Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 272 - 273: Invasion [2/3]

With Yumo’s departure, only Kalina and the members of the Black Rose family remained in the vast dungeon. Now that her mother was not around, Kalina no longer had to pretend to be a well-behaved child.

The cute expression on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by her usual indifferent and unresponsive look.

When facing Yumo, Kalina was like a caring little guardian. But in Yumo’s absence, Kalina’s expressions and the atmosphere around her often made people feel uneasy.

Looking at Kalina, who had returned to her previous state, the members of the Black Rose family couldn’t help but feel a sense of tension.

You see when Yumo was busy, it was usually Kalina who took care of them. Everyone present, including Sebastian and Que Mingtong, had been educated by Kalina. They still carried some psychological shadow from their encounters with this former "strict teacher"...

As a result, some members of the Black Rose family began to lower their heads subconsciously.

However, Kalina had no intention of lecturing anyone.

"Ahhh, Mommy is gone,"

Kalina sighed, slowly standing up from the ground. She glanced sideways at the spot where Yumo had been sitting before.

A night had passed, and it seemed that there was still a lingering fragrance in the place where Yumo had sat. Kalina’s heart weighed heavy with regret, knowing that she couldn’t spend more precious moments intimately connecting with her mother. However, on second thought, she realized that she had already spent the whole night by her mother’s side, almost monopolizing her attention.

A sense of satisfaction washed over Kalina as a radiant smile adorned her face.

You see, in the past, during the cold winter in the Great Forest, every night she would be with her sisters and that annoying older brother, spending time with her mother.

’ The last time I had quietly been alone with mommy like last night, how long ago was that? At that time, Limy and Liyu hadn’t been born yet...’

And this time, it wasn’t like before when they monotonously slept in the Wicked Hall. Last night, throughout the whole night, Kalina enjoyed her mother’s meticulous care and gentle caresses.

’It turns out that Mother, after transforming, is even nicer hehe~’

Kalina, being a child who found satisfaction easily, let go of any lingering regrets in her heart after fondly reminiscing about the blissful night she had experienced. Her orange-red eyes gleamed with contentment. Furthermore, as an older sister, she felt genuine concern for her new sibling. She realized the importance of caution and understood that rushing into the Skye Dome City without careful consideration would pose significant dangers.

’I hope nothing unexpected happened’

’and that it doesn’t disrupt the plan...’

After a brief moment of contemplation, Kalina, who had stood up, lowered her head in silence and looked at the golden longsword inserted in her chest. In the next moment, the woman behind her couldn’t help but frown.

It wasn’t because of pain Kalina had a high tolerance for pain. The reason for her displeased expression was the lingering aura on the sword, the aura belonging to the Child of Destiny, to Xue Tianao...

The power outside the realm of the Shadow would naturally make the Abyssal Demon uncomfortable, let alone this power coming from the Child of Destiny. It’s no wonder Kalina frowned and showed an extremely disgusted expression.

"Hey, little Sei,"

Kalina shifted her gaze to the white-haired old butler beside her and pointed to the sword on her chest.

"Can you pull out this sword? It’s very uncomfortable..."

Upon hearing this, Sebastian first froze, then revealed a bitter expression, shaking his head helplessly and speaking in a gentle tone,

"Lady Kalina, I understand how you feel. But..."

As Sebastian uttered the word "but," a shift in his usual unwavering tone occurred, rare for him, unveiling a hint of unwavering determination.

"It’s not quite suitable right now, Lady Kalina. Please bear with it for a little longer. If Lady Yumo suddenly comes back, it will ruin everything."

"...Sigh... You’re right."

After careful consideration, Kalina nodded in agreement.

"Then, how long do I have to wait?"

"Um..."

Sebastian scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"For now, the ’setting’ of this sword will be activated by Xue Tianao, threatening your life. So... to pull it out, we’ll have to wait until the protagonist suffers a serious injury and the ’connection’ with this divine sword is severed. By then, even if Lady Yumo returns, we can explain... don’t you think?"

"That’s true... but how much longer do I have to wait?"

"How much longer?"

At that, Sebastian lowered his head in contemplation, rolled up his sleeve, and gazed at the watch on his wrist. After a moment of thought, the old butler slowly spoke,

"Currently, half of the Royal Knights and Imperial Guards have fallen victim to the Abyssal Demons. Xue Tianao is now going there, whether it’s to deal with the Abyssal Demon horde outside the city or to eliminate the intruders in the Skye Dome City..."

"Is that so?"

After hearing Sebastian’s answer, Kalina playfully raised her hand and twirled her rosy hair with her fingers.

