Chapter 36: After All, I Am Not a Demon
For this army of frenzied demons, likely bearing the bloodline of the Unicorn Giant Armor, charging was probably what they did best.
Their thick, armor-like carapaces, muscles capable of casually pushing boulders weighing ten tons, bodies as heavy as horses, and protruding horns strong enough to shatter steel—all of this turned the frenzied demons into an unstoppable war machine during a mass charge. Their infantry charge rivaled, and even surpassed, a human heavy cavalry assault. Without needing any sophisticated equipment, they could easily shatter an enemy's defensive line.
In the distant past, the Great Corrosion Demon, Ka Luo, had led this frenzied demon army numerous times under the command of an Abyss Lord, invading other worlds or other layers of the Abyss, seizing souls through slaughter and destruction. He had faced many troublesome situations—tenacious native forces, fortified defensive fortresses, terrifying and monstrous giant beasts, and super-massive war machines the size of castles. These things had given him immense headaches time and again, but he always found a solution.
That solution was charging. If all else failed, he would personally take the field, cast his spells, and charge alongside his army.
Nothing could stop the impact of thousands of frenzied demons—not even a fortress forged from steel. If one charge couldn't crush it, then turn around and crush it a second time. That was his tactic.
But now, this tactic probably wasn't going to work anymore.
Because the frenzied demons, renowned for their utter fearlessness, had stopped in their tracks, trembling.
Under their gaze, that powerful and arrogant being, who had even made their commander tremble, had already finished dealing with the vanguard. Now, he was riding a black dragon, slowly walking towards the main army.
Ka Luo's mind was in chaos. He couldn't understand why the other three Ultimate-level Greater Demons, who had been fighting alongside him just moments before, had suddenly turned and fled. But now, he didn't have time to think about that. He had to stop this 'Armored Demon' from advancing! He had to stop him!
But how? The vanguard had already been annihilated. The frenzied demons were on the verge of collapse. The other three Greater Demons had fled. He was the only one left.
Just as Ka Luo was feeling desperate, he suddenly noticed that the 'Armored Demon' had stopped. He had halted his black dragon and was looking around, as if searching for something.
Ka Luo's heart tightened. Was he looking for him? No, that wasn't right. He was looking for something else.
And then, Ka Luo saw it.
A flash of golden-red light.
It was a sword light.
A sword light that seemed to split the sky and earth, carrying an aura of destruction that made his soul tremble. It swept across the battlefield, instantly cutting through the fleeing Greater Demons and the frenzied demon army, and then vanished into the distant horizon.
Ka Luo was dumbfounded.
He couldn't believe what he had just seen. That sword light... it had killed three Ultimate-level Greater Demons and thousands of frenzied demons in an instant. Such power... such power was simply unimaginable.
And then, Ka Luo understood.
This 'Armored Demon' was not a Greater Demon. He was a 'Sovereign'!
A Sovereign-level demon lord!
Ka Luo felt despair. He knew he was finished. There was no way he could defeat a Sovereign.
Just as Ka Luo was waiting for death, the 'Armored Demon' suddenly spoke.
"Tell the other lords. Tell your ruler."
Joshua said, his voice cold and devoid of any emotion. "Tell them I am here."
After saying this, Joshua casually waved his hand, and Ka Luo's body was sent flying into the distance, disappearing beyond the horizon.
Within five minutes.
Four demon armies had been completely annihilated. All the demon lords in the Black Sea Great Plains had been wiped out, except for a few that Joshua had deliberately left alive to spread the news.
But Joshua didn't look very happy. Although his expression was hidden by his helmet, an intangible oppressive aura indicated his displeasure.
No Legendary-level Demon Lord?
Joshua frowned inside his helmet. This wasn't what he had expected.
In his plan, he had intended to use the Flame Demon as his vanguard, charging into the nearest demon settlement in a high-profile, even arrogant manner, and then launching a large-scale massacre. This would force the local demon lord, or even a Sovereign, to come out and fight him. Regardless of the outcome, news of his existence would spread throughout the Abyss through countless demons. Then, as long as those two Legendary Mages weren't living in seclusion in some remote corner of the Abyss, they would definitely hear about him and come to meet him.
