153: The Demon King Awakens

The sky was nearly dark, and the first patrol squad had just finished changing shifts.

Shen Xiaochuan stood on high ground; the wind blew over, feeling a bit cold.

Golden light still lingered in his eyes as he kept watching the black meteorite.

The cracks on the meteorite were increasing, and a dim light flashed from within.

Aminos walked over from the east, his footsteps heavy.

He walked to Shen Xiaochuan's side, his hand resting on his sword, also staring at the meteorite without speaking.

"Something's wrong," Shen Xiaochuan said suddenly. "They've stopped screeching."

"Who?" Aminos asked.

"Those little demons." Shen Xiaochuan pointed at the black shadows sprawled on the ground. "They were attacking people just a moment ago, but now they're not moving. It's not because they're afraid; it's because they heard something."

As soon as he finished speaking, a red box popped up before Shen Xiaochuan, blocking his vision. The words were blood-red, floating in the air:

[Final Main Quest Triggered: Assist Aminos in killing the Demon King]

Countdown: 72:00:00

There were no rewards or task details written below, only a single line of small text: "Restricted to two participants; others will suffer backlash."

Shen Xiaochuan's eyes narrowed, and he immediately turned around to look. Behind him were 1,500 Believers; many were holding their heads, their faces pale. A young man crouched on the ground, his ears bleeding.

"Communicator," he said in a low voice.

A Personal Guard handed it over.

Shen Xiaochuan pressed the broadcast button, his voice stern: "All Believers below E-grade, retreat three miles immediately, defend your positions, and do not approach the central area! I repeat, everyone evacuate immediately!"

Someone hesitated: "General, we can still fight—"

"I said retreat!" Shen Xiaochuan roared. "This isn't a normal battle; it's a battle of rules. If you stay, you'll only die."

The group fell silent for a few seconds, then began to retreat. Their footsteps were chaotic, but no one disobeyed the order.

Aminos looked at him: "Do you know what this quest means?"

"I don't know," Shen Xiaochuan stared at the red box. "But I know it only wants the two of us. Bringing others in would just be harming them."

"But there are only two of us," Aminos's voice dropped. "The opponent is the Demon King."

"That's why we can't fight head-on," Shen Xiaochuan narrowed his eyes. "It hasn't fully awakened yet. If we act now, we can still interrupt it."

Aminos didn't speak, his gaze returning to the meteorite. Just then, the ground to the north collapsed, revealing a pit. A large sword was stuck in the middle of the pit, heavily rusted and wrapped in broken iron chains. Runes were carved all around it, some already cracked.

Black mist surged from the cracks in the meteorite, drifting toward the sword and coiling around it like a snake.

Aminos's breath hitched.

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and he whispered: "Is that... the Seal point?"

"Don't go over there!" Shen Xiaochuan reached out to stop him, his tone urgent.

"That sword... I can hear it calling me." Aminos's eyes remained fixed on the sword, his voice sounding somewhat dazed.

"That's a trap," Shen Xiaochuan's voice turned cold. "Do you not trust me?"

"I'm not lying to you." Shen Xiaochuan let go of his arm, his tone serious. "The System wouldn't restrict a quest for no reason. It wants 'assistance,' not for you to throw your life away. If you pull out that sword, the one standing here tomorrow might be the new Demon King."

The wind stopped.

The forest was very quiet.

Aminos stood motionless, his fingers trembling slightly. He looked at the sword, his lips moving: "I thought... this was the final battle."

"A true ending doesn't require sacrificing yourself." Shen Xiaochuan closed his eyes, and the Faith Mall popped up. He quickly browsed through it, finally stopping on five black scrolls.

[rare-grade · Undying Body · Evil God Guards Summoning Scroll × 5]

Price: 8,000 faith points each (40,000 total)

He exchanged for them directly.

Five black shadows fell from the sky, hitting the ground with a dull thud. Each guard was taller than a person, covered in bone armor with spikes on the joints, and their eyes were bright red, like burning coals. They didn't move or speak, lining up in a row facing the meteorite.

"Your mission." Shen Xiaochuan pointed at the deepest crack. "Charge in and strike whatever is inside. Interrupt its awakening, no matter the cost."

The five guards lowered their heads in unison, emitting low growls from their throats as if in response.

Aminos looked at them: "These... aren't living people?"

"They're made from the dead," Shen Xiaochuan said. "Things from the mall are specifically for dealing with such evil entities. They don't fear mental corruption, won't fall, and won't turn into enemies if they die."

"But can they get in?"

"Not necessarily." Shen Xiaochuan looked at the meteorite. "But it's better than you going to pull that sword. We wait for the result."

