The Demon King's First General
Chapter 198: Pillar of Light

Chapter 198: Pillar of Light

"Elder! We found something!" an elf shouted.

They were on their way back to their home when they decided to stray from their original path with the thought of finding the centaur’s new stronghold.

However, what they found was carnage: centaurs’ dead bodies scattered across the ground. Their limbs tore apart while some part of their bodies was obliterated. The green scenery was tainted by the crimson blood, and its metallic stench lingered in the open air.

As soon as the elder saw the massacre, he gulped a mouthful of saliva, his hands shivered, and the words failed to escape his lips. He didn’t know how to describe the situation.

They were supposed to fight them, to wage war on them, but to find their bodies in this horrible state made the old elf stunned.

’Who did this? What’s the reason?’ He asked inside his head, having lost the ability to convey it out loud.

He felt scared as his thoughts turned into fear. Now, it was the centaurs, but what about next? Were they still safe living in the Garden of Dreams?

Then, while busy contemplating, a pillar of blue light shot upward. Its massive size caused another confusion towards the elves.

"W-What is that thing?" They asked, their mind in a constant turmoil due to the series of events.

The elves looked at the elder, waiting for his command; though curious about the light, they had no intention of coming closer to it. The scene before their eyes was enough to make them tuck their tails.

"Let’s head back; we need to prioritize the princess’ safety," the elder gave out his command, and the rest of the group nodded before their silhouette disappeared in the thick canopy of trees.

. . . . .

The pillar of light that pierced the sky was seen in different places; everyone was astounded by the unusual phenomenon, and in the Mountain Range of Phantasms, a humanoid beast with skin clad with dark-colored skin tone and small rounded ears at the top of his head opened his sharp golden eyes.

His piercing gaze glanced at the pillar of light, and he stood up on the wide, thick branch where he was previously lying down. Above his left eye was a long scar that ran down all the way to his cheek.

Then, something landed next to him; it was a creature with a humanoid body as well, but attached to its arms were feather-like wings, while its feet had talons similar to a bird.

"My King," the harpy uttered as she lowered her head.

Without averting his gaze from the pillar of light, the beastman answered.

"Gather our kin," he said in a deep, low tone, his voice packed with overwhelming authority.

. . . . .

Meanwhile, in the Plain of Fantasies, the seer was in the middle of a conversation with the crown prince. After the incident, Kreigster sought her advice on how to rebuild the capital and regarding Uoiea’s whereabouts; however, despite Ave Gayle’s Legacy, she couldn’t trace where the princess was.

And even the deity that she served gave her no concrete answer, though Janea confirmed that she was alive.

"Why don’t you ask assistance from the Herish Kingdom? They suffered the same as they lost everything during the incident that happened on their festival," the seer stated.

Then she glanced at the crown prince and smiled.

"Besides, I know how interested you are in the Herish’s only daughter," she added, teasing the young man.

Kreigster glared at her and shook his head. Then he inhaled a deep breath.

"I don’t have time for that; the palace is reduced to rubble, my father is dead, and my sister is missing. I don’t even know where to start," Kreigster voiced out.

He couldn’t help but share his current sufferings. Though his family and the empress gave him the support. He was still in the process of standing on his own without relying on the emperor.

"Is the first prince still not coming back?" Ave Gayle asked.

Kreigster gave her a questioning look and lowered his gaze before answering.

"I’m afraid he’s still mad about me getting crowned as the next in line for the throne," he replied.

The Celestial Seer nodded upon hearing his response.

"Maybe, you need—" Ave Gayle was about to say something when she felt a sudden chill coming from her chest.

Her brows knitted, and she glanced in the direction of the Garden of Dreams.

"What’s the matter?" Kreigster asked as he noticed the changes in the seer’s expression.

However, the woman didn’t reply; she ignored her words and stood up instead. Then, she walked towards the balcony.

