BXBX NOVEL Chapter 326: Stroll
Even if humans were to step foot into this place once more, it\'s impossible for them to find any traces of the old civilization left. It has been a very long time, after all. And the continent has long since fallen under the corruption of demons.
According to ancient history, Azure Terra and the Lost Continent were the two great continents of Prime Earth, yes, but there were smaller islands out there somewhere in between. In addition, the Lost Continent wasn\'t originally that far from each other. History becomes blurry at this point because there isn\'t any information as to why the Lost Continent ended up on the other side of the planet.
As for the smaller landmasses, well, they\'ve been swallowed by the raging seas at this point, sunken to the depths of the oceans. With how turbulent and scary the waters of Prime Earth have become after the demonic corruption, it\'d be a miracle if these smaller lands were still able to exist.
Currently, Cedric was strolling the lands of the Lost Continent. He looked as if he\'d been walking in his backyard. He didn\'t mind the putrid strench of corruption or the number of demons crawling in here. He walked in the air as if it were a flat surface while observing the scenery below.
Truth be told, there was absolutely no need for him to be here. He just needed to barely try, and he would see everything he wanted to see anywhere in this world, no matter where he was, thanks to the absurd range of his perception.
But he\'s bored, and the scenery of Azure Terra has grown old to him. His girls were busy with other things, and he absolutely had nothing to do. He didn\'t feel like cultivating either since he would hardly make any progress in this world, so he decided to stretch his legs instead.
\'Uh, huh, just as I thought...\' Cedric mused to himself as he continued surveying the lands below. \'The army\'s going to have a more difficult time reclaiming this continent.\'
The sheer number of demons he saw here was one thing. What truly hinders any possible advances in the near future is the environment here.
Just like the seas, the Lost Continent had been corrupted and was left undisturbed for far too long. This resulted in a steady development that allowed the demons to truly convert this continent into a hellish place.
No regular human could ever possibly hope to last for an entire day in this wretched place, even if they were given all the modern equipment to stave off the influence of corruption, simply because the level of corruption here was at an entirely different level.
At the very least, Azure Terra was under Acala\'s subconscious protection even while she was injured and asleep. The efforts of humans also slowed down the plans of demons to further develop, which also prevented the land from becoming too corrupted.
The Lost Continent didn\'t have this kind of protection, though. It also drifted too far, making it impossible for humans to do something about its situation.
Whether it\'s above, below, or in between, the level of demonic corruption here is truly maddening. Cedric could see towers that produce even more corruption to dissipate amidst the lands; he could see the depravity and insanity of the demons roaming at the surface.
Mountains have turned into nests, rivers were stained with blood and corruption, trees and plants were spared and demonized, and even the very soil couldn\'t escape.
Cedric fought the urge to just sink this land to the bottom of the ocean once and for all. Honestly, having one Azure Terra is enough for humans right now; they have no need for a place like this. If the need arises, Cedric is fairly sure that he could just make a new continent for their use, so really, there\'s absolutely no need for the Lost Continent\'s existence.
He held himself back from doing this, though. He\'s tempted, but he knows he couldn\'t. Cedric knows that this will be the ultimate test for his people. If they could reclaim this continent as well as the seas without relying on him too much, it would be beneficial for his long-term plans for them.
As for the pirate fleet outside, it\'s no big deal. So long as the Purgatory Realm exists, no one from the outside would dare do anything drastic. If they do, Cedric doesn\'t mind teaching them a harsh lesson.
\'But I gotta say, this lazy ape is really fucking ugly. It looks stupid too.\'
Cedric sneered as he stared at the giant ape, who also happens to bear the crest of a sloth on its chest. This was one of the seven deadly sins, and he is a demon king too.
However, unlike the Bone Dragon of Wrath, Cedric knew that this ape was far stronger. If it becomes active or properly motivated, it will undeniably erupt like an active volcano. If it tries hard enough, this ape alone could revert humanity to the Stone Age.
But as much as he praised it for its potential, Cedric was also disdainful of it. Sure, he couldn\'t blame it for carrying the crest that repesents the decadency of laziness but for the fact that, despite being obviously strong, the ape completely allowed itself to be influenced by the insignia.
A few minutes of direct observation allowed Cedric to analyze the pros and cons of the Insignia of Sin. Sure, it will boost their strength and status, but it will also erode their minds. Cedric could immediately guess that this ape wasn\'t originally like this. He had seen this kind before, and they were at least ten times more energetic than this one.
The insignia had an overwhelming influence on the possessor\'s mentality; it also forced them to adhere to the rules of the sin just so that they could tap into the well of its power.
In short, the insignia of sins turns the target into a mere servant or a slave for power.
However, this doesn\'t lessen the threat this ape possesses. No, it is still very dangerous. But in Cedric\'s opinion, exchanging one\'s freedom and dignity for a slight increase in strength wasn\'t worth it. He disdains this kind of trade.
Apart from the Sin of Sloth, Cedric also found the Sin of Envy nearby.
However, unlike the Sloth, Envy was more useful, for lack of a better term.
He could sense that Envy had some resistance to the insignia. She hasn\'t become completely reliant on or obsessed with it. On the surface, it might look like she does, but deep down, Cedric knows that she can still think clearly. Simply put, there\'s more to her than what she shows.
Cedric could feel her wariness, and her perception was quite sharp too. He knows that she hasn\'t sensed his presence at all, yet she\'s completely guarded. It\'s not specifically aimed at him but more at what\'s above this planet.
For some reason, Envy was guarding herself against her own people, especially the ones that were outside the planet.
Cedric had no idea why she was like this. He could vaguely tell that there should be a deeper reason for this, but he couldn\'t pry too much.
Sure, he could just walk right up to her, scan her memories, and make her forget about the interaction altogether, but he didn\'t feel any real need to do so.
He\'s merely curious, that\'s all. It\'s not to the point where he would do a dirty deed just to get to the bottom of it just yet.
Aside from Sloth and Envy, there weren\'t any other of the deadly sins here. Wrath has been killed, and the rest obviously remain on the pirate fleet. This, however, doesn\'t mean that these two are the strongest resistance his people will encounter here.
Cedric saw a particularly sinister demon slumbering at the core depths of the Lost Continent. Actually, there\'s a handful of them, but this one was the most dangerous; even his girls would need to be serious when handling it.
And this isn\'t mentioning the underwater creatures...
Cedric sensed the existence of a humongous whale, a kraken, and a sea serpent that had grown to a horrifying degree without their knowledge. If any one of these creatures decides to go on land for some reason, humanity will truly be in a very dangerous situation without him.
\'Well, that\'s enough for today\'s sight-seeing.\' Cedric muttered to himself, growing bored once more.
Due to his strength growing out of proportion as each day passed, he figured that this boredom would become a regular occurrence for him. But that\'s fine; he\'d much rather be strong and bored than weak but thrilled.
Taking one step forward, Cedric disappeared from the Lost Continent and returned to Azure Terra. He didn\'t go home for now; instead, he disguised himself as a regular person. He donned a fake identity and began walking amongst the common folk, allowing himself to bask in simplicity.
At the very least, this kind of activity can relieve him of his boredom.