Chapter 205: Escape

“He’s gone!” Kiro said in a low voice, staring at the message about Rod. Looking around at the scene before him—utterly chaotic, filled with a nauseating stench of blood—seeing the corpses of soldiers lying scattered on the ground, the wounded people standing around, the broken branches scattered everywhere, and the ground smoking, he couldn’t help but frown.
With his heart in his throat, Rod’s departure gave him a strong sense of unease, as if something terrible was about to happen. The news of the demons’ emergence would surely spread throughout the continent within days. By then… a storm of bloodshed was imminent. Add in the restless vampires and werewolves, and he couldn’t imagine what might happen.
“Surround the area! Miss Alice, Young Master John—where are they? Where are those assassins?” It was at that moment that chaotic footsteps were heard as hundreds of figures rushed toward them. Soon, an officer rushed up to Alice and John, asking anxiously.
These were the reinforcements Alice had brought. Due to time constraints, they hadn’t been able to wait longer and had chosen to send a portion of their troops first, with the rest following once they were ready.
“They’ve left. It’s fine. You can go back now!” With a darkened gaze, not knowing what to say, Alice weakly told the officer.
“Are you alright?” Glancing at the chaotic scene—the ruined forest—the officer frowned deeply. It was hard to imagine what kind of battle had taken place here. The strong smell of blood, the charred ground, and the injuries of the wounded all spoke to the brutality of the battle. The atmosphere was strange, making him feel puzzled, as if things weren’t as simple as he thought.
“I’m fine. You can go. I’ll handle this myself!” In a state of confusion, Alice urged them to leave.
“Okay, then we’ll be going!” After hesitating, as if wanting to say something, he ultimately stayed silent. Turning to the hundreds of elite soldiers he had brought, he shouted, “Retreat! Everyone, retreat!” With a roar, he led the exhausted soldiers back outside the forest.

“Remember, today that demon, Knightrod, despite being severely injured, fought his way through hundreds of soldiers who were chasing and blocking him before finally escaping! The demons vanished without a trace, and we suffered heavy losses. Do you understand?” After watching those soldiers leave completely, Kiro turned with a cold expression and spoke solemnly to those present.

The purpose was obvious: to protect John, Viski, and Kenny. The three of them helped Rod escape. If such a thing became known, even if their family could spare their lives, they would have no place left on the continent. They would be mixed in with humans and demons and even face severe punishment. Since Rod had gone, Kiro didn’t want to see these people hurt as well.

“We understand!” A deep response came. Those present were all trusted men brought by Alice and Lucia; they knew exactly what to say and what not to say. Spreading such news would bring them no benefit at all, so they certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to offend these people. Moreover, Kiro’s icy gaze warned them that anyone who dared defy his orders would be killed without mercy.

“Miss, we’ll leave too. We must report this to the empire immediately. We’ll handle it properly!” After a brief silence, the officer stepped forward and spoke to Alice. With such a major incident, he couldn’t stay any longer and had to report it right away.

“Go ahead. Remember Kiro’s words!” Alice waved her hand weakly and spoke softly, not forgetting to give them final instructions.

“We know!” The officer gave John and the others a deep look before turning and shouting, leading the remaining troops to retreat quickly out of the forest.

“Lawrence, you should go too. Report this to Grandpa when you get back! We’re fine!” Lucia also spoke softly to Lawrence.

“I know!” His expression darkened slightly as he remained immersed in regret and sorrow. He regretted not being able to kill that demon and rid the continent of a threat, and he was saddened that the demon was someone he knew—a familiar person who had even helped him.

With these two groups leaving, only Alice and her companions, along with a few guards brought by Alice and Lucia, remained in the forest. The night was cold, and no one spoke. Looking at the chaotic scene around them, their hearts were weighed down, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

“Let’s go too!” After staring intently at the chaotic scene, Kiro ordered the people around him to stay and clean up before speaking in a low voice. No one could have imagined such an outcome. Everyone felt distressed!
Without saying a word, they quietly walked away from the forest, but their hearts remained on that battlefield, filled with thoughts of Knightrod.
Memories of their time together flashed through their minds like slides, ending with the battle just moments ago. Rod, with his hair disheveled, laughed loudly to the sky; his pitiful figure made their hearts ache.
It was a night destined for silence and sorrow. Without returning to the academy, they each went home, while Kiro chose to head to theBorte family’s mansion family’s mansion, a place he had always disliked.
The events of the day needed to be discussed carefully. Under the cover of darkness, they parted ways in the capital and headed in different directions.
…
Meanwhile, as Kiro and the others left, Rod was still in the dark forest, heading north at full speed. After ensuring his safety, he found a relatively safe place to rest due to his physical discomfort. His injuries needed immediate treatment; otherwise, no matter how strong his recovery ability was, he wouldn’t be able to withstand such weakness!
At this moment, Rod’s eyes had returned to normal—the eerie blood red color was gone, and the blood flowing from his wounds was no longer pale blue but back to its normal blood red. His pale complexion made it seem as though a breeze could knock him down, and the scent of blood wafted away in the wind. Perhaps he was lucky it wasn’t theWorld of Warcraft forest, otherwise, things would have been much worse.
After confirming safety once more, he quickly darted into a cave. The dark cave emitted a pungent musty smell, and the damp environment was bitterly cold.
“Damn it!” he cursed fiercely. With no other choice, he had to start recovering here.
Perhaps Rod didn’t realize that his reluctant decision to stay saved his life. The musty smell in the hidden cave masked his scent and the smell of blood, preventing his pursuers from finding him.

As Rod began his cultivation, the elements around him quickly gathered around him, entering his body and transforming into combat energy that began to repair his body fiercely. His powerful recovery ability was once again demonstrated with the support of the combat energy; his bleeding stopped, and his breathing became smoother.

While Rod was recovering in this cave, news about him had already reached the ears of the imperial elite. In the imperial capital, three people in three residences—two silver-haired elders and a middle-aged man in his forties—stood up simultaneously, their faces filled with shock. Though they were in different places, they all took the same action: they stepped forward, grabbed the person across from them, and asked sternly, “Is this true? Have the demons really appeared?”

These three men were the head of the Porter family, Marshal Okaz, and John’s father. Each of them was a renowned figure in the empire, having experienced countless hardships, yet they still couldn’t hide their shock upon hearing this news. Even for them, it was an extremely serious matter.

“Damn it! How could such a thing happen? No, I must go to the palace immediately. This cannot be told to anyone for now! It must be kept secret—everyone who knows about it needs to be controlled. If necessary, any means must be employed!” After listening to Lucia’s tearful account and Lawrence’s report, Marshal Okaz cursed violently, gave strict instructions with a serious expression, and rushed outside, ignoring the fact that it was deep night.

On the other hand, Lawrence also acted swiftly. He knew full well how serious this matter was and what consequences spreading the news would bring. At least, he wouldn’t spread it without the general’s orders. The general’s gaze made it clear to him that in times of crisis, extreme measures were acceptable—actions as drastic as silencing witnesses—if necessary.

In the darkness, three luxurious carriages raced toward the imperial palace. Just dozens of minutes later, the three carriages met at the palace gates. Three men stepped out—Marshal Okaz and the other two. Looking at each other, they knew that everyone was already aware of the situation. Without further words, they exchanged anxious glances and entered the palace together. It would be a sleepless night—this night would mark a turning point for the continent. Starting from tomorrow, the entire continent would change!