ã€ŠThe second female lead Dual Cultivatesã€‹


 Chapter 1 01: Into A New World

    [Wee host, to your new reality. Avalon awaits your arrival]

    Purple eyes looked at her new surroundings. The eleven years old girl looked at the new world she had been thrust into and could not help but marvel at the beauty of this world. Finally, she could escape her sad life of before.

    This new world was a mix of fantasy and sci-fi, or so she had been told. A weird mix but one she could appreciate nheless. She had only heard of this world in passing, on the inte even. It had been a famous game in her real world but little did the people know that it was actually real enough.

    [User should remember their role and act ordingly. They have been transmigrated into this world¡¯s holy priestess so they should y ording to their role as per their contract. The basic information package has been delivered in the mail.]

    Maria nodded at those words but did not pay particr attention to them. She had already read the basic information package. Her attention was focused on the world around her. It was magnificent and so much more beautiful than it had looked on the game¡¯s cover.

    Maria could still not believe this all was real and she was here.

    ¡°So, what should I do next? Any instructions would be helpful for me¡± Maria asked as she stood up. Her knees buckles at her weight and she looked down at them. There were deep gash marks on her knees which hurt her. They were bleeding and needed treatment.

    How long had this body been kneeling for? A day? A few hours? The wounds did not look that bad, just the bleeding looked bad.

    [You are to y the role of Maria Kishin, the holy priestess of this world and the one who will motivate the MC to move forward. As such, the host is to keep their head down and do as they are told. The host will be given full possession of this body for the next few years while the system will observe and only help in critical conditions. What happens after hosts leave this room is their own responsibility. ]

    Maria cheered at those words. They were the words she had wanted to hear for such a long time now. To finally have a healthy body to call her own had been Maria''s dream for a long time.

    Ever since Maria had gotten sick in her original world, she had been wanting to explore her horizons. As such, she had been looking forward to spending time in the open world. She had wanted toe out of her sheltered life and explore the outside world.

    Not that it ever happened.

    Maria¡¯s body gave up before she could have her dreams fulfilled but now she was here, in this new world. Whatever this creature was, it had helped her immensely in

    fulfilling her dream and Maria was thankful.

    [Host should return to the main chamber now. Follow the glowing arrows for direction]

    Maria walked with shaky steps. Her eyes were glued to the floor as she moved ahead.

    It felt good to be able to walk again. It felt freeing to not have a feeding tube in her or to not be able to move at all.

    It was painful but liberating at the same time. Maria was experiencing things she had not for a long time and even the hurt felt good.

    The door was a pain to move but Maria¡¯s new body had enough strength to be able to push it away with her weight.

    And then she was out of that shall chamber and stepped into the most magnificent chamber Maria had ever had the pleasure of stepping into.

    The whole hall was decorated with crystalline decorations. It was huge and shiny and it reflected her small and thin figure in its crystals as she moved.

    ¡°Wee back Miss Maria. I hope your prayer was a sess this time¡± Maria jumped into the air as the new voice reached her ears. It was enough for her to lose her bnce and Maria felt the floor approach her face.

    She instantly closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact.

    The impact never came and Maria felt someone hold her in their arms.

    ¡°Be careful now miss. Mistress would kill me if something happened to you¡± Maria looked up, her eyes meeting the piercing blue of herpanion.

    The female in front of her looked so huge to Maria¡¯s eyes. Those arms were solid as steel and they held her gently.

    It was not till Maria stood up straight that she noticed how young her savior was. She had to be around thirteen and maybe tall for her age as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The body certainly was not something a young teen should have at least.

    ¡°Err, thank you for saving me, ah. Who are you exactly?¡± the female in front of Maria looked to be out of a fantasy setting. She had short purple hair and a wless face.

    And a pair of horns on top of her head.

    Not human. Definitely not human.

    ¡°This self is called Nao, master. The Mistress, your mother had sent me to fetch you since your fianc¨¦ and his family would be here any moment now¡± the female, Nao replied.

    [Nao, a demon created as a caretaker of the Holy Oracle. The chains on the demon''s arms bind their magic and keep them substitutive to their owners]

    The system exined but Maria had her head elsewhere. A fianc¨¦? Her? Was she not promised to the Male lead of this world who would forget all about her once he started on his journey? No one had said anything about having a fianc¨¦.

    ¡°Do you know who that is?¡± Maria asked in the smallest of tones she could mutter. The information had shaken her.

    She had not been ready to have this kind of knowledge. She was not even straight, so what use did she have for a fianc¨¦?

    And her words were making the female in front of her frown. There was a suspicion in those piercing blue eyes that Maria did not like it at all. She had to distract the other.

    ¡°Well, would you look at the time? It is time for me to meet my mother. Please lead the way¡± and just like that, those piercing eyes were away from Maria.

    She observed the other girl in more detail now that she did not have those eyes focused on her. There were a lot of details Maria had missed the first time she had observed

    that girl.

    There were cuffs on the poor girl¡¯s hands and feet. Something about them screamed wrong to Maria but she had no idea what it was. The anti-magic in those cuffs felt corrosive to look at.

    They made her feel sick and hollow inside.

    Then there was the overall submissive attitude of Nao. It seemed as if she had given up on life itself and it did not sit well with Maria. The other had a chance to live a fulfilling life and she was not taking it. Was it all because of the magical bindings? If so, then it fell onto Maria to help her out.

    ¡°We are here. The mistress is waiting for you inside¡± Noa stopped in front of a huge pair of gates. They were looming over the hallway, establishing their importance and Maria felt something inside here to life.

    She felt almost afraid to step inside. The thought of Nao and help escapade her mind as her senses registered the cold and unyielding presence inside the room in front of her.

    It took a few moments for Maria to realize that it was her body that had frozen up with something she had no idea about.

    ¡°Please hurry up inside. Mistress is in a good mood today¡± Maria took a huge gulp of breath and finally entered the room. The door behind her closed with a bang but Maria did not pay attention to it.

    Her attention was focused right in front of her, on the figure right in the center of the room.

    ¡°You took your sweet timeing here. Now step up here so that we can start this ¡° Maria stepped forward almost involuntarily.

    Before she knew it, she was in front of the elder female, her mother.

    She had not even realized that her knees had stopped bleeding or that her wounds had healed all on their own.

    (First few chapters are a little slow but the story will quickly pick up pace after the background is set up. please read a few chapters before deciding if this is your cup of tea. It will have a lot of R-18 scenes and a lot of Yuri as well. Maybe Futa but not for Maria. Some side characters will be Futa. Those who are here from my other story, I wee you.

    This time, the MC is a little naive because of her time spent in the hospital and the inte. She will mature and grow out of it but give her a little time. Hopefully.)

 Chapter 2 02: First Meeting

    ¡°Maria, today is the day you shall meet your future husband. Don¡¯t look so worried, he¡¯s a sweet guy and you shall do your best to help him out in his journey in the future¡± rose-red eyes looked at the older woman. Her mother is in this world.

    [Silvya Kishin, the mother of the holy oracle. A cold woman who would do anything to achieve her goal]

    Silvya Kishin, the woman who had birthed the oracle in this world. She was kneeling in front of her eleven years old daughter, the oracle at that very moment. Maria felt guilty to be in her current body at that very moment.

    The older woman had a darkplexion with pale blond hair, a foreign look in the kingdom of Luma she had been told in the first briefing. But somehow, it did not seem as odd as the Pinkish hair of her daughter.

    ¡°Why am I even exining all this to eleven years old? Well, just be on your best behavior and no more dangerous tasks, alright? We cannot fail this marriage¡± Maria nodded as the older woman red at her.

    Silvya stood up and finally, Maria was alone with her thoughts. Silvya was a good mother, if not the most attentive one or most loving one. Her profile had detailed her as such and Maria chose to believe in it.

    But Maria had never been able to call her mother but she could respect the older woman. But it still did not help that the older Woman felt more like a teacher than a mother to her.

    ¡°Maria,e forward and meet the Lucis family. This is Nick, your future fianc¨¦¡± Silvya came back with a beautiful family behind her. All the servants bowed to the new addition to their room. Maria had not even realized that the older woman had been gone from the room.

    [Nick Lucis, the likely hero of the prophecy and the first MC of this world. He will be the strongest life form in this world and assemble a harem of beauties led by the holy oracle at his side]

    Nick, the child her mother was pointing to was a really beautiful child with ck hair and ck eyes. His ck eyes looked bored to be here and we¡¯re likely looking around for a way out. There was no doubt in Maria''s mind that he would grow up to be a handsome man.

    ¡°Maria,e and greet the royal family. I¡¯m sorry your majesty, she¡¯s a little overwhelmed¡± the re Silvya gave Maria told her that she was in trouble and should follow along with her instructions. Yup, she was a cold one alright.

    To Maria, there was no other choice but to follow her mother¡¯s instructions. And this was the royal family in front of her and everything in Maria''s profile had made her out to be a sweet child.

    So Maria gave a small bow to the family, the politest she could muster, and looked over to her supposed ¡®fianc¨¦.¡¯

    Who seemed not to pay any attention toward her at all.

    Instead, his gaze seemed to be fixed at a blond child behind the royal family who looked oddly out of ce with the ck-haired family. The child was staring at Maria with an intensity that she had never experienced before and it made Maria nervous.

    ¡°Nick, you bow too. Greet your future wife politely¡± the female of the ck-haired pair, the queen scolded the small child and pushed him forward.

    The child, Nick, looked unhappy to be forced into such a situation and his face twisted in a frown. It became even worse when the child realized that his blond child has their attention shifted away from him.

    He did now back to Maria and that seemed to please the queen enough to let the topic drop. The queen looked embarrassed but not surprised.

    ¡°Can I go now? I would like to explore this ce a bit more¡± The young prince whined at his mother who looked more and more embarrassed at his disy. However, she did not contradict her child.

    Not that the young prince cared all about it.

    ¡°Fine, you can go¡± the queen seemed to have epted her fate and just sighed at her useless son.

    ¡°Uh, can I go as well?¡± another voice asked. One Maria had not even noticed before but now held her attention.

    Contrary to her first look, the family contained four people, not just three. The one who had called everyone¡¯s attention was a figure simr to Nick¡¯s but a little more

    feminine.

    ¡°Neah, you want to go as well? Very well, I shall allow it but not alone. How about having young miss Maria here apany you both?¡± the queen asked in a finalized

    voice.

    [Neah Lucis, the other child of the royal family. Born under a powerful curse, she can either be the salvation of this world or the destroyer. The oracle is advised to stay away from her or something bad would happen]

    Neah looked happy enough with this arrangement but the prince seemed to have issues with it. Neah looked like a happy child, a sweet one even and Maria could not figure out why she had been warned as such.

    ¡°No, absolutely not. She can keep Neahpany for as long as she wants but I want nothing to do with her¡± before anyone could say anything more, Nick left the scene.

    The blond child just looked at the royal family before hurrying after the young prince as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Foolish child. I¡¯m sorry for his behavior and I promise to have it corrected soon. Please pardon his behavior¡± the queen seemed to be at a loss for words.

    ¡°We don¡¯t mind. We understand that the young prince is going through a phase. Hopefully, he wille back to his senses quickly and see that a union between him and

    Maria is for the best¡± Silvya encouraged.

    Not that she could do anything else or take offense.

    As a monarch of a fallen kingdom, Silvya was as good as a prisoner of the Luics royal family, a bargaining chip to keep the enemy soldiers quiet. She had been the daughter of an oracle (when the world still had a living one) and had been forced to marry to produce the next oracle.

    It did not help that her husband had died as soon as Maria had been born and that changed the sweetdy Silvya had been.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m interested in what you can show me¡± Neah took charge as soon as she realized the mood had worsened.

    Maria did not need another reminder to leave the tense room. Her mother¡¯s disappointing gaze was enough to make her aware of her shorings.

    ¡°Thank you for getting me out of there¡± Maria¡¯s words caused the young princess to blush. The pale cheeks finally gained color and the young girl looked away from

    Maria¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m d to be of help. I just wanted to meet you once and you¡¯re beautiful as well¡± the other girl seemed to go red after she finished her words.

    Maria could only smile in amusement, not taking those words to heart. She had heard them enough to know that they did not mean anything.

    ¡°Hopefully, your brother would think like that as well and find me beautiful¡± Maria muttered half-heartedly.

    She could see her fianc¨¦ in the distance and saw him turn around when her eyes met his.

    ¡°My brother? He¡¯s a fool and he doesn¡¯t know what he is missing not choosing you. If it had been me, I would have chosen you in a heartbeat¡± Neah¡¯s voice was bitter and low enough to tell Maria that it was not intended for her ears.

    Still, it did reach her and it warmed her heart.

    She hated feeling like this, the feeling of being d and warm because of someone¡¯s words. They made her yearn for more when she knew she could not get any more of

    it.

    Also, it was all because of this one problem she had constantly zing in her head.

    [Warning: Contact with the second MC established. The oracle is advised to stay away]

    Second MC? There was something like this in this world. Maria had a bad feeling about this whole situation. She knew that Neah was important, but a second MC?

    She had only been in this world for a few hours but it all felt like it was out of order. Having a fianc¨¦, a family, was all new.

    But it was not really something she wanted. Also, staying away did not seem like a possibility at this point.

    She was so lost in her head that she did not even notice the weird words of the princess.

    ¡°If my brother doesn¡¯t want you, then can I steal you from him? I promise to cherish you and to never let you get away¡± Maria, unaware of those words, nodded her head.

    She missed the glint of steel as well as the new light in Neah¡¯s eyes.

    (I won''t be able to reply back to most of yourments, especially thete ones since I will manually have to open up the chapters to do so. But do remember that I will be reading them all and I would be happy for all your feedback.

    Power stones, as well as reviews and collections, would be greatly appreciated from your end)

 Chapter 3 03: A Day With The Princess

    Meeting her fianc¨¦ and his family was different than what Maria had thought it would be.

    Her fianc¨¦, Nick, had chosen not to spend any time in herpany at all. Every time he saw her, he chose to change directions and pretend as of he had never seen her.

    The blond-haired child was often nearby as well, often staring at Maria in contempt. She was not sure what she had done to warranty that start.

    So, she tuned it all out in favor of paying attention to herpanion, princess Neah.

    And Neah really was a beauty too. Long and soft ck hair framed her light blue eyes. Even her figure was well-developed for her thirteen years old body.

    It was not difficult to see that she would be an outstanding beauty soon enough. She was someone Maria might have a crush on in the real world.

    But not here, not in her new life. Maria could not afford to like her because she was promised to another. She could see but not touch.

    Neah painted a beautiful picture, standing right there in the garden full of flowers and butterflies. She looked like a princess right out of a fairytale, a moment frozen in time.

    Maria felt a little lost at that moment and tuned out. She needed to process a few things in her mind.

    She had been dumped into this world by a higher being and she had agreed to this so Maria had no reason toin.

    What she did not like was herck of knowledge about the circumstances. Maria had been told spare information before she had been sent off. Mainly because her original body had been dying at that moment and the pain had blinded her.

    What Maria did know was that she was the oracle, the one who could foretell the future. She also knew it was a harem game and she hadnded herself in the role of the ¡®childhood sweetheart¡¯ who became the MC¡¯s reason for moving forward.

    But would soon be forgotten once more and more females joined the MC¡¯s harem.

    This all would not happen for a few more years so it meant that Maria still had time on her hand. Time she could use to enjoy life and not have any regrets this time.

    She also needed to set up a trust fund once she would be forgotten. She was rich now but it was all thanks to the royal family and their support.

    Once the prince shifts his focus to someone else, Maria would have nothing left for herself.

    ¡°We should start heading back now. The sun is about to go down¡± The sun was going down now and it would not be long before it would really set.

    ¡°A, do we have to? I was having such a good time with you here¡± there was a moment in herp and Maria felt something touch her inner thigh under her dress.

    She looked down, only to find a pair of light blue eyes looking back at her.

    When had the princess lied down? How long did she have her head in Maria¡¯sp? And how had Maria missed all that?

    Maria moved and then she heard the crash. Her sudden moment had caused the princess to crash into the ground. Maria felt her heart leap up in her throat as the painful yelp escaped the princess.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you alright? Can I do anything to help?¡± Maria felt her heart as that painful voice reached her ears and she was instantly kneeling in front of the other female.

    The wound did not look too bad and that made Maria finally calm down a little. The princess was alright and she had not messed it up somehow.

    ¡°It hurts. Can¡¯t you see it and make it all better? Don¡¯t you have that power?¡± the princess asked in a hurt voice and Maria felt pale.

    There was something like that? Surely not and the princess was just joking. But she could not be sure about it as well.

    She needed someone to tell her whether it was the truth or not.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [The oracle does have the power to heal through a kiss but it is not avable for the user yet. The user needs to level herself up first to gain ess to additional skills.

    To see skills, please open the menu option and -]

    It could all be der. Maria had an emergency on her hand right now. The princess was hurt and something in her told Maria that Silyva would kill her if something happened to the princess.

    The princess currently had one hand on her head and seemed to be rubbing it with a pained expression on her face.

    This was not good. Not good at all.

    ¡°Calm down. This is no big deal so please don¡¯t make that face. I don¡¯t think I can handle it if you cried with that cute face of yours. But there really is something you can do to make me feel better¡± the princess spoke in a soft voice.

    Her expression was no longer pained but was twisted in a sly smile.

    That face gave Maria goosebumps but she could not help but agree with the princess. After all, Maria was the one who had hurt the princess here. It was all her fault.

    ¡°Good, thene here and close your eyes¡± Maria did as she was asked to.

    And then there was a soft feeling on her lips. It was a brief but unmistakable brush against her and it confused Maria.

    Had the princess just kissed her? Surely that was not the case?

    It was over as soon as it had begun but the phantom feeling of lips was still there. Maria could feel it on her lips as fresh as a day.

    Her eyes opened in shock but the princess looked as if she had not even moved at all. Maria could find no evidence of what had happened and bringing it up would just be humiliating now.

    ¡°Y-You! Are you feeling better now?¡± that was not what Maria had wanted to ask but her empty brain had decided to take over for her.

    Theugh she got in return was unnecessary but it did make Maria feel better. The princess was not mad at her for her actions.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m feeling so much better now. Let¡¯s head back now¡± Maria did not disagree with the princess¡¯s words.

    The prince and her blondpanion were in the room already when they arrived. The blond still had her eyes glued to Maria with an intensity she had never known but the prince was frowning at her.

    And he turned away as soon as Maria¡¯s eyes met his own.

    ¡°Maria, don¡¯t you have something to say?¡± Maria felt her body stiff at her mother¡¯s voice. It was clear to her that her mother, or rather, the mother of this body had some kind of control over it.

    She was not sure what the woman wanted from her but Maria only had one option avable to her.

    ¡°Thank you for your time. I hope you visit us again¡± she got an approving smile from her mother and instantly felt the pressure leave her.

    She heard the faint ¡®coward¡¯ from the crown prince but chose to ignore it in favor of princess Neah¡¯s small and encouraging smile.

    The day had been hard enough but hardships were still toe.

    But as long as Maria had this healthy and this second chance, she was not going to give it up easily.

 Chapter 4 04: Learning The Lessons

    ¡°Pay attention. Think of your chains as an extension of your body and work it to your advantage¡± Maria felt her arm musclesin as she tried to hold them still.

    She had been in training for a few hours now, doing the same thing as she did every day since the royal family had left.

    ording to her mother, since she was eleven now, it was time she learned what being a real holy Oracle was all about. And it came with training and responsibilities.

    [Warning: Current body limit reached. Getting ready to release the holy chains in 3¡­2¡­1¡­]

    And Maria felt the chains disappear in front of her. She could feel the frown Silvya gave at

    her performance and the disappointed look that existed in her eyes as she looked at Maria.

    ¡°You did better than a week ago. How is your body feeling? Should we call a doctor for you?¡±

    te instructor hurried to Maria¡¯s side to check over her.

    Those chains never failed to make Maria tired and that was when she was controlling them

    in their sealed form.

    [Life force dropped to below 80%. The user is advised to not use magic for the next two days

    to replenish the magic and life force]

    Maria ignored the warning. It was the same every time and the same thing would happen -

    she would be given some external magic through the holy crystal and this training would

    begin all over again.

    Her instructor had told her that there was only one person in this world who could use the

    holy chains - the oracle and they exchanged their life force for it. Only the oracle line was

    able to use these chains since they had a special magic that allowed them to replenish their

    life force.

    It was either through whatever they forced Maria to eat or through sex.

    And the second option would not be possible for a few years toe. It was easy to see

    where the harem aspect of this world came from.

    Hopefully, whatever they were feeding Maria would be enough tost her a whole lifetime

    and she would not have to get sexual with the MC.

    Not that Nick would ever get sexual with her. He seemed to hate her guts. His sister Neah

    seemed to like Maria though.

    A little too much in Maria¡¯s opinion but she was notining. Neah was gorgeous even

    at thirteen.

    ¡°You, take Mistress Maria to her rooms now and make sure she recovered¡± Maria felt herself

    being picked up by strong hands and opened her eyes.

    She was in Nao¡¯s arms, held carefully.

    Nao was another sore point for Maria and she could not help but pity this poor demon. Nao

    had been the practice dummy for Maria and her chains ever since they had started and the elder female was also responsible for the clean-up.

    Maria had done some research once the royal family had left their home and she had not

    liked what she had found.

    Apparently, Nao was a ve demon created for their master¡¯s needs. They could only be

    freed by sharing life force with and only by those with who they were bound.

    Nao was bounded with Maria but Maria had no idea how to share her life force with the

    other. The act was not all sex after all and Maria¡¯s new body was too young for all that.

    Not to mention, Maria had no idea how sex worked at all.

    So Nao was a case Maria had to keep an eye on. She had been trying to get the other to

    talk to her in the meantime but that task was on a stand-still as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Nao, you can put me down now. I can walk on my own¡± Maria purposed but was ignored. It

    was the same thing every time and the chain marks on the demon¡¯s body made Maria feel

    guilty.

    She had caused them but Nao didn¡¯t even seem to me her. She seemed to have no

    emotions at all.

    ¡°The mistress asked me to inform you about the royal visit tomorrow. Princess Neah will be

    here so you will have a free day to spend with her¡± Maria felt a sigh of relief escape her lips.

    Neah being here meant that there would be no magic practice and Nao will not be hurt

    tomorrow. It made Maria feel lighter.

    But still, she worried about her servant. Nao, from what maria had seen, was not well-liked because of her demonic status. As such, she was not treated like a human at all and Maria could not understand why.

    Every time she asked, all Maria got in return was the same reply - demons were dangerous and evil.

    But from what Maria had seen, Nao was sweet and harmless. And Maria wanted Nao to feel

    alive as well. Maria had to try at least for the same.

    ¡°You want to join us tomorrow? I can assure you that it will be fun¡± princess Neah had visited

    twice before in the month that had passed. It felt about time that Maria invited her servant in

    on the fun as well.

    ¡°Mistress would be displeased. It is better that I stay away from humans¡± and it was the

    same reply every time.

    But this time, Maria was not going to back away. She was far too determined to not let her

    servant live a lonely life.

    ¡°No, you will being. I am the one you are bounded to so you have to listen to me,

    alright?¡± Maria could feel the iing ¡®no¡¯ from the other and she had no intention of

    allowing it to pass her servant¡¯s lips.

    Before Nao knew it, she had a pair of hands on her face that forced her to look directly at

    Maria. The demon looked taken aback, just as Maria had wanted her to.

    It was the right time to act and persuade the other.

    ¡°Please. This is just one outing and if something does happen, then I will not force you

    again¡± Maria could see the resolve crumble on that face.

    Noah might appear cold and unfeeling but Maria could not forget that she was a child as well. A child that had not been allowed to be a child in this world.

    And this was an injustice Maria could not watch happen. She had to do something to help her servant, now friend, out.

    As for the issue of her mother? The chances were high that she would not even notice. Silvya seemed not to care about what her daughter did as long as she fulfilled her training and duties.

    Maria was sure she would not have any problem on that front at least.

    ¡°If this is what young master wants, then Nao shallply. However, I can assure you that princess Neah would be disappointed should I show up¡± Nao seemed convinced of her words.

    But Maria felt as if she was worrying for nothing. Princess Neah had decided to imprint on Maria because she was a lonely soul as well. There were not a lot of royal children their age after all.

    Maria was doing a service to the princess here as well. Having a new friend would be good for her as well and Nao was a good person, er, demon.

    ¡°Master, it is time for your magical training now. Your teacher will be here in fifteen minutes so you should take the replenishing potion now¡± Maria felt herself gag as the green potion was brought in front of her.

    She hated the bitter taste of it but she had gotten used to it. It did work wonderfully as well.

    She felt her magic return as she drank more and more of that potion. And once she was done, it was time to face the music again.

    Her new life was far from perfect but it was hers and it allowed Maria to live a semi-normal life. She could walk, perform tasks as she pleased, and even had a few friends.

    This world was as perfect as it could be for her. Maria was so d she had taken that deal when she had been dying.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go now¡± her new life was just beginning after all.

 Chapter 5 05: The Lazy Afternoon

    This day was supposed to be fun and rxing, not depressing, and spend trying to calm down a pouty princess.

    Maria could not point out what she did wrong, but she must have done something wrong or princess Neah would not have been pouting this hard.

    The princess had not said a word ever since this outing had started and Maria had introduced Nao to the princess. Was the princess prejudiced against demons?

    If so, then Maria would have to be the one to change her mind at all costs. But first, she would have to get the princess to talk to her.

    ¡°Would you please tell me what is wrong princess Neah? I can¡¯t fix it till I know what is wrong¡± her words caused that pout to be even bigger.

    Why was the princess not saying anything? And why was Nao so quiet all the time? Could they not talk it out and behave like civilized people? Or maybe it was Maria¡¯s presence that was hindering their progress.

    Maybe Maira should give them a minute in each other¡¯spany.

    ¡°Hey, where are you going? You are supposed to entertain me¡± the princessined when Maria stood up and started walking. It was progress, no matter how small it was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes. I have to take care of something¡± Maria hurried away before the other two could stop her. She needed them to work things out and Maria did have something to do herself.

    She had to go to the washroom and freshen herself up. She hoped that her n to get the other two to talk had worked.

    And it seemed to have worked. Princess Neah and Nao seemed to be in a deep conversation when Maria made her way back.

    The conversation stopped as they both turned to Maria but the hostility from before was gone. Things were peaceful once again and maybe they will be peaceful in the future as well.

    She hoped.

    ¡°So, what did you two talk about?¡± Maria asked as she took her original seat again. She was curious about the content of the conversation but she also did not want to seem too interested.

    [Warning: Moving to dangerous grounds. The host is advised not to cause interest in the topic]

    The system¡¯s warning made no sense to Maria, but she was not someone to ignore it either. If the system wanted her not to probe more into it, then she would not.

    But how to end a conversation she had just started, Maria had no idea.

    ¡°I just had a few questions to ask your servant Noa here. You seem to have a fondness for demons. Is it a Nao thing or a demon thing?¡± Princess Neah¡¯s tone had a curious note and the warning inside Maria¡¯s head zed.

    She hated the system and its unnecessary headaches.

    ¡°I like Nao as a person but I don¡¯t think demons are as bad as people make them out to be. I think I like them? I can¡¯t say for sure right now. They are interesting though and my magic sses just moved on to them as well¡± As the oracle, Maria was expected to learn about a lot of things.

    She was not allowed to mingle with themon folks, nor go to school. It vividly reminded her of her past self and Maria hated it.

    But there was also freedom here which Maria had sorely mixed.

    ¡°I see. So you don¡¯t hate demons. It is good to know¡± thosest words were surely not meant for Maria¡¯s ears so she ignored them. As long as she did not me the fire, this conversation was as good as dead.

    Now, Maria just needed a new topic to start and she knew which one she wanted to start.

    ¡°By the way, how is your brother doing these days? Mother said that she invited him as well but he refused toe¡± Maria forced thosest words out as the princess red at her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The pout was back and it was even bigger than before. What had Maria done wrong? Was she not supposed to ask about her fiance?

    ¡°I¡¯m the one with you but all you can think about is my brother? He¡¯s an idiot and has also managed to somehow fall under that demon¡¯s spell¡± Princess Neahined.

    Her voice sounded sharp and Maria was certain that she should not have picked this topic for distraction.

    ¡°Demon? I¡¯m not sure I understand. Also Nao, why don¡¯t you go and get us more tea?¡± with Princess Neah in such a foul mood, it was not safe for Nao to remain here. Nao knew that as well and took the offer out.

    Then it was only Princess Neah and Maria left.

    ¡°Yeah, that demon. The blond-haired kid that was with my bother. She was a demon created for me but my brother took a fancy to her. I don¡¯t mind him being in love with that demon, but he could at least not drag me down with him¡± Princess Neah certainly had an interesting vocabry.

    She clearly seemed to have a lot of trouble with her brother but Maria did not doubt that she loved her brother as well.

    ¡°You certainly seem to care for him a lot. I¡¯m sure he must be happy to have a sister like you¡± Prince Nick should cherish Neah since he was going to lose her pretty soon.

    The day prince Nick bes the hero of the prophecy was also the day princess Neah dies. After all, her death was the reason the MC had managed to awake her powers at all.

    And that prophecy would be delivered by Maria causing the first real conflict in the story. Maria hated that oue fate had nned out for them all but it was not her burden.

    After all, she was just following a script.

    That was why she had decided to make life as fun for princess Neah as possible. Since she was about to die anyway, Maria would make sure she had a fun time first.

    ¡°Care? It¡¯s all a hoax. The royal children exist topete against each other for the throne and it will kill one of us pretty soon. I will make sure that I¡¯ll be the one to survive till the end. But anyway, you should not worry about it at all. Just focus on me for now¡± Maria felt hands on her face.

    She had not realized when, but princess Neah was too close to her. Their faces were almost touching and it genuinely felt like Princess Neah was about to kiss her.

    ¡°Master Maria, here is your tea. I also brought some snacks with it¡± and the moment was broken by Nao¡¯s arrival. Somehow, it seemed so fitting for a game like this to have such moments.

    Princess Neah also decided to maintain her distance after that. The air had also turned awkward and pretty soon it was time for princess Neah to leave.

    That had been a typical day for Maria and years followed like this - training and making sure she knew how to perform her duties.

    Nao was a constant in her life, a shadow Maria did not even know she needed. Maria did try to free her but it was all futile.

    Her mother, Silvya, was seldom present in her life and so was prince Nick. Princess Neah was the same as ever. And so the time passed.

    Years passed, Maria turned seventeen as the royal pair finally turned eighteen. It was almost time for the prophecy to begin and Maria¡¯s role to be almost over.

    [ETA for prophecy, 1 day remaining]

    It was finally time for things to begin.

    (Finally, the pre-chapters are done. The real thing starts from the next chapter. A fair warning, there will be a lot of R-18 from ch 10 and ahead so brace yourself. I have the whole first arch nned out inside my head already)

 Chapter 6 06: The Day It All Went Bad

    ¡°Maria, I¡¯m so happy you came today. I almost thought you would miss today¡¯s ceremony. You have been absent for the past few¡± Maria had a bad feeling about this but she also knew she could not put this off for any longer.

    Not if her system had anything to do with it.

    ¡°I won¡¯t miss today. It¡¯s an important day for you and Nick. I need to be here to support my fianc¨¦¡± whatever happiness that had appeared on Princess Neah¡¯s face faded away at Maria¡¯s words.

    Just as it always did when Maria brought up the subject of being Nick¡¯s ¡®fianc¨¦¡¯ up.

    ¡°Of course you do. Well, I should be getting going now¡± and just like that, princess Neah left the scene.

    Maria could not help but sigh at her behavior. Princess Neah was the most beautiful woman Maria had ever seen but she was also the most moody. Even the littlest thing seemed to set her off.

    But Maria liked her and all her moods. Too bad that she was her fianc¨¦''s sister.

    Half-sister at that. And she was also about to die today.

    ¡°What did I do wrong this time Nao?¡± Maria could not help but ask her faithful shadow. The demon had grown up as a finedy as well, her horns were even more magnificent than before.

    Her short purple hair was still short, but it had a gentle waviness to them. And then there was the most impressive asset Nao had gained over the years - her huge chest which should be impossible by human standards.

    But Nao was a demon and it seemedmon for their species. Or so the books told her.

    And Maria should not be the one toin, since her chest was more than big enough at this point.

    ¡°Perhaps you should not talk about crown Prince Nick in front of Lady Neah. There seems to be a divide there¡± Maria agreed with those words. She had noticed that as well.

    She could see the siblings avoid each other as they moved about the room. Princess Neah was alone while Prince Nick seemed to have his blond shadow everywhere behind him.

    That had been another pleasant surprise for Maria to see - the blond demon. She had turned out to be a beauty as well, with her long and luscious wavy hair and green eyes.

    And her piercing eyes that seemed to look directly into Maria¡¯s stare. She looked at Maria as

    if she would eat her.

    Just like she was looking at her now.

    And of course, the prince noticed this as well and red at Maria. There was no salvaging that rtionship, was there?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Nao. I need to find mother now¡± the time for the prophecy wasing closer. Maria was not sure how it was supposed to work since she had never given a prophecy before but she knew she had to go into a trance.

    She had also been told that she would not remember any of it afterward.

    But it was important and the time for it was close. Her mother had reassured Maria that she would give out a prophecy today, even if she had to induce one by force.

    ¡°Of course. Mistress is waiting for you to join her¡± Noa, being the incredible servant she was, had already singled out Silvya¡¯s location.

    It was still difficult for Maria to call Silvya mother and it did not help that the other showed no nurturing behavior toward her.

    Still, Maria had to behave ording to her character and make sure to address Silvya correctly. God knows there had been some close calls over the years.

    The dark-skinned pale-blondedy was sitting at the highest seat of honor but her expression was sour.

    ¡°Mother¡± Maria flinched as the words left her mouth. They sounded so foreign to her.

    ¡°Maria, are you ready my child? The time is finally here¡± Maria was ready to fulfill her destiny and she waited for something to happen.

    But nothing happened and all Maria saw was the disappointed face of her mother as she lead her away.

    [Countdown to the prophecy. ETA: 15 minutes]

    Maria knew she still had 15 minutes left to her before anything happened but she could not help but want this to be over already. Silvya¡¯s disappointed look was more than she could take.

    It would only mean more training and workout for Maria.

    There was a small magical distortion on the central stage that caused everyone¡¯s eyes to focus on the center. Maria felt her eyes shift there as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The king was there on the stage along with princess Neah and prince Nick.

    ¡°Everyone, we have gathered here today for the sacred ceremony. It is time for the oracle to present her wishes for the future and start the ceremony¡± every eye turned to Maria and she felt nervous.

    It was not time yet. There were still a few minutes left before the ceremony.

    The haze of the prophecy had not even been set up on her yet.

    ¡°Useless child. Would I have to do everything myself?¡± Maria was panicking and she would me it for getting caught off guard by Silvya.

    Something hazy passed over her and Maria felt herself lose consciousness.

    [System takes over for the prophecy initiated. The host is thanked for their timely cooperation]

    The hall drew into a state of silence as the oracle¡¯s eyes zed over. With beautifuldy Silvya by her side, this scene looked to be out of the storybook famous in the capital.

    It was time for the oracle to tell them about the uing glorious future.

    ¡°[The time for choice hase for the kingdom and there is only one right answer.

    The one to survive would lead the future. You only have one chance to decide your fate. Would it be peace or would it be a sess?

    But do remember, only the union of the divine and the death would bring true prosperity for this world. Only the one who has both would save this world]¡±

    The hall drew silent, taking in the words of the oracle. It was clear that the prophecy told of a union that could only be of prince Nick and the oracle.

    But they did not know what the thing about divine and death was. Was someone supposed

    to die?

    The oracle raised her hands, her cuffs turning into chains and levitating around the central stage. This was the point where the divine portal would be opened by the oracle to allow the royal family to possess divinity.

    Only one of the children would inherit this power and rule.

    Maria was only aware of about half of what was going on. She could feel the change in the chain''s magic, feel it oveing its limits and draining at her life.

    They were unsealing themselves and the reality as well.

    [Warning: Unusual events detached. The host is being given the control back]

    Maria was thrust into her body without any prior warning. One second she was out of it, the next she had her own body back.

    And there was yelling. A lot of yelling.

    ¡°The crown prince has been stabbed. Someone, go after the killer¡± there was a flurry of the moment as Maria felt herselfe back.

    Her eyes moved over the frightened crown to meet princess Neah¡¯s own. Her face looked shocked and sad but her eyes held a joy to them.

    And then there was the body in front of her, lying bleeding and most certainly dead. Prince Nick was dead.

    Her fianc¨¦ was dead. She was free.

    But also, what did that mean for this world? The MC had died. Oh god, the MC had died and his supposedly to-be-dead sister had survived.

    Nothing made sense anymore.

    ¡°Maria, look out¡± the stress andck of life force took their course and Maria felt herself going unconscious.

    Herst look was of her mother being impaled by a soldier¡¯s sword but her eyes looked happy and content. Her eyes met Maria¡¯s own but she could only see glee.

    ¡°Finally, my revenge is over¡± and then Maria¡¯s consciousness was no more. She did not even feel the feeling of bloody hands caressing her face, nor the happy eyes looking back at her.

    (Finally, the true story starts here. Hope you enjoy it. I won''t be posting a lot of notes for you this time since they take up chapter space and I would rather give you chapters instead)

 Chapter 7 07: Theyre Planning To Sacrifice Me?

    The first thing Maria became aware of was the heat.

    The soul-consuming, achingly unfamiliar heat threatened to take over her body and soul. It was bad enough to even pierce her psyche and get her into her unconsciousness.

    One second it was all nk, the next second Maria was gasping for breath and fighting against that heat.

    ¡°Take it easy and let your body rest. You just lost a lot of life force. Here, eating this will help¡± Something familiar passed Maria¡¯s lips and her body instantly felt the relief.

    The heat was still bad but it no longer felt like it was about to consume her. Maria finally felt like she could open her eyes and face the world.

    The first thing her eyes focused on was Nao¡¯s familiar face. She could spot Princess Neah in the background as well, her beautiful eyes focused on Maria.

    ¡°Do you feel better now? How much can you remember from today?¡± Nao¡¯s voice was the same emotionless mess it had always been but Maria was not in a state to correct her.

    Despite the hazy state of her head, the events of the day were clear in Maria¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Someone sabotaged the ceremony. Why would someone do that to us?¡± Sabotage was the only thing Maria could think of. No one would in their right mind want the ceremony to fail.

    Not when it concerned the whole world¡¯s future.

    The other two in the room exchanged a look between themselves but they did not open their mouths. Maria genuinely thought that this topic was over¡­

    ¡­until Princess Neah decided to open her mouth. Her expression looked soft and concerned which made Maria really worried about her next words.

    ¡°We did manage to catch the one who nned the whole thing and I want you to know that it is not your fault. Your mother, Lady Silvya nned this whole thing as an act of revenge for taking her away from her home¡± Maria could remember bits and pieces of her mother¡¯s face.

    It had been full of joy and glee. It had looked peaceful as well. She had finally looked alive in thosest moments.

    And then she had died. Her mother in this world was dead but Maria felt hollow and unfeeling. She did realize that this was what doctors called shock but she could not do anything with this knowledge.

    It was not till she had a pair of hands on her face that Maria managed to knock herself out of her thoughts.

    ¡°It is not your fault and no one here mes you either. We all knew Lady Silvya was trouble.

    But on the brighter note, you are free from your marriage¡± it was then that Maria realized that she was not the only one who had lost someone today.

    Princess Neah had lost her brother as well, the crown prince.

    ¡°What happened to the power? The power from the divine portal?¡± there was another shared look between the pair. But this time their gazes held something darker that made Maria afraid.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With my brother dead, the power had no option but to chose me. I will be taking the throne in a few days. There is no need for you to worry. You should focus on recovering your powers for now¡± Maria did not want to rest but she should.

    Most of her previous life had been spent in a bed and this situation felt really familiar to Maria. She hated how she had ended up here once again.

    But unlike before, recovery was in sight this time.

    ¡°I will rest then. Good luck out in the courtroom and don¡¯t let those vultures eat you alive¡± Maria felt bad for Princess Neah. She had lost her family member and had not been allowed to mourn for him.

    Maybe Maria should be the one to do something nice for her instead.

    And then there was Nao who had a small frown on her face as she took the scene in. She looked troubled and this look was something Maria was unfamiliar with.

    ¡°What is it? Spit it out right now¡± Maria¡¯s voice came out t and lifeless. It was emotionless enough to attract Nao¡¯s attention toward her. All Maria could see in her gaze was surprise and guilt.

    But about what, Maria did not know. She did not know anything about Nao. not how she had been created, for what purposes, and by whom. Everything was a nk for Maria.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much I should say in this matter. Mistress was trouble but I don¡¯t think this was something she could have done alone. And the bacsh from the nobles is not something you can take right now¡± Nao seemed to have a valid point.

    But Maria found herself not that much worried. She had a feeling that she would be safe in the castle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry that much. Princess Neah would protect us from the court and the royal family is on our side as well. I¡¯m worried as well but waiting is all we can do for now¡± Maria expected Nao to look less worried.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure she would be able to if the court forced her hand but I am willing to give her the benefit of doubt¡± And that was it. This topic was done and over with.

    But that worried expression did not vanish from that face. If anything, it got even worse than before.

    Was Nao made at her? Surely that was not the case!

    ¡°What is it now?¡± Maria decided to bite the bullet and ask outright. There was no point in holding her question back and letting it eat away at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we will be out of your life-force medicine pretty soon. Since Mistress Silvya was the only one who knew how to make them, we cannot make any more of them¡± Now this was a more pressing matter at hand.

    The very thought of going without those life-force medicines terrified Maria. The heat had been bad enough this time.

    Maria did not want to have a second time with this heat.

    However, there were ways to get around it as well. Maria could always decide not to use her chains and the problem of heat would note over again.

    ¡°We will deal with itter. It¡¯s not like we can do anything about it now¡± Nao went quiet and so did Maria. The silence was overbearing in the room.

    Perhaps that was why Nao decided to leave the room and allow Maria her privacy. She was under strict orders to rest after all.

    Not that Maria was going to follow those orders. She had stayed in bed for a ton of years in her past life. She felt good enough to walk around so that was why Maria was going to do it.

    ¡°System, is the corridor clear? Can I leave the room?¡± Maria was not sure what the limit of her system was but she had taken to experimenting with its features.

    Maria was proud to say that she knew a lot more about her system and its functions now.

    [Scanning space. Generating map]

    Maria watched as the dot representing Nao left the corridor and then waited five more minutes before making her way outside the door.

    It was not locked. Maria could just step out and be on her way now. There was no need for her to worry anyone else since she would be back pretty soon anyway.

    The feeling of guilt in her chest was just temporary and Maria was sure it would be over soon. She would just take a small walk and thene back to her room to rest.

    She did not ount for getting lost even with a map. In her defense, the corridors looked the same and started to blend into each other after a while. Maria was effectively lost.

    She was about to open a door and ask for help when voices reached her ears. They sounded tense and they evoked Maria¡¯s natural curiosity.

    ¡°System, sharpen my hearing. I want to know what they are talking about¡± the words were inaudible one second and the next second, they reached Maria¡¯s ears.

    [¡°-can¡¯t defy them. The royal family refused and died for it. They even have the princess as a captive on their side. Otherwise, why would she betray us like this and chose to be a demon-]

    That cannot be right. Neah was human, not a demon. Maybe if Maria listened more, then she would have more rity.

    [-We have to do this. We have to sacrifice the oracle to the demon god. There is no other way. I feel sorry for her but this had to be done-]

    Was this for real? Were they really going to sacrifice Maria to the demon god? Surely Princess Neah would not allow this.

    [-and don¡¯t worry about the princess. She has already given her go-ahead.]

    No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.

    Neah won¡¯t. Surely she won¡¯t. They were friends after all. But they also said that Neah was a demon now and demons were not known to be nice. Especially the higher-ranked untamed ones.

    Maria felt as if she was having an out-of-the-body experience.

    And then she felt a hand on her shoulder and a hand on her mouth that cut off her scream of terror. God, she was going to die right here and now, wasn¡¯t she?

 Chapter 8 08: The Promise Of Saving

    The hand on her mouth felt foreign and it also cut off her scream.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak and hold yourself still. You do not want the councilmen to know that you heard them¡± Maria¡¯s mind slowed down at the familiar voice behind her. Her body rxed at the soft and now-familiar touch as well.

    It was only Nao.

    Nao was slowly dragging Maria away from the scene and back to her room. Maria finally recognized where she was and her body let itself go.

    ¡°They..I¡­Neah won¡¯t do that, would she? She won¡¯t agree with them!¡± Maria¡¯s voice was weak, an echo of what it was beforehand.

    Nao was looking back at her with an expression full of pity and it filled Maria with anger. What was there to pity her about? It was not like Maria had been close with her mother, nor had she been betrayed by Neah yet.

    She did not want that pitiful look aimed at her.

    ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? Princess Neah might not have a choice. We also need to start making preparations from our side as well¡± Nao looked serious and her words were cut short.

    Since when had Nao learned to speak this much? Maria had been trying to get Nao to talk more with her for a long time but their current situation was less than ideal.

    ¡°Preparations? About what? Am I even the oracle right now?¡± Maria had doubts about her role now. Her main objective was already done and over with - the telling of the prophecy.

    ording to the script, all Maria had to do now was to sit back and rx while the hero did all the work. All Maria had to do was to show her face to the MC from time to time and she was free for the rest of her life.

    She did not even have to marry him.

    Not that it mattered much since Nick was dead already and that left Neah in charge. Was Neah the MC now? It was all rather confusing to Maria.

    ¡°With such a confusing time ahead of us, the people need the power of the oracle more than ever. We need to start nning your escape from here before you are sacrificed¡± the words brought a chill of fear in Maria.

    The words of those councilmen from before entered Maria¡¯s mind once again.

    She had been rather emotional when she had first heard those words but she was calmed now. Thinking back at that threat, she knew that Nao was right. Those men would do anything to get their way.

    They would sacrifice Maria, with and without Princess Neah and the royal family¡¯s intervention. And Maria had no intention of staying here to be a sitting duck.

    ¡°So, what is the n? How are we breaking me out of here?¡± Maria had various ideas about her escape but all of them were rather fancy and too much trouble.

    It stung to realize that Maria was entirely reliant on someone else for her safety and life. She would surely pay Nao back once she had the means to do so.

    An unconscious smile bloomed on Maria¡¯s face and something shifted in Nao¡¯s eyes. The warrior was on her knees in a second, her body bowed in front of Maria and her hand reached for Maria¡¯s own.

    ¡°You do not need to do anything master. You just need to believe in me and my abilities. I promise to serve you to the best of my abilities¡± the small kiss on Maria¡¯s hand felt like a promise.

    It felt weird to have her hand be held like this. It made Maria feel warm and fuzzy inside. She was blushing as well, wasn¡¯t she?

    ¡°And what do we have here? I thought the orders were to not let the Oracle outside her room¡± Maria felt her facebust as Princess Neah¡¯s presence joined them. The older girl looked irritated but humored as well.

    And she looked overworked. There were dark circled on her face making it look older than her actual age.

    ¡°Princess Neah. Ah, I¡¯m afraid that it is my fault that we ended out here. I was getting a little restless in my room and forced Nao into a walk¡± There was something about the princess¡¯s presence that Maria was just noticing now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was an unnatural tint in her aura, a holy glow that was not all light.

    ¡°I see. But it is time for you to head back now. And Nao, how are the preparations for the ceremony going? It is tomorrow after all. We won¡¯t want to miss it¡± It was weird to see Neah not prioritize Maria in a conversation.

    Instead, she was looking at Nao with an impatient face and it felt wrong to Maria. Everything about this situation felt wrong to Maria.

    She had never felt this put out by someone before but Princess Neah¡¯s aura was putting Maria on edge now.

    ¡°The preparations are done. The bodies have been prepared as well and I will make sure Master Maria is there tomorrow¡± two pairs of eyes turned to Maria but she looked back with confusion.

    ¡®System, what is this ceremony about? Is it something integral to the plot?¡¯

    Maria had not heard from the system for some time now but it was amon enough urrence. Her system was not permitted to but in until Maria asked for its help or the circumstances were dire enough after all.

    [The ceremony tomorrow is held in honor of the deaths suffered by the incident of the prophecy. The oracle is encouraged to participate in the royal ceremony]

    Oh!

    Oh. Now it made more sense for the urgency. It was the royal funeral of Prince Nick and maybe her mother as well. It was the Oracle¡¯s responsibility to see the funeral through.

    ¡°Then I shall leave now. I have things to prepare and my parents are in no condition to take care of themselves. Maria should rest for tomorrow as well¡± Maria had not realized that Princess Neah was close to her.

    But the presence of a hand on her face and a pair of lips on her own forced her attention to the present.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow¡± but the daze had slowed Maria enough to not be able to react to the princess on time.

    ¡°I, ah, did she kiss me? But I thought she was! And I am overthinking all this, aren¡¯t I?¡± Nao did not answer her but there was a certain tension in Nao¡¯s frame that did not suit her.

    Maria chose to not bring attention to that, too busy in her thoughts. The pair had started to move back toward the room without getting lost this time.

    There was so much to unpack here and Maria felt lost in her head for long periods. Has the story changed this much from a single impact? Why had this happened? And what about those councilmen?

    Was Maria going to run away from here?

    ¡°What are we going to do now Nao? Things were not supposed to be like this. They were supposed to be better, calmer. I¡¯m scared, for you and myself. For the future as well¡± for the first time in her new life, Maria missed the simplicity of her old life.

    It had been dull, but it had been hers alone. No one had tried to kill her and things had not been half asplicated.

    ¡°I want to get away from this all. I want to live a happy life as a normal person. I just wish that things were different¡± Nao was looking back at her in pity but Maria found no will in correcting her.

    What was even the use? It was not like it would change anything?

    ¡°Looks like we will have to hurry up. Master, please be prepared tomorrow and trust in me. We will get you out tomorrow at any cost¡± Maria should not trust such a promise but she did.

    She chose to believe in Nao and her words this time.

    [I''ll try to update daily but sometimes there is an issue in sync so chapters may appear herete or in a bunch. Kindly understand that it is the system''s fault and not mind. Hopefully, you all will get a steady schedule release]

 Chapter 9 09: The Oracle Died?

    ¡°We have gathered here today to mourn the death of the royal family-¡± Maria could not hear those words anymore. Not because it was so traumatic or sad to see.

    Rather, it was because it was too boring and dry for Maria¡¯s taste.

    And then there were expecting eyes looking at Maria, waiting for her to take up the mantle and take the ceremony over. They made Maria nervous with their hopeful looks.

    Princess Neah was standing with the royal family at the stage but her gaze shifted to Maria often enough. There was no pretending that Princess Neah was not looking at her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,dy Maria. Just don¡¯t look nervous and you¡¯ll do fine¡± that was what the princess had told her before the ceremony but Maria was not sure it was going to cut it this time.

    No matter how much Maria prepared herself, she knew her face was going to show her nervousness.

    Maria had asked her system for advice on the ceremony but all she got in return was a page on customs Maria had read a thousand times before with her teacher. She needed practical knowledge, not bookish words.

    ¡°Are you feeling nervous mydy? Perhaps something sweet would lighten your mood¡± Nao was likely aware of her mood and was trying her best to help Maria feel better. She did not want to disappoint Nao.

    Besides, a sweet did sound good to Maria¡¯s ears. It was a rare luxury for Maria. Her mother had rationed her sweet intake in order to control her dietary needs.

    So the oracle quietly took the offered sweet and threw it into her mouth.

    The candy melted in her mouth and turned into a pleasantly sweet aftertaste. There was a certain back vor as well but it was not bad.

    Also, the candy was working and it made Maria feel numb. And perhaps, a little sleepy as well. Her body felt heavier and her eyes were beginning to fall asleep.

    Maybe theck of sleep was finally catching up to her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go my Lady. We are being called¡± Maria felt her servant take her arm in a gentle grasp and pull her over toward the stage. Maria¡¯s head was too fuzzy to be able to do it herself.

    All she could do was to look at Nao in gratitude.

    ¡°You alright? You look a little pale today¡± Maria¡¯s eyes met the piercing blue eyes of the princess before she felt her body sway. Maybe it was theck of sleep finally catching up to her.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m alright. Let¡¯s finish this ceremony now¡± Maria moved over to the bodied and stood as tall as her current condition would allow her.

    The crowd down below was all but a blur of color. Even the decorations in the vicinity were beginning to lose their shape.

    There was a loud and collective gasp as Maria felt herself sway dangerously on her feet. This was not good at all.

    ¡°The magic in the vicinity is reacting with the oracle. Someone, hurry and get the oracle out of here or she might die¡± there were hands on Maria, tugging her away from her position but she did not like them on her.

    Those hands were unfamiliar and an invasion of her privacy.

    Maria felt her magic swell up and then there was something wet and warm on her face. A gasp of pain followed it from someone in front of her and Maria had a sinking feeling about it.

    ¡°The oracle has lost control. Someone hurry and do something¡± there was mass panic now and Maria felt the weight of a weapon in her hand. Her vision was only good enough to recognize it as a sword.

    There was a suspicious amount of red on the sword as well which made rms ring in Maria¡¯s head.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing? No, don¡¯t. She won¡¯t survive it in her condition¡± Maria thought she heard Princess Neah¡¯s voice and turned her head toward the princess.

    Those pretty blue eyes were wide in shock and fear. And they were looking directly at Maria with that fright. Was there something wrong with Maria? It did not feel like it to her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was a collective gasp in the room as the oracle¡¯s unconscious body hit the floor. Latent magic stuck to her body as the spell ran its course.

    And then there was panic.

    No one could believe their eyes. The oracle had been killed and there was noing back from this. What¡¯s worse? The nobility had been the one to take this step.

    ¡°Someone, check her over. I refuse to believe that she is dead. And you, you will pay for this¡± everything came to a still at that chilling voice. Nao was the only one brave enough to move and take Maria¡¯s body in her arms.

    The crowd looked over to their princess with pity and horror. The poor girl had lost a lot in a sheer amount of time and needed all their support.

    However, the nobles had a better view of theirdy and the sight of her terrified them all. Those slit blue eyes were not normal and solidified what they all knew - their princess had taken the demonic power.

    She was no longer a human, she was the demon king now. The power she emitted was proof enough and it left the nobility panting.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to but t-the oracle was out of control. You saw that as well, right, and-¡± there was no time for the offender to be able to utter another word. The princess had already taken off his head.

    Her eyes darted anyone else to question her rule but no one dared to do anything. Not even the royal couple at the back could stop her cold rampage.

    And they knew that the only one who could do such a thing was dead now. What would happen to this kingdom now?

    ¡°Doctor, I want a full report on Maria and her condition. Make sure she survives or you will be next¡± the people at the top shivered at the cold tone. The ones at the bottom did not know better.

    It worked out better that way as well. The princess was the next ruler of thend, after all.

    ¡°Y-Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid that the oracle is dead. Her heart has stopped beating and we should prepare for another funeral for her. Her soul needs rest¡± the doctor saw his life sh before his eyes as the princess looked over at him.

    No one could stop the princess should she decide to kill this man.

    ¡°Please leavedy Maria¡¯s safety and care to me. I will make sure her body is taken care of till you find a solution for her¡± there was just one person brave enough to get her words in.

    Nao¡¯s unflinching eyes met Princess Neah¡¯s own. It was a staredown between two demons, one no one wanted to interfere in. However, the nobility looked at Nao in disgust while they looked at their princess in fear.

    ¡°Fine. I shall trust you this time since you care for Nao in the same way as me. But heed my words, if anything happens to her, then you will pay the prince. I will not be gentle either¡± there was an edge in Princess Neah¡¯s voice but she finally seemed calmer.

    Everyone present near her took a deep breath as the princess¡¯s eyes finally returned to normal and her aura finally diminished.

    Finally, she was normal once again. They did not have to fear her.

    And no one missed the sh of possessiveness in the princess¡¯s gaze as she looked at the dead oracle. There was no going back for this princess and every one pitied the oracle. She was not safe even in her death.

    However, that night a great tragedy urred over the hospital wing of the castle. It suddenly caught a magical fire and no one survived.

    All they found were the traces of the oracle¡¯s life force and the evidence of her demise.

    And the next day, a lot of people lost their lives for their carelessness. The princess made sure they knew her displeasure and the world shivered at her newfound rage.

    (I''ll try to post 1 chapter per day and sometimes two as well. Look forward to it.)

 Chapter 10 10: Resurrection Gone Wrong?

    [Emergency protocol started. Waking the host up in 3¡­2¡­1¡­go]

    It felt like she was waking up from a long sleep. Maria¡¯s body felt sluggish and difficult to move, quite a familiar feeling to her by this time. Her whole life had been spent like this after all.

    But there was something different about her current situation. The surface she was lying down on felt hard on her back. There was no way this was her hospital bed.

    Then where was she? The doctors would not have allowed her to sleep anywhere else but on the assigned bed since it was bad for her.

    Maria¡¯s eyes opened slowly but they saw nothing. Her first thought was to struggle but her body refused toply with her.

    And then her chest heaved at theck of oxygen. Her hands shot out to explore her surroundings, only to find out that she was in a small and constructive space. Theck of sight was not due to an injury, but due to ack of light.

