Eddie hesitated at the offer to bind himself with the silver tome publicly. Such an act would surely raise suspicions, especially since he had already contracted a bronze tome.
How would he explain this to Mother Grace and Sophia?
What would the Feng, Xue, and Yan families think?
And what if it triggered some celestial phenomenon that exposed him?
Reluctantly, Eddie decided against an immediate contract. Special as it was, discovery could spell disaster.
He pondered, troubled at the thought of missing this unique opportunity, but the offer remained, like a living entity beckoning him, filling him with both fear and excitement.
"No contract now doesn't mean never," Eddie reassured himself. "I can bind the silver tome later, in privacy." But then, what about the mysterious black metal fragment he had found?
As Eddie contemplated examining it with his special vision, the Lady of Falling-Flower City tossed him a small silver token. "Thief, I appoint you, along with Qeathon, Porking, and Tunlun, as leaders of a demon-slaying squad. Select five elites and prepare to embark immediately!"
"Me?" Eddie's face turned sourer than a bitter gourd.
His only thought was to leave this chaotic battlefield with Sophia, privately bind the silver tome, and certainly not venture into the demon realm.
The prospect of encountering demon lords or other dangers in that perilous place was far from appealing.
While Eddie hesitated, Qeathon, Porking, and Tunlun had already chosen their elite teams, resolutely heading into the demon realm, an honor every warrior on Dragonrise Continent coveted.
Yehken, Lyqeen, and Lyken, quivering with excitement, saluted Eddie. "Captain, we're ready!"
"You three want to conquer the demon realm? With your tiny frames? You'd barely suffice as toothpicks for the demons!" Eddie rolled his eyes. He had seen foolishness before, but this was on another level. "If you're so eager to die, go feed the magic worms in the Dragon Valley. Why bother with the demon realm?"
Yehken, typically a pillar of rationality, became utterly irrational at the prospect of venturing into the demon realm.
Gripping Eddie's leg desperately, he was adamant about pulling him toward the portal. Similarly, Lyqeen and Lyken, transformed into fierce warriors, were eagerly eyeing the portal.
They would have charged in immediately if it weren't for the necessity of Eddie's leadership as their squad captain.
"You all can go, but count me out!" Eddie might have just made history on Dragonrise Continent as the first warrior to ever decline a demon realm expedition.
A silver-armored guard, misinterpreting Eddie's hesitance, offered to safeguard Sophia. "You can leave the young lady with us. We swear to protect her with our lives."
"Nonsense! Handing her over to you would be like leaving a lamb in a wolf's den!" Eddie retorted. He had never heard of any good outcomes from such arrangements.
"I'm late, but I'm ready to join the demon hunt! Wait, don't start without me! I've never had the pleasure of slaying a demon. Hey, Sun, stop hogging all the kills! "
"Can't you see how much you're breaking my heart? I was born to slay demons, and you're here, crushing my dreams. "
"What if I get so heartbroken I jump into a river? Can you live with that on your conscience? "
"Wait, doggy, leave that green-skin for me; I'm a natural at slaying them. "
"I was born for this very purpose—Oh, my bad, you sneaky dog... No, I mean, you're a noble and powerful Bronze IV Iron Ridge Wolf. "
"I mistook you for another! But wait, you're not contracted? My word, you're my brother's dog, aren't you? You've leveled up! Where's my brother?"
A colossal man, triple the size of an average person and riding a leisurely white rhinoceros, also wanted his share in the demon-slaying action. But given his snail-like pace, he couldn't catch even a single demon.
Upon recognizing Grey Wolf, he scanned the tumultuous battlefield and finally spotted Eddie, dismounting his rhino with enthusiasm that caused the ground to tremble under his significant weight.
This was none other than the boisterous, self-proclaimed leader, the substantial Hessian.
Hessian, a veritable walking mountain of flesh, charged towards Eddie with a thunderous roar. He inadvertently sent two battle beasts and three mercenaries flying in his wake, even causing the silver-armored guards of Falling-Flower City to swiftly dodge to the side.
Hessian, oblivious to his own tank-like presence, took tiny steps and rushed to Eddie's side.
A heavy slap on Eddie's shoulder nearly toppled him: "Bro, you're here? Why didn't you tell big bro you were slaying demons? Don't worry, I've got your back. See my beast? A Bronze II Ironhide Rhino. Just its presence on the battlefield is like an unbreakable wall! And who are these three? Your friends? Members of any guild? Just call me big bro. I'll take you under my wing!"
"Who needs your protection?" Yehken was exasperated. Hessian's survival rate on the battlefield was virtually zero, and yet he dared to play the expert.
