The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 237 - 172 Meteor_2

Chapter 237: Chapter 172 Meteor_2

The Captain said in a somber tone, "Send them into the fire."

A man knelt on the ground, crying, "Captain, please, save them!"

The Captain shook his head, "The infection is too deep; there’s no saving them now."

"But, but my wife, my daughter, they’ve worked in Laisuo City for twelve years; they just wanted to see the Royal City, to witness the dazzling glimmers of the Upper City. They dreamed of it..."

"I’m sorry."

The Captain signaled with his eyes, and the warriors dragged them to the top of the tower, placing them one by one into the blazing brazier.

The flames quickly engulfed their bodies, reducing them to ashes.

The Captain whispered softly, "May the fire shelter your souls, forget the pain and sorrow, and rest eternally in the paradise of fire."

The man did not speak, simply standing by, silently wiping away his tears.

But as the Captain turned around, he heard several exclamations of shock from the warriors beside him.

When he turned back, the man had already jumped into the brazier, the flames enveloping him instantly.

Yet, he wore a smile.

"...I’m sorry, I’m late."

One of the warriors attempted to pull him out, but the Captain stopped him.

"He’s already touched the Source of fire; his soul will journey to the world of fire, becoming part of its power, illuminating us."

The event was tragic, but beyond redemption.

Three lives vanished before their eyes in an instant, leaving no trace behind.

For some reason, Rod felt as if the light of the fire had grown a bit brighter.

Was it an illusion?

Rod wondered.

Or did human souls also serve as fuel elements and fire kindling?

He did not dwell on the question; Residual Fire, like a star without soul firewood, would rapidly lose its power. The stronger it was, the quicker it would fade. To maintain the lighthouse as the brightest beacon, the Captain kept adding fuel elements.

Only then could the lighthouse’s light reach so far.

They had to save as many people as possible while the light was brightest.

Later, from the mouths of the survivors, Rod and the others learned that a giant, black monstrosity had destroyed Laisuo City.

Its body was larger than the entire city, shrouded in black fog, lit partially by the flames. Its body was covered in scales, wielding a giant sword made of twisted flesh.

With one strike of its sword, it destroyed a fifth of the city, extinguishing the Guardian Fire in the central Guardian Fire Sacrificial Ground.

Black Death Beasts swarmed into the city from outside. A blue giant sparkling with thunder and fire flew into the sky to battle the black giant. Tens of blue giants and a multitude of warriors barricaded the breaches, fighting the monsters to death, providing space for evacuation.

But the monsters were too numerous, and the evacuees still suffered massive losses.

It was only by luck that they survived to reach this place.

"Captain," said a refugee, "we better evacuate quickly, this place won’t hold."

The Captain shook his head, "We can’t leave. Rest up for a while and then set off. I’ll provide you with lanterns and a star disk. As long as you follow the prearranged route, you’ll be safe once you reach the Sword Fortress in the rear."

After settling this group of refugees, they soon encountered the second, third, fourth groups of escapees.

The number of people inside the lighthouse increased rapidly, but fortunately, like its name suggests, the Giant Stone Lighthouse was incredibly spacious. Built originally as a fortress-like defensive structure, it could accommodate thousands of people at most.

The monsters’ figures also appeared near the lighthouse. The Captain immediately dispatched warriors to eliminate them.

This was a relatively safe period, and eliminating the threats was the best course of action.

Rod was the most active in deployment, participating in every hunting operation. His high spiritual vision and efficient killing methods played a significant role, and the warriors liked having him alongside.

When the clock’s hand passed the evening hour,

The number of refugees surged, with many groups appearing within dozens of miles around the lighthouse.

Many teams did not approach the lighthouse but instead ran along three routes towards the Sword Fortress in the rear.

The lighthouse did its utmost to provide them with direction, preventing them from entering the dangerous areas nearby.

A larger type of black monster also entered their line of sight. They were about the size of a house, with their heads opening like flesh-colored petals, revealing a round hole lined with sharp teeth.

When attacking, the flesh petals would envelop a person and stuff them into the round hole to be devoured.

After some time of diligent study, Rod mastered much professional knowledge and quickly deduced that they were mature-level high-rank monsters. This rank posed the greatest threat on the battlefield, not because they were the strongest, but because they were the most numerous and could damage high-rank combatants effectively.

These must be the Black Death Beasts that besieged Laisuo City.

Although adhering to the "three-thousand-yard agreement," Rod did his best to attract the attention of the monsters on the edge. His spear skills had reached a point where he could hit any target within a thousand yards, though with slightly less power.

But True Silver Bullets had little killing power on mature-level and above monsters, so it didn’t matter.

Once a monster stepped into range, the warriors would surround and attack it, and Rod would wait for the opportunity to end it with a "Soul Blast."

It must be said that the Combat Skills training greatly improved his use of the "Soul Blast." This skill was no longer restricted as before. Rod could rush in from a hundred yards away, accurately plunging his hand into the monster’s weak spot, or he could slide into a fierce battle and carve the monster to death.

Cheers constantly echoed around him, and Rod’s presence significantly increased the warriors’ efficiency in combat. They were all Starfire Series warriors, generally having ignited three to four fire sparks, most of which were ordinary Fire Kindlings like "Sharpness Enhancement," "Balance Mastery," and "Power Enhancement." Their combat methods were almost exclusively physical.