    [User is advised to calm down. User is wasting oxygen with their unnecessary effort]

    Unnecessary? How was Maria¡¯s effort unnecessary? Someone had locked her in a small and dark space. Maria was left to die here all alone and she missed Nao and Princess Neah.

    Where was Nao anyway? She had promised Maria that she would get her out of the pce, not in a life or death situation.

    ¡°Wait a minute and settle down. I can¡¯t open this coffin till you stop banging on it or it would hurt you¡± the voice managed to prate through Maria¡¯s panic and caused her body to freeze.

    It seemed as if she was not as alone as she had first thought herself to be. Was it the council? Had theye to take Maria for the sacrifice.

    The coffin door opened and the first thing Maria did was to focus on her magic to summon her chains.

    It mighte to bite her backter but Maria needed to live for now. She needed to fight against anyone and everyone trying to kill her.

    ¡°Hey, what the-?¡± the person did not get a chance to exin themselves before Mariashed out. The other person managed to get out of the way in time but the floor was not as lucky.

    The pressure from Maria¡¯s chains broke the ground and caused the rubble to fly all over.

    ¡°Who are you? Speak or get ready to be killed?¡± Maria would not kill the other person but she needed to appear intimidating in front of them. Her master had taught her to look dangerous in case she got into trouble.

    Maria had never thought that this time woulde for her but here she was.

    ¡°R-Rouge demon? B-But they said that you were tamed. P-Please, let me go¡± the small body trembled in front of Maria and her rage finally calmed down enough to recognize the other as a child.

    A small human child who seemed to be trembling in front of Maria.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you kid. I just need some answers from you. Think you can get an adult for me?¡± Maria tried to be as gentle as she could. She even dismissed her chains to not scare the kid anymore.

    But one look was all it took for the kid to break out into a sob. Tears wereing out of his eyes as well and Maria panicked even more.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry. I did not mean you any harm. What should I do now? I¡¯ve never dealt with children before¡± the kid seemed to be around 6-7 years old.

    ¡°Step away from the child and keep your hands where I can see them. Who are you and how did you get in here?¡± there was something sharp pressed against Maria¡¯s back. The voice behind her did not sound happy with the current situation.

    The situation was getting worse by the second. Maria felt her life shing before her eyes as she stepped back.

    One misstep would be all it take for the sharp weapon to pierce her back.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said that it was not my fault? I don¡¯t know how I got here but the kid opened my coffin and I panicked. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s unharmed¡± Maria quickly reassured her attacker as the weapon dug into her back.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There must be a small wound on her back now and it would be difficult to patch up alone as well.

    ¡°From the coffin? Did Nao lie to me? She said it was the oracle we were smuggling but you are a half-demon. Damn that bitch, lying to me like that¡± Maria felt a jolt of happiness shoot through her at Nao¡¯s name.

    She wanted to turn around and reassure the other but the weapon was still pointed at her back.

    ¡°That¡¯s me! I¡¯m the oracle. I can prove that I am the oracle as well. See, I have her weapon and I can activate it as well. Can you get Nao for me? Please¡± Maria felt her energy get drained as she activated her chains.

    But it was well worth it if it saved her life. And it seemed to be working as well. The weapon was no longer pointed at her back.

    ¡°You, stay here for a while and I¡¯ll get Nao. Don¡¯t try anything funny¡± A small press at her pressure points, and there went Maria¡¯s mobility. Her body was locked down and she did not even get to see her attacker.

    ¡®System, can you do something to regain my mobility?¡¯ Maria hated the current state of her body.

    [Initiating healing protocol. Regaining mobility in next five seconds]

    Maria felt her body move as the five seconds passed. Her arms were stiff but not in pain. She could move around freely.

    And the kid was still inside the shop, terrified out of his mind at seeing Maria move despite the lock she had been put in. His voice broke as he tried to gain distance from Maria.

    ¡°Y-You, but h-how did you break out? Will you k-kill me now?¡± the kid was a kid and scared out of his mind. Maria did feel pity for him but she could do nothing except reassure him of her standing.

    ¡°Nah. You¡¯re not worth killing so you can rx¡± Maria spoke in a soft voice and the kid finally started toe around. Maybe she could make him even more rxed, ¡°You have cards or something to y?¡±

    The kid nodded, now a little eager. The card game was fun, if not a little boring. But it did make for a good pass time.

    And this is how Nao and herpanion found them, ying cards on the floor. Maria was sure she must have looked foolish and totally unlike the oracle but she did not care.

    She was having fun.

    ¡°Look at her. She does look like the oracle but she¡¯s no human. The oracle was supposed to be pure human, just as that woman. Why is she like that? That demon?¡± Maria had still no idea what they both were talking about.

    Was there something wrong with her? Was it her dress covered in soot? Was it her face unwashed? And what demon?

    ¡°Lady Maria is as much ¡®his¡¯ daughter as she is Lady Silvya¡¯s. There was no way she would have been pure human. Not with ¡®that man¡¯ as her father. Lady Silvya just took some measures to suppress the information¡± Nao sounded so sure of the facts.

    Maria felt lost at the pass of information. She could only summarize that the person they were talking about was her mom and dad in this world.

    Maria knew little about Silvya but she knew even less about her father. No one mentioned him by name, only by the title of ¡®Lord Kishin¡¯. There had been no images or videos of him as per her mother¡¯s orders and even the system ssified him as ¡®non-existing.¡¯

    It all did paint a very grim picture but Maria had not found herself interested in that aspect of her new life. That person had not been necessary for having a good second life so he had been forgotten.

    But maybe Maria should have tried harder to know about it all.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t itplicate things for us? We have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time now and you tell me that we lost even before we begin?¡± the unnamed female looked distorted, her expression twisted into grief.

    Maria could no longer hold herself back. She needed to know about it all and she needed to know it badly.

    ¡°Excuse me. Can you include me in this conversation as well? I am a little lost here¡±

 Chapter 11 11: The Origins

    ¡°Excuse me. Can you include me in this conversation as well? I am a little lost here¡± the two females turned toward Maria at once but their expressions were quite different.

    However, both their eyes held understanding in them.

    ¡°Of course, you did not tell the oracle anything. She should know now since she¡¯s in the middle of things. We really cannot do anything without her¡± Maria felt awkward as she was stared down by that unknown person.

    Maria mainly looked at Nao, her gaze moving away from the disappointed female in the room. It also did not help that her body was starting to feel the effects of the chains.

    ¡°Howl, give us a moment together. I will exin things to her and then meet you all at the gates tomorrow. We will need to reach the first root soon¡± Maria finally had a name for the other female in the room.

    Howl frowned at Nao¡¯s words and looked prepared to fight Nao as well. But a small tug on her clothes dragged her attention away to her small charge and her eyes softened.

    She looked so much younger and better with those soft green eyes and light blond curly hair. They even made her small horns look adorable¡­

    ¡­which Maria had missed this whole time. Howl was a demon as well?

    ¡°Fine. But do make sure she¡¯s ready. Oracle or not, she will need to carry her weight¡± and just like that, Howl and her small charge were gone from the room. It was only Nao and Maria left there.

    ¡°Nao, what happened back at the ceremony? I think I died there so how am I still here? And my head hurt as well. Not from a headache but by something physical. I feel as if I¡¯ve grown a pair of horns¡± the atmosphere finally turnedfortable.

    Being alone with Nao was something Maria had done often enough. Nao was a good listener as well and her small smile felt good to see.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see that you are the same as ever. No, don¡¯t move much. You did die so your body needs time to repair itself. You should not exert yourself any more than you already have¡± Nao had her hand on Maria¡¯s arm.

    It was a gentle hold, one that did not hurt Maria. It just moved her hand down from her hair.

    ¡°But it hurtsssss¡± Maria whined. It was a yful sound, a familiar banter between them. It wasfort and Maria did not mean anything harmful by it.

    Nao knew it as well. It was an attempt to establish normality in their sudden chaotic life. Normality was good and weed even.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it hurts and I want to tell you why as well. But we have other things to discuss before that. You want to know how you got here, right?¡± Nao was gentle with Maria but her words held something in them.

    It was time to pay attention to Nao and to say goodbye to their ytime.

    ¡°Maria, your heart did stop and you did die. But that was a calcted risk we took to get you out of the situation. We swapped your body with another dead one and smuggled you out here. Our trick would be discovered soon enough so we will have to leave before then¡± Maria nodded her head along with the exnation.

    It did exin why she was in a coffin when she woke up but not everything else.

    ¡°I died? Then how am I alive? And what about Princess Neah? Was she in this n as well? I¡¯m surprised that you managed to make her agree to this¡± Maria tried to joke but it came out rather t.

    How had they managed to make Princess Neah agree to this?

    ¡°Princess Neah does not know about you and we would like to keep it like that as well since she¡¯s a big part of this problem. As for how you are alive right now? You have your father¡¯s bloodline to be thankful for. His demonic blood is the only reason you¡¯re alive right now¡± Maria felt herself choke on air.

    The what, why, how? Maria had not been made aware of all this when she had signed the contract with the system.

    Not that it would have changed her decision. Life was life but still. It would have been good had she been made aware of all this.

    ¡°My father was a demon? Then, why didn¡¯t I hear anything about it till now? I thought humans saw demons as dangerous and only the servants were allowed entry. No way SIlvya would have agreed to that marriage. She would have killed herself first¡± Maria knew Silvya.

    She had the pride of a mountain. No way was someone going to make her marry beneath her status.

    ¡°I do not have much information about your father except that he was the highest-ranked demon - the supreme of his time. There could only exist one supreme at a time and the title is won in a demonic war held after the previous supreme dies. Your father is most certainly dead and now a new war approaches us¡± Maria was sure there was a point where she was supposed to catch the real meaning of this conversation.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But Mariacked too much knowledge. How did Nao know this much but not know his father personally?

    ¡°And what am I supposed to do about it? I am the oracle, not a warrior. I can¡¯t fight¡± Maria could fight but she did not want to if she could avoid it. She did not want an early death after all.

    Nao knew that much as well. Maria thought she had made herself clear to her friend.

    ¡°You might want to run away from this war but the war will still find you. It would not be long before this ce is infested by demons. Demons are like a disease. They find a human host and fight for the body¡¯s possession. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule - half-demons.¡± Half-demons like Maria?

    Still, there should be other candidates out there who were much better than Maria in this.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. And why me? I¡¯m sure there are better people out there to fight this war. I can¡¯t even beat you. And I¡¯m not even a full demon. It would be futile even if I did win this war¡± Her teacher had breached this topic only once before Silvya had found out.

    Maria had not seen that teacher since then.

    But her teacher did tell her a lot. Only a demon could im the title of ¡®supreme.¡¯ People like Maria would not matter even if they won this war. The demonic power would not obey them.

    ¡°Of course not. This is not what we want from you. You are the oracle, the only oracle who has the blood of both light and dark. Can¡¯t you see that the prophecy was about you? We need your help to put an end to this war¡± Nao looked serious but Maria could not face her.

    Stop a war? Her? She could not. Maria did not have what it took.

    All she wanted was a peaceful life filled with joy and health. She was even content to be a trophy wife for that and live in a loveless marriage. This was not what she signed up for.

    [The system would like to inform the user that they agreed to the ¡®terms and conditions¡¯ part of the contract. This situation is their responsibility and any deviation will be punishment]

    Punishment? Agreement? Maria did not know about that. She had signed that agreement in desperation so she had not had time to read it all.

    ¡°But why me? I know, we should get Princess Neah to help us out. I¡¯m sure she would be able to stop this war. She¡¯s also a much better warrior than me and would be a big help¡± Besides, Maria would feel better with her nearby.

    Nao¡¯s expression seemed to tell her something else though. Her expression told Maria that it was not a good idea to include Princess Neah.

    ¡°We can¡¯t depend on Princess Neah. She¡¯s already taken over by the demonic energy and is an enemy now. Besides, only the oracle¡¯s light can guide us to the core of the ley lines and purify this world. You are the only one who can do this¡± Maria felt her head swim with all the information being provided to her.

    So much to consider. It was all overwhelming.

    And her body was betraying her to the heat as well. She needed those pills and she needed them urgently.

    ¡°I will think over it. But you won¡¯t happen to have my pills with you? I don¡¯t feel that good¡± Maria wanted to think but the heat was bing unbearable now.

    ¡°Lady Maria you! Did you use your chains?¡± Maria nodded and heard Nao curse under her breath, ¡°I don¡¯t have any more of those pills but I can¡¯t leave you like this as well¡±

    This was bad news. Maria would burn from inside and it was just bad.

    ¡°Just do something, anything. Do you know any solutions for this? I¡¯ll take anything¡± Maria was too far gone to notice the shift in Nao¡¯s expression and the heat of her eyes.

    ¡°Anything? I might know something that would help but you need to consent to it¡± Maria nodded along. Something, anything would do as long as this heat went away.

    ¡°Please forgive me¡± Maria heard those words and then there were lips on her own. A tongue into her mouth that seemed to be asking for entrance.

    And despite all odds, it did help as energy was poured into Maria by that mouth.

    (I guess the next chapter will be R-18. Minors are advised to skip it but I already know you all were waiting for this)

 Chapter 12 12: Calming The Heat Down

    Maria gasped as Nao¡¯s mouth poured energy into her person.

    It felt so good, so pleasurable for her that she found herself unable to even speak. Her mouth was being probed by a tongue and it caressed her own in a tasing way.

    It made Maria wonder about Nao and her expertise in this field. Everything she did brought a fresh wave of pleasure to Maria and her pussy appreciated the rubbing motion Nao was doing with her hands.

    ¡°H-How does it feel? Is the heat more m-manageable?¡± Nao asked as she panted above Maria. Her voice sounded hoarse and wrecked which made Maria proud for some reason.

    But when it came to speaking, Maria was unable to manage even a single word. Everything had turned into senseless words of pleasure for her and it made Maria feel like putty in those hands.

    The mouth had moved from her lips and Maria leaned forward to catch those lips again. She did not want to let go of that taste so soon.

    But she did not get a choice as Nao¡¯s hands pushed her back the head and the hand on Maria¡¯s pussy increased in pressure.

    And then Maria felt it. The odd sensation of something breaching her lower lips with something cold and long.

    ¡°N-Nao?¡± Maria asked in a small voice. That was all she was able to manage to get out before her breath left her lungs. The finger inside her felt so huge and the heat inside Maria receded just a little.

    ¡°As I thought! The life force shared through Master Maria¡¯s is not enough to sustain her. As such, I need to take a more drastic approach to this. Master should brace herself for it. I will try my best to prepare you for it¡± Nao panted out those words as her finger began moving about.

    It was weird but the heat inside Maria made her enjoy the moment. She could feel her pussy leaking more and more with the finder¡¯s moment inside her.

    And then another finger joined the first one and Maria felt herself beginning to get lost in the pleasure. She needed more and her hips moved over the finger to signal for the same.

    Maria clenched her pussy as the finders started to leave her. Maria did not want to take them out. If they left then the heat woulde back and Maria knew how painful the heat had been.

    This moment was embarrassing but it did not hurt her as the heat had.

    ¡°Master Maria, please release me f-fingers. I need to press this condensed life-force into you so that we can cure you for the time being¡± Nao exined as she held an egg-like shape in front of Maria.

    It was a small elliptical object that was also egg-sized and Maria did her best to ease her grip on Nao¡¯s fingers and it took a considerable effort from her side.

    ¡°Here we go¡± Nao held the smooth egg-shaped condensed energy against Maria¡¯s pussy and pushed it in slowly. It was an antagonizing process but soon the ball was inside Maria.

    But Nao did not rest there. She jabbed the ball deep inside Maria and made it collide with her G-spot.

    It caused unspeakable pleasure to sh all over Maria and she felt herself leak.

    And finally, the heat started to recede inside her.

    Her pussy clenched around the egg inside it and Maria felt it dissolve a little bit at a time. She wanted to move but her body did not have any energy left to function.

    All Maira could do was to turn her head a little and look at Nao. Her eyes faced Nao¡¯s lower half directly and felt a yelp leave her lips.

    Of course, Nao¡¯s penis was there.

    Every full demon and some half-demons had them since they were uni-sex but seeing one still turned Maria pink to see it.

    And it was hard as well. Hard and big which was another point in Nao¡¯s favor. It made MAria d that she did not have to take it today or she would have been in serious pain.

    Although, the remaining heat in her body liked the idea and she unconsciously clenched at the egg still inside her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°You don¡¯t need help with that?¡± Maira felt her face go pink as those words escaped her mouth.

    She had not wanted to say them but she could no longer take them back as well. She was stuck between a rock and a hard ce with nowhere to go.

    The expression on Nao¡¯s face was full of amusement mixed with embarrassment. The other had not expected to be asked something like that and it showed.

    Nao blinked slowly and her brain seemed to be processing Maria¡¯s words before she frowned and her eyes hardened a little.

    ¡°There is no need for Master to offer something like this to me. Master should rest since tomorrow would be a big day for us¡± Nao offered instead and Maria felt bad.

    Nao was in a difficult position because of her and Maria should help her out with her lower problem.

    But the bed was toofortable to get up from and it called to Maria. She was no longer able to resist its sweet embrace and soon fell asleep.

    The loss of painful heat also helped in its favor. It was all blissfully quiet around her. That was the only reason Maria was able to sleep the whole night away without any care in the world.

    But it did notst long.

    She was woken up by a sharp jab in her shoulder and instantly felt arms around her. Her face was being smashed into a pair of the heavy and soft mount of flesh that vaguely seemed familiar.

    Maria lifted her hand to check the flesh out and squeezed the part.

    The hands around her loosened and threatened to drop Maria and the rush of adrenaline from it instantly woke her up. It was then she realized what was happening around her.

    Nao was carrying her and running at the same time. There seemed to be some kind of moment behind them but Maria was angled in such a way that she could not glimpse it.

    ¡°Nao?¡± Maria asked her retainer who ignored her call but did meet Maria¡¯s eyes with a heavy look. Nao was asking Maria to trust her and Maria did trust her.

    That was the only reason she did not ask any questions as Nao whisked them into the darkness of the night.

    ¡°Surrender now or we will be forced to retaliate. We don¡¯t want to harm the oracle so please hand yourself in now¡± for a second Maria felt tempted to order Nao to surrender them both. She wanted to take the gamble that Neah would protect them both.

    But as soon as the thought formed in her mind, it faded as well.

    Her mind forced her to remember the words of those nobles and the sacrifice Nao had made to get her out. Nao would not be spared even if Maria remained unharmed and that was not a gamble Maria was willing to take.

    ¡°Lady Maria, this is ourst chance to turn back. You need to make a decision now and I will follow through. No matter what you decide, I am with you all the way¡± Maria felt so d that she had Nao as her servant.

    Maria could not allow harm toe to Nao, even if it meant that she would have to suffer some hardships in the process. Maria would not allow her second chance at life to go wasted.

    ¡°Nao, make sure we disappear from the radar. We cannot allow those royal guards to catch us¡± and as soon as those words escaped Maria¡¯s lips, she felt magic surround her and the voice of her system sounded in her ear.

    [Path divergence attained sessfully. User is once again reminded that they chose this on their own.

    Any attempt to sue the system would not be entertained, nor would anyints be heard. The user is on their own now]

    It did not matter to Maria. She had always been on her own in this world anyway. She would manage to carve her way.

    (If you are reading this then let me know by voting ormenting on this story. It helps me in the longer run)

 Chapter 13 13: Lady Karin Part 1

    Nao used magic to increase her speed and agility. She jumped, leaped, and ran across the rooftops to try and lose their shadows.

    But it was not easy and the royal guards gave a good chase after them. There was a reason they had earned their title and it was not merely for show.

    Many of the royal guards were well versed in magic as well and managed to hit Nao a few times. Maria felt the impact when that happened and it stung her as well.

    ¡°Nao, should I help out? I can aim to take out a few of them and create an opening for us¡± Maria offered her help to the demon carrying her but only received a shake of the other¡¯s head.

    ¡°We should not risk it. You are an unwilling party for now and it gives you certain immunity if we get caught anytime. We cannot risk you like that. Besides, we have a n for times like these¡± Nao exined which surprised Maria.

    Having a n like this meant that the other party had been thinking about this for some time. It also meant that this was an oue they had expected and prepared ordingly.

    Nao ducked into an ally which finally caused them and their pursuers to lose sight of each other. Nao took this opportunity to put Maria back on her foot and drag the other into a dack-door.

    ¡°Do you see them?¡± a guard asked only secondster as heavy footstepsnded near them. Maria looked out of the peephole on the door as more and more footsteps followed after the first.

    They neared the door and Maria felt a gasp escape her lips.

    And then there as a hand on Maria¡¯s mouth, muffling her voice and a pair of breasts on her back, squishing her between the door and a hard body. She also felt something big poke her in the back and Maria did her best not to let it affect her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make any sound¡± Nao¡¯s voice said directly in her ear and Maria felt a shudder run down her spine at the sensual voice. She had to clench her fist to control herself.

    Her body was still sensitive from the night below and the remains of the spiritual egg inside her pussy did its best to remind her of that.

    The footsteps wereing closer toward themselves and all Maria could think of was the body behind her own. She could not help it that her mind decided to jump directly in that direction.

    ¡°Oi oi oi, don¡¯t open that door if you don¡¯t want trouble. Don¡¯t you know who owns that establishment? It¡¯s Lady Karin. We don¡¯t want any trouble with her¡± the panicked voice finally did the job and knocked Maria out of her perverted thoughts.

    ¡°Lady Karin territory? Seriously? Darn, even those escapees would not dare go in there if they value their life. I guess it¡¯s best we check around here¡± Maria felt her breath ease out as those footsteps moved away.

    Nao also finally pulled herself back from her personal space and Maria felt she could breathe.

    ¡°Lady Karin? Isn¡¯t she-¡± ¡­ ¡±-The famous demon witch? Yes, she is. But I have a reason to bring you here¡± Maria started but Nao finished those words for her.

    Lady Karin had been a noble who had been taken over by a demon a long time ago. Rumour had it that she gave her consciousness away to gain powers.

    ? Though her family refused to believe it and even caused amotion against the im. The family had enough political support to push their way and providedy Karin a full pardon.

    Not that it would have mattered much. Lady Karin was a formidabledy in her own right and held enough power to oppose her one secretly nned assassination.

    Then she had proceeded to take over a portion of the town and convert it into a kind of gang. She was the ruler of that ce and rarely butted heads with anyone as long as you left her alone.

    Even the royal family had given her a wide breathe and left her alone. To have someone like her protect them was a dreame true.

    But still, nothing came free to anyone, and Maria could not help but feel suspicious of all this.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Why would someone like Lady Karin help us? If she¡¯s really a demon and as strong as she is said to be, then should she not want this war? She had enough support to even win it¡± Maria did believe that Lady Karin could win.

    She had only seen Lady Karin once and all she could remember was a pair of ruby red eyes looking back at her from a pale face. Those eyes were framed by a few scales on both sides.

    The vision of the redhead d in red had certainly left an impression on Maria.

    ¡°Lady Karin is an odd one and she has her reasons as well. Please don¡¯t mind her words or manners when you meet her. She¡¯s a little entric but she means well¡± Maria felt nervous at Nao¡¯s words.

    There were a lot of ways one could be ¡®weird¡¯ and they were not limited to one¡¯s behavior. Maria could think of a couple of ways this could all go down wrong and she fervently wished that her dread would turn out to be wrong.

    Nao led her through the building and toward the upper floors of the management.

    Maria had not realized just how tall the building had initially been but the transparent life made it pretty evident.

    Maria could see the whole district from the lift and the higher they went, the more she could observe. The whole block around them was abandoned and left for ruins.

    The buildings were in perfect condition but theck of maintenance was beginning to show up on their surface. It was a poor show of wealth a person possessed and Maria noted to bring this topic if she got a chance to do so.

    ¡°We¡¯re here¡± Nao spoke up once the life stopped moving and Maria took in a deep breath to prepare for the worst.

    The lift door opened and there she was - the vision in red oh so familiar. To Maria, it felt as if she was once again back in that moment where she had first met Lady Maria in all her read glory.

    The gown followed a simr style and so did the hairstyle. Even the make-up looked to be the same from that day so long ago.

    Lady Karin looked as if she had not aged even a single day ever since that fateful meeting and Maria felt nervousness swirl inside her belly.

    ¡°Wee home darling~ I had been waiting for you for ages now. Come, hurry up or the party would start without you¡± the vision of red moved so fast that Maria hardly had any time to brace herself before she had a pair of arms intertwined with her own.

    Lady Karin had made her way toward Maria and led her across the corridor without any second nce towards Nao.

    It seemed as if thedy in red only had eyes for Maria and it send a shot of fear down Maria¡¯s spine.

    Just what had gotten herself into? Thedy in red felt like a ticking time bomb on Maria¡¯s arms. She felt like she was one wrong away from blowing it all up in everyone¡¯s face.

    Maria looked back toward Nao for help but her aid shifted her head to the side. Even Nao was turning her head away from this situation which made Maria aware that she was on her own. She had to manage this situation herself somehow.

    "Lady Karin, can we have a talk? Do you know who I am?" Maria asked thedy who gave a giggle behind her hand. Lady Karin seemed to be in her own world and paid no attention to things around her as she walked.

    She managed to walk Maria into quite a few objects on the way which made it even more awkward to have this talk.

    But despite all that, her eyes gave off a feeling that she was more than aware of what she was doing. Her behavior felt like an act, a test to see whether Maria was the real deal or not.

    ''System, I need you to do something for me'' Maria did not want to involve the system in this but she felt as if she had no other choice. She needed to get past Lady Karin to move forward.

 Chapter 14 14: Lady Karin Part 2

    [Karin Abyss - Official title: The pioneer of war. Demonic Title: Thedy general who bleeds blue. One of the gatekeepers of the underside of the world]

    Maria tried to make sense of what she had just learned from the system. She read the words a third time but they still did not reveal any additional information.

    Nor did they tell her what she should have been doing next. The system was stingy like this. It would assist Maria when she asked but it never tried to guide her.

    Of course, she knew what those titles meant but to connect them to thedy sitting in front of her was a little difficult for Maria.

    ¡°Another cup of tea? This one had caramel in it¡± Lady Karin asked as she gestured toward the teapot on her desk. Maria diverted her attention toward the gloved hands of thedy.

    They gave her no answers in return and then Maria was back to square one again.

    ¡°No, thank you. Can we start our talk now?¡± Maria asked for the fifth time since the start of this meeting. She had tried to be understanding and let thedy set the pace of this meetup but she had a limit to her patience.

    Lady Karin seemed to be in no hurry and had avoided her question the first four times around.

    ¡°But we are talking right now. I am asking you about the tea and you are responding to me. I find this situation to be pretty charming¡± Lady Karin avoided Maria¡¯s questions once again and Maria felt her eyes burn with frustration.

    Was this why Nao had decided not to apany her inside? To let her suffer alone with Lady Karin.

    The pioneer of war was a title awarded by the throne to the top-most general in the past decade. Lady Karin still held onto this title suggested that she had not been bested inbat yet.

    However, the real title that had surprised Maria had been ¡®Thedy general who bleeds blue-blood¡¯. It was a title given to a person that had sacrificed their ce in the demonic war and ced themselves as an overlooker.

    However, not every demon who denounced the war got this title. Most of them dies while a selected few became the guardians of the nodes.

    Only 7 known cases had been recorded but the system had confirmed long ago that there had been 10 such demons.

    No one knew why they denounced the war or why the world chose them as guardians. However, most people believed it was a testament to their powers and the world¡¯s way to keep them on its side.

    ¡°The tea is magnificent but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the main issue here. Time is of the essence and Nao tells me that we need to stop the next demonic war from erupting. I was hoping that you would be able to help me out in that regard¡± Maria decided to be forward this time.

    She was tired of being subtle and hinting at what she wanted but it seemed to not be working.

    Lady Karin was far too good at dodging her questions with words. The experience she had gained in the court was shining through.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°If such is the case then you should have said so from the beginning. I was wondering when you would catch on and finally decide to ask outright. You took far longer than I expected so I guess you do have something of ¡®that woman in you as well¡± Lady Karin leaned ahead, her dress dipping down her breasts and giving Maria a clear view of her cleavage.

    Maria tried to look away but a tight grip on her head kept her face focused on those heavy breasts.

    ¡°T-That woman? Are you talking about my mother? I mean, Lady Silvya?¡± A sh of irritation passed through Lady Karin¡¯s eyes and her hand tightened on Maria¡¯s face for a brief second.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say her name with that face or I won¡¯t be responsible for my actions. Oh, how I hate that bitch and all she stood for. She took my love away from me. Besides, you¡¯re here with me so why don¡¯t we enjoy ourselves¡± Maria felt her face being pushed in-between a pair ofrge breasts.

    It was difficult to breathe and Maria tried to get out of the hold but it was unsessful. Maria had no other choice but to use magic to enhance her strength.

    One second Lady Karin was hugging her, the next second she went flying through the air. Maria felt her heart skip a beat as Lady Karin hit the floor.

    She quickly hurried toward the fallendy¡¯s side and kneeled to check for damage.

    ¡°S-Sorry. I was not aware of my strength and you gave me no opportunity to warn you about my attack and -¡± Maria felt a finger against her lips as Lady Karin pulled herself up.

    She looked to be unharmed but Maria was not worried about the injury. Her mind was much more focused on the ruin of any potential goodwill she might have built with Lady Maria.

    ¡°Darn it. I was so sure that it would work on you as it did on your father. I should have known that males and females were fundamentally different, not to mention a half-demon -¡± Lady Karin muttered as she pulled herself up.

    She seemed to not be angry with Maria but she was a great actor. Maria decided to wait for the other to gather her wits before bringing anything up again.

    ¡°-and I prepared so hard to leave a good impression on you as well. Looks like it all went down to drain once again. I wonder if this is why I have no friends of my own. I do scare away everyone Ie across -¡± thedy continued her monologue as she moved toward the table and began cleaning it up.

    Magic worked its way and soon the table was set up in a proper setting. The setting was the same as it had been when Maria first sat down.

    Maria watched it all happen from her position on the floor and felt her blood freeze as Lady Karin¡¯s red eyes met her own.

    ¡°What are you doing down there? You cane back and sit here so that we can discuss things. I¡¯m done with my test as well¡± Lady Karin gestured for Maria to sit down in front of her once again.

    Maria watched Lady Karin and the seat with critical eyes, her mind calcting the risk of sitting down once again. Should she sit down or should she not sit down? It was really difficult for her to decide.

    (I decided to do two 1k+ chapters in a single day. It''s easier for me and you get more chapters)

 Chapter 15 15: The Unavoidable Truth

    But she decided to take the risk and not make the situation any more awkward.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have questions for me so you better ask me now. I have a feeling that the royal guards would be visiting here pretty soon¡± Maria had a simr feeling but she knew it had nothing to do with her oracle powers.

    It was just how things would work out once the guards failed to find any signs of her and Nao outside. Maria had a million things to ask of the elder but her mind only focused on one question.

    ¡°Why did you act like that at the start? You were testing me and I want to know why¡± this should not have been the priority but the previous behavior of Lady Karin had bugged Maria enough to ask this.

    Or maybe it had been the strong reaction Maria had gotten from Lady Karin at the mention of her mother. It was more than clear that Lady Karin knew her mother and potentially her father as well.

    Maria did not want to be selfish but she wanted to know more about her family. There was so much to know and Maria felt lost.

    ¡°The way I acted? I merely wanted to see what you would do. Whether you would wait it out like your mother or strike me out like your father. Should have known you would be unique in your own right. That¡¯s my bad. Now, anything else?¡± Maria opened her mouth to ask more¡­.

    ¡­.but something in her told her to drop this topic.

    ¡°Righttttt. Nao told me that you would help us out but I¡¯m still not sure what that means. Maybe we should get her here so that we can proceed ahead?¡± Maria asked it like a question.

    In reality, she would be much morefortable with Nao around but she did not want to offend Lady Karin by assuming.

    ¡°That bonded demon? Leave her out of it for now since she cannot do anything. Though she is right in this regard. I can help guide you on what to do next but the decision to move forward should be your own¡± Maria felt irritation creep up her head.

    Once again it came up - the question about consent.

    Not only her system but the whole world seemed to be out to remind her that it was her choice that mattered. That despite everything that was happening, Maria was the one making decisions.

    ¡°I understand. It is my choice¡± not really but Maria was good at pretending.

    Her words caused the elder demoness to ease the tension in her frame and finally seemed to be willing to help Maria out.

    ¡°If that is your choice then I will not stop you. But first, Do you know what the real structure of this world is?¡± Maria felt tense at thest part before she heard the whole question.

    She knew this part.

    ¡°My teacher once told me that Avalon was a world held up by seven trees, each denoting a node that connected it to the root. All those seven trees are independent of each other and hold different energies. My m-mother was from another canopy and came here-¡± Maria started but flinched at the re at her mother¡¯s name.

    She decided to slow down her exnation and watched Lady Karin hum in agreement.

    ¡°You are close enough. There are ten nodes but seven trees and ten guardians of the nodes. The demonic war is a race to see who can destroy those nodes the fastest and gain ess to their real body in the underworld¡± Maria nodded in agreement to show that she understood.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The system had exined this part to her already. The world of Avalon was divided into three sections - the underbelly, the canopy, and the upper sky.

    The underbelly was the demonic front filled with magic and held the supreme magic of the seven trees that held up the canopy or the present human world. The upper sky was something no one but the supremes of every species knew how to ess.

    It all sounded really simple but it was not. It had taken Maria years to be able to wrap her head around all that.

    ¡°The existence of ten nodes means that there will be ten supreme candidates for us to fight. That will be too much burden for the canopy¡± Maria had considered her words before replying.

    Lady Karin was a demon and a neutral party but she had shown nothing butpassion for Maria. It felt safe to answer to her.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Ten demon candidates vs seven nations are not something that this world could handle. However, even you know that this war cannot be stopped fully. So, what are you aiming for¡± Lady Karin¡¯s words brought shed to Maria¡¯s mind.

    [Initiating future vision. The actual result of the visions may change depending on the actions taken in the past]

    [Maria felt the magic condense around her as arge number of demons stood before the surviving humans. Blood flowed freely and the four figured in the sky looked on calmly.

    One of them even looked directly at Maria but there was no recognition in their eyes. They looked back at humanity as an obstacle to be conquered.

    There seemed to be no hope for them.

    Nothing but a lone raging demon standing between the surviving humans and the four supreme candidates in the future.

    The demon made their final stand, their eyes moving to meet Maria¡¯s own and she felt magicsh out all around them. A supreme candidate was willing to help humanity survive and thrive]

    And the vision ended just as abruptly as it had started but it had given Maria enough to go on. She knew what she had to do.

    ¡°What I am aiming for is simple. If we can¡¯t stop this war, we just have to make sure the one to win it would be someone we can trust¡± Maria felt confident in her answer but felt her heart waver at the intense look in Lady Karin¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s some idea you came up with. I assume that you already have someone like that in mind so I won¡¯t ask you about it. However, I would like something else now¡± Maria felt relieved and then worried.

    Payment? Maria was not sure she had any money to be able to pay Lady Karin.

    ¡°Payment? I don¡¯t think I have any money on me¡± Maria asked with a worried voice and Lady Karinughed a small and melodicugh in return.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry. The thing I want is nothing like money. I just want your virginity¡±

 Chapter 16 16: The Trap

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry. The thing I want is nothing like money. I just want your virginity¡± Maria blinked a few times to clear her head out.

    Had she heard that right?

    ¡°You want my what now?¡± Maria asked the question in a shocked voice. She had never expected to be asked such a question outright.

    ¡°Your virginity. Since I never managed to have my love in such a way, you would do instead. You share a lot of features with him. And oh, I don¡¯t even mind you being a female¡± Lady Karin eximed.

    Her sudden enthusiasm was unneeded and it was enough to put Maria¡¯s mind in overdrive. Just what had she gotten herself into?

    But more importantly, how did Miss Karin even know she had been a virgin to start with? Maria was sure she had never brought that topic up.

    ¡°And what if I¡¯m not able to give you my virginity? What if I¡¯m no longer a virgin? Maybe I had a partner all along¡± Maria asked with fake confidence.

    The blush was swiftly creeping over Maria¡¯s face as her eyes met an amused pair of red. She felt exposed but had to keep her ground.

    ¡°Are you? Not virgin that is?¡± Lady Karin asked and Maria shook her head as a ¡®no¡¯. There was no point in trying to mislead Lady Karin.

    ¡°See, I knew you did not have much experience in the sexual department. Your reactions told me everything I needed to know about you. And anyway, that is what I want as my payment from you¡± Lady Karin was looking at Maria with a taunting smile.

    Maria could do nothing but decline. She did not want to be a part of this game the other seemed to be ying.

    But more importantly, she did not want to be a recement for her father.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I would have to say no to your request. You can ask for anything else and I¡¯ll try to provide but not this¡± Maria pushed back as she started to stand up.

    She needed to find Nao and get out of here before she majorly offended Lady Karin in some way. She had already made a lot of trouble by declining Lady Karin in such a way.

    ¡°Ah, I see. Such a shame that you do not want my help. And to think that I knew a way to get you and your retainer out of this city without being spotted by the royal family and grant you the ess needed to reach my node¡± Lady Karin replied with a sigh.

    Maria felt herself flinch at the casual remark.

    She had forgotten about some small details when she had nned her refusal and now they wereing back to bite her. She would not be able to ess the node without Lady Karin¡¯s assistance.

    Still, to barter her body in return did not sound appealing.

    ¡°Still hesitant? How about I sweeten the deal in your favor? I shall assist you one time without any questions asked. Would that not prove to be helpful? I can also help you with your life-force¡¯s condition¡± Lady Karin added and that certainly gave Maria a pause.

    The previous deal had been good but this one was not something she could pass upon. An unconditional favor and help with her condition were more than Maria could ask for.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°What do you know about my condition? Is there a cure for it?¡± Maria asked with a tense voice. Lady Karin sounded like she knew something about it.

    Was there a solution to her problem that did not require Maria to participate in those acts and force others to help her as well? Could she move past it all?

    Maria did not realize that she had leaned forward and only realized this fact when she felt Lady Karin lean backward as well. There was a teasing look on Lady Karin¡¯s face that sent rm bells down Maria¡¯s head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that question till you agree to spend a night with me and give me your virginity. I promise to help you once you agree to my contract¡± Lady Karin smiled her charming smile but Maria saw it for what it was - a trap.

    And Maria was about to fall into it willingly as well.

    ¡°Fine. I agree to your terms so you better keep your end of the deal as well¡± Maria almost yelled those words out.

    Lady Karin looked delighted at her words and Maria felt magic shackles bind her throat and arms. The contract had been set in ce and there was nothing Maria could do to escape them any longer.

    ¡°I¡¯m so delighted that you agreed to my proposal. I was afraid that I would not be able to resist touching your wonderful ears any longer¡± Maria felt a hand reach out toward his head and touch her ears.

    Ears she had forgotten had even been there in the first ce and the feeling of pleasure shed all over her.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t try and change the subject. W-What do you know about my c-condition¡± Maria felt herself pant as wetness escaped her lower lips. She had to bite her lips not to moan from the contact.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t try and scam you. Your condition does not have a solution as long as you use your weapon but it is managed easily enough. Your servant gave you her life force in the form of a spirit egg right? I can feel its presence inside you¡± Maria felt her pussy clench at the reminder.

    The egg was almost gone from inside her and the presence of life force was low inside her as well. She was afraid of what that meant.

    Would the heate back? Just thinking back at that dreadful heat made Maria want to break out into a sob.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I told you I can help you out regarding that. I can give you enough life force crystals to be stable for some time even if you use your chains. However, you will need to take me fully for that to happen¡± Maria only half-understood those words.

    Thinking about that heat had been a bad idea and now Maria felt ite back with a vengeance.

    Thebination of heat and pleasure was torture but a pleasurable one. It made Maria want to break something.

    Most preferably the hand in her hair that was still petting her head. She cursed it as she leaned more into it. It was all this heat and Lady Karin¡¯s fault.

    Maria had been tricked, coerced into the present situation.

 Chapter 17 17: Solution?

    Lady Karin was a force to be met with. Her heads in Maria¡¯s hair gave her no time to rest. Her fingers moved to discover all the right ces to make Maria melt in her hand.

    ¡°This feels good right? I knew you were weak to pleasure but I never thought you would be this weak. Now let yourself go and it would all be easier¡± Maria tried to re at Lady Karin for her words but it did note out sessfully.

    Instead, her eyes were full of annoyance but also impatience. The tears in them did not help her case.

    ¡°H-Hurry up would you?¡± Maria tried to be nice to Lady Karin but the heat building up inside her did not allow her that pleasure.

    Lady Karin justughed at Maria¡¯s situation, her eyes shining with sadistic humor at seeing the girl suffer. Maria wanted to push her down and have her way with the other.

    The only problem with that n was her inability to even be able to move. Her body held no strength in it and seemed content toy there at Lady Karin¡¯s mercy.

    ¡°Hmmm, how about I don¡¯t? You seem to be enjoying my slow speed so maybe we should slow down even more¡± Maria felt those hands finally leave her head but they did not return to her body.

    There was a sense of loss inside Maria which she had not expected to happen. Suddenly, she wanted those hands back on her and her body leaned toward Lady Karin.

    ¡°Not interested in that, are you? Fine, I guess we can hurry up a little. Your little show got me excited as well. And besides, it will take time to stretch you out properly to receive me¡± Maria felt herself being moved.

    She had been lying on Lady Karin¡¯sp this whole time and she felt thedy¡¯s ¡®excitement¡¯ under her dress.

    It had not been small and it made Maria¡¯s heat-ridden body excited. She felt herself get wetter even more and had to stop the mona about to escape her mouth after that.

    ¡°How would you prefer we do this? From the front, behind, or even side? I don¡¯t have a preference over this matter¡± Lady Karin asked as she returned to Maria¡¯s side.

    Her hands finally returned to Maria but not to her hair or lower body.

    They made a direct line for Maria¡¯s brests which had been about to pop out of her dress at that point. Maria felt her heat react to that rough treatment and a moan slipped past her lips.

    ¡°You liked that? Well, how about this ce? Is it nice and wet for me as well?¡± Maria felt her cheeks re as Lady Karin made her way down her body and toward her lower lips.

    Thedy seemed as impatient as Maria felt and her finger slipped right into Maria¡¯s hole.

    It felt as weird as it had when Nao had done it. But somehow this felt even more humiliating to her. Lady Karin was not nearly as nice as Nao and her fingers picked up the pace pretty quickly.

    She did not give Maria much time to adjust before she had her second and third finger stretching her as well.

    Those fingers felt huge inside Maria but she knew it was nothingpared to what Lady Karin had been packing in her pants. She could see the monster thaty there and MAria gulped in fear and excitement.

    Her body agreed with her excitement as well because her pussy clenched on the fingers inside her with want.

    ¡°It-think I¡¯m ready?¡± Maria¡¯s body felt ready but her head did not.

    However, she knew that if she backed down now then she would not be able to take this step again. She needed to capitalize on this burst of bravery.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And Lady Karin seemed to have realized this as well because she did not ask Maria about her decision again.

    Maria did not look at Lady Karin when she felt her hardness poke her virgin hole. Maria clenched her eyes shut against the initial burst of pain she was about to experience.

    As much as Mady Karin had prepared her for this moment, Maria knew that her body was not going to ept that cock into her without some resistance.

    However, Maria only felt a burst of initial pain before she felt something cool and soothing numb that feeling.

    Maria¡¯s eyes shot open, only to meet with a pair of smug red ones. Lady Karin¡¯s grin told Maria that she likely had something to do with this and a moan of relief left Maria¡¯s lip unguarded.

    ¡°T-Try not to e-enjoy this too mu-much¡± Lady Karin finally seemed to have lost herposure and Maria felt her start to move inside her.

    It was the weirdest and most pleasurable feeling Maria felt and her mind went nk. She was so sure that nothing would ever be able to match this pleasure and wondered why she did not do this before this day?

    Lady Karin¡¯s expression told Maria that she seemed to be enjoying this as much as Maria was and the rhythm changed into a faster and deeper one.

    Maria felt herselfe close to releasing and a well-timed squeeze of her breast caused her toe. And she was not the only one to reach her climax either.

    Lady Karin was not far behind, her one shouts of pleasure quite clear in Maria¡¯s ears. Maria felt something fill her up and felt her hips move to amodate that new feeling.

    Maria felt herself move on instincts as she squeezed around Lady Karin¡¯s length that was still inside of her but it did not help her keep that inside Maria.

    Lady Karin finally pulled out and then Maria felt a familiar shape probe her pussy lips. It was shaped like an egg and her body epted it as soon as it had been pressed upon her lower half.

    The relief and coolness Maria felt from this one were nothingpared to the one she had used before. This one was much more powerful and the life force swirling inside Maria felt enormous.

    ¡°W-What is that?¡± Maria asked with a shocked voice. Her head had cleared as soon as that odd-shaped had been pushed inside her and Lady Karin¡¯s amused chuckle made the situation much more humiliating.

    Thedy was still looking at Maria¡¯s sex with an almost found look on her face.

    It¡¯s a solid extract of my life essence. As a vessel of the node, my lifeforce is much stronger and more effective but can only be activated by my essence. As such, you needed my semen inside you to make it work but it should help out much better in the long run¡± it seemed to be true.

    Maria did feel better already but it still left a lot of questions.

    ¡°But this was a one-time thing, right? How are supposed to help me again once I leave?¡± Maria asked and got a bad feeling from the smirk on thedy¡¯s face.

    ¡°Well, by mass-producing it for you of course. I am kidding¡± Lady Karinughed over her one joke before she turned a little serious.

    ¡°We can talk about it moreter. You should close your eyes right now and allow your body to absorb my essence¡± Maria opened her mouth but a wave of magic knocked her out cold.

    ¡°Was it really necessary to knock her out?¡± Nao¡¯s voice was an arrow but it did not startle Lady Karin. Lady Karin seemed to have been expecting the other.

 Chapter 18 18: The Conversation

    ¡°Was it really necessary to knock her out?¡± Nao watched Lady Karin with a weary look. The red-haireddy seemed far too rxed and had one of her hands y with Maria¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Of course. Rest is very important after such an intense activity. It would not do for the oracle to faint due tock of rest on her journey¡± Lady Karin replied with a cheerful voice but her eyes held darkness to them.

    Nao gulped her nervousness down as she faced the devil. Lady Karin had far surpassed the rank of a demon and was now one of the most dangerous creatures alive. It would not be a good idea to anger her.

    ¡°But still, there was no need to use magic. Do you wish to keep Lady Maria here forever? She is not his highness¡± Nao gathered her courage to speak thosest words.

    She did not get a chance to dodge the shadows being aimed at her and felt the wind being knocked out of her by the impact.

    Blood escaped the demon¡¯s mouth and her ribs ached at the familiar feeling of the injury. Nao looked up toward Lady Maria and had a smile on her face.

    ¡°Now now, don¡¯t be like that. Of course, Maria is not my beloved since she¡¯s a girl after all. Not that I mind her or anything. Maria¡¯s just as lovely as my beloved and looks like her too. Maybe I will keep her after all ~¡± Lady Karin replied in a teasing voice.

    Nao¡¯s panicked expression caused augh to bubble itself out of the red-headeddy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear pet of my nemesis. I am not foolish enough to keep the oracle here. Not with that witch looking for her as well. I had my fill and I do intend to keep my promise as well. I just need a moment¡± Nao watched it all pour out of Lady Karin¡¯s mouth.

    It did surprise Nao. The hesitation in Lady Karin¡¯s words to not cross the demon possessing Princess Neah. Nao had not been privy to which demon it was, just with the instructions to take Lady Maria away from her before it was toote.

    But if even Lady Karin was afraid to openly cross her, then it must be someone really special.

    ¡°I thank you for your assistance in all this. We will be out of your hair tomorrow morning once we receive the key to the first node¡± Nao bowed to the red-haireddy but she no longer had her attention.

    Lady Karin had her attention focused back on Lady Maria and her eyes held a gentleness Nao had only seen once.

    It had been when thest supreme had been alive. Lady Karin had either taken a liking to Lady Maria or she was projecting her feelings onto her. Both were eptable oues and ones they had been aiming for.

    It had been a long shot to get Lady Karin to ept Lady Maria but it had paid off in the longer run. And it made Nao feel guilty.

    She knew why she was doing all this. She had an end goal as well in her sight. But it all felt so long to her and Nao felt as if she had to drag her feet along the way.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°I already passed on my key to her so there is no need to look for me in the morning. I will leave a jar of my life essence on the table for her to take regrly. It shouldst for some time¡± Lady Karin offered as she stroked Lady Maria¡¯s hair.

    Nao paused at the door, her hands clenching the handle with a tightness that was unexpected. The feeling of loss she felt at those words was not something Nao could exin so she decided not to touch it for the time being.

    Nao had a lot of other things to prepare in the meantime after all. Also, she had a feeling that Lady Karin would appreciate a moment alone with Lady Maria for now. Keeping good rtions between them both was also a part of Nao''s job after all.

    She missed the sharp look Lady Karin issued her as she left. She missed a lot of obvious signs Lady Karin had given her but Lady Karin did not miss those signs from Nao''s side. She watched and observed the partner the oracle had chosen in all this mess.

    "You were really out of luck to end up with someone loyal like her. The journey would be tough for both of you. Silvya, you managed to achieve what you wanted even in your death. Really, did you hate him so much to even make her daughter a part of your revenge?" Lady Karin asked into the empty room but there was no answer to her question.

    There never was an answer to her questions and that was the biggest reason Lady Karin had decided not to bother with the court politics. Most people thought it was because of the demon''s influence but the truth was far more dangerous than that.

    They were all caught in this game of the divine without any escape or relief. The cycles continued to repeat themselves and more people were sacrificed every time it happened.

    There were minor differences in every cycle of the Demonic war. Every time presented a new opportunity to end the cycle but it was impossible to find that inconstancy. By the time it was found, the opportunity to strike was long gone. Not to mention, the addition of external factors from the upper realm would get involved behind the scenes sooner orter.

    However, this time felt different and Lady Karin hated to admit it. Silvya had been right about her theory and her daughter was living proof of it. For the first time in all the cycles, the oracle had survived past the prophecy and it was nothing short of a miracle.

    However, what it would bring for them all was still unknown. Would it actually prove anything was also up in the air. But Karin had to believe in this path her beloved had chosen.

    She had to believe or she would go mad with doubt and fear of the future.

    The sun was beginning to rise outside the window and Lady Karin finally turned toward it instead. It was time to leave and lead their pursuers on a wild goose chase. She would buy that pair time to get away and start their journey.

    Lady Karin hated to admit it, but even she knew Silvya had chosen the best pieces for her game against the upper realm. But if only things were that easy.

    The difficulties were just about to begin and the first node would be the start to it all. Once it was breached, the real war would start and times would change.

    (Let me know you are there, reading this by either reviewing,menting or voting. I won''t know you are out there otherwise since I cannot see the stats on this book)

 Chapter 19 19: The Way Out - Part 1

    Maria woke up slowly from the best sleep she had in a while. She could still feel the remains of sleep clinging to her and could not help herself.

    She rolled back into the bed and shut her eyes. Her body followed her movement and decided to be heavier than it needed to be.

    ¡°Time to wake up. We need to leave this ce now¡± Nao¡¯s voice broke the tranquil sleep Maria had been having and her body shot up in rm.

    Maria felt her body protest against the motion and her lower side ache with a familiar pain and fullness.

    ¡°Do we have to? Can I sleep in for five more minutes?¡± Maria asked even as she struggles to get off of the bed.

    Her brain decided to catch up with what had happened in that very bed a night before and Maria went red. Still, she pulled herself off of the bed and stood with a limp.

    It was partly due to her recently lost virginity and partly due to the egg-shaped essence still inside of her. It had somehow not dissolved a lot and its cooling presence felt soothing to Maria.

    It also made her horny but to an extent, Maria could ignore it on her own. As long as she remained careful in her steps and did not make any sudden moment, it would be as if she had nothing there at all.

    ¡®Think of it as tampons¡¯ Maria chanted inside her mind, knowing fully well that tampons were nothing like this.

    ¡°You can go back to sleep for five more minutes but it would leave you with no time to shower and change. Please choose your priorities carefully¡± Nao replied and Maria sighed in defeat.

    She finally picked up the pair of fresh clothes Nao had left for her on her bed and moved toward the door Nao was pointing toward.

    Maria did not look at Nao¡¯s face the whole time she did this. She found herself unable to face the other after what had happened.

    Did it count as cheating if Maria spend a night with Lady Karin when she spend it with Nao just a few days ago? But that had been a circumstance position as well and nothing major had happened.

    Somehow, the situation made Maria¡¯s head hurt so she decided to not think about it for now. She would ignore it till someone else brought it up.

    The shower was a godsend and managed to wake Maria up from her mood. The water was a bit cold but nice enough on her dry skin.

    Nao had everything already packed when Maria came out of her shower and she hurriedly opened a map and motioned for Maria toe closer toward her.

    ¡°Where did Lady Karin go? Is she going toe with is?¡± Maria asked as she approached Nao and the map. She recognized the map as a general map of Avalon but did not know much about reading it.

    Her teacher had ignored Maria when she had asked to learn the art of map reading. Her mother had discouraged her as well and Maria had decided to drop the topic in the end.

    ? ¡°Lady Karin is out and will not be joining us any further. We will be joining Howl and her charge at the outskirts of the city gate tonight. The main problem is to leave the city undetected¡± Nao summarized their current situation.

    Maria felt a sense of loss as her partner detailed out things for her. She had nothing to contribute toward their progress.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°How do we do it? Create a way out of this mess?¡± Maria asked as she looked at the map. Generally, she left such things up to the system but she felt a little uncertain to ask for help.

    However, there seemed to be nothing else Maria could contribute herself so she decided to swallow her pride and uneasiness and ask her system.

    ¡®Analyse the map and route out an exit for us¡¯ Maria pretended to observe the map as she allowed the system to do its work.

    She felt the mechanical rolling sound in her head followed by a ¡®ding¡¯.

    Maria¡¯s vision blurred before it sharpened to an unnatural level. She instantly focused on the map and there it was - their way out.

    ¡°Can we use the drainage system to get out? I¡¯m sure there are a few lines that go down from here and here¡± Maria pointed toward the map with pink denotations.

    Her system marked them as the best way to escape and Maria felt her chest heave at the thought of all that foul smell.

    But she had to consider it as a possibility. Maybe their only possibility even and that was a thought that haunted Maria.

    "That is the sewage system. It is an excellent idea but are you sure Miss Maria? Won''t that be a bit too much? Not to mention,pletely inappropriate for someone of your status to be using" Naoined and Maria wanted to agree with her.

    The sewage system was not a ce Maria ever thought she would end up using as an escape route but she had no other choice in sight. She had to utilize what she had after all.

    "As much as I would rather not use it, it is our safest option. We can easily take out the guards and we will not need any allies to reach the end" Maria bargained with a straight face.

    Nao seemed to be considering her words before she nodded in agreement. Maria felt her heart sink as they came to an agreement. She would be going through this but only because this was her only option.

    The pair left the ce and hid in the shadows all around the city.

    The jerky moment was ufortable for Maria and moved the essence inside her to inappropriate positions but she somehow managed to keep pace with Nao. She made sure she was not walking funny as they passed popted areas but somehow it felt as if every eye was on Maria the whole time.

    The hood felt too short on Maria''s head and she angles herself in such a way that her body hid behind Nao''s mass.

    Maria felt relief and dream in equal measures as they reached the sewage area and it was followed by the most ufortable crawl of her life. The essence inside Maria''s lowers parts jiggled as she crawled and she had to do her best not to let it affect her.

    She was more than turned on and ready to take a shower once she crawled out on the other part. Nao though looked unaffected and Maria felt envious of her luck. She wanted to not have these problems as well.

    "Let''s go to the meet-up point. You can take another shower there" Maria felt all her resentment fade away at the thought of a shower. Maybe she could slip in some relief on her part as well.

 Chapter 20 20: The Way Out - Part 2

    ¡®Let''s go to the meet-up point. You can take another shower there¡¯ was what Nao had said an hour ago. Maria and Nao had been moving ever since then but the location of that meet-up spot was nowhere in sight.

    Moreover, Nao looked as if she had no intentions of even stopping for now. Her face was nk as she led Maria around.

    ¡°Are you sure you know where we are going? I feel like we¡¯ve seen that tree a few times now¡± Mariained as she passed a familiar-looking area.

    Not that it could not be a coincidence. The forest tended to blend into itself the deeper you go. And the pair had been walking for some time now.

    ¡°So you did notice. I was wondering how long it would take you toin. But I have a reason for this so please trust me¡± Maria wanted to be annoyed at Nao but the tone took her back.

    Maria did not reply. She had nothing to say that would lighten the situation except ¡®I do.¡¯ But it woulde out irritated so it was just better to keep quiet.

    The pair walked around for a few more minutes before Nao decided to start heading toward the base. Maria gave out a sigh of relief as she took in the small house right in her periphery.

    ¡°You head on ahead. I will deal with the people following us¡± Maria felt Nao¡¯s voice in her ear before the demoness disappeared from in front of her.

    Maria looked behind but only saw shes of light and spells. She had not known that someone had been following them but Nao had noticed. How had Nao noticed before Maria?

    Maria¡¯s system should have warned her about those intruders before they even came in a 30-meter radius.

    ¡®System, open the alert settings¡¯ Maria had tinkered with those settings a lot in her free time so she was not sure what she had even set as her alert radius.

