Chapter 138

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Chapter 138: Almost the Time

"Boring." A woman wearing heavy makeup paced back and forth in the ward, grumbling, "Boring, boring, so boring!"

Doctors and nurses in white coats, priests in cassocks, pharmacists with badges, but this one was wearing tattered black clothes. In the past, people would say she looked like attending a funeral, but now they would probably gossip that she was a fan of death metal. Her long nails were painted black, lips bright red, nose pierced, heavy smokey makeup, high heels clattering on the hospital floor, and murmuring to herself. If it were anyone else, the staff would have driven her out of the ward long ago, but no one came to chase her away.

On the contrary, the people in the ward looked delighted when they saw her.

Plague Witch Leslie did not set foot on the battlefield, she had some complaints about not being able to wreak havoc everywhere ("I am a Plague Witch! Playing the role of the main villain in ninety percent of bad witch stories as a Plague Witch!"), but she still voluntarily stayed in the rear. Oh, Leslie was definitely voluntary, a cell could stop her from causing trouble, but not even Tasha could force her to do anything. Even if the Plague Witch grumbled, with a face like she was owed eight million, she still perfectly completed her job.

The withered fingers lightly touched the patients, the spreading bluish-purple no longer expanded, the angry blisters became tame, the feverish restless patients stretched their brows and finally could sleep peacefully. The source of corruption was drawn out of the body, as if the charlatan had said, "capturing the disease." In reality, Leslie was a Plague Witch, she could cast plagues and also draw them out.

The plague is like a friend to Leslie, obeying her every command. When she beckons with her finger, diseases swarm to do her bidding.

While natural diseases may be uncontrollable, plagues created by the Demonic Sorcerer are artificial and can be manipulated. In this aspect, witches and Demonic Sorcerers are on the same level. As a Plague Witch with expertise in diseases, Leslie faces countless enemies with confidence compared to Sorcerers who only know how to use plague spells.

"No one can die from illness under my watch," she proudly declared. "Not even demons."

The battlefield is like a body’s circulatory system, where soldiers unable to continue fighting are rescued and replaced by new ones. The dungeon’s immunity system works tirelessly to ensure that the wounded remain just that, without turning into casualties.

Within this cycle, unseen events quietly unfold.

It appeared to be just the body of a Demonic Sorcerer.

Falling from the sky amidst spells, drone debris, and other bodies, it was impossible to single out the sorcerer’s body in the chaotic battlefield. Drifting towards an injured soldier, they rolled together from the force of impact until the demon’s body disappeared after several tumbles.

At least, that’s how it seemed.

The "injured soldier" lay face down on the ground, and in a hidden place where nobody could see, his face was shedding its last piece of armor, revealing soft human cheeks. As the medical team approached, he let out a painful groan, prompting them to swiftly place him on a stretcher and evacuate him from the battlefield.

His face was covered in blood and dirt, hiding any stiff expressions beneath the bloodstains, and no one would notice anything unusual. His eyes were tightly closed, only groaning and shaking his head, ignoring all questions. Even his relatives couldn’t tell what was wrong – who would blame a severely injured soldier for not opening his eyes or answering questions?

They entered the entrance to the dungeon.

The abyss detector was of no use, as the tainted wounded soldier emitted the same abyssal aura. While the dungeon’s senses found nothing, Tasha’s sight could see through all blind spots, but was helpless against certain spells, like the concealment power of the Divine Artifact "Faint Starlight" candlestick, or the tricks of the Demonic Illusionist.

The advancement of the Demonic Sorcerer seemed unclear, as these spellcasters among demons seemed quite cunning during their evolution, being secretive and skilled at deceiving. Whether evolving into a Magic Demon branch, or towards the Mind Demon or succubus branch, when the Demonic Sorcerer evolves into these higher-level demons, their appearance remains unchanged; only their power evolves.

The Magic Demon had a wider variety of spells than the Demonic Sorcerer, along with a more intelligent mind, like a mid-level wizard from the Primary Material Plane ascending to a high-level wizard. However, if the direction of evolution is towards the Demonic Illusionist instead of the Magic Demon, the evolved Demonic Sorcerer would lose all spells of other species. Giving up the diverse spellcasting abilities in exchange for almost seamless "illusion" skills.

His illusions covered up the scene of devouring human wounded, as the Demonic Illusionist devoured the wounded under broad daylight, then transformed to look exactly like that victim. Disguised in a way that no spell could reveal, its abdomen swelled high, chewing and digesting the victim. With each digestion, the illusion of this Demonic Illusionist became more perfect.

