The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 632 The Demon King Who Protects the Players
The black sun fell from the sky and struck the altar located above the sea of ​​sand.

No explosion occurred.

Only deathly silence remained.

The entire space seemed to have been severed, swallowed by the all-consuming black flames that consumed everything—sound, light, and anything that tried to escape.

The boiling black flames burned for less than three seconds, yet it felt like an eternity.

When the black flames dissipated, the altar made of giant stones had completely disappeared from the ground, replaced by a deep, arched pit, the sand at the bottom of which had been burned into smooth, black glass.

The knight clad in black armor stood in the very center of the pit.

He seemed to have taken the blow head-on, with wisps of black energy emanating from his body, but he did not appear to be injured.

The ogre army surrounding the altar was stunned, including the ogre commander.

His mouth was agape, as if a watermelon could fit inside, and the warhammer in his hand was teetering on the edge, almost falling to the ground.

The players standing around were also watching that scene.

They all wore expressions of disbelief, exchanging glances and inwardly exclaiming how awesome the Demon King was.

Just as everyone was stunned by the Demon King's ultimate move, only one person noticed something amiss.

Seeing the vanished altar, the Pure Deer Man's expression changed, and he cried out in surprise.

"Holy crap! Where's the altar?"

"Why did you cut off your escape route?"

Upon hearing this, the players standing around also realized that they had cheered a little too soon.

"Yes, where's the altar?!"

"That damned demon king blew up the altar!"

"Damn it! Does that mean we can't go back?!"

Faced with the deep pit that remained in place, the players exclaimed that it was a rip-off, and even some veteran players were dumbfounded.

Unfortunately, they didn't know that their arrival had nothing to do with the altar.

The Demon King simply felt that the atmosphere was a bit lacking when there were only a few people, so he waved his hand and summoned them over.

However, figuring out how to get back is clearly not the main concern right now.

After all, the "event characters" given in the expansion pack are rarely brought back to the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

What truly made them exclaim "Holy crap!" was another ridiculous thing.

The black knight standing at the bottom of the pit looked up, stared at the sky above for a while, and then suddenly let out a cold laugh.

Then, it was as if a frame had been removed from the scene in the center of the pit, and the tall and majestic black figure vanished into thin air!
The wind blew across the empty pit, stirring up some charred sand. Only the footprints, still emanating a black aura, proved that the imposing figure had once existed.

The players standing around the deep pit stared wide-eyed, gradually realizing a cruel reality—

"Damn it! Where's the BOSS? Gone??" The pig-headed knight rubbed his eyes hard and couldn't help but swear.

The Minotaur Warrior standing next to him raised his hand and scratched his massive forehead.

"Hmm, it seems like it's really gone."

"This is ridiculous! They didn't even show a health bar, let us touch it!" The pig-headed knight angrily slammed his weapon into the sand, cursing, "What's the point of fighting then!"

He can't be the Demon King of the Dimensional Desert; it's all the fault of the game designers!
Gou Shi glanced at him subtly, his swollen, corpse-like face bearing a comical expression.

"Can't we fight to the very last moment?"

The expression on her face was equally subtle.

Although he had anticipated this outcome, he was still shocked by the inhumane nature of the dog's scheme.

Humans cannot, or at least should not...

Compared to the speechless silence of the veteran players, the newbies who had just entered the game reacted remarkably calmly.

Although they had no idea of ​​their own strength, they never thought they could defeat an opponent who was evenly matched with the Demon King with their mediocre skills.

on the contrary--

Focusing your energy on those cannibalistic minions is actually a more economical choice.

You can earn 10 contribution points for each ogre warrior you kill!

For them, who are still in the early stages of the game, this expansion pack is incredibly generous!
After this battle, the main characters will definitely be promoted by one rank!
[World-Destroying Evil God]: "Awoooooo! Let's just do it!"

[The feeling of flying]: "Charge!!!"

A group of newbies charged into the ogre army, reigniting the dormant battlefield.

Inspired by the newbies, the veteran players exchanged glances and followed suit.

The pig-headed knight grabbed the battle axe he had picked up, let out a howl, and charged towards the ogre warrior who was still standing there in a daze.

Anyway, I got this life for free—

Let's fight to the very last moment!
……

As the battle cries resumed, the ogre army standing opposite the players finally snapped out of their shock.

Especially that cannibalistic commander.

As he watched the mysterious human mage disappear from the battlefield, most of the fear in his heart vanished.

