Wynn said if they kept at it, they should be able to take the dragon down. But the next second, dropping to half HP triggered the dragon's passive skill.
SSS tier skill. Reclaim. Regenerating one hundred thousand HP per minute.
Wynn went numb. "What kind of broken skill is that? Even at full output, we can't outdamage that regen."
The evil dragon laughed. "And you weaklings thought you could slay a god."
The words had barely left its mouth before it let out a thunderous roar. The roar sent waves of agony through them both. With his buffs stripped away, Gail's defense plummeted. Both of them collapsed to the ground. Then both triggered their near death state, capable of blocking one fatal hit, usable once per day.
Every last supply potion they had was gone. The evil dragon began charging up again, clearly going in for the kill.
Wynn said through labored breaths that they had lost.
Gail disagreed, and actually cracked a grin. "No, not yet. Only one of us can make it out within ten minutes. If I die, you complete the challenge. You still get the title of king."
He gave Wynn a pat on the shoulder. Wynn asked what he meant.
The dragon was already winding up for the final strike. Gail grabbed Wynn without warning, and by the looks of it, he was about to throw him. Sure enough, the next second, Wynn became a human cannonball.
"Live on. You are the future of our people."
Wynn only managed to shout one word. "No!"
You're a demon, but you're not so bad, Gail.
Then the white light swallowed him whole. Wynn could do nothing but watch in silence from outside. He still couldn't fully process it. How could Gail have made that choice?
But inside, the evil dragon broke into hearty laughter. "Congratulations. Someone has finally passed the ancestor's trial. Long ago, the ancestor gave his life to protect his people. He sealed his most prized ability within this abyss, waiting for a warrior worthy of his recognition. Yet for a hundred years, every demon who reached the final stage turned on their partner. Those who clear it that way are not worthy of the title. Only the two of you chose to support each other and face the trial together. That fearless spirit, that willingness to stand side by side against death, is the quality a true king must possess."
Wynn's HP had fully restored, and he received the title of demon king's chosen. Experience gained: two million. Level increased by four, advancing to A tier plus demon. All attributes multiplied by seven hundred percent. S tier active skill unlocked: Breath of the Demon King.
Gail was stunned. He had received five million experience. His level jumped up by ten, advancing to A tier plus demon. All attributes multiplied by seven. One hundred and twenty free stat points to allocate. SSS tier passive skill unlocked: Reclaim, regenerating one hundred thousand HP per minute.
Congratulations, Gail. You have passed the trial and unlocked the hidden title: the King of Demons.
What neither of them knew was that outside, everything had erupted into chaos. The achievement was simply staggering. Clearing the Ancestor's Abyss in a single afternoon, a place no one had survived in a hundred years.
"Then the old prophecy may actually be coming true. In this age, the demon race will meet a king who unites them all."
Silvara was shaken. The last such king had been her own ancestor. She never knew a prophecy like that existed.
Across all demons in the world, a true king is only born once every few hundred years. He carries an aura unlike any other demon, a king's presence. And after being forged through hardship, he will rise into someone revered by all.
Hawk was in an excellent mood. "That's my son. Getting a king's title is only natural. I underestimated him before."
Then Weston spoke up. "My apologies. The one who became the King of Demons was not Wynn. It was General Gail."
Weston's expression at that moment was just a little too smug. Everyone was stunned all over again.
"What? Gail is the king?"
But their king looked nothing like what anyone had imagined. He sat there with the face of a man who had completely given up on life, hoping to drink himself to death, like an undercover officer who had accidentally become the boss. How was he supposed to play this?
The bartender just thought he could really hold his liquor.
The more Gail thought about it, the more suffocated he felt. His total HP was only ten thousand, but he regenerated one hundred thousand per minute. How was he supposed to die like this?
Then the System twisted the knife further. You still have two skills left unequipped.
Gail felt a wave of despair wash over him. There was truly no going back now.
My Hana.
He wandered the streets with no destination in mind. Then he noticed a kid had been sneaking along behind him the whole time. When he turned to look, the kid ducked back out of sight. Gail ignored him and kept wandering. He hadn't gone far when the kid poked his head out again, and Gail suddenly appeared right in front of him.
"You following me?"
The kid got such a fright he dropped straight to the ground, but he kept his chin up, stubborn as ever. "You're not even that scary. I'm not afraid."
Gail was speechless. He asked the kid what he wanted.
The kid stammered out that he wanted Gail to go with him to the Lark Den. If Gail agreed, he would do anything asked of him.
Gail took the paper and looked at it. A passerby leaned in to get a look as well. The scene felt strangely familiar. It was nothing but a scam flyer, and the kid had actually fallen for it.
But what exactly was the Lark Den?
The kid said he went as soon as he got the letter, but they told him he was underage and wouldn't let him in. Then he happened to see Gail walking out of another dungeon. If anyone could get him inside, it was him.
The passerby said it was obviously a scam. Who would fall for something like that?
Gail's eyes lit up with an idea. "For real? Any wish can be granted?"
The passerby couldn't believe it. "Don't tell me you actually believe this."
Gail had his own reasons. He had heard the demon race had a wishing spring somewhere, a place that could grant any wish. Maybe this was it.
The kid said he paid fifty thousand dust coins for this opportunity. Gail thought that was an absolute bargain.
The passerby completely lost it. This only made it more obvious. It was a scam. He couldn't believe how easy it was to scam kids out of their money. What was the point of picking up bottles for a penny each when there was this kind of money being thrown around?
The kid said his mother was in heart failure, with only a month left to live. He had handed over every coin he earned working to the Lark Den just to get the wish slip. He had to find the right demon heart. It was the only way to save her.
The passerby felt sorry for the kid, but said only a fool would actually go with him.
The next second, he was proven dead wrong.
Gail said he would go. On one condition: the kid had to share one wish with him.
Gail thought he was absolutely brilliant. Just wish to become human, and that was it.
The kid said he could have two wishes.
The passerby thought neither of them could be saved, but the two of them seemed to hit it off naturally.