Chapter 400 - 279: Meeting

The wait for the order to march was not as peaceful as one might have imagined.

The movements of such a vast army were impossible to conceal, and they naturally drew the attention of the Demons.

The enemy commander wasn’t as foolish as expected. Instead of sending out a large force for a direct confrontation, they merely dispatched small teams to harass us. After a few skirmishes, the probing attacks fizzled out.

"While the Low Tier Demons have low Intelligence, the High Tier Demons serving as officers—like the Succubi, Six-armed Snake Demons, and those Wizards—are no less intelligent than humans." Most people didn’t understand the situation, but Bodoff cut right to the heart of the matter. "The Space Channel isn’t stable right now. They need to spend time continuously reinforcing it until the Abyss is fully connected to our world. The longer this drags on, the more it benefits them, so there’s no need for a head-on clash with us."

"You can tell. They’ve actually pulled back their defensive lines recently, which has left everyone feeling like there’s no good way to attack," Leiden immediately chimed in.

"Actually, I’m quite curious how they managed to stop you and your raid party, Master Bodoff." Levi was lounging in his chair with a comfortable expression, while Sophia diligently massaged his shoulders from behind.

It wasn’t that he was trying to hire child labor. But after she’d massaged his shoulders once, the Lord thought she did a good job and gave her some change to buy snacks or some of the latest popular toys in Kolon.

Who would have thought this would lead her to discover a way to earn money? Now she insisted on massaging his shoulders every day, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

It had gotten to the point where his bones felt like they were about to turn to jelly these past few days.

The now-unemployed Goat-man Maid could only stand to the side and watch with the resentful air of a jilted wife.

"Because the Demon guarding the Space Channel is no ordinary foe. It’s terrifyingly strong." A rare hint of worry appeared on the face of the old man, a master of Magic and Martial Dual Cultivation who always seemed to have everything under control.

"And how is it strong, exactly?" Mier picked up the thread of conversation, pouring a cup of hot tea and handing it over.

"For that, we must discuss the current divisions for Magic and Combat Qi Tiers," Bodoff said, taking a slow sip of his tea.

"Go on, please."

"Although the divisions for the Low Tiers have changed over the last thousand years, the Tiers that truly define a powerhouse have remained constant since time immemorial."

"And what Tiers are those?"

"Are you trying to be his straight man?" the Lord asked, rolling his eyes so hard they looked like a dead fish’s. "Can you just let everyone listen quietly for a moment?"

"Please, continue," Mier said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"For example, Mages are generally divided into Apprentice, Official Mage, Low Tier, Middle Tier, and High Tier." Bodoff, clearly a man who was old in body but young at heart, gave a showy wave of his hand. A small bird of flame materialized in the tent, circled in the air, then dove into the teapot. The pot, which had already gone cold, began to boil with a GURGLE GURGLE sound.

Everyone immediately gave him a thumbs-up and showered him with a flood of compliments.

Bodoff waved his hand humbly before continuing, "The Tiers that follow are Epic and Legendary. Epic is also known as Hero, and Legendary is hailed as the title for powerhouses closest to the gods.

"These two Tiers—whether for Combat Qi, Magic, or even for Minstrels, Druids, and Necromancers—are universal across all realms. They represent the true pinnacle, powerhouses who command the respect of all.

No one dared to breathe too loudly, quietly waiting for the reveal.

The old man glanced around the room, his expression turning serious. "Our Great Mage is currently the only known Legendary Powerhouse! And the Demon guarding the Space Channel is a Balrog Flame Demon, whose power is on the very same level!"

A sharp intake of breath could be heard from all around. If it had just been a discussion of Tiers, they might not have grasped the full extent of the gap in power. But with a figure for comparison, the Demon’s strength shattered their last shred of hope.

The Great Mage, who resided high in his Mage Tower, was a renowned figure throughout the entire Middle Ages Continent.

Whether in oral tradition or in written stories, this Great Mage was described as having immense Mana, being full of wisdom, capable of foreseeing the future, and having Mastered all sorts of world-destroying magic.

In the past, he had served as an advisor to many wise Kings, leading the war-torn common folk out of a dark age. He had risen from a mere adventurer to a figure famous across the Middle Ages Continent.

As his Cultivation grew stronger, he eventually became the Great Mage of the Mage Tower. It was said he remained there to protect the entire Middle Ages Continent from demonic invasions.

The Lord was skeptical about this. ’If you’re talking about the greatest ’evil demon,’ that would have to be me, the Outer Heaven Demon.’

’But nothing has happened to me so far. So, while I can’t deny this Legendary Mage’s power, he’s definitely not like the legends say, able to foresee the future or monitor the entire Middle Ages Continent.’

"If it’s really that strong, we might as well just pack it in, go home, and call it a day," Levi said nonchalantly, munching on a slice of watermelon.

He knew Bodoff was definitely exaggerating to shock everyone. The grin on his face, like a child who had just pulled off a successful prank, was impossible to hide.

After all, while Levi had never met a Legendary Powerhouse, he had read plenty of books. In every single one, Legendary Powerhouses were described as supreme beings who could destroy an entire country with ease.

They were the kind of absolute badasses who could literally take a crap on a King’s head, and the King would have to smile and compliment them on a job well done.