Chapter 838
Chapter 838 - 824 Snake Demon
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8 min read
The Snake King Didirona, one of the strongest lords in this world, was an astonishingly massive serpent – it was evident from her name alone.
It was said she carried the bloodline of the One-eyed Newman... of course, this was just hearsay. The abyssal creatures here were too far from their native lands and too impoverished to draw high-level abyssal beings from across great distances.
After all, in the face of those ancient Abyss Lords whose ages are counted in thousands or even tens of thousands of years, this shabby Half Plane – let alone the entire Earth – was merely at the nascent stages of stepping into the extraordinary, lacking in value for conquest and massacre.
Didirona was likely a product of the local species intermingled with abyssal genes. Of course, apart from the all-too-common standard templates (mainly path/ordinary soldier templates) of the Abyss, most species here came to be in the same way.
"...Can we confirm there is a Rule-level big boss?"
From the data and the paraphrased descriptions of other intelligent abyssal Magic Monsters, that thing appeared to be a gigantic Magic Monster with a human torso and serpentine lower body, alarmingly humanized but at the same time, extremely hostile to invaders.
"I always thought that high-level abyssal Magic Monsters were supposed to look bizarre; I didn’t expect one to look so human."
Looking at the human torso with a serpentine lower body that had been drawn, Lu Ping’an couldn’t help but think of mythological figures from both Eastern and Western traditions. And truth be told, it wasn’t far-fetched to think that she might have a following in the Eastern Country, given that "Xu Xian" had become a traditional trope.
"Oh, she’s about thirty meters or so? Oh, never mind."
Lu Ping’an felt that even if someone had the strangest of fetishes (XP), they wouldn’t dare entertain bizarre notions with a creature whose nail was larger than themselves.
She was the uncrowned queen of this abyss, but there were two others who were only slightly weaker. Even if they weren’t quite at Rule-level, they weren’t far off.
And the one that Lu Ping’an had copied from his homeland was at a lower tier; there were probably around four, five, six, seven, eight... uh, it could also be in the double-digits. In the Abyss, new life and death occurred at every moment, and there were too many unknowns and uncertainties.
Merely skimming through the basic information made Lu Ping’an’s scalp tingle.
"No wonder at least one Rule-level must be stationed here constantly, just the deterrence is not enough for the opposing King... The tactic still adopts a passive defense by setting up a formation. In terms of regular combat power, it would probably take three Rule-level individuals to ensure absolute safety."
Lu Ping’an had no doubt that if these Abyss Big Bosses could cooperate sincerely, a chaotic slaughter would probably be enough to level Changping directly.
However, based on Lu Ping’an’s understanding of the Abyss, this was absolutely impossible.
First and foremost, for them, the residents outside were not the primary enemy... Instead, others in the same Abyss plane—competing for survival resources, the favor of the Abyss, subordinates, and territory—were the true adversaries.
To the Abyss Big Bosses, the outside world was like an oxygen-deficient mountainous region to humans: sterile and uncomfortable to dwell in permanently.
An occasional change in taste was not bad; considering a trip for a change of scenery was also acceptable. But to truly exert oneself in a territorial grab, cooperating with detestable peers – that was not necessary nor cost-effective... Who would partner with their mortal enemy to seize a latrine?
Of course, this was only the case in the least contaminated current reality – as the pollution levels increased outside...
"So, it’s time for a beheading, Meow?"
The cat had even detected a problem this time.
The Abyss was a society where the strong preyed on the weak, but on another level, it was also a "feudal lord system" divided by territories – only there could never be a king ruling everyone.
The more powerful the lords were, the better they could gain allegiance and trust from more lords based on their fame and might.
"Yes, we must behead that serpent, or this place won’t settle down."
Just like the plane that regularly spawned Stone Dragons, a Transformed Secret Realm wouldn’t produce higher level Magic Monsters. Beheading the serpent head, though there’d be dog or lion heads next – a permanent solution was impossible. But the existence of that Snake King was a threat to the higher planes.
She had lived too long, was too strong, too experienced, and held too much prestige.
"Take out the largest one, and the rest will fall into disarray. There won’t be enough prestige to organize a new allied army."
Grand strategies rarely held hidden cards; much was openly revealed. The forces of Changping hoped to maintain relative stability on this battlefield even after withdrawing the main combatants, necessitating the elimination of those "Old Beast Kings."
By the time this world raises a new batch of the Beast King and stabilizes the chaotic Order here—if at all—humanity’s new generation should have adapted to the intensity of this battlefield... At that time, who lives and who dies will be up to the new generation to decide.
If they can’t beat it, just throw more fuel on the fire. That’s better than leaving a complete mess and the Magic King to the newcomer Warriors.
This is not good news for Lu Ping’an and Meow because a Rule-level combat power could enter the battlefield at any time, and it is the kind that decides both victory and Death.
Now, a group of Abyssal bosses must be gathering to discuss whether to surge forward for a feast, leading to their rear being exposed...
"Find the person, then let’s leave," said Lu Ping’an.
Once determined, the efficiency of looting by Lu Ping’an’s group increased significantly.
It’s called a pseudo-lord’s domain, but it’s really just a small fortress with some caves and buildings.
Wealth and equipment? First off, the pseudo-lord of this Small World is confined to this area and doesn’t have much wealth, and with all the chaos, the loyalty of his followers is worse than that of a dog’s; anything of value is usually carried with them.
Even the followers, most of the capable fighters have been taken by the lord, leaving behind Watchers who are mere ordinary soldiers and Newborns.
Facing the ferociously advancing "Magic King," they surrendered at the first opportunity. Those who didn’t were killed by their colleagues as a pledge of submission... This reality made Lu Ping’an laugh.
Most valuable were probably the variety of "livestock" in the cages; in the Abyss, this counts as hard currency.
Lu Ping’an searched through the smelly prison cells. Perhaps because Xia Qin had already been there once, most of the living humans had been taken away. As for the other half-dead species of the Abyss, Lu Ping’an wasn’t interested in keeping them and decided to simply burn them all.
"...Master, Great Master, I am still alive..."
Amidst the pile of corpses, to Lu Ping’an’s surprise, was a Magic Monster that could speak human.
"...I am a Demon, once a human. So I know the situation outside. I can lead you out for meat, I know the defense weaknesses of the Foreign Domain, I was once a Watcher there. I am valuable..."
The struggling Life, in order to survive, didn’t hesitate to sell out his former Master and even the world of his distant past.
But what he faced were fellow countrymen disguised as Demons...
A head burst like a watermelon, the scattered flesh and blood splattered around, and Lu Ping’an had no interest in wasting time on such things.
He also knew that "Abyss Transformation" meant a complete change of Species, like a new self crawling out from within the old one... but each time he saw these "traitors," he instinctively felt discomfort and revulsion.
"Let’s go. That thing should be here soon."
Tens of minutes after Lu Ping’an’s group left, a thunderous roar echoed through the area. The unfortunate lord came home to find only a fire blazing.
Meanwhile, Lu Ping’an had already hidden in the Courtyard and began his studies.
The "Great Knight" wandering outside was actually an empty shell... while outside, Meow and the Sentry were guiding the way, trying their best to avoid battle while also hoping to find the lost Captain Xia.
"...Next, I will probably need more Power."
Lu Ping’an sighed and dialed acceleration to the maximum, fully immersing himself in his study of the Truth Inscriptions.
Whether it is ideal logical reasoning or intuitive sensibility, he could foresee that a great battle was likely on the horizon.
And to survive in War, one must have Strength.
"Let’s see what kind of ’Knowledge’ is truly hidden in here."
— End of Chapter 838 —