Lord: I have built a witch's sanctuary.

Chapter 126 Monster Siege

Chapter 125 Monster Siege

On a wasteland about fifteen miles from Frostwolf City, two figures were walking side by side at the forefront of the demon army.

One of them was enormous, with eight jet-black limbs deeply embedded in the snow, leaving charred marks on the ground with every step.

Its body is covered with a layer of dark purple carapace, the surface of which is covered with countless eyes, each eye moving independently, monitoring everything around it.

Abyss Spider, Tier 4.

The other was a giant dog the size of a calf, its entire body covered in magma-like cracks, from which dark red molten light constantly seeped.

With each breath it exhales, the air is filled with a pungent sulfurous smell, and the snow under its feet hisses and evaporates when it touches its paw pads.

Lava Hellhound, Tier 4.

Behind them was a sizable army of monsters.

Four fourth-tier monsters were scattered in the middle of the group, each leading a group of third-tier and second-tier minions.

The entire force, numbering in the tens of thousands, stretched out in a long marching formation across the snowfield.

"We're almost there." The Abyss Spider's voice was hoarse and cold, coming out from its mouthparts beneath its carapace with a sound like metal scraping against metal. "Frostwolf City is fifteen miles ahead."

The Lava Hellhound sneezed loudly, a burst of sparks shooting from its nostrils and burning a black crater in the snow in front of it.

"We're almost there! We've been walking for three days and three nights, and my paw pads are almost worn down."

The hellhound's voice was deep and resonant, tinged with an impatient gruffness. "Speaking of which, do you really think this trip will succeed?"

"What, scared?" The Abyss Spider's dozens of eyes turned to the Hellhound at the same time, its tone mocking.

"Afraid? What do I have to be afraid of?" The hellhound bared its teeth, revealing two rows of red-hot fangs. "I just don't understand why we have to work for the Winter Lord. That guy isn't our master."

The Abyss Spider let out a low laugh, and the eyes on its carapace blinked more frequently.

"You, all you think about is fire and brute force. No wonder you're still a lone wolf after all this time in the Abyss Order."

"Aren't you the same?" Hellhound retorted without any politeness.

The Abyss Spider wasn't angry; instead, it slowed its pace and lowered its voice.

"It is precisely because we are the same that we must seize this opportunity."

The hellhound pricked up its ears.

"You know what kind of treatment monsters without a faction receive in the Abyss Order."

The Abyss Spider's tone turned gloomy. "The best hunting grounds are not for us, the richest territories are not for us, and even the Abyss Power distributed by the Order is only scraps for us."

Those factions, relying on their fifth or even sixth-tier backers, treat us stragglers like slaves.

The hellhound fell silent.

The Abyss Spider knew all this perfectly well, even without the Abyss Spider saying it.

In the hierarchy of the Abyss Order, factions are everything.

If a fourth-tier monster does not belong to a faction, its status is even lower than that of a third-tier monster that does belong to a faction.

Because behind a third-tier individual might stand a powerful figure of the fifth or even sixth tier, while you, a fourth-tier individual without a faction, have nothing behind you.

Being oppressed, exploited, and used as cannon fodder—this is the daily life of a factionless monster.

"So," the Abyss Spider continued, "when I learned of the conditions offered by the Abyss Order's deity to the Winter Lord, I knew that the opportunity had arrived."

"You mean that matter?" Hellhound's voice lowered.

"Yes." The Abyss Spider's mouthparts moved, exhaling a wisp of dark purple mist. "The God promised the Winter Lord that if he could wipe out all human forces in the entire Northern Territory, he could join the Abyss Order and obtain a piece of divine blood."

"Divine Blood—" The hellhound's pupils suddenly contracted.

Divine blood is one of the most precious rewards in the Abyss Order.

A single drop of divine blood is enough to directly elevate a fifth-tier demon to the sixth tier, a realm that most fifth-tier demons cannot reach even in their entire lives.

"Once the Winter Lord obtains the divine blood and advances to the sixth rank, he will establish his own faction within the Abyss Order."

The Abyss Spider's voice carried a hint of excitement, "If we can help him achieve great merit before his promotion, then we will be the elders of his faction, loyal subjects who have followed him to the throne."

The hellhound's breathing became heavy.

A faction elder of a sixth-tier demon—what does that mean?

It means that we will no longer be oppressed by those factional guys.

This means they will have a share of the best hunting grounds, the richest territories, and the most abundant abyssal power.

This means they will leap from the lowest level of the Abyss Order to become members of the inner circle.

"Moreover," the Abyss Spider added, "this pledge of allegiance is the greatest contribution."

"The greatest credit?"

"That's right. We accomplished a task that even the Winter Lord's own subordinates couldn't complete. Isn't that a monumental achievement?"

Hellhound was completely convinced, but it still had one question.

