Hero of Darkness

Chapter 1199: The Promised Savior

Out of nowhere... the Cult of Darkborne suddenly announced to the whole Abyss Empire that the Hero of Darkness had been found. This proclamation alone had shaken the whole populace, regardless of the part of the empire they resided in or the class of society they belonged to.

Unlike how the Rakos Empire was a Democratic Republic nation with the Nobility Class still existing... the Abyss Empire had monarchy, theocracy, and republic authorities coexisting at the same time.

The Imperial Faction, the Cult of Darkborne, and the Senate of the Republic held equal influence over the empire and various aspects of the lifestyle.

One could say that every single person’s life in the Abyss Empire was somehow related or dependent on at least two of these forces in one way or another.

It didn’t matter what species you belonged to, you had full freedom to follow whatever form of belief or choices related to your living, such as religious faith or serving under a chosen force, or getting a job under a company, or even a noble house if you desired.

There were no restrictions, so all these forces had achieved a perfect harmony in everyone’s day-to-day lives.

Yet for centuries, one of the key figures was missing from this dynamic... namely, the Hero of Darkness.

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After the cult’s announcement to the masses and all the known authorities, regardless of their factions, the entire population started anticipating the arrival of the Hero of Darkness.

No one knew what he looked like or what his name was.

All they knew was that he would be making his first public appearance in front of them tomorrow afternoon.

For now, all the institutes, temples, armies, facilities, as well as devotees, were preparing themselves for the grand reveal of the mysterious Hero of Darkness; their promised champion who was also their apparent savior as per the legends.

Tomorrow will be the day of long long-awaited return of the Cult Leader, that all the followers of the Cult of Darkborne and people who still believed in God of Darkness, despite being stuck for 3 centuries ago would experience by all of them.

Even the living descendants of those people were no different, since all the stories were passed down to each new generation, and how they were besieged and millions were killed by many empires all at once.

People who would murder every living being in the Abyss Empire or enslave them in the name of vengeance for the dead heroes.

This was not an act of vengeance but a systematic attack on their empire just because they needed a reason to destroy the Abyss Empire, which was strong enough to rival even the Dragon Empire. They would not get another opportunity like this ever again, and hence they all banded together just so they could plunder everything in the empire for themselves.

Mortal greed knew no bounds. Killing 3 billion people just for their personal gains was not below the level they would descend to. The population was made aware of that fact even to this day.

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Meanwhile, the warrior who were waiting for the the arrival of the Hero of Darkness were no exception to this excitement and anticipation.

There was a hierarchy system and even punishment divisions, even in the Cult of Darkborne.

Everyone powerful in the empire, whether it was people such as Saints, Prophets, Elders, Apostles, and Devotees... they all contributed and performed necessary rituals to worship the God of Darkness as their hearts were filled with utmost joy and vehemency.

As for the Doom Templars, the main fighting force of the cult... The Cult Leader was also their Supreme Leader.

Following him were the Chapter Masters. Below them were the Captains of the Legion.

Each Legion had over 100 Doom Templar warriors, hailing from various species and using different combat techniques.

And every legion also had at least 2 Lieutenants who would personally oversee 50 warriors each.

And below them were Sergeants who would command 10 warriors as a unit.

So every single Chapter had 1 Chapter Master, 10 Captains, 20 Lieutenants, and Sergeants. Making a total of 1 thousand Doom Templars.

And there were a total of 40 Chapters with their own names, their own specialties, as well as combat styles and weapons of choice.

For example, one Chapter called Crimson Devourers specializes in Blood Magic, with its warriors using blood mists, coagulated blood slabs, and even spells as well as magic artifacts to suck the blood from the bodies of their enemies after injuring them.

And they fed on the blood of their targets, using it to empower their own strength as well as cover their entire bodies in blood just to give them a terrifying appearance.

Meanwhile, another Chapter called Obsidian Shadows was filled with trained warriors who used Stealth abilities, long-range weapons, and flying jetpacks to ambush their enemies from a long distance or even launch an aerial assault using the darkness of the night.

These were covert operatives who not only gathered information about the enemy encampments but also assassinated the leaders of their opposition squads just to break their ranks and sow confusion among their troops.

This Chapter was one of the silent daggers used by the cult to erase heretical extremists who used the name of God of Darkness to commit atrocities, even before anyone had even heard of their name.

Some Chapters specialized in Siege warfare, while others were experts in extracting civilians from active warzones.

They all served the cult with utmost devotion, and many among them had been alive and in active service for more than a century.

And below them all were the normal soldiers with garrisons following the rules and laws of the cult. Their armies were comprised of a Master Rank warrior leading a unit of at least 100 people.

These were the first responders that the cult sent to help people, provide aid such as giving food and resources to those in need after being struck by famine, floods, or any other kind of natural disaster.

Their authority was not even questioned by the Imperial rules or the Republic’s law enforcement soldiers.

Although they were always at odds with each other, and the friction between these 3 different forces was well known to everyone... their deeds deemed them worthy of the common people’s respect.

And if even they could not handle the situation, such as someone committing a mass sacrifice ritual... it was then, the Doom Templars intervened.

Thus, the Cult of Darkborne still held a considerable influence over the Abyss Empire despite what happened in recent history.

And now with the Cult leader arriving, their existence had become a testament of loyalty, strength, devotion, and faith to the whole empire.

To common citizens of the Abyss Empire... the Hero of Darkness was the promised Liberator who would free them from this realm and end their 3-century-long confinement as they would return to the real world under his leadership.

However, his existence was also detrimental to the two other leading forces.

Because if he showed up... that meant one thing for certain.

That all of them, whether they were part of the Cult of Darkborne, the Imperial Faction, or the Senate of the Republican Democracy, the future was already decided.

The unwritten rule and unspoken prophecy must be followed...

Everyone must participate in the Great War.