    Maria did remember being annoyed at a lot of jumpscares in her early days because of her alert. And it looked like she had decided to switch it off and then proceeded to forget all about it.

    She did remember doing something like that since she had been in a secure environment at that time.

    She quickly turned it on and set the rmended 30-meter radius setting. Instantly, her head buzzed with a warning and Maria felt herself react.

    [Intruder alert. Right behind user¡¯s back]

    Maria quickly twisted her body and angled it in a way that allowed her to grab the extended arm and throw the other¡¯s body over her shoulder.

    Maria¡¯s body was thin but she did notck the muscle mass needed to make such a move. Her training with the hold chains also gave her considerable upper and lower body strength.

    Maria thought she heard a familiar melodic gasp from behind her before she had a familiar blond-haireddy over her shoulder.

    Howl twisted herself in mid-air andnded on her feet. It was only possible because of the shock factor Maria felt as her grip loosened on those arms.

    Howl finished in an impressive pose of having her body bend in Maria¡¯s grasp and her feet nted on the floor. It was a remarkable feat of flexibility and a sensual position in another context.

    ¡°HOWL! Let her go right now¡± Maria felt small and weak hands assault her and the shock of it caused her to let the blonddy go. She had not even let the other go before she had her arm taken by Howl and then was dragged away.

    ¡°We need to get you out of the open and into somewhere secure. Keep your hood up and do not talk to anyone¡± Maria had a million questions she wanted to ask Howl but she closed her mouth as she was dragged away.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The reason for this sudden change and the order of keeping her mouth close became pretty clear once they reached the small house.

    Unknown people were surrounding the house and none looked like trained soldiers.

    ¡°Howl, back so soon? And who is this? A guest?¡± the olddy asked as she hung thest of her clothes from her basket. Something about her blond hair looked familiar to Maria.

    ¡°Yeah. she¡¯s a dear friend of mine and another one will arrive shortly. They will be staying here tonight mom¡± Maria¡¯s head instantly turned toward Howl and then back toward the elder.

    So there was where the familiar feeling came from.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then I shoulde there and wee her myself. Did you take Shou with you as well when you went to receive them?¡± the elder asked as Maria took in a sharp breath.

    There was no way Maria would be able to keep her identity a secret if the elderdy came closer to them. Maria shook her head as a ¡®no¡¯ but Howl ignored her input.

    ¡°Let me help you out¡± the blond left Maria¡¯s side and went toward her mother. She left Shou with her and the kid happily took Maria¡¯s hand in her own.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright. Mother is blind but she¡¯s kind. She¡¯ll take good care of you¡± Maria felt something ease-out inside her at the confession. If the olddy was as blind as the pair made them out to be, then it would not be a problem to let her meet Maria.

    As long as Maria did not speak, her secret would not be outed at all.

    "Here. She''s standing right in front of you" Howl came back with the elder blond. This close, Maria could see that Howl was more simr to her mother than her younger brother. They both shared the same face structure and hair color.

    But Howl had soft green eyes while the elderdy had milky ones. The elderdy was blind.

    "It''s nice to meet you, youngdy. My daughter tells me that you are unable to speak. What a cruel work we live in but I''m sure you would be alright like me" Maria felt something choking her at the easy eptance. It made her want to lean in close and hug the elderdy.

    But she had to hold herself back and node in agreement.

    "She can''t see you. You should touch her to let her know that you ept her" The younger kid replied with knowing eyes as he saw the flush break over Maria''s features. Maria had not even realized how rude she had been.

    the elderdy did not seem to mind this mishappening and justughed the small interaction off.

    "It happens to the best of us. Nowe here, youngdy. Let me see your hand" Maria extended her hand toward the elderdy and took her surprisingly hard hands in her own.

    And she instantly felt magic swell around her and a ping inside her head.

    [Initiating future vision. The actual result of the visions may change depending on the actions taken in the past]

    Maria copsed as her mind transported itself somewhere else. She was unconscious to the world.

 Chapter 21 21: The Vision Of Fire - Part 1

    [Everything was burning and it was hard to breathe. There was smoke everywhere and it was hard to sense. There was red everywhere so it was hard to see. It looked vaguely like a shop Maria had seen in picture books. Maybe it was a vige shop?

    Maria opened her eyes and was faced with a vision filled with fire.

    She was trapped in a ce that was about to burn up and take her with it as well. The temperature was unnatural and so were the green fumes. The fire would not stop till it had consumed everything inside.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s just the heat tonight that is so bad. It will pass soon¡± the voice sounded old andbored. It was unsure of itself but held just enough convenience power to trust her words.

    Maria turned her head around and felt pain in her back. She looked over her and found herself trapped beneath a burning beam.

    One of the wooden ones had copsed right on top of her but the pain was dull to her senses. She still felt it but not to the capacity as she should have been feeling them.

    But her sense of magic was all gone. Try as she might, Maria was unable to condense even a single drop of water. Nor would the wind respond to her.

    Maaria finally decided to look toward the direction she had heard the voicee from and her eyesnded on a familiar pair.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not the heat but a f-fire. The e-exit copsed as w-well. S-sis is nowhere to be found as well. Are we going to die? I don¡¯t want to die here¡± Shou cried as he tried to move but the heat had forced his small body to be dehydrated.

    He looked to be in a worse condition than his mother which was bad. The mother already looked as if she would copse at any second.

    ¡°I¡¯m d your sister went with the group. It saved her the trouble of bearing this heat. Don¡¯t cry Shou, it will pass pretty soon¡± the elderdy soothed and the roof finally copsed on the pair.

    Maria could do nothing as it did. It burned and it burned her alive as well]

    And then her eyes opened into the real world and right into a pair of familiar green ones. Howl was looking at her directly in the eyes and gave a started yelp as Maria shot forward in the bed.

    ¡°Give a girl a warning before you do something like that. Were you having a vision? What was it about?¡± Howl asked in rapid session.

    The other female was trying to pretend as if she was not interested but her eager tone betrayed her interest.

    Maria felt equal parts of amusement and pity go through her as she looked at the female in front of her.

    Maria was not sure how far ahead in the future her vision had been but it did detail out an incredible loss for the female in front of her.

    There was a chance for Maria to change that future but she was also hesitant. Did she want to change the future knowing that it could lead to something worse? Every work of fiction she had read suggested not to y with the future.

    But still, the alternative was a deal family for Howl and that was not something she wanted for her.

    ¡°I did see something you should know about. But we should secure the perimeters first before I tell you about it¡± Maria suggested and Howl just shrugged.

    ¡°Mother is out and took Shou with her to get food from the nearby vige. It¡¯s as secure as it¡¯s going to be¡± Howl sounded confident so Maria decided to trust her.

    If Nao trusted Howl enough to leave Maria with he then Maria could trust her as well.

    So she told Howl the details of the future. It was horrible to remember but she still did. All for the sake of the kind olddy and the tiny kid who had been burdened with them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The more Maria spoke, the nker Howl¡¯s expressions became. By the time Maria finished, Howl resembled a doll more than a human with her nk expression.

    ¡°- so I think you should stay back here with them. I and Nao can handle the next part of this journey ourselves¡± Maria finished and waited for Howl to respond.

    ¡°I¡¯ll still join you as is my duty. To be truthful, the original owner of this body is dead and I have no attachment to these people. I don¡¯t care if they die¡± Howl exined with a nk face.

    Her voice sounded really convincing and even Maria found it hard not to believe her.

    But Maria had seen Howl interact with her younger brother, hold her mother gently in her arms and so much more. Those moments did not seem fake to her, nor did the bond those three shared.

    Howl was just trying to fool herself if she thought that Maria could not see the obvious.

    Maria wanted to push more about this topic but Howl looked like she would not hear anymore of it.

    Then there was a light knock on the door and Howl opened it without hesitation. Nao entered from the other side and took in the tense air of the room.

    ¡°Did something happen? What about our n to leave tomorrow? Is there a change?¡± Nao asked as she stabilized herself. Her arm had a shallow cut that had stopped bleeding but nothing else looked hurt.

    ¡°Nothing is wrong here. The n remains unchanged and we shall leave tomorrow morning¡± Howl sadi with a finalized voice.

    Maria felt the feeling of wrong sharply as she took in the fighting pair. She knew she was missing something crucial but she was not able to put her finger on it.

    That burning hut, it had looked nothing like this house, did it? And did the clothes not look familiar as well?

    Maria felt like she was being thrown off by something but she was not sure what it was.

    ¡®System, can you rey the vision for me?¡¯ it was a long shot but maybe the vision had been recorded by the system as a log. Many games did keep such scenes.

    [Confirmative. ying scene #1-3. The first act will be over once the node is obtained]

    Maria felt the room around her change into the familiar vision of fire but Maria decided to pay attention to her surroundings.

    The hut was not the house she had been but a vendor¡¯s hut. Thedy and the kid were stuck inside and they were alone. However, the clothes they were wearing were familiar.

    They were the same clothes they had been wearing today and Maria suddenly had an epiphany.

    ¡°Howl, we need to head to the vige. The fire will happen today¡± Maria cried out and waited.

    For a second it looked as if Howl did not hear her but then the blond ran past her and Maria followed after her with her max speed.

    Nao just followed with a confused expression on her face the whole time.

 Chapter 22 22: The Vision Of Fire - Part 2

    Howl led the way to the vige while Maria and Nao followed behind. Maria could have opened up her map anytime instead of following Howl but she did not want Howl to leave her sight.

    Despite her words, Howl certainly cared about her family and the desperation led her to hurry up.

    The vige was a smallmunity-type of space that held the market on the entrance. Maria could spot the fire from a mile away and changed her path toward that at once.

    ¡°Maria, stop. You can¡¯t go in any further¡± Nao caught Maria¡¯s hand as soon as Maria reached the vige entrance. Maria rested at the back of the crowd with her arm in Nao¡¯s arm.

    ¡°We need to help. This fire, it¡¯s not normal. We cannot allow it to fester any longer¡± Maria might not be a noble any longer but she had been raised as one her whole life.

    And as a noble, she had been taught to honor the ones living under her protection. Not everyone had magic to save themselves and technology could only take you so far.

    ¡°Leave it to Howl. She¡¯s an apt magic user as well and can handle this ce. More importantly, look at the side of the crowd¡± Maria pushed herself on her tows and looked past Nao¡¯s shoulder.

    She instantly ducked back down as a royal guard looked in her direction.

    Maria felt her heartbeat painfully at the jump scare. The presence of royal guards was a wake-up call for her and also indicated her limitations.

    ¡°Excuse me. Can you tell us what happened?¡± Maria watched as Nao whispered to the nearbydy. Maria decided to keep her head down and out of the conversation.

    It would not do anyone any good to have her be recognized in the crowd.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. One second, royal guards are barging in to ask us questions about anyone new who might have entered the vige in the past 24 hours, the next second fire had broken out in the market section. It might not be a coincidence that this happened. That shopdy is known to be rather hard-headed¡± the elder exined.

    Maria decided to take a step back and wiggle herself outside the crowd. Nao helped steer her in a direction that did not have any guards watching them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this to Howl. We should start heading back to the hut¡± Nao dragged Maria back to Nao¡¯s house and then the waiting game began.

    Looking at what had happened tonight, it should have been safe to assume that Howl would not be joining them any further.

    And even if she decided to be stubborn and join them, Maria would not allow her to continue this journey.

    Heavy footsteps followed inside the house almost an hour in on their wait and Nao gestured for Maria to stay still.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look¡± Maria wanted to protest but she knew the importance of her one presence. She had to stay out of the way.

    Nao left the room and Maria felt her nerves skyrock with worry. What if it was not Howl who was back but the royal guards who had found this ce.

    Nao would be able to take two or three of them at a time but even she could not take a dozen royal guards. And there might also be a call for backup which would be even more problematic for them.

    There was a small knock on the door and Maria tensed. Her hands moved and magic rose around her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And then it all dropped at a familiar face in front of her. Nao was back and had dragged Howl behind her.

    Howl looked dead to the world, her face pale and her eyes sunken. She seemed to have aged quite a bit in the short time she had been away and Maria could not help but feel responsible.

    Was it better to not have told howl the suture and allow things to y out as they had in the original timeline?

    ¡°Are they-?¡± Maria asked, not wanting to finish that sentence. Whatever the news was, she had no will to be able to hear it.

    ¡°They¡¯re alive but both damaged their lung. The vige doctor looked them both over but the damage has already settled. They won¡¯t recover unless we find a magical expert willing to help us¡± Howl sounded sad but also relieved.

    Maria had no handle on the mixture of pity and relief swirling inside of her.

    ¡°What are you going to do now? You can¡¯t leave them here alone¡± surprisingly, Nao was the one who asked. Nao¡¯s face was angled toward the window but it felt more than a mere observation.

    Nao almost had a regretful sound in her voice. It was something Maria had never heard before from her.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll still travel with you both. I will just need a little more time to settle my family down¡± It did not escape Maria that Howl had said ¡®family.¡¯ For someone who was convinced that she was not their daughter, these were strong words.

    ¡°This is more than eptable. I will go ahead with Nao for now. You can join us once your mother and Shou have settled down. I''ll send you how to contact us on the journey ahead¡± Nao¡¯s voice held a finality that could not be contested against.

    Not that Howl seemed like she wanted to do.

    Despite her physical presence in the room, her eyes darted to the door every few seconds. Her mind was not in there with them and Maria could not fault her.

    ¡°Go to them. We will leave early tomorrow. You¡¯ll finally be rid of us¡± Maria made sure her tone was light and joking. It did its work and caused Howl to break out into a small smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to join you both shortly¡± Howl did not hang around the pair any longer.

    As soon as she left, the easy air left the room. Nao and Maria shared a look before they bolted the door close.

    "The riyal guards were in the city. Likely looking for us and they might reach this ce tomorrow. We cannot wait that long for them toe and we can not put this family at risk like that as well" Maria reasoned and Nao agreed.

    As much as Howl was arade, she also had her own life. She would risk her life if she came after them. It was better to eliminate her presence from their life entirely.

    "We need to leave today. Let''s pack and head out now" Nao already had their bag ready and the window was also open. It was easy to slip out of it and jump down to the unpaved patch ofnd below.

    In the night, two figured slipped past the royal guards and their journey began. It was a lucky night for them that they decided to leave in the night.

    Because the secluded house was raided by the royal guards the very next morning and the family was taken into custody.

 Chapter 23 23: Caught In The Act - Part 1

    It had been a rough night for Howl. with everything that had happened and the burden she had to carry along with her, it had her with no energy in the end.

    The demoness did not know why she had panicked or made the decisions she made, but she did not regret making them.

    The journey to prevent the demonic war should have been her priority but she had chosen her host¡¯s family over the journey. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision but Howl was sure she would make it again in a heartbeat.

    Her eyes opened up before the sun was up and Howl felt unable to settle. There was a presence on the edge of her mind that unsettled her.

    Howl decided to check up on her family and found them sleeping in the lobby area where she had left them a night before. They wereid out in the well-ventted area to clear their lungs out.

    Howl spend some time just looking at them before checking in on her guests.

    The agreed time for leaving had not yet arrived and Howl felt the need to get thest conversation in before they left.

    She wanted a way to contact them as well in case of an emergency.

    However, once she reached the room she found it to be empty. The beds were cold and properly made. The bathroom was dry as well and unused.

    It all painted a picture Howl was sure she did not like. Had this room been used at all that night? Or had the other two decided to leave at night?

    Why did they not tell her?

    Howl felt betrayed by the other two but she had no way to ask them this question. There was also the chance that they left because of the presence of royal guards so close to them.

    Howl had seen some in the vige yesterday but she knew better than to engage them. She had already attracted far too much attention to herself with the stunt she pulled with the fire.

    The magical fire had been tough to handle and impossible to put out. Howl had not even tried to get under control before she had leaped into the fire.

    Her magic had formed a protective barrier around her and allowed her a safe passageway right into the heart of fire.

    It had been a gamble but it had paid off. The magical pressure of the fire was just a little bit less than what Howl could handle with the other two in her arms and she had reached the exit with shaking legs.

    Someone had put the fire out sometime after that but Howl had been too busy to have her family looked at to see who it had been.

    The feeling of uneasiness had started then and had followed Howl back into her home.

    The knocking at the door caused Howl to break her position and jump in the air. No one should havee here to disturb her early and there were no neighbors to worry about as well.

    Unless it was the Oracle and Nao who hade back for something.

    The knocking got worse and then the banging on the door started. The noise was loud and woke up her mother.

    ¡°Who?¡± her mother asked with sleep in her voice and Howl finally stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and check. You stay here and rest for a little longer¡± Howl did not want to leave her two family members alone in the lobby but the knocking was getting frantic now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The door would not survive at this rate.

    ¡°I¡¯ming. Sheesh, give it a little rest and allow me -¡± Howl opened the front door and instantly wished she had not. She tried to close the door but the body at the other end did not give her this privilege.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I just want to talk with you. If you resist then I will have to take you and your family in for insubordination¡± Howl had only ever heard Princess Neah¡¯s voice on TV or in a ceremonial gathering.

    She had not realized that it could sound so threatening. Nor did she think that the presence of the princess would be enough to make her fall to her knees in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid now is not a good time princess My mother and younger brother are not feeling well¡± Howl tried to stall for time. Her mind was taking a lot longer than usual to catch up with her.

    The situation was dangerous and Howl had to make sure she navigated it right.

    ¡°Ah, I know. They were in the firest night, right? That¡¯s why I brought a healer with me to tend to them. Won¡¯t you allow us in now?¡± the princess asked as she motioned for the healer to step forward.

    Nao eyes the healer but she seemed legit. She had no other choice but to step back and allow them all entry.

    At least, this did solve the mystery of ¡®who had put the fire out yesterday¡¯.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Howl heard her mother¡¯s voice and quickly covered the distance to her. She gently lowered her back to the floor and watched the princess and her healer with a critical voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s princess Neah. She saw you in the fire yesterday and decided to offer her assistance for you and Shou¡± Howl replied with a calm and cheery voice.

    She did not believe in the princess¡¯s good intentions but there was no need for her to worry her mother.

    ¡°I see. What a good princess we have for our nation. I wished I could have seen her face as well¡± her mother replied as the healer took a seat at her other side.

    Princess Neah just neared her mother and Howl watched her with a re the whole time. She did not want to miss any kind of foul y.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to meet you as well. Meeting our honorable citizens is always a fun experience for me. I also have a request for your daughter. I saw her performance and bravery yesterday and wanted to recruit her for my task force. May I have this talk with her?¡± Howl¡¯s bad feeling from before came back with a vengeance.

    She did not want to be alone in a room with the princess but there was no way to refuse her without looking suspicious.

    ¡°I would rather not leave my family here alone¡± Howl protested but got an amused chuckle in response.

    ¡°We will provide for your mother and brother as well. I cannot allow such a good ¡®piece¡¯ to slip away from my hand¡± the princess replied and Howl felt goosebumps raise on her arms.

    ¡°I would rather-¡±, ¡°Hear the girl out Howl. You can use the back room for your talk¡± her mother interrupted and there was no backing out.

    Howl led the princess to the back room and closed the door after her. She waited for the princess to begin speaking. It did not take long for the question toe.

    ¡°So, where¡¯s she? Where are you hiding the Oracle?¡±

 Chapter 24 24: Caught In The Act - Part 2

    ¡°So, where¡¯s she? Where are you hiding the Oracle?¡± Howl watched the princess with a nervous smile.

    ¡°Who? I¡¯m afraid I have no idea what you are talking about¡± Howl denied the usation with a straight face. She wished she could have lied better under these circumstances but she was already at a disadvantage.

    They both knew that Howl had too much to lose under these circumstances.

    ¡°You don¡¯t? Well then, I guess I was mistaken. Now, about my offer?¡± The princess asked with the same ease of tone. It was all too unnerving, the pressure on top of Howl as well as those eyes on Howl.

    ¡°Look, I appreciate all that but I¡¯m not interested. I want to live out my life peacefully in these outskirts¡± Howl diverted all routes of attention aimed at her and her family.

    She wished she had left with the other two now. At least her family would not have to suffer by association and the soldiers would have left her alone.

    ¡°How rare for someone to say that. Here I am offering you all the luxurious but you do not seem interested. Well then, let¡¯s change the way I am approaching this¡± Howl had a bad feeling about the princess¡¯s next words.

    The expression on princess Neah¡¯s face, the way her eyes reflected the morning light, it all spelled like bad news for Howl.

    And as expected, the princess¡¯s next words did not disappoint her.

    ¡°If you are willing to do this for yourself, then you should do it for your brother and mother. God forbid something happens to them because of their association with you¡± Howl felt anger boil inside her.

    Princess Neah just took the change of expression on the other female¡¯s face with a calm exterior. She had calcted the situation and knew what she was ying at.

    Princess Neah might have looked calm and collected on the outside but she was boiling on the inside. How dare this stupid girl keep her Maria¡¯s location away from her. And then lie to her as well?

    How dare she.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck. Fine, I wille with you but leave those two out of it¡± the female, Howl, finally relented but Princess Maria saw the fire in her eyes.

    She had not given up yet.

    ¡°I¡¯m d that we came to an understanding but I find your earlier behavior not so trustworthy. Maybe we should take your brother with us as well. Just as a precaution¡± Princess Neah watched as the other¡¯s face nked.

    She counted till ten and watched as Howl¡¯s face exploded.

    ¡°Do not dare!¡± the shout came, as Neah had expected and the other finally attacked her.

    It was hriously easy for Neah to have provoked the other into attacking and the noise was enough to attract her guard¡¯s attention. Things were going just as the princess had nned for them to go.

    ¡°Princess Neah, are you alright?¡± her guards barged into that space, only to find their princess restraining a struggling Howl.

    The princess let the other go instantly. She did not want to be close to the other demon in any kind of way when she did not have to.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright. But more importantly, it looks like we have a potential assassin in our hands¡± the princess replied as she handed Howl over to the guards.

    It would have been easy for her to proim Howl as a suspicious person but that would not have yielded any result. Moreover, her people needed proof to not go against her words.

    It was not because princess Neah was bitter that this girl got to see Maria when Neah did not. Maria chose this girl over princess Neah and that was unforgivable.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Is everything alright? I heard some noises¡± the blind and elderly mother of the girl in her custody made her way toward the group.

    Her fragile health as well as the kid at her side made everyone hesitate to tell her the truth. It could seriously harm her and everyone was considerate of that fact.

    The girl had tried to kill the princess but the elderly kid was void of the me. They should not have been punished for this girl¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Why, everything is fantastic. Your daughter also made the right choice in joining my service so I have decided to take you all with me. My people will look after you and make sure your son also gets the best care¡± the princess¡¯s expression changed in an instant.

    Everyone sighed at the direction they were asked to follow and more sounds of agreement filled the hallway.

    The only one who did not say anything was Howl herself and it did not go past her family.

    ¡°Howl? You decided to join¡± the elderdy asked with a questioning voice which knocked the said person into motion.

    ¡°Yeah, I decided to join. It would be good for Shou to have a proper education and having such connections would make our lives easier as well¡± Howl forced those words out.

    As much as she had wanted nothing to do with the princess, she had not been left with any other choice. It was either this or to see her family suffer.

    The choice was obvious for her.

    ¡°Good. Now that everything is settled, you should start packing. Daylight is precious and I would like to leave today¡± the princess gave the final word and everything was set into motion.

    Shou, unaware of all the tension in the air, happily skipped toward his sister and took her hand in his own.

    ¡°Is it true? Are we going to live in the main city from here on out?¡± the kid asked with a happy expression. Howl felt guilty for denying him such a basic right growing up but it had been necessary.

    She had been asked to hide here but it had all been for naught in the end.

    ¡°Of course, you will be living in the main city. Both you and your mother can enjoy every luxury there is while your sister and I do work. I¡¯ll try to let you see her as frequently as possible¡± the princess replied the kid.

    Shou narrowed his eyes at the princess and his face had a thoughtful expression. Then he finally opened his mouth to ask the question he had been thinking about.

    ¡°Are you going to spend a lot of time with my sister? Then, will you two get married one day as well?¡± Howl tensed beside her brother while everyone else looked on in rm.

    Marriage had always been a sensitive issue for the princess and one that could cause her fuse to burst without much problem. The kid did not know that he was ying with fire.

    Thankfully, the princess justughed the kid¡¯s words off and replied with a pained voice.

    ¡°Sorry kid but I already have someone I love. I will only marry that one person in my life¡± no one asked her who that person was. Her guards all knew who the princess meant.

    They were just not brave enough to call her out on it.

    (There might be an additional chapter out today)

 Chapter 25 25: The Plan To Enter The City

    ¡°We left too suddenly and now I feel guilty. Do you think we should go back and check on Howl and her family? Or send her a message at least to let her know that we left?¡± Maria voiced her thoughts out.

    The pair had been moving for a few hours now but the thought of what they had left behind had yet to catch up with Maria.

    Every time she thought back to Howl and the situation she had left her in, she could not help but feel guilty for leaving so suddenly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should. We decided to cut all ties with her so we should keep up our words. Let¡¯s keep moving since we¡¯re almost to our destination¡± Nao, the voice of reason, in this case, shot Maria down without hesitation.

    Maria decided to follow her advice and not think about the situation they were in. She just quickened her steps to catch up with Nao.

    ¡°You still have not told us where we were headed to. Can I at least get a hint?¡± Maria asked as she finally reached Nao¡¯s side.

    The other female had slowed down considerably and now seemed to be checking her map. Maria felt helpless in the situation since she had no idea where they were heading.

    ¡°You never asked so it slipped my mind but we are heading to the Central metropolis-1. We can get the only train heading to the Grand Canyon from there. Lady Karin hinted that the node was located near there¡± Nao exined as she put her map down.

    Maria felt foolish for not having guess their destination already. After all, there was only one major city in the direction they were going in.

    ¡°But won¡¯t the city be under alert? How are we supposed to get tickets for the train? More importantly, how will get past the security check to enter the city¡± Maria questioned as she walked slower to match Nao¡¯s pace.

    The city boundary would not be visible for some more time which gave the two some time to prepare.

    Central Metropolis-1 was not like the capital city. The security and scale of the poption in the central metropolis were far greater and denser. There were a lot of different species that headed in and out of the city daily.

    In short, it was not impossible to slip in there but it was considerably difficult with the right help.

    And Maria did not think their financial situation was that sound. There was no way they would be able to bribe their way in.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be too much trouble if we yed our cards right. We have a considerable advantage on our side that the guards do not know - your change in physical features. They will be on the outlook for a human, not a half-demon¡± Maria felt realization roll over her.

    Maria¡¯s hands reached out to touch her ears but she let them go instantly, even a single touch had been enough to excite her body and there was no time for that.

    ¡°That is a good n. But still, aren¡¯t our features too noticeable? And what about the ID? Will they not cause any trouble for us?¡± Maria pressed for answers and saw Nao sigh.

    Then the other demon reached out into her bag and pull a stack of papers out of it.

    ¡°These are our new identities. Lady Karin made sure to set them up for us before we left as a parting gift. The rest we can change with the help of a little make-up¡± Nao replied with a straight face.

    Maria felt the lie in those words but Nao seemed unaware that she had been caught in it. It did make Maria curious about the part which she had lied about.

    ¡®System, can you scan these papers and record all information about them?¡¯ Maria had not been curious before but now she was.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She might not have caught the lie had she not been familiar with Nao¡¯s tones and her behavior. And it was not like the other lies to her daily.

    [Scanningpleted. Themissioner: Silvya Kishin]

    Huh, this was not something Maria had expected to know.

    Her mother was the one who had gotten those papersmissioned? But for what reason and why did Nao have them with her.

    But more importantly, why did Nao feel the need to lie to Maria about it? Surely she could have told Maria that these papers had beenmissioned by her mother. Did Nao not trust Maria?

    Or was there another reason?

    ¡°Read them and memories some of the details. Your name remained the same but yourst name has been changed. It is not important but would be good for you to know¡± Maria quickly looked the papers over.

    The window for questions was already over and Maria felt awkward to bring it up again. Maybe she should bring this topic up another time.

    ¡°I think I can get them memorized before we reach the city gates. But are you sure it will work? What if they still recognized me?¡± the city gates were finally visible over the horizon line but it was a long walk.

    Maria found it weird that Nao was allowing her to show her face to the guards when she had been so insistent on not showing it to anyone before.

    ¡°The people back there had seen you live so the chances of you getting recognized are higher. The people on the outskirts have only seen the oracle on the screen and it had been censored most of the time. We should be alright¡± Nao exined and she pounded confident enough.

    Her confidence gave Maria enough confidence to believe in their n as well.

    Her information had remained rtively unchanged but it was enough to make her different from the oracle. It made it easier to remember as well and Maria felt consistent that she would not mess it up.

    Now the only part left was the make-up to change their facial features a little.

    ¡°Come with me. There is a public facility nearby we can use to apply our make-up. It will also be a good cover for us to hide in and change¡± Maria looked at the small building Nao was leading them to.

    It looked worn down and unsanitary. It was the kind of ce Maria would not have gotten caught dead in if she was still the oracle.

    However, now she did not have much of a choice.

    Not when her whole identity was that of a strippering to the Central Metropolis to perform in a big show. Maria sometimes really hated her life and decisions.

    But at least she was alive to regret them and that almost made it all better. It had allowed Maria to chew herints and give out a happy smile as the oracle. It was also what kept her going now.

    [I promised an extra chapter so here you go. Hope you leave feedback for me here]

 Chapter 26 26: The Battle Of The Mist - Part 1

    ¡°You sure this ce is safe? I feel like it would give me twenty kinds of diseases by just being near it¡± Maria had not wanted toin about Nao¡¯s choice but the building made her want to gag.

    Surely there were better ces than a run-down toiletplex that had not been cleaned for years?

    And the worst part about this experience was - they were not even alone. There were a few more people inside themon room waiting in line to use the small mirror in front of the sink.

    ¡°This ce is the only ce we have so please bear with it. Also, plug your nose and brace yourself for the smell¡± Maria only got a warning before she felt Nao pull her into one of the side stands.

    Giggled erupted around them at the action. Maria also heard a few catcalls and teasing remarks in the mix which made her flush.

    And then she almost gagged at the smell reaching her nose. It was foul and made her want to empty her stomach. Maris pushed herself into Nao as much as she could to avoid touching anything else in the stall.

    She also politely ignored the pointy thing poking her into her leg.

    ¡°Well, get to it and fast. I don¡¯t think this pce agrees with me¡± Maria forced it out and felt her face being taken into a pair of gentle hands.

    And then she felt hands on her face, rubbing something on it before rubbing another thing. It made her skin feel wet and slippery, an ufortablebination.

    Her face felt stiff and unable to move by the time Nao finished with her and led her back outside. Then she left Maria there with a warning of ¡® Do not touch it till I say so. It needs to settle down¡¯ and started on her own face.

    Maria¡¯s make-up made her look downright indecent and her revealing clothes did not help her case.

    The short bikini top made her breasts look like they would pop out any moment and her skirt barely existed. Maria had never shown this much skin in her life before and now she was practically naked.

    Nao looked much better in her leather outfit but even that seemed suggestive. The whip on her hip made her look like a certain stereotypical ¡®alpha bitch¡¯.

    ¡°Time to rock this¡± Maria took a small step to check her body¡¯s bnce before she took another. The giggle of her breast was not something she could control and she had a few close calls with it.

    But she did make it to the guards in the end with a nervous step.

    Not that they paid much to her. Their attention was fixed more on a certain part of her body and Maira felt unnerved by the attention.

    One of the guards even tried to touch her before he was caught by Nao with a warning of ¡®Lady Mei would not like it. She requested this one specifically.¡¯

    Maria had no idea who this ¡®Lady Mei¡¯ was. She had not been in her file or any other conversation this far but it did allow them both an easy entry.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this Lady Mei?¡± Maria asked once they were both insides. Their identity check had gone without a hitch due to the newspapers and the use of some strategic tricks on their side.

    ¡°Lady Mei is a collector of sorts but she is also a famous personality in ¡®our¡¯ kind of work. She is also someone we will meet shortly¡± Nao did not sound worried so it likely meant that it was not a big deal.

    Maria tried to ignore the looks she was receding as she walked through the city. Most people were either staring at her exposed skin, boobs, or her bunny ears on top of her head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She was not sure which one she liked less.

    ¡°Can we hurry up and get out of here? I am not thatfortable with this crowd¡± Maria hid behind Nao and the other just sighed at the behavior she had been forced to endure.

    ¡°Sure. We have one more ce to go before we can change¡± Nao replied before she changed directions.

    Maria just followed behind her with careful steps.

    They arrived in front of a hotel which was fart for their current economic crisis. Maria watched as Nao approached the alley at the hotel¡¯s side and disappeared in there.

    Maria decided to follow behind her as well. Staying out here would not be ideal under the given circumstances. Not that following someone into a shady alley was a much better alternative.

    The alley was small and dark but it was not abandoned. It was far from abandoned and Maria felt her body tense as she sensed danger.

    The alley looked as if it had no one but Maria and Nao but Maria could feel so many presences in her vicinity. There was some kind of cloaking device at work here.

    ¡°Nao?¡± Maira asked and then chided herself. Unlike Maria, Nao was using a fake name to blend in the metropolis. As such, Maria should have called her with her fake name and not her real name.

    ¡°I mean, Nova! What is going on?¡± Maria tried to rectify her mistake but Nao did not give any indication of having heard her.

    Maria approached her friend, only for her to pass through Nao¡¯s body instead. Her friend was as solid as smoke but she looked as if she was there.

    ¡°Nao?¡± Maria tried again but got no response again. Her friend just looked ahead with a closed-off look in her eyes that made her look dead to the world. The mist in the alley matched the misty look in Nao¡¯s eyes.

    It made Marai pause.

    Did the alley always have this mist? Maria did not remember seeing it when she had first entered the alley but she had not paid much attention to it the first time around.

    Maria tried to feel for her magic but felt nothing. She tried to fire it out but felt nothing respond inside her. There was a small explosion that told her that her magic had worked as intended.

    She had just not felt the magic flow through her which was concerning.

    And that was not all she could not feel. Maria could not feel her body, her legs, or even her hands. She was touching her but her brain decided not to categorize those sensations inside her.

    The mist around her thickened and Maria thought she was a shadow in it but she was not sure.

    However, it was more than clear that things were not as safe as Marai had believed them to be and she needed a physical weapon to save herself and Nao. Nao was still unresponsive to her actions and Maria¡¯s hand passed through her fiend again.

    What should she do now?

 Chapter 27 27: The Battle Of The Mist - Part 2

    Maria only had so much to defend herself with so it made total sense for her body to react and bring her chains out at the first sign of danger she saw.

    ¡®System, you there?¡¯ Maria asked, not expecting much.

    There was no response from the other side but it had been expected by Maria. The system was bound to her magic and without a grasp on it, Maria could not contact it.

    Had there been any other circumstances, Marai would have tried to think it all through before deploying her weapon but it was not a normal situation for her.

    Not only was she alone, but she also had Nao to defend against the attack. Moreover, the dulled senses made it harder for Maria to be able to do much.

    The chains were Marai¡¯sst line of defense and it felt wrong to use them. They also drained her life energy which was dangerous for her.

    Maria felt the drain on her life force and the weight of the chains in her hand. For some reason, these sensations were not being dulled by the mist and Maria could finally allow herself to move.

    The chains danced as Maria moved her arms. They collided with small objected being amused at Maria in the mist and Maria did her best to obstruct their path.

    A pair of her chains had formed a protective circle around Nao. They emerged from the ground and circled the other unresponsive girl like a cage.

    But it did leave Maria exposed to the attacks. The chains were too draining to use at max capacity.

    The mist dulled and thickened at random intervals and Maria was sharp enough to spot a human shape running through the mist.

    It never stayed constant, always on the move and always in a random direction. It was impossible to pinpoint and made for an impossible target for Maria¡¯s chains.

    Maria had a few knives and tools she could use but even they would not help as long as Maria was unable to pinpoint the enemy and stop them for a few seconds.

    Sheced her throwing knives with magic spells and prayed that they do not expose to overexposure. Not being able to feel her magic was an annoyance and caused one of the knives to explode in Maria¡¯s grasp.

    The resulting injury was painful and seemed to have been exemplified.

    However, the pain caused her focus to falter and Maria thought she saw the mist lighten up for just a second. It gave her a stupid idea but she had to take this chance.

    She applied a weak tracking spell on one of her knives before reading herself. She would get her chance pretty soon but she had to be patient.

    Maria dug her nails into her palm and pain assaulted her senses. But it cleared the mist around her and allowed Maria to aim the knife at the moving shadow.

    The knifended far away from her target but still close enough to transfer the tracking spell onto the other.

    Maria did not hesitate to aim her chains onto the tracking spell and felt it hit something. She pulled her chains back but had a bad feeling about it.

    shes of something sharp impaling her exploded across Maria¡¯s mind and she ducked out of principle.

    And it was enough to make the share sword in her chains go crashing down behind her. That had been a close call and Maria just barely made it out alive.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria felt grateful for the sudden sh of vision she had just seen during the battle. They were a hindrance most of the time but they did have their uses sometimes.

    Like this time. Maria¡¯s head survived a great tragedy just now.

    ¡°Sorry for this¡± Maria felt Nao¡¯s familiar voice behind her but the figure of Nao was still in her chains at her side. Not that Maria got the time to think it over before she was being pushed forward.

    And her body collided with something which caused her senses to collide back into her.

    Maria only had time to see a pair of wide eyes with a staff pointed to ready and then she was taking the other person with her down.

    Marianded on something soft and warm, her face in a pair of familiar and soft things.

    ¡°Nao, that was not funny. You can''t just thrust the oracle at me and expect me to react. Also, what is she even wearing?¡± the unfamiliar voice of the female was too close to Maria.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sorry. I told you not to involve her but you did it anyway. I hope you are convinced as well about my im¡± Nao walked closer as well and extended her hand to Maria. Maria carefully picked herself up and instantly looked down.

    Her clothes had decided to not stay in a decent situation and Maria was as good as naked now. When that had happened, Maria had no idea and the ¡®eep¡¯ that escaped her mouth could only be called embarrassing.

    ¡°I¡¯m more than convinced. I¡¯ll help the oracle out and get you those tickets. Also, a room and clothes since you look like you could use one¡± Maria finally gathered the courage to look at the female in front of her.

    She had dark purple hair along with midnight ck eyes. She held herself like a warrior but held no noticeable muscle mass.

    And she was entirely human as well. A pretty young human who looked to be just a few years older than Maria.

    Maria followed the other¡¯s eyes and felt her face explode as she reached her naked breast. She felt exposed and angled her front body to mesh into Nao¡¯s.

    ¡°It would be much appreciated, Mei and it is nice to see you again¡± Maria took at Mei and felt something in her mind connect.

    So this was Lady Mei? The person they were using to get inside the city and who held a noticeable reputation in here?

    ¡°It is nice to see you as well. Not that I remember you much or anything but it is nice to finally be free of this favor. Though I must admit my surprise to see the Oracle alive. Care to tell me what happened?¡± Maria felt Nao¡¯s body tense behind her back.

    Maria calcted the odds of this confrontation going bad and started to build up her magic. Nao¡¯s hold on her body was tight but not painful yet.

    ¡°On the other hand, we have time to discuss thister. Let¡¯s get out of here first¡± Lady Mei decided with an odd tone to her voice.

    The topic did note up again.

    (Kindly Spare a powerstone for me if you can. Just to let me know that you are there. Is I cross 200 somehow, I will post one extra chapter this week. 300 will be 2 extra chapters)

 Chapter 28 28: I Cant Help

    ¡°Lady Mei, if you did not mind me asking, how did you know Nao? Nao has been apanion for me for a long time now so I was curious¡± Lady Mei turned around with a curious look on her face.

    Maria waited for her question to be acknowledged by the other.

    Maria knew she had no right to ask such personal questions about Nao. Nao was her one person and deserved to have her one life.

    And if that life included people Maria did not know, then it was more than alright with her. Maria had no right to feel annoyed at Nao for keeping this from her.

    ¡°Me and Nao? Well, I¡¯ve known her for far longer than you but I can¡¯t say I know her better than you. The one who knew Nao was my adopted mother. They had a history together¡± Lady Mei¡¯s reply had not been something Maria had expected.

    In reality, her mind had made up various scenarios to justify Nao¡¯s familiarity with Lady Mei. and there were so many options as well to choose from.

    Lover, friend, acquaintance, worker, they all fitted the criterion. But no matter what Maria thought about their rtionship, all she felt was annoyance.

    ¡°You used to be such a cute kid back then and your adopted mother was a lovely person. It¡¯s just a shame that she met her end in that fight¡± Nao injected her own opinion.

    Nao had a small and fond smile on her face. Maria had seldom seen that smile on the elder demon¡¯s face and her chest felt tight as she took it in.

    That smile was not for her and it hurt for some reason.

    ¡°So how did you end up with our family, Nao? Don¡¯t tell me! You fell for my mother?¡± Maria teaser and she was thankful when her voice came out as teasing. It showed nothing of the doubt she felt inside.

    Whether Nao knew about Maria¡¯s feelings or not, Maria had to pretend as if she did not. Even Maria did not know what she was feeling half the time after all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like your mother like that but I did own Lady Silvya a favor. However, protecting you is more than duty and I am not ashamed to admit it¡± the cloud of doubt and oppression lessened inside Maria.

    Breathing became easier and the city looked a little brighter all of a sudden.

    Even the amused chuckle of Lady Mei walking in front of them did not sound annoying to Maria. Somehow, those words seemed to have lifted a huge weight off of Maria¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You are not a duty to me either. I feel like I can see it all through because of you Nao¡± Maria thought she saw a little color creep up Nao¡¯s face but herplexion did not allow Maria to see it.

    ¡°Hey, can you both flirtter? More importantly, how about your clothes? Do they fit?¡± Lady Mei asked as she turned around to the pair who supported new looks.

    Maria felt especially grateful to be out of her barely their clothes. Her body was finally covered due to the robe she had been offered.

    However, the fact that these clothes hugged Maria in all the right ces did make her worry. Even Nao¡¯s measurements were spot-on and showed off her great physique.

    ¡°They¡¯re great. Now, let use back to the main part before we retire. I need to help Lady Maria with her routine tonight since she decided to use those chains today¡± Maria felt herself heat as soon as those words registered inside her mind.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She had forgotten that she had used her chains today. Theck of any instant reaction in her body and theck of heat had made her feel safer than it way.

    Nao, apparently, did not think the same and had decided to help Maria without informing her about it first.

    If those words made Lady Mei any more suspicious about what kind of ¡®help¡¯ Nao was offering, then she did not show it at all. Instead, her face turned serious and she signaled someone to leave.

    Maria watched as shadows disappeared from around her and the atmosphere changed inside the room. She had not even realized that they had been under inspection.

    Nor had she realized just how close those guards had gotten to her and Nao.

    ¡°Your shadow guards are as impable as ever. They don¡¯t give off any presence at all, almost as if they¡¯re dead¡± Nao stressed thest part only to get a chuckle from Lady Mei.

    ¡°They¡¯re dead human bodies being upied by demons. They might as well be dead¡± Lady Mei made light of the situation but it caused Maria to tense up.

    Dead bodies could be upied by demons? Didn¡¯t the initial phase need a live human for the ritual?

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much of it. It is not harmful and we don¡¯t go around killing people. Those demons are not even ours but rather, a gift to our family from someone special. You will meet them soon and then you can ask them¡± Lady Mei assured and Nao nodded.

    If Nao was vouching for this then it must be legit. Maria had to ept this face and move on. There were more important things for her to worry about after all.

    Nao was looking at Maria and the look asked Maria to take control of this situation. Nao was willing to leave it to Maria despite her having better odds of being able to pull it off.

    It humbled and terrified Maria. Was she even capable of doing something like this? But she had to, did she not?

    ¡°Lady Mei, I, the oracle, am here to ask for your help in arranging a voyage to the grand canyon. I will try to repay you for this favor in any way I possibly can¡± Maria asked. It was a formal oath to ask for help and only the oracle used it.

    By doing this, Maria was showing the other that she was ready to take responsibility for her actions but will not back down.

    Maria¡¯s eyes held Lady Mei¡¯s own and the start they shared could have spanned for a minute or an hour. Maria knew she had to hold on to that stare or she might lose credibility.

    Lady Mei might still help her out but the essence of that help would not be the same.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡± Lady Mei finally said with a regretful face. It was the face of someone who did want to help but had something holding her back.

    ¡°Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?¡± Nao finally interfered once the situation looked as if it would go out of hand.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. The train cannot be allowed to leave the station for the next week due to the royal orders. The royal guards would be storming the city to check for some people they¡¯ve lost and everyone was ordered to be kept in here for the time being¡± Lady Mei finally dropped the bomb and Maria felt her heart clench in fear.

 Chapter 29 29: Relaxation Time

    ¡°I can¡¯t. The train cannot be allowed to leave the station for the next week due to the royal orders. The royal guards would be storming the city to check for some people they¡¯ve lost and everyone was ordered to be kept in here for the time being¡± Lady Mei finally dropped the bomb and Maria felt her heart clench in fear.

    Nao looked taken aback by Lady Mei¡¯s words as well which indicated that it had not been a part of her ns.

    ¡°Already? Did Princess Neah somehow manage to track us this far?¡± Nao asked and Maria could see strategies fly behind her eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. It looks more like a precautionary measure but it will leave the city in a distress. But as things stand, you will not be able to board the train this week¡± Lady Mei replied as she shot Nao a look.

    Nao sighed a heavy breath and sat down with a full-body jerk. She seemed to be epting their present situation and the helplessness of it all.

    ¡°So, what should we do now? Do we have an ETA for the check? We will need to find a way to juke those royal guards¡± Nao gritted those words out and Maria could see the visible effort it took her.

    Maria felt frustrated by the situation as well but she could not help but feel as if Nao was overreacting.

    ¡°ETA? There is no such thing. The raid can happen tomorrow or it can be dyed till next week as well. My hands are bound by this situation as well¡± Lady Mei replied as she stood up.

    ¡°For now, you both should turn in for the night and rest. Let¡¯s brainstorm what we can do tomorrow¡± Maria blinked her eyes to clear them of the spots she had been seeing for some time.

    She had not released how tired she had been till Lady Mei had pointed it out to her. Maria¡¯s body seemed to get the memo for rest as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry for my bad attitude¡± Nao forced herself to rx once she how tired Maria was. The demon had forgotten that the oracle was not fully demon and her body was used to a human schedule.

    All their running around and fighting must have taken a toll on the oracle.

    Maria¡¯s body was just not built forck of maintenance and it was time to ingest it with more life force.

    ¡°Please show us to our rooms for tonight. Don¡¯t worry so much if you find one or both of us missing in the morning. We¡¯ll keep you informed about our whereabouts as long as we are here¡± Nao assured as she supported Maria¡¯s body.

    Maria felt as if she was about to faint from exhaustion. She had nearly not been as tired before but now all she felt was theck of energy she had.

    Somehow, she med Lady Mei for reminding her body about her fatigue.

    ¡°Just follow the shadows and you shall reach a room stocked to the max. Have fun tonight¡± Lady Mei winked as a shadow appeared in front of the duo.

    Maria watched fascinated as it grew and morphed into a humanoid shape before the shadows bloomed away.

    A fully humanoid figure emerged from below and bowed to the pair in front of him.

    ¡°This way please¡± Maria felt herself take a sharp breath as the dead human spoke to her. The demon had full control but the mannerism was fully human.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria did not move away from her position and Nao was the one who finally started pushing the pair forward. The demon led then pair behind him and toward the back end of the corridor.

    There were a lot of doors which looked identical and Maria was sure she would not be able to tell which one it was if she was asked in the morning.

    Not that her tired brain would retain this much information anyway.

    ¡°This is your room for tonight. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need something else¡± the demon spoke as he closed the door behind the pair.

    Maira felt like she was in a horror movie that whole time. She could not help the brak of amusement that escaped her mouth at thatparison.

    The sound was too sudden and it almost caused Nao to drop her t on the floor. Thankfully, Nao had well-built reflexed and managed to catch Maria in time.

    ¡°Please be more careful with yourself and your body. We cannot allow any mishap to happen to you¡± Nao almost begged as she put Maria down on the bed.

    The softness felt like heaven against Maria''s back and her body decided to melt into the quilt.

    Nao left Marai there and decided to call one of the shadow guards to get their luggage. It only took a minute and the pair was already settled down in the room.

    ¡°Lady Maria, can you do the next part alone, or do you need help?¡± Now asked as she passed a jar and a tube toward Maria.

    Maria only needed a second to recognize the small egg-like shakes inside the jar. The tube Nao had passed her looked too much like the lube to ignore as well.

    Maria felt speechless but her brain also reminded her that this was something she had to do now on a regr base.

    Still, the thought of doing those kinds of things to herself felt a little weird to Maria. She tried to edge her fingers near her lower half but chicken out as soon as she felt Nao¡¯s eyes on herself.

    ¡°Are you not going to give me some privacy? It¡¯s notfortable to do this with someone watching me¡± Mariained as she went red.

    The thought of ying with herself and fingering herself with someone watching was a mortifying one. Maria did not have enough guts to be able to do that.

    Not without any aid of heat on her part.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say but I need to keep a lookout to see whether you are doing it right or not¡± Nao¡¯s reply came out nk but Maria felt as if she wasughing at her.

    ¡°Fine, then you do it. I won¡¯t be able to rx with you around anyway¡± Maria almost shouted at Nao who stopped smirking and started advancing toward Maria with a serious look on her face.

    ¡°If the oracle says the I must follow along. Please sit back and let me do my duty¡± Maria felt a shall shove and then a body on top of her own.

 Chapter 30 30: Night Spend Well

    It was a haze of sensations Maria felt once Nao began her ¡®assistance¡¯.

    Actually, Maria had not meant to ask for help in this regard from her friend but the momentary rpse in judgment had led to this moment and Maria found it pretty difficult to protest now.

    ¡°Tap my back if you want me to stop¡± Nao exined as her fingers reached for Maria¡¯s heat.

    As if Maria had the brainpower left to be able to signal Nao to stop once Nao had her hands on her. Maria was not a saint and her body was weak to pleasure. One touch had been enough to get her going after all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be stretching you now for the essence. Kindly brace yourself¡± Maria waited for the initial stretch the fingers would cause her and felt the probe at her pussyhole.

    Nao was extremely gentle in her moments but even her slow pace did not stop the first sting of pain Maira felt.

    Nao did not wait for the painful feeling to fade before she had another finger in Maria and started to stretch her for more.

    ¡°N-Now! Slow down. P-Please slow down¡± Maria was almost begging at that point as Nao¡¯s long fingers touched her soft insides.

    They pressed at ces that left Maria¡¯s toes curling and mind nk. Maria wanted more but she had no words to ask Nao for more.

    ¡°We can¡¯t slow down now. Just one more before we can end this¡± Nao replied as she entered her third finger.

    It was a tight fit inside Maria. Her body had almost healed by this point and had tightened up. Nao¡¯s fingers felt like a whole new sensation inside her.

    Nao did not seem to feel the same as she sank her three fingers inside the wet heat and started to begin her assault on Maria.

    Maria did not even realize when those fingers left her body and she felt a smooth feeling touch her hole.

    The thing entering Maria felt bigger than fingers and her mind vaguely recognized it as the essence Lady Karin had packed for her.

    Her body weed the essence eagerly, her lips sinking over the egg-shaped object and allowing it to sink inside Maria¡¯s pussy.

    It was heat, pleasure and freshness mixed all into one. It was a divine sensation and filled Maria with power.

    However, something felt missing to her.

    The feeling of fulfillment that should havee with the life force seemed to be missing inside Maria. It left her hollow but also full.

    It was an awful mixture Maria wanted gone from her life.

    ¡°N-Nao, it is not working. S-Something is wrong. I-I feel not full enough¡± Mariained as her body tried to tell Maria that something was wrong.

    Nao looked startled and taken aback at the disy Maria must have been presenting over. Nao¡¯s fingers were still inside Maria and Maria¡¯s body decided to make full use of them to achieve her end.

    Not that it helped since those fingers felt too short and thin to give her any release. Maria wanted something bigger and thinker inside her.

    She wanted something she had experienced before with Lady Karin and it was also something Nao had.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are asking me for Lady Maria. Kindly rest and allow your body to absorb the essence¡± Nao replied as she tried to stand up.

    Maria knew the demoness and she knew that Nao would try to leave her alone. Nao would not want to cross any boundary she had already crossed between them.

    But Nao did not understand that this was something Maria needed. Maria needed Nao to fuck her or this feeling would just not go away.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°N-Nao please¡± Maria begged as her hand shot out to catch Nao¡¯s own.

    It missed the mark but fell onto something big and hot. It felt like a familiar shape Maria had seen before but never dared to touch.

    ¡°L-Lady Maria, please take your handoff. I¡¯m at my limit already¡± Nao panted out as Maria caressed her hard cock in her hand.

    Maria knew this was the only way to break Nao and to get what she wanted. Maria¡¯s brain was only working half time but it did know what her body wanted.

    ¡°P-Please. Nao, Please¡± Maria felt it the moment Nao broke apart at her plea and decided to give in to her desire.

    There was a small growl before Maria felt hands back on her body and her lower half. The fingers were back but they were back with a vengeance now.

    ¡°I''m sorry Lady Maria. We don¡¯t need to talk about it ever again if you don¡¯t want to after this. B-But please, let me have you¡± Maria did not rebuke the other.

    However, Maria did pick herself up and pressed her lips against Nao¡¯s.

    There was a small firework going inside Maria¡¯s head and it indicated a lot of things to her about herself. Things Maria had ignored for a long time started making sense.

    All those feelings of wrong and jealousy. They had been there because Maria liked Nao. she felt attracted to the other girl and wanted to try this out with her.

    That was why the thought of anyone else with Nao felt wrong to her. The kiss was almost as good as Lady Karin¡¯s butcked the practice Lady Karin had.

    It also made her wonder what kissing Princess Neah would be like. Would it be like this? Like small fireworks? Or would it be all soul-consuming? Or would it be like losing herself into the passion?

    Did that mean Maria felt attracted to the princess as well? Maria would have to think it overter once she got time.

    For now, she needed to focus on Nao in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be starting now. Please sing for me¡± and Maria did. As soon as Nao entered her, all thoughts of Princess Neah and everyone else left her. The only thing that remained was the feeling of fullness and Nao.

    It felt so good to be stretched and to be pushed around as Nao¡¯s cock crushed Maria¡¯s pussy.

    ¡°F-Faster¡± Maria begged as her body weed the hard heat inside herself again and again. Nao did not disappoint, her body strength pushing her into Maria at a decent pace.

    It finally brought them both close to the edge and caused them to release. Maria¡¯s pussy gushed the white out of itself once Nao exited.

    ¡°Rest for now. I¡¯ll clean you up and tuck you in as well¡± Nao spoke finally after a few minutes. She seemed to be back to normal already but Maria could not even think.

    Her eyes closed due to tiredness and the sleep came easily.

    And then she woke up just as the first ray of sun fell on her. Nao was beside her as well, her eyes full of sleep and body still in bed.

    Nao looked as if she had just woken up as well which indicated thatst night had worn her out as well.

    It was the first time Maria had woken up at the same time as Nao but it felt like the start of something new and wonderful.

    However, it all left Maria with a feeling of ¡®wrong¡¯. Somehow, the bells inside her mind were ringing even louder that morning.

 Chapter 31 31: Morning Plans

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Nao asked as she finally picked herself up from the ce she had been sleeping. The bed dipped at her movement and caused Nao to miss a step.

    Her body flopped back over the bed, too tired to pick itself up.

    Nao did not seem like a morning person to Maria and it did surprise her a little. Nao had always been an example of pepper health and habits to her. Seeing this new side of her was almost adorable.

    ¡°It¡¯s early enough for no one else to be awake yet. You can go back to sleep if you want to¡± the sky was still dark outside the window. It showed no hint of the orange sun which generally meant that it was still pretty early.

    Maria¡¯s body felt refreshed after the short nap she had taken. It refused to go back to sleep again so Maria decided to wake up.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll wake up. We have a lot of things to do today and we are also running low on ration. I would like to stack up on it before we are unable to¡± Nao pushed herself away from the bed and headed toward the door.

    Maria watched as Nao nocked and the door opened. A shadow demon walked inside and bowed down to the pair.

    ¡°How may I help you?¡± the hollow voice asked and it still sens a shiver of disgust down Maria¡¯s back. The thing in front of her was just not normal and it send everything inside her into a panicked state.

    ¡°I would like to know where the bathroom is. Also, fresh clothes would be much appreciated. Maybe a more decent pair this time?¡± Nao asked and the nk face broke out into an amused smile for just a second.

    And then the shadow was gone, leaving the other two alone.

    Nao jumped back on the bed as soon as they were alone and allowed her body to rx. Maria also decided to join her and her mind finally seemed alert enough to function properly.

    ¡°Nao, aboutst night-¡± Maria decided to rip the band-aid off at the start. As much as she did not want to have this conversion, she did need to get things off of her chest.

    However, Nao did not seem that enthusiastic at the prospect of having this conversation.

    ¡°I told you yesterday that we did not need to have this conversation till you are ready and I do mean it. I did what was necessary and I would do it again if it is needed. There is nothing more to it¡± Nao¡¯s tired voice came out.

    She was unusually honest that morning and Maria had not expected that from her. Maybe it was the post bliss of the night or it could be the residue of morningziness that prompted Nao to say it like that.