Overall, it was a flawless plan! But the result was unsatisfactory, and problems had arisen from the very beginning. He had been so high-profile, so why hadn't a single Legendary Demon Lord come to find him? This wasn't like the Abyss he had visited in his past life!
Killing demons was certainly satisfying, but what fun was there in crushing ants?
"...Your Majesty, the Sixth Layer of the Abyss is currently invading other worlds and is also at war with other layers of the Abyss..."
Suddenly, a weak voice came from the pained face on the greatsword. The Flame Demon spoke in a dying tone, "The vast majority of demons have been deployed elsewhere. Even if the other Sovereigns stayed in the Molten Sea Fire Prison, they definitely wouldn't be staying in a relatively remote place like the Black Sea Plains..."
"That makes sense." Joshua nodded, agreeing with the other's statement. It seemed he had come at an inopportune time... No, it was actually a good time. Although it was a bit regrettable not to have a long-awaited fight with a Demon Lord, he at least remembered that he was here to find someone.
And according to the results of later generations, this war between the Sixth Layer of the Abyss and the other layers, as well as the invasion of other worlds, should have been a great success. The Abyss Lord Goliath had even become a ruler whose power spanned several layers of the Abyss. It was with the combined strength of multiple Abyss layers that he had invaded the Mycroft Continent.
When the Flame Demon Syndicate saw that the warrior agreed with his words, he couldn't help but ask cautiously, "Then... Your Majesty, now that the battle is over..."
"Alright, Syndicate, there's no need to say more. Even though you are a demon."
How could Joshua not know what the other was thinking? He said, "After all, I am not a demon. I won't do things that violate my principles."
"You helped me in this battle, so naturally, I won't treat you poorly."
I wish I hadn't helped! And you're more of a demon than a demon! Syndicate, who had 'personally' helped and had a quarter of his body evaporated after two swings of the sword, almost blurted out these words. But the next moment, he was extremely glad he hadn't.
Because the warrior casually raised his hand, swept it over the piles of demon corpses around him, and said lightly, "These are all yours—so many demons, plus the bodies of three Ultimate-level Greater Demons. They should be enough for you to recover your strength."
After all, I'll need to use you again next time, he thought.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the Sixth Abyss.
The Ultimate-level Greater Demon, Lar Dan As, was imprisoned within a red-and-white crystal ball the size of a human fist. Utterly dejected, he watched as the two human mages, who were in high spirits, searched for what he considered meaningless traces and clues in the Writhing Forest of the Sixth Abyss's northwest.
Have I been forsaken by the great Abyss? he wondered, but he couldn't find an answer. Yet, there was no other explanation. If he hadn't been forsaken by the Abyss, how could he have been discovered by the two Legendary Mages the moment he finally managed to infiltrate the target area after immense hardship?
Not only had he failed to complete the mission entrusted to him by the Overlord, but it also seemed his own life was in danger. The best outcome would be to eke out a miserable existence in this Demon-Imprisoning Sphere for the rest of his life.
The two Legendary Mages, naturally, couldn't hear the thoughts of the demon they had imprisoned. They were currently communicating in excited, low voices.
"Look, Baniel! This trace was left two hundred years ago!"
"The aura is stronger than anywhere on the Mycroft Continent! The traces are also fresher! And look at this Writhing Forest. This might not be the erosion of the Abyss, but the erosion of a...!"
The bard William's face, which looked as young as a youth's, was flushed red. This was a sign of extreme excitement. He spoke in a voice filled with barely contained joy, "That's right, our deduction is correct!"
"They... have most likely left the Mycroft Continent and are wandering through the multiverse!"
"The Abyss is just one part of their journey!"
In front of the two Legendary Mages and the one Ultimate-level Greater Demon, a vast forest, covered in fine snake scales and carapaces, was stretching its thick, slimy roots and slowly crawling forward like a living creature.
If one looked down from the sky, they would notice that the valley where this forest was located was extremely steep, and its edges were sharp... as if.
As if it had been slapped out by some incredibly massive being with a single claw.