"So these are humans?"
Jason said, looking at the human corpse lying at his feet, half frozen in crystal.
What a blasphemous scene it was.
The corpses of various humans and subhumans had been dismembered, skinned, and butchered. They hung above small pools of blood.
The stench of blood was thick, and a sickening stench lingered.
It wasn't demons who caused this tragic scene, but rather the very same kind of victims.
Watching this scene, Jason kicked the corpse at his feet in frustration.
"A large portion of the demons that can appear within the city walls were ritually summoned by these damned cultists.
Their bodies and minds have long since fallen into the abyss. They are no longer our compatriots."
The speaker was a demon hunter wearing a mask and black, form-fitting armor.
He wiped the blood from his sword and began to destroy the ritual formation.
Nearby, several demon corpses lay, and Ululius was wandering around them.
A heavy hammer wrapped in crystal was attached to his swaying tail.
Judging from the wounds on the demon corpses, they had all been crushed to death by the hammer from Ululius's tail.
Mysterious words and incantations emanated from the demon hunter's mouth.
Then, he clenched his hands and thrust them out.
A ball of holy light floated, appearing above the bloody arena.
The power of the holy light caused a deep black aura to emanate from the area, rising upward as if ignited.
The corpses began to burn from an invisible force.
Watching this scene, the demon hunter turned to Jason and nodded.
Then he said, "Let's go. We still have several places to check."
Seven or eight other demon hunters followed him. Jason and Ululius followed closely behind.
Jason and Ululius had joined the demon hunting team tasked with clearing out cultists and invading demons in the rear.
Their primary task was to protect the safety of the various safe waterways and mitigate the dangers within the city walls.
After all, as the battle intensified, the cultists hiding in the rear would begin to cause trouble.
After all, now was a good time to take advantage of the situation.
The damage these cultists inside could sometimes cause was even more irritating than the demons attacking from the front lines.
The more frequent the fighting on the front lines, the more manpower would be strained in the patrol teams in the rear.
But more transport convoys would be heading to the front lines.
This was when the demon hunters of the demon hunting fortress were needed to specifically hunt down these damned cultists.
They're professionals.
"Where do all these cultists come from? Can't we kill them all?" Jason asked as he quickly caught up with the group of demon hunters.
The demon hunter, the team leader, wasn't the quiet, silent type like other demon hunters; instead, he was quite talkative.
In response to Jason's question, he continued forward, examining the map as he replied, "Some are local. You probably know this place has long been infected by the aura of the Abyss.
Under the influence of various emotions, they are likely infected by the aura of the Abyss and begin to worship the Abyss and the devil."
"Of course, many cultists also come from outside. Those who gather here from all directions are not just volunteers or mercenaries willing to participate in the holy war, but also numerous cultists mixed in.
Many cultists are impossible to identify, as they don't show any outward signs for a period of time, and even their mental state appears to be normal.
But when they arrive here, they quickly degenerate.
We can't reject or set up barriers to those volunteers and mercenaries just because there are cultists among them."
After all, these volunteers and mercenaries are also the main force on the front lines, and they are also members of the rearguard escort.
Hearing this, Jason nodded. "The situation ahead might be dangerous. The entire village of Bowang might have become a cult."
"Are there other villages outside the safe lane?" Jason was puzzled.
He hadn't seen these villages marked on the map before.
"Don't underestimate humanity's adaptability."
...
It wasn't completely dark yet.
But this wave of demonic attacks had been repelled.
Alka returned to the small round tower where he rested, controlling the aquamarine water sign to gush out clear water, washing the blood off his body.
"Give me some too."
Pororo, who had returned at some unknown time, sat against the wall by the door.
Another stream of water arced across Pororo's body, moistening him and washing away the blood and dirt stuck to his skin.
"Lord Alka, thank you for your assistance earlier."
At this moment, a soldier's voice came from behind him. Alka turned and saw a soldier saluting him, then simply nodded with a smile.
They were merely expressing their gratitude, not waiting to bother Alka.
The soldiers passing by would nod to Alka as a sign of respect.
Some who saw Pororo would also nod or even bow.
This was the result of their efforts on the battlefield during this period.
Alka, in particular, could support a large area of the battlefield with his elemental attacks, rescue various soldiers, and eliminate demons on a large scale.
Furthermore, due to the Devouring Mouth, powerful demons would immediately approach Alka using various methods to try to take his head.
"Let's go in."
Alka said, and he and Pororo entered the round tower, each finding a place to sit down and rest.
"Get some rest! Those damn demons might attack the city again tonight," Alka said, looking at the empty room.
