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

imperial capital.

Ten miles outside the arena.

The hillside, the edge of the woods, and the ruins were densely packed with people.

The Elven Silvermoon Guards stood in formation on the eastern highlands, their light silver armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

They remained silent, simply gazing at the massive building in the distance.

The dwarves occupied a rocky hill on the west side, and several burly men sat directly on the rocks, taking out wine flasks and chugging them down one gulp at a time.

Kuangshan stood at the very front, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the direction of the arena.

The lizardman huddled in the shadows further away, his long, thin tongue occasionally licking his eyes.

Behind them, several tribesmen carried bulging bundles on their backs—gifts to be presented as a greeting.

There were also adventurers, merchants, spies from various countries, and observers from all sides.

They were scattered in groups of three or five, or alone, in every corner around the arena.

Nobody cared about those three demigods.

Or rather, they do care, but what they care about even more is—

The person who is about to emerge from the secret realm.

"How much longer?" a dwarf asked.

"Soon." Kuangshan said without turning his head. "That kid will be out soon."

Do you think he can win?

Kuangshan remained silent for a while.

Then he grinned and said, "I don't know."

……

Inside the arena.

Three demigods hovered in mid-air, ignoring the onlookers in the distance.

"A bunch of ants."

The burly man in the black outfit snorted coldly.

"Just here to watch the show? When that kid comes out later, let them see what the power of a demigod really is."

The old woman shook her head: "Don't cause any unnecessary trouble. Our target is only Lin Mo."

The old man in the gray robe remained silent.

He just stared at the rotating light gate, his cloudy eyes flashing with complex light.

Just then, a general in armor rushed into the arena and knelt on one knee.

"Reporting to the three divine messengers!"

The old man in the gray robe lowered his head: "Speak."

The general's voice trembled slightly:

"Outside the city...more than three thousand civilians have gathered outside the city!"

The burly man in black, his brow furrowed. "A civilian? What are you doing here?"

The general swallowed hard and began to speak with difficulty:

"They...they volunteered to die in Lin Mo's place."

The three demigods were stunned at the same time.

"To die in his place?"

The burly man in the black outfit frowned even more deeply.

"Are those civilians crazy?"

The old woman was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"It's that madman again... How come he even targets ordinary people..."

The old man in the gray robe raised his hand, interrupting her.

"We cannot touch the common people; we must respect the rules of the divine realm and cannot interfere with the actions of these people."

The burly man in the black outfit gritted his teeth: "Then what do we do? Just let them cause trouble outside?"

The old man in the gray robe turned his head and looked at the general who was still kneeling.

"Aren't those distant relatives of the Li family who were recalled still in the city?"

The general was stunned for a moment, then he understood.

"You mean...?"

"Let them go. This is a good opportunity for them to make a name for themselves. The new emperor of the Holy Ancient Empire needs to prove himself and let the people know who the real master is."

……

outside the city.

More than three thousand civilians gathered in front of the city gate.

They were dressed in coarse cloth, some leaning on canes, some holding children, and some with tear stains on their faces.

But they didn't cry or shout; they just stood there quietly, facing the tightly closed city gate.

At the very front, an elderly woman with white hair was holding up a tattered piece of cloth.

The cloth was written in crooked handwriting:

"To die in place of the Black-Robed God."

Behind her, some people held up wooden signs, some held up tree branches, and some simply raised their hands high.

The same words were written on those wooden signs:

"Let him go."

"We'll die in his place."

"The Lord in Black Robes is innocent."

……

The city gates were tightly closed.

On the city wall, rows of soldiers drew their bows and aimed their arrows at the civilians below.

No one moved.

No one left.

Just then, the city gates burst open with a roar.

A group of people rushed out of the city.

The leader was a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes, with a pale face and sunken eyes, clearly a playboy who had been indulging in wine and women for many years.

He was followed by hundreds of private soldiers, fully armed and exuding a murderous aura.

That is a branch of the Li family bloodline.

A distant relative, named Li Ben, was summoned back from a remote town. It is said that he was related to the royal family three generations ago.

Li Ben, mounted on his horse, looked at the commoners and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"A bunch of troublemakers."

His voice was high-pitched and carried a distinct air of superiority.

"Dare to cause trouble here? Men, seize him!"

