novelnext Chapter 216 A Chaotic Situation
Chapter 216 A Chaotic Situation
Chapter 216 A Chaotic Situation
The Molten Wax Demon, a demon born from the abyss, is a monster created by the Spider Queen Lolth in legend.
However, many others serve under various demon lords.
Previously, during the pursuit in the sparse grasslands, the Twin Port Chamber of Commerce, the entrance to the royal court, and even later within the royal court itself.
Kane had clashed with these kinds of monsters several times and had personally killed many of them.
But this does not mean they are easy enemies to deal with.
The Wax-Melting Demon possesses unique magical power and an unusual immortality. Ordinary sword and blade strikes are unlikely to inflict fatal damage; only magic or brute force to destroy its core can completely eradicate it.
The night was deep, with thunder and lightning.
Kane walked alone into the newly rebuilt Twin Harbor Chamber of Commerce, the flickering candlelight casting shadows on the empty building.
A series of malevolent gazes were fixed on the uninvited guest who had broken into the unattended guild from the deep darkness.
By the dim candlelight, Kane slowly walked into the Chamber of Commerce's warehouse and shelving area.
This is a newly renovated warehouse, and the air is filled with the pungent smell of paint and new wood from the renovation.
Beneath this smell, an even stronger, waxy, fishy odor surged forth.
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping around him. He saw several corpses, covered in layers of wax, lying silently on the ground.
There are three in total: two humans and one half-elf.
The deceased all wore expressions of extreme terror, their bodies completely encased in scalding wax, their despair frozen on their faces as they faced death.
Kane straightened up, ignoring the lurking malice around him, and looked into the thick darkness in the distance. He slowly spoke, "Don't you plan to come out and meet the new master of the Twin Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Chairman Benny?"
"Hahaha!"
A hoarse laugh suddenly erupted from the depths of darkness.
Footsteps approached slowly, and a faint candlelight appeared, illuminating a large, imposing figure.
The newcomer had a face full of scars, a body as strong as a wild beast, and an inhuman, eerie sense of oppression emanating from him.
Kane stared at the fleshy face, recalling the other person's information.
Even before he took office as the academy's dean, he commissioned Risa to investigate the truth behind their siege during their discussions at the royal court.
Through Risa's investigation, it was discovered that the mastermind behind Oliver's betrayal, who possessed a rare form of giant blood, was none other than this manager of the Duke's Merchant Guild.
The other party used a stigma ritual to twist Oliver into that bizarre shape.
After Kane was elected Dean, the Duke's Chamber of Commerce had already made preparations in advance, using personnel transfers to withdraw most of the Royal Court's influence.
Many of them moved to Twin Harbor to lie dormant.
Therefore, Kane came alone with the intention of settling scores and seeking revenge.
He stared directly at Benny's bloated, fleshy face, at the man's seemingly open yet twisted and grotesque inhuman appearance, and asked in a deep voice, "So, where exactly is your plan at?"
Benny stood firmly, and several Wax Demon soldiers emerged from the shadows beside him.
He squinted at Kane, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "Since you want to gather information, why not show some sincerity first?"
Lord Kane, the newly appointed acting dean of the Prophecy Division —
Or should I call you a traitor to the demonic cult?
Looking at the mocking expressions on the faces of the melting wax demons around him, Kane remained calm and composed.
Not seeing Kane's loss of composure, Benny's eyes flashed with doubt, then a cold smile crept across his face: "You've come all the way to Twin Harbor, presumably for Mage Zeno. If that's your purpose, we can certainly have a good talk."
"Want to talk?" Kane raised an eyebrow slightly and calmly replied, "Sure."
Benny's eyes turned sinister as he laid out his terms: "I want the souls of thirty mages. If the number of qualified mages is insufficient, apprentices may be used as substitutes, with three apprentices equivalent to one qualified mage."
His face was malicious, and his tone was threatening: "As long as you hand him over to me, I will return Zeno to you. Tsk tsk, how precious are third-tier mages, not to mention that your academy still has two vacant dean positions—"
Kane said indifferently, "You've already recruited a large number of mercenaries, isn't that enough?"
Benny scoffed: "There are already enough souls of those crude professionals. Only spellcasters are the sacrifices that the abyss craves more."
Sufficient caster souls allow us to summon even more powerful abyssal demons.
Kane chuckled: "Then, Chairman Benny, what makes you so sure I'll agree to your request? Besides, Zeno isn't even in your hands."
Upon hearing this, Benny burst into laughter, staring intently at Kane: "It's rumored that the Dean of the Prophecy Division has always used divination to predict the fate of the academy. I thought you were just a temporary acting de facto leader with no real ability."
In retrospect, I underestimated your divination abilities.
He changed the subject, and wax demons slowly surrounded him, with wax dripping down his body: "But even if you know the truth, do you still have a choice?"
We have already determined that the explosion at the previous base was your doing.
Now this chamber of commerce is just an empty shell, without supplies or reinforcements. You're all alone; you can't escape.
Kane's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Benny's狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face and the gradually approaching, distorted wax monsters. He simply asked, "Are you sure?"
