Moon Demon Territory, Central City, in front of the Supreme Castle gates.
Whoosh!
With a whooshing sound, Shien turned into a blur, flickering like he was teleporting, and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Moments later, two streaks of light shot out from the Supreme Castle.
âDonât run!â Graty shouted angrily.
âHe actually got awayâŠâ Beauty was even more furious.
Just as the two dragon women made their outrageous request for âanother buff,â Shien, holding Lilith, without a momentâs hesitation activated [Outer Vision of Heavenâs Decree] and teleported away.
Thatâs why Graty and Beauty were so angry.
âSuch a stingy Hero!â Graty even cursed.
âYeah! Whatâs the big deal about helping us a little!?â Beauty gritted her teeth.
Recalling the sensation of Shienâs magic power flowing into them, their stagnant power finally showing signs of stirring, both Graty and Beauty desperately wanted to drag Shien back and make him continue. This was a chance to break through to Limit Level! Thus, the two founders of the Dragon Race lost their composure.
âHow many years has it been?â Graty sighed. âI donât even know how many years itâs been since my power increased.â
âYeah,â Beauty said excitedly, âI thought this was it, that Iâd never break through to Limit Level in this lifetime. I never expected such an opportunity to appear.â
âNow I finally understand why that child is so attached to him, unwilling to stay with the Dragon Race.â Graty mused, âIf it were me, back when I hadnât transformed and was still living in the wild, if such a person appeared, not only saving me but also giving me the possibility of breaking through to Limit Level, I would probably follow him without hesitation.â
âExactly,â Beauty nodded repeatedly. âEven though Iâve already sworn eternal loyalty to Master Airi, the moment I absorbed his magic power, I felt the urge to acknowledge him as my master. That man, with such an ability, is the dream master of every being born a monster.â
With Shienâs help, the possibility of breaking through to Limit Level was a temptation no monster could resist. Although those with low potential couldnât break through so easily, Shienâs ability could still help them reach a higher level, a level they couldnât achieve in their lifetime. Therefore, not just simple-minded monsters, but even demons with immense willpower, would find it hard to resist such a temptation.
Graty and Beauty were the same. If they hadnât already sworn loyalty to Airi, they would have probably sold themselves to have Shien help them break through.
The two dragon women even thought, âIf we bring him back to the Dragon Demon Territory, could we cultivate more and stronger dragons? Could the other executives also break through with his help?â
Thinking of this, they couldnât help but lose their composure and stare at Shien with burning eyes. Unfortunately, this scared him, and he fled.
This made the two dragon women both anxious and regretful.
âWe shouldnât have been so obvious.â
âYeah, we should have tricked him into coming to the Dragon Demon Territory first.â Graty and Beauty were filled with regret. If Shien saw their expressions, he would probably be terrified.
But after searching around the Supreme Castle, they couldnât find him. They had to admit that he had escaped.
âNow what?â Graty said, worried.
âLetâs mobilize people to search for him,â Beauty suggested, ready to make a big fuss.
âNo,â Graty immediately shook her head. âIf we make too much of a commotion, the Demon Lords will definitely intervene. If ordinary demons see this, mistaking it for us targeting the Hero, it might cause more unrest.â
âThen what should we do?â Beauty asked anxiously. âWe finally have a chance to break through, even to elevate the entire Dragon Race! We canât miss this opportunity!â
âI know,â Graty scratched her head. âActually, thereâs no need to rush. Heâll be back sooner or later.â
âBack?â Beauty was stunned, then realized, âRight, heâs the Demon Lordsâ guest, no, heâs⊠heâs also Masterâs fiancĂ©, the Demon Lordsâ future brother-in-law.â
The two dragon women fell silent. Blinded by their desire, they almost forgot this crucial fact.
Shien was about to become Airiâs fiancĂ©, the Dragon Raceâs future son-in-law. This news had caused a huge commotion, not only in the Demon Race, but also within the Dragon Race. After all, their king, their master, their mother figure, Airi, was about to marry a human, an enemy of the Demon Race.
Many refused to believe this, and with some instigation, the situation became quite chaotic. If Airi hadnât declared that anyone in the Dragon Demon Territory who caused trouble because of this would face her wrath, there might have been protests.