The private soldiers responded with a roar and charged into the crowd.

The old lady at the front didn't have time to dodge and was pushed to the ground by a private soldier.

The piece of cloth with writing on it slipped from her hand, fell to the ground, and was trampled into the mud.

"don't want!"

Someone screamed.

But more private soldiers had already rushed into the crowd.

The club fell, and screams of agony rang out.

Those unarmed civilians were no match for these private soldiers, and they fell in droves.

Some tried to resist and were slashed down; some tried to escape and were caught and stabbed; some knelt down and begged for mercy and were kicked over.

Li Ben, riding on his horse, watched this scene and laughed even more triumphantly.

"This is the consequence of resistance! Remember, the Empire belongs to the Li family! Not some bullshit black-robed bastard—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

A stone suddenly flew out from the crowd and hit him hard in the face.

"Ouch!"

Li Ben covered his nose, and blood seeped from between his fingers.

He stared wide-eyed at the boy in the crowd who was throwing stones, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You...you dare hit me?!"

The child didn't run away; he just stood there, staring intently at him.

His eyes were filled with hatred.

Li Ben's face contorted.

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

The private soldiers charged even more fiercely.

The screams grew louder and louder, and more and more people fell to the ground.

In the distance, on the hillside.

Kuangshan watched this scene and slowly put down the wine bag in his hand.

"Oh shit."

He muttered a curse under his breath.

The dwarf beside him looked at him: "Chieftain, we..."

Kuangshan tightened the reins on his goat: "Nonsense! Of course, we're going to save the day!"

It then rushed straight down the hillside.

The dwarves followed closely behind.

……

Dozens of dwarfs rushed down the hillside like dozens of boulders rolling down.

Li Ben was riding his horse with a sense of pride when he suddenly heard a loud rumbling sound behind him.

He turned around and saw a group of dwarves rushing towards him at an astonishing speed, their warhammers gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"Varied--"

Before he could even shout it out, Kuangshan had already rushed in front of him.

One hammer blow.

Li Ben and his horse were thrown more than ten meters away, crashing into the city wall and turning into a pile of mud.

The private soldiers were stunned.

Then they were overwhelmed by the dwarves.

The warhammer swung, and screams of agony rose and fell.

Outside the city, the sounds of fighting were deafening.

……

Inside the arena.

The three demigods hovered in mid-air, oblivious to the sounds outside.

The burly man in the black outfit had his eyes closed, as if he were resting.

The old woman gently tapped the air with her wooden cane, and ripples spread outwards.

The old man in the gray robe remained staring at the door of light, motionless.

The sounds of fighting came from afar, growing louder and louder.

But they didn't care.

They were just staring at the door.

Stare at the person who is about to come out.

Sudden--

The rotating light gate trembled slightly.

The old man in the gray robe suddenly opened his eyes.

The burly man in black, a tight-fitting outfit, suddenly stood up straight.

The old woman gripped her wooden cane tightly.

The light gate trembled more and more violently.

A crack split open in the center of the door.

Then a hand emerged from the crack.

That hand gripped the black sword, its knuckles distinct and its grip as steady as a rock.

Then a figure stepped out from the crack.

His black robe was tattered, his body was covered in wounds, his hair was disheveled, and his face was stained with blood. But his eyes shone brighter than ever before.

He stood in mid-air, looking down at the three demigods.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Three old dogs, what a wait."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The three demigods frowned simultaneously.

The old man in the gray robe narrowed his eyes to slits.

The burly man in the black outfit clenched his fist, and lightning crackled between his fingers.

The old woman took a deep breath, and the wooden cane in her hand emitted a green light.

In the distance, on the hillside, by the woods, and amidst the ruins, the hearts of all the onlookers were in their throats.

The dwarves stopped hammering and looked up at the sky.

The elves held their breath.

The lizardman huddled in the shadows, his eyes wide.

The civilians stared blankly at the figure, not knowing who it was, when suddenly a cheer erupted.

Then, more cheers erupted.

"Lord in Black Robes!"

"The Black-Robed Lord has arrived!"

"Kill them! Kill those three false gods!"

……

Cheers surged forth like a tidal wave, echoing outside the arena.

The three demigods did not turn around.

They just stared intently at that figure.

The old man in the gray robe spoke slowly, his voice deep:

"It's coming."