"Overlord, there's a Category Three distress signal from the Demon's Abode," a voice announced suddenly. Inside the meeting room, where the eight Overlords had held their awkward meeting a few days ago, the Cold Lady was sitting comfortably. Her calm was quickly interrupted when a holographic projection of a woman appeared before her.
"Who issued it?" she asked, her voice sharp.
"Klaus Hanson," the woman replied, causing a flicker of emotion to pass across the Cold Lady's face.
"Which of the Protectors is nearby?" she asked urgently.
"War Goddess Miriam. She's already on her way," the woman informed her, prompting the Cold Lady to let out a relieved sigh.
"Keep me updated on any further developments," she instructed. "And direct the satellite to monitor the Demon's Abode. Don't share the footage outside of this room," she added firmly.
The projected lady bowed, and shortly after, the large screen in the room lit up, displaying the live situation inside the Demon's Abode.
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Back inside the Demon's Abode, Klaus stood still as the zombie lady began to speak. "Everyone, I won't say much, but after the ritual, we march toward the city that the Voltox idiots failed to conquer. We will take it, and show the Empress we are worthy to join her immediate army.
Fear not, the DarkBlood Demon Zombie is about to dominate the world alongside the Zombie Empress!"
Klaus shuddered. He knew all too well that this wasn't going to end well. He had fought during the Invasion at Arcadian City, and he had seen the countless lives lost. Hearing this plan, he realized just how catastrophic things could get if the ritual succeeded.
"Senior, how do I stop the ritual?" Klaus asked, his voice tense.
"It's already started, and from the look of things, these pillars have generated some kind of forcefield. You'll need to destroy the dome first, then the pillars, all within the next 20 minutes," the senior replied, making Klaus frown deeply.
"That's impossible. There are thousands of Zombie Generals and Kings. How am I supposed to get past them all?" Klaus asked, frustration creeping into his tone.
"I just hope these two detonations will help me level up. I need those 400 points," Klaus muttered, aware he was walking a fine line here.
"Senior, karma aside, what kind of zombies will come out of this ritual?" He had to know.
The senior sighed, knowing this would bite him in the ass during Klaus's next tribulation. But he had to tell him. "They're called Blood Princes. They're zombies born from blood under the red moon."
"Cool name. What about their powers? Care to give me a heads-up?" Klaus asked.
"They'll be at least ten times stronger than the five devils you've already killed." Klaus shuddered at that thought.
He gulped, imagining the chaos ahead. He had used decisive methods to kill the fire devils, but he knew that wouldn't work here. There were thousands of zombies he had to deal with first. If his instincts were right, he'd be up against six Blood Princes and probably a Blood Queen too. The thought made his stomach churn.
"Miriam, please hurry up!" Klaus clenched his fist, urgency flooding through him as he moved toward the point where the two attacks would be unleashed. Time felt like it was slipping away, and he needed to be ready.
"Brat, make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew. These zombies aren't like the ones you faced before," the senior warned, his tone firm. Klaus nodded, knowing the truth in those words. He had survived before, but this felt different. The stakes were higher, and he couldn't afford to make mistakes.
"This better work," Klaus muttered. He sighed as a dragon and an Ice Lotus appeared in the air. At the same time, he felt his Star Qi being drained. The lotus absorbed some energy, while the dragon took its share as well.
"Go!" He pointed forward. The Zombie generals and kings around him sensed the new presence. They all growled, watching the dragon and the Ice Lotus approach them.
"This better work," Klaus muttered again, watching the two attacks get closer. This time, he didn't smile. Instead, a serious expression crossed his face as he snapped his fingers.
"Explode!"
On one side, a blinding flash of crimson fire erupted, its wave washing over everything. On the other side, the Ice Lotus detonated, freezing everything in its path.
"Now!" Klaus shouted as the Void Piercing Needle shot forward. The next moment was chaos—ice shattered, and blood sprayed everywhere as the Zombies howled in pain from the burns of fire and ice.
"Nice one, brat!"