How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 250 Before the Storm

The vast grasslands have no unified laws and no fixed borders.

There is only a nominal kingdom pieced together from tens of thousands of tribes of varying sizes.

Each tribe can range from a small number of people, with only a hundred or so, to a large number of people, with tens of thousands.

Each tribe has its own shaman who carries on ancient sacrificial rituals and devoutly worships their respective ancestral spirits.

The ten most powerful tribes on the grasslands will jointly form the Grassland Khanate, and select the strongest warrior in the entire grasslands to be honored as the "Lord of the Blue Wolves, the Common Lord of the Wind and Horses".

For over a thousand years, the steppe tribes have never ceased their raids, making them the mortal enemies of the free city-states for generations.

Kane tapped his fingertips lightly on the surface of the ebony desk, listened quietly to Arundel's report, and slowly said, "The situation in the grasslands is more chaotic than I expected."

I have a general understanding of the situation of the Demon Cult—they were able to quietly take 200,000 people away from the duchy, which clearly means they took a secret route.

Behind this, there must be unscrupulous merchants secretly providing assistance.

He looked up at Arundel, noticing the weariness and vicissitudes that now etched his already wrinkled face, and softened his tone: "You've worked hard. Over the past five years, you've faced immense pressure and uncovered dozens of secret strongholds of the Demon Cult across the continent."

"Next, I'll give you a month's vacation. Spend some quality time with Bella."

"Bella—" Arundel's lips moved, hesitating, but finally looked at Kane and spoke with difficulty.

"she----"

"I ordered her to take the potion, which disabled her spellcasting ability."

2

Kane knew what he was going to say and interrupted him directly.

"I would never allow a third-tier illusion master with deep ties to the demon cult to leave the dungeon while she is still a threat."

To this day, a contingent of guards remains stationed day and night around the manor, monitoring her every move.

"Arundel, I have been more than generous."

Bella is your mentor and your wife, but my patience has its limits.

Arundel lowered his head deeply, his voice hoarse: "I'm sorry, I overstepped my bounds."

Kane watched his hunched back as he left the study and nodded slightly.

The heavy wooden door closed slowly as the soldiers pushed it shut, making a dull thud.

Silence returned to the study.

Kane picked up the official documents on the table again and continued to read them.

During his five years as regent, his daily schedule was packed.

I get up at four o'clock every morning to deal with mountains of official documents, coordinate the research of the Dharma Academy and the development progress of various workshops, and stay busy until eight o'clock in the morning.

After a quick breakfast, he received envoys from various countries.

He attended the Council of Nobles in the morning to hear reports from all sides and make final decisions on important matters.

In the afternoon, he communicated with the generals of the four major army groups one by one to finalize the deployment and training plans of the troops.

At night, they would secretly meet with representatives of organizations such as the Lamplighters, the Harpists' Alliance, and the Dark Brotherhood to issue various tasks regarding the acquisition of arcane tomes, the eradication of demonic cults, and the investigation of the Church of the Dead.

He often had to work until late at night before he could return to his palace and fall asleep in the arms of Logan Susas, who had also just finished dealing with government affairs.

"If it weren't for my immortal physique and intelligence far exceeding that of ordinary people, I probably would have died from overwork in the first year."

Kane shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, his gaze falling on the system panel that only he could see.

The level column clearly shows Lv40 (MAX).

After becoming regent, he ordered the four major army groups to venture deep into dangerous areas within Sussas, even the perilous Dark Forest, to hunt or capture a large number of monsters.

After these monsters were brought back to the royal court, he personally finished them off.

The corpses were all sent to the mage academy for anatomical research or alchemical experiments.

That's why his level was able to soar to the maximum level in just five years.

However, due to a lack of core advanced knowledge for fourth-tier professions, he was unable to break through that invisible barrier.

"It seems it's time to make a trip to that labyrinth."

Kane's eyes flickered slightly, and he muttered to himself.

"The labyrinth at the border between Sussas and the Free City."

Back then, the two third-tier academy deans joined forces to explore, but one died and the other was seriously injured.

But now I can directly mobilize an entire army group, plus the various new weapons developed over the past five years, so the risks are manageable.

"Furthermore, the Demon Cult was able to secretly harbor 200,000 people in the grasslands for five years. All those who knew about it either mysteriously disappeared or committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

Even Risa's ability to infiltrate other people's dreams as a sleep demon failed to yield many useful clues.