Curious about her actions, the crown prince followed her and looked to where her gaze was, but all he could see was the clear blue sky with several dots of clouds.

"Don’t tell me you’re seeing something up there?" He asked again as curiosity got him good.

But the woman’s response made him more puzzled.

"It started," Ave Gayle uttered; her voice had a tinge of anxiety.

. . . . .

"The first gate is now opened," a man sitting in a throne declared.

His eyes glowing with a dark crimson hue. Then he glanced at the old man kneeling in front of him.

"Professor Sid, proceed with the plan; it’s time for us to do our part," he said.

Afterward, the old man responded with a nod and stood up. He caressed his long white beard, and his lips curled into a smile.

"As you wish, High Venerable," he replied and bowed his head to show his respect.

Afterward, he turned around and left, leaving the man alone grinning in the endless darkness.

. . . . .

Blackwell reached the bluish ray in just a matter of time; he stared at the pillar and extended his arm towards it. However, his claw just passed through the curtain of light.

"I can’t touch it," he blurted out.

Meanwhile, the demon standing at the top of his head jumped off. He landed several meters away from the pillar, and he caught sight of two familiar faces.

"A demon fox and a tamer," Zeno stated, his lips curling into a grin.

Celestine and Djaleryse were caught off guard by the demon’s sudden arrival. The two of them were already about to leave when something plunged downward.

And even though the dust wasn’t dissipated in complete, from the suffocating presence alone, they already knew who it was.

"Demon King’s General," Celestine stated, her mouth still partially opened from shock.

After her battle against him, she began to suffer from mental trauma that even with the mention of his name, she shivered in fear.

"N-No, w-what are you doing here?" She stuttered, asking while taking a step backward.

Upon seeing her current state, Djaleryse hung her arm around her shoulder and stared at the silver-haired demon.

"For you to make our dearest enchantress scared this much, your existence is truly terrifying," Djaleryse stated with a soft chuckle.

Afterward, she waved her hand, and a huge, hairy, humanoid monster emerged in front of her. Without waiting for her command, it lunged forward as it identified the demon as a threat to her master.

However, it split in half upon contact with the scythe’s blade.

"Bring out your strongest if you still value both of your lives," Zeno threatened them while swirling his weapon on his side.

Djaleryse’s eyes widened in shock, but it only lasted for a second as a grin sprouted on her lips.

"Heh? That curly hairly creature is not that easy to kill, even for someone like you," she stated.

Then, like what she had said, the flesh from the monster’s corpse reached for its other half, and the split body merged into a whole like nothing happened.

"I’m not so sure about that," the silver-haired demon replied while staring at the creature that came back to life in front of him.

"It will rege—" Djaleryse was in the middle of saying something when her words were interrupted due to the beast’s sudden death for the second time around.

The demon cut it in half, and when it was about to regenerate, the red dice dangling on the man’s left ear spun around, and the regeneration came to a halt.

"W-What happened?" Djaleryse asked with a dumbfounded look.

In that moment, she tried unleashing her Legacy to summon another kind of beast, but she felt no reaction. Her unique ability was not responding for an unknown reason.

She took a second and glanced around her and noticed a small fluctuation of energy surrounding them.

’A domain that can cancel out Legacies—that bastard Strannard never mentioned that he has this kind of Legacy,’ Djaleryse complained in her thoughts.

Then, she clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked at the enchantress. She was staring at the demon while her body was still trembling in fear.

’This won’t do. I can’t count on Celestine now; our souls will be a part of his collection if this continues,’ she conveyed inside her mind and bit her lower lip.

At the same time, the demon tossed the scythe up in the air, and it shifted back to its cube-like form before landing, spinning on his palm.

"Having a problem summoning?" Zeno asked.

Then, he shook his head and retracted Leodegario’s Legacy.

"I cancelled the domain. Now, summon all of your pets and make me entertained," he added, smiling with a wide grin.

. . . . .