Chapter 687: Lanchi's Decisive Battle in the Magical Land of Flower City (Part 1)

Chapter 687: Lanchi's Decisive Battle in the Magical Land of Flower City (Part 1)



In the 10th District of the Bosen Demon World, the pattering of raindrops created a cacophonous melody, like the bursting of fireworks.

Amid the downpour, the neon lights and giant screens between the towering buildings flickered, painting the water curtains with vibrant hues that reflected on the wet streets, creating a mesmerizing and ethereal spectacle.

It was 3 a.m.

The torrential rain had arrived abruptly in Pariel, the Flower City, as night fell, and it had been pouring for several hours now.

The dense raindrops pounded the streets of the entire city, quickly converging into rushing streams that roared down the slopes as if intent on cleansing or submerging the urban landscape.

In stark contrast to the city center of Pariel, the Bosen Demon World, beginning from the 7th District on the north shore, exuded a legacy of the demon realm of North Continent Helrom, with its densely packed skyscrapers shining brightly despite the deluge, their spires gleaming like radiant lighthouses.

Within a luxurious mansion situated in the heart of the 10th District of the Bosen Demon World, the patter of rain softened, but the sounds of merriment and laughter filled the air.

A grand midnight banquet was underway, teeming with demon guests reveling in the festivities.

"Just one more bite."

Lanchi's emerald eyes flickered with a hint of gold now and then as he popped another piece of pastry into his mouth.

Simultaneously, he communicated with Talia through their mental link.

Beside him was a six-layer dessert tower adorned with gold-leaf-topped almond cookies, translucent apple-lime jellies shaped like animal forests, and miniature souffles glazed with fruit wine, perched atop ice made from the purest mineral water. He indulged in these treats from time to time.

It was already very late, and Talia was famished but couldn't leave her hiding place. Standing next to the self-service banquet table felt like torture.

Finally, Lanchi relented, allowing her to use his body to eat, but only this once.

"Alright, your taste buds seem a bit different from mine. Using your body to eat makes sweet things seem sweeter and sour things seem sourer."

Talia replied through their mental link as she savored the delicacies using Lanchi's body.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't eaten a wide variety of foods, so they hadn't crossed the threshold yet.

"…."

Lanchi remained silent, not wanting to encourage Talia to develop a taste for using his body for sensory experiences.

"Lochie, does this timing of the banquet bother you in any way?"

In a corner of his mansion, Nigel and Lanchi stood by the food table, engaged in conversation.

Using the alias Lochie McCassidy, Lanchi was addressed as "Lochie" by Nigel.

"Not at all. I find it quite invigorating. While it's not healthy for young people to constantly flip their sleep schedules, an occasional celebration like this is enjoyable."

Lanchi replied nonchalantly.

The timing of the dinner didn't surprise him; the exam week at Inferno Corridor College had also taken place at night.

However, he had been feeling more exhausted than usual lately, and the late hour did induce a slight drowsiness.

While Talia always woke up refreshed, he bore the brunt of their shared fatigue, essentially enduring the exhaustion of two people.

Although they hadn't tried letting Talia unleash her full power yet, Lanchi suspected that if she were to deplete her magical energy, he might end up sleeping for a day or two.

Standing in the vast hall that spanned nearly a thousand square meters, Lanchi and Nigel gazed toward the distant end of the hall, where a ball was in full swing.

Seven enormous branch-shaped crystal chandeliers hung from the sixteen-meter-high dome, illuminating the grand hall with a starlike brilliance.

The air was filled with the scent of perfume and the rustle of elegant gowns, as a throng of guests moved about.

The male guests donned custom-tailored tuxedos, some with silk bow ties adorned with feathered trim around their collars, while others sported flowers. The ladies graced the occasion in silk and velvet gowns, their skirts embellished with maple leaf-shaped gemstones or fireworks designs. As the band struck up a magical waltz, the guests took to the dance floor, gliding across the black and white marble tiles, their dresses swirling gracefully.