Moreover, the Lord of the Blue Wolves of the grasslands was willing to violate the non-aggression pact between the six kingdoms in order to risk his life to protect these demon cultists.

This shows that their scheme is by no means trivial.

"But this time, we only lost three teams of spies, and we unexpectedly discovered this secret that had been hidden for five years."

This either means that the patriarch of the demonic cult is about to launch his final plan, or it means that he has no longer bothered to hide.

Kane silently pondered in his mind, his gaze falling on the continental map spread out on the desk, his fingertips slowly tracing the border between the grasslands and the free city-states.

dong dong dong.

A heavy knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Please come in," Kane said without looking up.

The door was gently pushed open, and the clerk, Ellafinafen, walked in.

She looked at Kane, who sat upright behind his desk, exuding an aura of authority, pursed her lips, and reported in a low voice, "Your Highness, Master Lucas has sent word that he has made a major breakthrough."

"Prepare the car."

Kane stood up, his voice completely calm.

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards outside the door immediately sprang into action.

A moment later, a royal carriage pulled by four pure black warhorses arrived, escorted by two squads of elite guards.

We drove out of the palace and headed towards the secret alchemy workshop located on the other side of the royal city.

The carriage eventually stopped in front of an unassuming gray stone castle.

The group passed through layers of guards and entered the underground of the stone fortress.

This place is less a workshop and more a giant dungeon that extends dozens of meters underground.

The cold, damp air was filled with the stench of blood and sulfur, and the mournful cries of prisoners and the roars of demons could be heard from time to time.

Kane descended the stone steps under the heavy guard of the Royal Guard.

He ignored the various sounds coming from the cells on both sides, keeping his eyes straight ahead and his face expressionless.

Five years ago, he personally pulled Lucas out of the dungeon, giving him a chance to redeem himself.

Establish a separate, secret experimental base here, specifically for developing weapons and potions against demons and other evil creatures.

To this end, he not only allocated massive amounts of funds and supplies, but also continuously sent death row inmates from various places, as well as possession potions seized from the demon cult.

Under the influence of the possession potion, these death row inmates are forcibly transformed into various low-level demons.

But before these newly born demons could even display any destructive power, they would be subdued by the guards who were already waiting nearby, and then sent directly to the dissection table or the laboratory table.

In addition, a large number of scholars from the Necromancer's Division, as well as fugitive spellcasters and alchemists wanted by various countries, were brought here.

Bound by the Styx Oath, they conducted various forbidden studies with Lucas.

Upon reaching the experimental area at the deepest part of the dungeon, Lucas was already waiting there with a group of black-robed apprentices.

He hunched over, his face plastered with a fawning smile, and bowed deeply to Kane: "Your Highness, the thing you've always wanted, I've finally succeeded in developing!"

Kane spoke calmly, a hint of impatience in his voice: "Master Lucas, I've already invested far too much gold in you."

I don't want to hear any more of that pointless nonsense about "mixing silver powder into potions and sprinkling it on demons."

The treasury of Sussas cannot sustain your repeated defeats.

Lucas's smile froze for a moment, then he quickly put on an even more obsequious expression and said, "This time, I definitely won't let you down!"

"Then show us your results."

Please come with me.

Lucas nodded respectfully, then turned to the black-robed apprentice beside him and whispered a few instructions.

The group followed Lucas to a huge space that resembled an underground arena.

The area is surrounded by high stands, with a dueling arena in the center paved with obsidian.

As the heavy iron gate was pushed open, three death row inmates dressed in the new uniforms of the Sussas entered the dueling arena.

Their faces were etched with tension, but their equipment was top-notch.

All three are equipped with the latest standard equipment after the military reform, and all three possess professional-level skills.

The three had a clear division of labor:

One man held a heavy tower shield and carried a long spear on his back.

One person was equipped with a military heavy crossbow and a short spear at his waist.

The last person carried a light crossbow and also had a long spear on his back.

boom!

The iron gate on the other side was also opened.

With a piercing sound of chains being dragged, a fire demon that had been firmly imprisoned was pulled out.

Its wings had been severed at the base, and its feet were bound with thick steel chains, requiring the combined efforts of four fully armed guards to barely restrain it.

Its eyes, burning with flames, gleamed with a low level of intelligence, as well as an innate cunning and cruelty.