"Grab him!" Seeing Kane remain calm, Benny frowned and gave the order sharply.
The moment the words left his mouth, the candlelight went out abruptly, plunging the entire guild into a deathly silence and darkness.
A series of soft, dense crawling sounds quietly arose from all directions.
Kane instantly switched to Drow form, gaining a clear view of the entire battlefield thanks to his dark vision.
Numerous melting wax monsters appeared one after another from the ceiling, warehouse corners, and the shadows of shelves, gradually approaching.
They come in various forms, including humanoid monsters, giant wax spiders, and several twisted and deformed abyssal monsters.
In the darkness, scalding wax tears flowed continuously from the monster's surface, leaving sticky wax trails on the ground with every step it took.
These monsters have blurred and distorted features, cold eyes, and a ferocious hunting instinct.
More than ten Wax Demons surrounded them from all directions, like hunters waiting for their prey in a spider web.
And Kane at this moment is their target.
"Shadow Blade."
Kane drew his scimitar with a backhand motion, and the weapon, which had been gathering shadows, instantly solidified.
He activated the Susas Curved Blade Technique and slashed at the shrieking, charging humanoid wax demon.
The blade flashed fiercely, and the demon, unable to dodge in time, was cleaved in two.
The mind-corrosion effect attached to the Shadow Blade erupted instantly, shattering the demon into pieces on the spot, emitting a shrill and ear-piercing wail.
Inside the split body, fragments of human bones, rotten teeth, and blackened fingernails were mixed in with the melted wax, a horrifying sight.
"Watch out for his curved blade!"
In the darkness, Benny's warning suddenly rang out, and the remaining Wax Demons, fearless of death, charged forward one after another.
"Protect from evil spirits."
Kane wielded two daggers, which were covered in holy white light, and hovered in the air with the help of the mage.
Two beams of white light pierced through the air, precisely striking the forelimbs of two wax spider demons that were attacking from the ceiling.
The demon screamed in pain as it was injured, and retreated in a sorry state.
Kane leaped into the air, landing firmly on the wall to evade the sneak attack from behind. He then used the Shadow Blade to pierce the core of the injured wax spider, twisting his wrist to end the demon's life.
At the same time, a giant burning hand suddenly took shape, sweeping away the group of melting wax demons that were blocking their way from behind.
One, two, five —
One after another, the Wax Demons fell, some severely wounded by the enchanted daggers, some killed by the mind damage from the Shadow Blade, and some burned and disintegrated by the flames.
Once these monsters' bodies are completely shattered, they can never be regenerated by wax.
The entire warehouse was turned into a brutal battlefield, with flames climbing up the wooden shelves and spreading wildly. The wax melted and flowed when it encountered high temperatures, and then quickly solidified after cooling.
Seeing that more than half of his monsters had been wiped out in an instant, Benny's fleshy face turned completely gloomy and ugly.
The Wax Demons possess an inherent advantage of immortality; a complete Wax Demon squad is enough to contend with ordinary Tier 3 professionals in the material plane.
For example, mages have strong offensive capabilities but weak defenses, while warriors and wanderers excel at self-preservation but struggle to quickly break through the core of the wax goblin.
But Kane is right in front of me.
It perfectly combines the spellcaster's magical power with the wanderer's close-range agility, making it both offensive and defensive, and extremely effective against demons.
Watching his monsters fall one after another, Benny felt a desire to retreat and gave Kane a deep look.
He slowly backed away, lifted the cover of the hidden compartment in the ground, jumped in, and escaped into the underground passage of the Chamber of Commerce.
His final trump card was hidden there.
Whoosh!
Kane swung his Shadow Blade, severing the neck of the last Wax Spider Molten Goblin with a single strike.
The malice in the demon's eyes froze instantly, and its massive body went limp, turning into a pool of cold wax.
Kane sheathed his sword, stood still, and looked in the direction Benny had fled, muttering to himself, "I'll see where you can run to."
He followed the trail of the underground passage and stepped into the dark depths.
Meanwhile, at the corps' garrison.
The fire is still raging, and thick smoke obscures the sky.
All personnel at the station rushed to fight the fire, and the city's sheriff was also ordered to come and assist.
As the drizzle fell and the soldiers fought valiantly to extinguish the fire, the raging flames were finally put out, but the supplies at the base had been severely damaged.
Several sophisticated military crossbows were burned to a crisp and carbonized state, rendering them completely unusable.
Frankie's face was ashen. He looked at the captains beside him and asked in a deep voice, "Has anyone from the Duke's Merchant Guild come to provide support?"
"No, sir."
"Damn it! These idiots under the Duke's command—"
Frankie was furious, but he forcibly swallowed his words. The captains exchanged hesitant glances.
The base was attacked without warning, and the attackers left no clues, making it impossible to trace them.
The group whispered among themselves, then all turned to Frankie and urged him in unison, "Sir, please don't leave the base anytime soon. It's best to be safe."
"You're not allowed to leave?" Frankie sneered. "You're worried about my safety? I had no intention of going out in the first place."
