Chapter 151: The Unspoken Secret
2015-12-19
Author: Floating Tower (Author)
Gloria became more assertive in her actions, possibly due to spending a long time with Soren.
On that day, she ordered Saruman to plant a large number of mutated carnivorous plants near the valley, and then gathered labor from nearby towns to construct a large military camp outside. This would house an elite legion of Modo City, serving as the frontline defense against the attack from the Bottomless Abyss. The demons’ sudden assault had caused widespread panic in Modo City, but Soren had made arrangements for such things before he departed. Thus, soon other news began to spread throughout Modo City.
The demons are about to invade our world!
The news spread across Modo City at an astounding speed, followed by various other bits of news quickly circulating through the Port Area.
Firstly.
Not only was Modo City attacked by demons, but other places on the continent were also under assault. The situation in more distant areas remains unclear, but closer to home, a mid-sized town near the City of Wealth, seemingly named Roland Town or something similar, has been completely destroyed in the sudden demon attack. Not only was Roland Town close to the City of Wealth, but towns near Shipwreck Bay and Taro Port also faced demon attacks. However, unlike Modo City, their losses were devastating, with almost no survivors. It was only after other regions reacted and with the mobilization of various churches, nobles, organizations, and so on, that these demons were finally exterminated.
In comparison, Modo City’s losses were negligible.
Roland Town had a population of over ten thousand, and fewer than a few hundred escaped. It remains a desolate wasteland, and the Church of Wealth conducted a purge against the demons. Unfortunately, a Balroth Fire Demon descended there, and as of now, they have not regained the land; the Balroth Fire Demon has seemingly made it its base of operations in the Material Plane. Recent intelligence indicates that the Balroth Fire Demon seems to have opened a portal to the Abyss, with low-level demons continuously arriving.
Balroth Fire Demons are close to lord-level demons.
If it truly intends to wreak havoc on the Material Plane, summoning thousands of demon cannon fodder from the Bottomless Abyss would not be difficult.
To defeat the powerful Balroth Fire Demon, it would likely require intervention from the saints of the Church of Wealth.
High-level electors can also enter the form of a saint!
Soren didn’t want to waste his divinity, so he hadn’t granted much in terms of divinity value to his sole elector (the half-elf girl). If sufficient divinity and divine power values were granted, it would also be possible to cultivate a elector of saint-level.
Once the news spread.
The panic triggered by the demon invasion seemed to diminish significantly. In its place was a relatively proactive state of preparation for war.
Oh!
It turns out that not only was Modo City attacked by demons! Other places were attacked by demons too!
Our losses were still much less.
Not only did we completely repel the demons’ assault, but the civilians suffered basically no harm!
Oh!
No wonder Lord Soren suddenly ordered a state of preparedness; it seems the great lord had long foreseen this situation!
With Lord Soren’s foresight, this crisis should be safely navigated, right?
Oh!
I heard the losses on the other side of the continent are severe!
I told you, those nobles in those places cannot compare to Modo City. If they were attacked by demons, it would be strange if they didn’t suffer huge losses!
I heard the City Hall is enacting a conscription ordinance! Should we sign up too?
……………….
Human thought is so interesting.
If it were only Modo City under attack by demons, it would likely fall into decline immediately, and many merchants and civilians might choose to flee.
However!
Upon learning that not only was Modo City attacked, but other areas also faced demon assaults with even greater losses than Modo City,
Those people suddenly became quiet.
Not only did Modo City’s population not flow out, but many merchants quietly transferred their assets to Modo City.
Chaos is about to erupt.
As the tumultuous catastrophe breaks out, those with a bit of foresight realize that only sufficiently powerful military strength can guarantee their lives and safety of their property. Therefore, during this time, quite a few merchants from other regions tried to bribe, donate, or befriend officials, hoping to obtain residency in Modo City, thus legitimately transferring their assets here. The first phase of the population census in Modo City has already concluded, and the officially registered citizen population is less than fifty-six thousand.
While the actual population of Modo City has exceeded one hundred thousand, others in Modo City can only be considered transient immigrants, local or enslaved classes, and those sneakily arriving to make a living.
Soren did not intend to expand the citizen class, as the rights of citizens also represent obligations.
At the very least, those who can acquire citizenship are individuals with a skill.
Soren’s iron-fisted rule maintains the rigid order of Modo City. The demons’ assault merely made the atmosphere among many elite legions, who had not faced opponents for a while, shift from laxity to tension. The knights of Modo City finally redeemed themselves, and it has become common in taverns to encounter people boasting about their battles with demons. Other legions competently vying for recognition, due to not having participated in combat, have many eager to find opportunities to battle, thus straightforwardly telling those bragging knights that defeating demons is nothing special.
