Chapter 409: Chapter 404: Just a Notice Chapter 409: Chapter 404: Just a Notice Humans are gregarious creatures. As long as they possess feelings and desires, they will inevitably have something or someone they care about. Those without feelings or desires are no longer human. Thus, regardless of how talented they are, they inevitably have ties, and absolutely have people they care about.

For the average person, their immediate family – parents, brothers, and sisters – are the most important. Even an abandoned, orphaned genius has someone they care about because it is only through the help of others that they can grow up.

In short, a genius who grows up in the human kingdom, no matter how much they might resemble a lone wolf, will inevitably have interactions with others. With these interactions come ties, and then concerns.

When Anz realized that his subcontinent was undergoing unprecedented changes, he acknowledged that he was no longer in a position to turn down the grand duke’s invitation. The prospect of ten spots in the semi-plane for refuge stirred his heart. He admitted he was tempted. Not just tempted, he felt these spots were too limited.

In the face of disaster that spreads throughout the Nocchio subcontinent, how many people could he and Yaheng protect? They might not even be able to protect themselves. The greatest hope for surviving this disaster lies in attaching oneself to the strongest.

“Master Anz, if you want more refuge spots, do your best to get a better ranking in the coming Alchemist Finals. The capable get more.”

“I understand.” Anz took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. The treatment received determined by ability is fair enough, nothing to argue about.

“What about me?” Seeing his childhood friend accept the recruitment offer, Yaheng anxiously turned to ask the eunuchs.

“I apologize, His Majesty Mureya already has plenty, and very outstanding Giant Warriors at his disposal. So, there’s no need for extra human warriors.” The eunuch, still smiling gently, gave a quite frustrating reply.

“How could this be?” Upon hearing the eunuch’s words, Yaheng immediately fell into distress. He didn’t fear the invading demons despite not caring about them.

But while he could ignore them, most of his friends and family were ordinary people; even the lowest-ranked Cowardly Demon would wipe them out. He could protect one or two, but ten? Twenty? He felt he couldn’t protect them all.

“Calm down, Your Excellency Yaheng.” The eunuch was very satisfied with this response from the youth who had already broken through to the Gold Rank. He gestured towards the delicious dishes served by the restaurant waiter and invited him to eat.

“What other ways can I secure refuge spots?” The words of the eunuch brought a glimmer of hope to the young Yaheng, who quickly asked for further details. If there wasn’t any other way, he would have to swallow his pride and seek his friend’s help. No matter what, he needed to secure refuge in the semi-plane for his parents.

“The kingdom needs warriors like you. After the Martial Arts Competition finishes, you should receive a recruitment order from Prince Mureya. Then, you’ll have the opportunity to use your Battle Axe to secure a refuge spot for your relatives in the semi-plane.”

Upon hearing that he still had a chance, Yaheng’s expression relaxed a bit. Despite his seemingly lesser treatment than his friend, considering the current situation, it was already quite good. At the very least, he had an opportunity to strive and fight for.

“How can I use the Battle Axe to secure it?” Seeing his thick-skulled friend’s satisfied appearance, Anz silently cursed him for his lack of ambition before asking on his behalf.

“Of course, by battling the demons to gain military achievements, then exchanging these achievements for refuge spots.” The eunuch replied with a smile.

“Battle with demons.” Anz’s face turned grim instantly. Even a three-year-old knew of the brutality of demons, and he knew even more. Demons were cruel creatures born into incessant battles and conflict. Among creatures of the same level, most were no match for them.

“In the face of national disaster, you have no other choice.” The eunuch, who had already eaten and drunk his fill, stood up and left a heartfelt piece of advice: “Make the most of your time to grow while His Majesty Mureya can still maintain the surface peace of the kingdom. Time is running out for you geniuses.”

Having said this, he paid no mind to the two silently contemplating men, and prepared to leave the restaurant with the Constructed Knights disguised as ordinary guards behind him. His next stop would be according to the list, to find the next personally-identified genius Mureya wished to recruit.

“Wait.”

“What else do you need, Master Anz?” The eunuch stopped and looked at the talented alchemist who had called him, tilting his head.

“If I had just refused, what would you have done to me?”

“I, of course, wouldn’t have done anything to you.” The eunuch laughed, “I’m just an eunuch responsible for notifications and these people are just here to ensure my safety. I would simply have notified another not-so-friendly guy to take over.”

“Notification? So being noticed by Duke Mureya means that whether willing or not, the result is the same – there’s no other choice but to serve him?”

“Truly you’re worthy of being regarded as a genius alchemist by His Majesty. But you’re still a bit young. It’s enough to understand some things; there’s no need to say them directly.”

…

“Are you ready, Leon?” Atop the throne, Mureya looked down at the furrow-browed redhead and asked indifferently.

“You letting me participate in the finals directly, isn’t it unfair? You are a Golden Dragon after all.” Leon asked with a frown.

“Fair? The competition is something I’m paying for and organizing, and you’re lecturing me about fairness?” Mureya chuckled a bit, “Moreover, with your strength, following the normal competition process, do you not think you’d make it to the finals?”

“Of course I can.”

“Well then, where’s the injustice? It’s just about allowing you to save some time and cut down unnecessary processes. Rather than this, I believe you should be concerned about whether you can win first place in the forthcoming competition for the 16 to 20 age group, don’t dwell on trivialities.”

“I will definitely secure the first place with the sword in my hand.”

“Don’t be so sure. Without the Demon Hunter Armor, you don’t have any advantage against those human geniuses. I have all the data of the participating geniuses. Do you need to know about them in advance? It would greatly increase your chances of winning.”

“No need, I don’t want to win by these means.”

“Stubborn knight.” Mureya teased, “It would be so great if you were a Heaven’s Wrath Knight, then I wouldn’t need to put so much effort.”

“…” The young knight remained silent. He harbored complex feelings for those fallen Heaven’s Wrath Knights who had turned their swords on their own kind. He didn’t think they were wrong.

“After the competition is over, I will enlist these geniuses to form Demon Hunting Teams. After you secure the first place, I can legitimize and bestow upon you the title of one of the Demon Hunting Team leaders, without worrying about others’ criticism.”

“Demon Hunting Team?” The redhead teenager lifted his head, his face showed excitement, and his eyes shot two glowing beams of red light.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read