Royal Capital.
This former royal city of the White Horse Kingdom was now besieged like an iron barrel.
The first to arrive was the Slime Legion.
They advanced to a position three miles outside the southern city wall at nightfall and began setting up camp. Before the tents were fully erected, the vanguard of the orcs appeared on the eastern horizon.
The howls of the Wolf Cavalry pierced the night, and the frost wolves, catching the scent of demons, excitedly pawed at the ground.
Next came the north and west.
The orc army flooded in like a tide, surrounding the Royal Capital tightly. Torches lit up in the darkness, and from atop the city wall, looking down, there were flames in all directions, like a burning chain firmly binding the entire city.
The Broken Sword Legion of the Third Prince's faction followed behind the orc eastern army and camped east of the city. Their camp was much more orderly than the orcs', with tents arranged in standard squares and sentries standing ramrod straight. But in terms of scale, their numbers were less than one-fifth of the orcs'.
When the last orc unit took its position, the demons inside the Royal Capital finally realized they had nowhere to run.
Chen Yu crouched on a small hill outside the southern city wall, gazing towards the Royal Capital. The torches on the wall formed an undulating line, and at regular intervals, there was a brighter, more intense light—demon sorcerers burning something.
The orange-red light reflected off the city wall, staining the white stone a dirty orange.
His Divine Sense tried to probe into the Royal Capital but was blocked by an invisible force, just like before.
This force felt more like the aura of the Abyss seeping from the fissure, wrapping the Royal Capital in a turbid membrane.
He could only see blurry outlines: towers, palaces, the toppled sun statue in the square, and the Abyss fissure.
Dark red light gushed from the fissure, dyeing the surrounding clouds the color of raw meat, a deeply unsettling sight.
Chen Yu withdrew his Divine Sense and fell into thought.
The situation in the Royal Capital seemed more complicated than he had imagined.
A decapitation strike seemed to have become an impossible plan.
"Your Majesty," Louisa's voice came from behind him. "The orcs have sent an envoy."
Chen Yu followed Louisa down. A tall orc messenger had been waiting for some time.
"Commander Karl invites the Slime King to the area below the western city wall to discuss tomorrow's attack."
Chen Yu shook his body, calling for Yano and Louisa to accompany his gel clone to the meeting. As for his main body, it would remain commanding the main army to prevent a demon sneak attack.
"Let's go," the gel clone said, landing on Yano's shoulder.
Chen Yu's Divine Sense swept over the siege layout, making it clear at a glance.
To the south was the Slime Legion's camp, with scattered bonfires and tents arranged in a semicircle. To the east and north were the orc camps, with denser, larger bonfires. Orcs sat around the fires, roasting whole wild boars and deer.
The western camp was the largest; that was Karl's main camp.
They entered the western camp and were invited by the orcs into a tent.
The tent was huge, sewn from whole mammoth hides, with whale ribs as its frame. Animal skins were spread inside, and a fire basin stood in the center.
Karl sat on a fur at the very back, like a small mountain. A frost wolf lay at his feet, its chin resting on its front paws, eyes half-closed, a low rumble coming from its throat.
When Chen Yu and the others appeared, the frost wolf's ears pricked up briefly before it went back to dozing.
"My brother," Karl raised a hand, pointing to the furs opposite. "Sit."
The clone hopped down from Yano's shoulder and landed on the fur. Yano stood firmly behind him. Louisa sat beside Chen Yu, her staff laid across her knees.
Lide sat on the left. Behind him stood two knights from the Broken Sword Legion, helmets tucked under their arms, expressions blank.
The person who surprised Chen Yu was the other one.
Ark.
That Iron Cavalry Demon whose soul he possessed was now standing in a corner of the tent, far from everyone else.
Karl actually allowed a demon into the orc main tent.
Chen Yu's little eyes blinked.
But he soon had an answer.
"Ark," Karl spoke, giving the demon a deep look. "We need to know the true strength of the Burning Legion."
This wasn't a question; it was an order.
A low gurgle came from Ark's throat, as if he was organizing his words.
"The Burning Legion has seven generals. I am one of them. The other six are like me, all Level Eleven."
"Balak, the gluttonous demon."
"Galma, the Infernal Lord."
"Selena, the succubus."
"Corax, the Shadow Demon."
"Zelgan, the Apostle of Plague."
"Vesalius, the demon sorcerer."
He paused.
"They have followed Casaric for centuries. Each is the strongest demon to survive the Blood War of the Abyss."
