Chapter 1072: Chapter 260: Bloodstained Banquet (Part 2)

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"Do you understand demons well?"

In another temporary stronghold of the First Special District, Merlin turned to Song Xian and asked.

The situation in the First Special District could only be described as the worst. They had just witnessed the descent of the black smoke, and now the entire city’s sky was still shrouded in darkness, yet they still didn’t know what was happening in the city.

The helplessness brought on by this unknown made Merlin very agitated.

Unlike the Holy City citizens outside, who continued to operate like programs, they were well aware of the disaster’s arrival. However, this awareness did not bring any substantial help.

They were just waiting to die like everyone else outside.

What agitated Merlin even more was that Zhuang Xiao had changed after her visit to the Sanctuary. At first, he thought the priests had tampered with her brain, causing her delayed reactions and instinct-driven actions, as if a crucial component was missing in her brain. But later, when communicating with Zhuang Xiao, he realized she hadn’t really gotten dumber; she was mostly just too lazy to think.

Because she was very happy.

Genuine happiness, her heart filled with positive emotions, made her unwilling to spoil her pleasure with thinking.

Yet even Zhuang Xiao didn’t know why she suddenly became so positive and optimistic.

Thinking carefully, the city was under siege, and they were forced into a temporary sanctuary. Perhaps demons had long infiltrated the city, Sincaro’s minions were everywhere, and they were also wanted by the Sanctuary of Logic, meaning almost everyone in the Holy City saw them as enemies at this moment.

But Zhuang Xiao remained optimistic.

With a piece of hard cardboard and a wooden stick, she had rescued Song Xian from the quarantine zone of the Sanctuary, pondering that maybe something good would happen next, which they just weren’t aware of yet.

Zhuang Xiao’s attitude left Merlin with a mass of frustration stuck in his throat. He didn’t want to continue talking with Zhuang Xiao, so he could only seek Song Xian to discuss serious matters.

"I’ve encountered them before." Song Xian’s face was equally somber, "Back in the ’Otherworld’, there was a dimensional plane that faced a demon invasion, and when I arrived with the fleet, there were monsters everywhere wearing human skins."

He clenched his fist.

Even the administrators he had stationed there were possessed by demons.

They could even disrupt the goddess’s powers, defying the will of the Golden Mask. He vaguely remembered it was a red-eyed demon that possessed the King.

"You can differentiate their status by the possessed person’s eye color. A red-eyed demon called itself a Prince, the chosen one of Demon King Sincaro."

It was also the first time Song Xian faced the minions of the Old Gods directly, making him hate these insidious and cunning creations of the Old Gods to the extreme, "Demons feed on humans, but they don’t rush to consume their prey. They often provide targeted prey with false hope. Some demons even engage in trades with humans, enticing humans to willingly offer their souls."

Selling one’s soul to demons—a phrase common across almost every dimension Song Xian knew, further proof of Sincaro’s ubiquitous minions. Their footprints stretched across all dimensions, and now, those demons targeted the Holy City.

"For demons, their greatest pleasure and accomplishment is making prey willingly let them consume their souls, which somehow elevates their social status."

But, whether willing or unwilling, hopeful or despairing, humans would ultimately have their souls consumed by demons.

"Those demons have some strange abilities. They can transfer attacks aimed at them back to their attackers. I lost two flagships because of this. The Demon Prince lured me to fire upon the Royal City, only for the orbital cannon to hit the two flagships that made the attack."

The two flagships instantly shattered to pieces in the blaze, and tens of thousands of souls became the spoils of the Demon Prince.

"How did you eventually kill them?"

"I didn’t manage to kill them."

Song Xian seemed somewhat dejected, "I found a banishment spell from scriptures left by the Goddess. It resonated with the soul of the possessed, and with their consent, it could expel the demons through incantations, sending them back to Sincaro afterward."

He didn’t continue.

Because once the demons left, those who had been possessed died shortly after, their bodies quickly decomposing into a black mist. Everyone touched by the black mist would see their bodies swiftly decay until they melted into a puddle of rotten flesh, a phenomenon visually reminiscent of the powers of Old God Bazatous.

Although he eventually managed to banish the Demon Prince back to Sincaro, the spreading black mist soon turned that dimensional plane into a lifeless Death Star.

Song Xian held a deep grudge over it.

Not only because he failed to defend his territory from demonic invasion, but also because, even by the time the Demon Prince was banished, he still couldn’t discern their purpose.

Those demons certainly weren’t there for pleasure. They seemed to be conducting some unknown research in that dimension. The black mist formed from the dead possessed was likely a product of that research.

"That’s really great news."

Merlin forced a smile, his tone dripping with self-mockery.

The last time Song Xian confronted the Demon Prince, it was as the King of Gold, with the goddess’s blessing, making him a chosen one of the Goddess. Because of this, he had the ability to contend with the Demon Prince. Even then, he ultimately had to use an incantation personally recorded by the Goddess to banish the Demon Prince.

Now, they had nothing.

In terms of power levels, they were no different from ordinary citizens outside.

Facing not just a Demon Prince but even a lower-tier demon could easily snuff out their lives.

Song Xian also mentioned that bizarre bounce-back ability of the demons. Even in the end, he hadn’t found a way to counter it.

If every attack on demons eventually reflected back on the attacker, wouldn’t they be invincible?

"I have a plan."

Since her return, the ever-cheerful Zhuang Xiao suddenly spoke, still holding the stick she brought back from the Sanctuary, saying, "What if we strike them hard on the back of the head with this stick—it might just hurt them."

Clearly, this wasn’t a persuasive plan.

Merlin and Song Xian stared at Zhuang Xiao like she was mad—had she listened to none of their previous conversation? Forget the stick, even orbital strikes couldn’t penetrate the demons’ defense!

"That’s because you’ve been using ranged weapons!"

Zhuang Xiao explained, "Bullets, laser weapons, and orbital strikes all have obvious trajectories; none are as direct and crisp as my stick!"

"On what basis?"

Merlin asked patiently.

"None."

Zhuang Xiao shook her head, "But I have a gut feeling it will work."

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Meanwhile, the bloody revelry was nearing its end. The Red Eyes sat at the head seat, legs crossed in composure. He hadn’t participated directly in this feast. With his status, he naturally had high standards for the "food’s" quality. Souls obtained through violence weren’t even comparable to canned goods; only famished demons could tolerate their taste.

For it, there were only two prey worth hunting in this city.

The Chief Prosecutor and Archbishop—they were the only two in power with actual authority after the High-tier Council’s downfall.

"Sir!"

Just as the Red Eyes was devising game rules for the Chief Prosecutor and Archbishop in his mind, a black-eyed demon came to his side.

"Our spy in the Sanctuary discovered something odd. Two anomalous individuals have escaped; they appear to be linked to the other side!"

The black-eyed demon reported, "The Origin Society’s records mention that the woman named Zhuang Xiao could very likely be the former Crimson Queen!"

"Crimson Queen?"

Red Eyes raised an eyebrow. In the past, that title might have intrigued him a bit in terms of hunting, "Their goddess is no more, and believers without their source of power are akin to stray dogs on the street... This scene almost makes me pity her."

Red Eyes shook his head and sighed. He had no intention of checking the situation, "Do you think a monkey with a stick warrants any special attention?"