Chapter 151: The Demon King Said Let There Be Light

The fourth layer of the labyrinth, the forest outside Misty Town.

Helen, standing on a tree, was looking expressionlessly at the noisy goblins pouring into the forest in the distance, her cold eyes filled with disgust.

Truly a bunch of ugly things.

If it weren't for the fact that these guys were the servants of the Demon King, she probably would have been unable to resist casting a spell to turn this bunch of vermin into fertilizer for the forest.

Sitting on a branch on the side, holding the back of her head with both hands, Sherry was leisurely swinging her little legs, saying in a chatty tone.

"Ever since Lord Demon King came, our forest has truly become more and more lively."

Hearing her sister's voice, Helen said expressionlessly.

"To the point that I even started to doubt if this is correct."

Sherry turned her face in surprise to look at her sister; she remembered that her sister had previously admired that Demon King from the Hell Demon Capital very much.

Especially after hearing the theory of "photosynthesis" and that "all things are composed of tiny cells," her admiration for His Majesty the Demon King was simply like the surging river...

As a result, in just the blink of an eye, her filter for His Majesty the Demon King seemed to have shattered all over the ground.

However, Sherry could also understand her sister's dissatisfaction.

The Misty Forest had withered to its current state, and resources were already very scarce, and now there was another new neighbor, and the already insufficient resources were almost visibly not enough to go around.

It wasn't just her sister who opposed it; many young people in the clan had quite a few complaints about this, just fearing the majesty of the Demon King and not discussing it publicly.

Including their father, who had worried a lot about this matter.

However, even so, Sherry was still very optimistic.

After all, Lord Demon King said that it wouldn't be long before the Misty Forest would return to light.

And once sunlight shone into the forest, under their care, this dead and silent forest would soon recover its vitality.

If it were the Misty Forest in its heyday, let alone accommodating one goblin tribe, it could accommodate ten goblin tribes with ease.

Watching those short figures disappear into the depths of the forest, Helen hung the two-handed staff in her hand behind her back, her voice cold.

"They had better pray not to offend me... otherwise I will definitely not be polite to this bunch of guys."

Feeling the coldness in that tone, Sherry, sitting on the side, couldn't help but shiver.

"I don't think so, after all, they seem to still listen to the Demon King very much."

Helen snorted coldly.

"Better so."

At the same time that Helen and Sherry were monitoring the goblins entering the designated area to set up camp, Tyrell, the leader of the Gray Wind tribe, was standing in an open space in the forest, quietly waiting for something.

Not knowing how long he had been waiting, a breeze blew slowly through the forest.

The withered wooden staff in Tyrell's hand twisted slightly, emitting a creaking sound while spitting out a hoarse whisper.

"It's here."

Tyrell's expression tightened upon hearing this.

And at the same time, a burly and robust figure walked out from under the shadows of the forest.

That was an orc.

The knotted muscles supported the rough leather armor on his body until it was bulging, and the animal-skin battle robe draped over his broad shoulders was like a battle flag hanging on a flagpole!

On his back was a huge double-edged battle axe, and shocking scars crawled all over his deep green skin and the axe blade, which was as heavy as a city gate.

Looking at Tyrell standing at the cave entrance, the corners of his mouth, with tusks curling up, split into a ferocious smile, just like a tiger seeing a sheep.

"Long time no see, leader of the Gray Wind tribe, Tyrell Moonblade."

Looking at that orc warrior standing at the cave entrance, Tyrell only felt a huge pressure rushing toward his face, making him unable to help but grip the withered wooden staff in his hand tightly.

It was also thanks to the support of that withered wooden staff that he didn't show an unseemly expression, and said with a normal expression.

"Long time no see... Grack Bloodblade, we meet again."

Grack Bloodblade!

One of the Demon Generals under Regi Dragong, and also one of the four remaining Demon Generals, whose strength was suspected to have reached the peak of the Platinum tier, second only to Regi Dragong himself!

As the leader of the Bloodblade clan, currently he and his clansmen were occupying the sixth to ninth layer areas of the labyrinth, which was one of the most formidable forces beneath the surface of Thunder County today!

