Chapter 40: The Banquet, the Contract, and the Demon Spirits’ Scheme

As Ellis and Larry encountered the Octo-man, the banquet on the other side had already begun.

King Gapp, dressed in his finest attire, attended the banquet. Under his solemn gaze, the attending ministers and their wives instinctively ceased their jovial chatter, bowing respectfully before him.

King Gapp and the late king were indeed two completely different personalities.

The late king had been gentle and refined; meeting him felt like encountering a warm spring breeze.

King Gapp, however, was like a majestic lion, brooking no offense to his dignity. To defy him was to invite the wrath of a thunderstorm.

Thus, everyone present held a profound sense of awe towards King Gapp, a reverence that the recent whispers and rumors could not easily shake.

“My esteemed ministers, welcome to this banquet. My ascension to the throne is still recent, and since then, I have toiled tirelessly, daring not to relax in the slightest. I feared sullying the late king’s achievements and disappointing the expectations of my subjects. I also thank all of you for your unwavering assistance in governing Danga. It is thanks to you that the domestic situation stabilized so swiftly after the late king’s unexpected passing. I toast to all of you!”

King Gapp’s voice was deep and powerful, his words resonating with the clarity of an ancient bell, stirring the hearts of those present.

Many ministers, moved by his address, raised their wine glasses, clinked them in the air with his, and then drained them in one gulp.

As the atmosphere grew fervent, King Gapp spoke once more.

“I am aware that recent events have caused some misunderstandings among you, my esteemed ministers. I wish to be frank with you now and clarify the matter.”

The hall fell into an instant, profound silence. One could almost hear a pin drop.

It was impossible that those present were not interested in the widely circulating rumors of a humiliating, sovereignty-ceding contract. Absolutely impossible.

Everyone strained their ears, ready to finally hear the long-delayed truth.

“That contract was indeed signed by me!”

“A Demon Spirit!”

Ellis gasped the moment she saw the Octo-man.

The Demon Spirit replied with satisfaction, “To recognize my race at a glance, you are indeed no simple individual. I imagine that with you as a birthing vessel, a truly powerful offspring could be born.”

“Bir—birthing vessel?!”

Ellis’s eyes widened to the size of lightbulbs. How long had it been since she transformed? Was she already facing a magical girl’s dark corruption storyline?

Larry, beside her, laughed heartlessly, “Hahaha, hahahaha! I can’t believe something from an R-rated anime is actually happening to you! I’m dying of laughter, hahahaha, this is too amusing!”

However, the Demon Spirit’s next words abruptly silenced Larry’s laughter.

“You are also quite suitable. I didn’t expect to encounter two excellent birthing vessels at once.”

“Hahahaha! You’re even more ridiculous than me, aren’t you? You haven’t even transformed and you’re already facing this!”

This time, it was Ellis who couldn’t stop laughing.

Larry’s face turned ashen as he glared at the Demon Spirit with its unique preferences. He gritted his teeth and declared, “Open your dog eyes and look closely, I’m a man!”

The Demon Spirit stated matter-of-factly, “Only lower races like yours are restricted by gender for reproduction. For us, a birthing vessel is a birthing vessel; there is no gender distinction.”

“Phew, truly worthy of a race wanted by the Adventurer’s Guild, aren’t you? Could this unique taste also be one of the reasons for your notoriety?”

Ellis drew Mitchell and pointed it at the Demon Spirit, saying, “So that’s it. You controlled Daisy to kill her parents, didn’t you?”

The Demon Spirit race was on the Adventurer’s Guild’s blacklist. Their reproduction required devouring the life and spirit of other creatures.

They would mentally manipulate other races, wantonly toying with human hearts.

Furthermore, they would implant their seeds within other creatures, like parasites. However, these parasites fed on the host’s spirit and modified the host’s body. Once the host’s original spirit was completely devoured, their body would also be transformed into the likeness of a Demon Spirit. This was how they propagated.

Because the actions of the Demon Spirit race crossed the ethical boundaries of most races, they were declared public enemies by the Adventurer’s Guild. They possessed an energy crystal within their bodies, and bringing it to the Guild would yield a substantial bounty.

“Whether it’s me or not is irrelevant. Become my puppet.”

With that, the Demon Spirit launched a mental assault at Ellis and Larry.

However, to its surprise, its psychic attack was like a pebble dropped into the ocean, causing no harm to Ellis and Larry whatsoever.

Only when its gaze met Ellis and Larry’s cold, indifferent eyes did it realize these two were true monsters. It had foolishly revealed itself before them, despite its own meager strength.

Alas, the Demon Spirit had no chance to regret. Larry flashed, appearing beside the creature, and with a swift draw, struck it with the flat of his scabbard.

The Demon Spirit attempted to react, but then a wave of weakness and dizziness washed over its mind.

It was well known that Demon Spirits were famed for their potent mental abilities, yet it had never expected to be mentally assaulted by others today.

Ellis stepped on the Demon Spirit’s head and demanded, “Were Daisy’s parents truly killed because you controlled her?”

The Demon Spirit remained silent, clearly unwilling to confess honestly.

Ellis frowned slightly. At this moment, Larry reminded her, “Let’s take him away and interrogate him slowly. This is not a place to linger.”

“Mm.”

Just as Ellis was about to lift the Demon Spirit, a vast, pervasive mental force filled the entire room.

All light was swallowed, and the room transformed into a dark ocean. Pairs of blood-red eyes slowly opened within this darkness, then collectively turned to gaze at Ellis and Larry.

The mental pollution was not merely sensory; it was actively eroding their spiritual power.

“Petty tricks! Come out!”

Against this mental erosion, Ellis immediately drew another elemental staff and cast a purification spell.

Under its quadruple effect, the darkness in the room dissipated rapidly, like ice floes melting under a scorching sun.

But when the moonlight once again streamed into the room, the Demon Spirit Ellis had pinned under her foot was gone without a trace.

“We were outmaneuvered,” Ellis said, annoyed.

Larry frowned and nodded. “That guy’s initial goal was to rescue the Demon Spirit.”

“Quick, it’s here! People inside, listen up, you’re surrounded!”

Soldiers’ shouts echoed from outside, indicating that they had been discovered.

“Let’s go!”

Larry swept Ellis into a princess carry, then shot out in a flash, breaching the soldiers’ blockade in an instant and vanishing from their sight.

Meanwhile, King Gapp had already left the banquet and was in his study, reviewing some documents.

Suddenly, a Demon Spirit was thrown from his shadow. It was the very same one Ellis and Larry had just dealt with.

King Gapp observed, “What happened?”

“Someone broke into that room. This fellow rashly went out without assessing the enemy’s strength and ended up captured. I had to expend some effort to rescue him.”

Another Demon Spirit slowly emerged from Gapp’s shadow. Its aura was significantly more imposing than the other’s. This was Marjorie, the Demon Spirit clan leader.

“He’s considered quite strong within your clan, isn’t he? Yet he was captured alive by others?”

Marjorie said coldly, “Those two likely possess the power to contend with me.”

Gapp was slightly surprised. “That strong? Will our plan be affected?”

“I hadn’t anticipated such a situation. This is supposed to be a remote area; how could such experts be attracted here?”

Marjorie grumbled softly, then added, “I can’t currently gauge what impact they will have, so we must accelerate our plan. Is that acceptable?”

King Gapp nodded indifferently. “No problem. These are minor matters. I will expedite the process.”