29. What does it have to do with me, a Warrior of Light, whether demons feel pain? (√)

The Doom Lord personally leading the charge to Krokuun is, naturally, a grand event!

However, a fel-tainted Arch-demon of his caliber cannot simply enter the material world by opening any random portal. A gateway capable of allowing a demigod to pass must be sufficiently massive, suffused with emerald energy, and overwhelmingly potent—much like the Fel Well created that night in the Great Lecture Hall through the sacrifices of the Enlightened One and his servants.

Such a high-tier summoning ritual requires not only a vast amount of sacrifice but also time for the fel concentration to reach the required threshold. Even though the Doom Lord was currently itching to crush a few Eredar to broadcast the Legion’s might, he was forced to remain seated on his demonic throne in Nathreza, passing the time by listening to the sycophantic praise of the Dreadlords surrounding him.

Unfortunately, during this period, bad news arrived one after another.

"What? The invasion led by Houndmaster Hakkar has failed again?! Damnation! What an incompetent coward—can he not even manage his own dogs? Bring that fool Hakkar to me! How can we complete the Great Burning Crusade while surrounded by such vermin? I shall execute him with my own hands!"

"Report, Doom Lord! Houndmaster Hakkar was burned to ash by an Eredar Vindicator Brigadier named 'Diakum Justins' using the Holy Light. He has fulfilled his duty to the Dark Titan and his soul has returned to the Twisting Nether."

"Tch, he got off easy, that dog-spawn. Go! Scout again and report!"

Several hours later, the same news arrived once more.

"What? General Sakkara, the most seasoned warrior among the Fel Lords, has also failed? The mighty Fel Lord Betrug was his lieutenant! That is an upper-echelon demon who could trade blows with me! How could they possibly fail?"

Kazzak’s furious roar echoed across the star of Nathreza.

The Shivarra who returned to report had four of her six arms severed. Enduring the agony, she replied in a voice trembling with fear:

"It was that same strange Eredar general! He led Talbuk cavalry to ambush our forge camps. The Fel Lords had barely entered the battlefield before they were met with a cleansing shock of Holy Light. That golden flame burned nearly every demon that laid eyes upon it! General Sakkara was smashed into pulp by that Vindicator named 'Diakum,' and Lord Betrug had his physical form shattered by a blast of infused Holy Light! His dying screams caused an entire legion of Imps to break morale, triggering a collapse of the portal and directly resulting in the failure of the invasion. They... they are not right, Doom Lord! The speed at which those Eredar are growing in power is too fast! Yesterday, they could barely challenge a Felguard, but today, even a common Vindicator can stand toe-to-toe with a Mo'arg Fel-brute. Even lines formed by swarms of Felguards struggle to halt their charge. I have seen the madness on the battlefield with my own eyes! Those Eredar fanatics are both zealous and bloodthirsty! Under Diakum’s orders, they pile the heads of demons together to flaunt their strength. The cowardly Imps and pathetic Hellhounds are terrified at a single glance; they refuse to enter the battlefield out of sheer fear. It is shameful."

"Trash! All of you are trash!" Kazzak roared, slamming his throne’s armrests. "You fools of the Twisting Nether are a disgrace to the Dark Titan! You have stained the glory of our great master. Begone! Call my powerful lieutenant, Kazrogal, to me! I have had enough of your weak whimpering! The invincible Ereduin Lord shall personally execute the Dark Titan’s proclamation of destruction!"

One day later.

The same scene, the same roar.

"What do you mean Kazrogal has also failed?! What do you mean his head is being hung as a trophy on the Eredar fortress? I sent out two thousand mighty Ereduin warriors as the vanguard! What do you mean they are all dead?! You! Explain this clearly!"

This time, Kazzak’s roar held a hint of shock beneath the rage.

He had always believed that other demonic races were unworthy of serving the great master alongside his loyal Doomguards. In terms of raw power and spellcasting ability, the Ereduin—personally designed and crafted by the Titans—were indeed far superior to the ragtag lot currently populating the early days of the Burning Legion. Previous failures could be attributed to the incompetence of those weak demons, but now that the powerful Ereduin Legion had been wiped out... it lent credence to the reports from the scouts: the Eredar of Argus were "not normal"!

