Chapter 3: The Pig Teammate’s Blunder and the Hero’s Unexpected Encounter

June 21st, 1345, Yuanfeng Era.

Deep beneath the collapsed Yuan Royal City, Ellis moved cautiously through the tunnels, guided by the glow of a luminous crystal.

He was utterly alone. The rest of his companions had been separated from him due to the sudden collapse.

Fortunately, they were all capable individuals, unlikely to have been crushed to death.

The root cause of this disaster stemmed from a certain ‘pig teammate’ who, in their haste to prove themselves and curry favor with Larry, had mishandled a spell. This blunder had destroyed most of the Demon Lord’s Castle’s load-bearing pillars and its very foundation.

Ellis now somewhat understood Larry’s perspective. It was truly brilliant. Perhaps it was time to consider disbanding the team after this.

As a support character, Ellis encountered numerous surviving monsters along his path. Driven by a benevolent desire to spare them from the oppressive darkness, he mercifully sent them to hell.

He continued to grope forward, his senses on high alert. As the team’s designated radar, his spell-based perception allowed him to survey distant areas, gathering audio and biological information.

Suddenly, Ellis’s radar blared an alarm.

An unknown creature had been detected ahead. From the information relayed by the spell-radar, it appeared to be a high-level monster.

Ellis raised an eyebrow, slowly approaching the formidable creature.

“Where is it? Where is it?”

Murmurs grew clearer as he drew closer, accompanied by the distinct sounds of digging, as if rubble was being frantically tossed aside.

Ellis cautiously halted at a corner, then stealthily peeked out to observe his target. There, kneeling inelegantly on the ground and digging through the dirt, was the Demon Lord himself, clad in flamboyant attire, crowned, and sporting a pair of demonic horns.

Finally, illuminated by the crystal’s light, a corner of a sack, brimming with golden radiance, became visible.

“Oh~”

Ellis’s gaze immediately fixated on that sack, which appeared to hold treasures of immense value—and in reality, likely held even more.

Ellis: $_$

“Phew~, I’ve finally recovered some of my savings. Alright, time to make a quick escape.”

The Demon Lord had no intention of fighting back; he was apparently planning to flee with his private stash of money.

Ellis immediately bristled! ‘How could this final boss abscond with the rewards rightfully due to us adventurers for conquering the Demon Lord’s Castle?’

Ellis promptly leaped out, pointing at the Demon Lord. “Demon Lord, your wickedness knows no bounds, earning the wrath of both gods and men! Today, I represent justice and wealth to vanquish you! Prepare to die!”

The Demon Lord, startled by Ellis’s sudden appearance, was even more surprised to find him alone. His otherwise handsome demonic face instantly twisted into a ferocious snarl. He flexed his eight-pack abs and solid arm muscles, showcasing his perfect physique to Ellis. “The path to heaven was open, yet you chose to walk into hell! You dare challenge me alone?! Prepare to die!”

Ellis:

Ellis casually cast dozens of enhancement buffs upon himself: attack power surged, defense increased, agility heightened, mental specialization, steel skin…

Then, the great Demon Lord was sent hurtling vertically into a wall on the other side of the tunnel, embedding himself within it.

“Hehehe, you think you can steal my treasure with just that much skill?”

Ellis gripped the demonic horn he had just snapped off the Demon Lord, a cruel smile gracing his lips. He then hoisted the sack, overflowing with gold and jewels, onto his shoulder.

“I am a Level 90 S-rank adventurer!”

“D-damn it. I distinctly remember that the highest adventurers in this country were only B-rank, and no one else’s strength exceeded B-rank. Why did an S-rank adventurer show up?!”

The Demon Lord, now missing a horn, was filled with grievance and confusion. Adventurer ranks became increasingly difficult to advance, with some stuck at B-rank for life. A-rank adventurers were the absolute elite of the Adventurer’s Guild, while S-rank was achieved by only a select few. Advancing from A-rank to S-rank typically required completing a quest equivalent to saving a major nation.

When he had initially chosen this location, he had specifically researched the nearby countries, confirming they only had B-rank adventurers. His original plan was to plunder for a bit, then quickly move on.