"There's just one thing I don't understand." The hellhound flicked its tail, the lava light at the tip particularly dazzling in the wind and snow. "The Winter Lord is a fifth-tier being, and there are only a handful of human settlements in the entire Northern Territory. Why has he dragged his feet on cleaning them up for three whole months?"

The Abyss Spider stopped in its tracks.

"That's a good question."

"I've thought about that too."

Its dozens of eyes all looked north, to the frigid land where the Lord of Winter resided.

"But you need to understand how fifth-tier monsters behave."

The Abyss Spider spoke with an air of understanding, "An existence at the level of the Winter Lord would absolutely not take action personally unless absolutely necessary. He is a fifth-tier being; every time he takes action, it is a devaluation of his own power level."

The hellhound nodded thoughtfully.

"He has three of Fimbulla's Winters under his command," three fourth-rank generals.

The Abyss Spider continued its analysis, "Logically speaking, any one of these three fourth-tier beings would be enough to flatten any human stronghold in the Northern Territory. If all three attacked together, the entire Northern Territory would have been wiped out long ago."

"Then why not?"

"Because of underestimating their enemy." The Abyss Spider's mandibles let out a cold snort. "I heard that Fimbull's three winters didn't go out together, but one by one. As a result, they died one after another."

""

The hellhound's expression became somewhat subtle.

"Are you going to feed them kills one by one?"

That's roughly the idea.

The eyes on the Abyss Spider's carapace gleamed coldly. "A common problem with fourth-tier monsters is their arrogance. They think they don't need to join forces to deal with a few human strongholds, but they end up being defeated one by one."

"Then the Winter Lord sent two more fourth-tier generals, who also died?"

"They're all dead. Three fourth-tier beings, not one left."

The hellhound gasped, and even more sparks flew from its nostrils than before.

"What exactly is in that human settlement?"

"I don't know, and it doesn't matter." The Abyss Spider resumed its steps. "What matters is that we won't make the same mistake."

It turned its massive body around, its dozens of eyes scanning the vast army of monsters behind it.

"Fimball's three winters were defeated because he divided his forces. He sent one fourth-ranking officer to fight, and he was killed; he sent two more, and they were killed as well. It was outrageously stupid."

The Abyss Spider's tone was full of disdain, "But this time, we brought six unaffiliated fourth-tier warriors."

It raised one of its forelimbs and pointed in several directions in the procession.

"You, me, and those four—six fourth-tier monsters attacking simultaneously. No human stronghold in the Northern Territory could withstand such a large number of fourth-tier monsters pressing in at once."

The hellhound grinned, and the lava cracks at the corners of its mouth widened with the smile, oozing even more dark red light.

"Six Tier 4s attacking together—that's definitely enough."

"It's not just enough." The Abyss Spider's voice was even lower, carrying a sinister air of certainty. "It's a crushing defeat. No matter how powerful Frostwolf City is, it can't possibly withstand a combined attack from five fourth-tier forces at the same time. As long as we take Frostwolf City, we can clear the last obstacle in the Northern Territory for the Winter Lord."

"Then----"

"Then, we will take this credit to see Lord Winter."

The Abyss Spider's eyes lit up, the dark purple light appearing particularly eerie in the wind and snow. "His few incompetent subordinates are all dead, he's short-handed. We'll come knocking with the credit for destroying the city, how can he refuse?"

The hellhound's tail swung excitedly, and the snow behind it evaporated into a white mist from the high temperature at the tip of its tail.

"When the Winter Lord obtains the divine blood and advances to the sixth rank, establishing his faction, we will be his right-hand men."

"That's right."

The two fourth-tier demons exchanged a glance, both seeing the same ambition and greed in each other's eyes.

The Abyss Spider turned around again, facing south.

Fifteen miles away, the outline of Frostwolf City was faintly visible in the wind and snow.

The city walls gleamed with a cold light, and the countless witch towers on them stood like rows of silent sentinels.

"Let's go." The Abyssal Spider strides forward with its eight segments. "Let the humans of Frostwolf City see what a real demon army is like."

Behind them, thousands upon thousands of demons roared in unison as the army accelerated forward, stirring up clouds of snow dust across the snow-covered plains.

On the walls of Frostwolf City, Lorraine watched the approaching black tide and slowly revealed a satisfied smile.

"Six fourth-tier magic fluctuations—" he muttered to himself, "Lyra's delivery was quite generous."

He turned to look at Leila, who had appeared beside him at some point.

The little girl's heterochromatic eyes, one black and one gold, were also gazing into the distance, with a subtle expression on her face, as if to say, "I didn't expect it to work so well."

Lorraine patted her on the shoulder.

"Well done."

Leila pursed her lips, said nothing, but the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

"It's all thanks to the lord," she said modestly.

Meanwhile, on the city walls, the war horns had already begun to sound.