The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 567 The Gluttonous Rats!

"Everyone——"

"It's our turn to save our kingdom!"

Rainy night, in the suburbs of Roland.

The tavern, with its doors tightly shut, had closed early. Only a sliver of light peeking through the curtains indicated that no one inside was asleep.

A group of cloaked figures sat at the oak tables in the tavern, all eyes fixed on the man behind the bar.

There was no cheering.

There was no applause.

Because there is no need for it.

They didn't just return today; they had been preparing for this moment for a long time, only recently unleashing their pent-up emotions.

The group silently finished their last drink, then rose, pulled their cloaks tighter, and disappeared into the sweltering rainy night.

They acted swiftly and were highly disciplined, like an army that obeyed orders without question.

Or rather, that's what they always were.

In the winter of 1053 in the Os calendar, the Kingdom of Lane sent a group of young officers to Earl Derek's command to support the old nobles of the Duchy of Campbell in launching a civil war.

The battle ended in a Republican victory.

Edward, who captured these officers, did not execute them. Instead, he retrained them, instilled in them republican ideals, and helped them recognize the true enemy.

Now, as ghosts haunting feudalism, they have returned to the place where they set out on their campaign.

……

Since "Death Knell" Cassius took over the defense and security of Roland, this once bustling capital city has been put on pause.

An invisible hand gripped everyone's throat, making them afraid to even breathe too loudly.

Aside from the curses against St. Clement's Cathedral and Edward.

The streets were deserted, except for the patrols of tomb keepers clad in black robes who wandered like ghosts. The sound of their heavy military boots pounding in the puddles was the only pulse of the city.

Whenever a black carriage stopped in front of someone's house, it was immediately followed by heart-wrenching cries and suffocating pleas for mercy.

That was the firing squad at work.

The terrifying rumors about "the king eating children" spread like an invisible plague, penetrating the thick walls of noble manors and seeping into the drafty shacks of the slums.

From the powerful Baron Wickton to the destitute beggar, everyone felt a chilling fear and dread about the Devallo family sitting on the throne.

Even those sycophants who were attached to the old monarchy would occasionally wake up from their dreams, touch their necks, and feel a sense of sorrow, like the saying "the rabbit mourns the fox's death."

They did indeed stand with the king, but they asked themselves honestly that they couldn't possibly stand any closer than Marius.

Even Marius was thoroughly purged, with no one spared, from his direct descendants to his family... What were they compared to him?

In this palace where everyone lived in fear, no one dared to say that they were absolutely safe.

The Royal Intelligence Service of the Duchy of Campbell had never been so successful, to the point that even Director Hidini was surprised.

They originally needed to gather a lot of clues, analyze who had deposits with Mr. Andes, and who was worth turning. But now their analysis has changed to who is more worthy of being developed.

Their intelligence gathering speed gradually couldn't keep up with the changing situation in Roland. Often, before the intelligence even reached Edward's desk, much of it had already become a thing of the past.

Strange things then began to happen.

Even in Thunder City, not everyone is optimistic about the Duchy's paper money and the Banking Regulatory Commission's innovation of anchoring the paper money to silver.

But in Roland, silver pounds became the second most valuable commodity after gold coins, and on the black market, they could buy anything that ordinary people wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Whether it's a person or a soul.

Outside the city, the abandoned "Giant's Throat" quarry.

This place was once the main source of stone for the expansion of Roland City, but it has long been abandoned, leaving only jagged boulders and bottomless mine pits.

Under the cover of the raging wind and rain, the faint light of the fire was completely undetectable to the distant watchtower. And Cassius, preoccupied with seizing power under the guise of purging, paid no heed to this insignificant corner of the scene.

Humans are nothing more than ants.

The ore he needed wasn't in the mine, but in the monastery.

However, in a corner unseen by the giant, a group of solemn-looking people gathered under the massive limestone dome.

Among them were officers in old military uniforms, Captain Fayette and his comrades who had been released by Archduke Edward during the Winter Coup.

They brought the money and guns that the insurgents needed most, as well as "republican" ideas from the lower reaches of the Bend River.

