The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 612: “Your True Master”

As Shien Buztout expected, when the situation here was reported back to the Imperial Capital, they immediately connected it to the annihilation of the Raifurut family last night and the cloaked mysterious expert, immediately dispatching a battalion of ten thousand from the Imperial Knight Order to investigate.

Unfortunately, when the Imperial Knights arrived, they only saw ruins similar to the site of the Raifurut residence last night, only larger and more extensively damaged.

Then, they discovered the bodies buried under the meteor shower and Mara’s secret base.

They didn’t know what had happened, only that something major had occurred.

So, the Imperial Knight Order quickly reported back to the Imperial Capital, leaving the decision to the high-ranking officials.

Of course, this was a later story.

Now, none of this had happened yet.

Although the Imperial Knights had warhorses, their speed couldn’t compare to Shien’s teleportation.

Therefore, it would take them some time to deal with the situation here.

However, as Shien expected, when the unknown curse on the High Priest was activated, the perpetrator, far away, immediately knew about it.

“Has it been exposed?”

In a remote mountain forest, a woman in white, barefoot like a ghost, suddenly raised her head, looking towards the Imperial Capital, a strange light flickering in her eyes.

Before her, Danas was still there, playing with a stone emitting a mysterious and evil aura, accompanied by several Magic Fighters. Seeing Mara’s action, he seemed to understand something and smiled.

“It seems someone is causing trouble for you.”

Danas seemed to be very clear about Mara’s plans.

“It’s fine.” Mara said nonchalantly, “I never placed my hopes on that old undead. If I could have dealt with her, I would have done so long ago.”

“Really?” Danas shrugged, unsure whether to believe her, “But without that old undead, you’ll probably have a headache in the future, right?”

“As long as this plan succeeds, the impact will be completely erased, and I won’t need that old undead anymore.” Mara smiled suddenly, “If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have secretly placed a curse on her.”

It was precisely because Mara almost didn’t need the High Priest anymore that she placed a curse on her, to prevent her from causing trouble.

“How ruthless.”

Danas said, but he didn’t seem to care much.

He somewhat looked down on that old undead who had lingered for thousands of years and was so afraid of death.

If it weren’t for the fact that she had created the surprising [Greater Spirit of Death], Danas wouldn’t even pay attention to her.

Therefore, he didn’t really care whether the High Priest lived or died.

What Danas truly cared about was something else.

“The Raifuruts were annihilated by a meteor shower, and your secret base was also destroyed by a meteor shower. It seems that man really did go to the Empire, as you predicted.” Danas played with the mysterious stone in his hand and said with interest, “I have some recent intelligence indicating that the Dragon Demon has returned to the Demon Realm, and the Kingdom’s Treasure has also returned to the Kingdom. He should only have that Evil God left by his side.”

But even just that Evil God was a significant threat.

At least, Mara definitely couldn’t resist her.

Not to mention the Evil God, even dealing with that Hero would be difficult for Mara.

“Are you still going back?”

Danas asked, as if testing Mara.

Mara remained indifferent.

Because the answer was obvious.

“If I don’t go back now, the plan I painstakingly laid out will be completely ruined.” Mara’s eyes flickered, “A thousand years of effort, and I’ve finally come this far. How could I possibly give up?”

It was impossible.

Even if the strongest Evil God, even if the Three Goddesses and the Six Demon Lords all came, Mara wouldn’t give up.

And if her plan succeeded, then, at that time, even the strongest Evil God wouldn’t matter.

She wouldn’t need to be afraid anymore.

Danas also knew part of Mara’s plan.

“The Branch of Rejuvenation?”

Danas showed great interest.

“The world’s first material form, containing the power of the Supreme God. I’d really like to see it.”

Hearing Danas’s words, Mara looked at him.

“What’s wrong, Young Master Danas?” Mara said with a smile, “Have you taken a liking to the Branch of Rejuvenation?”

Hearing Mara’s words, Danas quickly waved his hands and shook his head, his face full of exaggerated fear.

“I wouldn’t dare to covet the Imperial Consort’s things.” Danas said with a feigned fear, “Besides, that thing might just be a special material to me, but it’s everything to you. How could I possibly compete with you?”