    It did leave Maria speechless and she decided not to think about it for the time being.

    ¡°We can save this conversation forter then. For now, let¡¯s freshen up¡± the shadow guard chose that exact moment to enter the room.

    Maria had a feeling that the guard had been looking at the pair for some time before he decided to enter the room.

    ¡°The bathroom is to your right. Lady Mei send these clothes for you and hopes that you will find themfortable. Kindly send for someone else if you need anything else¡± the guard said as he backed away.

    He did not seem that interested in the pair in front of him which was a rare urrence. It made Maria want to reach out to him and ask for his name to thank him.

    But the guard dissolved into shadows just as Maria made up her mind to ask for it. It felt only her and Nao in the room.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Nao, would you like to take a shower first or should I go in?¡± Maria asked. Her body was telling her to take care of her needs first but it was not urgent.

    ¡°You go in first. I¡¯m quicker than you anyway¡± Maria felt insulted at the slight jab. She did not take that long in the bathroom but she also knew Nao was quick in her one needs.

    So Maria did not decide to argue and headed toward the bathroom to clean herself up.

    The shower was quick but enjoyable. Maria had mostly been clean due to Nao¡¯s post-active attention on her body, but the follow of water on her skin did feel refreshing.

    The clothes Lady Mei had provided for them also suited Maria¡¯s taste and covered up much more than before. The ripped jeans along with a T-shirt did make up for a very street-like fashion.

    Maria had missed those clothes as soon as she hade to this world and wearing them felt likeing home to her first mother before she had been hospitalized and left for the dead.

    ¡°Nao, you can go in now¡± Maria walked toward the bed while toweling her hair dry. She carefully avoided her sensitive bunny ears in the process and shook Nao awake.

    ¡°I¡¯m going. You look good in those¡± Nao replied almost in a daze as she walked toward the bathroom.

    Maria felt her jaw hit the floor at the flirting tone Nao had used. This was, once again, a thing Maria had never thought she would hear from Nao.

    Today was a day of so many firsts for Maria and it had only just begun. It felt as if Maria had stepped down a rabbit hole and was no longer in the real world.

    She had not slipped into an alternate reality when she had not been looking, had she?

    When Nao emerged back from her bath, she looked much more refreshed and finally awake. Her eyes held an awareness they had not held previously and it showed in her body posture.

    It was much tenser than before and closed off as well. The normal Nao was back and Maria could not help but feel disappointed.

    To think that she had just gotten her head around the more open Nao, this one felt like a downgrade but also a relief.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have breakfast before we leave. I want to swing around some ces here which can give us great intel. Also, prepare your papers because we will be officially joining the Silon¡¯s court situated here¡± Nao replied as she passed Maria her identity papers.

    ¡°Simon''s court? What¡¯s that?¡± Maria was not sure she had heard about it before.

    [Silon¡¯s court is the first branch of the adventurer¡¯s guild situated in Central metropolis-1. They are said to be highly efficient in their work but also overly enthusiastic]

    The system exined just as Nao replied.

    ¡°They¡¯re the brach of adventurer¡¯s guilt of this city. We will need their help if we want to get out of here undetected¡±

 Chapter 32 32: Quick Sand

    Simon''s court turned out to be a fairly average hotel building with a shy exterior and a sophisticated interior. Everything was mapped out in red and gold giving the entrance lobby a royal field.

    The most surprising fact of the whole situation was the glowing tree right in the middle of the entrance lobby.

    The huge tree had impressive foliage that mapped about 24 meters total in both directions and provided a high four-floor ceiling on top of it. The upper half of the high-end hotel was empty of any obstruction and allowed sunlight to pass through undetected.

    The whole situation was only possible because of the magic amplifiers surrounding the whole lobby space. Maria had felt them as soon as she had entered the lobby.

    ¡°Wee to Simon¡¯s court. How many nights are you staying here for?¡± the receptionist asked with a cheery smile. It looked like the same business smile many of the court officials gave Maria when they thought she was not looking.

    The hoteldy was just humoring them.

    ¡°A ticket to the underground, please. The billing will be handled by Lady Mei and her people¡± Nao passed a small card toward the receptionist and watched as those swift hands took the card from her.

    ¡°Of course. Kindly take the elevator behind the reception desk straight toward your destination. We are happy to have you here¡± the receptionist did not even falter in her words or tone.

    Maria quickly stepped out of the line and followed behind Nao. The next person in line gave her a re for herteness but Maria chose to ignore it for her sanity.

    ¡°What do you think about this ce so far?¡± Nao asked as soon they both entered the lift. Theck of eyes on them helped Maria rx and face her friend.

    ¡°To be honest, the tree in the central lobby took be back but it also seemed familiar. Was it an imitation of the world tree?¡± Maria asked as she thought back to the disy.

    She felt as if the tree and its positioning were deliberate to convey a message but she could not ce where she had heard about such an arrangement.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an imitation in the traditional sense, just a way to represent the idea. It¡¯s supposed to look like one of the nodes that hold this continent up on it but no one knows how close that imitation is. However, it surely is impressive¡± it was impressive.

    For all of the magical and scientific advancements in this world, itcked a lot of impressive decorative feats. The world feltcking potential in their technical applications.

    [The world¡¯s development is limited due to ack of information. The more the user uncovered, the more advancement they would see this world make]

    The system piped inside Maria¡¯s mind and reminded her that this world was novel originally. As such, the amount of information it had retained about ces unknown was not a lot.

    It also seemed to serve cold water over Maria¡¯s nerves and she felt a shiver go down her spine.

    Should she even do all this? Also, wasn¡¯t the adventurer¡¯s guilt somece the original oracle never went? It had always been the MC who had traveled around with his party and reached these ces.

    Maria also vaguely remembered that the story had contained the adventurer¡¯s guild. There was supposed to be someone important here who led the main party ahead.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Maria, you need to get out before the lift goes back up¡± The oracle snapped out of her head as Nao¡¯s hand reached for her shoulder. It helped solidify the current situation inside the oracle¡¯s mind and finally grounded her enough.

    This all was no longer a novel but her life now. Maria should start paying attention if she wanted to survive till the end.

    ¡°Sorry. I was just a little lost in thoughts. So, where are we going next?¡± Maria asked as she exited into the empty hallway. The life disappeared from behind her as soon as shended out of the life.

    Nao seemed to be observing their surroundings with a frown on her face. Whatever she was seeing, she seemed to not be liking and neither did Maria. There was ack of life and care in that passage that worried them both.

    ¡°This way. Thest time I was here, the way out was through a tunnel of light but I can¡¯t see on now. Thankfully, the receptionist gave us a voucher to follow¡± the receptionist has given them something like that? Maria had not paid attention to that exchange.

    The voucher turned out to be a small floating piece of paper that let Nao¡¯s hand and the pair followed behind it.

    There was no light in the tunnel as they walked. The only piece of light in the whole ce was the small paper charm leading them through the path.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take your eyes off of the charm or take a step off of the path. Hold my hand if you need to but do not get lost in here¡± Maria gulped her saliva at the warning but found it to be toote to follow.

    She tried to walk after Nao and the light but her steps felt heavier than they had been. Every step felt like it required effort and left Maria wanting not to move.

    There was something on her legs, clutching onto them and pulling Maria down to the ground. It felt like the space around her was quicksand and was intended to swallow her whole.

    ¡°MARIA!¡± Nao¡¯s panicked shout came from afar and Maria felt panic grab at her throat.

    It was not good, this sinking feeling around her. The ground was catching up too fast with her and something seemed to be reaching out for Maria.

    Maria tried to reach back for the hand in front of her but found herself unable to move at all. Whatever had a hold on her, it had a hold on her hand as well.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be fun if your partner joined us down there as well. Let¡¯s send her to another ce, shall we?¡± Maria heard the voice in her ear and the words sounded familiar to her somehow.

    She was so sure she knew who the person behind her was but her brain was just not connecting the dots inside it.

    Until it did and it was all thanks to the system.

    [The gatekeeper for the adventurer¡¯s guild - Su Suna. User is advised to be careful with her and her brand of magic to distort space]

    The warning came toote for Maria to be of any help. Her surroundings sank around her and her and the earth swallowed her whole.

 Chapter 33 33: Lost In The Dimension

    A pair of bright grey eyes watched as the pair sank into the ground. The young girl came out as soon as she saw the threat is neutralized and broke down into a devilish grin at a work well done.

    However, the happy atmosphere was broken by a small light floating down in the dark corridor and stopping in front of the young female.

    ¡°Suna, I thought I felt your magic. Is everything alright down there?¡± the voice sounded old and worn out. Suna¡¯s grey eyes could not hide the fond look they supported at the voice.

    After all, the owner had been like a father to her in her youth. Now that he was getting older, it fell to Suna to help him keep intruders out.

    ¡°Everything is alright down here. I thought I heard something but there is no one here¡± Su Suna replied with a cheerful voice.

    She did not inform the guild of the people she had just sent into an isted space. There was no need to rm the elderly in the guild about this invasion.

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good then. Suna, I need you to do me a favor¡± the elder man asked and Suna felt her ear rise on her head. It was not often that the elders asked her for favors. They generally avoided her as they saw her as a demon.

    However, Suna saw them as family and thus saw this as an opportunity to prove herself. Maybe she would finally not be avoided if she fulfilled this request right.

    ¡°Ask me anything and it will be done¡± Suna tried to not appear so eager but her tone betrayed her interest. It is shown with confidence and willingness to do anything being asked.

    The elder old let out a humm before the silence around them was broken by a small cough.

    ¡°Suna, there will be some important people arriving in the corridor in a few minutes. There will be two females, one semi-human and one demon but not part of the adventurer¡¯s guild. Make sure that they arrive in the guildhall at all costs¡± Suna felt a frown overtake her face at the order.

    Two females? The only ones to try and find the guildhall should be those who were not part of the guild currently. The ones who were a part of the guild would have been directed toward it through the darkness by their contract.

    Suna¡¯s mind quickly traveled back to a few seconds ago and she felt a chill go down her back.

    Hadn¡¯t the people she had sunk been two females? Suna had not seen their features to know whether they were demons or humans. She had just seen them as a threat and decided to sink them.

    But this was not something Suna could tell the guild master. He was counting on Suna to make sure the other two arrive in the guildhall unharmed.

    ¡°I will make sure they arrive at the guildhall soon¡± Suna promised but her mind was racing with possibilities.

    Actually, it would be difficult to retrieve those two females from wherever they had ended up. it was not impossible but it was also not something Suna had done before.

    However, she would do it now. All for the request her guardian had asked of her. Suna could never ignore him, nor not follow his words.

    The light ball faded from the hallway with a flicker of Suna¡¯s fist and then the magic swirled around her. The ground beneath the guardian¡¯s feet swirled like quicksand and then she sank in it as well.

    The corridor showed a small distortion before it was empty of any living form once again.

    .....................................

    Maria felt her body protest at the sudden motion she made.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The collide with the ground had been hard and left Maria shaken on her legs. It hurt to even stand but she had to drag herself and Nao out of the small pit they had ended up in.

    ¡°Darn you Su Suna. Darn, you and the ridiculous power you can¡¯t even control¡± Maria cursed as she dragged Nao with her toward safety. The openndscape was too vulnerable and left them exposed.

    The quicksand had left them in a forest-like ce. The humid sun shined down at maria¡¯s face in a mocking way and sweat ran its course down her face.

    Her clothes were damp due to the heat and chose to stick to her body awkwardly. Nao was in a simr situation and Maria felt it difficult not to stare at her bountiful assets.

    She had to ignore it all for now.

    ¡°Where even am I?¡± Maria asked as she panted due to exertion. Nao was getting heavier by the second and Maria knew it was due to theck of magic in the surroundings.

    [The ce user is in current is a pocket dimension belonging to the guardian of Simon¡¯s court, Su Suna.

    The ce exists in a cut-off dimension from the original one and can only be controlled by Su Suna or by finding the exit trigger]

    Her system exined. It was the first helpful job it had done and Maria could not help but make ns inside her head. The information provided to her was useful if she needed to get out.

    ¡°Can you scan this ce and provide me with a mini-map? Try to keep it as urate as possible¡± Maria ordered as she sat Nao down in the low bushes.

    She recognized the bush as non-harmful ones the pce gardens had and felt safe to leave Nao there as well. Maria needed to look around for a source of water in this dimension and also forge a little.

    [Scanning started. ETA 15 minutes]

    The beep started and Maria knew the system was at work.

    Maria found a small spring in the first ten minutes of her search and decided to scoop the water into an empty bottle in her inventory. She already had water but having ess never harmed anyone.

    Besides, Nao needed all the help she could get. Maria did not know the reason Nao was unconscious but she did not want to find out either. It was already a miracle that one of them had made it unharmed down here.

    Maria neared Nao¡¯s location but her system gave her a warning ¡®beep.¡¯

    [Intruder alert. Intruder alert. User is asked to be careful in their approach of the intruder]

    Maria took in a deep breath to calm her nerves and carefully turned her head from around a huge tree.

    A familiar figure leaned against Nao¡¯s unconscious body and Maria felt her anger rise inside of her.

    How dare Su Suna try and touch Nao while she is unconscious? It was Maria¡¯s job to look after her friend. And besides, they were in this mess because of Su Suna¡¯s carelessness.

    Maria needed to get her away from Nao and fast.

 Chapter 34 34: Having A Crush

    Suna braced herself for the impact and her legs curved under her to absorb it. It was a clean and safending for her this time as well.

    Suna did note to her pocket dimension a lot but she did appreciate this ce and all it stood for. It was a paradise of her making and yet it felt empty to her.

    However, she had no time to stand around and waste for now. Suna was on a mission and she needed to find her targets.

    Since the world was made up of her magic, Suna could easily navigate it to find the people inside it. It was ridiculously easy to find a living signature near the spring area.

    However, Suna could only feel one of them. The other seemed to have disappeared from the ce. The magic masking was powerful but useless in the end. They could not escape and Nao did not think the half-demoness would leave her friend behind and escape alone.

    As such, Nao decided to find the first magic signature.

    The unconscious body of the demoness she had sensedy right in the middle of a huge bush. It was hidden from in sight and Suna might have missed it as well had she not sensed it.

    The half-demoness seemed like a smart person, hiding a body in an unknown environment and avoiding any potential dangers.

    Luckily, there were no predators in this ce. Suna had never seen the need to fill this ce up with external wildlife except for those people she wanted to die.

    ¡°Your friend left you here alone? Well, let¡¯s get you out first, and then I¡¯lle back for her¡± Suna exined to the unconscious body as she neared it.

    People might think of it as foolish to talk with an unconscious body but you could never tell when one was faking being unconscious.

    Suna would rather tell the other these things in advance and avoid getting attacked than risk her well-being for a thing she did not even do.

    Suna easily kneeled in front of the other and observed the unconscious body. The female demoness was unconscious and not faking it which made Suna¡¯s work easier.

    Her hands moved forward to retrieve the unconscious body before she heard the small snap of a tree branch. The space behind a tree seemed hollow which alerted her senses of iing danger.

    It only took a second before the air pressure around Suna changed and her body made an unconscious dodging motion.

    Secondster, a chain mmed into the ce Suna had just been and avoided the unconscious body of the demoness by just millimeters.

    It miss had either been a fluke or the attacker had great control. Suna was not sure which option she preferred and she slowly positioned herself in a surrender pose with her hands up in the air.

    If these people were who her father had asked her to escort, then they would likely listen to her ande with her.

    If not, then Suna had a few ways to take them down right now. It was not like they could overpower her with magic in this ce, nor did they have weapons powerful enough to hurt her.

    Though, the chain that had cracked the ground did seem to be magical.

    ¡°I would like you to step away from Nao¡¯s unconscious body. Make any sudden move and I will not hesitate to take your head off¡± the female voice sounded melodic and enchanting. It was fresh and teased Suna¡¯s ears in a way nothing ever had.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Rx, please. I am not your enemy and this is all a big misunderstanding. My fath-Uh, the guild master of Simon¡¯s court send me here to guide you to the main hall so please co-operate with me¡± Suna forced those words out of her.

    Suna slowly turned around to face the most beautiful face she had ever seen and instantly felt her face me.

    The other female had the palest silver eyes along with long lush pink hair. There were also long pink rabbit ears on top of her head that made her look adorable. The oversized robes she wore did not help the other¡¯s case as well.

    She was a babe and Suna¡¯s type. Even her bobs were perfect and Suna could not help her eyes from straying from that face. The face looked familiar though but Suna could not remember why.

    ¡°Su Suna, the guardian of Simon¡¯s court. I¡¯ve heard about you but that does not mean I trust you. You are the reason we are here in the first ce so why should we trust you?¡± the other female asked Suna and stepped forward.

    Suna instantly took a step back at the intensity in those eyes.

    Even the fire in them turned Suna on and made her want to submit to the other. Suna was falling hard and fast for a stranger and could not stop herself.

    The other female took another step ahead and Suna took one back. Then to the side and then another.

    Suna did not even realize when she had traveled toward the opposite side of the clearing.

    The pink-haired half-demoness loomed between her and the unconscious body. Her hand held a small bottle of water which she dumped on herpanion¡¯s face.

    The unconscious body woke up with a gasp and looked around with a frantic expression. Suna saw those eyesnd on the pink-haired girl and calm down instantly.

    The pink-haired girl looked back at herpanion with a t look but her eyes were gentle and caring. Suna felt the need to make those pale eyes look at her in the same way as she looked at herpanion.

    ¡°You woke up? We have someone here to apany us to the adventurer¡¯s guildhall. I think we can trust her¡± Suna felt her heart skip a beat at the admission.

    Her pink-haired crush was willing to trust her and her words. It would not be long till that trust turned into feelings and then Suna could, maybe, take her chance at wooing the other.

    Suna opened her mouth to reassure the other about her intentions and to have those lovely pair of eyes back at her.

    But the other, short-haired demon¡¯s words spoilt all the fun with a single sentence.

    ¡°Maria, are you sure it is safe? What if it is a trap¡± Suna heard those words and her mind instantly focused back on a face she knew.

    Of course, the pink-haired female¡¯s face looked familiar to her and caused Suna to develop a crush so fast.

    It was the oracle¡¯s face with the addition to those pink hairs. Suna felt a curse build up her throat but she forced it down.

    There wille a time for questions but it was not now. All Suna could do for now was to grin and bear her feelings.

 Chapter 35 35: Su Suna

    ¡°So, where is the way out? Did you not say that you would show us the way out of here and toward the guildhall?¡±

    Maria watched Su Suna with blinked slowly and her eyes looked as if they were breaking away from a daze. Her body posture was rxed and she held no weapon in sight.

    Suna looked like a normal girl who had been trapped down here by mistake and Maria could not help butpare their situations.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What were you saying? I seemed to have zoned out a little bit there¡± Suna asked as she blinked her grey eyes at Maria. The color was darker than Maria''s own but shines a duller grey than her.

    ¡°Step away from Nao and show us the way out of here¡± Maria ordered. It was a useless order, seeing as Maria had positioned herself between Nao and Su Suna.

    However, her voice¡¯s urgency must have sent the message to Suna because she quickly backed a few more steps away and raised her hand in a ¡®mocked surrender¡¯ pose.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I mean you guys have no harm so you can trust me. And maybe also put down your weapon?¡± Suna asked in an almost pleading voice. Her face looked a little flushed which likely meant that she was not in prime health.

    It was a piece of crucial information in case a fight broke out between them.

    Maria took the other girl¡¯s easy-going persona and felt conflicted in her feelings. Mostly, she could not match this girl with the hard-core seasoned warrior her profile made her out to be.

    ¡°Lead the way out and do not try anything funny. No, stay where you are. I will carry mypanion¡± Suna took a step toward the pair but Maria instantly blocked the path.

    Nao might be semi-conscious not but she was far from able to defend herself. If a fight broke out, Maria would have to be the one to defend Nao and she would not be able to do it if she allowed Suna toe closer.

    ¡°I get it. I get it so there is no need to panic¡± Suna took a few more steps back and it positioned her a few steps behind where she had initially started.

    Maria deemed it as a safe distance and turned around to pick up Nao¡¯s unconscious body. Theck of magic still send Maria spiraling but she had enough muscle mass to keep Nao bnced in her arms.

    Also, her show of strength and muscle strain was well worth the jaw-drop look she got from Su Suna in front of her.

    ¡°Are you done gawking? We should get going now¡± Maria reminded the girl in front of her who seemed to be in her world once again.

    Maria had no idea what could be sending Suna into hernd, nor did she want to know. She just wanted to get out of this pocket dimension and then the central metropolis.

    ¡°Ah, yes. Please follow me¡± Suna snapped out of her mind and started walking. Maria had a feeling that Suna was trying extra hard not to look at her and it proved to be true when Suna did not even look back when Maria called her name.

    She only got a ¡®Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡¯ in a dull and unattentive tone which caused her to drop the topic.

    Maria took this time to observe Su Suna and she did not know what to make of her. She opened her profile on Suna again, just to verify what she already knew.

    [Su Suna, the guardian of Simon¡¯s court and the first apostle of the MC harem. Her feelings for the MC were never confirmed to be romantic but she did care a lot about the harem and the MC.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Not much is known about her except her adoption by the leader of the adventurer¡¯s guild and her mysterious ¡®first love¡¯ which was never confirmed. However, spections say that it was a female Suna had admired.

    She died at the battle of the first node to save the MC. Her final words were, ¡®She¡¯ll be happy right? I saved her beloved after all¡¯

    Favorite food-]

    This was all Maria needed to see. It painted a picture inside Suna¡¯s head and she quite liked what she saw.

    Su Suna had seemed like a cool character at first. A mysteriousdy who cared about herpanions and even died for her cause. She had been a part of the MC¡¯s harem maria liked a lot.

    However, the girl in front of her was unlike thedy Maria had read about. The fantasy in her mind was shattered by the real thing and Maria found herself to be disappointed.

    Not of the person herself. Suna was a great person and was helping her out quite a lot as well.

    It was just, maybe Maria had painted quite a high ceiling inside her mind for Suna and now that the final product was something different, it left her high and dry.

    Not that it was a bad thing. This Suna was cool as well. Maria would adapt to her in no time at all.

    ¡°So, here we are. Once we climb the stairs, we will be at our final destination. Also, can you not mention this small mishap that happened here? I don¡¯t want to worry my father¡± Suna asked with a sheepish smile.

    She looked like someone who was caught with her hands in a cookie jar and felt ashamed of that face. Maria could not help but find her behaviors adorable.

    ¡°I won¡¯t mention this if you do not mention our epic failure to see this trap to your father. We can even pledge to each other if you want me to¡± Maria tested back and saw a small flush burst out into a huge one.

    Suna seemed easy to fluster and it made Maria feel a rush of power. The feeling felt familiar to her but she was not sure where she had felt it before.

    ¡°You got yourself a deal. Also, you can put your friend down on the bed. There is one in the room next door¡± Maria had not felt tired but those words made the illusion of pain in her arms ache up.

    Maria felt grateful for this small distraction and instantly moved toward the bed. Nao was still unconscious somehow but Maria felt magic move toward her friend and kick start the healing process.

    It took no time for Nao to wake up and look toward Suna with a hostile expression. Her eyes burned as they looked at the proximity Suna shared with Maria but she did not make anyment.

    ¡°Is she a foe? Or a friend?¡± Nao asked as she gathered her wits. Maria just gave her a small smile before she confirmed.

    ¡°A friend¡±

    [There might be an extra chapter today and tomorrow. I want to try and get ch 40 out by Sunday since it''s lit. That will also be thest free chapter but you can use fast passes to read ahead. Hope you will stick around with me since it is all going to turn filthy after this arch ends. Also, the continuity and degradation of this fic will depend on all of you for the next month. The more feedback I get = the More updates you all get.]

 Chapter 36 36: The Guild Hall

    ¡°Is she a foe? Or a friend?¡± Nao asked as she gathered her wits. Maria just gave her a small smile before she confirmed.

    ¡°A friend¡± Maria¡¯s voice came out almost fond and she saw the clouded expression on Nao¡¯s face. The other likely believed Maria to be under a charm and Maria made a small motion to confirm her safety.

    It caused Nao to gradually rx but her suspicious look did not change the entire time. She looked as if she was about to eat Suna alive.

    ¡°Can you stand up? We need to report to the main hall, like, five minutes ago and we arete. Father must be so worried about you both¡± Suna asked as she moved to help Nao out.

    Maria allowed Nao to help since her muscles still protested any sudden motion. She had likely pulled something trying to help Nao out earlier.

    Theck of magic had messed Maria up and she had not even realized just how much she relied on her magic to keep her going.

    ¡°Father? Do you mean you are the famous guardian Su Suna? I must say I and Maria have heard about you quite a lot¡± Nao¡¯s words caused a full-blown blush to beak upon that fair face.

    Suna looked redder than a tomato and her eyes refused to meet anyone¡¯s eyes. Her eyes still held the zed look to them and Maria just signaled for Nao to let the matter go for now.

    Suna took them through a hallway that felt simr to the one they had walked before. However, this time there was light in their path and they could see where they were going.

    Suna stopped before a wall segment and motioned for Maria and Nao toe closer to the wall.

    ¡°This is the entrance to the adventurer¡¯s guild but only the guild members can see it. You will need an insignia to get inside so give me your hand¡± Suna held her hand out with her palm to the cave ceiling.

    Maria could see the doubt in Nao¡¯s eyes. Despite her initial bout of trust, Nao was still hesitant to trust Suna fully. It was a good trait that had kept the pair alive for this long and it brought a fond sigh out of Maria.

    Nao was really good for her and Maria had no idea how she had managed tond someone like her by her side.

    Still, since Nao showed signs of hesitation, it fell onto Maria to make this decision. Suna¡¯s face seemed to be wilting by the second and Maria could see the confidence in her gaze fade by the second.

    That is why Maria extended her one hand and held Maria¡¯s hand at the veryst second.

    The action had been too swift and caused Suna¡¯s fight instincts to activate. Maria had to dodge the iing strike but she did not let the hand in her hand go. She held into for dear life as she twisted her body.

    Two pairs of eyes looked at each other in surprise and Suna straightened her spine toe back to the standing position.

    ¡°The insignia please,¡± Maria asked with a testing tone. She knew she had taken Suna off guard with her unexpected dodge and she had felt her head collide with a soft but firm mound of flesh on the other¡¯s chest.

    Maria saw the recognition sh in Suna¡¯s eyes and the blush bloomed on her face within a second of the realization. Maria was now sure that the earlier flushes she had seen on Suna¡¯s face had been because of embarrassment and not because of heat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°I, Ah-what?¡± Suna asked in a whisper. Her wide eyes moved from Maria to Noa and then back. Maria watched as the other tried to take in what had happened in front of her eyes.

    ¡°I think my friend here mentioned something about the insignia you are supposed to bestow upon us. Don¡¯t dy it¡± Nao joined in as well. Her tone was light and teasing as well but it never left the soft edge it had.

    Theirbined presence seemed to be putting Suna off because she looked seconds before bolting.

    However, Suna stood her ground and took in a deep breath. The next time she opened her eyes, she looked much morepacted and out together.

    ¡°My apologies for my unsightly behavior. Please allow me to bestow upon you the sign of eptance of Simon¡¯s court. May your journey ahead be fruitful¡± Maria watched Suna with eager eyes.

    She had heard a lot about Simon¡¯s court from her sword teacher. Her first sword teacher had been from Simon¡¯s court and she had some choice words to describe this ce.

    It was not wrong to say that Maria held expectations about this ce from her teacher¡¯s words and was ready to face anything in front of her.

    The guildhall did not disappoint with its impressive decore. There were tons and tons of people inside the hall, all of different ages and ethnicities. There were humans, demons, and even half-humans inside there.

    They all walked together as if there was no divide between their species and it was the first inter-species segment Maria had seen. There were seldom ces with such widespread eptance and ties as the Adventurer¡¯s guild but even among them, Simon¡¯s court held the mantle of being the biggest one.

    ¡°This way. The guild master is waiting for you in the backroom¡± Suna waved toward them and forced her way through the crown.

    The crowd did not part to give her the way. They seemed not to even notice her, nor the other two following after Suna. The crowd pushed and pulled the three but they did manage to make it to the other end in time and intact.

    ¡°Finally. Now, I must warn you that the guild master cane off as rather intimidating but he¡¯s a good guy inside. Don¡¯t let him get to you¡± Maria watched with an amused face as Suna tried to warn them.

    She seemed to want them to have a nice impression of this ce and her father which left Maria feeling amused.

    Suna had no idea that her words and actions were not needed. Nao had already signaled for Maria to trust the guild master and to seek his help.

    Besides, he was the only one who could help the pair right now. With the trains closed for working, the adventurer¡¯s guild was the only other option if someone wanted to get out of this city.

    Maria and Nao were not spoilt for choices here.

    Suna opened the door and ushered the pair inside. The room only had one other upant except for the three females that had entered it and it was an elder man well wrinkled and wise in his ears.

    The noise of the door caused the old man toe out of his meditation and his fragile body moved in a small bow toward Maria.

 Chapter 37 37: Favor To Ask - Part 1

    ¡°It is an honor to have the oracle in the halls of our esteemed guild once again. Long have our ancestors waited for this opportunity and I am honoured to be the one to finally experience it. Suna, the ruins. Put them up¡± the elder man spoke those words while not breaking his bow.

    Maria felt awkward to be forced to endure this treatment. She had long since gotten used to the respect her title demanded of her but she had never feltfortable to be bowed to.

    Especially when the bower was someone so much older than her. It almost made her feel guilty.

    ¡°Oh no. The pleasure is all mine. Ah, I mean, may the guidance of the almighty be with you and allow you to look up at him with benevolence¡± Maria bit back a curse as she almost butchered her vows.

    Thankfully, she managed to recover in time and finish them. She did not want to be killed by Nao for almost causing a faux-pass because of herck of attention. She ignored the surprised whisper of ¡®I knew she was the oracle¡¯ from Suna and faced the elder man.

    ¡°Kindly take a seat so that we can discuss further what you need us to do for you. Lady Mei worded it as an emergency¡± The elder man sat down on the sofa and gestured for Maria to sit as well.

    It was a single-seater sofa arrangement with a table in between. It was perfect for one-on-one talk but made it awkward for the three females in front of them.

    Nao passed Maria a look that said - ¡®you take it. I will keep guard¡¯ and Maria had no way to protest with that. Maria took the seat being offered to her in an almost-foul mood.

    Maria quickly nced toward Suna but the other female seemed to be watching her as well and quickly shook her head at Maria¡¯s look.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright. I would rather keep guard as well¡± Maria just nodded at Suna¡¯s words and finally aimed her attention at the elder man in front of him.

    ¡°Lady Mei is not wrong to consider the current situation as an emergency. As you know, we are headed toward a demonic war which would be rather tragedic. As the oracle, I aim to prevent this way at all cost and that is why I am undertaking this journey¡± Maria exined in the simplest of words.

    Her brain reminded her of the fact that she had been strong-armed into her role and Maria shushed it with a harsh me entail lid. The less she think about her decision, the more certain she would be about them.

    Second-guessing herself at this point would not be ideal. It would just want to make her go home faster.

    ¡°I see. So, what do you need my help with?¡± the elder man asked as he picked up the teapot in front of him.

    Maria extended her cup toward the elder to allow him to pour her tea but she was not foolish enough to drink it.

    epting tea from the elderly was a custom Maria had to uphold as the oracle but that did not mean she should not still be cautious about her situation.

    ¡°Since we are short on time, I won¡¯t beat around the bush and insult your intelligence. I need a way to be able to reach Grand Canyon at the earliest. The city is under lockdown so I cannot avail of that option. Do you have any other alternative to offer me? Of course,pensation would be offered by my side¡± Maria bargained and saw the interest in the old man¡¯s eyes.

    She already had guessed what the old man needed to hear from her because of her system¡¯s profile.

    [Character name: Su Meng. Leader of Simon¡¯s court and also the adopted father of Su Suna. A minor first viin that forced Su Suna to spy on the protagonist¡¯s party but was betrayed in the end.

    He died at the hands of an unnamed demon pretty early in the novel. However, he did let Suna escape the same fate due to his mission for her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Hisst dying words - ¡®Curse that man. Why did he have toe and not the oracle? She would have at least been useful to me¡¯

    Favorite food-]

    Maria stopped reading at that and chose to observe the man in front of her. The guild leader looked old and worried but the deception he had been known for was not present in his gaze.

    ¡°As it happens, there is one team that is about to leave for Grand Canyon in a few hours. I will introduce you to them at one condition¡± Maria nodded her head to tell the other that he should continue his words.

    The elder seemed to be gathering his courage before he opened his mouth to ask his request.

    ¡°I request for you to take Suna with you on this journey. She is not safe here, nor does she have friends to help her out. Maybe this journey is what she needs to get out of her shell¡± the elder requested even as he heard protests from his daughter.

    At that moment, he did not look like a viin, much less dangerous. He just looked like a father out to secure a good future for his daughter. He also looked like someone who knew something everyone else did not.

    Maria hesitated to answer him but a ¡®beep¡¯ in her head caused her to freeze and look up directly at him.

    [Initiating future vision. The actual result of the visions may change depending on the actions taken in the past]

    It was all breaking apart, the very structure seemed to be uprooted with magic and Maria watched as the ceiling copsed.

    There were bodies around her, many dead and even more injured and suffering. There was no end to the agony they felt except death itself but there was no end in sight.

    Maria watched as the fragile but dead body of the elder in front of her was being picked up by Suna with a dead expression on her face. It was far too nk and filled with anger toward an unknown figure.

    ¡°It is his fault that he refused to tell me where the oracle is. Nothing good cane from opposing the throne¡± Maria watched as Suna¡¯s face exploded into fury and she threw her body toward princess Neah.

    Princess Neah just stood her ground with a smiling face but her eyes looked death warmed over. Maria had never seen the other like that before and the vision in front of her scared him.

    ¡°YOU! IT¡¯S ALL YOUR FAULT¡± Suna¡¯s voice echoed all around the space and it shook Maria with its intensity.

    Suna¡¯s sword stopped inches away from Princess Neah by another one and Maria watched a familiar figure step in front of Princess Neah.

    ¡°Oh, by the way. I was not the one who made all this mess but my friend here¡± It was Howl that stood in front of Maria with a nk expression on her face.

    [Third chapter today. We''re approaching DRAMA. Leave ament if you can]

 Chapter 38 38: Favor To Ask Part 2

    Maria felt herself being jerked out of the vision with a re of pain. Her head hurt from her use of magic and it took some time for her toe around.

    "Is everything alright?" Nao asked but she did not let emotions leak into her voice. It came out as an inquiry rather than a question and made it seem impersonal.

    Maria felt a jab of annoyance at that tone but understood the importance of that tone.

    The Oracle could not be seen too close to her servant or it would send a wrong message out to people.

    Not to mention, Maria was supposed to be legally dead and her current status of being a runaway with only Nao aspany could spark some spicy rumours.

    Maria did want to reassure Nao that everything was better than alright but a small cough diverted her attention to the figure in front of her.

    The old man had a spark in his eyes as he looked at Maria. His eager expression brought forth a sour feeling inside Maris but even she could not help but feel sorry for this elder man. He might turn out to be an asshole in the original timeline who used his daughter as a spy but there was no doubt that he loved her.

    And besides, it was not the same timeline anymore. Maria had been more than made aware of that fact.

    But the dilemma still existed for her. Should she tell that man about what she saw in her vision or allow it to y out as intended?

    However, Maria did know one thing. She could not discuss it all in front of Suna. It would not be a good idea to inform her about her uing loss. Suna could try to change it as Howl had but Maria no longer felt that it was a safe option.

    Not if the Howl in her vision had something to say about it.

    Also, maybe keeping it from Nao would be a good idea as well. Maria was not sure how close Nao had been with Howl but there had been apanionship there. Maria did not want to hurt Nao with this news.

    The best course of action would be for their group to leave the town as soon as possible. Preferably, before the royal guards hit this ce.

    "Nao, take Suna and guard outside. I need to have a very important talk with the guild master here" Nao made a small gesture to indicate that she was talking about Suna.

    Maria felt a stab of guilt at tricking Nao into leaving the room but there was no other way to ensure her cooperation. Even now, the other seemed disinterested in following orders been given to her.

    But she was no longer protected so Maria counted it as progress.

    "Your servant is a peculiar one. I''m surprised to see that you have not had her disciplined yet. Or maybe, it is you who enjoy her fiery personality" Maria felt her face burn at the personal jab.

    Maria had to do her best not to let the embarrassment show on her face. She could not allow this kind of reaction to be known to the public.

    There was no need to encourage the rumours forming inside that head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I allow my servant the freedom needed to serve me. More importantly, we have other things to discuss with you. Your life is in danger" Maria changed the topic in between that sentence.

    She was about to say more but a small motion distracted her attention. The guild leader gave Maria a small wave to stop her mouth.

    "If I am about to die then I can only assume that it''s the royal attack. The fact that you asked yourpanion to escort Suna out means that she is likely a part of it. Tell it to me truthfully, did you see Suna die as well?" Suna looked at the elder in front of her and could not help but feel bitter.

    Why did everyone have to get parents that cared about them? Why did Maria have to be saddled with a pair of parents that were never there for her? Even her mother, who might have loved her, had never spent nay time with her.

    But there was no time for Maria to be bitter. It was all done and well past the point of care anyway.

    "Suna did not die but a lot of other people did. I mostly saw elder bodies in the mix and Suna hovering over your body. What''s wrong?" The more Maria spoke, the calmer the elder in front of her got.

    "I was afraid of this happening but it looks like my actions could not prevent this oue. This is why I ask you this favour. Take Suna with you and save her. It might be toote for js all but she has a future ahead of her" Maria watched as the man spoke out his request in a broken way.

    Right now, Maria was not looking at a guildmaster but a father begging for her child''s life. It looked almost sweet to Maria but she had to make sure.

    "I will take her along but how do I guarantee that she''s not a spy for you? She could lead the royal army to us" Maria asked the question.

    Betrayal no longer felt like an option to her. Not on Suna''s side and not with how angry she had looked in the vision. But Maria just wanted a verbal confirmation, even if it was just a lie. She wanted to assure herself of her decision to make Suna along.

    "Was it in the vision as well, my order? I give you my word that I will not use Suna against you in any way. The girl is precious to me but I''m afraid that she will not leave my side without a good cause. This might just be the excuse to get her going" it might be the excuse that allowed the future to change.

    Maria did not say it out loud but she did think it in her mind.

    "I agree as well. Suna''s abilities are useful and mighte in handy. Besides, I have a feeling that she would turn out to be quite useful in our journey" Suna had been a part of the original harem. She had the skills and maturity to be able to handle it.

    Besides, there was no harm to take Suna along. Worstes to worst, they could dump her at another adventurers guild branch. Suna was loyal to a fault in the original setting and this one seemed to be following down the same path.

    "Good. Now that we''ve concluded, let me take you to the party you will be travelling with" the elder stood up on shaking legs and so did Maria.

    A new journey was about to start soon.

    [Thank you for the 100k views. Hope you all will keeping back for more soon]

 Chapter 39 39: A Fateful Market Trip - Part 1

    "Good. Now that we''vee to a conclusion, let me take you to the party you will be traveling with" Maria felt her body move at those words.

    The elder was leading the way and opened the door with a jerking motion.

    It instantly causes Suna to fall on her face. Since the door opened inwards, it felt Suna without any kind of support when it was pulled back. Nao just shook her head at herpanion''s actions before she snapped to attention.

    "The guild master is taking us to the group we will be traveling with" Nao nodded in understanding and took a step behind Maria. It happened naturally and no one paid any attention to them when they stepped into the adventurer''s guildhall.

    It was difficult to navigate once again. The crowd had not thinned at all and the only one not seeming to have any problem was the old guild master. He looked to be in his element as he navigated through the crowd.

    They were led straight to the other side of the hall that held a shutter door. Maria spotted the group near the door and instantly knew they were the ones. Their gear was packed but they did not look ready to leave just yet.

    "Marcus, is your crew ready to depart?" The guild master asked and Maria watched the bulky man''s face turn at a neck-breaking speed. A smile broke out on that face and Maria braced herself.

    "Of course we are ready. We will be departing at night. Ya know, for reasons" The voice was heavy and it echoed in the hall. It was a miracle when one turned their head to re at him.

    "That''s good. Marcus, here are the people I talked to you about. They will be joining your crew for this trip" Maria discreetly eyed Marcus''s femalepanion and gave their group an evil eye before she turned to Marcus.

    She whispered something in Marcus'' ears which he ignored with a wave of his hand. He gave her a wide, beaming smile.

    "It''ll be alright. I''m sure our newpanions would turn out to be really profitable for us" Maria did not like the words being spoken.

    Not that it made any difference to her for now. This was the choice she had been stuck with so this was the choice she was going to get.

    "Marcus. Don''t you think this is an unnecessary risk to take? I''m sure the guild master would understand our hesitation and -" the Lady did not get to finish her words. Marcus just waved her concerns away with a self-assured smile.

    He handed Nao a smallmunication charm and helped her learn to operate it. Maria did not get a chance to interact with him before they were ushered out of the guildhall with a ''meet at the front gates at 9''.

    Maria felt it was odd that they were being ushered out in such a hurried manner. The suddenness of it had not even allowed the guild master or Suna to be able to react.

    By the time Maria came around it had been toote to go back. It was just better to prepare themselves for the journey ahead and they did have quite a bit of shopping to do.

    "So, what next? Do we get our pantry list in order?" Maria asked as she snapped out of the dizziness.

    Nao seemed to still being turned with what had happened in there to make much of a contribution.

    "I-Ah yes. Yes, I understand. Here is what we need" Noknew the market well and took Maria through routes she had not even seen on the normal map. There were a lot of hidden passages in the city.

    Maria was sure she would have never survived here alone. Every day she woke up to find Nao bing more and more amazing.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I will go and buy the vegetables. Can you go to the opposite store and stack fuel? We can''t be sure when we might need it." Maria agreed without much fanfare.

    There was not a lot Nao asked from Maria. So this small task felt like a big thing to Maria. She left without even hearing the requirement.

    The empty fuel can be in Maria''s Inventory. She just had to make sure to get the same one from the shop. The brand wasmon enough to get anywhere.

    That should have been what happened. It should have been a ten-minute run.

    But somehow! Somehow, the store opposite the grocery was sold out. It had no bottle left and nothing in their storage as well.

    It was quite a big blunder on their part and the shop owner did look apologetic. But there was nothing to be done for such a situation.

    The shopkeeper did give Maria an alternative though. There was another store a small distance away from this store and the owner made a call to ensure they had her brand of oil there.

    It was an extra trip but Maria did not mind undertaking it. It would only take an additional fifteen minutes anyway.

    So she set out to do what she had to do. She almost ran to get to the shop faster and quickly picked up what she needed. And there was where she was it.

    Well, ''them'' would be more exact. It was Howl and Princess Neah.

    They were dressed casually in an attempt to blend in with their surroundings. Maria would not have recognized them if not for her system''s warning.

    [Warning. Subject Howl detected in the vicinity]

    Maria had set this warning as a measure to avoid Howl. Maria had not wanted to identally drag her into their world after making sure she stayed out. Maria had never been d to have made an in-the-moment decision than this.

    "Are you alright, miss? You look a little pale. Also, are you going to pay for that bottle of fuel anytime soon?" Maria blinked her eyes at the man in front of her and quickly looked at the fuel in her hand.

    She knew she had to pay for the purchase but her head felt rather slow at that moment.

    "Here. Keep the change" Maria would have time to feel foolish about leaving her to change behind. They were behind on funds as it was.

    But it all escaped Maria''s mind as panic overtook it. She had to get out of the market and lead Nao away as well. It was only a matter of hours before Maria andpany will be out of this town.

    Just a few more hours before Maria was free and she could not help but brace herself for the next few hours. They would suck but they were crucial as well.

 Chapter 40 40: A Fateful Market Trip - Part 2

    Maria felt her feet move as fast as they could. Her body felt lighter than any other time she remembered it being and her mind nked at the familiar faces she saw.

    She thought they had a few more days before there would be a threat like this in front of them. Maria should have guessed that she was not that lucky.

    Really, worst luck seemed to be attracted to her or something.

    Maria quickly traveled back to the grocery store Nao had been in and her eyes found the demoness in an instant. A fewrge steps and Maria was at her side.

    Though, Maria could not stop looking around for the signs of the other two. The scare from before was still present in her mind.

    ¡°You took your sweet time. Was this trip that difficult? You should have said so¡± Nao scolded Maria with a soft tone. Her eyes looked worried and Maria felt guilty for putting that look in her eyes.

    ¡°Sorry. The store adjacent to us was out of fuel. I had to travel to a neighboring market to get it¡± Maria replied in a hurry. She wanted to tell Nao about Princess Neah and Howl she saw in the store.

    But something in her stopped her from speaking those words. They made her mouth swell shut and Maria hesitantly recognized it as fear.

    Maria was not sure what she was fearful of but she felt the emotion and it controlled her body¡¯s actions regarding this topic.

    ¡°Are you alright? You look a little paler than you left¡± Nao asked with a worried look. Her arms were instantly empty of the grocery bag she held and her hand reached out to touch Maria¡¯s forehead.

    Nao retreated her hand quickly with a hiss and looked at Maria with narrowed and using eyes.

    ¡°You are too hot to not be sick. Why did you not tell me you were sick?¡± Nao asked with a scolding face.

    ¡°It¡¯s likely because I ran in the heat toe here. I am feeling alright and I''ve always been pale. The lighting must be making me look sick¡± Marai reassured Nao as she picked up the bags.

    They were heavy and had a lot of material. They would also cost a fortune and Maria wondered how Nao was thinking of paying for them. They did not have a lot of funds between them.

    ¡°I am willing to take your words on it but I still don¡¯t feel reassured about your health. We should talk with the guild master and postpone this trip for another day¡± Nao bargained and Maria felt herself panic.

    There was no way they could spend another day here. Not with the threat of royal soldiers roaming in the city. Many of them might be undercover as well and that was a horrifying thought.

    ¡°There is no need to postpone the trip. In fact, we should talk with the guild master to prepone it. The earlier we leave, the better it is for us¡± Maria talked too fast and even she knew it.

    All her signs were giving away guilty vibes but Maria could not force herself to speak the truth. Even the thought of being truthful filled her with fear.

    ¡°I can see that something had upset you greatly. Just let me pay for our items and we can be on our way¡± Nao, being the saint she was, decided to leave the market. Maria felt her breathing ease as soon as they were out of the area.

    There was still a chance of them getting caught by the royal soldiers but it was far less now. The main danger was still in the market and too close to their previous location.

    ¡°So, where to next? We need to visit Mei to thank her for her generosity. She is the one funding our trip after all¡± Maria heard those words and felt a realization. Of course, they had money with Lady Mei backing them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria should have realized where their money wasing from. They didn¡¯t have any of their own, to begin with.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. Lady Mei can also help us escape the city discreetly¡± Maria had no problem making Lady Mei a barrier between her and Princess¡¯s guards.

    While Lady Mei was still a wild card capable of selling them to Princess Neah, Maria felt the chances of it decreasing by the second. Since the royal guards were already in the city and looked to have been there for some time now, their freedom meant that they could trust Lady Mei.

    The building Lady Mei owned was the only one that held a light mist around it. It clearly denoted its separation from the surrounding area and Maria could see the oddity move heads of the visitors.

    The pair took the same alley they had taken before but there was no burier this time. Maria did not lose sight of Nao and the gate was also visible to their naked eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry in¡± Maria followed after Nao and entered a somewhat familiar hallway. Lady Mei was also in the main lobby, her eyes taking the moment around her with bored eyes.

    ¡°Done with your trip?¡± Lady Mei asked with a tired and bored tone. Maria just nodded to indicate that they were, indeed done with their shopping trip.

    ¡°Follow me and I¡¯ll show you the way you will need to take. I would advise practicing caution though, as royal guards have been spotted around the city¡± Nao¡¯s silent agreement meant that the presence of the foreign entities had not escaped her notice.

    Maria did not insult her with a nod of surprise.

    ¡°We will be careful. As long as it is not her highness who came here we can get away. We also have a surprise factor on our side¡± Nao gestured toward Maaria¡¯s ears and Maria fought down a blush.

    Actually, with the addition of Howl on the princess¡¯s side, she was not sure how much of her surprise factor mattered. It was likely that Howl had told them everything she knew and they were heading toward a trap.

    It would be good to tell this all to Nao before it was toote but Maria was a coward. She could not ovee her fear and thus, the truth remained silent.

    The passage Lady Mei took the pair to was a forested path. It was covered by a dense canopy as well as vegetation on all sides. The visibility was low there was well which made it an ideal path to escape capture.

    ¡°Go now and remember, if you get captured then you do not know anyone named Lady Mei¡± the tone of the human was almost jesting but Maria felt the seriousness shine through.

    ¡°Lady Mei who?¡± Maria joked back but her nod showed that she would keep that promise.

    And then the pair departed toward their destination and freedom. They walked and walked till they finally could see the city''s outskirts.

    Maria could make Marcus out in the distance but he and hispanions were not alone. Maria could spot the familiar figures of Princess Neah and Howl in the distance and one of them turned their head toward the pair''s direction.

    "What are they doing here? Quick, we need to hide" Nao pulled Maria down in the bush but it was not before a familiar gaze met their eyes and made them freeze. They had been spotted and their location had beenpromised.

    [Unfortunately, this is the end of the unlocked chapters. Hope you all will continue reading the locked chapters as well from here because you will be in for a ride. They will be wilder, more R-18 scenes and really filthy smut]

 Chapter 41 Note

    Hello everyone. First of all, I want to thank you for sticking around. It meant a lot to me to see you all here and it encouraged me to write this fast.

    However, everythinges to an end eventually and so does this story''s free content. As you can see, the rest of the story would be locked behind a paywall on web novels and on other sites. It would mean a lot to me if you chose to read ahead, be it fast passes or coins.

    However, those who do not like Webnovel and are looking at an alternate can choose to read it instead on P*atreon. p*atreon/daygon_yuuki (Remove the *)<novelnext></novelnext>

    There will be a few changes there whenpared to Webnovel and that is the content avable. As per the contract, my p*atreon will be 2 chapters behind on the post. So, if mytest chapter on Webnovel is 60 on privilege, it will be 58 on p*atreon. However, it will be less expensive overall since I set the tiers rtively low.

    There are only 2 tiers there and more wille with time and if enough interest is shown. The release rate will remain the same with 2-3 chapters daily. Hope you all will support me and continue on this journey ahead.

    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 42 41: The Confrontation

    "What are they doing here? Quick, we need to hide¡± Maria felt the push but not before he eyes met a familiar pair of green ones.

    Howl was looking right in their direction with a frown on her face and Maria felt her heart in her throat.

    Were they going to be exposed?

    ¡°We need to start heading back. It is clear that we cannot take this way out anymore¡± Nao hissed in a low voice and her anger evident in her voice. Maria could do nothing but nod along.

    The bush was not dense enough to hide them fully and Maria felt her heart stop when Princess Neah turned to face their direction as well.

    ¡°Is there something in that direction? You have been starting there for a while now¡± Neah¡¯s clear voice reached the pair and Maria felt longing course through herself. She wanted to leap out and greet her friend.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool. Princess Neah is not an ally of ours¡± Nao whispered and Maria felt frozen in her ce. The princess looked the same as Maria had seen her thest time but there was a shadow haunting her now.

    It made survival instincts ring inside Maria¡¯s mind and she knew it was better for her to follow along than to fight them.

    ¡°I know that I cannot expose ourselves but we might not get a chance to. Howl has spotted us here¡± Maria whispered and felt her voice too be too loud.

    Nao did not reply, knowing that Maria was right. It was all up to Howl now.

    ¡°No, there is nothing. I thought I saw something move but it might be an animal I mistook for a human¡± Maria felt her breathe ease up. Also exhaled a heavy sigh of relief but it was short-lived.

    Princess Neah¡¯s expression did not change at the answer but Maria felt the mood change around her. The princess had her hand sp Howl¡¯s face but Maria saw the tightness that grip had.

    It was scarring Howl¡¯s face with the nail imprints.

    ¡°Do not try and lie to me. I do not find it funny to be made a fool of and that is what you are trying to do. Guards, go and look who is there¡± Princess Neah ordered and Maria felt Nao nudge her.

    They had a few seconds of window between Princess Neah¡¯s verbal reprimand and her orders. It was just enough time for them to quietly climb the tree and cast a magic illusion.

    ¡®It should be safe here for us as long as we do not move¡¯ Nao signaled those words toward Maira who nodded in agreement. The pair watched the soldierse closer.

    The search was fruitless but Maria did feel like fainting as the soldiers looked up toward their direction. The angle was bad enough to show the underside of her skirt and Maria felt her face bloom into a blush.

    ¡°There is no sign of anyone here¡± the guard replied once he came back. Maria took this window to back away from the tree and jump back to another. Nao followed quietly as well, using the tree¡¯s canopy to hide their movement.

    Maria could see the knowing glint in Howl¡¯s eyes but the princess did not seem to be aware.

    ¡°You all are useless but I¡¯ll take your words for it. My magic cannot detect any lies in your words anyway and I have another ce to check¡± the princess dismissed the soldiers and that was thest Maria saw of them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The pair traveled the path to the point they had started first from and Maria finally felt like they were safe. The immediate threat was gone from their face.

    ¡°It was Howl with the princess. Why was she there with her? Since when? And how? Was she betraying us all this time? And¡± Nao stopped her words as she looked Maria in the face.

    Maria watched emotions sh in Nao¡¯s face, from surprise to anger to betrayal. They were fluctuating too fast for Maria to keep track of and she felt scared of the intensity.

    ¡°Me? Know? Of course, I did not know. I was as surprised as you were¡± Maria assured but even she could hear the lie in her tone.

    Her heart sank at the t and disappointed look she got from Nao. This was the particr situation Maria had wanted to avoid but she had found herself in it regardless.

    ¡°If you are going to lie then at least put the effort in it. Still, I cannot believe you kept it from me. How long have you known? How long?¡± Nao was almost in Maria¡¯s face with the yelling.

    Maria felt afraid of attracting attention by the loud yell but she also wanted to let Nao get her anger out by yelling. It was a lose-lose situation for Maria and she had been at fault.

    ¡°I had a vision about Princess Neah and Howl being together when I was in Simon¡¯s court. I also might have seen the princess and Howl in the market while we were shopping¡± Maria admitted guilty.

    Nao looked like she would blow her head with anger at any time. She was red in the face and her magic was also building up.

    ¡°YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. I DON¡¯T KEEP SUCH SECRETS FROM YOU SO WHY DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD NOT TRUST ME? YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME¡± Nao snapped and finally yelled.

    Maria found it unfair of Nao to say. After all, Maria was not the only one to be keeping secrets. Nao had plenty of her own which she never told Maria about. Nao even lied to Maria and this just angered Maria more.

    ¡°Trust you and tell you the truth? Like you told me about the truth about our identity papers that were prepared by my mother? See, you don¡¯t trust me so how can you expect the trust to be returned by me?¡± Maria asked in a whisper-yell and instantly felt Nao¡¯s expression change.

    She looked afraid and also shocked at the admission. There was fear and regret mixed in her eyes but not guilt.

    Nao likely felt like her actions were in the right. Then, had it been an order that had caused Nao to hide it all.

    ¡°How do you know about it? No, more importantly, why did you not confront me about it?¡± Nao asked with a hollow voice and Maria felt something inside her break.

    Why was it her fault this was happening? Maria had done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment from Nao.

    ¡°It is not my fault the situation turned out like this. I never-¡± Maria stopped as soon as she felt the footsteps behind her.

    ¡°No, please continue. It was just getting good as well¡±

 Chapter 43 42: You Can Fight Later

    "No, please continue. It was just getting good as well" Suna''a voice knocked some sense into the pair. It forced the much-needed break in their argument and allowed them to consider their options.

    Maria felt as if she wasing down from a high. Nothing made sense inside her mind and everything felt like it was too much and too little at the same time.

    The feeling of guilt and betrayal was so thick inside her heart that it made it difficult for Maria to look Nao in the eye. Nao seemed to be having the same problem as her. So they both chose to focus on Suna instead and Maroa could see that they were making her nervous.

    "What? I was just saying that to break the tension. Don''t look at me like you want to kill me" Suna''s voice was light-hearted and cheery. It was the perfect voice to break the heavy atmosphere.

    Or maybe that was just lt Maria''s optimistic mind thinking. Maybe Maria felt like that because she could not look Nao in the face.

    "You have sessfully broken the tension but that does little for our current situation. We need to find a hiding spot as soon as possible" Maria was not sure whether Nao was being sarcastic or not with her initial words. But Nao did have a point with herst words.

    They needed to either hide or find another way to get out of town. As confident as Maria had been in Princess Neah, the glimpse she saw back there with Howl had scared her.

    Was that how everyone else but Maria saw Princess Neah? A demoness who was a control freak and would not mind involving innocents?

    "We do? What''s wrong with the party from the adventurer''s guild? Did they not wait for you?" Sun asked with a surprised look. Maria did not find the surprise out of ce on her face.

    The people from the adventurer''s guild were people Suna had grown up with. She held a bond with them that was not easy to break. Maria understood her feelings since she had thought the same about the royal court and her family as well.

    And look how well that turned out for her.

    "The party we were supposed to travel with has beenpromised. We need alternatives soon" Nao, thankfully, had not lost herpassion and chose her words carefully.