--

At the same time,

In the Skye Dome Palace, inside the ’Divine Martial Hall,’ a man dressed in a yellow robe with radiant golden short hair hurriedly rushed into the hall. He was simultaneously channeling his magical power to accelerate his movements and impatiently using a communication magic stone to talk to his subordinates.

"Did you understand?! Captain Akino!"

The man couldn’t help but roar at the communication magic stone.

"In any case, block the Abyssal Demons’ attacks. We must not let them break through our defense! If necessary, use the Fusion Bomb!"

"The Fusion Bomb? Your Majesty, that would also affect the civilians in the north..."

"They’re just a group of worthless ordinary people. It doesn’t matter."

"But..."

"There’s no ’but’! Follow my instructions. Also, notify the Third and Fifth Army Groups to come and support us immediately! We cannot lose the capital! Oh, and inform the troops of the Church in the south as well! Let them know right away!"

...

...

As he removed the obstructive imperial robe from his body, the golden-haired man continued to brief Captain Akino of the Royal Knights about the subsequent arrangements. This man was none other than the Chosen One of this world, Xue Tianao.

Due to the intrusion of an Abyssal Demon King, the people on Dragon Dance Square completely lost control and chaos ensued.

Since saying more would be futile, Xue Tianao had no intention of staying in the square. After delegating command to his subordinates, he hurriedly arrived at the ’Divine Martial Hall,’ which was the treasury of the imperial capital. All his weapons, equipment, and magic scrolls were stored there.

Originally, when Xue Tianao saw his army being crushed by the Abyssal Demons and felt the skeptical gazes of the people, he was deeply ashamed. He planned to personally take action and crush the Abyssal Demon horde outside the city. Although he didn’t know why these Abyssal Demons suddenly became so much stronger, he was clear that they were no match for him!

He wanted to eliminate the external Abyssal Demons in front of the people and numerous foreign envoys, redeeming himself and re-establishing his highly image in the hearts of the Snow Night Empire’s people. However, after the black light burst into the city, Xue Tianao changed his plan.

Compared to the Abyssal Demon horde, the Abyssal Demon king, who came with hostility, was obviously the top priority! it had to be dealt with first!

In Xue Tianao’s view,

In this time period, the appearance of this Demon king entity and the massive attack from the Abyssal Demon horde on the outskirts, it’s definitely related to her. Moreover, isn’t this new Demon king the daughter of the Marquis family? She used her identity as a young lady of the Marquis family to conspire with the former members of the Marquis family in the northern region, hoping to use the Abyssal Demons’ attack to rescue the Marquis and his wife. That’s why the communication in the north was disrupted and the Abyssal Demons quickly advanced southward. Xue Tianao kept speculating in his mind.

But, no matter what, as the saying goes, "Capture the thief first." Dealing with this Demon king is the priority, and the surrounding Abyssal Demon horde will naturally be resolved as well. With this in mind, Xue Tianao ended the communication with his subordinates and sprinted towards the top of the ’Divine Martial Hall’ at full speed. While running, Xue Tianao seemed to have thought of something, and his eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.

However, a different possibility began to take hold in Xue Tianao’s mind.

"What if the Abyssal Demon attack wasn’t solely directed at the Marquis family’s young lady, but rather orchestrated by the enigmatic Bloody Butterfly?"

Deep in contemplation, Xue Tianao’s expression turned serious. Though he couldn’t discern the full extent of the other Demon King’s cruelty, he acknowledged her potential motives. He couldn’t dismiss the notion entirely. Even if he wasn’t ready to sever ties completely, he needed Luo Kefei to keep a watchful eye on her... Just in case. What if she were the mastermind behind it all?

While contemplating how to allocate manpower, Xue Tianao arrived at the top of the ’Divine Martial Hall.’ However, the moment he stepped onto the top floor, a strong smell of blood hit him, abruptly changing his expression and pulling him back to reality...

"What... what’s going on?!"

At this moment, on the vast top hall, blood was scattered all over the floor. Dozens of his subordinates, who were assigned to guard his ’Divine martial hall,’ lay lifeless in pools of blood. Looking into their lifeless eyes, Xue Tianao realized that these subordinates he had painstakingly trained had lost their lives...

Gazing upon the lifeless bodies of his fallen subordinates, Xue Tianao’s already deeply discontented demeanor erupted into a seething volcano of rage. His usually composed face contorted into a ferocious visage, while his bloodshot blue eyes blazed with an intense glare fixed upon the enigmatic figure draped in a black robe. It appeared as if the figure had been patiently awaiting Xue Tianao’s arrival amidst the grim mound of corpses.

"Who... who are you?! How dare you intrude into my Divine Martial Hall without permission!"