The Devil’s Cage

Dong, Dong Dong!

Kieran’s heart suddenly beat rapidly.

The Plague Force that had been sleeping suddenly came alive because of the special power inside Orderfell.

The kind of power was disgusting and dreaded by others but for Kieran, it was a kind of hard to come by “supplemental” energy.

“Now I see!”

After realization struck his heart, Kieran raised his hand and ordered Gregori who came up to the walls.

“Wash him clean,” Kieran said.

“Yes, my lord.” Gregori carried out his task meticulously.

Two big pails of water were poured over Orderfell just like that.

Then, the general in name was woken up but the chills.

“M-My lord, spare my life!”

Orderfell cried the moment he saw Kieran in his werewolf form; Kieran frowned.

Kieran sensed that as the unconscious Orderfell woke up, the special energy inside his body vanished.

“Not originating from his body but transmitted through?”

Kieran thought for a while before continuing, “Did you get in contact with any kind of wolf matters recently?”

Wolf?

Orderfell was stunned. He unconsciously looked at Kieran and the infected soldiers around him.

His answer was more than obvious but his contemptuous gaze at the soldiers attracted angry replies and hostile glares.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” Orderfell crawled on the ground, apologizing repeatedly.

Aisphany beside him immediately related to more.

“2567, Orderfell said he killed a wolf before and he hung the head on his wall as spoils from the hunt. He kinda treated it is as his courageous achievement,” Aisphany said.

“Bring me to it,” Kieran said.

“Of course! My pleasure!” Aisphany smiled before she turned around to Orderfell’s place.

At the same time, Aisphany quietly took a glance at Evie Dan and Sharly, her eyes were showing an indescribable delight.

B***H!

Evie Dan and Sharly glared at Ms. Swindler who was taking Kieran further away from them. A danger never before felt rose in their hearts.

Both of them exchanged gazes in tacit agreement.

Together?

Together!

After that short communication, the two of them who were trying to tear each other apart and found it impossible to get along had gotten together on the same side because of Aisphany’s appearance.

“We need a plan!”

“A plan specifically targeted at that b***h!”

Evie Dan was like a ferocious feline hunting its prey; her eyes were glimmering with danger.

“Mm. That b***h reeks of a fox! A cunning opponent!” Sharly nodded and for the first time, she agreed with Evie Dan’s suggestion.

Both of them continued to talk softly.

Aisphany, on the other hand, brought Kieran to the biggest building in the North base camp.

The building was originally the command center of the North base camp but after the modifications from a few generations of imperial generals, especially by Orderfell’s hand, it was almost turned into a vacation villa.

It didn’t just look bright and beautiful on the outside, it was luxurious on the inside as well; it was extremely eye-catching situated in the middle of a military camp.

Kieran couldn’t help but frown when he glanced over the “vacation villa”

“My lord, it’s not me! Most of the modifications came from my predecessors! I just took it as s!”

Orderfell saw Kieran’s furrowed brows, he quickly gave an explanation to clear his doubts however, his move of clearing his own doubts made him look extremely childish.

The soldiers behind Kieran couldn’t help but laugh at him one after another.

The waves of laughter told Kieran what the real situation was here.

“I don’t know how much military funds your people utilized to modify the command center into this outrageous form but I hope you can fill this hole and make use of it elsewhere.”

“Walloon, you are in charge. A penny less, Sir Orderfell here will have to take a slap on the face; a silver coin less, he will have to lose a finger and if a golden coin less, I want one of his eyes,” Kieran said slowly.

His tone was calm and cool as usual but decisive.

Orderfell didn’t even have the courage to defend himself, he was afraid that once Kieran was unhappy with him, he would suffer a terrible end.

“Yes, my lord,” Walloon replied loudly before he looked at Orderfell with excitement.

He swore he would dig out all the military funds that Orderfell had taken from Burning Dawn over all these years. The soldiers around were delighted as well because they were the most direct benefactors.

“Long live my lord!”

“Long live my lord!”

…

Perdal of Shatterstone was the first to chant.

This soldier had an extra fondness for Kieran because he was the sheriff of Shatterstone and also infected with the wolf plague.

