Chapter 118: The Choice
Han Ming and the wind-attributed elder had both fallen into the heart of the Desolate Forest—the Ghost Domain. There, they discovered a gathering army of demon soldiers.
The mountains and fields were teeming with demon soldiers, especially those closest to Han Ming and the elder, all of whom were at the War Maniac level.
"If these powerful demon soldiers gather their forces and march on the human world, it’s over," Han Ming thought, stunned by the sight before him.
The two humans had already caught the attention of some nearby demon soldiers, who began attacking the elder as he tried to escape and warn the human world.
Dozens of demon soldiers hurled their axes at the elder, who dodged frantically.
Although the demon soldiers were only at the War Maniac level and the elder was a War Soul, as the saying goes, even a hero can’t withstand overwhelming numbers.
Their only option was to flee. Surrounded by hundreds of thousands of demon soldiers, even a War King would stand no chance.
Han Ming leaped out of the water, only to be met by a dozen demon soldiers charging at him.
He drew his Cyan Rainbow Sword, slashed his arm, and swung the sword, sending the demon soldiers flying. Some were cut in half, while others lost their legs.
But Han Ming was shocked to see that the fallen demon soldiers didn’t lose their ability to move.
Those cut in half crawled toward him with their upper bodies, seemingly impervious to pain.
"Stop resisting, kid. Find a way out of here. Demon soldiers don’t bleed or feel pain. You have to completely destroy their bodies or crush their heads to stop them. These things have already died once; they’re not easy to kill again."
The elder struggled against dozens of demon soldiers, his wind-attributed battle energy shredding them into pieces.
But the sheer number of demon soldiers was overwhelming, and the elder’s energy was depleting rapidly, especially since these soldiers were all at the War Maniac level.
Even those not completely destroyed would crawl back, swinging their weapons at his legs.
Han Ming wanted to escape, but he had no chance. The only way out was to climb back up the cliff, but he couldn’t spare the effort.
Countless black battle energies and weapons came at him. As a first-tier War Maniac, he could barely defend himself, let alone counterattack or escape.
After using the Cyan Rainbow Sword a few times, Han Ming felt dizzy. Yet, the demon soldiers kept coming.
He couldn’t keep using the sword. If this continued, he’d bleed to death before the demon soldiers could kill him.
Han Ming glanced to the side. The demon soldiers who had been feasting on the Crimson Flame Eagle had joined the attack.
"Ugh!"
Han Ming, constantly fending off a dozen demon soldiers, was caught off guard. One soldier landed a blow on his waist. Han Ming grunted, crushing the soldier’s skull with his bare hands.
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Compared to the elder, Han Ming had it slightly easier. Most of the demon soldiers focused on the elder, who was stronger.
Han Ming fought his way to the elder’s side, and the two stood back-to-back, defending against the onslaught.
In this dire moment, they set aside their past grievances, trusting each other with their lives. Their personal feud was trivial compared to the endless horde of demon soldiers.
Most of the pressure fell on the elder.
Meanwhile, those still searching for Han Ming in the Desolate Flame Prison had no idea that he and the elder were fighting for their lives in the Ghost Domain.
"Pant... pant... These are third-tier demon soldiers, equivalent to human War Maniacs. I see second-tier soldiers in the distance, but no first-tier ones. There are no fourth-tier soldiers yet. This must be a probing attack. The seal on the demon realm is likely only partially broken. We still have a chance."
The elder, exhausted from the prolonged battle, gasped for breath. Around them, piles of demon soldier corpses had accumulated.
"So, you’re saying these soldiers won’t attack the human world immediately?"
Han Ming was in better shape than the elder, as he relied on his physical strength rather than battle energy.
"Pant... pant... Kid, I underestimated you. But our situation is grim. There are only about 100,000 to 200,000 soldiers here. Once they gather 500,000, they can conquer a human kingdom. We need someone to warn the humans so they can prepare. If the army reaches over a million, they’ll sweep across the entire Northern Alliance. It’ll be too late."
"How do we escape? There are too many soldiers. We’ll be exhausted in ten minutes."
The elder’s face was grave, but he had no solution.
*Buzz... buzz...*
A strange sound echoed in Han Ming’s head.
What’s that? Han Ming wondered.
It seemed to come from his storage bag.
This!?
While swinging his sword, Han Ming opened the bag and saw something glowing faintly, vibrating as if trying to escape.
The battle axe! Han Ming was shocked.
What’s going on? The axe had never shown any signs of life before, let alone vibrated like this.
Wait! The axe might be more effective against these soldiers. Its weight and size would allow for wider attacks, making it more useful against the endless horde.
Han Ming took out the axe, which vibrated more intensely, almost leaping from his hands.
The nearest demon soldiers hesitated, seemingly wary of the axe.
No!
Han Ming’s mind raced. The soldiers had been fearless until now, unbothered by pain or death. Yet, they seemed afraid of the axe.
Could it be...? Han Ming had an idea.
The axe was made from the bark of the World Tree’s remnants. The World Tree was the source of all life, while these soldiers were undead abominations. The two were polar opposites—one brimming with life, the other steeped in death.
Perhaps they counter each other!
Excited by this thought, Han Ming swung the axe, shattering three demon soldiers into pieces. The fragments smoked and disintegrated, and the half-bodied soldier didn’t rise again.
Han Ming was thrilled, and the elder noticed the effect.
"There’s hope!" Han Ming exclaimed.
The elder’s eyes lit up. "What’s that axe made of? If we had more weapons like this, we could stand against the demon army. The Monte Empire alone has a million soldiers. With three million across the Northern Alliance, we could even invade the demon realm!"
Han Ming shook his head. "This axe is made from a unique material. There’s no other like it."
The elder’s excitement faded.
"Old man, go! These soldiers fear my weapon. I’ll hold them off. You warn the humans!" Han Ming pushed the elder toward the cliff.
"But... what about you? If I leave, you’ll face all these soldiers alone. Even with that weapon, you won’t survive." The elder was stunned that Han Ming would sacrifice himself.
Han Ming swung the axe, scattering the soldiers, and grabbed the elder’s collar. "This is about humanity’s future! I can buy some time with this weapon. Go!!" He shoved the elder away and turned to face the advancing horde.
The elder bowed deeply to Han Ming. "I underestimated you. Your courage is admirable. I’ll make sure your sacrifice is remembered."
"GO!!!" Han Ming, now alone, was struck twice by axes. He roared at the elder.
Without hesitation, the elder leaped up the cliff, climbing swiftly and disappearing from view.
Han Ming turned to face the endless sea of demon soldiers, their red eyes glowing in the darkness.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
Han Ming tore off his shirt, revealing the scars from countless battles. Each scar was a testament to his survival.
Bare-chested, he pulled out a flask of strong liquor he had been saving and downed it in one gulp.
"Let’s go, you bastards!! If you want to reach the demon realm, you’ll have to get through me first!!"
With a sword in his left hand, stained with his blood, and the axe in his right, Han Ming charged into the demon army, laughing defiantly.