After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

As it drew nearer, more and more young soldiers turned to stone while still alive. Some tried to avoid petrification by severing their limbs, but the power of the demon was faster than they could cut off their own limbs.

This power of the concept not only turned the flames spewed by the fire-breathing demon into stone, and human flesh into stone, but also turned the ground in which the petrified demon passed, the corpses of demon larvae and larvae, and even the stone itself into stone.

Things completely petrified by the petrifying demons cannot be restored, but even so, the young soldiers and veterans still had to continue their retreat despite the casualties. Just as they paused briefly after passing two giant fluorescent mushrooms, and just as they retreated all the way to a low-lying area, the youth army once again gained a foothold.

The young soldiers knew very well the order in which they would be sacrificed. They were the most worthless cannon fodder; in monetary terms, they were just two hundred copper coins that could be found anywhere.

The veterans were silver coins, or even gold coins. These bronze coins had to die before the gold coins so that they could deliver a devastating blow to the demons in the final battle.

Even so, nearly half of the youth soldiers had died. They cautiously maintained their shield wall formation, while the enraged fire-breathing demons charged through the passage between the two mushrooms, launching a fierce assault on the youth and veteran soldiers' formation.

The soldiers remained unmoved. And just as the shadow of the fire-breathing demon obscured the shield wall, the petrified demon's sluggish body finally appeared outside the passage.

In that instant, the ten veterans who had been lying in ambush on both sides leaped down from the mushrooms that had turned to stone. They grabbed the petrified demon by the neck and its back, all of them desperately trying to stab the petrified demon's eyes with their daggers, but the moment those daggers appeared in the petrified demon's eyes, they turned to stone along with the veterans' hands.

In a moment of crisis, a veteran leaped from the bottom up onto the petrifying demon's right eye—his entire abdomen turned to stone, but in doing so, he immobilized himself on the petrifying demon's right eye.

The petrified demon, having lost sight in one side, struggled and screamed as it tried to throw the humans off its back. It continued to ram against the surrounding walls, crushing the veterans into dust. As the fire-breathing demon turned and charged at it, exposing its vulnerable back, it also gave the surviving veterans an opportunity to attack.

As the petrifying demon shattered the humanoid statue above its right eye, it closed its right eye.

The petrified demon had not yet opened its right eye at the very moment it shattered the statue, its body stiffening uncontrollably, and before the fire-breathing demon could arrive with the javelin.

In that instant, the last two surviving veterans, all with intact limbs, rushed forward and, with all their might, stabbed the petrified demon in the right eye, which was tightly closed and protected by scales and thick eyelids.

Two veterans, four daggers. Two of the daggers pierced through the scales, went through the eyelids, and finally entered the petrified demon's right eye, where the veterans used their body weight to stir it wildly left, right, up, and down.

Purple blood gushed out, and this time, those things did not turn to stone.

"Awoooo ...

The petrifying demon let out a bloodcurdling shriek. It rolled on the ground, crushing the last two veterans into a bloody pulp, while simultaneously impaling the two daggers on its right eye. Its petrifying ability was weakened; moreover, it had developed a large blind spot besides its back. Now, the petrifying demon was extremely weak, and the fire-breathing demon that had risked exposing its back to rush back was also severely weakened by the javelin attack.

The veterans realized that the high-ranking demons in the Demon Lands might also be facing the same predicament as Constantinople. Because, logically speaking, a fire-breathing demon, with ample food, couldn't possibly be only ten meters tall—it should normally be twenty meters! It must be over twenty meters!

Moreover, that petrified lizard was far too fragile. According to previous records, a petrified lizard wouldn't have become like this after suffering a severe injury to one eye, needing its companion's help to even get up from the ground.

A petrifying demon would normally need to have both eyes severely damaged to end up in this state!

They all seemed too weak.

She is too weak.

It's just like the soldiers in Constantinople who are too hungry to fight for long... Is this really the kind of high-level demon that we would have to kill hundreds or thousands of people to take down even when we have advantageous, narrow terrain and war machines?!

Demons are living beings too. Demons without food, in some ways, might even suffer more than humans!

"I understand! The demons have been suffering from food shortages for a long time! It's even gotten to the point where the high-ranking demons themselves can't get enough to eat!"

The veteran commander Sarkozy shouted.

"They're just like us, a house that could collapse with a single push! Hurry! We have to press our advantage and not let these two high-ranking demons leave! Charge with me—what the hell?!"

With a curse from the veteran, the weakened fire-breathing demon helped the petrified demon to its feet. The fire-breathing demon, high above, roared weakly yet excitedly, severing its own forelimbs and letting its purple blood flow onto the ground, falling under the influence of gravity until it was finally transformed into scalding lava by the fire-breathing demon's special ability.

The fire-breathing demon seemed to understand its predicament. After regaining its composure, it created a large amount of blood through self-harm. Then, it ignited its own blood, turning the low-lying areas of the passage into lava, blocking the advance of the Bayrzens vanguard legion and giving the petrified demon a chance to breathe.