Although I don't know where that human mage went, I imagine he won't dare to come back anytime soon.

To prove his bravery before the chosen one of Kalmandes, he raised his warhammer high and roared an attack at the soldiers behind him.

"Sound the war drums! Raise your swords! Point them at your trembling prey!"

"In the name of Kalmandes, crush them!"

Rough roars echoed across the battlefield as the ogre army unleashed another earth-shattering howl, charging once more at the undead legion standing around the pit.

The weapons of the two sides clashed solidly, and a burst of hot blood quickly spurted out from the point of impact.

Battle axes cleaved through shields, swords pierced throats, and the two sides engaged in a brutal battle in the most primal way.

Just then, the catapults behind the ogre army were finally deployed.

Amidst the frantic efforts of a group of goblins, the massive crane slowly touched the ground.

An ogre carried a huge stone forward and placed it on a wooden bowl large enough to fit his entire body inside.

With a loud, guttural roar, the ogre standing in front of the catapult slammed his hammer onto the wooden platform.

The stones in the wooden basins shot into the sky like meteors, tracing rough parabolic arcs as they crashed into the players' positions.

"boom--!"

The massive boulder crashed into the sand, kicking up clouds of dust and indiscriminately smashing the fighting crowd into piles of minced meat.

"Holy crap?! They've even brought out catapults?!" The player who barely dodged the attack exclaimed in surprise.

The player standing next to him was dumbfounded and couldn't help but complain.

"These guys are so primitive!"

As it turned out, the ogres' siege weapons, though outdated, were surprisingly effective.

The projectiles seemed to be inscribed with runes, and as they fell from the sky, they appeared to have eyes. Although many ogres were accidentally injured, the projectiles were mostly aimed at the players.

"Terminal guidance is alright... These ogres' spells are something else." One Autumn Leaf calmly observed and analyzed the ogres' tactics while fighting the ogre warrior in front of him.

Now that the outcome of this battle is already decided, his next task is to gather as many weaknesses as possible from these ogres and prepare for the final battle to come.

With the introduction of siege weapons and the increasing number of ogre priests providing support from the rear, the battle situation took a sharp turn for the worse, quickly becoming unfavorable for the players.

Without the Demon King's support, the group buffs applied to them began to fade, and many players felt heavy, as if they were being tied with lead ingots.

This is not their original, tortured body.

Not only that, the corpses that fell to the ground no longer came back to life, while the ogres in the desert seemed endless.

"I really have no idea where these guys came from."

"Is the dimensional desert really that nourishing?"

"There are just too many of them!"

"That damn planner pulled another plot-driven kill!"

Amidst a cacophony of shouts, the Dragon Travelers gathered around Dragon Travelers gradually became unable to hold on.

"Brother! I'll go first! Take care!" Baili, his intestines spilling out, staggered a few steps and looked at his brother Wanli behind him.

After saying that, his eyes rolled back and he finally collapsed to the ground.

Seeing his sworn brother die in battle, Wanli let out a grief-stricken roar, his eyes burning with hatred, and charged forward, wielding his spear.

"Baili! Aaaaah, I'll fight you to the death!"

Seeing his boss suddenly acting crazy again, Qianli helplessly poked the bridge of his nose with his thick index finger.

This guy.

The sense of immersion is just too strong.

Thinking this, she turned her gaze forward and saw burning fire arrows igniting the sky and falling softly to the ground.

Interspersed among them were burning stone projectiles and fireballs that looked like real objects.

It's finally over.

To be honest, the character models in this expansion are really bizarre.

……

After sacrificing thousands more ogre corpses, the surging ogre army finally achieved its goal, slaughtering all its resurrected comrades.

As for the sacrificed goblins—

There are no statistics on the number of cannon fodder.

Looking at the blood-stained sand, the ogre general gasped for breath, his face contorted with rage.

Although they won the battle, they were utterly defeated in the end.

The altars gifted to them by the sages of the Magic Kingdom were completely destroyed, and even the priests who presided over the rituals were killed.

For the time being, they can only advance towards the holy city step by step.

"I'm going to eat you all! I'll devour you all sooner or later!" Still not satisfied, he roared, gripping his warhammer so tightly it creaked, and finally smashed the goblin beside him to pieces with one blow.

The lump of paste was carried away and, as food bestowed upon it by the general, was thrown into the stew pot to celebrate the victory... The night continued.

The ogre army has re-established its camp, and the players' soul mirror images have returned to their original starting point.