    Maria knew that they had likely been betrayed by Marcus and his crew. Theck of violence on the Royal guard''s part convinced Maria of this assumption but she could not say that with 100% confidence.

    Still, it was better to spare Suna this heartbreak. The poor girl was already dealing with a lot on her te.

    "Compromised? Already? This is not good but father did say that it was a possibility. He never trusted Marcus or his crew since the beginning" Suna looked like she wanted to curse but was holding herself back for their sake. Was she trying to be considerate of the oracle and her hoky status?

    It made Maria itch to curse in front of Suna just to see her reaction. It also lightened Maria''s dark mood and the tension started to slip from her shoulder.

    Maria finally risked taking a look at Nao and found her to be rxed as well. It looked like Maria was not the only one finding Suna''s attempt humorous.

    "If your father predicted, did he also predict a solution? I would like some kind of direction before starting" Maria tried not to show her desperation in her voice. She was the oracle and should not need help in an ideal scenario since she could see the future.

    But the reality was far from pretty and often left one disappointed. It had betrayed Maria more than once with its actions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But it looked like this was not one of those times. Suna looked relieved when Maria asked her for the n and her worried expression faded away.

    "Father has a n. Well, more like the beginning of a n but it is crazy enough that it might work. So, do any of you know how to operate a train?" Suna asked and Nao hesitantly raised her hand.

    Maria''s head had never moved that fast and her neck hurt at the sudden motion.

    It still did not distract from the important information she had just gained from Nao. Why did Maria not know that Nao could operate the train?

    "You know how to operate a train? How, why, since when?" Maria asked in a rapid session of questions. She could just not wrap her head around the fact that Nao knew how to operate a train.

    What else could Nao do that Maria was not aware of? A quadruple backflip? Fly? Anything else?

    "I''m not great at it and I never got a license for it but I do know the basics. I can try to operate it if we get our hands on one" Nao exined and her eyes shifted away in nervousness.

    Maria felt the need to ask more but she was not sure she could handle any more surprises today. She was already at her limit and things just kept on piling up.

    "Come, I will get you two to the train station. I know a hidden passage that will take us there. It has been stocked for days and is ready to leave at any time" the pair followed behind Suna without any word.

    They entered the underground passage and Nao changes her position with Suna at the front of the group.

    "I know this passage as well. I''ll take the lead from here to scout out the route ahead" Nao didn''t even wait for verbal confirmation before she was off.

    It left Suna and Maria behind with an awkward air in between them. They both were not sure what to talk about and the conversation halted to a standstill.

    "So, are you and your partner close? You seem close but the argument earlier seemed kind of serious. Do you know each other well?" Suna asked.

    It was obvious to Maria that Suna was interested in her and Nao''s rtionship. It was kind of cute how mindful Suns tried to be of her boundaries and would not have bothered Suna under normal circumstances.

    But with the recent development, Maria could not help but feel unhappy with those words. They felt mocking and like a personal attack.

    "I thought I knew Nao well but with the recent development, I cannot be sure anymore" Maria forced out and she knew Nao had heard her.

    The air became stiff at her confession and Suna summarised it all in one word.

    "Awkward. This situation is so awkward."

 Chapter 44 43: Checking The Perimeter

    "Darn it. The royal guards are everywhere. How do we proceed any further?" Suna asked the question as she ducked behind the pir once again.

    The trio had reached the train station about an hour ago but their situation had not improved even a single bit ever since then.

    It was partly because of the royal guards but more so because of the absence of magic. Maria had known that a device to stop magic had been in the prototype stages but she was not aware that it had progressed this far.

    "We can take the device out easily enough. It stops magic but physical attacks still work. The core was also weak enough to shatter with any application of force but the problem would be the resulting explosion" Nao summarises the situation for the pair in front of her.

    Maria was aware of this possibility but Suna looked like she needed a few more minutes toe to terms with what she had just heard.

    "You''re joking, right? The royal soldiers would not bring something like that in here just like that. Even if the princess wanted to bring it here, surely the court would object to it" Suna was asking the right questions but they had no answer.

    Maria, especially, had no answers for her since even she did not know.

    "I don''t think you''re aware of the lengths the Empire would go to have the oracle in their hands. I was not aware of the specifics since Lady Silvya never told me, but apparently, the elder nobles had a n centered around the Oracle''s sacrifice. As for the princess, I''m sure she has her reasons" Nao exined. She sounded pained to admit this and Maria felt shocked at the admission.

    Why was this the first time she was heard about this from Nao? Sure, she knew that the elders wanted to sacrifice her and would even go behind the princess''s back to achieve this but having a whole n?

    "You knew all that and you never told me? Why am I not surprised?" Maria did try to stop herself from uttering those words but she underestimated the bitterness she felt.

    Nao''s expression looked bitter as well and her tone was biting when she spoke.

    "I did not tell you because it was not important. We had it all handled and we did get you out" Nao exined and that was the wrong thing to do.

    "Not important? How was it not important?" Maria could not but feel as if she was a hypocrite. She had hidden things from Nao as well under the assumption that they wouldn''t matter in the long run.

    But being the one to do it and being the one to have it being done to were different things. It sucked being thetter in this situation.

    "Ugh, I''m sorry to interrupt but can this wait for some other ce? Our current scenario is not something I think of as safe" Suna interrupted that pair with a nervous smile.

    She was either very brave or aplete fool. And to Maria, it looked like an unhealthybination of them both.

    "Quick, climb up" Maria followed Suna and quickly pulled herself up on the tform. Nao followed a few seconds after.

    They made it in time to avoid the patrolling guard below and then exhaled a sigh of relief at being safe once again.

    "You alright? You looked spooked" the first guard was apanied by a second guard and it was only a stroke of luck that they did not look up toward them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I thought I heard someone argue here. No, I''m sure I heard someone argue. We should alert the guards about it-" that could not be allowed.

    Maria shared a look with Nao and a calm agreement passed through their gazes. They would prioritize their safety first and once they have a safe spot for themselves, they woulde back to their conversation.

    The guards did not even have a second to themselves before Maria and Nao jumped down and took them out. The armor made a heavy noise as it hit the ground but it seemed like no one was around to hear it fall.

    "Wow, how did you both do that? You got a drop on them at the same time which was unbelievable. Do you think I can learn to do it as well with time?" Suna asked as she made her way down as well. Hernding was wless and made no noise.

    It reminded Maria of a graceful yet overexcited cat and she couldn''t stop the chuckle that left her mouth.

    "A lot of group practice would lead to this result kid so don''t worry. Besides, we need to think about what we should be doing next" Nao kneeled in front of the guard and disarmed him in an instant.

    There was not a lot of stuff with the guard, much less a weapon to work with. It made their future nning much more difficult to execute.

    "Nothing we can use to fight or distract them with. Looks like we will have to risk it" Maris observed and instantly felt the daggered. re being aimed her way.

    She turned around and sure enough, there it was. Nao was looking as unhappy as she had the first time Maria had suggested this n.

    "You cannot use your chains to break a path fit us. You know what happens when you do and not to mention, it would give you away as the Oracle. We don''t need that kind of pressure" Naoined.

    Suna looked confused so Maria knew she would be no help in this situation. Though Nao did have some valid points, that did not make their situation any easier to deal with.

    "I can handle it. My master made sure I knew how to use my chains in a way to not get recognized. Give me a hood and be fast. I''ll meet you at the train once you get the device shut off" Maria made sure Nao knew she was not taking ''no'' for an answer.

    Maria was out before Nao couldin or offer an alternative. Her inventory had a hood for emergencies and Maria took it out.

    It was well worn and a beloved piece of garment Maria had owned. It might not survive this fight but Maria was willing to take this chance.

    Her chains responded to hermand and condensed in the form of a spear. It was a weapon Maria had never been good at and that was why she knew it was going to work for this.

    "Please make it quick. I don''t think I can handle Neah today as well" Maria whispered before she took off.

    [P*atreon will go live today ]

 Chapter 45 44: Search For The Mechanism

    "Is there something that is worrying you? I''m sure the oracle would not have volunteered herself if she did not know what she was doing" Suna offered her words quite nervously.

    Actually, Suna has no idea how to interact with the Oracle''spanion. Her crush on the oracle did not make things any easier for her and she might be reading too much into things here but the Oracle and herpanion seems to be involved romantically.

    At least they fought like an old married couple. Suna was not the greatest source of reliable identification since she hardly saw married couples interact.

    "Shhh! Don''t call her by her title in the open. Call her Maria. And I know she can take care of herself but I still feel worried especially since her chains can take a toll on her life force" Nao spoke and then realized that she might have spoken too much.

    Nao calcted the chances of being able to silence Suna if she tried to betray them.

    Not that Nao thought they would get betrayed by Suna. The girl was too simple-minded and a little taken with Maria to betray them outright.

    But Nao had thought the same of Howl and looked how that one turned out to be. It was just better not to make more changes and to have a backup ready in case it was needed.

    "O-Oh. Is that so? Then, are you sure it''s alright to let the orac-I mean, Maria go like that? Won''t it cause a lot of problems for us?" Suna asked in a worried tone.

    "We won''t be able to stop Maria from doing this on her own so there is no point in trying. We can only y our part and finish up the deactivation as soon as possible" Nao hated the helplessness that seeped into her tone.

    There was only Maria that could reduce her to this pathetic self of hers and make her feel guilty for making the right decision.

    She should not be feeling guilty for the things she had hidden from Maria. It had been her master''s idea not to tell the Oracle''s fragile soul about the darkness that lurked beneath this world. Nao had agreed at that time, believing the Oracle to be a fragile soul as well.

    And she had been a meek and timid soul when Nao first met her. Nao had not liked the weakling, even thought of her as useless at that time.

    But somewhere, things had changed. The oracle had changed and it was for the better. The change had felt gradual but Nao could remember a certain point it had all exploded and it felt like when those eyes stared at Nao, they see her and not an illusion of her being created.

    Maybe that was when Nao had learned to care as well.

    "So, what''s the n. What route are we taking?" Suna asked with a bounce in her steps.

    Nao understood Suna''s hesitation but was also aware enough to know her limitations. Nao could not do this without help.

    "Maria likely went south where the guard is thin. It would create disorder and the guards would be confused about what they should be doing. We will use that opportunity to make our way through. We can also blend in" Nao looked at the pair of guards she had bared.

    Their armour could fit the pair and allow them easy ess. Nao looked at the uniform with disdain on her face but epted herck of choice.

    "Wear this and follow me" Nao pushed the armour toward Suna and half-expected her toin about the treatment. It was a pleasant surprise to not get anyint from Suna''s side as the other female collected the armour.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The armour was just bearable enough to not make Sunain. When they joined the other guards, they were not any more recognizable than the other servants. It made it easy to move along.

    "Hurry. Everyone, head toward the south gates. We are under attack and we cannot contain the attacker" it started with a whisper but soon ignited into a fire.

    The guards had started to panic with theirck of magic and the introduction of a new threat in their midst. It would not be long before they had to start heading southward.

    "Let''s go. This is our opportunity" Nao whispered and moved along with the panicking masses. She made sure she had a tight enough grip on Suna''s arm to be able to drag her along.

    They broke off from the group and ran straight into an abandoned hallway.

    "Are you sure it''s here?" Suna asked with doubt. Nao chose to walk instead of answering. It left Suna no choice but to follow after her.

    There was a beeping noiseing from not far away and Nao knew it had to be the magic suppressing machine. Nothing else made that disgusting noise except that machine. Nao hated that noise ever since the first time she had heard it a long time ago.

    "Be careful and maintain your distance. We don''t want it exploding on us" Nao warned as she scouted for enemies.

    The corridor was rtively empty and the few soldiers around held themselves in a rxed position and spaced out. They would be easy to take out before they could coordinate an attack back.

    "Wait, you were not joking? It''s a bomb? What are we going to do?" Nao realized her mistake once she felt Suna panicking behind her.

    She should have just lied and said that the bomb was harmless. At least she would not have a panicked partner in her hand.

    "I don''t think we are in any situation to be joking around in. But rx. The bomb would go off as long as we are careful not to jolt it. I have no intention of dying here" Nao''s voice held enough convention to finally calm Suna down.

    Nao felt grateful for having gotten such a simple partner. Suna seemed to be taking her words at face value. So, Nao did not find it in her to tell her that the odds of them not activating the bomb were rather slim.

    Nao moved like a snake and took out the guards before they became aware of her existence. Suna helped to take out the guards as well.

    No matter how trained these guards were, they were no match for the pair whenbined with the element of surprise.

    "Now, let''s see what we are working with here" Nao opened the storage door with caution. The room only held one item inside when it came into focus.

    "There it is" Nao whispered as she took the machine in.

 Chapter 46 45: Fighting To Reach The End

    Maria readied her spear and secured her hood with slips before she leaped in battle. Her whole outfit was designed in a way that made guessing her identity impossible.

    Unless someone really knew how her chains worked or were overly familiar with her, Maria was in no danger of being found out.

    In other words, as long as Princess Neah did not arrive on this battlefield, Maria¡¯s secret was rtively safe. Even Howl would not recognize her in her current get-up.

    ¡°Identify yourself,¡± A soldier asked as Maria neared the group. She could see the weariness in their expression. They were a good batch, knowing when to press and to follow orders.

    Maria felt bad to make them take the me but they had iting with joining the royal nights and all. Not that it was their fault they were stuck with leaders that did not care for them.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m in a hurry. Please roll over and fall for me¡± Maria replied before she knocked the nearest person with her spear. She aimed to injure and not kill which might have been a mistake.

    The soldier did not fall unconscious so Maria increased her strength on her next strike and it finally did the deed. Maria just had to be careful not to kill anyone and she would be golden.

    ¡°You-what? How did you do that without magic? Our armors are thick¡± a guard asked as he charged at Maria. He was unlucky and tried to fight Maria barehanded.

    He was knocked out in a second by the spear in Maria¡¯s hand. The other guards did not try attacking her head so Maria had to take initiative on that front.

    ¡°How is she doing this? Magic? But it should be impossible¡± a guard asked as he distanced himself from the fight. Maria motioned to follow him but was blocked by other bodies in-between.

    It was an all against Maria situation but somehow, Maria held the upper hand. She knocked out the guards in one or two struck and the rest, she dodged.

    Most people were using normal weapons against her which made deflecting their attacks really easy. Maria''s chains provided her body with magical protection. She clearly had a huge advantage in this match and it did not go unnoticed.

    "It''s the spear. She''s using a magical spear that is not being affected by the device. Quickly, someone sent a message to the princess. This must be some kind of demonic trap we stepped into" a guard cried and Maria quickly extended her spear to block the exit.

    These people clearly had no way to contact the princess from inside. If they did, then they should not have panicked as they had. Maria had to keep them in here for as long as possible.

    "The demon blocked the exit. We cannot send for the princess" a guard cried out before he was knocked out by Maria. It did validate her point about theirck ofmunication and this was the first piece of good news today.

    "It doesn''t matter. Just keep her busy and I''ll call the reinforcement. The news and sound of fighting will attract the princess anyway" the guard ordered before Maria saw him join the fry as well.

    It was cute how they thought they could overwhelm with numbers. Maria was not impressed and her attacks picked up speed.

    Her body was beginning to show signs of exhaustion as well. The magic inside Maria was limited and using the chains was pushing it to its limit. The heat was beginning toe back and the protection inside Maria had all but melted.

    There was only so much Maria could do with her limited resources. The number of guards in thest few minutes as well. They were multiplying like files and seemed to be pouring inside the hall.

    Maria forced herself to keep ongoing for a few more seconds. She just needed enough time for the device to be taken down and then she could leave the fight. She had other ces to be and trains to hijack.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Hurry. Blow the demon up and show them that they were messing with the wrong people¡± maria heard those words and her body instantly ducked the fireball aimed at her.

    The royal guards had decided to give up the small chase and had brought out the big guns. They were aiming to kill now and their next shot made it evident.

    Maria brought her spear down in an arch to prevent herself from getting caught up in the crossfire. Her magic allowed Maria to cut through therge fire and get out of the way of the second one.

    She needed to be faster, better if she wanted to survive this she needed to think fast on her feet.

    ¡°Hurry. Load it and fire it again¡± the guards prepared to fire the gun again but Maria did not give them a chance to do it. She extended her spear and hurled it toward the guard.

    People ducked out of the way to not get hit by the spear but the explosives were not as lucky, they exploded on impact and Maria quickly retrieved her spear from the mess.

    ¡°Darn it¡± a guard cursed before he was knocked out by Maria. Her body protested the movement but Maria forced it to keep going. The heat was pressing against her but it was still in a manageable range.

    ? Maria resided herself for the next confrontation before she felt magic m into her hard.

    ¡°What happened? Was that our magic?¡± A guard asked with surprise coloring his voice. Maria grinned at the sess of herpanions before she quickly cast a spell.

    People fell around her like puppets and gave Maria the perfect opportunity to run away. Maria took it without hesitation and was out of the room.

    She kept the spell up, exhausting her magical reserve, and quickly made her way to the train. Her system beeped with a familiar sound and Maria cursed her bad luck.

    [Howl¡¯s presence detected in the vicinity.]

    Maria quickly opened her map and found herself not fully out of luck yet. Princess Neah and Howl were still outside the station.

    Maria was already on the train and she only knew how to start it. She knew she had to start it now rather than wait for the other two. The other two would have to jump on board from the bridge as soon as they heard the announcement.

    Maria would just have to trust Nao to understand what she was about to do and Maria gulped.

    It was now or never and Maria pulled the lever to start the train. Her vision faded as a familiar feeling took over her mind.

    [Initiating future vision. The actual result of the visions may change depending on the actions taken in the past]

    Darn it. Now was not the time for this.

 Chapter 47 46: The Grand Escape - Part 1

    ¡°Hurry and pass me the box. No, not this one, the other one on the side¡± Suna felt a sigh escape her as she was scolded for the third time. They had been at it for some time now and Suna felt like she was messing things up.

    She picked up a different-sized screwdriver for the third time and handed it to Nao and hoped that this was the right one. If she made a mistake again, Suna felt like she was going to cry.

    ¡°No, not this one either. Can you not tell the difference between them at all? Let me-¡± Nao picked up her gaze and looked Suna in the eyes. Suna felt moisture gather in them as she stared back at Nao.

    It felt like an eternity before Nao sighed and gestured toward the toolbox in Suna¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Hand it over and keep guard. It will be faster if I do this on my one¡± Suna was all too happy toply. Her feelings were already in shambles due to the present scenario and Nao¡¯s yelling did not help her.

    Suna knew it was not Nao¡¯s fault but the tense situation that was causing this friction between them. They were on a time limit and any time wasted was a life lost from their side.

    Still, Suna felt like it was all too much. It made her miss her father and his familiarp. Suna wanted to bury herself in it and be done with this world for a while.

    ¡®No, don¡¯t think about it. He gave you a mission and you need to see it through¡¯ Suna reminded herself as she pped her cheeks in motivation.

    Her father had asked her to be a spy and that was what Suna was going to be. She would assist the oracle but also keep tabs on them. She would make her father proud of her achievement.

    That had been the thought in Suna¡¯s mind before she felt a gentle vibration emerging from behind her. It instantly made her turn around and stare at Nao with a worried expression.

    ¡°Is everything alright? Don¡¯t tell me that you triggered it¡± Suna asked with a panicked tone. She looked around for a way out in case things did turn out bad but a forcedugh cut through her panic.

    ¡°If I had triggered it then we would all be dead by now. Don¡¯t worry, I just suspended its function for about fifteen minutes max. We will hopefully be out by the time this thing starts again¡± Nao reassured and Suna did feel reassured for some reason.

    Call her a fool, but a pretty face was enough to persuade her to abandon her fear and caution.

    ¡°So, what do we do next? Should we start heading toward the train terminal?¡± Suna asked as she gathered her wits. Nao looked like she had her attention diverted and Suna could vaguely make out her ears starting themselves to hear.

    Suna sharpened her hearing as well but she only caught the end tail of the conversation.

    ¡°-here already. They asked us to enforce the lockdown on this station¡± Those words did not make much sense to Suna but they seemed to be making Nao tense.

    Suan could see nails digging themselves in Nao¡¯s palms as she clenched them tight. Her expression looked spooked as well and it scared Suna.

    What had caused the calm and collected demoness to make a face like this? Suna wanted to know but she did not feel ready to know it just yet.

    ? ¡°We need to take a detour. I don¡¯t think Maria would have waited for us on the train tform. There is a bridge here that passes above the train route, right? Let¡¯s head there¡± Suna had no idea what Nao was nning.

    But Nao looked to be the only one who had a n amongst then both of them. Suna decided to take her words for it and run after her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They arrived on the bridge but Suna saw nothing for miles. Whatever Nao was waiting for, she was either too early or toote.

    ¡°Wow, fancy seeing you here! I thought you would have left by now¡± Suna felt the magic before she heard the voice. Her body bowed at the pressure and sweat broke out on her skin.

    The voice felt like power itself and it made the demon part of Suna afraid to even look at her. Even Nao looked like she could not stand under the pressure.

    ¡°You did follow us along and you even brought a friend along. I feel so honored¡± Nao sounded anything but honored. Her eyes held fire and Suna felt something inside her sway.

    Nao looked so cool at that moment and Suna was all but mortal. That was too attractive for her not to fall for the other.

    ¡°My friend here has her reasons, just like you. However, unlike her, you will not live for long. Not if you did not tell me where the oracle is. She is with you right?¡± Princess Neah asked as she stepped forward.

    And holy crap, it was the princess. Suna could recognize her facial presence but she seemed to not have a good rtionship with Nao.

    The guard at her side took a step forward but stopped as soon as the princess raised her hand. Things were happening just a tad bit too fast for Suna to follow.

    ¡°Maria is not with me. I made sure she made it out of here before you arrived. You won¡¯t catch her now¡± Nao replied with a calm voice and it seemed to be pissing the princess off.

    The princess¡¯s face was like a mild-mannered mask. Well practiced and not changing even at the obvious provocation. But her eyes shined with rage and they scared Suna. She did not want those eyes to look at her.

    She wanted to hide away and bury her existence.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? Is she telling the truth, Simon¡¯s guard? Lie and I will make sure your guild doesn''t make it out alive. Tell the truth and I will let them all live. This is my promise to you¡± The princess proposed and Suna felt herself in a bind.

    On one hand, her father had made her promise to help the oracle out and to not let them find out about her mission. Suna had to act loyal to them and that meant not telling the truth.

    But on the other hand, it was her family that was at risk if she lied. She could not do that to her father as well.

    ¡°Get ready to jump¡± Nao whispered and Suna braced herself. Nao pushed them both and felt the magic build in the princess¡¯s hand. It was too potent and too harsh to survive.

    It would not need to hit to cause massive damage and Suna felt like this was the end.

    ¡°NEAH, DON¡¯T YOU DARE. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU ATTACKED NOW!¡± the shout came from down below and then Suna felt herself collide with something hard.

    The magic attack never came her way.

 Chapter 48 47 - The Grand Escape - Part 2

    [Maria watched as Nao jumped down the bridge with Suna after her. They both made a desperate attempt to flee from the royal army.

    Everyone seemed frozen except Princess Neah. Maria had never seen the rageful look in the princess''s eyes before but this one spoke to her.

    The princess had no intention of allowing the intruders to get away that easily. Neah would make sure that their in front of her did not make their destination alive.

    "You won''t get away that easily from me" the voice sounded dark and scary. Maria could see

    Howl flinched at the princess''s side and had her hands fisted tight. Howl looked like she was forcing herself to watch all this happen while being helpless to do anything herself.

    It solidified Maria''s belief that Howl was not in this for her amusement but had been forced into her current position. Was it the circumstances? Or perhaps something more?

    Once upon a time, Maria might have defended the princess at all costs. She might have never believed her sweet Neah to be capable of such actions.

    But that felt like a lifetime ago for Maria. She had still been ignorant of what desperation could force a person to do. Power could corrupt with its mere thought and no one was immune to its charms.

    Maria watched as the spell powered up and increased in intensity. It was going to obliterate anything it hit and while Maria could deploy her chains to stop it, Nao and Suna would not be saved.

    The train passed through just as the spell was fired. It hit the ground and caused a small explosion. Smoke erupted and Maria heard something burst open with the pressure. A pipeline seemed to have made contact with the spell which caused magicalbustion to happen.

    It was on fire and the train had been lit aze. Not enough to stop it but just enough to make it inconvincible for Maria to be able to continue. Nao and Suna were nowhere to be seen, the impact taking them along and Maria had no hope of being able to retrieve their bodies.

    She was left alone, her only support gone from her side. Maria could feel the despair taking shape in her body, the heat rising. She didn''t even have any supplies to curb the effect of her depleting life force since Nao had her pills. Maria was well and truly fucked]

    And just as easily, Maria was thrust out of her vision by a violent sh of the train shaking. It forced her body to collide with the engine wall and wake pain erupted.

    Maria picked herself up with shaky legs, her eyes focusing on the way in front of her.

    The bridge she had seen in her vision was bound to arrive soon. Maria knew that the pair would jump down as soon as they heard the engine''s voice. Nao was predictable like that and Maria knew how Princess Neah would react toward it.

    But what could Maria do about it? Stopping the train right now was asking for a death sentence and slowing down was not an option for her. She had to think of something else to do.

    But the heat made it much more difficult to think through its haze. There had to be a way out, to change the future and bend it toward something more tolerable.

    Maria ignored the part of her brain that asked her to sacrifice Nao and continue forward. Maria was very well aware of her limitations and she knew she would not be able to finish this journey on her own.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was one thing Maria could try but she could not guarantee its sess. It would also be an incredibly foolish move to make on her part but it was the only thing Maria could think of doing.

    That''s why Maria started to chant the spell to make her voice louder. There would be only one try she would get and she was asking to have her identity blown away by doing this. This went against everything they had tried to do till now.

    But when it came to the choice between her safety and herpanion''s safety, Maria knew which one she was going to prioritize. The bridge neared and Maria prepared herself for the shout.

    "NEAH, DON¡¯T YOU DARE. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU ATTACKED NOW" Maria could see the magic spell being powered and her heart skipped a beat. Nao and Suna had jumped already and their bodies collided with the train.

    For a few seconds, it genuinely looked like Neah had not heard Maria. The spell did not change its intensity and Maria closed her eyes to brace herself.

    And then the light went away in a single flicker and Maria made out princess Neah''s startled face from far away. The princess looked like she was going to cry and it made Maria feel bad.

    Princess Neah had made so many mistakes but she was still young and Maria cared for her. Neah had been her friend when no one else had been willing to give her a chance. Maria owned her a lot more than this.

    Maria kept on looking in the princess''s direction till they went out of visible range. The train had officially left the station and Maria finally remembered that she had two more people to check on in the meantime.

    Her body protested against the movement but Maria forced it to move. They were not out of red yet. They needed to ditch the train now that their position had been discovered.

    "That was a foolish move. We had it handled by ourselves" Nao sounded angry as she tracked Maria down. Maria felt flush at the scolding and felt it was unfair.

    She had just saved Nao''s life and this was how Nao responded to her? What was wrong with her?

    "H-Hey, she just saved our lives. Shouldn''t we be grateful?" Suna asked with a shaken voice. She still seemed to being to terms with what had just happened. There had been too many close calls for anyone''sfort today.

    "I am grateful that Maria saved my life but that doesn''t make her actions any more reckless. She cannot keep doing this and risking herself" Nao sounded tired but also resigned.

    Maria wanted to open her mouth and let out some words in Nao''s face for her attitude. But the thought of speaking to Nao seems unpleasant for now. Maria just did not have the energy to deal with her and it showed on her face.

    "You should not have done that but I''m thankful that you did. I just don''t like to see you in danger" Nao concluded with a defeated sound and Maria felt her anger drain away as tiredness took over.

    She could not deal with this mood right now. She needed distance as well.

 Chapter 49 48 - Finding The Shelter

    "How are you feeling? Do you need help with your heat?" Maria shook her head at Nao''s questioning.

    The heat was bad right now but it had not turned into an all-consuming me for now. Maria wanted to take this time to rest up for what was about toe.

    "I''ll sleep for a little while. I will need the energy to walk away. I''ll take care of this heat once we reach a safe spot" Maria waved Nao off. She knew her answer had disappointed Nao a great deal but she was not in a mood to move.

    They needed to ditch the train as soon as possible and that put their n in an awkward position.

    They had stolen the train from the right and blown the royal guards so Maria expected to be tracked down soon. The train was a sitting duck when that happened.

    Plus, the fuel they had was limited. Maria had not checked for the fuel tank since she did not know how to. She hadn''t asked her system either since it had not crossed her mind.

    How was Maria supposed to know that this would happen? It was not like she was given a step-by-step guideline on what to do.

    "I understand. I''ll keep my distance for now" Nao seemed to have misunderstood her words and left with a quiet walk. Maria felt irritated but not quite in a mood to chase Nao down.

    Maybe there was some ground for Nao to have made that assumption.

    Maria felt her eyes close and her mind nk away into dark safety. It was peaceful and calm just as she liked it. The heat was also absent and the room felt a lot like her hospital room in her previous life.

    Maria felt taken aback but she also knew she missed those easy days. They had been calm and easy but did she want them back? Could she trade her precious people for that peaceful life?

    Maria was not sure she wanted an answer to her question.

    Her dream was sweet but over a lot sooner than Maria would have liked. Something shook her body and broke through Maria''s unconsciousness.

    Maria woke up slowly but her eyes remained closed. She felt the presence of a body adjacent to her and it felt vaguely familiar but not enough for Maria to instantly recognize. It forced her body into motion and Maria held the other at knife-point within seconds.

    The other party did not remain stationary and quickly made use of their body to pin Maria down into a familiar choke-hold. The familiarity put Maris at ease and the tension started to bleed out.

    There were only so many people who knew this signal. It made Maria feel safer and finally opened her eyes.

    "Wow, Nao was not lying about you calming down if I did this. Ah, I mean, I''m sorry for trying to choke you" Suna quickly backed away from Maria with a startled expression. She looked unsure of her actions but also surprised at having gotten a favorable reaction.

    Of course, it had been Nao who told Suna what to do. Though it did sting that Nao chose not toe here herself. Did Maria disappoint her that much? Did Nao resent her now?<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Your partner went ahead to scout the perimeters. She''ll be back soon. I think she''s avoiding you but I-I could be wrong" Suna tripped over her words when she found Maria''s re aimed at her.

    Maria did not need Suna to tell her about Nao''s avoidance. She had felt it for herself and knew that there was a distance between them. Their confrontation had caused a fracture between their bond and Maria did not see it mending without some effort on both their sides.

    "How long ago did Nao leave? Did you secure this ce properly once she left? You do know that you''ll be killed if the royal guards found us?" Maria''s voice came out almost snappish and she saw Suna flinch at her words.

    Maria instantly felt guilty about this. Suna did not deserve to receive the brunt of her bad mood and residual anger Maria felt over Nao. Suna had done nothing wrong except help them out under tough situations. It was not Suna''s fault that Nao had a fallout with her.

    "I know what will happen, alright and I did secure the perimeter properly. I''m not a total fool" Suna replied with a sour voice. The guilt inside Maria increased in volume. She had not meant for her words toe out like that.

    It seemed like she had offended Suns with her words without meaning to and Maria had no idea how to apologize to her.

    "Quick, we need to leave. I found a nearby small vige where we can spend a night at. There will be a small local group that will be passing through chariot hill. We can get a bus to the Grand Canyon from there" Nao''s timing was impable as she arrived on the train.

    She looked tired and sour but happy at having found a solution. Maria couldn''t help but find Nao''s timing frustrating but she also wanted to talk to Nao about Suna and how Maria should go about her apology.

    Besides, spending a night indoors and having ess to a fresh bath sounded divine.

    Suna looked relieved at not having to spend a night outside as well and Maria counted it as a sess. Her apology would work so much better if they were not all tired and grumpy to ept it.

    "Let''s leave right now. This train is not safe so we should dispose of it as well and prepare a false trail" Maria suggested and they all got to work. It was a long process to make the train crash seem like an ident and then prepare a trial good enough to fool the royal nights.

    And even after all that, Maroa knew it would not be enough to keep the royal guards busy for long. They would need to leave soon enough.

    "I booked us three rooms for the night. Take this time to rest properly since we need to depart at noon" Nao advised before she closed her room door. Suna went inside hers as well and Maria was left alone with her heat and needs.

    Maria fell on her bed and then remembered a crucial point - she had no supply. All her supplies rested with Nao and Maria felt her burn at the thought of asking Nao for them.

    Luckily, things did note down to it and Maria heard a knock at her door. Nao entered the room without waiting for Miria to open it and rested her supplies on the bed.

    "I know we have our differences but allow me to help you out. You are in no condition to take care of yourself alone" Nao spoke and Miara surrendered.

    [All important notes will be disyed as free chapters here. Be aware of them. And Enjoy]

 Chapter 50 49: Peeping Tom- Part 1

    Maria allowed Nao to manipte her limbs in whatever way she wanted to. Maria did not want to put up a fight right now.

    Running away and fighting the whole day had drained Maria significantly. She did not have it in it herself to take care of her needs. Besides, Nao''s hands on her felt pleasurable. It made the reality melt away from her mind.

    Nao had not waited patiently this time as well. She had not taken any time to tease Maria and had her fingers inside Maria¡¯s pussy. It was fast but it felt right. Going slow would just drag this moment out.

    This fast pace gave Maria no time to think and the pleasure made her arch her back. It was a beautiful disy that Nao must be appreciated as well. Her fingers became rougher and faster, the stretch just a little more powerful.

    Nao made it clear that she was in charge of that moment. The pace they were following had been set by Nao and nothing Maria did change it. Not even the movement of her hips on her fingers.

    ¡°You¡¯re too eager for this. Is the heat that bad?¡± Nao teased as she curled her fingers. Maria felt a sob escape her lips at the pleasure and the tease.

    It was not her fault that she was weak for pleasure. And the fingers on her sensitive ears did not help her out either.

    Maria sobbed and threw her head back in pleasure. Her eyes barely opened but they did spot a startled pair of eyes at the door.

    The open door Nao had forgotten to close after she came in and Maria felt her face me. Why did Suna have to walk in right at this moment?

    Maria could see the surprise and guilt in Suna¡¯s eyes as a startled gasp left those lips. However, Suna¡¯s body betrayed her interest and her front had a visible tent in it.

    ¡°You¡¯re not paying attention to me again, Maria. What has your attenti-Oh, I see¡± Maria had to give Nao props for not sounding startled at seeing Suna standing in front of the room.

    Maria tried to stand up but she still had Nao¡¯s fingers inside of her. Nao moved them slowly inside Maria and Maria felt herself copse in a pleasurable embarrassment.

    ¡®At least I¡¯m still clothed¡¯ Maria already felt humiliated at being seen, she did not want to think what would happen had she been naked this whole time.

    ¡° I, ah, came here to give you dinner. I think, I came here for that and I shouldbegoingnow¡± Suna jumbled herst words. Somehow, she looked even redder than Maria and that was a surprise.

    Suna was clearly a victim here but Maria could not help but feel like she got vited.

    ¡°Nao, let me up¡± Maria hissed but Nao did not let go. Instead, the hand inside her gave a sharp thrust and Maria forgot all about Suna and her presence. Her hips moved on their own to chase that feeling.

    ¡°Suna,e here. What I am about to tell you is a top-secret so you¡¯ll need to swear to keep it a secret. I just want you to know in case I am not avable to help Maria out¡± Nao gestured for Suna toe closer and Maria wanted to hit her.

    Was Nao seriously doing this without asking for Maria¡¯s input? Did she even have a right to do this?

    ¡°Nao, we should no-¡±, ¡°We can¡¯t keep it from her if she is to travel with us. Besides, having more pairs of hands understand the situation would be beneficial for us¡± Nao exined, cutting Maria off.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria was still not on-board with this idea but Nao sounded like she knew what she was doing. It left Maria with a bitter taste but she did understand where Nao wasing from.

    And Suna was not bad-looking. Suna was cute and bubbly and cheerful - abination Maria liked. And Maria knew Suna to a degree. She was faithful and loyal and a decent person at heart.

    So maybe Maria was considering Nao¡¯s idea a little but.

    ¡°I-Is it important? The orac-I mean, Miss Maria doesn¡¯t lookfortable with me knowing. I would rather not anger her¡± Maria felt bad as soon as she heard those words.

    It had not been her intention to scare Suna with her disapproval, she just wanted to protect the kid. But her tone came across as wrong and sent the wrong message to Suna. It was all Maria¡¯s fault.

    And also, Maria had never really apologized for snapping at her. She knew this show of trust did not excuse an apology but it did help Maria convey her feelings of trust.

    The more she thought about it, the better this idea of including Suna into the mix sounded. Maria knew it was because Nao had swayed her but Maria did not mind adding Suna on her one.

    ¡°Maria is not angry, just frustrated. Anyone would be in this situation. You see, the chains Maria uses is a holy weapon that drains the user of one¡¯s life force. As such, we need to supply her with additional life force to keep her healthy¡± understanding sparked in Suna¡¯s eyes at Nao¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°Ohhh. So that¡¯s why those chains worked in the absence of magic. They use lifeforce as a substitute So, how does this all factor in it?¡± Suna asked as she gestured to their current position.

    Maria wanted to answer but Nao did not provide her with a chance. She picked up a small life-orb and started to force it into Maria¡¯s lower lips.

    ¡°This is life-force condensed into a pure ball. We use it as a supplement to keep Maria going. Using it here just makes itst longer for her¡± Maria forced her eyes open and found Suna¡¯s face full of fascination.

    The female was focused on her lower pussy that was opening up around the egg-shaped object. Maria felt exposed at the look aimed her way.

    That expression held too much awe and arousal for Maria to be able to handle.

    ¡°Won¡¯t it leave her in an ufortable situation as it shes around inside? Is it not painful?¡± Suna asked with a small gulp. Nao took Maria¡¯s distraction to jab the egg inside with a harsh thrust.

    It was pure torture without any release and Maria felt her heat rise and fall inside her. It was both heaven and hell for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem for her but it does leave Maria in an ufortable position. I would offer to help Maria out but I feel like you are more interested in this prospect. Yous lower half is at least¡± Nao¡¯s tone was a mixture and teasing and serious.

    Maria heard Suna shriek with an inhuman pitch before her mind went nk with relief.

 Chapter 51 50: Peeping Tom - Part 2

    Nao was convinced that Suna¡¯s voice should be ssified as a world-level threat at that pitch. It had hurt Nao¡¯s sensitive ears from just hearing them.

    The poor girl looked freaked enough with Nao¡¯s suggestion and Nao felt a little devilish at having reduced the other into such a state. It was fun to mess around with the kid.

    Besides, she was genuine in her offer. One day, she might die and leave Maria alone. Nao needed to ensure that Maria would be alright if, no, when that happened. Nao was not optimistic or foolish enough to think that she would make this journey alive.

    ¡°I, you, what? I can¡¯t do that. She¡¯s the oracle and I can''t do that¡± Suna denied but Nao could see the want and interest in her eyes. Suna wanted a piece of Maria and a little push would do it.

    Nao did feel a stab of annoyance at having to share Maria with the other but she had to consider the possible future for Maria¡¯s sake.

    ¡°You can leave this room if you want but that won¡¯t solve your problem of liking Maria. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to be in a rtionship with the oracle, just help her out with this from time to time. She¡¯s insatiable when she¡¯s like this¡± Nao offered that information and saw Suna gulp her saliva down.

    She was breaking and Nao knew she just needed to push a little bit more. She did not even have to do this herself when she had apletely winning Maria to do it for her.

    Maria had not gotten any relief and the life force inside her must be torture for now. Nao picked Maria up and dropped her into Suna¡¯sp.

    Suna instantly froze at having a familiar weight in herp but her arms did not move. She was frozen like a statue as Maria moved over herp.

    The room was filled with monas and Nao quickly rectified her wards around it. She had allowed them to fall just for a few minutes to allow Suna in. Now they were back up and it allowed the three to be as loud as possible.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nao asked as she saw Suna not move. She looked conflicted, her hands all over the pce and not being able to find a resting spot. Her face looked like it was in pain and Nao did feel bad for having forced her into this situation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. Should I touch her? But where or how should I touch her? What if she doesn¡¯t like my touch¡± Suna asked in a panic. There was real distress in her voice and Maria felt bad for the kid.

    ¡°Allow me to show you¡± Nao positioned Suna¡¯s hands-on Maria¡¯s hips and moved them along. It was a slow process but it finally seemed to have given Suna enough confidence to move on her own.

    However, it proved to be too slow for Maria. Nao had already stretched her out and the irritation of not having released yet made her mood sour. So it was no surprise to Nao when Maria took matters into her own hand.

    Nao jumped back at Maria Suna¡¯s body was down on the bed. Maria did not give Suna any time to recover from it before her bottom half was uncovered.

    Suna was decently sized, her cock quite simr to Nao¡¯s, and Maria did not hesitate to sink on it.

    Suna¡¯s cry made Nao aware of a few crucial facts. Suna was new to this pleasure and her body was not prepared to handle it all. She was not going tost long.

    And she did notst long once Maria got her pussy on Suna¡¯s cock. A few thrusts were all it took to have hering inside Maria.

    Nao was aware that Maria had yet toe. As sensitive as Maria was, she needed to have more and Suna would not be able to give it to her. Suna could, with time, build up her stamina and endurance.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Come here. Let me take care of your needs¡± Nao reached out to Maria who folded at her words and gentle hands. There was frustration in her body that made Nao sympathize with her condition.

    It was not fun to be left hanging while your partner was the only one to have gotten toe. Nao had experienced it the first time she had helped Maria and that was why she had folded the second time around when Maria offered to help her out.

    That, and she no longer had to worry about the oracle¡¯s virginity. Lady Karin had made sure to take it with her.

    ¡°Good girl. Go fast and take what you need¡± Nao lowered Maria on top of her cock and allowed the oracle to move. Nao¡¯s hips moved to match the oracle while pleasure washed over her mind.

    Nao could not help but feel bitter over her fate.

    Her master had saddled her with a request Nao had never wanted. She fell for someone she could never have at the first time around and now Lady Maria.

    Lady Maria was not someone Nao could exclusively have. She was ¡®his¡¯ daughter and would have a lot of suitors to choose from. She also had a lot of choices as the oracle.

    She was not someone Nao could bound down and have for herself. Her fate was a bitter one ever since the start.

    Maria¡¯s thrusts quickened and Nao felt her tighten around her. Lady Maria was at her peak so Nao needed to make sure she crossed.

    Nao felt close to her one release as well and allowed herself to go over with the next thrust. The force caused the body on top of Nao to climax as well.

    It was a feeling of being wet and fulfilled but it still left Nao with a mouth full of ash and a heavy heart.

    Suna had fallen asleep on the bed as well and Maria¡¯s body fell to join her. Nao forced herself up to begin clean-up. There was a lot of mess to clean for her and she was the only one who could still move.

    This night was not magically going to clear the air between her and Maria. In fact, it had the potential to create even more problems in the long run.

    But Nao could not bring herself to regret this time she spent together with Maria. This was precious to her and made her keep ongoing.

    There would be time for regrets in the future when everything would have settled down. This world was about to face its biggest challenge and it would all begin once they unsealed the first node.

    Nao hated to deceive Maria like this but there was no other choice. It was either this or to watch this world explode under the oing war.

    [Wow, 50 chapters already. It feels like I started this story only yesterday]

 Chapter 52 51: Preparations To Leave

    ¡°Of course, we have everything prepared to go. What kind of idiot do you take us for?¡± Maria walked down the stairs, only to watch Nao interrogate a group of locals.

    The person she had been talking with sounded pissed off but he also seemed to be in control of his temper. Maria spotted a bag of something in his hand and it looked too fancy to have belonged to the poor man in front of her.

    It had to have been something Nao used to bribe the man.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not using you. I was merely asking if you were ready to head out¡± Nao asked in a quiet voice and Maria wasted the man in front of Nao flinch as soon as the hood came down.

    Maria had never seen anyone react violently to a demon before but the vige man almost fainted from Nao¡¯s mere looks alone.

    ¡°Dear, are you alright? T-This is a demon¡± the woman behind him, apparently, his wife, stepped forward to catch her falling husband. Her eyes took one look at Nao and chose to ignore her.

    Maria watched it all y out and her hand moved to secure her hold on her head. She did not want her secret toe out as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am bounded by a contract and not here to hurt you. Though, I would like you to hurry up with your preparations¡± Nao asked and Maria watched as the couple gulped in fright.

    Nao was an intimidating demon with big muscles and a tall body. She could snap any human in half if she tried hard enough. Nao positioned her body in such a way that it showed her iming mark and the pair finally looked like they could breathe.

    ¡°Of course, you are bounded¡± the man muttered before he pulled himself straight up. His eyes held fear in them but he seemed much morefortable in Nao¡¯s presence now that he knew he was rtively safe.

    His wife still looked afraid and had positioned herself behind her husband¡¯s back. It was a useless move to protect herself. If Nao wanted to hurt them, then these humans would not stand a chance.

    ¡°We will leave in an hour. Meet us at the vige gates¡± the man replied as he backed away carefully. Maria was sure that the party they would be traveling with would know about Noa by the hour.

    ¡°There was no need to tell them your secret. Won¡¯t it cause us problems?¡± Maria asked as she finally stepped out of the shadows of the corridor.

    She watched the couple walk away with an awkward air before she snapped her attention back to Nao.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. They¡¯ll be too afraid to do anything and will move fast enough to get rid of us. More importantly, where is Suna? Is she not up yet?¡± Nao asked as she crossed Maria to move back inside.

    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping. I did not wake her up since she looked drained. I¡¯ll go wake her up so that we can leave¡± Nao did not protest, nor did she ask Maria to stay back to talk.

    Maria took it as a sign that Nao was not ready to talk yet. Maria was also not ready to open her wounds. It was fairly easy to let the topic drop after that.

    Suna was, amazingly enough, awake when Maria walked inside the room. Maria watched as Suna¡¯s grey eyes snapped into focus and her face became ovee by a shocked expression.

    ¡°Orac-Maria. Did w-what happen? I feel so tired¡± Suna sounded drained and it made Maria feel guilty. She had not wanted the other to be like this.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But Maria did not regret her decision to spend a night with her at all. Suna was a good person and deserved to have good things happen to her. Even if it was only a night full of pleasure from Maria¡¯s side.

    ¡°You helped me outst night so I decided to let you sleep in. But we need to leave in an hour so you should start getting ready¡± Maria watched as Suna tried to make sense of everything.

    ¡°Last night? Help? So that did happen?¡± Suna sounded like she was in disbelief and Maria understood that feeling.

    She had been in that position not too long ago. She still could feel the disbelief in herself when she thought about all that had happened in a short amount. Had it only been a week since she had been thrown in this mess?

    [The user is reminded that it had been 1 week and 3 days since the ceremony]

    Her system¡¯s chirp reminded Maria just how little time had passed and Maria had just gone with the flow this whole time. It would all hit her one day and Maria dreaded that time toe.

    After all, if a small confrontation with Nao left her an emotional mess, what would the burden of all her actions cause her to do?

    ¡°-will go freshen up after you. Did you take a bath yet?¡± Maria felt a hand move toward her face and she grabbed the wrist in an instant.

    Suna¡¯s face snapped into focus and Maria instantly let it go. She tried not to think hard about the crestfallen look Suna gave her at the action and instead focused to decipher the words she had heard.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go and take a bath first. You don¡¯t mind waiting for me?¡± Maria asked and got a nod in return. Suna settled down back into the bed and Maria took it as her cue to go and take a bath.

    The water running down her skin was nice and the shower was short enough to not make Maria forget everything.

    Suna followed as soon as Maria was out and Maria waited for her to finish up before they went to breakfast.

    Maria did not want to talk to Nao and she knew avoiding her was not an answer. These excuses would notst forever but Maria decided to make this wait as long as possible.

    When they arrived down, Nao already had a table full of dishes. Most of them were Maria¡¯s favorite but there were also the ones she had never seen.

    ¡°Since you both were taking so long, I took this time to order some dishes for us. I did not know what you preferred Suna so I took some wild guesses here and there¡± Maria felt a stab of annoyance when Nao chose to address Suna instead of her and it caused Suna to blush.

    Maria should not have felt the annoyance at that interaction since Nao had gone out of her way to order her favs.

    They still did not taste as good as they usually did and Maria knew it was due to her jealousy. But who was she jealous of here?

    Maria never figured that answer out as they soon left to join the crew. And as soon as they did, the crew left the city as well.

 Chapter 53 52: Going Your Own Way

    "As we agreed before. This is as far as I''m willing to take ya and ya''ar group" the group leader Maria andpany had been travelling with said.

    They had not yet reached the chariot hill yet but it was visible in the distance.

    The ride here had been far fromfortable. In fact, their group has been either ignored or outright feared by the humans. It seems like they still feared Nao, even when she was a bound demon.

    We appreciate your help in this regard" Nao bowed to the group leader who had a constipated look on his face. The group behind him flinched at Nao''s action.

    "Ya ya. Just go before anyone sees ya with us" the group leader grumbled. The longer they travelled with the group, the more his tone reverted into that rough ent.

    "Bye kid. Hope we meet again" Suna waved toward the kid who looked back at her with star-struck eyes. The mother did not hesitate to move her kid''s face into her bosom in an attempt to shield him from Suna.

    The action made Suna''s smile wilt. It left a sour after taste in Maria''s mouth as well. But there was nothing to be done and their group understood it. They parted ways with the group and went their own way.

    "So, how do we get to the Grand Canyon from here?" Suna asked. She was the one who was the most out of her depth here.

    "There should be a connecting bus that travels from here to the Grand Canyon. It was in a travelling voucher I saw in the metropolis. I''m sure some of us could get us in there" Nao''s eyes were focused on Maria as she stared at her.

    Maria felt her nervousness rise as she was forcefully being stared down by Nao. Suna turned her head toward Maria as well with curious eyes.

    "What? What did I do to deserve this look?" Maria asked with almost hesitation.

    "Maria, were you not interested in hacking when you were young? Surely you can get three people into a tourist package. I''m sure your skills have not rusted since you do seem attached to your phone" Maria wanted to curse at Nao but she also wanted to kiss her.

    Maria had been avoiding using her system in fear of being caught by Noa or anyone else. She had tried to experiment when she had been young but she had often gotten dirty looks for it from her mother.

    Growing up, those experiments had been toned down a bit and been conducted in the safety of her room. That should have been the end of it. But somehow, her interest had not escaped Nao''s eyes and she had reached a wrong conclusion.

    Still, it was a valid excuse and Maria wanted to hit herself for not thinking about it herself. She could have avoided so much grief if she had thought about it before.

    "I don''t know how you found out about that. I thought I was being discreet with my hobby" Maria pouted to make her words seem more childish. Her behaviour was the perfect way to throw Nao off guard and to make it force on her.

    "Please. I was your friend and spent too long with you. Besides, you were not being as discreet as you think you were being" Maria felt like cursing Nao out but she refrained from doing that.

    If Nao knew her secret and did not say anything, how many of Maria''s secrets did she know and never tell her about? The more Maria found out, the more she felt her temper rise. But she had to control her temper. She could not allow herself tosh out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The bond between them all was too fragile to be yed with like that.

    "Let''s get to the town first. The signal out here is not the strongest for me to hack into" in fact, Maria''s system had no problem hacking into the tourist chamber from here. But Maria did not know how long it would take for her to be able to do so.

    It was better to find temporary shelter and then try to hack into the mainframe. Also, get new clothes and take a healthy bath. Their group was beginning to smell.

    "Whatever you say. But next time you have such a useful skill, do tell us beforehand. It could havee handy in the metropolis" Nao almost sounded teasing and Maria felt annoyed.

    What did Nao mean by? Was it a jab at Maria, or something more? Did Nao know anything more than she was letting on? What more secrets did Nao know about Maria?

    "Wait. I''m confused. First, Nao is an excellent bomb diffuser and then the orac- I mean Maria turns out to be an immature hacker. Does anyone else have a talent they want toe forth with?" Suna asked with a confused re.

    She was likely trying to be intimidating but her re came out as ratherughter It was like a kitten trying to bare her ws. As good as Suna was, she had yet to grow into her powers and the time for that woulde once they reached the Grand Canyon.

    "Yeah, Nao, would you like to tell us any more of your secrets?" Maria askes. She couldn''t help herself since the opportunity just presented itself to her on a silver tter.

    It only drew onto Maria that she might have made that joke in a poor attempt to get back at Nao and her secret-keeping self. Maria tensed as soon as she made that offence and looked at Nao with an apologetic look for cracking that bad joke.

    She waited for the demoness to crack back at her but it didn''t happen.

    Nao let out a heartyugh. She seemed to have found this situation amusing at least and it drained the tension out of the group. For the first time since they had fought, Maria felt like things would be ok.

    They were strong enough to push through this hurdle ande out as stronger.

    "So, do you have any suggestions or should I make one? I think we should head to the adventure guild''s building here. I''m sure we can force them to shelter us" Suna''s suggestion was not bad.

    While there was danger following it, it was not any less than being recognized at anyce else. If the guild knew that they were wanted, then so would the whole town.

    "Let''s head there then. Also, here. These are our allies so make sure to have at least some knowledge even if you don''t call us by our fake names. And for god''s sake, don''t slip up and call Maria by her title" Nao grilled Suna and Maria watched amused.

    It was fun to see Nao nag anyone else than her.

 Chapter 54 53: The Deal

    "Stay back. I''ve got this'''' was what Suna had told the group almost an hour ago. The female had taken it upon herself to negotiate for a safe ce with the adventurers guild. She had gone in alone, not wanting to risk the whole group in case they were recognized or betrayed by someone.

    It left the pair outstanding under the bright sun. The day was hot but the worry made it even hotter to bear.

    "Should we go and look for other shelters while we wait? This heat would cook us alive" Nao suggested with a tired voice. The heat was getting to her as well.

    Maria wanted to take her suggestion but she did not want to make Suna worry when she eventually came out. The dot that represented Suna had not moved at all since she had arrived inside.

    "Not yet. Suna is not done yet. In fact, she had moved from her initial position and it makes me worry about her. No wait, she just started moving again" Maria watched as Suna''s dot finally started moving on her screen.

    She had been using her phone screen as a substitute after making sure that it was secure to use and free of any trackers. Since she already had an excuse to use it freely now, she decided to openly disy her skills.

    ¡°She is? How do you always know where we are despite us having never told you so? Don¡¯t tell me that you have trackers on us or something. Don¡¯t you trust us?¡± Nao joked but Maria saw suspicion in her eyes.

    Nao was not making it obvious but Maria saw her discreetly check her back for some kind of tracker Maria might have put upon her.

    ¡°I do not have a tracker on you and there are other ways to track someone if you know them well enough. We are barely hidden from the empire as it is. I was not going to make any change of them being able to locate us¡± Maria exined.

    Thankfully, Nao did not question Maria on her words. There were too many ws in Maria¡¯s logic but they never came up.

    And even if Nao wanted to ask a question to her, Suna did not give her a chance. Suna looked a little pissed as she came out but her expression turned sheepish as she took in herpanions.

    Suddenly, Maria had a bad feeling about what had transpired inside.

    ¡°So, did they agree to help or not?¡± Nao asked as she dragged herself away from the wall she had been leaning on.

    ¡°They kind of agreed to help but not for free. Here, take this ess key and follow after me¡± Suna passed a small ess card to them and asked them to follow behind.

    The pair decided to trust Suna and follow behind. They could not really allow Suna to go in alone since it could be a trap.

    Suna led them through a fancy corridor and directly toward the backrooms. It was empty and only life was visible right in the middle. The group walked toward the lift and went up to the seventh floor before entering a business suit.

    ¡°So, what is all this? No one is this generous¡± Nao gestured toward the luxurious room around them and Suna¡¯s expression turned guilty.

    There was somethinging. Something they were not going to like.

    ¡°So, I might have-kind of, I mean, I made a deal with the guild head here for this room. I hope you do not mind helping me out¡± Suna did not look at the group as she to her actions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    However, there was something more about it all that was eating her. There was no way Suna would have made that deal had it only been for amodation. Suna was not that materialistic.

    ¡°You¡¯re hiding things from us. Spill it out now or you are on your own¡± Nao sounded cold but Maria could see the worry in her eyes. Nao had certainly warmed up to Suna in these past few days.

    Maria had too but she could not help but feel as if the near-death experience the pair had along with the few nights they had likely spent together without Maria had made them close.

    It was not that Maria had avoided them or anything, it had naturally happened. The easiness and intimacy the pair was showing in the recent days was not something that was achieved without physical intimacy involved.

    ¡°Well, there is no need for you to worry about the deal. I will make sure to fulfill it on my own. More importantly, we can stay in this ce for a few days free of charge. Isn¡¯t it wonderful¡± Suna proposed, trying really hard to sell this news to them.

    Maria could see the appeal of living in such a luxurious ce. It was fun and the protection did sound nice even if the guild master had no idea to whom he was proposing this protection.

    Still, Suna was missing the main point here.

    ¡°Suna, it is all good but you missed the point where we don¡¯t have time. We can¡¯t stay here for that long¡± Maria tried to be gentle, she really did. But she felt like she misjudged the situation worse when Suna¡¯s eyes filled with tears.

    The female held them in quite well but the damage was already done.

    ¡°I know. I understand but I just wanted to. No, it doesn¡¯t matter. You are right about the fact that we cannot stay here. I will go and rify this with the guild master¡± Maria felt her heartbreak for the other.

