Faced with the rewards offered by the Demon Lord, Han Xing took a deep breath. He had to admit, he was tempted.
However, he didn't fully trust the demon's words, so he asked, "I can help you, but how can I be sure you won't break your word and just leave once you're free?"
The Demon Lord sneered, "Are you questioning my honor?"
"Yes," Han Xing nodded. "Considering how pathetic you look right now, what honor do you even have left?"
The Demon Lord was enraged but managed to suppress his anger. "I can swear by my true name. As long as you break the summoning array, I will reward you."
A true name contract?
Han Xing's eyes lit up. In the demon race, a true name was incredibly important. While knowing a demon's true name didn't grant control over their life and death like in some stories, swearing by it was still a strong show of sincerity.
"Alright, let's sign it," Han Xing agreed quickly.
A system prompt appeared:
[The Demon Lord Julius swears by his true name, asking you to break the summoning ritual. As a reward, you can choose one item. Do you accept?]
"Accept!" Han Xing clicked without hesitation and then asked, "How do I break the ritual?"
The demon's tone turned calm, "Throw spirit cores into the purified spring water to cleanse the darkness. The summoning ritual will naturally end."
Han Xing nodded. He didn't doubt the Demon Lord's words because this was also the method suggested in one of the system task options earlier.
Even though he had accepted the task, Han Xing remained cautious and didn't approach the summoning array directly. He wasn't sure what other tricks the demon might have.
He tied spirit cores to arrows and shot them into the spring using his bow.
The Demon Lord smirked at Han Xing's wariness.
As spirit cores plunged into the water, the dark aura stopped spreading and began to clear. The demon's towering horns started fading, as if they would soon disappear from the space entirely.
It wasn't until Han Xing had shot the thirty-seventh arrow that the spring stopped releasing dark mist. The demon's horns slowly sank into the water, about to vanish.
At that moment, Han Xing quickly shouted, "Demon, my reward!"
The Demon Lord wanted to go back on his word, but recalling the true name contract, he said, "Human, state your choice."
Hearing this, Han Xing quickly analyzed the advantages of the three rewards. He hesitated, unsure of which to pick.
"You'd better hurry," the demon said with a wicked grin. "Once the ritual fades, you'll no longer be able to communicate with me. At that point, it won't be a breach of contract."
Knowing how cunning the demon was, Han Xing gritted his teeth and made a swift decision. "I choose the beast egg!"
The Demon Lord seemed taken aback. "Are you sure you don't want my sword or the demon blood?"
Han Xing nodded. "I'm sure. Now give it to me!"
The demon chuckled coldly, "As you wish."
Moments later, as the Demon Lord fully disappeared, the dark sky brightened again.
Han Xing collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
Just then, the system prompt appeared:
[Demon Lord Julius has returned to the Abyss. Survivor, you have completed a great exorcism. World Influence +32, Legendary Points +10.]
"Legendary Points? What's that?" Han Xing was puzzled as he saw the new points on his character interface. There was no description of their use, so he decided to set it aside for now.
His attention was drawn to the dark egg floating in the clear pool at the center of the Dark Elf territory. Han Xing's eyes widened as he rushed over and grabbed the large black egg.
A system prompt appeared:
[You have obtained the unknown species 'Beast Egg.' Do you wish to start the hatching process?]
[Warning: Once you choose to hatch, the creature inside will automatically become your pet. Survivors can only bind one pet in this stage. Choose wisely.]
Hearing the system's warning, Han Xing mused, "Only one pet?"
"I have no idea what species is inside. Since it's something the Demon Lord coveted, it shouldn't be too bad. But… what if it's not?"
Out of nowhere, he began to feel a twinge of regret. "Should I have chosen the demon blood or the sword instead of this egg?"
Suddenly, his expression changed. During the reward selection, the Demon Lord had seemed eager for him to choose either the blood or the sword. He had even confirmed it.
That demon couldn't have been so kind, which meant there had to be a scheme!
Han Xing trembled. "I remember… the description of the demon blood said that after fusion, I'd gain demon powers, but I'd also turn into a demon. Demons are hierarchical creatures, and higher-ranked demons have absolute control over lower-ranked ones."
"Once I became a demon, wouldn't I be under his control?"
"And that sword, it's a weapon he carried for years. He probably set up traps on it. Maybe it could even control my soul and take over my body!"
"Sh*t!" Han Xing suddenly realized the truth. "That demon's plan from the start was to manipulate me!"
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "What a cunning bastard!"
At the same time, he felt immensely relieved. "Luckily… I unknowingly made the best choice."
Looking at the large black egg in front of him again, Han Xing no longer felt any regret. Compared to his life, what did those other rewards matter?
Without hesitation, Han Xing clicked to hatch the egg.
A system prompt appeared:
[Do you want to hatch the 'Unknown Beast Egg'? The hatching process will take 100 hours.]
"100 hours? That long?"
The time required was significant, but Han Xing clicked confirm with a sense of anticipation. "I hope it hatches into something powerful. I wouldn't mind getting a dragon!"
Though Han Xing knew he was probably dreaming. Based on the appearance of the egg, it was highly unlikely it contained a dragon.
[Hatching in progress. Time remaining: 99 hours, 59 minutes, 58 seconds.]
After dealing with the egg, Han Xing's gaze turned back toward the clear pool.
He hadn't forgotten his original goal. He had risked challenging the Dark Elves for the water source at the center of their territory.
Although things had gotten complicated and he had even faced off against such a terrifying being, in the end, he had succeeded!
Now, once he merged this land, he would have access to a large water source and finally resolve his water crisis.
Not only that, the spring water would be a hot commodity on the trading market, sparking a frenzy in Region 107.
And from it, Han Xing would reap massive profits!