The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World

Chapter 749- Divine Paladin Takes the Field (5)

Astaroth studied it with intense interest. He was in the midst of admiring this beautiful piece of artifact when the doors to the chamber burst open and blood-red energy flooded the room.

When the energy gathered, it revealed the figure of a towering Demon General. Varakos... a powerful demon released from the Great Demon Prison.

Seeing his subordinate enter ill-manneredly, Astaroth raised his brow. His expression showed clear displeasure.

”Why are you here, Varakos?”

The Demon General lowered his head.

”My apologies, Lord. But the humans have attacked our encampment.”

The moment he spoke those words, Astaroth paused for a second, then his lips curled upward.

”Hoh? This is unexpected. They were barely holding together beneath the pressure of our many legions. And now they dare attack us directly?”

Astaroth swirled the wine within his goblet, finding it funny.

”So the arrival of the Divine Paladin has given these humans hope once again, huh. One man returns and suddenly they believe they can defeat us.”

Astaroth spread his hand and burst out laughing.

”How amusing.”

Then the next second, his eyes widened. Those crimson pupils with a vertical slit caused the temperature inside the chamber to drop sharply.

”I suppose the humans of this era have forgotten what true fear feels like.”

At that moment...

Several more presences appeared inside the chamber. One emerged from a pool of black water. Another stepped out from within Astaroth’s own shadow. Another descended from the ceiling in a storm of black feathers.

Each figure appeared in their own unique way, and their auras were overwhelming. None was weaker than the others.

What was odd was that there was also a human among them. He wore a long black coat over a pristine white vest. A silver chain crossed his chest, connecting several small surgical instruments hidden within the inner folds. His hair was pale blond, combed neatly backward, except for a single dark streak running above his left temple.

A circular monocle covered one eye. Behind its glass, several rotating lenses constantly adjusted with faint clicks. His uncovered eye was gray and utterly emotionless.

Unlike the others, he possessed no demonic horns, claws, or monstrous body. Yet his presence was no less unsettling than the others. One could even say that he blended in perfectly.

He wore a physician’s coat, and a faint scent of chemicals, blood, and burned flesh wafted off him.

Doctor Victor Voss.

The man was none other than the most wanted criminal of humanity. A person who had committed every known atrocity. He was also the leader and chief scientist of the Organization. Creator of countless artificial monstrosities and demons.

Astaroth glanced at all of his subordinates and rose from his seat. The laziness vanished from his expression.

”Deploy the legions. Crush the humans at all three gates. But do not kill them too quickly. Break their legs so they cannot flee. Crush their hands so they cannot hold weapons. Peel away their armor and let the corruption enter their flesh. I want them to despair when they realize their gods will not save them. Grind their stubborn bones into dust. Scatter that dust across the wasteland. Let every future generation of humans breathe in the remains of those who dared oppose us.”

His eyes gleamed with cruelty. Although Astaroth’s voice was languid, almost gentle, that only made his words more terrifying.

The demons inside the room grinned.

”And while their attention is fixed upon the gates... We will take the final ground beneath their feet.”

Saying that, he turned toward Varakos.

”Prepare a legion of demons adept in infiltration. Go through the northern gate and enter the human encampment from behind. Corrupt their remaining purified land and destroy their supplies. Leave them with nowhere to retreat.”

Varakos bowed.

”As you command.”

Astaroth then looked toward the human standing among his subordinates.

”Victor.”

The scientist adjusted his monocle.

”My Lord?”

”How are your experiments progressing? Can the latest batch be deployed?”

Victor Voss smiled. His expression was polite and quite refined. Completely different from the presence he gave off.

”All preparations have been completed. The newest specimens are stable. Their regenerative organs have accepted the grafts. The aether cores are functioning without rejection...”

”Stop, stop...”

Victor got into long-winding technical terms, forcing Astaroth to stop him.

”I don’t want to hear all that. Just tell me whether they are ready or not.”

Victor placed one gloved hand over his chest.

”If Lord Astaroth desires it, they can be deployed immediately.”

”Good.”

The Eighth Heavenly King pointed toward the northern side of the encampment.

