Chapter 337: Chaos within the 336 Cities

It was said that these incidents began to occur after the appearance of the Old Demon Clan Faction in Cosmos.

Ever since the Old Demon Clan Faction was discovered in Cosmos, the city gradually started experiencing strange phenomena.

For instance, some people would wake up to find themselves not in their own bedrooms, but in the outdoors or even in someone else’s living room.

Some discovered that their houses had mysteriously been moved to another location, surrounded by neighbors they did not recognize. In some cases, homes even stacked on top of one another, or appeared in trees, which was truly terrifying.

Worse still, there were those who witnessed people vanish right before their eyes.

A friend conversing with you one second could suddenly turn into a rock the next.

The wife one embraced could suddenly become a rugged man.

And pets kept at home, to the shock of their owners, would transform into demons overnight, nearly costing them their lives.

In short, all manner of bizarre occurrences unfolded, plunging Cosmos into immense chaos, leaving no one feeling safe.

Yet, even these were not the most frightening aspects.

The horror was that such oddities, with Cosmos at their heart, began to expand, influencing neighboring regions, even affecting the Imperial City of the neighboring empire, causing an exchange of buildings and civilians between the two nations.

This was not a situation one could calmly accept.

After all, one could not completely dismiss the possibility that the next Imperial People switched over might not just be ordinary citizens and buildings.

What if a proud Knight Order of the Empire was to be transferred over?

What if the Empire’s vast army, now nearly a million strong and ever-expanding, was to be switched?

If that happened, the defensive line aimed at stopping the Empire’s invasion would become obsolete, and Imperial forces would directly emerge within the Kingdom’s territory, launching a relentless invasion.

This was an extremely dangerous situation.

“Because of this matter, some even say that this is a massive Magic Ceremony developed by the Empire, designed to send their Knight Orders and massive armies into the Kingdom, bypassing the defensive lines and initiating an invasion,” revealed the guard.

“But it seems that the same situation also occurred on the Empire’s side, and rumors are spreading that it’s our Kingdom playing tricks.”

Buildings and individuals from the Empire had appeared within the Kingdom’s borders, and naturally, the same had occurred within the Empire.

In this light, the other side would harbor the same suspicions as us, deeming it a signal of the Kingdom’s invasion, which was quite a normal reaction.

“Both sides stubbornly cling to their beliefs, each convinced that the other is responsible, painting themselves as victims, innocent parties. As a result, the issue has caused not only civilian upheaval but also disputes between the two countries,” lamented the guard.

“Because of this issue, as the origin of the anomalies, Cosmos has garnered significant attention from both nations. Now, not only has the Kingdom’s First Knight Order stationed people in Cosmos for investigation, but the Empire has also requested to conduct a probe. Following negotiations, the Empire’s Second Princess, Cappelin Ragna, led her own Broken Blade Knights into Cosmos for investigation.”

That meant Cosmos was currently not just embroiled in chaos, but also had the First Knight Order from Duke Sterling’s Domain, as well as the Imperial Princess’s Guard Knights, operating within.

Together with the continuing presence of the Old Demon Clan Faction and the ongoing strange events, Cosmos was caught in an unprecedentedly tense atmosphere, halting all business and trade activities.

With no alternative, the Sterling Family was forced to completely seal off Cosmos, undertaking a sweeping search throughout the city.

But the chaos in Cosmos was even beyond what was anticipated.

“As the investigations and searches continue, both the Kingdom and Empire face daily attacks, suffering losses,”

“Both sides presume the other is orchestrating the assaults from the shadows, leading to unrelenting strife and clashes,”

“Some have detected signs of the Old Demon Clan Faction, believing they’re attacking the investigators in secret. Yet due to the mutual distrust, they suspect whether the other is seizing the opportunity to stir trouble, putting all the blame on the Old Demon Clan Faction, and the conflict has not subsided.”

“In such times, Cosmos still witnesses demons being switched in, causing civilian casualties, throwing the city into complete turmoil.”

As a result, ordinary civilians no longer dared to venture out, locking themselves at home and living in constant fear, uncertain when they might vanish or find strangers or demons suddenly in their homes, leaving them unable to live in peace.

The First Knight Order and the Broken Blade Knights continued to clash, with the investigations making slow progress, leading to a prolonged lack of development in resolving the situation.

Who would want to be caught up in such mayhem?

The guard, too, worried that if he allowed this noble carrying the Royal Token to enter and something happened to him, the Royal Family might hold him accountable, possibly costing him his head.

Moreover, with the Sterling Family’s strict orders forbidding anyone’s entry, the guard truly did not know whether letting him in could lead to disaster.

Therefore, he did his best to dissuade, hoping Shane would take the hint and retreat.