They were slowly retreating. Even so, the petrified demon, which had regained some strength, was staring intently at the army of the Bayrzans Empire with its only remaining left eye. Although the petrification efficiency had decreased significantly, this slower petrification experience, which made it impossible to get close to the culprit, became a nightmare for every young soldier who stood in front of the shield wall.

Ahead, the only passage was blocked by lava, and it was low on top of high. The lava had formed small rivers on the ground, making it impossible for humans to advance by simply stepping on it.

But if they don't advance, the petrifying demon's petrifying ability is already gradually manifesting in the young soldiers. Their shields have begun to slowly turn to stone, and if they don't find a way to kill the petrifying demon before they completely turn to stone, then they are destined to become stone statues as well.

What do we do?! How do we get close to those two slowly retreating demons?! How do we take them down before they return to their lair to warn us?! How do we find a way forward?!

The youth army commander, Mellist, was anxiously pondering, and it was in that instant that he saw it.

He saw the statue of the young soldier, still intact in the lava.

...He understood what to do.

"All young soldiers! Follow me!"

Mellist took the lead, raising his shield high and leading his men toward the lava pool ahead amidst the exclamations of his old friend.

"Melister! Melister?! What are you doing?! Come back here right now! Don't come here to your death!"

Sarkozy shouted, trying to get his companions to bring the lads back—but to no avail, which was precisely why this was not the time for pointless deaths.

They had to wait for the lava to cool, they had to rest, they had to—

Just as Sarkozy was extremely anxious and even had to risk petrification to lead 190 veterans forward to drag the young soldiers back.

The veterans saw all the young soldiers raising their shields high, then leaping into the lava pool the instant their bodies turned to stone.

Their sculpted bodies became pillars in the lava, and their stoned shields became bridges. Under the horrified gaze of the demons, the young soldiers built a bridge in the lava with their petrifying flesh and blood.

Sarkozy was stunned, and so were the veterans.

In the next instant, they saw Melist and the last few young soldiers, half-petrified, lying prone at the junction of the bridge and the high ground. In their final moments of petrification, they heard Melist's last words to the world:

"Hurry! Sarkozy! What are you waiting for?! The [Steps] have appeared! Step over our shields and corpses, kill that blind, fire-breathing one before we're melted! Hurry! Don't let them absorb any nutrients, hurry!"

Having said that, Meliste leaped into the air.

Ahead of the veterans, a bridge formed by the corpses of the young soldiers appeared.

They roared as they stepped onto their comrades, onto the stone bridges that had been built by the lives of those still-growing children and were slowly melting under the influence of lava. The fire-breathing demons and petrifying demons tried in terror to destroy these stone bridges, but before they could destroy the bridges, more and more veterans stepped over the petrified shields and onto the shoulders of their comrades, leaping onto the demons.

More and more veterans were crushed into mincemeat by the demons' struggles or thrown into the lava pools. The burning bodies emitted an alluring aroma, and with the sacrifice of the veterans, the two weakened demons were finally killed.

The two high-ranking demons, who were extremely weak from hunger, were finally killed by the vanguard army at the cost of 317 lives in a general offensive, thanks to the use of effective tactics and the advantageous narrow terrain.

This was a Pyrrhic victory. Aside from the petrifying demon, the fire-breathing demon was merely a nobody among the high-ranking demons, and even the petrifying demon was among the lowest-ranking members of its own group.

Even so, they still inflicted heavy losses on their side. The fire-breathing demon barely managed to unleash its special ability once throughout the entire mission; the scorching lava nearly caused its mission to fail, and this was just one of the demon's abilities.

Demons, terrifying enemies. Had they not taken advantage of the enemy's already emaciated state from hunger, this reconnaissance vanguard might have ended in total annihilation.

If nothing unexpected happens, there should be a few high-ranking demons in the Demon Lands who have eaten their fill and are recuperating, just like us... They are sharpening their weapons for the final battle, just like us.

After the demon died, its influence vanished completely. Apart from those items that had been completely petrified, most of the other semi-petrified items could still be preserved.

The veterans silently watched the statue of the youth army, which had been assimilated into the ground by the cooled lava. Saric, whose arm had been charred by the fire-breathing demon, patted Melist's petrified shoulder, then led the remaining troops forward without looking back.

The remaining 83 veterans traversed the passage through which they had previously encountered the demons. Along the way, they saw numerous corpses of starved demon larvae and larvae. It seemed that the demons' situation was, in some ways, even worse than that of Constantinople.

After all, demons need food to evolve. Their growth cycle is faster than that of humans, but conversely, they consume more food than humans—especially when the [mother] produces more demon larvae. The demons' food reserves will soon run out, eventually creating a large number of larvae that waste energy, and then they can only be left to die of hunger.

Veteran Sarkozy kicked a half-dead larva that happened to be passing by.

"They've already deployed larvae to the battlefield, this time even to the point of starving the less capable larvae—the demons are likely concentrating their efforts to create more [High-Rank Demons], and it has to be said, this is the right approach... After all, while demon larvae and demon larvae pose a significant threat to us, they are not the decisive force. They need more High-Rank Demons, and they're already willing to go to any lengths, just like us..."