“Come on, young master, I know you look down on the Branch of Rejuvenation.” Mara said nonchalantly, “The ‘result’ you and I seek is the same, but the process and methods are completely different. What I’m planning to do has no appeal to you at all, not to mention that you’re currently steadily accumulating results and are not far from success.”

“It’s just a bit too slow.” Danas didn’t deny it, smiling, “I’ve waited for far too long.”

“If you say so, I’ve waited even longer, haven’t I?” Mara chuckled softly, “I’ll return to the Empire first and have a good meeting with that Hero who appeared after a thousand years.”

“Be careful.” Danas said with seeming concern, “Dealing with that person, one careless mistake could drag you into an unimaginable vortex.”

“Vortex?” Mara put away her smile and said meaningfully, “Are you referring to that master and servant pair?”

“They’re also in the Empire now, right?” Danas also said meaningfully, “Although they can’t do anything now, they’re still related to ‘that.’ You can’t deny this.”

Mara’s eyes flickered again.

But this time, there was a hint of apprehension in her eyes.

Clearly, Mara had taken Danas’s words to heart.

“Also…” Danas said casually, “The existence of that Hero itself is a huge problem. No one knows why the Hero summoning, which should have been sealed, reappeared in this era.”

“Are you saying…” Mara frowned.

“I’m saying that he’s ultimately a variable.” Danas said firmly, “Our plan is about to succeed, even the Original Demon’s human creation plan is in its final stages. The era should be changed by our hands. But at this very moment, a Hero was summoned after a thousand years. It’s hard to say there’s no reason behind this.”

Mara fell silent.

She knew Danas’s concerns were valid.

The one they should truly be wary of wasn’t the strongest Evil God, nor the Three Goddesses or the Six Demon Lords, but the Hero.

Danas also said,

“For countless years, Heroes have always been at the center of the world.”

“They are visitors from another world, miracles bestowed by heaven. Even after countless years, they still successfully defeated the Demon King, greatly impacting this world.”

“Humans were created in their image.”

“The Mitra Kingdom and the Ragna Empire are also their legacies.”

“The descendants of Heroes hold a significant position in this world.”

“They are ultimately existences on par with the Supreme God and the Demon King, truly ‘uncontrollable factors’ in themselves.”

Danas looked at Mara.

“Perhaps Shien Buztout hasn’t reached Transcendence yet, and with our strength, we can still deal with him.”

“But don’t forget, what’s truly terrifying about Heroes is their ability to trigger miracles. In critical moments, they can often bring about surprising developments.”

“Don’t underestimate him, my ally!”

Danas advised.

Mara knew his advice was reasonable.

However…

“Don’t praise those hateful Heroes so much in front of me, my ally.”

Mara’s expression was very unpleasant.

She hated Heroes the most, wanting to demean them as the lowest existences in this world. How could she stand hearing Danas praise them?

Danas was also helpless.

This ally of his was good in every way, strategic, courageous, resourceful, and ruthless, but her obsession with Heroes was excessive.

Whenever it involved matters related to Heroes, this ally would always do something unexpected.

Like in the basement of that secret base, there were better ways to utilize that Imperial princess, but she insisted on torturing and whipping her, making her suffer, which was truly difficult to understand.

He was a little worried that after encountering Shien, this ally might lose control and be defeated.

That’s why he offered his advice.

Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to appreciate it.

But thinking about it carefully, it seemed natural for her not to care.

“You don’t seem to care about your own safety at all.”

Danas suddenly changed the subject, looking at Mara and saying with a smile,

“Are you planning to give everything to ‘your true master’?”

When these words came from Danas’s mouth, Mara’s expression changed.

It became incredibly cold.

“…You know?”

Mara looked at Danas, sharp killing intent appearing in her eyes.

“Oh dear, how scary.” Danas quickly raised his hands in surrender, “I just want to know what my ally is planning to do.”

“It’s none of your business, young master.” Mara was no longer smiling, her tone ice-cold, “After everything is successful, you can do whatever you want.”

“Then I’m relieved.” Danas smiled faintly, giving Mara a gentlemanly bow, “Then, after everything is over, I’ll go to the Empire to welcome you.”

Mara didn’t respond.

There was no need.

Since Danas already knew, there was no point in saying more.

So, Mara turned around and gradually disappeared like an illusion.

Danas watched this scene, his smile slowly fading.