His expression became natural, his appearance from face to scars, from wounds to birthmarks, all became replicas of the human wounded. Absorbing the memories of its consumed prey, he learned human language like a parrot. It knew what his wife and child looked like, and if given the chance to see them, he would call out to them with the same tone of voice as that soldier, affectionately calling their names.

A team carrying a stretcher entered the entrance, arriving at a section of the corridor where they carefully set down the stretcher. The Demonic Illusionist continued its act as a pained wounded, feeling no worry, as things were supposed to be this way: the weak creatures of the Primary Material Plane relieving duty here, the ones who brought it would go find more wounded, and the underground medical personnel would take the stretcher to the appropriate ward – if there were many people there, it could suddenly attack, consuming all these small snacks; if there were few people, it would continue waiting.

The Demonic Illusionist lay quietly on the stretcher, the bright light on the floor of the corridor moving quickly and relentlessly, leaving no room for evasion. Similar to the Magic Longspear of the Dragon Cavalry, that light blade shot out from mechanisms on the ground, slicing the stretcher and the illusionist lying on it into halves, quarters, with great efficiency, cutting them into pieces. Until turning into ashes, returning to the abyss, the Demonic Illusionist still maintained the illusion of the human wounded, "he" bewilderedly howled, mistaking the pain on his back as a probing, still attempting to pretend.

Every entrance of the dungeon has a corridor like this, with invisible tiny magic devices on the shutters next to each corridor, sending images of the corridor to the control room. Here, Evil Eye Witch Medusa sits on a swivel chair, using hairpins to tie up her burgundy hair, revealing the burgundy eye underneath. The burgundy eye blinks, scanning the array of large screens.

The eyes of the Evil Eye Witch hypnotize, the eyes of the Evil Eye Witch see the truth. In Medusa’s view, all kinds of magic dance in the air, the right eye sees illusions, the left eye sees through illusions. Her gaze stops at a screen, seeing another fat demon with a swollen belly lying on a stretcher, pretending to be in pain in a comical way. Medusa kicks the stool, spinning on the swivel chair.

"Corridor 16, another one!" she elongated her voice shouting into the intercom at the other end.

The control room activated the mechanism, the laser net on the ground opened in an instant, and another Demonic Illusionist died trying to sneak through. The follow-up team cleaned up this corridor compartment, which was a transit station waiting to be handed over for the wounded, but an inescapable execution ground for intruders. Evil Eye Witch patted her cat, pursed her lips and chuckled, "Trying to fish in troubled waters? We’re not blind."

The medical team was extremely busy, the battleground on the ground was becoming more and more bustling.

The stench of decay filled the air.

The logistics system was in full operation, even those with injuries could receive assistance, and the number of bodies on the battlefield was not actually high. Even if all the bodies on the battlefield were added together, the smell couldn’t be so strong. This round of battle only lasted a day, so how could the bodies decay like this?

This corrupt smell came from something that had been dead for who knows how long, from creatures that had been gone since their appearance – if they could be called creatures.

Some big creatures fell heavily, leaving behind yellow-green decayed liquid where they landed, like burst rotten tomatoes. Their size could rival that of large Little Devils, but the ghouls stood upright on two legs, barely human-like, while these new members were clearly beast-like. They stood on all fours, completely hairless, with pallid skin exposed. Their muscles were swollen but resembled bodies that had been floating in water for a long time, giving off a nauseating bloated feeling. A disgusting odor emanated continuously from these creatures.

They smell like a horse that’s been dead for a week in the summer, look like rotten meat that would fall apart with a shake, yet their sharp claws and teeth are dripping with maggots. Anyone wounded by them would see their flesh rotting, skin stinking, pus forming, slipping off the bones, just like those demons causing the wounds.

Some small things fell, bones clattering into a pile, then wriggling into shape. They fit together like building blocks, creating a bony monster. A regular soldier’s steel sword can chop the skeleton into a pile of bones, but if left alone for a while, the bones would start moving again. Piles of bones fused into giants, beheaded giants turned into a group of agile little skeleton creatures, seemingly unchanged, only consuming the strength of the living.

The Death God image of Aryan has a large hood, a skull face, and a bone scythe, partly inspired by the death god of the Heavenly Realm and partly from the reaper of the abyss. Many kinds of monsters can evolve into reapers, these demons bear some features of "death."

The infected emitting a foul smell are called "Corpse Beasts," and the bones that restore to their original state no matter how many times they are chopped are called "Skeleton Ghosts".

