In the majestic city of Bachor, as the teleportation light gradually waned, a figure with an imposing presence materialized. This man, in his early fifties, did not tower in height, yet exuded a potent aura that left no doubt about his significance -- he was no ordinary individual.
"Identity confirmed!"
"The Undying Phoenix - Hubert!"
The sentry general of the teleportation station, upon recognizing the man's identity, displayed a mix of surprise and profound respect. Without hesitation, he approached the newcomer and performed a formal salute, as befitting a knight paying homage to a revered figure.
"Welcome to Bahur City!"
"Honorable Undying Phoenix!"
This man, known as the "Undying Phoenix," held neither the esteemed rank of an empire's high official nor the titled nobility. Nonetheless, his name carried a weight that commanded profound respect, even from a Level 5 overlord ranked general, who treated him with utmost deference.
For, in the southern borders of the Thunder Empire and across the mercenary and adventurer circles, the name "Undying Phoenix - Hubert" reverberated with an aura of legend. He was hailed as one of the ten super mercenaries of the empire's southern frontier, a truly legendary and renowned adventurer!
Hubert, the Undying Phoenix, did not have a fixed team. Over the past few decades, he had undertaken over a hundred high-difficulty missions. Eight years ago, he ventured alone into an ancient cavern, where he successfully assassinated a Level 6 ancient daemon and managed to escape from tens of thousands of surrounding daemonic monsters, averting a catastrophic disaster for the empire. This courageous feat earned him the well-deserved title of the Undying Phoenix.
Hubert was undoubtedly one of the most respected top powerhouses in the southern region. However, there was a little-known secret about him, he was also a player, a Hero, known as Yan Qianjun!
Yan Qianjun could not believe his incredible luck. While 99.99% of the players started as ordinary adventurers, he directly transmigrated into the body of a legendary adventurer. Right from the beginning, Yan Qianjun was renowned as a powerful expert, possessing nearly the strength of a pseudo Level 6 overlord. This remarkable advantage spared him from many setbacks and challenges!
Roaming through over ten provinces in the southern region, he fearlessly slew nearly a hundred southern region Demon Kings. Anyone unfortunate enough to become his target would undoubtedly be mercilessly slain, incapable of retaliating against his overwhelming power.
The massive amount of training points he gained allowed him to break through his bottleneck not long ago.
That's right.
At this very moment, he officially stepped into Level 6, becoming a Level 6 super Hero. Yan Qianjun felt like he was standing at the pinnacle of the era, becoming one of the strongest in the southern region of the empire.
Looking around, he saw no one that could rival him in sight, and he could not help but feel invincible. The illusion of being unbeatable intoxicated him and fueled his desire for even greater power.
Yan Qianjun realized that continuing to hunt low-level Demon Kings would yield significantly reduced training points. With his current strength, he required an exceptionally large amount of training points to make any meaningful progress. Killing ordinary small Demon Kings no longer held any value for him. If he wanted to kill, it had to be the most formidable Demon Kings.
At this moment, Yan Qianjun received intelligence from the Hero's Guild, stating that in the remote southern border of the empire, there was a savage land called the Chaos Forest. Recently, a top-tier Demon King had risen to power there. This Demon King not only possessed formidable strength but also killed one of the empire's Guardian Knights and established his own dominion over the forest.
This event greatly angered the higher-ups of the empire, and a substantial bounty had been placed on the Demon King. Anyone, whether a Hero, adventurer, or mercenary, whoever could kill the Demon King would be rewarded with hereditary nobility, a sum of one billion empire gold coins, and many other rewards.
At once, countless Heroes, mercenaries, and adventurers were eager to take action.
Yan Qianjun, however, had little interest in the empire's noble title or even the gold coins, but the sudden appearance of this super Demon King intrigued him.
The slain Guardian Knight was named Huang Hui, and he had crossed paths with Yan Qianjun in the past. Among the top-tier Heroes with exceptional starting conditions, they shared a small, secretive circle, so it was not surprising for them to know or have interacted with each other.
Yan Qianjun knew that Huang Hui was not weak, and before his breakthrough, Yan Qianjun did not have an absolute advantage against him. However, such a powerful hero had met his end while attempting to subdue the Demon King, which left Yan Qianjun shocked.
Although the intelligence from the battlefield indicated that Huang Hui's death was due to an ambush and sneak attack, the Demon King capable of killing a Guardian Knight was undoubtedly formidable. The fact that this Demon King managed to kill Huang Hui and even establish dominion over a large area meant that he possessed terrifying strength and influence.
