Chapter 128 Duel and Utilization

The heroic laughter echoed in the busy streets. With his hands on his hips, Shino Dragun attracted countless strange-looking demons to watch the fun.

Among them are four-legged hell centaurs, mollusks with many tentacles, and golden slimes that don't look like humans at all but are smarter than humans.

Looking at the arrogant and domineering demon of fear, a group of demons began to whisper and discuss among themselves.

"That's... someone from the Dragun family?!"

"Why are those high-level demons here?"

"Wait, I just realized... the emblem on the carriage seems to be the Padrich family?!"

"You just realized it?! I realized it a long time ago!"

"What are they doing?"

"Rob a human?"

“That’s outrageous.”

Not only the demons who were watching the fun were shocked, but Luo Yan, the person involved, was also shocked.

Good guy——

After all this time, he was not here to look for Mia, but to look for me?! However, this brother seemed to be extremely crazy. Not only did he take out a box of weapons, but he also wanted to duel with me.

"Xino Dragun, are you fucking crazy?!"

Before Luo Yan could say anything, Mia had already called out.

A pair of murderous eyes stared at this guy who was making trouble regardless of the occasion, and fire snakes seemed to be spewing out of those heart-shaped eyes.

"You are a silver-level demon, and you actually proposed to duel with a bronze-level human?! Do you still have any shame?!"

Being forced back half a step by the menacing gaze, Xino was subconsciously a little scared, but he did not back down.

It was obvious that he came prepared.

The guy held his head high and spoke with a proud look.

"This has nothing to do with rank, but a duel in the name of inheritance! Since this guy knows how weak he is, he should spit out the Demon Lord Territory that doesn't belong to him! Even the cabinet can't stop the lord's children from seeking justice. Defending the inheritance right is the power granted to us by His Majesty Bayeli! But you, the eldest daughter of the Padrich family, do you have anything to do with this?"

This guy obviously has someone with great guidance.

Mia, who was usually very articulate, was suddenly speechless and could not utter a word.

really.

She doesn't represent the Padrich family.

That is something that only the current head of the family is qualified to do.

But Luo Yan would not be intimidated by this big guy. He smiled faintly and said.

"And I can say no, right?"

“That’s right!”

After taking a quick glance at the cheat sheet in his palm, Shino raised his head, looked down at him with contempt, and continued.

"You can run away with your tail between your legs, but there will be no place for you in the demon world! All demons will see your cowardice and know that you are an illegal lord! And I will continue to assert my legal authority until the cabinet changes its mind!"

“I understand.”

Luo Yan nodded in understanding.

In other words, if he didn't shut him up once and for all, this guy and the Dragun family behind him would continue to stab him in the back.

By that time, the cabinet would most likely have to resort to the ancient and sacred duel to resolve the issue in order to calm the situation.

Moreover, it may happen when the other party has been planning this for a long time.

Luo Yan is a person who is afraid of trouble, but that doesn't mean he is afraid.

Since this landmine is bound to explode sooner or later, it is better to take action as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, he pulled his wand out from his sleeve.

Mia was shocked when she saw this and quickly tried to dissuade him.

"Hey... Luo Yan, calm down! You don't have to accept his provocation. The Magic City is not the backyard of the Dragun family! He is a silver-level demon, and he challenged a bronze-level demon to a duel. Even if you refuse, no one will think you are ashamed-"

"Calm down, Miss Mia."

Looking at Mia who was more excited than himself, Luo Yan comforted her with a gentle tone.

"I didn't accept this duel because I was worried about losing face, but to solve this trouble that is not really a trouble as soon as possible."

"But--"

"By the way..." As Luo Yan stretched out his magic wand, the tip of the wand flashed a cold light, "It can be regarded as a lesson for this stupid cow who is making trouble regardless of the occasion."

A faint green light flickered.

With a creaking sound, a skeleton hand grew out of the ground like a stalagmite breaking through the soil, and two finger bones gently pinched the glove on the ground.

Seeing that the opponent accepted the glove he threw, Xino clenched his fists excitedly, and a smile of confidence of victory appeared on his face.

"Very good! I, Shino Dragun, admire your courage! If I win, I will give you some dignity so that you won't lose too humiliatingly, hahahaha."

"Haha, you should talk about this after you win."

