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

The orange-haired catgirl, Eta, reacted much more innocently and naively.

"Meow?!!" A gasp of disbelief escaped her lips.

Those orange-gold vertical pupils widened instantly, reflecting the boundless emerald green and vibrant colors, filled with pure and intense surprise and joy.

The cruelty of the desert and the sting of the wounds seemed to be washed away by the overwhelming vitality at this moment.

She took a deep breath, and the scent of grass and flowers filled her nostrils, making her feel so comfortable that she almost groaned.

The fluffy orange cat tail was no longer taut, but held high, its tip swinging excitedly and rapidly from side to side, just like a feline that had discovered a treasure.

"Wow...what a beautiful place! And...and it feels so comfortable!" She couldn't help but whisper in admiration, even subconsciously reaching out her paw to touch a flower beside her that emitted a soft blue light, its petals as clear as crystal. But her fingertips stopped abruptly just before touching it, and she glanced warily at Gray and Sita, quickly suppressing her overly expressive emotions. However, her eyes, burning with curiosity and excitement, continued to dart around, and her ears twitched, catching the ethereal birdsong. To her, this place was simply a dreamlike existence.

The lower-ranking black-robed attendants silently formed a small defensive circle, surrounding Gray, Sita, and Eita in the center.

Their movements remained swift and synchronized, but a subtle, almost imperceptible tremor inevitably crept into their otherwise subdued aura.

The masks and hoods concealed their expressions, but their slightly slowed breathing and their eyes, hidden in the shadows yet constantly shifting to survey their surroundings, betrayed their inner turmoil.

They remained steadfast in their duties, gripping their weapons tightly, and vigilantly watching this beautiful yet unknown wilderness, especially the strange forest that emanated a hazy glow and might conceal unknown things.

Gray stood still, his deep gaze slowly sweeping over the emerald plains, the winding stream, and the strange forest in the distance.

This brand-new, secret realm is like a mostly blank scroll adorned with mysterious symbols, a treasure trove whose doors have yet to be opened, an unexpected gain full of infinite possibilities and unknowns.

That hasty spatial rift led them into a new world beyond the dead end...

Gray stood still, his vast and unfathomable spiritual power spreading outwards as usual, attempting to scan the emerald plains more deeply, especially the hazy, strange forest in the distance, in hopes of discovering more clues about the "faint energy imprint" or the underlying order.

However, as soon as his mental energy left his body, he sensed something was wrong.

A sticky and tenacious invisible resistance, like being trapped in a dense spider web that is omnipresent yet invisible and intangible, enveloped his mental power from all directions.

This resistance is not a strong rejection or attack, but rather an extreme "density," which makes it require far more mental effort to penetrate and analyze the mental energy for every inch the mental energy extends outward.

This sense of constraint wasn't something that only appeared after entering the secret realm. Upon careful reflection, ever since he stepped into the depths of the Scorched Throat Desert, especially after approaching the Shadow Mountains, his mental probes had already sensed an increasing, obscure resistance originating from the environment itself, as if the air and sand of that desert contained some kind of dust that suppressed mental power.

At the time, he was focused on tracking down the Blood Spring and dealing with the cultists, so he didn't understand the situation or care too much.

Here, however, this resistance increases dramatically.

Here, the resistance suddenly increases dramatically, as if the dense, impenetrable life energy permeating this secret space itself constitutes a natural barrier to spiritual exploration.

They are wild and active, surging about in a disorderly manner, greatly interfering with the precise projection and clear feedback of mental energy.

His spiritual power can still leave his body and can still probe, but the range is drastically compressed, and the clarity and penetrating power are greatly reduced.

The perception that was originally enough to cover an area of ​​dozens of miles and see into ant nests under the sand was now compressed to a range only slightly beyond the range of the naked eye.

The strange forest further away was nothing more than a blurry and restless aura of energy in his mental perception; he could no longer discern the details or the true appearance of those "marks".

For Gray, who was accustomed to using his mental power to perceive the essence of all things, this feeling was like being covered by a thick, constantly swaying frosted glass, or like being shackled with heavy chains, full of sluggishness and inconvenience.

This unusual situation caused his heavy hood to droop slightly. The unknown environment and limited perception undoubtedly increased the potential risks significantly.

This secret realm may seem peaceful, but who can guarantee that beneath the knee-high lush grass, or in the forest where the light ripples, there isn't some strange creature that exists by devouring life energy, or a deadly trap that operates based on the unique rules of this place?

“Sita.” His deep voice broke the silence of the field, carrying an undeniable solemnity.

“Lord Shadow Demon.” Sita immediately bowed slightly. She also keenly sensed that Gray’s spiritual energy field seemed to be suppressed in some way, becoming less vast and boundless.

“This place has extremely strong suppression of mental probing, limiting the range of perception.” Gray explained the situation succinctly. “The situation is unclear, safety comes first.”

He paused, then slightly raised his hand, making a gesture of closing it up.

"Everyone, move closer to me and form a tight defensive formation. Abandon long-range reconnaissance and focus on vigilance around you. Advance slowly, paying particular attention to the ground beneath your feet and nearby vegetation and energy flow. If anything is unusual, warn us immediately."

The command was clear and decisive.

"Yes!" Sita answered without hesitation, then turned around, her gaze sweeping over everyone, and coldly repeated the order: "Contract formation! Defend the center! Maintain visual vigilance! Advance slowly!"

The low-ranking servants who had been scattered around, forming a loose defensive circle, immediately moved upon receiving the order.

Their movements remained swift and silent, but their formation quickly tightened, the distance between them shrinking to just enough for them to pass each other. They no longer tried to sense the distance, but instead focused all their attention on what they could see. Their weapons were drawn half an inch, the gleaming blades warily aimed at the surrounding bushes and any possible hiding places.

Their breathing became increasingly shallow, and they even seemed to restrain themselves from absorbing energy, fully entering the highest level of close-range alert.

only……

If there's a danger that even Gray can't handle...

Their warnings may not be of much significance.