Although the battle ended in the defeat of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, it was not a loss for the players.

Players who were fortunate enough to participate said that they were able to experience the new character's gameplay firsthand, and that this expansion was definitely worth the price of admission.

Someone on the forum has already written a guide summarizing this battle, titled "Dimensional Desert Survival Report: A Guide to Using the Ogre's Body and a Collection of Common Mishaps".

The post quickly garnered over 100,000 likes.

Hopefully, next time, they can use the experience gained from this battle to push back from the main battlefield...

……

The air swayed slightly.

Luo Yan reappeared on the outskirts of the town of Menglusong, standing on a pile of ravaged altar ruins.

The Gate of Chaos had cooled down, and the runes on the stone pillars no longer emitted any light.

Sarah was the first to notice him.

A glint flashed in her amber eyes, and in the next instant, she was already beside him.

She didn't speak, but gently twitched her nostrils to make sure he didn't smell of injury before gently lowering one of her cat ears.

"Your Highness!" Eileen's voice rang out immediately afterward as she quickly walked towards Colin.

"Are you ok?"

Her emerald green eyes were filled with worry as Eileen looked at him with concern.

Meeting those concerned gazes, Luo Yan smiled gently and put away his wand.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Hearing this, Eileen breathed a sigh of relief, and a gentle smile spread across her face.

"Honestly... you're moving way too fast. Next time, at least take me with you."

Luo Yan's expression was somewhat subtle.

Perhaps he should be more honest, but he really hadn't figured out how to tell Eileen what was going on with him.

"I'll definitely do it next time."

In the end, he gave an ambiguous answer, which he considered a response to her concern.

Fortunately, Eileen didn't understand the meaning behind those words and instead showed a genuine smile of joy on her face.

At this moment, Ophia leaned over from Luo Yan's side and gently sniffed.

That move was probably learned from Sarah.

However, to Luo Yan's surprise, she actually smelled something.

"What just happened? Professor, why do you smell of sand on you?"

Luo Yan noticed that the little girl had cast a spell to enhance her sense of smell, and her delicate nose was emitting a pale green glow.

No wonder I could smell it.

"I went to the dimensional desert."

"A dimensional desert?!" Eileen's eyes widened in surprise.

Luo Yan nodded slightly, his expression as calm as ever, and recounted some of what had happened earlier.

"The ogres deployed teleportation altars in the desert, which, together with the magicians of the Academy, deployed teleportation arrays within the Kingdom of Ryan for long-distance teleportation... Of course, I didn't see any human magicians there, only a two-headed ogre priest."

"What is his strength?" Theresa, who was standing to the side, quickly asked the question that concerned her the most.

Luo Yan replied in a gentle tone.

"I estimate he's at the Platinum level, but he's a Chosen One of Chaos, so he might be able to hold his own against a Diamond-level powerhouse. But don't worry, I've already destroyed the altar, and I've killed that ogre priest. I'm just not sure how long it will take them to rebuild the altar. And... where will the next portal appear?"

"It seems that Huangtong Pass has indeed fallen." Ophia's face was solemn as she bit her lip.

She remembered that her father had worried about this matter a lot since she was very young. And today, the Senate's worst fears had come true.

Compared to threats from hell, the corruption of chaos clearly touches the soul more deeply.

Seeing the worry written all over Ophia's face, Alice, who was standing to the side, took a deep breath and stepped forward to offer her advice.

“Miss, I suggest you return to the Holy City immediately. This place is no longer suitable for you to stay.”

“That won’t do!” Ophia raised her eyebrows and retorted to Elifit, “I am a descendant of the Castellion family. Do you expect me to abandon the people of the Holy Light and run away alone at this time?”

Elifite was taken aback, not expecting Ophia to respond like that.

"But……"

"No buts, Elliefelt, but there's one thing I can't do in following your advice about."

Ophia looked at her intently, her tone and eyes equally resolute, "If the people of the borderlands knew that the nobles of the Holy City fled at the mere sight of Chaos... what would they think of us? Our image in the eyes of the locals is already bad enough; we can't let this continue!"

Looking at Miss Ophia's resolute expression, Alice was speechless for a moment.

She remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

“But… what can we do here? Although you are a descendant of the Castellion family, this is not the empire. Even your father could not bypass the Senate to command any of the armies here.”

Even getting through the Senate would be difficult. The Ottoman Empire is no longer the empire of a thousand years ago. The Senate already has difficulty completely controlling the empire's directly administered provinces, let alone commanding vassal states.