Facing the arrogant Xino and the surprised Mia, Luo Yan just smiled faintly, waved the wand in his hand lightly, and threw the glove between his two finger bones onto the suitcase next to the carriage.

Like putting away a dirty rag.

"Tell me, how do you want to compete?"

Shino said with his chin raised.

"Of course, we use the most ancient and direct method - to fight in the arena of the Magic City, under the watchful eyes of all the Demon City demons!"

Luo Yan was about to agree when Mia suddenly spoke.

"Wait a minute! This is unfair. Luo Yan just returned to the Magic City and hasn't adapted to the climate here yet. Not only do you, a silver-level warrior, challenge a bronze-level mage to a duel, but you also want to take advantage of his unfamiliarity with the climate and the warrior's advantage in short and medium distances to win... Tsk tsk, aren't the people of the Dragun family too shameless?"

As she said this, Mia crossed her arms and had a look of disgust on her face, as if she was looking at a bug.

Meeting that contemptuous look, Shino Dragun's face turned red, and he suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

In particular, the demons around were whispering and talking among themselves, and the names of the Dragun family and the silver challenging the bronze frequently appeared in their discussions.

Of course, the most important thing is that he didn't think there was any possibility of losing, so he spoke in a frank manner.

"So what do you want?"

"The Demon King tests not only one's strength, but also one's ability to command his subordinates and one's strategy to win a battle a thousand miles away." Mia narrowed her eyes slightly, as if she was looking at a prey that had fallen into a trap. "So I propose! Let's use 'exchange siege' as an item in the competition!"

"Oh? Exchange siege? Interesting!"

Xino touched his chin with interest, but accidentally dropped the cheat sheet on his hand, and was immediately startled.

But things had come to this point, and there seemed no need to look at the cheat sheet, so he spoke freely.

"Then let's do as you say."

Seeing that things seemed to be getting troublesome, Luo Yan coughed lightly and said.

"Can someone explain this to me?"

Mia looked back at him and said with a wink.

"This is a popular way for nobles to resolve conflicts. Each side designates a castle as a 'fortress' for siege warfare and sends defensive forces to guard it. The defender needs to resist the attacker's attack in an open battle, while the attacker only needs to capture the opponent's fortress to win... Methods include but are not limited to making the opponent lose their combat effectiveness or destroying the fortress."

I see.

A one-on-one fight turns into a group fight.

Luo Yan's face showed a look of realization.

From this perspective, siege warfare does seem to be more suitable for me than the arena.

From Mia's perspective, a bronze-level mage has no chance of winning in the arena, but has a chance of defeating a silver-level warrior on a wide enough battlefield.

Not only that, both sides can also mobilize their own players and formulate combat plans in advance to further narrow the gap in strength between them.

Luo Yan looked at Mia with a hint of gratitude in his eyes.

Unfortunately, she didn't know that her strength was no longer what it used to be. Even though the minotaur's horns were sharp, her magic wand was not at all disadvantageous.

"But I don't have any roots in the Demon City. How can I compete with the Dragun family in siege?"

"You are stupid!"

Mia stamped her feet anxiously, leaned close to his ear, and whispered in a low voice at a distance that was almost biting his ear.

"You are here... at least you have me, right? What does he have in the labyrinth of Thundershire? Can he command his father's old men?"

Luo Yan was slightly stunned.

“Is this even possible?!”

Oh shit!

Doesn't that mean... you can kill someone with a borrowed knife? !

Seeing that Luo Yan finally got it, Mia smiled and continued.

"Of course you can. The castle or manor designated as a fortress does not necessarily have to be within the boundaries of the Demon City. Since the other party has taken the initiative to challenge you to a duel, and you don't have a castle in the Demon City, it makes sense to choose the Demon King's Territory as the battlefield."

In fact, what Luo Yan didn’t know was that what his old classmate was most worried about was not whether he would win or not, but whether he would die or get injured in the duel.

Death in duels was common, but it was rare for the commanders of both sides to be killed in siege warfare.

Even because of the level of hatred, the generals sent by both sides rarely kill each other... unless they are extremely murderous.

In the end, it is likely that the cannon fodder will bear everything.

Once the nobles on both sides had vented their anger, half of the problem was solved.

Although it sounds cruel, this operation of passing hatred and cost from top to bottom is not exclusive to hell.

The Empire also has a similar tradition, it just changes the packaging at most.

