READ NOVEL FREE Chapter 124: Chapter 123: Unmasking
The quiet night remained still, with only the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze breaking the silence. Apart from Han Yu's voice, there was no other sound.
"Not coming out, huh?" Han Yu unsheathed the long blade hanging from his waist. His black robe fluttered despite the lack of wind. "I've been aware of someone tailing us for quite some time. Whoever it is, their tracking skills are impressive. It took a lot of effort to pinpoint the location. Right here, isn't it?"
As his words fell, he slashed toward a large boulder with a strike brimming with cold energy. The blade cleaved through the stone, scattering debris everywhere. From behind the shattered rock, a figure emerged.
"Impressive as always, Hero. Your perception is truly remarkable."
The voice was familiar. From the rubble stepped none other than the refined man who had introduced himself as Cain earlier in the day at the town.
"You're the Demon King, aren't you?" Han Yu raised his blade, pointing it at Cain with calm determination.
Cain wore a slightly innocent expression as he spread his hands and replied, "What are you talking about? Didn't I already tell you during the day? I'm just a doctor."
Han Yu chuckled, his grip on the blade tightening. The sword began to radiate an aura of both frost and flame, its edge alternating between icy white and fiery red. He said, "If you were just an ordinary doctor, would you be able to control your breathing so skillfully? To tail us, you reduced your breathing to the bare minimum, and at a very slow pace. That level of control isn't something any regular doctor can achieve."
Cain stared straight at Han Yu, but before he could respond, Han Yu had already charged forward with his blade.
Even though Cain had a rough idea of Han Yu's speed, he was taken aback by the sheer swiftness of his attack. "He was holding back earlier? This speed is at least ten times what it was during the day!"
Thinking this, Cain raised his arms as black energy surged from them, forming two dark gauntlets that intercepted Han Yu's strike with a faint clang.
"And you still claim you're not the Demon King?" Han Yu sneered as he leapt back, using his ability to analyze Cain's true form.
During the day, Ristarte hadn't noticed anything unusual because of a skill unique to this world—Disguise—which allowed individuals to mask their true attributes. What others saw could be just one percent of their actual stats or even less.
When Han Yu arrived in this world, his vision allowed him to toggle between "Hidden Attributes" and "Visible Attributes." Choosing the latter automatically activated his own disguise skill, which was why Ristarte only saw his fake stats.
Once an individual made a move, however, the disguise skill could no longer conceal their data. Thus, Cain's true status appeared in Han Yu's field of vision:
Name: Cain Girans (Demon King)
Level: 98
HP: 98,788
MP: 55,842
Attack: 96,875
Defense: 87,541
Speed: 68,574
Magic: 80,000
Growth Potential: 99,997
Special Skills: Dark Magic (Lv. MAX), Accelerated EXP Gain (Lv. 5), Ability Analysis (Lv. 20)
"With stats in the tens of thousands, he's practically invincible on this continent," Han Yu said with a light laugh. "Yet he's still so cautious, even targeting a newly awakened Hero. How amusing."
Now that his identity was exposed, the Demon King dropped his pretense. Smiling, he said, "On this continent, only a Hero can defeat me. Knowing that, why would I let you grow unchecked? Initially, I thought Chaos was more than enough to deal with you. But you hid your true strength and defeated her with ease. You've certainly piqued my interest."
"You're quite the fascinating one. Why not join me? Stand by my side, and I'll grant you power above all others. You'd answer only to me. What do you say?"
Despite facing the Demon King himself, Han Yu's expression remained unchanged, his calm demeanor unsettling Cain further. "To easily defeat Chaos and remain unfazed before me... He must have an even greater power hidden."
The Demon King, who had sent one of his Four Generals to ambush the Hero in the starter village, had long since abandoned the notion of underestimating anyone. His caution was the reason he had risen to his position instead of meeting an early death.
"Forget it. Just die already. The sooner you're dead, the sooner I can complete my mission," Han Yu said flatly.
"He's either incredibly confident or has something up his sleeve," thought the Demon King. "Let's see his true stats."
A hexagram appeared in Cain's eyes as he activated his Ability Analysis skill. The panel revealed the same data that Ristarte had seen—an unremarkable set of attributes.
"This is fake. There's no way he could have beaten Chaos with such low stats," the Demon King muttered, intensifying the power of his skill. At level 20, his Ability Analysis broke through Han Yu's disguise.
When the Demon King finally saw Han Yu's real stats, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are these even stats a human can possess?!"
[Name: Han Yu]
[Level: 25]
[HP: 99,999]
No Error Version available on 69Shuba!
[MP: 58,797]
[Attack: 97,572, Defense: 91,846, Speed: 85,875, Magic: 87,457, Growth Potential: 1,852]
[Special Skills: Flame Magic (Lv. MAX), Ice Magic (Lv. MAX), Accelerated EXP Gain (Lv. 6), Ability Analysis (Lv. 20)]
He's only level 25, yet his stats already surpass mine. How is this possible? This can't be real.
The Demon King, having lived for hundreds of years on this continent, had never encountered anyone with such outrageous stats.
When he himself had been level 25, his stats had only been a tenth of Han Yu's. Back then, he was already considered a "monstrous prodigy." Yet further improvement at that level was practically impossible.
"This is monstrous... absolutely monstrous," the Demon King muttered, unable to fathom what heights Han Yu might reach if they were of equal level.
From a distance, Han Yu's cold voice rang out, breaking his thoughts.
"Finished looking? If you're done, then come accept your death."
Han Yu advanced slowly, his blade igniting with roaring flames while his free hand was encased in frost. His black robes, combined with the fiery and icy contrast, made him resemble a demon emerging from hell to claim lives.
For a brief moment, the Demon King felt a crushing realization—"The clown... was me all along." He now regretted appearing before Han Yu at all; perhaps staying hidden might have spared him. But it was too late—he had walked straight into the lion's den.
"No, this must be an advanced form of 'Disguise.' There's no way you could have stats like this at your current level. You're lying to me. Yes, you must be deceiving me!"
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