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Join the ServerAs was typical, Eve queued outside the gates of Xielan City, awaiting inspection. Yet, just before entering, a system notification flashed before her eyes.
[You have approached a “Demon Lord” unit. The influence of the Great Calamity Domain has increased.
]
This system prompt nearly scared the soul out of Eve.
‘What?’
‘No, I’m still in line here, haven’t even taken a few steps. What does it mean, “already approached a Demon Lord unit”???
‘Wait… could it be…’
Eve swallowed with difficulty, her head stiffly turning backward.
Indeed, at the very end of the long queue behind her, a distinct figure had appeared.
It was a silver-haired girl.
A luxurious Gothic gown perfectly accentuated her slender figure. Its black and red-adorned skirt, paired with a pair of highly alluring black sheer stockings, created an absolute domain unique to the girl.
Her black, red-soled high heels emitted a faint ripple of red magic with every step she took.
Yet, the people around her seemed oblivious, continuing to fall in line behind her as they entered the city.
As if sensing Eve’s gaze, the girl turned her eyes towards her.
Those scarlet eyes seemed to have emerged from a pool of blood. The moment she was met with their gaze, a chill shot straight to Eve’s scalp.
Eve froze, every muscle rigid.
The girl’s gaze rested on her quite ordinarily, yet it carried an invisible pressure that made it difficult for Eve to breathe.
‘Calm down, calm down.’
‘The Demon Lord has altered everyone’s common sense, so I absolutely cannot expose myself now. Be natural, just be natural… act as I usually would.’
Eve forced a smile, raising the corner of her lips, and gave the silver-haired girl a small wave. “Hi?”
But the instant she made the gesture, Eve mentally slapped herself. ‘Why did I just naturally greet her?! Isn’t this just purely attracting the Demon Lord’s attention?’
‘If not for the mask, the stiff smile on Eve’s face would have completely given her away!’
However, to Eve’s surprise, the silver-haired girl tilted her head slightly, narrowed her eyes, and returned a sweet smile, waving back at her. Her lips softly formed the word, “Hi.”
In Eve’s mind, the image of a mischievous and malevolent loli Demon Lord rapidly crumbled before that innocent, sweet smile.
In that moment, she saw not an evil Demon Lord intent on destroying the world standing at the end of the queue, but a polite and reserved girl, newly arrived in a big city, curious about everything.
Eve’s mind couldn’t help but entertain the thought: ‘Is she… truly the Demon Lord?’
‘Demonic horns? None. Demonic bat wings? None either.’
The only thing reminiscent of a Demon Lord was the terrifying oppressive sensation and the urge to submit that arose the moment their crimson eyes met.
“System, can you check her basic stats for me?”
After one last glance at the silver-haired girl, Eve averted her gaze, turning instead to the information the system had just provided.
[Leader Unit: Fionn Cassius]
[Profession: Demon Lord of Calamity]
[Physique: 179]
[Spirit: 187]
[Agility: 171]
[Power Rating: A (Not yet a complete Demon Lord, quite frail, but still possesses terrifying destructive power when her magic is out of control)]
After reading it, Eve felt an inexplicable sense of calm.
After all, she was a Demon Lord; it didn’t seem strange for her three core attributes to reach astonishing triple digits.
Yet, the rating was an ‘A’, immediately followed by the sharp comment, “quite frail.” This left Eve somewhat unable to grasp the system’s evaluation standards.
However, the information that the other party was not yet a complete being greatly intrigued Eve.
‘Could it be that the Demon Lord, at this stage, is still missing something?’
‘Could she have come to Xielan specifically to develop herself into her complete form?’ Eve mused darkly.
But then, the silver-haired girl’s smile from the queue flashed in her mind. Eve felt her thoughts were perhaps a malicious speculation.
Earl Monit Ailan had been the same way last time; she had misjudged his intentions based solely on a first impression. By the same logic, she couldn’t simply brand the girl as evil and insidious just because of her identity as a Demon Lord.
Eve composed herself. After passing the routine inspection, she entered the city without looking back.
From the Demon Lord’s demeanor, it seemed she hadn’t detected Eve’s true nature as a monster. If that were the case, then whatever the Demon Lord’s purpose in Xielan, it had nothing to do with Eve, as long as Anna and her companions avoided conflict with her.
Anna and Yulim were already waiting for her in their usual spot, with the same golden retriever, Steamed Bun, performing his usual dashing backflips. The only difference was the addition of a ‘single dog’ who couldn’t do backflips.
Yulim watched the excited Anna from the side, clapping her hands with a fond smile. “Anna is amazing, and Steamed Bun is amazing too.”
“Hehe, it’s nothing… Oh, Luosha’s here!”
Anna chuckled, scratching her nose. Catching sight of Eve walking through the city gates, she immediately waved and called out, “Luosha, we’re over here!”
The incredibly loud shout instantly drew the attention of nearby passersby.
‘Coming, coming.’
Eve walked forward with a wry smile, ready to join them. Unexpectedly, Anna had already run over with Yulim, taking Eve’s hand and grinning at her.
“Great! Now that Yulim is here, let’s go have that super feast we talked about! Our destination: the street bar!”
“My treat!”
This time, Anna raised both Eve’s and Yulim’s hands high in the air, her own included.
To passersby, she might have looked a little crazy. Yet, Anna remained completely oblivious to the surrounding gazes, her face filled only with a blissful smile of hope and anticipation for the future.
Watching the bright and cheerful blue-haired girl, something within Eve’s heart seemed to mend.
Eve smiled gently.
While Anna was powerful in her Judgment Form, that cold-blooded appearance, devoid of all emotions, was nothing short of a killing machine. Truly, this was how she ought to be.
Eve felt that if she were to cling to her previous idea of parting ways upon reaching Xielan, it would be rather impolite. Perhaps she could choose to continue this journey alongside them, until the day they absolutely had to part.
****
At the city gates, the silver-haired girl had already entered the city, taking in the scene before her.
Everything in the world remained so beautiful. Unfortunately, it was now utterly incompatible with her.
‘How I envy them…’
She pressed a hand to her chest, suppressing the emotion called loneliness, then turned and walked alone into the vast crowd.
‘As long as the world doesn’t descend into chaos, and all this beauty isn’t shattered because of me…’
“That,” she murmured, “is already enough.”
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