White wine from the Bosen-South Asia-Quidan border and rose sparkling wine from the Kingdom of Yarolan were poured into tall, engraved goblets depicting the god of wine, creating a soft clinking sound that mingled with the murmur of conversation as the demon aristocrats chatted and gazed out at the rain-drenched windows.

Attendants dressed in black tailcoats weaved through the crowd, offering trays of champagne and sweets to the guests.

Lanchi and Nigel stood out from the other guests, neither dancing nor mingling, instead lingering by the twenty-meter-long self-service food table.

"I apologize for bringing you to this demon banquet. It must be quite challenging for a human like yourself."

Nigel expressed his concern.

He imagined that Lanchi, being human, would find this gathering rather trying.

Of course, if Lanchi had better connections in the demon world, he wouldn't have had to stand idly by himself.

"To be honest, I could probably get acquainted with everyone here in just a few hours. I've been to quite a few of these banquets before."

Lanchi shared with Nigel.

"Have you attended other demon banquets before?"

Nigel inquired curiously.

"I used to host quite a few of them myself."

Lanchi nodded, recalling his time in the ancient demon realm of Najarlis.

It was a shame that Talia missed out on all the delectable dishes, a fact that did not escape Hiberlian's notice.

Additionally, if Talia were skilled at caring for children, she could have helped him with Sigil.

"You want me, the mighty king of the demon race, to babysit?"

Talia questioned him through their mental link.

"Because I've realized that Hiberlian isn't very good with children. She even steals their blankets in her sleep and might accidentally kick Sigil out of bed. That's why Sigil said she dreamed of Hiberlian hitting her."

Lanchi sighed, certain that Talia had already heard some stories about the previous shadow world from Hiberlian.

"…."

Talia could relate all too well.

She, too, had woken up on more than one occasion to find her blanket missing.

"Alright, then. If you want to come with me, I can handle the logistics while you focus on fighting the vampires. It's a deal."

She was already intrigued by the McCassidy Restaurant and looked forward to sampling the morning tea, afternoon tea, and evening tea while caring for the child.

"No problem."

Lanchi assured her.

He vowed to bring Talia along to enjoy the luxuries of the shadow world next time.

Just imagining the harmonious scene of the three of them together brought a smile to his face.

In the banquet hall...

Nigel was taken aback by Lanchi's revelation that he had attended several demon banquets in the past.

"Is that so?"

He hadn't expected Lanchi to have crossed paths with other demons and developed acquaintances.

Demons were scarce in the Kingdom of Hutton, but he had heard that Lanchi had ventured to the North Continent and excelled in conquering shadow worlds, so he could understand how such connections might have formed.

"Of course, I also know a thing or two about various demon etiquette."

Lanchi nodded.

"If Miss Tata were here, you could ask her for a dance."

Nigel helplessly revealed a slight smile.

Although he felt that Lanchi and Tata were always bickering, their relationship was surprisingly good.

"Hehe, she... wait, she really is."

Lanchi instinctively wanted to mock Tata, but suddenly remembered that she was a princess.

Having treated her like a next-door unemployed gray-haired girl for so long, he often overlooked her true identity.

"So what if I can? Do you think I would agree to your request?"

Talia said in Lanchi's mind.

"No, with our coordination, we would probably step on each other's toes at least twice out of four steps."

The more Lanchi cooperated with Talia, the more they felt like they were like sine and cosine functions.

They would never be in sync.

"Don't you think that for the sake of practicing our rapport, you should at least try to ask me first?"

After a moment of silence, Talia asked.

"But there's no opportunity right now. I can't just make you appear out of thin air, unless you actually want me to agree to your request?"

Lanchi replied helplessly through their mental link.

"It's a shame about today, but two days from now, there's a fireworks festival and a masked ball at the Temple of Love. You can invite Tata to join you then."

As if suddenly remembering something, Nigel interjected.

"..."

