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Chapter 98: The Capital of the Demons
🕑 Added 2024-12-03 16:16:32 +0000 UTCIt had been a week, and there were still pockets of resistance requiring my intervention. I no longer roamed aimlessly; my focus was now on their engine rooms. With approximately 150 settlers, there were over 150 engine rooms to take control of. The three stooges kindly pointed me to each one, even volunteering to operate the engines themselves.
Of course, their service didn't come without a price. They requested an island ship, complete with boats and wooden vessels, for themselves. I granted them five, and they knelt once more in reverence. These slaves made up only 5% of the total population in this settlers' hub, which translated to over seven thousand individuals. One island would suffice for their needs, and I had no practical use for these extra ships anyway. I do wish they would stop with their reverence, though. It's getting more embarrassing by the minute.
"Esteemed White Wing, may I have your orders?" Lilulilalelo inquired. I winced internally at their names. It seemed they adhered to a peculiar rule: a name could contain only one type of consonant. They believed that more consonants in their names would bring bad luck. Hence, their absurd-sounding monikers.
Regardless, I issued my command. "Once we control 70% of the engine rooms, turn on the engines and set sail for the demon capital."
They hesitated. Reading their expressions, I added while pointing to vampires, "You may leave whenever you wish, so long as this ship is headed toward the demon capital. Your lives are not my concern—I already have plenty of slaves."
"Thank you, esteemed White Wing Elidranthia."
The engines roared to life. I felt the ship tremble beneath me as, one by one, the slaves ignited the engines. Using feystones, the slaves operated the engines just as proficiently as the demons had. Fortunately, we had an ample supply, with even the demons' own bodies containing feystones.
"Monsters devouring monsters. We feast on each other, and only one shall flourish," I whispered to myself. Feeling a bit melancholic.
A few days after the engines were fully operational, chaos erupted. The demons emerged from their bunkers in a frenzy, fully intent on stopping us.
"King's way! King's order! Betrayers!" they chanted as they charged toward the engine room. However, the cramped spaces within the ships were perfect for my vampires. My vampires ambushed the demons at intersections, and the demons fell for it. My horde had grown to over five hundred thousand. This didn't mean there were still millions of demons left—during my conquest, they had abandoned the kinslayer law. At most, the number of demons remaining couldn't exceed forty thousand.
"I've killed over a million people... and I'll kill four billion more... even genocidal regimes like the Nazis killed fewer than that," I muttered. I wondered how many corpses I would see in my dreams tonight. Even with this, I could barely see the ground anymore. The red moon was getting closer and closer.
Then, the unthinkable happened. The hub shook violently, its steel frame trembling as it emitted a screeching sound. I hadn't conquered all the engine rooms in this massive island. I had thought controlling just 70% of them would be enough to move the island. Even if they tried to counteract me by powering the remaining engines in the opposite direction, I could steadily progress while dismantling and conquering the remaining rooms one by one.
But they did something completely unexpected—and utterly insane. They blew up their own engine rooms. Water surged into their section of the ships, and because our vessels were attached, the entire settlers' hub began to tilt as the hallways flooded. Each settler's hub was as big as a carrier ship on Earth. This hub holds about 150 of them. The slaves began to panic.
"Take these feystones! Decouple as many ships as you can—start with the ones farthest from their engine rooms, now!" I ordered. The slaves scattered, running to the chains that coupled the ships together. I knew I could survive even if the carrier sank—I had wings, and Ralph was by my side. But that didn't mean I wanted the slaves to perish. They had been enslaved their entire lives. I wanted them to experience freedom, at least once.
I felt the sea rising as the island continued to sink. I ordered all my vampires to follow the slaves while I climbed onto the deck and called for Ralph. As we ascended, I looked down and saw the island tilting. Some of them broke off and sank, but thanks to the chains, the weight pulled the other ship under. I saw the hub gradually being swallowed by the abyss. Thankfully, ten ships managed to decouple from the sinking island's edge, but I could feel my connection to the horde fading as many were consumed by the tide.
I landed on the remaining island. The purple-skinned slaves bowed before me, their tongues entwining around their bodies in a peculiar display. These weren't the usual three stooges who followed me like ducklings, but I didn't particularly care.
"Can you attach the remaining ships back together?" I asked them.
"Yes, Angel," they replied, bowing deeply.
"My name is Elidranthia. Not Angel."
"Of course, Angel Elidranthia."
My title was somehow upgraded from white wings to angel. This was getting ridiculous. Look at these wings!! Sure, they were white. But they were made from membranes and scales, like bats! or dragons! They are certainly not angel wings!! I needed to send them on their way as soon as possible before their reverence of me grew any more exaggerated.
Testing my new wings, I flew to the other ships and asked them the same question. After the ten ships were securely coupled, the three stooges returned to their post behind me. They seemed nervous, whispering to each other in a language I couldn't understand. I eyed them suspiciously.
"So, where is the demon capital?" I asked.