Graty and Beauty also initially caused a commotion, only calming down after being severely reprimanded by Airi.
However, they still didnât approve of Shien. Whether he was the one Airi favored, the current Hero, or even Yulinâs master, they still couldnât accept a human becoming their masterâs partner, the Dragon Raceâs future son-in-law. Even after witnessing Shienâs power before the Supreme Castle, his ability to rival a Transcendent Level being, they were still unwilling to accept him. The Dragon Raceâs pride prevented them from easily accepting a human, even a powerful Hero. Moreover, Yulin, because of him, refused to stay with the Dragon Race, further worsening their impression of Shien. If they hadnât witnessed his strength, his ability to dispel Kaminaâs aura with a single sword strike, they might have already challenged him.
Until this momentâŠ
âMaster marrying him⊠might actually be a good thing⊠right?â Graty muttered uncertainly.
ââŠSomeone capable of elevating the entire Dragon Race⊠such a person⊠being our master⊠might not be so bad.â Beauty also murmured.
They exchanged glances, both seeing the same two words in each otherâs eyesââSo good.â
This made them feel ashamed.
âDidnât you say you wanted to teach that Hero a lesson and make him back down?â
âDidnât you also keep saying you wanted to fight him and see if he was as strong as Mitra?â
âBut you were more adamant than me, and now youâre compromising just because of some benefits. Are you even a proud dragon anymore?â
âAre you one to talk? Youâre also compromising!â
âIâŠ!â
âYouâŠ!â
Graty and Beauty suddenly started bickering.
đđđđđŹđđđ·đđżđđĄ.đđžđ
A childish voice, filled with disdain, echoed,
âI told you, you donât understand how strong or how incredible he is.â
The familiar voice made them stop and look up. There, a beautiful girl with long, straight black hair hovered in mid-air, her dragon wings spread and her hands on her hips, looking down at them with disdain.
âYulinâŠâ
âS-So you were here?â
Graty and Beautyâs expressions turned awkward.
Yulin, the dragon girl, continued to look down on them. âWerenât you two looking down on my stupid master before? What? Now youâre after his body?â
Her sharp words made the two dragon women ashamed, wanting to hide. After all, the more they had belittled Shien before, the more embarrassed they felt now.
âHmph!â Yulin, however, looked smug. These two seniors, with their greater experience and seniority, had tried to persuade her to âsee the lightâ with their âwise words,â which annoyed her. Although her master was indeed stupid, only she could look down on him, not others!
Therefore, Yulin warned them,
âDonât blame me for not warning you. Donât you dare have any funny ideas. Otherwise, Iâll make you pay, even without Sister Airiâs help.â
Her childish voice and threatening words, although not scary and even somewhat cute, conveyed her protectiveness.
She was worried that after Shienâs ability was revealed, these dragons might have some malicious intentions, like kidnapping him and using him as a âmagic power juicerâ until he was drained dry. Although, with Shienâs current strength and Airiâs protection, the Dragon Race couldnât possibly harm him, but that lecherous master of hers was always getting into trouble with women, whether disappearing into rooms with princesses for noisy, bed-breaking activities, or engaging in strenuous, underwater exercises with that masked woman or the little elf girl. Yulin couldnât help but worry that her stupid master might be seduced by these dragon women, who at least looked decent.
So, a warning was necessary.
After all, she was a dragon.
A very, very fierce dragon!
Rawr!
Time passed quietly.
Soon, dusk arrived.
Shien still hadnât returned to the Supreme Castle. He knew Graty and Beauty were there, waiting for him, so he wandered around Central City.
Graty and Beauty, after waiting for a long time, finally gave up and returned, disappointed.
The Demon Lordsâ meeting, however, continued, much to Hartleyâs surprise.
âItâs been so long?â In Hartleyâs memory, this was only the second time the Demon Lords had a meeting this long.
The first time was a thousand years ago, when the Demon King was defeated and the Demon Race lost the war. At that time, the Demon Lords also discussed from morning till night, finally deciding to surrender to the God Race and the Human Race, establish peace, and relocate the entire Demon Race to the newly formed Demon Realm.
âCould it be that the matter theyâre discussing this time is as important as that?â Hartley wondered, surprised.
Not just Hartley, but the other Demon Lord executives as well.
