Ruo Li smiled. "Are you from the Angel Legion?"
Morpheus nodded, his face alight with pride. "Of course! The deputy commander of the Angel Legion is my brother. Our Angel Legion is the strongest in the Mei Zone’s Union."
"I’ve always envied you Angels, being able to fly. We’re counting on you for this mission. Once it’s complete, I’ll repay you."
"How will you repay us?"
Ruo Li lowered her head. "However you’d like to be repaid, you will be."
This woman sure is... Morpheus smirked inwardly.
The people around Morpheus all laughed. The implication was so obvious even a fool could understand it.
"Leave it to me," Morpheus declared.
He then asked, "They’re your friends, aren’t you going to introduce them?"
Ruo Li replied, "They’re helpers I hired to assist me with the mission."
Morpheus was flabbergasted. What the heck? Just these three people?
Black Phoenix was clearly a warrior, Jiang Chen looked like an assassin-type, and Angelina was probably a Mage.
Ruo Li added dramatically, "Hiring them cost me a fortune! This mission is extremely difficult."
"It’s all on me. You don’t need to pay; just provide the drinks," Morpheus boasted.
"Then thank you so much," Ruo Li said.
"It’s nothing," Morpheus replied.
Morpheus understood that Ruo Li was a Ritualist. To complete her mission, she had to ask for help. Perhaps I could even get her into the Angel Legion, he thought.
What luck to meet such kind people right outside! Ruo Li sighed with relief internally.
The group ventured deeper into the Leilun Magnetism Zone.
Morpheus’s companions grew increasingly uneasy. They all knew every region had its Demon King. As Angels, they could only hunt monsters in the outskirts. Venturing deeper meant risking an encounter with the Demon King. The Demon King was terrifying; even Angels like them dared not confront one.
A few of them pulled Morpheus aside and whispered, "Morpheus, something feels off."
"What’s wrong?"
"We can’t go any deeper. Further in is the Demon King’s Territory. We might run into his guard army."
"Yeah, going deeper could be dangerous."
"Let’s just go back!"
Morpheus himself was puzzled. What kind of mission requires entering the Demon King’s Territory? Yet, Jiang Chen and his two companions showed no fear. Should we Angels be scared when they aren’t?
Ruo Li turned around. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing. Just curious, what’s your mission?" Morpheus asked.
Ruo Li said, "Just to kill a monster. He’s in the Demon King’s Territory. If you’re afraid, you can head back. These three are enough. I can’t take responsibility if anything happens to you all."
Morpheus forced an awkward smile. "Afraid? I’m an Angel, why would I be afraid? If they’re not scared, why should we be? Let’s go."
"Then let’s go," Ruo Li said. "But don’t worry. Even if you get injured, I’ll heal you. That monster isn’t very strong."
Morpheus followed behind Ruo Li.
They continued to venture deeper.
"Miss Ruo Li, who exactly is this monster you want to kill?" Morpheus asked.
Ruo Li gave a mysterious smile. "You’ll find out when we get there. He’s not that strong. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have spent so much hiring these three."
"Makes sense," Morpheus conceded.
"’The monster is supposed to be in the Demon King’s Territory... it couldn’t be the Demon King himself, right?’ one of his men muttered."
"’What a joke! Who would dare try to kill a Demon King?’ another scoffed."
The group laughed heartily.
Following Ruo Li, they ventured deeper. Upon seeing a palace in the depths, they proceeded with extreme caution, fearing they might alert the Demon King. The few Angels were so terrified they barely dared to breathe.
Jiang Chen said indifferently, "This is the place."
Ruo Li commented, "We’re pretty lucky. We haven’t encountered any monsters on the way."
Black Phoenix asked, "What now? Do we just rush in?"
Morpheus and his companions exchanged glances. From the conversation between Jiang Chen and the others, they finally understood: these people were here to kill the Demon King.
F*ck. Have these people lost their minds?!
One of Morpheus’s men whispered, "Ruo Li, are you guys here to kill the Demon King?"
"Yes," Ruo Li replied. "I hired them to help me complete my Hell-level difficulty class change mission. Originally, I only had a one percent chance. With you all, it’s at least ninety-nine percent!"
