Re-exploring the nest of the fire spirits, the journey was surprisingly smooth.
Perhaps a large number of demons had already moved to the front lines to battle the human alliance, leaving few guards behind. Walking through the vast underground cave, Rody had previously felt uneasy alone, but now, with his enhanced abilities and Chris's company, he was full of confidence. Winding underground tunnels, with a slightly pungent sulfur smell, led them swiftly to a massive underground city looming ahead.
Constructed mainly from stone walls, the huge cave housed many half-orcs and black little creatures of unknown race moving around. There were also creatures resembling large bats, flapping and circling around the cliffs.
On the other side, there was a deep river of molten lava, with fiery red magma churning below, exceptionally hot.
"This seems to be the nest of the Flame Lord. Look, there's a huge crack in that lava river," Chris pointed out the crack, referring to a flame portal sustained by the heat of fire. Rody hadn't thought of using the heat of molten lava to maintain a flame portal long-term, but he believed that apart from fire-elemental creatures, other demons would find it difficult to pass through it.
"The Flame Lord doesn't live over that lava river, does he? This guy is a freak!" Rody saw a glowing red rock over the lava river, with a cave-like entrance carved out, feeling that unless they lured the Flame Lord out, it was impossible for humans to enter.
"Never mind that, let's find where the magic airship is!" Chris simply couldn't be bothered to think about the Flame Lord anymore.
"Even if we find the magic airship, we still need an exit to ascend and fly; otherwise, it's useless," Rody felt that unless they forcefully overtook the underground city, it wouldn't be possible to fly the magic airship out. Most importantly, no one knew how to pilot a magic airship. Therefore, after finding the magic airship, it would be best to also find the magic notes of the Dwarven Mage Master, the Sage's Crown.
Under the guise of Rody's mental magic and Chris's nature magic, the two evaded the guards and searched for a long time. Finally, in an old, abandoned warehouse, they found fragments of the magic airship.
This was within Rody's expectations, as a hundred years had passed, and the existence and use of magic airships were not very likely. As long as it preserved some crucial parts, such as the flight array and principles, Rody was confident he could replicate a magic airship. After finding the fragments, Rody and Chris worked together, one studying the structure and principles, the other recording the arrangement of the magic array and magic crystals. Rody and Chris worked for two days and two nights, barely managing to understand the basic principles of the magic airship.
Fortunately, only the occasional rat disturbed their work, or it might not have gone so smoothly.
"Without the magic notes of the Sage's Crown, it's going to be tough to make, and whether it can fly or not is uncertain," Rody hoped to visit Elder Toka of the Tree Shepherds again for more information to complete the magic airship.
"Rody, we need to leave immediately. The demon army is stirring," Chris observed a large number of fire spirits pouring out from the flame portal. If they were not remnants of a defeated force in the Evil Forest, then they were a new wave of demon reinforcements ready to invade human territory.
Rody saw among these fire creatures not only small fire spirits but also tall, thin fire guards wielding fire spears, and a type of burning rock-like flame stone giants. The number of the flame army exceeded two thousand. As Rody and Chris sneaked away, more creatures emerged from the portal by the river of fire, including flame horses ablaze all over, most without flame knights riding them, which surprised them both.
What could be the reason for these fire creatures being transported here?
Although he had a bad feeling, Rody couldn't be sure if it was the worst scenario he imagined. He was not like Jill, unable to sense the consequences of an event. He could mostly sense personal strength and hidden entities. If he had combat-sensing abilities, then Jill, far away in Felic, had foresight abilities.
As for Chris, he seemed to have some sensing ability too, but Rody felt it was more of a mysterious intuition than actual sensing.
"What exactly does the Flame Lord look like?" Rody was curious to see the Flame Lord, and, of course, he most wanted to kill him and take back the magic notes of the Dwarven Mage Master, the Sage's Crown.
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"Definitely not a beauty, let's go!" Chris had no fondness for flame creatures.
Returning to the land of the dwarves was one of the most unforgettable scenes in Rody's life.
In the sky floated a radiant angel bathed in holy light.
On the ground, nearly a hundred paladins in full silver armor, wielding holy spears or swords, surrounded a group of bloodied soldiers. These soldiers, each one causing a sharp pain in Rody's heart every time he looked at them, were elite students willing to follow him, chosen youths from various countries.
Young people, once strangers, now fought bloodied battles for him.
Because of him, each one was now covered in scars and bloodied armor.
The land of the dwarves was filled with thick smoke, houses destroyed, trees fallen.
All the little dwarves lay dead, a sight too horrifying to behold. On a cross, Rody saw Bullhorn Helm, the tribal chief, who was not yet dead. His stomach and limbs were nailed with sharp nails of sinful judgment, slowly bleeding, drop by drop staining the cross. He would not die until the cross was soaked in blood.
This was a punishment of the temple for those who betrayed the gods, as painful as being burned at the stake.
In the center of the bloodied warriors, only two little dwarves remained.
One was Red Hat, crying and fallen to the ground, and the other, a dwarf guard holding a short spear.
"Rody, let's go!" Chris desperately tried to pull Rody away from the battlefield. If Rody showed himself now, things would become uncontrollable. Although Chris did not know why the Power Angel in the sky bore a grudge against Rody, from Rody's expression, it was clear the Power Angel had come for him, and the paladins and temple warriors below were also there for him.
