novelraw Chapter 279: Poor kid. I hope he doesn’t die of rage later
Chapter 279: Poor kid. I hope he doesn’t die of rage later
"What are the two of you discussing?" A voice suddenly rang out beside them.
Endless Abyss’ Ghost Emperor Yao approached from a distance, leading a group of people behind him. He bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, esteemed Emperors."
"Ah, Mr. Yao has arrived? Callum and I are old friends; we were just reminiscing about the past."
Ares replied nonchalantly, sweeping his gaze over those who stood behind Yao. A glimmer of surprise flashed in his eyes as he added, "Endless Abyss certainly boasts impressive strength."
Trailing Yao were eleven Ghost Imperials, each radiating an extraordinary aura. As two beings with the lineage of Ghost Emperors, Ares and Callum could discern that these ghosts possessed unique talents.
Moreover, all of them bore a spider symbol on their foreheads.
"I’ve long heard that Lord K of Endless Abyss possesses an astonishing talent," Callum said, his expression turning serious. "After seeing it for myself today, I find that the rumors are indeed true.
Moreover, this ghost army of millions is a force few in the horror realm can match. It seems that it’s only a matter of time before Endless Abyss conquers the Third Ghost Realm. Admirable, truly admirable."
Don’t underestimate the eleven who stand behind Yao just because they are ’Imperials.’ Callum, who had a natural affinity for spatial talents, sensed that at least two of the Ghost Imperials had auras close to his own.
Spatial talents are rare within the entire Horror Wrold, yet Endless Abyss has brought two such Ghost Imperials. Even an average Ghost Emperor would find them formidable opponents.
Yao quickly shifted the topic, "Both of you are too kind! We in Endless Abyss have also made significant sacrifices. Dark Hell has always been a perplexing entity, and now it has Louis, a man wielding forbidden powers, poised to inherit the title of Ghost Emperor.
If he succeeds, none of us will see good days ahead. That’s why we invited you both to join us in attacking Dark Hell."
"As for conquering Dark Hell this time," Yao continued, "Endless Abyss wants nothing of the spoils—except for two individuals."
"What individuals?" Callum and Ares asked in unison.
Realizing their reactions might be overly intense, Callum hastily followed up, "Lord K surely wants Louis, who wields forbidden power, doesn’t he? That should be manageable.
Louis may have forbidden power, but his inherent strength is limited. Drain his ghost energy and he’ll be easily subdued. But who is the second person Lord K desires? Could it be the Blood Queen?"
"Let’s not speak carelessly about that!" Yao’s face paled instantly as he hastily waved his hands.
"The Blood Queen has never engaged in conflicts. She didn’t even intervene when Ghost Emperor James suffered divine punishment! Our target this time is limited to Dark Hell’s lordship; the Blood Queen should not be involved."
"In that case, who else in Dark Hell has caught Lord K’s attention?" Ares queried, a look of curiosity dawning on his face.
"Just an inconspicuous character! Dark Hell has a small association called Fierce Ghost Association. Our second target is its president, Alexander. Those two are Endless Abyss’s objectives in Dark Hell," Yao explained.
"What sort of person is this Alexander? Is a chosen one really worth all this effort from Lord K?" Callum feigned curiosity.
His acting isn’t bad at all, Ares thought, maintaining his puzzled expression as he spoke, "Indeed, I’m from Dark Hell and have heard of this Alexander. Isn’t he just a chosen one? What could he possibly have to do with Lord K?"
"Both of you may not be aware, but this Alexander is no ordinary chosen one!" Yao began. "He built his status by plundering instances and has grown exceedingly fast. Moreover, he has been audacious enough to repeatedly harm us at Endless Abyss! He simply must be eliminated."
Yao held no suspicion concerning Ares and Callum’s lack of knowledge about Alexander. The world of horror was not like Earth; although there existed ghost computers, no network connected the entire world.
Given the immense size of the horror world—even a single Ghost Realm had a population in the trillions—the communication between ghost cities was pitifully scant.