Unfortunately, the poor wretches who had managed to return to report were dragged away by Kazzak to have their souls harvested and fed to the hounds for "cowardice in battle."

Still, such repeated failures required an explanation; he could not simply deceive his way past them. Kazzak’s brute-force mind finally realized the gravity of the situation. He stood from his demon throne and summoned his "strategist," Tichondrius. Under his interrogation, Tichondrius finally revealed the truth:

"It is because those Eredar are wielding marvelous artifacts!"

The Dreadlord, a master of intelligence, was indeed professional. He flexed his sharp claws and said to Kazzak:

"My servants hidden among the Eredar have uncovered the truth. Those Eredar have found a way to communicate with their world-soul and have begged for its blessing. Are you familiar with world-souls?"

"Of course I am! I have served the Pantheon for... *ahem*, I mean, the great master has bestowed upon me the wisdom of the star-seas!" Kazzak glared with his fel-burning bovine eyes, snapping at Tichondrius: "No need for explanations, get to the point!"

"Indeed, your wisdom is as vast as the Twisting Nether." The Dreadlord offered a flattering remark before explaining: "In short, the Eredar have now received the blessing of the world-soul through the 'Heart of Argus' they wear. Especially those on the Krokuun front—in the past few days, led by Diakum Justins, they have been engaged in nearly non-stop, high-intensity combat against our warriors. They have suffered heavy casualties but have repelled several Legion invasions, which has earned them the favor of the world-soul. According to the intelligence my servants purchased with their loyal sacrifices, even ordinary Vindicators there have received a power enhancement at least five times their normal state. The enhancement for their spellcasters is even more terrifying! Currently, it is impossible to observe if there is a limit to this world-soul enhancement, but without a doubt, great Doom Lord, we cannot allow Diakum and his warriors to continue winning. Their story has spread to every Eredar city on Argus, inspiring Vindicators elsewhere and slowing the progress of our other invasions. The accursed Holy Light is also watching that planet; their Vindicators have been empowered by the Light as well. Most importantly, Diakum’s legion holds the sacred ground of the Petrified Forest! If we do not defeat them, the dangerous 'Heart of Argus' artifacts will be continuously crafted and delivered to other Eredar legions. That means their current level of enhancement will eventually translate into a group-wide buff for all other Eredar. By then, the situation may spiral into something irrecoverable. We might even need the great master to intervene personally to conquer Argus... powerful Doom Lord, you would not wish to see that scenario, would you?"

"That would prove we are nothing but small-time thugs who rely solely on the master's glory to bully others!" Kazzak’s dim-witted brain saw this point with surprising clarity.

He immediately made a decision:

"Tichondrius, temporarily ease the invasions elsewhere on Argus. Gather all your servants to Krokuun. Build the Fel Wells and more forge camps as quickly as possible. Have the Mo'arg demon engineers forge more fel-cannons. I will personally lead the elite of Nathreza to flatten that place!"

"As you command, my lord!"

Tichondrius left submissively, but Kazzak failed to notice the disdain and mockery in the Dreadlord's eyes.

*Heh, a conceited fool deserves a crushing defeat to learn his proper place. The Dark Titan has indeed assembled a destructive legion capable of scouring the star-seas, yet He lacks sufficient commanders to master this war machine. Kazzak can only serve as a vanguard; his talent is nowhere near enough to lead the Burning Legion to further victories. Only I! Only Tichondrius and the wise Nathrezim Dreadlords are qualified to be the masters of this war machine. Heh, only when the incompetent trash is kicked off the throne can the true intellectuals rise to high positions.*

"So, brave Brigadier Diakum, I leave this to you." Tichondrius let out a treacherous cackle. Looking at the fel-polluted nebulae surrounding the star of Nathreza, he whispered: "Give the Doom Lord Kazzak a lesson he will never forget. I truly have high hopes for you."

——————

"The number of forge camps has increased by 30% in the last three days! Our scouts have no idea where those demon-spawn are emerging from; it’s as if a massive group of demon-worshippers appeared in our world overnight."