Ever since the fall of Regi Dragong, demons had been fighting each other and warlords had been carving up the labyrinth... As the leaders of their respective tribes, they hadn't had face-to-face contact like this for a long time.

Looking at Tyrell, who was trying to remain calm, the smile on Grack's face couldn't help but become playful, and a trace of disdain gradually appeared in his eyes.

Although this guy's strength was above Kasen Skull-Crusher and was suspected to have reached the peak of the Gold tier, he still appreciated the latter a bit more.

And this was also the reason why he supported that ogre to become the leader of the upper layers of the labyrinth.

Of course, that Kasen Skull-Crusher would defect to Chaos was something he hadn't expected, but that was a matter for later.

"Let's skip the pleasantries; our Bloodblade clan doesn't go in for that."

Grack looked up and scanned the surroundings, but didn't see the Demon King's shadow, and then said in a tone with a trace of mockery.

"Speaking of which, where is our Demon King? He called us over, so why is he hiding himself?"

Just yesterday, the messenger sent by the Demon King to his palace invited him to go to the fourth layer of the labyrinth to discuss the future of the underground labyrinth of Thunder County.

If it were before, he wouldn't have bothered with the Demon King's invitation at all; after all, he and his clansmen had finally gained independence, and he had no interest in being ridden on top of his head by that inexplicable guy again.

However, unfortunately, the Gate of Chaos was currently open above his head, so even if he didn't want to give the Demon King face, he had to worry about the threat of the Chaos invasion.

Just as his voice fell, a light laugh suddenly came from the forest.

"Truly rude, what kind of thing are you, worthy of letting Lord Demon King wait for you here in advance?"

Grack narrowed his eyes and looked, only to see a little demon sitting on a tree branch not far away.

She was wearing a white western dress dotted with red ribbons, and a head of fiery red hair was like a burning flame.

Those scarlet eyes made him feel familiar, but that slightly immature face was clearly not the same person.

Grack guessed something, and a look of realization appeared on his face.

"I was wondering who it was, so it turns out to be the follower behind that Cassie... It seems that after she died, you replaced her."

Cassie was the previous queen of the Nightmare Homeland, and also one of the Demon Generals under Regi Dragong.

Grack had some impression of that guy, although the impression wasn't very good, only remembering that she was a guy who wouldn't stop making noise.

Thinking of this, he suddenly grinned and said in a sinister tone.

"Do you want to know how she died? I saw it with my own eyes; a group of musketeers shot her and her little cubs down from the sky, then tore off her wings, and skewered her and her little cubs on spears. That scene was truly spectacular, it's a pity I didn't bring a recording crystal, otherwise I would definitely have recorded it for you to see... let you see the end of selling your life for the Demon King."

Tyrell was expressionless; such things were all too normal in war, and most of the captured Night Elves were treated this way, or were burned to death at the stake.

However, hearing that vivid description, Cici was instantly furious, and a pair of scarlet eyes shot out murderous light.

"You guy..."

Grack ignored her.

Just a little demon, at most Bronze tier, two tiers lower than his strength; if they really fought, he could even let her use one hand—

However, just at this moment, a hair-raising feeling suddenly crawled up his back and spread to his whole body.

The instinct honed through hundreds of battles made him alert!

Grack's eyes narrowed slightly, and he suddenly saw countless scarlet eyes lighting up under the shadows of the forest.

The number was at least a thousand!

"... Yo, such a grand welcoming ceremony to greet me, should I feel honored?" Grack raised his hand and gripped the double-edged battle axe on his back, his arrogant smile unchanged, but he became wary in his heart.

A little demon was nothing to fear.

But hundreds or thousands were another matter!

Cici, sitting on the tree branch, sneered, playing with her nails, and said unhurriedly.

"Please don't misunderstand, Lord Demon King didn't prepare such a grand welcoming ceremony for you, it's just that my subordinates don't want to leave my side for a minute, no matter where I go, they follow."

Grack mocked.

"Heh, a bunch of wild dogs."

Cici narrowed her cold pupils slightly.

