Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 966- Demon Lord's Army (3)

Simon who flew here nonstop over the night, passing over the vast mountain range and enduring the cold biting wind of the night, finally made it to the place where the army of the demon lord was.

The moment he arrived, he was taken aback by the scene in front of him. And endless horde, a precursor to destruction. As far as the eye could see, hideos looking monsters and demons were sprawling everywhere.

It was like watching a black carpet blanketing the world. The scene was so impactful that it made one dizzy.

Even Simon who had already seen the demon horde from the distance, was shocked and taken aback when he came here. Looking at the demon lord's army from the distance was one thing but seeing it up close and with one's own eyes, was another. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was only after arriving here and witnessing the scene that lay before him, that he realised how much he; no everyone had been underestimating the Demon Lord's army.

To say that it was a horde was an understatement. No, the strength of just this lineup here had already surpassed the combined strength of the Southern Alliance.

What they saw from over the mountain range, was just the tip of the iceberg. The real forces of the demon lord's army, the truly dangerous ones were far behind at the centre of the horde.

The ones in front were just meatshields, the lowest ranking demons and monsters.

"This is stupid, does the creator of the forbidden ground really want me to clear this?" Simon mocked inwardly.

 He was still some distance away from the area where the horde was but the land had already changed. cracked and scorched, dark veins of energy pulsing inside the ground like corrupted blood beneath the surface.

The air smelled of sulfur and decay, Even the wind felt heavy like it was carrying the weight of something ancient and dangerous.

Simon's eyes scanned the horde, recognizing various species of monsters and creatures that one would be hard pressed to find other than in a high ranking dungeon.

Ogres, trolls, Cycolps, Gargoyles… then there were also Mordregals, siege beasts. Hulking, bear-like beasts with tusks as thick as a man's arm, and glowing eyes that could see in complete darkness. Even a single one could easily topple a fortress.

Vorivales, sinuous reptilian creatures with scales as hard as Mythril. "Are those Nightmares?!!"

Floating over the ranks of Mordregals, were ethereal spectre like creatures wrapped in black shrouds, with faces twisted in expressions of permanent agony. They moved with the grace of smoke, and their whispers could drive any being to madness within seconds.

A super rare being that could only be spawned in high and [S] rank dungeons, it was no wonder Simon involuntarily spoke out loud.

Knowing that his dungeon was close to reaching the status of a high ranking dungeon soon, he had previously checked the DP required to spawn more powerful creatures. It was at that time the name of the nightmares came up.

But it was not only the nightmares, Infernal Wraiths, Cerberus and even Wyverns… what the people on the other side of the mountain range saw, was just the tip of the iceberg of the Demon lord of Envy's real force.

Even if they were given a hundred chances there was no way just the south wing army of the southern alliance could stall this horde. It was a mistake to even think that the fortress in Mount Gorgor would be able to provide the army with some ground to fight the horde back.

It was a good thing he came here, now he could at least come up with some other plan. Thankfully, the conversation between him and Vordanaz happened in the distance and wasn't overheard by the mercenaries and soldiers in the camp.

Because of it, he was able to make a swift excuse to slip out of the camp.

The excuse that he gave was… a duel. Apparently, the demon in respect of his powers issued him a challenge to fight him in a duel. If he won, the camp would be protected from getting destroyed and if he lost or didn't show up, the horde would trample them down.

To protect the camp and to keep the deception going he chose to accept the challenge.

Of course, it was all bullshit and there were flaws here and there but these people were no scholars and only used their heads to headbutt. There was no way they would find out about his lie.

As expected the soldiers and mercenaries undoubtedly accepted his lie as the truth. Heck, they even started shedding manly tears.

For him, he was just completing his quest but to these people who knew nothing, he was their savior. His casual words made them realise that the demon hadn't retreated in fear, but was deceived into a duel… all so as to protect them.

Unbeknownst to him it caused the awe and admiration in their eyes to strengthen further. No, perhaps it worked a little too much, they even started saying stuff like wanting to follow him and fight by his side.

Thankfully, he was able to somehow suppress their excitement and rush over here. Anyway, things went smoothly on the other side. Now he had another challenge lying in front of him.

Simon observed the unending horde that lay before him, These creatures; no these monsters, weapons of destruction, siege engines of war, were quite a sight to see. It was not every day one gets to see a massive horde capable of ending the world.

"The previous Demon Lord of Envy… he is nothing like the current Possessor of Envy".

Beyond the legion lay the demons' camp, sprawling and chaotic but highly fortified, an eerie contrast of disorder and structure.

Makeshift barricades constructed from massive, spiked logs and twisted metal surrounded it, while tents made from strange, leathery hide dotted the landscape haphazardly. Massive iron braziers lined the perimeter, the flames an unnatural green gave the camp an unholy luminescence.