Lanchi was momentarily lost for words and turned to look at Nigel.

Talia, in his mind, also fell silent, as if waiting for him to continue.

As everyone knew, the biggest gap between top laners was in their junglers.

And right from the start of today's game, Lanchi felt that gap.

"What's wrong?"

Nigel felt that something he had said must have unintentionally thrown Lanchi off his game.

"By the way, Nigel, is your full name Nigel Quarlston?"

Lanchi abruptly changed the subject, causing Nigel to be taken aback.

Although Nigel didn't have a good reputation in the Bosen Demon World, most demons still gave him the respect he was due, even addressing him as Master Quarlston.

At the banquet hosted by Perlman Quarlston, even the 7th District Lord, Astros, didn't cause any trouble for Nigel or Lochie the butler.

However, Astros couldn't resist taking a jab at Nigel, but before he could continue, he was led away by Eureka, the 8th District Lady, a polite and elegant female demon wearing glasses.

"Yes, I was adopted and raised by Professor Perlman since I was young, and he is like a foster father to me."

Nigel acknowledged.

"Then, wouldn't that make Sierra Quarlston, who is celebrating her birthday today, your stepsister?"

Lanchi asked, looking at a young girl surrounded by well-wishers in the distant hall.

"..."

Nigel neither denied nor nodded, as if he was ashamed to call her his stepsister.

"It's your sister's birthday. As her brother, you should at least go and greet her."

Lanchi patted him on the back, nudging him forward.

He could tell that Nigel was reluctant to face Professor Perlman's daughter, Sierra.

But he also noticed that Nigel had glanced at Sierra several times, and she had looked back at him as well, though their gazes never met.

"The accident wasn't your fault. If I'm not mistaken, you protected Sierra, didn't you?"

Lanchi continued, staring at Nigel, who was as immovable as a lump of iron.

It was said that when Nigel had to slay his sister, who had gone mad from a curse, Sierra was also present.

Obviously, if Nigel hadn't made the cruel decision to strike her down, Sierra, as the older sister, would have perished as well.

"That doesn't change the outcome or the hurt Sierra feels inside."

Nigel murmured, his gaze lowered.

"Your decisiveness and firmness actually saved her. You don't need to blame yourself. While it's true that a tragedy occurred, time cannot be reversed, and some things will never change no matter how hard you try in life. But it wasn't your fault that the tragedy happened."

Lanchi kept patting Nigel's back, as if he would continue doing so until Nigel left the hall.

"Will you please understand that?"

"..."

Nigel looked at Lanchi with a complex expression and finally nodded. In his usually deep, dark eyes, he finally looked towards Sierra, where she stood surrounded by a radiant glow.

At that moment, a sigh echoed in Lanchi's mind.

"Can't you sometimes do something nice? If you keep acting like this, Xiu Bao will always be worried."

Talia had witnessed Lanchi's peculiar ability to communicate emotionally. When he used it well, he was like a little angel, and when he didn't, he was like a cult leader.

She had been observing Lanchi.

To some extent, Lanchi's condition had improved significantly compared to the first half of the year.

For others, growth meant drawing closer to truth and divinity, but for Lanchi, it was the opposite. His growth seemed to involve shedding his divine facade and becoming more human.

Thanks to Xiu Bao's persistent efforts, Lanchi had improved a lot.

"I've always been doing good deeds."

Lanchi replied in his mind.

In the past year or so, he had done so many good deeds that he had lost count, and his book of merit was almost full.

"..."

Talia felt that Xiu Bao still had a long way to go.

When necessary, she would have to help Xiu Bao discipline Lanchi.

In the bustling banquet hall...

Nigel, who had changed from his usual military uniform into a formal suit, weaved through the fragrant and elegant crowd, his gaze fixed on a distant, delicate figure.

The young girl, dressed in a light purple dress, stood out like a wisteria vine among the demon guests.

As the young man strode towards her, he drew the attention of everyone in the room.

