A few minutes later.
The group sat around a long table, their eyes fixed intently on the newspaper they had just bought from a newsboy.
Nanako's eyes scanned the lines of text rapidly, her gaze growing more urgent as she read.
"This... this can't be true! The headquarters of the Order Church was invaded by demons?!"
"This has to be a joke. What demon would dare attack the headquarters of the Church? That's the holy sanctuary of the gods!"
"And it happened just last night!"
Elina and the others were equally shocked, their breaths quickening.
The impact of this news was unimaginable to them.
As one of the oldest religions on the continent, the complete annihilation of the Order Church by demons would undoubtedly send shockwaves across the land.
Lynn was also intently focused on the newspaper, saying, "It seems the continent is truly on the brink of upheaval. But whether this news is true or not, if it is, it's definitely a major event!"
Everyone was breathing heavily, their expressions grave.
Although they strongly disliked the Order Church's methods, the destruction of its headquarters by demons was undoubtedly terrible news.
It meant that the continent's resistance against the Abyss had been further weakened.
As members of the Winter Spring Valley guardian organization, their burden had grown even heavier.
But no matter what...
"It's still incredibly satisfying!" Elina clenched her small fist and slammed it on the table, venting her frustration.
"They totally deserved it, those arrogant fools. I knew their downfall would come sooner or later."
Nanako, still focused on the newspaper, said,
"The newspaper says the Church's sanctuary was wiped out by a powerful Demon Lord. He single-handedly destroyed all of the Church's defenses, and even... even..."
At this point, her lips turned slightly pale.
"That demon also killed the incarnation of the God of Order."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned, their faces filled with astonishment.
Killing the incarnation of a god...
Such a thing was beyond their imagination.
"That... that demon is that strong?" the girls stammered nervously.
Nanako nodded firmly, gripping the newspaper as she said seriously, "Yes, the newspaper says the Church mobilized all its knights, warriors, and mages, even resorting to forbidden spells, but none of it could harm that demon..."
"There's a magical image of the demon here. The newspaper says a mage risked his life to secretly record it with magic!"
Nanako carefully held up the newspaper and showed it to them.
The girls were immediately taken aback.
Right in the center of the newspaper.
A massive demon stood towering over the city, his powerful figure exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure even through the image.
The demon was even giving a peace sign.
Elina's eyes widened. "So this is a Demon Lord? I didn't expect him to be so handsome..."
As soon as she said this, she felt the collective gaze of the other girls on her.
Elina coughed, her face turning red, and said, "Well... he is handsome..."
Lynn nodded seriously, his eyes fixed on the image of the demon in the newspaper. "I have to agree. Although he's a damnable demon, when it comes to looks, he's definitely unmatched."
Seeing that someone agreed with her, Elina's eyes lit up. "Mr. Lynn, you think so too?"
Lynn nodded. "Absolutely. Most demons look like grotesque monsters. I've never seen one as handsome as this."
Nanako's ahoge instantly shot up.
She narrowed her eyes and looked at Lynn suspiciously.
Something was off.
Knowing her disciple as well as she did, the only time he would ever compliment someone's looks was usually...
Only...
[After all, besides myself, which other demon could possibly be this handsome? →_→ Hmph?]
[I went through so much trouble to craft this perfect demonic body when I was studying the knowledge of the Abyss!]
[Otherwise, how could I make all those succubi drool over me? Hmph~]
Nanako: "!!!!"
Instantly, Nanako's ahoge stood on end as if electrified.
Her eyes widened, and she stiffly clutched the newspaper, staring straight ahead, her entire body on the verge of bristling.
It...
It really was him!
The demon who wiped out the Order Church was actually her disciple!!
This... this has to be a joke!
Does that mean what Lynn did last night was this?!
[Sigh, I kind of regret going now. Even though I did manage to get some demi-god fragments from the Church, it was way too high-profile.]
[It completely goes against my principle of staying low-key and surviving by staying hidden.]
Lynn lazily propped his chin on his hand, idly tossing a bright red strawberry up and down.
[But at least I successfully helped that guy transform his essence. When the time comes for the War of the Gods, I'll have another ally, even if he's not the most reliable.]
Lynn glanced at the elf sitting not far away.
Meanwhile, Nanako was completely on edge.
Her teeth chattered nervously.
This... this...
So... so that's how it is.
That means the Source King must have encountered some kind of anomaly, and since the two of them know each other, Lynn went to the Church last night to help the Source King deal with it, and ended up wiping out the entire Order Church...
Is... is that what happened?
Nanako felt her mouth go dry, a shiver running through her as she realized the hidden depths of her disciple's power.
Clearly, Lynn's identities went far beyond just the Great Lord of Violet!
He had a presence in the Abyss too, and from the looks of it, he was definitely a Demon Lord-level existence!!
She suddenly felt a pang of fear and stole a glance at Lynn.
Lynn seemed to sense her gaze.
He turned his head, saw Nanako looking at him, and immediately flashed a harmless smile, scratching the back of his head.
Nanako quickly averted her eyes, making sure Lynn didn't notice the look in her eyes.
So... so...
Nanako lowered her head, biting her lip.
Her expression was complex.
Even though Lynn was so powerful, why was he content to stay by her side, playing the role of her silly disciple?
And on top of that, she often lost her temper with him, making her far from an easygoing master.
If he really just wanted to stay hidden,
he could have easily found a remote place to live in peace and quiet...
Nanako suddenly felt a pang of fear.
She couldn't quite put her finger on what she was afraid of.
For a long time, Lynn's behavior, which was completely at odds with his status as an unparalleled existence, had made her forget the significance of his true identity.
Whether it was the Great Lord of Violet...
or this powerful Demon Lord...
both were undoubtedly symbols of a ruthless ruler, an invincible being who stood above all others.
So...
why was he content to stay by the side of a small, insignificant person like Nanako?
She bit her lip, her small hands fidgeting nervously in front of her chest, her ahoge drooping as her expression turned distant.
It was only in that moment.
that she suddenly realized the vast gap in status and power between them.
So... what was the reason?
"Master, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"
A warm hand brushed aside the strands of hair on her forehead and gently rested on it.
Warm and steady.
Nanako snapped out of her daze and looked up, her eyes meeting Lynn's concerned expression.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
