The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

He... just left like that?

The oppressive aura that seemed to suffocate them disappeared, and the three members of the hero's team all breathed a sigh of relief.

The Demon King's sudden appearance terrified them; they were no match for such a terrifying being.

Thankfully, the Demon King left just like that.

Philippa was unwilling to mention what she thought about during that life-or-death moment.

I haven't had a passionate relationship yet, and it would be too embarrassing to say that I don't want to die like this.

Why would this demon king let them go? Philippa couldn't understand it.

If you are a hero who has the potential to defeat him, you would usually nip the threat in the bud, right?

Does this mean I'm being looked down upon? The Demon King is actually a very arrogant guy; does he not think he can kill him?

That's unlikely, isn't it? Isn't it said that all demon kings are defeated by heroes? Would anyone really be so familiar with this history as to underestimate the hero?

It seems that I was saved by the Demon King after all, although I don't know what his intentions were.

In short, it's good that I survived.

Tarik remained silent for a long while, still feeling a lingering fear as he recalled the scene.

"That's the Demon King? How terrifying..."

Sofia had calmed down and glanced at Tarik with a dismissive look: "What? Are you scared? You can still back out now."

“How could that be?” Taric clenched his fist, seemingly filled with fighting spirit. “The thought of being able to go toe-to-toe with guys of that caliber in the future makes me incredibly happy.”

"That's good, but it's not good either. This way, we can't kick you out and find another girl to form a female hero team." Sophia said bluntly, and her attitude towards Taric wasn't very good at this point.

Taric: "..."

You discriminate against men, huh? I'm going to fight male chauvinism!

"We still need to work harder." Philippa pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution, so she simply cleared her mind and joined the discussion between the two.

"Let's put the Demon King's matter aside for now. What we need to do now is contact the church and get help." Philippa calmed down and looked at Sophia: "I remember that the church sent people to maintain order in the secret realm. Let's try to find a way to meet up with them first."

Sophia rolled her eyes: "I hope they're still alive. This is both a demon cult and the Demon King..."

—————————————————————

As dusk settled on the horizon, the leaves on the treetops swayed gently, as if whispering in the wind.

Two dark figures darted nimbly among the treetops, moving silently through the branches and leaves like ghosts in the night.

"Lord Shadow Demon, did you see that? The expressions on those three people's faces, so scared they couldn't move, were absolutely hilarious."

After the two of them took the still unconscious Lia away, Ipsilon finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.

This guy's a bit of a show-off. I'm not a demon, I don't get pleasure from other people's fears.

Gray had his own reasons for choosing to appear and save them.

Firstly, a short meeting would prevent Philippa from discovering anything, and secondly, it would create an air of mystery for him.

It's really funny how they start off with a series of inexplicable moves that completely baffle the hero.

Gray wasn't doing it because of that; he wasn't Ipsyron.

Gray had given careful thought to his survival strategy as the Demon King.

Since every Demon King in history is eventually slain by a hero, he certainly cannot assume that he is the only special one and think that he can survive by defeating one hero after another.

However, compared to other demon lords, Gray has a significant advantage.

The Demon Kings of all ages have been unable to coexist peacefully with the heroes, partly due to deep-seated racial hatred.

But Gray is different. He has been living in the Kingdom of Olmec disguised as a human, and even has a very good relationship with his nemesis, the hero.

If Philippa knew she was the Demon King, she would probably hesitate to attack.

But that doesn't mean he should confront Philippa directly; doing so would be too risky.

Gray planned to meet with Philippa a few times in his Shadow form first, and then show her through his actions that he had no intention of harming them.

Rather than directly showing up to tell Philippa that he has no hostility towards them, this is more direct and doesn't lower his image (scratch that).

If Philippa knows she won't harm them or humanity, she'll most likely leave him alone and turn her attention to the Demon Cult.

That very righteous Philippa must have disliked the Demon Cult.

That way, she could even stand on the same side as her. The targets of the Shadow Court were also demon cults, and as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Ok?

Gray frowned.

This feeling of unease...

Ever since the incident occurred and the Demon Order interfered with the Holy Light Pilgrimage, he had had a bad feeling.

Now, this unease has grown stronger, so strong that Gray has even felt a little fear.

He looked up into the distance, his expression solemn.

What exactly is the "Desire for Knowledge and Truth" faction up to?

—————————————————————

"Your Excellency, we have enough blood and flesh energy."

A cultist reported this to the bishop.

"Then, let's begin." The bishop's face was filled with a chilling fanaticism.

In the heart of the deep forest, moonlight was blocked by the dense canopy of trees, leaving only dappled shadows on the ground. In a clearing, a group of figures dressed in grey robes formed a circle, their faces hidden beneath deep hoods, revealing only pairs of eyes that gleamed with an eerie light.

An unsettling scent filled the air, a mixture of earth, decaying leaves, and some mysterious spice. Each of the grey-robed figures held a staff intricately carved with runes, its tips emitting a faint, eerie blue light that illuminated the darkness around them.

The ceremony began. The grey-robed figures started chanting softly, their voices low and monotonous, like a call from the depths of the earth. Their tone gradually rose, forming a chilling harmony that echoed through every corner of the forest. As the ceremony progressed, the earth seemed to tremble slightly, as if something was about to burst forth.

Flames suddenly ignited in the center of the circle formed by the grey-robed men, the leaping flames illuminating the twisted expressions on their faces, making them appear even more malevolent and fanatical. They leaped around the flames, waving their staffs in the air, drawing mysterious symbols as if summoning some indescribable power.

As the ritual progressed, the clouds in the sky began to churn, and lightning flickered faintly on the distant horizon. The entire forest seemed to tremble in the face of this evil ceremony. The gray-robed man's chanting grew more intense, and the flames burned ever brighter until they formed a gigantic pillar of fire that shot straight into the sky.

Just then, a crack appeared in the ground, and a plume of black smoke rose from it, gradually coalescing into a blurry figure. The gray-robed men all knelt down, bowing their heads in submission to this figure.

Even the monsters in the forest sensed the terror of this power, and were alarmed, fleeing in all directions...