The Devil’s Cage

Wu opened her eyes in a secret room.

She didn’t wake up like a normal person because the time she set for herself to awaken was more precise than a digital clock; it was similar to how she saw the future of this dungeon world when she entered.

A mastermind that hid beyond everybody’s sight.

Its way of survival was strange, its power also strange but powerful.

It was even more powerful than any powerhouse she knew.

Maybe a while later, her good friend might reach this level, but not now.

So, Wu didn’t have a choice.

She didn’t want to hurt those she cared for; she knew what kind of consequences would have befallen him had she not fallen into slumber, faking her death.

The outcome would have been irreversible, the kind that she couldn’t bear.

Even the current outcome was intolerable for her.

When she saw how he was being sliced up like an eel, Wu felt immense pain and couldn’t breathe.

The runes on the shackles to imprison her broke free with a wave of her hand.

She may not possess offensive skills or use tools of similar means, but it didn’t mean she was an average person. Quite the opposite; to increase her self-sustaining means, other than the necessary tools, her body physique was also quite strong compared to ordinary people’s.

The door of the secret room slowly opened. Wu walked outside.

The place wasn’t any secret to Wu, whether it was the secret room itself or the structure outside that imitated a natural scene.

Her steps seemed slow but were actually quick.

When she reached that wooden cottage that was supposed to be hers, the startled Special Operation Division members and some scattered Special Affairs Division members gathered around.

“I need the entire Eiders to hear my voice in the next 30 seconds,” Wu said.

It may seem over-demanding, but it was not difficult for these men before her eyes.

Everyone moved out en masse.

Wier and Mier, who rushed to the cottage, looked at Wu with doubtful gazes.

Neither of them was familiar with Wu, but when they saw her, a certain feeling in their hearts struck them and instinctively told them that she was the rumoured Lady, despite her looks being a little off from expectation.

Wu saw both of them as well. She glanced at Wier and landed her attention on Mier.

“You want to become a Monster Hunter? D can help you, but not in the best way. If you want, I can write you a letter of recommendation,” Wu said.

“I believe that D can handle it,” Mier jolted for a moment before shaking her head.

Although the Lady before her meant well, she somehow felt that it wasn’t right to receive her goodwill.

It wasn’t anything about strengths, just a premonition.

The instincts or premonitions of a woman are very accurate.

Wu took another glance at her before looking away.

“My Lady, Mier doesn’t mean anything else, she’s just…”

As the only family of Mier, Wier thought he should explain on behalf of his granddaughter, but before he could, Wu stopped him with a wave of her hand.

“I know. Wier, you did well. I think you could become the future mayor of Eiders.”

Wu didn’t want to linger on the topic and argue further.

After all, she never thought of cutting the subtle relationship between Kieran and Mier; it was just an attempt.

The result was terrible, but not too bad.

Could Mier be more troublesome than the weak mimosa that was scared of even a worm beside the road?

Stop joking. Compared to the latter, Mier was nothing.

“Mayor? You are saying that Syro…”

“He is dead. He is dead because of Eiders, and you should be able to inherit his will and protect Eiders.” Wu’s words were partially true, partially false.

As a diviner, she knew deeply about the saying ‘the truth is not always great, and the false is not always bad.’

Sometimes, the forged truth was better. At least Wier would be able to accept Syro Derl as a mayor who died for his city.

“I-I… I understand,” Wier moved his lips and said in a rough voice.

“Very well.” Wu nodded.

Two Special Affairs Division members then ran over from outside while holding a broadcasting machine in their hands.

“We have tuned it to reach all frequency,” the men said respectfully.

Wu didn’t say anything else; she walked to the machine.

“I am the Wisher of Eiders. Sorry to bother everyone on a night like this. If it were possible, I would have liked to tell you all about what happened more softly, but time does not allow that.

“All I can say is that an unprecedented crisis has arrived, and the Blood Moon is only the beginning. D, Monster Hunter D, has stopped the Blood Moon but fallen into the following troubles. He needs our strength to help him overcome this hurdle. I hope that everyone can sincerely pray for D, pray for him to solve the following troubles. Otherwise, we shall all welcome death.”

Wu’s voice echoed above Eiders through the broadcasting signal. The people of Eiders, who were celebrating the return of the moon, were stunned by the broadcast at first.

Because it was the Wisher’s order, prayers sounded after the broadcast.

As people of Eiders, they knew how different Eiders was from other cities.

The most significant difference was the legendary Wisher.

They couldn’t utter the word nor hear it; unless the Wisher said it herself, they would never hear the words for the rest of their lives.

Each time the voice of the Wisher echoed in Eiders’ sky, it was a critical time that related to the life and death of the city.

No one dared to hesitate, not even Lagren the hotel owner or Smith the human-Blood Kin hybrid.

They were among the earliest batch to pray because it was related to D’s life and death.

“Please, you little punk, be safe!” Lagren prayed softly.

“You will surely return safely.” Smith and the little girls prayed in a more devoted manner.

In their eyes, Kieran was invincible; he would surely overcome any danger.

Likewise, many other people thought the same of Monster Hunters.

They were fearless and arrogant.

They were powerful.

They opposed evil.

They walked the edge without glory or a dazzling trail.

No hymn or praise would remember them, but… their pride would be respected.

A formless energy started to accumulate in the sky above Eiders.

It was swift!

Within a breath’s time, the number of prayers was many enough to incite a qualitative change!

The prayers started to transform into a faint golden-coloured energy.

Inside the faint golden energy, figures started to take form.

There was one with a long wind coat that walked on top of blades.

There was one who was massive and strong.

There was one who was small and short but extremely intelligent.

There was one with a long spear behind his back and animals circling him.

The figures in the golden energy had blurry faces, but that was what they should look like. They were formed on top of the deepest beliefs of Eiders’ people; they were formed by hope and sheer will.

The images from the people’s beliefs came from bedside stories, faraway legends, and the inheritance of some ancient bloodline.

Generation after generation, sons after fathers.

The chain of inheritance never broke, never extinguished, never forgotten.

Even if the figures were blurry, they existed.

The golden figures gathered, cheers and laughs sounding in the wind. It was as though the situation was like when they first met centuries ago, where they fought back to back, relied on each other and treated all commonly.

Fuuu!

The wind got stronger, somehow turning into a horn of charging.

The golden energy flowed like a river to the sky, furiously flowing towards Central Graveyard and into the grave of Arwena Algo Zelgar.

The golden energy flowed into Kieran’s body, which was encased in ice a moment ago.

Inside the ice statue, a golden shine erupted.