SWNOVELXO Chapter 322 Peeping
However, when he turned his gaze towards the earth, he found nothing and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Could it be because I have just taken over the Divine Position."
What Arthur and the others didn't know was that it was their caution that had prevented them from being exposed right away.
When the Demon, who had taken over the position of the God of Forest, cast his gaze down, the old monk in white, barefooted, also noticed something amiss. He looked up at the sky and murmured, "This evil aura, it must be my Lord's arch-enemy."
After discerning the direction carefully, he found it was indeed his destination. Suddenly, a sense of fate surged within him; he felt this was a test from his Lord, and so he set off with high spirits.
Lu Yu quietly sensed the flow of fate, peering into the world's destiny through Arthur, the Child of Destiny. Of course, this was also because he was dealing with the Land of Death, where the Will of the World had loosened its restraints.
Though the Demon's probing was stealthy, the corrupt aura concealed within was clearly perceived by Lu Yu, and he detected a familiar scent, one very close to that of the Demon Lord.
"Demon, Demon Lord, this is truly interesting," Lu Yu murmured to himself.
Although he had seen through the Demon's deceit, he did not plan to act just yet. Having touched upon destiny, he knew the deeper he was involved with fate, the harder it became to discern its true nature. Arthur had the favor of this world and was not so easily doomed to failure.
Time passed day by day. Since Arthur had plotted in secret, he did not choose to charge into the territory immediately but stopped to properly organize his forces. After all, his troops were cobbled together, severely lacking in fighting power, and required some time to train before they could truly be of use.
Fortunately for Arthur, he had a destiny to fulfill, and with the assistance of people like Frey and Layton, coupled with the wisdom he had gained from the Sword in the Stone, things progressed smoothly. In less than a month, this ragtag army looked the part and was ready for battle.
So, Arthur decided to act, to reclaim his territory and embark on his path as a king.
On this night, with the moon shrouded and the wind howling, Arthur and his comrades quietly approached the territory. He decided to launch a surprise attack, infiltrate the territory, kill Joy, and keep losses to a minimum. After all, this was the land where generations of his ancestors had lived, and he did not want to shed too much blood.
However, when the group reached the fortress wall of the territory, they found an elderly man in white clothes, barefoot, waiting there, smiling at them.
The already tense group quickly grabbed their weapons, aiming them collectively at the old man. Arthur, too, tightened his grip on his treasured sword, sensing a powerful force emanating from the old man, far stronger than that of any Divine Spirit.
"Who are you?" Arthur asked in a low voice, a glint in his eyes as he stared at the old man. If the latter made any suspicious moves, Arthur was ready to strike him down despite the risk of ruining his plan, confident in the power of his Sword in the Stone.
The Old Monk looked at Arthur with interest, a holy light glowing in his eyes, but unlike before, it was not as domineering. In Arthur, he saw the shadow of destiny and the Will of the World hidden behind him, and he knew he had found the right person.
So the old man put on a kind smile and said, "Do not be alarmed, I am just a monk dedicated to spreading the glory of my Lord, and I come here with no ill intentions."
Perhaps it was the infectious nature of the old man's smile—upon hearing his words, the hostility in many hearts evaporated entirely, and they slowly lowered their weapons.
Only Arthur became even more cautious, the treasured sword in his hand emitting a faint glow. The old man's mysterious ways made him even more worried; if the old man harbored ill will, it could spell disaster for them all.
"Rest assured, I only acted so to prevent these young men from losing control over their hostility and causing any undesirable impact. I came with sincerity and have no desire to be your enemy," the old man said softly, his words earnest.
Feeling the goodwill in his words, Arthur lowered the treasured sword in his hand and listened to what the old man had to say next.
"Young man, do you realize that charging into this city today is a path to certain death?" The old man's words shocked Arthur. He had felt uneasy about the mission since the start, as if he had overlooked some crucial piece of information but could not pinpoint its source. Now, with no choice but to proceed, he steeled himself to continue.
Unexpectedly, the old man's words struck a nerve, prompting Arthur to hurriedly ask, "Why?"
Arthur, armed with the Sword in the Stone, thought defeating Joy would be an easy task, and he was unafraid even if the God of Forest sided with his enemy. The only uncertainty was the power of the fabled Demon.
At that thought, he realized he had consistently omitted the Demon from his considerations. This unsettling ability filled him with deep-seated fear. If not for the old man's warning, he may only have realized his oversight when confronting the Demon directly.
The Old Monk scrutinized the changes in Arthur's expression, sensing he understood now, and heaving a sigh, he said, "This is the terror of the Demon. He is the best at deceit in this world, and hence often goes unnoticed because he deceits the whole world."
"Deceit of the world." Arthur mulled over the phrase, his mind racing. Divine Spirits were already overwhelmingly powerful beings; he never imagined the Demon could deceive the entire world, compelling all beings in this era to forget him. Such power was truly terrifying.