"Based on my understanding of Balak, as a gluttonous demon who views magical creatures as food, he is highly likely to appear on the southern battlefield."
A gluttonous demon?
Chen Yu's expression turned a bit odd.
Well, well, there's actually a demon competing with him for the title of Great Glutton.
Karl tapped his fingers on his knee.
"What about the main force of the legion?"
Ark rasped, "All Silver rank, plus some Level Ten high-level demons. Casaric has scoured the Abyss for centuries, capturing many powerful demons. Now they are all in the Burning Legion."
Seven Level Eleven demon generals, plus a powerful Silver legion.
This level of strength was terrifying, somewhat beyond the imagination of everyone present.
Karl was silent for a moment, then turned to Chen Yu.
He wasn't surprised that the Slime army had arrived first at the city wall tonight. Due to the Demon Legion's neglect, they hadn't deployed more forces in the southern region and didn't understand the Slime Kingdom's true strength.
This intelligence gap could be exploited.
"Tomorrow's attack will see simultaneous pressure from the east, west, and north. The orc main force will attack with full strength, and the Broken Sword Legion will cooperate on the eastern side. The demons will focus their attention on these three directions."
His finger drew a circle in the air, then pointed to the bottom of the circle.
"The south is yours."
"When the demons get used to the pressure from the other three sides and move their reserves there, the south will become empty. That's when the Slime Legion will break through the southern wall in one go."
"Are you confident?"
The eyes of everyone in the tent fell on Chen Yu.
Chen Yu thought about it.
According to his original plan, it wouldn't need to be this troublesome at all.
He could simply ride his sword into the Royal Capital, find Casaric, cleave down with one sword, succeed in the decapitation, and leave with style.
That's what a Sword Immortal should do.
But the situation inside the Royal Capital was far more complex than he anticipated.
His Divine Sense couldn't penetrate it.
The Abyss fissure hung above the Royal Capital, constantly pouring Abyssal aura into the city. In that environment, demon power would be amplified, while beings from the Material Plane would be weakened.
There were also hidden forces unknown to him.
Charging in directly meant a high probability of not coming back.
Chen Yu was confident, but not stupid.
So they had to fight step by step, letting the orcs scout the way first, tear open the demon defenses, force out those hidden powers, and then he would act.
After all, better the teammates die than himself.
He didn't believe the orcs weren't eyeing that crown.
That was the Proof of Kingship.
Whoever obtained it would become the rightful king of the north.
Karl, bringing a hundred thousand orc troops all the way from the northern ice plains to the Royal Capital, surely wasn't doing it just to drive out demons for the White Horse Kingdom.
Orcs were straightforward, but not that kind-hearted.
Everyone had their own thoughts, but the goal was the same.
Deal with Casaric first.
Chen Yu's clone puffed out its chest. Although not as large as the main body, this action still made his gel body swell a bit.
Of course, this half was his half, and the other half was also his.
Karl's eyebrow twitched.
"Half is enough."
He shifted his gaze from Chen Yu back to the center of the tent and began laying out the specific attack plan.
The orc plan was like the orc character: crude, direct, without any frills.
The orc legions on the east, west, and north would launch simultaneous attacks at dawn, using Wolf Cavalry to charge the demon flanks and infantry phalanxes to suppress the front. Siege ladders and battering rams would advance simultaneously, giving the demons no chance to catch their breath.
No probing, no feints, no complex formation changes.
Just press forward, keep pressing, press until the demons can't hold on.
But it was precisely this crude tactic that was often the most efficient.
Because orcs excelled at frontal overpowering. Their strength, endurance, and pain tolerance far exceeded those of humans and other races.
In a pure war of attrition, few races could outlast the orcs.
From start to finish, Karl showed almost no wariness towards the Slime Kingdom.
In his tactical arrangements, the southern attack was completely handed over to Chen Yu. No orc overseers, no additional monitoring.
He seemed to genuinely regard these slimes as brothers, believing they would attack at the agreed time.
Chen Yu could sense this trust wasn't faked.
Orcs weren't good at pretense.
If they wanted to kill you, they'd tell you directly, then act.
Karl didn't guard against the Slime Kingdom because he believed he was strong enough—strong enough to handle it even if the slimes betrayed him temporarily.
Also, in his understanding, those who could fight alongside him were brothers.
This straightforwardness made Chen Yu feel a bit embarrassed.
As for Lide's side, Karl's attitude was clearly different.
