The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 868: “Some Sacrifices Are Necessary.”

Burke’s instructions immediately reached the ears of the other Old Demon Faction leaders.

“Why are we infiltrating so soon?”

“Aren’t we supposed to wait for the ‘Beast Nests’ to cause chaos?”

“It’s evening now, not even nightfall yet, right?”

“Infiltrating before nightfall is much more difficult than after.”

The Old Demon Faction leaders were puzzled, confused, surprised, and some frowned, but in the end, they all chose to obey Burke’s instructions.

After all, Burke was the strongest among them, and the plan to attack the Royal Capital and create chaos would be much more difficult without his [Hundred Beasts’ Nest].

To achieve their goal, disrupt the Tripartite Conference, and even destroy the peace, returning the world to the chaos of a thousand years ago before the Demon King’s demise, the Old Demon Faction leaders didn’t hesitate, dispatching their prepared infiltration units.

However…

“Leader! The infiltration units have all been stopped at the Royal Capital’s gates!”

“Leader! There are magic tools at the city gates specifically designed to detect stealth skills!”

“Leader! All the infiltrators have been captured by the kingdom’s knights!”

“Leader…”

“Leader…”

“Leader…!”

In less than ten minutes, one piece of bad news after another reached the Old Demon Faction leaders, making them all pale with fright.

“How is this possible!?”

“Didn’t we gather intelligence beforehand and confirm that there wouldn’t be any magic tools to detect stealth skills at the city gates because of the Tripartite Conference!?”

“Isn’t the kingdom afraid of offending the leaders of other factions, afraid of being accused of violating their privacy with such surveillance?”

“Damn it!”

The Old Demon Faction leaders were furious.

And as they raged, bad news also came one after another from Burke’s side.

“All my ‘Beast Nests’ have been annihilated?”

“All infiltrators captured?”

“A large force has been dispatched in the Royal Capital, preparing to search the surrounding areas?”

“Even the Elven Corps is assisting the kingdom’s knights, and Laraby’s mage corps is also preparing to use large-scale detection magic to search for suspicious individuals?”

Burke couldn’t sit still any longer and stood up abruptly.

His expression was extremely grim.

By now, Burke had figured it out.

“My plan was leaked?”

“So the kingdom was already prepared?”

“Damn it!”

Burke’s magic power surged, shaking the entire cave.

The Old Demon Faction members of [Hundred Beasts’ Nest], looking at Burke’s ferocious expression and feeling the terrifying pressure emanating from him, didn’t even dare to breathe, only lowering their heads before him, trembling with fear.

Before long, the other Old Demon Faction leaders also couldn’t sit still any longer, coming to the cave one after another to see Burke.

“What’s going on?”

“Why have all our operations failed one after another?”

“From the looks of it, the kingdom was clearly prepared and set a trap for us, right?”

“What should we do now?”

The Old Demon Faction leaders anxiously questioned Burke.

Burke was burning with rage, but his face was cold.

He really wanted to ask these guys if any of them had leaked the information.

That’s right, Burke suspected that it was these Old Demon Faction members who had leaked the information, leading to this situation.

He wasn’t without suspicion of his own subordinates, but before departing, he had used [Hundred Beasts’ Nest] to infest them with monsters, putting them under his control. They couldn’t leak information without him knowing.

And before they set out, he had also strictly controlled his subordinates. Apart from Shudy and his group, who had been sent to the Royal Capital to invade the Buztout House and failed, no one had left his sight.

As for Shudy and the others?

It couldn’t be them!

Having fallen into the kingdom’s hands, they would either be killed or commit suicide, with no chance to betray [Hundred Beasts’ Nest].

Moreover, Burke believed he understood Shudy quite well, as he had personally recruited him. Although Shudy’s potential was limited, his ruthlessness and ferocity were qualities Burke valued.

With Shudy’s personality, he would never compromise or surrender to a mere human.

(A certain Old Demon Faction member diligently standing guard at the Buztout House: Achoo!)

The other Old Demon Faction members who went to the Royal Capital with Shudy were low-ranking, even considered cannon fodder by Burke. They couldn’t possibly know the details of his plan to attack the Royal Capital.

