Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

”Lord Yang Yu, is that what you think?”

Kula Doreen smiled knowingly,

”Only by being strong enough can you firmly grasp your destiny.

That’s not bad.

Lord Yang Yu... though it may be abrupt, I have a question.”

”What question?” Yang Yu asked.

Kula Doreen hesitated, then shook his head and smiled again, ”Before asking, I seemed to already know the answer.

Engaging Aslit and leaving with such wounds was my choice.

Lord Yang Yu, you should understand my feelings, and you know what I must do.

The island you are heading to will certainly have countless powerful adversaries, and you don’t have time to look for more forces.

If I leave alone, I might suffer their retaliation.

So...”

”I understand,” Yang Yu nodded gravely, ”With such resolve, I truly shouldn’t say more.”

Yang Yu took out a few precious potions from the system and handed them to Kula Doreen,

”Take these potions.”

”I don’t even know if they’ll be useful.”

Kula Doreen said, still accepting the potions Yang Yu handed over.

Qiuye, who was clutching her beloved sword nearby, gradually understood what Yang Yu was really talking about when he said, ”Your life is running out of time.”

Her father appeared fine on the surface, but in reality, he didn’t have much time left.

Qiuye’s first reaction was disbelief, followed by endless guilt. If not for her willfulness, if she had returned with her family earlier, perhaps her father wouldn’t be in this state.

The flickering firelight reflected in her eyes, and Qiuye dared not look up at Kula Doreen. If she did, if she saw her father’s face, she might lose control of her emotions.

Though no longer a child and having experienced so much, here she was, still acting foolishly, without any growth.

Now was the time to admit her mistakes, to say something.

Qiuye couldn’t open her mouth.

There was so much she wanted to say, but not a word came out.

”Qiuye...” Kula Doreen called her name.

Qiuye looked up, but her gaze wandered elsewhere, unable to face Kula Doreen.

Kula Doreen spoke with a gentle face,

”Qiuye, this is not your fault.

Having such talent, being cherished by the family, is not your fault.

No matter the outcome, whether I survive or not, I hope you’ll live earnestly.

Having traveled alone, you’ve surely experienced much and seen the wonders of this world.

Your childhood and adolescence were mostly spent within the family, like a bird in a cage.

It’s time to spread your wings and fly.

This is my last request to you as a father.

Live the life you desire...”

Upon hearing her father’s words, Qiuye once again couldn’t hold back her tears, which moistened her eyes.

Qiuye wiped away her tears with her hand,

”I definitely will, please rest assured, Father... if Father fails to accomplish it this time, I will make up my mind to bring an end to it.”

She intended to speak firmly, but her voice broke due to her emotions.

Kula Doreen glanced back at Yang Yu,

”Lord Yang Yu... I have one more request for you...”

Halfway through, Kula Doreen stopped, then shook his head,

”Never mind, you’re busy.

This matter shouldn’t be entrusted to you, forget it.

I feel that with the impending battle, we should relax, but I’ve made the atmosphere so heavy alone.

Let’s talk about something interesting.

In my youth, I experienced many fascinating things that I’m sure you’ll find intriguing.”

Kula Doreen changed the subject, and Yang Yu didn’t pursue it further, choosing to respect Kula Doreen’s choice.

The campfire burned slowly, and the night watchers swapped shifts one after another.

After a peaceful night, early the next morning, as the sky began to light up, Bai Jin summoned another warship on the sea.

Lotcar and Luo Hasta loaded barrels of slimes onto the warship.

After ensuring everything was error-free, Yang Yu led everyone onto the warship, embarking on the quest to conquer the [Count Blood].

....

....

Meanwhile, in the [Count Blood]’s laboratory, within an apparatus whose interior couldn’t be seen.

A creature with brown dragon scales was immersed in a solution, emitting a gentle light from his hands, forming a very special pattern.

It was a circle at the center, connected by numerous branching limbs, with the branches forming a circular pattern on the periphery.

The creature hugged itself, lips unmoving, yet a constant stream of voices emerged:

”For victory. Everything is for our civilization.

Following the orders of our superiors, we shall execute every command unto death.

This is all for the ultimate victory.”

Under this voice, another voice slowly rose.

It was a sound similar to an electronic prompt:

”Grude Plan, S-10000, transformation completed.

You are the last warrior of this batch of transformation. All the strength you now possess is to end everything.

The hatch will open soon, warrior, please prepare at once.

Beginning power-up for the hatch needed to be opened...”

Upon hearing this, the dragon-like creature suddenly opened its eyes, its red Dragon Eyes brimming with determination.

The electronic prompt continued:

”Powering up 1%... powering up 2%...”

As the electronic prompt sounded, the brown dragon scales gradually receded from the creature, transforming it back into the appearance of a rugged middle-aged man.

”Powering up 10%... powering up 11%...”

With the power-up exceeding 10%, the man began to move his limbs inside the cultivation chamber, feeling unprecedented strength and a sense of fulfillment, with images of the past flashing before his eyes.

Soon, he would join the battle, completing their shared task.

However....

”Powering up 31%... powering up 31%... powering up 32%... powering up 32%...”

The readout of the cultivation chamber became slower, ultimately giving a warning at 40%:

”Warning... warning... insufficient external magic power available... warning, warning... as soon as the surrounding magic power recovers, the system will restart to collect the magic needed to open the hatch. Please, warrior, wait a moment.”

The rugged man held no complaint, as this was his warrior’s demeanor.

He had waited a long, long time and did not mind waiting a little more.

However, what the man didn’t realize was that the hatch didn’t stop due to a malfunction, but because the researchers in the laboratory found that this apparatus was absorbing the surrounding magic power at an unimaginable speed, affecting the operation of other devices, and they used Magic to block the magic conduction.

In the laboratory, a pair of eyes emitting a cyan glow observed all this. It still didn’t intervene, just watched quietly.