--- Chapter 147 ---
Hearing Huo Yuhao's words, everyone in the room stared at him with shocked expressions. The Crown Princess is beyond flustered because this wasn't Theomars she knew.
Even though Theomars von Admante was known as a fast-spoken young man, he wasn't very wise in handling provocation. Gale Narmos wanted to show the Crown Princess his might, but Theomars doesn't fall for that.
Theomars accepted the Engagement Annulment immediately, leaving them speechless.
Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes when seeing their reactions, especially the young ladies. He's not dumb to buy their drama-inducing scenario, which every woman loves.
Women love Drama. It's the truth.
They seek Drama, even indirectly.
"Yes, you heard that right." Huo Yuhao yawned lazily.
"Let's annul this cliche engagement trope."
"Have a nice day, for you and with the Crown Princess. I hope the wedding party is coming soon. I won't come, though." He gave a cheeky smile at Gale Narmos.
"Then, see ya."
Huo Yuhao waved his hand and walked away, feeling a breeze on his back. Gale Narmos released an intense inner energy with visible green wind around his body, staring at Huo Yuhao with infuriated-red eyes.
"Who said you can go away..." Gale said indifferently.
"How dare you mock me?"
Huo Yuhao was amazed at this guy's attitude and returned, "Pardon, are you fucking deaf?"
"Go Die, Theomars!" Gale lunged at Huo Yuhao, attacking him with a pressured air blow.
SWOOSH!
Everyone closed their eyes because the outcome was clear: Theormars von Admante would be humiliated today. He would drop to the ground and possibly enter a coma.
That's what they expected.
BAM! BAM! Crack!
The Crown Princess was the first to open her eyes. She saw Gale Narmos on the ground with a bloodied face and fainted. The number one genius and heir of the Narmos Family was "instantly." defeated.
"Ah, the staff is broken. What a waste of wood." Huo Yuhao threw the wooden staff to the ground, hitting Gale Narmos's family jewel in an accident. Yes, an accident infused with Darkness Energy.
And a little bit of Darkness(Yin) Energy definitely won't make someone impotent, right? Right?
It seems Theomars hated this guy to the guts.
"Anyway, see ya."
Huo Yuhao whistled and stepped out of the hall, making one of the most anti-climactic entrances and exits recorded in this world. He told Damian to deal with the rest and enjoyed the rest of the day cultivating.
...
...
A knock echoed from the other side of the door. Huo Yuhao squinted his eyes and stopped cultivating, calming the inner energy to the bottleneck of 2nd Class Devil Warrior.
Huo Yuhao loved this world's power system because it was so simple.
Of course, with Extreme Lightning Mirage, his cultivation stage is unknown to people with a dull sense.
"Enter." He said while taking a seat on the chair.
As the door opened, Huo Yuhao could see the Crown Princess enter his room. She was indeed a beautiful young lady.
"Do you need something, Crown Princess?" Huo Yuhao smiled at her. "I don't think this Trash of me couldn't help you with anything, though."
Terresa de Kemos sighed and replied, "I'm here to relay a message from the Kemos Family. We wanted to "Formally." annul the engagement between you and me. Of course, your family has agreed with this."
"Clearly... I don't have a say in this matter. Well, My reply is still the same as before. Sure, let's annul the engagement." Huo Yuhao returned casually, feigning not to know the Crown Princess's annoyance.
Teressa pouted and complained, "Are you the Theomars I knew??"
"Your temperament is changing too much compared to last month."
"Also, your fight with Gale. What kind of special ability did you use?"
Faced with these questions, Huo Yuhao cluelessly tilted his head and answered, "What do you mean? That guy tripped and slammed his face on the ground. He even smashed my wooden staff in half, sad."
"..." Terresa couldn't believe this guy. Since when did Theomars become so shameless?
"Ha... As compensation for the annulment, our family decided to compensate you with two Purple Devil Flowers." She placed a glass box on the table. "Also, this."
Another box followed shortly after. It was made of metal, having a black luster.
"This Devil Artifact could protect you from 5th Class or 6th Class Monster Race Attacks. Use it well."
"Also, you better be careful with Narmos Family. Gale wouldn't leave you be."
