The Devil’s Cage - Chapter 328

Chapter 328

Voices clamored around the clouds with the strength of piercing gold and breaking stones . A pile of snow was scattered and blown away like a mini typhoon following the welcoming ceremony .

Amid the brewing breeze, the strong, vigorous soldiers were waiting for Kieran and co . who were standing at the edge of the bridge, ready to step on it .

From the looks of it, this was more of a display of power than an official welcoming ceremony, but Kieran had still expected it .

Even if everything went smoothly and Kieran went in without any happening, he would still have to worry the things that happened after that which might catch him off guard .

The devil’s aura flashed past Kieran’s body, the scorching flames clashing with the snow typhoon . The moment the two auras collided, the typhoon burst into powerless snowflakes and showered the land with its white grace .

A black umbrella was opened above Kieran, preventing the snow from falling on him .

"Thanks!"

Kieran turned to Elli, who had opened the umbrella for him . The young lass raised an eyebrow . This was not the answer she had anticipated . She wanted to say something, but she held her tongue .

The spear-holding soldiers were collapsing from exhaustion one after the other . The flags in their hands followed, including Nikorei’s and the Shepherds’ .

Kieran quickly stepped forward and took the pole of the silver flag, handing it over to Schmidt .

"Promise me that you won’t let it fall to the ground!" Kieran said .

"You bet!" Schmidt took the flagpole and raised it high .

After a nod at Schmidt, Kieran stepped over the Shepherds’ flag and walked to the bridge, heading inside through the castle gate .

The two wagoners tried to step in and take the flag of the Shepherds, but Simones and Raul stood in their way quietly, preventing them from reaching the fallen flag . They could only watch helplessly as Kieran stepped on it .

Kieran was leading the group, with Elli holding the umbrella on his left . Schmidt was on his right, holding the silver flag high against the night wind .

Simones, Raul and Cidney were right behind them .

The group crossed the bridge and reached the gate at a slow march .

The wagoners behind them exchanged confused looks, and so did the guards on top of the castle wall . Things were not going according to their plan .

Inside the Morsenburg Castle’s wide living hall, Barry, who was wearing his best suit, was watching the scene unfold through his crystal ball .

"Pieces of trash!" he commented on his incompetent subordinates . He was talking loud enough for everyone inside the hall to hear what he was saying .

Including Rainer, the current leader of the Shepherd of Death .

The man was in his forties, but his face was as pale as snow with a greenish purple hue and his eye sockets were almost black . Rainer was sitting in a chair in a crooked posture, as if he was really old . He even had a black wooden walking staff with him to support himself .

The most noteworthy thing about him though were the gaps between his fingers . The flickers of glittering light on them gave out an unusual vibe .

"Are you expressing your dissatisfaction, Barry?"

Rainer was staring at his ally with a chilling glare .

Barry, who was also known as the Spirit of Evil, did not avoid his glare . Instead, he returned it with one of his own .

"Of course! I don’t think this arrangement, or any arrangement after this, will be of any use . It will only make my opponent look like a king patrolling his backyard!" Barry said, emphasizing each word .

"It’s still better than losing everything," Rainer said coldly .

His words enraged the East Coast mystics behind Barry . Every single one of them was staring at Rainer with intense anger .

So were the Shepherds behind Rainer .

"I hope you can provide me with an explanation after I deal with the Bird of Death!" Barry said in a calm tone, his words revealing his killing intent .

"I want to hear one from you, too!" Rainer grunted coldly .

. . .

Kieran and co . reached the castle gate without any hindrance . Before they could go in though, a rotten stench spread from inside the gate .

The blueish green spirit fire lit up the darkness, revealing the skeletons and corpses suddenly filling the whole entrance .

The dead were staring at Kieran and his friends in hatred and contempt, but they didn’t make a move . They were waiting for orders .

Kieran stepped forward, getting his weapon ready . It was not like him to wait for his enemy to act .

"Hold on, 2567! You shouldn’t waste your energy on these goons! Besides, it’s almost time for the meeting . They will laugh at you if you are late! Leave these guys to us! We will catch up after we deal with them!" Raul said, Cidney nodding in agreement .

"Thanks!" Kieran said, expressing his gratitude .

Raul and Cidney moved onto the dead and lured them away, creating a path so Kieran and the rest could proceed . Kieran nodded in thanks again before he walked away with big steps .

He knew what the Shepherds wanted . To be honest, before going there, Kieran and the others had thought about what the Shepherds would do to weaken their forces .

Isolating Kieran and forcing him to attend the meeting alone would be the best way to defeat them .

The sudden poisonous mist that erupted confirmed his theory .

"Leave it to me!"

Simones took out a bottle and released his own mist . The poisonous mist was neutralized by the one Simones had brought .

"Go on, 2567! Just remember!" Simones pointed at the silver flag . When he saw Kieran nod, he didn’t say anything else .

The group had already been split in half, yet more obstacles kept coming their way .

When Kieran and the rest of the team reached the corridor leading to the banquet hall, a bunch of formless souls and evil earth spirits appeared before Kieran .

"It’s my turn now!"

Elli passed her umbrella to Kieran and started chanting an incantation . The spirits were lured away instantly, carving another path open for Kieran .

After glancing at the young lass, Kieran walked to the door of the hall . He didn’t notice the deep stare the girl gave him .

"Is it my turn now?" Schmidt asked when they reached the closed door .

"Your mission is to take care of the flag!" Kieran said before opening the door .

There were no mechanical or magical traps on it . It was merely shut from the outside, so Kieran used all his strength to push it .

The door opened . Instantly, hundreds of people gathered at the entrance .

There were people in formal suits, some with white wigs and noble clothes, and some with long robes that covered even their faces . Regardless of their outfits though, their gazes were anything but friendly as they looked at Kieran .

Their dense malicious gazes fused into one and almost materialized into a sharp blade pointing at him . It was a pity that, when that dense gaze clashed with the rampant, chaotic energy of the abyss, it shattered!

A violent wind of energy ran wild around the hall, blowing at everyone’s sleeves and skirts .

Kieran ignored everyone and walked straight up to the empty chair in the middle of the hall . It was the throne that had belonged to the previous king .

After 200 years, it was treated as a historical relic that remained in the hall . Kieran inspected the chair, his fingers caressing its edges, which had lost their sharpness through the course of time .

Then he turned around and sat down on it .

"I’m here at your invitation!" he said in a loud powerful voice that echoed around the hall .

That chilly night, the grand hall that had remained in slumber for 200 years was awakened .

The place buzzed lightly in reply to Kieran’s powerful voice, as if it was welcoming its old master or celebrating a newly crowned king .

As the buzz got fiercer and louder, the hall started to tremble .

The ceiling above the throne revealed a prismatic mirror that shouldn’t have been there . The mirror was dazzling brightly, even though there was no evident source of light .

A brilliant golden glow was shining straight down at Kieran’s body .

The black feather mantle turned gold under the glow, and the faint projection of a crown formed above Kieran, as if he was wearing it on his head .

The scene was overwhelming for almost everyone present . Suddenly, an invisible aura burst out and made everyone’s feet start shaking .