Chapter 969, Battle for the High Tower (Part Three) (Patreon)

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"Hello, I'm Schiller, Schiller Rodriguez. I believe you've seen the high tower that fell in the center of the battlefield, haven't you?"

"Hello, I'm Schiller Rodriguez. Did you see the high tower that fell before? Have you felt the Soul power on it?"

"Hello, I'm Schiller..."

"Hello..."

Numerous identical voices echoed within the palaces of various Demon Lords. One Schiller after another appeared before the Demon Lords, becoming their honored guests.

Of course, every fragment of Schiller's Soul was highly enticing, but all Demon Lords could also imagine: if one fragment of Soul was so tempting, what if they could obtain them all...

The territory was vast, with many Demon Lords, but there were not many renowned ones. To become a famous Demon Lord, one needed either extensive territory or formidable personal strength. Often, both were required.

To acquire these, one either needed to be like Demon Bie Lie, ancient enough with long-standing territory occupation, naturally becoming powerful over time, or like Azazel, possessing sufficient personal strength and an undefeated record in warfare, naturally earning fame.

These renowned Demon Lords all had thoughts about Satan's position, but the reason they didn't immediately act was that they didn't want to stand out and risk being attacked by others.

This time, Astero made a move, prompting many Demon Lords to start contacting each other, seeking to unite and defeat Astero.

Because they knew that without Lucifer Morningstar's presence, they would hardly be controlled, free to develop their own strength. But if Astero took over, they would inevitably face suppression, even potential annihilation.

On matters of survival, Demons tended to unite. Many quasi-first-class Demon Lords formed alliances, intending to form a coalition to overthrow Astero and organize a war to vie for the position of Satan.

However, the sudden appearance of the high tower shattered their unity. Every Demon Lord naturally wanted to obtain the high tower. The already famous Demon Lords wanted to use it to enhance their power, while those who had not yet reached the first-class status wanted to seize the tower to gain fame.

At this moment, a person claiming to be Schiller Rodriguez approached them. Of course, the Demon Lords did not forget that it was this person called Schiller who claimed to be able to repay all of Constantine's debts.

From Schiller's words, they understood that the reason Schiller dared to make such bold claims was because he had the ability to multiply, apart from possessing fragments of energy. The high tower itself was equivalent to an extraordinarily active Soul, meaning the entire high tower was like a huge package.

According to the information Schiller brought, the Soul characteristics within the high tower would gradually make their way to the palaces of Constantine's creditors over about a month, repaying Constantine's debts. But he, this Schiller who came out early, did not want to accept such a fate.

He hoped that the entire high tower and its power could serve a wise ruler. Thus, he came out early to seek such a ruler, and among the countless searches, Your Majesty, you are surely the destined one I seek.

All of Schiller's words were a set, and these renowned Demon Lords, with their high intelligence and matching greed, not only wanted to reclaim what they lent to Constantine but also wanted to reclaim the rewards of others.

When investments fail, everyone thinks about breaking even. But when there's no pressure to break even, everyone wants to profit. If there's a slight profit, they want to make big profits. All intelligent beings are the same; greed is their nature.

In the eyes of the Demon Lords, the high tower had already reached hell. Falling from a cliff, there was no escape. In other words, Schiller had actually fulfilled the contract, repaying all of Constantine's debts.

So, it was time to rely on individual capabilities. Lending out money doesn't mean you have to rigidly collect the same amount. If I can collect ten times the cost, it means I have the ability. If you can't collect what you lent, it's because you're weak. Survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle, is the unchanging rule in hell.

Thus, all the Demon Lords approached by Schiller were somewhat restless.

Of course, Schiller also reached deals with all Demon Lords. Schiller would provide them with all the information about the high tower and do his best to help them win in this war. In return, the Demon Lords would ensure the safety of Schiller, with whom they had made deals, after obtaining the Soul within the high tower or the high tower itself.

In the eyes of the Demon Lords, this deal was very profitable. Because a fragment of Soul did not contain much power, and after swallowing it, it could only satisfy a moment's greed. It was better to endure and, even if unable to obtain the entire high tower, to grab a few more fragments, which would be much stronger than just one small piece.

And Schiller's subsequent performance did not disappoint them. Whether it was gathering intelligence, dispatching reconnaissance teams, analyzing terrain, or maneuvering on the battlefield, they were all proficient.

In addition, each Schiller had their own expertise. Some were good at internal finances, clarifying contracts and rotten accounts that had accumulated among the Demons for thousands of years in just a few nights. Some were good at finance, balancing future revenue estimates and military expenditures in a few words, making it crystal clear.

Some Schiller were skilled negotiators, not only participating in negotiations between Demons and humans to maximize their interests but also analyzing allies and enemies, forming alliances, and negotiating with other Demon Lords to establish strategic alliances.

Some Schiller were adept at domestic affairs, dealing with the balance of power among factions under the Demon Lords, mediating internal conflicts, aligning the thoughts of all Demons, and directing their efforts towards a common goal.

But the same was true for all Schiller—they all had a great passion for war, even surpassing the chaotic and warlike Demons.

