Chapter 527: The Unsung Heroes During the past five months, the demons had done countless perimeter sweeps throughout the entire Shadow Forest in search of Alex and Fran. The great battle had ended a long time ago, but it wouldn’t be truly over until the two kids were dead. Unfortunately, attempts to find them ended in vain. Although the demons occasionally caught sight of them and even engaged them in combat, the pair was simply too slippery and would slide right out of their grasps, escaping to safety. Of course, Alex and Fran didn’t always act passively. From time to time, they took the initiative to attack. And whenever this happened, devastation followed suit. Slowly but surely, Alex and Fran were learning how to use the power of the Gaia Rings. Thanks to this, their fighting prowess had reached the level of Heroes. Winter had also come. Snow had started to fall within the forest, and it was especially bad at this time of the year. Staying outside was near impossible, forcing the demons to take shelters on caves. Some even dug their own underground shelters just to stay warm. But there was one big problem. Food. The Demon Army numbered in the thousands, and everyone naturally had to eat something everyday. In the first three months, they rationed what remained of their food supply—corpses of the humans that they had defeated. The commanders of the Demon Race had even issued the order to hunt Alex and Fran regardless of the terrible weather, wanting their useless underlings would perish. With less mouths to feed, their food supply would last longer—hopefully enough for them to stave off hunger until the winter ended. But things didn’t go according to their plan. Alex and Fran were more than happy to kill these sacrificial pawns. But to make sure it would be a loss for the demons, the Fairy burned the corpses into inedible ashes. That way, the Demons couldn’t profit from their trouble. One month later, the situation on the Demon Race’s side had reached a dire point. The first one to break the taboo was the Demon Lord, Vanaac, himself. Perhaps out of anger, shame, and frustration, he killed one of his subordinates in charge of finding Alex and Fran. In front of everyone, he set the pitiful body ablaze until it was medium rare before eating it. No one said anything back then, but it was the trigger that prompted the demons to actively cannibalize their own people in order to survive. They truly had become demons. Alex and Fran found out what was happening after capturing a few deserters and interrogating them. "They’ve eaten Mark!" a Demon cried in desperation. "He hadn’t done anything wrong. They just ganged up on him and killed him before roasting him like a pig! They’re monsters!" "I see," Alex said softly. "Very well. Go to sleep and forget everything that happened." With a swing of his dagger, Alex beheaded the Demon and asked Fran to burn the body. "It looks like your strategy worked, Alex," Fran commented. "With this, we don’t even need to do the killing. They would just kill each other. How many demons do you think will be left when winter ends? A few hundreds? Or less than a hundred?" "I don’t know," Alex replied. "But I don’t think it’s a good idea to clash with them after winter ends. It’s very dangerous to fight desperate demons. They will go all out, not caring for their own safety." Fran nodded in agreement. She knew how dangerous desperate people could get. After all, she and Alex had been in a similar situation—desperate to survive and desperate to avenge their friends. "Let’s hide for now and check on them once winter ends," Fran proposed. "Okay," Alex replied. "Let’s use that time to master using the Gaia Rings." The Gaia Rings were true Divine Artifacts, and the two of them had only scratched the surface of their abilities. They still needed time to fully understand how the rings worked, and winter was the perfect time for them to focus on their training. ——— While Alex, Fran, and the Demon Army were trapped inside the Shadow Forest, the Kings of the different human kingdoms had gathered to assess the situation. According to the Commander who had camped out of the Shadow Forest, a barrier had appeared and covered nearly its entirety. No one knew what was happening inside the barrier, but one thing was for sure. The Demon Lord hadn’t been seen for the past few months, giving the humans an easier time as they advanced into the Demon Realm. The fighting only stopped because this year’s winter was exceptionally bad, forcing both sides to defend their positions. "Commander Tyler, is the barrier in the Shadow Forest still active?" one of the Kings of humanity asked. "Yes, Your Majesty," Tyler replied. "There have been no changes, and if our guess is right, the Demon Lord might be trapped inside of it. "Is there still no news of Sean and his party?" another King inquired. "No, Your Majesty," Tyler answered. "Ever since the Hero Party had gone missing, no one had managed to confirm whether they were dead or alive." A moment of silence fell inside the conference room, but it didn’t last long. "We must strike while the Demon Lord is absent on the battlefield," the King, who first spoke, stated. "We will prepare all the manpower and resources we can muster for a spring grand offensive." "I agree with that plan, Your Majesty," Tyler commented. "We do not know until when the barrier in the forest will remain. But as long as it holds true, we could fight the Demon Army that has lost their leader. We shouldn’t waste the sacrifices of our people in the Shadow Forest." The kings all voted to unite under one banner and charge at the Demon Realm. This was a turning point in the war, and they had no idea that it was all thanks to a teenage boy and a fairy making sure that the Demon Lord and his Army wouldn’t be going anywhere. They were the unsung Heroes of this war, and perhaps, no one would ever know how much they had sacrificed to come this far.