Standing beside them were a group of stonemasons with calloused hands.

Although the guild master of the stonemasons was a coward, Baal and Nat had not yet broken their spines, just like the stone sculptures they were carving.

As the most influential old-era guild in Roland City, they comprised the vast majority of the population.

Besides the officers and stonemasons, there were some people who seemed out of place. Among them were intellectuals from the Ferrymando Club, as well as priests who were swayed by the Saint Laurent and Saint Clement Cathedrals and sympathized with the New Testament.

They all felt that Saint Sis was probably "dead," otherwise it would be impossible to explain why so much suffering occurred in Roland, and why the Church of Saint Clement did nothing about it.

The Son of God is the successor of Saint Sith.

Saint Karen is the chosen one who brought his legend to earth.

As for the Devalo family—

That was the first castle they were going to tear down!
Captain Fayette walked up to the crowd, glanced around, and spoke with a powerful, impassioned voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have all heard the weeping from inside the church."

"That demon sitting on the throne is no longer our protector. His evil and cruelty would surprise even demons!"

“I am ashamed that I once offered my glory to his crown. He defiled not only our kingdom, but also our faith, our souls… Perhaps, we never needed that thing in the first place!”

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and slammed it heavily onto the uncarved granite beside him.

The paper was covered with dense writing, the ink still wet... It was the "Roland City Citizens' Declaration" that everyone had drafted overnight!
It is also a declaration shared by all of them!

Fayette drew his short sword from his waist, pointed it downwards, and plunged it fiercely into a crevice in the rock.

Then, in a solemn voice, he took the lead in making the oath.

"I, Fayette, hereby swear to Saint Sith, to the land I love so dearly—"

“We will no longer be loyal to any secular monarch, and we will establish a National Assembly to replace the ugly Estates-General.”

"We will draft our own charter until we establish our own republic!"

"Or, bleed out the last drop of blood here."

Everyone present, whether stonemasons, scholars, priests, or ordinary citizens, stepped forward without hesitation at that moment.

Hands were placed on the granite rock where the sword was stuck, and the dim torchlight illuminated their resolute faces.

The deep, solemn vows echoed through the empty quarry.

"We swear an oath!"

At the outermost edge of the crowd, a slightly thin man was constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

His name is Newcastle.

He is the general manager of the only fire service company in Roland City, a member of the Third Estate Council, and a special advisor to the National Assembly, which is about to replace the Third Estate Council.

Saint Sis above—

These lunatics have finally come to this!
As a profit-driven businessman, Newcastle's instincts are screaming for help.

If there is even one traitor among this group, his head will be hanging on the city gate tower to dry tomorrow, and even Miss Ma Rui can't save him!
However, he ultimately did not run away.

Looking at those fervent faces, he thought of Baron Wickton, whom he had just met that morning… a face even paler than the marble of the Saint Laurent Cathedral.

No one in this city is truly safe, and burying his head in the blankets won't save him from being caught up in it all.

Newcastle took a deep breath of the damp air, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart, and joined the frenzied crowd in making a vow.

At the same time, he prayed silently in his heart.

Saint Sis above—

Your devout servants have never betrayed their faith in you; it is only the Devalo family that has been so blasphemous. They no longer even believe in retribution in the afterlife, so it is hard to imagine that they would honor the bill for the fire extinguisher.

As your humblest servant, I can only cherish the simplest yearning for light and make a choice that I will not regret.

To prevent Newcastle's remaining life from ending up as miserable as that of the court jester named Claude.

Although Newcastle had never believed in the New Testament for a single second, what he was thinking at this moment was precisely the most "blasphemous" passage in the New Testament. People walking in the mortal world do not need to wait for divine pronouncements.

What you see and what you think is the will of the gods.

Do what you can do with a clear conscience, and everything will be approved by the Son of God.

……

On the other side, in the heart of the Carrion Clan.

The autumn winds over the Wanren Mountains did not bring the expected coolness; instead, they made the battle lines, filled with mountains of corpses and seas of bones, appear even more desolate.