”I’m giving you Blightheart. You will lead it through the north gate. Circle around the battlefield. Enter the human camp and destroy it. Coordinate with Varakos if you need to.”

After that, a cruel smile appeared on his face.

”Now that their forces have left their defenses to attack us, this is the perfect opportunity to destroy them once and for all.”

Victor fixed his monocle and bowed slightly.

”Yes, Lord Astaroth. I will ensure humanity suffers the greatest despair.”

Humanity had once hounded him, calling his research heretic and branding him a criminal just because he wanted to research human evolution and broke a few taboos. Now he wanted to show the humans the result of his research and make them despair for pushing him against the wall.

With every order given, the demon generals in the hall left one after another. The chamber regained its silence once again.

Astaroth remained seated for several moments after the others departed. His fingers tapped slowly against the armrest.

After thinking for a while, he summoned Beleth and Duvessa.

A few moments later, the chamber darkened and a tall demon stepped through. With ash-blue skin, Beleth wore a white shirt and dark blue suit, looking like a gentleman. Of course, the horns on his head and his ash-blue skin told others that he was no human, but rather one of the most terrifying demons on the continent... a Heavenly King.

After entering the chamber, he bowed slightly toward Astaroth.

”You called for me?”

Astaroth looked past him, seemingly searching for another figure. However, no matter how much he waited, no one else appeared. His expression immediately darkened.

”Where is that woman?”

Duvessa was usually the first to interfere whenever a large battle began. She would seize command without hesitation and even order his own subordinates around as though they belonged to her.

Normally, her arrogance made him, who was higher-ranked than her, extremely dissatisfied with her. However, her schemes were rarely wrong. That was the only reason Astaroth tolerated her.

Hearing the question, Beleth hesitated. Then finally spoke.

”Lady Duvessa left the encampment.”

”What?”

Astaroth’s eyes narrowed.

”For what reason?”

”She said she had urgent business elsewhere.”

As he said that, even Beleth sounded confused. He understood how flimsy the excuse was, but it was indeed what Duvessa told him and explained no further.

He had found the Ninth Heavenly King’s sudden departure strange. However, Duvessa ranked above him. He had neither the authority nor the courage to question her movements.

Astaroth’s hand tightened around the armrest.

Crack...

The armrest fractured.

”That damned woman. Where did she run off to this time?”

The destruction of humanity’s remaining forces was no ordinary campaign. The destruction of humanity was already nigh. Most of Valdonia’s landmass was occupied by their demon races and transformed into land unsuitable for other lifeforms. The remaining humans were simply resisting the inevitable.

Since that was the case, the higher lords had entrusted the mission to him. Failure was not an option. He could not afford a single mistake. He needed to completely destroy humanity and conquer Valdonia.

Astaroth quickly suppressed his anger.

Duvessa possessed the Void Tearing Awl- Nihil, the third-ranked Supreme Demonic Treasure. As long as it remained in her possession, distance meant little. She could tear open space itself and return to the battlefield whenever she wished.

”Forget her.”

Astaroth rose from his seat. He reached into the darkness beside him and withdrew a twisted black horn.

The Horn of Calamity- Gjahorn. Ranked fourth among the Supreme Demonic Treasures.

Astaroth tossed it toward Beleth. The latter caught it carefully and inspected the item in his hand with reverence.

Even without being imbued with any demonic energy, he could feel the powerful curses that were stored inside it. Such power, it could easily destroy the entire world.

It was no wonder the item was ranked among the Seven Supreme Demonic Treasures.

”Let us move.”

Astaroth walked toward the top of the tower.

”Once the battle begins, sound the Horn of Calamity. The curse will weaken the human knights and corrupt their bodies. With time, their formation will naturally collapse. At that time, I will personally deal with the Divine Paladin.”

Beleth lowered his head.

”Understood.”

A cruel smile also appeared on his face.

This time, the Saintess would not be there to absorb the curses. Humanity had already lost its greatest source of purification.

Once the horn sounded again, perhaps Astaroth would not even need to enter the battlefield himself. The Dawnbringers would collapse before they could make any waves....