"If I win, you will voluntarily give up the title of Demon King and return the maze under Thunder County to me!" said Shino Dragun arrogantly.

"No problem." Luo Yan said with a bright smile, "But if I win, I want you to publicly promise to give up the so-called inheritance rights to the maze in Leiming County, and swear that you are the last person in the Dragun family to challenge my authority, and apologize for your rude words and deeds in the newspaper."

"No problem!" Xino Dragun sneered, "See you at the arena in the Magic City tomorrow. I hope you are not too scared to keep the appointment."

Luo Yan said with a faint smile.

“Same here.”

Neither of them asked what to do in the event of a tie.

After all, in Xino's eyes, as a silver-level player, there is no possibility of failure for him.

But in Luo Yan's eyes, this guy is already a dead cow!

Looking at the figure carrying the suitcase and walking towards the temple, Mia remembered that she had previously planned to ask Luo Yan to formally introduce her to his family.

However, it seems a little too late to catch up now.

Looking at the old man and the young boy disappearing at the door of the temple, she stomped her feet angrily, then turned around and glared at Shino Dragun.

"Are you sick? Why does it have to be today?"

Shino chuckled and said proudly.

"What do you mean I'm sick? I've been squatting here for almost a week!"

Mia: “…”

Shino continued.

"Besides, you said it yourself. As long as you're nearby, I'll have no problem finding him. Why are you so anxious?"

Although Xino had no intention of fulfilling this promise, and had never even made a promise, he still remembered what the succubus said when he was in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Mia said through gritted teeth.

"If he makes the slightest mistake... I swear I'm going to kill you."

Shino Dragun glared back with his bull eyes without any hesitation.

"Do you think I was brought up by being scared?"

Having said that, he didn't really intend to kill the bronze demon king.

After all, once the Demon King dies, the core will be shattered. Starting over is a small matter. The main reason is that the Demon King's core is too precious.

Besides, that guy is actually a talented person. He can even make the succubus dizzy.

Xino even thought that as long as he handed over his father's Demon Lord territory, it would not be a bad idea to make him his own minion.

Mia snorted coldly and turned back to the carriage.

The Pegasus flapped its wings and took off into the air, dragging the huge car body with it, and disappeared directly into the darkness above the street.

She walked slowly on the street on purpose.

If you really use all your strength, it won't take even five minutes to cover that distance.

…

Seeing that there was nothing exciting to watch, the surrounding demons dispersed one after another, leaving only the tall and strong Xino standing there like a fool.

He glanced in the direction of the temple, raised his head proudly, then turned and walked to the side of the street.

A giant warhorse as strong as a baby elephant stopped by the roadside, gracefully moving its front hooves next to a lamppost.

Walking to the side of the mount, Xino was about to climb on the horse and leave, but he saw a pair of eyes staring at him in the alley not far away.

Xino raised his eyebrows slightly, patted the horse's back with his big hands, muttered "Wait a moment", and then strode into the narrow alley with his head held high.

The buildings here are not very tall, and some of the low eaves can't even cover his thick eyebrows.

Xino looked around for the person who had spied on him before, but couldn't find him, so he growled in a suppressed voice.

"Who? You're sneaking around like that. If you have something to say, come out and tell me!"

At this moment, a half-bitten apple fell to the ground and slowly rolled from the shadow in front of him to his feet.

Xino raised his head and saw a petite figure in a dress sitting on the low wall in front of him, with her legs swaying as she rested on the wall.

Her skin was as pale as moonlight, her long hair as purple as the night fell to her waist, and her scarlet eyes exuded a lazy and playful light, like a ghost wandering in a cemetery.

Especially the bats that surrounded her like the moon surrounded by stars, making the low wall beneath her look more like a tombstone without words.

And she was like the owner of that cemetery.

"What's wrong, big guy? Are you scared by my little cuties?"

She extended her index finger and gently stroked the bat sitting beside her. The bat's sharp fangs were exposed at the corners of its mouth, and a cat-like sound came from its throat.

Vampire? With her back to the dim light of the crystal dome, Xino couldn't see her face clearly, especially since the guy used magic to blur her features.

His eyes narrowed and he shouted in a low voice.

"Your name!"

The girl yawned and spoke in a slow voice.

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

"You don't need to know."

