Frilian: The Adventure of the Hero

Upon learning that demons were heading towards the abandoned mine, Frillie's expression turned somewhat serious.

She attempted to use [Magic Detection] again, but still found nothing.

This made her have a very bad feeling.

Demons are inherently arrogant and never hesitate to display their power; they do not restrain their magical abilities. On the contrary, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, they want everyone to see just how strong their magic is.

So, what was the reason that the demon I couldn't detect had hidden his magical power?

And it was hidden so cleverly.

The purpose behind this is definitely not simple...

"Can you determine the exact number of the other party?" Frilian asked.

Xia En shook his head.

When he first [Mirror Image] the demon wolf, he could only detect a "demon stench" through his keen sense of smell; he couldn't tell how many people were there. "It's hard not to suspect that their presence here makes one wonder if they're also searching for the dwarves' steel relics."

"Yes, very likely," Frilian agreed.

Without further ado, the two headed straight for the eastern mine.

No matter who the other party is, we must not let the dwarfs' relics fall into the hands of the demons.

On their way there, they kept seeing scattered bloodstains in the woods, and the two of them didn't even need tracking magic to find their way accurately.

A scene of a demon walking and "eating" kept popping into Xia En's mind.

This made him feel extremely disgusted.

Frillie noticed that Shane's face was somewhat pale.

This was the first time Xia En had witnessed demons eating people, and he must have felt terrible. But he didn't vomit; his mental fortitude surpassed that of most adventurers. There's no way to change this; it can only be overcome with strong willpower.

The demons were advancing in the same direction as they had deciphered the cipher.

The more they chased, the more alarmed they became.

Unbeknownst to them, the surrounding scenery gradually changed. The once lush green grass and trees became less and less, replaced by black rocks, and the ground became rugged and uneven.

They came to a hill covered with black stones.

The hill is not very high, and its surface is covered with a lot of weathered ore. There are also some abandoned wooden structures and discarded garbage around it.

The entire hill was completely silent, without even a breath of wind, making it seem particularly eerie.

Frillie activated [Magic Detection] again, but still found nothing.

Xia En was getting anxious. Had they already entered the ruins?

The two men climbed the hill step by step, carefully examining every rock and crevice, trying to find the entrance to the ruins or any related traces.

Unfortunately, they searched everywhere but found no entrances, stone gates, or even abandoned mine shafts; it seemed to be just an ordinary open-pit mine.

Xia En's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Something was wrong, something really was wrong.

The cipher is correct; this is the "Blackrock Mountain" that the dwarves speak of.

But where are the relics?

"Perhaps it's been hidden?"

"This is quite common in ancient ruins dating back to before the unification of empires."

"Some powerful mages will hide the ruins completely, and later mages must use a special activation method to make the ruins appear."

Listening to Frilian's analysis, Shane pondered silently, and a peculiar idea suddenly popped into his mind...

Surely the dwarf warriors won't have to split the mountain open themselves?

Just then.

A gust of wind whistled in my face.

Xia En caught a fleeting glimpse of sharp silver light in the corner of his eye.

But it was too fast.

His brain was completely unresponsive.

The sharp silver light, carrying a chilling aura, slashed straight at his head.

"Shane!"

Bang.

A sickeningly loud knocking sound rang out.

Xia En felt like his head was going to split open. He staggered back a few steps, barely managing to steady himself, when a wave of dizziness washed over him.

A tall figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

The figure was tall and imposing, with a pair of sharp, long horns on his head, disheveled hair, and a wide, excited grin. In his hand he held a dwarven battle axe, the very weapon he had just used to attack Shane's head.

"The last time someone caught my attack was decades ago, it's really something to reminisce about."

Xia En struggled to suppress the excruciating pain in his head, looking at the arrogant and crazed figure before him, and the other person's name slowly surfaced in his mind.

The name sent chills down his spine.

The blood-stained war god, Livale.

A demon general, and also the strongest warrior of the demon race.

He once fought against Aize, a warrior from the Hero Squad, and his combat strength was comparable to Aize's.

It seems that in the original story, they also massacred Shutark's "Village of Warriors," leaving young Shutark an orphan.

Why is this guy here?

Xia En no longer had time to think...

【Iron Head (White Attribute)】: Greatly increases the physical defense of the head.

Thanks to the word he had peeled off the dwarf helmet, he managed to block Rivale's sneak attack under these extreme circumstances.

He didn't know if it was his good luck that was working, but in any case, he had been given a second chance at life.

Frilian rushed to Shane's side, as if facing a formidable enemy.

She didn't even have time to react to Livale's sneak attack. From the moment she sensed Livale's presence to the moment she saw Shane being attacked, only a short instant had passed.

She was tense all over.

The oppressive force emanating from these elite warriors made her acutely aware of the threat to her life.

We can't just sit here and wait to die!

"Shane, be careful, the opponent is very strong."

Upon hearing Frilian's words, Rivale laughed heartily, revealing a mouthful of teeth, seemingly in a very good mood.

"I am the Great Demon Livale, a warrior, and indeed very strong."

"According to your human ranking system, I should be called a 'General,' but I don't care about such a boring title at all."

"A warrior's name should be one of victory."

"Kid, you're not bad. Tell me your name. I'll remember you well after you die."

Shaen didn't rush to reply; in fact, he wasn't listening to what Livale was rambling on at all. His mind was racing.

Frillie is a mage; as long as she doesn't get close to Rivale, escaping shouldn't be a problem.

My own [Numerical Mirror] has been put on cooldown and will not be usable for a while.

Damn it, I'm starting to regret it. I shouldn't have used it so carelessly.

The passive effect of [Iron Head] should still be there, but even if you can withstand the axe and not be killed, you will still die from the pain.

Besides these, what other means of survival does he have...?

What should I do?

Think of something quickly.

beat?

Or should we run away?