Amidst the Decaying Disaster, the priests of Saro God and Paladins were at the forefront of dealing with these creatures in the past, with significant effects but also significant casualties. Both priests and Paladins were mortal, their divine spells targeting the undead creatures, their radiance being easily tainted by these profane creatures, leading to their demise.

Present-day Paladins roam the battlefield, providing blessings and Holy Light to their comrades; while the priests stay behind, their healing divine spells saving countless severely wounded soldiers and enabling numerous lightly wounded soldiers to return to the battlefield. Aryan can no longer afford the luxury of war, as when these undead creatures come onto the battlefield, they are met with more undead creatures.

Necromancers have been around the battlefield for a long time.

At the moment of death of Abyssal Creations, they steal their bodies away; in the Primary Material Plane, those dying here are not immediately taken by the Power of the Abyss, creating a gap for the Undead Sorcerer to seize. Demons indeed belong to the abyss, but at the moment of death, they belong to death. Necromancers humbly bow to death itself, dancing with death and harnessing its power. They seize skeletons and flesh, obtaining materials for their Undead Army from the bodies of their enemies.

Soul fire flickers in the eye sockets of the skeletons, skeletal warriors wielding long swords, skeletal archers drawing bone bows, and there are even skeletal wizards igniting ethereal fires. Bodies with flesh slowly rise, moving much slower than when alive, but it’s okay, they become tougher and more suitable as meat shields.

Not only enemies, but many soldiers and professionals signed body donation agreements before they passed away. These people wear special badges that Undead Sorcerers can sense. With respect, the sorcerers raise these bodies so that the soldiers can continue fighting alongside their comrades even after death.

The earth splits open, and the Undead Army from the dungeon graveyard marches onto the battlefield. Under the command of the Undead Sorcerer, they can be even more effective. In front of this army, Undead Warhorses with ghostly flames at their feet rise up, carrying knights wielding blue battle axes. The Headless Horseman, who used to be Paladin Alexander, leads the army once again, displaying bravery and skill just as in life.

Undead Sorcerer Dolores chants spells, gradually strengthening the Headless Horseman over the years with significant results. The current Headless Horseman now possesses the "Commander" attribute and the skill "Legion Charge" as one of its natural talents.

Legion Charge (Undead): When the number of undead on the battlefield exceeds the base number (regardless of friend or foe), the Commander can lead our undead troops in a charge. All friendly undead units on the field double their movement speed and attack frequency, once a day, for a set period of time. For each doubling of the number of undead on the field, the duration increases by another unit of time. The base unit number is "five hundred," and the base unit time is "ten minutes."

The base unit time can be increased.

The Corpse Beast emits a foul smell of death. The stronger the scent of death, the weaker the living become, but the abilities of the dead grow stronger. Coincidentally, this is a great benefit for the servants of the Undead Sorcerer. The ceiling of the underground graveyard collapses completely, exposing the graves. Direct sunlight causes the energy of the graveyard to dissipate, gradually turning it into a useless common graveyard. However, during its open hours, all friendly undead units receive enhancements.

The undead are at war.

Skeleton Soldiers and Bone Ghosts clash, fighting for each other’s bones and energy. The withered zombies are torn apart by the Corpse Beast, while deadly maggots have no effect on the already dead bodies. Pale-faced Necromancers wield bone staves. Their bodies act as conduits for the energy of life and death, enduring longer than anyone else on this death-filled battlefield at the cost of their health.

The earth trembles heavily, causing not only the weakened Undead Sorcerer but also many warriors to fall.

What is that? A meteor? Magic?

Many people instinctively turned their heads in one direction, from the eastern to the western edge of the battlefield. Even though there were armies in between, people still saw the source of the disturbance.

It is so huge.

The large Little Devil was already taller than an adult, but compared to this thing, it was like a three-year-old child next to an adult. A huge pile of flesh fell onto the land of Aryan, causing many deaths just from the impact.

The giant monster slowly stood up, ignoring the flesh mud under its buttocks and feet. The mountain-like demon lifted its foot and stomped down.

"Retreat! Retreat!" The commanders shouted hoarsely to the people nearby.

The fighters who could escape desperately fled, and many demons also ran. A large Little Devil, not very smart and without much evasion skills, was randomly kicked and knocked to the ground, stomping out its intestines. The giant monster’s breath sounded like thunder, its exhalation like a volcano’s smoke, and with a sweep of its giant palm, it grabbed a fleeing griffin, squeezing it. The griffin was snapped in half at the waist, and the knights and companions falling from its back simultaneously let out cries of grief.

The giant monster stuffed the griffin into its mouth, revealing a foolish and barbaric grin on its huge face.

Swipe!