In the camp within the Petrified Forest, Captain Nari slammed her fist onto the tactical map covered in red dots. She had been fighting for a week straight and was incredibly irritable.

She cursed: "The poison the Enlightened One injected into Eredar civilization is truly endless. Just how many of these Awakener cultists are there? Just yesterday, those lunatics torched a small town on the Antoran Wastes, sacrificing nearly a thousand people to summon a demonic army. It was only thanks to the arrival of the Legion under Commander Kil'jaeden himself that the situation was stabilized. We really should drag those traitors out and strangle them one by one!"

"Don't be so irritable, Nari. The demons want you to think that way; they are deliberately inciting division. Don't fall for it." Dik, resting in a chair, said with his eyes closed: "It’s not necessarily the handiwork of the Awakener cultists. We already knew the Dreadlords were hidden among our people. At a time when the Burning Legion has fully invaded, every person beside us could be an impostor. However, the Holy Light shields our camp, so they cannot infiltrate easily for now. Our warriors... how many have we lost?"

It was a heavy question, one that left Nari in silence.

After a moment, she picked up the casualty roster at her side and reported in a hoarse voice:

"In the last war defending against the Doomguard army's ambush, we lost a third of our Vindicators. Jaid's Talbuk cavalry lost half its numbers. Over twelve high-ranking shamans, in order to prevent demons from attacking the forge camps, willingly merged with the elements to become powerful Ascendants, but such a noble fusion is irreversible. Although Governor Hadun has tried his best to conscript soldiers, in this brutal theater of war, the survival rate of untrained recruits—even those who inherit the Hearts of Argus from fallen veterans and receive world-soul enhancements—is terrifyingly high. I don't know the situation on other fronts, but in Krokuun, anyone who survives a single battle can be called a veteran. Although we have been winning under your leadership, if we have a few more victories like this, the Eredar of Krokuun will be wiped out entirely. There were few of us to begin with, and after sending away the civilians, we have almost no reinforcements. Dik, it’s time to retreat."

"I know, but the forging of the Hearts of Argus is not yet complete." Dik flexed his fingers, feeling the energy of the world-soul blessing within him, which had become nearly tangible. This direct enhancement from the world-soul was like a "catalyst" for all energies; it made the Holy Light more active and scorching, made the Arcane more submissive and powerful, and allowed elemental power to be exerted beyond its limits. Even for warriors who did not walk the path of energy but pursued the limits of physical power, the world-soul's enhancement was enough to break through the constraints of their life-tier in a short time.

If the demonic side didn't have the Dark Titan looming over them, Dik could truly lead the Vindicators of the "Hand of Argus" to hold this line until his dying breath.

"Brigadier, the twins are here." Faria, the Brigadier’s guard, walked into the camp and said in a hoarse voice to him, her neck wrapped in bandages: "They bring good news."

"Come in." Dik opened his eyes and stood up.

The weapon he currently used was a greatsword made of gemstones; the warhammer he previously wielded had been "melted" during repeated bursts of Holy Light.

Now, the Vindicators were whispering that Brigadier Dik was surely a "Child of the Light," all because the Holy Light within Dik—in their eyes—was more intense, more impactful, more active, and more obedient than anyone else's, as if it were an innate talent.

But what talent? This was merely the experience Dik had accumulated through constant practice and combat. He had simply spent all the time other Vindicators used to pray to the Light on honing his martial arts. And the only thing he had over other elite Vindicators was the "optimal solution" for "how to deal the highest DPS in the shortest time" summarized by millions of high-lords.

For example, Dik had already mastered the legendary "Seal Twisting" technique, constantly switching seals with different effects to "stack buffs" and unleash devastating combos on the demons.

Dik did not keep this secret; as long as other Vindicators were willing to learn, he would teach them. For instance, the "Five Little Strong" had already mastered the technique of "popping wings"—in essence, a rapid burst of radiant energy to form a temporary state of enhancement, which high-tier Vindicators could theoretically learn. Of course, everyone’s learning ability and talent differed, so progress varied—after all, learning was a private matter.

