As the towering demon wall began to take shape, the remaining demons swarmed towards the arched passage that had been deliberately left beneath the lofty barrier.
The dense tide of demons surged in all directions like a horde of marching ants on the move.
Each individual demon radiated a searing heat, and the entire army was like a living inferno, consuming everything in its path.
Yet, at this very moment, the inhabitants of the surrounding towns and villages had not fully evacuated.
The disaster struck with such suddenness that by the time the people caught sight of the onrushing demon horde, it was already too late.
...
While Glen was making his way to Dude Town on foot, he chanced upon Lila and Bonnie, who were running towards him.
The two young girls, heedless of their gasping breaths and fatigue, grabbed Glen's hand and exclaimed, "It's too late... Mr. Glen, come with us quickly! We must leave this place without delay!"
However, Glen simply reversed his grip, tucked the two girls under his arms, and quickened his pace.
"I'm aware of what's happening. My place is perfectly safe. Right now, I need to check on the well-being of some of my friends," Glen said as he ran.
"Ah? But those are demons! A great multitude of demons! How could your place possibly be safe?!" Lila said, still a bit breathless as she looked up at Glen.
"I wouldn't trifle with my own life!" Glen retorted.
"Wow!" Bonnie seemed to come to her senses at that moment. "Mr. Glen is incredibly strong! He can run so fast even while carrying the two of us! So cool!"
Glen was rendered speechless.
After a full-speed dash, as soon as he neared Dude Town, the chaotic hubbub reached his ears from afar.
Glen listened intently and managed to get a rough idea of the situation within the town.
Upon entering the town, he set the two girls down and inquired, "How do you plan to leave? Do you have access to a carriage?"
The two girls shook their heads simultaneously. Lila replied, "Many people in the town are leaving on foot. Pernas had a carriage and intended to take us with her, but Bonnie and I wanted to come and inform you, so we didn't board the carriage."
"So she left on her own?" Glen asked, furrowing his brows.
"Pernas originally wanted to accompany us, but her mother wouldn't allow it. In the end, she had to leave with Poke and the others first," Lila explained.
Glen turned to observe the townspeople who were still engaged in arguments with the police officers, and his frown deepened.
"So you two were planning to leave on foot with your mothers?" Glen asked, turning back to face them.
The two girls nodded.
Noticing Glen's expression, as if he wanted to cover his face, Lila attempted to reassure him, "Don't worry, Mr. Glen. Look, so many people haven't left yet. It should be all right."
Just because others haven't left doesn't mean it's safe... Glen refrained from saying anything to these naive girls. Instead, he said in a tone that brooked no refusal, "Now, go and fetch your mothers and wait for me outside the town."
"Which side of the town should we go to for evacuation?" Bonnie inquired.
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Glen pointed in the direction from which he had come. "Outside the town in that direction."
After the two girls scurried away, he followed his nose and located Dogli.
After confirming that the other party had a means of transportation to leave promptly, he went to check on the status of Luther, the old cat, and the Carter brothers. He discovered that they had already departed early.
He then went to the manor of Charnes and met Ravel's parents, who had not yet left. He assured them that he would protect Ravel, and only then did they leave with a sense of worry.
As for the others, he couldn't be concerned about them. After all, they had made their own choices and had to bear the consequences.
When he arrived outside the town, he saw Lila and her mother, along with Bonnie and her mother, waiting for him, laden with bags of various sizes.
Glen was about to approach and say something.
However, a faint, acrid smell in the air, tinged with the stench of demons, instantly filled him with a foreboding sense of unease.
He quickly said to Lila and the others, "You go to my place first. I need to attend to something."
With that, he transformed into a powerful gust of wind and rushed away.
The two pairs of mothers and daughters were left standing there, bewildered by the wind.
"Mr. Glen... is definitely no ordinary person!" Lila remarked.
In a state of full speed, Glen reached the edge of the outer forest of Baiyek in just a few breaths.
He gazed at the thick black smoke billowing in the distance and braced himself for the impending battle.
I hope your intuition is correct, old man... he prayed silently in his heart.
Soon, he caught sight of the demon army. The sheer density and vastness of their numbers immediately made the corners of Glen's eyes twitch violently.
"You've got to be kidding me! There are far too many of them!" This was the scenario he had been most dreading.
Although his werewolf form was formidable, it was most effective in one-on-one combat and quick skirmishes.
Even in his most powerful werewolf form, he couldn't sustain it for long, as the energy consumption was extremely rapid.
Now, he could only wait and see if the town behind him could safeguard the townspeople within. If it could, that would be fortunate. If not, he would use his most powerful form to carry those he needed to protect and flee as far as possible.
As the demons drew nearer, Glen's heart raced with anxiety.
Just as the demons at the front were on the verge of spotting Glen's figure...
A sense of impending doom swept over the demon army that was charging forward in a frenzy.
Above the forest ahead, a colossal monster had emerged, seemingly out of nowhere. It blotted out the sky and the sun, resembling a gargantuan tree that straddled the line between the illusory and the real, connecting the heavens and the earth.
Countless thick black tentacles, as thick as the pillars that hold up the sky, wriggled slowly, like the vines of a giant tree.
The next moment, a vertical eye opened within the colossal tree, and a feeling of impending annihilation filled the otherwise unthinking minds of these low-level demons.
The demon army turned and fled simultaneously.
Glen let out a huge sigh of relief. Then he turned around and looked back. The sky was shrouded in a layer of grayish haze, and there was nothing else to be seen.
But he was certain that the demons had witnessed something truly terrifying.
This town is truly a mystery... Glen sighed inwardly and left with a light step.
Now, not only would Baiyek be safe, but Dude Town would also be spared.
If the demon army wanted to attack Dude Town, they would have to bypass Baiyek. But judging from the situation just now, they definitely didn't have the courage to do so.
...
The temporary lair of the demons had taken its initial form.
The previously empty wilderness had, within just half a day, become a demon city crammed with towering buildings.
Demons with wings patrolled the skies above, keeping a watchful eye.
Suddenly, a group of low-level demons that had been sent out scurried back like a herd of frightened beasts.
This was not an order issued by the leader!
The demons in the sky immediately swooped down, intent on punishing this group of low-level demons that dared to disobey orders.
However, as soon as they drew near, they received the thoughts of this group of low-level demons.
That terrifying might also caused these slightly higher-ranked demons to tremble.
In this way, the information spread throughout the entire demon horde.
Soon, it alerted several high-ranking demons in power, as well as the leader.
When the leader, clad in heavy armor, learned of this information, the flames of the soul in its eyes flickered violently. It then issued an order prohibiting any further approach to that area.
None of the high-ranking demons present objected.
Thus, the invasion of the demon army primarily concentrated on the other side.
It was also at this moment that the kingdom's army arrived. Led by more than a dozen large flying beasts, the griffin knights were the first to reach the scene.
But it was not timely enough.
The demons had moved with such speed that they had already caused irreparable damage.
And at this very moment, they were still wreaking havoc and advancing.
The griffin knights wasted no time. Despite the fatigue of their mounts from the long journey, they charged headlong into the tide of demons.