Chapter 1375: Chapter 1375

People under Lester Nanni still remembered the once-heroic figure of Lord IIias. He too had ambitious aspirations and valued talents; expertly commanding the troops before battle formations, and leading the soldiers fearlessly during assaults.

Since when had His Highness changed into his current state? It started when everyone’s rebellion was defeated by Abner Lane, and for his own protection, His Highness had no choice but to seek refuge with the Nine Witch Demon Court. Then, he became more and more afraid of death, only wanting to survive and preserve his wealth and status without any regard for anything else. He flattered the Demon Clan to the extreme while suppressing his own people harshly from within.

Furthermore, he became increasingly worried about being betrayed — it seemed that deep in his heart, he knew that such actions would not win the people’s hearts — so every close subordinate’s family was held hostage by him. Everyone was in a state where they dared not speak out or leave.

The two armies were in a fierce battle, yet two small demon squads were sent to "circumvent" and enter the human territory, claiming to assist in the attack. In reality, they were a group of some elite demon offspring with a craving to devour human flesh. Not only did Lester Nanni not stop them, but he even specially assigned four people from the Fifth Great Domain to protect them, two for each team.

The main focus of Bottleneck Pass was on the frontal assault, leaving the majority of the defensive forces to protect the supply lines. So, every time there was a major battle, some demon spies would inevitably infiltrate the human side, even small squads of demon cavalry. As long as they didn’t attack military strongholds, the defenders didn’t have the extra manpower to wipe them out.

During every major battle, some villages and towns in the rear would be massacred by the demons, and the defenders were heartbroken but powerless to prevent it.

One couldn’t blame the commoners for not hiding and waiting for the demons to come to kill them — they didn’t know when the demons would arrive, and as the saying goes, it’s easier to be a thief than to guard against one. Plus, if the demons struck during the busy farming season, the commoners would have nowhere to run. If they missed the harvest season, they would starve to death even if they weren’t killed by the demons.

Dover Village was a village two hundred miles behind Bottleneck Pass. Before the battle began, the old and young, women and children were sent to hide in the nearby mountains. There were several large mountain caves there, hidden from outsiders, with enough food and water to last for several months.

The young and strong men in the village went about their duties, knowing that if the demons didn’t come, they wouldn’t be too delayed in their farming. If the demons did come, they would fight to the death, as they had done before.

Many villages and towns around Bottleneck Pass had been wiped off the face of the earth in this way.

At noon, a young lookout spotted a fast-approaching squad from the watchtower atop the village’s large elm tree and sounded the alarm!

The demons’ ghastly appearance was all too easy to recognize, and their vile stench could be smelled even when coming from upwind.

The villagers roared, grabbing their weapons such as pitchforks, scythes, and darts and quickly gathered at the entrance of the village. The Northwestern folks had always been fierce, and with hundreds of strong men in the village, they knew they couldn’t win but refused to run! Demons invaded to devour humans, and if they raided a village without finding enough food, they would search the mountains, endangering the relatives hidden in the caves.

If they wanted to eat, they would have to get through the villagers first! Before dying, they would hide a dagger in their stomachs, chipping away at least one of the demons’ teeth!

The Old Village Chief stood on the well platform at the village entrance, raising three fingers high: "I’ll give you a number! Three!

There are 263 strong men in our village! Let’s all kill three demons together! We’ll trade roughly ninety lives for one demon, killing all of our men, but we must leave these demon bastards with three less!"

"We can!" Hundreds of people shouted, even those who were scared and timid, screamed at the top of their lungs, caught up in the collective emotions.

When the demons’ squad appeared at the entrance of the village, they were greeted by hundreds of red-eyed, topless men rushing at them like a swarm. They had all stripped off their clothes, not to show off their ferocity, but because for the villagers, those clothes were valuable. It was better to leave them at home, so that after the battle, their wives and children would have something valuable to return to; or even to repurpose for their children to wear.

What did it matter to wear these clothes to their deaths?

"Ah— Kill them—!" The Old Village Chief, risking his life, charged to the forefront. The leading demon was a Wild Boar Demon, covered in black fur like steel needles, with four curved tusks protruding from its mouth. Faced with the village men rushing to their deaths, it sneered, waving its Wolf Fang Club at the Old Village Chief. The Old Village Chief should have been sent flying, but he had anticipated this outcome. As the Wolf Fang Club swung, he clung to the weapon for dear life, his frail body almost broken, but drawing closer to the Wild Boar Demon, he used his last ounces of strength to slash the demon with his firewood knife, leaving a shallow wound.

The Old Village Chief wanted to yell, telling the young men behind him, that he had set an example for them, urging them to do their part!

But he couldn’t speak anymore. The Wild Boar Demon shook off the Wolf Fang Club, and the Old Village Chief’s body shattered into pieces, flying everywhere, his fresh blood staining the yellow earth beneath them.

The young and strong men in the village continued to charge forward, falling one by one. Injuries gradually accumulated on the three demons at the front of the squad, but the demons wouldn’t stand there and let themselves be killed. More demons surged forward, and it seemed that the Old Village Chief’s goal might not be achieved.