"What do you want to do?"
Ark strained forcefully, the symbolic chains binding him rattling loudly. His fiery gaze was fixed intently on Chen Yu, filled with vigilance, as if looking at some demon king more terrifying than an Abyss Lord.
Chen Yu deliberately regurgitated the Book of Souls from his belly, using his spiritual sense to control it, making it float before him as its pages turned one by one.
The pitch-black pages turned silently, occasionally flashing with distorted soul phantoms and obscure demonic runes.
Watching this made Ark's eyelids twitch uncontrollably. He ultimately restrained his temper and slumped back down onto the cold stone brick floor.
Only then did Chen Yu ask telepathically: "As a subordinate of Casaric, you should have some understanding of the Burning Capital, right?"
Ark turned his face away and said coldly, "From the moment of my birth until now, I have always been guarding the fortress in the Abyss. I have never been to the Burning Capital."
So it seems... if he's not lying, this guy really is one of Casaric's old troops left behind in the Abyss after he left, Chen Yu thought.
"Tell me what you know, about Casaric, about the Golden Radiance Valley, about the demons' plans..." Chen Yu's tone was flat, but the faintly glowing emerald light from the Book of Souls silently exerted pressure.
After hesitating for only a few seconds, he gave up pointless resistance and began to divulge all the information he knew.
His knowledge of the Burning Capital was indeed limited, mostly coming from rumors among other demons and Casaric's occasional brief remarks.
He only knew that this insane demon city was built upon the former nest site of the ancient black dragon that once controlled the entire Golden Radiance Valley.
Volcanic eruptions were frequent there, the ground cracked and dry, with magma flowing everywhere like rivers. The deeper one went towards the volcanic crater's center, the higher the temperature and the harsher the environment became. Only those magical creatures with sufficiently high Fire Resistance or Flame Affinity could survive there.
As the former nest of a dragon, it naturally also held countless gold coins and treasures buried within. It was said that even the magma flowing on the ground was mixed with molten gold, shimmering with an alluring golden light under the firelight.
In the few hundred years after the ancient black dragon left its nest, initially only the bravest adventurers and a few dragons still attached to the place dared to visit this lifeless wasteland.
Until later, a stable Abyss fissure opened deep within the volcano, releasing the demon legion led by Casaric.
These demons from the fiery hells of the Abyss were naturally fearless of magma and flames, even more adapted to the extreme environment there than many native dragons.
Thus, under Casaric's leadership, they drove out the remaining dragons entrenched there, completely occupied the volcanic crater and surrounding areas, and established the magnificent Burning Capital.
From then on, demonic activity traces became increasingly frequent on the continent, and the Golden Radiance Valley gradually became an important stronghold for demonic forces in the Prime Material Plane.
However, Ark also mentioned that the Golden Radiance Valley wasn't entirely such a lifeless wasteland.
In the peripheral areas far from the center of the active volcano, especially the fertile plains and valleys covered by volcanic ash and settled over long ages, there was not only the fertile soil left behind by volcanic eruptions but also a pleasant climate formed thanks to geothermal heat and special terrain.
For creatures fearing the long, harsh winters of the north, it was practically a bountiful land with eternal spring-like seasons, no cold, and always enough food to eat.
Rivers from the Corrupted Miasma Mountains flowed from north to south, nurturing vast stretches of lush natural forests and prosperous city-states established by humans and elves on this warm land.
That place almost gathered adventurers, merchants, scholars, and exiles from all over the continent.
What could be a better place than a bountiful land everywhere buried with dragon treasures, with a pleasant climate and fertile royal soil?
Almost nothing.
Only the southern kingdoms further south, which entered winter later, could enjoy such a pleasant climate.
Therefore, although only some city-states were located there, their wealth and prosperity might be higher than some small southern kingdoms.
There were even gatherings of The Extraordinary, hiding not a few powerful forces and individuals, making even Casaric wary and not daring to act recklessly. He could only slowly expand his influence through indirect methods like infiltration, trade, and supporting proxies.
According to Ark, Casaric had always harbored the ambition of "annexing the entire Golden Radiance Valley."
And finding the Crown of Ignis, completing the Trial of Kingship, and obtaining greater power and legitimate ruling authority were precisely the most crucial steps in his plan to conquer the valley and realize his ambition.
But now, this step had been completely ruined by Chen Yu.
