**UPDATED** [B3]Chapter 186: Hell Breaks Loose

[SnowNote]
Hey everyone! Just wanted to give you a heads-up that this chapter has been slightly updated, with some scenes rewritten. Last night, I was in a bit of a rush and posted it thinking everything was all set. But after rereading it this morning, I realized there was room for improvement. So, I made a few changes to ensure the story flows better.

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After eight hours of rest and recuperation on his farm, Theo decided it was time to return. Using the Nexus Demonic Farm Teleporter, he transported himself back to his secondary home, set to his room at the Embassy Enclave.

As the white light faded away, Theo found himself in his familiar bedroom. However, his forehead creased into a frown at the unexpected sight before him.

The room was a wreck, as if a tornado had torn through it. The bed was overturned, chairs and tables shattered into splinters, and the vase of flowers lay scattered in tiny fragments amidst the overwhelming dust and debris.

He noticed the bathroom door ajar. Peering inside, he saw that the walls were shattered; the showerhead and other fixtures lay on the ground amidst bricks and broken tiles.

"Were they searching for the princess in the walls or something?" Theo muttered under his breath, baffled by the logic of breaking walls and showerheads in their search.

Suspicions formed in his mind, but he wanted to find someone to confirm them before drawing any conclusions.

Yet, Theo's expression hardened as he stepped out of his room. The floor had a gaping hole exposing support rods, and the stairs had crumbled, leaving only the lower portion in a barely passable condition.

Coughing as dust and the rancid smell of blood assaulted his senses, he noticed that the hole was large enough for him to pass through. He jumped down, landing lightly on the ground floor.

His face turned grave when he saw a body lying at the entrance gate of the Embassy Enclave, covered in blood. It was Ella, a dagger stabbed into her left chest, her eyes open, devoid of any life.

Theo knelt beside her, checking for any signs of life, but there were none. The blood had dried, which didn't seem to be more than a few hours old. It appeared she had been killed not too long ago.

Standing up, he pulled open the entrance door, only to be confronted with a grimmer sight: guards' corpses littered the ground. Outside, the situation was far worse.

Canorian houses were on fire---the sturdy Ironwood structures now engulfed in flames. Smoke blanketed the town's sky.

Have the other races of Feralon finally attacked Northern Woods Town, or is it the Demon race that invaded? Theo wondered.

However, he knew there were other possibilities. The presence of the white-robed men suggested they could also be involved, as they had been after the Thornwood Wardstone.

I need to find Liliana first, he resolved, setting off southward toward the defensive structures erected to safeguard the border from other races of Feralon. It was also where the Deathwhisper Gateway portal was found underground and where soldiers were stationed.

After a three-minute sprint, Theo arrived at the town's gate leading to the construction site.

The area was enveloped by a huge gray dome, surrounded by towering pillars connected by thick wires that stretched up to twelve feet high. The wires formed a complex network around the dome, reinforcing its already formidable appearance. Inside the dome, townspeople sat on the ground, children crying in their parents' arms.

Theo's gaze instantly locked onto Liliana, standing on the far side of the dome. Beside her, Emma, her bare fists bloodied, was pounding relentlessly against the gray barrier. There was no sign of her using mana---her wrists bare, devoid of any rings. It was clear that both Liliana and Emma were powerless, unable to harness their mana inside the dome.

At the periphery of the dome, dozens of white-robed individuals sat in meditative poses, arranged in triangles that formed a larger magic circle.

In the distance, a massive army had gathered. It was impossible to count their numbers; as far as Theo could see, figures stood like a sea of people.

Moreover, these figures were unlike any he had seen before. They resembled robust humans about five feet tall, but each bore two pointy horns on their heads.

Activating his [Leywin’s Gaze], Theo inspected the figures. The information that appeared left him startled.

<<<<

[Demon: Circle Rank 51]

[Demon: Circle Rank 42]

[Demon: Circle Rank 36]

[Demon: Circle Rank 32]

[Demon: Circle Rank 54]

[Demon: Circle Rank 47]

[Demon: Circle Rank 28]

>>>>

They're from the Demon race, Theo murmured. The revelation was surprising, especially given that thousands of them stood amassed.

He was stupefied when he noticed a ritual taking place between the army and the dome. A hexagonal circle had been drawn, with a young man sitting at its perimeter within a triangle, chanting incomprehensible incantations. In the center was a severed head.

Theo’s heart clenched as he recognized the head---it belonged to Old Man Gildor. And the boy performing the ritual was none other than Linwe.

It's unthinkable... Linwe performing such a heartless ritual with the severed head of the man who was like family to him, Theo thought in disbelief. Even I failed to see the monster beneath his innocent face.