    Now she really wanted to know what the deal had been about and why it held such importance to Suna. And surprisingly enough, it was Nao who made the decision to ask that question.

    ¡°Wait! At least tell us what the deal was about. Maybe it is not that bad and we can get it done early¡± Nao proposed and Suna seemed to not have missed the ¡®us¡¯ in there.

    ¡°I-are you serious? You would help?¡± Suna asked with a small voice. It held disbelief and Maria felt awkward with that attention.

    ¡°We will help if it¡¯s something important. So please, tell us what it is about¡± Maria added as she agreed with Nao.

    Suna looked overwhelmed but happy all the same.

    ¡°Thank you. I did not want to take this deal but then the guild master said that he would tell me what happened to Simon¡¯s court if I helped him out and I could not resist the temptation. Apparently, it is well-known that Simon¡¯s court fell recently¡± Those words worried Maria.

    If the guild master knew what happened to Simon¡¯s court, then, did he know about them as well?

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quest soon and get out of there¡± Nao suggested and Maria agreed. As much as she wanted to get out of the chariot hill right that instant, she also knew Suna needed the closer and only knowledge would give her that.

 Chapter 55 54: Turning The Arrow

    ¡°Hurry, we need to get out of here. It¡¯s right after us¡± two figured ran past the empty corridor of a badly scorched mansion. The once-beautiful piece of architecture barely held itself together as it.

    The sibling duo ran through all that destruction, being mindful of the falling debris thaty all around them.

    ¡°Keep on running Milo. Don¡¯t let that thing catch us¡± the elder of the pair, the sister panted as she positioned herself between the danger and her younger brother. She knew she had to protect her brother at all costs since he was only six years old.

    ? So she ran and she protected her brother. Her body became the shield against the falling mes and her brother¡¯s fragile body.

    ¡°Trying to run is futile. You should be honored to have been chosen Lady Clement¡± The blue-haired female did not feel as lucky as she was being chased around.

    She gritted her teeth as she ran away from certain death, only to reach a huge ballroom that somehow had remained intact.

    There was no way out other than the corridor she had just run through and that thought filled the female with dread. She held her brother closer to her body as she faced down the monster in front of her.

    ¡°You could have made it all easier on yourself by allowing yourself to die peacefully. Now you have made him angry¡± the man, no, the evil who stepped out of the corridor after she was someone Lady Clement knew well.

    ¡°Cousin Miguel, why did you do this? They were your family as well¡± thedy asked as she held her brother closer to herself. She had trusted this man with her life once and now she felt like puking in his presence.

    The blue-haired man in front of her was the reason she had lost everything.

    A huge shadow eclipsed her cousin¡¯s body and the thing from the nightmare, the demon, the monster stepped ahead. It looked rtively human but easily thrice the size of one. His body showed exposed muscles with some kind of metallic engine insisted on his heart.

    ¡°Now, it is neither your fault nor mine that this happened. If you have anyone to me then me the oracle for dying on us when she did. And because she did, we need to now look for different alternatives for our dear lord¡¯s resurrection. Too bad that our dear princess is such an ipatible match¡± much to her horror, her cousin actually sounded remorse.

    Tears were running down his handsome face but the smile on it made them seem out of ce.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean but I won¡¯t stand for what you have done either. That thing should not exist in this world¡± Lady Clementmented as she stared the devil down.

    Whatever that thing was, it was as far from human as it was possible. It held too much demonic energy but also something more. The other core of that energy was not something she had ever seen before.

    ¡°How awful, calling our dear prince Nick like that. And for that transgression, you shall die¡± the awful man pointed his can toward Lady Clement like a weapon and the body behind him charged.

    Thedy calcted the trajectory of that attack and made ns on dodging them. She just needed a chance to be able to run past her cousin and she¡¯ll be free.

    Unfortunately, Lady Clement was too busy thinking of a way out. Her hold on her younger brother loosened as she ran toward the exit alone.

    The huge body made to follow but a single raised hand stopped his motion. Lard Clement had other ns than to allow the empty husky of the prince to follow his cousin.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. She¡¯lle back for the kid anyway. You just secure him and we should be good¡± the empty husk followed those orders and picked up the small kid.

    The kid fainted as soon as he was in the giant¡¯s hand and did not watch as the hatch opened to put the kid inside the empty husk.

    There was only fire inside the husk, burning blue and ck. It was not normal and one did not need to have magic to be able to tell that it was enchanted.

    ¡°Let him out. Let my bother out¡± Lady Clement did make a U-turn but she arrived a littlete. Her brotherid inside that empty husk of the body anddy Clement¡¯s spell only made him immobile.

    ¡°If you want your brother, then go and take him out yourself¡± her cousin grinned at her and knew he had won when thedy ignored him.

    Any weapon she deployed to get her brother out melted but the heat did not feel fatal to her mortal body. Her brothery curled far away from those mes and Lady Clement made a decision.

    The demony unconscious under her spell so it gave Lady Clement the courage to head inside. As long as she was quick enough, she would make it out alive.

    Or that was the n.

    She did not expect things to happen as they did next and only managed to secure her brother¡¯s body before the space around her moved.

    She tried to use magic to get out but the mes surged as soon as they felt her magical spark and covered both her and her brother¡¯s bodies.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Milo. You should not have gotten involved in all this¡± Lady Clement whispered before she was engulfed in mes.

    They surged out of the titan¡¯s body and covered it from head to toe. When they went out, there was no significant change in the titan.

    ¡°Not enough magic to sustain you, huh? Looks like we will need to look for a new target soon¡± Lord Clement sounded regretful of the fact but his face showed only excitement.

    ¡°My lord, the princess had called for you. She wants to talk to you about something. Though, I guess she will be getting some upsetting news from your side as well?¡± Lord Clement looked toward his messenger, a demon who had been appointed to his side by his master.

    The same master who told him about this powerful opportunity. His master was blessed after all and his return would be magnificent. Lord Clement would make sure of it.

    ¡°Oh, the princess would soon have her hands full. After all, the whole Clement family was assassinated due to a demonic attack and only left a side branch member who had been busy with his duties to the crown¡± Yes, this was an opportunity.

    An opportunity made by gods for him. He would make sure to capitalize on it in the future.

    (April''s fool? What is that? We don''t prank in this house. Except in the story. Privileges will being soon so I hope you all enjoy them once theye and support me as well)

 Chapter 56 55: The Suspicious Guild Master

    ¡°So, do you have any idea about what we need to find toplete this deal?¡± Maria asked as she opened another window on her phone. The Chariot hill was a well-connected ce and had most of its streets under surveince.

    Chances were, Maria would find the location of what they were looking for if she tried hard enough. And Maria had a cheat to make her search much easier.

    ¡°Well, the guild master didn¡¯t say anything solid but he did hint that it was a medicine. He said that he would give me more details once I made my decision¡± Suna exined. She looked guilty about her decision.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then we should hurry up and get the details from him¡± Nao¡¯s words snapped the three into action.

    Suna led them right to the guild master''s room which was empty of anyone but the guild master. The person in charge of the ce was a middle-aged man with no visible outstanding features.

    But something about him ticked off all the wrong signs in Maria¡¯s head. The more she looked at him, the worse she felt.

    ¡®System, are you sure you cannot tell me the details about Simon court¡¯s current condition?¡¯ Maria asked her system. This was the first thing she had asked of her system once she could use it openly.

    However, the answer still disappointed her.

    [Files not authorized for the user. The user needs to find other sources to gather information]

    Maria had never thought of her system as stubborn before but this was beyond stubborn. This was a hindrance at its best and left Maria with no choice but to consider alternate options.

    "So you''re back? Have you made your decision yet?" The guild leader asked and Maria saw the excited glint in his eyes. That was the look of a man who knew something you did not. It made Maria''s senses rise in an uproar.

    She almost took an unconscious step back before she stopped herself. The motion did cause her hood to jump up and expose her pink hair.

    The guild master instantly snapped his attention to Maria, his eyes brightening even more as he noticed the small mishap. Maria felt like she was the only one who caught that motion.

    "Yes. We''ve decided to take you up on your offer. Tell us what you are looking for in exchange" Suna asked as she braced herself for the answer. Maria could see the tension in her frame and it made her want to extend her hand toward the female.

    Maria held herself back though. She had already made too many waves with her unnecessary actions. And maybe her feelings might turn out to be nothing in the end. It would not be the first time for that to happen as well.

    Maria was not a good judge of character.

    "You''ve decided to take my offer? That''s excellent news and I finally feel like I can trust you. So, I''ll tell you what I want you to do for me" Maria felt like the man was stalling them purposely.

    Sure, his words sounded important but they didn''t give away any relevant information. There was nothing in his words that warranted the group to pay attention.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Quite your stalling old man. Just tell us the conditions so that we can be on our way" Nao noticed the tactic as well and her response was not nearly as nice as Maria''s. The only one who seemed not to have noticed, or minded was Suna.

    She was desperate for more information about her family. Maria understood her hesitation and longing better than ever.

    How many times had Maria been stuck in the hospital and wondered about her family¡¯s whereabouts? She had not even been made aware of her grandmother¡¯s passing since she had been deemed too ¡®fragile¡¯ for such a piece of grave news.

    It was such a rough time in Maria¡¯s life and she did not want Suna to experience that. That was why she held her temper in and faced the old man with Suna.

    ¡°I am not trying to stall. In fact, I am merely trying to process how to word my request. You see, it recently came to my knowledge that the nt I am looking for is being held as a prize for an underground tournament. I¡¯m not sure if you are still interested after hearing about it but-¡± the man did not get to finish his words.

    Maria shared a look with Nao and decided to take the deal. It was the best they could get and any hesitation on their part would only make Suna hesitate in her decision.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take part in it. Give us a time and date and it better be soon¡± Nao agreed but reluctance was visible in her eyes.

    The man looked relieved as well, his body sagging in his chair as soon as the trio confirmed their intentions of helping him out. There seemed to be something lighter about him but that still tickled off Maria.

    ¡®System, monitor this room and the guild master. I want all information on him¡¯ Maria asked. It was an invasion of privacy and there was only so much her system could pull up before hitting an ¡®inevitable breach¡¯ and stop poking around.

    Still, something in her prompted her to keep a check on this man. Her instincts called for her to not let him out of sight.

    ¡°The tournament would be held tomorrow and the prize ceremony will take ce in the evening. I hope you will be in attendance¡± the man asked with a hopeful voice and Maria could not help but feel suspicious.

    The timing for all this was too coincidental for Maria not to feel suspicious. She would need to show her suspicion outright but her face had never been her strong point when hiding how she felt.

    Nao was the one who took the front, her body hiding Maria¡¯s behind her, and Maria felt grateful. Her bodynguage was giving away a lot and the visible part of her face made her a target.

    ¡°Send us the rest of the details in our room. We will show up for sure¡± Nao replied as she took the liberty of dragging everyone out.

    Maria could not help but look at her phone screen for what the man was doing. Apparently, he was on a phone call and his face showed visible frustration.

    ¡°-What do you mean a day? Wasn¡¯t this a priority?.......HUH, A royal emergency that cannot wait? Not even side guards? FINE, I¡¯LL TRY KEEPING THEM HERE FOR ANOTHER DAY¡± The guild master seemed to be shouting at the end and Maaria felt her suspicions being confirmed.

    He really did know about them in the end.

 Chapter 57 56: Conflicting Decision

    Princess Neah had a lot of expectations when she imagined her eventual reunion with Maria. There should have been tears, confessions, and maybe even hugs topensate for all the lost time.

    Instead, what Neah got was a one-way shout match as her prey ran away from her. They had only been able to escape because Neah had been too shocked to respond in time.

    The rudeness of Maria¡¯s voice and the words themselves had served to create a shock factor so strong that it had left her rooted in her ce. And without her input, none of her soldiers had taken the initiative to attack them as well.

    They all stood shocked at her said, having heard that voice as well. But unlike Neah, they were not aware that the shouter was the oracle herself.

    ¡°You were aware that she was here and acting on her own. You were not shocked at that shout¡± Princess Neah turned toward Howl with angry eyes. This bitch had known about her Maria and had chosen to say nothing.

    Maybe she even saw her Maria before but chose to ignore it. And it all served to piss the princess off even more.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it was the oracle and I never saw her. But I did guess that she was acting on her own will when I met her before¡± Neah felt like fritting her teeth.

    She had been under the assumption that Maria had been an unwilling victim in all this. She had thought that maybe her Maria had been taken along the ride and was unable to escape on her own.

    But Maria having her one will change a lot of Neah. It changed the way she would have to approach their next confrontation and also think of any possible reasons for such actions.

    Was Maria being coerced into joining the enemy? Brainwashed into working for them? Or perhaps, she was being lied to make it seem like a good choice to join the enemy side. Was it a demonic agenda from one of the enemies to weaken Neah and her demon?

    ¡°Mam, should we send someone to track them down? The train was not fully fueled and should not be able to travel for long¡± A guard asked as he bowed down to Neah.

    She felt frustration creep up her spine when she looked at those pathetic humans in front of her. They all had magic but they still acted like cowards, unwilling to think on their own and take initiative.

    ¡°Calm down or you would give yourself away¡± the useless demon, Howl suggested as she made a dismissive motion toward the guard. The guard actually straightened himself back up.

    Did they think that Howl represented the same authority as her? That they could take her words if the princess said nothing to them?

    ¡°Your mask is slipping¡± Howl reminded princess Neah and the princess gritted her teeth in return.

    But she did pull a smile back on her face as soon as she noticed that the guards had their attention on her. She had a reputation she could not drop and being their gentle princess was one of them.

    It made getting away with certain acts much easier.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Let¡¯s not hurry. You can follow the trails but make sure to pace yourself. The area would be difficult to travel on foot but I want you to search that way¡± Let the humans search with their slow and futile ways while Maria would use her demon servants to search the fast way.

    Maria, herself would be a part of this search since she could not trust other people to be able to take care of Maria. Neah needed to make sure she was the one who ended up finding Maria since there had been something different about the oracle this time.

    Or, that had been the n before Neah felt someone run toward their group with an urgency she had never seen in her human servants. The soldier looked panicked but also terrified of something.

    He held a small parchment in his hand that bore the Royal seal and Neah instantly felt her back straighten.

    If the royal couple had dared to involve in this problem, then it would have been a great one.

    The royal couple had separated themselves from princess Neah and her demonic counterpart pretty early in their rtionship. They all held different jurisdictions but it was Neah who actually had control of every ce.

    "P-Princess, a message from the royal castle. L-Lady Clement was recently killed in her own home. No, not only her but everyone in their family except Lord Baron Clement had been killed by an unknown demonic entity" the guard replied as he kept his head bowed.

    Maria felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. Everyone but one person killed in a demonic attack? And it had been deemed as random?

    "The c-court is asking for your return mydy" the guard continued and Princess Neah instantly felt a headacheing. Those court fools were trying to interfere again in her business.

    "Send a message back that I''ll be there tomorrow and personally see this all through. Please assure them and make sure that they are present in the court" the princess ordered. It would be so much like those disgusting nobles to not show up after specifically asking for a session with her.

    The guard left once he had his orders and the princess started to pack. The guards could take care of the rest for her while she took care of the court matters.

    But the princess could not help but curse the timing of this interruption. She had been so close to Maria and this single interruption made her feel like she was leagues apart from her now.

    Those old men and women would pay for interrupting her and they would pay hard. Neah would make sure they all understand to respect her time and patience.

    ¡°Howl, we are returning right now. We will talk about you keeping things from me and it will involve your brother¡¯s future as well. Guard Captain, order two toons to follow the train track. Everyone else, follow me back to the capital. This is an emergency¡± everyone snapped to attention as soon as the princess raised her voice.

    They had all heard the letter and they had all seen the conflict on their calm and collected princess. She was taking it hard and they did not want to agitate her.

    Maybe they should encourage the princess to move on and get together with this Howl chick the princess had one day brought back. She was the only one who the princess kept close even at this time.

 Chapter 58 57: The Alternate Route

    ¡°Princess, you are finally back. Lord Clement is waiting inside for you¡± The royal advisor weed Neah back. He was a fragile old thing and looked ready to meet his end any day soon.

    But Neah knew better than to underestimate him. His sharp snake-like eyes betrayed the orientation of his true origins.

    This was a demon who had stayed in the human world longer than any Neah had known before. He had also been the one who had made it possible for Neah to meet her demon.

    This man was a mystery and also someone who held a lot of influence inside their court. Why such a man had chosen Neah over her brother though, remained a mystery to Neah.

    ¡°I see. I will go and have a chat with him. Can you handle the court in the meantime?¡± Neah¡¯s voice was coated with respect. The elderly had all but raised her for the past few years. He had allowed her to bloom into a warrior capable of respect.

    Neah owned a lot to him.

    ¡°Go. Don¡¯t give him a hard time though since he¡¯s also a mere pawn in our ns. It is only a matter of time before he too would be consumed by his desires. That is, if he¡¯s not careful with the toy he had acquired¡± the old man replied as he left the hall.

    Those words surprised Neah but those were not the first line of nin-sense she had heard from the old man. Maria could only empty her mind as she entered the room.

    ¡°So you are Baron Clement? My condolences for what happened to your family. Now, can you tell me what happened and how you managed to survive?¡± Neah heard the blue-haired man speak.

    He sounded genuine and said. His voice spoke of a tale of grief and luck. How his service to the throne and the princess had saved his life but his family had not been that lucky.

    The princess believed not even a word that came out of his mouth. Baron Clement was a good actor but his eyes held no grief, only glee.

    The glee of someone who killed their kin for their benefit was something Neah understood well. She, too, held that glee in her eyes after all.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust that man¡± Nao voiced as soon as she entered their assigned room. Her posture screamed tense and ufortable and Maria observed her long-time friend.

    Suna also looked ufortable but she seemed much more put together with the idea of participating in the tournament. It was evident that she was the only one who had something to gain by winning.

    ¡°I could not help but agree with you. The timing for this tournament was too coincidental for him to have randomly selected it. Let me look it up once more informationes in¡± Maria decided to withhold information from the group.

    It was not even a conscious decision on her part and it made her feel guilty as soon as she realized that she had not been entirely truthful. Keeping things from the group was slowly bing a habit for her.

    It was only the guilt on her face at having recognized that habit that made Nao aware of her omission.

    ¡°Maria, did you know something more? I thought we agreed on no more secrets¡± Nao asked and Maria wanted to tell her that they never reached that conclusion. Thest time this conversation came up, it was left unresolved.

    But this did give her an excuse to discuss what she knew about the case.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Sorry. I was not keeping it from you but I just wanted more evidence before bringing this up. Just in case it was a false assumption on my part. It would not be fair to everyone¡± Maria gestured toward Suna. Suna missed the gesture since it was not one she was familiar with but Nao did understand it.

    There was understanding in Nao¡¯s eyes but also an annoyance. She seemed to not agree with Maria¡¯s choice but did not tell her off for it either.

    ¡°What is it? Did you really bugged the guild master¡¯s room¡± Suna asked as soon as Maria pointed her phone screen toward the pair.

    It showed the small recording her system had taken of the guild master and the brief discussion he had on his phone. It was an experiment on Maria¡¯s part to test her system¡¯s limitations.

    She figured that if it could record her visions, it might also have features to record real-life conversations it could see. And it did work to a certain degree which helped.

    It would have been nice to know beforehand so that Maria could have bugged the royal pce or at least, bugged Princess Neah. But there was no manual for Maria to figure it out and most of her features were self-tested.

    ¡°Maria, I think this speaks for itself. It¡¯s clear that we cannot stay here any longer¡± Nao¡¯s voice sounded decisive and Maria watched Suna¡¯s face fall.

    Suna looked like all he dreams were being crushed under Nao¡¯s words but she no longer had any face to be able to defend herself.

    This whole situation was a giant trap they had entered willingly. But Maria felt really bad and the situation was not at its worst yet.

    ¡°There is still a chance for us. The person just wanted the prize for this information so there is no real need for us to participate in it. We can just steal the prize and get the information¡± Maria purposed.

    The other two gave her a funny look for her words and Maria felt odd at having such a look aimed at her. It was not like what she suggested was weird or even new.

    ¡°Should the oracle be saying this? Are you sure this is our Maria and not an imposter?¡± Suna asked but Maria could see hope in her eyes. The poor girl was torn between her duty and desire.

    Maria felt empathetic to her.

    It was not long ago that Maria, too, had been in a simr situation. Her life as an oracle bounded her to a duty she had no choice but to face but Maria felt like it was not her call to make.

    In the end, things happened but Maria felt content to be where she was. No, she did and the doubt she felt from time to time was just another trial in her path.

    ¡°So we do this and then get out. We have one day to be able to execute it all but if we do this right, we will be done by tomorrow noon. Maria, when is the earliest bus for Grand Canyon avable?¡± Nao asked, taking charge.

    ¡°It¡¯s avable in the evening tomorrow and then two days after. We can make it in time¡± It was the best news and somehow, the stars felt like they were aligning for them.

    And this time, Maria didn¡¯t even have the bad feeling from before.

 Chapter 59 58: The Grand Plan

    "Are you in position? Can you see the entrance to the safe house?" Maria looked at the gate in front of her which was left without anyone to guard it. She signaled for the group to assemble as soon as she spotted the clear hallway.

    Suna was the first to make her way toward, her magic brimming the perimeter in an attempt to try and gather more intel. Suna''s magic was most sensitive to earth vibrations and made a far more urate detector than anything else they currently had.

    Everything except Maria''s system but it would be difficult for Maria to exin if she decided to use it to its full capacity. There was also ack of surveince in the surrounding area which made it difficult for Maria to make an excuse.

    "Nao, are you done on your side? I''ll open the door once you can join us" Maria asked as she connected her phone with the digital pad on the door.

    It was of the highest security and definitely the most advanced thing in the whole security setup. It did justify theck of human security inside the safe house. But even then there were too many ws.

    The lock was good for humans but not really made to hold against magic users. If someone really wanted to get in there, they could easily break in without any problem.

    "I''m finished with my check as well. Disposing of a few guards who tried toe too close to our location. You open the door and I''ll join you afterward" Nao replied and Maria heard the sound of magic brimming on her side.

    If Suna was their sensor, then Nao was their powerful force. She was responsible for making sure that no one ventured too close to their location undetected by Suna''s magic. Suna''s magic detected magical signatures, not human lives.

    This was the best set-up their current limitations allowed them to practice.

    "Alright. I''m opening the door now" Maria made a show of typingmands on her phone but in reality, she was faking it all. It was not like she needed to do anything herself since her system decoded the code for her.

    The door opened within a minute and Maria opened it just a tad bit to see inside.

    The insides were dark, not allowing Maria to be able to see anything. Even enchanting her vision with magic did not help since the darkness blocked any pration to be had. There would be no way to tell what lies beyond this door till they walked in themselves.

    "Nao, I will be sending Suna first. I cannot tell what is inside since it''s so dark" Maria looked toward her nervous partner.

    Suna looked nervous but determined as well. Maris felt proud of her but she also knew she had to make the hard decision of sending Suna in alone. She might be sending Suna on a suicide mission but this was how they had nned it all to be.

    It made Amaria resent and love her position as the Oracle at the same time.

    "Suna, take this tracker and keep me informed. Try to find a light switch inside" Maria instructed as she handed the small device to Suna. It was something she had gotten from the system after a lot of bargaining.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The tracker was magic resistant and really durable. It could withstand water and fire in equal measures and be also advanced enough to record voice and transmit it. ording to the system, it was an item of the highest value.

    Maria had not even known the system had a barter market she could use to buy stuff of this quality. It made her wonder how much the system really helped then if she took the time to explore it all.

    "I''ll be careful there. But if I somehow don''t make it out then you need to run away and nevere back. Promise me to nevere back here if I die" Suna''s voice sounded pleading and Maria could not help but find it amusing.

    She would have been worried under normal circumstances but the absence of the doomed feeling left her rtively carefree. Maria knew for a certainty that this mission was going to go without a hitch even if things somehow did not work out.

    "Stop being a drama queen and head in. A little darkness is not going to kill you" Nao''s voice came out of the speaker. She sounded as amused as Maria felt.

    It made Suna pout and let out a ''you don''t know that but the demoness did look relieved to have the assurance. She leaped inside the room just as Nao arrived. They missed each other only by a few seconds and Maria could not help but marvel at the coincidence.

    "Had a good hunt?" Maria teased as she took in the self-satisfied expression on Nao''s face. It was the face of a cat that got exactly what she wanted.

    "It was alright. Those guards were not particrly a challenge but they did prove to be quite a good practice for my shots" Nao replied as she showed Maria her gun. This was a new weapon craze Nao had developed recently but never bothered to use before today.

    As it turned out, Nao had quite a talent for shooting people and she found it to be fun as well. Maria never thought she would see thisbination in her life but maybe she had spoken too soon.

    "Well, my side was uneventful so it seems like your site was not quite what you thought it to be. Suna, how about you. Did you find something in there?" Maria asked as she shook her head.

    Nao had seemed to have her fill with the fun and her expression settled down into her usual boredom. It was such a familiar face that Maria felt her heart hurt looking at the other''s look.

    How long had it been since Nao had expressed true amusement and joy in her presence? It felt like ages to Maria.

    "Ugh. It is too dark for me to be able to tell where I am currently. I seem to be heading toward the sidewall though" Suna replied, sounding annoyed.

    It must be annoying for the demoness to navigate through the dark without having any idea where she was going. The darkness itself was a big factor in increasing annoyance and when the situation on hand was added to the mix, it seemed bad in Maria''s mind.

    "Keep on going ahead. I''ll mute you from our side so that we don''t identally cause a noise. You will need to tell us if you find something" Nao replied and then cut off thes from their side.

 Chapter 60 59: The Interrupted Talk

    With Suna out of the mix, it left Maria alone with Noa and the air turned awkward. It was thought to start any conversation because of the tense air between them.

    "Nao, is everything alright between us? I thought we were fighting and then that night happened and once it was over, we both went to our past attitudes. We never addressed the problem" Maria opened with hesitation.

    This was probably the worst time to start such a high-emotion conversation. Maria should have ideally waited till they were at a secure location before opening this can of worms.

    But that right location might nevere if Maria left it all up to Nao to decide. Maria has given Nao enough time to gather her courage ande forth on her terms. She had even created opportunities by leaving herself vulnerable but Nao had never taken them.

    Thus, Maria would have to take matters into her own hands. Also, this was not a situation Nao could flee from so it was an opportunity as well.

    "Is there a reason things should not be alright between us?" Nao asked, her voice sounding genuinely puzzled. It made Maria falter in her train of thoughts.

    Had she been the only one having these doubts about their rtionship and what this fight would do for them? They had never really fought before and Maria felt afraid of what would happen next.

    "I just thought that you would still be angry with me. I did make the mistake of keeping things from you" Maria admitted her mistake. Not that she thought of her actions as a mistake

    And that was also why she did not apologize for her choice. That must have not escaped Nao''s notice but she was also nice enough not to bring notice to it.

    "Every rtionship has fights, some major and some minor. I''m not angry and I do understand your point of view. I''lle around eventually so don''t mind my feelings that much. My feelings and even yours don''t matter in front of the mission" Noa spoke those words as she believed them.

    Maria did not know how any of Nao''s other rtionships had worked for her to be able to say that with such confidence. But Maria knew their current rtionship was not such. It neededmunication to uproot the festering wounds.

    The anger brewing inside Maria at those words was sudden and explosive. It left Maria panting in anger and her eyes red with tears.

    "Our feelings matter. Mine and yours and Suna''s. Heck, even the royal guards and Neha''s. They all do matter to me" Maria felt it all explode out in one go.

    Her words poured themselves out of her mouth before she could stop herself and then she took a look at Nao''s expression. It was nker than any time Maria had seen and it left her with an awkward feeling.

    "Ugh, guys. I reached the panel and switched the light on but there is a teeny tiny problem. This ce is not as empty as we thought" Their conversation never got resolved since Suna chose this moment to contact them back.

    Suna''s voice cut through the tension and knocked the other two back into their right mind. An angry flush blew upon their faces as soon as they realized just how badly they had been performing. Had they been about to almost fight over nothing?<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Suna, can you exin clearly what the problem is? I don''t think we can figure it out from just tour hints" Maria took a deep breath before asking this question. She had to bite her tongue as to not ask stupid questions.

    She did feel relieved with the timely intervention though. It had been getting close to dangerous for her with those questions.

    "I ah, it''s hard to exin for me as well. You see, there is a guard in here but he''s sleeping and not a threat to me. I don''t know how to handle this situation" Suna asked and her voice did sound panicky to Maria.

    But the news of a new person inside the room was surprising. Maria was so sure that no one had been inside the room since her system had not picked up any reading. Could there be a mistake on her part?

    "Does that person look dangerous? Human or demon?" Nao picked up Maria''s train of thoughts right away. A person unounted for was never a good idea to ignore. Especially in abandoned ces.

    "He doesn''t look dangerous. Rather, he looks like your average kid of around sixteen. He''s also sleeping right on top of the safe case so I can''t avoid him either'''' Sunained and Maria heard the hint of panic beginning to sneak into her voice.

    Suna was also progressively getting louder by the second in her panic, totally forgetting that she had to be quiet to not wake up the guard.

    "Don''t panic Suna. Keep your calm and listen to one on what to do next. We areing in there to help you so do not make any noise" Nao''s voice soundedmanding. It was one she liked to use when she wanted things done her way.

    Noa hadn''t had that voice aimed at her but she wanted it to be. Something was arousing about that voice. The tenure of her pitch was low and tickled Maria''s ears.

    "Ok. I''ll wait for you two here" Suna''s voice came from the speaker but it was meeker than before. Nao''s voice had affected her badly and it made Maria want to do things and have things done to her.

    And there went her mind in the gutter.

    "Let''s go. Suna is not going to stay calm for long" Naoined as she entered the doorway. Maria entered a few seconds apart but the ce already felt dark to her. Nothing was visible for miles ahead and Maria instantly found a wall to follow.

    Chances were that the control panel for the light switches was on one of the internal walls. Maria just needed to find the panel and then this darkness would be gone.

    But the more she walked, the more the corridor seemed to be stretching itself. Her surroundings were not changing and even her hand felt the same texture. The only thing that seemed to be moving was her feet and the scent of magic was thickening in the air.

    They had been careless and fell into an enemy trap. Now it was toote to be able to escape without fighting their way out. And none of them was in any condition for a heavy fight to take ce.

 Chapter 61 60: The Kid Who Lost His Partners

    Suna walked inside the safe room and the darkness engulfed her senses. She could feel that it was not normal darkness but held a hint of magic in it.

    It sucked at Suna¡¯s will to move forward and made her forget why she hade here for. Suna took one step in front of her and instantly felt her mind nk due to the magic in the air.

    Suna¡¯s magic tried to fight against the darkness but it slipped past its hold like water. Suna had no chance in a confrontation of power. So she had to deploy other methods to keep herself safe.

    Her magic formed a shield around her to keep the foreign magic out. It was a tough job and drained her of most of her magic, but it allowed Suna to keep her will intact as she moved. It would have to be enough for her to rely on.

    Suna walked and walked but she saw no end in sight. There was only darkness and despair in front of her. She was not even sure if she was moving ahead or in a loop. There was just no winning against this foe.

    So Suna gave up the defense and she gave up her protection. Instead, she used it all in a single st and used it to propel herself forward.

    The impact on Suan¡¯s body was heavy and it would leave her with aches Suna would not be able to deal with herself. She might even need a doctor to treat her more serious wounds or risk being crippled for life.

    These were all the risks Suna was willing to take for her goal.

    The force of magic had propelled her far enough to be able to see something white and shining through the darkness. It was the first ray of light and it finally gave Suna a direction to walk into.

    It was a safe box right in the middle of the room. It held a small shining pendant on top of it which was emitting white light. But the most surprising fact about the room had to be the small body thaty on the box and slept away.

    It looked like a corpse but held enough color to still be alive. Suna did not dare to be able to touch it and confirm it for herself.

    That¡¯s why she used hermunicator with the other two members of her party. She had no idea what she should do in such a situation but the other two might. Nao at least always knew what should be done in any situation.

    So Suna called them and received instructions. Her heartfelt relief to know that her friends wereing but she was also worried for them.

    Suna should have told them about this ce and the nature of darkness but she had forgotten to in her panic. It was a grave mistake on her part which made Suna almost drop hermunicator.

    But she caught it and tried dialing back to the other two.

    ¡°Did you call your partners in here? How foolish of you. Or maybe it¡¯s clever of you. It would rid you of two eventualpetitions¡± Suna felt her head turn toward the voice on top of the box.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was the kid who had been sleeping just moments ago. Had Suna¡¯s voice woken him up or had the kid been awake the whole time and taken this chance to observe her?

    ¡°I don¡¯t want my friends to be harmed. They are justing in to help me. Also, who are you and what are you doing here? Are you the guard here? The one in control of this darkness?¡± Suna asked as she snapped into attention.

    She did not take her eyes off of the kid and kept an eye out for any sudden moments from his side. Who knew what this kid could do.

    ¡°Rx rx, I¡¯m not here to hurt you. I¡¯m not a guard either so not your enemy. I was just here to steal something with my friends but ended up alone here in this darkness. My friends are likely dead already out there so don¡¯t keep hope for your friends¡± the kid replied but he looked far too cheerful for his situation.

    No one who had lost hisrades should look that happy or content. Not if the person himself was in a bad situation. It all made Suna suspicious of the kid.

    ¡°You say all your friends died out in the darkness but how is that possible. You couldn¡¯t have been in there for more than a day or two at the most. Your body would have given up without water¡± Suna pointed out the obvious w in the kid¡¯s reasoning.

    The kid did not even pretend to panic as he heard Suna out. If anything, the smile on his face grew in size and his eyes closed in contentment. What a weird kid this was.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve not been here for that long. In fact, I think I¡¯ve been here for only a few hours. It is still the day before the tournament right?¡± the kid asked and Suna nodded in assurance.

    If Suna believed the kid¡¯s story then he had only been here for a few hours. Not enough time to starve or show any signs of depravity. Still, Suna could not make herself believe the kid¡¯s words.

    ¡°You might be telling the truth abouting here to steal as well as having a team but there is no way they all got killed by mere darkness. The magic is not the killing type and at most would force you out and make you forget. So tell me, where are your teammates? Are they lying in waiting to ambush us?¡± Suna asked as she crossed out all the illogical conclusions.

    There was no way for her to know how much danger she had put her friends into when she allowed them to walk in here without proper intel. But she could still rectify it if she gathered information from the kid.

    ¡°My partners did die since they were all fools. There is something in the darkness, something dangerous and horrible. But you can¡¯t see or hear it in the darkness. I only knew it because of this light source I had¡± the kid tried to assure Suna of his words and Suna felt herself falter.

    The kid was making sense and Suna was weak to any pleading.

    ¡°How do I believe you kid? After all, I don¡¯t hear the monster right now and I¡¯m in your light source¡± Suna asked as she challenged the kid.

    However, then she heard it. The small rumbling sounding from far away.

 Chapter 62 61: Finding Nao In The Darkness

    Maria took out the emergency lightmp she always kept in her inventory. It was a necessary item in the system barter shop and Maria had decided to exchange for it without thought.

    Now she was d that she had because the light allowed her to be able to see through the darkness.

    The light inside hermp was holy light used by knights of the ancient and had been rekindled in the fires of hell. It would burn eternally and would purify any space. It was purifying the darkness around Maria.

    But the me Maria had was a small piece and would go out sooner orter due to corruption. Maria also held no precious items to exchange for anothermp from the system. She would have to go on the hunt for moreter.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Suna should be alright since she was able to contact us. I should focus on finding Nao first¡± Maria made a decision and turned around. Nao could be anywhere in this darkness but it should be no problem.

    Maria had bugged Nao for this reason and now she could see her location on the map.

    The darkness made it so that Maria could see nothing on her map. No living signatures showed up except her trackers and it now made sense how she had missed the kid Suna mentioned.

    He was only halfway toward Nao¡¯s location when she felt the ground shake. A terrible magical impulse flew through Maria and it left her off-bnce.

    Maria looked into the darkness and felt like she saw something move through it at an rming rate. It was fast and only happened to be at a ce for a second. But it held enough pressure to worry Maria.

    It was noting close to Maria, only hovering around her radius of the holymp which made Maria certain that it could not enter as long as she was in the light. She was safe for the time being.

    But Nao was not. Nao had no source of holy light with her and that made her the most likely target for the monster to attack.

    Maria willed her magic to power her up. It allowed her to dash through the darkness and her speed made her hand brush against scaly skin and her eyes met a reptilian pair before she was running past that thing.

    There was an angry roar behind her and then Maria felt the thing give chase after her. It was fast, faster than Maria if she had not been actively using her magic. It also felt hungry and it wanted to eat Maria¡¯s magic.

    The thing was psychic, portraying his thoughts of hunting and hunger onto Maria to weaken her.

    It would have worked on a weaker mind but Maria held her own against that feeling. Her system and the holy light in her hand also helped in that regard and made Marai keep on running.

    Her refusal to give in just made the monster even angrier and he gave chase after Maria even herder.

    It was a race toward Nao and Maria knew she had to be the first to reach her partner. The monster was right on her heels and Maria knew it was looking for an opportunity.

    Maria ran past Nao¡¯s location and did not even realize it till she felt a hand on her arm. Her body was yanked back into a hard but familiar chest.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Maria? Was something chasing after you? You looked spooked¡± Nao asked with a worried voice. Her words made it seem like she had not heard the thing chasing after Maria.

    So, was the darkness a rouse to keep the monster in ce? Was this the reason this ce did not need guards to protect it? Maria could see how such a trap would be more efficient than hiring a lot of guards

    And she also remembered where she had heard about such an arrangement before. It was in the Book of 1000 traps vol 2. But since she had never seen the practical application of such a trap, it had taken her by surprise.

    ¡°Shadow house. Need to find Suna¡± Maria panted as she caught her breath. Hermp was still burning right but it had started to wilt away little by little. The timer for them had just started.

    ¡°Shadow house? In here? Did the underground arena really have such resources to be able to buy one? They must be loaded¡± Nao looked surprised as well and Maria understood why.

    Shadow trap was a technique frequently used by the adventurer¡¯s guild to hide their treasure behind the strong force. It was to prevent people from thieving their treasures away and it could only be turned off by an active member who held an activation key with them.

    Well, that and by sheep brute force.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head toward Suna first. It seemed as if she had someone who could tell more about this pce and what is going on here¡± Maria replied. She knew she should have never trusted that guild master to begin with.

    There was no mistaking this shadow house to be anything else than a death trap to keep them upied. Had the guild master anticipated this theft and prepared anti-theft measures?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this trap was for us. Not with how much better it would be for us to get caught alive and be returned to the royal guards. I guess our questions will be answered once we reach Suna¡± Nao hit the arrow right on the mark. Her words were exactly what Maria had been thinking.

    This trap was not for them but for another pair of thieves. But it did not answer the question of why? Why go so far and spend so many resources for a prize they were going to give away anyway?

    Also, why had the undergournd deployed the adventurer¡¯s guild to guide thier treasure when they had traps of thier own. Did they really have that much money to spend? Or was there something bigger brewing behind the scene.

    ¡°Suna, we will arrive at your location in next minute. Do be aware and do not attack us. There is a monster out here which would kill us all if we are not careful¡± Maria talked into her connector.

    The heavy breathing from the other side made her aware that Suna was there and listenning to her. It was safe for Maria to take the risk now.

    ¡°Alright. But how did you get away from the monster? Alester, I mean the kid I found here told me that the monster killed eveyrone in his party. Are you sure you are not inhured?¡± Suna aksed the questions one after the other.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know once we arrive. Keep talking till then so that we can know you are alright¡± Maria asked and braced herself for Suna¡¯s talkking. Nao just looked back with a suffering expression.

 Chapter 63 62: Way Through The Darkness

    ¡°Look, there is light ahead of us. Suna, is that lighting from your location? Can you see us as well?¡± Nao called out which caused Maria to look up from her phone screen as well.

    She could spot the light one Nao was talking about and quickly checked her phone screen to confirm whether this was Suna or not.

    ¡°I cannot say for sure but I do see a faint light. But we seem to be at a lower height than you so it¡¯s faint. Alester, can you climb on my shoulder to check¡± Suna seemed to have it off great with herpany.

    Maria still held doubts about the kid who had somehow survived such harsh conditions but she chose not to word them. It was not her ce to question Suna¡¯s choices without any knowledge.

    Her map showed one dot at a little distance which could only mean one person. The other two dots that represented her and Nao were close together a little distance away.

    ¡°It¡¯s Suna. let¡¯s hurry up and meet her. I want to conserve resources if possible¡± Maria hurried through with Nao right behind her. It was a short sprint for the pair.

    The light they were seeing did seem to be at a lower level than theirs and it was fortunate that the pair stopped when they did. Otherwise, their hurry would have resulted in a sudden fall from a considerable height and it would have hurt if they had not prepared themselves to take the fall.

    ¡°Clear the way. We will be jumping down¡± Nao yelled and saw Suna drag a teen out of the way. The pair jumped down and made a clearnding.

    Once that was done, Maria willed hermp away so that she could use it again. Since she only had one of them, it would be crucial for her to conserve it.

    ¡°Here is the safe. I cannot open it myself but the kid here can. Or so he says. But even so, how do we get out of here with that monster still around?¡± Suna asked. She somehow managed to not jumble her words with her fast pace.

    Maria could only look at Suna with a fond look, her eyes taking in the unhurt form of her friend. It had been foolish for them to send Suna in here alone but the demoness had made a considerably good effort to keep herself steady.

    The kid at Suna¡¯s side seemed amused as well and his neck instantly moved his face toward Maria¡¯s direction when she looked at him.

    There was something eerily familiar about his smile but Maria was sure she had never seen him before. Maybe she was projecting someone onto this kid from her previous life? Did she not have that cousin that visited her once and grinned the whole time.

    ¡°So you are her friends? Wow, it must have been tough to get here without any previous preparation. How did you know to carry a holymp? I carried this chain as a family heirloom but you are different right?¡± the kid asked, just as hyper as Suna.

    Suddenly, Maria felt like she was seeing two Suna in front of her and that did not feel like a pleasant thought to have.

    ¡°Calm down. We are not going to tell you anything till we are sure we can trust you. Also, we will need an activation key to get out of here safely. The guards should have had it but I never bothered to check. The only other way out of here will be to ughter the monster but that would attract all kinds of attention to us¡± Nao exined, her voice tense.

    Both the alternates seemed impossible for them to achieve. Well, they could kill their way out but it would be the worst-case scenario.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°The guard carries the key? We might be in luck. I have been observing the guards for a few days and noticed a pattern in their movement. Someone would be here in a few hours to collect the prize. We can just swipe the key then and get away with the loot¡± the kid injected himself into their conversation with a grin.

    The kid seemed unbothered as he received three bewildered looks aimed his way. There was a cheer in his tone which made Maria think of happier times.

    This kid was not worried about what would happen to him. Anyone else in his condition would have been scared shitless but not the kid.

    He seemed to be finding this situation to be humorous.

    ¡°And why should we believe you? What if you are trying to lead us into a trap and are actually on the guard¡¯s side?¡± Nao asked with a suspicious tone. Her concern was valid since Maria was afraid of the same thing.

    Suna was the only one who still felt strongly that this kid was more trouble than it was worth. It felt like being saddled with babysitting duty when you did not sign up for it.

    ¡°Well, you have nothing to lose here. And the beast will also be weaker in the morning hours with natural sunlight. The book said that so you can at least trust it if you don¡¯t want to trust me on this topic¡± the kid replied and Maria nodded.

    The book had said that and the kid was right. Sunlight and day hours did make for a better escape time than the dark hours of the night.

    Maria was curious about the kid and his ability to gauge time. He had somehow been able to tell what time it was but that could also be because he had a watch or phone. Maria did not need to be tense in his presence.

    She also had her friends with her so it was going to be alright even if the kid did attack them. He would not get very far and Nao would have an excuse to kill him.

    ¡°Fine kid. We¡¯ll take your suggestion and co-operate this time because there is no downside to your n. But try anything funny and you will be killed by me¡± Nao positioned herself in a threatening way in front of the other two.

    She was trying to be intimidating and scare the kid. The kid flinched at the look but his body was not tense.

    Maria felt like the kid was putting up an act of being scared but Nao seemed satisfied enough with the reaction she got. Maybe Maria was just reading too much into things here and nothing was wrong.

    Kids were known to be rather unpredictable and this one seemed a tad bit unusual as well.

    And then the countdown begin and they started to n their escape. Their window of opportunity was slim and crucial.

 Chapter 64 63: Swiping The Key

    "Darn it. Why did I have to lose that bet? I looked away for 1 second and that fucker swiped all my good cards away" the guardined as he entered the hall. He instantly lit hismp and waved it around.

    The monster in the dark jerked out of the way as soon as he saw the light.

    It had been a close call but the monster would not dare attack someone holding the lightmp. The sun was also beginning to rise which weakened the monster even more.

    "Those damn cursed beings. Why could they note and check up on their treasure themselves? Why did our boss have to ept such an unfair deal?" The guard asked as he walked ahead. He could talk like this because he knew these words would never leave this safe house.

    Not many people were brave enough to venture into such a dangerous trap. Even the adventurer''s guild wanted nothing to do with this trap once it was up.

    Thankfully, the guard had keys to this ce which allowed him to leave without getting hurt. There was no way the guard would have agreed to this otherwise.

    "At least it''s thest time I will have to make this stupid trip. The boss better rewards me generously for this" the guardined as he moved ahead.

    He had a smallpass that pointed to the box that had been used to store the prize item. It was a rare treasure that indicated just how wealthy the adventurer''s guild was. It was a powerhouse and no one wanted to make an enemy of them in this city.

    Although there were recent rumors of a prominent branch of the adventurer''s guild has gotten in trouble with the royal soldiers. This was really big news if it turned out to be true but the guard would not hold his hopes too high.

    He quickly made his way toward the low heightened tform and climbed down. The monster roared in disagreement behind him which caused him to break down into shivers of fear.

    "I need to hurry. I need to hurry. The monster cannot get me as long as I have the key" the guard muttered as he observed the safe. Itid at its initial position undisturbed. There was no reason to check on it with the monster around but at least this job paid well.

    "Well, that was a waste of my time" the guard muttered before he activated the activation key. The area around him brightened up in an instant. The darkness seemed to be recoiling from around him and the effects were much stronger than a holymp.

    And then the guy disappeared along with the light. He never noticed their of hands that swept the other key from his hips, not the sense of counseling magic in the air. The human magic-less guard was unaware of the dangers he had faced.

    "So, did you manage to wipe it off of him?" Nao asked as the illusion wore off of her form. She had an unhappy expression on her face which was understandable given the situation.

    Slowly, other humanoid forms also appeared in the darkness and Maria waved her magic off of the space. The once dark area lit up with a soft glow due to the magical pendant.

    "Wicked. Your magic can even do this?" Alester asked with awe. He looked interested in Maria''s magic and made her feel like he was looking through her when his eyes met her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It only worked because he was magic-less and could not sense us. It won''t work twice. And stop stalling us. Did you or did you not get the key?" Nao asked with a threatening voice.

    Out of them all, Nao seemed like the one who had a problem with Alester. She was finding faults with the kid since the time she had arrived there. Maria would almost say that Nao was jealous but there appeared to be a reason for that.

    "Come on, let him rx and tell us at his one pace. You don''t need to be that angry with her Nao" Suna defended the kid and Nao''s face went nk. The anger was still there but now it seemed mixed with guilt.

    So there was a reason for Noa to feel jealous and Maria tried to curb her disappointed feelings that it was not her who Nao had been jealous over.

    They were a mess of emotions and Maria knew she needed to distance herself from Nao and Suna to resolve her tension. And she would as soon as she got a chance to do so. Maybe the timing after the first node would be a good one? Provided that they don''t drive themselves apart before then.

    "Of course, I managed to swipe the key of the guard. Here you go" the kid threw a small pebble-like thing toward Nao. The demoness swiped it off the thin air with an unimpressed face. But she finally did not say anything back to the kid.

    Nao looked at the stone to try and figure out how to work it when Maria swiped it off her hands. She had a better chance to make it work since she had already read about it before.

    "Everyone, stay close. Try to hold each other''s hand to not lose sight of each other" the key worked like apass once activated and pointed out of the darkness. There was no other way to get out or even resolve the trap. It could only be made to change its position and that also from outside.

    ? [Key item acquired. Press enter for activation]

    Her system finally decided to be of help and gave Maria exactly what she needed at that moment.

    She felt Nao and Suna reach for her hand before a smaller one slid into her. The kid grinned up at her as he took Suna''s hand in hers. Nao just sighed as she reached for Suna''s other hand while Maria''s free hand clutched the rock.

    The stone shined bright, just as the other one in the guard''s hand had, and Maria felt a small force sucking in her magic. It felt like something was stretching her across space and time but there was no pain. The light felt almost pleasant and Maria felt like she was about to fall asleep.

    And then she felt a small tug on her hand. A smiling face looked up at her and she felt difort swirl in her belly as she.

    "Be careful or the wind would blow you away, '''' Alester warned as he let go of Maria''s hand. But the touch had left a static effect on Maria''s skin.

    (I applied for privileges but they got messed up so no privileges this month for me which sucks)

 Chapter 65 64: Behind The Scenes

    "Let''s agree to never do this again" Suna moaned as she clutched her head. She seemed to have taken the after-effects of the key quite heavily. And she looked not the only one suffering.

    Nao lookedposed on the outside but her eyes held a pained look. The light had hurt her as well but not as badly as Suna.

    Meanwhile, both Maria and Alester looked rtively unharmed. Maria just left a loss of bnce while Alester looked quite healthy in the morning sunlight.

    "Looks like the light of they did not agree with your demonic parts. This one (pointing to Maria) being a half-demon took far better than you two" the kid observed. There was a knowing look in his eyes as he observed the trio.

    They had not actively been trying to hide their true selves but it did denote the credible observation power of the kid. It also made a good point in retrospect and would exin a lot of oddities in this situation.

    "We''ll keep each other under observation for now. Also, thanks for the heads-up kid. Hopefully, we''ll meet again in the future" Maria called as soon as she saw herpanions recover.

    There was a small pause before the kid''s eyes narrowed. He did not look surprised at Maria''s suggestion of separating, just disappointed. Sun looked disappointed as well and shot Maria pleading looks to let the kid stay with them for a little while longer.

    "I understand. Now that I''m no longer any use to you, you''ll force me to go my own way. But what if I turn you in for this theft? I''m sure the adventurer''s guild would love to capture some thieves" Alester said in apletely happy tone.

    Maria saw Nao tense up and bring her weapon to a more approachable position. She would attack if she felt like she needed to defend their secrets.

    "But will you? As far as I know, you swiped a whole lot of stuff from in there as well. If we were to get caught without that stuff, you will be the likely target they''ll go after" Mariaid down the facts straight. She knew the kid would not risk it like that.

    "Nah, you''re right. I''m not interested in outing a fellow thief. But have fun with your flute" the kid replied as he turned around. He disappeared down the next corner and the group finally breathed out a sigh of relief.

    They had been too close and it had been difficult to tell whether the kid would go through with his threat or not. In the end, Maria had not had a bad vision about this mission, nor had her feelings changed throughout the night. So she had decided to take a gamble and it had turned out to be sessful.

    "I don''t like the fact that the kid knows our faces. There is still time for me to kill that kid" Nao asked as she motioned to follow after the kid. Her eyes looked ready to kill but her steps did not install the same confidence in Maria.

    "Nah, let the kid go. We need to be out of this town today and chasing that kid would be a waste of time. Save that energy to threaten someone else in a few hours" Maria replied, indicating that they might need to use force to get the guild master to cooperate.

    Nao had no choice but to concede her attack. Not when there was time to be saved by hurrying up. The group did not linger around the area for long since they did not want to be caught unaware.

    However, had Nao checked behind the corner where the kid had disappeared, she would have found the kid right there.

    "Keep your mouth shut once I release you. I don''t want my good mood to be soiled by your unnecessary chatter" the kid muttered with a happy smile as he let the raven beak in his hands go.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The raven tried to fly away but did not manage to p its wings once before it was caught once again it tried to get away but then gave up and pretended to y dead. It was a cute attempt to appear smart but was not going to work on Alester.

    "Bad demon. Bad demon. Need to report to the master about Bad Alester''s actions" the raven cried out as it caused the smile on the kid''s face to widen.

    With a clenched of his fist and the raven in his hands dissolved in smoke. It would ensure that the words of his actions never reach a third party who could make use of them.

    "Are you sure this is wise? You did let the oracle escape despite our orders not to. Princess Neah would be disappointed" the shadows from the raven dispersed and formed a human shape. Only the goat horns on the head denoted the new entity as a demon.

    "I know the ''princess'' would throw a fit as soon as she hears about it and quite frankly, that is why I let them go. Besides, she''s no one to order me on behalf of our master. I refuse to follow any order that has note directly out of their mouth" the kid replied.

    There was a certain air of easiness in the kid''s aura that made the other demon smile in amusement.

    "Do what you want to. And also, Lard Baron started the first phase of his n. The weapon has been activated. Funny enough, he chose his own family as the catalyst" the goat horned demon replied.

    These words only dragged an amused chuckle out of the kid.

    "I thought that fool was worried about theck of magic potential his family held and that was why he joined us. I never thought he would go so far to get powerful magic. He''s a foolish foolish human, aiming for where he should not. Oh, and what about the other demon candidates? Did spread the news?" Alester asked with a big grin.

    The wide smile on his face seemed to be splitting it into two parts rather than a single entity. It made the kid look mad, not unlike a scary demon.

    "Yes. We did start the rumor of the oracle having left the princess''s protection. Thepetition will start for real" the kid cracked a twistedugh but thenposed himself.

    "I''m sorry for my behavior. Sometimes, the human inside this body gets a little excited. He''s also a little pent up because he did not get toe out yesterday" Alester said with an almost apologetic smile.

    His moods changed far too fast and were miles apart. Most would have found it disturbing but the demon was used to such behavior from Alester.

    "So, did you get it? The oracle''s ability?" The goat demon asked.

    "I tried but failed. There is power protecting

    her which is out of this world. It is beyond any of our abilities, maybe even our master¡¯s, to get her power" the kid replied, leaving his partner stunned.

 Chapter 66 65: Caught Stealing- Part 1

    "What''s the meaning of this? I never agreed to these terms. Go and give this back to the tournament management and then earn it properly" the guild master looked mad. It was understandable since he had put so much thought into this trap.

    Maria refused to feel even an inch of guilt over his panic. It served him right for trying to trick them.

    "We agreed to deliver this object to you. How we did it was ways subjective. Now stop being a pussy and had the information over to us" Nao''s threatening voice was back. Her irritation at not being able to chase the kid down showed in her actions.

    Suna pretended to swoon at the show of force but her face also showed just how d she was to have them on her side.

    "Fine fine. Simon''s court is no more. Everyone there is already dead with the guild master being held captive. If you want more information then you''ll have to wait for it. My spy will need some time to collect it" the guild master lied through his teeth.

    Maria could hear the lie in his voice. She signaled to Nao and got a confirmative sign back. The only one being affected by the news was Suna. The poor girl looked white in the face and her eyes looked like they would pop out of their socket anytime.

    "Suna, let''s leave for a bit. I''m sure you need their time to gather yourself" Maria pushed at Suna''s shoulder lightly. That prompted Suna to finally start moving with a dejected air.

    "You both go ahead. I need to talk with our dear guild master here" Nao called out as she held her ground. The guild master looked ufortable having Nao there but he could not tell her to leave. It would have gone against his character and made the other three suspects.

    Maria thought for a sec to keep her tracker active but then decided against it. Neither she nor Suna needed to hear the next part. Moreso, Nao did not need them to hear the next part.

    "They''re not dead. Tell me they''re not dead" Suna asked with a desperate voice. Her face neared Maria and her eyes had tears in them. Suna was far too easily influenced by things.

    "They''re likely not dead. We will know for sure once Naoes back" Maria could have told Suna all about it but it would be more trouble than worth it for her. She would let Nao handle it for her.

    Nao only came back once the sun was right on top of them. The sunny day seemed like a contradiction to the damped mood of the trio.

    "The Simon''s court managed to escape but they had no supplied. No one is sure where they went" Noa spoke as soon as she entered the room. Her face looked relieved and it caused Suna to look up as well.

    Hope finally seemed to be returning to those eyes and Maria felt happy to see it. Finally, she would not have to deal with an emotional mess of a human.

    "Good. They managed to escape. I was so worried that they would die" Suna cried out those words but they were happy tears. Her relief shines through her eyes.

    "That was the good news. Now, there is bad news as well. We need to leave right at this moment. The guild master looked ready to kill once I left the room" Maria could not help but raise her eyebrow in disbelief.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Nao had left the guild master unharmed when she had extracted information? What caused her to make this out-of-character move?

    "We have a few hours before our designated bus ride. How do we keep them off of our tracks for that long?" Suna asked as she joined the group back. Her reaction time was a little slow which made Maria think that she might have a fever due to all the worrying she had done.

    "We''ll lead them on a wild goose chase. Everyone split up and keep them busy. Make them think you''re enjoying this town. Only ditch them in thest 10 minutes or in extreme conditions" Maria exined and got agreeing nodes.

    Since they had no time to sit around and rest, they needed to conserve as much time as they could with minimum effort. Waking around for a bit would not exhaust them but it would allow them to gather intel. And Maria also had another intention behind her actions.