Nevertheless, Yan Qianjun was now absolutely confident!
In truth, there was nothing to worry about. If the Demon King had to rely on an ambush to kill Huang Hui, it showed that their strengths were quite evenly matched. Even if the Demon King had gained power recently, how much stronger could he become in such a short time?
Yan Qianjun was not Huang Hui, and he far surpassed him in strength. Moreover, he would learn from Huang Hui's mistakes and be better prepared.
With all these advantages, success seemed almost certain!
At this level of strength, advancing further is as difficult as reaching the heavens! The empire would struggle to find a second Demon King of such power in a short time. If Yan Qianjun did not act quickly, there was a risk of someone else taking the opportunity, or worse, the empire annihilating the Demon King. Regret would be inevitable!
Not daring to waste any time, Yan Qianjun hurriedly made his way to the duke's mansion. The Grand Duke of the South was just convening a mobilization meeting. In the vast hall of military and political affairs, there were hundreds of figures, and each one had the qualifications to be summoned by the Grand Duke, none of them were ordinary individuals!
With a quick scan, Yan Qianjun roughly distinguished three groups based on their identities: the high-level members of the Bachor Family, the southern region military commanders, and the nobles of the southern region.
Among the high-level members of the Bachor Family were the leaders of the six Bachor Family Knights Squads, the leaders of the two Bachor Family Mage Squads, various senior members of the family, and dozens of honorary members.
Yan Qianjun could sense that most of them possessed Level 5 strength, and at least thirty of them were Level 5 overlords. This should not be the entirety of the Bachor Family's top-tier forces. Just how formidable was the true strength of this top-tier family in the empire?
On the side of the southern region military, there were nine Guardian Knights, ten Knight Commanders of the Empire's Knight Squads, and twenty-nine Imperial Legion Commanders.
Most of the leaders of the empire's southern region forces were present. The southern region boasted a knight squad consisting of ten Guardian Knights. With the death of the Hero, Huang Hui, there were still nine remaining, making them formidable, especially their knight captain.
Apart from the members of the Bachor Family and the southern region military figures, the other noble families in the Thunder Empire also constituted a force that could not be underestimated.
Among the nobles attending the meeting were six Marquises, eighty-five Counts, and one hundred ninety-two Viscounts.
This sheer number of Southern Region noble titles demonstrated the vast expanse of the Thunder Empire's territory. On average, the territory of a Count was comparable to a medium-sized province in the previous world, while a Marquis's territory was at least as large as the largest province in the previous world.
The might of the empire was truly terrifying!
Yan Qianjun felt deeply fortunate. This situation was beyond belief and terrifying! Fortunately, he arrived in time! Otherwise, once this force was unleashed, there would be no escape for the Demon King. He must personally take the Demon King's life to further elevate his own strength!
Such a powerful Demon King must not be easily eradicated by the empire's forces or exploited by opportunistic Heroes hidden among the military and nobility.
Yan Qianjun's mind raced with countless thoughts. His gaze did not linger for long as he glanced at Duke Bachor.
"Such immense strength!"
"What a dangerous being!"
Even in his current state, standing before Duke Bachor, he could not help but feel a hint of pressure and a sense of impending danger. It became clear to him that Duke Bachor was not only esteemed in status but also an undoubtedly formidable powerhouse, possibly even stronger than anyone else present, including the nobles, knights, and generals.
What's more, Duke Bachor might even surpass his own strength!
This feeling was entirely new to him!
Yan Qianjun realized that the southern region was home to numerous hidden talents, and he had not yet become the invincible being he aspired to be. Therefore, he was more determined than ever to eliminate this Demon King! No one should dare to interfere or prevent him from taking matters into his own hands!
"Hubert pays his respects to the Duke!"
Facing the esteemed Duke Bachor, a figure of great power and mystery, Yan Qianjun, as a commoner without the title of knight or noble, had no choice but to bow respectfully, performing a grand gesture of deference.
"So, you are the renowned adventurer with the nickname 'Undying Phoenix'?"
"Indeed, you are strong, living up to your reputation."
A faint smile appeared on Duke Bachor's lips. "I have always respected strong individuals, and someone like you, a formidable force, needs not kneel. Rise."
Yan Qianjun got back on his feet. "Thank you, Your Grace."
