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

"Did that demon king leave any other words? Or instruct you to guard specific items or locations?" Gray pressed, feeling that the long vigil might not be just about waiting for a symbol.

Upon hearing this, the old village chief's face revealed an even more solemn and mysterious expression. He bowed deeply again, lowering his voice even further, as if he were recounting a supreme secret:

"Your Majesty, our great ancestor did indeed leave behind a few words, passed down through generations, never to be forgotten." He took a deep breath and repeated the ancient maxim, word by word: "'The spark has been hidden, awaiting its resurgence. I have also left something deep within this realm, neither gold nor stone, concerning the secret of the continuation of bloodlines. However, its location is elusive, not easily found; only a true Demon King who inherits my will can sense its call and follow its trail.'"

After repeating these enigmatic words, the old village chief raised his head, his eyes filled with unwavering trust and expectation, and looked at Gray: "As the ancestral precepts say, the exact location of that item is beyond the perception and reach of us mortals. Only Your Majesty... the true Demon King, can know its location and guide us to find it!"

After these words were spoken, the room fell silent.

A sharp glint flashed in Sita's eyes. Neither gold nor stone? A secret concerning the continuation of bloodlines? Only a true Demon King could perceive it? This information was immense and crucial!

It points directly to the deeper meaning of the existence of this remnant people—they are protecting not only a race, but perhaps a secret or... hope concerning the future of the entire demon race?

Aita tilted her head and repeated softly, "Only Lord Shadow can sense it, meow? That's amazing..."

Gray's deep eyes flickered slightly.

Perception?

With Gray's mental strength, exploring a small world wouldn't be too difficult, but unfortunately, the environment of this secret realm was too special, and his mental strength couldn't spread at all, so there was no way to use his mental strength to explore and find the thing the ancient demon king had mentioned.

Of course, this saying passed down from their ancestors can perhaps be understood in this way.

“I will know the location of what I seek…” Gray murmured, then suddenly looked up.

That map!

After entering the secret realm, Gray kept a close watch on his surroundings, but hadn't looked at the map yet.

Perhaps the location of the thing you're looking for is marked on the map?

Even if it's not there, if the map marks out the terrain and other features of this secret realm, it will make it easier to find later.

Gray slowly closed his eyes, no longer spreading his vast spiritual power outward to explore, but instead drawing it inward, sinking it into the deepest part of his own bloodline origin, to carefully experience the strange, faint feeling that had been present since he stepped into this secret realm.

Upon opening the Demon King's legacy, one is still greeted by the same "face-jumping map" that seems designed to prevent him from missing it.

The map has changed; it is no longer a map of the main plane, but rather a representation of various aspects of this secret realm.

Of course, you can also switch back to the map of the main plane.

What caught Gray's attention was the prominent "red cross" on the map.

In the main plane, the "red cross" indicates the location of the portal to this secret realm. However, once inside the secret realm, the meaning of the "red cross" has changed.

Aside from the "red cross" itself, there is no special label explaining what the "red cross" is.

To find out what's in the area marked with a "red cross," Gray will have to go and find out.

The area ahead is now ready to be explored.

In short, it's impossible for a whole space portal to appear, and then another secret realm to appear, with "red crosses" inside—some kind of endless nesting, right?

That's... impossible...

Gray found the village on the map... which was also his location, and he had figured out the location of the "red cross".

Gray opened his eyes and looked at the old village chief again, his tone certain: "I have sensed the call."

"The direction it points to," Gray tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the walls of the house, looking towards a specific location in the village, the direction from which the sense of attraction came, "seems to be... deep within that strange forest."

The direction he pointed out caused the old village chief's expression to change slightly, his look showing not only awe but also a hint of obvious worry.

"Your Majesty, you are wise! That forest... we call it the 'Mystic Forest,' and it is indeed the most mysterious and possibly the most dangerous area in the secret realm. The energy deep within the forest is extremely chaotic and powerful, and the monsters that breed there are far more ferocious and bizarre than those on the outskirts. Our people only dare to gather resources on the outskirts and never dare to venture into the core area... Is the thing mentioned in our ancestral teachings really there?"

Danger and opportunity coexist. The ancient demon king hid the item in such a dangerous place, clearly to protect it from being easily discovered or taken.

Gray stood up, an invisible authority emanating from him. "Lead the way to the edge of the forest. I will go myself."

The goal of the exploration instantly became crystal clear. Hidden deep within that forest were not only relics of their ancestors, but also things that might determine the future fate of the demon race. The significance of this unexpected journey to the secret realm was so profound that Gray dared not delay and decided to set off immediately.

Gray stepped out of the village chief's house and onto the open space in the center of the village. No words were needed; his naturally emanating authority and the excited yet respectful expression of the village chief following closely behind spoke volumes.

He slightly raised his hand, and an invisible force spread out like ripples on water, precisely transmitting to the other side of the stream.

The next moment, several dark figures emerged silently from behind the grass and rocks on the opposite bank, moving swiftly and orderly across the clear stream and gathering behind Gray.

It was those low-ranking black-robed servants who had been hiding and waiting for orders.

They remained silent, but their movements seemed to carry an uncontrollable air of solemnity and gravity, clearly indicating that they had also realized the extraordinary nature of the situation from the previous commotion.

When the villagers saw these suddenly appearing, cold and mysterious figures in black robes, a hint of awe and curiosity appeared on their faces. But seeing their absolute obedience to Gray, they felt relieved and knelt down to pay their respects once again.

Gray's gaze swept over his group—Sita remained calm, Aita was curious yet eager, and the waiters were silent and sharp. He nodded slightly.

"Let's go." The deep voice left no room for argument.

The old village chief immediately stepped forward and personally acted as a guide. He called upon several of the village's most familiar, robust, and courageous hunters, who held spears and bows crafted from some kind of hard black wood and luminous crystal. Their faces showed both boundless awe for the Demon King and an instinctive fear of venturing into the depths of the Mystic Forest, but even more so, an excitement and determination to fulfill their ancestral teachings and lead the way for the king.