Chapter 64: 64 The News Leaked Without Surprise

【Race: Tree Demon】

It seems these fellows' formal name isn't Treant.

The location where the Tree Demons reside is very far from the routes adventurers usually take.

Lin Jun truly didn't expect that there would be such a hidden emerald secret realm deep in the sixth layer.

Countless old tree roots crisscrossed on the ground, green moss covered the surface, spreading throughout the entire space.

And the Tree Demons had also merged their own roots into it.

Only when one big and two small Pujis suddenly burst in did they slowly pull their feet out of the mud.

Facing the intruders, the Tree Demons displayed very strong territorial awareness.

Several Tree Demons slowly surrounded them, the roots on their arms twisting, looking as if they would launch an attack at any moment.

The Tree Demons' heights varied from 2 to 3 meters, while ordinary Pujis were only 80cm, and Seeing Xiao Hei's mimicked large Pujis were only 1.5 meters.

When surrounded, it still looked quite oppressive.

Seeing Xiao Hei showed no sign of being threatened; instead, he enthusiastically pulled one fist backward, his chubby body leaning back like a drawn bow.

At the limit of the pull, his short legs exerted force, launching himself forward with full power.

Where he had originally stepped, a small pit exploded, splashing a large amount of mud onto the scales of the two Pujis behind him.

Before the sound of breaking the air arrived, the Tree Demon opposite had already suffered a heavy blow.

The Tree Demon's torso instantly burst into powder, while its relatively intact limbs flew outward in all directions; one severed arm pierced straight into the chest of another Tree Demon.

This was the first time Lin Jun had seen a Pujis' speed fast enough to create afterimages!

However, the Tree Demons seemed to know nothing of fear; facing Seeing Xiao Hei who had instantly killed a comrade, their offensive movements did not hesitate for a single instant.

Seven or eight roots climbed up from the ground, wrapping around Seeing Xiao Hei's two short legs, trying to restrict her speed.

【Entangle】

Lin Jun knew this move too.

This was also basically a standard skill for most plant-type monsters.

If the opponent of several Tree Demons using Entangle simultaneously were anyone else, even a Level 10 Werewolf, being wrapped up would still exert some restriction.

Unfortunately, this time they were facing Seeing Xiao Hei, a full Level 58, with attributes far exceeding those of a conventional super elite monster!

Simply taking a normal step, the roots entangled on his body all snapped.

One Tree Demon clasped its hands together, twisting branches into a large hammer, and smashed it onto Seeing Xiao Hei who did not dodge, yet couldn't even leave a mark on his black scales.

No technique, purely a numerical gap!

Seeing Xiao Hei was like a mischievous child, playing with the Tree Demons one by one in various ways until they broke.

Not carrying a shred of malice, simply satisfying his own desire to destroy.

After the last Tree Demon had its limbs removed, Seeing Xiao Hei was as if he had played enough.

He did not continue deeper into the Tree Demon forest, but turned around and returned the way he came.

Lin Jun controlled one Pujis to follow closely and leave, while the other Pujis stayed behind.

He looked at the moss symbiotic with the roots, then looked at the last Tree Demon whose limbs were broken but which was still alive.

The Pujis tried spraying spores around.

This place was temporarily not connected to the fungal network; spraying spores here could only let them grow on their own.

Lin Jun just wanted to try whether the mycelium could compete with this moss for living space.

The Tree Demons probably wouldn't let Slimes enter their territory; if his mushrooms could compete with the moss, then this place would be a natural fungal mat node.

Finding a few more places like this would make it much more convenient for him to expand downwards later.

After spraying the spores inside his body, this Pujis also turned back to chase Seeing Xiao Hei.

Seeing Xiao Hei indeed found the Tree Demons by sensing, not by knowing the way.

This guy got lost after walking only a couple of steps back...

In the end, it was only because Lin Jun's Pujis led the way that he was guided back to the main road.

Having played enough, Seeing Xiao Hei rubbed his stomach and looked at the two Pujis beside him who did not have 【Mana Storage】.

It was time to go back and eat.

