Deep within the Ninth Abyss, as the resounding boom of the timpani echoed through the caverns, Mike and Ace found themselves sprinting for their lives, pursued relentlessly by a horde of over one hundred thousand demon rats.
The beast wave surged behind them like a relentless tide. Chief tier rats, their eyes glowing with malice, charged out from the throng, only to be swiftly dispatched by Ace’s spear. Their corpses, barely hitting the ground, were devoured by their ravenous brethren.
This was one of the most terrifying aspects of the demon army.
Humans had their limits.
But the demon creatures within the horde seemed to grow stronger with each kill, their bloodlust only intensifying.
Fortunately for them, the targets of this particular chase were no ordinary humans.
Two level 300+ Generals, daring to provoke a demon army exceeding one hundred thousand strong. Mike’s confidence stemmed from an absolute faith in his abilities.
He possessed the means to obliterate the entire horde pursuing them if he so wished.
“Thor, what in the Abyss are you playing at?!” Ace roared. He effortlessly cut down another wave of pursuers.
Unlike Ace, Mike seemed almost relaxed, even taking a moment to sip his coffee.
“You’re aware of the Blood Sea Corps’ plan, right?”
The Blood Sea Corps’ intention to play along with the Fifth Demon God’s scheme, opening a passage between the Fifth and Ninth Abysses, was a closely guarded secret.
Ace might not have access to such classified information.
However, the Iron Vanguard Corps, stationed in the Ninth Abyss, was Old Calderon’s elite force. At its peak, the Iron Vanguard rivaled even the Supreme Corps!
There was no way the Blood Sea Corps’ actions could be kept hidden from Ace.
“They want to play along,” Mike said with a sigh. “So, we’re going to make things a little more… interesting.”
Being chased by a demon army wasn’t a big deal.
Currently, the horde consisted mainly of low-level demon rats, the strongest being Nine-Star Chiefs. Not a single Lord among them.
All they needed to do was cause enough chaos, attract enough attention, and the real heavy hitters-the demon Lords-would come out to play. That would create the perfect opportunity for the Blood Sea Corps to strike.
Ace understood the logic.
“Wait a minute, something’s not right!” Ace suddenly exclaimed, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “This plan… it’s too danger. Why would you put yourself in danger like this? Who are you really?”
“Danger? What danger?” Mike scoffed.
Before setting foot in the Ninth Abyss, he had used the Eyes of Truth to chart a perfectly safe route.
The Ninth Demon God wasn’t that powerful. According to Mike’s intel, he was only level 996.
Mike was here on Apollo’s orders, tasked with eliminating the Progenitor of Ghosts, a being suspected to be level 999.
The Ninth Demon God… didn’t really pose much of a threat.
Besides, the Arbiter had informed him that Ares was in position.
With Ares on standby, what was there to fear?
And if that wasn’t enough, Mike had his ultimate trump card: Shadow Three!
Ares, while powerful, was waiting outside the Abyss.
Shadow Three, on the other hand, was his constant, unwavering protector, providing an unparalleled sense of security.
Even if the Ninth Demon God himself attacked, Shadow Three was more than capable of keeping Mike safe.
In short, this little expedition with Ace was as safe as a stroll in the park.
As they continued their chaotic sprint, the demon horde swelled in size, its numbers growing with each passing moment.
Mike, however, wasn’t just blindly running. He kept a close eye on the horde, analyzing its movements.
At first, Ace had tried to thin out their pursuers. But seeing Thor’s lackadaisical attitude, he decided to abandon all pretense of fighting.
Sheathing his spear, Ace focused solely on running, eventually overtaking Mike.
“What kind of bodyguard are you?!” Mike complained.
“I’m leading the charge!” Ace retorted without missing a beat.
Mike: “…”
Leading the charge… in the opposite direction?
The demon army behind them continued to grow, its roar shaking the very foundations of the Ninth Abyss.
…
Meanwhile, at the human corps’ base camp…
“Report!” A Chief burst into the command center, his voice frantic. “A massive demon army, exceeding one hundred thousand, has been spotted 3,000 miles southwest of the base! We’re still assessing the situation!”
“What?!”
Before the three Corps Leaders could process this information, another report arrived. “Report! The demon army southwest of the base is now estimated to be over one million strong! Level three alert has been issued!”
A real-time projection of the situation unfolded before the three Corps Leaders.
A million-strong demon army, a force capable of slaying even Lords, was rampaging through the Ninth Abyss.
“Find out what’s causing this mobilization! We need an accurate estimate of their numbers
and their objective!”
Before the order could leave the command center, another report arrived.
“Report! The demon army has swelled to over 1.4 million! We’ve identified twelve Lord tier
demon creatures among them…”
“Report! The demon army has now surpassed two million!”
“Three million!”
“Report! Over thirty Lord tier demon creatures detected! Level one alert has been activated!”
“”
Reports flooded in, each one adding to the mounting pressure felt by the three Corps Leaders. The demon army was growing exponentially, like an unstoppable avalanche.
At this rate, it would soon reach ten million, and there was no sign of it slowing down! After ten million… came one hundred million!
It had been ages since the Ninth Abyss had witnessed a demon army of that magnitude!
If a force that large were to crash against their defenses, even if the three corps managed to hold them off, the casualties would be catastrophic.
“Find out what’s going on!” the Blood Sea Corps Leader roared, his voice laced with urgency. “Why are they amassing like this? What is their target?!”
The Iron Vanguard Corps Leader, a silver-haired veteran and a former student of Calderon, remained calm. His voice, though low, commanded respect.
“Don’t panic.” He was the oldest and most powerful individual present. “If they intended to attack our defenses, they would have done so already.”
Indeed, the projection, despite red dots representing the demon army, showed no signs of them approaching the human lines. In fact, they seemed to be headed in the opposite
direction.
“Report! Our reconnaissance team has sent back live footage from the front lines!”
“On screen!”
“Yes, sir!”
The large screen flickered to life, displaying a scene so unbelievable, so utterly absurd.
They saw…
Two figures, running for their lives, pursued by a three-million-strong demon army.