Since that was the case, the problem must lie with these guys before him.

Burke swept his cold gaze across them, but ultimately didn’t question them directly.

The reason was simple: he still needed their help.

With the current situation so dire, if he wanted the plan to succeed, utilizing these people was a necessity.

Thus, Burke suppressed his anger and said gravely,

“Don’t panic. The ‘Beast Nests’ sent into the Royal Capital were all low-level bombs. Our true trump cards are the ones infested with Legendary Level monsters.”

Burke’s words slightly calmed the Old Demon Faction leaders.

That’s right, they hadn’t used their true trump cards yet; the situation wasn’t completely hopeless.

However…

“Are we using those ‘Beast Nests’ now?”

“Those are our ultimate weapons. We lose one with each use. Are you sure we want to use them now?”

“You know, we’ve sacrificed quite a bit to capture those Legendary Level monsters.”

“I originally wanted to save some as our trump card for later…”

The Old Demon Faction leaders murmured amongst themselves.

Seeing this, Burke felt utter disdain in his heart.

Indeed, the “Beast Nests” infested with Legendary Level monsters were incredibly valuable, and even Burke himself wasn’t eager to use them. But at this point, they were still hesitant and even stingy, unwilling to play their true trump cards. Burke felt ashamed of their petty behavior.

This showed that these Old Demon Faction groups couldn’t achieve anything great. They could be used, but cooperating with them was truly too much of a stretch.

(Being on the same level as these guys is truly frustrating.)

Burke had this thought more than once.

In Burke’s view, the Old Demon Faction, standing in defiance of the world, the gods, the Demon Lords, even the Supreme God, defying everything about this era, should, like the Demon Race in the past, be a force that made the Divine Race fear and the Human Race tremble.

If such a force couldn’t display its power, then in this world, they were nothing more than rats scurrying in the streets.

Only a truly powerful and great Old Demon Faction could stand at the apex of the underworld, making the three races apprehensive.

Just like that most mysterious, most ancient, and most powerful Old Demon Faction group—[Original Demon].

Burke’s dream was to make [Hundred Beasts’ Nest] an Old Demon Faction group like [Original Demon].

Therefore, he was determined to succeed in this operation.

As long as this operation succeeded, [Hundred Beasts’ Nest] would become an Old Demon Faction group feared by the three races, truly making a name for themselves among the Old Demon Faction and becoming a legend.

By then, [Hundred Beasts’ Nest] might not be inferior to [Original Demon].

Thinking of this, Burke spoke decisively.

“First, release all the non-Legendary ‘Beast Nests’ and let them act freely, attracting the attention of the forces coming from the Royal Capital, keeping them entangled in the outskirts.”

“Then, we’ll send our core members, along with the Legendary ‘Beast Nests,’ to approach the Royal Capital and directly break through the city gates.”

“Now, to search for us, the kingdom has dispatched most of its forces, weakening the capital’s defenses. This might not be a bad thing.”

Burke used this reasoning to persuade the Old Demon Faction leaders.

The Old Demon Faction leaders were tempted, but also hesitant.

“Will this work?”

“Even if the Royal Capital has lost most of its defensive forces, the leaders and experts of the various factions are still there.”

“Even the three goddesses and six Demon Lords are in the Royal Capital. Sending our core members and Legendary ‘Beast Nests’ there would be suicide, wouldn’t it?”

“This…”

These leaders still had some concerns.

“Hmph.” Burke snorted coldly. “Don’t forget, we all came here prepared for this.”

That was true.

Who didn’t know that the Royal Capital was currently swarming with experts?

Who didn’t know that the three goddesses and six Demon Lords were currently in the Royal Capital?

Causing trouble in the Royal Capital, even for the most powerful Legendary Level expert, would be a suicide mission, wouldn’t it?

But the Old Demon Faction had to do this.

“To disrupt the Tripartite Conference, to prevent the three races from returning to peace and causing the world to stagnate, some sacrifices are necessary.”

Burke warned coldly.

