Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

Yang Yu peeking wasn’t because of some pervy hobby; besides resurrecting Wei, he also resurrected two other people along the way.

After Gao Yuanyi picked Wei up and left, Yang Yu took Bai Jin into the underground laboratory, each of them approaching a cultivation pod overhead that was flashing red.

The two of them each took out a button and pressed it lightly; the warning red on the cultivation pod instantly turned into a tranquil blue.

The culture fluid filling the pod was slowly pumped out, the hatch creaked open, and a young man with golden hair appeared before Yang Yu, collapsing onto the floor.

Vorquis gradually regained consciousness, slowly opened his eyes, and saw Yang Yu at the doorway.

Yang Yu took out the clothes he had prepared in advance and tossed them to Vorquis.

Vorquis looked utterly confused, glanced around, and tried to call out the System to verify what was real, but no matter how he called, the System gave him no response.

“What on earth is going on?

Wasn’t I supposed to be dead?”

Vorquis looked at Yang Yu, gaze sharp as a blade, yearning for an answer.

Yang Yu answered Vorquis’s plea and said:

“Looks like Lux didn’t manage to resurrect using your body.

If he could have revived, that would’ve been ideal…

Trapped in this frail, powerless body, he wouldn’t have been able to stir up any storms, and he could have watched the ending come.

Since he didn’t resurrect, that woman doesn’t have to be brought back either.”

Yang Yu let out a long sigh, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his eyes.

Vorquis furrowed his brows and tried to search within himself for another soul, but no matter how he searched, he couldn’t find a trace.

“I’m very sorry, it seems…

He really has vanished completely.

When I met Death, he cut himself off from me, cleanly and decisively…”

As Vorquis spoke, he lowered his head like he’d done something wrong.

The one Yang Yu wanted to resurrect wasn’t him, but Lux, who had once fused with him into one.

Unfortunately, plans couldn’t keep up with fate; he was revived, but Lux was not.

Vorquis grieved in silence. He had clearly decided to become a Hero and save this world, yet in the end he’d been hindering more than helping. If he had been as cautious as Yang Yu and the others, perhaps the outcome would have been completely different.

Yang Yu let out another long sigh:

“I went into this expecting it might not work.

It just so happened we had a few extra sets of revival materials on hand, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Now that you’re alive again, you can stand with us and see things through.

After you’ve seen it, you’ll have to decide your own path.

If I’m not mistaken, the Strength the goddess gave you has completely vanished.

The Village of Heroes has already been wiped out; you’ve got nowhere to go. From here on out, you’re going to have to support yourself.”

“Support myself.” Vorquis felt a lot of emotions at that. “Ever since coming to this world, I’ve been relying on the Hero’s status to gain convenience. From now on… there won’t be such easy things anymore. If Strength is gone, then it’s gone. Being able to return to this world again, no matter what, I have to thank you.”

Here, Vorquis paused:

“I have a presumptuous request.

If materials are needed, I’ll gather them myself; if money is needed, I’ll raise it myself. Please, I beg you to help me revive my companions.”

Vorquis dropped to his knees and kowtowed three times to Yang Yu.

Yang Yu didn’t immediately agree; he only said:

“Every single material used for resurrection is extremely rare.

You’ve completely lost your Strength; it’ll be very hard to gather enough money and materials in a short time.

Those things might be something you can’t obtain even if you spend your entire life.”

“Even so, I’ll still give it everything I have.

They died because they followed an immature leader like me.

I have an obligation to shoulder that responsibility.”

Vorquis’s forehead pressed to the ground, his voice firm and forceful as he declared his resolve to Yang Yu.

Yang Yu’s face was expressionless as he said:

“In the final battle, you did give us some help.

I’m grateful to you for that.

But.

Vorquis, remember this: no request is ever automatically owed to you.

The help I give you is not something you’re entitled to, either.

The Priest in your party has fallen into a deep sleep. After hunting down Lux’s remaining followers, I handed her over to a nearby church; she’s probably long since woken by now.

The Hapi in your party was resurrected by me just like you were…

Unfortunately, as for that Princess in your party… I couldn’t find her remains. When we passed by that pier, we took the time to look, but we came up empty-handed.

There’s a good chance something ate her.

Or it might be that Lux despised that kind of woman and made sure to destroy her body completely.

In any case, if you want to resurrect her, you’ll have to retrieve her bones and bring them here.

Let’s set a deadline.

Ten years.

If within ten years you can find her remains and come here, we’ll resurrect her.

You only get one chance.

If you revive someone else’s body by mistake and use up that chance, you’ll never have another opportunity to bring her back.”

Vorquis pondered for a moment, then agreed to Yang Yu’s terms:

“Thank you for your generosity.

I’ll do my best.

Once you get to know what’s inside that woman, she’s not very likable, but she’s not rotten to the core either.

Ten years… ten years…

Just ten years. That’s something I can strive for.”

Vorquis understood why Yang Yu had set a limit. In the end, it was because he was afraid Vorquis would get stuck in this one thing for his whole life and give up on seeking anything better.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me?”

“There’s quite a lot I want to tell you; this concerns the direction this world is headed.

But we still have to get up early tomorrow.

What comes later, after tomorrow’s over, I’ll slowly explain to you.

For now, take your companions and go rest in the place I’ve arranged.

You won’t understand what they’re saying, but I’ve arranged everything.

They’ll lead you to your room.”

As Yang Yu spoke, he stepped back a few paces and saw Hapi, now dressed, tiptoe her way out of the cultivation pod.

Bai Jin stayed at Hapi Yixuan’s side, repeatedly reminding her to be careful and not cause trouble.

Because of that, when Hapi Yixuan heard Vorquis’s voice, she first ran over in delight, then, as if she’d done something wrong, shuffled forward in tiny steps to stand before Vorquis and threw herself into his arms.

Yang Yu said nothing more; he simply left the underground laboratory ahead of them with Bai Jin and returned to their room, quietly waiting for tomorrow to come.

….

….

After a night during which no one knew what had happened.

Bai Jin woke up lying on Yang Yu’s chest.

Putting on her full set of Equipment, she opened the door as quietly as possible and stepped outside, wanting to recheck the Magic Technique before Yang Yu fully woke up.

She had no idea that Yang Yu had already woken up before she did.

Yang Yu had been resting with his eyes closed, running through the questions he wanted to ask in his mind to make sure there would be no mistakes. Only then did he get up from the bed, put on his clothes, and head toward the Sea Mother’s core.