Touching the stone in his hand, Danas murmured,

“I need to speed things up…”

Chapter 613: “Let’s Mess With Him.”

Meanwhile, Shien Buztout had returned to the Imperial Capital.

As if nothing had happened, Shien quietly returned to the Bigusler residence, only to find that Lasha and Lilith hadn’t returned yet.

Rockto and Tilly were also out. The entire Bigusler residence, except for the servants, was empty, which felt somewhat unsettling.

This unsettling atmosphere might have another reason.

After returning to the Bigusler residence, Shien noticed that far more people seemed to be watching the mansion than yesterday, secretly monitoring it.

“So lively, huh?”

Shien found it amusing, but not surprising.

Although the Empire’s higher-ups must have guessed that he, the mysterious expert who annihilated the Raifurut family, might have a connection with the Bigusler family, and might even be staying there, they didn’t dare to act against the Bigusler family due to their apprehension of his strength. However, it was inevitable that they would monitor the Bigusler residence.

Not to mention keeping track of Shien’s whereabouts, even just being able to grasp Rockto’s movements at any time and discern what he was trying to hide was a gain for the Empire’s higher-ups.

Moreover, those anxious nobles were also worried about becoming the next Raifurut family, and they couldn’t ignore what this mysterious expert who suddenly appeared in the Imperial Capital was planning to do. The Bigusler residence was undoubtedly filled with all sorts of spies.

Even the ordinary servants seemed to be under surveillance.

For the current Empire, the Bigusler family had become an important target that needed constant attention.

Shien believed that even Rockto and Tilly’s actions today were being monitored by the Empire.

However, whether they would take any action based on this was unknown.

As for Lasha and Lilith, if the magic tool Leisha made for Lasha was powerful enough, they shouldn’t be discovered by the Empire’s spies.

As for Shien himself, with the teleportation ability of [Outer Vision of Heaven’s Decree] and the superb concealment of [Inner Awareness of Heaven’s Decree], it would be strange if he was discovered by these spies.

“That being said, it’s not good to be careless.”

When entering the secret base in the wilderness, Shien had also thought that as long as he used teleportation to pass through the barrier without triggering the alarm, the people inside wouldn’t discover him.

Unexpectedly, there was a necromancer inside who could sense the life force of living beings with magic, almost exposing Shien.

This showed that there were still many unbelievable things in this world.

Who knew if there was someone in the Imperial Capital who knew how to use special magic similar to [Corridor of Death], or possessed a Unique Skill that could see through the concealment of [Inner Awareness of Heaven’s Decree]?

Just in case, he couldn’t be careless just because his strength had greatly increased.

“Speaking of which, after eliminating so many knights and undead, including two Legendary-level enemies, my level has increased again.”

Now, Shien’s level had risen to seventy-nine, only one step away from eighty.

If others knew about this, they would be incredibly shocked, right?

After all, Shien had only been in this world for about half a year, yet he had risen from level one to level seventy-nine, only one step away from level eighty. This was truly unprecedented.

Such a growth rate, even compared to Heroes of the past, was undoubtedly broken.

Perhaps Shien wouldn’t need much time to reach Legendary Level, Limit Level, or even Transcendent Level.

[Divine Grace] and [Fate and Logic]…

These two Unique Skills that increased his growth rate were truly helpful.

Of course, for the current Shien, a mere increase of one or two levels wasn’t worth much attention.

Compared to his own level, Shien was more concerned about the gains from this trip.

“The Branch of Rejuvenation…”

Shien pondered.

“A treasure that even the Hero who founded the Ragna Empire sought but couldn’t find… huh?”

Shien was somewhat interested in this so-called treasure.

“Well, let’s go to the Imperial Palace.”

Shien decided.

There was no helping it.

According to Capeline, the legend of the Branch of Rejuvenation was now only known within the royal family.

In that case, he might be able to find information about this legend in the Imperial Palace.

Thinking of this, Shien set off directly for the Imperial Palace.

With the teleportation of [Outer Vision of Heaven’s Decree] and the concealment of [Inner Awareness of Heaven’s Decree], even in broad daylight, Shien could move freely within the Imperial Palace.

So, Shien went to find Harvis first and successfully met with him.

…

“The Branch of Rejuvenation?”

In the bedchamber, Harvis looked surprised and thoughtful upon hearing Shien’s question.