In this respect, St. Clement's Cathedral actually held more sway. When the Inquisition arrived, the vast majority of feudal lords would cooperate with them, both in terms of mobilizing manpower and resources.

Looking at Alice with her head bowed, Ophia spoke in a firm voice.

"There's not much we can do, but at least we can contribute our strength, at least let the people here know... that the Holy City stands with them and has not failed the faith they have given us."

As she spoke, her voice softened slightly, and her azure eyes became much gentler.

"Of course, besides these, there are many other specific things we can do. For example, we can take in magic apprentices who have escaped from the Northern Wastes, organize them to join the front lines against Chaos, and even send people to the Northern Wastes to rescue those who intend to break away from the control of the Great Sage."

Alice looked at Ophia in surprise, sensing a hint of unfamiliarity in those wise eyes.

Feeling a little embarrassed by those staring eyes, Ophia raised her slender white index finger and scratched her cheek.

"Did I...did I say anything strange?"

"No, miss."

Elliefelt snapped out of her daze, gently shook her head, and the surprise on her face gradually turned into relief.

“I’m just happy for you and Prince Andrei…you’ve grown up.”

Hearing this heartfelt praise, Ophia smiled and felt a surge of pride.

“You have a good eye, Elliefit. I’m glad you’ve finally seen my growth. Also…”

She swept her golden hair that had fallen over her shoulders behind her back, her gaze drifting to Luo Yan standing to the side, and she winked playfully.

"Thanks to His Highness Colin."

Elliefelt paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Prince Colin standing to the side, her expression gradually becoming strange.

She was increasingly suspicious that something had probably happened between the two of them in Roland City.

Ophia probably didn't tell her the truth about this.

Clearly, Elliefeld wasn't the only one who misunderstood; Theresa, with her eyes wide with astonishment, was also on the receiving end.

This dialogue—

I feel like I've seen her in some book before!
Perhaps because she hadn't read enough leisure books, Eileen didn't think too much of it. However, after seeing Ophia's sweet expression, a complex emotion still flashed in her emerald green eyes.

It has nothing to do with jealousy.

It has nothing to do with jealousy.

However, after confirming Ophia's sincere feelings, she felt a little guilty about taking Prince Colin away from Miss Ophia.

Eileen gently closed her eyes and silently repented in her heart.

I'm sorry, Ophia, you're a good girl.

But there is one thing I absolutely cannot give up to you, Your Highness Colin.

He was far too important to both Eileen and the Campbells.

Sarah's gaze swept back and forth among the crowd. Her calm expression, bathed in moonlight, exuded an ambiguous aura.

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on him again, Luo Yan, who had just used up a lot of magic power, felt increasingly exhausted.

Fortunately, they heard a commotion coming from the direction of the town, and saw torches approaching their location.

Those were militia members from a nearby town.

After a noisy commotion of gongs and drums, they finally gathered together in a panic.

The crooked and shaky procession somehow managed to gather 300 guns, while the rest of the able-bodied young men also carried pitchforks and short swords and followed the main force. Looking around, there were more than a thousand people!
Luo Yan was very satisfied with their courage.

However, it must be said that this number is still somewhat insufficient to deal with ogres.

Fortunately, he was a little slow on his return journey; otherwise, that picturesque little town would probably have met with dire consequences.

It's not just Menglusong Town.

The portal on that altar connects to at least twenty destinations.

It's possible that the Great Sage and the ogre army's target isn't just the Lane region, but also includes the nearby Duskwood province and Campbell downstream of the Flowing River.

"...Let's stop this small talk for now. The militia from the nearby town are on their way. We need to tell them what's going on here so they can be mentally prepared for what's to come...either strengthen our defenses or temporarily move to the nearby castle."

The ravaging ogres saved the Republic of Lion, but it's hard to say whether it was a good thing or a bad thing for the latter.

Luo Yan coughed lightly, diverting everyone's attention from him.

Then, he turned his gaze to the young mage who was wearing an anti-magic collar around his neck and was trembling.

He was the only one among the three who activated the teleportation array to survive.

"As for this prisoner, let's hand him over to the locals for now. We need to get back to Twilight Province as soon as possible."

What worried him was not only the ogre army, but also the mysterious Chosen of Chaos.

It's a pity that the players couldn't determine the depth of that guy's abilities.

He was still unaware of what kind of surprise Kalmandes had prepared for him...

(End of this chapter)