The outer defenses of the Flesh and Blood Kingdom have now become a giant meat grinder, drawing in more and more fresh flesh and blood.

The battle has reached a prolonged stalemate!

As the allied forces of the three races penetrated deep into the heart of the Skaven territory, those cowardly creatures that would normally only run away in fear seemed to have transformed into a different species.

What emerged from the underground fissures were no longer ordinary slave rats, but mutated monsters covered in crystalline tumors.

These monsters, known as "Crystal Aberrations," have long lost the sense of pain and fear. Like tireless beasts, they drag their bloated bodies covered in crystal tumors to fill the machine gun fire of the Kingdom of Gutaf!

With the support of extraordinary power, the infantry formations and mass charge tactics of the old era do not seem to have disappeared as quickly as everyone expected.

At the front, a steam-powered tracked vehicle, groaning under the strain, retreated along a winding mountain road under the cover of continuous artillery fire from behind.

Three enormous mutants pounced directly into the tracked vehicle's road wheels, using their hard limbs to jam the steel tracks.

With a sickening metallic cracking sound, the steel behemoth was forced to lie down and was subsequently overwhelmed by the swarm of rats that followed.

"Damn it! Let's fight them!"

The "Dragonborn" inside the tracked vehicle cursed under his breath, took the warhammer hanging on the door, and charged out with a roar.

Without a moment's hesitation, he roared and leaped more than two meters high, smashing the head of a mutant that was trying to pry open the cockpit with a hammer.

"For the Great Tomb of Nazarick! For the Demon King!"

He let out an excited roar as he tore apart a mutant, his warhammer whipping around in a whirlwind that instantly cleared the area around the steam-powered tracked vehicle.

That heroic figure inspired a group of newbies, making the hesitant ones roar and charge forward again.

However, just as that "Dragonborn" guy was preparing to unleash another round of leaping attacks, an even larger swarm of rats quickly swept over like black asphalt, engulfing his heroic figure in the massive wave.

The distant sounds of artillery fire were visibly thinning out.

Just as the Gutaf battalion, which was surrounded, was about to be annihilated, a silver bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the dim battlefield!

The ratman mutant, who was devouring the flesh and blood of the lizardmen, hadn't even realized what was happening when it was engulfed by the oncoming roar.

"boom--!"

The clamor of sword winds followed the landing of the iron boots. Eileen, who had landed a successful blow, did not pause for a moment, transforming into a silver light that flew up and down and swept across the ratman army!

There were no fancy moves, only sword shadows moving at lightning speed!
Wherever the sword light passed, dozens of ugly heads shot into the sky, their putrid blood evaporating in the holy light before it even hit the ground!
Players who were initially cursing the inhuman game designers suddenly erupted in excited shouts upon seeing the silver figure bathed in blood on the battlefield.

"Oh oh oh!"

"It's Princess Eileen! We're saved!"

"Where's the healer? Quickly buff the Demon Queen!"

"Damn it! The Demon Queen isn't my wife, why do I have to farm buffs for her?"

"Let the Demon King heal himself!"

Although she couldn't understand the shouts of these "Dragonborn," Eileen still turned around between swings of her sword and gave the resounding battle cries an encouraging smile.

That smile really encouraged the group of suppressed animals, making them charge even harder!
In just over ten minutes, the players not only recaptured the crumbling hilltop position, but also pushed the battle line forward by a full eight hundred meters!

Everything is developing in a good direction.

However, when Eileen stood atop the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, leaning on her sword and looking around, a hint of solemnity crept onto her delicate brows.

As far as the eye could see, there were still more than a dozen hilltops shrouded in smoke, and in places she couldn't see, there were countless more grinding millstones of flesh and blood turning.

The only saving grace is that the allied forces of the three races are still advancing, and they are only one step away from the flesh and blood royal court of "Soulbreaker" Mok.

If they just persevere a little longer, they will soon achieve final victory!
Raising her arm to wipe the blood and sweat from her cheeks, Eileen prepared to head to the next battlefield.

