Chapter 98
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Chapter 98: Lead the Trend
By the time the dragon riders appeared, the Little Devil had landed.
The dark red shadows drew closer, allowing people to see those ugly faces, and the unsettling smiles and foul stench nearby. The gleaming steel forks sent shivers down people’s spines, as those monsters arrogantly passed overhead, causing cries from children and the faint-hearted. Luckily, most of the steel forks did not directly hit, and those that did had poor aim. Before they could cause a tragedy, the nearby army swiftly sprang into action, shooting crossbows into the sky.
A large group of powerful crossbows successfully drove away the Little Devil, some monsters who couldn’t dodge in time were even shot into hedgehogs, and fell down with a loud thud. As the Little Devil scattered again, the Dragon Knights’ troops covered the sky, these well-trained aerial forces made a dazzling entrance amidst the people’s cheers. The frontmost Red Dragon, with its massive size and shiny scales, raised its neck and breathed a golden flame into the sky ahead.
"It’s Dragon Knight Douglas!" someone shouted, and the crowd erupted in joy.
Among Tasmanian’s various troops, the Dragon Knights were undoubtedly the most famous. Dragons and knights patrolled the sky year after year, becoming a symbol in the sky just like airships. All residents had seen the silhouette of dragons in the sky at some point, fear turning quickly into curiosity, and curiosity then into pride. Look! Our patrol guards fly in the sky!
They embodied power, as well as the diversity of Tasmarin. Warriors riding dragons could fly openly in the sky, and the uniquely strange beings could walk under the sunlight naturally. The existence of the Dragon Knights held military significance beyond measure, this unique military force of Tasmanian was considered one of the region’s symbols, and the natural desire for flight and giant mounts made recruitment for the Dragon Knights filled to the brim every year. The image and flamboyant personality of Dragon Knight Douglas once again made him a star figure, appearing in every poster, more well-known than back in the circus days—now, he was truly a Dragonrider!
A fan-shaped dragon breath swept across half the sky, instantly turning a large group of Little Devils into ashes, not even leaving behind bones. The heat distorted the air above, driving away the cold fear among the people.
The monsters from the abyss were just as vulnerable before the giant dragon!
The surviving Little Devils scattered from the flames, buzzing around like chased flies. These creatures, who had just been arrogant moments ago, now emitted fearful sounds, reminding people of what they had learned about the abyss, how those sources mentioned how the Little Devils were bullies. The excited crowd clenched their fists, under the battle-filled sky, countless voices cheered on the Dragon Knights.
Victory came faster than imagined.
The giant dragon stopped spitting fire, and didn’t even descend, the Dragon Knights were enough. The disorganized and undisciplined Little Devils collapsed under the dive of the Dragon Knights, falling one after another, pierced by crossbow arrows. Not a single Little Devil managed to launch an effective attack, or their resistance had not drawn much attention, they were all disbanded.
A line of dragon riders crisscrossed the sky, looking like erasers wiping away the red spots in the sky, making it clear and blue again. The flying dragons and giant dragons had bright scales like fire, and their battles were as beautiful as their appearance. The atmosphere reached a climax with the second breath of the giant dragon, and as the last fleeing soldier was chased down, the onlookers almost lost their voices from shouting and clapping their hands.
All playwrights aiming for the Ribe Lake Grand Theater should learn from this battle – the intense rhythm and captivating storyline are sure to impress. It captivated the audience, leaving them enthralled and excited. As the dragon riders departed, many people waved desperately at the sky.
"The devil’s body disappeared!" cried someone with keen eyesight, "They really will return to the abyss!"
The discussion about the abyss was unstoppable, everyone chattering about the recent victory; the scene was like an exciting movie just finished. For a moment, no one noticed that the appearance of the Little Devil itself was a huge piece of bad news.
The broadcast station issued an emergency report half an hour later, "Dragon riders defeat Abyssal monsters, return triumphant!" the host exclaimed. Meanwhile, those who were "personally involved" in the victory were excitedly sharing with their friends and family. Major newspapers were extremely busy, journalists wrote all night, and the official report was promptly released the next day.
The advance troops of the abyss appeared in Aryan, indicating that the abyss might return in a few years. This bad news was overshadowed by the dragon riders’ victory report – the latter was emphasized while the former was mentioned briefly. As further bad news emerged, people began to realize: the abyss was not unbeatable.
The creatures on the ground have been victorious before, and we have just won a small victory again.
A new wave of abyss fervor swept through various media. After the official announcement of the possible return of the abyss, they intervened in the discussion, punishing and warning media outlets spreading false sensational rumors. Abyss Researcher Webster’s project proposal was approved, and Abyss Watcher publishing house was officially endorsed.
