Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 761 - 122: The Demon King’s Calamity

Cultivation, battle, hunting, devouring...

This is its life.

The dark shadow lurked in the shadows, observing the two people who entered the tavern. In its lifetime, such scenes have played out countless times. A proficient hunter must exhibit enough patience to deliver a fatal blow when the prey is most unsuspecting.

Unknowingly, behind it lay a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Unknowingly, humans had bestowed upon it the title of "Demon King." But in truth, it had little interaction with human lives until a group calling themselves heroes, under the banner of protecting the Kingdom, appeared before it...

This was the most severe injury it had suffered since it gained memory. Humans gave it the greatest respect, pouring the might of the entire nation into constructing a golden vessel, infusing all their beliefs into that one magical cannon blast. In return, it should honor the human Kingdom with equivalent respect.

To destroy this nation, implanting despair into everyone's hearts, becoming the apocalyptic deity of destruction imagined by humans, was its response.

And it all began with these two humans it had chosen.

Unknowingly, the sky had completely darkened. Kane and Argos's meal was nearing its end. Surprisingly, the "Anapolis" they referred to as an old friend was actually a pet octopus. From the hunter's attire, it wasn't hard to deduce it was his tamed beast.

The dark shadow silently followed the two, waiting for them to fall completely into the darkness.

What humans feared as the dark was its best friend.

"Have you heard? That sanctuary seems to have a significant background."

Kane explained the origin, having barely secured Ethan's summons, allowing him to temporarily return to this world. He then resumed his old trade.

He sniffed out the scent of conflict, unprecedented in nature, "I've decided to take a look there soon."

"I never thought you'd be interested in a bunch of 'puppets.'

"Temporarily."

Anapolis corrected Argos's phrasing, "These humans are delving into how to bestow 'puppets' with souls. It's an intriguing study, even enlightening for us."

Believers are essentially resources, and what the Old Gods truly value has always been the souls of humans and other beings. The reason humans are such a favored "resource" is due to the higher malleability of their souls.

Once They can bypass humans and directly create souls, it might even push Their energy to a new level.

Among the Old Gods, there's no concept of "cultivation," a term created by humans. They were at the apex of the ecological chain from the beginning, wielding supreme power. Cultivation and becoming stronger have no meaning for them, and they've never experienced a true battle. Even the wars before the First Epoch were more like cricket fights to them.

Manipulating some believers and creations, battling with their once-favored champions, in itself is an amusing form of entertainment.

This fascinating plane cannot withstand wars at the level of the Old Gods, as the aftermath would instantly devastate the planet's surface, driving all creatures to extinction, leaving only a lifeless, utterly destroyed Death Star.

They do not wish for such an outcome.

For this reason, They perceive Ethan as an anomaly.

Endowed with powers similar to Theirs, yet exhibiting human behavior.

Now, They discovered Ethan had begun a new exploration of souls.

Argos immediately stated, "In that case, I'll go with Kane."

...

The dark shadow patiently trailed behind the two and an octopus. These marked prey hardly noticed they had already fallen into a trap—the surrounding pedestrians were dwindling. They had chosen the wrong path and could only say fate had abandoned these two unfortunate people.

As for their conversation, the dark shadow had seen through it completely.

It was the military and the Adventurer's Guild exchanging code words. Terms like "puppet," "sanctuary," and "soul" often had special connotations.

Considering the men's identities and context, along with today's shelling outside the Imperial Capital, the dark shadow suddenly understood everything.

Just now, Kane, representing the military, informed the Adventurer's Guild of their upcoming actions. They planned to investigate the site of the magic cannon attack to ensure their plans were infallible, and the old hunter instantly stated that the Adventurer's Guild would dispatch additional personnel to assist the Imperial Army's onsite reconnaissance.

As for the "soul"...

The dark shadow licked its lips with bloodthirst.

That naturally referred to it, the terrifying presence humans dubbed the "Demon King," appearing and disappearing like a ghost.

This was its optimal moment to emerge. It was eager to see the expressions of prey confronted by the sudden appearance of the feared "Demon King" before them.

Quietly, it assessed the distance between them. As the two turned into a more secluded corner, it instantly expanded its body numerous times, blocking the path they must take.

Despite its severe injuries, dealing with two ordinary residents of the Empire was more than enough.

Fear, despair, humans!

It sneered as it looked down at the humans standing before it.

This confrontation lasted nearly ten seconds.

"Tell me everything you know... huh?"