Just then, Linwe stood up from his position within the hexagonal circle with a bright expression on his face.

"Hey there, lass," he called out to Emma. "You might want to stop bruising those pretty fists of yours. That barrier isn't going anywhere. Not even a Sovereign could scratch it."

Emma shot him a fierce glare, her eyes blazing with fury. "You! How could you do this? How could you kill Senior Gildor?"

Linwe shrugged nonchalantly. "He was just an obstacle, a necessary step to get where I need to be. Nothing personal."

"Nothing personal?" Emma spat, her fists trembling with rage. "He raised you like his own! And now you're sacrificing innocent lives for some twisted plan?"

"You really don't get it, do you? There's a bigger picture here, something beyond your understanding," Linwe smirked.

She clenched her jaw. "You're despicable. I won't let you get away with this!"

He sighed, shaking his head. "You know, if you didn't make things so difficult, you could've been happily by my side. After the ritual, I could take you with me. We could start over, from scratch."

Emma recoiled, disgust evident on her face. "In your dreams! I'd rather die in here than go anywhere with someone like you."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Suit yourself. But once the sacrificial ritual is complete and the Forgotten One is awakened, you might change your mind."

Liliana stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Emma's shoulder. "Don't waste your breath on him. We'll find a way out of this."

"I wouldn't count on it, princess," Linwe chuckled. "That dome is unbreakable, and your mana's useless inside. No one's coming to save you."

"Don't underestimate us!" Emma's eyes flashed defiantly.

Linwe raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't. In fact, that's why I've gone to such lengths. If only you'd been more agreeable, lass, things could've been so much easier. We could've stood side by side."

"Keep dreaming. Your delusions won't become reality," she scoffed.

"Well, when this is all over, perhaps you'll see things differently. Until then, sit tight." He offered a friendly wave to the angry lady.

As this unfolded, Theo decided it was time to make his presence known.

Without hesitation, he began to walk toward them. He halted twenty meters away, drawing the attention of Linwe, Agnes, the surrounding demons, and those inside the dome.

"I have to say, you have hurt my feelings," Theo remarked, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Linwe turned to face him, a hint of surprise flickering across his features before he masked it with a smirk. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, I couldn't miss out on all the fun, could I?" Theo replied lightly.

Linwe's eyes narrowed. "This has nothing to do with you, so I suggest you stay out of it if you value your life. "

"On the contrary," Theo replied, his gaze drifting to Emma and Liliana inside the dome. "this has everything to do with me."

As Emma's eyes met Theo's, she couldn't hide her frustration. "You idiot!" she shouted, her voice tinged with desperation. "Why didn't you run for help? The academy could've sent reinforcements! Coming here alone---what were you thinking? You'll get yourself captured just like the rest of us!" Her knees gave way as she sank to the ground, fists clenched, her hope fading with each breath.

Theo's eyes softened slightly as he looked at her. "Waiting for someone else to come would be a waste of time," he said calmly. "These people wouldn't wait for others to arrive. It's likely the sacrificial ritual would be completed long before any help could get here. And I have no intention of letting that happen in my presence."

Linwe chuckled lightly. "And what do you plan to do to stop that? Take on an army of demons all by yourself, alone?"

A small smile played on Theo's lips. "Who said anything about being alone?"

With that, he extended his hand, and a gate of darkness materialized beside him. From its depths stepped a young lady with strawberry-colored hair, her pale complexion giving her an ethereal appearance.

Theo glanced at her. "Bloom, let all hell break loose and let chaos reign upon these people."

"As you wish," Bloom replied darkly.

Linwe sneered. "This is your backup? A girl? How quaint." His voice rose as he addressed the army. "Seize them! Dead or alive!"

At his command, the gathered demons behind him erupted into a deafening roar. As they began their march forward, the ground trembled beneath the weight of thousands of feet like the beat of war drums. A thick cloud of dust billowed upward, darkening the skies.

Meanwhile, Bloom closed her eyes briefly before opening them, revealing a piercing glow. She raised her arms gracefully. "Assemble," she uttered loudly.

With a mere word, the earth convulsed violently, sending shockwaves rippling across the landscape. Deep fissures tore open the ground with a thunderous crack as monstrous forms erupted from the soil.

Dark tomatoes with jagged, gnashing teeth; towering carrots with cavernous, gaping maws; and serpentine vines coiled and writhed like living snakes. Ice flowers bloomed with conical petals, while grotesque, slime-like potatoes oozed up from the depths. Among them, Infernal Dragonfruit, glowing with a fiery hue, let out low, menacing growls.

Within moments, the landscape had transformed into a living nightmare, as an army of demonic crops stood around Theo, their unearthly howls and screeches cutting through the air like the wails of the damned.