The girl sensed his approach and turned to face him, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of his familiar and handsome face.

She never expected him to walk towards her.

Just as Nigel seemed to have made up his mind.

He stopped in his tracks.

His steps faltered as he caught sight of someone else.

At the height of the ball's excitement, a mysterious man descending the stairs captured the attention of all the guests.

Seeing him dressed in a dark blue classical tuxedo, the cane on his back reflected a soft glow in the candlelight.

Lord Perlman descended the stairs.

His gentle, smiling eyes seemed to ask what Nigel was up to. Nigel's feet, as if mired in mud, couldn't move anymore.

He had personally killed one of his master's daughters, and now he was shamelessly going to approach the other daughter. His teacher's gentle smile felt like torture to him, making him feel like he was sinking.

Perlman soon averted his gaze from his beloved disciple and looked towards the guests present.

As the lord of the 10th District, Perlman was tall and slender, like a statue. Each step he took was calm and graceful, and even from a distance, one could sense an air of inclusiveness and dignity in his eyes.

Although he looked only thirty-something, his attire made him appear more mature, and no one would have guessed that he had actually lived for several hundred years.

When the banquet host, Perlman, descended to the first-floor banquet hall, the originally boisterous banquet fell silent.

The band stopped playing simultaneously.

The guests made way, their faces respectful as they bowed their heads, intentionally avoiding eye contact with him.

He was like a deity who had descended into the mortal realm, or like the moon rising on a dark night, making all the demons in attendance pale in comparison.

As Perlman slowly strolled to the center of the dance floor, Nigel intently watched his teacher's figure, just as he had many years ago, unable to fathom what his teacher was thinking or what his every attitude meant.

Perlman, who attracted everyone's attention, had a rather pale complexion, and his hat hid his demonic features, except for his pointed ears, which made him look more demonic.

His short hair seemed to be styled in a neat, slicked-back fashion, with white hair peeking out from under the hat's brim.

Perlman nodded slightly to the demons.

When all the demons were silently waiting, the mysterious demonic lord finally spoke.

"Honorable ladies and gentlemen."

He scanned the guests present, his eyes piercing,

"Thank you all for coming here tonight to attend my daughter's birthday banquet."

His voice was deep and magnetic, like the sound of a cello, and it seemed to have a hypnotic effect on them.

The demons' faces still reflected the joy of the lively banquet, as they whispered to the demons beside them or nodded with a smile.

"But I believe you all know that many years ago, I had another daughter who ultimately perished due to the curse of the Great Wizard Palonini."

As his words landed, the air froze.

Many of the demons in attendance glanced towards Sierra's direction or towards Nigel.

Sierra's expression, which had been cheerful, suddenly became complex, and she slowly lowered her head.

She and her sister were twins.

When they were younger, they celebrated their birthdays together.

Until later, it became just her.

But she didn't know why her father would bring up her late sister at this moment—

Because the look in Nigel's eyes as he gazed at her had taken on a trace of terror.

It was as if seeing her reminded him of her sister, whose head he had personally chopped off.

"Ever since then, Sierra's birthday banquets have become much quieter, and I not only lost a beloved daughter, but my beloved disciple also left me."

Lord Perlman continued, his voice devoid of anger, instead filled with acceptance and a hint of self-deprecating humor.

"I believe you are all aware that, a hundred years ago, when the demon world still existed in the Northern Continent, before the war had started, I crossed the sea in an attempt to break down the prejudices between humans and demons, wanting to create a society where humans and demons could coexist harmoniously and benefit each other."

He seemed to be reminiscing about his youthful ideals and the passion he once had.

The demons nodded slightly, showing their respect.

Everyone bore witness to Perlman's efforts.

It could be said that Perlman's contribution was a significant determining factor in the existence of the Bosen Demon World.

"I want to reveal a fact to all of you tonight."

Perlman gently tapped his cane, and a magical projection appeared on the wall behind him in the banquet hall.