"Are you here to plead for him too?" Xino growled, anger surging in his chest.

How many women has this pretty boy seduced? This is too much!

However, to Xino's surprise, the girl sitting on the wall smiled after hearing his words, pursed her rosy lips and said.

"On the contrary, I hope you can be more efficient."

Shino narrowed his eyes.

"What's the meaning?"

“It’s very simple.”

The girl stroked the bat gently and spoke in a slow voice.

"I want him dead."

Xino's breathing paused slightly, and then he spoke angrily.

"It's none of my business!"

He just wanted to take back the inheritance left by his father and preserve his father's life's work. Why are these guys coming one after another to teach him how to do things!

He is a terror, not a minotaur! ! The girl raised her eyebrows slightly as she looked at the suddenly angry minotaur.

"Oh? You don't want him to die?"

Shino said, holding his neck high with pride.

"I want to defeat him and crush him on the battlefield, not like some despicable guys who only dare to hide in the dark and engage in conspiracy or shameless murder!"

There was a hint of anger on the girl's face.

"Shameless? Who is shameless——"

When she said this, she suddenly took a deep breath and calmed down.

"Forget it, I don't have time to talk to an outsider like you about this. Anyway... you think you have already won, right?"

Shino said without hesitation.

"Isn't it?"

"Fool," the girl said sarcastically, "Didn't you see the woman next to him? She's the eldest daughter of the Padrich family, the next head of the family in legal terms. Do you think she's as poor as you, so poor that she doesn't even have a carriage?"

"Who said I didn't!" Xinuo shouted angrily, "It's just that the ordinary carriage can't accommodate me... I might as well ride a horse!"

"Is that the point?! You idiot!"

Seeing that this guy was always interrupting, the girl no longer cared about her lazy image and couldn't help but curse.

"You are just a second son without any inheritance rights. How much resources do you think the Dragun family will invest in you? I... Bah! Anyway, the woman next to that guy only needs to move her fingers to crush your poor servants to death at the foot of the city wall. And as long as he is alive, the Padrich family will always be a hidden danger to you!"

"After saying so much, what do you want to express?" Xino said with narrowed eyes.

"What I want to say is that if things continue like this, you're doomed to fail. That man is more cunning than you think, and he's good at hiding and forbearing..."

At this point, the girl suddenly changed the subject and said slowly, "But I can help you win."

Shino held his head high in a haughty manner.

"I don't need help from nobody."

Seemingly fed up with this fruitless communication, the girl finally chose to end this charade.

"Vivian."

"What?"

Xino was slightly stunned, as if he had heard this name somewhere, but for a moment he couldn't remember where he had heard it.

This situation is very common.

Even if you have met each other at a banquet, it does not mean that you can remember the other person's name.

The girl sitting on the wall did not explain, but just leaned back slightly.

At the moment of falling behind the wall, the petite body suddenly turned into a sky full of bats and scattered into the boundless darkness.

As if it had never been here.

"This is an olive branch thrown by the next head of the Colin family."

"Think about it, you idiot."

…

The Temple on Elm Street.

As the praying guests gradually dispersed, the entire temple seemed to be transformed into a paradise for orphans.

Looking at the big brother brought back from the distant demon king, a group of cute, lively and evil little demons immediately surrounded Luo Yan, talking excitedly.

"The Demon King is back!"

“Ooooooh!”

"Have you caught the adventurer?"

"What does a human princess look like? Is she prettier than her acolyte sister?"

"Did the female knight beg for mercy?"

Listening to those remarks that were even more frivolous than those of the players, Luo Yan couldn't help laughing, stretched out his hand to rub the head of a golden slime, and spoke in a friendly manner.

"I haven't seen any female knights or princesses, but I have captured quite a few adventurers."

A demon that looked like an octopus excitedly raised its eight tentacles.

"Turn, train!"

Luo Yan said with a smile.

"Oh! It has been trained. It has been trained into my shape."

After the winter, he planned to release the people.

When Luo Yan's answer was heard, there were exclamations from all around, and every pair of eyes turned completely into admiration.

"No, you are worthy of being the Demon King!"

"I want to be a demon king when I grow up!"

"I want to be the devil's minion!"

"I'm the devil's wife!"

"Then I'll play the role of the captured female knight!"

“Ah~!”

The education of this group of demons is becoming more and more worrying.

