorcery, makes a triumphant return, and with one forbidden curse, blows off the assassin's head."

"Or for example, a certain wizard is pursued by assassins, forced into a desperate situation, but the wizard breaks through, advances to Chao Shen Da Shi, and after coming out, with one spell, separates the assassin's head from his body."

"I think I get it — the assassin has to die, right!" Carlos rolled his eyes.

"No!" Taku shook his head.

"It's only when you're on the verge of death that you have a chance to seize that lost treasure."

"That condition is way too harsh!" Carlos still looked completely unconvinced.

"If it weren't harsh, wouldn't the treasure have been taken long ago?"

"Hmm... that does make a tiny bit of sense."

As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the entrance of the steam tower.

At this time, the main entrance of the steam tower was heavily guarded.

The burly knights held steam firearms of immense power.

Taku's bullet tentacles are just a simulation of this kind of steam firearm.

But its power is obviously inferior to that of other steam firearms of the same rank.

It is said that a third-rank steam firearm, once fully charged, can blast open a thick wall with a single shot.

After the identity check was completed, Taku and Carlos passed through the magic gate and directly arrived at the floor where the steam ring is located.

Upon exiting the magic gate, when they saw the situation in this floor's hall.

Taku's pupils contracted slightly.

(End of chapter)