He then stopped speaking and simply tapped his cane, waiting for the images to play out behind him.

The demons looked on in confusion.

The perspective followed a mysterious figure cloaked in a dark gray cloak.

The corner of the screen displayed the time as 3:26 am.

Right at this moment.

However, the buildings surrounding the figure were not of the Bosen Demon World but of the familiar Flower City Pariel's southern shore.

Amid the rumbling thunder in the cloudy sky, the pouring rain fell in sheets, splashing on the empty streets.

The figure walked with an umbrella through the square in front of the South Shore City Hall.

His movements were agile, and the sound of the fabric rubbing together was quickly dispersed by the night wind. When the streetlights illuminated his figure again, he had somehow transformed into a researcher wearing white.

The mysterious figure hurried across the square and, behind an inconspicuous door at the back of the City Hall, his figure flickered before appearing inside the building with his umbrella.

His agility and behavior surprised the demons in the banquet hall.

Normally, it wasn't easy to pass through the barrier around the Flower City Pariel City Hall, and forcibly entering the City Hall was clearly a criminal act.

They didn't understand what Perlman was trying to show them at this moment.

In the video, the mysterious figure, disguised as a researcher, entered an office on the basement level of the City Hall. He approached the wall and quickly entered a complex series of codes on the stone brick surface with his fingers.

As the last code was entered, the wall silently rotated like a Rubik's cube, revealing a deep corridor hidden behind it.

He walked inside, and the wall closed seamlessly behind him as if it had never been opened. He then passed through corridors, turned a few corners, and entered a transport lift.

Accompanied by a dimming of the lights during the descent, dimly lit magic lamps were embedded in the walls every few meters, and the sounds finally dissipated, revealing a new space.

Before him were massive doors made of cold, hard anti-magic steel, with thick curse seals on the outside, pulsating with light in a rhythmic cycle.

The figure seemed to know the password, as he lightly touched the magic input device on one side and swiped the key on it.

The light on the doors suddenly became dazzling, then turned into countless fragments, swirling in the air like a brilliant firework display before finally dispersing into the thick darkness, and the anti-magic steel doors swung open.

In that instant, white light flooded the screen.

Beyond the dim underground passage lay a gigantic research facility, its interior as pristine as heaven yet akin to a tightly sealed secret chamber, with intersecting beams of light and blurry silhouettes of researchers in the distance.

They all turned towards the newcomer, seemingly puzzled as to why a researcher would arrive at this late hour.

However.

The mysterious figure didn't offer any explanation.

He simply strode into the underground facility, surveying his surroundings, the scene of this enigmatic research institute filling the screen.

Under the harsh white lights, even at this late hour, several researchers in white lab coats were intently focused on their tasks at the control research platform, amidst the pungent smell of a mixture of potions and blood.

The air was thick with the scent of chemicals and blood, and everywhere one looked, there were intricately assembled magical apparatuses and deformed specimens floating in solutions.

"What is this?"

"Are those corpses of our demon race?"

"Shouldn't all the cursed and demonized individuals have been cremated?!"

Many of the demons watching the live feed in the banquet hall of the Perlman mansion couldn't help but exclaim in shock, covering their mouths.

For these deformed specimens were not humans but mutated and demonized fiends.

According to the Elder Council's report, the last of the demonized demons should have been cremated to eliminate any possibility of an "infection" spreading among the demon race, yet here were numerous bodies of the demonized demons, secretly delivered to this place.

At this moment.

The researchers in the institute seemed to sense that something was amiss.

The sudden appearance of a researcher at such an unusual time felt like a switch had been flipped.

Normally, the existence of this research facility should have been kept confidential, and no one should have been able to identify any of the researchers.

One of the researchers wanted to sound the alarm immediately.

But it was too late.

The mysterious figure didn't need to make any move; he merely let out a soft laugh, and from the shadows beneath his feet, a strange deep blue flame erupted, like a living creature, swirling in the air. The tongues of fire soon engulfed the terrified researchers.

