Chapter 127: The Tensions Are Starting to Heat Up
“Still lacking, but almost succeeded…”
Leon muttered to himself as he surveyed the mess surrounding him—the bed, carpet, desk, and various furnishings—all marred by black patches, remnants of the explosions from his repeated failures in concocting an antidote for the devouring poison.
However, his expression revealed no trace of regret; instead, behind his calm and indifferent eyes, there was a fierce passion.
Last night marked the beginning of his self-imposed confinement within the room, dedicated to concocting an antidote for the devouring poison.
Naturally, each attempt ended in failure, echoing the previous night’s outcomes. Yet, a distinct change emerged—he had managed to conduct over thirty experiments in a single night!
In fact, the previous night, he had only managed to conduct ten experiments, showing the significant progress he had already made.
Furthermore, his alchemy skills had markedly improved overnight. He now possessed a refined ability to analyze ingredients and discern the optimal moments for blending ingredients with differing characteristics.
Suffice it to say, amidst his failures, there lay a hidden blessing.
However, despite these blessings, his inability to concoct an antidote for the devouring poison left him devoid of any sense of satisfaction or happiness.
“With a probability of success of less than one percent, the name certainly does hold true,” Leon whispered with a helpless sigh.
He discovered that the formula for the antidote to the devouring poison appeared deceptively simple but proved to be incredibly challenging due to the need to blend ingredients with conflicting characteristics.
The fire seeds, representing the essence of fire, clashed with the frozen leaves, symbolizing ice. Then there were the three-colored flowers, representing nature, requiring careful stabilization to prevent mutual destruction when combined with the demonic energy-infused blood of Demon Emperor Liliana.
Each ingredient possessed conflicting characteristics, prompting Leon to inevitably curse Jared Crimson.
“Damn it!” Leon cursed inwardly and continued, “Jared Crimson claimed the Demon Emperor’s blood was the catalyst to unify the three ingredients, but it seems to possess characteristics opposite to the tricolor flower, which embodies nature!”
He felt cheated, believing that Jared Crimson deliberately withheld this crucial information, misleading him into believing the Demon Emperor’s blood was the unifying catalyst for all ingredients.
Otherwise, there was no conceivable reason for the Demon Emperor’s blood and the tricolor flower to explode upon contact.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Leon’s face, previously somewhat haggard from staying up all night, slowly regained its vitality. Likewise, his golden eyes, initially tired, gradually regained their radiance.
“No matter the obstacles, I’ll overcome them!” he exclaimed, clenching his hands with determination, before resuming his experiments with renewed vigor.
While Leon started in self-imposed confinement in his room, mankind’s troops, led by Luna, Valen, Guren, Natasya, and Rain, pressed onward toward the Desert of Chaos.
Rain’s buff magic, coupled with the support of high-level mage troops, propelled the army forward at two to three times the usual speed.
However, despite their increased pace, the journey was fraught with obstacles, including monster encounters and treacherous terrain, as they made their way to the Desert of Chaos.
Naturally, with figures like Luna, Valen, Guren, Natsaya, and Rain leading the way, progress was smooth, and any obstacles that arose were easily overcome.
On the other hand, under Liliana’s leadership, the Demon Race also executed significant maneuvers.
Upon her return to the outer palace, Liliana promptly reorganized the troop formations, increasing their number from the previously deployed 500,000 to 600,000, each composed of formidable Demon forces.
Furthermore, Liliana not only altered the troop formations but also reorganized the leadership structure leading the Demon side in the forthcoming war.
Initially, Liliana appointed Heidel, the Archdemon and one of her most trusted subordinates, as the primary general, supported by two Demon Generals.
However, she swiftly altered the arrangement, assigning not only Heidel and the two Demon generals but also directly commanding Lyra, her personal maid, and other Archdemons besides Heidel to join the upcoming war against humankind.
This decision caused a commotion and astonishment among both the elite demons within the palace and the ordinary ones.
After all, Liliana’s decision to mobilize the Archdemon, whose strength was just one level below hers, equated to using a significant portion of the Demon Race’s power!
Yet, not a single Demon dared to deny or oppose Liliana’s decision, as they all recognized the gravity of the conflict ahead—it was not an ordinary war, but rather the war of the era!
Rather than rebellion or opposition, they unanimously rallied behind their Demon Emperor’s decision.
Over the next few days, this situation persisted, and the mounting tension gradually approached its peak.
…
Four days later…
In the room, Charlotte, Fiona, and Iris completed the puzzle game that Leon had prepared earlier.
Having already solved this puzzle game once before, they found it easy to finish.
“Wow! It’s finally done!” Charlotte clapped her hands lightly, smiling as she admired the neatly arranged puzzle pieces.
“Hehehe! Naturally! This game is quite simple; not much of a challenge,” Iris chuckled, speaking with a hint of smugness.
Both of them were thrilled upon completing the puzzle before them, as if they had just won a prize.
However, unlike her sisters, Fiona was in a daze and did not express happiness like them.
Her face bore a sullen expression, with her lips tightly pursed, resembling that of a hungry hamster.
Charlotte, noticing Fiona’s demeanor, approached her with a smile.
“Why are you pouting like that?” Charlotte asked gently.
“I miss Daddy and Mommy,” Fiona replied sadly, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.
It had been four days since her daddy’s self-imposed confinement and her mommy’s departure to the outer palace, leaving her feeling incredibly lonely.
Despite her sisters’ constant companionship, she still struggled to adjust to their absence.
Upon hearing Fiona’s response, Charlotte smiled sympathetically and rubbed her small shoulder.
“It’s okay, Fiona; don’t worry,” Charlotte soothed gently. “Mommy will be back as soon as she’s finished with matters in the outer palace, and Daddy will come out of his room after he finishes his work.”
To be honest, it wasn’t just Fiona who felt anxious and uncomfortable; Charlotte felt the same way.
Despite her mature demeanor and thoughts beyond her years, she was still just a three-year-old little girl.
However, her daddy had assigned her a task, so she knew she shouldn’t show weakness either.
Beside them, Iris, witnessing the scene, could only let out a small sigh.
After hearing from her sister about their daddy’s confinement and their mother’s departure to the outer palace, she also felt uneasy and anxious.
Yet she refrained from expressing any complaints or burdensome emotions, not wanting to add to Charlotte’s worries.
Just as they were engulfed in a somber mood, there was a sudden knock on the door.
*Knock!*
The knocking sound startled the three of them, causing them to look at each other in confusion.
“Is that Celine?” asked Iris, her expression puzzled.
“I’m not sure,” replied Charlotte with a shake of her head.
Usually, Celine took care of their meals, delivering breakfast, lunch, and dinner to their rooms.
However, it was still late afternoon and not yet time for dinner, which left Charlotte somewhat perplexed.
“I’ll go check,” Charlotte declared, rising to her feet purposefully.
Iris and Fiona nodded simultaneously, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity as they watched Charlotte’s retreating figure.
Charlotte approached the bedroom door, tiptoeing slightly as she reached for the knob.
*Clack!*
Charlotte pulled the door open, and her facial expression froze as she saw who was behind it.
“Mommy!?”
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