He slumped back in his chair.
Pororo nodded slightly, then leaned back on the bed and fell asleep.
He didn't bother Pororo's snoring, but leaned back in his chair for a moment before closing his eyes.
I was so tired.
When I woke up, I fought demons. When I got tired, I went back to sleep.
Eating was just a sideshow, sometimes there wasn't even time for it.
The number of demons seemed endless, endless.
I couldn't tell how many waves of soldiers had been replaced in the fortress alone.
When Alka opened his eyes...
Seeing it was already dark outside, he woke up with a start. His sleepiness vanished in an instant.
"Don't worry, the demons aren't attacking again tonight, so you can get some rest."
Julia sat by the door, resting quietly.
"Julia? When did you get back?"
Due to battlefield needs, technically skilled individuals like Julia were naturally assigned to a position best suited for her.
But Julia was taken away by the Seed of Life Church, seemingly wanting to wrap up some things.
"Have you returned to the embrace of life?" Alka asked, watching her from the side.
Julia nodded. "Well... I've seen so much here during this time. I was too impulsive before. Everyone, even the gods, is striving towards their own goals.
Although the methods and paths are different, the goal is the same."
Hearing this, Alka smiled and nodded without saying anything else.
Then Alka saw many other puppet girls resting in various places.
They were everywhere, on the table, on the bench, on the nearby grain sack, and on the pillows on the bed.
They were all exhausted.
Looking at the puppet girls, Alka, who had almost recovered, reluctantly stood up and carried the people and girls who were not on the table and elsewhere onto their beds.
"Ah, it's dark! I overslept!"
Pororo jumped from the second floor with a loud bang.
The loud noise startled the already drowsy puppet girls, who jumped to their feet.
"What's going on? Are the demons invading?"
"Kill the demons!"
Looking at the suddenly chaotic room, Alka slapped his forehead helplessly.
"Alright, calm down. Rest if you need to. The demons can't get in. We have a rare chance to rest tonight."
Hearing Alka's words, the puppet girls, who had drowsily stood up, fell back down and quickly fell asleep.
Pororo realized he'd made a fool of himself and scratched his forehead.
"Won't you rest a bit?"
Hearing this, Pororo turned and waved.
"I'll go see Mathilda."
He hunched his back and prepared to push the door open.
As he opened the door, Mathilda swam in, smiling and wagging her tail.
"No need, I'm back."
Although Mathilda smiled, fatigue emanated from her.
She hugged Pororo first, then saw Julia.
"Julia? You're back."
He walked over and hugged the smiling Julia.
"You're tired. You need some rest," Julia said, hugging Mathilda.
"Well done, though. I've heard the name of the Four-Armed Angel among the Seeds of Life.
Those people admire you very much."
Matheliza smiled weakly at Julia's teasing.
Arka walked over and touched the back of Matliza's head.
"Compared to all this, you should get some sleep."
A pink mist enveloped Matliza's eyes, and Matliza collapsed into Julia's arms.
She instantly fell into a deep sleep.
Julia nodded, carried Matliza upstairs, and laid her on the bed.
Arka had just sat down when he turned around.
A head suddenly popped out from the wall.
"Ha!"
"!"
Arka was startled for a moment, then saw that it was Lucelia's head. Lucelia transformed into a spirit, passing through from the front and laughing heartily at the startled Alka.
Observing the laughter of Lucelia, Alka reluctantly returned to his seat.
"Aren't you tired?"
"I'm a divine being now, I'm not tired." Lucelia smiled brightly, transformed into a doll, and landed in Alka's arms.
"Ah, Julia, you're back," Lucelia exclaimed in surprise as she watched Julia descend from the stairs.
After a few words, Lucelia turned to Alka and said, "Today on the battlefield, I saw a witcher with the moon mark on his neck."
Hearing this, Alka turned to look at her.
"Remember the temple ruins? There's a mural depicting a small figure with a moon symbol around its neck."
Hearing this, Alka narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying that the members of the Moon Cult we're talking about who might still be alive have become witchers?"
"Thinking about it, it's quite possible, isn't it?" Lucelia began to explain.
"The temple where I grew up, along with my family members who lived there, were killed by demons. Whoever survived would surely hate demons, wouldn't they?
Where in the Scars of the World would someone who hates demons join? Naturally, join the witchers.
You should have learned these days that witchers are a family tradition, and it's quite normal for their descendants to continue to be witchers."
Because the ancestors of these witcher families may have also died at the hands of demons, in the wars against them.
Whether it's driven by hatred, their upbringing, or their ideals, these descendants will continue to devote themselves to this cause.
