Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

71: Chapter 71: Serious Chicken Soup Advices 71: Chapter 71: Serious Chicken Soup Advices Yang Yu pulled his sword from his waist again, his confident visage reflected in Asuna’s crimson pupils.

A vague sense of unease filled her heart as Asuna began to believe that the man before her had become invincible.

Steeling herself, she once again swung her whip, planning to repeat her previous tactic as the whip transformed into a poisonous snake lunging for Yang Yu’s face.

“He’s already exhausted.

If I can just restrain his movements and wait for the rescue team to arrive, he’ll have no escape,” Asuna changed her strategy.

She was no longer thinking about defeating Yang Yu but rather about not being defeated by him.

This time, Yang Yu didn’t use his shield to block the Poison Snake Bite.

Instead, he charged aggressively towards Asuna.

“You’re courting death!”

The “Poison Snake Bite” Skill possessed both poisoning and binding effects.

By stepping into the skill’s attack range willingly, the snake would leap repeatedly until it ensnared its opponent.

However, Yang Yu’s face showed not a hint of hesitation.

Dodging the snapping snake by stepping aside, the snake attempted to coil back, but Yang Yu ducked smoothly, avoiding it effortlessly in a fluid series of moves without any superfluous action.

The snake’s speed couldn’t keep up with him.

“How is this possible!”

She was clearly capable just moments ago—why couldn’t she do it now?

Asuna was astonished, attempting to retract her whip when Yang Yu’s gaze suddenly hardened, thrusting his sword into the ground.

“Thorny Binding!”

The grass trembled, and purple thorns emerged from the soil.

Asuna instinctively jumped backward, but it was too late.

The purple thorns coiled around her ankles and climbed up her entire body like ivy, binding her hands and feet.

The slightest movement would drive the thorns into her flesh.

Thorny Binding—a Skill that brought forth thorns from the ground to bind the enemy, with the duration dependent on the opponent’s Level and Strength.

This was Yang Yu’s first Control Skill, an equal mix of offense and defense.

While it didn’t change the enemy’s attack path like the “Taunt” Skill, it was still formidable.

With a burst of power from his calves, Yang Yu exploded with astonishing speed, closing the gap to Asuna in an instant.

“You—how do you have a Plant Clan Skill?

Could it be…”

Ignoring the piercing pain, Asuna struggled fiercely but couldn’t prevent Yang Yu’s blade from slicing towards her chest.

Asuna ultimately broke free from the binding, but at the center of her chest, Yang Yu had carved a straight wound.

She staggered back several steps, steadying herself.

Gone was the malice and hatred from her face, replaced with fear—a primal fear.

Her hand, covering the wound on her chest, trembled slightly.

“Let me tell you, I don’t go easy on you just because you’re a woman.

I, Yang Yu, treat all my enemies equally.”

There were plenty of beautiful female bosses in the game, but Yang Yu wasn’t foolish enough to get killed by a boss just for taking a few more glances.

Besides, don’t all beautiful female bosses have fan art?

If he wanted to see, couldn’t he just bypass the firewall and go to certain sites?

Wouldn’t that be delightful?

Yang Yu’s words shattered Asuna’s hope of negotiating a deal.

Suddenly, her eyes flashed a pink glow.

She didn’t know what method Yang Yu had used to overcome the Charm, but if he had been carrying the antidote in his mouth from the beginning and chewed it immediately after being charmed, then she might still have a chance.

However, as soon as Asuna’s Charming Technique reached Yang Yu, her illusions were shattered once again.

Her Charm had no effect at all.

“I told you, maybe because I’m rather handsome, your Charming Technique doesn’t work on me.

You should still be able to fight, so come at me!”

Yang Yu knew what fate would await him if he were captured by Asuna.

After completing the source eradication Task, he used up all his free attribute points without reserve, significantly boosting his attributes.

Now, Yang Yu held no fear against Asuna and wouldn’t show her any mercy.

