The Magic Empire for 20,000 years

Chapter 286 Bell: My boss Zariel is a Celestial spy, isn't he?

On the banks of the River Styx.

The dark, greasy waters of the River Styx flowed by, emitting a nauseating stench, the smell of blood mixed with the odor of sulfur, carried on the scorching wind.

Grand Duke Zariel stood on a charred boulder, watching the demon soldiers cleaning up the battlefield and dragging away the demon corpses.

"A clean and swift raid."

Her voice carried the exhilaration of battle, and she turned coldly to face the tall, imposing, reddish-brown Demon Refiner:

"Bell, pass down the order. The vanguard will rest for two hours. After that, they will continue their advance into the heart of the plains."

Overseer Bell—Zaril's first mate, the great devil who had just arrived in the Abyss from the rear—clung to a newly compiled parchment, his expression somewhat unnatural.

"Lord Zariel."

"Although we have won, we have also suffered some casualties, with more than 50 Sumerian soldiers and three Bone Demon vanguards killed in action."

"The [Abyss Plains] is connected to too many abyssal levels and is a key transportation hub. The situation is complex and unpredictable."

"I suggest that we first suspend the offensive, consolidate our existing positions, establish a solid defensive line, and then consider the next step of military action."

As otherworldly beings symbolizing "order," hellish demons are objects of abhorrence by the abyss.

Just being on the land of the abyss made Overseer Bell feel a sense of unease, as if the entire plane was working against him.

Based on experience, in previous military operations that ventured into the [Abyss Plains], the demon legions' mere presence on this wasteland had attracted hostility and attacks from demon lords of other layers of the abyss.

It's as if... the mere existence of the devil's orderly army here is enough to make even the demons and the abyss itself feel displeased.

The struggle between order and chaos in the multiverse.

This is the essence of the eternal bloody war between the demons of the abyss and the devils of hell.

Zariel turned his head, a flicker of flame rising above his head, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm:

"Strengthen the defenses? Bell, you're getting more and more cowardly."

"The best defense is the ever-advancing flames of war. Only by attacking can we seize the initiative."

She paused, a cold smile playing on her lips:
"Besides, our soldiers dying in the abyss is merely returning to hell and being reborn. It is the glory of their sacrifice in the bloody battle."

Again!
Is this a very small price to pay?

Governor Bell swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and suppressed the urge to refute.

Hit, hit, hit.

He thinks about fighting all the time.

The demons are endless!

Good heavens! Is my boss really not a spy sent by Heaven to deplete Hell's forces?
Sometimes Bell really suspected that even if this crazy woman wasn't an undercover agent, she was at least using her official position to satisfy her bloodlust for killing demons.

After all, as far as Bell knew, as a fallen seraph, Zariel's main job before his fall was to kill demons.

Well, even after falling into hell, the nature of this job hasn't changed at all.

Oh no, it's not that nothing has changed.

With the position of the Demon Grand Duke of the First Layer of Hell on the front lines of the bloodbath, killing demons has become more legitimate and convenient!

Hmph, one day I'll definitely bring this crazy woman down...

"As you wish, my lord."

Despite his dissatisfaction, Bell maintained a smile on his face, feigning respect, bowed deeply, and left the tent with a smile, spreading the Demon Duke's orders throughout the entire vanguard army.

Not far away, two Chain Demon Guards were cleaning up the battlefield.

"Alas, Lord Zariel and Governor-General Duke Bel are arguing again."

One of them used chains to coil up the corpse of a primal demon, and lowered his voice:

"Indeed, it's true what they say: if Lord Zariel doesn't dare to fight a battle, he's bound to lose; but if Lord Bell dares to fight a battle, he's guaranteed to win."

The other one was so frightened that he almost threw the body away.
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Do you want to be transferred to the vanguard battalion as cannon fodder?"

Puff puff.

Just then, a dreadnought scout flapped its tattered wings and swooped down from a distance, kneeling on one knee.

"Reporting to Lord Zariel!"

