"Wha..."
"What the hell is this thing?!"
The Demon King explained, "This is the sacred altar once used by the ancient kingdom to honor their predecessors."
An altar?
Everyone was taken aback.
How could an altar end up like this?
"After the royal mausoleum was abandoned, the altar continued to operate. The headless knights relentlessly slaughtered any intruders who dared approach the tomb, offering their souls and flesh as sacrificial tributes."
"And that's why the lair devours all life in its vicinity. Those creatures or individuals devoured by the lair unwittingly become sacrifices for the ancient tomb."
The headless knights guarding the tomb had no sentient thoughts. They purely acted based on their ingrained instincts.
Year after year.
Millennium after millennium.
They relentlessly hunted sacrifices, accumulating immense power for the altar.
This amassed power, diverse and mottled, gradually became corrupted, gradually enticed and nurtured a multitude of undead and daemons around the tomb, culminating in the creation of this colossal daemonic lair.
Thunderclap City utilized the Heart of the Ancient God to subdue and suppress the ancient tomb.
The Evil God's power rendered the headless knights and various creatures unable to approach.
During this process, Thunderclap City enjoyed a period of stability and development. However, the daemonic lair continuously absorbed and transformed the power of the Evil God.
The altar itself was already infused with immense and chaotic energy, but after being influenced by the Evil God's power for three thousand years, it gradually underwent a grotesque and malignant transformation, giving rise to this tumor-like abomination.
Numerous such tumor-like monstrosities were scattered throughout the ancient tomb. They not only nurtured the corrupted ancient monarchs but also served as its hearts.
If these corrupted altars were not eradicated, the ancient monarchs would not only be difficult to kill but would also have an endless supply of power in its disposal, making the task of vanquishing it extremely challenging to overcome.
Among them, the tumor on the main altar stood as the most formidable.
It also resided closest to Thunderclap City.
The daemonic presence that the Elven King sensed in the Daemon Sealing Valley was actually emanated from this massive monster tumor. It misled her into believing that this was the boss of the daemonic lair.
If they could eliminate it, the crisis in Thunderclap City would be temporarily resolved.
Previously, some giants still had doubts about the Demon King's omniscience as they still held a hint of instinctual skepticism.
But now, seeing is believing. They bore witness to this unimaginable and mind-bending monstrosity, and finally realized the true extent of the Demon King's strategic genius and unparalleled foresight.
Truly terrifying!
Who could have imagined that the Heart of the Ancient God would give birth to such a monstrosity?
And this monstrosity was merely an intermediary. The vast majority of the Evil God's power had been devoted to the corrupted ancient monarchs. Who knew what the ancient tomb looked like then?
Suddenly.
[You've suffered a psychic attack. -51 HP!]
Zhang Nu felt a wave of dizziness as he was struck by a powerful psychic attack from the malignant tumor. The psychic attack was quite ferocious.
The giants on the battlefield cried out in agony. While the golden giants managed to withstand the assault to some extent, the other silver giants elders were instantly gravely wounded.
The sheer strength of the psychic force was overwhelming. It targeted everyone indiscriminately and the silver giant elders were on the brink of death.
In the face of this dire situation, the Elven King was taken aback. She was preparing to invoke the power of the Elemental Covenant, but before she could unleash it, the Demon King swiftly intervened.
Zhang Nu's expression turned cold as he opened his vertical eye and locked his gaze onto the malignant tumor.
-15201!
Death Stare!
The power of his Eye of Death was amplified after his recent level advancement. Its potency had at least doubled, delivering a devastating blow.
Under the immense force of this lethal attack, the colossal tumor erupted in a violent explosion, disintegrating the majority of it into dust, while its remaining flesh turned into a cloud of pulverized remnants that scattered in all directions.
"The sheer power... it's unbelievable!"
The Elven King stood in awe.
With a single piercing gaze from the Demon King, the monstrous tumor exploded, obliterating it into scattered fragments. He decimated this terrifying entity with ease!
An instant kill! On a Level 5 overlord creature!
It was an astounding display of dominance!
"Don't let your guard down, it's not finished yet," Zhang Nu commanded. "All silver giants, retreat immediately! Jin Kui, work with the Elven King to hold off the approaching minions. I'll take care of this abomination!"
"Understood!"
The group swiftly organized their efforts.
The silver giant elders received urgent healing from Nancilia. Having barely escaped with their lives, they dared not linger and quickly withdrew.
The tumor monster utilized indiscriminate area attacks, thus quantity held little significance against such horrifying monstrosity. If not for the Demon King's swift intervention, their fate would have been sealed!
Meanwhile, accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves, over two hundred gravekeeper knights suddenly emerged from all directions through the passageways.
Each one exuded a menacing aura, engulfed in eerie dark flames. They were all Level 5 elites, and among them, several stood out as exceptionally powerful, boasting the strength of Level 5 lords. The sight was truly fearsome.