“We made this decision before launching this operation. There’s no turning back now. If you back out now, don’t think that Moon Demon Sara and Goddess of Fate Lildas will spare you afterwards.”

With Burke’s words, the Old Demon Faction leaders realized that it was too late for regrets.

Since that was the case…

“Let’s do it.”

“Even if we lose our core members and Legendary ‘Beast Nests,’ it’s worth it.”

“As long as we can disrupt the Tripartite Conference, we will have achieved our goal.”

“We’ll just wait here and reap the fruits of victory.”

The Old Demon Faction leaders finally agreed.

However, they didn’t notice the strange sneer on Burke’s face.

Fruits of victory?

(Those are mine, they have nothing to do with you.)

Burke had already decided that once the plan succeeded, he would use these Old Demon Faction leaders as scapegoats to appease the wrath of the Divine and Demon Races.

And what about him?

He would naturally escape.

After all, Burke wouldn’t think he could withstand the wrath of the three goddesses and six Demon Lords.

Therefore…

“Some sacrifices are necessary…”

Burke sneered inwardly.

They didn’t notice that countless stars were shining in the sky at some point.

There, a meteor shower appeared.

Chapter 869: The True Threat Emerges

“—!?”

Inside the cave, Burke, who had just finalized the next course of action with the Old Demon Faction leaders, suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Moreover, this foreboding gradually transformed into a sense of crisis, making Burke’s heart race.

“Roar…”

“Roar…”

Faintly, Burke seemed to hear the terrified roars of his “pets” within him.

“Not good!”

Burke’s expression finally changed. Without thinking, he transformed into a stream of light and shot out of the cave.

“What?”

The Old Demon Faction leaders were all stunned by Burke’s sudden action.

Watching Burke leave, these leaders looked at each other, completely unsure how to react.

Until a series of wails reached their ears.

It wasn’t the wailing of humans, but the wailing of the atmosphere itself.

The trembling of the air gradually echoed like a mournful cry, growing louder and louder, making the Old Demon Faction leaders widen their eyes.

Soon, they also sensed terrifying magic power fluctuations pouring down from the sky.

They opened their mouths, their faces filled with terror, wanting to say something.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

“Boom—!”

With a deafening roar, the cave collapsed.

Meteors fell from the sky, landing on the cave. Massive meteorites, carrying immense destructive power, instantly shattered the earth, burying the entire cave.

“Rumble—!”

Deafening roars echoed one after another.

Meteors continuously fell from the sky, huge meteorites crashing onto the ground, mercilessly ravaging the area.

Dust and debris exploded upwards, forming waves of dust that swept across the surroundings.

The earth was repeatedly shattered and collapsed.

Rubble, debris, dust, blasts of wind, and the wailing of the atmosphere filled the area.

The terrifying commotion even reached the Royal Capital.

“Wh-what’s happening?”

“Is it an earthquake?”

“L-look at the sky!”

“A meteor shower!”

“Oh my god! That meteor shower again!?”

The citizens of the Royal Capital cried out in fear.

There was no helping it.

They had witnessed similar scenes, similar situations, before.

During the Atlus Gorge incident, when half of the Royal Knights led by the Galor family were annihilated, this meteor shower had appeared.

When the Buztout House clashed with the Lucica Duchy, this meteor shower had also appeared.

Whenever this meteor shower appeared, terrifying destruction and catastrophic casualties would occur in or near the Royal Capital.

Now, the reappearance of the meteor shower naturally terrified the citizens of the Royal Capital, who still remembered it vividly.

Naturally, the faction leaders and experts in the Hall of Glory also sensed something was wrong.

The Divine and Demon Races stopped their quarrel, looking at the meteor shower under the evening sun, seemingly understanding something, falling silent.

The human faction leaders and experts also whispered amongst themselves, then looked towards the Demon Race’s seats.

There, the six Demon Lords were still sitting.

However, at some point, the Hero, a princess, and a little goddess, who had been invited to sit with them, had vanished without a trace.

“They…”

Noticing this, not only the Divine Race goddesses, but even Ancil and the others were stunned.

On the other hand, the six Demon Lords, as if they had already known about this, remained calm.

