Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 270 - 271: Adding salt to Injury [2/2]

thank you for the support, tomorrow I will post the power stones bonus,

----------------------

’Can Abyssal Demons fly?’

This question has a general consensus among most factions on the continent. It is widely believed that, except for a few Abyssal Demons with the ability to fly and special beings of seventh-tier or higher, the majority of Abyssal Demons cannot fly. Their understanding of this matter is not surprising.

The reason being that, for the past few hundred years, every invasion by the Abyssal Demons has come rushing from the ground, densely packed. There have been very few attacks from the sky. As a result, many "experts" concluded that since there are no flying races within the Great Winter Forest, where the Abyssal Demons originate, it’s natural that the Abyssal Demons themselves lack the ability to fly.

However, is it true that Abyssal Demons only rely on ground assaults?

The answer is a resounding no.

Strictly speaking, there are various bird-like and dragon-like creatures with flight capabilities deep within the Great Winter Forest. Aside from the high-ranking Abyssal Demons, Yumo has already accumulated a significant number of flying Abyssal Demons within the forest. The reason for not deploying this "air force" extensively is primarily to consider human society.

The human world was severely wounded after the first failed extermination campaign several hundred years ago. At that time, even defending against ordinary ground attacks from the Abyssal Demons was incredibly difficult for humans, let alone facing threats from the skies. To prevent the human race from losing all hope of survival and retreating into fortified strongholds, Yumo restricted the deployment of flying Abyssal Demons.

As a result, the major human factions focused their attention on constructing city walls, allowing urban development behind the protective barriers to proceed more peacefully.

Even when Yumo occasionally sends out Abyssal Demons to harass, it is in accordance with the wishes of humans, targeting the most heavily fortified border military fortresses. Even if a few flying Abyssal Demons are occasionally dispatched, their numbers are not significant. The human Knights and the flying Saint(7th tier) powerhouses are more than capable of dealing with them.

...

Over time, the concept that most Abyssal Demons cannot fly seems to have become deeply ingrained in the human world.

Because of this, when a horde of Abyssal Demons, enough to block out the sky, suddenly appears overhead, causing intense fear in the hearts of people, it is not just Xue Tianao, but also peoples from factions such as the Asumos Church, the holy Tower, and the Red Lotos Leaf Empire, who display expressions of surprise and disbelief.

Inside the city, the citizens, upon seeing the densely packed Abyssal Demons descending from the sky, lose their courage and panic spreads through the crowd like a virus. The city descends into chaos as people frantically rush towards the southern gate, trying to escape the sky...

Of course, without a doubt, the most fearful and unsettled are the Lion Griffon Knights in the sky and the pilots of the steel airships, as they are the first to come into contact with this horde of Abyssal Demons.

They were the first group of victims, without a doubt. The horde of Abyssal Demons immediately launched a brutal attack against the Lion Griffon Knights. Most of these Abyssal Demons had been arranged by Yumo to sleep deep within the Great Winter Forest. Now that they had finally awakened, their inner brutality naturally sought an outlet...

*Boom! *

With the release of their dark Shadows power, a torrent of bloodshed erupted in the sky. The number of Lion Griffon Knights was already scarce, and there were only a little over three hundred knights guarding the steel airships. In the past, they would have been enough to deal with a small number of flying Abyssal Demons, but now? Facing the siege of nearly a hundred if not thousand Abyssal Demons, the fate of these three hundred Lion Griffon Knights was evident...

Amidst the cries of agony,

the Lion Griffon Knights and their mounts could hardly put up an effective resistance. They were torn apart by the ravenous horde of Abyssal Demons, their bodies devoured, presenting a scene of utter devastation. Blood, shattered entrails, and mutilated limbs continuously rained down from the sky...

In just a moment, all of the three hundred Lion Griffon Knights perished.

Without the protection of the Lion Griffon Knights, the steel airships naturally became the target of the Abyssal Demons’ onslaught. Although the mages and fixed turrets on the airships fought back with all their might, their firepower proved futile against such overwhelming numbers of Abyssal Demons...