When the deep blue flames died down, the researchers had been reduced to charred remains on the floor.

And the figure, shrouded in a gray cloak, now revealed a hint of his terrifying power.

The air was filled with the smell of burnt flesh and sulfur, and the floor was cracked from the intense heat.

The slaughter had only just begun.

The mysterious figure strode forward, his path marked by charred corpses, splattered blood, and blaring alarms, turning the entire research facility into a hellish inferno.

Nigel, watching the scene in the banquet hall, widened his eyes in shock.

Although he was unaware of the existence of such an underground research facility in Pariel's southern shore, the intruder's adept disguise and stealth skills reminded him of a dangerous opponent he had encountered before.

It was only when the deep blue curse flame appeared that he finally confirmed the intruder's identity as the culprit behind the recent spread of curses in the Flower City.

Tonight, instead of taking the opportunity to strike at Nigel during the banquet, this individual had chosen to infiltrate the city, even venturing into the southern shore where the Elder Council resided.

Without further hesitation, Nigel made to rush out of the banquet hall.

However, as he attempted to leave, he felt an immense force restraining his feet.

He looked up.

Only to meet Perlman's gaze.

Perlman's silent stare seemed to convey that he wanted Nigel to witness everything that was about to unfold.

"..."

Nigel, who had been about to grip the dagger hidden within his coat, ultimately lowered his hand, reluctantly obeying Perlman's unspoken command.

Or perhaps, even if he rushed back to the southern shore, it would already be too late.

The scene on the screen continued.

The mysterious figure, cloaked in gray, dragged the body of a chief researcher, his expression indifferent as he walked through this museum-like hell, passing by floating internal organs in glass containers and vitreous tanks containing living creatures.

Deeper into the research facility.

A thick, heavy door, made of Demon-Repellent Steel and covered in sealing runes.

This time.

He lifted the broken body of the chief researcher, positioning the researcher's eyes towards the scanning device and inserting the key embedded in the researcher's body into the slot next to the door.

The multi-layered sealed door twisted and opened.

Beyond this door lay a space that seemed worlds apart from the rest of the facility.

The pitch-black walls were frosted, devouring most of the light and sound, leaving only an oppressive silence and an endless expanse of darkness.

At the center of the room, several Anti-Magic Steel pillars extended upward, connected to chains, and the runes on the steel pillars glowed faintly with a sinister red light.

At the end of the chains, a massive book-like magical artifact, as black as ink, was bound and wrapped.

Just one glance was enough to identify it as a legendary artifact capable of upending the world's order—a forbidden object.

Layer upon layer of barriers surrounded the book, appearing and disappearing like illusions.

The mysterious figure approached the book, once again summoning the deep blue flames, and the chains snapped, the barriers shattering.

As the flames faded, he slowly reached out and removed the damaged, dangerous magical artifact.

"..."

Beneath the hood of his cloak, the mysterious figure's lips curved upward in a slight smile.

He was adept at utilizing this artifact, and even with its corners missing, like a broken Rubik's cube, it slowly revived under his touch.

The book was pitch-black, a deep, abyssal black that devoured all light, as if it had been forged from the darkness of an endless abyss, yet it seemed alive.

When the book's cover opened, it revealed a portal to an unknown realm, intricate alchemical patterns swirling on its surface as if they might detach from the pages at any moment and transform into terrifying monsters.

Along the spine of the book, a row of dark red eyes blinked, dull and lusterless, like droplets of solidified blood.

【Palonini's Grimoire of Vengeance】

【Type: Magical Artifact】

【Grade: Red Legend (Damaged)】

【Attribute: Curse/Enhancement】

【Rank: 8】

【Effect: Provided the true name is known and the contract structure is understood, the artifact can impose a curse on contracted demons. When subjected to extreme mental pressure, the cursed demons have a probability of entering a super-enraged state, burning their life force.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end