Chapter 333
You Have at Least Three Sentences to Say
The woman’s breath hitched in fury, and she coughed out a mouthful of blood. She collapsed onto her knees, powerless, and the girl in her arms tumbled down in a heap.
Although she hadn’t reacted at all… her luck had been good enough that the attack hadn’t harmed the girl. For humans, a blow through the heart would be instantly fatal. But for a Child of the Moon, it was merely a grievous injury. However, her heart was pinned, preventing her from transforming into a bat and escaping. She could only stand there, feeling her life drain away, which became a form of torment in itself.
“Save me…” she cried out subconsciously.
But the moment her gaze met the girl’s, she immediately realized how foolish her words were.
“…Run…run quickly…” she revised her plea.
The youth merely glanced at her indifferently, paying her no mind.
“You shouldn’t do it like that, Miss Viness,” he lectured, as if speaking to the air. “The tips of your shadows are too thick, making them easy to block. They’re also more likely to miss vital points. You should make your shadows thinner, like needles. Then, after piercing the body, detonate them.”
“——Like this?”
With a hoarse, low voice, countless thread-like shadows pierced the woman’s body from all directions. Then, they suddenly expanded within her body—like sharp blades made of transparent glass shards, they burst out from her skin.
She tried to scream, but couldn’t. As blades also protruded from her throat, silencing all sound. She knelt there, head held high, covered in countless shadow blades that sprouted from her entire body. She looked like some kind of artwork, or perhaps a potted plant.
“Not like that, a little thicker, like sharp needles. If they’re too thin, they become fragile too.”
The youth continued to offer guidance. The Shadow Demon humbly accepted the advice. “Understood.”
The next moment, new shadow needles pierced the woman’s body again, then thrust out blades. “Is it like this?”
“Ah, this is about right.”
The woman’s blood flowed continuously, pooling beneath her and forming a shallow puddle. Yet, even so, she didn’t die easily. Her body turned pale at a visible rate. It wasn’t the pallor of human anemia, but a lifeless, withered white, like a stone statue. Once all her blood was drained, she completely turned into a gray-white sculpture, her face etched with pain and despair.
The youth tapped the sculpture lightly, as if knocking on a door. It immediately collapsed, turning into dust. Only then did the youth turn back to the girl with amusement. “You’re not running?”
“I can’t escape no matter what. This is a Shadow Demon. I’m only at the Fourth Tier right now. Trying to escape would be too insulting to the Shadow Demon.” The girl shrugged, revealing a cute smile. “Hello, Miss Alain. I am ‘Ban.’ Can we cooperate?”
This was not just a greeting. She was attempting a special victory condition—to discern the identities of all remaining players in the endgame. And this youth, accompanied by a Shadow Demon, was definitely Miss Alain of the Transcendent Path.
But her words didn’t trigger a settlement. This made Ban’s heart sink. *Does this mean there are others still alive…?*
“You can use three sentences to convince me,” the youth replied with a light chuckle.
“You have great talent, but I can confirm you’re not with the Rose Cross. However, I can introduce you…”
“——Two more sentences.”
The youth interrupted Ban’s words. Ban didn’t show any displeasure at being interrupted or any stutter, but naturally shifted to another topic. “I haven’t seen anyone else here. The only ones possibly still alive or who haven’t escaped are the two of us.”
“And so?” the youth countered.
“If you kill me, you might actually fail,” Ban replied earnestly. “Because…”
At that moment, a hint of a mocking smile flashed across the youth’s face. Ban’s heart skipped a beat, realizing she had said something wrong. *Is it Mr. Gray? Does Miss Alain trust so much that Mr. Gray is definitely still alive? But… why? She could be sure Alain hadn’t seen anyone else. And in the lounge, Ban hadn’t seen anyone resembling Gray…*
*I see, Path Adaptation? She has already silently integrated into her own identity. Then she might have already contacted Miss Alain. — No, that Earthbound Spirit might have been released by her!’* Ban thought rapidly, realizing something. Shadow Demons weren’t invincible against Children of the Moon—in fact, Children of the Moon weren’t particularly afraid of Shadow Demons. This was because Shadow Demons lacked the light and fire damage that Children of the Moon most feared. The corrosive effects of shadow-attribute damage were ineffective against Children of the Moon; they could only be slowly killed through physical means like bleeding. And the high-speed mobility of Children of the Moon made it easy to kill the Shadow Demon’s host…
*So that’s why she summoned Earthbound Spirits to prevent the Children of the Moon from grouping up! A young Demon Scholar who contracted a Shadow Demon at the Fourth Tier, and an Extraordinary who can control Earthbound Spirits and excels at using various illusions… What a terrifying combination of genius killers!’* Ban felt a chill then, but it was quickly followed by joy. She deeply realized this was no longer a matter of the Ascension Ritual. If she could recruit such talent, even if this attempt failed, it would be worthwhile—after all, her main Path didn’t aim for the Sixth Tier; that was too dangerous. The negative effects of soul damage usually only affected progression from Fourth to Fifth Tier, and Second Path to Fourth Tier was sufficient… From this perspective, she could accept her death.
Ban’s thoughts raced, but in reality, it was only an instant. She immediately called out, “Wait a moment, don’t kill me, I have something important to say! At Leipzig’s White Dove Opera House! Tell the manager ‘I want to see the male singer who performed here last month.’ The manager will say, ‘Sorry, we don’t have his contact information.’ Then you say, ‘He knows me, we became friends at a club.’ He’ll give you my contact information—”
“Are you finished?” the youth asked. The girl flashed a harmless and friendly smile. “You can go back and inquire. I am Count Leipzig. My reputation is quite good in various circles, I’m very wealthy and happy to help others… Of course, if you’re willing to sell me an Ascension slot, I can offer you generous compensation. You just need to not kill me…”
Before she finished speaking, she was pierced by shadows. First, one pierced her heart—then countless shadow blades directly impaled her like a sea urchin. Ban immediately lost her life. But as she lost consciousness, she felt relieved. *Finally, I’ve said everything I needed to say…*
Watching the girl die before her eyes, Lily pondered for a moment. *—In conclusion, once we get out, I’ll report to Young Master.*
“Are you going to continue hunting?” Lily asked the younger version of the Shadow Demon Miss. “It’s a time of chaos now.”
“Of course,” the Shadow Demon said hatefully. Lily’s shadow violently expanded and distorted, with jagged edges, tentacles, and blades undulating within it. The Shadow Demon let out a low, lion-like roar. “I’m going to kill all these monsters— —And, most importantly. I will kill the monster who stole my ‘Beyad’ name!”
At this moment, in the underground ritual chamber used to contact the outside world, Beyad and Eivass were there. Beyad sat on the only seat in the Ritual Array, with Eivass sitting on her lap. It looked as if Beyad was holding a puppet. And scattered around the room were piles of white, snow-like ash. Supervisor Cornelius stood at the entrance with a grim expression, confronting the smiling Beyad.
“Miss Beyad, what is the meaning of this?”
“The meaning is…” Beyad chuckled. “I’m curious, do you people really like checking the situation one by one?”
Alice silently appeared behind Supervisor Cornelius.