The previous miscellaneous "abyss response methods" rumors were officially regulated. Rumors like standing still and playing dead were emphatically denied. The real strategy for dealing with the Decaying Disaster was printed in booklets and distributed, becoming a mandatory subject at major universities. Dealing with the abyss was important on one hand, but on the other hand, it wasn’t too terrifying. People were cautiously demystifying the abyss, discussing it and learning how to handle it, similar to learning about earthquakes and fires.
The Tasmanian is not the only one affected by this event.
Since the strange sounds in the forest incident began, various media in the Aryan Empire have been laughing uncontrollably. The Empire still controls speech tightly, all publications are restricted, but reports from Tasmanian, with their humor, have always been a safe and enjoyable option. The mechanical bird transmits all kinds of information and images back here, various publications circulate in the commercial windows. The recent abyss-related event in Tasmanian has provided material for the major media outlets in the Empire for over a month.
With such rich material, there’s no need to write articles, just add a few more sentences when reposting. Since the readers in the Empire can’t access the original version, those publications that are reposted won’t come back to sue for copyright issues. No reposting, no news. Due to various thoughts like this, the information on the Empire side is completely in sync with Tasmanian, just slightly delayed.
Of course, considering the high walls between them, residents in other parts of the Empire don’t feel as strongly about the abyss events in Tasmanian and may feel somewhat detached.
Especially the high-ranking officials in the Empire, at least in the beginning.
If someone observant looks closely, it’s not hard to see that the series of events starting with the "strange sounds in the forest" all have a coherent progression. They maintain a main storyline in the chaos, without veering off course from start to finish.
It’s as if there is an invisible hand manipulating the development behind the scenes.
Anomalous phenomena related to the abyss are discovered somewhere, rumors, unreliable information, and timely debunking prevent panic from spreading. Potential turmoil is resolved within various discussions, the first wave of enlightenment emerges; debates start to diversify, further questioning of the Empire’s history begins, topics branch out to past gossip, heroes step down from their pedestals, before things spiral out of control, the official confirmation of clear abyss traces is announced; some jump in to explain other possibilities, discussions centered on the abyss resurface, the impact of the event expands for the second time; at this point, clear evidence of the Abyssal Creation and a major victory occur simultaneously, highlighting the latter, the second wave of enlightenment takes the stage.
This wave’s rhythm is working quite well.
After this series of punches, knowledge about the abyss spread widely. The news of the approaching abyss was gradually revealed in segments. People made sense of this news and that news, until they developed immunity to conflicting information. They retained a critical eye for startling news, preventing chaos.
This event reduced much of the fear of the abyss and broadened people’s horizons. It made them more vigilant, preventing arrogance. The military was trained, the media’s response improved, and the Tasmanian officials who had kept quiet until then came forth to restore order. People reinforced the belief that official conclusions are final.
The empire’s elites started viewing the matter as a joke, wondering what plans the Governor of Tasmanian had. As the situation evolved, even the people in the empire began believing that the abyss was near. Some elites doubted it was the truth, while the opposition deemed everything a conspiracy that needed debunking to minimize its impact.
"Even if the abyss doesn’t arrive, knowing how to handle it isn’t harmful," supporters pointed out. "According to our Grand Library records, the precautions promoted by Tasmanian for the Decaying Disaster are not lies."
"How can you be sure they won’t manipulate these deceived people further? They firmly believe in the abyss’s arrival. If they suddenly claim the abyss is within the empire, it will be too late for a response!" others expressed concern.
"However, Tasmanian’s own people already believe in the approaching abyss, and the preventive measures are aimed at demons, not humans. Those tactics won’t work for ordinary people," some questioned. "What benefits do they gain from learning this knowledge?"
"Who knows what that monstrous woman is plotting!" the opposition angrily exclaimed.
"Careful with your words," the ruler said. "We are still negotiating with them."
Yes, the bilateral political negotiations that started last year are still ongoing, though as slow as a snail.
The leaders couldn’t agree on this issue, so different groups started arguing loudly. One side accused the other of being unprepared, arrogant, and possibly taking money from conservative groups. The other side accused them of being too quick to believe rumors and even said, "You must be taking Dwarf Money from the other side." These two groups were later jokingly called the Dwarf Money Party and the Empire Coin Party, implying that they were both influenced by money and loyalty controlled their words.
It’s interesting how this argument spreading in the Empire resembles what happened in Tasmanian half a month ago.
Next, the Empire’s mechanical bird captured a live Little Devil.
Then, the representatives from Tasmanian, both openly and secretly, relayed a serious warning from the Governor during negotiations that the gateway to the abyss had truly reopened.
