Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 277 Betrayer

That was a forest of blood and flesh.

One by one, the "flesh" hung on the sharp pillars, some already cut open and ready to be used, some struggling and wailing, and some already numb and desperate.

They are either failures to transform, inherently vulnerable, or staunchly resistant.

However, within the Order of the Beasts, they exhibit more distinct characteristics of unity.

They are the "weak," the "fallen ones" of the herd. A herd mixed with humanity is far more fond of "survival of the fittest" than pure wild beasts.

"good to eat."

"What a pity, we can't touch those beautiful females, we'll just have to make do with this one."

"Don't get it dirty, I still want to eat later."

The "half-beasts" roamed the flesh forest, enjoying the pleasure of evolving into "other species".

The same thing keeps happening in this "city" pieced together from ruins.

This is a branch of the Order of the Beasts. The flesh forest and blood pool are clearly not newly set up, and the large number of skeletons next to the pool is the most obvious proof.

Around each chain were various "beastmen," most of whom were half-beast, half-human children. Adults have a harder time controlling their "beastly desires," and failed transformations come back faster and more violently. If they fail, they either become cannon fodder or become food.

And the "children" always have the potential to go further, and may even be trained into priests and horned disciples.

But their food bowls were also filled with all sorts of "minced meat" and "bones." They were probably even more hopeless than the adults.

"Look at this, this is the Order of the Beasts. Is this the kind of power, this kind of immortality you desire?"

Inside the makeshift tents, the summoned nobles, archbishops, and archmages watched this scene with either anger or shock.

Princess Dania pointed to the scene in the mirror and asked them directly.

Is this the future you've been longing for?

Her gaze swept over the "big shots" present. Those who could stand here at this time were basically the big shots of various forces in Radiant City.

"I know some of you have already made contact with them."

Dania raised her hand, stopping the nobles from making their explanations.

Ha, without the support of people like you, they wouldn't have gotten to this point.

I know you have been in contact with them, and many of your children are involved, but how many of you have actually made up your minds to take this step yourself?

The better off people are, the more timid they tend to be.
"The promises of cultists will only ever tell you the good part. I don't expect some of you to completely change your stance because of this. I just want to ask those people, is this really the future you want? Are you really prepared to live like beasts, only to be eaten by the strong one day?"

The promises the Order of the Beasts can make are probably higher positions of authority (if the reforms are successful, you'll be granted the title of Duke!), greater strength, better bodies, and longer lifespans—things the Order of the Beasts can indeed deliver on.

But would they tell these big shots who lack nothing that they could obtain everything by being like "wild dogs"?

Once you've truly embarked on this path, accepted the blood and power of beasts, your values ​​have been distorted, and you've cut off all escape routes. Naturally, you can't stop now.

But these high-ranking, seasoned veterans, living excessively luxurious lives, would never easily take this step.

Most of those who have dealings with the Order of the Beasts are probably just observing from the sidelines.
"Once our people begin their attack, can we broadcast this footage to the public Mirror Spirits?" Dania directly instructed the little Mirror Spirit beside her, preparing to announce this scene.

The "public live stream" has now stopped because, with the battle imminent, there are concerns that spies might see it and directly contact the cultists in the underworld. Although such a method of communication across the labyrinth seems very difficult, it is not entirely impossible.

“Your Highness, I support you.” The old city lord stroked his beard, understanding the princess’s decision. Although somewhat uneasy, he still expressed his support directly.

Informing ordinary citizens of the true appearance of beasts has, to some extent, led to the spread of knowledge about beasts, and may even have caused a period of "beast pollution." But it has also given citizens some understanding of them, letting them know what these creatures are.

Leaving aside the distant future, just the fact that these cannibalistic monsters are underground, and that simply conquering the underground ruins, completely eradicating the Beast Cult, and reinforcing the seal of the evil god, would be widely accepted by the citizens. "This...won't this cause a beastification crisis? There are so many prisoners and criminals; we can't control them," a bishop still managed to dissuade them.

"It doesn't matter. Some things are destined. If they have a choice, they naturally won't embrace the beasts. But if they don't have a choice, even if they can't embrace the beasts, they will embrace other evil gods or Outer gods."

As Dania said this, the image of that man involuntarily came to mind.

"Some things can't be stopped. Instead of pretending they don't exist, it's better to face them proactively and try to keep them under control. Other cities and countries can let them rot slowly, but this city and kingdom no longer have the strategic depth to retreat to. To put it bluntly, if the situation really gets so bad that ordinary people can't survive, then embracing the beasts might not be so bad."

Does the king's actions mean the people can betray him?
The logic behind this is chilling to contemplate in this day and age.

Rean uttered treasonous words, yet surprisingly, Dania found them perfectly natural, as if they were the words he was supposed to say. Dania also roughly understood the man's logic; perhaps in his eyes, nobles, kings, commoners, and even slaves were no different.

If the king and the kingdom are not doing a good job, people will not be able to live. Cults and beast hordes are just means of rebellion, so whether or not they are blocked is not very meaningful.

Preventing them from going down that path is your responsibility as king.
"Hehe, sure, sure." The little mirror spirit responded to Dania's request.

"However, my lord says that she has already done enough." This seems a bit like taking advantage of someone's misfortune, but nowadays Radiant City really can't do without the help of the Mirror Maiden and the Mirror Demon, and the Mirror Maiden is constantly paying out divine power without giving back any faith.

“I will keep my promise after I’ve dealt with this matter.” Dania touched the snake-patterned ring on her left hand, no longer hesitating.

She also needs strength; at the very least, she can't become a burden.

"Lord Julian!"

"My lord, how could it be him!"

The sudden exclamation made Dania turn her head.

The next moment, she also showed a look of surprise as she saw the strangely familiar person who should never have been there, in the lens of the mirror demon's broadcast.

"Principal Julian?"

The gentle and humble Archmage Julian was actually continuing his cult rituals on the altar, still wearing the robes of a high priest. He was still smiling calmly and elegantly, but the cauldron of blood and flesh piled up like a small mountain in front of him revealed his madness.

A large number of "losers" were thrown into it, and then he threw in a heart-shaped gem. Flesh and blood gathered and reformed around it, and soon a twisted monster crawled out of it.

When it comes to using "human resources," cult members are often the most professional. They select, use, and redevelop them layer by layer, and even the completely useless can become "materials."
"Impossible, that couldn't be the teacher!"

A great mage with a similarly white beard roared in anger.

However, the room fell silent. In the mirror in the background, the Archmage Julian bent down, approached the large pot to taste the flavor, and laughed happily, seemingly quite satisfied.
"Notify Rean and the others that they must deal with Archmage Julian immediately, or there will be endless trouble."

Dania's face turned ashen, and she immediately gave the order.

If even this highly respected archmage is a member of the Beast Order, then many people, especially archmages, will become untrustworthy.

Suddenly, Julian in the mirror looked up sharply, a look of surprise on his face.

The spell master, transcending the limitations of space, seemed to vaguely see the other side. Dania, inside the room, glared at him, wishing she could spit him out and kill him.

The next moment, Julian chuckled and shook the wooden cane in his hand.

"Snap!" The sudden attack shattered the spy.

The sudden shattering of the small mirror spirit in the room made the atmosphere even more oppressive.

There's nothing left to argue about; this is Julian, the seventh-ring otherworldly spellcasting master, an object of respect for most high-level spellcasters, and a legendary educator.

If he has problems, how many of his disciples, and his disciples' disciples, also have problems?
"Tell Rean and the others that they must kill him. They absolutely cannot let him leave alive."

(End of this chapter)