Lilith lay on the bed, a faint frown appearing on her face as her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her striking blue eyes.
“Hm? Where am I?” She murmured, her brow creased in confusion.
She glanced up at the tent’s ceiling, a sudden sense of familiarity washing over her.
“Am I… inside a tent?” Lilith’s eyes widened slightly, and she was momentarily stunned.
She tried to turn her head, but a sharp pain shot through her neck. The pain spread throughout her body—from her arms and legs to her chest, stomach, and even her internal organs—as if a sword were stabbing her from the inside.
“Hiss! It hurts so much!” Lilith gasped, her forehead creasing deeper.
Overwhelmed by the intensity of the pain, she no longer dared to move. Instead, her gaze fixed on the ceiling above, blank and exhausted.
“Why am I like this? What happened?” Lilith whispered, her voice tinged with confusion.
Her memory was foggy, and even the smallest details eluded her. Still, she refused to give up, closing her eyes as she tried to piece together what had happened.
A sharp pain suddenly struck her head, and memories of the battlefield flooded back—visions of Arch-demon Heidel’s death, the ancient magic she had chanted, and the mysterious man with a half-face mask.
As her eyelids fluttered open, Lilith felt her chest tighten and her breath catch.
“Arch-demon Heidel is dead, and we failed to win. Now, I’m no better than a cripple. How could I possibly face Sister Liliana, who placed her trust in me?” Lilith thought silently, tears welling in her eyes before they fell.
As one of the Demon generals leading the war, Lilith had carried out Liliana’s trust. Now she had shattered that trust, leaving her consumed by confusion and despair.
To make matters worse, Arch-demon Heidel, whom she had once considered her mentor, had been killed by the heroes. She couldn’t imagine how to face his daughter, Arch-demon Lyra, or explain what had happened.
Burdened by all these emotions, Lilith could no longer hold back and broke into tears.
Unbeknownst to Lilith, someone was silently watching her as she cried. That person was none other than Garan.
At first he was relieved that Lilith had finally regained consciousness and was about to enter. However, his steps faltered when he heard her sobs. Not wanting to disturb or embarrass her, he chose to wait outside.
“How very sad…” Garan muttered, his gaze drifting to the night sky filled with twinkling stars.
This was the first time he had seen Lilith—usually calm, composed, and mature—crying like a child. Given everything they had been through, he thought it only natural that she should break down.
Ten minutes passed without him realizing it, and gradually, Lilith’s sobs inside the tent began to subside.
Sighing softly, Garan waited a moment longer before finally entering the tent.
“Lilith, have you regained consciousness?” He asked gently, feigning ignorance.
Startled by Garan’s presence, Lilith quickly turned her head to the left to hide the tear stains on her face.
But the sharp pain in her neck made it impossible to fully turn away, leaving the tear marks on her right cheek faintly visible.
“Yes, I’ve regained consciousness,” Lilith replied casually, though her voice was hoarse.
Garan smiled in relief and slowly approached, his eyes lingering on Lilith’s stiff body, unable to mask his concern.
“Is your body feeling any better?” he asked.
Lilith sighed softly, then turned to face him with a calm expression.
“My whole body aches, especially my internal organs—it feels like being stabbed by a sword,” she replied weakly. “I didn’t expect casting ancient magic to take such a toll. The magic field in the Desert of Chaos is far more dangerous than I imagined.”
Compared to other magic fields, the one in the Desert of Chaos was by far the strongest. Not only did it reduce a mage’s combat power by 20–30%, but it also caused physical damage if they were forced to use their full strength, as she had experienced firsthand.
“By the way, what about the demon soldiers who managed to escape? They’re all safe, right?” Lilith inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity and concern.
Garan smiled faintly, folding his arms across his chest.
“They’re fine,” he replied. “While you were casting the ancient magic, we all managed to escape and keep clear of the battlefield.”
Pausing for a moment, he sighed and continued, “However, the casualties on our side were severe. Nearly one hundred thousand demon soldiers were lost to them, and our numbers have been drastically reduced.”
Lilith felt a pang of distress at his words, guilt weighing heavily on her.
“I’m sorry, Garan. I should have cast the ancient magic sooner to minimize the casualties,” she said softly, lowering her gaze in regret.
Garan shook his head firmly. “There’s no need to apologize. Humanity’s strategy was unpredictable, and we were caught off guard. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”
Lilith felt slightly reassured and nodded, choosing not to dwell further on the matter.
“By the way, I almost forgot to ask—where is Arch-demon Heidel’s body? And where is Terran? I haven’t seen him. Also, is there anything important I missed while I was unconscious?” As if suddenly recalling, Lilith quickly bombarded Garan with a flurry of questions.
