Chapter 31: The Heavenly Continent’s Tides Are Turning
This demon beast was quite cunning. Upon Qin Chu’s attack, it did not immediately retaliate.
Assaulting a noble carried an extremely severe crime – if it fought back, the knights beside Qin Chu could directly kill it on the spot, leaving not even ashes to make a case.
Such was the outrageous authority nobles wielded in this world.
However, it knew tensions currently ran high between commoners and nobles. Though the imperial court and nobles publicly claimed to have relinquished some benefits to ease conflicts, it could not fully mask the rift between classes.
It intended to capitalize on this discontent to make Qin Chu hesitate in hopes of sparing itself.
What it did not expect was that Qin Chu was no noble, and would certainly not act in their manner.
Hearing the melon vendor’s shrieks, Qin Chu remained unfazed, chuckling lightly. His tone was calm, voice deep yet full of courtly grace – an attitude befitting elegant noble discourse rather than devouring a demon beast.
“You misspoke, sir.”
“I am no noble, but rather…the newly summoned hero.”
Qin Chu revealed his identity.
Upon those words, the melon vendor’s face instantly drained of color.
Though only overnight, news of the banquet incident had already spread far and wide. He knew the newly summoned hero possessed a mysterious, formidable Authority able to see through demon beast disguises.
In other words, this hero before him had already discerned his true nature.
Understanding this, defiance swelled as he snatched up a melon knife, stabbing towards Qin Chu’s stomach.
Clang!
Before the blade could touch Qin Chu’s skin, it was deflected.
A greatsword arced in a horizontal sweep – shick – cleaving the melon vendor in two at the waist.
A white, viscous fluid splattered out, noxious stench rapidly spreading.
Bisected, the melon vendor finally revealed his original pallid, grotesque worm-like form – a Phantom Demon.
Truly a demon beast, worthy of being the hero.
The surrounding guards’ reverence for Qin Chu deepened.
As commoners gradually gathered, seeing these knights slaughter the melon vendor, they initially burned with outrage. The empire’s newly enacted laws prohibited such acts – how dare this brutal noble still behave so?
Yet before they could flare up, they noticed the two wriggling severed segments, faces paling as they realized something was amiss.
Tsk…
Rather regrettable, this one’s powers were not fully devoured before Maritisee killed it. At least a third went to waste.
After a brief silence, Qin Chu turned to address the surrounding commoners with a slight bow. “Everyone, I am the newly summoned hero of the Heavenly
Continent…please do not panic, I am merely eradicating the demon beasts lurking within the city.”
The hero entered the commoner district to eliminate demon beasts for their protection?
Weren’t heroes only meant to serve the royals, churches and nobles? When did they also start protecting commoners?
For a moment, the onlookers’ expressions varied, some finding it hard to accept this reality.
Qin Chu did not linger, swiftly turning to search for his next target.
Maritisee hurriedly followed behind. “Lord Hero…”
She felt some melancholy – the earlier situation had been far too dangerous.
If not for her timely intervention, the hero would have been disemboweled.
“When you detect new targets, could you please warn me first? Do not recklessly approach, it’s too perilous…”
“My apologies, I cannot. Only by physically touching them can I confirm if they are truly demon beasts. We wouldn’t want any innocents mistakenly slain…though if you can restrain my chosen targets first before I check, that would likely be safer.”
Maritisee’s eyes lit up – that was an excellent method, befitting the hero’s wisdom.
…
Elsewhere, Candice had already departed the imperial capital.
Her figure flitted through desolate wilderness, needing to personally notify the Seven Princes of Shield Guardian Benson’s route as per Lord Horus’s instructions.
She held no desire to interact with those unsightly creatures. But she lacked the courage to refuse Lord Horus’s orders.
She did not know Lord Horus’s true intentions, only that herself, the Seven Princes and even the hero were all merely pawns in his plans.
As pawns, they had to demonstrate their value.
The tides in the Heavenly Continent were about to turn violently.
Traveling day and night, Candice finally halted before a mountain on the second night.
Surveying her surroundings, the verdant forest shrouded in an oppressive, heart-pounding gray-black mist.
The stillness of night lacked even cricket chrrips or winds.
