Brain bloom

"The lineup is quite impressive; most of the world's best players have been brought here." Its voice sounded tired, but still revealed a great deal of pride.

"So...which ones?" After a few seconds, Mori couldn't help but ask.

The ancient demon king was quite surprised: "You're not going to make me read out their names and titles one by one, are you? That would be a waste of time. I think the summary is already very good."

“Reciting names one by one is more inspiring and elevates the overall tone.”

"...No, I find it too much trouble. Anyway, you'll see when the time comes. I'll tell everyone now that we can go to the Demon Realm. Then, when the four of us arrive...please awaken the wish from the frozen time."

Even under the clear, bright blue sky, a profound sense of solemnity pervaded the air. Even the dandelions, unlike usual, prepared to fight the curse in order to help Yuan. The Rose Queen's crown was placed on her head, along with a rarely used ring that could greatly enhance magical power.

Besides these ancient relics, her life was also adorned with serendipitous encounters from the free market.

The same goes for Mori Toki—on the way here, having defeated corrupted monsters, Mori Toki had already reached level 70, and the flower bud on her head was even more vibrant. It's certain that when spring arrives and the flowers bloom, the strawberries will ripen as well.

"I hope Yuan gets to eat my strawberries," she thought. "They must be very sweet."

……

The realm of demons remains as desolate as ever.

Before the main portal, the former prosperity was gradually returning. Lower-ranking demons sat around, discussing recent events while awaiting a summons. With the throne temporarily usurped, the demonic order had been restored once more.

But only low-level demons are present.

Those with slightly stronger abilities, or those with greater reputations, such as demons, evil dragons, and a few powerful individuals who lived in seclusion in the Demon Realm, all mobilized in an unprecedented manner due to the majesty of the Ancient Demon King.

The demons, holding noble positions, brought all their magical artifacts, retrieving their trump cards one by one from their mansion's treasury. They even brought the human souls they had nurtured for years, to replenish their strength in battle.

The weaker guys didn't have as much equipment, but they honed their weapons early on and were more focused than usual.

A diverse and somewhat disorganized army, but united by a common goal, marched towards their designated destination under the guidance of a female demon. They moved silently through the wilderness, each member with piercing eyes.

Gradually, new members joined them every time they went a certain distance.

A wingless ancient phantom dragon joined them, accompanied by a younger phantom dragon who seemed to have become a bit smarter.

A demigod leader of fire demons, as tall as a mountain, with magma flowing from his body and a flaming whip in his hand, silently joined forces with a group of fire demons.

The gloomy and indifferent, pale-skinned devil prince, dressed in a black tailcoat, appeared beside the leader at some unknown time.

A strange skeleton demon, its entire body covered in black but gleaming bones, wielding a holy shield in one hand and an evil sword in the other, quietly followed at the back of the group.

The banshee, carrying a double-edged giant axe and dressed in a crimson outfit, chose a different path.

A young E'long was walking slowly beside Melia, and behind her were several strange and powerful individuals of all kinds, all of whom had one foot in the godhood, yet were almost unknown to others.

As outsiders, they did not remain silent.

"Your Majesty, will the devil's treasure vault open, allowing each of us to choose one item?" a greedy old man asked.

"The premise is—to help without leaving any room for negotiation."

"It feels like our help wouldn't make any difference... Besides, Your Majesty, would you even want the devil's treasure? I remember your treasury is truly magnificent."

"I'm here to help my best friend." Also, to meet a certain Four Seasons Person.

At that moment, a repulsive aura suddenly wafted over. They noticed that it was three powerful human beings belonging to the Holy Ones approaching from behind them—the Grand Master of the Holy Strawberry Knights, who guarded the Blade of Chaos, and the Chief Executioner of the Punishment Department.

The Holy Coffin Kingdom sent these three, clearly to help. This made some of the demons sigh; otherwise, their current strength could have crushed them.

Everyone holds a grudge. Every time they are summoned by humans, they have to comfort them and make them understand that they are not evil and can be fairly traded. The reason for this is that the Holy Coffin Kingdom has been slandering the devil.

"There's actually a true god in the devil's ranks..." B was quite surprised. "Who is this true god-devil who's leading them? We've never heard of him before, it's terrifying."

"We must keep our distance."

"Yes, we should not come into contact with these monsters from the realm of demons before we see the true God."

"—Little girl." Suddenly, a voice that no one noticed rang out from the side, addressed to B.

She was stunned for a moment, then realized that a solemn-looking old human man was speaking to her. His clothes were covered in blood that had been there for who knows how many years, and although she didn't know when it had appeared, B quickly recognized who he was.

The end of a myth! A monster who left an indelible mark on history, a strong contender for the title of the strongest being in all of human history.

The mythical figure, with a gentle gaze, said, "It seems you know me? Good. So you were also invited by the Ancient Demon King? That's a good thing."

"We fight only for our God."

"The coffin bearers..."

"Yes."

“Many monsters must have joined this battle because of her. What a magnificent lineup…” But in the eyes of the mythical figure, there was little emotion. “I have predicted the course of fate, but no matter how many times I repeat it, it doesn’t seem like a great battle is about to take place today.”

He was also skilled at predicting fate? Suppressing his shock, B keenly heard the result.