Therefore, the flow of information between ghost cities was far from smooth.
"Lord K was tricked by a chosen one? Tell me the details," Callum’s curiosity piqued instantly.
His knowledge of Alexander was limited; he had only been saved by him when he was forced to betray the Evil Ghost Association and had subsequently been hunted down and stabbed multiple times.
In his eyes, Dr. Charles was a savior. At a time when he was gravely injured and no one dared to help, Dr. Charles not only healed his wounds but also did so without charging him a dime. A debt of life, etched indelibly into his heart!
"That... is a matter of the past and not worth mentioning," Yao hastily interjected, naturally unwilling to recount how Lord K had been tricked repeatedly by Alexander’s bells.
"With both of you leading great armies to assist us, even if Dark Hell is powerful, it’s inconsequential when faced with a united assault from our three cities. I thank you both on behalf of Kevin in advance. Once the siege ends, our Lord and Lord K will host a feast in Endless Abyss to express their gratitude."
"Lord K and the ruler of Endless Abyss are too kind," Ares waved his hands dismissively, his eyes sweeping over Nether World and Undead City.
"Indeed, with our three cities united, even the most powerful ghost city would be negligible!"
"We can’t be complacent," Callum warned, his eyes locking onto Yao. "To minimize our losses, we must seize any opportunity to collectively eliminate their high-level forces. That’s the only way to significantly reduce our cities’ casualties."
"Indeed, you’re correct," Yao nodded emphatically. "Given the chance, both of you are inheritance Ghost Emperors, whereas I am but a mere Ghost Emperor. My powers are limited and can only offer strategy from the sidelines.
If an opportunity arises, you both must act in concert to neutralize the opposition. A leaderless army is but a rabble, and our own losses will be substantially reduced."
"Absolutely, absolutely," Ares and Callum exchanged glances, nodding in unison.
And so, with the mighty army of Endless Abyss leading the way, and those of Nether World and Undead City following, they surged like a tidal wave towards Dark Hell.
Outside the city of Dark Hell, a formidable coalition of three armies, totaling forty million ghosts, assembled.
Yao stood at the forefront of this massive force, a picture of unbridled valor.
"Soldiers! Prepare to march, and follow me into Dark Hell!"
"Into Dark Hell!" echoed the forty million voices behind him, a roar so powerful it made the distant walls of Dark Hell tremble.
"Have the orders been disseminated?" Ares asked, standing amid the armies of Nether World and Undead City.
"Young Master, the orders have been sent out. Conveyed through our people’s unique talents, the commands are as silent as they are swift," an old man said, a sly grin stretching across his face.
"Well done," Ares nodded, his gaze passing through the Endless Abyss army to rest on the confident Yao. "Poor kid. I hope he doesn’t die of rage later."
"That would save us the trouble," Callum chimed in, a cold smirk on his face. "He himself said that we should cooperate to first suppress the commanders. As if we don’t know the tricks up Endless Abyss’ sleeve.
We all know what Lord K is planning; otherwise, why would only the two of us respond? A city lord with forbidden powers is far preferable to this ambitious upstart. He’s given me the perfect opportunity to repay a debt."
Ares nodded gravely, "The Mist World is acting up again. I’ve heard the mist is expanding faster, making the situation among the Horror World increasingly precarious.
If Louis could actually become the Lord of Dark Hell, it might not be a bad opportunity. Otherwise, I doubt we could hold out in this Horror World for long."
"Exactly," agreed Callum. "Lord K has been increasingly audacious lately; the rate at which Endless Abyss is expanding frightens everyone. We both hail from Dark Hell and know full well its complexities.
This is indeed an opportunity for us, not just to repay debts but to make our names." Both men glanced at the spirited Yao and sighed in unison, "Poor kid."
At this moment, a formidable force was also assembling outside Dark Hell.
Thanks to Alexander’s involvement, all forces loyal to him had mobilized their full strength. Unified Dark Hell was a force to be reckoned with.