“Don’t mind them,” Shafney said with a smile. “They’re just dealing with some insignificant trash.”

“Let them be.” Airi also said indifferently. “They should be back soon.”

Lid and Carmina’s eyes flickered, remaining silent.

Millu blinked, looking puzzled.

“Hmph!”

Lildas, Anima, Nadue, Artemis, and the others also seemed to realize something, or perhaps they were disgusted by the Demon Lords’ seemingly intimate knowledge of the departed individuals, snorting coldly in displeasure.

“Let’s end it here for today.”

Sara said this, then turned to Ancil.

Ancil thought for a moment and didn’t object.

Although they had made preparations in advance, the Royal Capital was indeed under attack, and it was uncertain what would happen next.

Under such circumstances, ending today’s conference wasn’t a bad idea.

This way, he could personally handle the following matters.

Thinking of this, Ancil exchanged glances with Harvis, Elise, and Sophie.

“I have no objections.”

Harvis, naturally understanding Ancil’s thoughts, nodded with a smile.

“I… I have no objections either!”

Elise quickly echoed.

“We naturally have no objections.”

Sophie nodded slightly.

“Good!”

Ancil then stood up.

“Today’s conference will conclude here for now.”

“Tomorrow, at the same time, please arrive at the Hall of Glory on time.”

“I wish you all a peaceful night.”

With Ancil’s closing remarks, the conference was adjourned.

However, tomorrow, the same topic would definitely be brought up again.

The leaders and experts of the various factions decided to think carefully about what to do next after returning.

Be it the matter of [Original Demon], or the [Second Demon King Creation Plan] and [Seventh Demon Lord Creation Plan], none of these were trivial matters to them.

They indeed needed some time to consider where they stood and whether they should get involved.

In any case, the Divine and Demon Races would definitely participate, and the Hero would also be involved. Those human factions that had established a good relationship with the Hero were unlikely to remain on the sidelines.

Should they join in, or stay out of it?

And what attitude should they adopt towards this special Hero?

These were all questions that the faction leaders and experts present needed to carefully consider.

With such thoughts in mind, the faction leaders and experts prepared to leave.

However, no one noticed that Nats and Grueler exchanged glances, cold smiles appearing on their faces.

“It’s about time, isn’t it?”

They thought this in their hearts, then raised their heads, looking at the open ceiling.

“Hmm?”

At the same time, Lildas, who was about to leave in a huff, suddenly froze, as if sensing something, and abruptly looked up.

“…!”

“…!?”

Transcendent Level existences like Sara, Shafney, Lid, Carmina, Millu, Airi, Artemis, Anima, and Lildas all reacted one after another.

…

Outside the Hall of Glory, on Lake Island.

A graceful figure appeared silently, looking at the Hall of Glory before her with a cold expression.

“It’s time.”

The woman murmured softly, then expressionlessly raised her hand, pointing it at the Hall of Glory.

“Clang—!”

A brilliant light shone from her body.

It was a cold and gentle light, like moonlight, yet containing an incredibly powerful force.

The light spread, instantly enveloping the entire Hall of Glory.

Soon, the woman also merged into this moonlight-like radiance and disappeared.

…

Outside the Royal Capital, on the summit of a tall mountain.

A demon man, accompanied by several cloaked demon warriors, looked out at the Royal Capital, seemingly seeing the Hall of Glory enveloped in cold moonlight.

“It seems to have succeeded.”

Danas smiled faintly, seemingly pleased.

A girl’s voice immediately reached his ears.

“I have to say, your father is very daring, actually sending a Grand Apostle alone to deal with those existences. If you hadn’t explained it to me, I would have thought he was crazy.”

The girl said this with a sigh.

“He is indeed crazy.” Danas didn’t hide his thoughts, saying directly, “For thousands of years, he has been stuck in this in-between state, always wanting to become a complete Demon Lord. He’s long gone mad, otherwise, why would he have Parion attack the Succubus, and why would he create such a monster?”

“For true transcendence?” The girl was silent for a moment, then chuckled. “I can understand him now.”

