Inside a large tent, Jim, Natasya, Rain, Guren, Valen, and Luna stood around a large round table, upon which lay a detailed map of the Desert of Chaos.
Jim turned to Valen and Luna, a faint smile playing on his lips as he tucked both hands into the sleeves of his kimono.
“Spear Hero Valen, Bow Hero Luna,” Jim said softly, his voice laced with satisfaction, “you’ve both done excellent work. With the Arch-demon’s death on the Demon army’s side, the momentum of the war is now in our favor. Victory is only a matter of time.”
Initially, he was skeptical about whether Valen and Luna could defeat Arch-demon Heidel. He knew Heidel was an ancient demon who had fought alongside the Demon Emperor Gerald in the previous era, according to the history books he had read.
Though Valen and Luna were powerful, Heidel possessed immense strength as well. With his experience in battling the heroes of the past, he was well-versed in their fighting techniques, making him an extremely difficult foe to overcome.
Fortunately, Valen and Luna lived up to his expectations; they truly deserved the title of humanity’s heroes.
Despite Jim’s praise, Valen and Luna showed no signs of pleasure. They merely nodded, their expressions indifferent.
Seeing their cold response, Jim smiled knowingly. He understood the reason for their demeanor—it was related to Guren’s status as the Sword Hero.
Pretending to sigh, Jim lowered his head, his expression one of feigned melancholy.
“Spear Hero Valen and Bow Hero Luna, I know you’re both likely surprised and angry about Marquis Guren’s ascension to Sword Hero,” Jim said directly, causing Valen and Luna’s expressions to shift slightly.
Turning to face them, Jim shook his head. “However, I must clarify that Marquis Guren’s rise as Sword Hero is essential for humanity to stand a chance against the Demon Race.”
Valen shot Jim a cold glance and sneered. “Not only did you hide the fact that Guren was the possessor of the hero’s destiny, alongside me, Luna, and Leon, but you also appointed him as Sword Hero after Leon’s death, without informing us at all. I really wonder whether you did that for humanity’s sake or for your own interests.”
In his life, being deceived and lied to were the things Valen hated most. When he was lied to or deceived, he felt like a fool, ridiculed behind his back. That’s why, in this moment, he was seething with fury at what Jim and the Imperial Palace had done.
To his right, Luna remained silent in response to Valen’s sarcastic comment. She, too, was furious with what Jim and the Imperial Palace had done.
Hiding Guren’s status as the bearer of the hero’s destiny and appointing him as Sword Hero to replace Leon was a profoundly despicable act. Moreover, they had concealed such an important matter from both her and Valen. Had the Demon Emperor not appeared, she would have undoubtedly taken serious action against them.
Jim, however, was not angered by Valen’s blunt words. He smiled calmly, as if unaffected.
“I acknowledge that this is my fault, as well as that of the Imperial Palace,” Jim said earnestly, bowing slightly to Valen and Luna. “On behalf of the palace, I offer my sincerest apology.”
Seeing Jim’s gesture, Valen realized that continuing the argument would be futile. There were more pressing matters to address—namely, the appearance of the Demon Emperor in the Desert of Chaos.
Taking a deep breath, Valen looked at Jim with an indifferent gaze, then coldly snorted and turned away without saying another word.
On the other hand, Rain and Natasya, who had witnessed the interaction, remained silent. However, Guren, standing next to Natasya, wore a cold expression that he struggled to conceal.
He was irritated by Valen’s apparent disdain for him as the sword hero. Despite this, he kept quiet and turned away, his annoyance evident.
“Alright, then let’s address the matter of the Demon Emperor’s appearance,” Jim said calmly, which instantly shifted the atmosphere between them.
Turning to Luna, Jim spoke seriously, “Bow Hero Luna, I need to ask you something. Are you absolutely certain that the mysterious figure you encountered is the Demon Emperor?”
Luna’s previously indifferent expression darkened, and she gave a slight nod in response.
“Although I have no concrete evidence, I’m confident that he is indeed the Demon Emperor,” Luna replied with quiet certainty.
Jim’s eyes narrowed slightly at her answer, and then he turned his gaze toward Valen.
“Then, Spear Hero Valen, were you truly defeated so easily by that mysterious figure?” Jim asked.
The question made Valen’s face flush with anger, and he inhaled deeply to calm himself.
“Yes, I was indeed defeated quite decisively by him,” Valen replied solemnly.
Against the mysterious masked figure, he truly felt what it meant to be overwhelmed. Not only was his hero’s technique effortlessly countered, but he was also defeated with a single, simple movement.