Boasting over twenty Ghost Imperials and hundreds of Ghost Kings, their high-level power was comparable to the enemy. Dark Hell’s conventional forces also numbered over thirteen million, including more than two million soldier ghost troops—hardly weaker than Nether World and Undead City.
However, they were notably disadvantaged against the allied forces, especially the ten million-strong army of Endless Abyss.
Most alarmingly, during this crucial time, city lord Alice was absent from the city! Not only Alice but even her heir, Louis, was missing.
Amid an enemy invasion, both the city lord and the heir were absent? Unthinkable!
Especially when Seraphina announced that, per the city lord’s orders, the army would be commanded by Alexander, disbelief swept through the ranks.
"Where’s the city lord? She abandons us at a time like this, taking Louis and running away? This must be a joke!"
"Even ceding command? Did she choose to run away out of cowardice?"
...
Even Abigail Imperial, who was aware of the might of the Fierce Ghost Association and had pledged loyalty to Alexander, couldn’t hold back her displeasure.
"Alexander, we have no issue with you commanding this battle; the Fierce Ghost Association is strong enough for that role. But it’s utterly unacceptable for the city lord to be absent during such a crucial campaign!"
Alexander frowned deeply, asking, "Seraphina, what on earth is going on? Where are my brother and Alice?"
"Mr. Alexander, I honestly don’t know," Seraphina said with a wry smile. "Shortly before you went off to assault Ash City, the city lord seemed to have been met with some urgent matter.
She left hurriedly after a few terse words, saying that if she hasn’t returned by the time the Endless Abyss army attacks, you should take command."
"Me, take command? How could I possibly lead?" Alexander was visibly distressed.
Although the Fierce Ghost Association was now quite formidable, and he had a hidden reserve of six million soldier ghosts, they were up against the alliance of three cities, one of which—Endless Abyss—alone boasted an army of ten million.
Should they engage in battle, not just suffering losses but total annihilation seemed inevitable. Moreover, the enemy had two Inheritance Ghost Emperors and three regular Ghost Emperors. How could they possibly fight such odds?
Instinctively, Alexander’s gaze shifted to the Blood Queen beside him.
"Don’t look at me," the Blood Queen shook her head. "I can’t intervene this time. Even if I did, I couldn’t unleash my full potential. Doing so would cause serious complications."
Everyone knew what the Blood Queen’s ’full potential’ meant. Karin had once single-handedly defeated the Eighth Ghost Realm; being a guardian like him, why couldn’t the Blood Queen do the same?
However, it was clear that she was limited in some way, unable to deploy the true might of a guardian, which meant she couldn’t use her forbidden powers.
What to do?
Alexander felt an increasing sense of urgency in his heart, and the murmurs of discontent from other Ghost Imperials were growing louder. Their annoyance wasn’t aimed at Alexander, but at the city lord’s egregious absence, which seemed like a betrayal in a time of existential crisis.
"This is an unwinnable fight!" Thaddeus Imperial shook his head. "The Blood Queen can’t unleash her full potential, while the enemy has two Inheritance Ghost Emperors and three regular Ghost Emperors. If they employ a decapitation strategy against us, who could possibly hold the line?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Just as their collective frustration was reaching a boiling point due to the city lord’s absence, a chilling aura suddenly enveloped the room.
An icy, eerie atmosphere ensnared everyone present.
For a moment, every Ghost Imperial and ghost king in the room felt their flesh go cold. Then, a raspy voice resonated in their ears.
"What if you add me to the equation?"
All eyes darted toward the direction of the voice. A figure shrouded entirely in a grey cloak had inexplicably materialized among them, unnoticed until now.
"It’s you!" Alexander couldn’t help but exclaim.
"Who are you?" Thaddeus demanded sharply, his eyes narrowing as he and the other Ghost Imperials surveyed the intruder with heightened vigilance.
Greyish-white mist-like energy emanated from the cloaked figure, flowing around a pair of withered hands. Encircled by ghost energy, the hands transformed, becoming fair and slender.
Slowly, they reached up to grasp the cloak that obscured the figure’s face, and gradually lifted it away.
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