Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  “Slightly more than 300.”

  Shi Dong’s reply caught Ye Qingxuan off guard.

  “Isn’t the establishment of the Witch Hammer still here?”

  “Originally it was, but after the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was split, it had already been disbanded, and the men were sent to join the Knights Templar, leaving the establishment with nothing but a name.

  “Mr. Maxwell later sent 400 young men here. Alas, the time of training is too short for them to be of any use as of now. When we left the Sacred City, we only brought along three hundred men. Out of this number, more than a hundred are either old men like me or too young to be on the battlefield. We only have about 140 combat-ready men.”

  “Too few.”

  “It will suffice.” Shi Dong said, “At least we still have one fortress for defense at the moment. The purifiers of the Religious Court of Inquiry are born with the mission to fight demons whose numbers are hundreds of times of ours. If we are to embark on an eastward conquest again, we will probably face situations that are even more troublesome.

  “I believe that you will soon get used to the disparity between enemy forces and ours in terms of numbers, Grand Inquisitor,” Shi Dong said.

  Ye Qingxuan gave him a brief look before shifting his focus back to the Black Tide swarming in the sea. He asked, “Has the number of the enemies been counted?”

  “A wave of this scale would be about twenty thousand or so.” Upon glancing at it, Shi Dong provided the answer, “The vile spawn of the sea are mostly demons that have two-meter-long bodies and stand half as tall as an adult when they walk upright. Due to the similarity of the limbs, they are often referred to as ‘nixies’ or ‘murlocs’.

  “There are more detailed classifications, and some of them are considered to be elites among demons, such as bone-eating insects, tide summoners, deep divers, whale shark riders, storm priests that are comparable to humans in terms of intelligence, so on and so forth… This is probably a small tribe that has just hatched and formed.

  “The competencies of marine species are generally polarized. Some species, such as the Mountain of Nomadism, are terrifying enough even the creature is on its own. However, demons like these which rely on their large numbers to form a threat are much more commonplace. For catastrophes, they are nothing more than worthless consumables. They may only be of some use when their numbers reach hundreds of thousands or even millions. When necessary, they can be used as food. After all, the appetite of a giant sea monster is difficult to satisfy.”

  Ye Qingxuan listened in silence, yet he couldn’t help but gasp mentally.

  In this world, of all the regions humans had discovered, two-thirds was occupied by ocean. Land occupied the remaining one-third, and less than one-tenth of it was fertile, but it had fed and nurtured nearly three hundred million of humans.

  This was only a rough estimation by the Sacred City. Taking into account tax evaders invisible on the household register, slaves considered as private property and the people excluded, accidentally or otherwise, from each nation’s records, there were about four hundred million people in the world, according to the scholars’ approximation.

  The land that has been cultivated currently had reached its limit in terms of the human population it is able to support.

  As for the ocean…

  Murlocs were way less picky as compared to human beings. Seaweed, kelp, fish, shrimp, and even dead bodies of their own kind, all these could be part of their diet. Once the Dark Gaia sowed the seeds, fruits shall be borne all over the deep waters of the sea.

  Within the enchantment of the Holy City, Ye Qingxuan once saw the Vesicle Forest that nurtured demons. The appalling efficiency and scale of the transformation were nothing short of suffocating.

  As long as aether supply from the leylines was present, it could decompose and reconstruct a living thing even in the short span of a few hours, shaping the embryo of a demon.

  This was exactly why each and every awakening of Leviathan is a horrifying event that threatened the security of all countries. For success in sealing Leviathan once more before the vile spawn of the sea hatch to be assured, it was often necessary for Anglo to prepare for the disaster ten years ahead, and even then, they would only be confident when the Sacred City dispatched saints to be stationed at the scene as well.

  At the moment, Ye Qingxuan could only thank his lucky stars that the territorial sea of Anglo was the sole region affected, and the threat was limited to this pitch-black sea.

