Chapter 958

C958

True Demon World, the location of the Artificial Sun.

Basset was, in fact, the master of Ridolos. He held his own against Ridolos for quite some time despite the overwhelming difference in power and skill.

-“Protect Silkia at all costs, Tilias. If you see no other way… then you and Misol take Silkia and escape.”

Basset had pleaded before confronting Ridolos. However, Tilias and Misol didn’t choose to flee without him.

They couldn’t. Both Basset and Silkia were essential figures in the Visepps family and, above all, they had decided they needed the combined strength of both to defeat Zito and claim the True Demon World.

They had to save Basset and Silkia, even if it meant losing all the other ordinary members. That was the only way they could have any hope of killing Zito and claiming the True Demon World.

But they were defeated.

Basset had lost both arms and was struggling to breathe on one side of the ruins. Tilias and Misol, on the other hand, could barely stand on their trembling legs.

Meanwhile, Ridolos seemed a little tired and could finish off all the Visepps family members in five minutes if he wanted to.

However, Ridolos had been staring at the sky with vacant eyes for a while now.

“The sun… this land’s sun.”

The sun was losing its light.

The fact that Zito had summoned the core of the artificial sun through the abyss and then destroyed it without hesitation was something no one here had expected.

Furthermore, Ridolos had sacrificed his former comrades to protect the artificial sun. He was certain the artificial sun was safe because he believed he wouldn’t lose against the Visepps family members.

“What… what the hell happened?”

Darkness was rapidly encroaching on Ridolos’s vision.

Tears welled up in his eyes incessantly, like a devout follower who had lost his god. If the sun disappeared, the True Demon World would become an intensely arid wasteland, a cursed land where life couldn’t thrive.

“Jin Runcandel defeated Zito, Ridolos,” Tilias said.

Ridolos remained silent for a while, staring fixedly at the sky.

“Surely, you saw how everything here was bathed in golden light. That radiation must have reached far beyond the sky and probably briefly illuminated the entire True Demon World. And that was Jin Runcandel’s power…”

“…So, you’re saying Zito summoned and destroyed the artificial sun’s core as his last resort?”

Even someone like the once-powerful Paellito had been defeated by Zito without a chance to counterattack.

Ridolos believed it was impossible for anyone to defeat Zito, especially without the aid of the artificial sun. Yet, the people now standing at the location of the Artificial Sun deeply felt Zito’s death. They could tell even if they hadn’t witnessed it directly.

“Yes, it’s likely.”

“It’s impossible. It’s absolutely impossible!”

“Everything we’ve done so far has been in vain. Jin Runcandel managed to defeat Zito without the help of the Visepps family or the artificial sun. But at least Visepps has finally achieved its goal of Zito’s death. And you? What’s left for you, who betrayed us after fighting alongside us for so long?”

Ridolos couldn’t ignore the overwhelming sense of despair welling up inside him. The only reason he had betrayed the Visepps family was because he wished to prevent the True Demon World from plunging into darkness once the artificial sun was lost.

Kelliark had promised him.  Furthermore, Kelliark had promised to transform the True Demon World into a beautiful land, just as it had been before Zito’s rule.

“The artificial sun you tried to protect by killing us is gone. Kelliark couldn’t keep his promise. Do you think life can’t continue without the sun? Ridolos. We will survive even without light. We will become our own light and resurrect the True Demon World once more. No matter how long it takes!”

*Thud!*

Ridolos fell to his knees, clutching his head. Tilias’s assertions were nothing but empty words to him.

“The True Demon World is over unless the sun is restored, Tilias. Don’t you understand…? Look! Don’t you see the ground beneath your feet starting to boil?”

Just like what Jin and Elona had experienced in Zito’s residence, the ground here was also bubbling and boiling.

“Tilias, it’s not happening only here. I’m sure the entire True Demon World is in upheaval. Due to Zito’s death and the destruction of the artificial sun, the True Demon World has become a place where no one can survive…”

“What’s the difference between that and destruction?”

“The difference is that there’s hope. Ridolos, it’s not too late. Kelliark has been using you. Return to the Visepps family now. The True Demon World needs someone with the ability to withstand this boiling land and build a foundation.”

Tilias genuinely believed that. Even though Ridolos had betrayed them and killed ordinary members while doing so, the True Demon World needed talents like Ridolos to rise again.

However, Ridolos shook his head.

“I… I can’t accept that. I’d rather take the surface of the humans from now on. How the hell are we supposed to live in this hell?”

“Nonsense! The Human World has Jin Runcandel, who defeated Zito without the power of the artificial sun. That’s not all. It would be difficult to conquer even a small island in the Human World if all the forces of Hell united.”