He was wary of the Third Prince's faction.
Not because Lide was untrustworthy, but because of the Third Prince himself.
That prince who sold his soul to Casaric, although not in actual control of the Broken Sword Legion, his very existence was a ticking bomb.
Who knew if Casaric could influence the Broken Sword Legion through his soul?
The night discussion soon ended.
The three walked out of the tent. Yano and Louisa mounted their horses and returned to camp.
On the way, Yano asked curiously, "Boss, are we really going to follow their plan?"
He knew his boss's character well.
Beneath that seemingly harmless slime exterior, the twists and turns hidden in that gel belly were more numerous than a mage's library.
He might well be plotting something right now.
Chen Yu's clone, crouched on Yano's shoulder, tapped Yano's head with a gel hand.
Yano shook his head decisively.
What gluttonous demon? Placed before the Slime Legion, it was completely insignificant.
Yano even felt that without the boss needing to act, that ranger from the Merchant Alliance army, Nolan, could shoot this demon through with one arrow.
Nolan's archery was the best Yano had ever seen: the eyesight of a giant eagle, the precision of an elf, the strength of a dwarf, all combined, plus that Golden Arrow.
It's just that arrow was too expensive.
Every time he shot the Golden Arrow, it was like firing tens of thousands of Gold Coins away.
Although the legion wasn't short on money, Yano, a knight accustomed to hardship, still felt the pinch.
It really didn't seem like a good skill.
Chen Yu put his hands on his hips. "See? That's right. That so-called gluttonous demon, his appetite is huge, but mine is even bigger."
He said this with a hint of pride in his tone.
Louisa spoke thoughtfully, "Casaric has been operating in the kingdom for decades. He was plotting for this crown even before he set foot in this royal land."
"Perhaps he has other preparations."
Chen Yu's clone gently swayed.
He calculated the time. Selene and the Elf Sages should be arriving soon.
...
The next morning, before dawn fully broke.
The eastern horizon showed only a sliver of gray-white; most of the sky was still deep blue, the stars not completely faded.
A horn sounded.
The first came from the west, low, drawn-out, like the breath of a giant beast.
Then from the east, then from the north.
The horns from three sides intertwined, shaking the Royal Capital awake from its slumber.
Next came war drums. The orcs were assembling, and the demons on the walls were quickly preparing.
The Slime Legion was also ready. In the position, Chen Yu's main body crouched on Peachy's back. Louisa and Celeste, riding warhorses, stood to his left.
Louisa spoke, "These demons are different from before."
Indeed, they were different.
Chen Yu followed her gaze towards the Royal Capital.
Below the southern wall, demons were exiting the city, jumping directly from the wall.
Visibly taller and more imposing, completely different from the demon grunts and imps.
These demons were extreme aggressors. They didn't understand defense, let alone operate alchemical cannons.
Their response was simple: walk out of the city walls and confront the orc and slime legions on the open battlefield.
They didn't know how to defend a city.
They only knew how to attack.
You could call them foolish, but they believed more in their bodies, harder than walls, in their demonic power, and in that plunderer's instinct that feared no death.
They were pain and suffering incarnate.
If they couldn't defeat the enemy head-on, they were too weak and deserved to die.
Infernals, harpies, succubi, imps... flowed over like lava, emitting dark red light and the smell of sulfur. Though their movement was slow and heavy, it seemed unstoppable.
Simultaneously, figures in black robes appeared above the city gate.
Xirik cultists.
They stood behind the battlements with the demon sorcerers, holding Holy Chalices, ready to support the Demon Legion at any moment.
Finally, a massive figure dropped from the city wall.
Just as Ark had predicted.
Defending the southern wall was the gluttonous demon Balak. His size was even larger than an Infernal, nearly five meters tall and almost as wide. His belly was huge like a small mountain, covered with mouths, slender tongues licking the air.
He landed on the ground, creating a crater.
His legs were thick but appeared short compared to his massive body, making him wobble as he walked. But his speed wasn't slow; he reached the forefront of the demon formation in a few steps.
He stood there, small eyes sweeping over the forming Slime Legion ranks, his gaze settling on Chen Yu, who was crouched on Peachy's back.
"Slime King. Delicious."
He licked his lips. His tongue was gray-purple, covered with tiny barbs.
Behind him, the Demon Legion let out a mountainous, roaring howl.
Chen Yu crouched on Peachy's back, watching all this.
His expression was very calm.
He was even thinking, what kind of Ark is this? He's just too ugly.