This was clearly a dead domain, suffocating even with Candice’s half-demon beast bloodline.
Gray-white fog wreathed the mountain foothills, eerie and unsettling.
Taking a deep breath, Candice suppressed her apprehension before kneeling before the peak. “Candice, Agent #34 of the Auville Empire’s capital, bearing urgent tidings for the Seven Princes.”
Silence reigned all around.
She knew her mixed identity meant the demon beasts would not readily grant her an audience with the Seven Princes. Perhaps at this very moment, mocking laughter echoed from the obscuring mists.
“This is vital intelligence. Any delays could result in grave consequences,” Candice added.
After a long while, a pale gray figure flickered indistinctly amid the fog, hinting at a distorted humanoid silhouette.
“Candice, what vital intelligence could you possibly have?”
“Tell me, and I shall relay it to the Seven Princes.”
The grating, shrill voice was extremely unpleasant to the ears. Accompanying it, grotesque limbs twisted and contorted more frequently within the mists, the being’s body resembling an amorphous, constantly undulating lump of flesh.
“My apologies, this intelligence is of grave importance. I must see the Seven Princes in person.”
Candice’s reply clearly angered the demon beast in the fog, the surrounding gray-white mists instantly churning violently into a massive skull formation – sinister and unsettling.
With a whoosh, the skull rushed at Candice, gaping maw as if to swallow her whole.
“Filthy half-breed mongrel tainted with human blood, how dare you speak to me this way? What right do you have to face the Seven Princes?”
A chilling glint flashed across Candice’s eyes as she nearly lost control, fingers clenching as the hatred in her chest towards demon beasts intensified.
They could not even feign basic courtesy despite her working for them.
In an instant, the massive skull formed from mists loomed before Candice, that gaping blood-red maw about to devour her in the next moment!
Throughout, Candice remained utterly motionless.
“Halt…”
Just as Candice was about to be consumed, a muffled, drum-like voice echoed from deep within the mountain.
The massive skull abruptly froze, immediately retreating and dissipating as if never present.
“Let her enter.”
The mists parted to reveal a narrow path.
The mountain face was merely a hollow shell, its interior long since excavated by demon beasts to serve as a temporary encampment for the Seven Princes.
Through the mists on either side, countless distorted, writhing limbs could be vaguely glimpsed – a hair-raising sight, untold multitudes of black and crimson eyes piercing forth to fix on Candice’s petite form.
Even with her formidable will, Candice could not help shuddering under those soulless gazes devoid of any kindness.
Raspy wheezes, mournful wails, anguished screams – a cacophony of tormented sounds assaulted her from all sides.
The demon beasts’ domain – no normal human could approach. The sounds, sights, scents – a multifaceted onslaught sufficient to shatter one’s very soul.
Exhaling deeply, Candice reopened her eyes, proceeding deeper along the cleared path.
The overwhelming dread persisted for what felt like an eternity before Candice finally halted her steps.
The mountain’s hollow interior had been fashioned into a miniature palace. Within, a throne wrought from bleached bones, its armrests formed by two pallid skulls.
And seated upon that throne towered an immense figure – an oppressive, dozens-of-meters-tall presence looming over all.
It had dusky crimson skin as unyielding as tempered steel, massive veins pulsing visibly beneath.
Its limbs were coated in thick, gleaming metallic scales. Its overall form resembled a gigantified human – except with wickedly curved, scythe-like claws at the ends of fingers and toes.
Atop its immense skull, two curved ram’s horns protruded.
One colossal arm propped up its massive, eye-sized crimson orbs as they fixed on Candice’s diminutive figure below.
Gulp… Candice could not help swallowing hard.
Romm*(1), the Seventh Son of the Eternal Sovereign!
Candice served under Romm, but no matter how many times she faced him, that overwhelming pressure still crushed down upon her – as if bowing before an avalanche, volcanic eruption and tsunami combined into one.
The intangible pressure made Candice’s body tremble, an urge to prostrate herself almost overwhelming.
A thought suddenly arose in her mind – between Romm and Lord Horus, who was truly stronger?
Romm*(1):罗蒙: Luo Meng , almost similtar to