Instead, a horn—a symbol of image and honor in the Demon Realm—had been broken off. In the Demon Realm, this was considered a disability. Demonic horns were the primary channels through which demons absorbed external energy, and it was precisely because of these horns that demons could easily gather immense power that other races could not acquire in a short time.

Ellis sifted through the money in the sack, listening to the pleasant jingle, and spoke with a look of intoxication. “Because I specifically rushed over.”

The Demon Lord’s eyes nearly popped out. “Huh? Why?!”

Ellis looked at the Demon Lord as if stating the obvious. “Isn’t a hero defeating a Demon Lord the classic storyline? I haven’t fought a Demon Lord since I debuted, and I heard there’s finally one operating here, so I rushed over without delay. Another life goal accomplished, how fulfilling! And these are my rewards, hehehe. Just like in games, defeating the Demon Lord means getting prizes. It’s perfectly reasonable, isn’t it?”

The Demon Lord let out an indignant roar. “It’s not reasonable at all! These are my savings, accumulated through years of hard work! This is robbery!”

“What are you talking about? A Demon Lord’s savings are naturally prepared for the hero who defeats them. Isn’t that common sense? I’m claiming my clear reward, which bears no resemblance to despicable acts like robbery.”

“What kind of common sense is that?! A Demon Lord’s property is still property, and it’s protected by law!”

“I’ve never heard of any country’s laws protecting a Demon Lord’s property. Besides, you’re practically overflowing with evil, aren’t you? Not only do you indiscriminately slaughter innocents, but you also debauch women. I heard you particularly enjoy stripping women naked and throwing them out to watch them run under the sun before hunting them down one by one and finally eating them…”

Ellis rattled off the Demon Lord’s alleged crimes as if reciting a treasured list, leaving the Demon Lord utterly dumbfounded.

“Stop, stop, stop! What are you talking about? Since building my city here, I haven’t really left the Demon Lord’s Castle’s sphere of influence. Aside from collecting protection fees from small towns and dealing with a few troublemakers, I’ve diligently fulfilled my duties as a lord, abolishing all burdensome taxes.”

Ellis paused, noting that the Demon Lord didn’t seem to be lying; the nearby towns did appear more prosperous.

“Then what about debauching women, making them run in the sun…”

The Demon Lord waved both arms, shouting, “Wait! Slander, this is **naked** slander! The entire Demon Realm knows I have no interest in women! If I had time to fool around with women, I’d rather take a beautiful nap on my mattress stuffed with gold coins! As for stripping them naked and making them run, I treat men equally! I simply uphold a ‘strip everything’ policy, not leaving a single piece of fabric behind! Even if it only sells for a few copper coins, it’s still money! I love money, no matter the amount! As for eating people, bah! The Demon Realm’s culinary world has long publicly declared human flesh to be the most irredeemable ingredient! Goblin meat tastes better than human meat, and I’m not some special enthusiast for heavy flavors! Slander, this is a defamation of my character!”

Watching the indignant Demon Lord, Ellis mused, “That makes sense. It’s normal for the surrounding countries whose interests you’ve infringed upon to dump all sorts of filth on you. As for female adventurers, well, doing something like that would make you a public enemy of women. The fact that you even steal their clothes but don’t even bother to acknowledge them seriously insults their self-esteem. Your reputation couldn’t get any worse.”

“It seems you’re a sensible person. If you know I’ve been wronged, quickly return my money!”

The Demon Lord lunged, attempting to snatch back the sack filled with treasure, but Ellis stomped his foot, pinning the Demon Lord’s head to the ground.

“Wronged, my foot! Invading other countries’ territories, implementing a ‘strip everything’ policy on adventurers, and openly insulting women—that last one alone is enough for social death. And besides!”

Ellis flashed a wicked grin. “This is already my property! No one is going to take it from me!”

The Demon Lord was furious.

“You, you demon!”

Ellis replied, unashamed, “Thank you for the compliment. If a demon calls me a demon, then by the principle of two negatives making a positive, I must be a hero! A hero who vanquishes Demon Lords!”

The Demon Lord’s eyes were bloodshot as he recoiled, retreating from Ellis’s vicinity.

“To cut off someone’s financial path is akin to murdering their parents! You forced my hand!”