However, at that moment, a shrill roar suddenly came from afar, instantly tightening her nerves that had just relaxed.

"Roar--!!!"

A surging wave of air erupted from the ground, instantly sweeping across the battle line for several kilometers, blowing her bangs away, and also knocking over the "Dragonborn" warriors on the battlefield behind her.

Using his long-handled battle axe to support his body, Long Xingwanli barely managed to peek out from behind the mountain and look in the direction from which the gale was blowing.

"What the hell is that?!"

She has a pretty loud voice...

He had barely thought that when the lizard froze in place. He soon realized that it wasn't just the voice that was loud, but also the figure emerging from the cracked mountain!

Standing beside Long Xingwanli, his guildmate couldn't help but widen his eyes and exclaim "Holy crap!" as he looked at the mountain of flesh in the distance.

Beneath the shattered mountainside, a gigantic rat head emerged from the shadows, like a giant worm breaking free of its cocoon!
Its body was enormous, like a moving fortress, its massive belly dragging on the ground, leaving a sticky trail like its umbilical cord. But what was most terrifying was that its wrinkled flesh was completely hairless, replaced instead by gaping mouths.

The grotesque scene reminded Long Xingwanli of the BOSS he had encountered outside Twilight City, yet the two possessed distinctly different auras.

Eileen instinctively held her breath, gripping the sword hilt, her emerald green eyes fixed on the blasphemous monster.

The chosen one of the "Gluttonous Rats," Gellor, and the final guardian of the Flesh and Blood Court—

Or rather, its owner!
"All troops, retreat!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Eileen turned around and shouted, then turned her sword to point at the monster that was crawling out of the crevice.

At the same time, a figure landed beside Eileen, and a slender magic wand appeared in Luo Yan's hand.

"Colin!" A hint of joy flashed in Eileen's eyes as she looked at the man who appeared beside her, but it was only for a moment.

Her attention refocused on the enormous creature before her.

Luo Yan, standing to the side, fell into deep thought, carefully observing the enormous creature, and muttered to himself.

"I never imagined that such a blasphemous demon was hidden deep within the Wanren Mountains."

He always had a feeling that Xuebang was using the Wanren Mountains as a testing ground for weapons, which perfectly matched his stereotype of those magicians.

For them, who only care about profit, everything can be recycled and its last bit of value squeezed out.

Even former allies.

It's just unknown what tricks the mastermind behind the scenes used to create an entity that is extremely similar to the "Claw of Eternal Hunger".

Luo Yan still remembered that day outside Twilight City, when Urgos's clone simply flicked his finger and sent the Rock Sword Saint, who had the strength of a demigod, flying.

I wonder how this guy's strength compares to Urgos's clone.

He always felt that there was something wrong with the guy's aura.

"Do you know what that is?" Eileen asked with a hint of expectation, looking at Colin who was deep in thought.

Luo Yan shook his head.

"do not know."

I wonder if the clock tower's bullets can take down this monster.

Or perhaps... he needs to get a more powerful "clock cannon"?
Just as Luo Yan was pondering this, the mountain of flesh that had emerged from its cocoon seemed to have finally had its fill of howling, and the hunger in its stomach gradually took over.

Its eerie green eyes gleamed with greed. Before the three-race alliance could launch an attack, it stretched out its enormous claws and plucked a handful of its kind from a nearby rat hole, tossing them into its mouth with the same nonchalant gesture as if it were throwing snacks into its mouth.

The crunching sounds drowned out the screams of the food. It savored the taste of flesh and blood, and then a more greedy glint appeared in its eyes.

More--

Gellow needs more sacrifices!

Under the horrified gazes of the dwarfs and human soldiers, the already enormous, mountain-like body visibly expanded once more.

Blood-red mist billowed from its mouth and nostrils, accompanied by the stench of a wild beast's breath, and a terrifying sense of oppression instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.

King Ironbeard Justa of the High Mountain Kingdom stared wide-eyed at the enormous creature, even dropping the pipe Edward had given him.

"Ancestor above..."

What on earth did I provoke this time?!

(End of this chapter)