Chen Yu thought for a moment. The fragments of the Crown of Ignis had been mostly digested by him, and even the last remaining piece had been sent back by the Poison-stinger Wasps for Anvil to study...
It seemed this feud was destined to be formed, and the relationship was beyond repair.
However, the good news was that due to the containment and potential threat from the valley city-states, Casaric seemed not to dare to leave the Burning Capital casually. Even if he wanted revenge, he would likely only start by annexing and infiltrating the White Horse Kingdom, gradually expanding his influence.
"What other uses does this coin have besides summoning demons?" Chen Yu regurgitated the Casaric Silver Coin he had snatched from Ark earlier from his belly.
This thing was supposedly forged from an extraordinary soul, and since it made those demons so obsessively fight over it, it clearly possessed unique power.
Ark said hoarsely, "The memories, skills, insights... even part of the soul essence of a powerful being are imprisoned within. Even an ordinary person, by holding it long-term and earnestly contemplating it, can gradually gain powerful strength and even glimpse the path to The Extraordinary."
Huh?
Isn't this just experience inheritance?
Even if not for the soul power itself, just the potential knowledge, combat techniques, and extraordinary insights contained within were enough to make anyone thirsting for power feel tempted.
Ark grinned, revealing a mocking smile. "The soul within this coin was actively sacrificed to Lord Casaric by Dominic... a knight's soul, said to be an elder of their Elvin family."
"Bailashien Elvin." Arthur and Galvin almost simultaneously uttered this name. Both their tones carried a hint of complexity.
Then, the Soulfire beneath Arthur's helmet flickered slightly as he added, "Your Majesty, Bailashien Elvin was the former army commander of the Second Legion, a respected old knight. It was rumored that over twenty years ago, he died in a fierce conflict with orc tribes on the northern snowy plains. Who would have thought..."
His voice carried weight. An old knight who died on the battlefield and should have enjoyed glory and remembrance, his soul was actually sacrificed to a demon by a descendant, forged into this kind of currency carrying pain and transactions... This was undoubtedly the greatest desecration of knightly honor.
Ark snorted coldly, his tone filled with contempt. "Dominic... that's the kind of human I despise the most."
Chen Yu thought about it. Since it was a human knight's soul... then handing this coin to a human knight of the kingdom to inherit should be most appropriate.
Arthur and Yano were already The Extraordinary and didn't need this, so...
"Galvin," Chen Yu hopped as he turned towards the silent Galvin beside him, "Do you want this coin?"
Galvin's answer surprised Chen Yu. He proudly raised his head, his eyes sparkling with confident light. "Your Majesty, I, Galvin, do not need to use such a thing. Bailashien Elvin's path of knighthood may not necessarily surpass mine."
Chen Yu was troubled. The human knights of the Slime Kingdom were just these few. Galvin didn't want it, and Alice had her own path to follow...
He hopped around, his gaze falling upon Anna, who had been standing quietly behind Galvin. His small eyes lit up.
"You, take it." Without further discussion, Chen Yu manipulated the Casaric Silver Coin to go "whoosh" and fly into Anna's pocket.
Anna stood there bewildered, dazed by this sudden opportunity, her mind a complete blank.
This... this was a precious treasure containing the soul inheritance of an extraordinary knight, just given to her like that?
Could this be some kind of ill-omened object, why did nobody want it...
She seemed to somewhat understand why her teacher had asked her to follow Teacher Arthur and Teacher Galvin.
"But Your Majesty, I..." Anna lowered her head, hesitating as she wanted to decline.
"If His Majesty tells you to accept it, then accept it. No more 'buts'." Galvin calmly interrupted her.
"O-okay..." Anna was intimidated by Galvin's aura and swallowed back what she originally wanted to say.
After asking Ark some more scattered information about demon legion organization, common troop types, weaknesses, and the distribution of other forces in the Golden Radiance Valley, Chen Yu felt it was enough.
Arthur then spoke up and asked, "Your Majesty, how should we deal with this demon? Continue keeping him imprisoned here?"
Chen Yu's round belly bubbled with mischief. He hopped once. "No, let him leave."
"Send him to the White Horse Kingdom."
Although Arthur and Galvin were puzzled by Chen Yu's decision, they didn't ask further. They just nodded silently and carried out the order.
Galvin stepped forward and used a key to open the runic lock on the cell door. Arthur gestured for Ark to leave.
Ark looked incredulously at the open cell door, then at the calm Chen Yu and the two knights outside.
