"Hello, Rudeus, it's been a long time."
When Rudeus awoke, he found himself in a pure white space.
Beneath my feet was an endless expanse of white, above my head was an endless expanse of white, and there was nothing in any direction except for one person standing in front of me.
His facial features were also blurred, as if they had been pixelated.
Rudeus simply sat on the ground, his soul form resembling a bespectacled, overweight otaku from his previous life.
This white space...
This wasn't the first time Rudeus had come; every time, he saw this guy who claimed to be Hitogami.
Rudeus was initially very suspicious of this guy, after all, he looked very suspicious, his whole body was covered in mosaics.
He speaks in a nonchalant and frivolous manner, and seems rather strange no matter how you look at it.
However, after the first two suggestions, Rudeus's wariness had lessened considerably.
Because he followed the advice of the Hitogami, he indeed gained many benefits.
He remembered the first time he and Eris were transferred to the Demon Continent. It was the Hitogami who advised him to rely on the demon warriors of Rujierd Speldia to make their journey to the Demon Continent safe and sound.
The second time, the Hitogami suggested that he take on a pet-finding quest, which earned him his first sum of money.
Midway through... Rudeus discovered that questioning the Hitogami and men would backfire.
In any case, as of now, as long as Rudeus follows the advice of the Hitogami, he has not yet found any disadvantages.
So when the Hitogami appeared in his dream for the third time that night, Rudeus knew that the Hitogami was definitely going to give him advice again.
"Little Rudeus, I have some good news for you this time."
"Good news? What good news? You mean?"
"The good news is..."
"Hehe, your brother Luo Ge isn't dead."
"Huh? Is it April Fool's Day today? Hitogami... you've learned to joke around too?"
No, I wasn't joking.
"Your brother Luo Ge not only didn't die, but he's now the Sword King. Isn't that amazing?"
" Sword King?"
"Huh? You mean that guy? Really?!"
It's true.
"Even though you did this, to be honest... it's really hard to believe what you're saying." Rudeus couldn't help but scratch his head.
"But surely you wouldn't be so bored as to lie about something like this, right? So... Luo Ge really isn't dead?"
"Mmm."
"By the way, your good brother has traveled all the way across the ocean to the Demon Continent to find you. You can reunite with him if you go to the beach tomorrow! Aren't you happy? Unexpected, right?"
Rudeus was not only pleasantly surprised, but also felt a strange sense of emotion.
I never expected that Luo Ge would go to such lengths after learning that he had been caught up in the disaster.
It's important to know that the Demon Continent is separated from the Central Continent by the Lingus Sea, a very long distance.
They actually went all the way across the ocean to find me.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't moved; they truly are brothers for life.
"So you mean if I go to the beach tomorrow as you suggested, I'll run into Luo Ge? You're not lying to me... right?"
"Hey, whether I'm lying or not, you'll find out the truth when you go to the beach tomorrow!"
"That's true."
Rudeus was relieved.
After all, although the Hitogami seems strange, the advice given in the previous two instances was quite reliable, and I believe this time will be no exception.
Suddenly Hitogami changed his previous comical tone and began to get serious.
"By the way, but before that, I have another suggestion. Would you like to hear it?"
"What?"
"Well... I suggest you keep our affair a secret from Luo Ge, and don't tell anyone else."
"Keep it a secret?"
"Why? What's the specific reason?" Rudeus became wary again.
"Uh... actually, there's no particular reason."
The Hitogami waved his hand dismissively, his tone devoid of any malice, as if casually instructing someone on a trivial matter.
"But that boy named Luo Ge is a bit special. If he finds out about me, it might cause unnecessary suspicion and create more trouble."
"By the way, you don't want to cause yourself any trouble, do you?"
The reason sounded a bit far-fetched, but Rudeus didn't think much of it.
Considering that the Hitogami's advice had indeed been of great help to him on the previous two occasions, Rudeus reluctantly agreed.
But I'm still confused.
"That's all?"
Rudeus pressed on, " Luo Ge is a reincarnated being like me. Even if he knows about your existence, it's not a bad thing, is it?"
Don't underestimate him.
"... There's a significant element of uncertainty surrounding Luo Ge, and I don't want him involved..."
The Hitogami chuckled and changed the subject, "Alright, so my advice for you is, before you go to the beach tomorrow, buy a bunch of food, and then just wander around the nearby alleys. You'll reap unexpected benefits."
"Ha?"
"There are other benefits?"
"I can get something good just by wandering around? Maybe I'll find some valuable treasure in the nearby trash bags? Or maybe I'll run into a kidnapped rich girl and just happen to show up in time to play the hero and save the damsel in distress... and she'll pay my boat fare out of gratitude?"
Or perhaps...
Rudeus's rich imagination left the opposing Hitogami speechless for a moment.
It paused for a moment, then shrugged. "Anyway, that's my advice. Whether you listen or not... that's up to you. The choice is ultimately yours, little Rudeus."
"Wait a moment!"
"If I do this and it's too late, won't I miss out on Luo Ge?"
"No, you won't."
"Don't worry about that. Your meeting with Luo Ge was something destined to happen in the future; it's just a matter of sooner or later."
Upon hearing this, Rudeus was relieved.
Although he had never truly trusted a guy like the Hitogami, he at least intended to follow the Hitogami's advice for the time being.
Just as Rudeus finished listening to the Hitogami's advice and was planning to take action the next day...
Meanwhile, Luo Ge was also discussing with the Nanahoshi their search for the Demon Emperor, Kishirika.
"First point."
"I suggest we gather intelligence first."
Nanahoshi held up a finger, his tone serious, "Information is the most important thing anywhere. Instead of searching aimlessly like this, we should first gather information about Kishirika, find out where she is, what kind of person she is, and what her preferences are."
"This way, the search will be more efficient."
"That makes sense, there's some truth to it..."
Luo Ge nodded and quickly finalized the plan with Nanahoshi.
The two split into two groups, with Nanahoshi in charge of purchasing supplies and acting as a logistical support team.
Luo Ge was mainly responsible for going to crowded places in the city, such as the Adventurers' Guild, to gather information about Kishirika.
On his way to the Adventurers' Guild, Luo Ge passed by a barbecue restaurant. Unexpectedly, a casual chat with the owner led to an unexpected gain.
Luo Ge inquired about the Demon Emperor, Kishirika.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing the name, the shop owner launched into a long and detailed explanation.
Clearly, this Demon Emperor is a household name in the Demon Continent, a truly legendary figure.
The Demon Emperor, Kishirika.
A ruthless figure who instigated two Human-Demon War thousands of years ago.
As the leader of the demon race, she Human-Demon War, and her power once shook the entire continent.
At its peak, it housed as many as fourteen demonic eyes, possessing immense intelligence and power, and at one point even dyed the sky over the entire continent purple.
After being defeated by the hero Ars in the first Human-Demon War, he died tragically. After being resurrected, he quickly started the second Human-Demon War and demons. However, he later died at the hands of the Golden Knight Battle God in a battle with the Dragon God.
Because she possesses the bloodline of the Immortal Demon Race, she can continuously regenerate and revive in a cycle.
After listening to this long introduction, Luo Ge pondered for a moment.
The whereabouts of this Demon Emperor seem to be unpredictable, but it is said that there is a statue of this Demon Emperor, Kishirika, on this beach.
He thanked the shop owner, bought some barbecue as a token of his appreciation, and then turned and walked towards the waterfront of Winn Harbor...