"You might be weak, but I'll train you. I'll lead you through trials in the Tower, as I'm known as the 'Trial-Prince' across the Tower!" Hessian boasted, unaware of Yehken's two-year residency at the base level of the Tower.
"Trial-Prince? Never heard of you," Yehken skeptically questioned Hessian's credibility, wondering if his head was filled with spoiled tofu.
"That's because you're uninformed. Ask anyone in secluded places about Hessian. Don't call me 'young master'; it's too pretentious. Just 'big bro' will do," Hessian declared, his enthusiasm for the title evident.
"Who would call you that?" Yehken and the Ly siblings were almost at their boiling point.
"You'll naturally call me that once you witness my strength," Hessian huffed confidently.
"Fool, I can't even bother to argue with you! Let's head to the demon realm. The portal, even stabilized by a magic array, won't last more than half an hour. We need to hurry," Yehken urged, only to be interrupted by Hessian's shriek.
"To the demon realm? Do you have the captain's token? Wow, you do! Bro, you truly are worthy of being Hessian's little brother. Let's go! I was born to conquer the demon realm. Please, take me with you. I'll let you be the leader for a while!" Hessian, with his flabby flesh rippling, saw Eddie's reluctance and used brute force to drag him toward the portal.
Yehken, who found Hessian's lack of real skill but a penchant for leadership annoying, hurried after them when he saw Hessian's brute strength pulling Eddie toward the demon realm.
Amidst the pushing and shoving, Hessian and Yehken, with their fervent zeal for the demon-slaying mission, almost set Eddie ablaze with their intensity.
Eddie couldn't deny the flicker of curiosity in his heart. Exploring the demon realm seemed like an intriguing idea. If things got dicey, he could always run away. The demon realm was vast; surely he wouldn't be so unlucky as to bump into a demon lord right away?
Carrying Sophia into the demon realm posed a risk, but leaving her in the chaotic battlefield seemed even riskier. Gazing at her pale, peaceful face in slumber, a feeling of tenderness surged within him. With her on his back, as long as he lived, she would be safe. If he could take her to the demon realm, he could surely bring her back to the Tower, back to their cozy home, back to their stepmother.
"If you don't want to die, once we enter, don't act recklessly. Observe the situation first," Eddie warned sternly. He knew warriors like Yehken, caught up in the glory and adrenaline, might charge in headfirst, but facing the demon legion would be no trivial matter.
Yehken and the others were not fools; they understood this logic well. Despite their fervor, they nodded in unison, acknowledging Eddie's cold yet caring demeanor. Although it wasn't as tender as the look he gave Sophia, it was enough to kindle a warm feeling in their hearts.
Stepping into the portal, Eddie was momentarily enveloped in darkness. As his dizziness subsided, he found himself in a hellish landscape under a blood-red moon, its eerie light painting the skies in a crimson hue.
Before him, on a stretch of dark red rocks, stood countless demons and ghouls. The sight made him gasp in disbelief. There had to be at least a hundred thousand of them. Even if they all stood still for slaughter, their number was overwhelming.
"This will be a tough battle," Eddie muttered under his breath.
"Everyone, be cautious! The demon generals are approaching, and they often have summoning tomes. They are not easy to kill. We need to act fast, focusing on slaying the weaker demons first!" Falling-Flower City's commander unleashed a long-accumulated white light beam.
The beam extended before her, vaporizing any demon it touched, leaving not even ashes. This single attack cleared hundreds from the demon legion, creating a large gap in their ranks.
"Eddie, be careful! The demon horde is overwhelming," Yehken warned, his eyes scanning the endless sea of ghouls and demons.
Eddie, fully aware of the gravity of the situation, responded, "Nobody moves until we assess the situation." He sensed a lurking danger beyond the visible horde of demons. Something formidable, possibly not far from a demon lord in strength, was hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike.
"The stronger demons might be hiding, ready for a surprise attack. We can't let our guard down," Eddie added, his voice laced with caution.
Falling-Flower City's commander, having used up most of her energy in the initial assault, could no longer produce the devastating white light beam. "Each team, aim to slay a hundred demons for the title of 'Demon Slayer' and safe return to the Tower," she commanded, setting a realistic goal to motivate the young warriors without risking their lives needlessly.
Eddie's mind raced, considering their best course of action. The safety of Sophia, still unconscious on his back, weighed heavily on his decisions. "How do we navigate this treacherous battlefield and make it back alive?" he pondered, his eyes darting across the chaotic landscape, searching for any sign of the hidden enemy.