The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

Inside the ruins of the Kingdom of Saint-Tian.

This is an underground ruin.

Deep within this underground ruin, a labyrinth of passageways, like intertwined snakes, weaves together to form a dizzying maze. These passageways vary in width and elevation; some are so narrow that only one person can pass sideways, while others are as spacious as halls, making one wonder if they have entered a dead end.

The torches on the walls flickered with a dim, yellowish light, casting dappled shadows that made the already dim ruins even more enigmatic. Every step felt like treading on the dust of history, every fork in the road like a gateway to a different time and space. Gray-robed figures moved through this labyrinth, their silhouettes appearing and disappearing in the light and shadow, as if they had become ghosts in this ancient space.

The paths of the ruins meander like a living thing, turning one corner after another, making it difficult to discern directions. Sometimes, a seemingly straight passage will unexpectedly split into several smaller paths, each filled with temptations and traps. And sometimes, several paths will mysteriously converge, making one wonder if they are going in circles.

The grey-robed people proceeded step by step through the maze, sketching and drawing maps of the ruins as they went.

To conquer such a complex and intricate ruin, creating a map is essential; otherwise, it will take a long time to find your way out.

You don't need to make a very detailed map; just make sure you know the way back and lay the foundation for the next exploration.

The gray-robed man in the very center of the exploration team is the archbishop of the Underworld and Shadow faction.

The fact that the archbishop personally participated in the exploration of the ruins demonstrates the importance he attached to them.

At this time, the Kingdom of Saint-Tian gathered the three highest-ranking figures in the Netherworld and Shadow faction: the Archbishop and two bishops. Almost all the power of the Netherworld and Shadow faction was here.

Because the ruins are located within the Kingdom of Saint Tian, ​​an elven kingdom, they are not normally easy to explore directly.

So the archbishop simply supported Finrod in launching a rebellion, with two bishops leading their men to assist the rebels, while he himself took the opportunity to explore the ruins.

Supporting Finrod's rise to power and spreading Christianity in the Kingdom of Saint-Tian were secondary; the ruins were what he valued most.

He wouldn't normally be in such a hurry to explore the ruins, but recent events have forced him to act urgently.

The Underground Palace of the Netherworld is a product of Lord Daklis's great power, and the eighteenth floor of the Underground Palace contains important information.

He specifically designated members to form an exploration team, and even sent a seventh-tier professional as the leader to explore the Netherworld Palace.

Just after the exploration team had been exploring the Netherworld Palace for a while, the Netherworld Palace suddenly exploded, and a purplish-black light curtain filled the sky.

When the light curtain dissipated, the entire Netherworld Palace vanished without a trace, leaving only a huge crater on the ground. The exploration team was gone forever.

Upon learning of this news, he immediately mobilized personnel to conduct an in-depth investigation into the matter.

Compared to other factions within the Demon Order, the Underworld and Shadow faction takes this matter particularly seriously, as it involves the creations of Daklis, the Demon of Underworld and Shadow.

Unfortunately, the investigation yielded little result; it only revealed that a similar phenomenon had occurred in the Bifeng Territory of the Olmec Kingdom.

The only relics left behind by Lord Daklis in the Prime Material Plane are the Underworld Palace in the Kingdom of Olmec and the ruins in the Kingdom of Saint Tien.

Now that the Underworld Palace has disappeared, we must intensify our exploration of the ruins. Who knows when the ruins might suddenly explode like the Underworld Palace?

It's not just that.

Every so often, the Grand Master of the Demonic Order receives a message from the demons they worship and carries out His will.

There should have been a contact not long ago, but we haven't received Lord Daklis's orders yet, and it's been like this ever since...

Cultists cannot contact the devil on their own initiative; only the devil can contact the archbishop unilaterally.

The only exception is the sacrificial ceremony.

By performing the sacrificial ceremony, one will receive feedback from Lord Daklis and the power He bestows upon them.

The archbishop was so anxious because even the sacrificial ritual could not elicit a response from Daklis, the demon of the underworld and shadows.

The Demon Order was founded on the basis of gaining power through sacrificial rituals.

Now that the demonic feedback has been lost, the only option is to keep it a secret for the time being, otherwise the entire faction will fall apart.

Fortunately, the power bestowed upon them beforehand did not disappear, which allowed them to barely conceal the truth.

The archbishop has now suspended the sacrificial rites to prevent anyone from noticing anything amiss.

What alarmed him most was that no such situation occurred in factions other than his own and the Desire for Knowledge and Truth factions.

It seems that the Desire for Knowledge and Truth faction went to cause trouble on the Holy Light Pilgrimage, but the news was tightly controlled, and he didn't know what happened afterward, so he couldn't use the Desire for Knowledge and Truth faction's situation as a reference.

This phenomenon also occurred after the Holy Light Pilgrimage.

If this problem cannot be resolved in a long time, the entire faction will disband and be absorbed by other factions of the Demon Order.

Having already wielded immense power within the Underworld and Shadow faction, achieving a position second only to the Demon King, how could he possibly join another faction and submit to a subordinate position?

Therefore, he mobilized almost the entire fighting force of his faction here to assist the rebellion of the Kingdom of Saint-Tian, ​​merely to cover up his true purpose and prevent others from discovering it.

Suddenly, he was horrified.

Is Azazel dead?

Azazel was one of his two chief bishops.

Each faction within the Demon Order is capable of creating a Soul Lamp, which can monitor the vital signs of each member.

Most members' soul lamps are specially arranged in the soul chamber within the stronghold, while the bishop's soul lamp is carried by him.

Therefore, he noticed it the moment the soul lamp went out.

"All personnel, halt and return to the ground!" he ordered immediately.

The gray-robed members of the exploration team were somewhat confused by the archbishop's instructions, but they still obeyed them and returned according to the drawn map.

After his initial shock, the archbishop quickly composed himself, making sure his subordinates didn't notice anything amiss.

He appears calm and collected on the surface, but inside he's a complete mess.

What happened? Why did Azazel die?

Since none of the elves had that power, it could only have been done by the Shadow Court.

He just couldn't quite understand it.

With Azazel's strength, even if he was no match for that eighth-tier professional from the Shadow Court, he should have been able to escape. How could he have died so easily?

One of his two key generals has been lost.

He had to go out and see what was happening!