“Kelliark Zipple will provide us with a land to live on. Yes, it’s better this way. We will feel the bright light of the real sun while living in the Human World instead of the artificial sun.”

“Have you gone mad, Ridolos?”

“Ha, ha, how can you endure this reality without going mad? I should go and meet Kelliark Zipple…”

Ridolos spoke while surveying his surroundings.

He sensed a massive surge of power moving somewhere. It was the flow of Zito’s and the artificial sun’s remnants heading towards the Venomous Demon Castle.

Ridolos had a hunch that Kelliark Zipple possessed that power now. It was time to go and ask Kelliark if he had known the artificial sun would be destroyed like this, and if he could provide a land for the demon race to live.

Tilias nervously watched Ridolos and braced himself for what might happen.

Fortunately, Ridolos turned away without harming the Visepps family members. The life or death of the Visepps family members no longer concerned him with the artificial sun gone.

“Ugh…!”

“Elder Brother!”

“Sir Basset!”

Basset groaned. Tilias and Misol approached him. Basset was coughing up blood and struggling to breathe.

Around that time, Silkia, who had been leading the regular members away from the battlefield, also approached the group.

“Zito is dead. What happened to Ridolos? Sir Basset…!”

Silkia panicked at the sight of Basset and tried to heal him, but Basset shook his head again.

“Don’t waste your strength on me, Silkia.”

“But…”

“Anyway, I can’t survive. Silkia, lead the regular members back to our headquarters from now on… The headquarters will be able to withstand the boiling ground for a while.”

Silkia tightly closed her eyes without saying anything. It was right to follow Basset’s words. She could evacuate all 800,000 remaining members in an instant with her abilities.

“Tilias.”

“Please speak, Elder Brother.”

“Take me and follow Ridolos…… Jin Runcandel must be heading to Kelliark Zipple with his forces. He may not be in perfect condition because of the battle with Zito, but still, he can’t stand idly by and watch Kelliark obtain this power. He must see for himself what Kelliark will do with the remaining power of Zito and the artificial sun.”

“Understood.”

Basset was prepared to die.

He intended to burn the last flames of his life for the sake of the True Demon World and face his end. Whatever Kelliark Zipple did from now on, it wouldn’t be for the good of the True Demon World.

“Silkia.”

“Yes, Sir Basset.”

“You are the leader of the Visepps family from today. Take good care of the remaining members. Remember you are capable of becoming a Goddess. Misol, if Tilias and I don’t return, then it will be your responsibility to take care of Silkia.”

Silkia and Misol nodded forcefully.

“Now, let’s go, Tilias.”

Tilias started running with Basset in his arms. They never looked back at Silkia and Misol.

Instead, they watched the countless demons whose brainwashing had just begun to wear off as they went. They had been killing each other for no reason under Zito’s mind control just moments ago.

Now, they were prostrate before the corpses of the comrades, family, friends, and lovers they had killed. They were trapped amidst the horribly torn and mangled bodies, unable to free themselves.

Zito’s mind control had been released, and the True Demon World had become a literal hell. The screams of those who had been brainwashed without knowing why and continued to commit terrible massacres echoed throughout the inferno.

“We are all sinners, Tilias. But they are all innocent, so those who can still live must survive.”

“Of course, Elder Brother.”

“I haven’t seen Jin Runcandel personally, but… he’s undoubtedly not the type of person who would use the True Demon World as a disposable pawn. The Visepps family will have to continue to approach him in the future, even if it means having no shame.”

“It seems like a miracle that we made contact with Jin Runcandel and formed an alliance with the Vamel alliance.”

“I hope I can help him one last time.”

They endured the boiling, viscous ground as they ran. The disoriented Ridolos left a trail of destruction, and the two occasionally followed him through the dimensional portals he used. Ridolos paid no attention to their pursuit.

Finally, the two were able to reach the Venomous Demon Castle after crossing five dimensional portals.

And the first thing that caught Tilias and Basset’s attention was the sight of Ridolos struggling in the air impaled by Kelliark’s fire lance.

“Kelliark! You promised to restore the True Demon World to a proper world!”

“Ridolos, you should have come another day if you had something to say. Now is the time when I must receive more important guests. You shouldn’t ruin their welcome with your noise.”

“Kraaah!”

The fire lance exploded and swallowed Ridolos. Kelliark didn’t waste a moment on Ridolos’s end and turned his attention to the other two who had just arrived at the Venomous Demon Castle.

“Welcome. Jin Runcandel. And Lady Elona Zipple.”