The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 707 - 406: Hunt_2

Chapter 707: Chapter 406: Hunt_2

No one spoke; all eyes were fixed on Rod with an anxious gaze.

Herman grasped his hand, and Horus pinched his shoulder.

Before his hand could be broken or his shoulder dislocated, Rod announced, "The mission was successful!"

The hall fell into absolute silence for a moment.

The next second, massive cheers shook the heavens.

Nearly everyone jumped up, embracing and kissing anything and anyone nearby.

Herman exclaimed ecstatically, "I knew it! I just knew you would succeed, you’ve never let me down! Not once! Rod, you’re our hero, our rising star, our hope!"

His beard-covered face moved in close, like a gaping maw kissing Rod fiercely, covering his face with saliva.

"Alright, alright, alright!"

Rod shoved him away firmly; no one could endure being kissed by a bearded man with such vigor.

Horus too was filled with satisfaction, saying with emotion, "Well done, young Rod. I truly hadn’t expected you to become mankind’s pillar in such a short time, capable of completing a genuine Disaster Level mission."

"It seems you’re now qualified to participate in Trolian decision-making. After this campaign ends, I will propose to the King that you be promoted to First Level Commander, Fire Elder, and an honorary Legion Commander."

Herman laughed, "If Lothar that blockhead ever decides to quit, you can take over and become the Commander of the Conquest Legion."

Somehow who shouted, "Good day, Commander Rod, sir!"

Suddenly, the chant spread like wildfire, with cries of "Commander Rod" filling the air.

It was at times like these when humanity’s spirit soared, the collective humanity almost overwhelming his vision.

Despite Rod’s reluctance, after waiting for a moment for the humanity in front of him to thin, he felt he should bring up a more crucial matter.

"The Guardian Lily is dead."

With one sentence, the Lighthouse fell into an instant hush.

Only then did everyone realize that one of their own had not returned.

After Jon returned to the Resonance Fire, the last traces of his consciousness revealed the situation inside the Soul Devouring King Castle. The Royal City was marshaling all its Medical power to save Jon, while also preparing for the mission’s failure and the awakening of the Soul Devouring King.

That’s why Archbishop Horus had come all the way from the Northern Front to the Western Front.

The White Tower’s all-seeing eye also focused much of its attention on the Soul Devouring King’s castle, but it hadn’t detected any irregularities, and the future remained unclear within the chaos.

Everyone’s heart was in their throats until Rod brought back news of Victory.

But his next sentence sent their hearts plummeting.

Lily was one of Troli’s remaining thirty-one Guardians, a number only achieved this year with the promotion of several individuals.

Her Chaos Fire was a unique Characteristic, once deemed by the Master of White Tower, Meredith, as the most potentially Destructive Power. If Lily could successfully Advance to become a Commander, controlling the Source Law of Chaos Fire, she would have become Troli’s most powerful Special Level Combatant.

Troli would then have considered initiating the King’s war, attempting to eradicate the nearby King Level threats that had, like the Sword of Damocles, been hanging over humanity, constraining human development and threatening human safety.

Once these fetters to the human realm were eliminated, Troli could devote more resources, and the pace of human expansion and recovery would greatly accelerate, with one less crisis threatening extinction.

But all this, with Lily’s death, had turned to smoke.

Sorrow and pain clearly etched themselves onto Horus’s wooden face, his hands drooping limply, with rich grief in his eyes. There was a moment when Horus felt the impulse to retreat back to the side of the King, but as one of Troli’s main decision-makers in an uncontested position of highest authority here, he knew he should always maintain calm and rationality.

"Everyone,"

he said, his voice already hoarse.

"Please return to your respective posts; the war is not yet over."

In the gloomy atmosphere, everyone silently dispersed. Hall and Misole were also taken away by medical personnel. Their injuries were severe, and their souls had suffered significant Pollution; they needed to head to the Royal City for further treatment.

Herman slumped to the ground, muttering, "How could this happen?"

Horus’s face returned to impassivity, and he spoke without expression, "Rod, please recount what happened in detail. Don’t leave out a single detail."

Rod nodded and began his thorough account.

From the moment they received the mission to the completion of the Sealing, he concealed nothing—except for details regarding the Book of Knowledge.

After hearing the full account, Herman’s hands were white from gripping too tightly, his back was drenched, and his face was a mask of shock and fear.

"It wasn’t easy... truly not easy. The slightest mishap, and this mission wouldn’t have been possible."

Even Horus’s stoic face showed a hint of emotion.

"It was far more dangerous than we anticipated. The difficulty of this mission far exceeded our original expectations. We decision-makers didn’t consider it thoroughly enough; the secrets hidden within the Soul Devouring King’s castle were far beyond our imagination. The core of the Starry Seal turned out to be Source Material, and Meredith’s Sealing may not hold for long."

"Perhaps, before too long, we may still face the Soul Devouring King."