"Brigadier, the craftsmen at the forge camp have transported the last few large chunks of holy stone out of the caves. They have prepared the O'gure seal chests to load the treasures for transport. High Exarch Velen needs us to send the holy stones to Mac'Aree to continue production and arm the garrison there." Alleria said loudly: "Our mission in the Petrified Forest is over. We can retreat."

"Hmm, very good." Dik nodded.

Over seven days of sleepless combat was pushing even a transmigrator to their limit. He was exhausted, but he noticed the special wreaths wrapped around the twins' arms, which in Eredar culture signified "mourning." Combining this with what Nari said earlier—about the cultists sacrificing a village on the Antoran Wastes yesterday—Dik understood.

He whispered: "Your family..."

"Our parents passed away long ago, Brigadier. But my sister and I grew up in that village; we were well cared for by our neighbors and kin. They were the ones who pooled money to send us to the academies under the Arcane Sanctum to study magic." Alleria touched her arm, rarely revealing such sorrow and pain. She said with a tearful voice: "They could have evacuated, but the elders in the town insisted on staying to set up a temporary medical point to house the wounded who could not be transported in time. As a result, they were targeted by the cultists."

"We will avenge them!" Oleres said hoarsely: "Every fallen comrade needs the heads of a hundred or a thousand demons to be laid to rest..."

"My condolences." Dik moved his lips, but could only offer such pale comfort.

It wasn't just the twins. Every warrior currently alive in the camp had personally experienced the death of a comrade-in-arms. They had held the Petrified Forest for seven days and nights, killing a hundred times their number in demons, not just because of the world-soul's enhancement, but also driven by a burning heart of vengeance. The history of the Eredar was largely peaceful, and a catastrophe brought on by an invasion like this was enough to be etched into the soul of the race and passed down.

The Eredar were actually quite vengeful, which meant they were now locked in a life-or-death struggle with the demons.

"Prepare to escort the craftsmen and the holy stones for retreat." Dik issued the order: "We retreat to Nathraxas Citadel, rest there, and then accept the High Exarch's orders to head to the next battlefield. We will definitely..."

"BOOM!"

Before the order was finished, a deafening explosion erupted outside the forest, followed by the foul smell of sulfur bursting forth like a Cloudkill spell.

Dik rushed out of the camp and saw a familiar beam of fel energy exploding into the sky, strikingly similar to the "Fel Well" created by the cultists that night. In the fragmented forest area ahead, all the demons in the forge camps were cheering and roaring wildly. They were welcoming their commander to the soil of Argus.

A figure, massive and over a hundred meters tall, strode out of the beam of the Fel Well with steps of destruction. The Ereduin Lord, Doom Lord Kazzak, holding a greatsword of ruin, had finally arrived in the world he sought to conquer.

The fel demigod looked down at the half-destroyed Petrified Forest. He saw with his own eyes the demons that had died there over the past seven days, their heads severed and piled into dozens of "towers" at the edge of the battlefield. The tattered Legion banners were planted on top in a shameful display, and the flags symbolizing the Dark Titan's supreme glory were covered in obscenities.

*The arrogant Eredar treat the servants of the great Sargeras like pigs and cattle to be slaughtered? Do these fools think the Legion is weak because they rely on the blessing of a world-soul?*

*Heh, arrogance! Damnation!*

"Your doom has arrived! The end of Argus is at hand! Kneel!"

Having heard enough reports of failure over the past few days, the Doom Lord had long since lost the patience to posture. He used fel magic to manifest his body in such a massive form precisely to execute destruction more conveniently. The demigod-tier demon giant swung his greatsword of ruin toward the front. In an instant, wind and clouds churned as hot green meteors mixed with a rain of fel-fire covered the entire camp.

"Infernal incoming! Take cover!"

The shrill warning echoed throughout the camp. The exhausted warriors hardly needed to think; they rolled into the surrounding trenches purely on instinct. They watched with a sense of "numbness" as those hideous green meteors slammed into the ground or crashed into the tents they had just been resting in.