He hesitated for a few seconds, then took heavy iron-hoofed steps out of the dark cage.
Leaving the dim underground prison and emerging outside, although it was still foggy outside with drizzling rain, the air damp and chilly, an indescribable joy and relief welled up uncontrollably in Ark's heart.
It wasn't that he hated darkness. In fact, the environment of the Abyss was far more harsh and darker than this small cage.
He just felt... freedom, released from the suffocating feeling of being imprisoned and having his soul controlled.
But before that evil slime, he naturally wouldn't show any joy.
He was even secretly vigilant. Could this be another scheme by that slime, deliberately letting him go only to capture him again and toy with him?
Ark warily looked around, each step taken cautiously, muscles tense, ready at any moment to respond to a possible attack.
But there was only drizzle and silence around, along with the blurred figures of slimes and human soldiers patrolling back and forth on the distant city wall. No one stopped or followed him.
Only when he ran beyond the alert range of Storm Fortress, walking on the muddy road leading to the heartland of the White Horse Kingdom, and still no one pursued him from behind, did he incredulously confirm—was he really free?
That slime actually didn't continue imprisoning him and just let him go?
Ark's footsteps didn't stop; he even ran faster and faster. His iron hooves splashed high in the muddy water.
He just wanted to get away from this place that made him feel extremely uneasy as quickly as possible, away from that terrifying slime.
His figure quickly disappeared into the hazy rain mist and the gray distance.
On the city wall, Galvin watched the direction where Ark disappeared before finally speaking up to ask Chen Yu, who was squatting on the battlement beside him, the reason.
Chen Yu hopped once and explained easily, "Simple."
"His soul is still with me. Wherever he runs, it's the same."
A glint of cunning flashed in Chen Yu's small eyes. "Moreover, Casaric will definitely send more powerful demons to participate in the conflicts of the White Horse Kingdom in the future, trying to control the situation."
"Rather than letting unknown demons take the lead, it's better to let Ark participate in this conflict. After all, he is the Furnace Cavalry under Casaric's command and holds a certain status within the demon legion. As long as he returns to the demon camp, with his strength and seniority, he has a great chance to regain command over part of the demon legion."
"He can play an unexpected role at critical moments."
The deep blue Soulfire beneath Arthur's helmet flickered slightly as his low voice sounded. "As expected of Your Majesty, profound and far-sighted."
Anna nodded vigorously beside them. Although she only half-understood, she felt His Majesty's decision must have its reasoning.
Time flew by swiftly.
Three days later, the aftermath of the Magical Tides finally completely subsided. The Gray Mist in the sky noticeably thinned, and sunlight occasionally pierced through the clouds, casting warm spots of light.
The end of the Magical Tides also officially announced the passing of summer.
Two days after the Magical Tides subsided, the temperature began to drop noticeably. A distinct chill could already be felt in the mornings and nights, and even faint white breath could be seen when breathing.
Within Storm Fortress, the few ancient oak trees that had survived the flames of war began to turn from green to yellow at their leaves, edges slightly curling.
A slightly chilly autumn breeze blew past, and a few golden fallen leaves drifted down leisurely, adding a touch of the unique desolate and tranquil atmosphere of autumn to this fortress that had just experienced blood and fire.
To resist the coming winter cold, the garrison soldiers had long changed into thick woolen linings and warm leather armor coats. The bonfires in the camp burned even brighter, cooking smoke curling upwards, the air filled with the aroma of hot soup and roasted bread.
The Restoration Legion, composed of humans and magical creatures, set out. Louisa planned to completely bring the entire Storm Territory under her control before winter arrived.
And perhaps stimulated by Arthur's breakthrough, Galvin broke through to The Extraordinary on the very first day of autumn.
He obtained a storm power capable of tearing through the firmament, just like the name of Storm Fortress.
It truly matched what he said a few days ago—Bailashien Elvin's path of knighthood might not necessarily compare to his.
The summer Magical Tides had ended, and with ample logistical supplies and the slimes' powerful recovery abilities, the Magical Creature Legion had almost recovered its vitality.
Chen Yu stood at the highest point of the city wall, his round body facing the slightly chilly autumn wind, looking deeper into the Dark Realm, towards the more remote northwest direction.
His goal was to clean up the final threats entrenched there—the Filthy Descendants Legion and the Goblin Army.
He didn't want to leave those goblins here to spend the winter. It was time to drive out those ugly green-skinned fellows.