The other soldiers shared the same admiration and fondness as well. Aside from the infected soldiers, when the common soldiers saw the blazing flame and dazzling light, the conviction that was carved in their bones when they joined Burning Dawn allowed them to accept Kieran’s guidance easily. Even more so since Kieran showed an exceptional level of fairness towards everyone.

Roar!

[Lionheart] shook.

The heavy lion roar echoed in Kieran’s ears.

After a slight pause, it slowly faded off.

The roar from the pendant allowed Kieran to know how simple the soldiers were. All they got was their own things back, which they deserved from the very beginning and yet they were so excited over it and willing to pledge their loyalty to him.

Huu.

A deep breath later, Kieran thought he should do more for the soldiers.

“Orderfell, write down the names of your predecessors. It’s time for them to return the military funds they owe Burning Dawn,” Kieran said.

“Yes, yes, my lord! But some of them have passed away already.” Orderfell nodded repeatedly without the slightest rejection.

To Orderfell, since he lucked out, he didn’t want his predecessors to live a good life either, the more he could drag down with him, the better but somethings couldn’t be altered, like death.

“They died? How about their families? Even if their family ware all gone, what about their graves?” Kieran asked back.

“Understood.” Orderfell wiped away the sweat on his forehead.

“What a scary fella! Exactly the same as that other infamous stingy scrooge!” Orderfell muttered in his heart.

But soon, Orderfell had to overturn the “stingy scrooge” comment about Kieran.

“Remember, count the interest properly, the highest kind!”

“Yours included!”

Kieran then walked into the command center as his voice entered Orderfell’s ears.

Looking at Kieran’s figure, Orderfell who thought he overestimated Kieran’s cruelness realized how naive and childish he was.

What stingy Scrooge? He was a vampire!

Orderfell almost cried out loud as he followed behind Kieran. He knew if the interest was added, he would be bankrupt in no time but he dared not refuse.

Death and wealth, which should he choose?

He was still smart enough to make the best decision but losing a big portion of his wealth hurt his heart badly. He felt more hatred for his predecessors now than ever.

“A bunch of damn old fools! I’m being blackmailed by this scary fella, you rats, don’t think you can escape!” Orderfell cursed viciously in his heart.

Then, he felt Kieran’s gaze in front.

Without Orderfell’s knowing, Kieran who was walking in front suddenly stopped and looked at him.

“My lord, I didn’t curse you!” Orderfell said loudly when he caught Kieran’s gaze.

“Then who are you cursing?” Kieran asked.

“I’m cursing the other bastards, the previous generals… I really didn’t curse you! Please don’t look at me like that, I feel like I am being eaten alive!”

This time, Orderfell really cried.

It was hard to imagine a grown man like him crying out loud in public. Orderfell who thought himself as a valiant person didn’t think he would cry before either but somehow when he looked at Kieran, he felt like he was looking at a scary monster.

It wasn’t Kieran in his werewolf form but even before his monstrous appearance. Following Kieran’s appearance at the walls, he felt like he saw a pitch black monster with seven heads.

The monster did not roar, did not attack, all it did was stare at Orderfell silently.

It was because of the silent stare that Orderfell felt the pressure was breaking him slowly.

Kieran’s gaze was exactly like that monster he imagined.

Scary! Too scary!

Aisphany frowned as she glanced over Orderfell, her gaze had a heavy sense of disdain.

She knew Orderfell was just an outwardly strong but inwardly weak straw bag, but she didn’t know he would be this pathetic, he cried and got snot all over himself in front of Kieran!

“How could a grown man be scared by a single gaze, what a d…”

As she mocked Orderfell in her heart, she turned her eyes to Kieran.

Then, her mocking thoughts halted, she once again saw that pair of eyes that she thought she had forgotten; she once again felt the presence of death.

Unconsciously, Ms. Swindler also screamed out loud.

“Aaaa! Don’t come near me!”

Amidst her screaming, Aisphany ran outside the command center but before she even touched the gate of the building, drastic changes occurred before her eyes.

The inner luxuriousness was gone in a flash, what replaced the magnificent scene was wilderness.

Among the iron bramble filled wilderness, a giant emanating dazzling light was walking barefooted across the barren lands.