"I have to say, Schiller, you are even crazier than the most chaotic Demon I've ever seen. I never imagined that humans could be so warlike," Beelzebub, seated on the throne, looked at Schiller standing before him and said.

"Human beings who come to hell are always timid. Either they scream incessantly, unable to utter a word, or they curse vehemently, saying they should be in Heaven and that we devils are only sent by God to test them."

Beelzebub shook his head, then asked, "Actually, I've always been curious, why did you help Constantine repay his debts? As far as I know, he wasn't particularly good to his friends..."

Beelzebub lightly flicked his finger and said, "Just the Souls I received here that were killed by Constantine number at least a few hundred, but you're the only one who voluntarily wanted to repay his debts."

Schiller smiled and then shook his head, saying, "Because he's my friend, and I couldn't bear to see him continue to suffer from so many debts. I want to save him completely."

"Human beings are truly strange. When they hate someone, they curse them to hell, and when they love someone, they want to bring them to hell..." Beelzebub sighed.

"Your Majesty, if you have nothing else, I'll go check the border defenses and, by the way, reorganize the functions of the guard army, as well as the reconnaissance team that was sent out to investigate Astero's weaknesses, they should be returning soon..."

Beelzebub waved his hand, letting Schiller leave, and as he sat on the throne, he sighed again, "Humans may not necessarily be smarter than Demons, but when it comes to destruction, they are even more diligent than Demons."

As Beelzebub said, among Demons, there were strategists and intelligent individuals. Hell's smooth operation over the years wasn't solely reliant on luck. Among Demons, there were individuals with high intelligence or exceptional foresight, most of whom served renowned Demon Lords.

However, as Beelzebub lamented, Schiller might not necessarily be smarter than them, understanding how to manage Demon territories, but Schiller was much more diligent than them.

When Schiller arrived in hell and became the chief aide to various Demon Lords, a frenzy of competition erupted among Demon Lord's aides.

Demons also had emotions; as long as there were emotions, they definitely needed rest, relaxation, and entertainment. But Schiller didn't need any of that.

Because in a state of Soul, he didn't need to eat, drink, or rest. Schiller could work from morning till night, and then from night till morning again, without needing any entertainment to relax his mind. He could handle everything from internal affairs to external affairs, logistics to the frontline, managing every detail.

Normally, Demon Lords might worry about the other party wielding too much power and threatening their own status.

But on the one hand, Schiller was just a weak human. Even if his Soul fragment energy was more abundant than other humans, it couldn't compare to Demons'. Humans were unwilling and unable to become Lords in hell. The highest aspiration for humans was only Resurrection.

On the other hand, under Schiller's instigation, conflicts erupted everywhere. All major Demon Lords began tentative attacks. Almost in an instant, hell erupted into thousands of large and small wars.

During wartime, absolute power meant absolute efficiency. A steward who took on everything was more efficient than a manager who balanced multiple interests, making it easier to achieve results. With victory after victory, Demon Lords naturally preferred Schiller's handling style.

So, Schiller rose steadily within the Demon Lord's aide offices, also fueling a frenzy of competition among Demon strategists.

Vacation time? Nonexistent. Entertainment? A complete waste of time. Relaxation and rest? Suggesting rest at such a critical time would be disregarding His Majesty's great cause. In an emergency, if one couldn't give their all, work tirelessly, and devote themselves completely, how could they claim to be a Pope?!

The higher the efficiency, the more confident the Demon Lords became. With confidence came a smoother fighting style, and the more they won, the more they wanted to fight, and the more chaotic it became.

Initially, it was just friction in border areas, then it escalated to confrontations between border cities, and later, armies pressed against each other, inevitable clashes occurring.

Within just three days, the largest, most chaotic, and fiercest war in hell's history erupted.

And because the cause of the war was to seize the high tower located in the center of hell, it was later dubbed the Battle for the High Tower.

Schiller thrived under the Demon Lords' authority, but to Batman, who had also fallen into hell at the same time, it was a different story.

Since he and Schiller fell into hell at the same time, he landed not far from the high tower, but fortunately, he didn't land in the middle of the battlefield; instead, he landed on a more desolate hillside.

But he happened to witness countless Schillers surging out of the high tower and then being captured by Demon armies and taken in different directions.

To Batman, this was Schiller fulfilling his contracts with the Demons, using his Soul fragments to repay Constantine's debts.

In other words, those taken away Soul fragments were likely to be devoured, and after most of the Soul's power dissipated, the high tower would collapse, and Schiller's Soul would be completely consumed.

Standing on the hilltop, Batman slowly clenched his fists, looking at the ferocious and bloodthirsty Demon armies, his heart surging with only endless battle intent.

But considering his solitary situation, Batman gradually calmed down. He knew he had to formulate a plan to rescue all of Schiller's Soul fragments from these ferocious Demon Lords, a task that was destined to be perilous and lengthy.

But soon, he realized that this task was even more difficult than he had imagined.

Because as he descended the hill, among the rubble below, he saw the arrogant Schiller lying on the ground, the one he was most familiar with: Professor Schiller.

And at this moment, his face was pale, incredibly weak.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 970: Battle for the High Tower (Part Four)