Chapter 17: Collusion
After the glowing George left, the square, filled with corpses and depraved artworks, felt exceptionally dark.
Jima chuckled, “The guy with all that light pollution has finally gone!”
Henry felt the atmosphere darken.
This had little to do with the two “Demon Harps” left behind; although the depraved Demon Harp was indeed disgusting, made from a bald muscular slave, alive, kneeling on the ground with arms outstretched like a bird, its back revealing red muscles forming a harp shape along with its arms.
The darkness was mainly associated with the grinning succubus.
With no brave warriors present, who knew what she might do? Henry turned his head in awe and said:
“It’s an honor to receive your rescue, but now that the Vanguard City has fallen, let’s free the captives and try to retreat. I’ll go find the ones that aren’t captured yet.”
He saw Jima tilting her head, grinning as she looked at Henry.
She was beautiful; despite her veiled face, her beauty was unreasonable. Whether one liked her looks or not, the extraordinary charm she radiated would draw your admiration.
But Henry felt it was even scarier than standing before the Demon King Jima.
She wouldn’t want to turn me into some kind of human instrument, would she?
Henry couldn’t help but think.
“I remember you,” Jima suddenly spoke.
Henry felt it was just an excuse, his heart racing as he looked to Witch Hunter Arcanis for help.
As a Witch Hunter, facing a succubus like her, she wouldn’t just stand by, right? After all, they were the professionals who slaughtered entire villages to eradicate cultists.
Arcanis shrugged, “Actually, I’m kind of good friends with her.”
Heresy Court, heretics arise…
Henry didn’t know why that phrase popped into his head.
“Madam,” Henry said, “you must be the most beautiful woman in the world. If I had encountered you before, I would never forget you for the rest of my life.”
Kailen chimed in, “He’s wounded and not feeling well right now; we… we should go treat him, let’s leave.”
“You came from what village again?” Jima said, “You climbed over my wall to steal my lingerie, and my maid chased you away with a stick.”
Henry’s face flushed, and he trembled as he asked, “Are you the herbalist outside that village?”
“Exactly.”
“What?” Kailen turned her head, a look of shock on her face. “You’re actually that kind of person!”
“No!” Henry quickly explained, “It was my companion who wanted to steal; he dragged me along.”
Seeing that the fun wasn’t enough, Jima interjected, “Theoretically, you’re also an underwear thief.”
Kailen shot him a glare, “Ruffian!”
Saying that, she turned her head and walked away.
“Where are you going?”
“Going to find the captives.”
“I’ll go with you; it’s not safe for you to go alone.”
“Shorty, we’re coming; you just stay here and play the ruffian!”
The butcher engineer said, “Country girl, don’t call me short!”
Jima looked up at the narrowing gap above, then glanced at the eyeless succubus on the ground and said, “There’s much to do today; come on, Arcanis, lend a hand.”
She called out to Arcanis, who was silently slipping away.
“Send Henry instead,” Arcanis said, turning his head. “I’ll find some prey in the city to play with.”
Jima turned her golden gaze to Henry and said, “Mortal, if you don’t want your family to be broken, your wife to leave, your brothers to turn against each other, and to step in dog droppings every day…”
Henry immediately looked down, “Your wish is my command.”
The orange cat in his arms felt touched, its eyes moist. My master still loves me; she found me a laborer so I won’t have to do hard work; my master is truly wonderful.
“Hey, hey, I’m talking to you.” Jima poked the lying eyeless succubus with a “straight branch.” The succubus flinched as if swatted, “Can you stand up and walk to the altar? I still need to seal the gap; there’s quite a bit to do.”
“No, my sisters.”
“What’s your name again?” Jima waved to Henry and asked, “Do you want to inflict righteous torment on a defenseless female succubus?”
“Madam, should we kill her?”
“We can’t.”
While Henry was chopping down the “Demon Harp,” he said, “Then sorry.”
“Really, you don’t show any gratitude.”
“You didn’t use your charm on him?”
The eyeless succubus, covered in blood, looked at Jima. Although she had no eyeballs, Jima felt an invisible gaze stabbing into her heart like a knife, digging out her thoughts and weaknesses.
