DKIE CH69: Duel

After the small gathering, time passed hopefully to January 22nd.

Recently, there had been many snowstorms.

Even magicians didn’t like to go out on such days. The penetration rate of terminals was rising daily. The masses who couldn’t afford them were happy to spend their rest days at internet cafes, some even staying up all night.

In an era of cultural depression, this undoubtedly became the best way for everyone to regulate themselves.

Currently, besides the “Strange Tales” game, the most popular was the “Gurgling” video platform.

After launching “The True and False Young Master,” the platform began to continuously cooperate with local opera houses, capturing a large wave of audience.

On the evening of the rest day, the audience habitually opened the Gurgling video, looking for new operas to watch. But as soon as they entered, the scrolling bar at the top of the homepage was extremely eye-catching. A new section, “Today’s News,” was repeatedly broadcasting a preview.

“A new program?”

Amidst a pile of colorful opera previews, it felt out of place.

Discovering that there wasn’t much time left until the broadcast, and being idle anyway, the customers in the internet cafe decided to watch it while having some snacks.

As advertised, the program started right on time.

An incredibly domineering musical opening, the netizens who were stuffing snacks into their mouths paused.

An entire map of the Saint-Demon Continent flashed before their eyes accompanied by the music. Both the color and the tone were different from the current broadcasting style.

“A bit strange.”

Who uses a map as an opening sequence? Unsure, they decided to watch a little longer.

After the prelude ended, the news anchor sat upright at a long table, smiling at the audience in front of the screen.

When he opened his mouth, his words were clear and his expression serious.

“Good evening, everyone. Today is January 22nd of the Demon Domain calendar. Welcome to Today’s News.”

“…” The audience’s evening was not going so well.

It took them a moment to realize that this was a real demon.

“Has he been possessed?” In their impression, weren’t demons all unrestrained in their behavior, placing great importance on carnal pleasure?

The demon in front of them was not only very conservative, but his already strong physique, when tightly wrapped in fabric, actually had a unique charm.

In addition, even his hair was meticulously styled with hair gel.

The contrast in the image was quite strong.

Luka had recruited a total of two hosts, working in shifts. Based on the results of the interview, the older demon was starting tonight.

“Squeak!”

It wasn’t just the ordinary audience who was surprised by the program. The ferret, who was trimming its nails, slowed down its movements.

Its little paws, had the demon’s brain been kicked by the Saint?

On the side, the Saint had long known that Luka was going to do a news program. He had thought that the other party would continue his exaggerated and sensational style. Who could have imagined it would be so… simple and unadorned.

The demon host was almost broadcasting without a script. After many days of special training, he had preliminarily acquired the qualities of a professional host:

“…The exchange and inspection group from the First Magic Academy has returned today.”

The screen interspersed a few scenes of the exchange group’s arrival. The students and the demons of the same age from the Klin Sentry Tower were having a friendly exchange, and the teachers and the guards were sparring. The whole scene looked surprisingly harmonious.

Facts proved that reading words and watching videos were two different feelings.

A serious and upright style, without any exaggerated descriptions, was like the only refreshing dish in a table full of chicken, duck, fish, and meat. The audience would feel refreshed.

And after being refreshed, they would be shocked.

Looking at the student uniforms, they were indeed students from the First Magic Academy! When did they go to the Demon Domain for an exchange?

Some internet cafe managers even temporarily canceled the sound-blocking magic to facilitate everyone’s loud discussion.

However, such an important matter was introduced in less than half a minute.

The screen switched back to the face of the host demon, who calmly proceeded to the next news report:

“Due to the death of the former first crown prince, Alex, Prince Nordin went to the Demon Capital to demand an explanation. It is reported that the Demon King did not receive him due to being in seclusion. Soon after, a fierce conflict broke out between Prince Nordin and the Red Banyan City Lord. Here is our reporter, Barry, with more on-site reports.”

Bang.

The camera turned, and a corpse fell from mid-air, shattering into pieces.

The audience: “…”

The food in their hands fell in fright.

The connected reporter, Barry, held a sound amplification device, his hair flying wildly in the wind. “Good evening, everyone. I am currently at the junction of the Hodong Mountain Range and Lari City, outside Red Banyan City. Prince Nordin’s guards are still fighting with the Red Banyan City Lord’s personal soldiers. As of now, the two sides have been fighting for seventy-two hours!”