Duke Bachor inquired, "Why have you come to see me?"
Yan Qianjun replied, "I am not only a free mercenary and adventurer, but also a Chosen Hero. I heard that an evil Demon King is causing trouble in the southern borderlands. Therefore, I have come to offer my skills to eliminate him."
Hearing this, the crowd began to discuss among themselves. Many faces were filled with excitement.
"The famous adventurer, the Undying Phoenix, is going to take action?"
"If that's the case, it's excellent news! We might not have to deal with this matter ourselves and save on costs!"
However, a few people wore displeasure on their faces, most of them being Heroes.
"The renowned Undying Phoenix is also a Chosen Hero?"
Duke Bachor was astonished and could not help but furrow his brow. He noticed that these "Chosen Heroes" seemed to have spread across various professions and ranks. Moreover, after becoming Chosen Heroes, their growth rate increased, and their temperament, character, and behavior all changed to some extent.
Duke Bachor sensed that this might not necessarily be a good thing and could pose a considerable hidden threat to the southern region and even the entire Thunder Empire.
Certainly.
At this very moment, the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, took the initiative to volunteer for the task, and this was undoubtedly good news for Duke Bachor. Yan Qianjun continued, "Although the empire's forces are strong and well-equipped, the southern region is vast. It would take a considerable amount of time to gather troops from various noble territories, military bases, and fortresses."
"The growth rate of the Demon King is rapid. Even with just a half-month window, their strength would significantly increase, making them more challenging to deal with."
"Instead of mobilizing the entire army, it's better to entrust this task to me! I am confident that I can directly slay the Demon King and eliminate this hidden threat for the empire!"
Duke Bachor nodded in agreement. "You're right. The mobilization and assembly of the empire's army do require a significant amount of time and resources."
"But this Demon King is no easy task. Are you certain you can handle him?" he inquired.
Yan Qianjun brimmed with confidence. "It would not be difficult. As long as you agree to one condition, I can guarantee that I will kill the Demon King within seven days."
"Oh? Is that so? Tell me your condition," Duke Bachor responded.
Yan Qianjun stated, "The empire offers a bounty of one billion gold coins for the Demon King's head. I hope to receive an advance payment of this sum. With this money in hand, dealing with the Demon King will be a piece of cake!"
Upon hearing his words, the crowd burst into discussions. What does this enormous sum of money have to do with slaying the Demon King? If it were not for the fact that the Undying Phoenix was a renowned and reputable adventurer, many might have suspected him of trying to swindle money.
"Very well!"
However, Duke Bachor added, "I can give you the money in advance, but I have a condition, or rather, a necessary requirement."
"Please, go on," Yan Qianjun replied.
"Your mission must have the full participation of the Guardian Knights."
Yan Qianjun was momentarily stunned, but then a look of excitement appeared on his face.
The Duke dispatching the Guardian Knights was undoubtedly for surveillance purposes. Although the likelihood of the Undying Phoenix, Hubert, absconding with the money was small given his reputation, one billion gold coins was still a considerable sum. If the Undying Phoenix were to truly escape, the loss of money might be minor, but it would be a major blow to the empire's reputation.
Yan Qianjun already had great confidence in the mission, and with several Guardian Knights assisting him, how could this operation not succeed?
"Please rest assured, Your Grace!"
"I guarantee it with my honor!"
"This mission will undoubtedly be successful!"
This daring adventurer was worth the investment. Besides, the cost to the empire was not significant. To ensure foolproof success, Duke Bachor dispatched eight Guardian Knights.
Yan Qianjun had achieved his objective, and even surpassed his own expectations. If he had about 70 to 80 percent certainty before, at this moment, he was now 99.9 percent confident in his plan.
After bidding farewell, the Undying Phoenix began to take action.
Meanwhile, Duke Bachor continued the discussion on troop mobilization. Despite enlisting the aid of the renowned adventurer and the eight Guardian Knights, and receiving the promise of completing the mission within seven days, he had no intention of halting the deployment of troops. The empire's grand strategy involved sending its forces into the Chaos Forest, regardless of whether Yan Qianjun succeeded or not. Killing the Demon King was not the empire's ultimate goal; it only served as a pretext to occupy and control the strategically important Chaos Forest.
From Duke Bachor to King Frelio XVI, they never truly considered the Demon King as a threat capable of shaking the empire's rule. Instead, their true aim lay in exploiting the situation to seize and control the vital Chaos Forest."