To put it bluntly,

it was useless...

Accompanied by deafening roars,

countless Annihilation Beams struck the steel airships amidst the heart-wrenching screams of the pilots and mages. Under the relentless bombardment of the Annihilation Beams, two of the steel airships disintegrated in mid-air, transforming into numerous burning steel meteors that plummeted from the sky. The flagship, named "Future" by Xue Tianao, which had slightly stronger defensive capabilities, crashed violently onto the scorched earth outside the city, billowing with black smoke.

*Boom! *

In the instant of collision between the airship and the ground, a towering blaze erupted...

Dazzling flames blossomed on the surface of the earth, and the pungent smell of charred flesh permeated the air.

Although some pilots and mages wisely parachuted in time, fortunate enough to avoid the blast, they were left to face the thousands of bloodthirsty beasts without the protection of the steel airships. As the Abyssal Demon horde surrounded these survivors, they couldn’t help but regret their decision to parachute.

Compared to being devoured alive by the Abyssal Demons,

dying instantly in an explosion might be considered a more dignified death.

Unfortunately, they had already lost the right to choose again.

Before these people could even cry for help or lament their fate, the Abyssal Demons swarmed over them, tearing them into pieces...

At this point,

the forces sent by Xue Tianao to confront the Abyssal Demon horde outside the city were completely annihilated.

Outside the city, it was nothing short of a living hell...

Looking at the human tragedy displayed on the projection screen, witnessing the wreckage of the warships emitting billowing black smoke, and the scattered limbs and flesh on the ground. It’s important to note that just a few minutes ago, these limbs belonged to mighty royal knights...

The people who were previously celebrating the victory of the Royal Knight Order, cheering Xue Tianao’s name, suddenly fell into an eerie silence. With unbelieving eyes, they stared fixedly at the screen, and as they accepted this reality, the fear that had barely been suppressed surged back, easily occupying everyone’s minds...

"Quickly! Run!"

It’s unclear who shouted, but the crowd in Dragon Dance Square instantly erupted into chaos, desperately fleeing toward the outskirts of the palace. The members of the Imperial Guard, who were supposed to maintain order, stood stupefied in place after witnessing their comrades being easily slain by the Abyssal Demons’ minions. They had no intention of stopping the rioting crowd.

"Don’t... don’t panic!"

Watching the uncontrollable crowd below, Xue Tianao tried to intervene, attempting to calm the people. However, this time his efforts had no effect. Regardless of how the new emperor pleaded, the panic among the people did not diminish in the slightest. In fact, many of them cast looks of hatred and suspicion directly at Xue Tianao as they fled, considering that some of their loved ones were involved in the "counterattack" mentioned by Xue Tianao.

Even without hatred and suspicion, the adoration and trust initially present in the gazes of the other people had vanished.

At this moment, Xue Tianao realized that the trust he had painstakingly built among the people after this painful failure might no longer exist...

Not only had his most elite Royal Knight, Imperial Guard, and Lion Griffon Knight suffered heavy losses, but he had also lost the support of the people...

Losing public support, along with the depletion of more than half of his elite forces, meant that his power over the Snow Night Empire would significantly decline.

Furthermore, with all eyes upon him, didn’t he previously claim that his army could easily defeat the Abyssal Demon horde? And now, wasn’t he being thoroughly humiliated?

Feeling the peculiar gazes of envoys surrendering to him, Xue Tianao clenched his fists tightly in anger, his eyes filled with intense loathing as he stared at the Abyssal Demon horde on the projection screen.

"These damned beasts!"

However, as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. Just as Xue Tianao cursed inwardly, a formidable black meteor streaked across the sky, striking the city’s protective barrier with a powerful impact, causing a surging wave of suppressed shadow energy to spread...

The city alarm resonated, and Xue Tianao’s expression once again changed abruptly, becoming more distorted and ferocious.

"That... that presence? Abyssal Demons? A Demon King?!"

’Damn it! Abyssal Demon horde first?! And now a demon king appears?!’

’When will it end?!!’