Lord of the Sky City

Rocky naturally welcomed the arrival of the Mairente Family with utmost enthusiasm, even personally leading Thunderhawk City to greet them. He even hosted a grand ball at the City Lord's Mansion as a welcoming ceremony.

However, his actions raised some doubts among those around him. Many felt he might have gone too far, especially since Karina was actually Rocky's most trusted partner compared to the Mairente Family, yet she had never received such a warm welcome. This made people worry that Rocky's excessive enthusiasm for the Mairente Family might provoke Karina's dissatisfaction.

Still, Rocky was no longer a solitary figure. Since he was seeking support from Karina and the Mairente Family, he had to carefully weigh and consider many things.

But Rocky completely disregarded these concerns. His answer was simple: Karina would understand.

Indeed, Karina did understand. Not only did she not feel jealous or displeased over Rocky's warm reception toward the Mairente Family, but she was secretly pleased. After all, the grandeur of the welcome showcased Rocky's hospitality and attitude toward guests. However, Karina was not merely a guest—she and Rocky were "their own people." This distinction alone was enough to elevate her status.

The day after the ball concluded, Rocky officially met with Cyril.

"Is everything settled with the Allied Forces?"

In the study, Rocky and Cyril sat across from each other, sipping tea and chatting casually.

"Don't worry. I didn't escape to come here."

"Even if you did escape, that would be fine. As long as you're here with me, the Allied Forces won't dare cause trouble."

With just one sentence, Rocky displayed his powerful confidence and formidable strength. Indeed, with his solid foundation in Backhill Village coupled with his unparalleled abilities, it was impossible for the Allied Forces to confront him without dispatching a significant main force—which they clearly wouldn't do without reason.

"What about the Great Demon? Has it been destroyed?"

Mentioning the Allied Forces, Rocky naturally brought up the matter of Great Demon Yami, which was the issue he had been most concerned about since returning to Backhill Village. Unfortunately, the Shadow Alliance had not disclosed a single detail about it. Now, Rocky seized the opportunity to ask Cyril, who had just left the Allied Forces.

"No… it didn't work…"

Hearing his inquiry, Cyril shook her head helplessly.

The reason why the Shadow Alliance stayed silent was simple: the Allied Forces had failed to kill Great Demon Yami.

After Rocky left Mist Mountain City, the Allied Forces launched their most intense offensive against Mist Mountain since the war began. More than ten large-scale Sky Cities, tens of thousands of warships, and over ten thousand Void Magic Warriors were deployed to this operation to eliminate the Great Demon.

The battle was exceedingly brutal, to the extent that Mist Mountain itself was leveled. Yet, the Great Demon was not so easily defeated. Faced with an offensive of such magnitude, Great Demon Yami's counterattack was astonishingly fierce, enveloping the entire Mist Mountain City in dense fog after transforming into his vaporous form. The fog extended across almost the entire Mist Mountain region, completely cloaking it.

Moreover, Yami, capable of manipulating the fog to create endless transformations, effectively became an immense army all on his own. He could morph into countless clones and single-handedly engage the Allied Forces' main troops for a full week. During this time, he decimated three Sky Cities, thousands of warships, and thousands more Void Magic Warriors, causing the Allied Forces their most severe casualties since the war began.

However, while inflicting heavy losses on the Allied Forces, Yami himself suffered serious injuries as well—for the Allied Forces possessed a secret weapon against him.

"Oh? What weapon?"

"I'm not sure. But rumors say it's an elemental weapon resembling the Elemental Technology you've mastered, developed by the Magic Energy Research Institute specifically for dealing with Great Demons."

"Is that so?"

Upon hearing this, Rocky paused for a moment, then nodded in realization. It seemed the Magic Energy Research Institute hadn't been idle; they had also been secretly researching Elemental Technology.

This wasn't surprising. Anyone acquainted with the Magic Energy Domain would know that Elemental Technology was the focal point of next-generation Mana Technology. Even Uranus Corporation was pursuing its development. Standing at the pinnacle of technological research, how could the Magic Energy Research Institute remain indifferent? From the look of things, it seemed that if Rocky hadn't risen unexpectedly, the Magic Energy Research Institute might have been leading the Elemental Technology field.

Understanding this, Rocky no longer dwelled on the matter and continued listening to Cyril.

According to Cyril, the Allied Forces had long been prepared for the emergence of Great Demons. Armed with extensive and comprehensive data on them, their preparations were precise—contingency plans were devised for nearly every one of the Thirty-three Great Demons.

Under these circumstances, the Allied Forces unveiled their secret weapon. Despite heavy losses, they severely wounded Great Demon Yami, ultimately forcing him to flee.

Technically, the battle wasn't a loss for the Allied Forces—rather, it was a victory, as Yami had been driven away. But considering the Allied Forces' recent sluggish progress in the Myriad Snakes Region, coupled with the heavy casualties inflicted during the battle, they decided against having the Shadow Alliance reveal this to their supporters in the rear.

"So, Yami has fled the Myriad Snakes Region?"

Upon hearing Cyril's account, Rocky nodded, concluding that it was only a matter of time before the Allied Forces secured the Myriad Snakes Region. With Great Demon Yami defeated, the ordinary demons in the region would no longer pose a significant threat.

However, Cyril shook her head again: "Yami didn't leave. Instead, he regrouped the demons and launched large-scale counterattacks against the Allied Forces."

"Oh?"

Rocky frowned at this unexpected response and began questioning more thoroughly. Unfortunately, Cyril was unaware of the finer details, as she had already led her family away from the Allied Forces by that time.

Since Cyril couldn't provide further specifics, Rocky sank into contemplation for a long while before speaking again:

"Cyril, have you ever heard of the Gana Tribe?"

"Gana Tribe? No, never heard of it…"

Surprised by Rocky's sudden question, Cyril paused for a moment, thinking hard before ultimately shaking her head in confusion. She had no idea what he was referring to.

Of course, she wouldn't understand, as Rocky himself didn't fully grasp it either. He didn't know much about the Gana Tribe or what kind of people they were—truthfully, he had never even heard of them before. He had only learned of the name during his first encounter with Yami at the Mist Mountain Altar.

Rocky remembered vividly: Yami had explicitly told him that the altar atop Mist Mountain was built for him by the Gana Tribe.

Initially, Rocky hadn't paid too much attention to this remark, but now, upon reflection, it seemed suspicious and intriguing. This prompted him to ask Cyril about it. After all, Cyril, as the Clan Leader of a major family, knew many secrets and hidden histories. Perhaps she had heard of the Gana Tribe. Yet, her ignorance of the matter made it all seem even stranger...