Amidst the murky roars and the trembling of the earth, those massive constructs formed of fel-fire rock stood up like stone giants. Each was seven or eight meters tall, wreathed in the vicious sacrificial flames that formed a burning aura. They did not fear physical attacks, and any warrior who approached them had their body ignited.

Infernals—the siege weapons of the Burning Legion! A single volley of Infernals was enough to destroy a mortal city if timed correctly.

But the problem was, over the past seven days, they had seen enough of these war machines. See the watchtower in the center of the camp? That thing was built from the extinguished wreckage of destroyed Infernals. So, who did the demons think they were scaring with these things?

The Vindicators roared, calling upon the Holy Light to form a defensive aura to protect their comrades, then lunged forward wielding crystal-forged spears and halberds.

Under the enhancement of the world-soul, these champions of the Light only needed a few thrusts to shatter the Infernal's exaggerated cast-rock shell, then extinguish the fel-core with holy flame or high-concentration holy water to destroy these dangerous and brutal war machines.

But the biggest trouble at the moment was not these Infernals or the fel-storm enveloping the camp. The problem was that all the demons in the forge camps had launched a charge under Kazzak’s command.

These berserkers intended to flatten the camp of the Hand of Argus in one collision. Before Dik and his team could take down Kazzak, who was overseeing the battle as commander, they could barely spare the forces to stop this raging demonic army.

"We must take down that posturing fool! Dik." Nari, her eyes bloodshot, gripped the sapphire hunting rifle she had already repaired five times... well, "sapphire hand-cannon" was more appropriate now. Its caliber was at least three times larger than before, enough to blow the head off a Wrathguard in one shot. If she was lucky and close enough, it could even blind an upper-tier demon like a Fel Lord. Clearly, just as Diakum had summarized his "Demon-Slaying Manual," Nari had developed her own "Demon-Hunting Notes" in the endless battle.

"I think we should concentrate our spellcasters to launch a surprise attack on him, my lord!" the twins said nervously: "This demon lord's tier has broken through the limits of mortals; it will be hard for us to banish him in a short time..."

"No need!" A strange smile appeared on Dik’s exhausted face—a look that said, *I’ve finally been waiting for this.* As he removed his gauntlets, he said to the others: "If I told you that the Doom Lord before us is not a problem, would you think I’ve gone mad?"

"I definitely would have before." Nari rubbed her aching fingers, quipping: "But now we trust you completely, Dik. We firmly believe that you can always create miracles, no matter how absurd they sound."

"Just like on the first day of the war, when no one believed we could hold off the demons here for seven days and seven nights on our own." Captain Faria said with a look of worship: "But you did it. We love you, Brigadier Dik! If you intend to lead us to another victory, please give the order! The loyal Hand of Argus will never let you down!"

"Too dramatic, Faria. You’re really not suited for flattery, but the fact is..." Dik raised the tail ring on his left hand, which was hot enough to burn, and kissed it lightly. He said: "The battle over these days has left not only us angry, but Argus is angry too... The mortal battle has come to a temporary end; now it is time for our world-soul to unleash its fury. Argus! Let these fools who are immersed in destruction witness your might."

It was like some kind of summons or incantation. As Dik opened his arms, a brilliant, dazzling light of the world-soul erupted from his ring in an instant, wrapping around Dik in a surrounding infusion, causing his feet to lift off the ground in front of everyone's eyes.

He floated into the air in a "rising" posture, then, amidst the compression of energy as his body curled inward, he exploded with power in a "Saiyan-like" stance with limbs outstretched.

In the next second, a "Power of Argus" converged into a spear of light erupted from Dik’s chest. This cannon-like energy projectile whistled toward the heights, like a flashing bullet, hitting the arm Kazzak had held high with his blade.

In a violent explosion, the Doom Lord’s greatsword, along with his thick left claw and a portion of his left wing, flew off.

This scene plunged the chaotic battlefield into sudden silence. Even the Dreadlord Tichondrius, who had stepped through the portal in high spirits, ready to enjoy "Kazzak’s defeat," was so terrified his eyes went wide.