"It is in the northwest, Revered White Wing…" Their voices trailed off as if they wanted to say something more but hesitated.
"Take us there. Once we reach the island, you may decouple five of the ships and go on your way. You're free."
"We thank you greatly, Savior," they said. However, their face was somehow still tense.
"Hm… never mind. Why don't you decouple four of the ships right now? In the meantime, the remaining ship will take me to the demon capital. When the continent comes into view, you can decouple the last one and leave. I don't think I need to bring all of you there."
"Really?" One of the stooges perked up. Even with their alien features, I could tell they were smiling. The others quickly nudged them, prompting a reverent bow. As I suspected, they had worried I might retract my offer because of the settlers' hub's destruction.
Even after I gave them their freedom, the four decoupled ships carrying the slaves continued to follow my vessel at a cautious distance. I sighed as we steadily outpaced them. With fewer mages among their ranks, their ships were slower than mine. Soon, they disappeared from sight. I noticed some of the slaves on my ship glancing back at their retreating brethren and exhaling deeply, likely comforted by the thought that even if they perished, their people had escaped safely. Their fears were unfounded—I bore them no malice.
In the distance, a hurricane loomed, its massive wall of clouds engulfing the demon continent like a natural barrier, barring entry. The sight explained the peculiar design of these island-like ships. The turbulent winds would render sails and rudders useless, which is why the ships were built rugged and bulky rather than hydrodynamic.
I retreated to the cabin and lay down in the barracks, waiting as we navigated the storm. Surprisingly, we passed through it quicker than I expected. When I stepped back onto the deck, the demon continent revealed itself.
It was a stunning and surreal sight: forests of concrete reaching skyward, their peaks disappearing into the clouds. Seeing the towering metropolis brought back memories of my past life. It resembled the metropolitan cities of Earth, though even more densely packed with buildings, people, and life. This was a place of extremes—a continent bursting at the seams.
As we neared, one of the ships detached from the fleet. It was time to part ways. I handed the slaves a small cache of feystones infused with my power, ensuring they had what they needed to survive. Along with the feystones, I left them a message in case they ever crossed paths with Claire or Ludwin: I promised them I would return someday.
Now, it was just me and the remnants of my horde—fewer than a hundred thousand vampires.
As we approached the continent, its details came into sharper focus. The demons weren't so different from others. Their cities had gleaming, majestic towers, but they also had sprawling slums. Some buildings were immaculate, while others stood in disrepair, a stark contrast that spoke to the inequality within their society.
I saw several fishing boats nearby, along with a larger ship that looked like a patrol vessel heading toward me. Several lights flashed toward me, and fireworks of different colors and intervals were shot above the carrier ships. They likely sent some kind of signal. However, I paid it no mind. As sirens blared from the patrol vessel, my vampires continued charging the engine of the five carriers with feystones. The patrol ship was rammed and reduced to debris as the massive island-like vessel plowed through it.
The demons finally came to their senses as panic erupted in the harbor. A settler-class ship under construction docked nearby, but the workers abandoned it, fleeing in terror as my five ships of similar size joined together and approached at full speed. The harbor drew ever closer, and when the island-sized ships reached the piers, the structures buckled and collapsed under their immense weight.
My ship showed no signs of stopping. It barreled through the harbor, tearing apart the concrete foundations. Apparently, the harbor had been built on slabs of wood floating over water. For a moment, I wondered if the entire continent was constructed with such flimsy materials, but my concerns were fleeting. The ship finally came to a sudden halt when it ran aground. The sudden stop nearly threw me off the deck, and I quickly flapped my wings to steady myself. I sensed some of my vampires being crushed against the walls by the impact.
Once the ship stabilized, I directed the remainder of my army to disembark in an orderly fashion. Seeing their brethren among the horde, the demons hesitated to attack immediately.
"You have violated Code 3 of the Leymen Empire concerning traffic accidents. Kneel, and your life will be spared!" one of the demons dressed in blue uniforms shouted. "What is happening?"
I had no intention of indulging their questions. As soon as my vampires drew near, they lunged at the demons. I landed atop the ship with Ralph and watched the carnage unfold. My vampires devoured the citizens as chaos consumed the harbor. Women and children screamed while the men desperately tried to hold back the relentless horde.
"You have disobeyed the kinslayer law! Cease, or you will face punishment worse than death!" one of the demons cried. But, of course, none of my vampires listened. Their defiance only intensified the chaos.
I observed that a few demons in that uniform used magic to destroy some of the zombies. Unlike the panicking civilians, these demons showed no hesitation, as if the kinslayer law had no effect on them, but their numbers were insignificant compared to the overwhelming civilian crowd. Demons ran in every direction, only to find themselves blocked at every exit. Even this single harbor held thousands—a staggering number compared to Earth's standards.
I stood silently as the carnage began. Genocide had come. My white wings spread wide against the night sky, a chilling symbol of the devastation below.
