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Martha dropped the pliers, collapsing to her knees in agony. Her hand curled into a tight ball, her index finger bleeding profusely—she had just ripped off her own fingernail.
“Sister!” Leah, bound to a nearby tree, cried out loudly.
“Is this… enough?” Martha lifted her pale, sweat-slicked face, glaring at the Killer before her.
“Excellent, truly excellent!” The Killer applauded.
“Commendable. I will keep my word; your sister is safe. But first, you must consume this.”
He extended a hand, revealing a grayish-white, coin-shaped crystal that had appeared on his fingers.
Devil’s Currency.
Martha looked up at the Killer, took the crystal, and swallowed it.
‘She had done so much. Now, to ensure Leah’s safety, she could only hope he would keep his promise.’
The crystal dissolved instantly upon entering her mouth, vanishing without a trace. A searing heat began to spread from Martha’s chest.
Unbeknownst to her, by ensuring Leah’s safe completion of the sacrificial ritual, Martha had transitioned from a mortal into the Abyss pathway, becoming a Ninth-Tier Heretic.
“Very good. Now, you may rest,” the Killer declared. He transformed his hands into demonic claws, slashing them through the air, leaving several wounds across Martha’s body.
Despair and profound grief overwhelmed Martha’s consciousness. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her head as the world spun around her.
The Killer, showing no mercy, delivered another punch to her head, knocking her unconscious.
He then approached the tree and unbound Leah.
“Since you cannot make it in time, then go. I hope you can make it.”
****
Now.
Alice Liddell recoiled from the severely wounded Killer.
She only needed one more successful strike in close combat to secure victory.
Similar to beastification potions, a ‘demon’ transformed by consuming a red soul could manipulate Corrosive Flames more precisely than even a Warlock, even coiling the flames around their claws.
While Alice Liddell couldn’t summon Corrosive Flames herself, her demon-armored form was powerful enough to overwhelm a Seventh-Tier opponent.
However, at that very moment, a shriek from Jeanne Decker suddenly echoed from behind her.
Alice Liddell whirled around, her eyes widening at the horrifying scene before her.
Jeanne Decker was clutching her bleeding neck, healing herself, while her other hand held her sword, pointed directly at Martha.
Moments earlier, Martha had attacked Jeanne Decker. Had Jeanne Decker not reacted swiftly and pushed her away, she would have been struck in the eye.
Martha now stood in the field in a twisted posture. The left side of her body was covered in black carapace, her left arm grotesquely deformed like a withered branch, now a demonic claw even more bizarre than a typical Executioner’s.
A skeletal demon wing sprouted from behind her left shoulder, yet it was nothing more than bone.
With just a glance, Alice Liddell realized that Martha’s current state was an incomplete demon form.
Martha’s condition was clearly abnormal. Her eyes were clouded, devoid of any rationality, and she emitted guttural, beast-like growls.
The Killer let out a triumphant, sinister laugh. “Haha, the show has finally begun!”
“You… forced her to consume a soul?” Alice Liddell stared at the Killer, utterly shocked.
She suddenly understood. Lower-tier blessed ones of the Abyss possessed a trump card: sacrificing themselves to gain demonic power.
Jeanne Decker had once told her that upon failing a promotion, or after consuming a gray soul crystal, blessed ones of the Abyss would experience a similar uncontrolled sacrificial phenomenon.
The symptoms included a complete loss of sanity and chaotic demonification, severe enough to cause the body to collapse.
The Killer had transformed Martha into a blessed one of the Abyss from the very beginning.
By making her consume an excessive amount of souls, his true aim was to make Martha lose control and transform into a demon, attacking Jeanne Decker!
The images from her previous divination flashed back into Alice Liddell’s mind. ‘No wonder such a future appeared.’
Martha, demonified and out of control, would be an unacceptable heretic to Jeanne Decker, a Paladin. The Killer’s meticulous plan was to force Jeanne Decker to kill Martha with her own hands!
Seeing the rampaging Martha charge at Jeanne Decker with a wild shriek, Alice Liddell, realizing the divination was about to come true, spun around and rushed forward.
Just as Jeanne Decker was about to be forced into a confrontation with Martha, Alice Liddell dove, tackling Martha to the ground.
Seizing this opportunity, the Killer pulled out his Devil’s Currency and summoned Corrosive Flames, igniting them.
Jeanne Decker caught a glimpse of the Killer’s actions from the corner of her eye, jolting awake. She immediately sprinted a few steps, positioning herself between the Killer and Alice Liddell, and activated Divine Protection.
Dark green flames surged forward. Jeanne Decker bravely blocked them for the trio with her holy shield, while Alice Liddell struggled to suppress Martha, who thrashed wildly in her uncontrollable rage.
The moment the flames dissipated, Alice Liddell glanced towards where the Killer had been. The injured Killer had vanished.
‘Damn it, he escaped again!’
However, as that thought crossed her mind, Alice Liddell felt something land on her shoulder.
She cast a sidelong glance, surprised to see a small Jabberwock bird perched there.
‘An Abyssal Messenger sent by the Mad Hatter!’
[I’m nearby right now. Don’t worry, I saw everything. Leave that guy to me.] The Mad Hatter’s voice echoed in her mind.
‘The Mad Hatter has arrived!’
A wave of delight washed over Alice Liddell. Judging by the Mad Hatter’s words, he must have a way to control the situation. With him handling things, the Killer wouldn’t be able to escape!
Just then, Martha stirred again. With another beast-like roar, she erupted with astonishing strength, headbutting Alice Liddell’s jaw.
Alice Liddell’s vision went blank for a moment. When she regained her senses, Martha had already broken free from beneath her, scrambling back to her feet, glaring furiously at both Alice Liddell and Jeanne Decker.
Jeanne Decker held her sword, nervously assessing Martha, momentarily at a loss.
‘Martha, transformed into a demon…’
She knew this had to be the Killer’s doing. Most likely, he had either forced Martha, or threatened her with Leah, to accept demonic power. Martha was undeniably a victim.
Yet, the Church had only one course of action against demons: extermination. As a Paladin, she was bound to strictly adhere to this standard!
Moreover, the current Martha seemed to have completely lost her sanity, having fallen into the demonic path.
‘Did she really have to… kill her?’
Jeanne Decker’s sword-wielding hand trembled involuntarily.
At that moment, Alice Liddell raised a hand, stepping in front of Jeanne Decker. “Don’t act rashly,” she said seriously. “She might still be saved! Leave her to me!”
Martha’s rampage was due to an overdose of souls. Perhaps the Mad Hatter, as a half-Third-Tier and an Abyssal priest, would have a solution.
The immediate priority was to subdue Martha and render her incapable of resistance!
With that thought, Alice Liddell deactivated her demon transformation.
She withdrew the power of the Abyss, switching to her Witch pathway.
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