Asuna naturally wouldn’t just sit there awaiting death.

She picked up her whip for a final stand.

…

…

The deepest part of the night had passed, and dawn had yet to break; the moon still hung in the sky and the deserted streets felt a few degrees colder.

Carlo, the president with a mask, gazed towards the direction of the research institute, waiting in silence.

Time was running out.

If everything that Big Pancake President had said was true, it wouldn’t be long before the summoning from the Congress would be in his hands.

He would have to set out for the Capital and stand trial.

An emergency meeting had been called, with many absent.

Those who came indicated that the situation was not optimistic.

If Carlo didn’t come up with a reliable plan before dawn, they would have no choice but to switch allegiance to Silver Orchid Commerce.

A pessimistic mood continued to spread within the Giant Umbrella Chamber of Commerce, but Carlo believed a miracle could happen.

Tonight was the last chance.

As long as they had those items, they could make a final stand.

So, he went out again in person to the rendezvous point, without a hint of anxiety, only a sense of calm like still water.

Suddenly, the sound of someone lightly stepping on the stone pavement echoed through the empty streets.

A boy with a sack over his shoulder accompanied by a slightly panting girl arrived at the meeting place.

“Yo—Carlo, coming out in person again to meet us, I’m truly flattered.”

The boy was sweating profusely but wore a relaxed expression, looking nothing like someone who had just pulled off a big job at the research institute.

“Meeting in person does put one at ease,” Carlo replied, removing his mask to reveal a weary face with dark circles under his eyes but a kind and gentle demeanor.

He didn’t ask how much data the two had obtained; their mere presence was enough to give him peace of mind.

Even if the task had failed, seeing the boy who had worked so hard for their Chamber still alive and well, Carlo was immensely grateful.

“I won’t bother with small talk,” Yang Yu said as he directly took the task item out of the system and tossed it to Carlo.

“I’ve gotten everything you wanted.”

Without checking, Carlo tucked the items into his clothes.

“It’s time for me to receive my payment.

I need to prepare to make a run for it.

I didn’t expect them to send so many troops.

It turns out that woman was just controlling the institute with her Charming Technique, using a long whip, but she didn’t have many proper moves from beginning to end.

The reinforcements they sent were too many and much stronger than her.

I expect they’ll catch up soon.

Carlo, you’d better be careful not to get caught by them.”

“I’ve already put the items in the carriage, and I’ve prepared the escape route for you.

It will still take a little time to get here,” Carlo said, waving his hand.

The figures dressed in black who were hiding in the shadows immediately vanished.

“In the meantime, I hope to have another casual chat with Mr.

Yang Yu.

How do you see this incident, and what do you think about the future of our Chamber?”

How else can you look at it, if not with your eyes?

It’s really difficult for a small chamber of commerce to survive with all the constant backstabbing.

Scratching his head, Yang Yu couldn’t voice what he was truly thinking and could only start giving a serious- sounding pep talk.

“The future is too nebulous for you to worry about.

What you need is to stay grounded.

Your Chamber is still young; there’s a lot you can afford to experiment with.

If one day you face a dire situation, you might consider a lot of things, but if you think about it, you don’t have much to lose.

As long as you don’t lose the most important things, you’ll still have a chance to rise again.

There’s a saying, ‘Without destruction, there is no construction.’

I know many business magnates who weren’t impressive at first.

Some even had a really tough start, but in the end, they held on to their principles through adversity, found their niche, and went against the current to eventually become business tycoons.

So, I think you already know what to do, don’t you?

Just go ahead with what you’re thinking, and it’ll be fine.”

As long as your Chamber doesn’t go under, that’s all that matters, or else I’ll have nowhere to use my discount coupon!

In the end, Yang Yu swallowed these words.

After all, speaking so bluntly seemed too utilitarian.

If the other party’s goodwill dropped, what if they decided not to give him a second Skill Scroll?