Chapter 44: The Adventurer’s Escape and the Demon Lord’s Hasty Awakening

An… adventurer?

Clennina’s eyes deepened with confusion; she had perceived the man’s true nature behind her, yet this revelation only rendered him more inscrutable.

A pure, colorless, intangible substance seemed to coil its way up the man’s wrist, and what was inherently invisible was somehow contained by him, rendering the entire scene absurd and bizarre.

“I… won’t let you succeed!”

Clennina, still clinging to a sliver of strength, wrestled control of her unresponsive body. With immense difficulty, she raised the holy sword in her hand, then plunged it effortlessly into her own soft abdomen.

Schlick.

“What!?”

The man’s frame was slender and tall, preventing Clennina’s sword from piercing him even as it tore through her own flesh.

This, precisely, was what filled him with such bewildered alarm.

The agony of her self-inflicted wound twisted Clennina’s beautiful features, yet she still managed a tired smile – a pure, unadulterated grin of triumph.

Schlick!

Foul blood defiled the pure and pristine holy sword, and a thick aura of evil and ill omen began to swirl through the street. The stench of blood, so pungent it threatened to overwhelm, carried a terrifying presence, like a storm cloud condensed from gore.

“Quickly, ally, get away!”

Ariana, who had collapsed onto the ground, abruptly snapped her eyes open, screaming with every ounce of her remaining strength.

Tch!

The man, referred to as an ally, gritted his teeth, attempting to withdraw his hand, only to find his right wrist tightly ensnared. The very conduit he had intended for soul extraction was now being used by Clennina to channel her defiled blood in reverse.

Schlick!

Sharp blades erupted from Clennina’s flesh, forming a thicket of swords that made her body resemble a porcupine. These blades relentlessly advanced towards the man, utterly transforming his hand into an extension of her own will.

“Adventurers are beings who, even if killed, will simply revive elsewhere, aren’t they?”

Clennina’s eyelids drooped, struggling to stay open, yet she still smiled, like royalty facing their demise.

“Then I shall ensure you never die, but instead endure the torment of a thousand blades piercing your body, living on in eternal agony.”

Schlick!

“Vampiric Secret Art: Coffin of Blood Blades!”

A colossal coffin of blood materialized, resembling a cruel Iron Maiden torture device, poised to imprison both the man and Clennina, who had become a thicket of blades, together within its confines.

In that critical moment, the man severed his right hand, which had already transmuted into a blade, and hastily retreated from the blood coffin.

Just as no one knew how he had arrived, no one knew how he managed to escape that eternal blood coffin either.

Ariana tremblingly produced a pale blue potion and drained it in one gulp. Though crudely concocted, its effects were instantaneous: her eyes rapidly regained clarity, and her body became capable of slight movement.

However, this potion primarily offered a fleeting surge of vitality, enabling her to endure until proper treatment could be administered. Its inherent healing properties were, in fact, quite minimal.

“Ally, what is your condition?”

She braced herself, rising to her feet, and questioned the man who stood far from the blood coffin, now missing his right hand.

“It’s nothing. For an adventurer’s body, a severed limb is merely a temporary anomaly; with the right item, it can be quickly restored.”

As he spoke, the young man, with his handsome, chiseled features, opened his system panel. His left hand deftly tapped a few times, and his right hand was instantly restored to its original state.

It was a shame, however, that despite such a hard-won opportunity, he had failed to acquire the soul of the vampiric princess.

“We should leave here quickly; the Demon Lord’s army will be arriving soon.”

Even as Ariana spoke, the figures of knights appeared at the end of the street.

“Now that the greatest obstacle has been removed, I must swiftly prepare for the arrival of my Lord.”

***

Mmmph…

Letitia Tanis curled up on the luxurious bed, clutching a soft pillow, her brow furrowing occasionally as she endured the throbbing pain at her temples.

She had imbibed far too much the previous night, leaving her stomach feeling uncomfortably full even now.

Mrow…

As if suffering from a blackout after a heavy night of drinking, Letitia attempted to sit up, but her feeble limbs refused to obey. Her head throbbed with a violent ache, as if it had been cleaved open.

Last night’s succubus milk had been produced in such abundance that it caused a medicinal conflict.

This served as a harsh lesson for Letitia: never consume potency-enhancing drugs and highly restorative succubus milk simultaneously.

Especially Noah Autolinde’s succubus milk.

However, possessing the constitution of a Demon Lord, Letitia eventually absorbed all the succubus milk within her body. Feeling invigorated, she let out a long sigh of relief, threw back the covers, and stepped out of bed.

Donning her splendid gown with a confident flourish, Letitia rubbed her temples, attempting to dispel the chaotic jumble of thoughts. Yet, a faint blush still lingered on her cheeks.

It’s… two in the afternoon!?

Noticing the time, Letitia’s eyes widened. She pushed open the door and hurried towards the Demon Lord’s office.

Letitia possessed an exceptionally high sense of responsibility towards her position as Demon Lord, bordering on the rigid.

It wasn’t that she doubted the capabilities of her subordinates, but rather that she wished to swiftly ascertain whether any irreversible changes had transpired within the empire during her absence.

Although Letitia had gone without food for over twelve hours, she felt no hunger.

Instead, a pleasant warmth radiated from her abdomen, a surge of heat coursing through her entire body, leaving her brimming with inexhaustible energy.

This was due to Noah’s bodily fluids possessing remarkably potent healing and nourishing properties. True to her title as the Healing Saintess, she could treat even demons with impartial efficacy.

Moreover, the healing effects were so outstanding that even a tiny amount could revitalize a person, let alone the near-saturating, greedy intake Letitia had consumed.

After all, Noah Autolinde’s essential role was that of a healer; it was only natural for a healer’s output to be somewhat exaggerated.

Jogging through the corridors of the Demon Lord’s castle, Letitia skillfully navigated the garden. The Demon Lord’s private office lay just a stone’s throw away.

But just then, she abruptly halted.

For before her, curled up like a large cat, enjoying the blissful afternoon beneath the shade of the trees and the warm midday sun, was a pure white dragoness.