"What good luck, we took care of that Flower Demon before it could react, didn't let it spray its paralyzing fluid. This whole bottle is enough for us to exchange for half a month's worth of wine..."

The conversation coming from afar suddenly stopped at the corner.

Four adventurers preparing to return, seeing the large black Pujis that shouldn't appear on the sixth layer, cautiously drew their weapons.

Among them was a handsome young man holding a short bow, wearing green clothes and a green hat.

Seeing Xiao Hei looked at him, and his body began to stretch backward...

!?

"Seeing Xiao Hei! Stop! This one won't work either!!!"

Bang—

—

Deep in the heart of the Hermit Empire, inside Twilight Castle.

Pale fingers swept across the armrest of the crystal throne; on both sides of the hall, twelve large magic crystals lit up one by one.

When the last crystal also glowed with a faint light, the giant prism suspended from the hall's dome suddenly refracted twelve scarlet beams of light.

Beneath each beam of light, a shadowy figure whose true face was unclear appeared.

"Eternal Night Prevails, everyone." The voice of the person on the throne echoed under the blood-red marble dome.

All the shadowy figures bowed in salute and replied: "The Empire Endures, My Lord."

The Lord of the Empire's gaze swept across the hall, noticing the single empty beam of light.

"Do you know what happened to Sigmund, Eleanor?"

"How would Sigmund let me track his movements, Your Majesty?"

From the third crystal on the right came a languid female voice—Eleanor's projection reclined on a couch piled with bones.

Her domain bordered Sigmund's, but clearly the two were not on good terms.

"Perhaps he foolishly fell into that human duke's trap again?"

"Last time he lost half his knight order; this time, he might even lose himself."

No one took Eleanor's last remark seriously—all present knew it was merely her "pleasant hope."

The last time a high-ranking imperial noble died at human hands was over a century ago.

"You'll be disappointed—I was merely delayed by a trivial matter. Unlike certain people, who managed to lose track of the Holy Scripture."

A figure, too robust to be a vampire, coalesced beneath the empty beam of light—Sigmund had clearly heard what Eleanor had just said.

"You!"

Ignoring Eleanor's outburst, Sigmund turned and bowed again to the Emperor: "May the Empire endure, my lord."

Eleanor seemed ready to continue arguing, but a light tap from the throne silenced her.

"The Holy Scripture can wait for now—this matter is the urgent priority."

As she spoke, a sealed letter written on parchment floated to the center of the hall, displaying its contents to all the high nobles present—and immediately sparked heated debate.

"A summoning ritual…"

"The Hero…"

"The Western Isles are helping them gather supplies too…"

"If they truly summon him, what will happen to us…"

"The Demon Lord has already…"

"We must not let them succeed—we should act now…"

As the murmurs faded, the shadow nearest the throne's left side spoke up:

"My lord, how reliable is this intelligence? What are your plans?"

The Emperor glanced approvingly at his right hand—the Empire's only two Princes—and replied:

"The authenticity is beyond doubt."

"As for my plans?"

"If humans wish to summon a Hero, let them summon him."

"I'd like to see how despairing they'll be when the Hero they spent so much time and effort summoning is killed on the spot."

"Your meaning is?"

"Eleanor, Oakes—this task is well within your capabilities."

"Yes." The two named immediately rose and responded.

After they sat down, the Emperor continued:

"When the United Kingdom expends vast resources only to obtain a Hero's corpse, their morale will shatter."

"Then we divide and conquer—they will collapse without a single blow."

"Your Majesty is wise—but what if they fail? What then?" The question came again from the Prince.

"What do you mean?"

"Even a Prince cannot insult me like this!"

Both offended parties spoke out at once, but the Emperor silenced them with a single gesture.

"If they fail… then we launch war immediately, at any cost, and never let humans reach the day the Hero rises."

The cold, unyielding tone left no room for dissent.

"We obey your will."

Twelve shadows vanished in unison, leaving the vast hall empty except for the original figure.

Silence endured for a long time.

A whisper, barely audible, drifted from the throne:

"In time, it will be proven—I am the Demon Clan's most perfect ruler."

(End of Chapter)