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Lucifer had made his decision. Today was the day he would take revenge for his daughter Seren's death.
No one could change his resolve. No one.
At this moment, the man inside Lucifer had died.
Only one thought remained burning in his mind — he needed the blood of his enemies.
That was why he had told no one about his true intention. Not his mother Mia, nor anyone else. He had not even told his butler Allen the full truth. He had only informed him that he was going to eliminate his enemies. He had said that much only because someone needed to manage the Duchy in his absence.
What Lucifer was about to do was extremely risky. The only ones who could have stopped him were his wives, his mother, his aunt, and his sister. But right now, none of them knew whether Lucifer was even inside the Ducal Palace or not.
The only exceptions were Westeria, Vinni, and Veronica. Allen, overwhelmed by emotion, had already revealed to Westeria and Vinni that Lucifer was not in the palace. And Lucifer himself had instructed Allen to inform Veronica because she needed to handle the delegation arriving the next day.
Right now, Lucifer sat beneath a mulberry tree, leaning against its trunk with his eyes closed.
He had already finalized his plan: within a single day, he would completely destroy Morthveil City — the home of the Church of Toxara. If time permitted, he would also strike at Purefield Duchy. But after thinking for a while, Lucifer had removed Purefield Duchy from his immediate target list. Destroying Morthveil in one day was possible. Destroying Purefield Duchy was not — not because their military was particularly strong, but because Westirifer was not yet fully prepared for such a large-scale conflict.
Moreover, Lucifer did not know whether the 2,000 men he was taking with him could withstand the soldiers of Purefield Duchy.
Time passed slowly as he sat beneath the tree. Nearly one hour later, the 1,000 Viper Guards (numbered from NO3000 to NO4000) and the 1,000 soldiers — including hunters, mages, and adventurers — finally arrived before him.
As soon as they looked at Lucifer, they saw a figure sitting against the mulberry trunk, wearing an obsidian-black robe.
The sound of their approach had already reached him. The moment they stepped in front of him, Lucifer spoke in a calm, almost gentle voice:
"You have traveled a long distance… Rest for a while. After this, there will be no time for rest."
His voice was perfectly calm, yet every person who heard it felt as if an invisible hand was slowly suffocating them. A deep, unexplained fear took root in their hearts. Whether they were Viper Guards or ordinary soldiers, the effect was the same.
After a brief pause, Lucifer continued:
"Anyone who has my Nightfeast… hand it over."
Everyone was confused by the word "Nightfeast." Sensing the urgency, Graham spoke up:
"Master, are you referring to your cleaver?"
Lucifer gave a slight nod.
"Yes. I have named my cleaver Nightfeast."
"Graham… Lift that cleaver with respect. This cleaver has already drunk the blood of fifty thousand Asher knights on this very land… and I made it drink that much blood in a single day. Understood?"
"So it is not just a cleaver. Its name is Nightfeast. Clear?"
Lucifer spoke these words as casually as if he were talking about the weather. Yet cold sweat broke out on the backs of those listening. Many began to wonder:
'Fifty thousand… in just one day? Is that even possible?'
Some thought the Young Master was exaggerating. Others believed he was simply showing off.
But the Viper Guards knew without doubt that their Master was telling the absolute truth. Graham's thoughts aligned with theirs, because Vance had already told him earlier that he himself was nothing compared to their Master.
The rest of the soldiers' doubts did not matter to Graham or the seven apprentice knights who had come with him.
Once it was confirmed that Lucifer was asking for his cleaver, Graham immediately took it out from his space ring and handed it over to Lucifer with deep respect.
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At that moment, confusion filled the minds of every person standing before Lucifer.
Where were they supposed to go from here?
Where exactly did Lucifer want to take them?
And why had Vance dispatched them so urgently?
Lost in these thoughts, one soldier — a hunter by profession with SS+ rank — gathered the courage to ask:
"Young Master… where are we going from here?"
The soldier's name was Carrion. His question was not just his own — it echoed the silent doubt of all 2,000 men.
Lucifer answered in a cold, absolute tone:
"Today, we are going to Morthveil.
By tomorrow, we will completely destroy it, kill the Pope of Toxara — or take him as a slave — and return to Westirifer Duchy."
Everyone was stunned. Many wondered if the Young Master had lost his mind.
The only exceptions were the Viper Guards, who trusted Lucifer completely.
Suddenly, a female hunter named Martha spoke up:
"But Sire… Morthveil is extremely far from here. Even by chariot, it would take at least five days. Morthveil lies in the south-west of our Duchy. Between us and them are Keilname County, Hecktor Duchy, Morgen Duchy, Livingstone Duchy, Rotsgaurd County, Soltross County, Nurkh Duchy, and finally the Kingdom's capital, Virexion. How can we cover such a distance in such a short time?"
Lucifer looked at her and said with a faint, chilling calm:
"It seems you have a good understanding of the geography here. Good. Your presence has proven useful."
Then he commanded:
"Come before me."
Martha hesitated for a moment but obeyed and stepped forward.
As soon as she stood in front of him, Lucifer asked:
"Have you ever been to Morthveil?"
"Yes, Sire," Martha replied.
"Good," Lucifer said. "Now think about the exact location of Morthveil's main church — the Church of Toxara."
The moment he finished speaking, Lucifer placed his hand on Martha's head and extracted the relevant memories of Morthveil City from her mind.
After that, he looked at the rest of the group and spoke in a voice that left no room for argument:
"Whatever happens here today and whatever happens next… no one will speak of it inside the Duchy, nor will you tell anyone else.
No one will ask any questions. I will not answer any. And if, upon our return, I find out that any of you spoke about today's events to a third person… the only consequence will be death."
"Let me make one thing clear: upon reaching Morthveil, we will safeguard every victim we find. But every follower of the Church of Toxara… we will kill indiscriminately."
"I do not want to hear any more questions. And I do not want anyone to interfere with what I am about to do."
"Rest time is over. Graham… and the rest of the soldiers… hold each other's hands tightly."
Everyone's faces were filled with confusion and thousands of unanswered questions. Yet Lucifer had clearly forbidden any further inquiries.
Despite everything, all 2,000 men grasped one another's hands.
Lucifer then extended his own hand and began casting his spells one after another:
- Blessing of Vitality (Vital energy increased fivefold)
- War Command (Large-scale buff)
- Combat Overdrive (Full body boost)
- Guard Blessing (Absolute defense)
- Regenerative Body (Rapid healing)
One by one, he applied these five powerful buffs to all the soldiers at once.
With each spell, a massive magic circle formed above the soldiers, descending at the speed of light and enveloping them in enhanced power.
As Lucifer cast these legendary and mythic-grade enhancement spells simultaneously on 2,000 people, the hunters, adventurers, and mages could only stare at him like statues — speechless.
After applying all five enhancement buffs, Lucifer declared in a chilling, absolute voice:
"I have applied these five enhancement buffs on all of you.
Now… we are going to Morthveil."
With that, he raised his hand toward the sky and uttered the spell:
"Void-Transit."
In the very next second, Lucifer and the entire force of 2,000 soldiers vanished without a trace.
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