Attack

"Please, brave heroes, enter the hall to meet His Majesty!" the guard loudly announced. The heroes—Kaia, Emily, Joe, Sisi, and Judo—slowly stepped into the grand palace hall. The resplendent hall, adorned with gold and jade, was lined with two rows of the kingdom's ministers. His Majesty, King Jotwa, sat solemnly upon the throne. "Everyone, no need for formalities—please rise quickly," the king hurriedly said to the heroes who had just knelt. "I've summoned you all here today to commend your achievements. The recent campaign to subdue the demon camp in the west was a great success. The demon forces have been effectively weakened. Ever since the demons invaded the human world, it's been rare for humanity to set aside territorial disputes and unite against a common enemy. Even so, the demons remain powerful, having annexed many nations. Countless people have been displaced or brutally killed by their hands. This time, the joint hero team dispatched by various nations has won battle after battle, boosting the morale of our armies, curbing the demons' arrogance, and bringing the day of their defeat within reach."Kaia spoke up: "We are deeply honored by Your Majesty's praise. We merely strive to contribute to humanity's peace. Although we achieved a great victory in the western campaign, the demons still occupy vast territories, and the Demon King has yet to be defeated. Our task remains daunting, and we must continue to press forward.""You're all too modest," the king replied. "General Dailanda was surrounded in the valley, and thanks to your rescue, not only was he saved, but you also wiped out the entire enemy force. Such a feat deserves a grand reward." Sisi chimed in, "Oh, it was nothing, Your Majesty! Truth be told, the enemies were a bunch of single-celled fools—so easy to trick with our magic. The plan only worked because General Dailanda served as the perfect bait."Emily added, "Exactly. This operation wouldn't have succeeded with just the few of us. It was sheer luck that the general lured the enemy into the valley, allowing us to deploy our magic formation and defeat them."Joe laughed, "All this talk—you'd think you're mocking General Dailanda instead of praising him."The king chuckled, "Haha, good thing he's not here to hear this. But it's true—miracles are often born from coincidence. I hope you all continue to create miracles in the future." The court held a small banquet for the heroes, and they spent a sleepless night filled with laughter.

At a farmer's house,("Is the hero team I met today preparing to take down the Demon King? But I can't shake this uneasy feeling. The Demon King surely isn't that easy to defeat—otherwise, they wouldn't need to summon so many reincarnated beings. Right now, I'm useless. I can't even figure out how to turn back into a human.") I mulled over my frustrations in my mind. Oh well, I gathered a lot of information today. Tomorrow, I'll keep pushing forward. Lying in a comfy basket, I slowly drifted off to sleep…A new day began. I lazily got up, repeating my daily routine—helping Bona with chores around the farm, playing with the other dogs from the neighboring households, living in happy harmony. But while we were splashing around in the water, the other dogs suddenly grew alert, staring toward the forest and barking intermittently. I immediately tensed up—something dangerous might be approaching. The sound grew closer. "It's the Wolf King!" The other villagers noticed something was off too. Sure enough, a massive three-eyed wolf emerged—at least several times taller than a human—flanked by a few smaller wolves like the ones I'd defeated before. The villagers shouted for everyone to run. Bona was still working over there. Remembering my last encounter, I decided to stay and hold off this beast. "I'm not scared of you anymore! Today, you'll taste my strength!" I barked fiercely, locking eyes with the Wolf King. It saw me as a worthy opponent and assumed a fighting stance—clearly here for revenge. Suddenly, it opened its jaws and spat a beam of energy, like a qigong wave, straight at me. I dodged just in time as the beam obliterated a tree behind me. Holy crap—since when do wolves shoot energy blasts? Good thing I dodged, or I'd be dead or crippled. It fired a few more blasts, but I evaded them all. Growing frustrated, it charged at me for a direct fight. I summoned all my strength and lunged at it, slamming into it with everything I had. The Wolf King tumbled back a few times before shakily standing up. This guy was on a different level from the other wolves—not something I could take down in one hit. I can't keep relying on tackling every time I fight. I need to come up with another plan.