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Chapter 119, 118, The Land of Swords; Gu Yuan: I've Become a Hero?

Demon King's Castle, Audience Hall.

Shurahart knelt on one knee, head bowed, reporting the unbelievable battle report.

The tapping sound on the armrests of the throne abruptly stopped.

"You mean the experts I sent out were all dealt with by a human who suddenly appeared and killed them?"

The Demon King's voice was deep and unreadable, each syllable like ice striking the ground: "Do you think I should believe you?"

"Just one, a human being."

He uttered the sentence almost in short phrases, his laughter filled with absurdity and a sense of being offended.

Livale was a fierce general who could slaughter an entire nation with his bare hands. He was a demon general who forged the legend of "killing ten thousand men" in the northern snowfields!

How could it be? How could it be that three battle-hardened elites were wiped out like dust by an unknown human?!

"Shurahat".

The Demon King's voice, carrying an indescribable pressure, crashed down like a mountain: "If you foresaw your failure, I will not blame you."

"But if we give false information—"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the unspoken threat was more terrifying than any specific description of torture.

Shurahart took a deep breath of the cold air and forced himself to lift his head.

He met those unfathomable, blood-red eyes that sat atop the throne, his voice firm:

"Your Majesty, I may have concealed other matters, but this one is absolutely true."

"I have repeatedly confirmed all the future possibilities before I dared to report to you."

He paused, then added with difficulty:

"After hundreds of thousands of retrospective observations of the future, I can conclude that Livale's death was inevitable."

"The person who killed him was named—"

"I don't need to know his name!" the Demon King abruptly interrupted, his voice rising and then falling, becoming increasingly icy. "I only want to know why he lost? Why, in all the countless futures you've observed before, have you never seen this variable?!"

"......"

A bead of cold sweat finally slid down Shurahart's forehead.

He knew that His Majesty was teetering on the brink of rage, and that any misstep could have devastating consequences.

His mind raced, and finally, the most reasonable yet helpless explanation surfaced, his voice becoming hoarse:

"Yes—Goddess."

"Only the power of a goddess could so perfectly interfere with my glimpse into the future."

"Only with the blessing of the goddess could a human unleash power sufficient to kill Rivale and his men."

"goddess?"

The Demon King let out a cold snort, "It's her again. The score from two hundred years ago hasn't been settled yet—so, in your opinion, how do you plan to get the future back on track?"

"......"

Seeing that Shurahat lowered his head and remained silent, the Demon King narrowed his sharp, blood-red eyes.

However, he also knew that it was too much to ask of a goddess.

He leaned towards the throne, as if piecing together all the clues.

Then, his imposing voice, though not angry, echoed in the deathly silent hall:

"It seems that our clan has reached a most critical moment."

"Shurahart, do you know the 'Hero'?"

The Demon King crossed his arms in front of him, as if lost in some memory, a hint of mockery in his voice:

"I have a deep understanding of humanity."

"Two hundred years ago, a goddess descended to earth, bringing not only the profession of monks to humankind, but also leaving behind a glimmer of hope."

"In the northern kingdoms, in the region of Tik, there is a place known as the Land of Swords."

"The people there have guarded a sword for generations, a sword stuck in a stubborn rock, a sword that is said to be able to be pulled out only by the chosen one—the Sword of the Warrior."

"Legend has it that it was a weapon given to mortals by the goddess, created to kill me."

"For this reason, the fictional profession of 'Hero' was born."

"Over the past two hundred years, countless so-called human heroes have tried, but none have succeeded."

"Shurahart, do you think this incredibly powerful human who appeared out of nowhere could be the legendary hero?"

Shurahart kept his head down until he heard the words "Land of Swords," at which point he was slightly moved.

When the word "hero" came out of the Demon King's mouth, he suddenly looked up, his face filled with disbelief:

"Your Majesty, in my observation, even a thousand years later, no true hero has ever appeared."

"Furthermore, that's just a legend; this sword was originally created to save the world."

"Legend?" The Demon King rested his chin on his hand, a glint of all-knowing light flashing in his eyes. "Hmph, think about it carefully. Besides the hero whose fate was personally concealed by the goddess, who else could appear out of thin air in the future you foresee?"

"Who else, with a human body, could so brazenly kill four top-tier demon experts, including Livale?"

"And who else always manages to dodge our most important plans at the most crucial juncture?"

"We were about to kill that human named Gu Yuan and cut off the supply of the Demon Sealing Mine when he appeared, saving our target in one fell swoop and ruining our race's millennium-long plan."

"Time, place, ability, goal—aren't all these coincidences enough to prove that he is the 'chosen one'?"

..

Shurahart was speechless.

By reasoning backward from these astonishing "coincidences," this human's behavior does indeed perfectly match the characteristics of a "savior."

He finally bowed his head deeply: "Your Majesty is wise. It was my limitation that led me astray."

"So, what are you going to do? You don't even know his name—"

"As I have said, names are meaningless."

With a wave of his hand, the Demon King declared with resolute arrogance, "Though you are a hero, you are not worthy to fight me as an equal until you have drawn that sword."

"But since he has appeared, I will give him a chance—"

The Demon King abruptly rose from his throne, and boundless demonic power instantly enveloped the entire hall, causing flames to dance wildly.

"Reveal my command!"

The sound was like thunder, booming throughout the hall.

"Effective immediately, the large-scale military advance into the Central Continent is suspended. All legion-level units, assemble towards the Sword Country of the Northern Kingdoms!"

"Surround the land of swords for me!"

"Shurahart, you are personally in charge. Use all means to deliver the message to that human—the King will be waiting for him in the Land of Swords."

"This is my mercy, giving him a chance to become a hero."

"But if he breaks his promise, or dares not come—"

The Demon King's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a threat that could crush everything:

"I will consider this his abandonment of the fate of humanity!"

"At that time, I will dispatch a massive demon army to invade the central continent, crush every inch of land, and slaughter every living being. The conquest of the northern kingdoms is nearing its end—it is time for humanity to remember true fear."

"...—Your Majesty, I will obey your will." Shurahart bowed and accepted the order.

The Land of Swords—that will be the starting point of the legend of heroes, or perhaps its very end.

Shurahart seemed to glimpse the land stained red with blood and fire, and after careful consideration, he finally asked:

"So, what date do you think would be the most suitable?"

The Demon King looked down at him, his eyes flashing with bloodlust, and finally uttered a cold time limit.