The scout's voice was urgent:

“We captured several cowards who had fled from the Eastern Wastes. Based on their fragmented and chaotic memories, it was not a traditional demon lord or lesser demon lord who defeated and enslaved them.” “Oh?” Zariel’s flames burned steadily above his head, showing some interest.

“Explain yourself more clearly.” Bell frowned.

"Currently, the force controlling most of the Wanyuan Plain is an unknown entity that calls itself... the Magic Empire of Eldoron!"

The scout looked up:

"They are a group of mortals from the material plane. They drive huge statues made of steel, rock, flesh and clay, as well as tireless armies of the undead. They also possess many strange magics, enslave a large number of demons, and control most of the territory."

"Its leader... is a human mage."

"Yes, humans are a new race that has emerged in the material world in the last thousand years."

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

A portly Anzu Demon strategist stepped forward, inquired about more details, and summarized the information as follows:

"Grand Duke Zariel, Duke Bel, based on all the scattered intelligence, this Eldoron has risen to power in the first layer of the abyss at an extremely rapid pace, and his methods are bizarre."

"They have already taken control of most of the land and demons on this level, and they are not to be underestimated. Their strength... is hard to predict."

Bell's expression changed after hearing the report.

As if he had found some reason, the great devil overseer immediately turned to Zariel behind him:
"grown ups."

"A force from the material plane has taken control of most of the territory of the [Abyss Plains], something that has never happened before."

“An unknown force capable of enslaving demons on a large scale and controlling so much land deserves our attention.”

"We must immediately halt our advance. A hasty confrontation before fully understanding their capabilities could have disastrous consequences!"

Zariel sneered, but the flames of war burned even brighter in his eyes.

"An unknown force? Hmph, perfect!"

She gripped the greatsword tightly, and suddenly plunged it down, cleaving a wriggling larva in two.

"Defeating a powerful new opponent is far more interesting than crushing those familiar abyssal worms."

“Cowardice and fear will only make you miss opportunities, Bell.”

From this strange intelligence, Zariel vaguely realized that something was amiss.

She immediately asked:

"Did this so-called magical empire, Eldoron, not encounter any interference from demon lords of other layers of the abyss while controlling most of its territory?"

Every time the demon legion sets foot in this wasteland, which serves as the mouthpiece of the abyss, they not only face the threat of the high-ranking legendary great demon Pazuzu, the Wind Demon King, but also numerous mid-ranking and low-ranking legendary minor lords.

At the same time, we must be wary of interference from the demon lords of other layers of the abyss!

Many demon lords who have portals connecting to the Abyss Plains are unwilling to see the Abyss Plains, as an important transportation hub, completely controlled by any single force.

—The first layer of the abyss, the Plain of Ten Thousand Abyss, has long been characterized by a fragmented landscape of warlords, a result of the checks and balances among various forces!
Anzu, the demon's strategist, reported based on the intelligence he had gathered:

"It doesn't seem so."

"According to intelligence, a few years ago, a dimensional rift leading to the material plane appeared on the [Wanyuan Plain]."

"More than 30 demon lords of different levels in the abyss, connected by portals in the [Plains of Ten Thousand Abysses], have dispatched an expeditionary force to the material plane, driven by their desire to spread chaos and evil."

"These demon legions that went to the material plane suffered huge losses in the process of fighting against the elven royal court, the dwarven kingdom, the dragon lords, the dwarf lords and other forces in the material plane."

"Those more than 30 demon lords from different levels have weak military forces and will be unable to pay attention to the situation on their respective levels for at least a considerable period of time."

"This allowed the so-called magic empire of Eldoron to seize the opportunity and almost take control of the entire [Abyss Plain]!"

Zariel heard the satisfactory answer and revealed a thirsty smile.

The devilish grand duke strode forward, his majestic voice resounding throughout the army:

"Vanguard, listen to my command!"

"A change has occurred in the abyss."

"Now, the other demon lords connected to the [Abyss Plains] are too busy to bother us anymore."

"This time, we will definitely be able to control the entire [Abyss Plains] and seize control of this abyss!"

"Therefore, the original rest and recuperation plan is temporarily suspended. We must seize this opportunity and immediately advance into the hinterland!"

(End of this chapter)