"Goodbye, Theo..." Terresa gave him a lonely yet melancholy glance and disappeared from the room. Her presence also thinned and reappeared in the guest room, 30 meters away.
Huo Yuhao opened the metal box and discovered a pendant with a white crystal hooked to it. "What a heartless ex-fiancee." He commented while shaking his head. 6th Class Protection Artifact? She knew very well Narmos had hundreds of 6th-Class Devil Warriors. And Let's not talk about higher-class devil warriors.
What could Theomars do in this situation?
His family literally banished him to this barren castle.
"At least the compensation is generous enough..." Huo Yuhao checked the glass box. Two identical purple flowers with distinct aromas appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Purple Devil Flower]
[Type: Consumable]
[Grade: S]
[Description: Purple Devil Flower is a rare flower grown in the area with a rich natural aura. It's an excellent consumable item, having a miraculous property such as granting a "Healing Factor." when eating the petals and "Poison Immunity." when eating the stalk]
"Hmm? The other Purple Devil Flower is a little different." Huo Yuhao noticed the second Purple Devil Flower's petals were more vibrant.
[Name: Violet Devil Flower]
[Type: Consumable]
[Grade: S+]
[Description: Violet Devil Flower is only born one in a thousand years, having the same property as Purple Devil Flower except for one special effect upon consumption. Anyone who eats Violet Devil Flower increases their lifespans by 100 years and gains the ability to purify their Blood]
"Haha..."
"HAHAHA..."
"My Ex-Rank Luck is still working, Baby~!!" Huo Yuhao pumped his fist in excitement. He saved the Purple Devil Flower because he might be able to grow it in the homeworld and decided to consume the Violet Devil Flower.
Closing any possible entrances to his room, Huo Yuhao sat on the ground and began to eat the Violet Purple Flower. It was sweet and somewhat refreshing, flowing down to his throat gently.
"Universal Breathing Technique..."
Huo Yuhao experienced a flash of memory, watching the Underworld War's events unfold slowly in his head. He sighed and watched everything from start to finish, seeing how the devil marched into the Realm of the Dead.
It was his fault to attack Hades without understanding the Underworld's devil and his subordinate's power. He overestimated and believed everyone from the Underworld would be okay but forgot they weren't part of Dragon Nest yet.
Tiamat was injured because he believed she could do well against someone like Qianye Ying'er, but the reality is far from that.
Was it Huo Yuhao's fault?
He was confident with his new subordinate, but they didn't meet his standard except for some people. That's why he created a better training program for the Underworld's devil, spreading the new breathing technique to complement their devil lineage.
He'll take this as a lesson.
And they should be fine on the other side because Huo Yun'er and others still kept everything in check. It was barely a day, but Huo Yuhao missed them already.
Usually, Tian Meng's rants would cheer him out now.
Huo Yuhao felt the Violet Purple Flower's effect had been absorbed into his body and strengthened his internal organs. He could feel the slight change here and there.
"Evo, show me the Quest's page." Huo Yuhao opened his eyes.
[Emergency Quest: Absolute Fortification of Onyx Brush World]
[Objective: Defend the Castle from Endless Monster Horde and slaughter every single enemy(0/100.000.000.001]
[Reward: Exclusive Item: Onyx Brush(F/Sealed), Ancient Ink Devil's Memory, and 1 Platinum Upgrading Ticket]
[Limitation: Host's Cultivation limited to Spirit Emperor(Level 69)]
[Penalty: Upgrade Feature sealed for one year]
[Time Limit: Null]
Huo Yuhao stretched his body and called for Damian, telling him and the other servants to prepare themselves.
"What's about to happen, your highness?" Damian asked nervously.
Huo Yuhao loosened his sleeve and answered, "Apocalypse. Monster Race will launch a full-blown attack in 8 hours. Share this news with the Crown Princess's Escort. It's up to them to believe it or not."
"Let them decide whether this fool's words are a good warning or a joke."
"No, you're no fool, your highness!" Damian suddenly shouted. "Royal Blood flowed in your veins, making you eligible for greatness."
"Please..."
"Please don't undervalue yourself."
Huo Yuhao smiled because Damian sounded like a certain silver-haired maid he cherishes. "It's better to undervalue everything than overvalue it." He countered the butler.