The five guards suddenly moved. They charged toward the meteorite on all fours like beasts, moving fast and kicking up a cloud of dust. The first one crashed into the crack, its bones cracking, but it forced its way in.

The second and third followed and charged in as well.

As soon as the last one entered, the meteorite shook violently. The crack widened, and black mist sprayed out, entangling the guard's leg. One was dragged halfway back, its left arm instantly rotting away, revealing white bone.

But it kept crawling inside.

"It's working." Shen Xiaochuan stared inside. "They are disrupting it."

Aminos looked at the pitch-black opening, his voice a bit hoarse: "Do you think... they can succeed?"

Shen Xiaochuan shook his head: "They've already been discovered. Sending more people in would just be throwing their lives away."

Aminos didn't speak, his hand slowly releasing the sword.

In the distance, the last guard completely disappeared. The black mist churned more violently, like boiling water. A dull thud came from inside the meteorite, as if it had been struck.

The ground shook slightly.

Shen Xiaochuan narrowed his eyes: "They're fighting."

Aminos frowned: "Why?"

"What?"

"You could have clearly let me pull the sword," Aminos looked at him. "That way the quest might have been completed faster. And you could have gotten away. Yet, you stopped me."

Shen Xiaochuan was silent for a few seconds, then looked up and said: "I've seen too many people who talk about sacrifice, only to become the new source of disaster in the end. Loulan has just returned; I don't want to see another city destroyed at the hands of a 'hero'."

"But sometimes, sacrifice is necessary."

"Necessary?" Shen Xiaochuan sneered. "Do you think the quest says 'assist' because it wants to see you turn into a monster? It wants cooperation, not a sacrifice."

His tone was heavy: "I've seen too many people who use the banner of sacrifice, only to harm everyone in the end."

"Then stay alive and save them." Shen Xiaochuan's voice dropped. "The dead can't do anything. As long as you're still standing, there's hope."

The wind picked up again, carrying the smell of burning.

The vibration of the meteorite slowly lessened, and the black mist stopped spraying out, instead receding inward. A layer of grayish-white membrane began to grow on the edge of the crack, like a wound healing.

"It's repairing itself." Shen Xiaochuan's eyes tightened. "The guards might have failed."

Aminos frowned, his voice a bit urgent: "Then what do we do now?"

"It's too late." Shen Xiaochuan shook his head. "There's only one scroll left, and... they've already been discovered. Sending more people in would just be dying for nothing."

"Then we have no choice but to act early." Shen Xiaochuan took out the last scroll; he didn't open it, just held it in his hand. "I won't use this until the very end."

"Because if I use this, I'll have no way out." Shen Xiaochuan looked at Aminos, his tone very serious. "The same goes for you. Staying alive is more important than anything."

"It's not that I don't want to be a hero." Shen Xiaochuan looked at the meteorite, his voice a bit low. "I'm just afraid that if I actually become a hero, there will be no one to collect my corpse."

The two stood there for a long time.

The sky was completely dark; there were no stars and no moon. A few whistles came from outside the forest—the patrol soldiers reporting that everything was fine. The membrane on the meteorite grew thicker, and the black mist had almost entirely receded, with only a few wisps drifting at the edge of the crack.

Suddenly, the quest countdown before Shen Xiaochuan's eyes jumped:

71:59:38

Then it stopped.

There were no updates or prompts.

"Is it stuck?" Aminos asked in a low voice.

"It's not stuck." Shen Xiaochuan shook his head. "It's deadlocked. The quest hasn't advanced, and it hasn't failed. It means they're still fighting inside."

"Then what do we..."

"Wait." Shen Xiaochuan tucked the scroll back into his bosom. "Keep an eye on this stone. If it dares to crack open a seam, we'll dare to throw more people in."

Aminos nodded, his hand resting on his sword again, this time not looking at the rusted sword anymore.

Shen Xiaochuan stood in place, his clothes covered in dust, a copper gear pendant hanging from his cuff, swaying gently in the wind. Golden light still lingered in his eyes as he stared fixedly at every crack on the meteorite.

Behind him, 1,500 elite Believers stood quietly, no one speaking.

In the distance, the last wisp of black mist retracted into the crack.

The meteorite quieted down, like a dead planet.

Aminos suddenly turned his head to look at Shen Xiaochuan: "That wound of yours, does it still hurt?"

"It went numb long ago," Shen Xiaochuan said casually. "After fighting for so long, the body doesn't feel pain anymore."

Aminos looked at him and didn't speak again.

Shen Xiaochuan stared at the meteorite, his voice very low but alert: "They... are coming out soon."