The Devil’s Cage

The riders of Burning Dawn flowed like an iron river, sweeping over everything.

To these elite soldiers that had been through hundreds of wars, following their commander’s order was like a second instinct. Where their commander points the sword would be the direction that they charge.

Everything that stood in front of their path would only end up in destruction!

The people that swarmed into the graveyard were crushed by the riders of Burning Dawn, like slicing cakes.

No one escaped the riders’ furious charge, even the special beings that hid amongst the people.

These unique beings were special only to commoners, to the Burning Dawn riders… not so much.

Charge!

Charge!

Charge!

Wherever the spear was pointed at, bodies would be pierced one after another. These controlled puppets showed no fear and didn’t run, they charged towards the riders endlessly like waves the sea, until a man shining in a metallic luster rammed into the charging riders.

Dang!

After the metallic clunking, the unstoppable spear from the rider was blocked, the man that was rammed into didn’t get his body pierced. Instead, all the spear achieved was thrusting an inch into the man’s body.

“You really think the people I picked are common-…”

Puk!

Before Beadles could finish his remark, he was interrupted by a sword to his neck.

The sword flashed, and the man’s head was sent flying up in the sky.

This headless body was flung away by the spear and fell on the ground, it was then squashed into meat paste by the gallops from the warhorses.

Special?

So what?

To the Burning Dawn riders, in the era where they lived, there were too many unique and unexplainable existences. They saw a lot and also killed a lot!

The riders learned to cooperate with each other to take out those unique enemies.

Their way was not just useful, it allowed them to kill even more, and they didn’t mind spilling more blood.

“BURNING!”

“DAWN!”

After the bugle call, Beadles’ forces were devastated.

The remaining people ran from the flanks, but they were surrounded by the Burning Dawn riders who were divided into two groups.

Burning Dawn soldiers were too familiar with this kind of annihilation warfare, to the point that it felt like sleeping or eating.

However, it was a disaster for Beadles.

He watched as the men that he handpicked died under the spears and swords. All of them possessed powers that commoners couldn’t oppose, yet they were ripped to shreds like plain paper, it fueled the rage in his heart, causing it to burn even more furiously.

He vowed to kill Kieran, just like he promised to get his hand on that cone.

Now?

The person he vowed to kill had the thing he wanted.

“I will let you understand what the consequences of infuriating me are!”

A white-haired elder shouted at Kieran from a position further away.

The elder had remarkable skills and moved very quickly, it was the reason why the elder was able to survive to this day.

But that was it.

The moment the elder shouted, a spear pierced his chest.

Puk!

The sharp tip of the spear flung the body aside, the rider then continued on to his next target without any pause.

Kieran’s gaze was moving over the battlefield. His attention then landed at a dark spot in a corner.

Erbus. K slowly walked out from the shadow under Kieran’s gaze.

“It’s been a while since I returned to my real body. It really feels strange.”

Erbus. K spoke as it walked, and with each step it took, its aura grew denser.

When it was in front of Kieran, its aura was like a mountain pressuring Kieran, and it wasn’t just any mountain. It was a mountain that reeked of blood and troubled by grudgeful spirits; the spirits wailed fiercely.

The grudgeful eyes of the dead were staring at Kieran.

Aside from commoners, even those considered as powerhouses by the people would tremble and feel scared or even be terror-stricken under such a stare.

Kieran?

Anyone, or rather any living being who dared stare into Kieran’s eyes would have to be prepared to face… Death!

The sharp wails of the grudgeful spirits stopped.

They widened their eyes, and the grudges were replaced by dullness.

In their sight, the detestable living still stood.

The grudgeful spirits should tear the living into shreds as they followed their instinct, but…

The scene before the grudgeful spirit eyes was replaced by something that shouldn’t exist: a dark, lightless land of the dead.

In the land of the dead was a white wall with unknown length but was tall enough to divide the sky and earth. Souls were being crucified on top one after another.

The long rusty nail tainted with mermaid’s tear was hammered into a black figure’s body by himself using a wooden mallet.

Knock after knock!

Pain!

The grudgeful spirits who lost their sanity could feel the pain from the crucifixion as well.

The painful feeling told them… that the black figure was actually them!

They wailed in sorrow, they begged for mercy, but it was all useless.

The nails perforated their limbs and torso, all they could do was allow the wind of extinguishing to blow away their crucified body.

And yet it still wasn’t the scariest part!

The scariest part was that the grudgeful spirits saw their families and friends beside them, being crucified as well.

No! No, please, no!

The persistence buried deep in these grudgeful spirits heart drove them mad when they saw their loved ones appear before them and were brutally treated. The grudgeful spirits looked up to the sky, begging loudly to the only existence above them.

They were willing to exchange everything for securing the well-being of their loved ones, even with their lives.

Pak Pak Pak!

Spirit after spirit, all of them exploded like shattered glass, it was a bright and pleasant sound and at the same time, broken into pieces.

Erbus. K faltered backward after the scene, its already pale face got whiter.

He escaped [Deadman’s Gaze], and Kieran wasn’t surprised.

Based on the abilities Erbus. K displayed, it had proven how unique its soul was.

As for how powerful?

No matter how powerful he was, it would have a specific limit after splitting up into thousands of pieces.

It had its own goal as well by taking the risk to do so.

Likewise, Kieran didn’t think the ability to control swappable bodies was Erbus. K’s hidden card.

Even if those bodies possessed all sorts of independent abilities, it would not render Wu defenseless and allow it to be caught without any resistance.

“So this is the power you used that night? I have to say, it’s very effective! Don’t worry! I will extend your ability, I will keep your body and put your abilities to better use.” Erbus. K looked at Kieran while uttering those words.

The darkness in the area became restless after its words.

The darkness was rumbling, swirling before gushing towards Erbus. K like a flock of swallows returning to their nest.

Almost instantaneously, the darkness materialized into a thick wall, blocking in front of Kieran.

“Are you itching to kill me right now? I know you are, but how can I not be prepared?” Erbus. K mocked Kieran in the dark.

Kieran shook his head again.

Yes, I know, who wouldn’t be prepared?

You prepared, I also prepared, and… A lot better than you!

The Burning Dawn riders split up in dozens of small groups and rode around the graveyard furiously. They tilted their spear downwards, leaving visible trails on the ground as they rode.

Soon enough, these trails in the graveyard converged with the bigger one outside, forming a single picture.

The picture drawn on the ground had fields, rivers, and forests.

They were gloomy and dark.

They were waiting for darkness to fade.

They were calling for Dawn.

Kieran heard the call, he quietly walked over and used his feet to draw the last and deepest part of the picture.

At the next moment—

A dazzling light shone.