It’s gigantic and thick feet stepped on the ground of the wilderness and the ground would shake and tremble. However, the sharp iron bramble then poked the giant’s feet.

Blood gushed out from the giant’s feet. The blood watered the iron bramble along the way and it swiftly softened it, withering it.

The giant continued forward with its pair of gigantic, thick feet which were already heavily damaged by the iron brambles.

The iron bramble on the road was getting lesser as it died off but it was also getting more dangerous.

A black wild beast was watching from the dark. It breathed plague and witnessed famine; it brought diseases and caused death non-stop. Its target was the giant and likewise, the giant’s target was the black beast as well.

A great fight broke out between the two in the wilderness.

The giant used its gigantic punch, crushing the black beast’ bones one after another.

The black beast used its sharp fangs and claws, tearing and ripping the giant’s skin.

But in the end, the giant came out on top, it decapitated the black beast!

It was a wolf head!

The giant raised the wolf head high up, growling to the sky.

The giant was happy, excited after the close victory.

However, the giant did not notice the land that was bathed in the blood of the black beast was subtly changing, nor did it notice its own shadow was starting to wiggle and distort.

Ms. Swindler noticed it though. She wanted to warn the giant out of instinct but she realized she couldn’t utter a word. Despite yelling with all her might, not a single sound came out from her mouth.

On the hand, the wiggling, distorting shadow noticed her with its scarlet eyes.

Then…

A huge shadow threw itself over to Aisphany.

“Nooooo!”

The huge shadow then dissipated into nothing as the scenery before Aisphany changed again; she returned to the command center once again.”

“What happened? Illusion? What I saw just now was the Supreme God walking on the Supreme Road?”

Her vast experience and knowledge plus the fact that she wasn’t really an idiot allowed her to know what the illusion that she just saw was but it didn’t make her feel any relief.

Especially when she saw Kieran going over to the wolf head hanging over the fireplace, Aisphany unconsciously thought of the black beast in her illusion.

Nervousness filled her heart, it made her heart race a few times faster.

“Don’t touch that wolf head!” She warned Kieran loudly.

But it was useless.

Kieran didn’t care about the warning from Aisphany and took the wolf head down. He then carefully inspected it in his hand.

Aisphany’s racing heart suddenly went silent when she saw Kieran’s actions.

She widened her eyes and covered her mouth as if a terrifying disaster was about to happen but…

Nothing.

Seconds turned into minutes as they flew by, Kieran was still carefully inspecting the wolf head while Ordefell was standing aside, shivering.

Just like before, nothing changed.

“Am I just overthinking?”

The scene before her eyes made her doubt herself but if it was really her overthinking, she would not believe it.

“Damn it, what the hell happened?” Aisphany asked herself repeatedly in her heart.

The curiosity grew heavier as seconds passed.

With the urge of curiosity, Aisphany wanted to get closer to Kieran, she also wanted to have a closer look at the wolf head and if it was possible, she had questions for Kieran.

But before she really moved, a voice came from behind her.

“Don’t move.”

The voice was cold, calm yet it caused Aisphany’s pupils to dilate because it belonged to Kieran.

“2567 is behind me? Then…Then who hell am I looking at? Another illusion?”

A plethora of questions confused Aisphany mind, making her thoughts messy but she didn’t take the risk to step out.

“What should I do?” Aisphany lowered her voice and asked.

“Stay here, don’t move.” Kieran’s voice from behind replied.

On the other hand, the Kieran who was in front Aisphany, inspecting the wolf head seemed to have heard the little conversation. He turned around to Aisphany.

“You think I’m a fake? You do know what’s behind you, right?”

The Kieran opposite of her glanced over her situation before he looked down at the wolf head, continuing his inspection.

“What’s behind me?”

“WHAT IS BEHIND ME?”

Aisphany’s heart skipped a beat.

She wanted to turn around for a look but her neck was frozen, her muscles couldn’t move.

The unknown was always feared and dreaded. Anyone who faced the unknown would be perplexed, lost, and wouldn’t know how to react.

However, some were destined to be different, like Ms. Swindler, Aisphany here.

When her sanity was being invaded by fear, she still managed to find a solution to save her own ass.