Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

Leaving Qiuye and Tico behind, Yang Yu led the others into the Teleportation Array, arriving at the meeting room used by the All Things Library Elders’ Council for their discussions.

Looking around, not many Library Elders were present, with many seats remaining vacant.

As soon as Yang Yu and the others appeared, the gaze of the All Things Library Elders immediately turned towards them.

Sitting on a giant book, Elder Li Yan stroked his white beard, his Dragon Eyes faintly visible under his graying bangs.

Having used the Racial Essence of the giant dragon species, Elder Li Yan could accurately assess the strength of Yang Yu and his companions, marveling at Yang Yu’s talent, which was not inferior to his own when he was young.

Baronaco sat with his legs crossed, arms folded, ready to see if Yang Yu could still persuade the All Things Library’s Elders.

The other Library Elders arrived at the meeting room one after another, their gazes passing over Yang Yu without saying a word, quietly awaiting the start of the meeting.

Seeing the elders present, the elderly Council President walked onto the stage, his hands tiredly bracing the lectern as he slowly began to speak:

”Thank you all for your hard work.

I apologize for convening you so suddenly.

Today, we have a rare visitor seeking our assistance.

Mister Yang Yu, would you please tell us the reason for your journey here from afar?”

The elderly Council President gestured to Yang Yu, who briskly stepped forward, speaking directly:

”Elders of the All Things Library, it’s been a long time.

I believe you all know of the Demon King Descent, and the hardship it is bringing to this world.

To halt the Demon King’s invasion and weaken the Demon King Army’s strength, I have come here from afar.

There are some things I have heard...”

Through the amplification device, Yang Yu began to narrate the story’s sequence of events.

To maintain secrecy of the plan, he deliberately obscured the tasks he wanted the Mages to perform.

This behavior drew dissatisfaction from several Library Elders:

”In the end, you still haven’t disclosed your plan. Without a specific plan, we can’t assess the risks.”

Yang Yu, sincere in his attitude, began to explain: ”I wish I could lay out my entire plan, but considering the risk of exposure, please forgive me.

The Demon Clan is far more cunning than you can imagine.

Only with proper secrecy can we ensure infallibility.

Before the plan is officially executed, I will surely relay the plan to you.”

Yang Yu’s words did not convince the displeased Library Elders:

”Easy for you to say.

But who knows what dangers our colleagues might face!

We’ve already sent Magicians to support the Republic of Trenn.

To prevent further invasion by the Demon King, they have given their all, even sacrificing their lives.

The All Things Library still wishes to persist, protecting the accumulated knowledge over the centuries.

This place also requires a significant amount of manpower.

If anything unexpected happens, no one can protect this Library.”

Yang Yu took a deep breath, understanding the elders’ perspectives.

Since the commercialization of the All Things Library, many people have settled here, treating the Library as their home.

Rather than contributing a force to the world, many still wish to use their strength to protect their nearby family.

They don’t ignore the situation; they harbor a sense of luck.

Believing that even if they don’t act, someone else will.

If someone else does, then it’s not their turn; they can use their strength to guard something they truly care about.

Once a logical loop is formed, they can easily convince themselves to remain complacent, adopting a more conservative strategy to face adversity.

Yang Yu understands these elders’ thoughts, but it doesn’t mean he agrees with them.

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes, and slowly opened them again, his gaze instantly sharp:

”So much time has passed. Some remain unchanged.

Perhaps, even if I directly asked you for help, you’d still find excuses to refuse.

If something happens proving you wrong, you’d likely wait until then to regret.

Or... you might hide beneath the umbrella of a group, shirking responsibility.

Guarding the Library’s knowledge, what a convenient excuse!

There’s no need to hurry with your denial.

Let me finish my words, and you’ll find it not too late to refute them together.

I know we each treasure something, willing to strive and pay for it.

Issues too distant to see or hear often lead us to overlook their importance.

What I’m about to say might sound unpleasant.

So, elders, please prepare yourselves mentally.

If you remain unmoved after listening, then I will seek another path.

Regrettably, our time is incredibly precious.”

Yang Yu’s powerful voice reverberated in the meeting room.

Events from two or three years ago suddenly flashed in every elder’s mind.

Back then, Yang Yu was young and impetuous, rendering them speechless; now, Yang Yu is still young and impetuous, but there’s an overwhelming maturity and steadiness that exceeds his age behind this impetuosity.

Without waiting for the elders’ response, Yang Yu taunted all the Library Elders present:

”The knowledge you’ve collected is simply too rare, sometimes full of errors and misleading others.”

A short, stout Library Elder slammed the table and rose: ”Calling our knowledge rare? The knowledge collected here, you might not finish reading in eight hundred lifetimes!”

Yang Yu chuckled: ”I surely know that the books here, I may not read them in thousands or tens of thousands of years.

But to drive humanity to a higher realm, this knowledge is indeed rare.

Moreover, most of the knowledge here only scratches the surface, without truly reaching the essence.

The All Things Library is vast.

This size, accumulated over centuries, will continue expanding with time, your knowledge growing increasingly abundant.

Whether trying to query or practice, it will become more challenging.

Ignoring your ever-increasing management costs, even with Fairy assistance, you’ll reach expansion limits due to population restrictions in the Fairy Kingdom.

I acknowledge the All Things Library has significantly helped this world, allowing many eager for knowledge to obtain valuable insights.

But, the All Things Library isn’t the future.

Not everyone can afford the cost of enjoying knowledge.

At the All Things Library’s inception, it was meant to let knowledge seamlessly flow into ordinary people’s hands.

The past Library intended to cultivate the true future.

Perhaps, its founders considered this issue upon its establishment.

At that time, they believed if knowledge could be spread all over the world in some way, those who benefited from the All Things Library would find solutions to its problems.”