Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 95: A Demon Among Us

A quiet bar sat in one of the rougher corners of the capital.

Old wood, creaky stools, half-drunk regulars slumped over their mugs. The smell of sweat and cheap ale mixed in the air.

"You sure this place is good enough for a living legend?" the Guild Master asked, sipping from a chipped glass. "I wouldn’t have minded paying for somewhere that didn’t have a brawl every ten minutes."

The old man sitting across from him chuckled. "It’s when you can hear a fight happening that you can be sure of secrecy. Besides... I hate fancy things."

The Guild Master looked at him sideways.

"Is that why you refused to live in the capital all these years? Even when the King offered you anything you wanted?"

The old man raised his glass and let the drink wash down before answering.

"The secret of taste isn’t how you cook it. It’s how you feel when you eat. The more peace you carry, the tastier life becomes."

The Guild Master looked at his own drink.

"Peace, huh?"

The old man waved.

"No, no. Not for peace. Although, I do enjoy it."

His expression dimmed.

"Maybe for some, we were miracles. The ones who stood in the light to bring a new day. The Sacred, they call us. But for those of us who were there... who saw it with our own eyes... who crossed the gaze of that... thing..."

He paused.

His hand went to his forehead. A slow rub of his temples. The Guild Master leaned forward, concerned.

"Sir... Darwin?"

The old man waved a hand again. But the Guild Master noticed it.

Tears.

"Don’t worry," Darwin said, voice thin. "Some things in this world make you wish you could die tomorrow. And for people like us... well, who knows if death is even an escape."

He looked straight at the Guild Master.

"You want to know the worst part of fear? It’s not the terror. It’s not even the pain. It’s realizing that something is going to happen to you, that you can’t stop it... and then feeling it happen. Second by second. With no way to speed it up. Every breath stretches into eternity."

He looked down at his glass.

"I’ve never died. But I’d love to know what it feels like. Is there peace after the pain? Or are the dead still trapped in the act of dying forever?"

"Sir..." the Guild Master said again, voice smaller now.

"You know," Darwin murmured, "everyone talks about glorious ends. Heroes dying in battle to protect the people they love. That’s how they want to go. We were all like that. We had names. Faces. We dreamed. We wanted to protect."

He laughed bitterly.

"But the moment we saw what we were really up against, the moment we understood what we’d go through before dying... we stopped dreaming about glory."

His eyes went far.

"The ones who died beside me, their eyes weren’t filled with pride. Or terror. Or even pain. Just... confusion. Because in those last seconds, you don’t know if you’re better off dead. You just want it to end. But you fear how it ends more."

The Guild Master gritted his teeth and drank. Hard.

He slammed the cup down.

"So you’re sorry you survived? Because it’s starting again?"

"No," the old man said gently. "I’m warning you. Have a backup plan. Something quick. Fast. Clean. A way out, just in case. Suicide isn’t cowardice when the alternative is worse."

The room went quiet.

He tapped a finger on the wooden table.

"Always have a way out."

The Guild Master looked at him long and hard. Then, suddenly, his eyes hardened.

"You said earlier you came here for a reason. You refused to see the King. Why me? What do you mean by being murdered?"

The old man sighed.

"You think just because he’s the King of Politics, I owe him my secrets?"

He lifted his glass and swirled it.

"Do you know why the holy war always happens in the human world?"

The Guild Master said nothing.

"Because gods are above. Unreachable. But when you can’t be touched, you lose the ability to touch. So they gift humans with their power instead. Demons are different. They’re grounded. Logical. They act themselves, and they adapt."

Darwin’s voice grew sharper.

"Humans cling to bloodlines. Elves live in secrecy. Dwarves and beasts chase their impulses. We’re too stupid. That’s why war starts here."

He tapped the table again.

"Only when we were united, really united, we make a dent. When we invaded their world, when the races fought together. Then we became something else. Even those demons had no chance."

"You better watch what you’re saying!" A sudden sharp voice snapped through the bar.

They turned.

Just a drunk jabbing a shaky finger at the bartender, yelling nonsense. Nothing important.

Darwin looked back. He smiled.

"We call it human nature. But you never hear someone say ’demon nature.’"

The Guild Master raised an eyebrow.

"Demons have their own destructive habits."

Darwin laughed.

"Maybe. But here’s the thing. What humans call nature, demons see as habits. What humans call habits, demons see as instinct."

His voice lowered.

"They’re monsters, yes. But they think."

He tapped his temple.

"That’s the scariest part."

The Guild Master listened. Darwin leaned closer.

"We caught them off guard by invading. That was smart. But it was also our worst mistake. Now they understand it works. And they will adapt."

The Guild Master’s lips thinned.

"So you think they’re planning something? They will prepare an ambush?"

"No," Dawrin said. "They see, they learn, they adapt, and if it’s interesting, they use. They’re already doing it. We are being invaded, and we don’t even realize it."

The Guild Master sat frozen. Suddenly, everything started to make sense.

The strange patterns. The recent demon sightings. The way the attacks had shifted.

He remembered the nobles who were targeted. Some military leaders. But principally the ones with seals.

"So that’s why..." he muttered to himself. "They weren’t just random."

It wasn’t about bloodshed. It was a strategy.

He looked up slowly.

"And you think... they’ll come for you?"

Dawrin nodded.

"Yes. I am not a danger anymore, but I am not a nobody. They will target me. In retaliation for being part of their past demise. They are here, so my time has come. But that’s not my main concern. I’m not important to humans anymore. I could die just fine..."

He drained his drink.

"But they adapt, and now that they’ve seen what we have... our Sacred. They know how to incapacitate us."

The Guild Master stood abruptly, heart racing.

"You think they’ll target the Sacreds?!"

"Not think," the old man said. "Know."

The Guild Master clenched his fists.

"We need to tell the kingdom. Mobilize. Hide the Sacreds. Do not let them be exposed... We already have intels about some Sacred, but the Hero is still—"

"Oh, he’s already appeared."

The Guild Master froze mid-sentence.

Dawrin nodded slowly.

"You heard me. The Hero is already here. And if no one finds out too soon... he might have a chance."

"What...?!" The Guild Master lurched forward, almost knocking his chair. "You can’t be serious! You’re sure? How do you know?! Sir Darwin, what do you mean?!"

"I mean that the Hero has appeared. I know him. I even met him. That’s why I’m certain. If he’s left alone, if we give him time, he will be ready."

The Guild Master slammed his fist on the table.

"Then why didn’t you say anything sooner?! We need to find him! We need to know who he is!"

"Sit down." Dawrin said sharply.

The Guild Master paused.

Dawrin leaned forward.

"Two nobles were attacked. Both got their treasure stolen. And I believe one of the demon generals has done more than just attack."

He stared hard.

"There is a powerful demon among us. Someone with a fake human’s identity had infiltrated us."

The Guild Master’s blood ran cold.

"You’re saying... there’s a demon... Among us."

Dawrin nodded.

"Closer than you think."

The Guild Master gulped, eyes locked on the table.

His heart pounded, his fingers trembled slightly as they curled into fists. The bar had gone quiet, as if even the air held its breath.

The pressure was unbearable.

He slowly looked up at Darwin, eyes wide, voice softer.

"Do you... do you have any idea who it might be?"

Dawrin’s voice turned low.

"I have reports. Patterns. And a feeling. I believe this person is a demon. Not just any demon. And he’s closer than you think. Closer to the nobles... To you."

He leaned back.

"And if we expose the Hero too soon..."

He looked the Guild Master in the eyes.

"We lose everything."

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