Upon hearing this, Alka nodded. It made perfect sense.
"Did you get any information?"
Although the war was ongoing, that didn't prevent Alger and his men from gaining more information about the treasure.
There was no conflict between the two.
Hearing this, Lucilia gave a somewhat awkward smile.
"I was just about to go find her when she was carried away. The fighting was so intense. I couldn't have followed."
Hearing this, Alka nodded. There was no need to force it. Just knowing there was a witcher in the fortress was enough.
When things calmed down, she could ask Greyfor for help. After all, the moon mark on her neck was very conspicuous.
Hearing this, Porollo, who had been sitting nearby, said, "Then she should have been sent to the infirmary... When Matresha wakes up, we can ask her. If there's a moon mark on her neck, she might know something."
Everyone nodded at this.
Soon, Simon and Juanlu returned to the round tower one after another. Although it was late at night outside, a night without demonic attacks was a good time to rest.
It was a rare occasion for everyone to get together.
They were the ones who remained in the Demon Hunting Fortress.
Except for Julia, who had just returned, and Lucilia, who occasionally left the Fortress for reconnaissance missions, these two, like Sofia and Jason, were assigned to the Fortress.
Before dawn, Matresha, who had been in a deep sleep, woke up.
The others also rested for a long time.
Matresha came into the hall and listened to Porollo's story.
Then he nodded and said to Alka and the others.
"Yes, there was indeed a female witcher with a moon mark on her neck in the infirmary yesterday.
Her injuries weren't serious, but she does need some time to recuperate. She's still recuperating in the infirmary. She definitely won't be able to go to the battlefield anytime soon.
I remember she was helping out at the infirmary after she felt a little better yesterday."
Hearing this, Alka looked at her and said, "In that case, can you help us find out more about the Lunari Cult, the ones we discussed earlier?
She's very likely one of the survivors or a descendant of one of the survivors from the ruins we found earlier.
We might be able to get some information from her."
Hearing this, Matresha nodded. "No problem. I'll go to the infirmary after daybreak and ask around then."
Although it was still dark, everyone didn't head to the battlefield after waking up, but instead took the time to rest.
Meditate while you're at it.
Every moment of rest is precious.
Especially at a rare moment like now.
But before dawn, a dull horn blared outside.
"Those damn demons are coming again," Pororo said, bending over helplessly as he walked out.
The door opened.
The crowd still resting in the hall heard the muffled horn and, along with the puppet girls, emerged one after another.
Outside, on the streets of the fortress, a large number of soldiers had already begun to move.
After emerging, the group split up, leaving in different directions, each responsible for a different area.
By the time Alka reached the second city wall, the demons had already begun their siege.
A massive black stone, engulfed in flames, streaked red from the distance before crashing down towards the city wall.
Gazing at the apocalyptic meteor shower in the sky,
A flaming red card and a brown earth card appeared before Alka.
Controlling the two cards, Alka stretched his hands out as if to shield the sky.
The falling stone, engulfed in flames and resembling molten lava, instantly disintegrated in mid-air, falling back as rubble. Although still scorching hot, the threat it posed was significantly reduced compared to its original appearance.
The attack was carried out by a massive one-eyed demon standing a kilometer away from the city wall.
Their size was almost identical to that of the hammer demons.
Unlike the hammer demons' bizarre form, they possessed a humanoid body structure.
These man-shaped catapult demons would directly grab handfuls of sand, gravel, and soil from the ground beneath their feet. They then transformed the lava in their hands into massive molten lava bombs, which they hurled at the city walls, transforming them into powerful siege weapons.
There were only three of these one-eyed demons, and they were stationed a kilometer away, clearly wary of being killed by the defending forces.
This made the three demons' attacks extremely threatening, and Alka and his companions had a difficult time reaching them to eliminate them.
A large number of demons immediately attacked the first line of the city wall.
"Those damned Cyclops!" a general cursed, gazing at the distant one-eyed demons.
Things like these are the most difficult to deal with.
But charging down is impossible; that would be tantamount to seeking death.
Suddenly, a powerful beam of light shot out, penetrating a kilometer and piercing the stomach of a Cyclops demon.
After the impact, a ball of light exploded, further widening the wound.
Amidst a mighty wail, the demon collapsed to the ground.
The entire fortress erupted in cheers.
A graceful voice rang out, followed by stirring music.
Julia, having returned, strummed a harp, a music box floating beside her.
The passionate music, its sound immense and far-reaching, was not jarring.
Strength and courage were bestowed upon everyone present.