Morpheus was completely stunned.
"Why didn’t you say earlier you were here to kill the Demon King?!" Morpheus demanded.
"You’re not scared, are you?" Ruo Li teased.
Morpheus wasn’t just scared; he was terrified. A Demon King wasn’t someone they could handle! His companions looked like they wanted to hit someone.
Ruo Li laughed. "Don’t worry, don’t be afraid. The man standing before you," she gestured towards Jiang Chen, "has killed two Demon Kings. Killing another one will be simple for him."
The Angels looked at Jiang Chen in disbelief. Killed two Demon Kings? This... this is unbelievable!
Jiang Chen turned around. "Alright, Morpheus, was it? Since you want to help, go on out and lead the charge. I’ll support you."
Morpheus was dumbfounded.
He finally found his voice, his tone laced with anger. "Stop joking! A Demon King can only be taken down by an entire Legion, and even then, success isn’t guaranteed! We couldn’t possibly defeat one!"
"Exactly!" one of his men chimed in. "You people have some serious nerve trying to kill a Demon King!"
"Morpheus, let’s get out of here, quick!"
"Yeah, let’s go before the Demon King finds out we’re here!"
Morpheus nodded, wanting to leave at once. This was no place for them. If the Demon King appeared, they’d be annihilated.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Too late to turn back. He knew we were here the moment we entered the Demon King’s Territory. You can’t leave. Your only option now is to fight the Demon King with us."
"That’s impossible."
"You can look behind you. See that? A swarm of monsters is closing in."
They whirled around and, to their horror, saw monsters approaching—not just any monsters, but the Demon King’s personal Guard, mostly warriors, along with some Dark Creatures.
Morpheus’s face drained of color. "When did you know?"
"The moment we entered," Jiang Chen replied calmly.
"Then why didn’t you say anything?!" Morpheus exclaimed.
"Why should I? Them catching up is a perfect opportunity to gain some levels!"
Ruo Li stepped away from Morpheus’s group. "Jiang Chen, invite me to the team."
[Do you agree to team up with Ruo Li?]
[Agree.]
Ruo Li smiled faintly at Morpheus’s group. "Now’s your chance to make a name for yourselves. Kill the Demon King, and you’ll be famous."
Morpheus finally understood. They had been played. These four had planned for them to fight the Demon King from the very beginning.
One of Morpheus’s men, enraged, snarled, "You damn woman! You’re courting death!"
As one of the Angels lunged, Black Phoenix, Dual Blades in hand, intercepted him with a slash that sent him flying. "Looking to die?" she asked coldly.
"Dammit, who the hell are you people?"
"She... she looks like Black Phoenix! The commander from the Alliance tournament!" one Angel stammered.
"Then he must be that Swordsman, Jiang Chen! The individual champion of the Alliance tournament! The invincible expert who single-handedly killed 200,000!"
"Oh my God! How could it be them?!"
Morpheus was utterly stunned. Now he truly understood who these people were. No wonder they were so confident, saying the Demon King wasn’t that strong. This man was the Dragon Zone Union’s top warrior, someone who had actually killed a Demon King before! This wasn’t a joke!
Jiang Chen said calmly, "Let’s go. Into the palace."
The four of them headed towards the palace. Ruo Li glanced back at Morpheus’s stunned group and waved. "Come on and help! If we win, drinks are on me!"
Morpheus hesitated.
One of the Angels whispered, "What do we do? It looks like they’re really here for the Demon King."
"A First-stage Hell-Level assignment... to kill a Demon King. But Hell-level Missions are incredibly dangerous, almost a guaranteed death! How do they dare?"
"Don’t forget, that Swordsman has killed a Demon King before," another pointed out.
"We should get out of here while we still can! If a big fight breaks out, they won’t give a damn about us!"
"Can we even get away now?" one asked, his voice trembling.
They looked back. Hordes of monsters were now completely surrounding them, with more beasts charging directly at Morpheus and his men.
It was too late to try and return to the city.
Morpheus was filled with bitter regret. Damn it all! What was I thinking, trying to pick up a girl? This is going to cost us our lives!