My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Lin Mo remained relatively calm upon hearing Yin Xue's words.

His attention lingered for a moment on the skill [Devouring King (Unique)].

What does "the only one" mean?

Lin Mo asked Yin Xue, who was still in shock.

Yin Xue took a few deep breaths, barely managing to calm himself down, but the shock in his blood-red eyes had not completely faded.

She flew back to Lin Mo's shoulder and sat down. After organizing her thoughts, she began to explain: "A unique skill, as the name suggests, is a skill that is unique to the entire continent. No one but the one who possesses it can ever comprehend it."

She paused, her tone becoming serious.

"Humans also have similar abilities, which they call divine guidance, or abilities bestowed by the gods."

"And on our side,"

Yin Xue pointed to himself, then to the little spider that was happily gnawing on another piece of eggshell.

"We non-human races may be able to comprehend unique skills. These are not bestowed by anyone, but acquired through our own talents and physiques. Each unique skill is extremely powerful."

As if to prove her point, Yin Xue stretched out her small hand, palm up.

A wisp of dark red blood, brimming with an aura of destruction, condensed and flowed at her fingertips.

"Like me,"

Yin Xue's voice carried a hint of the arrogance of a demon king.

"My only skill is called [Blood Sea Lord]. It grants me an innate, supreme level of control over blood. Generally, learning blood magic is extremely difficult and its power is limited, but for me, blood magic is as natural as breathing, and its power far exceeds the conventional range. I can learn blood magic by leveling up."

She put away the blood droplets and continued.

"Those who possess a unique skill often have unfathomable potential. Throughout history, almost without exception, those demon generals who were able to dominate a region possessed at least one unique skill. This can be considered... one of the stepping stones to the pinnacle."

She glanced at the little spider that was pulling at Lin Mo's shoelaces with its pink and white legs, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"You little rascal, you were born with the [Devouring King] ability... That's a frighteningly high starting point."

Lin Mo nodded slightly, understanding in his heart.

So that's how it is. Humans have "divine guides" who are occasionally bestowed or awakened by the gods.

The demon race, on the other hand, possesses a unique skill that arises from their own talent or by chance.

This is understandable. Even with the support of gods and the existence of a complete system for cultivating heroes and the advantage of divine guides, humanity still cannot completely solve the monster problem.

The top demon warriors also possess incredibly powerful abilities that defy reason.

He watched as the little spider tried to gnaw at the edge of the silver cage again, making a soft crunching sound.

The breach is indeed widening slightly at a slow but steady pace.

But at this rate, it would take at least two days to get out.

"It seems we'll have to wait here for a while."

Lin Mo wasn't in a hurry.

Since we can't get out for the time being, we'll have to put the whereabouts of that red-haired fragment on hold for now.

Moreover, judging by the time he leaves, Qingyuan Medicine will probably be delivered by then.

The immediate priority is to escape this predicament, and then return to Ash Fortress according to plan to retrieve another batch of Purification Elixir.

The medicine is for Mom's sake, so we can't delay.

Then, depending on the situation, decide whether to continue pursuing the red-haired fragments or deal with other matters first.

"Perfect timing, I'll take a rest too."

Yin Xue yawned slightly.

"Let this little guy gnaw on slowly. It's probably struggling to use its abilities right now, so let's take this opportunity to get used to them."

Lin Mo sat down cross-legged.

As he watched the little spider slowly gnaw at the cage, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Since being summoned to this world, he has been constantly on the move, killing and fighting.

Being trapped in this small space at this moment has ironically given me a rare moment of leisure.

"Shouldn't we give her a name?"

Lin Mo looked at the little spider and thought to himself.

Yin Xue flapped her little wings excitedly and said, "How about calling it the Devouring Sky Demon Spider? That's imposing enough! It'll definitely intimidate a lot of people on the battlefield!"

Lin Mo's lips twitched: "I didn't plan to send her to the battlefield, so let's change her name."

……

The morning sun shone on the ground of Ash Fortress.

The people here continue to live their lives as usual.

Inside the city lord's mansion.

General Horn sat behind his large desk, his face even more grim than yesterday.

The consequences of withstanding Lin Mo's [Soul Erosion] attack are becoming apparent.

It's not just the dull pain in the internal organs; what's more troublesome is the persistent stinging pain on the level of the soul.

It felt like fine needles were repeatedly pricking the depths of my consciousness.

After another examination this morning, the military doctor insisted that he stay in bed for half a month.

"General, your soul shows signs of tearing; continuing to work will only worsen your injuries."

Horn waved for the medic to leave.

How could he possibly lie down?

The report spread out on the desk was shocking: all the priests of the Western Cathedral had been murdered cleanly and efficiently, leaving no valuable clues at the scene.

But there's no need to guess who the killer is.

That man in black robes.

The image of the man in black robes flashed through Horn's mind, and he couldn't help but remember that the day after tomorrow was the day they were supposed to pick up the medicine.

"Has the messenger sent to recall the 'Silver Spear' returned yet?"

Horn's voice was hoarse and dry.

The guards lowered their heads.

"Reporting to the General, the message should have arrived. They're probably... on their way back."

The words were phrased tactfully, but everyone in the study understood.

Those high-ranking warriors always outwardly comply with the orders of the border generals but inwardly defy them.

Unless directly ordered by the Vatican or the royal family, they have their own rhythm.

The lieutenant, observing the situation, tentatively suggested, "General, since that man only wants the medicine, perhaps we should..."

"Why not just give it to him directly?"

Horn interrupted, pressing his fingers to his throbbing temples.

"To let everyone know that Ashhold is a place where you can come and go as you please?"

In fact, he had thought about it before.

At the very least, doing so can minimize casualties.

But last night he sent the matter, along with the portrait of the mysterious man in black robes, back to his family via a secret teleportation array.

The family elder left behind only a cold, detached voice:

"The two princes are at a critical juncture in their power struggle. We side with the eldest prince. At this critical moment, Ash Fortress cannot afford any mistakes. Hold on to the death. The family has already sent reinforcements."

Horn closed his eyes.

The throne of the Holy Ancient Empire has always been passed down to the eldest prince.

But things are different in this generation.

The second prince's strength and abilities far surpass those of the first prince, and there are many voices in the royal family supporting the second prince.

If Ash Fortress, representing the Second Prince's forces, were to show weakness at this juncture, the entire family could be attacked by political enemies and become sacrifices in the power struggle.

"Send more scouts and expand the search area."

Horn opened his eyes, his voice weary as he gave the order.

"Make sure to contact Silverlight Spear. All B-rank and C-rank hero teams in the city are to cancel all outings and remain at camp. Check the city wall defenses one last time."

"yes!"

The lieutenant accepted the order and left. The study returned to silence.

Horn leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tracing the family crest on the hilt of his sword.

If he had a choice, he would really like to open the city gates, throw the medicine out, and exchange it for the peace of the city.

But the empire he served would not allow him to do so, and his family would regard him as a traitor.

He never had a choice.

Just then—

"Report—!!!"

The messenger practically stumbled into the study, his helmet askew and his face contorted with terror.

"General! To the south! Elven race has appeared to the south!"

Horn suddenly stood up, the movement aggravating his injuries, and everything went black.

He gripped the edge of the table: "There are occasional elf activities in the southern forests; they must be elven caravans. We've sent them along the trade route..."

"Not just a few! It's an army! A dark mass, at least several hundred! And they're still increasing!"

Horn's pupils contracted, and his heart sank.