Chapter 364: The Great Demon

“Don’t be in such a hurry to leave, friend. We have some questions for you.”

The voice came from behind, and Helag turned to see the group he’d noticed earlier.

Bawei, expressionless, asked, “Who are you?”

Helag replied, “I’m a member of Seranthiel, here on a mission.”

“Seranthiel, huh?” Bawei seemed surprised. “A mission for a lone liquefied wizard in the polluted zone?”

Bawei was skeptical. As a seasoned explorer, he’d never heard of a faction sending a lone liquefied wizard on a mission here.

This kid was clearly being evasive, not telling the truth.

Helag responded, “It’s confidential. I can’t disclose it.”

Bawei demanded, “You claim to be from Seranthiel. Prove it with your communication stone. Otherwise, I’ll have to treat you as an Abyssal cultist.”

He signaled to the others, who silently surrounded Helag, blocking his escape.

“I’m just a small fry with nothing valuable. Why trouble me?” Helag said.

This was the situation he dreaded most. Being alone in the polluted zone was dangerous.

Encountering an exploration team meant being at their mercy.

With overwhelming power, rules and civility vanished.

Bawei said, “I’m not one for robbery, but I have a strong intuition. I feel you’re connected to our missing companions. From the moment I saw you, this feeling was strong. So I stopped you to ask.”

“Companions? I haven’t seen anyone else,” Helag thought of Buck’s group but remained composed.

Bawei sneered, “You’re lying. Hand over your communication stone, or I’ll have to be unkind. And don’t lie to me.”

Helag realized Bawei had a way to detect lies.

Looking around, he saw the group ready to attack at any moment.

If he made a move, they’d strike instantly.

Most importantly, the second-level wizard was watching him closely, leaving no chance to escape.

Reluctantly, Helag handed over his communication stone, displaying his information before tossing it to Bawei.

Though unable to access the magic network, the stone still had some functions.

Bawei checked it, saying, “Helag, a Seranthiel member. A first-level array master and potion master. Impressive, but from now on, Helag no longer exists.”

Bawei gathered powerful magic, crushing the stone to dust.

Helag’s expression hardened, knowing Bawei’s intent.

Destroying the stone meant his location couldn’t be tracked.

In the polluted zone, Bawei could kill him without anyone knowing.

As a Seranthiel member, simply robbing him would complicate matters.

Bawei preferred to eliminate Helag.

Confirming Helag’s link to Buck’s disappearance justified killing him.

Interrogating his soul would reveal the truth.

After destroying the stone, Bawei prepared to kill Helag.

But he noticed Helag’s shocked expression, looking past him.

Not just Helag, but the two explorers behind him also looked terrified.

Bawei felt uneasy, turning to see what alarmed them.

A massive pair of eyes stared blankly at him. Looking up, he saw a giant head.

Two enormous hands rested on the cliff, the head gazing at Bawei’s group.

Helag, standing further away, saw clearly.

A giant stood in the Great Rift Gorge.

Helag didn’t know the gorge’s depth, but it exceeded 1,500 meters.

The giant seemed to leisurely lean on the gorge, listening to Bawei’s group.

“A… Great Demon…” Sean’s voice trembled, recognizing the creature.

Hearing the term, Helag quickly had Deep Blue search the database, learning about the Great Demon.

A legendary creature, the Great Demon had third-level wizard strength.

Towering at 1,800 meters, its physical power was immense.

Though rated at third-level, no wizard dared challenge it.

Ordinary spells barely tickled it.

With high health, defense, and attack, it was a formidable creature.

Humanoid in appearance, even its features were similar.

No one knew its origin.

The Great Demon stood in the gorge, watching them.

The cold night wind blew, silence enveloping the scene.

Helag could hear others’ breathing, sensing their tension.

Bawei stood still, not daring to move.

Uncertain of the Demon’s intent, they waited.

The Demon watched them, not attacking.

They wouldn’t provoke it.

Running might trigger pursuit.

No one knew why the Demon was in the gorge, likely disturbed by the noise above.

Helag took a deep breath, realizing his unease while flying over the gorge.

He never imagined such a terrifying presence below.