The frustration reminded him of the time he had been thoroughly defeated by Leon in the past.
Jim was silent for a moment after hearing Valen’s response, as if lost in thought. After a while, he snapped out of it and turned to Natasya, Rain, and Guren.
“As you’ve heard, the mysterious masked figure is most likely the Demon Emperor, and we must remain on high alert. By chance, Bow Hero Luna has informed me that the Demon Emperor wishes to meet us personally in the Valley of Death in two days. Therefore, we will devise a plan tomorrow to deal with him,” Jim explained calmly. He paused before continuing, “For now, you—especially Spear Hero Valen, Bow Hero Luna, and Sword Hero Guren—should rest. You are all exhausted, and your wounds haven’t fully healed.”
Valen and Luna nodded in agreement. They were indeed fatigued from the battle and needed rest to regain their strength and heal their injuries.
Without another word, Valen and Luna turned to head back to their tents.
Seeing this, Guren glanced at Jim, about to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Jim.
“I know what you’re going to say, but there’s no need to worry. Your decision to reveal your identity won’t interfere with my plans,” Jim replied in a soothing tone.
Guren let out a relieved sigh and gave a small nod. “Thank you, Prime Minister Jim.”
He then walked out of the tent, leaving Jim, Natasya, and Rain alone.
“Jim, I’m heading back to my tent,” Rain said casually.
“Alright, get some rest, and thank you for your efforts, Rain,” Jim replied kindly.
Rain nodded silently before stepping out of the tent.
As Rain’s figure disappeared from view, Natasya turned to Jim with a look of doubt.
“Jim, is that mysterious figure really the Demon Emperor?” Natasya asked, her voice laced with uncertainty, prompting a faint smile to appear on Jim’s lips.
“Why do you ask? Isn’t it obvious?” Jim replied calmly, though his words carried a hidden meaning.
“But…” Natasya began, but Jim quickly raised a hand to stop her.
“Go rest. I know you’re exhausted,” Jim said lightly.
Natasya closed her mouth, took a deep breath, and gave a small nod.
“Alright, I’ll go rest,” she muttered before walking out, leaving Jim alone inside.
Jim kept the smile on his lips as he watched Natasya disappear, then turned his gaze to the map of the Desert of Chaos on the round table.
His expression shifted instantly from gentle to cold, a faint aura of killing intent emanating from him.
“Demon Emperor, huh? I have a feeling it’s not that simple,” Jim murmured indifferently. “Something interesting is bound to happen.”
After speaking, he regained his smile and walked out of the tent.
…
Two days later…
Inside the tent, Leon sat cross-legged, his eyes closed. A gold star mark glowed brightly on his forehead, while the Codex of Noctis hovered before him, emanating a strong, shining black light.
After a moment, the star mark faded, and the Codex of Noctis transformed into a beam of black light that entered his forehead.
“In just two days, I’ve absorbed and understood thirty percent of the first page of the Codex of Noctis,” Leon whispered softly as he opened his eyes.
He clenched his fists, sensing a marked increase in his control over his chaos power. Not only that, but he had also learned various fighting techniques that harnessed the power of chaos. These techniques, while similar to hero techniques, were much deeper and sharper, having been created by the previous wielder of the Great Sword of Chaos—Demon Emperor Amon Crimson.
“Still,” Leon muttered with a hint of frustration, “the Codex of Noctis has fifty pages, and I’ve only absorbed thirty percent of the first. I have a long way to go, so I shouldn’t get too ahead of myself.”
After gathering his thoughts, he slowly rose to his feet and stretched lazily.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached the tent, and young Kaelen rushed in.
“General, did you call for me?” Kaelen asked respectfully.
Leon gave a slight smile, nodding as he replied, “Yes, I need to ask you something. How many demon soldiers are still able to go to war?”
Upon hearing Leon’s question, Kaelen was momentarily taken aback, and his expression slowly darkened.
“In the previous battle, humanity’s forces took down over one hundred thousand demon soldiers, leaving us with five hundred thousand. However, of those, one hundred thousand are seriously injured, and another two hundred thousand have minor wounds. So, only two hundred thousand demon soldiers are fit for battle, General,” Kaelen explained, frustration evident in his tone.
Leon was taken aback by the scale of the casualties, the numbers more devastating than he had expected.
“In that case, instruct Garan to prepare the remaining two hundred thousand troops,” Leon said softly.
“Prepare?” Kaelen froze in disbelief. “General, are you…”
Before Kaelen could finish, Leon chuckled softly and replied with resolve, “Yes, we march to war tonight.”