Suddenly, a loud cracking sound filled the air as countless blue magic beams shot towards the giant monster, hitting it right on target. The Frost Mage team unleashed a round of Freeze Spells, causing ice crystals to spread from the points of impact. The giant monster slowly lowered its head, watching as a frosty blue layer spread from its chest and belly, like a lake encountering a cold wave.

All the graduating wizards were grouped based on their best magic skills to handle different situations. The wizards from the Frost Mage team were not great at causing harm, but excelled at delaying and controlling. The wizard team was divided into two batches, firing in staggered volleys, with their spellcasting times almost seamlessly overlapping. The chief wizard of the team signaled for a second time, and under his guidance, the second batch of Freeze Spells rained down on the giant monster, thickening the layers of ice on it.

The giant monster’s neck twisted uncomfortably, encased in ice below. The ice layer was about a meter thick, enough to turn a person into a big block of ice if it fell on them. However, the giant monster was too huge, and for its massive body, a one-meter thick ice layer was just a mere ice shell.

The wizards continued chanting, while the chief wizard nervously watched the giant monster. After two rounds of volleys, the next round of spells would take quite some time.

The giant monster began to roar in anger.

Enraged as if by its own icy armor, the giant monster raised its arms vigorously and started swinging them. The thick ice layer shattered under its forceful movements, showering countless ice shards down, creating a mini snowstorm in the vicinity.

"Repeat, everyone in that area evacuate! Immediate retreat within ten seconds!" The commanders urgently repeated over the channel.

The giant monster started striding forward, its movements appearing slow but with such huge steps, its speed was terrifyingly fast. It was rapidly closing in on the wizard team who had just cast the Freeze Spell, causing panic to spread through the crowd. Amidst the trembling of the earth, many wizards were making more and more mistakes in their spellcasting, finding it increasingly difficult to succeed as they grew more nervous.

Boom!

A big ball of fire exploded behind the giant monster, causing it to stumble and shake its head. The tough demon with high resistance to flames was not hurt by the fireball, but the person wearing a helmet wouldn’t want to be hit on the back of their head either.

"Hey! Look here, you silly goose!"

Wizard Laurien shouted loudly from not far behind, waving his hands. Ruby dust turned into ashes, a series of fireballs hit the giant monster on the back of its head and on its turning palm. The wizard specialized in fire spells, swirling the fireballs quickly and skillfully. He whistled loudly and continued shouting, "Come here, big dumb guy!"

The giant monster may not understand what Laurien was saying, but provocation is a universal concept.

The monster as big as a mountain turned around, taking angry steps towards the small creature that dared to provoke it. "Very good, just like that," said the wizard who provoked it. Laurien nodded satisfactorily and then ran away at full speed.

No matter how you look at it, Laurien couldn’t escape from the giant monster, as she was too close. If the giant monster had been closer to the provokers than to the group of Frost Mages, it might have chosen to crush the wizard group first before dealing with the individual wizards. The fire wizard ran with her head down, like most wizards, getting out of breath after a few steps. The members of the command center widened their eyes, held their breath, watched as the giant monster came closer and closer to the brave wizard, until they were only a step away.

The giant monster reached out its hand.

"Now’s the time!" the leader finally gave the command, "Fire!!"

The silver light tore through the sky, surpassing daylight in an instant.

The Magic Cannon finished charging, and the giant monster ran into the right spot. At that moment, the cannon hit it right on the head. Despite the Magic Cannon being one of the most powerful magical weapons and a significant achievement in magical technology, it still had flaws such as slow charging, high energy consumption, difficulty in moving, and significant side effects. However, the technicians and craftsmen made an important change: the Magic Cannon’s attack direction was no longer limited to just horizontally.

In other words, instead of flattening everything directly in front, the raised cannon barrel could now aim at the sky.

Through experiments to determine the cannon’s coverage range, Tasha provided precise calculations, and the headquarters had just warned the air force within the coverage area to leave. The silver lightning was launched at a forty-five degree angle, and the Magic Cannon easily pierced through the giant monster’s skull, instantly killing the catastrophic demon in the sound of cannon fire.

The demon’s body would return to the abyss. That’s awesome!

The headless body, as big as a mountain, swayed. The wizards’ Froze Spell hit it, successfully freezing it for a few seconds. The dead body held on for a few seconds and, like other demons, disintegrated.

The Necromancers sighed regretfully; they could not yet control such a large body, feeling like seeing something delicious but not having the appetite to finish it. It was truly regrettable.

"The time has come," Victor suddenly said amidst the people’s cheers. "It’s our turn."