  The disaster must be resolved as soon as possible. Mankind could not sustain a war of attrition with the vile spawn of the sea. Once the deformed ecosystem of the Murlocs was truly formed, humans would have to face demons a hundred times stronger than the current number, not to mention the gigantic sea monsters feeding on the Murlocs, as well as Leviathan itself.

  But at the moment, Ye Qingxuan wanted to see how over a hundred men of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith could drive off twenty thousand demons.

  “They’re merely a flock of little creatures.” Shi Dong let out a few peals of laughter and said, “Even their inherited memory is not awakened, so they have next to zero abilities. Their strength lies only with their numbers, making them no more threatening than a large Beast Tide. Honestly speaking, I’m afraid there is nothing much to look at. “

  Just as the two conversed, the hissing sound gradually crescendoed. In the murky boiling waves, the first nixie climbed onto the coast, stepping on the pebbles and gravel as it crawled toward the stronghold.

  Closely behind were the second, the third, and the fourth… To the extent that in the end, one could only make out a thick shadow of dark green extending on the shore, as if moss from the sea was spreading on land.

  “Yet to mature completely? What a pity.” Shi Dong narrowed his eyes and explained, “These are newborns lacking in calcium; the exposed bones have yet to hardened.”

  Ye Qingxuan followed his gaze, and his eyes fell on the Murloc at the forefront. Staring at the human-like demon, he couldn’t help but feel that it looked like the magnified version of some deformed baby, with bones that were still a faint white color exposed outside, its whole body covered in scales, and plenty of fish-like characteristics on its skull.

  Becoming aware of the gaze coming from the top of the wall, the Murlocs raised their heads and hissed vehemently. The sounds they made resembled that of a sharp knife scratching on an iron plate and rang out one after another, giving those who heard it goosebumps. Even though their language differed from human tongues, one would have no trouble understanding the meaning expressed by the hissing sound—hunger.

  The hunger that remained unsatisfied, right from birth to the present moment. The innate, vigorous coveting for human blood and flesh. And the greed that would never be fulfilled.

  The mere act of detecting the smell of human beings was more than enough to trigger the glands in their bodies to secrete lots of hormones, causing muscles to bulge and bones to proliferate. The sensation of hunger, just like a burning fire, completely occupied their consciousness.

  In the blink of an eye, the body of the nixie had swollen up by a lot. The huge eyes on both sides of the skull were bloodshot. In the middle of the sclera which most of the visible parts of the eyes consisted of, strange pupils unique to fish contracted and quivered. The nixie had descended into insanity.

  “Murlocs have a very sensitive sense of smell. The skin under the scales on their upper body actually has a large number of olfactory cells. Like all species of demons well-known for their numbers, once they detect the scent of humans, they will undergo a certain stress response, in which their glands secrete abnormally, and the hunger is magnified multifold. They are never satisfied and do not know how it feels like to be full. Thus, cases where they died from stuffing themselves with too much food are commonplace.

  “An equally noteworthy fact is that they are rarely able to experience delight or satisfaction. Whether it is due to evolu
tionary mutation or some other deliberate attempt, I do not know. Only when their digestive organs ingest human hemoglobin can the pituitary gland synthesize hormones similar to dopamine…” Shi Dong paused and said no more.

  Ye Qingxuan understood what he meant. In other words, the only instances where they would feel happy was when they consumed humans… No, one could even say that doing so would make them as ecstatic as people taking drugs, entering a certain state of madness.

  They had an instinctual thirst for the human body. If they had ever tasted blood, even only once, they would be ten times as crazy the second time they saw humans!

  “Predators created to target humans?” Ye Qingxuan mumbled softly. In his mind’s eye, he couldn’t help but picture himself pouring two barrels of the blood of black dogs onto the tombstone[1] of Hyakume.

  Look at what you have done! Ye Qingxuan thought.

  At the moment, he heard the sound of hinges rubbing against each other. Below him, the gates of the stronghold opened with a loud crash. A hoarse singing rang out, “The Judgement Day is coming!