"Divine Tree Domain!"
The Elven King activated her Monarch's Domain, dragging all the approaching gravekeeper knights into the ethereal realm of her domain.
"Attack now!" bellowed Jin Kui in a frenzied state.
Seizing the opportunity presented by the Elven King's suppression of the gravekeeper knights, the golden giants swiftly summoned bolts of golden lightning, unleashing them upon these powerful undead warriors.
[You've slain a Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +15,000!]
[You've slain a Gravekeeper Knight of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +15,000!]
[You've slain a Gravekeeper Knight Commander of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +24,000!]
[......]
At that moment, Zhang Nu's attention was drawn to a disturbing sight.
The mangled masses of tumor and rotting flesh were writhing and squirming on the ground. It became apparent that this monstrosity, despite being struck by the Death Stare, had not been entirely vanquished.
Instead, the disintegrated remnants of flesh began to pulsate and transform into grotesque and misshapen creatures, some scuttling along the ground while others took to the skies.
To his astonishment, among them were some particularly powerful creatures, reaching the strength of Level 4 to 5 lords.
The malignant tumor possessed an ability of Unlimited Proliferation. Unless it was utterly annihilated or its MP was completely drained, it proved incredibly difficult to kill it for good.
Even if a fragment of flesh or a fraction of its MP remained, it could resurrect itself, regenerating through the proliferation of its severed flesh.
Zhang Nu had just emptied the HP of this monster in an instant, but they still retained an ample MP pool. Thus, even when their HP reached zero, they could rapidly regain a trace of vitality, followed by a complete resurrection.
Truly a troublesome foe!
The malignant tumor seemed to have developed some level of intelligence.
It abandoned its assault on others and concentrated all its forces on attacking the Demon King. Countless abominations formed from the fragments of flesh were converging upon Zhang Nu with frenzied determination.
This posed a grave danger.
From the information prompt, the malignant tumor possessed a peculiar Mutating Parasitism skill. It could infest its chosen host, subjecting them to its control and corrupting them until they were ultimately devoured and assimilated into the tumor itself.
Zhang Nu made no attempt to evade it.
He allowed the tumor's flesh to devour him entirely.
In the span of an eyeblink, the towering figure of the Demon King became completely enveloped in the twisted and pulsating mass of the malignant tumor, forming a grotesque mountain of throbbing flesh.
However, just when the daemonic abomination believed its attack had succeeded, convinced that its opponent was doomed to be digested and assimilated.
It was horrified to discover that every cell and inch of flesh of the Demon King was impervious, as if encased in impenetrable armor.
Its parasitic and assimilation attempts were futile, unable to take effect.
Zhang Nu's lips could not help but to curl into a sinister smile.
"My body can absorb even the fragments of an evil god. You think you can corrupt me with your pitiful existence? How laughable!"
The daemonic tumor grew complacent, only to realize that something was amiss.
However, it was already too late.
The Demon King unleashed a terrifying surge of draconic flames, instantly reducing the fleshy mountain to charred ashes.
A few fragments of flesh attempted to escape through the intricate network of blood vessels and sinew, but Zhang Nu swiftly extended his hand, pressing it onto the surface teeming with semi-active blood vessels.
"Abyssal Lightning!"
Crimson lightning erupted, surging from the ground to the walls and spreading in all directions. The vascular tissues spread throughout the cavernous lair served as conduits. In the blink of an eye, the lightning permeated the surrounding space, incinerating everything in its path until nothing remained but charred remnants.
[You've slain a Malignant Tumor of the Ancient Monarchs. Gold +2million!]
This incredibly formidable Level 5 overlord daemon met its demise at the hands of the Demon King.
The giants stood in awe, their mouths agape, as they witnessed the cavern being reduced to charred ruins by the overwhelming power of the Demon King. Once again, they were reminded of the terrifying might of their ruler.
With the demise of the tumor daemon, the malevolent aura in the vicinity dissipated. Thunderclap City no longer had to worry about being tainted by evil.
Nancilia and the golden giants swiftly dispatched the remaining headless knights. These gravekeepers had contributed a total of over five million gold, while the evil tumor had amassed two million. Altogether, they had reaped a bountiful harvest of over seven million gold.
Such gains were highly satisfying.
Expressing his gratitude, Jin Kui said, "We are indebted to Your Majesty for your intervention. Without it, even with the strength of the giants, confronting such a formidable creature would have been nigh impossible!"
Forget Thunderclap City's former strength; even with his newfound might as a golden giant, possessing the equal strength of Level 5 overlord to the tumor monstrosity, there was still a considerable gap between him and the monster. If they were to engage in a direct confrontation, their chances of victory would be slim, let alone killing it.
Zhang Nu responded, "Thunderclap City is temporarily safe."
"Your next task is to clear the nearby caverns around the royal mausoleum and eliminate the other smaller tumor demons."
