Through the eyes of the many mutated creatures within the front line, Orsaga watched the native defenders as they began their retreat.
He knew that if he could stall them, the tide of demons would inflict even greater losses on their forces—without him needing to lift a finger.
Thanks to the sheer number of abominations he had created, it would be an effortless task. They were his creations, and he had absolute control over them.
But he couldn't be bothered.
He continued to let the creatures roam freely, doing whatever they pleased. He made no effort to command them to obstruct the enemy's retreat. Even when they were slain right before his eyes or descended into infighting, he didn't care in the slightest.
At this point, he felt no obligation to deal with these natives.
To him, destroying the front line had already fulfilled—if not exceeded—the requirements of his Abyssal Contract.
As long as he didn't intentionally sabotage the efforts of Demon Lord Ignarok's faction, the contract no longer bound him.
'I'll do whatever the hell I want...'
That was his truest thought at the moment.
Pleasure and personal interests were his primary motivations.
Sure, harvesting souls to grow stronger was important too—but that came second.
Whether human or demon, happiness was the most important thing!
As for tirelessly grinding to boost his power? That wasn't in his demonic life plan. He wasn't in any kind of hurry.
He had no arch-nemesis, no looming crisis he couldn't avoid. A balanced life was the real deal!
Right now, he just wanted to watch the chaos unfold—and maybe skim off some benefits along the way.
Everything else? Not his concern.
Given that mindset, he sincerely hoped that both Ignarok's faction and the natives would keep fighting with all they had. Ideally, the war would rage on for thousands of years, giving him plenty of time to enjoy the spectacle and fish in troubled waters.
---
But no one could have guessed that the so-called puppet master behind the scenes had such a lazy and rotten mindset.
Henry, after putting himself in Orsaga's shoes, became even more convinced that this plague-spreading, barrier-breaking villain must be preparing to unleash some earth-shattering conspiracy!
He was certain that this being held deep malice toward all life in the Myling World—and would definitely try to interfere with their retreat.
So, Henry's vigilance had been raised to its highest level.
He fully expected a sneak attack on the command structure, aiming to delay the retreat.
Even though he was fiercely battling the invading monsters, most of his focus remained on guarding against Orsaga. He was prepared at any moment to unleash his most powerful strike as a farewell gift if the enemy showed up.
As a high rank demigod, he believed that no one short of a true god could take that blow unscathed.
But the outcome was not what he expected.
Orsaga had no intention of making another move—he was completely content to slack off and enjoy the show.
---
"Awooo!"
After a long trek, a creature resembling a wolf was the first to burst into the front line from the Polluted Lands.
What greeted it was chaos.
Strange, twisted monsters were locked in brutal combat with the remnants of resistance forces still holding out inside the line.
Though the wolf-like demon had no idea what those bizarre beings were, they clearly didn't belong to this world. They looked more like Abyssal creatures—like something made by a creator who sculpted with eyes closed.
So, after a brief moment of thought, the demon charged in, deciding to help finish off the locals.
But it had barely made a move before the twisted creatures turned on it, launching energy blasts, toxic fog, and venomous spikes at it without hesitation.
Clearly, they weren't looking for allies.
Scenes like this multiplied as more and more demons surged into the battlefield!
Soon, the situation inside the front line devolved into a chaotic three-way melee—or rather, an all-out brawl.
Many of the corrupted creatures and demons were the type to attack anyone they saw, without the slightest sense of loyalty.
In such utter chaos, spells and attacks flew in every direction. Every moment saw countless lives snuffed out.
Structures that had taken various races centuries to build were shattered like fragile toys, reduced to rubble in mere moments.
Massive craters and fissures ripped across the ground, leaving the once-proud stronghold in utter ruin.
---
Facing the devastation, Alison—who was leading the retreat—could only furrow her brows in frustration.
Clutching her longbow, she helplessly watched as the land she had protected for over a century descended into irredeemable ruin.
"Let's go. Head for the teleportation site…"
After a long gaze, she took a deep breath and gave the order.
The bloodied soldiers by her side said nothing. With solemn expressions, they followed her.
Like Alison, these warriors were ashamed to see the stronghold they had sworn to defend overrun by monstrous chaos.
---
Dozens of minutes later.
With a single strike, Henry cleaved apart the demon in front of him, then glanced at Alison's group as they vanished into teleportation light.
A small weight lifted from his chest.
He had expected the plague-maker to stop them—to prevent such a large force from escaping.
But the opposite had happened.
Neither the mastermind nor the Abyssal monsters, nor even the plague-spawned horrors had specifically targeted them.
The invaders had simply descended into a bloodthirsty frenzy, killing indiscriminately, without any apparent strategy.
Ironically, this was consistent with their nature: kill first, ask questions never.
Through hidden surveillance methods, Henry could still sense many civilians surviving within the front line.
Many were still resisting with everything they had.
But against overwhelming numbers and strength, their bravery meant little.
They were being wiped out alongside the corrupted creatures by the Abyssal horde.
Without the protective enchantments of the barrier, they couldn't put up meaningful resistance.
As the horizon filled with wave after wave of incoming demons, Henry sighed.
"…So be it. Let us die with the last of our dignity."
Unlike Alison and the others, Henry was the commander responsible for the front line's collapse.
Retreat was not an option—he had to remain and atone for what had happened, even if it cost him his life.
What's more, many of the line's strategic resources hadn't been evacuated in time. Leaving them behind would be disastrous—they had to be destroyed.
Not long after, a white light radiated from his body.
The shattered front line was suddenly filled with countless runes, all bearing a single meaning: Destruction.
This was their final measure.
Sensing the immense threat, many of the onrushing demons immediately turned and fled at full speed.
But most weren't fast enought.
---
Watching nearby, Orsaga faced the rising light with a smile, utterly unbothered. In fact, he felt delighted.
This was exactly the kind of scene he had hoped for—grand, radiant destruction.
He smiled as the light unraveled his projection, eyes filled with joy as he watched everything be reduced to nothing.
"How mesmerizing…"
When the light faded, every structure within the front line was gone, replaced by a massive, bottomless chasm.
The native defenders, the corrupted creatures—annihilated.
As for the Abyssal demons: unless they were Greater Rank Demons, those caught in the blast were either dead or seriously wounded.
Casualties numbered in the millions, bringing the demon tide's momentum to a screeching halt.
This final move had bought the nations behind the defense line precious time.
---
Deep in the Polluted Lands.
Orsaga's true body opened his eyes as his avatar disintegrated.
"Boom!!"
With a beat of his four wings, his body shot through hundreds of meters of earth, bursting into the sky.
Without hesitation, he flew toward the rear of the front line.
Time to go find some more fun.
__
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