“Several fortresses behind me have been destroyed. The Red Banyan City Lord is currently at a disadvantage, but nearby camps say that Prince Aman is leading troops to come. They will soon be able to launch a counterattack.”

From the moment this news came out, whether it was in internet cafes or watching the terminal with friends and family, everyone fell silent for a moment.

General Carol, who had just returned to the army’s lounge, stopped in his tracks. “A civil war in the demon race, they’re fighting?”

His expression suddenly became very solemn.

The demon race was perennially in turmoil. The news of war was not a bombshell to them.

What truly gave him a sense of threat was the news itself. Completely different from the delayed publication of manuscripts in newspapers, the timeliness of the live news broadcast brought him an overwhelming sense of shock.

What an efficient and terrifying information transmission tool!

Just as he was thinking, the army’s broadcast notified all generals to immediately go to the conference room for a meeting.

The news continued: “Red Banyan City is the main mining area for the Polygonum cuspidatum tree, which is an essential material for making scrolls. Affected by the war, the price of scrolls may reach a new high.”

The news spread like wildfire, and more and more viewers were focused on the screen.

Among them, the common people’s hearts were pounding. A news column was actually so powerful that it could let them know so much in the first instance.

You know, these messages used to be secrets!

Just as they were recovering from the several shocking bombshells, they saw the host demon, maintaining his initial posture, solemnly open his mouth: “Next, let’s focus on the news from outside the domain.”

“At twelve o’clock this morning, the written test for the recruitment of terminal programmers in major central cities of the human race officially began. It is reported that more than one million candidates signed up for this exam, which can be called the largest recruitment in history.”

Speaking of this, the host demon’s eyes reddened slightly.

Similar circumstances can foster empathy.

The treatment of humble mixed-blood demons and those with low magic power was similar. Their fate was decided from birth.

However, at this moment, the content he was broadcasting was being seen by the entire continent, and the candidates in the broadcast content were also working hard to change their fate. This sense of intersection made it impossible for him to not be moved.

The host demon held back this sour feeling.

The complex emotional changes were intuitively transmitted to the audience through the screen. For a time, the emotions of some common people of different races also began to gradually become complex.

The host demon remembered the professional qualities he should follow and continued to broadcast.

“…We interrupt this program with an important message.”

“Due to the Life Elixir incident, the Elf King recently sent a life-and-death duel challenge to the Holy Maiden of the Holy Court. It is reported that this is already the second time this week that the Elf King has issued a challenge.”

The audience, who hadn’t even had time to catch their breath in front of the screen: “!!!”

While their emotions were on a roller coaster, in the Demon Domain, at the Klin Sentry Tower, in the news department.

The terminal’s messages came one after another.

Luka stood in the corner, reading the information provided by Lilian. The other party had sent some people near the internet cafes to observe the audience’s reaction. It was said to be very good.

The quill pen said, “According to this feedback, the news live stream will establish authority and public credibility in the shortest possible time.”

The platform the other party wanted was already there.

Luka also breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded. “Next, we just need to wait for the duel. As long as we win the duel, we will immediately prepare to reveal the truth about the Life Tree in the news.”

This was much more useful than him posting a status update in the community to publicize the problem with the Life Tree.

One link after another, not giving the opponent any chance to breathe.

————

On January 22nd, the first trial broadcast of “Today’s News” was a great success.

On January 23rd, just one day later, the first network construction conference was held at the Klin Sentry Tower.

But soon, this news was overshadowed by another piece of news: the Saintess had accepted the challenge!

The duel location was set in the Land of Exile.

The Holy Court had already released the news in advance that no one was allowed to watch the duel, otherwise they would be responsible for the consequences.

In today’s Land of Exile, a scan of divine sense would reveal whether there were any extra life auras. Under such circumstances, the possibility of trying to sneak in to watch the battle was almost zero.

The public’s desire to witness this battle of the century reached its peak, but they had no way. Just then, someone in the community posted a comment:

[Can we find out by watching the news?]

As soon as this sentence was posted, it immediately opened a breach. Many people subconsciously wanted to leave a message under the official account of “Today’s News.”