In that instant, he finally understood the true weight of the term "world-soul" in the material universe, and finally understood why the Dark Titan would go to such lengths—even abandoning the dignity of the strong—to personally enter the fray and conquer Argus. This kind of power...

"AH! WHAT KIND OF POWER IS THIS!!!"

Kazzak’s roar echoed throughout Krokuun the next second.

But at the edge of the Petrified Forest before him, Dik’s aura climbed layer by layer like a rocket, and in the blink of an eye, it possessed an intensity equal to his own.

"A mere demigod, nothing more. If Argus wills it, He can easily mold dozens or hundreds of them... do you really know who you are fighting, demon?"

Dik’s state now was truly like a "Super Saiyan." The Holy Light on his body and the power infusion of the Argus world-soul baby merged together. This enhancement bestowed by world-power was, of course, temporary. But even if it only lasted a few minutes, it was enough.

"Kazzak! Did you hear the world-soul roar? You are not qualified to conquer Argus, not qualified to conquer this resilient hero-world! Let your dark master come personally!"

Dik landed on the ground, intending to pick up a greatsword. But his energy was so exaggerated that the moment he touched it, the greatsword forged of steel and gemstones shrieked and disintegrated into dust.

This made the Brigadier sigh. He reached out, and pure elements cheered as they gathered in his hand to form an astonishingly large energy great-hammer. He held this weapon high and roared at the demons: "You have just experienced the power of the world-soul, and next, you and your lackeys will face the wrath of the Eredar!"

"CLANG!"

Another spear of world-power erupted from behind Dik.

Unfortunately, the aim was slightly off. The brilliant beam of light grazed Kazzak’s body and flew off, instantly obliterating the head of the Dreadlord Balnazzar, who had just stepped out of the Fel Well in a very arrogant posture. The Dreadlord was tough, however, and didn't make a sound as he "melted" on the spot, leaving only a group of terrified bats screaming and fleeing in all directions.

This stimulating scene caused Tichondrius, who was observing from the sidelines, to turn and run without a second thought.

*This place is not fit to stay! Argus has gone mad! This world-soul has gone insane under the pressure brought by the Dark Titan! He has personally molded a slaughtering army of legends to vent His fury! Diakum is right! Sargeras wants this place, but unless the Fel-God himself arrives, no one will be able to take this war-torn world that has gone mad.*

"You missed!" Dik turned his head to Nari, who was holding the Heart of Argus in a "Kamehameha" posture.

"Sorry, not quite used to it yet, first time using it. I’ll be careful next time!"

"Warriors!" Amidst Nari’s apology, Dik raised the elemental hammer in his hand.

"CLANG!"

Thousands of weapons were raised in that moment along with Dik’s high-held hand; thousands of minds burned due to his command; thousands of warriors turned fanatical due to his call.

They were waiting for the order. The warriors of the Hand of Argus were waiting for the slaughtering instruction from the "True Hand of Argus"!

The demons began to retreat. They weren't necessarily afraid. They just felt they *should* retreat. Perhaps it was because the blessing of the God of Destruction seemed to have shifted to the other side at this moment. In terms of destructive power and war-frenzy, the Eredar before them, with their substantive power pressure, blood-red eyes, and violent auras, seemed more... like demons than they did.

"From now on, you hold the wrath of the world! Listen to my command..."

The great hammer in Dik’s hand slowly slid down.

As the astonishing wings behind him spread out, amidst the falling firelight of light-feathers, and under the impact of the world-power spears continuously erupting behind him, the shining, scorching war-hammer finally pointed at the roaring Doom Lord Kazzak.

It was like the needle of a death sentence, finally pointing in the right direction.

He said:

"Hand of Argus... all forces! Charge with me!"

*Hmm, hopefully, the Doom Lord Kazzak, as Dik said, has no sense of pain. Let's bless him with a temporary loss of pain.*

PS: Off the new book list. Starting tomorrow, two updates a day. Ah, I was suffocating; it was so excruciating. You have no idea what it felt like to see comments on every chapter saying the updates were slow... Hang in there a bit longer, it’s almost time to go live (on the shelves), and then I’ll drop a big one for you guys to play with.