Hana, wait for me. We're finally going to meet again.
She was the one he had never stopped thinking about.
At the same moment, an equally massive surge of energy came crashing in. Wynn's eyes went sharp. Gail stood perfectly still at the center of the blast, and he did not fall. Wynn couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Military magic order activated. One fatal blow successfully blocked.
The System notified him that due to receiving the military magic order, his level had increased by forty percent, advancing him to A tier demon. Passive skill Defense Surge had been activated: when HP dropped below thirty percent, defense power increased fivefold. Retaliation had also been unlocked: after taking fifteen hits, one instance of damage would automatically be reflected back, with a chance to deal a critical strike.
Her highness had actually given him the military magic order.
A demon sovereign could only invoke this once in a lifetime. A demon granted the military magic order carried the sovereign's absolute trust, inheriting all the experience the sovereign had accumulated, along with one act of divine protection. And from that point forward, they would serve as a general commanding full military authority.
Silvara entered high spirit on the spot.
"My grandfather and my father once granted you the military magic order. You have commanded our armies ever since, leading the warriors of the Dusk Realm through countless battles. Today, I grant the military magic order to Gail. From this day forward, Gail will serve as right general, commanding our entire demon army alongside the left general."
Hawk stood there in disbelief. Silvara was playing a clever game, trying to use some green kid to keep him in check. He wanted to see who would dare acknowledge it, who would dare bow.
But the next second, Weston stepped forward first. "My respects to the right general. Congratulations, General Gail, on your command of the armies."
With someone leading the way, the others dropped to their knees one after another.
Gail felt like he had just swallowed something truly disgusting.
Hawk was not about to accept this quietly. "A magic order alone could prove your highness's trust, sure. But how can a man who has never led soldiers into battle command the respect of an army? I'm not opposed to sharing military authority, but only if he makes it through the Ancestor's Abyss. Our ancestor was the one true sovereign. Only someone he recognizes is worthy of the power of a king. If Gail can clear the Ancestor's Abyss, I will hand over the military seal with both hands."
Those who understood what was happening spoke up at once.
"You cunning old snake. No one has made it out of that place alive in a hundred years. You're up to something. General Gail has already proven himself, and we answer to the demon sovereign. Are you defying her orders again?"
Silvara also objected. "That place is a forbidden zone. Going there is the same as dying, and it wouldn't prove anything."
Gail felt like he had just caught the most important detail. No one had made it out alive in a hundred years. Going in meant certain death.
Hawk laughed loudly. "Which just proves you're all nothing but cowards."
Gail immediately raised his hand in agreement. "The general makes an excellent point. I couldn't agree more. Now, where exactly is this Ancestor's Abyss? I'm going. I'm definitely going."
Everyone in the room wore the same expression, certain their ears had stopped working.
About two hundred years ago, the demon clan faced a devastating crisis. The ancestral demon sovereign of the Silvara line sacrificed himself to protect his people. He sealed his remaining power inside the abyss, waiting for the next king he would deem worthy. Sadly, in all the time since, not a single demon had passed the trial. However, entering the abyss required at least two people.
"Besides General Gail, who else would dare go in?"
Everyone agreed. Only a fool would walk into a place that dangerous.
Hawk let out a cold snort. "That's his problem to figure out. If he can't even find one person willing to go in with him, what right does he have to command an army?"
But the next second, his own son stepped forward and volunteered.
Hawk shot to his feet. "What did you just say? Who told you to decide that on your own?"
"Father, do you really think I'm less capable than him?"
His followers rushed to talk him out of it. He was the future of the Dusk Realm. How could he take a risk like this?
Wynn was a proud man. He understood that only someone the ancestor recognized was worthy of a king's power. If the Dusk Realm was ever going to have a true king, it had to be him.
His followers were deeply moved by his conviction. Hawk was speechless. Why was his son so impossibly stubborn?
Back at the Hawk family manor, the head steward said Gail had just been getting lucky all along, with no real strength to back it up. He told Wynn to find the right moment inside the abyss and finish him off. In the steward's eyes, Wynn was the one destined for greatness. He couldn't let someone like Gail steal the spotlight.
Wynn said with a confident smirk that he knew exactly what to do.
On the other side, Gail's allies were making preparations for him. They warned him to watch out for Wynn. Given how ruthless and self-serving Wynn was, he would never tolerate anyone outshining him. They were certain Wynn would betray him the moment he got the chance.
Gail's face lit up with a huge grin. A betrayal sounded perfect. That was just another chance at getting himself killed and reborn.
Just then, Weston arrived as well. He had come to bring medicine, the finest healing potions in all of the Dusk Realm. He also warned Gail to be careful.
Gail felt his head spinning. He wanted to thank every single one of their families, sarcastically. These people were the biggest obstacles standing between him and his rebirth.
At the plaza outside the Ancestor's Abyss, Gail took all the powerful medicine everyone had given him and handed it straight to Wynn, telling him to keep it. Wynn was completely thrown off by the move.
The shaman asked if they were both ready.
Silvara prayed quietly. Gail, please come back safe.
But no one could have imagined that the demon king who would change the world was about to be born.
The shaman instantly activated the ritual array. Golden light swallowed them both. The next second, they were inside the abyss, and the ancestor's trial had officially begun.