"But it's too late for them to do this now, it's too late... We've secured the main force's route. Now, veterans, here, in this place where you can see the land of demons, build a defensive line for the main force's advance, and then let us hold this place to the death!"

Having said that, Sarkozy stepped over the last step of the gentle uphill slope.

Before him lay the crimson lair of demons in the "Demon Land," separated from Constantinople by only a wall to the left. There, countless pale, shriveled larvae chirped in search of food, while demons, blessed with exceptional talent, were feeding on their dwindling food supply: humans themselves, and the cockroaches and earthworms they could dig up nearby.

To the right is the elevator plaza, where the elevator platform is expected to descend, and which has been invaded by purplish-red fleshy buds extending from the demon's lair.

The elven reinforcements from the surface will descend there—to prevent the elves from being attacked from all sides, the main force of Bayrzan must risk their lives to build an unbreakable shield between the Demon Lands and the Elevator Plaza.

Before that, Sarkozy had to establish a simple camp at this small pass—a camp that could provide convenience for the main force, ensure the normal transfer of reserve troops in the confined area, and prevent the main force from being attacked from the rear by the demons after breaking through the flanks at the last moment.

So, we got to work.

Sarkozy ordered his veterans to begin operations. It was now midnight on January 1st, 006 in the Roman Empire calendar.

Above the elevator plaza that Sarkozy was looking out over, Yang Hao was directing the coalition forces in their final preparations.

The rear has already prepared supplies for the Bayern Empire for at least the next six months. These supplies can be transported to the rising position of Constantinople at any time, but that is on the condition that we win the upcoming war against the ancient demons.

After this period of emergency production, Yang Hao now has ten machine gun golems to assist him. Furthermore, all the elves on the expedition have been equipped with Japa 1404 rifles thanks to the elven artisans' overloaded production. This time, all armed units, including the machine gun golems, have received support with over one hundred enchanted bullets. These bullets, capable of easily penetrating armor and magical barriers, will surely give the demons a great surprise.

Moreover, the half-elves were also mobilized. Although they were not as talented as the pure elves, they had a strong sense of identity with the Bayezid Empire to which their fathers or mothers belonged—Fin gave all the half-elves a choice: they could choose to continue living in Gaparia after the Bayezid Empire reappeared on the land, or they could become citizens of Bayezid.

In this situation, almost all the half-elves willing to become citizens of Bayrzans enlisted. They were also equipped with Japa 1404 rifles, and although they might not be able to inflict as much damage on the enemy as regular troops, their numerical superiority should allow them to inflict some casualties on the demons.

In addition, there were accompanying elven archmages, and even an ancient elven tree... Fen was willing to let the edge of the Elven Forest shrink further in order to support her brotherhood. Her actions deeply moved Yang Hao, and at the same time, made him realize how difficult things would be ahead.

...He had been busy for a day and a night. But he still couldn't sleep at all. He checked the troop formation on the cleaned elevator platform one last time, confirming that Golem would be among the first to engage the demons, no matter what.

He entered a tent with bloodshot eyes.

There, Finn and Theresa, dressed in purple, were silently gazing at each other. They greeted Yang Hao when he entered, then remained silent.

They seemed to be having a little debate while they were working—Yang Hao looked thoughtfully at the half-empty cup of fruit tea on the table, then grabbed Teresa's full cup of fruit tea and drank it all in one gulp. He sighed.

"Now we can only wait for Bayer to give us a signal."

Yang Hao and Gaparia have done almost everything they could. The rest depends on the Bayer annexation team.

The three of them were speechless. After a moment, Theresa said she hoped Finn could go for a walk—she had something to say to Yang Hao.

The elf shrugged and teleported away, leaving Yang Hao helplessly watching the spot where she disappeared.

"To avoid affecting morale with my departure, the only option is teleportation...? What a petty attitude!"

“Because she just had a fight with me.” Teresa said, her head bowed. “Because I said…this might be your last two chances to bring me back to normal…because once I press that button, I will no longer be the Mother Teresa you know.”

"No, you are my Teresa."

"But it's different! Yang Hao, you know better than I do... When I wasn't Basilissa, I could wholeheartedly support you without any ulterior motives, and love you purely out of my own feelings... But now that I've become Basilissa, the Queen of Bayern, I... can no longer simply love you..."

"So what, Theresa?"

Yang Hao touched Theresa's hair, who was looking down.

So what?

They've come this far together, will he give up on her?

This is impossible.

"..."

He chose to refuse this opportunity to reinstate Teresa as "Mother Teresa." Since Teresa wanted to save Bayerzs and become its queen... then Yang Hao would naturally be willing to go through fire and water for her.

She will always be his Theresa. He knows that.

And it was during this time that Yang Hao and the purple-clad princess were spending time in silence.

The veterans of Sarachi were also wiped out.

Before being overwhelmed by the sea of ​​demon larvae, they left behind simple, readily available supplies hidden underground for the main force in the rear. They also drew the demons' attention away from the elevator plaza and onto the other side of the demon land, giving them more time to make strategic deployments for the upcoming decisive battle.

As he was dragged back to the Demon Land by the hideous, towering demon, Sarachi looked at the towering demonic shadow in the distance. He knew he had guessed correctly.