    She needed to ''borrow'' a few things to barter in her system store. Her financial situation did not allow for anything else and who knows when a difficult situation would arise for them. Maria had been lucky this time to have the holymp on hand but what about next time?

    With that thought, Maria broke away from the group and entered an antique shop. She pretended to look at an old candle holder and admire it while her other hand picked up a small knife from the adjacent shelf.

    "If you''re going to steal it, then you need to be faster with your hands. Even an amateur can tell what you were about to do" Maria felt the knife in her handsh out at the voice but it never hit anything.

    It was caught between two nibble fingers and twisted out of Maria''s hands with a twirl. Maria felt her wrist hurt as it was twisted in motion.

    "You" Maria almost growled and attacked the figure but the teen dodged out of the way. He looked back at Maria with a happy expression.

    "Be careful. Getting caught here would be a certain death sentence. Follow me" the kidmanded and Maria followed those instructions out of shock. The kid led them out through a backway and then they were out.

    Alester looked cheeky as he let Maria''s hand go. Maria had not even realized that she had her hand in the teen''s hand and instantly felt assaulted. The touch had been cold and hard, nothing like a human hand.

    "What are you doing here? Did you follow after me? For what purpose did you follow me?¡± Maria turned toward the kid but her hands missed the weapon necessary to threaten the kid.

    Not that the kid seemed troubled by Maria. He seemed to be amused by the situation and the more he started, the worse Marai felt about keeping eye contact.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said that I was just trying to help? We robbed the safehouse together and faced a life and death situation together so won¡¯t that make usrades in arms? Cut me some ck here¡± the kid asked and Maria instantly had a gross look on her face.

 Chapter 67 66: Fateful Encounter?

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said that I was just trying to help? We robbed the safehouse together and faced a life and death situation together so won¡¯t that make usrades in arms? Cut me some ck here¡± Maria called bullshit at those words. The kid in front of her was a liar of the biggest degree.

    When she refused to give any kind of positive indication, the teen let out a sigh of regret. He was not fooling Maria with his innocent act.

    "Fine. I was just curious what the oracle was doing here and living. Not to mention, those ears on your head don''t seem to be human. Can I touch them once?" Maria''s knife moved like lightning and rested on the fragile throat of the teen.

    He dared not even act surprised at the suddenness of the action. He only looked resigned at his fate and stepped back to let himself secure a sizable distance. He raised his hands in a mocking surrender and looked quite sheepish.

    "Hey, I''m not here to harm you. See, I don''t even have a weapon or anything. I haven''t even informed the authorities about you yet" the kid pleaded his innocence.

    There was some merit to his words and he was right about not having outed them yet. Not that it would have mattered much because the royal guards could not spare enough people today to get them. Something big must have happened.

    But all that had to wait because Maria had to deal with a potential threat in front of her.

    "How did you recognize me? Was it the face? The powers? Or something else?" Maria tried to interrogate. If the kid had enough sense to be able to recognize her.

    She might be in for a long makeover once she reaches the Grand Canyon. She would force Nao and Suna to participate as well. This was a promise Maria made to herself.

    "You have bright pink hair and a very recognizable face. Besides, I''ve seen you live in the capital once. Having a pair of bunny ears is not the best way to change your looks" the kid replied and Maria felt eptance run through her. Of course, it was her hair that gave it away.

    "I''m sorry if I don''t fully trust you. You''ve lied to me too many times" Maria reminded those words but she also made no move to kill the kid. All her moves this far had been in an attempt to capture the kid.

    Technically, Maria had not killed anyone with her own hands. She might have gravely injured several people or caused unassumed deaths while fighting at the train station but her conscience had not registered those things yet.

    As such, Maria was unprepared to make her first kill. And for it to be someone who had not yet harmed her was a move she could not make. All she could do was bluff her way out of the situation while she waited for the kid to surrender. What would happen once he did was not something Maria had thought about.

    But she was also fairly confident that Nao would have a solution for her worry. Somehow, Nao always seemed to have a solution for her in these scenarios.

    [Users can purchase a memory eraser. The said item has a 30% chance to remove a recent memory. Users can purchase this item as abo with luck boosting potion. The rate of sess will be boosted to 75% instead.

    Note: both items have drawbacks and can leave severe mental trauma on the consumer. Consumers are informed to take these at their own risk]

    The system sounded chipper when it informed Maria of thest note. There seemed to be an almost eager tone in those words for Maria to go ahead with her actions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And as much as Maria wanted to do that, it felt cruel to her. To not only make someone lose their memory was one thing. But having odds for it to mentally cripple someone was far too cruel of a fate. Maria didn''t want to subject anyone to it.

    "Again, I''m not asking you to trust me. We can ensure that I keep my words by forming a small vow. You know how that magic works, right?" The teen asked and Maria felt herself falter to answer.

    She could guess what the magic did by hearing the name but she had never heard about it before. Vowing magic seemed like contract magic and Maria''s teachers had never taken the liberty to teach that kind of magic to her.

    Maria felt like she could still hear Silyva''s disapproving voice saying her famous words to her.

    ''An oracle does not need the help of those kinds of magic. Maria, especially, doesn''t need those kinds of magic to make her powerful. Don''t bring those sour topics up again if you know what''s good for you'' Silvya had a certain viewpoint about the kind of things she wanted Maria to learn.

    ''System, a quick exnation please'' Maroa asked as she felt the teen stare at her. He was waiting for her to answer.

    [Vow is the binding contract magic that dictates terms the two users must uphold for a durable of time. The terms are binding and the consequences of breaking depend on the grade of the vow. By default, LVL 1 bow is the weakest, and breaking it will cause an instant death]

    Maria felt pale as she read thest line. It would result in death after. It was a little better than outward killing at this point but Maria felt cornered.

    The teen was just not going away. Maria would just have to decide on her own. It did not feel good to be making them but someone had to.

    "Alright kid. What are you proposing to me?" Maria asked as she lowered her weapon. It was a call for a truce but that did not mean Maria lost her sharp edge.

    Her grip on her knife was tight and ready to attack back at any second. The teen would not be given a chance to retaliate if he decided to betray Maria''s goodwill.

    "Well, let me start.

    ''I vow to not betray the Oracle''s trust today as long as she doesn''t let me out of her sight. Let the vow be binding''

    And that should do it for now" Maria felt the power in the vow flow through her but she did not miss the clever usage of words. The kid had as good as made it known that letting him out of the sight would be a bad call.

    The innocent grin of the teen did not feel reassuring. She should have known that Nao''s feelings about such things were generally right on the mark.

 Chapter 68 67: I Lost Him. Again

    "Come on. You have to try this. There is no better tasting food than the ones that were obtained freely. Here, have a bite" Maria tried to refuse the apple being given to her on principle. It was something she had not paid for and should have no right to be epted. If she did, then she would be bing an aplice to the crime.

    But her mind reminded Maria that she had already stolen a knife and her stomach reminded Maria that it existed as well. Maria felt the pain from hunger pangs assault her and she quietly epted the offering.

    And as much as she hated her actions, the apple did taste sweeter than normal apples. Her hunger highlighted even the slightest taste of the apple and Maria found herself devouring it.

    She was so busy enjoying the fruit and that was what lost track of the kid. She looked around for him once she finished, only to find him gone.

    Her heart stopped for a second as soon as the fact registered in her mind. How could she have been that careless? To lose the kid because of her carelessness was not something Maria had thought she would have to consider.

    Thankfully, Maria had enough foresight to have bugged the kid before she left. This fact just slipped her mind as she panicked at not finding the kid in front of her. She tracked the kid down, right into another antique shop.

    She could see the kid moving around and observing and was sure that he was swiping things left and right from the collection. However, he was so clean at it that Maria was not able to see how despite her observation.

    "Can I help you, ma''am?" The shopkeeper''s voice came from behind Maria and it startled her enough to let out a sound. And it also caused the kid to look right in her direction.

    The annoyance had spotted Maria and seemed to be giving her a cheeky wave in return. Maria could not help but feel her blood boil at the cheeky action.

    "Ma''am?" The shopkeeper asked again but with a hesitant tone. He had caught on to Maria''s bad mood as well but he likely felt confused about the issue.

    That was unless he was not following Maria''s line of sight and could not see the kid in front of them.

    "I''m just here to retrieve my ''younger brother''. The endearment felt forced and Maria felt odd forcing it out as well. She never had a sibling before, nor someone else to call by a title but she had heard how it felt to have one.

    And if having a sibling was half as annoying as Maria felt at that moment then she was d she never had any, to begin with. Not that she wished no one to have one. She just didn''t think she would adjust to one well enough thiste in life.

    "Sister. Are you here to pick me up? Look at what I found. Can we buy it?" Alester asked with a mischievous look in his eyes. His hands held an entirely useless but pretty pendant. Maria could not feel any magic from it which just made her opinion of the pendant much worse.

    She could also see the confused, yet the gleaming face of the shopkeeper looking from her to the teen and then back to her. Her eyes sparkled at seeing an opportunity in front of her and Maria had a feeling that she was about to offer her input at any time.

    Maria tried to stall her out by giving out an uninterested look. Would the shopkeeper go away if it looked like Maria was not going to buy the pendant?<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s an excellent choice for a young master. Why do you ask? It''s because of the magical properties this pendent has. Word has it, it can grant eternal life and youth to the wearer. And also - hey, where are you going?" The shopkeeper boasted about the pendent, unaware that his targets could sense magic.

    And apparently, that had been thest straw. Maria had not even expected him to react, much less to leave the shop over this. But there seemed to be something that had struck the teen as wrong and it seemed to be enough to make him leave the store.

    "On second thought, I don''t think I like that pendant anymore. You can keep itdy and next time, don''t lie to the customers like that. Someone might be desperate enough to buy it" the shopkeeper frowned at the attitude but she had no face left after being called out.

    Maria tried not to look at the embarrasseddy but it was tough to break the habit. The poor thing looked used to such confrontations.

    "We all have such days. Would ''you'' like to buy something?" The shopkeeper asked with a tired but practiced smile and Maria''s heart went out to her.

    She had not deserved such treatment.

    "Sorry but my brother has our money. Our parents are conservatives'''' Maria felt bad to be using such an old-fashioned excuse. She was not hinting at a gender thing but rather a status thing.

    Since both she and the teen looked so different there were only a fewmon denominators to be drawn and the mostmon one in the noble family of a second marriage.

    ¡°My condolences. It looks like one cannot run away from things guing them even if they have money to meet their needs¡± and the sad thing was, the shopkeeper did look sorry for Maria. There was sadness and pity in her eyes that made Maria¡¯s face break out into goosebumps.

    Since she had no such sob story, her consciousness could not help but feel guilty at the reaction she got.

    ¡°Yeah, a pity. And also, I should be going. I was not supposed to let my brother out of my sight¡± Maria suddenly remembered and she dashed out after the kid.

    The teen had dupped Maria not once but twice now. Why had she decided to trust him? What if he was trying to trick her all along as she had feared.

    ¡°YOU. STAY PUT!¡± Maria grabbed the teen by the arm as soon as she saw him on the street. It was then, that she saw a startled expression for the first time on the teen¡¯s face. He looked shocked to have been grabbed like that.

    ¡°Stop disappearing on me like that. Just what were you trying to pull here?¡± Maria asked as she watched the teen recover from the near fright she had just given him. It served him right for trying to trick Maria and then disappearing on her like that.

 Chapter 69 68: What Is Your Agenda?

    ¡°Stop disappearing on me like that. Just what were you trying to pull here?¡± Maria asked, a little too loudly. It caused several curious heads to turn toward the pair.

    "Nothing sis. Just a little fun. It''s not my fault that you cannot keep up with me in your old age" the teen teaser and his words drew chuckles from the passersby. But it also diluted any thought of interest they might have had in the pair.

    After all, it was just a sibling pair fighting with each other. There was no real reason to pay attention to them. And that was the only reason Maria did not tell the kid off for insulting her.

    "Don''t get your panties in a twist. I promised not to expose you and I didn''t. Here, we''ve reached the bus terminal you wanted to take toward the Grand Canyon'''' Alester replied with a soft smile. It looked almost like a genuine smile on the teen''s face but it still made Maria suspicious of him.

    And also, how had the kid guessed their next move? The trio had been careful not to talk about their destination with anyone outside the group.

    "You! How did you figure it out? Our next destination" the teen looked confused at the question for a few seconds before understanding shed in his eyes. The teen straightened his back at her harsh tone.

    "I guessed based on the hints you dropped. And Oh look, it''s your friends and they are together. Do you think they ditched you to have their date?" Alester asked as he pointed in a random direction.

    Maria knew it was a ploy to divert her attention away from the main problem but she could not help but fall for it anyway. She was curious about Alester''s words and their validity.

    And much to her surprise, the teen was right in that regard. Maria could see her two friends together in the distance having a rxing conversation without her. They had never looked that rxed with Maria around and it made her feel annoyed to see them interact.

    "Yeah, they are together but there could be a number of reasons for this-" Maria made the excuse, only to find Alester gone. He had disappeared in thin air and had even left behind Maria''s teacher in his original ce.

    No matter how she tried to trace him, there was nothing for her to be able to do. She had been sessfully tricked by Alester.

    "Maria. You finally arrived. Let''s go. The bus is about to start and they are starting to make identity checks. We need you there" Suna came over as soon as she spotted Maria. Nao followed at a more sedate pace but there was guilt in her eyes.

    Maybe they had tricked Maria into leaving them alone for their date. Maria would have been a thorn in their side if she had been present. Besides, Maria herself would not want to be a third wheel anyway.

    It would have been a doomed date from the get-go.

    "Let''s go. I will tell you something important once we leave. I no longer feel safe in this city" Mariained as she dragged the other two toward the exit line.

    In retrospect, she should have told the other two about Alester and how much he knew about their party. He was a threat they needed to take care of. But it would take time which they did not have. They could not stay behind on Chariot hill.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria quickly passes their falsified papers to the checker, her heart skipping a beat when the checker looked at them with suspicious eyes. Her system had assured Maria that it had been through in ensuring their safety but Maria couldn''t help but still feel worried.

    "Are you really serious? I didn''t think anyone would take the bait. But I guess those who have money cannot bother to check the price tag" the checkermented in awe as he gave Maria their identity papers back. There was a surprise in his gaze but also suspicion.

    Maria could not help but feel yed by her system. It had assured that there would be no questions asked but that had not meant that the system was at liberty to do what it wanted to. And it seemed as if it had done something unnecessary once again.

    "Wee to the Chariot travel''s VIP section. I hope you enjoy your trip with us. It did cost you a fortune after all" the checker called as the trio exited the room.

    The trio had a priceless look on their faces. It was beyond shocking and ufortable. But there was excitement to be had.

    "VIP? What happened to keep a low profile? We''ll be found out at this rate" Nao asked as soon as they entered their cabin. The bus had a separate section for them and they were the only ones here.

    It was a cozy andfortable room, lined with pillows and cushions. You couldn''t even feel the bus''s movement in such afortable condition.

    And as the bus left the station, Alester watched from the top of the apartmentplex. He had a self-satisfied look on his face that resembled a cat that got the canary.

    "You sure seem happy to see them go. l and not report it in? And also, will it really be alright though? I''ve heard about that group and their VIP section''s curse. But then again, they did choose to travel in the regr section" the shadows at Alester''s feet converged to form a familiar goat demon.

    "What? You are still here? I thought you would have gone back to report my inefficiency by now" Aleater asked with a mocking tone. There was ack of contentment as well.

    The demon remained unphased at the hostel look he was getting. He was used to these mood swings from Alester after all these years.

    "I decided to stay back and apany you. I don''t want to tell the master the news when you can do it yourself" the goat demon replied back. Over the years he had learned not to report Aleater''s on-the-spot ideas because it generally ended up as trouble for him as well.

    By experience, the goat demon knew that it would be better for everyone involved to allow Alester to make the report. He had a real talent of being able to sway any conversation in his favor if he wanted to.

    "Alester, what did you do?" The goat demon asked as he observed the teen''s unusual interest in the vehicle driving away.

    "Me, I did nothing except upgrading their travel package to VIP. Isn''t it a wonderful gift?" The teen asked as the trio departed further and further away, unaware of the danger they had been put into.

 Chapter 70 69: Left Alone

    "He knew and you let him go? Just how careless can you be Maria?" Maria froze as Nao''s face twisted into an angry expression.

    Maria had finally gained enough rest to finally face Nao and her iing anger. The demoness would be angry and she would bitch about it to Maria. There was no avoiding this oue.

    "So, how long is she going to go on for? I think she''s been scolding you for a good hour now" Suna asked as she quietly made her way behind Maria. She had been left off rtively untouched by Nao''s anger since she had yed no part in this but she had to endure the yelling as well.

    Not that Nao yelled. She never truly did raise her voice throughout the scolding but her tone made it seem like she was scolding Maria.

    "Yes, I got it but it''s done and over with. Unless you have a way to convince the driver to rotate the bus around, we have no choice but to go with the flow. And there is also no guarantee that Alester would be in Chariot hill anymore" Maria allowed Nao to finish herining before dealing the finishing blow.

    In fact, these were all the facts Nao knew herself. She had just beenining about the sake ofining and getting her irritation out. Nao would think much more clearly once she had calmed down.

    "I know we cannot do anything about it now. But next time tell me these things in advance" it was ironic how Nao already knew there was going to be the next time for them. And the worst thing was, Maria had a feeling there will be many next times after this.

    She was about to reply back when she felt their cabin stop moving. It was an abrupt moment and caused Maria to crash into Nao''s blossom. Suna also let out a muffled yelp at the sudden jerk of their cabin.

    "What happened? Isn''t this too soon to have reached the Grand Canyon? It''s not even been a day yet" Suna asked as she picked herself up from the floor. Maria took a considerably longer time. The soft feeling below her hands felt good and Maria just needed a few more seconds to gather herself.

    "Are you done feeling me up yet? I would like to check up on things outside" Nao sounded amused as she spoke those words. Maria bolted away with a ming face and could not help but feel disappointed at the missed opportunity.

    But she was curious as well. She wanted to know more about why they had stopped moving ahead. This should have been an uninterrupted journey with food being provided to them in their cabin. There was really no need to stop.

    It was dark outside when Maria opened the cabin. The bus had been designed in such a way that it was made up of different cabin segments and they were all interconnected by maic forces in between. It was not unlike a train in that regard but on a smaller scale.

    Maria forced her to take amunicator before she left the cabin. Maria felt her paranoia rise up the longer she looked out. The darkness did not feel like a shadow trap but it still left her with a bad taste in her mouth.

    "It''s safe toe out here. There is no one outside and I mean that quite literally" the duo inside the cabin did not hesitate toe out at Nao''s words. The sun had already set and the air was beginning to get chilly.

    The temperature had already dropped quite a few degrees which were unusual for this time of the summer. Maria also felt exhaustion starting to creep up on her and her body had needs that shed against itself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Where did the tour guide and the other crew go? Did we get ditched?" Suna sounded annoyed and rightfully so. They had essentially been left behind despite being a registered party member of the traveling party. And this did not seem like an oversight. It was quite maliciously done.

    "Did they find out who we were? I made sure our identities were wless but I won''t be of any use if they recognized our looks. It won''t be much of a stretch if they did" After all Alester had recognized Maria.

    It would not be out of the realm of possibilities for one of the other passengers to have recognized Maria''s face and decided to rat her out to the others.

    "I don''t think it''s about that. If that were to be the case, then they would have never allowed us to leave or even-handed us to the royal guards with their own hands. Besides, the air smells rather sweet here" Nao observed. Maria tried to take a sniff of the sweet smell as well but she could smell something spicy instead of sweet.

    This difference in experience could not be anything other than a magical interference. Maria was sure she had heard about it before but something felt hot to her.

    "Shit. Maria, cover your face and don''t breathe in. We need to find water and fast" Suna cursed and Maria felt her attention divert to that mouth. Her body gave a painful tug and forced Maria to move a few steps toward Suna.

    Nao and Suna looked rtively unharmed but Maria could not help but feel like boiling. The feeling was familiar to her but her mind felt nk at the moment. It was overwhelming for her.

    ¡°Nao, scout out a source of water. I¡¯ll stay with Maria to make sure she doesn¡¯t breathe any more unnecessary pollen from the air. It¡¯s affecting her human side¡± Suna yelled and Maria instinctively felt herself react to that voice.

    Her body could recognize a familiar heat source near itself and it made it far easier to navigate toward it. She felt her throat be dry from the heat around it and also felt something blocking her air passage.

    Maria choked at empty air, feeling her lungs converge with the foreign entity inside them. It felt like something was poking her in the chest and it caused her to fall to her knees.

    ¡°Shit. It has started to spread. There is no time for us to wait for Noa¡± Maria felt Suna¡¯s hands on her and instantly felt her body being picked up.

    Her heat subsided but it came back with a vengeance the next second as Maria felt her lungs expand and copse painfully. She held onto Suna for dear life before she felt coldness fill her up.

    Maria took a deep breath and instantly felt water enter her mouth. Strangely enough, she did not choke but took a deep breath instead.

    [It''s the funny number]

 Chapter 71 70: The Curse Of The Fish - Part 1

    ¡°You found the river? I was justing back to inform you of its location¡± Suna seriously did not jump as she heard the voice from behind. She had not been taken off guard and if anyone tried to tell you otherwise, then they would be lying.

    ¡°Yeah. We could not wait around any longer for you to return. Maria should be resurfacing any second now¡± Suna did her best not to look at Nao. She felt her face me every time she looked at the female.

    Suna knew she had a crush on Maria, but she had no idea how she felt about Nao. Did she like her? Was it something more? Something deeper? The answer terrified Suna.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. So, you recognized what is wrong around us, right? Can you share what you know?¡± Nao asked as worry shined in her eyes. Nao¡¯s gaze was fixed at the river in front of her where Mariay in waiting.

    Suna bit her lip as she tried to recall everything she knew about this situation. She was sure she had heard about something like this from an adventurer a long time ago and it had felt like a fairytale then.

    Suna was about to tell Nao the story she had heard from a passerby when something broke the surface of the water. A pair of webbed hands grabbed onto Suna¡¯s leg and she felt her bnce get disturbed.

    ¡°Lookout¡± Nao called out as she started charging her magic. It shined brightly and the light of the spell reflected itself onto the water. The thing grabbing Suna quickly let her go and ducked back into the water.

    It all happened within the frame of a few seconds and left Suna with a dazed mind. However, Suna knew she needed to clear this misunderstanding before Nao made a move she would regret.

    ¡°Nao, no wait. It¡¯s Maria. Don¡¯t hit the oracle¡± Suna positioned herself between Nao and Maria to deflect the weapon Nao had been wielding. The shock of the discovery also made Nao lose her grip on her weapon and it was easily dragged out of her hand.

    Maria also floated up toward the surface of the river and now supported a pair of webbed hands and scales on her face. Her bunny ears were still on her head and looked weird with the whole new look she supported.

    ¡°I can breathe underwater. What the heck happened?¡± Maria asked with an excited voice. She seemed pretty happy with the oue and Suna could not help but feel bad for her.

    It was not Maria¡¯s fault that she was half-human and had ended up in such an awkward situation. In fact, she was extremely lucky to have ended up in the best-case scenario for herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s a transferable curse but it only affects humans. I heard about it from one of the passing-by travelers. They told me that there was a forest that curses humans that stepped foot in it but there was a huge reward if they managed to clear it up. The curse takes the form of a smell you particrly like and if you smell it, you will change and gain unimaginable powers in exchange for the curse. I just never thought it changed them in this way¡± Suna exined. The traveler had told her this along with several other humans.

    Now that she thought about it, there had been something fishy about that traveler and his way of speaking. It had seemed like he had been dragging his words out of his throat and it had seemed parched as well.

    ¡°Curse or not, we cannot stay here. Maria,e out here this instant¡± Nao called and Maria tried toply. She tried to drag her body up but it seemed to be unsessful.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t pull my tail up the river since it¡¯s heavy¡± Maraiined and Suna felt her mouth open with surprise. Her what felt heavy?

    ¡°Your tail?¡± Nao asked, repeating those words to confirm them. Suna tried to word them as well but they felt heavy in her mouth.

    Maria dived back into the water and resurfaced a small distance away. And then she pulled up a bluish-pink tail up from the water and opened her hands in a ¡®here it is¡¯ fashion.

    ¡°Look and behold, I now have a fishtail. I guess that makes me a mermaid¡± Maria called back with a cheerful voice. At least someone¡¯s spirit was up even with this terrible news on the way.

    Suna could not help but feel her face pale at the news. Maria might not have realized what kind of danger she was in but both Suna and Nao seemed to have a terrified look on their face.

    Suna could even see Nao gulp her fear down as she took in a deep breath.

    ¡°Maria, I don¡¯t think you realize how grave your situation is. You are a Siren, not a mermaid since you have fins on your ears. And Sirens die when they are away from water for more than a few days. We can¡¯t make the journey ahead with you as this¡± Nao reminded but Maria seemed unaffected by the urgency.

    In fact, she seemed rxed and carefree as she swam around in circles around her original position. Suna could feel the magic swirl around Maria and it was actively interacting with her.

    ¡°It¡¯s the magic. It won¡¯t allow her to listen to us about this topic. We need to find the source of this curse before we can free her¡± Suna exined as she observed more and more of Maria¡¯s behavior.

    None of it seemed like it was done consciously. The curse also behaved in weird ways and had never been observed by Suna. She could only make guesses about what she had seen or felt when she looked at Maria.

    ¡°We can try but where do we even start? The only one of us who has a sixth sense for these kinds of situations is cursed¡± Nao pointed out and Suna felt herself being stumped at the reminder.

    She had forgotten that. But they had to try it out anyway since they owned it to Maria. And maybe, just maybe, they could get Maria to co-operate as well.

    ¡°Maria, can you sense the source magic of your curse? Or any kind of tugging feeling?¡± Suna asked, being careful of her words. She had no idea how Maria was feeling, nor how she would react.

    Maria swam anotherp, likely pretending not to notice them but then Suna felt something in the magic around them change. She looked up as the bright moon rose about the canopy and suddenly, the magic around them quitened and Maria groaned out in pain.

 Chapter 72 The Curse Of The Fish - Part 2

    The water felt good against Maria''s parched throat. It slid in easily and the filled passage of her throat opened up to let the water in. It brought a sigh of relief to Maria as she felt oxygen fill up her throat.

    It should have been weird to feel rxed by being able to breathe in the water, but somehow it felt right. Everything around Maria slid into ce as soon as she had touched the water.

    Her body was changing but Maria''s brain felt detached from the motion her body was going through. It felt like her limbs were changing shape and Maria could no longer feel her legs.

    She waited for the rm toe and force Maria to realize the danger she was in. She also waited for Nao or Suna to pull her up but nothing happened. The change took ce and so did the weird magic.

    Did Maria say that she felt drunk? It was some high-level drug shit as well and Maria would know. Her treatment before death had some of the heaviest drugs involved that either left her too tired or too high.

    Maria tried to move in the water but it was impossible without legs. Her arms moved but her lower leg mobility was as good as gone.

    "Maria,e out here this instant" Nao''s voice traveled through the water and Maria felt herself obey without any thought. Her mind was too busy to make something out of the floaty feeling she had found itself in.

    Maria felt a tugging motion and her attention was diverted toward the new sensation.

    [Warning: Soul intruder detected. Initiating protocol cleaning in next 5 minutes]

    The shadow behind Maria''s mind morphed into a male shape with a scaly face and webbed hands. Maria vaguely recognized it as a fish demon of some kind and the shadow lunged ahead to grab Maria.

    Maria propelled her tail by instinct and tried to get away from the shape. She needed to find the surface. Maybe climbing outside the water would help. Her hand reached out to get a hold of something and drag her body out.

    "I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t pull my tail up the river since it¡¯s heavy" Maria cried out but her voice refused to cooperate with her mood. The shadow had a grip on her tail and it dragged her back inside.

    Maria swipedzily with her ws at the shadow figure and felt it recoil in fear and surprise. Maria took this time to swim up again to the surface.

    ¡°Look and behold, I now have a fishtail. I guess that makes me a mermaid¡± Terror filled Maria''s being as the shadow advanced on her but oddly enough, Maria''s voice was cheerful andcked any urgency. Maria hated magic officially now.

    The shadow figure followed but Maria could not see any surprise on her friend''s face. Did they not see the abomination right in front of them? Or was Maria going mad?

    [Preparationsplete. Getting ready for a soul purge] Maria felt her magicsh out at the figure and it let out an anguished cry of pain. Maria just knew that the monster''s soul no longer existed.

    ''Did that thing try to take over me?'' Maria asked as she felt the magic''s hold on her body lessen every second.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [Congrattions user for breaking the first part of the curse. To break the second part of the curse, kindly head to the curse core and destroy it]

    Maria felt her headache and then threatened to slip in half as magic assaulted her senses. It was bad enough to make her cry out in pain. Now that the influence of magic was gone, Maria felt her energy being drained away by something.

    The feeling felt like her chains when they decided to swipe Maria''s life force in exchange for a lot of power. The sensation sent a jolt of fear and heat through Maria''s body. The same kind she knew and had felt at the start of her curse.

    "Maria, is everything ok?" Suna''s voice sounded worried but Maria was in no condition to pay attention. All her mind sought was a relief and cool water to wash away her aches. She wanted to bask in the coolness of the water for a little longer.

    "I-It''s the curse. T-Taking away life f-force" Maria ducked her head out of the water and groaned as the moonlight hit her. She found herself between a rock and a hard ce.

    "Shit! Fuck! Crap! Nao gives me a cloak and be quick. We cannot let Maria be exposed to the moonlight. It can cause her to go in heat" it can what now?

    Seriously, did everything in this world have to turn erotic? Could it not allow Maria to have a single week without throwing such things her way? Just one week? Maria was not asking for much.

    "Here. I saw a small cave nearby. Let''s head there for now. Maria, can you swim, or do we need to carry you?" Nao asked and Maria tried hard to answer. But words failed her and her mouth went dry.

    Maria tried to move her tail but it only sshed around uselessly. The slit on her tail was also wet and leaking sticky juices. It felt different than humans and much more vicious.

    The fact that Maria could feel it despite all the water surrounding her spoke volumes for the kind of situation she was in. Also, how did sex even work with someone having a fishtail? Was it normal or did it involve anything special?

    "She''s agitated and likely notpletely out of the curse''s influence. Suna, bind her up with a rope and gets ready to drag her. I will stay on guard and scout the root ahead" Suna did not argue with Nao over the topic since she was already trying to pick Maria up.

    But the added weight of the tail made her heavier and left Suna without a way to defend herself. Maria also cried out in pain every time she was dragged out of the water. It made it far more difficult to be able to handle her.

    They somehow managed to drag Maria into the small cave Nao led them to. It had a small opening on the top to let the moonlight in and the river flowed directly into the small pond in the middle.

    They deposited Maria into that pond and temporarily decided to seal the pond''s connection with the river.

    "So, do we need to help her out? She would die without life essence in her" Suna tried to not sound eager but she was. Thest experience she had with the pair had left her wanting so she could not help but want more

    "No other choice" Nao replied as she cast a spell. Hopefully, they would not be interrupted for some time.

 Chapter 73 72: Sirens Instincts

    "No other choice" Nao replied as she cast a spell. Hopefully, they would not be interrupted for some time. Maria was not still in that time either as her hands moved around on her tail to seek the source of all irritation.

    Unlike a human, where their pussy was visible, the fishtail had no such convention. One had to touch to find the opening and open it manually. That was what Maria¡¯s instincts were telling her to do.

    ¡°Suna, don¡¯t let Maria¡¯s fingers inside her. Her hands are es right now and it would only hurt her¡± Nao called out as he felt her wetness escape outside of her pussy. Her cock also decided to show interest in the erotic sight in front of her.

    There had to be some kind of phenomenon involved with this whole deal that must be affecting her and Suna since she could see Suna struggle with control as well. However, the other demoness decided to be extremely gentle as she ran her hand up Maria¡¯s tail.

    ¡°She is not co-operating. I can¡¯t get her to move her hands¡± Suna replied with a struggling tone. Nao could see Maria struggling to get her hands back on her tail. Since Suna was not actively touching Maria at her wetness, the irritation must be getting to her.

    After all, Serins were a female-only species in body and could appear as a full-odd female or a futa depending on the preference. Unlike most demons, they could also shift between forms. A rarity among demonic species since most of them.

    ¡°Let me handle it. You still have the rope I gave you to drag her here?¡± Suna¡¯s mouth went dry at the question but she nodded and passed the rope to Nao. There was an excited gleam in Suna¡¯s eyes.

    Maria was unaware of everything around her except the hands keeping her from moving. They were familiar but they also made her want tosh out at the owner for restraining her freedom.

    Maria exerted more power and even thrashed her tail but it all was for nothing. The grip on her tail or hands did not loosen but the voice sounded excited. Suna¡¯s other free hand moved down Maria¡¯s body and passed over her wet slit.

    It instantly drove Maria mad with want and heat. She had not realized how sensitive her tail had been till that happened. Her voice also drew the other two¡¯s attention toward her and Nao¡¯s face entered into focus.

    ¡°Maira, I¡¯ll be binding your hands so that you don¡¯t identally hurt us. It will be painless so Don¡¯t struggle much¡± Nao asked and Maria barely felt herself nod before she had something restricting her.

    She tried to struggle but it was for naught. The binds were likely magical and made Maria feel helpless.

    Nao¡¯s hand moved all over her tail a few times before stopping right over her hidden pussy. There was a light pressure and Maria felt like those fingers would not be able to enter her.

    But then Nao sank one finger in and Maria felt her tightness mp down on Nao¡¯s finger. Maria could feel Nao trying to move her finger but the motion was small and difficult to make.

    ¡°Suna, it¡¯s not working. She¡¯s too wounded up for me to loosen properly. Distract her¡± Nao¡¯s words made their way to Maria¡¯s ears faintly before she had a mouth on her own and a tongue trying to such her soul out.

    The kiss had been so unexpected that it caused Maria to freak out and her body loosened its hold on Nao¡¯s finger. It allowed Nao to sink it all the way in and then add another as well.

    ¡°The inside feels different on my finger but hopefully it will still ept the sealed essence. But we should also be through. Just to be sure¡± Maria did not care what they did as long as they satisfied her want.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Nao did not waste any time sinking the egg-shaped essence in Maria but it was not enough. It helped with the lifeforce but not the heat. Her instincts carved something hot and hard ramming into her and Maria cupped Sun¡¯a hardness that was within her reach

    The girl on top of her instantly copsed as Maria milked her with her hands. The cock was hard and leaking. It felt so good and Maria tried to get Suna to move over her tail and fuck her.

    But Suna released before her body fell on top of Maria¡¯s. The poor half-human could not even move now and she was the true definition of helplessness. All she could now do was shoot pleading looks at Nao.

    ¡°Oh, so you want my help? Want me to fuck you hard and fast in this form since you look like you can take it?¡± Noa asked, her tone borderline mean and Maria felt her mouth salivate and her eyes beg for the same.

    She could not help her reaction since this body was what dictated her. Nao also looked like she was about to be mean and evil to her but she decided to honor Maria¡¯s request at thest second.

    Her penis felt so good in Maria¡¯s slit and it caused fireworks to explode behind Maria¡¯s eyes. Normal sex was amazing but this was something different. This was mating at its finest and made Maria see stars.

    ¡®Too bad Nao cannot knot me and mark me to ensure a pregnancy¡¯ The thought was sudden and brought a whole wave of arousal to Maria. Her rational brain felt horrified and d at the same time.

    There was no danger of Maria falling pregnant as long as she was in her right mind but her new body had instincts that made her want to be careful. It was also nking at the mind-blowing pleasure Nao was giving her.

    And Maria felt herselfe apart, her body going tense and releasing just as Nao came as well.

    ¡°N-Nao. A-Amazing. I-I¡¯ming¡± Maria thought she saw a golden glow in front of her as her waist bent to almost 90 degrees in the water. Her release had been so strong that it left her seeing unnecessary things.

    The golden light should be fading soon and so would the overwhelming feeling.

    But no matter how Maria looked at it, the golden glow seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. Theck of pleasure also puzzled Maria since she thought the golden light had been a by-product of her imagination.

    So she waited and the glow did not go away.

    ¡°Nao, Suna, look down at the deeper side. Can you see the golden light as well?¡± Maria asked her twopanions who seemed to still be recovering.

    ¡°Well fuck us¡± Suna cried out in surprise as she looked down. The water was glowing gold at the deeper end of the pool.

 Chapter 74 73: Looking For A Way Down

    The golden glow of something warm was magical in nature. That much Maria could say with certainty. She had tried to reach for it with her senses but had been blocked. This meant that she had to make the journey down without any help from her magic.

    And she had tried again and again to reach the bottom, only to fail every time. It was getting on her nerves and made her irritated but at least she had made progress.

    "Can you see anything in the depths? The source of the glow?" Maria tried to swim deeper but the force of the blow from beneath made it impossible to swim against it. It also swiped away any magic Maria tried to build up against her.

    She swam back up as soon as it looked like this was another failed attempt. And she had tried hard to make it past the current this time. She was sure she had seen a small cave with natural light shining from behind the hot currents.

    "It''s still there deep down. The current is still pushing me up which makes it near impossible to reach" Mariained as she broke the surface. Her face was flushed with heat and red with exhaustion.

    ? In simpler words, she was a mess and maybe should also consider getting rid of her long hair. They were a hindrance more than a help to her.

    "Nao, hand me a knife," Maria asks, knowing that her friend carried a sharp one with her. Maria only had a dull decorative de with her that she had stolen and she was pretty sure it would not work for what she was about to do.

    Nao handed it to her without any words. She seems to be lost deep in thoughts and Suna was not around as well. Maria took this time to gather all the courage she had and clipped off her long hair.

    "Hey, I''m back and I brought us something to look, at, and JUST WHAT ARE YOU DOING" Maria cursed as she cut off the wrong section of her hair. It caused her previously even hair to go all over the ce while her hand still help her previous mane.

    Suna''s words caused enoughmotion for Nao toe over as well and wasn''t that an amusing face? That look of horror.

    "Maria, what did you do? They were such a beautiful thing as well. So well cared for and everything" Nao looked more devastated by the state Maria''s hair was in than Maria herself.

    Suna looked disturbed to see such an obvious show of emotions on the usually calm and collected Nao''s face and even Maria understood why she felt like that. Nao had been Maria''s primary caretaker and as such, she had certain responsibilities to look after.

    One of them had been to ensure that Maria never looked anything but her best. And to see Maria doing something to harm her hair which Nao had tried so hard to care for was a disappointment for her.

    "Nao, get yourself together. My hair was bound to be a sacrifice sooner orter. You don''t need to feel responsible for it" Maria consoled, trying to make Nao feel better. Maybe she should have waited around to cutting them.

    "Give them to me. I''ll keep it safe with me since you were about to wash them off with water anyway" Nao ask in a creepy voice and Maria hesitated to give her hair to Nao. There were far too many taboo magic practices involving DNA to make Maria feelfortable with handing her hair to Nao.

    She quickly decided that ''no, she could not hand such power into Nao''s hands.''

    "On second thought I think I will keep them on me. For security reasons and all" Maria took a fewps back before the hair in her hand disappeared in her inventory.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Nao looked like she was seeing her worst nightmaree to life as she took in Maria''s new looks. Suna was the one who took mercy on the pair and held her hand out.

    "Give me the knife or a pair of scissors, if you have one. I''ll try to even your hair out but no promise. It''s best to get it done processionally if you have time to" Suna rmended but it was not easy to follow.

    They seemed to never have time for it, nor the funds to get it done professionally. And then there was also the problem of Maria being the oracle and easy to get recognized. It would be much better once Maria had a disguise in ce.

    Suna chopped off Maria''s excess hair snd every swipe dragged out a pain-filled led groan out of Nao. She sounded like she was being tortured which was a little funny for her tough-girl image.

    And Suna seemed to think so as well since she look longer than necessary to even Maria''s hair.

    "Suna, you took a look around this cave, right? Did you see any opening that might be headed downwards?" Maria asked.

    She had seen a small opening below the hot currents so there had to be an outside entrance as well. There was natural lighting out of the opening which indicated the existence of another passage.

    Besides, the cement of that glow long with their group''s sudden trip here felt like it had been nned by someone. The golden glow had not emerged until Maria had let herself go and released into the water her essence.

    Did it have something to do with her as an Oracle? Or perhaps because of her father''s blood? Both were likely options since they both held strong origins.

    "An opening headed downwards? I don''t think I encountered any inside here. I can try looking around again outside the cave after lunch" Suna proposed and the deal was done.

    Maria decided to have another look downwards before deciding to check the river for any possible entrance. It could be underwater but near enough to make sunlight pass through.

    However, there should be a hint somewhere Maria might be missing here. She felt like she had the answer right on top of her tip.

    "You said the cave had natural light being filtered through? Won''t it make more sense for its other part to be right on the other side? Light cannot bend that far without magic, right?" Nao asked and it finally clicked.

    "Nao, you are right. How did I miss that crucial part?" Maria felt like a failure. Really, how had she missed that? That should have been the obvious oue.

    Of course, the opening had to be a direct line.

 Chapter 75 74: The Figure In Water

    Once they had a direction, it was not difficult to look around for the opening down the water. Nao only needed vague directions before she scouted out the most likely area.

    However, when they went to look at the situation, it turned out not to be ideal for them. The hole was only big enough for one of them to enter at a time and Maria could even spot dangerous animals on the other side.

    "The fishes look like they have mutated. They will attack the first one that goes in. What should we do?" Suna asked as she bit her lower lip in worry. The fishes were an unknown variable.

    "There is no other way for us to reach the golden glow but to swim down. We just need to be careful" Maria ducked her head in the hole to check and instantly recoiled at the powerful magic being emitted from it.

    Magical involvement should have been their first guess at seeing the hole since it had no watering out of it despite its other opening facing the water. The spell also looked recent, not having any residual escapinging from it.

    "Someone was recently here. The magic is too fresh to havested otherwise" Nao had the same observation as Maria which made it all the more suspicious for Maria''s taste.

    "Look at those marks. Someone tried to dig around the hole but was unsessful. Did they not try to enter it? Or was there another reason they tried to make it bigger?" Suna was right in that regard as well.

    The scratch marks were too faded but they were still there. And seeing as their surroundings were made up of the soft ground, not hard rocks, the retainment of those marks just highlighted their freshness.

    "Do you think there is someone else out here trying to get down there as well?" Noa asked doubtfully. Her doubt was legit as well since the glow had not been there before yesterday.

    Or they had assumed that it had not been before yesterday. However, there was ack of information surrounding this forest and its mysteries.

    "We should wait around and observe more. The deeper I get into the mysteries of this ce, the more unsettled I feel. I would have suggested for us to leave this ce if only Maria was not in such a situation" Nao sounded unsettled with the ce and her face looked paler than before.

    Maria decided to not inform anyone of the nagging feeling she had been having this whole time. Ever since she had forced her head into the hole, she could not help but feel a tug to go toward it.

    But it was only a minor tug on Maria''s human side. Most of her were under control and allowed Maria to walk away from the hole. But it also gave her a vague idea of what the marks could be about.

    "One of us should keep watch while the others try and find any of the other possible openings. Any volunteers for the first watch?" Maria asked and instantly got Suna to volunteer herself.

    The poor girl had been tasked with helping Maria out of the water which was no easy task, even with magically enhanced strength. Her muscles must be protesting the heavy strain being put on them by such activity.

    "Make sure to call us back as soon as you see something down there. And be in touch all the time" Nao''s advice was almost an order at this point. The other two knew better than to go against her wishes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria zoomed through the water and felt it against her tail''s exposed skin. It felt good, right even to be out here but her rational mind could not find it all to be disturbing. It was used to having a functional pair of legs and made Maria feel awkward using her tail.

    The speed to travel on the water was nice but it was not worth the pay-off Maria had to make for it. Even if the sensitivity of it made Maria notice the intruder near her water.

    Her instincts yelled at Maria to defend her newfound territory and not let the enemy take it from her. She needed to maintain this ce for longer under hermand to be able to hunt for food. She could not allow her and her shoal to go hungry just because her territory had been taken away.

    And as soon as those thoughts registered in Maria''s mind, she felt herself being taken aback. That allowed the shadow in front of her to be able to close the distance between them and try shing at Maria''s throat.

    "Hey, I''m not an enemy. I''ll leave if you want me to" Maria''s instincts protested against this idea. They wanted her to stay back and keep an eye on the enemy, to not give up her fishing grounds.

    But Maria was more than her instincts. And she could see the other hesitating at seeing Maria''s actions. Her tail sshed in water to show her hesitation and her mouth opened and closed like a fish. Had Meally surprised her with her words to the point of speechlessness?

    But then those eyes narrowed as they red Maria down and ns shed behind the unknown Siren''s eyes.

    "Your words won''t fool me. It''s in our nature to defend a found territory to the death. I will not hand my territory over to you until that day I die" the Siren dered before she attacked Maria again.

    It was sad to say but it was the shortest fight of Maria''s life. The Siren was all fought with no tact and that allowed Maria to knock her out. In the end, Maria decided to drag her back to their group.

    Ther had no other lead and had seen no other people inside the forest. This Siren was their only lead in uncovering the dangers of this forest.

    Nao was already back with Suna when Maria reached the duo. The other two looked at her in worry and helped her bind the new Siren for safety reasons.

    "Was it wise to remove her from her territory? Won''t she be mad" Suna asked once the preparations to secure the Siren were done.

    "I don''t know but we should prepare for the worst-case scenario" Nao was tactical about the issue and her words sounded like she was speaking from experience.

    And then she froze up and her eyes narrowed as she took in the unconscious figure of the Siren. She gripped her knife tightly in her hand and motioned for the group to be ready.

    The Siren was awake and ready to attack them.

 Chapter 76 75: Unlikely Help

    The Siren was smart as she pretended to be asleep. She would have gotten away with it as well, had it not been for Nao and her paranoia of checking up on her prisoners.

    The Siren decided to go on the attack once she realized that her cover had been busted. She looked angry and her tail tried to make sshing sounds on the ground. And fortunately for her, the ropes binding the Siren were normal and gave way under her force.

    "My territory. I won''t hand it over to you" the Siren hissed out as she tried to crawl toward the river.

    No one tried to stop her either. They wanted to show their goodwill, not fight. Not that they had been doing a good job of it.

    "As I said, this territory is all yours. Suna, get me out of the water" Maria asked as the Siren hissed at them in a warning. Things were getting out of control for them.

    The Siren looked calmer once Maria was out of the water and it reached the safety of the wet element. There was suspicion in her eyes but curiosity as well. After all, the intruders had left her site without extra fuss.

    "If you don''t want my territory, then what do you want? I won''t allow you to do as you please" the Siren hissed with anger. She was riding high on instincts currently and Maria knew how dangerous that could be. Her mind asked her to attack back and im victory but she held it all back.

    Maria had her system as well as her demonic part to protect her. Also, she had never been possessed by the curse. The person in front of her had no such protection or advantage.

    "We just want information. I was cursed recently and wanted to know how to break it. Can you tell us about it?" Maria asked. The other Siren was calmer now. Their distance had helped the Siren feel secure.

    Maria could see the other thinking over her response. The Siren knew that she held the advantage there and likely wanted to ensure that she would not be disturbed.

    "Sure. I''ll help you out if you promise to keep away from my territory in the future" the Siren agreed and the trio agreed. There was no need for them to loiter around here anyway.

    "Well, there are only two ways to get out of this curse. Either find the Gem of Requiem which was inactive till yesterday. The other way is to transfer it to another human who enters this forest willingly" The Siren exined.

    It hit right on Maria''s theory about herself and the golden glow then. If it dide from the Gem of Requiem, then one of them had to have been the reason it went active.

    ? And who else could it be but Maria? It almost felt like fate.

    "Good luck in doing both though since you''ll need it. Mist of the other Sirens has been trying to get to the gem''s glow since yesterday through the avable opening" the Siren in front of them did not sound worried about the others or happenings.

    Hearing her, it was clear that the trio was on the right path toward their end goal. They could not drag a human here and risk leaving Maria alone, nor could they wait for a human to walk in here.

    There was no other choice but to go after the cure themselves. Anyone could be left behind as long as it was not Maria. The Oracle was needed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What about the tour troop that left us here? How are they mixed up in all this?" Nao asked as she remembered the uneasy smile of the checker and his weird question about the VIP package.

    That fucker had to have known what he was signing the trio up for but had decided not to say anything about it. He must have been in on the know.

    The Siren in front of them cracked augh so loud that it scared the trio. She looked genuinely amused and scared for the trio.

    "Y-You people fell for that scam? Have you not heard the rumors about their cursed VIP section? Or were you the brave type who thought they could solve this mystery?" The Siren asked with an amused voice.

    However, Maria could faintly hear the faint bitterness in her voice. Maybe this person was as much a victim of circumstances as the trio had been.

    "So, what''s the deal with them?" Maria asked, wanting to know more. Perhaps they could use the travelingpany to their advantage and get out of this forest.

    "Theye around once every two to three months to drop humans. The oldest ones get to exchange their curse with the humans and get out free but I''ve given up having my turn and you should as well for a long time. You''ll likely have to wait 100 years before it gets to your turn" the Siren exined.

    This was really bad news for them. They did not even have a single year with them, much less 10. Maria could not even feel. Most of her regr magic in this form and her chains were useless inbat without mobility as well.

    "We don''t have that much time with us. The demonic war will start far before that time. We need to get to the first node" Suna spoke and instantly had her mouth covered by Nao.

    But the damage had been done and caused the Siren''s eyes to widen. Despite all odds, she seemed to have recognized the threat of the demonic war.

    But she did notment on it. Instead, she pointed toward the center of the forest.

    "Head deeper inside. There is a fairy in there that would be able to help you out. But be warned, it doesn''t like people. You''ll need to fight to get yourself to be heard. Also, stay away from my territory" the siren informed before she disappeared back into the water.

    That was at least one mystery solved for them but it raised ten more questions. The siren had given them a possible way out which the trio decided to take.

    "That''s the only possible option we''ve been left with. Let''s at least check it out" Maria called as she signaled Suna to put her back in the water. The river led straight inside the forest and the trio followed it till they reached a field full of flower buds.

    The nts covered the ground till their knees and it made Maria lose sight of herpanions. And then the grass rustled on her side and Maria instantly became alert.

 Chapter 77 76: Lost In The Woods - Part 1

    ¡°Are you even sure we are going the right way? I can not help but get the feeling that we¡¯ve been going around in circles for some time now¡± Suna felt chills creep down her spine as she observed her surroundings.

    The sun¡¯s light was strong right on top of their heads. It gave off a warm glow which should have made the day incredibly hot. But the air surrounding them was cold, almost like a wintery touch and it seeped right through to Suna¡¯s bones.

    ¡°This should be the way but I get what you mean as well. This ce feels different from the forest around us. Not to mention, this big open field looks out of ce inside the forest¡± Nao examined as well.

    The elder demoness was on alert, her eyes scouting for any enemies that might appear. The Siren from earlier had already confirmed the presence of one unknown creature in these parts so it was not a farfetched idea to think of this ce having more.

    ¡°This ce gives me the creeps. You think so as well, right Maria?¡± Suna asked as she turned to the side of the river, only to find no river in sight. She looked back but could not see anything either.

    But Suna had been so sure that she had been walking at the river bank this whole time. How and when had they lost the river? And why had Maria not said anything?

    ¡°When did we lose sight of the river? I just saw Maria swimming in it not even a minute ago¡± Nao walked toward Suna as well, her gaze looking around for any sign of flowing water. There was nothing for miles, not even backward.

    ¡°I think we should track our steps back a little. We should not get separated in a ce like this¡± Suna advised and the pair turned back.

    But no matter how much they walked, they seemed to not see any sign of water. The grass and bushes around them also seemed to be getting bigger and it created a weird illusionary sensation inside the pair.

    The grass to the right of the pair rustled which instantly caused the pair to be on alert. The moment of the grass indicated that the creature inside it was huge inparison. Nao took an attacking position and shed at the iing animal.

    Her de instantly met and served the head of a rabbit. The creature hissed at the pair but it did take hisst breath soon as well. The size of the rabbit was far bigger than the pair had ever seen.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a rabbit-like this, Look at those fangs. They¡¯re as huge as my fingers¡± Suna took a look at the rabbit and poked at those exposed fangs the rabbit had.

    Instantly, the body in front of her moved and tried to take a bite out of her hand. Suna was lucky she had managed to dodge at thest second but she still felt threatened by the rabbit.

    ¡°It came back to life? Is it a rabbit vampire? But they are no longer supposed to exist¡± Nao whispered as she observed the shaking rabbit. It seemed to have recovered from his death and his re proved to be lethal.

    The vampire rabbit had been a creature-ss threat during the beginning of thest demonic war. They had been created by Trish, a likely candidate to win the war, and had led to the first alliance during thest war.

    In the end, Trish had sworn his allegiance to the previous demonic king after he had been bested and his vampire rabbits had been killed off. To think that one, or perhaps, some of them had survived was a big deal.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°What should we do? It will not go down by any means¡± Suna sounded frustrated as she fended off the attacking rabbit once again. It was not a problem for the pair yet but they still had energy.

    If the fight continued for long then they would have no choice but to be on the defensive after a while.

    ¡°The only way to kill one is to drain them of their life force. We have no means of draining the life force except using Maria¡¯s chains. We need to capture it somehow¡± Nao tried to think of any rational solution they might have.

    These monsters were a threat to be reckoned with during thest demonic war. They could not be allowed to reach Maria because it would be another disaster on their hand.

    ¡°Hey. So, I might have an idea but I won¡¯t be able to do it a lot. I can lock him into my other dimension for now but I¡¯ll need your help to lure it into the trap¡± Suna exined and Nao had to admit that it was a good n.

    The only n as well since they were short on time and resources. Maria could have gotten in a tone of trouble while they had been trying to deal with small fry.

    ¡°Tell me what to do and I¡¯ll help you out¡± Nao replied before she fended off the attack of the rabbit. The little bugger was fast but not too strong which Nao could use.

    Nao used her strength to lead the rabbit after her as Suna prepared her trap. Nao had to divide her attention between Suna and the rabbit which made the fight unnecessarily tough but it did pay off.

    ¡°Now. Lead him to the toward me and jump¡± Nao followed the instructions and jumped when Suna asked her to. The rabbit tried to follow but it was a few steps too ahead to not have fallen into the trap.

    It only took a fraction of a second before the rabbit disappeared into the shadows and Suna copsed against the tree she had been leaning over.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a pain when you have not prepared pre-cast this spell. You got away safely Nao?¡± Suna sounded exhausted and Nao felt worried. She had not thought that the spell would take out this much from Suna.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. You can have five minutes to rest before we leave to find Maria¡± As much as Nao wanted to head out right this second, she had to consider Suna¡¯s situation as well. The girl looked pale and sweaty.

    The magic she had cast might have taken out more from her than either had realized at first.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. We can leave now¡± Suna sounded confident but her body did not reflect the same confidence. It was safe to say that her copse was quite predictable and left Nao in a bind.

 Chapter 78 77: Lost In The Woods - Part 2

    Maria tensed as the grass mode movement on her right side and she instantly ducked under the water as she saw a shadow poking its head out of the grass.

    The red eyes and ck fur of the rabbit were quite adorable as it came closer to the river to drink water but the fangsing out of its mouth, as well as the size, is supported, were not something Maria was a fan of.

    A fish jumped out of the river, likely thinking of the rabbit¡¯s red nose as food, and instantly got swallowed up by that huge mouth and fangs. They bit into the skin and fishbones like it were a sponge and gulped it down.

    Maria came to a horrific realization as she watched the fish being devoured. The rabbit was a vampire rabbit, one of the dangerous species of creatures that were no longer supposed to exist in this world.

    But one had somehow gotten away and if there was one, there might be dozens more around. Maria had to be careful and get this information to Nao. And then they would find a way to get this information to the royal forces and local authorities as well.

    Maria might have her misgivings about trusting the royal soldiers but she did know that they cared about the people. And if nothing else, this level of threat must be enough to get a candidate to step in as well.

    Also, Maria needed to find her friends before something extreme happens. She was not sure when she had lost sight of them but she had and now she was left alone. She did not even have a tracker with her.

    ¡®System, can you show me the map of this forest?¡¯ Maria asked as soon as she went back up the water.

    [Answering User: Gathering data. Progressing map]

    Maria looked at the map being generated in front of her but it did not make sense to her. No matter how much she looked at it, the small circle is shown as the field she was currently is in did not make any sense.

    The budded field stretched for miles and miles around her but the space on her map indicated that the whole circle was not even bigger than a 50-meter span. It should not be possible¡­

    ¡­unless there was magic involved.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I got stuck in an illusion like this. And I can¡¯t even explore this ce since I¡¯ve got no legs¡± Mariained as she rested her arms against the shore. The news was disheartening but it also helped Mariae to a decision.

    She was about to get up and go off in search of her friends when a shadow covered her form. She opened her eyes, only toe face to face with a scarred face.

    ¡°A cursed one? I thought you smelled familiar but I guess I was wrong. Now go back before I kill you¡± the figure, male this time, called out to her and pointed toward the way Maria had just swum up from.

    No matter how Maria looked at the man, he felt familiar and she even got the feeling that she had seen him before. But the memories were too faint in her mind.