"I want to die with them, they are waiting for me!" Rody stepped forward.
"Fool, if you show up now, then they are doomed! Don't you understand? They are luring the enemy, luring you to appear, otherwise, they would have already killed Stanley and the others!" Chris slapped Rody hard, tears streaming down his face.
"I know, Stanley and the others are also waiting, waiting for me to appear," Rody continued walking, suppressing his excitement, "They are waiting for me!"
"No, they don't want to see you, absolutely not!" Chris, seeing he couldn't pull Rody back, threw himself down and clung to his feet.
"They may not show it, but in their hearts, they must be hoping to see me!" Rody pulled Chris up, spoke gently, "Chris, you are the smartest one besides me. You should know, one of us should survive to avenge everyone!"
"That person is not me!" Chris cried, tears streaming down his face, "It's you! Let me go in your place, Rody, you run!"
"If you were me, would you abandon everyone and escape alone?" Rody smiled, put Chris down, straightened his collar, patted his cheek, and said with a smile, "Chris, if you are willing, then come with me! Even if we die in battle, we will come back from hell, I won't leave you behind, no, I need you, my companion!"
"I will always follow you..." Chris covered his face and wept, following Rody, shedding tears along the way.
Rody felt that he would never forget this scene in his lifetime.
Over a hundred bloodied, scarred men, all saluting militarily, watching his return. Around them, hundreds of vigilant temple warriors and paladins, and in the sky, a Power Angel chanting holy magic. As Rody and the ceaselessly weeping Chris slowly returned, Stanley and the others formed two lines, standing at attention, waiting for their leader to inspect them.
"You fool, I thought you were the smartest human, but it turns out you are the dumbest!" Red Hat burst out, screaming with a crying voice, "I don't want to see you again, you fool, get away from me now!"
"No, I'm not a fool, I'm your friend, I'm your leader!" Rody patted Red Hat's hat, causing him to burst into tears.
The Power Angel in the sky stared intently at Rody, the human he could not kill no matter what, walking right under his eyes. He had thought this man would cry out in pain during the trial, but unexpectedly, he had escaped easily, causing a sensation across the land.
Whether gods, demons, humans, or beastmen, everywhere discussed his name and deeds.
The wonder kid, a logistics sergeant, made people of all ranks excitedly call his name. Because of him, people forgot to go to church for mass; because of him, countless young men queued to enlist, strengthening the human army; because of him, soldiers in the army defied divine orders, fought to the death, severely damaging the combined forces of demons and beastmen. For the first time, the glorious victory of humanity did not belong to the high and mighty gods of light.
"If this human man doesn't die, he will surely become a major threat!"
Rody didn't look at the Power Angel in the sky, nor did he glance at the temple knights. He just walked step by step, returning through the crowd.
Finally, he reached the foot of the cross.
The Bullhorn Helm tribal chief saw him and showed a faint smile, weakly saying, "Help me, young man, I'm old, I need your help!"
"The dwarves are always my friends, Rody. Chief, please go ahead!" Rody straightened the chief's hat and gently stabbed his silver dagger into the chief's heart.
"You see, Rody is an evil necromancer, a blasphemer against the gods! The glorious temple knights hear my command, judge the sinful! Logistics team's student soldiers, you are deluded, unable to distinguish right from wrong. I order you, immediately lay down your weapons, abandon evil, and you may yet live. Otherwise, you will all fall to hell, suffering eternal torment!" The Power Angel's majestic voice echoed through the skies.
"Justice!" All the temple knights and warriors, in the holy light, raised their weapons and shouted loudly.
"Long live Rody!" Quentin's son, Cary, broke from the ranks, unsheathed his sword with one arm, and roared angrily, "Comrades, fight to the death! This is not justice. Justice is in our hearts, not in the hands of those executioners who slaughter innocents, not in their hypocritical shouts, not on the surface of their holy garments! We are the righteous, long live Rody!"
"Long live Rody!" Stanley and the others exploded with all their strength, their voices thunderous.
"Blind and fallen!" The Power Angel roared fiercely, "Unforgivable!"
"I'm back." Rody ignored the Power Angel above, turned around, smiled softly at everyone, and said quietly, "Comrades, perhaps we will all die here today, but I promise you, even if we fall to hell, I will lead you to victory after victory! You are my comrades, the greatest heroes of our time, in our era, no one can stop us from shining!"
"This is the era of heroes, our era!" Chris screamed passionately.
"Our era! Long live!" Everyone raised their arms and shouted, then suddenly all knelt on one knee.
"Boss!" Stanley knelt upright in front of Rody, tears streaming down his face, shouting, "Boss, you are the smartest and dumbest leader in the world! I've thought about it, the leader who follows him must be the most special man in the world, so it's you! Hurry and tap my shoulder with your sword! I can't wait to announce to the world that I am Rody's knight, forever loyal to him!"
"We are your knights, Rody! Forever loyal to you! To death do us part!" Everyone ignored the approaching temple warriors, the Power Angel preparing to strike with magic in the sky, each holding their weapons high, kneeling before Rody, shouting loudly.
"Kill them all!" The Power Angel, hearing this, immediately unsheathed his holy sword and gave the order.
"We are your knights, forever loyal to you, to death do us part!" Everyone, tears streaming, shouted in unison, again and again, their voices shaking the heavens.
"To death do us part!"
"To death do us part..."