Volume One: The Infernal Lord's World Chapter 40: Entering the Holy City

Boom!

Standing on the banks of the Holy River, watching as a ten-meter-high flood surge formed countless dragons roaring forth from the direction of the Holy City, rushing past before him, a flicker of excitement flashed in Chen Gu’s eyes.

“See? The boat’s fine.”

Once the flood had passed, Chen Gu pointed at the sunken ships in the Holy River and spoke to Allen.

Allen understood the implication in Chen Gu’s words. The Holy City’s defensive weapons were still active, but their power no longer matched what he’d imagined. If they truly had the overwhelming force of legend, not a single ship would remain in this river. What’s more, as the flood crest passed, Chen Gu and his group had seen the Mars ship lifted to the highest point by the waves.

Though none could say where the Mars ship had been swept by the torrent, it was clear that after so many years, this city’s defenses had lost much of their might. Chen Gu suspected it was due to a lack of energy and magical replenishment. Another possibility was that the aqueduct feeding the Elven Holy City had broken somewhere, leaving insufficient stored water to create a more powerful surge.

“Push the ship into the river. We’ll sail across. Have your men squeeze in, it’s the only boat we have. We’ll figure out the rest once we’re over.”

This time, Allen truly conceded. He dutifully helped Chen Gu push the Fire Raven into the water and squeezed onboard with his subordinates.

Chen Gu could still sense the presence of the Mars ship, but it had been swept far away by the flood, not yet stopped, and with the current still raging, there was no way to retrieve it. For now, Allen and his men would have to squeeze onto the Fire Raven with him.

With so many aboard, the Fire Raven was nearly submerged. Naturally, its speed slowed to a crawl. But Allen had fully changed his attitude—seeing the situation, he immediately ordered his elven hunters to row.

Just as Chen Gu sensed the Mars ship had finally come to a halt, the Fire Raven reached the spot where the colossal dragon statue stood. Now, Chen Gu felt a surge of tension. He had accounted for everything, but now that he was truly here, his confidence shook.

As the Fire Raven passed before the dragon’s maw, Chen Gu heard a dragon’s roar in his ears.

He saw the dragon statue’s eyes light up with a blue glow, its mouth slowly opening. Now, the phantom of a hundred flying dragons materialized before Chen Gu. With the water ready, a ten-meter-high flood could surge forth at any moment, sweeping the Fire Raven away.

Yet as Chen Gu and Allen waited, the flood never came. Instead, the Fire Raven glided slowly and resolutely through the hundred dragon phantoms, reaching the rear of the giant statue.

Chen Gu turned to look back, excitement shining in his eyes. This time, his gamble had paid off.

Allen, too, stared back, his face grave. He had never imagined that the city’s strongest defensive weapon could be undone so simply.

As the two pondered this, the Fire Raven rounded the final bend of the Holy River.

At last, the Elven Holy City appeared before them.

The Holy City dwarfed Silverpine Valley many times over. The entire metropolis encircled a vast lake, and at the center of the lake, upon an island, lay the fallen trunk of a colossal tree. Even toppled, its size was breathtaking. The trunk, over two thousand meters long, crashed from the central island to another, its roots, once rising from the lake’s heart, towering over sixty meters—without even counting the half submerged in water.

After who knew how long immersed in the lake, the tree’s leaves had all fallen, and its branches were draped with mussels, barnacles, and water plants, slick and unsightly to behold.

Between the islands, three-tiered Romanesque bridges spanned the water: the uppermost carried aqueducts, the middle, walkways, and the lowest, sewers—each layer clearly delineated.

Yet all this had been ruined.

Chen Gu saw many of the bridges had been shattered beyond repair.

At the entrance where the Holy River flowed into the city’s lake, large docks lined both banks. Each dock could accommodate at least three hundred elven warships. Now, however, not a single vessel was moored. Instead, slow-moving figures drifted among the piers.

This sight made Chen Gu’s expression grow somber. The Holy City, unlike Silverpine Valley, had not been preserved; its elves had clearly not escaped the scourge of the undead plague.

Looking outward from the docks, Chen Gu saw that the great lake was ringed by countless Roman-style buildings, forming three full concentric circles. Each tier was at least twenty kilometers wide—a vast residential district. Each was enclosed by walls, with elevated bridges and aqueducts crisscrossing above, and ground-level canals wide enough for two small boats to pass side by side, while underground rivers flowed beneath.

Just a glance made Chen Gu swallow unconsciously. Without exaggeration, the part before his eyes alone could swallow a thousand Silverpine Valleys.

Imagining the population of Silverpine Valley, and considering the scale of this city, its population must have exceeded fifty million. And that was without counting the immense lake. Factoring in the lake and its islands, the city’s size would be multiplied several times over.

“Where are we headed now?” Allen could not help but ask.

Chen Gu glanced at the drifting figures on the docks and hesitated. “Do you know where the Elven Queen’s palace is?”

“You plan to go to the Queen’s palace?” Allen was startled by Chen Gu’s decision.

Herein lay the difference between Chen Gu and Allen. Even as a hero under Chen Gu’s command, Allen still considered himself an elf, and treated the Elven Queen with utmost respect.

But Chen Gu was different. He was not a subject of the Elven Queen; before coming to this lord’s world, he’d never even heard her name.

In his eyes, the Elven Queen was merely an NPC. As a player, with the NPC gone, what harm was there in entering her palace, opening a chest, and taking some unclaimed items? It seemed perfectly reasonable to him.

Thus, Chen Gu immediately chose to seek out the Queen’s palace in hopes of finding some clues.

Allen could not dissuade him, and could only reply, “I don’t know where the Queen’s palace is, but I have heard it said: the highest peak of the Holy City, the fairest pearl of the Sacred Lake—these are the places the Queen once tread.”