Looking at the slimes and octopus men fighting with each other, Luo Yan couldn't help but worry about the acolytes and Priest Jeffrey who usually took care of them.

At this time, a pair of curious big eyes stared at him motionlessly, and the eyeballs were as bright as light bulbs.

"How did you do that?!"

Luo Yan smiled slightly.

"That's a long story..."

There was still some time before dinner, so Luo Yan told these little ones the ghost stories he had heard from the players.

It turns out that those bizarre stories are not only effective on humans, but also have magical effects on demons.

A few little demons who were originally clamoring to teach adventurers a lesson were now so scared that they simply hid under their quilts and dared not come out.

"The maze... is terrifying."

"horrible!"

Looking at the frightened demon, Luo Yan coughed lightly and said.

"It's not as scary as you think... Let's go, it's time to eat."

It's time for dinner.

The dinner bell rang outside the corridor.

This group of demon children seemed to have formed muscle memory. They rushed into the cafeteria next door, sat down obediently at their seats, and started eating with relish while holding their bowls.

After playing with the kids for a long time, Luo Yan felt a little hungry. Faced with a table full of delicious food, he couldn't help but whet his appetite and gobbled it all up.

Although it can't compare to his chef's fish cake sauce, this dinner is already quite delicious considering the diet level of hell!

After dinner, Luo Yan had nothing else to do, so he followed Priest Jeffrey to the lobby of the temple, sat on a bench under the candlestick and started chatting.

"Speaking of which, who is that succubus?"

"classmate."

Looking at Luo Yan who looked nervous, Pastor Jeffrey smiled and said meaningfully.

"Just classmates?"

"Uh... yeah."

In fact, he is not only a classmate, but also a half-boss.

Luo Yan scratched the back of his head embarrassedly and said with a smile.

"I was going to introduce you to it, but something unexpected happened and I forgot about it..."

I feel sorry for Miss Mia.

It was obvious that she was looking forward to introducing her to her adoptive father and godfather.

Luo Yan originally thought that Father Jeffrey would remind him to keep a distance from the succubus, but he unexpectedly discovered that the latter was not as pedantic as he had imagined.

"I saw what happened outside just now... and that girl. It's obvious that she cares about you a lot, and it doesn't seem like she's pretending."

"Really?" Luo Yan smiled. "She's actually a pretty good person, but sometimes she's a little... paranoid."

Then again, there wasn't anything about him that was worthy of Miss Mia's attention.

Although the word "devil" sounds nice, it is not a rare thing in hell.

At least for a big family like Padrich, there is nothing to show off.

"Paranoia is not a bad thing. In comparison, indecision and fear of responsibility are worse... Some problems were not problems at first, but they turned into big mistakes when they were delayed."

Luo Yan understands this deeply.

"You're right, but I don't think she's that kind of person."

"I didn't say anything about her."

Priest Jeffrey looked at Luo Yan meaningfully, then turned his gaze to the window outside the temple wall.

Just at this moment, a flock of bats took off from an alley not far away and merged into the gradually darkening dome outside the window.

Looking at the bat flapping its wings, Priest Jeffrey seemed to have thought of something and said with a sigh.

"I don't have too many requirements for you and your significant other. Since you don't plan to follow the same path as your mother, you naturally don't have to consider any rules like her. Just do what you want to do and be who you want to be... as long as you live up to your original intention."

Luo Yan said with a smile.

"It's too early to tell now."

"It's getting late." Reverend Jeffrey shook his head. "Your mother is about the same age... Sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."

Indeed, Reverend Jeffrey seldom mentioned his parents, but for some reason he mentioned them so many times today.

However, Luo Yan didn't take it too seriously and just changed the subject.

"It's strange to say, I thought you would hate succubi."

Father Jeffrey glanced at him and asked back with a smile.

"Why would you hate one of the Demon Lord's servants?"

"I heard that..."

"Those are just rumors. Don't take them seriously." Priest Jeffrey shook his head, stared at the candlestick beside him, and muttered to himself, "By comparison, I hate vampires more."

Luo Yan frowned slightly.

"vampire?"

Reverend Jeffrey stopped talking hastily as if he had let something slip, stood up from the bench and extinguished the candlestick beside him.

"It's getting late, go to bed."

I was always late these past two days, but today I was finally early TT (End of this chapter)