You do it, I can do it too!
The factions in Modo City have already formed, and various power struggles have already occurred in secret, but due to Soren’s authoritative rule, no extreme conflicts arose.
Such matters are also not permitted.
Otherwise, Soren would not mind conducting another large-scale purge. Many pirate leaders are well aware of Soren’s past brutal methods.
……………….
Meanwhile.
Thousands of kilometers away on the continent, Soren also finally reached the time to leave.
Many things happened during his time working with the Goddess of Magic, some of which cannot be elaborated on in detail, and even some confidential matters cannot be mentioned at all. The realm of deities is filled with unknown mysteries, and regarding certain secrets, Soren communicated directly with the Goddess of Magic through mental awareness, not even using a single word. Once they exited the Misty Forest, they headed towards the City of Knowledge, which is the domain of the God of Knowledge and houses the largest library in the Material Plane.
They stayed there for three days, after which Soren and the Goddess of Magic left separately, while Ildis remained there alone to search for certain important documents.
Ildis has not been in a good mood lately.
Since leaving the Misty Forest, he has felt much more distant from the Lady of Midnight, and although it may seem a bit harsh, it feels like he has become less significant to her.
This calm Legendary Witch has suddenly changed her attitude toward him greatly.
Though she still occasionally offers guidance, Ildis has noticed that the Lady of Midnight hardly smiles at him anymore; on the contrary, when facing the Wizard Sony (Soren’s alias), her smiles have increased significantly.
He feels as if he has been marginalized.
A few times, he vaguely noticed the Wizard Sony discussing something important with the Lady of Midnight, and upon seeing him, they immediately stopped, yet there was still an exchange of glances.
This realization left him deeply frustrated, as if he had lost something very important.
However.
One somewhat fortunate point is that his strength has rapidly advanced and he is on the verge of becoming a Legendary Wizard, while he has also received news about the artifact “Staff of the Archmage.”
Ildis believes that if he enters the Legendary Domain, he may be able to win back the favor of the Lady of Midnight.
In his view, although the Lady of Midnight’s strength is profoundly mysterious, it should still be within the realm of Legendary Spellcasters. If he also enters the Legendary Domain, they might be on a relatively equal footing, allowing him to pursue the Lady of Midnight with legitimacy.
This lady is not only mysterious but also beautiful.
Ildis himself does not know why he feels he should be on closer terms with her.
Unfortunately.
This idea suffered a setback upon arriving in the City of Knowledge, as Ildis accidentally discovered that the Lady of Midnight entered the Wizard Sony’s room at midnight and did not come out until early the next morning.
This discovery struck Ildis like a bolt from the blue, leaving him stunned for a long time before he dejectedly returned to his room.
Even now, he does not understand why the Wizard Sony suddenly became so close to the Lady of Midnight.
Could it be because of what happened in the Misty Forest?
Ildis does not know.
He even has no idea what the Lady of Midnight did in the Wizard Sony’s room all night, but he could see that the magical power emanating from the Wizard Sony has grown stronger and stronger.
Without a doubt!
While he has gained guidance from the Lady of Midnight, the Wizard Sony has also received immense benefits from her.
Those are benefits that cannot be described in words.
Occasionally, when he sees the Wizard Sony casting spells, Ildis even feels that the other’s skills and insights in magic may surpass his own, even though it seems the other has barely brushed against the threshold of Legendary Wizards.
Ildis is extremely frustrated.
However, he is not an easily discouraged person, so after both of them left for their respective matters, he immediately threw himself into the study of spells.
Before the Lady of Midnight departed, he received some secret knowledge about the City of Knowledge.
If he successfully masters and integrates it, entering the Legendary Domain is an inevitable outcome. Moreover, the Lady of Midnight entrusted him with a task before leaving.
Ildis feels that if he can accomplish this task, he might gain a lot of goodwill from the Lady of Midnight.
Perhaps.
He might still take a step forward, because the more he interacts with the Lady of Midnight, the deeper his understanding of the Magic Network becomes; sometimes, Ildis even suspects that the Lady of Midnight is a high-level Legendary Spellcaster like the Eye of the North.
Such a figure.
Even in the City of Wizards, holds an absolutely high status, which would be greatly beneficial for his future.
As for what Soren received from the Lady of Midnight, that is an unspoken secret. (To Be Continued.)
