Luo Yan: "..."
What's the difference between then and now?!
The old Witch Demon's gaze fell into reminiscence, and he continued in a nostalgic tone.
"... Thinking about it now, that was all a thousand years ago."
A thousand years ago, the Netherworld God Hagen fell, and the faith of Saint Sis's Aus Empire unified the human world.
Since then, the former followers of the Netherworld God had moved to the deepest parts of the underground to cling to survival... that is, to what is referred to as Hell.
Thus, the First Epoch ended, and the Second Epoch began.
In the early Second Epoch, the first Demon God, Udis, took up the banner of Hell in the stead of the fallen Netherworld God, becoming the leader of the undead and demons, and he unified the underground world.
However, Udis was limited in his abilities, and thereafter the underground world kept dividing and uniting, and he himself unfortunately died in a civil war.
Now, the Demon God has already changed three times... it is Bayele's era.
Of the three Demon Gods, Bayele has reigned the longest, sustaining over five hundred years, and his rule continues.
Despite great improvements in the living conditions of the underground world under Bayele's rule, even Little Demons can eat their fill, their combat prowess has declined year after year.
Ai Wen was watching them fall from grace day by day.
Keep in mind that 500 years ago, becoming the Demon King required pulling some strings!
Back then, only worthless bronze-level near twenty-year-olds would end up in the Ministry of Internal Affairs for an easy job, unlike now when everyone's rushing to join the ministry.
The younger generation has forgotten the prosperity of the world in which they once lived, indulging only in immediate pleasures.
Compared to the abundant Surface World, the resources of the underground world are akin to fleas' leg hairs!
However, it was reassuring that he finally saw ambition in a young student that was no less than his own of those days.
He decided to give the young child a bit of help.
For a thousand-year-old Witch Demon, this was not difficult, as he just happened to have a student in the Cabinet, and moreover, a powerful and influential Cabinet Minister.
Unlike the bureaucratic departments of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Truth, the Cabinet was the true center of power in Hell, and it was also even closer to His Majesty the Demon God than the Temple... it was as if their words could reach the heavens.
"I wrote a letter of recommendation to His Majesty the Demon God's Cabinet, mentioning your name."
Luo Yan was taken aback.
Goodness, this letter bypassed the Ministry of Internal Affairs and went straight to the Demon God's Cabinet!?
But he didn't rush to rejoice, instead asking cautiously.
"Thank you for your recognition... for my mental preparation, may I know the contents of the letter?"
Ai Wen's face bore a magnanimous smile, very satisfied with Luo Yan's unflappability.
"Recently, a Demon King Territory just fell. The previous Demon King was named Reggie Dragon, not only a Diamond Level Fear Demon but also a duke... If you are familiar enough with the circle of Hell's nobility, you should have heard of the Dragon family."
"Although solely by level, you are not qualified to replace Mr. Dragon's position, but this fellow made such a big mess this time that the core of the Demon King Territory was destroyed, and he himself scattered to the winds. So much so that even the Dragon family, famed for its ability to spread fear on the Surface, dares not touch this hot Flame Crystal... But what I want to say is, what's a hot Flame Crystal to them is an opportunity for a greenhorn like you."
Luo Yan's heart clenched, and he nearly lost his balance.
A Diamond Level Fear Demon?!
He didn't know any Reggie Dragon, but he did know Professor Enos, whose mere gaze could terrify people to their core.
He had no doubts that a Fear Demon of that caliber could squash him into the ground with just a pinky finger, so deep that he couldn't be pulled out!
Similarly, Luo Yan couldn't imagine how incredibly powerful a human warrior would have to be to thrash such a creature to the point of obliteration.
"Is it really appropriate... for a beginner like me to take over such a... level of a territory?" Luo Yan measured his words, sweat beads already forming on his forehead.
Principal Ai Wen, however, dismissed his concerns with a generous wave of his hand, his expression seeming to say that there's no need to thank him when he rises to prominence.
"Servants of the Demon God are all equals; there's no talk of what's appropriate or not. Plus, with the frontline in dire straits, everyone is shirking responsibility, and it's really hard for Internal Affairs to spare anyone. With my letter of recommendation, receiving the appointment is almost guaranteed. You just relax completely."
Who the hell is worried about that!?
As if noticing the "caution" on Luo Yan's face, Ai Wen nodded understandingly, smiling and patting the young man's shoulder.
"I know what you're worried about, but there's no need to worry too much. Your predecessor stumbled because he got too smart for his own good, trying to show off in front of His Majesty the Demon God, so he launched an offensive and ended up in defeat. But you're different. I believe you're a smart person who will do the right thing at the right time, instead of being blinded by momentary pride."
"You're... right," Luo Yan squeezed out a smile, only slightly less radiant than lava, but still radiant.
With the letter already sent, he knew that struggling was futile and that it could even cause him to lose favor with this notable figure for being "ungrateful."
This was the only strong support he could cling to at the moment.
"May I ask where this Demon King Territory is? If possible, I'd like to look up information about it. It would be good to be prepared before I go."