Upon entering the official account, several large characters in the homepage introduction were extremely eye-catching: Stay at home and know the world’s affairs.

After seeing the introduction, the netizens’ conviction was strengthened.

The daily continuous news live stream at a fixed time, and all the news could withstand scrutiny, had invisibly made them recognize this platform.

This special column gradually began to represent the communication channel for important events on the continent.

[You are my only… demon connection in this battle of the century. Please provide first-hand information!]

[Please, I’ll take a leave of absence that day and stay in front of the terminal screen all day!]

[I agree, I’m willing to pay to watch!]

Since the advent of the terminal, the speed of comment brushing has become faster and faster.

As of that night, the number of public comments had easily surpassed the previous teaser, setting a new high.

Among them, there were also many big shots who had secretly created small accounts and were also secretly expressing the same appeal, hoping that the news live stream could provide information about the final battle.

The news department was constantly communicating with Luka, discussing how to respond to the audience’s expectations.

Luka was liaising with them on one hand, and he was not idle on his own side either.

The network construction conference would last for several days. He didn’t even have time to eat, but he took the time to draw.

The quill pen was curious and wanted to take a peek once, but the latter mysteriously covered it up.

What a familiar scene!

When he was celebrating Luka’s birthday, he had also been so eager to cover things up.

The quill pen now felt like it was looking in a mirror, and was sure that the other party had prepared a surprise for him.

His gaze softened as he looked down, and the quill pen said, “Today is the last day of the conference. We have to end this tug-of-war as soon as possible.”

There were less than three days left until the duel. If they were any later, they wouldn’t be able to make it to the Boulder City, which was closest to the Land of Exile.

The sound of the pen scratching stopped for a moment, and Luka stood up.

“Let’s go, to the meeting.”

The conference room was right next to the news department. When the various races attending the conference passed by, they would deliberately stop.

The value of the news live stream had risen in a straight line. They had already realized that they had to establish their own news teams as soon as possible and not let their people rely on other races for information on major news.

The only trouble was that they were worried that Luka would obstruct them.

Who knew that the person involved didn’t mind sharing his relevant experience: “Build a network civilization together and achieve mutual benefit.”

For the races that wanted to join the convenience of the internet, Luka directly asked them for a certain weapon.

The word “mutual” in the conference theme was emphasized.

The eyes of the representatives of the various races flickered. The reason for asking for weapons was not difficult to guess. It was most likely related to the upcoming duel between the Elf King and the Saintess.

But none of them were willing to get involved in the grudge between the Holy Court and the elf race for no reason.

In the awkward and suffocating silence, the quill pen, who was also attending the meeting, suddenly curled its lips:

“Why don’t we end the meeting here? Those who are interested in cooperation can contact us privately. Those who haven’t contacted us by dark will be deemed to have voluntarily been denied entry to the network.”

The voice was not loud, but everyone heard it clearly.

Unfriendly gazes were cast over. Finding that it was a strange face and failing to lock on to a race, they could only temporarily suppress their anger.

Only a fool would want to stand at the door!

Everyone could see the huge prospects of the network. If that were the case, wouldn’t they be one step behind and always behind?

Luka and the quill pen played good cop and bad cop, their tones gentle and slow: “…Using some of your consumables in exchange for long-term sustainable benefits, isn’t that good?”

The atmosphere remained silent.

Luka’s fingertips tapped lightly on the table, waiting patiently. The crisp sound slowly stopped when a figure stood up.

The first to stand up and express their stance was actually the beastman race. The current Beastman King asked in a gruff voice:

“You said the Elf King can promise to let go of the past grudges with my race, is that true?”

Luka smiled, “Of course.”

Hearing this, the current Beastman King made up his mind. “Alright, I agree. Anyway, with so many races, is the Holy Court going to make enemies of the whole world?”

The law does not punish the masses.

A single sentence made many of the clan leaders who were still weighing the pros and cons a little tempted.

“That’s right.” It’s not like they were being asked to lead their armies into battle. What’s wrong with that?

Expressing one’s stance at a meeting is always like dominoes. The tendency to follow the crowd quickly tilted the trend to one side. Seeing this, the corners of Luka’s lips curled up slightly.

“I won’t let you down.”