"Remember, do not enter the tomb without caution. If there are any signs of the corrupted ancient monarchs awakening, inform the Darkness City immediately. Understood?"
The giants nodded in acknowledgment, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
Jin Kui replied, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Nu nodded with satisfaction. The tomb of the ancient monarchs was of immense scale and could not be conquered in one fell swoop. However, this presented a golden opportunity for greater rewards.
The larger the scale and the more creatures within, the greater the profit.
After all, the active daemons and undead inside the tomb were all elite beings ranging from the Level 3 to 5, offering substantial rewards in terms of gold.
The next task for ThunderClap City was to clear out these fodders. With the strength of the giant clan cheiftain's Level 5 overlord and the abilities of the other golden giants, as long as they remained discreet and avoided provoking the ancient monarch, there should not be any issues.
For such trivial matters, the Demon King could not be bothered to intervene personally.
The most important task at hand was to unify the Chaos Forest.
With Thunderclap City now secured, there were virtually no obstacles remaining, and it was time to accelerate the progress of this endeavor.
......
Meanwhile.
In the territory of Count Kolo, the Thunder Empire army was rapidly assembling.
This time, Su Wenhao was brimming with confidence, believing that capturing a mere Bloody Fortress would be a straightforward task, especially with the might of the empire's official forces and the Divine Sword Heroes Guild at his disposal.
He could not fathom any reason for failure.
Moreover, with the backing of the empire, challenging the Dragon Demon King seemed like an achievable feat.
This accursed Demon King had inflicted such devastating losses upon him that he yearned for nothing less than the complete annihilation of the monster as retribution for his grievances.
"Count Kolo!" Su Wenhao was in the midst of planning when a knight clad in golden armor, radiating immense power, approached him.
"What are you here for?"
Su Wenhao's expression turned cautious. The man before him was dispatched by Duke Bachor, overseeing his actions.
Huang Hui, a Hero, a guardian knight of the empire, and possessing the strength of a Level 5 overlord.
"You've worked hard. I shall personally take over this operation. Just sit back and wait for victory obediently. After all, charging into battle is too undignified for a noble of the empire."
"What did you say?!"
"Captain Su, is your understanding ability flawed?"
Suppressing his anger, Su Wenhao coldly replied, "I've devoted countless efforts in the Chaos Forest, and paid a great price to obtain the authority to command the Imperial Army. With just a few words, you want to snatch my achievements. It seems you lack respect."
"Heh heh!"
Huang Hui chuckled superficially. A tremendous pressure suddenly engulfed the area and Su Wenhao was forcefully pushed against the wall by an invisible force.
The terrifying aura of the guardian knight overwhelmed him, like a mountain pressing down, making it difficult to breathe. His face turned pale.
"The difference between you and me," Huang Hui stated.
"Do you really truly comprehend it?"
"Not to mention your pathetic strength of Level 4, even if you were to break through and advance right now, you would still be no match for a guardian knight!"
Huang Hui coldly stated, "In the end, strength is what matters in this world. Just because you're addressed as a count, don't fool yourself into thinking you're something special!"
"Stick by my side, watch as I slay the Demon King, and perhaps you'll get a taste of the spoils. We're all adults here, it's time to see the bigger picture rather than acting on impulse."
With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing with arrogance.
Su Wenhao felt the weight of the pressure gradually lifting, but his face alternated between flushed and pale, displaying a mixture of anger and humiliation.
A profound sense of shame engulfed him.
Although he was extremely unwilling, he had to admit that Huang Hui was right. Might makes right, and it was a universal truth in all realms.
The guardian knight was undeniably powerful! Even among the Level 5 overlords, he stood at the pinnacle.
This despicable fellow was luckier than him.
With the backing of the Southern Grand Duke and his esteemed position as a guardian knight, what chance did he have to compete? However, this did not mean that all hope was lost!
Silent and determined, Su Wenhao returned to the confines of his castle. He entered a hidden chamber, carefully unlocking a sealed box that contained a mysterious object within.
As the box creaked open, a black, crystal-like object the size of a soccer ball, resembling a heart, lay silently before him.
A terrifying aura filled the room.
[Fragment of the Evil God] Orange quality special item. Assimilable.
[The Evil God Fragment is extremely powerful. After absorbing the fragment, you will gain the power of the Evil God. However, your talents, bloodline and physique will be permanently affected. You may lose some of your existing abilities. Please make the choice after utmost consideration.]
This was the "Heart of the Ancient God" from Thunderclap City!
A ruthless gleam flashed in Su Wenhao's eyes. "Huang Hui, just wait and see. What's so impressive about being a guardian knight? You dare to steal my credit and the Demon King. There will come a time when you regret it!"
With a determined heart and gritted teeth, Su Wenhao made his decision.
"Assimilate!"
The next moment...
"Ah, ahhh!"
Su Wenhao let out a desperate and agonized scream as a pain that tore through his physical body and soul engulfed him.
