Chapter 25: Asking for Gifts

Bane stared at her, the blue flames in his eyes flickering on and off, as if reading the deepest secrets of her heart.

“No.”

He spoke softly, his tone firm.

“She is not dead.”

He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting into a meaningful smile.

“She has merely… become one of the Demon King’s little pets.”

“Now she is confined in the deepest part of the Demon King’s castle, enduring daily conditioning and brainwashing. She is no longer the invincible Hero she once was.”

Viretta listened quietly, her expression still calm, though her fingertips trembled ever so slightly.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, her voice steady as ever:

“Then… how much strength does she have left now?”

Bane smiled, as if he had expected the question.

“None at all.”

He answered bluntly.

“Her current body can barely even stand. Her will is being devoured bit by bit.”

He paused, lowering his voice.

“But the power flowing within her—the power capable of defeating the Demon King—still exists. As long as she is awakened, she can once again become a blade.”

A faint glimmer passed through Viretta’s eyes, genuine interest finally surfacing.

“Is that so?”

Her tone remained calm, no longer dismissive.

“Tell me your plan. If it satisfies me, I will cooperate fully.”

Hearing this, the blue flames in Bane’s eyes flared brightly, like a hunter finally seeing his prey step into the trap.

He took a slow step forward, his voice low and clear.

“I need you to coordinate with me on the frontal battlefield.”

“You must launch a large-scale offensive, forcing the Demon King to personally take the field and leave the Demon King’s castle.”

He raised a skeletal hand, as if sketching a grand strategy in the air.

“And I will act in the rear. I will contact those demon factions dissatisfied with the Demon King, dismantling her rule from within.”

He lowered his hand, his tone decisive.

“When she is away fighting, her focus divided, we strike from both sides—frontline pressure from you, rear support from me, and the awakened Hero…”

His lips curved upward.

“No matter how strong she is, she cannot withstand three forces at once.”

Viretta listened in silence, her gaze deep as an abyss.

She did not respond immediately, instead slowly closing her eyes, weighing the pros and cons.

After a long while—

She opened her eyes, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

“Alright.”

She nodded, her voice finally carrying a trace of approval.

“I think… it’s very good.”

The blue flames in Bane’s eyes leapt violently, as if long-suppressed rage had finally found an outlet.

He tilted his head back and let out a low laugh.

“Human adjudicator…”

He looked at Viretta, a rare hint of praise in his tone.

“A very wise choice.”

At that moment, Rivina, sprawled on the scorched ground, slowly lifted her head.

Drool still hung at the corner of her mouth, her eyes unfocused, her body lightly twitching from the lingering waves of pleasure, yet her lips curled into a crazed yet lucid smile.

She looked at Bane, her voice hoarse but filled with undisguised greed.

“Skeleton head—”

She laughed softly, her tone like a child asking for candy.

“Can you send me a few more of those ‘delicacies’ like just now?”

The air froze.

The blue flames in Bane’s eye sockets wavered violently, his anger reaching its peak.

After a moment of silence, his low voice sounded.

“He was one of the great generals of our demon race.”

His tone carried suppressed displeasure.

“Even if he wasn’t as strong as the Demon King, he was still top-tier among the demons… and you treated him as food? Swallowed him so casually?”

He stared at Rivina, his skeletal frame subtly tensing, as if restraining something.

Rivina, however, didn’t care at all. She tilted her head and smiled, her eyes gleaming with sickly light.

“Hey, hey, hey—have you thought this through?”

She slowly propped herself up. Though weak, her tone grew sharper.

“When the time comes, it’ll be me holding the Demon King on the frontlines—not this noble official.”

She raised her hand and pointed at Viretta, her gaze mocking.

“If my strength isn’t enough, if I can’t replenish properly… this plan might collapse very quickly.”

She bared her teeth in a grin, reminding everyone present.

“What you need is a monster capable of fighting the Demon King head-on.”

Bane fell silent.

The blue flames in his eyes flickered slowly as he weighed the situation.

On one side, an insatiable demon. On the other, a once-in-a-millennium chance to overthrow the Demon King.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice low and restrained.

“As for the supplies you’re asking for… I can satisfy that.”

He paused, his tone turning cold.

“But I will not send demon elites for you to feed on. They are my subordinates, not your rations.”

He raised his skeletal hand, fingers tracing the air as if promising an alternative.

“I will give you valuable resources—high-purity demon crystals, ancient demon cores, sealed fallen souls… enough for you to consume, enough for you to grow stronger.”

As Rivina listened, her eyes gradually lit up.

The next instant—

She suddenly sprang up from the ground. Though her legs were still weak, she laughed like a child receiving gifts.

“Hahahaha!”

She clapped her hands, her voice shrill and delighted.

“Skeleton head, you’re really good to people! If it weren’t for that damned rune… I’d almost want to follow you!”

Before her words even finished—

“Woom—!!!”

Viretta flicked her finger, and the divine punishment rune activated once more!

Invisible magic slithered into Rivina’s mind like a venomous snake, instantly detonating countless currents of extreme pleasure!

“Ahhh—!!!”

Her knees buckled as she collapsed heavily to the ground, her body convulsing violently, pupils instantly losing focus.

She tilted her head back, a foolish smile on her lips, her consciousness drifting into the clouds as she muttered:

“It’s back again… so comfortable… Viretta… you really are… the one who loves me most…”

Viretta coldly watched her collapse and twitch in bliss, then turned to Bane, her tone calm.

“Leader of the Undead, I have already disciplined her properly.”

Her gaze was indifferent.

“There’s no need to pay attention to what she just said.”

Bane looked at the body completely broken by pleasure, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

He waved his hand, his voice even carrying a trace of approval.

“No, I think her proposal is quite correct.”

He looked straight at Viretta, his tone serious.

“She truly deserves resources. For the plan to succeed, she must be stronger. If she falls on the frontlines, or fails to restrain the Demon King… all of us will die.”

He paused, the blue flames in his eyes flickering softly.

“So I support her being cultivated. You control her, I supply the resources—ensuring she can better carry out the mission.”

Viretta listened, a hint of surprise flashing through her eyes before returning to calm.

She smiled faintly and nodded.

“No need to worry. Our Human Empire will also provide her with resources.”

Her tone was confident.

“We will, at the fastest possible speed, forge her into a weapon capable of opposing the Demon King.”

She looked at Bane, her voice low and clear.

“By the way… regarding the Hero—leave that matter to you.”

Bane looked at her quietly. In his calm gaze, there appeared a trace of… anticipation.

“Certainly.”

He replied softly.

As his words fell—

His skeletal body slowly faded into the surging deathly aura, gray mist swelling like a tide as it swallowed him whole.