“You mustn’t.” Danas advised calmly. “His madness not only harms others but also himself. That’s no longer being unscrupulous, but blindly pursuing, willing to try any method. If you follow his example, you will eventually destroy yourself.”

“That’s a harsh assessment.” The girl said noncommittally. “His plan might actually succeed, you know?”

“That’s why I’m cooperating with his farce.” Danas smiled faintly. “Moreover, this is also an opportunity for me.”

“That last sentence is your true intention, isn’t it?” The girl chuckled. “What do you plan to do?”

“It’s simple. Follow his instructions and create as much trouble as possible for that Hero, delaying him.” Danas said without hesitation. “That’s why we’re using [Hundred Beasts’ Nest]’s attack on the Tripartite Conference at this time, isn’t it?”

“This is what the Heroes from other worlds often call ‘the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind’.” The girl seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, her voice lowering slightly. “Don’t blame me for not warning you, Heroes are all incredible existences. Your father also said that that Hero already has the power to fight him. With your current strength, you can’t defeat him.”

“I don’t intend to defeat him, only to delay him.” Danas shrugged. “Besides, I have you.”

“Oh?” The girl raised an eyebrow. “You’re no longer planning to hide my existence?”

“Of course not.” Danas said calmly. “Father is probably planning to have me be cannon fodder for the Hero. Since that’s the case, how can I not give him a big surprise?”

“Suit yourself. I also have a score to settle with that Hero.” The girl said in a strange tone. “But remember, you don’t have much time.”

“I know.” Danas nodded obediently, then muttered to himself, “After all, our Moon Grand Apostle is only passively utilizing the Demon King’s power through a mutated Unique Skill. Even if she can trap those existences like the three goddesses and six Demon Lords, the leaders and experts of the various factions, it won’t last long.”

But this time was enough to do many things.

Both Danas and his father thought so.

“Look, the main players have made their move.”

Danas raised his head, looking at the sky above the Royal Capital.

There, a figure, like a god or demon descending from the heavens, appeared amidst swirling clouds, emanating terrifying magic power.

On the ground below, countless monsters, like a stampeding herd, charged towards the Royal Capital.

And within the clouds, behind that figure, a massive, chained shadow flickered faintly.

“The show is about to begin.”

Danas smiled, then turned around.

“Then, we should also play our part.”

Leaving these words behind, Danas departed.

The girl didn’t say anything, simply looking at the Royal Capital, at that familiar yet unfamiliar city, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and hate.

“Just you watch, Mitra.”

“Watch how everything you left behind will be reduced to ashes.”

After saying this, the girl vanished.

…

“—”

Unnoticed, the meteor shower stopped.

On the ravaged earth, only massive craters remained; nothing else was left.

Shien’s figure appeared in the sky above this wasteland at some point.

Lucy and Lilith, accompanying him, appeared on either side of him.

“…You’re too reckless.”

Lucy, looking at the devastating scene below, felt a headache coming on.

“Reckless?” Shien looked innocent. “Did you expect me to slowly search for those Old Demon Faction members here? That’s too much to ask.”

“But you didn’t have to level this place!” Lucy exclaimed, exasperated. “This place is so close to the Royal Capital; you must have caused panic again. How many times do you have to scare the citizens of the Royal Capital before you’re satisfied?”

“A little scare in exchange for averting a disaster, that’s a bargain for them.” Shien retorted, “If those Old Demon Faction members escaped and headed straight for the Royal Capital, it wouldn’t just be a scare then, would it?”

“This…” Lucy was speechless, only able to say, “With my power in effect, it would be difficult for them to escape, wouldn’t it?”

That was the case.

The reason Shien and the others appeared here was because Lucy had used her power to manipulate fate.

After fixing the fate of “inevitably encountering the leaders of the Old Demon Faction,” Shien only needed to use Instant Movement with Lucy and Lilith, and they would naturally arrive at the location of the Old Demon Faction leaders, even if the teleportation malfunctioned.

This was an idea Shien had after recalling how Lucy had tricked him before.

The result was incredibly smooth.

So smooth that Shien couldn’t help but use [Auroras Meteoric] as a greeting.