Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 23 Tongcheng Tunnel
Click, click.

A knight clad in silver armor paced slowly, his solitary footsteps echoing through the deep, empty corridor.

The torches on the wall burned, reflecting the knight's blood-stained body.

This is the Tongcheng Tunnel, the final checkpoint leading to the city built on the Storm Plateau, the "Storm Veil" of Stonewell.

Serving as a buffer zone when defending the city, the towering outer walls completely shielded Stoneville's entrance, with only one road leading to the inner city.

The storms here have raged for years, and the area is heavily guarded by Grek's forces.

The invaders must first eliminate the sentry standing on the left hillside. When he blows the horn, the four soldiers loitering on the main road will converge upon him.

Before they could chop the enemy into mincemeat, the archers on both sides would spare no effort to stab the enemy into a pincushion.

If any attackers attempted to charge on horseback, the barricades on both sides would firmly restrain them from entering the central road. In front of the gate, a massive ballista was poised to fire.

So why not sneak away?

If the attackers silently assassinate the sentries on the hillside, they will discover that two soldiers with pickaxes and two with swords are hiding in the dense grass, waiting for the enemy.

Such a layout is impregnable.

Those who come here and are fading will understand that although the old and ugly demigod is infamous and cowardly, his army is like a giant beast with gaping maw, waiting to devour them.

However, at this moment.

The soldier in front of the doorway lay prone on the crossbow, still in the operating position, while the blood beneath him had already pooled into a puddle;
The heads of the soldiers guarding both sides with guns and swords were missing; the soldiers on the main road were charred black, emitting a strong smell of meat.

The guards hidden on the hillside lay in pools of blood, their chests pierced by gruesome wounds, and they closed their eyes forever before they could even raise their weapons.

No one survived.

This heavily guarded city gate, the most important and last military stronghold on the outskirts of Grek, was utterly destroyed by the invaders before even a proper counterattack could be organized.

Lu Mingfei flicked the blood off the blade and placed it beside him, then reached out towards the illusory golden talisman.

As the light of blessing reappeared, the blessing, named "Tongcheng Tunnel," was thus ignited.

He removed his blood-stained helmet, revealing a handsome but tired face.

Boom!
The helmet was thrown to the ground.

The tunnel was still filled with the smell of burning and blood, but Lu Mingfei didn't care.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, leaned against the wall, slid to the ground, and his armor clanged.

"worn out"

He gave a wry smile, pulled the last vial of Holy Grail Drops from his waist, and tilted his head back to gulp it down. The warm liquid slid down his throat, and his wounds began to heal slowly. He then placed the red and blue vials into the Blessing Vessel to refill it.

With the Storm Pass breached, Lu Mingfei finally set foot on the ancient Storm Hill.

Surprisingly, the defenses behind the checkpoint were practically nonexistent. Apart from a few wolves, Lu Mingfei encountered almost no enemies and fought his way to the Tongcheng Tunnel. Along the way, he even picked up a golden seed and, with the help of the silent girl named Melina, enhanced the Holy Grail Bottle.

The battle in front of the Tongcheng Tunnel was also a foregone conclusion.

With his Storm Combat Skills, Storm Knight Armor, and Dragon Prayer blessing, Lu Mingfei was now a formidable force, his strength far surpassing what it had been before.

Not long ago, he was worried about the numerous demi-human groups he faced as enemies. Now, after unleashing two fully charged "Dragon Flames," the entrance to the Tongcheng Tunnel is filled with the aroma of roasted meat!

The days of wielding power had left him somewhat disoriented. He seemed to have begun to adapt to the laws of the borderlands, to a life of constant killing. His heart had quietly changed.

After a long time.

Lu Mingfei stood up and picked up the greatsword from the ground. The blood on the blade had congealed, reflecting a dark red color in the firelight.

He looked toward the heavy city gate at the end of the tunnel, which led to Stoneville's inner city and also to the throne of "Leg-Lever" Greck.

It was once a beautiful place surrounded by storms, and the capital of the Storm Riders.

However, to reach this city that has already fallen into enemy hands, one must pass one last hurdle.

The formidable gatekeeper, stained with the blood of countless invaders, was "Ominous Demon" Malkitt.

If Lu Mingfei kills him, he can gain the right to travel freely to and from Earth, and go back to enjoy a soft mattress, a toilet symbolizing civilization, as well as gourmet food, computers, e-sports, and so on.

He now misses that civilized world terribly, misses the weirdos at Kassel College, and misses the German-style sauerkraut stewed pork knuckle in the cafeteria.

Even if that narrow-minded, short-tempered housewife who instilled fear in Lu Mingfei stood in front of him and cursed him, he would give her a big hug, then turn around, spit on the ground, and never look back.

"It's time to put an end to this."

He took a deep breath, strode forward, and his armor clanged with each step.

"Ominous demon, Malkit, is it? Today, no one can stop me from going home! Even if the four monarchs and the Black King and White King stand before me, I will..."
"Forget it, that's a bit too difficult."

As Lu Mingfei stepped out of the city tunnel through the outer wall, a magnificent building, towering and isolated on a cliff, appeared before him.

The Gothic walls and towers soared into the clouds, densely packed, showcasing their former glory. The sky was slightly overcast, and remnants of the storm still lingered above the complex.

Like a castle from an epic tale or myth—Stoneville. Its name is said to evoke the imagery of a "wind veil," which explains why some call it 'Wind Veil Castle'.

The gold plating shimmered at the top, and two distinctly different flags fluttered on the city walls.

The banners belonging to Stoneville's former masters, depicting the Stormhawk, and the banners representing the glory of the Golden Family, depicting the Beast Chancellor 'Throsh'.

"Old man, you're not lying to me."

Looking at the magnificent building, Lu Mingfei murmured to himself:

"Our hometown is really beautiful, why don't we try to bring it back?"

He suddenly understood his teacher's resentment towards Greik. Such a beautiful city, imbued with storms and glory, would be accepted as a place of heroes and the strong.

How could a cowardly and ugly demigod who needs to use limbs to enhance his strength be worthy of it?

"How arrogant."

A deep, authoritative voice suddenly rang out.

"The Faded One—"

"Driven by the fire of foolish ambition, you dream of obtaining the Elden Ring?"

"Then, including that fire, it should all be put out."

“I, Malkitt the Omen Demon, will carry out this immediately.”

(End of this chapter)