“Indeed, there is such a legend circulating within the royal family. I’ve also heard my mother talk about it before.” Harvis hesitated for a moment, then continued, “But it’s just a legend. No one in the royal family believes it. Even my mother told it to us as a bedtime story, so it should be fictional, right?”

Clearly, Harvis didn’t think the legend was true.

“But Capeline has always liked this legend since she was little. When she was a child, she always clamored about fulfilling our ancestor’s dream and finding this treasure.”

Harvis readily betrayed his sister, telling Shien why the princess had so quickly connected the High Priest’s actions to the legend of the Branch of Rejuvenation.

That princess must have taken the legend seriously when she was little, right?

Shien chuckled inwardly.

But now it seemed that this legend might actually be true.

Shien didn’t specifically mention this, directly asking Harvis,

“Then how much do you know about this legend?”

Shien didn’t hide his intention to investigate thoroughly.

Harvis also saw this and guessed the reason behind it.

Harvis frowned, thought carefully for a long time, then said uncertainly,

“I don’t actually know much. I only remember my mother saying that to make the Branch of Rejuvenation appear on this land, certain conditions must be met, and there was even a verse about it, but I can’t remember the content anymore.”

Harvis racked his brain and provided this information.

Shien was now certain.

(That princess remembers it clearly, and she might still believe this so-called legend is true.)

The second princess of the Empire, the Valkyrie, seemed to be quite childish…?

Well, this was a lot to take in.

Harvis, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care much about this matter. His past memories were blurry, and even after racking his brain, he couldn’t seem to provide any useful information.

After thinking for a moment, Shien asked Harvis, “Then where is your mother now?”

Shien wanted to meet the former Imperial Consort and see if she knew anything.

However, Harvis’s expression darkened.

“My mother is under house arrest deep within the Imperial Palace.” Harvis said with some resentment, “And she hasn’t woken up yet.”

“Hasn’t woken up?” Shien was slightly startled.

“Yes.” Harvis adjusted his emotions and said in a low voice, “After being ousted by Mara and dismissed by that foolish Emperor, my mother suffered a great blow and collapsed before us. She hasn’t woken up for ten years.”

Shien didn’t know what to say.

Although he felt some sympathy, this Imperial Consort, a direct descendant of the royal family, seemed a bit fragile.

From Harvis and Capeline’s descriptions of their mother, Shien could roughly imagine her personality.

(She must be a gentle and virtuous person who dislikes power struggles, very refined and aloof, right?)

Such a person would give up power, push her husband to the throne, and focus on raising her children.

Therefore, whenever Harvis or Capeline mentioned their mother, they would show a sense of nostalgia and respect.

Unfortunately, because of this, the Imperial Consort was framed, betrayed by her husband, stripped of her position, and reduced to this state.

But this made things a bit troublesome.

“You don’t know the specific content of the legend, and the only person who might know, the former Imperial Consort, is in a coma. The clues are broken again.”

Shien wasn’t satisfied with this result.

Fortunately, Harvis seemed to remember something and told Shien,

“I suddenly remembered that when my mother told us this story, she was holding an ancient book.” Harvis said, “Perhaps that ancient book records this legend.”

“Oh?” Shien’s eyes lit up, “Then where is that book?”

“It should be in the Emperor’s bedchamber.” Harvis thought for a moment, “That ancient book was passed down in the royal family, so although my mother would sometimes borrow it, she never brought it back to her own bedchamber.”

In that case, there was a high chance that the book was still in the Emperor’s bedchamber.

“That foolish Emperor isn’t someone who reads books, so that book has probably been gathering dust for many years, right?”

There was a hint of sarcasm in Harvis’s tone.

It seemed that both Harvis and Capeline disliked the Emperor greatly.

Even though he was their father, they looked down on him.

Not to mention Harvis, even Shien, as a bystander, after hearing so many “heroic deeds” of this Emperor, felt that he would eventually become a disgrace in the history of the Imperial Family.

For the highest authority of the number one military empire in the human world to be like this was truly a misfortune for the Ragna Empire, a country with a long history that had experienced various disasters, prosperity, and decline.

“Then I’ll go to the Emperor’s bedchamber.”

Shien said, looking at Harvis and suddenly smiling.

“Want me to mess with him for you?”

Hearing this, Harvis’s eyes lit up.