Upon seeing this demon, Kane in the stands frowned slightly.

The Fire Demon is one of the few demons immune to Iron Powder Arrows.

These demons are born with medium to high fire resistance, and the iron powder arrows that rely on high temperatures to burn and kill their targets cause them negligible damage.

In the Abyss Plane, the Fire Demon can barely be considered a mid-tier demon.

Despite being suppressed by the rules of the material plane, his strength can only be exerted at the second-tier level.

However, their flight capabilities and long-range flamethrowing abilities have caused headaches for many melee Tier 3 professionals.

In a sense, they can be considered pseudo-third-order demons.

"Open its mouth."

Lucas gave the order to the guards.

Soon, the two black-robed apprentices waved their staffs and lifted the seal on the Fire Demon's mouth.

The iron ball that had blocked its mouth had just landed.

A blazing fireball shot out of its mouth and slammed into the stone wall opposite, burning a large, charred crater.

The crowd in the stands frowned, while the three death row inmates in the dueling arena turned pale with fright.

"alright."

Lucas turned to the three trembling soldiers and spoke.

"What you have to do is apply this special potion to your weapons and kill it."

If you can kill it, not only will your death sentence be immediately waived, but you will also be given land.

The only condition is that you must answer the call to serve Sussas when the nation needs you.

"yes!"

Upon hearing this promise, the three of them instantly lit up with excitement.

Although his eyes were still filled with fear as he looked at the Fire Demon, they were filled with even more longing for life and yearning for the land.

For these death row inmates, this was undoubtedly a tremendous blessing.

Kane's gaze remained calm and unwavering.

Soon, at Lucas's command, all the chains on the three-meter-tall Fire Demon were removed.

It suddenly broke free from its restraints, letting out a deafening roar, and spewed raging flames at the nearest shield-wielding soldier.

The shield-wielding soldier gritted his teeth and raised his tower shield to block in front of him.

This shield, crafted from black pine and coated with a special fire-retardant alchemy, barely managed to block the flames.

But before the soldiers could catch their breath, the enraged Fire Demon charged forward.

Its spiky tail swept fiercely through the gap beneath the shield.

The soldier had no time to react before he was struck squarely in the chest.

He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, along with fragments of his shattered internal organs, and flew out like a kite with a broken string.

He fell heavily to the ground and died instantly.

"Damn demon!"

The other two soldiers, who had just coated their crossbow bolts with the new potion, immediately raised their crossbows and pulled the triggers at the demon that was within reach.

Several crossbow bolts were broken by the Fire Demon's waving claws, but a few still managed to hit its chest with precision.

However, the crossbow bolt only pierced its hard scales shallowly before bouncing off to the ground.

The Fire Demon's face revealed a human-like mocking expression, while the two soldiers fell into despair.

Kane's brow furrowed even more deeply in the stands.

But at that moment, the Fire Demon's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he let out an extremely shrill roar.

It frantically scratched at the spots on its body where it had been hit by crossbow bolts, as if something was gnawing at its flesh there, its painful roars echoing throughout the underground arena.

"Kill it!"

The reversal of the situation allowed the two soldiers to react instantly.

They immediately threw away their crossbows, grabbed spears that had already been coated with potion, and charged towards the Fire Demon.

Two spears pierced precisely into the bloody wounds on the fire demon's body.

The specially constructed triangular spearhead easily tore through its scales and muscles, penetrating deeply inside.

roar-!

The Fire Demon roared in agony, spewing out another fireball from its mouth.

One soldier was unable to dodge in time and was instantly engulfed by flames, letting out a piercing scream before turning into a human torch.

Another soldier's eyes hardened, and he suddenly pulled out his spear, then used all his strength to plunge it into the Fire Demon's open throat.

Pfft—!

Black demon blood splattered everywhere.

The Fire Demon clutched its throat in agony, trying to pull out the spear, but its strength was rapidly waning.

The malevolent light in those burning eyes gradually faded, eventually turning into a deathly silence.

A moment later, the massive body, over three meters tall, slammed heavily onto the obsidian ground with a dull thud.

Having lost its ability to fly and becoming careless due to underestimating its enemies, this powerful pseudo-Tier 3 demon was ultimately killed by three humans whose strength was far inferior to its own, at the cost of two deaths and one injury.

The only surviving soldier stood there, stunned, staring at the blood and corpses scattered on the ground.