Perhaps because of the long wait, all the executives had gathered here, including Graty and Beauty, who couldnât find Shien. Naturally, Liel, Hart, and Gray were also present.
âHavenât the Demon Lords finished yet, Hartley?â Liel was the first to ask, her hostile tone making it seem like she had a grudge against Hartley.
She had been acting like this since arriving in Central City and meeting Hartley, clearly disliking her.
(Still the same as always.) Hartley knew the reason, but her expression remained unchanged. âThe Demon Lords havenât finished their discussion yet. You can wait here, but donât go in,â she said coldly. Her words made many uneasy, especially Gray, who felt a chill despite having only met Hartley once before. (As expected of one of the only three Limit Level experts in the Demon Race, even her aura is threatening. If we fought, I would be no match for her, right?) Gray felt both wary and apprehensive.
He had never felt so outmatched before.
Although he had met those stronger than Hartley, like Shafney, the difference in power was so great that he knew he couldnât possibly be their enemy, feeling more awe and reverence than fear. However, as a member of the Mitra royal family, possessing the Heroâs bloodline and rising to become a prince despite being from a collateral branch, Gray still had his pride, not believing he would lose to anyone below Transcendent Level.
Even Limit Level was just one level above him. Although their raw power might be greater, with his Unique Skill, he was confident he could fight them. This wasnât blind confidence, but the reality of this world. With a powerful Unique Skill, one could challenge those stronger than them, defying the limitations of levels and skills. Otherwise, how could a Unique Skill be called an ability that transcended logic? It was a true expertâs trump card, able to ignore the difference in levels if powerful enough.
Even Transcendent Level beings could be troubled by some unique Unique Skills. In short, levels and skills were just the foundation of oneâs strength, a powerful Unique Skill was the deciding factor.
Why were Heroes so revered?
Because they generally awakened powerful Unique Skills and wielded Holy Swords, equally powerful and unique to them.
With these two trump cards, Heroes naturally had a great advantage.
Gray, only one step away from Limit Level and possessing a powerful Unique Skill, naturally believed he was no weaker than anyone below Transcendent Level.
But he forgot that those who reached Limit Level, the pinnacle of life, were the most talented and had the greatest potential. Otherwise, they would have reached their limits long before reaching Limit Level, unable to improve further. Like Graty and Beauty, who were already at level ninety-nine, top-tier Legendary experts, thousands of years ago, yet still couldnât take that last step, because their potential was exhausted.
All beings in this world, although they could improve their strength and levels through battles and training, once their potential was exhausted, their growth would stop. And those with the potential to reach Limit Level, how could they not awaken powerful Unique Skills?
Powerful Unique Skills werenât exclusive to Gray.
Hartley, as a powerful demon, capable of reaching Limit Level, her Unique Skill was definitely no weaker than Grayâs, perhaps even stronger. Only now did Gray realize his own arrogance.
Liel, on the same level as Gray, ignored the apprehension caused by Hartleyâs presence, glaring at her as if wanting to fight.
Hartley ignored Liel, simply standing there, blocking the path to the conference room, making the other executives hesitate, not daring to act. Before Shien, she was polite and courteous, but they didnât know how terrifying she was in the eyes of other demons. At least, those present, besides Gray and Liel, looked at Hartley with some fear, the same as those executives in the Imperial Capital.
Fortunately, this tense atmosphere was soon broken.
âWeng!â With a fluctuation in the air, the barrier around the conference room dissipated. The doors opened, and the Demon Lords emerged, their terrifying auras filling the air.
Led by Sara, the Demon Lords appeared.
âWe greet Your Highnesses,â Hartley immediately turned and bowed.
âWe greet Your Highnesses!â
âWe greet Your Highnesses!â The others also reacted, kneeling one after another and bowing respectfully to the Demon Lords.
Seeing them, they breathed a sigh of relief. Although the meeting was long, at least the Demon Lords seemed fine.
HoweverâŠ
âYour Highnesses?â Hartley called out hesitantly on behalf of the executives.
The Demon Lordsâ expressions were unusually solemn and complex. Especially Airi, who seemed worried and kept sighing, her behavior completely unlike her usual carefree self.
âDid something happen?â This thought crossed everyoneâs minds.
Unfortunately, the Demon Lords didnât elaborate.
