Chapter 944
Survivors of Doomsday
Landon Viness von Beyad was now drenched in sweat.
As a Star Antimony Refugee, he was undoubtedly lucky. Compared to those who had no chance of being rescued and were still trapped in the Fallen City amidst rampaging demons, he felt blessed to be alive and living intact in a safe Avalon.
If not for the Church, he would have likely been devoured by those terrifying demons.
Landon clearly remembered the horrifying scenes he witnessed—
At the time of the incident, he was drinking at a bar, trying to chat up a beautiful woman like any other Iris person.
As an Iris person, he was exceptionally excited and confident about obtaining a noble title.
It was like any angler who had caught a big fish, getting lost while boasting to everyone they met, “How did you know I just caught a twenty-pounder?”
Leipzig City, essentially a city of scholars, was also a city that cost a lot of money. Many scholars sought patronage from nobles, so the news that “a foolish Iris noble has arrived in Leipzig” quickly spread… The beautiful women who appeared in his usual haunts in the following days were actually there to catch a wealthy suitor.
Of course, as an Iris person, Landon had experience in this regard. He knew exactly how a passerby or someone curious about him would react, and he recognized their intentions when their performance was too overdone. But it didn’t matter; he could still brag excitedly. He wasn’t picky.
After all, he wasn’t going to give them any real money.
And then that day came.
The sky collapsed, and demons descended.
The young woman who had been interacting intimately with him suddenly screamed and fled. He hadn’t even realized what was happening… and that slowness saved his life.
Shortly after the girl left the establishment, she was sent flying as if hit by a car—instantly engulfed by a swarm of demons. All that remained was her fading shriek, which soon cut off abruptly.
The bar instantly descended into chaos, followed by the immediate sealing of the doors.
Fortunately, there were quite a number of Extraordinary individuals here. Many were high-level Adepts. In Landon’s opinion, Third Tier was already considered high-level. Professions like assassins or thieves were abundant; this bar seemed to be a hideout for thieves.
But it was fortunate for that reason. They held their ground and managed to survive.
When dawn broke, Landon confirmed that the demons were gone and then scrambled all the way back home.
The streets were littered with corpses.
Everywhere were dismembered bodies.
Blood-stained baby carriages.
Broken crutches.
Twisted legs torn apart, leaving only half of what they were.
A head impaled on a utility pole.
… Broken utility poles, torn-up “GG” signs, shattered glass walls.
Ruined buildings.
It was like hell, with blood splattered everywhere. Bloodstains remained on walls and glass. The number of corpses was far less than the blood—it was easy to imagine where they had gone.
When he returned home, he felt an even deeper despair—
These demons seemed to have a specific attack priority. They would always prioritize attacking people on the street, followed by places with open doors. As long as the doors were closed, only scattered demons would attempt to breach the defenses.
—And their family had never had the habit of closing their doors.
This was because Landon’s father was a very powerful Curse Master. He was a Grand Mage of Fourth Tier! Because of this, they were recruited to Star Antimony as talents and were directly granted the title of Baron, along with a manor, a vineyard, three villas, and over sixty servants.
His father’s habit was to leave his doors wide open, allowing petty thieves to enter.
Any petty thief who dared to trespass would be cursed. This was even more so for those who attempted to steal something.
Killing them was a matter of thought. More often, curses could be used to extort or control them, thereby obtaining useful subordinates who wouldn’t betray him, thus extending his influence.
He wasn’t worried about offending anyone he couldn’t handle.
Because people with such power and background would never resort to breaking and entering. He merely inflicted curses. If the other party was connected to some influential figure, they could use this as leverage to contact that figure, kindly remove the curse, and forge a new connection. Who would offend a friendly Curse Master? They might need him someday.
A noble Curse Master willing to accept employment and who had a gentle attitude was an excellent collaborator. Being a noble meant he wouldn’t abscond with the money; he had his own fixed assets and family name, meaning “he could be found if something went wrong.”
In Iris, he had accumulated wealth through this method of fishing. He even became the chief advisor to a large gang at one point. The reason he went to Star Antimony wasn’t to escape, but to bid a proper farewell to his former collaborators and pursue greater prospects.
—But such a powerful Curse Master, a distinguished figure personally invited by Count Leipzig, was so vulnerable amidst the demonic tide.
The curses and rituals set up at home were all torn apart.
His father was eaten down to his lower torso—the most nutritious organs for a Curse Master, his eyes, tongue, and brain, were all consumed, leaving only a hollow skull that had been cracked open and broken ribs connected to the spine.
Almost all the servants in the house were dead. The only surviving maid had gone mad. She hid under the bed, narrowly escaping death. All the ritual and curse materials were cleared out, most of the furniture was smashed, and those paintings were either torn to shreds or defaced with blood… Ironically, the money remained intact, not a single cent missing.
He tried to settle the mad maid, while he prepared to rebuild the defensive rituals. Although he didn’t know if it would be effective, his attempt to set up the ritual seemed to trigger the mad maid’s PTSD. In a flash, the deranged maid quickly fled and disappeared.
He was left alone in the empty house, his mind overwhelmed by loneliness, fear, and despair.
He had no idea how he was supposed to survive. He lacked the strength and time to sort through things. He realized he didn’t even have ritual materials, so he had to give up on setting up rituals. He emulated the maid and hid under the bed, enduring for three days that way.
—It seemed that not sorting through his belongings had saved him. The demons saw that this place had already been ravaged and no new demons charged in. During these three days, only a few demons stumbled in and left after a brief sweep.
It wasn’t until the Church sent people to rescue him.
When he arrived in Avalon safely with his personal belongings, which fit into a single suitcase… he even thought he was dreaming.
As soon as he disembarked, he prostrated himself, kissed the ground, and wept uncontrollably. Many others like him were in the same situation; they embraced and kissed each other, celebrating their survival.
It was only after Landon settled in that he realized something—
His friend, Jeanette Neumann, had told him that the Alistair Crowley he tried to chat up was rumored to be the lover of the Eternal Pope, Eivass.
Could it be because of this?
It was this Eternal Pope, of human origin, who, against all opposition, directly dispatched a legion of Paladins to rescue refugees in the fallen Star Antimony.
And now, this Pope had inexplicably summoned him.
… He was just an insignificant person. As an Extraordinary, his power was only at the Second Tier. Let alone him, even his father wasn’t very famous in Iris. Even now in Star Antimony, he was merely the son of a pre-baron who hadn’t yet sworn allegiance. Even if Landon inherited his father’s title now, he would only be a baron without a fief, a signet ring, subjects, or wealth.
No matter how Landon Viness von Beyad thought about it, he couldn’t imagine any social connection or intersection he might possibly have with this great Pope—it would take him three more generations to have a chance to meet His Majesty the Pope!
Moreover, this Pope seemed to be the fiancé of the Queen of Avalon.
He was a person at the pinnacle of power in the mortal world!
… It must be the price for his glib tongue back then.
Although the Pope was merciful, and likely nothing would happen…
Landon still broke out in a cold sweat.
It was like when he was a child and accidentally broke his father’s glass bottle containing curse components. Even though his father had no habit of hitting him, upon realizing what he had done, he was still so terrified that his legs wouldn’t stop trembling.
In conclusion, when he met His Majesty the Pope, he would just kneel down directly, Landon thought.
(End of Chapter)