"Believe it or not, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Both sides were at daggers drawn, and the atmosphere dropped to freezing point!

Tyrell, standing on the side, was indifferent, just watching coldly, neither stepping forward to persuade them to stop fighting nor saying anything.

Intuition told him that the two sides wouldn't fight.

As for the foul mouth—

That was just the daily routine of Hell.

Just then, the earth under everyone's feet suddenly trembled, and the surrounding forest swayed lightly.

A chill struck with the wind blowing through the forest, and a layer of frost formed on the black soil at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Grack narrowed his eyes slightly, moved his gaze away from the little demon's face, and looked in the direction the cold wind was blowing.

Trees were pushed over, the earth was trampled, and a huge stag beetle emerged from the mist with a burly figure!

That deep blue carapace was like a moving city wall, and the thick, long horns were like ivory!

In front of this towering giant beast, even Grack, who was all lumps of meat, was like a grasshopper beside an elephant.

Milky white mist drifted from its mouthparts, and in just a short while, its surroundings had become a world of silver.

"Valgull... I didn't expect you to receive an invitation too." Grack grinned and moved his hand away from the giant axe on his back.

"Cold Iron Demon General" Valgull!

Ruler of the 11th to 17th layers of the labyrinth! Lord of the Cold Ice Sanctuary! Leader of the Frost clan!

Although this guy's strength was only in the mid-Platinum tier, its performance on the battlefield was something even he had to bow down to.

Of course.

A one-on-one fight was another matter.

Facing the whistling cold wind, the little demons hiding in the trees shivered with cold, especially Hearing You You and Mixi, whose snot was almost falling out, and they kept sniffing.

A trace of annoyance flashed in Cici's eyes, but looking at this big guy, she didn't know how to deal with it, so she could only endure the dissatisfaction in her heart.

The mountain-like body stood tall, and the eyes under the carapace moved.

Valgull glanced at Grack, then moved his eyes away, his cold voice without a ripple.

"I came to see the Demon King, where is he."

The Frost clan and the Bloodblade clan were not allies.

Or to be more precise, it had no interest in the world outside the Cold Ice Sanctuary and just wanted to live its own life.

If it weren't for the Gate of Chaos, it wouldn't have appeared here either. It wasn't just him who had such thoughts; a soft voice drifted from the shadows of the forest not far away, along with the rustling sound of a skirt sweeping over fallen leaves.

"I also want to ask this question... the 'Lord Demon King' who called me here, why is he not seen himself?"

That was a bewitchingly beautiful witch. She had pale skin, purple eyes, pterosaur-like wings, and a slender figure.

A dark purple robe embraced her slender shoulders, and the open collar crossed the deep cleavage down to her navel. A light two-handed staff was held in her right hand, shaped like a whip and also like a thorn.

Upon seeing this woman, a trace of wariness that hadn't been there before appeared in Grack's eyes, and his just-relaxed nerves tightened again involuntarily.

"Thorn Demon General" Branshia!

Platinum tier Pain Demon!

Like him, this guy was once one of the right-hand men of Regi Dragong, and also the most notorious one.

As a Pain Demon, she used the pain and wailing of others as spiritual food, and to achieve her goal, she didn't spare any means, and could be called unscrupulous.

Grack didn't like this guy.

Especially when Regi Dragong was still alive, he and she had competed for the position of Lord of the Desperate City on the tenth layer of the labyrinth, and in the end, Regi Dragong chose her.

Currently, the tenth layer of the labyrinth was still ruled by her.

Judging only by the number of layers, the territory she ruled was indeed not as good as his, but if comparing the quality of the territory, I'm afraid all the other layers of the labyrinth combined couldn't compare to that piece of land!

That place was simply a "Little Thunder City".

Countless demons and demon humans lived there, and it possessed rich resources and wealth that other monsters could hardly imagine!

The two had always been on bad terms, and had even fought each other more than once; a few times when they fought too hard, Valgull still had to come forward to mediate.

But now, they, who had always looked down on each other, seemed to be standing in the same camp again—facing that Demon King from the Hell Demon Capital together.

