“Y—” Scalding blood surged from Margas’s mouth in an instant.

In the final moments of his life draining away, something seemed to click in his one remaining eye; a faint look of understanding flashed, only to be completely drowned by boundless hatred and unwillingness until all light faded.

As Sigismund pulled his blood-slick arm back without expression, the gaunt warlock’s body slumped to the floor like a torn sack, emitting a dull thud.

“Tsk tsk tsk, how cold-blooded.” A voice that Sigismund hated to the bone but could do nothing about sounded inside his head.

Then that voice hurried on: “Well then, killing him counts as finished business, right? Now it’s my turn to play with this body!”

“Play…” Sigismund’s face soured to an extreme, but Lin Jun didn’t care.

After the messy business of dragging the vampire back and forth, the two had reached a delicate balance.

Spiritually, Lin Jun still held the overwhelming advantage, but the vampire body was bound to its original soul.

If Sigismund were driven to the brink and resolved to end himself, the result would be mutual destruction.

Having no better option, Lin Jun had grudgingly proposed a “take turns using” arrangement.

Now he rudely shoved Sigismund’s consciousness aside and quickly took control of the body.

He greedily inhaled a lungful of the blood-scented air, savoring the real sensation of his chest expanding, and excitedly declared, “Alright! Step one: find something tasty and gorge!”

RUMBLE—!

At that moment the ground beneath them trembled violently and dust flaked down from the ceiling.

Before Lin Jun could figure out what was happening, a voice unfamiliar to him called from outside the hall: “My lord Duke! Humans are attacking!”

Who am I? Where am I? What does “humans are attacking” mean?

Lin Jun was still pulling up the interface to study who he was right now. The adjutant outside, hearing no reply, grew anxious and raised his voice again: “My lord Duke? Are you in there? This is urgent!”

BANG!

The heavy door was flung open from within!

“I’m here! Of course I’m here!” “Sigismund” strode out, his voice booming and oddly excited. “Humans, huh? Good! Take me to them! I’ll show them how I smash them!”

As he spoke, he clenched his fist and slammed it against his chest in a manner that didn’t suit his previous demeanor—his face wearing a near-eager expression.

The adjutant blinked, taken aback.

His gaze skimmed past the duke’s shoulder and landed on Margas’s corpse in the hall. He shuddered inwardly, suppressed his questions and fear, and followed the duke with utmost respect.

After only a few steps, seeing the duke head straight for the kitchens, the adjutant had to clear his throat and cautiously warn, “My lord Duke… that way is—”

He pointed toward the other corridor leading to the observation platform and defensive works.

“Oh! Oh! This way, right? Should’ve said so!” Lin Jun was obliging, immediately turning and walking with a jaunty, almost bouncing step, swaying slightly as he hummed an off-key tune only he could hear.

The adjutant didn’t understand the situation, but at least… the duke seemed to be in good spirits?

They moved quickly through the labyrinthine passages and emerged onto the lofty observation platform outside the Crimson Spire. The view opened up dramatically.

Above, a huge black veil emanated from the top of the Crimson Spire, blotting out the sunlight across the battlefield—creating ideal fighting conditions for the demon forces.

Below, concentric outerworks had been built atop the spire’s grotesque base; from above the countless demon soldiers bustled like ant swarms.

Opposite them, the human army flowed like a silver tide—standards fluttering, blades and mail flashing—as it pressed slowly toward the spire.

Behind the human ranks rose several massive, fortress-like magocrystal structures.

Unbeknownst to Lin Jun, those were the humans’ strategic devices called [War Engines], used to synchronize many mages’ spells to greatly amplify range and power. The tremor that had rocked the spire’s base came from a concentrated barrage fired by one of those devices.

“My lord,” the adjutant stepped forward, his tone mixing discontent with absolute confidence, “Duke Eyrene has given no response so far; she’s decided to remain on the sidelines. But these humans daring to leave their shells is suicide!”

The adjutant’s confidence was not baseless.

Duke Eyrene had been suppressed by Alamar due to her own insufficiency. Here, however, at the forward line commanded by Duke Sigismund, the situation was different.

Demon troops were generally superior in quality to humans and outnumbered them. Between Alamar and Sigismund, both in personal combat prowess and legion command, they were roughly equal. Under such a power dynamic, humans usually huddled behind high fortress walls and relied on defenses to fend off demon assaults.

For them to sally out and fight in the open at the foot of the strongest demon power—the Crimson Spire—was tantamount to suicide.

Lin Jun looked down at the vast battlefield, then back to the adjutant at his side who waited hungrily for orders to win glory under the duke’s command.

It felt like he’d just learned to move with the WASD keys and had been thrown straight into the final raid boss fight.

But… it wasn’t actually his body after all!

In the back of Sigismund’s mind, he was desperately trying to retake control, but Lin Jun shoved him aside—this was his turn to play!

“All right,” Lin Jun cleared his throat and thrust his arm forward, “Full army—advance!”

“Full army… advance?” The adjutant blinked, confirming reflexively.

From the adjutant’s point of view the safest approach was to lean on the Crimson Spire’s defenses and debilitative effects: grind the humans down, then, once weakened, strike decisively in the field.

But when he looked up and saw the duke’s inscrutable, all-knowing smile… perhaps the duke had some secret stratagem?

Besides, even if the order meant committing the whole army to open battle, their side still held the advantage and could cut off the humans’ retreat completely.

“Yes! My lord!” The adjutant snapped to attention, turned, and ran to pass the order.

As the adjutant left, Lin Jun watched the dense masses of troops below.

“How many people will die, I wonder…” he murmured, the tone betraying neither pity nor regret clearly, “What a shame.”