Listening to her barrage of questions, Garan fell silent for a moment before finally speaking up. “Actually…”
He then recounted the events that followed her loss of consciousness. He explained how Leon emerged as the leader of the relief force from the outer palace, the dire condition Terran found himself in, and how both Terran and Lilith were healed by Leon. He went into detail, ensuring Lilith could understand everything clearly.
“So, Terran was seriously injured too, and it was the mysterious man with the half-face mask who helped us?” Lilith inquired, her face frozen in disbelief.
Garan nodded in confirmation. “Yes, that’s the gist of it.”
Lilith was at a loss for words, unsure how to process the situation. It all seemed incredibly absurd, but she knew Garan would never lie to her.
After a pause, her face flushed slightly, and through clenched teeth, she asked, “So, he healed my body too?”
Garan was slightly puzzled by the question, thinking he had already answered it. Nonetheless, he said nothing and simply nodded.
“Yes, he healed you,” Garan replied, his tone steady.
A blush spread across Lilith’s face, and faint smoke seemed to rise from it.
Garan was taken aback by the sight and leaned in closer, innocently asking, “Lilith, why is your face so red?”
In response, Lilith abruptly turned away, shouting, “Leave me alone! Get out!”
Stunned by her outburst, Garan was left confused, unable to understand why Lilith was upset with him.
“How strange… Is she upset because her body still hurts?” Garan wondered inwardly, scratching his head.
Despite his confusion, he didn’t press further and turned to leave.
“If you need anything, just call me, Lilith,” Garan said kindly before exiting the tent.
Once he was gone, Lilith turned to the side, her blush deepening.
“Stupid Garan! Why would you let a stranger heal me!? He must have seen me…!” she muttered, tears welling in her eyes.
She glanced up at the ceiling of the tent, anxiety creeping in. “Does this mean I’m not pure anymore?”
The thought only amplified her fear, and her irritation with Garan grew stronger.
…
“Achoo!” Leon, riding his horse, suddenly sneezed loudly.
“Damn… who’s cursing me?” Leon muttered inwardly, irritated.
He felt as though someone was speaking ill of him. Though he didn’t know who, he was certain it was Velix and his subordinates.
Convinced they were mocking him, Leon gritted his teeth, his hatred for them reaching its peak.
“Damn it! Don’t think I’ll let you get away with this! Your death is coming,” Leon whispered, his purple eyes glinting coldly.
A few meters behind him, Kaelen, riding his own horse, felt an eerie chill creep up his spine.
“What the hell is this? Why do I feel such a tense chill? Or is it just my imagination?”
…
Two hundred kilometers from the heart of the Desert of Chaos lies the infamous Valley of Death, a vast expanse renowned for its grim history.
The valley earned its terrifying name from the countless lives lost within its borders.
It is said that millions, if not hundreds of millions, of lives have been lost in the valley over the past 7,000 years.
The countless casualties, of course, were the result of the unending war between humanity and the Demon race.
Aside from its ominous name, the valley is also said to be the site where the tenth Demon Emperor of the Demon race, known for his poisonous powers—Demon Emperor Jared Crimson—met his downfall at the hands of three heroes. While the details remain unverified, most believe the tale to be true.
Meanwhile, fifty kilometers from the Valley of Death, humanity’s army of around 500,000 was lined up in neat formation.
At the heart of the formation, a small tent stood, where Jim, along with Natasya, Rain, Guren, Valen, and Luna, gathered inside.
“Bow Hero Luna, are you sure the Demon Emperor truly wants to see me?” Jim inquired, curiosity evident in his voice.
Luna nodded slowly, responding nonchalantly, “Yes, he specifically instructed me to bring you and the others.”
Jim’s eyebrows lifted slightly, a playful smile curving on his lips.
“Do you know why he wants me there?” Jim inquired again, folding his arms across his chest.
“I have no idea,” Luna replied, shaking her head.
She couldn’t tell Jim that the real reason she agreed to the Demon Emperor’s request was simply to gather information about Leon’s whereabouts.
Though she didn’t understand why the Demon Emperor wanted her to bring Jim, Rain, and Natasya, she didn’t really care.
As long as she could learn Leon’s whereabouts, she didn’t care if it meant making enemies of humanity.
Jim simply smiled at her response and refrained from asking further questions.
The tent fell into a tense silence, neither of them speaking. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed, and a soldier clad in white armor burst through the entrance.
“Report to the leaders! A black spot has been detected in the west, heading our way. It’s likely the Demon army.”
Jim’s smile widened as he stepped out of the tent with a calm, assured demeanor.
“Good! Then let’s go meet the Demon Emperor.”