"I have learned this mistake in a bad way."
Looking at his young master, Damian witnessed a completely different person than the young man he formerly knew. That expression. And That knowing one's faulty eyes.
'Did the awakening change his mindset?' He thought while observing Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao ignored Damian's gaze and commented, "Go, we don't have much time here. Time is money, Damian."
"Y-Yes, your highness."
Damian ushered out, running to the Crown Princess's escort room and warning them about the incoming Monster Race's attack. Of course, they thought it was a joke. It's within Huo Yuhao's expectations, but the Crown Princess doesn't take his words lightly.
Faced with the news from Damian, Terresa de Kemos ordered everyone who followed her to return. They had to return to the Capital and warned everyone about this matter.
Everyone except Terresa thought this was Huo Yuhao's scheme to kick them out of the castle and bore small loathing toward him.
Huo Yuhao leaned on the window and saw the massive eagle flying away from the Black Pearl Castle. If they traveled at max speed, the Karuta Empire would be able to prepare for the war in six hours.
Thirty minutes later.
"Your highness, everyone is here," Damian announced everyone's attendance in his room.
Huo Yuhao glanced at them and said, "The monster race will start one of their attacks on that plain." He pointed his finger at the vast plain before the Black Pearl's castle.
"We couldn't do anything but fight and protect this place. Run is impossible because the Karuta Empire will be in chaos."
"And my family won't do shits."
"That's why... I wanted everyone to be a good piece of this survival. It doesn't matter if you are weak. Chefs, please cook good meals for everyone. Maid, please prepare a comfortable resting place."
"Guards, please do your job and protect this place."
"And lastly, Damian... Coordinate everyone accordingly."
Huo Yuhao looked at the grassland and declared, "As for me, I'll go and face them directly."
Everyone was dumbfounded, and Damian suddenly hugged Huo Yuhao's legs. "No! You can't! It's dangerous." He complained, having every servant and guard of the castle nod their heads.
BOOM!
Huo Yuhao released his Conqueror's Haki and made their knees weak with a simple presence. "My order is absolute... Do your goddamn task, or I'll kick you out of this place." He said indifferently.
"The best fighter we have is 5th Class Warrior, Guard Captain. He wouldn't be able to survive against millions of Monster Race."
The Guard Captain's complexion paled when hearing Huo Yuhao's statement. Millions? That's ridiculous. His limit is only ten 5th-Class Monsters at once.
"Don't be too nervous... You won't die with me here." Huo Yuhao chuckled while deactivating his Conqueror's Haki. "As long as you were doing your job properly, nothing will happen."
"If you understand that, GO! DO YOUR JOBS!"
...
...
Huo Yuhao relaxed in his room and meditated to understand his abilities furthermore. "This is hard but not impossible."
[Name: All-Transforming Ink]
[Grade: E]
[Description: A flexible black substance that could transform based on one's will. The ink also can be applied to something]
"Adding another line..." Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched in disbelief. After consuming S+ grade Violet Devil Flower, his Ancient Ink Devil's Bloodline become purer and reached the E grade.
What an unfair trade.
Just how powerful Ancient Devil's Bloodline was?
That's for another day.
After warming himself in this cold weather, Huo Yuhao stood on the wall of the Black Pearl Castle. He watched the grassland calmly and felt somewhat sad because it would get ruined soon.
[00:00:01]
[The wave has started] Evo alerted Huo Yuhao.
The world was "slowly." illuminated by the morning sun, but what came next wasn't a warm golden glow. But a wave of destruction.
Huo Yuhao noticed the Monster Race(Siluman) started to appear from afar, one after another. They painted the grassland's dirty twinkle with burning torches and weapons to kill Devil Race(Kroman).
Today is the end of the Devil Race.
Huo Yuhao used Universal Breathing Technique and jumped from the tall wall of the Black Pearl Castle. He dropped down and landed, killing the momentum with his Darkness Manipulation.
"Evo, start counting."
[0/100.000.000.001]
Huo Yuhao turned his body into a shadow-like state and charged forward, facing the enemy without nervousness. It's just one against many, but he doesn't care.
"I'll finish this Quest."
"Yes, I'll finish this Quest and return home."