  “The day is coming!

  “The day is coming by and by!” In the low singing, several burly clergymen walked out from the door. They wore chain hoods and heavy metal armor and looked like a crossover between Hoplites and priests, yet in their hands held neither the Holy Bible nor the sword. Instead, they held a two-meter-high flame banner. The hefty and massive flag radiated heat and light frighteningly as it burned. The holy emblem on the banner bathed in the flames, as if it was dancing in the song.

  Behind the clergymen carrying the flame banner, broken footsteps sounded in great numbers, a cacophony of husky voices followed immediately. It sounded like singing, but also like innate, wild, guttural screams.

  “The Judgement Day is coming! The saints and the sinners shall be parted right and left! Are you ready for that day to come? Are you ready for that day to come?!” It was as if a group of lunatics and drunkards were madly echoing each other, their singing sharp and piercing to the ears, lacking any semblance of rhythm or melody.

  Ye Qingxuan listened and couldn’t help but frown. “Isn’t it a bit too early to exit the fortress for combat?”

  “Well, we are doing this because we don’t really have anything to guard the fortress with.” Shi Dong said, “If the demons advance to the wall, it will become even more troublesome, so we might as well get the job done outside the stronghold.”

  In the raspy singing, as the clergymen holding the flame banner marched forward, Ye Qingxuan could finally see the figures in the chaotic formation following them clearly. Then, he couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath. Shone upon by the blaze of the flame banner, the figures following the clergymen with stumbling and staggering footsteps, fanatically singing along… were all demons!

  The demons with huge cracks and scars that had yet to heal on them were like dogs, trailing behind the clergymen. The linen thread used to sew the wounds at the back of their heads revealed rough stitches in the glare of the fire. They sang the anthem noisily, stopping now and then, and followed the flame banner fanatically…

  “You have been rearing demons?” Ye Qingxuan turned back and stared at Shi Dong with a shocked look.

  “It’s not something that I’m proud of, but yes.” Shi Dong chuckled awkwardly and explained, “There are too many demons to finish killing off. We can’t very well slaughter the rest for food, so our only option is to make good use of their remaining value…”

  Boom! He had yet to finish his words when a horrifying gust of flame shot upwards from the middle of the nixies. The light from the flames flickered as it shone on Shi Dong’s face, making his smile look strange and grotesque.

  [1] In Chinese culture, the act of pouring the blood of black dogs onto the tombstone of another is meant to curse the person’s kin and offspring by ruining their fengshui, usually as retribution, and is considered highly provocative. The blood of black dogs is believed to be able to ward off evil and weaken evil powers.

  552 The Defense Line

  “The Day of Judgement is coming! The saints and the sinned will be separated! The day is coming. Are you ready for it? The day is coming, are you ready for it?”

  In the song, big explosions boomed one after another. Columns of fire roared into the sky with huge waves of hot air and deafening booms. The flags of fire flew up high. In the light of the Sacred Emblem, clergymen in iron armor pointed forward and the demons singing charged forward. They were no longer spiritless. Instead, they charged full speed into the crowds of dark-green ghosts. Then, they held the ghosts nearest to them and their body began to grow larger. Their half-healed wounds cracked open, spurting out light and fire.

  The Alchemy Metrics implanted in their bodies were activated, sucking the aether around them, which caused terrible high temperature and a vacuum of death. Then the whole body exploded, sweeping out with super high pressure.

  Boom! Fire pressure and impact plowed every inch of the field. Every explosion left a big hole on the beach. The disastrous impact waves reached the wall of the fortress, bringing hot wind to the face of everyone on the wall.

  Feeling the hot wind on his face, Ye Qingxuan looked at the sacred yet quirky fire. Shi Dong raised his hand to fend off a piece of flesh falling onto him and tossed it under the wall.

  “You make the demons into bombs?” asked Ye Qingxuan.