Soon, a team of staff dressed in black robes entered the dueling arena and took away the corpses of the two human soldiers, the remains of the Fire Demon, and the surviving soldier.

"Your Highness Regent, look at the results of my experiment—"

Lucas rubbed his hands together, his face full of expectant smiles.

Kane's eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly spoke: "Tell me, what's the principle behind it? As long as the results are useful, you'll get everything you want."

Kane didn't care about Lucas's character.

During this critical period, he is willing to accept any means necessary as long as useful results can be achieved.

Lucas immediately smiled obsequiously and began to explain in detail the working principle of the potion.

Kane listened quietly, a thoughtful expression on his face.

It is obviously impractical to forge weapons from pure silver.

Even though there are silver-producing countries on the mainland, the amount of silver mined is limited and the price is extremely high, making it impossible to compare with iron and thus impossible to equip the army on a large scale.

But Lucas found a clever alternative.

Instead of using a large amount of silver, he simply crafted a huge pure silver crucible, then dug up soil from the area surrounding the silver mines of the Silver Kingdom and boiled it in the silver pot along with water.

Finally, the essence liquid obtained from boiling was filtered and purified to create this special anti-magic potion.

Experiments have shown that this potion, when applied to weapons, has a very strong restraining effect on demons.

The only drawback is that its damage output is still inferior to that of pure silver or silver-plated weapons, and it is only a one-time use weapon.

"However, that's enough."

Kane's heart skipped a beat, and he spoke to Lucas.

"Go to the clerk, Elafinafin, today and tell her that all the silver reserves in the national treasury will be allocated to you."

She will do as she is told.

I demand that you produce this medicine in large quantities as quickly as possible.

"The logistics departments of the four army groups will soon be contacting you."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Lucas knelt respectfully on one knee, watching Kane's figure disappear at the end of the passage.

late at night.

Kane returned to the highest white tower of the Sussas Palace by carriage.

This white pagoda was rebuilt on the site of the old white pagoda that was destroyed by fire five years ago.

He hadn't originally planned to rebuild the white tower, but Logan Susas persuaded him otherwise.

She said that the Supreme White Tower is the soul symbol of the entire Sussas royal court.

As long as all Sussas people can look up and see this white tower, they will know that the royal court still exists and their country still exists.

It was for this reason that he ultimately decided to allocate some of the scarce manpower and resources to rebuild the white tower.

He entered the bedroom located on the top floor of the White Tower, and a pair of warm, soft arms gently wrapped around his waist from behind.

"Kane—my dear Regent, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Logan's gentle voice rang in his ears.

"You should go to bed earlier."

Kane turned around and gently hugged her.

Logan shook his head, rested his head on Kane's shoulder, and said softly, "I want to wait for you to sleep together—by the way, a Lantern Knight named Shar from the Lanternmen organization came by today and reported some unusual activity in the neighboring country of Nord."

"I've already read her report."

Kane nodded.

Seeing Kane's calm expression, Logan breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "I also know the clues that Arundel brought back. I understand the Demon Cult's plot in the grasslands."

We have been preparing for five years, and everything has been perfected in terms of the military, politics, and people's livelihood.

Kane, what are you still afraid of? No matter how many demons there are, we have four army groups totaling a million men, enough to wipe them all out.

You don't need to push yourself so hard.

Kane gave a faint smile and gently stroked her long hair.

Logan obediently lowered his head, before the incomparably majestic Queen Sussas in the court.

At this moment, in front of her beloved, she is just a gentle little woman.

After a long while, Kane slowly spoke: "We have been preparing for five years, and the patriarch of that demonic cult has also been preparing for five years."

Since we can detect their movements, they can naturally also detect our deployment.

If nothing unexpected happens, war will break out soon.

The first to be engulfed in flames will be the grasslands; then the free city-states of the south; and finally, it will be our turn, Susas.

Only when the grasslands are completely destroyed and the free city-states are in grave danger.

Only then will the other five nations truly realize that this is not an ordinary rebellion, but a world-ending crisis capable of destroying the entire continent.

"Logan, for Susas, for our children, I must make the most of every minute and second and be fully prepared."

After listening, Logan silently lowered his head.

Kane reached out and gently placed his hand on her slightly protruding belly.

A gentle smile played on his lips, but his eyes became incredibly firm and stern.