Unexpectedly, Shane fell silent for a moment before speaking.

“Understood, let me through.”

Shane showed no sign of changing his mind.

“My lord,” the guard’s expression was one of utter distress, his heart ice cold.

Shane didn’t want to waste any more words, slapping the Royal Token on the guard’s face and even lightly grazing his neck, indicating the consequences if he were not allowed through.

Feeling the chill on his neck, the guard truly wanted to cry.

To act means death, and not to act also means death, why must being human be so hard?

You big shots playing your power games, can you not drag us ordinary folks into it?

I was just a gatekeeper, thinking it was the easiest job, least exposed to danger; who would have thought such a deadly conundrum would arise?

I’m done with this! I’m going to quit my job, go back home, and take over the fields left by my ancestors! Marry the match my family introduced me to! Live an easy life, having children, farming every now and then!

But… but she’s got twice as much weight on her as me!

Yet, what can I do when her family has that much money?

I accept my fate!

“Please, go ahead…”

The guard could only call out disheartenedly.

“Thanks.”

Shane had no idea that his actions had led someone to abandon their dreams, face reality, and prepare to go home and accept the oppression of life, completely altering the course of their life. All the while, he laughed heartily and led a group of young girls into Cosmos.

Afterwards, once his spirits had sunk, the guard hurried to report the situation.

No matter what, someone had breached the blockade and entered the city; this sort of thing still had to be reported to the higher-ups, or else they’d really come blame him.

…

In this way, Shane and his party finally entered Cosmos.

But upon entering Cosmos, they immediately noticed something was amiss.

“…You sensed it, Ai Yi?”

Shane sobered up and spoke to Ai Yi by his side.

“Mm.” Ai Yi’s eyes flashed as she spoke in a subdued tone, “The flow of Magic Power in the atmosphere is clearly abnormal.”

Indeed, the flow of Magic Power was not normal.

And Shane had experienced this kind of abnormality before.

“Could it be a Demon Refining Ceremony?”

Shane brought up the possibility.

The Demon Refining Ceremony he had experienced in the Royal Capital had caused the flow of Magic Power to become extremely abnormal.

Still, Ai Yi shook her head.

“No, this isn’t a Demon Refining Ceremony.” Ai Yi was certain, “Not only does the Magic Power feel off, but also the phenomena and conditions of the ceremony aren’t right.”

Indeed, when a Demon Refining Ceremony unfolded, the flow would be very dark, sinister, and strange.

In contrast, the flow of Magic Power in Cosmos, although also bizarre, wasn’t as dark and evil as the Demon Refining Ceremony.

Moreover, Demon Refining Ceremonies targeted the Demon Clan and Demons; while Cosmos was a melting pot of Races, it was limited to the Human Race, comprising Humans, Elves, Beastmen, and Dwarves–there shouldn’t be anyone from the Demon Clan, let alone Demons. Except Ride Beasts that have been tamed, there wouldn’t be many Demons within city limits.

Such a place was simply not suitable for conducting a Demon Refining Ceremony.

“Moreover, when a Demon Refining Ceremony is carried out, the space inside and outside the ceremony will be completely isolated. The area enveloped by the ceremony will turn into an independent space, and it wouldn’t be possible to freely enter and exit. Since we can walk in here now, that proves there’s no Demon Refining Ceremony taking place here.”

Ai Yi’s explanation was accepted by Shane.

This truly didn’t feel like a Demon Refining Ceremony.

Besides, he hadn’t heard of a Demon Refining Ceremony causing the bizarre incidents mentioned by the guard within its range.

Something else abnormal must be happening here, unrelated to the Demon Refining Ceremony.

But this strange flow of Magic Power, Shane was quite concerned about it.

“No wonder the Kingdom and the Empire both think someone is organizing a large-scale Magic Ceremony to create mischief.”

With the flow of Magic Power being so peculiar, it’s natural that people’s first thought was that some kind of Magic Ceremony was taking place here, including Shane.

Shane then scanned his surroundings.

Cosmos was in disarray, buildings stacked upon each other, standing in the middle of streets, leaning, falling over, intertwining and colliding, creating utter chaos. There were no roads left, only alleys and paths between the buildings that could accommodate travel.

“This is the perfect place for wrongdoing.”

Shane understood why so many people had encountered attacks.

To move through such chaotic alleys, it would be usual to be ambushed by someone with ill intentions, wouldn’t it?

Afterward, the attacker would vanish elsewhere, making it nearly impossible to be caught.

This place had naturally become a haven for crime; it was likely not just Kingdom People and Imperial People stirring up trouble, but also ordinary residents taking the opportunity to commit theft and other illegal activities.

This, perhaps, was the real reason for the blockade.