  “Yes. It’s simple,” Shi Dong answered. “Cut out the prefrontal lobe, brainwash them, and cut out their internal organs to implant the self-destruction metric. Then, sew up the wound and inject some antibiotic. They have short lives, but it is okay as long as we can use them within seven days after they are made.

  “A well-trained prentice can finish the process within 15 minutes. It’s a sort of recycling; pretty cheap. We have a lot of cruel methods in the Religious Court of Inquisitors. After all, we recruited a hell bunch of dark musicians with our license of the Sacred City.

  “Only one problem. Do you approve our way of doing things, my Grand Inquisitor?”

  “They are all demons. It doesn’t matter.” Ye Qingxuan smiled at him meaningfully. “Better watch out next time. No need to test me.”

  Shi Dong lowered his head in respect. Looking back behind Ye Qingxuan, he said with a smile, “Don’t worry, sir. We have a lot of members of demon descendants in the Religious Court of Inquisitors.”

  The sound of a cold hum seemed to be heard. A feeling of coldness swept over and vanished. After the flesh bombing, the line of the sea ghosts was destroyed. Yet the ghost didn’t show any fear, nor did they retreat. Instead, they sped up as they were not so crowded.

  “No more close squares. They are now in skirmish line now. Do demons know about tactics now?” Looking at the scattered sea ghosts pushing close, Ye Qingxuan frowned. If the ghosts scattered, the demon-bombs would not be able to kill as many demons as before.

  What’s more, the demon-bombs were almost used up. There would be no more demon-bombs in a short time.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Shi Dong said calmly, “That was only the prelude. It would not be a war without close battles.”

  The rustling of armors was heard from at the root of the wall. That was the sound of power armors and charging of the squares.

  The Witch’s Hammers were installed and in formation. The cavaliers, assisted by the power armors, began to charge at the enemies. They soon went out of the gate and into the lines of the ghosts. In the light of the fire columns, the cavaliers who were more than two meters tall stepped forward with their shields and spears.

  “Heavy cavaliers?” Clearly seeing those soldiers on the field, Ye Qingxuan frowned. The heavy cavaliers had been replaced by heavily armed machines since the widespread power armors a century ago.

  The heavy powered exoskeletons undertook the most important task on the battlefield: to destroy the enemy’s formation so that the swordsmen and infantry can do their parts of the job. Then, the enemy would be eliminated by the combination of three forces.
However, they need enough swordsmen and infantry troops to finish what they started.

  They had no more than 1,000 men in total, including backups. It was meaningless for the heavy cavaliers to undertake this sort of attack as there would not be enough men to follow them to finish the enemies.

  What’s more, those sea ghosts were not normal soldiers. They would not retreat after their formations collapse. They would continue to attack until the very last of them was dead. If the cavaliers charge into their formation without swordsmen following them, they will be consumed by the endless attacks of the ghosts.

  It would be suicide.

  While he was looking, 60 heavily armed cavaliers were on the field. Yet they did not gather up to formation but scattered up. According to the number and order given to each of them, they gathered separately under the six fire flags and circled up the six armored clergymen. Then, the tower shields lowered down. The shields were then fixed by rivets driven by the pneumatic pumps on the rocks. The tower shields spread out their folded parts, which were joined together with other shields.

  Surrounding the six clergymen, the cavaliers formed six temporary “fortresses” with their shields and weapons. Those six “fortresses” were six supporting points of the defense line against the demons.

  The question was, would they hold? Among those organists watching the battle on the wall, many were experienced soldiers. And they couldn’t help but feel doubtful.

  The problem was not the temporary “fortresses.” It could be said that they were quite wisely built. They could be very powerful by combining their power together to produce huge aether waves. They were like stings on the throat of the enemy. They would bring them pain and death if not destroyed.

  However, the problem was that they do not have enough power to attack the enemy. They might be able to defend themselves, but they could not destroy the enemy’s formation. They would be no more than six obstacles on the enemy’s way. If the enemy could not destroy them, they could go around them. The enemy could even wipe them out after they passed them.