She tried to ask, "Does this mean we don't have to fight, or that it'll just be a lot of noise but little action? Anyway, we can easily win, get our reward, and go home to rest?"

"Hahaha, you're too naive, little girl. You should learn more from the coffin bearers." He laughed, his broken teeth whistling through the wind.

B blushed slightly, feeling reprimanded by a great predecessor in human history: "So... what do you mean?"

"So-called prophecies never end well. We will probably be defeated without any resistance, so it can't be called a great war."

Not only B, but the other two companions who were just listening in and had no right to interrupt also turned pale.

B refused to believe it: "...But, but our true god and the ancient king of demons are still here, I don't think we will lose."

"I hope so."

……

The massive army arrived at the designated location an hour later.

A man with cloudy eyes, exuding both madness and seriousness, was constructing a magic circle using a box of precious materials beside him.

Everyone possessed sufficient knowledge to quickly realize that it was a spell of fate. And this man was undoubtedly an absolute powerhouse at the level of a true god. Yet he wore an extremely luxurious holy robe, the exquisite texture of which was exactly the same as the holy robe of the Pope of the Holy Coffin Kingdom.

"The First, the First Pope!" A devil recognized him.

"Don't call me that. Right now, I'm just a master craftsman," Olster said with a confident smile.

But soon no one cared about it anymore, because a makeshift hut built with plant magic exuded an extremely terrifying aura.

One was the Primordial Evil Dragon Finanda, who tore apart truth; the other was the Primordial Evil, the ancient Demon King, whose oppressive aura instilled instinctive fear in everyone. There was also a strange but equally immense force, accompanied by a rich and vibrant aura of holiness and nature.

"The coffin bearers..."

"It's actually the coffin carrier. It really exists... it really appeared."

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, the three giants, along with Dandelion, who had been waiting there, were passing the time playing a game suggested by Sen Shi.

"toothpick."

"Sign...sign it."

"Words... um, word count."

"number."

Word count.

"Princess Dandelion, you're out. This vicious cycle can't continue."

"Mori, say that again?"

"...Counting stars."

Volume 1 #397 The Resistance

Outside, powerful forces surged in waves, proving that the summoned experts had arrived one after another. Sen Shi and Dandelion stopped in unison, while the Ancient Demon King and Fernanda exchanged glances; they all understood that the relay race had likely come to an end.

Mori was a little nervous, but she still tried to maintain a calm expression.

Without needing anyone to remind her, she had already taken out the pocket watch and placed it in her hand. Once everything was ready, she would retrieve the wish from the City of Clocks and release her from the curse.

Fernanda looked at the pocket watch in her hand: "If that curse is really that powerful, I might have to make some preparations in advance."

"Erlong, what... do you want to do?" The Ancient Demon King sensed something was wrong in her tone.

She didn't answer, but gently touched her ever-closed eyes with her slightly pointed index finger, then slightly opened them, letting out a sliver of the terrifying aura within. The ancient dragon that tore apart truth held her magic of destiny within its eyes.

"Are you willing to use it?"

“…I will use it when things get out of control. So, we need to make some preparations first.” Without even looking out the window, she could distinguish Melia’s presence from the surging air. “I also have people I want to protect.”

"Thank you for your help."

"It's a deal, right? Your devil's treasure vault will open later, and I can pick anything."

“Yes—you are in line after the coffin bearers.” The ancient demon king hid his pained expression and continued, “After the coffin bearers have chosen what they want, it will be your turn…after all, you did me a favor.”

“Alright, I’ve had what I wanted for a long time.” Fernanda licked her mature red lips, her greed laid bare. “The heart of the First Dragon still beats in your treasury, doesn’t it?”

"...You...want that thing?"

"Although I possess combat power at the level of a true god, it is not very stable. If I could consume the heart of that... the first dragon of the world—the Dragon of Truth, I would probably be stronger than you."

"Do you still intend to deal with me?"

"I don't have that plan for now. It's just for self-preservation. After all, you've freed yourself from the rules you followed and gained free and terrifying power. The original evil is not good, and we both know that."

Listening to the conversation between the two giants, Mori had a thought: "I don't really want anything, but wouldn't it be interesting if I got my hands on that heart first?"

This idea flashed through Mori's mind like lightning, coursing through every cell of his body. At this moment, Mori was brimming with hope; if he could use this heart to drag Fernanda into his ranks, all problems could be solved.

And that invisibility cloak she's coveted since the game era!

"Coffin bearer, why are you looking at me so enthusiastically?" Fernanda felt a chill run down her spine as dragon scales rose on her body, like goosebumps.

Mori smiled broadly, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Let's go and resolve Yuan's matter as soon as possible."

"That's true."

"We'll talk about the reward later," the Ancient Demon King muttered. "Anyway, we can't save the wish, and we can't open the treasure vault."

It only temporarily transferred the royal power to that true god or devil, while the wealth and such remained in the daughter's name.

……

Olster Ruhrman, one of the pioneers of human civilization, is now challenging the magic of destiny for the second time in his life. He doesn't care how many people come, how powerful their aura is, or how many familiar true gods are spying on him.

He was only focused on his own skills.

Destiny Magic: Soul Echo.