"... Even the Lord of the Desperate City has come; it seems this Demon King has invited everyone he could," Grack grinned and suddenly shouted toward the sky, "Come out, Thanos, I know you are here!"

The sky did not respond to him.

However, soon, a slow and deliberate voice came from not far behind him.

"I am indeed here, but why are you shouting at the sky? I don't fly."

Hearing that voice, Grack turned his head suddenly, only to see a gentleman wearing a pitch-black evening dress standing under a tree not far away.

His skin was blue-gray, like a tombstone in a graveyard; he had horns on his head, but no demon tail or wings.

As a half-breed of Shadow Demon and Orc, he only had half demon blood in his body, while the other half was orc blood similar to Grack's.

"Shadow Demon General" Thanos!

King who rules the night!

He was the last of the four remaining Demon Generals, and also the one Grack considered the most threatening, occupying the Demon King Palace on the eighteenth layer of the labyrinth!

Unlike the visible pressure of Valgull, the pressure he brought was invisible, like a dagger hidden in the dark night.

When the war between the labyrinth and the surface humans was at its most intense, many powerful human knights and nobles died at his hands, to the point that the nobles of the Ryan Kingdom would change color whenever his name was mentioned!

When the war entered the white-hot stage, he even obeyed the Demon King's order to assassinate Grand Duke Campbell, who possessed Diamond tier strength!

Although it ended in failure in the end, being able to retreat unscathed after a failed assassination was enough to explain his strength!

It was precisely because of this that although his strength was only in the mid-Platinum tier, no one dared to underestimate him. Whether it was Grack, who was an orc, or Branshia, who was a pure-blooded demon!

The four Demon Generals gathered on the fourth layer of the labyrinth!

However, the Demon King who called them here had not appeared for a long time, and those who arrived were just a few insignificant "small fries".

Thanos scanned the surroundings, curled his lips lightly, and a trace of disdain was clearly on his face.

"... It seems I am wasting my time."

Leaving this sentence, he looked at Tyrell, the leader of the Gray Wind tribe, and said in a tone that was clearly arrogant.

"Since your Demon King hasn't prepared yet, let's wait until he is prepared before we talk frankly."

"I think so too," Branshia smiled lightly, her crescent-like eyebrows charming and cold, "But I hope that next time we meet, he can bring some sincerity."

"Oh?" Grack Bloodblade chuckled and said in a tone of feigned ignorance, "I'm very curious, what kind of sincerity do you expect?"

"I don't know, it depends on him," Branshia said with a smile, "However... if he is willing to issue a written contract, promising to maintain the current status quo of the labyrinth, and recognize the independence of the Desperate City, I think that's a good idea."

"My opinion is the same; if the Demon King is willing to recognize the independence of the Frost clan, the Frost clan can also recognize him as the Demon King." Valgull spat out a white mist condensed with frost, and a dull and hoarse voice came from its huge, opening and closing mouthparts.

Thanos, standing in the shadows, didn't speak, just quietly crossed his arms, but the expression on his face clearly recognized the rhetoric of these few "colleagues".

In fact, it didn't matter even if the Demon King didn't recognize their legitimacy over the territory; Hell, which followed the law of the jungle, had always respected strength, and whoever had the bigger fist was the truth.

They had already formed a de facto partition.

If the Demon King chose to show his cards with them, they would just tear their faces off.

However, in Thanos's view, the probability of this situation happening was not high.

After all, if they really tore their faces off, what the Demon King would lose would not just be the territory, but he might also lose the trust of the Demon Capital and be placed in a passive position.

The above was entirely Thanos's own reasoning.

And in fact, this was far from reality.

They didn't know that the Demon Capital had actually long expected their separation, and just sent a new Demon King with the idea of giving it a try.

If this Demon King succeeded, that would naturally be a happy ending for everyone; if he didn't succeed, no one would blame him, after all, everyone knew that was a hot piece of magma rock.

The demons present each had their own thoughts.

Cici stared at them with a solemn expression, and although she remained calm on the surface, she couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for Lord Demon King in her heart.