Heavily damaging the Holy Court was just a small goal.

At the beginning of the year, everyone was setting their own small goals. Some were killing, some were setting fires, and some were robbing.

While the Klin Sentry Tower was holding a network construction conference, the Holy Court was also making deployments.

Because of the sacrificial ceremony, the final part of the intern priest’s inauguration ceremony had been postponed until today.

The whole scene was solemn and orderly. The intern priests from a few days ago stood in the tall, white building, their movements not daring to overstep in the slightest.

Among them, an intern priest took a special look and confirmed that none of the people from the strange team he had seen on the road that day were here. At this time, he still didn’t know that these people had long since become skeletons under the Life Tree.

Now, the highest-ranking people in the entire Holy Court were the Saintess and a grand priest with long-standing qualifications.

Both parties were seated in the upper seats.

Their communication could only be heard by each other.

The priest’s eyelids moved between opening and closing, his majesty infinite. “The deployment for the sea adjacent to the Elf Island is almost complete. On the necessary path back from the Land of Exile, all the high-altitude concealment formations have been gathered, and all three hundred great magicians are in place. Even if the Elf King has the upper hand in the duel, he will have no way back on his return journey.”

This was just a precaution. If the plan went smoothly, there was a seventy percent chance that the Elf King would die in the duel.

The Saintess nodded slightly.

Once the Elf King fell and the elf race fell into chaos, the curse against that child could begin. Even the Saint would not be able to attend to both ends.

She had considered all the routes and possibilities during the curse removal process. There would be checkpoints set up along the path Iliad would take, and he would definitely be captured alive.

The priest turned his head slightly, his lips moved, as if he were about to speak.

The Saintess said lightly, “The fate of the Holy Court has long been connected to the Life Tree. No one can stop the Life Tree from returning to its former glory.”

Even her own child could not.

The situation of failing at the last minute due to a soft heart would not happen.

…

The duel was set for the seventh day of the second month.

According to the human race’s perpetual calendar, it was suitable for breaking ground, seeking wealth, and not for other matters.

Most of the masses obviously did not have these taboos.

On this day, everyone lined up to ask for leave. In some places, the streets were empty, and everyone had gathered at the entrance of the internet cafes.

Such terrifying national attention was unprecedented in the entire history of the Saint-Demon Continent.

When Luka arrived at the Boulder City, the city was crowded with guests from all races, including many information dealers.

This time, he had specifically called on Berlanie. Traveling with the dragons, riding the clouds and mist, he was easily recognized by the city gate guards.

When the guards saw them, they greeted them politely and said, “If you had been any later, the city would have been sealed.”

“Sealed city?”

The guard: “The flow has exceeded its capacity, and it’s not easy to maintain public order.”

This battle, no matter who won or lost, would change the form of the entire continent.

The closest to the Land of Exile was the Boulder City, where it would be relatively easy to obtain battle reports.

The city was now filled with powerful auras. Those who dared to come now were all truly powerful great magicians. Otherwise, in this remote place, after the duel ended, there would be many people who would take the opportunity to attack and rob on the way back.

As soon as Luka and the others appeared on the street, they immediately became the focus of everyone’s attention.

Fortunately, he was prepared. The dragon’s might released by Berlanie next to him made other magicians dare not approach easily.

Ignoring the surroundings, they walked on the street. Berlanie only communicated with Luka: “I see that several platforms on the terminal have been updated, but I haven’t found any new functions.”

The quill pen also pricked up its ears at this time. Luka had uploaded a new magic framework these past few days, but he hadn’t asked him to check it as usual, so he didn’t know what the update was.

Without answering directly, Luka looked at the color of the sky turning from blue to an unnatural translucent white.

He squinted his eyes and smoothly changed the subject: “The duel is about to begin.”

Excerpt from Luka’s diary:

Recently, there have been fewer secret visitors in my diary. What is everyone doing?
@Saint@Dragon Race@Saintess@Alex
Alex came uninvited: I have perfect attendance.
Luka: [Question mark]
The Saint: I’m opening a black market betting for the duel.
The Dragon Race: Going to remote places, to places that need our construction.
The Saintess: Busy with conspiracies, do not disturb.
Alex: I’m already dead, why are you Aiting me?! [Angry][Angry][Angry]

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