âIs everyone here?â Sara asked, looking at the executives and nodding slightly.
Airi looked at Hartley and asked directly, âWhereâs Shien?â Her first concern upon emerging was the Hero.
But it was Graty and Beauty who answered,
âMaster, that Hero ran away.â
âHeâs not even in the Supreme Castle anymore.â Their voices carried a hint of grievance, a deliberate act, intending to complain to Airi, letting her know what happened and have her deal with Shien, bringing him back to the Dragon Demon Territory. They believed that once their master knew about the Heroâs ability, she would definitely exploit him for the benefit of the Dragon Race. This thought even excited them a little.
However, upon hearing their words, the Demon Lordsâ reactions were unexpected.
âYou said he left the Supreme Castle?â Shafney asked, stepping forward with an urgent tone.
Seeing Shafney like this, not just Graty and Beauty, but even Liel, Hart, and Gray, were surprised. Although Shafney had acted intimately with Shien before, she had never shown such urgency and concern. Now, seeing the urgency on her beautiful face, Liel didnât react much, but Hart felt a pang of jealousy, and Gray frowned, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
The other executives were also stunned.
Because the other Demon Lordsâ reactions were also quite dramatic.
âWhy did he suddenly leave?â Lid asked, her tone worried.
âShien! Shien!â Millu even started pacing anxiously, as if wanting to rush out.
And Kaminaâs reaction was even more surprising.
âWhat are you all doing? How could you let such an important person leave so easily?â she asked angrily, her voice filled with killing intent, a stark contrast to her previous hostility towards Shien.
The Demon Lordsâ overreactions left the executives at a loss.
Only Sara and Airi remained calm.
âDonât be so agitated, youâre scaring our subordinates,â Sara sighed reproachfully, âHe just went out, heâs not in danger. Youâre overreacting.â
âPlease calm down, sisters,â Airi said softly, âI know what we just discussed was shocking, but please calm down.â
Sara and Airiâs words made the other Demon Lords pause, their auras gradually receding.
âWe were indeed too agitated,â Shafney said, rubbing her temples.
âThereâs no helping it. If everything big sister investigated is true, then that Heroâs importance is self-evident,â Lid said with a wry smile.
âRegardless, letâs find him first. If something happens to him, the entire Omnipotence might be affected,â Kamina said forcefully, her tone completely different from her previous hostility towards Shien.
âFind him!â Millu nodded vigorously. If not for Lid holding her back, she would have already rushed out.
Sara, after some thought, nodded. âYouâre right, regardless of the truth, Shienâs existence is crucial,â she said, looking at her sisters, âAs we discussed, from today onwards, no matter the circumstances, one of us must always be by his side, protecting him.â
âAnd letâs arrange for him to enter the âDemon Kingâs Pavilionâ as soon as possible. That will not only enhance his strength, but perhaps also confirm some truths.â
Her words were met with the other Demon Lordsâ agreement.
Airi even said, âIâll go find him later.â
She calmly told everyone that she would be the one protecting Shien. The other Demon Lords naturally had no objections. In terms of both time spent with Shien and closeness to him, Airi was undoubtedly the most suitable.
Even Shafney wouldnât object. After all, her relationship with Shien was more complicated than simply âgood.â In the current situation, she wouldnât compete with Airi for a place by his side.
Shafney seemed indifferent.
These Demon Lords ignored the demon executives present. Hearing their conversation, the executives were in turmoil.
âThe Demon Lords value that Hero so much?â
âTheyâre even going to act as his bodyguards?â
âTheyâre actually planning to let a human Hero enter the Demon Kingâs Pavilion?â
âHave the Demon Lords gone mad?â
The executivesâ shock was indescribable. Even Gray was deeply shaken, staring at the Demon Lords in astonishment.
No one knew what happened.
No one could guess the reason behind this.
People only knew that from this day onwards, the Hero Shien became the most important existence in the eyes of the Demon Lords.
The news of Airiâs engagement to Shien spread, becoming public knowledge.
MeanwhileâŠ
âI need to find a chance to go to the Divine Realm and confirm my guess,â Sara, the Moon Demon, said, turning her head and looking in a certain direction.
There, a goddess enveloped in colorful light was flying aimlessly.
âWhere am I again?â she cried.