“A succubus as powerful as you, as soon as you think a thought, he’s just your puppet, so what are you afraid of?”
“Afraid?” Jima said in surprise. “Charm that’s akin to mind control is a violation of sacred human rights.”
“Ha ha ha… cough cough.” The eyeless succubus sneered, blood trickling from her mouth. “Take that ridiculous lie to fool someone else… Especially that brave warrior. Yes, you’re afraid of that brave warrior, so you’re holding back, not daring to do evil deeds. How pathetic.”
“Laborer?” Jima shouted. “Come here, drag this person away, take her to the altar.”
Henry cautiously came over and dragged the eyeless succubus along.
“You, a succubus, what do you want to be with the brave warrior for? Let me guess…” The eyeless succubus grinned maliciously. “Because of the fragment of the crown on your head, you must have promised him to save the world together, while you’re just trying to defeat the Eternal Chosen One and become the true Demon King. That’s how it is…
“When the time is ripe, you’ll unhesitatingly slam your weapon into his back. For that, you even had a girl with him. How long have you followed him? It’s impressive how he trusts you so much; I’ve had thousands of followers and lovers, and none can compare to a brave warrior.”
“You’re saying too much.” Jima said. “You can’t possibly imagine how pure and innocent the love between us is, even the snow under moonlight isn’t as pure as my love.”
The eyeless succubus couldn’t help but laugh, causing blood to splatter from her mouth.
Jima shook her head and lamented, “Hey, now no one believes the truth when we speak.”
Henry dragged her to the altar and turned to run.
The eyeless succubus lay on the altar, saying:
“Your acting is disgusting. We are both succubi, how could I not know what you’re thinking?”
Liansi, the cat in Jima’s arms, jumped out and landed on the ground, transforming into a human form. She scolded, “Before my master, you’re just a mere insect. How could my master be troubled to deceive a bug like you?”
“Do you believe her words?”
“Of course I do.”
“Do you believe they genuinely love each other?”
Liansi felt a bit conflicted. “Well… of course I believe so.”
“Nice deception.” The eyeless succubus said. “You’ve deceived your servant quite well; she truly believes you’re in love. Ha ha… mongrel cat, do you think your master doesn’t love you and treats you as just a tool? You’re not wrong; your loyalty and affection for your master are nothing but our inherent abilities implanted in your heart…
“Your status is like a talking broom at home; to her, you’re just a well-used broom. Even if I tell you the truth, you won’t awaken. Even if you do awaken, your master just has to curl her finger, and you’ll wag your tail like a pitiful dog.”
Liansi wanted to refute, but the eyeless succubus’s words, infused with magic, sank deep into her heart. She angrily said, “You’re lying!”
Jima calmly responded, “She’s trying to sow discord with her extraordinary powers.”
Having said that, she looked at the eyeless succubus. “Are you ready? Got your teeth clenched? The sacrifice is about to begin.”
…
…
“Sorry, my niece, for the sake of our world, you’ll have to be sacrificed.”
The world’s greatest mage, the younger brother of the guardian of Osuan, the ancestor of all battle mages in the empire, Teger muttered in his heart.
“Are you sure you’ve transported your niece to us?”
“Of course! One hundred percent sure.”
“Then why hasn’t she arrived yet?”
“Subspace! You necrophiliac!” Teger rarely got angry. “Do you have any idea how much effort I put in to erase the traces? I betrayed my brother, who’s stressing everywhere trying to find his daughter.”
“That has nothing to do with me; you must fulfill the pact.”
“That also depends on the temper of the subspace!” Teger retorted. “The subspace is unpredictable; it’s delayed for so long, surely it’s a scheme from the Lord of Deception.”
“It could also be a scheme from you long-eared folks…”
…
…
On the other side, within the Illusion Fortress.
“Finally, she’s starting the sacrifice and divination.” A hand waved.
In Silvaniya, in a gloomy ancient castle.
As a writhing blue light lit up, frost leaves fell into a rusty iron cage.
“What is this place?” She immediately drew her silver sword.
“A place to save the world.”
Under the greenish light, a big bald vampire appeared. “But you must offer your bloodline to resurrect the most powerful necromancer in history to combat the apocalypse army. I hope you think wisely.”
