Chapter 286: Monsters Dilemma

March 15, 2027.

Max was currently in his office, reading the various reports from Danny.

The preparation stage had been completed.

Not only had the Demon Hunters who would be sent to the Ashen Expanse reached a hundred and fifty thousand, but every single one of them had graduated from the Demon Hunters Academy.

The Demon Hunters Academy’s standards had remained strict.

After all, the Demon Hunters’ lives were at stake.

If they failed to instill sufficient knowledge in the Demon Hunters, it would deeply affect not just their individual performance, but the Guild as a whole.

After graduating, with the help of the Adaptive Combat Courtyard, which had now been renamed the Demon War Simulation Center, every Demon Hunter was now fully equipped—both knowledge- and skill-wise.

Max spent a few hours reading the reports, and he eventually reached a conclusion.

The Demon Hunters are ready. Even the Former Emperor has topped the Command Simulation Mode’s highest difficulty.

Max smiled.

This was exactly what he wanted.

Not only did he want aspiring Demon Hunters to be skilled in fighting demons, but he also wanted those who were already high-rankers to continuously improve themselves.

Pleased, Max called every significant member of the Guild for an emergency meeting as soon as possible, and in less than half an hour, they were all present in his office.

Max stood up and clasped his hands behind his back, letting the silence clear their thoughts.

He walked around his table and faced them.

Even with the Former Emperor’s presence, Max remained calm and composed, sweeping his gaze around the room and establishing dominance in his personal office.

He said, "Headmaster, did you make it clear to them what our mission and vision are before they graduate?"

The Former Emperor shrugged after being addressed by his current position.

"They won’t be able to graduate if they lack the courage to utter those words in front of your statue."

Max felt embarrassed but tried his best to hide it.

He suddenly recalled the statue that was almost a replica of his appearance, albeit with its distinct features made out of very precious stones that they had used.

He heard that the Headmaster had proposed the idea of having every graduate state their promises to fulfill the mission and vision of the Guild.

They did it in a way that required the graduates to kneel three times in front of the statue, making it almost seem like they were worshipping him.

There were very few exceptions to the kneeling behavior.

For example, those who possessed immense faith in the Church were allowed not to kneel.

Especially when they believed that there was only a single human they had to kneel before.

Though the Church never strictly prohibited them from doing so, it was simply their own volition not to kneel in front of a statue.

Hence, kneeling three times was optional.

It would show who truly admired Max.

But for Max, he didn’t care at all.

Even then, he did not forbid the Headmaster, allowing him to freely treat the students.

Max believed that the Former Emperor would not betray him.

Given that he had perceived his desire to participate in the upcoming exploration of the Ashen Expanse, Max had no reason to doubt him.

Clearing the thoughts that distracted him, Max finally dropped the bomb.

"In a week’s time, we will set out for the Southern Border.

We will wait for the Monster Hunters Guild to clear every monster tribe."

They were surprised.

Although everyone knew that the Guildmaster of the Monster Hunters Guild and their Guildmaster shared the same blood, they still didn’t expect that the Monster Hunters Guild would assist the Demon Hunters in clearing the monster tribes past the border.

They were already prepared to clash with the monster tribes outside of the Southwestern Province.

Although it remained unknown whether there were Mythical Beasts in the southwest, similar to the north, they were still prepared for whatever came towards them.

At the same time, the Monster Hunters Guild had also gained an S-rank, who was one of the S-rankers who had clashed with the Ice Mythical Dragon.

Rumors quickly spread about him joining the Monster Hunters Guild.

He was even seen actively participating in dangerous quests from the Guild.

It was unknown whether he was simply teaching the Guild members or had unknown motives.

Whatever it was, just by judging from the Former Emperor, Max believed that he was likely just as bored and was looking for some thrill.

With the Monster Hunters Guild helping them clear out the monster tribes, a huge hurdle they thought they had to face was assured to be overcome.

In other words, the certainty of them reaching the Ashen Expanse was absolute.

They were exhilarated.

Discerning their reaction, Max smiled.

When he thought about it, he had brought it up to his brother last week, and Enzo had excitedly agreed with him, wanting to help his brother at all costs.

The main weakness of the Demon Hunters remained their lack of experience fighting against an existence they had not studied at all.

Monsters.

Monsters were as terrifying as demons.

If it were not for their capabilities, they would not have survived and established their territory in the Ashen Expanse.

Danny and the others continued inquiring about Max’s plans, which the latter answered ambiguously.

Eventually, the emergency meeting concluded with a clear decision.

In a week, every Demon Hunter who would participate in the war must already be present at the Southern Border.

The aspiring Demon Hunters, meanwhile, who could not graduate on time would have to take a vacation, for the Demon Hunters Academy would be unavailable indefinitely.

The Demon Hunters Guild made the announcement very clear, shocking the citizens of the Empire, especially the players.

Those who treated Max’s words lightly, which had only been spread among the members of the Demon Hunters Guild, were mocked by the Guild.

Even Wang Yuxuan personally denied the possibility of exploring the Ashen Expanse and responded that it was simply a death wish.

Now that the leading player was pursuing his goal, every player who had joined his Guild was excited, while other players were trying to scare them.

Which was, of course, just a futile attempt.

Max’s achievements had been glorified in and out of the Guild, especially among significant NPCs...