The team leaders nodded in agreement, their expressions softening slightly.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the moment Frankie lowered his head, his face suddenly turned grim and twisted.
He instantly saw through everyone's thoughts: with the Duke's Chamber of Commerce in trouble and no clues in the attack, this group was planning to pin all the blame on themselves.
Frankie muttered a few curses about Susas under his breath. After everyone had left, he immediately summoned his personal bodyguard, his eyes bloodshot, and ordered in a low voice, "Swap clothes with me."
The guards were stunned and hesitated to make a move.
Frankie stared intently at him, his tone laced with blatant threat: "Help me get out of here, and afterwards I'll have the Duke give you everything you want."
You know very well that the power behind me is not something you can mess with.
The guard gritted his teeth and weighed the options, finally taking off his clothes and exchanging outfits with Frankie.
After changing his clothes, Frankie put on a closed helmet and ordered his bodyguards to lie down on the bed and pretend to be asleep.
Taking advantage of the chaos and panic following the fire at the base, he stealthily made his way out of the base and successfully escaped.
Frankie boarded the small boat, rowed, and sped towards the Duke's Chamber of Commerce in Twin Harbor City, wanting to find the head of the Chamber of Commerce as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures and clear his name of suspicion.
Halfway through the journey, Frankie frowned slightly.
Just then, two small boats came speeding towards us, one after the other.
Frankie didn't pay much attention at first, but after seeing the enemy's flanking formation, his expression changed drastically: "Damn it, they're pursuers!"
'
He rowed faster and faster, trying to find a way to escape.
The next instant, on the small boat ahead, a blonde woman raised her hand and drew her bow, and a sharp arrow shot out, accurately severing the oar in his hand.
A clear female voice drifted on the night breeze: "Sir, please stop your ship. We only have a few questions to ask before letting you leave."
Frankie cursed inwardly. His helmet blocked his vision, but he could clearly feel the other person locking onto him.
He knew that if he refused, the next arrow would be aimed straight at his vitals, so he could only suppress his anger and awkwardly reply, "May I ask what you gentlemen wish to ask?"
The two ships collided and came to a stop. Frankie looked up and sized up the opposing team, becoming increasingly wary.
This team has a very special configuration: two rangers, one wanderer, and one warrior. It's an unconventional combination, and only teams undertaking special missions or conducting targeted investigations would use such a team.
The blonde human woman spoke first, her tone calm: "My name is Shar, and this is my captain, Serena."
We are from Nord, and we have come to Twin Harbor specifically to investigate matters.
Frankie's eyes narrowed as he recalled some previous rumors, and he tentatively asked, "Are you the Lantern Bearers?"
Shar nodded in agreement, then asked, "We meant no harm, but the Twin Harbor Council has been ostracizing us in every way, and the Legion has even tried to capture my companions."
I want to know, what is the reason for all of this?
Frankie's expression changed slightly. He could tell that the other party had no intention of making a move immediately, but he was currently embroiled in his own troubles and urgently needed to contact the Duke's Chamber of Commerce, so he had no time to deal with the situation.
His eyes darted around, a calculating thought forming in his mind. He deliberately spoke up, "This matter was most likely instigated by the Mage Academy."
"A mage academy?" Shar and Serena exchanged a glance, their faces full of doubt.
"We have never had any dealings with the Susas Academy of Mages. They are far away in the royal court. Why would they interfere in the affairs of a port city-state?"
Frankie feigned profundity and continued to sow discord: "The Nord army is the mortal enemy of the Academy of Mages. As members of the Nord forces, you Lantern Bearers will naturally be targeted."
The magical attack that the legion's base had previously suffered was a warning from the academy, simply because the legion had a disagreement and conflict with them.
The local noble council dared not provoke such a behemoth as the Mage Academy, and could only act in accordance with its wishes.
He then changed the subject and threw out bait: "I have some say in the Corps."
"If you can capture one of the mage academy members and hand them over to me, I can provide you with the necessary assistance to ensure your investigation in Twin Harbor proceeds without hindrance."
Shar frowned, turned to exchange glances with Serena, and secretly tried to discern the truthfulness of her words.
The armor concealed Frankie's sinister expression; he was certain that the Lanternmen squad was in a passive position and would inevitably compromise and back down.
Just then, a deafening roar suddenly rang out in the distance, and blinding flames shot into the sky, with flames shooting into the sky from the direction of the Chamber of Commerce.
boom!
A figure was blasted away and crashed heavily against the wall, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The ground trembled violently, the water beneath our feet swayed and rose and fell, and the floating island seemed to shake and tremble.
A deep, heavy roar pierced through the noise, echoing from afar, much like the roar of a giant elephant.
Everyone was filled with doubt when the heavy doors of the Chamber of Commerce were smashed open, and an enormous beast slowly stepped out.
It was a giant war elephant, its body as large as a mountain. Strangely, scalding hot wax dripped continuously from the beast's body.
Every step leaves a long, waxy trail on the ground.
The waxen elephant raised its eyes, locked onto the figure that had been blasted away, and swung its thick, powerful trunk out in a fierce sweep—