These guys didn't take the Demon God's appointment seriously at all!

Wanting to make them submit, I'm afraid it wouldn't be an easy thing...

Tyrell was still standing indifferently, holding that withered wooden staff like a dead snake, seemingly weighing something, and also seemingly waiting for something.

Based on his understanding of Luo Yan, he believed he wouldn't do things without preparation.

Since he had summoned these four Demon Generals, it was impossible that it was just to take a look at them; he must have prepared the cards he wanted to play.

The only thing uncertain now was that he didn't know which card Luo Yan intended to play.

Before this, Luo Yan hadn't revealed anything to him. And looking at that little demon sitting on the tree branch, it seemed that the latter was also completely in the dark.

Just as Tyrell was pondering in his heart, clear footsteps suddenly came again from the silent forest.

Thanos raised his head first and looked in the direction the footsteps came from, only to see a tall, burly terror demon wearing heavy armor walking toward this side.

Thanos's eyes narrowed slightly, and he always felt that the face looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere.

Pairs of gazes focused on that terror demon.

The first to break the silence was Branshia, a trace of a playful smile in her eyes, saying in a teasing voice.

"And who is this?"

That terror demon raised his chin, releasing his innate pressure while looking at her with a majestic and stern gaze.

"My name is Hino Dragong; you should be able to guess who I am."

Hino Dragong!

Upon hearing the surname Dragong, the four Demon Generals present were all stunned, and different shapes of surprise flickered in their pupils.

And it wasn't just the four Demon Generals; Tyrell and Cici also had looks of surprise on their faces, looking at the terror demon in front of them in disbelief.

"... Are you the new Demon King?" Thanos stared at that terror demon without blinking, his straight gaze like a sharp sword, shaking with suspicion.

Hino Dragong looked back at him without dodging, raising his chin and saying.

"I am not the Demon King; the Demon King here is Luo Yan, and I... am his minion."

This sentence consumed a lot of his spiritual power.

If it weren't for the fact that someone wanted to "see his performance," he would never have let this sentence pop out of his mouth.

"Where is that Luo Yan?" Branshia asked immediately.

Hino looked at her and replied.

"He has already been here."

"Been here?"

Thanos's pupils contracted slightly, his gaze subconsciously wandering around.

This is impossible!

Even Lord Regi Dragong couldn't approach his vicinity without him noticing, and leave without a trace!

Intuition told him that the Demon King must be bluffing, but thinking of something that had happened before, he wasn't so sure anymore.

After all, that guy was able to slip away from under the nose of Grand Duke Campbell...

He was clear about it.

That guy had just landed at the victory ceremony in Thunder City, and from the timeline, he might even have crossed paths with Grand Duke Campbell who was patrolling the street!

"He is very disappointed in you."

Hino Dragong looked at him, and then looked at the other three Demon Generals—"Bloodblade Demon General" Grack, "Cold Iron Demon General" Valgull, and "Thorn Demon General" Branshia.

Looking at those pairs of eyes with different expressions, he said in a disappointed tone.

"Even though the Gate of Chaos has opened above your heads, you are still chattering about those fly-like interests. And I finally understand why my father lost to those human things on the surface. He certainly had things he didn't do well, but the root of the problem was you guys, each with your own ulterior motives!"

That loud voice echoed in the empty forest.

As the voice fell, the mist-shrouded forest was silent, leaving only the rustling sound of leaves.

Watching the silent demons, Hino slowly raised his head and looked at the dome in the sky,

"However, that Lord still intends to fulfill his promise, before he leaves."

"Wait, what does leaving mean?!" Cici, sitting on the tree branch, widened her eyes, almost falling from the tree.

Thanos also showed a look of surprise.

Leaving?

Wait—

In other words, Hell intends to abandon this place?!

Grack's eyes were uncertain, and Branshia's eyes were filled with shock.

Hino didn't bother with that little demon who was making a fuss, because the lines Luo Yan gave him didn't include this sentence.

Using a tone with a trace of solemnity, he recited devoutly.

"He once said—"

"To let the moonlight shine back into here."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 152 =====