C21 First Battle
The individuals who burst into the factory were the ones responsible for patrolling the coastline. Upon hearing the term 'devil tide,' every worker in the room tensed up, their expressions turning grave as if bracing for a formidable foe.
The patrolman made a beeline for Shen Wuyou and blurted out in a panic, "Lord Overlord!! The devil tide is upon us, surging in from the sea, in vast numbers!!!"
At that moment, Shen Wuyou's face hardened with concern.
The devil tide was known for its predictability, descending in a set pattern each year, either on the third or seventh day following the ringing of the Divine Bell. But now, it had arrived unexpectedly early. This was not the only irregularity; this devil tide was unlike any other.
The workers were thrown into disarray upon receiving this confirmation. Previously, they had only thought of fleeing from the devil tide. Now, confronted with it for the first time, the terror and anxiety they felt were palpable.
Amidst the commotion below, Shen Wuyou bellowed, "Silence!"
"You have all worked tirelessly, day in and day out, enduring hardship, shedding blood, sweat, and tears! Have we made all these preparations just to cower in fear at the arrival of the devil tide?"
"It's merely the devil tide!"
"Can you truly question the potency of the bombs you've crafted with your own hands?"
"There's no room for doubt! Let the devil tide come in droves; we will obliterate them all!"
Shen Wuyou's rallying cry slowly transformed the workers' panic into a surge of confidence and a will to fight.
"My friends!!! We shall have our victory feast after we've driven back the devil tide!" With a commanding gesture, Shen Wuyou declared to the attentive crowd, "Join me in battle and drive back the devil!"
"Drive back the devil!"
"Protect our homeland!"
Their voices rose in a chorus of fervor.
With his words still echoing, Shen Wuyou strode out of the factory, followed closely by Chiying and her twenty guards. The workers inside set aside their meals, grabbed the weapons stored within the factory, and fell in line behind Shen Wuyou.
Together, they left the factory and made their way through Redrock Town. As they marched, every able-bodied townsman who heard the devil tide alert grabbed their arms and joined Shen Wuyou's ranks, ready to defend their home.
Redrock Town was always known for its fierce spirit, and once the decision was made to confront the devil tide, every citizen became a warrior!
The ranks swelled as more and more people gathered, with even some women taking up machetes to join the ranks. Should the defense line be breached by the devil tide, they would have no choice but to use their very bodies to protect the town's vulnerable—the elderly, the weak, and the children.
Shen Wuyou quickly made his way to the outskirts of the town, where Xie Shi was already in position, awaiting orders from the patrolling guards. Upon seeing Shen Wuyou approach, Xie Shi promptly reported, "Overlord! There are signs of disturbance on the sea. Once the devil tide's army emerges from the Demon's Lair and assembles, they will launch an assault on us!"
Shen Wuyou nodded in acknowledgment. Although he had never witnessed the devil tide firsthand, he had read extensively about it. The Demon's Lair would materialize out of thin air, unleashing countless demon alien beasts that would pour out and gather, eroding everything in their path like a relentless flood.
"Light the fires!" Shen Wuyou commanded without hesitation.
"At once!" Xie Shi responded, signaling swiftly. Several townspeople, torches in hand, mounted the town's limited horses and set ablaze the braziers strategically placed across the barren land.
Their path had been meticulously planned to avoid triggering any explosives. The braziers, fueled by oil, would burn long enough to sustain them through the ordeal.
The flames soon illuminated the barren land, providing a clear view of the devil tide's movements.
"Chiying! Take me to the watchtower!" Shen Wuyou called out.
Without a moment's delay, Chiying grasped Shen Wuyou's shoulder and leaped, landing them atop the twenty-meter-high watchtower.
From this vantage point, the sea was difficult to discern even in daylight, much less under the scant light of the stars.
"I can cast a far-seeing spell for you," Chiying offered.
"There's no need," Shen Wuyou declined, pulling a telescope from his pocket. He had acquired this handy device in the Imperial Capital, where crafting such an instrument was a trivial task.
Peering through the telescope, he observed the sea. A dark purple fissure had split the blackness of the waters, and from it, a multitude of demons spilled forth like an overturned sack of beans. They amassed on the sands, forming a formidable army of the devil tide.
"Lowborn demon, lowborn demon, lowborn demon..." Shen Wuyou watched the devil tide, incessantly muttering to himself, "Lowborn demon, lowborn demon, still nothing but lowborn demons!"
The lowborn demons had a peculiar appearance, with the heads of wild beasts and menacing fangs, yet their bodies were indistinguishable from those of humans. Their limbs, however, were blade-like and jointless, allowing them to crawl across the ground with astonishing speed.
"They're all lowborn demons!" He set aside his telescope, his voice tinged with excitement. "My prediction was correct. The devil tide assaulting Redrock has no highborn demons! We have enough to hold Redrock!"
For millennia, the many races of the continent have been combating the devil tide, establishing a pattern to their attacks. The devil tide's main force struck at only seven locations!
Four of these were within human territories: Dawnward, Solaris Pass, Mistward, and the Ravine of Huanxing. Here, the Auslathen Kingdom had amassed troops, constructed fortifications, and maintained a vigilant defense.
Moreover, while the devil tides emerging elsewhere were numerous, they lacked the leadership of a highborn demon!
Within the devil tide, demons varied in rank and power. The formidable highborn demons led the lowborn ones, who were akin to wild beasts, driven only by a hunger to devour and possess.
Only under the command of a highborn demon could the lowborn demons launch an organized assault akin to that of an army.
Without a highborn demon to lead them, the lowborn demons were mere mindless beasts!
Against such beasts, bombs and fire were sufficient!
Shen Wuyou's foresight gave him unwavering confidence to lead the people of Redrock in withstanding the devil tide's onslaught.
At that moment, the demons emerging from the Demon's Lair in the void had reached a count well over ten thousand. Suddenly, one lowborn demon stepped forward, and all the others behind it erupted into a frenzied uproar, unleashing a collective roar before charging ahead in unison.
Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled as over ten thousand demons surged forward, kicking up clouds of dust and smoke.
The roar of the devil tide, carried by the sea breeze, reached the ears of every townsfolk gripping their weapons tightly.
Bathed in the glow of the blazing fire from the brazier, they could see the devil tide surging closer with alarming speed!
Despite their thorough preparations, the reality of confronting the devil tide left most of the townspeople in a state of panic and fear. A mix of dread and anxiety took hold, leaving them with dry mouths, sweat-soaked bodies, racing hearts, and uncontrollable trembling.
It was at this moment that Shen Wuyou, perched atop the watchtower, let out a thunderous cry!
"Light the fire!"
