Chapter 796: Chapter 410: The Abyss of Two People, At Least Not So Lonely_2

After all, judging from the limitations imposed by the Gate of the Abyss on the Emperor, the number of demons below is likely astronomical.

In such a situation, for an individual to rely on their own strength to withstand the onslaught from the other side would require paying a very painful price.

The fact that the Emperor cannot stand is already a light price to pay.

So, if one day I possess power similar to that of the Emperor and go to fill the Gap of the Abyss, if the Emperor and the Empire just withdraw and leave, I will most likely be trapped in the gap of the Abyss Gate, unable to advance or retreat.

In this way, the Emperor is liberated, the royal family survives the crisis, and the losses to the empire are merely that a "Prince of the Empire is trapped."

However...

"Even if such a thing really happens, I couldn’t possibly stay there and block the gate!"

Louis said with a smile.

If the Emperor cannot rise, then it’s a problem he must consider for the sake of his people and many more innocent individuals.

But for Louis, he never had to consider such matters.

The only things he needed to consider were those he valued.

If one day, Beatrice and the little swan did do such a thing, he would unhesitatingly let them go from his heart.

Without worries, even if faced with the attacks from the Abyss Gate, so what?

At worst, he’d negotiate with the abyssal will and defect to their side.

It’s just that, by that time, the Star Continent will have more than just the Abyss problem to deal with; they’ll have to contend with a Louis who could cause trouble at any time.

Of course, those thoughts only arise in the most extreme situations.

Anyway, Louis doesn’t believe the Empire has any reason to do so.

Let alone Beatrice and Olivia.

Yet, even so, when Olivia said that if that time truly came, she would choose to accompany him, Louis’s heart still rippled.

He gently rubbed Olivia’s hair and said, "It’s been tough for you during this time, hasn’t it?"

"Mm."

"I didn’t want you to come because I didn’t want to see you all suffer like this."

Louis’s gaze turned toward the outside of the tent.

His eyes flashed with an inexplicable emotion that others could not understand.

After a long time, he spoke: "I always thought before that I couldn’t let you shoulder that burden alone; it would be too cruel to you, and over the years, this thought has never disappeared...

What I mean is, it is precisely because of your presence that I think of standing here, think of staying."

The world without everything he is familiar with does not hold much value for him.

He is not someone with grand ambitions; being able to live a life that isn’t too bad, that’s about enough.

One could say that if it were only for the sake of living, he definitely wouldn’t have come this far.

He might even have put most of his efforts into separating the sin authority from his body after developing his business guild.

Of course, that is if it doesn’t harm him.

He doesn’t like the feeling of a ticking time bomb buried in his body.

Yet, as time passes, he has somehow come this far.

In retrospect, there is much to ponder.

Olivia quietly looked at the young man, and after a long time, she finally showed a faint smile:

"But my thoughts haven’t changed."

"Hm?"

"If one day you must truly fall into the abyss, then I at least hope to accompany you. Thus, two people’s abyss won’t be so lonely."

That night.

For once, Louis managed to quell the flames within his heart.

The two of them spent a rare night devoid of any intense emotions.

As they drifted into sleep, they finally reached the day of action.

...

Location: Lokeshi Empire · Kalina Defense Line

The Kalina Defense Line was once the largest area in direct contact with the Secluded Forest Sea.

Its vast area and abundant resources once made it a must-fight area for all parties.

From the past until now, the Kalina Defense Line has always been the Empire’s most famous meat grinder.

Lokeshi people and the pirates.

Lokeshi people and the sea monsters.

Lokeshi people and the elves of the Secluded Forest Sea.

...

Now it is merely the turn of Lokeshi people and the Demon King Army.

The long wars and conflicts have made the soldiers here all brave and adept at battle.

Over the years, the walls of this line of defense have become stained black and red.

These are marks left by numerous battles between the Lokeshi people and invaders.

A few days ago, seven groups of church supporters joined here, and there were even allied forces from other countries willing to come here to help.

It is said that the top officials of the Empire exchanged interests with other countries.

Of course, ordinary soldiers cannot tell whether this is true or not.

Perhaps only the person in charge of the Kalina Defense Line knows the truth.

However, even with support from various forces, this place is still caught in a war quagmire like never before.

"Use logs! Don’t let them climb the mountain!"

"West Zone 13 needs firepower support, requesting mage corps to assist in striking."

"Fall back! Fall back! Leave the enemies on the left to the knights!"

...

The scene was chaotic.

In the past, when the soldiers of the Kalina Defense Line spoke of this strong imperial wall, they were full of pride and used to tell everyone:

"The Kalina Defense Line is impregnable. We have faced countless enemies, but after many long years, the Kalina Defense Line has always been there."

But that was in the past.

Having heard tales of the Kalina Defense Line from veterans for so long, they would claim they have seen all sorts of adversities over the years.

... Until today.

They had to admit that such a large scale, they really hadn’t seen before.

Saruman Lane was once stationed at a certain space passage.

After years of fighting with external enemies, not only had his strength improved, but he had also become brave and reliable in battle.

After retiring from defending the space passage, he returned to his birthplace, the Kalina Defense Line, intending to retire on this battlefield soil.

But later, the commander of the soldiers at the Kalina Defense Line approached him, hoping to reinstate him into the ranks to guard against possible future threats.

He asked his retired fellows, and many of them had received similar invitations.

Back then, Saruman had a bad feeling.

If the commander approaches old veterans, it must be a directive from above.

And if the higher-ups need seasoned veterans to return to key posts, it must mean some unseen change is occurring within the Empire.

This was not a good sign.

At that time, Saruman felt that the Empire was likely to erupt in a war.

But why it would erupt, he wasn’t sure.

Yet, he still joined the ranks.

Because behind the Kalina Defense Line, lay his hometown.

He had no retreat.

But no one ever told him the fight was against the Demon King Army from fairy tales!

The Demon King Army and the Demon King had long been characters in fairy tale picture books.

The stories of heroes gathering comrades, embarking on quests, conquering underground cities, and defeating the Demon King had once been the dream of countless boys in the Empire.

But growing up, he came to know how dangerous it was to battle the Demon King and the Demon King Army.

Especially this generation’s Demon King Army, which had once even killed a hero.

It was said that many years ago, elite soldiers from various nations were arranged to enter the underground city to weaken the Demon King Army’s numbers.

He had never underestimated the Demon King Army.

But no one told him that the numbers and quality of the Demon King Army were so astonishing.

As for quality, never mind—that even the most ordinary monsters had occupational levels as high as LV7.

And that’s for the low-tier monsters!

If low-tier monsters are at this level, it’s outrageous.

Even at LV7, if the number exceeds ten, they can pose a threat to lower-level paradigm professionals.

Yet how many professionals in this world can smoothly advance to paradigms?

The worst part is that the Demon King Army isn’t only strong; they are numerous.

Before the supporting members of various major churches arrived, the soldiers at the Kalina Defense Line had discovered that the number of monsters sent by the Demon King Army was even greater than that of their soldiers.

Simply put, without the thick walls of the Kalina Defense Line acting as a natural barrier, blocking the other side, the number of soldiers on this side of the defense line would have long collapsed.