    ¡°Um, I can¡¯t go back. Two of my friends are out there, lost in this ce. I cannot leave them behind. Besides, I was told that there is a fairy here that can help us¡± Maria exined it all in one breath.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She had a feeling that the man had not been listening to her until thest part. It did the job of instantly gaining his attention and he even straightened out his back.

    And the guy was tall. Tall and leather and had a sour look on his face. His hand held a long sword and it looked sharp as well.

    ¡°You said someone told you to find the fairy of the forest? A cursed one helping another cursed one? How interesting. Wear this ande out of the water. I want to hear your story¡± The man replied as he tossed maria a shiny stone ne.

    Maria almost did not manage to catch the item in time but her reflexes kicked in at thest second which allowed her to catch the ne. The stone in the center looked shiny and it gave off a familiar golden glow.

    Maria felt the magic interact with her and her body protested before Maria felt it forcefully change into her human form. Maria felt her body sink as soon as the hold of the curse lightened on her.

    It was difficult to use her legs once the magic had worn off but Maria¡¯s mind remembered the sensation of having legs. It was easier to drag herself out of the water without the weight of her tail dragging her back in.

    ¡°Follow behind me. You can get lost in this illusion if you are not careful¡± the information came off as no surprise to Maria. This was what she had guessed about this ce as well but her senses had not adjusted to the illusion.

    Walking was difficult after a few days of having a tail but the guy was merciful enough to wait for Maria to catch up before walking again. He was unexpectedly nice in the weirdest way possible.

    ¡°Hey, since I have my legs back, does that mean that my curse has been broken?¡± Maria asked with a hopeful voice. If her curse was indeed gone, then they could leave.

    ¡°Don¡¯t count your lucky stars just yet. The core I gave you is a small chunk from the Gem of Requiem but its power is not enough to ward off your curse. It will only allow you a week at most to stay in human form¡± the guy replied as he walked faster. It caused Maria to pick up the speed as well.

    Maria felt her hopes dash but notpletely disappear at those words. A week was a long time for things to happen.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? I guess I should thank you for this gift¡± Maria replied in a polite voice. She could not help but like the guy who had helped her out in this tough situation.

    Not to mention, the familiar feeling he gave off. It kind of left like Lady Karin but notpletely. Maria was sure she had seen him before but not ¡®her¡¯ her. Then perhaps, it had been the previous owner of this body?

    Maria only had impressions of the original oracle¡¯s memories so it was entirely possible.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. If you feel gratitude toward me then tell it to me by introducing yourself. And don¡¯t you dare try and lie, because I will know¡±

 Chapter 79 78: A Mysterious Figure

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. If you feel gratitude toward me then tell it to me by introducing yourself. And don¡¯t you dare try and lie, because I will know¡± the guy had his back turned to Maria but she could not help but shiver at the threat.

    Despite not being able to see the guy''s eyes, Maria could not help but feel exposed. It felt like the guy was seeing right through Maria without his eyes on her.

    "Have you been here in this forest for long? How do you stand this creepy ce?" Maroa asked, trying to stall the question. She wanted to answer the man but there was a feeling inside her that said no to say anything to him.

    The man narrowed his eyes at Maria''s attempt and seemed to be insulted by her attempt at stalling. Maria felt chills run down her arm as he turned his piercing eyes toward her and she felt herself choking at the gaze.

    "I''ve been here for as long as I wanted" he did not ask Maria to answer him. Maria did that on her own.

    "My name is Maria Kishin, daughter of Silvya Kishin from the house of-" Maria started her introduction, the standard noble one when she felt her mouth stop talking.

    The guy had his hand up in the air and his eyes narrowed. He looked at Maria like she was a puzzle to be solved and an interesting one at that.

    "Silvya''s daughter? That witch had one with him after all and she dared not to tell us when west visited? How dare she. I''ll make sure to rip her to pieces when I decide to visit next" the guy muttered as she stepped closer to Maria.

    The touch on her face felt invasive and the fingers dug into Maria''s face as the man moved her head around. Maria felt like a specimen being observed under a lense by those piercing eyes.

    It did not help that the man in front of her looked younger than Maria by a good few years. Maria had thought of him as a vertically challenged man before she had a good look on the young face.

    Maria tried to struggle which only made her situation worse before she felt her face being let go by the man. He did not give any outward indication of what he had been thinking as he turned around to walk again.

    "Let''s go and find your friends. I''ll help you break this curse just this once and then we shall never meet again" the guy sounded bored as he walked ahead and Maria struggled to get her breath in.

    The man looked as calm as he had for the past few hours but his magic felt unsettled. It felt spooked and tried to poke at Maria''s magic again and again in curiosity. Had her existence shaken him up?

    "If you''re Silvya''s daughter then you must also be the Oracle?" Maria nodded in agreement and saw the guy take a sharp breath in. She thought she heard him mutter ''that madwoman did it.''

    Maria wished she could know what that all was about but she felt hesitant to even ask. It would be too awkward at this point for Maria to pretend to befriend the guy.

    "You knew my mother, and maybe father as well," Maria asked hesitantly. That was a time of her mother''s life she knew nothing about. Thedy had refused to tell her even when she had asked again and again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Knew would be an underestimation. But it''s not for you to know" The guy replied and Maria fell silent. She could not bring the man to reveal anything more about it when she had note to terms with all of it herself.

    "Trish. That''s my name. Remember it well for you might need my help in the future. The fairy you are seeking is beyond this illusion. Break it and you shall find it as well" the guy replied as he stopped. Maria looked around and instantly spotted Nao and Suna.

    She turned around to thank the man but he was no longer there. Neither he nor his magic could be felt by Maria and even the imprint of his footstep was no longer there.

    He had disappeared in thin air leaving no trace behind. No rabbit or other creature had attacked them even and it all made no sense to Maria. Not to mention the name ''Trish'' felt familiar as well.

    Hadn''t he been the one who had practiced the forbidden arts and a member of thest demonic race? Maria was sure she had heard that name before in regards to those vampire-rabbits.

    "Trish, there is no wag, right? Wasn''t he supposed to have disappeared?" Maria asked with a paler than normal face. Just what kind of situation had shended herself in?

    "Maria? Of God, I''ve begun to hallucinate due to theck of magic. Nao, I think we finally died this time" Suna asked as she stared Maria directly in the eyes. She had a horrified look on her face and Maria immediately looked down to check herself out.

    She found nothing out of the ordinary. She had a pair of legs, two arms, and the same breast size. What had the other two been so scared of?

    "Maria, what happened to your tail? How are you walking on two legs now? Is the curse broken" Nao seemed a little calmer but even she looked freaked out? But her words did provide the much-needed rity for Maria.

    She had forgotten that she had a fishtail thest time she had seen the pair. It was a given that they would be surprised to see her walking around on two legs now. How had it not crossed her mind till now?

    "I''m not cursed but someone temporarily helped me ward off the curse. Are you both alright" Maria asked the other two who looked far worse than Maria had in any situation. Suna especially looked exhausted and a little paler as well.

    "We''re alright. Suna just strained herself while taking care of the vampire rabbit but she''ll recover. But we need to be careful out there. We still don''t know why these vampire rabbits are here" Nao replied as she kept a vignt eye out.

    Maria felt herself sweat at the im she heard. She felt herself in a bind about what she should tell the group. The truth would be the best option but it was also worrisome for them.

    In the end, Maria ended up telling a half-truth to the group. There was no point in increasing the tension at this point.

 Chapter 80 79: An Odd Behaviour

    "An unknown guy gave you a piece of magical stone and you just epted it? Maria, we''ve talked about it before" Nao did not sound angry. She just sounded resigned at the face that the oracle had done another unnecessary thing.

    Maria felt that it was unfair of Nao to be yelling at her for that. Maria''s gamble to trust the guy had paid off in the end and she had not felt him be threatening. In the end, it had been the right decision.

    "There is nothing to be done now. That guy might be long gone by now. Let''s focus on moving forward for now" Suna sounded tired as she exined and Maria knew the moment Nao melted at the tone.

    "Fine. It''s not like I can win against you anyway when you decide to gang up on me" Nao groaned and Maria counted it as her victory. She had known that having Suna on her side in this argument wouldnd her a sure victory.

    After all, Nao might refuse to admit it but she was falling for Suna. There was an attraction there that Nao and Mariacked. Not for theck of trying since sex was great and all. But there was just too much-shared history between them for it to fully develop.

    And Nao was not the only one to have that dilemma. Maria was just as much at fault since she had not put any effort into nurturing their rtionship as well. Rtionships were a two-way street and it could only go so far with understanding.

    Not to mention all the fighting they had been doing and then avoiding those topics as soon as they calmed down.

    "Fine. I''ll let it all go. But for now, we still need to know what to do next? What kind of ce is this?" Nao asked as she tried to sense an opening again. Maria had told them about the illusion and how they needed to break it if they wanted to find the fairy.

    Their surroundings seemed as if they were not changing, no matter how much they tried to look for it. The sun did not change direction, nor did it change its location. It just held itself high at the same position all the time.

    "If the magic won''t work then maybe there is a trigger we need to find. Most magical spaces have triggers that allow the non-users toe and go as they please" Suna exined and the duo listened to her.

    Out of the three of them, she was the real expert in this kind of magical situation. Since she had a pocket dimension of her own, it was not far-fetched to say that she was the expert.

    "That''s easy to say but it doesn''t make our problem any less tough to handle. We still cannot sense anything in here but we can use magic" Naoined. Technically speaking, she was right in pointing that out. This ce was not like Suna''s default space.

    "But the theory might still hold for this ce. It should be something that blends in this ce but is not naturally a part of it" Suna exined as she looked around for anything of that kind.

    Most of thendscape fitted right into the space around them. There was nothing out of the ordinary that just stuck out to them. Nothing except the vampire rabbits.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Please don''t let it be one of them. Handling one was hard enough. Looking around for a specific one will be hell" Sunained as she pushed herself back to the ground.

    Herining was understandable since it was going to be a problem for them. Maria understood her annoyance but she cannot feel worried. Unlike the other two, she had the option to kill those vampire rabbits with her chains.

    "Nao, stay here with Suna. I''ll try to catch the rabbit ande back soon" Maria assured as she took off. She knew Nao would try to stop her but she needed Nao to stay with Suna.

    Trish was calm for now and had treated Maria well but there was no guarantee that the generosity wouldst or be extended to her friends. That guy was in a league of his own, not unlike Lady Karin. But unlike the red-headeddy, he did not need to keep out of their business.

    Maria spotted a vampire rabbit and instantly tried to follow it. The rabbit turned its head and saw Maria. She braced herself for the iing attack. These rabbits were vicious little things and they attacked at any aggressive action.

    Maria tried to predict the rabbit''s next move when it turned its tail and started to hop away. And it happened again and again and again. Every time she encountered a rabbit, it seemed to be trying to flee away from her.

    "Darn it. I just want the key to getting out of here" Maria did not yell. The voice echoing around her was just a hoax. Maria tried to assure herself before she felt something soft collide with her.

    It was a small and fluffy vampire rabbit with the most adorable eyes Maria had ever seen. And it was just a baby as well barely bigger than her hand. Maria felt her heart melt at the cuteness but it went away as soon as the small thing opened its mouth and its fangs popped out. The sight made Maria miss the object it had been carrying in its mouth and he let it down gently before backing away from her.

    Maria felt the presence of several red eyes observing her and she felt her nerves rise. There were hundreds of eyes observing her with their red glow.

    She backed away quietly and felt the vampire rabbits back away as well. They seemed as easy to her as she felt of them which made the situation pretty hrious from a third-party perspective.

    "Well, thanks. I guess?" Maria sounded nervous and the vampire rabbits decided she was not a threat any longer. They decided to leave one by one as Maria watched it happen with the key in her hand.

    She felt a humanoid pair of eyes on her as well but that was one can of worms Maria did not feel prepared for. And since Trish himself decided not to show up in the open, it felt wrong to call out to him. Not because Maria was scared or anything. It was just a courtesy thing.

    And when his eyes finally left Maria, she couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief. It genuinely felt like she had dodged a bullet right there.

 Chapter 81 80: Distractions - Part 1

    Maria clutched the key tightly in her hand as she picked herself up. The experience from before had left her shaken but not overly so. Somehow, it was not even the worst experience Maria had yet.

    She hurried back over to her group as her heart raced. There were too many vampire rabbits around for her to not be worried. Plus, her friends were virtually helpless without a means to extract life force.

    "Nao, Suna. I''m back with the key '''' Maria felt herself rx as she took the alright form of her group. The other two were rtively unharmed and untouched. The vampire rabbits had left them alone as well. It was such a relief for Maria to see.

    "You got the key? Wasn''t that too fast?" Nao asked with surprise and suspicion coloring her tone. It was understandable since Maria had barely been gone for over an hour and it was just not enough time.

    Maria felt herself sweat as Nao''s question caught her off-guard. She had not expected the other to be so suspicious of her. But maybe it had something to do with this illusionary forest and Suna being in a less-than-OK state.

    "Got lucky and caught the one with the key fast" Maria passed her key to the other two before they could ask any more questions to her. It had been an attempt on her to distract Nao and it did work.

    The second Suna got the key, Maria could feel her magic trying to break into the key and it caused the illusion around them to shake violently. Maria could see the sweat on Suna''s face. She was giving it her all.

    And with a violent burst of energy, the key cracked and so did the illusion around them. The budded field around them bloomed into different colors before wilting away into a sea of rot.

    The field changed into a small pool with hundreds of red eyes looking at the group. The vampire rabbits had never left but had been hiding in in sight. Their invasive eyes held a searching look and the three tensed. The vampire rabbits bared their teeth at the threat¡­

    ¡­And then the vampire rabbits turned and fled the scene. They left even when they had an advantage which confused the other two but not Maria. Trish had been watching after all, or perhaps, he had given out instructions to his pets not to hurt their group.

    "We-We''re saved. I cannot believe that those monsters left" Suna copses in relief, tension bleeding out of her.

    "That problem left atst but now we have another one. How do we find a fairy? They''re like myths and supposed to be small" Suna asked as soon as she had flopped down. All the tiredness hit her at once.

    Maria watched her wiggle her body on the ground and instantly wished she had not. That was not a safe thing to see for anyone, much less for two people who had a potential attraction to her. Nao seemed to be having a simr problem since her mouth was hanging open in shock.

    "Suna, stop moving around. We don''t have time for you to be acting like this¡± Nao yelled which caused Suna to flinch but finally stop. It did not instantly make the situation better for Maria but it did remove the source of her impulse.

    Suna looked embarrassed as she took in the flushed faces of herpanions. Her embarrassed ¡®sorry¡¯ did not cut the deal but it did take Maria¡¯s mind off of her earlier indecent actions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It caused Nao to break out into a speech about ¡®responsibility¡¯ among other things and Maria did feel refreshed to see that the speech was not aimed at her for the first time. It gave her the time to wander off and look around the ce.

    The other two did not even notice Maria moving away, too busy on their one would. It stung but this was the direction things were supposed to move in. Maria could see the other two being a happy couple.

    Maria turned her back to the couple and instantly felt someone poking her in her leg. Maria turned back, only to find the couple lost in their own world.

    ¡®Must have been a shrub that rubbed against my leg¡¯ Maria could not help but be irritated at the interruption from her thoughts. Irritated and lonely as well. Nao¡¯s attention on someone else was not a familiar feeling for Maria.

    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you irritated seeing them flirt with each other? Are you feeling left out? Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re really pretty and I can take you in as my wife if your friends don¡¯t want you¡± Maria felt a scream build up in her throat as the voice reached her ear.

    It was faint and melodic enough to put anyone under a trance. But Maria felt the touch against her leg again and the screen ripped was ripped out of her throat.

    ¡°MARIA! What are you doing that far off? Are you in danger?¡± Nao sounded angry with her, because why was she not angry at Maria? But she also sounded concerned.

    Maria wanted to get up and reach her friends before the owner of her voice made a move but Maria felt her body betray her as it refused to move. Something seemed to be restricting her movement and Maria tried to open her mouth.

    But a root climbed up her body and warped around her mouth. It was thick so Maria could not bite it off as well and it was strong enough to keep her in ce. She looked down to find simr roots all over her body, constricting her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to move around that much or you¡¯ll end up hurting yourself. We should also leave this ce for now since you are getting agitated. You¡¯re such a pitiful soul, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll save you¡± Maria wanted to bite the root off of her and have some choice words with her kidnapper.

    But she felt more and more rootse up and cut her ess off. They also sucked any magic Maria tried to use which was so much in character when you thought about this world. And since Maria was not an MC, obviously she was going to be restricted by this faulty logic.

    ¡®Fuck this world and all thews it holds. Why can things never go the second lead¡¯s way?¡¯ Maria cursed as her oxygen started to thin out. Her vision swam in and out of focus which was not good.

    She was losing too much oxygen at an rming rate and she knew she would need some external help to make it out of this one.

    ¡®Hopefully, Nao and Suna would get me out soon¡¯

 Chapter 82 81: Distractions - Part 2

    Nao had rarely faced such a situation. She had always been vignt and careful to keep an eye on Maria. It had been her duty for as long as she could remember.

    But one moment of distraction had been all to take Maria away from her side. One distraction where Nao had her attention on someone else and Maria found a way to create a problem for them all.

    "Let her go if you know what''s good for you" Suna threatened in a soft voice. It would have been effective on most people but the small creature only looked unamused at the threat. Its gaze told the pair that they were not being seen as a threat by the small creature.

    The fairy let out a yawn and Nao felt her temper rise at the dismissive action. They were not even being seen as a threat by the small creature.

    ? "No. I don''t think I''ll let her go. She''s the most beautiful thing I''ve seen this far. Just her magic alone could sustain me and this forest for centuries. There is no way I''m going to let this treasure go. But I will allow you both to leave this forest" the creature replied and snapped its hands.

    Roots emerged around them and cut off their view. Nao tried to reach for Sana to make sure they did not get separated but it was already toote. A root mmed in between them and Nao felt herself being pushed away.

    When the roots separated, Nao was in a clearing she had never seen. The map did not indicate where she was but she could see red eyes watching her from the forest. The vampire rabbits made no move to attack but they kept a tight eye on her movements.

    The roots re-emerged again on Nao''s other side and spat Suna out. The younger demoness looked pissed off at the behavior she was being subjected to.

    "-dare treat me like this. Give me Maria back so that I don''t have to kick your ass" Suna yelled but her words fell on deaf ears. The roots retreated away inside the forest and left the other two out.

    "Are you hurt?" Nao asked as soon as Suna had broken out of her rage. She had no intention of being on her idental-hit list so she kept her distance for now.

    Suna did not look hurt but looks could also be deceiving. Nao would only be able to ess Suna''s true condition from her voice.

    "Not hurt but pissed off. Who does that fairy think it was to spat us out like that? And to even take Maria with it? I''m pissed off now and where are we?" Suna finally noticed her surroundings and asked a rational question.

    "I don''t know where we are but I can take a guess and say that we are out of the forest at least. I don''t know how we''ll get past all that to go back inside" Nao replied as she pointed toward the glowing red eyes.

    Somehow, it looked as if the red eyes had multiplied in thest few minutes and now there seemed to be hundreds of them inside the forest. Nao could feel the sweat run down her face at the thought of taking all those vampire rabbits on.

    "I don''t know but we will have to try. It was the responsibility being entrusted to us so we have to make sure we see it through" Suna sounded determined. She had a ''we''ll get through it'' face on her which made Nao''s heart skip a beat.

    Nao could feel herself slowly fall for the other demons but she had not paid any real attention to that attraction. There had never been any time in their journey for Nao to sit down and ess her feelings.<novelnext></novelnext>

    So, while the feeling of fondness and desire was not new, it was a smack in Nao''s face and reminded her that she was getting attached to someone not part of her duties. Suna was a temporary addition to their team and would likely leave once they managed to find the members of Simon''s court then what would happen?

    Split loyalty was a dangerous thing to have for someone like her. Maria did not have many others on her side of the court while Suna also needed her support.

    "Nao, we need to go back. I think we will need to force our way through" Suna''s voice knocked her out of her thoughts. The younger girl stood on ready, her body tense and ready for action.

    It made Nao feel ashamed for her hesitation. Suna was ready to give her life for Maria and now was the time Nao hesitated? She had to push through her boundaries right here and now.

    "Let''s do this" Nao replied as she charged into the forest after Suna. The vampire rabbits circled the pair and they prepared to engage when they head-on. It would be now or never for them.

    But the rabbits never reached them.

    Halfway through their attack, all the vampire rabbits froze before scattering around like bugs. They seemed to be in a panic and Nao understood why as a strong aura brushed against her own.

    It was strong, overpowering, and consuming. It left Nao short of breath and even Suna looked like she was about to faint under pressure. This was something Nao had only left with Lady Karin and even that had never looked this overwhelming.

    "N-Nao, l-look" Suna forced those words out as she pointed toward the forest. Nao tried to look as well but did not see anything at first.

    But then she was a little cleared as footsteps came closer to her and her head forced itself down on instinct. She could not help her body''s reaction against the force of magic in front of her.

    Her eyes took in a pair of hands parting the hanging vines away and Nao could see a path leading directly into the forest. The force had been strong enough to keep the partition in its original shape as well.

    The figure passed in between Nao and Suna and his re left an impression on Nao. It felt like she was about to be boiled by heat as the person focused on her. She could only tell that the body in front of her was young and male.

    "Go in. Do what you must" the words were almost a whisper but they were also an order that could not be disobeyed. Nao could feel her heartbeat out in fear and respect.

    And then the figure left, leaving with the horde of vampire rabbits behind him and with a way ahead for the pair.

 Chapter 83 82: Glimpse Of A Legend

    "W-what was that?" Suna asked as soon as the pressure of the man disappeared from their senses. The overwhelming aura of power and death was something Suna had never experienced before.

    She had thought that the princess had been powerful when they had faced her but now Suna realized that the princess had nothing on this man and his aura. He had been in a league of his own. And he also had those vampire rabbits under his control.

    That man had been beyond dangerous and Suna had a suspicion that they had survived only because the person had not been interested in killing them.

    "T-Trish. There was no mistaking that kind of control over vampire-rabbits" Nao''s scared voice reached Suna and she felt her blood freeze. They had survived an encounter with whom?

    "Don''t joke around Nao. T-Tri, that person disappeared once the demon king dies. There is no way we just met him"

    Suna denied but she knew that Nao''s words were true. That kind of fear had not been natural to feel and the aura had downright screamed murder.

    ''Father would not believe me even if I told him about it'' Suna whined in her head at the injustice. Her father had told her that this would be a safe and uneventful journey. All Suna had to do was to stick around the group and report her findings.

    Suna still had to do the second part once things calmed a little.

    "Trish or not, we cannot waste our time here. Every second counts from here on" Nao replied as she gathered her focus back.

    As much as the elder demon''s presence had spooked her, Nao could not allow it to divide her focus. The elder demon had helped them out in their time of pinch and also taken out a major part of their problem. Nao might not have an idea what he wanted but he was not out to hurt them at the very least.

    "R-Right. We should head back in" Suna nodded in confirmation but Nao could see the hesitation in her gaze. For the first time, Suns looked genuinely nervous and scared of the unknown which brought out a bitter feeling in Nao.

    Maybe she should rescue Maria alone. Getting Suna involved when she was scared was not a good option.

    "You can stay behind if you want to. Maria is my responsibility, not yours. You do not need to get involved in this mess" Nao tried to note off as demanding. She did not want Suna to think that she was belittling her abilities.

    But her tone did note out as gentle as Nao had wanted it to and Suna looked pissed as a result. Nao knew she should have practiced her reassurance skill more but Maria had always understood what she meant and never taken any offense.

    ''But maybe she did and had no way to express it to you. You were one of the only people who kept her in the constantpany without any change'' her mind whispers and Nao tries to ignore it. Circumstantial or not, Maria had understood her the best.

    "Oh Fuck you. I''ming along as well and you can''t stop me" Suna dered before taking the lead. It left Maria with no other option but to follow after her.

    This was bad since an angry Suna was likely to listen to her. Suna picked up speed as she sensed Nao catching up and hanging vines started to thicken which cut Nao''s ess to Suna off.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Suna, slow down. Don''t run or we''ll separate" Nao yelled, hoping that Suna would listen to her and calm down. Nao did not want to have to track Suna as well when she already had Maria to track down.

    But of course, luck was not on her side and Suna was unable to hear her. The younger figure disappeared into the forest as Nao decided to catch up with her.

    But there was a problem. Not only had she lost sight of Suna, but the veins around her also made it difficult for Nao to be able to navigate the forest. Even the height of the branches did not help her out since it only cut her off more.

    Nao gritted her teeth in anger as she thought over her current circumstances. Nothing had gone right and it was all the fairy''s fault. Nao would beat it to a pulp as soon as she could find it.

    And in her anger, Nao made the fatal mistake of getting distracted. She did not notice the root sneaking up over her legs and the tug caught her off guard. The root somehow managed to drag Nao into the river below and she barely avoided the ws heading for her neck.

    The root on her leg made it impossible for Nao to be able to get away so she decided to attack it first. She barely got free when she felt ws dig into her shoulder. They broke skin but Nao was stubborn and kept swimming.

    She broke the surface and quickly dragged herself out of the water where a pair of Siren watched her with angry eyes.

    Suna was not having any better luck as well on her side. She had not been dragged into the water but she had to face ferocious animals that looked to be immune to her magic.

    Suna had never heard of any animal being immune to magic before so she did not know how to deal with them. They shed away at her and Suna had to continuously cast small-scale healing spells on herself.

    She needed to hurry and find Maria. The oracle had their best healing supplies and best equipment as well.

    Suna just managed to down a medium-sized animal when she felt arge shadow being cast over her form and felt pale. The w was massive and reduced thend beneath Suna''s previous position into dust. Its eyes looked crazy and hungry.

    It was hungry and Suna was the food it was eying. It would not stop as long as Suna was alive and that was a major problem for her.

    "I guess it''s now or never" Suna gulped her fear down as she held her weapon with a determined expression. She would get out of this situation alive and stronger than before.

    She had a mission to fulfill and she would make sure she survived first.

    The creature was wild and fast but it did not have the same intelligence human opponents had. It made it possible for Suna to utilize it and take the monster down. It was no easy task but it did help Suna power up and be stronger.

    (Remember to feed the author with PS and GT if you can. It helps the author release faster and also gives you extra chapters)

 Chapter 84 83: Turning The Tables - Part 1

    "Would you like to have more tea? Perhaps biscuits if you feel like it? Please don''t be shy since we are going to get married soon" the fairy, a kid really, spoke. The creature had an borate setup in front of him which made the situation look right out of a fairytale her caretaker used to read Maria.

    But the only difference between the fantasy and reality was the pair of cuffs that had been snapped on Maria''s wrists and they had rendered her magic useless.

    "No, thank you. I think I am full already" Maria replied in a polite tone. She ignored the raised eyebrow from the creature in front of her as it pointed to her full te that had been left untouched.

    Maria had been trying all this time to open her cuffs by trying to cut them with the help of the sharp chair''s edge. The fairy must have noticed that as well since the noise was quite loud but it also gave Maria the benefit of doubt.

    "I can see that you don''t trust me but believe me when I say that I have not poisoned your food. I want you alive and well at the time of our wedding" the creature poured at theck of response it got.

    Maria''s face was impassive as she took in the creature in front of her while trying to escape all the while. Those adoring eyes creeped her out since they had no reason to look at her like that.

    "Don''t bother. You won''t be able to cut them off even with magic. They can only be opened by my keys" the creature supplied as it waved the keys in front of Maria. The small body lookedical while carrying suchrge keys in her grasp.

    Maria looked with eager eyes and hoped that the creature would drop those keys and allow Maria a choice to get them. But the fairy only smirked and the keys vanished in a pop of light.

    "I won''t hand them over till we get married. Don''t worry, your friends won''t be able to crash the party until we''re done" the fairy replied cheerfully, ignoring the death re being aimed her way.

    The more cheerful the fairy acted, the worse Maria''s mood became. It made her want to crush the annoying fly under her heels and then spit it out like used gum.

    And if being in the fairy''spany was trouble, being alone was worse for Maria. With the keys gone and her being reduced to a sitting statue in the chair, Maria could not contain the curses leaving her mouth.

    Even the soft feeling climbing over her leg did not offer a good distraction till red eyes blinked at her form and caused Maria to let out a scream.

    Maria half expected the fairy toe back and check out the source of the scream but somehow it didn''t happen. Maria stayed alone inside her golden prison with a small vampire rabbit on herp.

    "Are you here to make fun of me as well? Go ahead then" Maria replied as she waved her hands around. She decided that she no longer cared about the kind of trouble she could get in.

    The rabbit''s red eyes twinkled in amused pleasure as he took Maria''s miserable self in. She just knew he wasughing at her in the way rabbits often did at their owners (not that she had ever owned one or knew if it was true).

    "Just bite my wrist off along with the handcuffs. Being free would be worth the pain" Maria groaned herint and felt something sharp touch her hand. She looked down to see a powerful jaw about to bite her handoff.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Y-You knows I was kidding, right? I didn''t mean for you to bite my handoff. I''m sorry for insulting you as well?" Maria tried to cozy the rabbit up. There was a chance she would survive this encounter if she buttered the rabbit up enough.

    The rabbit snapped his jaws down and Maroa braced herself for the iing pain at any second¡­.

    ¡­But it did note. Instead, there was a liberating feeling around Maria''s arms and she felt the weight fall off of her arms. The rabbit had cut straight through the metal and freed her.

    "Errr, Thank you?" Maria''s Thanks came out like a question and she felt the rabbit judging her for it. It had its beady eyes trained on Maria to look for her next action but she did nothing.

    She was not sure what the rabbit expected of her but she was not going to move around with a possible attack on the horizon. In the end, the rabbit left once he got bored and Maria felt her breathe easy. That had been a close call and after seeing what the rabbit could do, it felt even closer to her. Her wrist had just barely survived a lethal attack from a predator.

    "Now, to find the key for this ce" Maria muttered, almost hoping that another rabbit to appear with the key. But even her luck was not so miraculous for it to happen. Maria would have to track down the key manually.

    ''System now would be the time to be useful and inform me of a way out'' Maria asked as she kept a lookout for clues.

    Based on the pattern that had been disyed so far, Maira knew that the fairy tended to only give Maria a couple of minutes before returning. It should be about time as well but Maria had to advantage of this time.

    Maria took her seat back, her hands hidden under the table cloth and ready for any kind of reaction.

    "I''m back. Did you think over my proposal and decided to change your mind about it? Would you like to have some tea?" The fairy asked as it floated near the tabletop. It had an air of ease around it and Maria almost felt bad to be disturbing it.

    But then again, she had been cursed and then kidnapped which put her in a foul mood. And she needed to go to the bathroom as well which made her doubly impatient.

    And as soon as the fairy let its guard down, Maria tapped her hands on her knee and caged the fairy in a tiny cage. The magic was strong and concentrated which allowed it to not falter under the fairy''s attacks.

    "I-How did you do it? What did you do?" The fairy asked as it tried to bulge the cage and Maria did feel bad. The fairy had looked young to her and it felt like she was bullying a kid.

    But she also had a duty to perform and if it required her to be tough, then she would be tough.

 Chapter 85 84:Turning The Tables - Part 2

    "I-How did you do it? What did you do?" The fairy sounded like it was in distress. Its vice had reached a new pitch of tone that hurt Maria''s ears.

    But she still held onto the cage tightly, not allowing it to deform. Maria stoned her heart against the iing attack to not be attracted by the innocent-looking creature. It was the devil that had tried to take Maria hostage against her friends.

    "W-Why are you doing this to me? I j-just wanted to appreciate you a little" the fairy broke out into full-blown sobs at Maria. Big fate tears slipped out of those small eyes and the voice did sound heartbroken like a child being punished for something he did not understand.

    Maria felt bad about her behavior. She had always been against the tears of children and this fairy was also a mental child. It softened Maria''s heart and allowed her to enter her moment of vulnerability.

    "I''ll let you go but don''t try anything funny. I won''t be happy if you decided to try your magic on me" Maria warned and the fairy gave out a hesitant nod. It looked sad and surprisingly vulnerable at the prospect of not being able to use magic.

    Maria let the cage fall but not before taking a few precautions against a surprise attack. Her chains were held ready to parry any attack that could be made.

    Not that the fairy tried to attack Maria after that. She was surprisingly obedient in her next moments which surprised Maria. She had been ready to get betrayed, not have an obedient child at her side.

    "Do you know where my friends are? I need to find them and break my curse before I''m stuck as a Siren forever" Mariained to the fairy, hoping to gain some sympathy. Everything the small fairy had shown this far had indicated her as capable of feeling empathy.

    And the fairy did look at Maria with a sorry and regretful expression. She also looked a little confused but tried hard to hide from Maria.

    "Beautiful girl is an ugly fish person? You don''t look like those monsters though. You have legs" the fairy pointed out with a confused voice. It looked between Maria''s legs and her face and then down again.

    Maria let out a smallugh at the action, finding it quite adorable.

    "I''m like this because someone gave me a temporary solution to my curse. It won''tst long though so I need to find the glowing gold crystal at the center of the cave pool. I don''t want to be a Siren forever" Maria agreed with the Siren.

    It caused a wave of reaction in the fairy. It broke out into different lights and its wings fluttered happily all around it. It showed happiness all over its body which was adorable.

    "Yeah. Fishes are disgusting and they are slimy and they try to eat you when you get too close to them. I don''t like them and rabbits are so much better. They are fluffy and cute and don''t try to eat you" the fairy agreed as it looked Maria in the eye with a serious look.

    Maria felt anotherugh bubble inside her throat at the mental image of the small fairy being chased by a fish.

    "Fair point. So, can you help me find my friends and get to the center so that I can reverse my curse? A strong creature like you should be able to do it easily" Maria asked, hoping for the kid to fall into her trap. It should not be difficult to get her to agree either. Mostly because the fairy seemed like such a simple creature to fool.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And the fairy took the bait easily enough. Maria had known that a little ttery would go a long way in this situation but even she had not thought it to be this easy.

    "Alright. I''ll help you out and then we can get married" the fairy boasted as it raised its arms in encouragement. Maria forced out an amused chuckle in agreement to make it seem like she was agreeing with the female.

    But in reality, Maria was just ying along to get the fairy''s trust. She needed the fairy''s help and a little ttery never hurt anyone in the long run.

    "Hurry. Your friends are this way and they feel way too deep into the forest. Maybe that man helped them out despite my threats. The next time I get my hands on him, I''ll kill him for sure. He dares to take my rabbits away" the fairy threatened in a cute voice.

    Maria had a feeling that ''the man'' being talked about here was Trish. She seemed to have been here for a while and really, who else could control those vampire rabbits except him.

    "You''ve had it tough all their years alone here, right?" Maria almost sounded sympathetic with her words. She could imagine how lonely such a situation could force someone to be in.

    With only the Sirens as apany and a healthy fear of fish, it was easy to see why the fairy had kidnaped Maria forpany. Still, Marriage was a huge step in a rtionship.

    "I think I had a family a long time ago. But I don''t know where they disappeared to. One day there were there and the next day, they were gone. Ah, found them" the fairy hovered over the unconscious forms of Nao and Suna.

    Both females had their faces flushed with a frown and small cuts littered all over their bodies. There seemed to be no immediate danger around though which reassured Maria.

    ? "Look at them. Sleeping like babies even when the situation is so dire" Maria joked around as she tried to move closer to the pair. She carefully examined their bodies to check if they had any kind of injuries that Maria could not see.

    "They''re not sleeping but under my spell. It''s inherent protection given to fairies. Let me do something. No, don''t look. Close your eyes since it''s a secret" Maria watched in amusement as tiny hands tried to cover her eyes.

    Maria decided to go along with the fairy and closed her eyes. She also made sure to cover her eyes with her hands to give an illusion that she was not looking. But her eyes took in everything that happened next.

    The fairy took out a small patch from her belt and dispersed a dusty substance over Nao and Suna''s eyes. What was that substance?

    [Fairy Dust. Capable of breaking any illusion and sleep paralysis]

    Her system replied and Maria watched the fairy work around her friends.

 Chapter 86 85: Nighttime Solutions

    Nao was fighting the monsters and her body protested against any move she made. It was a struggle to even keep her arm moving after the heavy blow she had been dealt with.

    Another monster attacked and Nao was just a bit too slow to stop the attack from connecting with her head. Her vision swam in and out of focus as pain exploded behind her eyelids. It stabbed into her skull with a vengeance and Nao felt her vision loses focus.

    Nao blinked her eyes as consciousness mmed into her with a vengeance. Her head hurt at the mming motion she could feel going off inside her mind.

    "Don''t try to stand up right now or you''ll puke. Your head must be hurting quite badly" Mariw''s familiar voice washed over Nao and itforted Nao. It made her want to close her eyes and bask in the feeling of safety andfort her friend provided her with.

    And then Nao shot out like a bullet, her eyes searching around for the source of the voice she had just heard. There was no way Maria should be put here so maybe this was a monster that hade here to take advantage of Nao.

    She also needed to find Suna.

    "Hey miss, your friend already told you to calm down. You''ll crush your friend''s had if you did not lighten your grip" the annoyance that had started it all, the fairy flew around Nao and toward her hand.

    She followed the motion, only toe face-to-face with Suna''s unconscious face. Nao instantly let Suna''s hand go and checked her pulse. It was still there, just as strong as she had always known it to be.

    "You''re both not hurt. I already went over your injuries before I had this fe, (what''s your name again?) wake you up." Maria seemed to be having two different conversations at the same time with an air of ease around her.

    Nao looked at the fairy with cautious eyes, daring it to try anything else with them. Suna seemed to be waking up as well which eased some of the worries Nao had been feeling.

    "You don''t know my name because I never told you. Raven doesn''t make mistakes like that" the fairy sounded cocky before realizing that it had spoken those words out aloud.

    There was a gloomy cloud around the fairy that indicated that the name-telling had been a mistake on its part. It reminded Nao of an annoying fly buzzing around her ear and irritating her.

    She wanted to snap the fairy out of the air and make it disappear. Maria seemed to be finding this situation funny, her face sporting an amused grin as it looked at the tiny bundle of iling arms.

    "How are you feeling now Suna?" Nao asked, seeing how Maria was otherwise upied and safe as well. Suna did not seem to be looking good and herplexion was too pale for Nao''s liking. She was also much more subdued than any other time Nao had seen her.

    It made her wonder what kind of reality she had been subjected to under the spell. Had it been really bad or had it been something Suna was made to deal with?

    "Ah, me? I''m alright. Fantastic even. Don''t worry about me that much" Suna''s voice sounded off-focus. Heck, even her eyes looked off-focus. She looked like she was not there with the group mentally even if her body was there physically.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And honestly speaking, it was starting to scare Maria a little bit seeing such a progression.

    "Nao, Suna, we''re ready to leave. Hey, is everything Ok? Suna, you look a little off" Maria asked when she finally turned her attention back to them. Nao could hear the undertone of worry in her voice which reassured Nao that it was not all in her head.

    Suns slowly blinked and turned to face Maria. There was a small smile on her face in a mocking attempt at reassuring Maria. Nao knew that smile was not going to work on Maria but Maria would give Suna the benefit of doubt here. Maria was generally one to push someone unnecessarily.

    "Maybe she''s not fully out of the illusion''s effect yet. It happens to some people when they''ve been under for too long" the annoying bug exined. She seemed to have made a home on top of Maria''s head.

    Nao had to physically restrain herself so as not to smack the fairy out of Maria''s hair. It was no lo her a danger to their group so there was no need to be hostile to it.

    It still did not erase the fact that they had been attacked andnded up being in this situation because of the fairy.

    "What is our next course of action again?" Nao asked as she snapped herself under control once again. She had to constantly remind herself not to move too fast since she was Suna''s support and also the thing keeping her upright.

    "Were you not listening when I was exining this to you. Nevermind. Raven knows a way down to the Gem and has agreed to help us out" Maria exined which finally gave Nao a real reason not to kill the bug.

    This was big for their group to know. Being able to get to the gem would allow their group to finally move past this ce. Nao was more than ready to leave this ce and nevere back here again.

    "Then let''s go. We should also leave Suna behind since she looks sick" Nao got a weak protest for her words which she ignored. Suna needed to stay behind or she will slow them down.

    "Oi, don''t be in such a hurry. We can''t make our move till nighttime when the moon is full. The door only opens then" the fairy exined as she stressed out the second part.

    Now, this was a problem for them. It had been the full moon when they had first arrived here so they will need to wait another 14 days for another one. They did not have enough time with them and this was a continuous problem they kept facing.

    "Great. Another distraction. How long will it take?" Nao was not sure where her crankiness wasing from but it sure reflected her mood. She was annoyed with anything and everything.

    "Should not be long then. This ce always has a full moon due to the curse''s effect" the fairy exined as it pointed up. The day was bright but it would not take long for the night to arrive. Nao just had to wait a little more.

    Just a little more and no more forest for them.

 Chapter 87 86: A New Nobel

    "Congrattions, Lord Clement on being promoted to a proper family head. It''s a shame that it came at such a high cost" Princess Neah wanted to scoff at the buttery words being spoken.

    "Ah, it was a great tragedy indeed but it will also serve to make us stronger in the end. I will work to achieve the goal my ancestors and dear sister had been walking toward" the slimy, yet buttery voice replied in an utterly devastated tone.

    The princess felt her lips being pulled down into a frown by the force of her disapproval. She did not like this coward of a man who did nothing himself except n and then rage when things didn''t go his way.

    Also, her first meeting with him had not left the best impression on Neah. It had only been her respect for Ashura that had spared the man''s life from a painful death.

    "He''s rather full of himself, right? I can tell that you don''t like him" Howl''sment was right and Neah hated how she hade to ept that tone from her. She was getting used to the other female''spany and evening to enjoy it.

    It did not help that Howl had reached a lot of simr conclusions as Neah regarding their political standing and military warfare.

    "There is nothing I can do now. He''s a duke whether we like it or not. But that''s beside the point. Did you find her yet?" Princess Neah asked as she kept an outlook for the eavesdroppers.

    Being the princess had its one downside and that was the royal stalkers that would do anything to get in her good grace. The marriage proposals for her hand were increasing day by day and she had one too many ''idental'' meetups happening between her and other noble children of marriageable age.

    "Mydy, what a surprise to see you here? This must be fate so may I ask a dance from you?" The young man, another unimpressive noble, walked over to the princess and her second inmand. He pretended to be surprised, unaware that he had been sent through by the princess.

    Princess Neha wanted to give him a piece of her mind and discourage future stalkers by setting up an example but now was not the time for that. She would not only lose face but political power as well if she made such a bold move.

    Besides, she was sure she had seen this noble in a decent rank on the ''handsome noble'' list Ashura had made her read to get familiar with the court politics. This was one trouble she did not want and she did not have a convenient enough reason to turn the man down as well.

    "I''m sorry but I''m sure I asked for dance first? Maybe the princess cane and find you once she''s done dancing with me? But maybe not since she might decide I''m more interested in a nightly get-together" Princess Neah felt her back, slipping around her waist and she made a visible effort not to snap at Howl.

    This would not be the first time Howl had tried such a tactic to get the princess out of a tough spot but it was the boldest attempt by far. Even the hunting was bolder than any other time and made Neah ufortable.

    "Ah, I¡­. did not see you there. Since how long have you been there, Miss Howl?" The noble sounded unimpressed at seeing Howl at the princess'' side. It was understandable since she was not of noble birth.

    It had also started the dreaded rumor of Neah having a consort.

    "Then, maybe mister should get his eyes checked. I''ve been here for quite some time now" Howl chuckled in that patronizing way and led Neah away from the noble circle. She never broke the contract till the pair was alone again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "She was spotted. Maria. On Charito Hill, we lost track of her pretty quickly. Should we chase after them?" Howl asked as she quickly gained distance from the princess. She had an impassive look on her face as she looked down at the ongoing party.

    It was a waste of resources and unnecessary to have such a big gathering for such a small thing but the nobles had insisted and Neah had not felt in a mood to go against them.

    "The toon we sent after them was also deflected and even Alester ''coincidently'' did not recognize them and decided to aid them in their escape and all I can do is sit here and wait" Princess Neah tried not to sound bitter but that couldn''t happen.

    There had been too many coincidences for her liking. She knew that Alester had to be bullshitting at least but Neha could not prove anything. Worst of all, both her master and master Ashura decided not to punish him for his failure.

    Neah just did not understand why that was. Should capturing the Oracle not be their first course of action? It almost felt like they wanted her to seed in reaching the nod.

    The party went on downstairs and the room went lively with music and cheers. They drowned out the hurried footsteps heading toward the upper balcony where the princess rested.

    "Princess, there has been another ident. Lady Kujou. Lady Kujou had been killed in her noble residence and the evidence points to the same killer asst time" the soldier painted as he headed out to the balcony.

    His face looked pale and he seemed to be trembling. The words surprised the princess since it was such a coincidence.

    "Lady Kujou was the one who decided not to attend this party?" Neah asked just to make sure. There was more than one Lady Kujou present at the same time since the family was massive.

    "T-The one near Lady K-Karin''s territory. That one was killed just a few hours ago" the guard painted and looked to be on the verge of passing out Lady Karin.

    The princess felt her headache double at those words. Lady Karin was a nightmare waiting to happen and she would tear the princess a new one for letting this happen. It also did not help that the redheaddy had no love left for the royal family and with Maria out of the way.

    Things were going to get tough from here.

    "Howl, inform my retainers that I would like to retire. It''s time we visit a certaindy" this was going to suck and would cut into her time for Maria''s search. But Neah was a princess first and foremost and she needed a country for Maria to return to.

    (Additional chapter today because I wrote an extra)

 Chapter 88 87: An Offer Of Help

    "What brings the elusive princess of the kingdom to my humble abode? Ah, and Howl as well" The red-haireddy asked with arge smile. The very smile was filled with glee and superiority which made the princess grit her teeth in annoyance.

    The red-haireddy greeted them as if they were friends but her aura spoke of smugness and glee far too much. Neah did not like her principles.

    "I think you know why we are here. We would like to know what happened to Lady Kujou a few hours ago and unfortunately, your intelligence is the best out there" the princess had to remind herself that she was doing this for Maria. She should not lose her cool here.

    "Oh! Did something happen a few hours ago? I had no idea but thank you for the warning" thedy replied and she did sound thankful. But her eyes were sharp and her face held that gleeful smile that made it anything but a humble thanks.

    Neah could see Howl shifting around on her feet in an awkward manner. She must be feeling the pressure from the red-haireddy''s unique quirks. Neah was somewhat used to it since so many courtdies usually decided to adopt a simr mannerism but Howl was too out of depth here.

    "Howl, stand out for a second. You''re no help here" the princess ordered, not breaking the eye contact with Lady Karin. This was a battle she could not afford to lose.

    Howl, thankfully, did not ask Neha to reconsider and quickly flew from the scene. Neah hated the look of amusement that shed over Lady Karin''s face but she held herself back frommenting. She did not want to give the other any more advantage over the issue.

    "Lady Kujou, huh? She was a loyal one indeed. She refused to bow down to me when I visited herst. It must be a big blow" Lady Karin started as she held up her teacup. She had not offered Neah any and Neah would not have taken it even if she had.

    Besides, Lady Karin was ying around too much. This topic was serious and could end up costing them a lot if they did not deal with it.

    "Lady Karin, please. I would like to ask for your cooperation just this once. I''ll even bow to you if that is what you want me to do" Neah hated bowing to others but she would make an exception if it helped her out.

    And Lady Karin looked taken aback as well by her words. Her eyes might not be wide in shock but her aura looked disturbed enough for it to be the same thing.

    "No need. I don''t need the bow of a princess that allows a dangerous weapon to be let loose in her country. Although I can''t be of any help here, I can tell you a few things" Lady Karin finally decided to help her out.

    Neah thought she saw sympathy and understanding in the other female''s eyes but it was gone with a blink. The Lady was back with an impassive face and Neah felt her attention snap back toward hef in an instant. Lady Karin was serious this time, a first as far as Neah had seen.

    "It''s a soul doll that killed Lady Kujou. I don''t know who did it or who the soul doll was but someone is trying their hands at the revival magic of a scale they should not y with. Unfortunately, I cannot step in and help" Lady Karin sounded angry and for justified reasons.

    Soul magic was a big deal to the point that even the worst of the worst did not dabble in it. It was taboo for a reason and Neah had heard stories about those who tried.

    "They''re trying to gather magic for the ritual. But won''t a big source be better-" Neah felt herself slip as realization mmed into her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s a good thing she managed to escape when she did, right? She would have been the idea sacrifice as well" Lady Karin said it too casually but for Neah, it was a hard pill to swallow.

    She could imagine Maria being led into a trap and then being killed by a soul doll. It also made her d that Maria had managed to escape in time. Had she known about it and then decided to run away? Or had it been a coincidence that it happened like this?

    Why did she not tell Neah? Neah could have helped her out and sought a solution.

    "Don''t think too much. Things would have ended up this way whether you wanted it to or not. That''s just how they all are - free spirits, unbounded" Lady Karin had a wistful look on her face and Neah wanted to ask her whom she was thinking about.

    But there was so much else to think about and a conspiracy to undercover before she could even think about bringing Maria back into her life. Things just loved to be more and moreplicated.

    "Lady Karin, would you not like to assist us? The attack was near your territory and you might be a target as well" Neah tried to convince the redhead madwoman.

    Lady Karin was powerful but she was not omnipotent. Maria could feel her pressure increase for a fraction of a second but she refused to back down. Her other half growled in a warning and wanted to take a bite out of the redhead.

    Neah forced it down before looking Lady Karin right in the eye.

    "We''re not enemies and I would rather not see you die unnecessarily. Call me when you need help" Princess Neah stood up and left before Lady Karin could get in another word.

    It was such a small win but it felt good nheless. To get a one-up on the scary redhead of the court was always a fresh feeling.

    "Is it done? What is our next step?" Howl asked once the princess joined her. She looked anxious, just as anyone would in such a dangerous ce. Lady Karin''s oppressive aura did not help Howl feel better.

    "We go back to the court and perform a cleaning drive to filter out the filth. I don''t want traitors in my home" was the princess angry? Justifiably so. She was not only angry but terrifyingly so.

    She could not believe that such a big conspiracy had been going on right under her nose. What else had she missed and who else knew.

    Alester knew for sure because that was the only reason he would have let the oracle escape otherwise. Or so Neah would like to believe. But who else?

    Who else had been a part of this conspiracy?

 Chapter 89 88: The Gem Of Requiem

    The full moon was a beautiful sight to behold. It shined down on the trio and theirpanion with its bewitching glow. It pulled at Maria''s instincts but it was far easier to control this time because of the gem on her neck.

    "Tell us if you start feeling affected by the curse. We can allow you to sit out" Nao''s assuring voice came from behind and Maria allowed the concern to wash over it.

    It felt good to have someone check on her with such an unwavering concern after a long time. But then again, Nao had been such a person since the start and her concern was an ever-present factor while growing up for Maria.

    "Don''t worry about me. The gem is a big help to me. You should be more concerned about Suna right now. Something is wrong with her" Maria gently nudged Nao toward Suna''s direction and the attention was instantly off of her.

    Nao''s eyes shifted from Maria to the stiff yet functional body of Suna. Suna had finally started to respond to them again which was a good sign but Maria could not help but still feel worried about her. This disassociation was not a good trait for one to have.

    "Are you ready? The time is about now" their fairypanion asked as it fluttered around the trio. It was the only one not feeling awkward from Suna''s new attitude since it had never really known the demoness beforehand.

    "We''reing" Maria replied, putting the worry over Suna at the back of her mind for now. There would be a time and ce for itter once they broke the curse.

    Suna followed them without hesitation. Her mechanical movement looked rehearsed and awkward while her arms remained tense at her side. She took a guarding position at Nao''s side without any words.

    "You are on your own from here since you''ll need to swim down. I''ll provide all the protection I can in the meantime" the fairy called as it cast the necessary spell. Maria felt a tingling feeling going down her spine before she felt a push from the fairy.

    Her body followed the freeform motion and Maroa tried to get it under control but it was difficult. Her body bnce felt off and her legs were uncooperative with her.

    She tried to clutch at her pendant but found it missing. The weight was missing from her neck and Maria felt the curse take hold of her. Her legs disappeared from beneath her to give rise to the fishtail she had been used to. And for just a second, fear took hold of her and dragged her under its cover.

    It all happened in a second before Maria hit the water which broke her concentration. The coldness of the water prated her skin and the impact hurt her back.

    "MARIA" The shout was loud and full of fright. It resonated inside Maria and bounced around her head till she finally pulled herself out of her headspace and took in the emerging glow of the gem.

    The glow was much lighter than the day before and it was barely visible. It seemed to be losing its power by the minute and it would lose its shining potency pretty soon. Then it might be impossible to find again.

    "I''M ALRIGHT" Maria cried back to the top, hoping that her voice would reach the other side. She did not want anyone else to jump in after her. Not with the risk involved since the guards down here were already beginning to wake up.

    The magic pressure down here was tremendous and Maria''s body screamed at her to run away and never look back. The monsters were huge as well and likely had magical resistance.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was only so much Maria could do before her protection ran out as well and Maria knew it would not end well with two people down here. Even the fished down here were humongous in size and far scarier than Maria had thought them to be at first. There was no way she would be able to take them all on her own. She needed another n of action.

    But of course, she did not even get to think of a n before she was attacked head-on. The fishes down here were not ying around, and neither were the other monsters thaty in waiting for her toe down.

    "Be a good fish and don''t attack me" Maria squeaked out as the powerful fish''s jaws barely missed her. She hade so close to bing fish food and she did not like the implication of that.

    Another one tried to swallow her whole but Maria quickly swam out of the way with her small and nimble body. The bigger fish was not so lucky and crashed into the wall. The crack that appeared in the wall, as a result, was humongous and caused the ceiling to shake as well.

    The whole ce felt like it would copse if the collisions continued but Maria had no other option but to swim down. The gem was getting fainter and its light was the only thing keeping Maria from descending into a dark abyss. She had to get her hands on the gem.

    Her vision blurred and her head throbbed as magic assaulted her at the worst time possible.

    ''Not now'' Maria cried out inside her mind but her system did not listen to her. It did what it wanted to do and caused Maria''s vision to fade out right between the dozen monsters around them.

    [Initiating future vision. The actual result of the visions may change depending on the actions taken in the past]

    The sky was visible from the cracks, the pool empty and had burned edges. Maria''s head pained as she tried to move it around to have a look. The angle of her vision told her that she was lying on her back and her hand looked injured.

    Her fingers touched the burned edges of a beautiful golden gem thaty cracked near the edge of Maria''s fingers and was a symbol of her failure. Her burned hand flinched as it came closer to the gem.

    She had failed to hold onto the gem and it had exploded. It had killed everything and everyone in its path and only left Maria barely breathing. Everything hurt inside her and it cracked and groaned at any moment Maria made.

    Her vision blurred and Maria felt the burning on her face due to the salt in her tears. Even crying was not painless for her now and she felt like she would never be able to get up again.

    Everything in her body protested against going for the gem. It recoiled at the iing pain it was about to witness and Maria felt her body lock itself down to prevent the pain from prating it.

    And then her hands closed around the Gem of Requiem and the pain started. It was the worst thing Maria felt and her hand let instinctively let the gem go.

 Chapter 90 89: Suspended Daze

    "Y-Y-YOU! Why did you push her in?" Nao asked as her fist shook in rage and Suna could still not believe what she had seen happen right in front of her eyes.

    How dare this puny little fairy think it could get away with attacking Maria like that and so openly. And to think that they had trusted this creature with their lives. Suna felt her temper rise along with her confusion.

    "I can''t believe that just happened" at least the shock had done one thing right and knocked Suna out of the weird headspace she had been trapped in for some time. The world had felt like it had slowed down and almost came to a halt before the previous series of events happened.

    Suna could see the conflict Noa felt when she looked at her and she felt guilty. She should have never put Nao under a condition where she would have to choose between her and Maria but it did feel like she unintentionally did just that.

    Otherwise, there would have been no scenario under which Nao left Maria alone. Nao was too dedicated for that to happen in front of her eyes. (It did not make Suna jealous. Not at all)

    "Hey. Don''t make me out to be the bad person here. I did that to protect you all from exploding" the fairy cried out, looking offended at being called out like that. Her words puzzled Suna since she had missed out on too much in her suspended state.

    "What does that mean?" Nao asked and Suna felt hopelessness sh all over her. It was the same feeling she had been feeling for a long time now and now it threatened to consume her.

    But Suna could fight it off for now. She had to fight it off if she wanted to be any help in theing hours. She did not want to go back into the useless headspace she had found herself in when she had thought she lost everything.

    (Lifeless eyes stared back at her as blood soaked the ground. Noa''s lifeless body stared back at her from where she had tried to protect her. Noa had taken the blow meant for her and ended up dead in the process)

    "-can we do? We can''t just sit around here and wait for Maria to die. Right, Suna! Suna?" Suna wed herself from her thoughts and felt a hand shaking her shoulder.

    (Nao''s worried eyes looked at her and for a second Suna was back in her headspace, looking at a worried, yet the dead body of Suna and Maria. She could not shake off the feeling of guilt)

    "Snap out of it" Suna''s arm hurt where she had been pinched. But it had also ignited her fight or flight instincts and caused Suna to instantly pay attention to Nao. And Nao looked angry when she looked at Suna which was never a good sign.

    Suna''s instincts did not allow her to slip up again with such an entity at her back. They screamed at her to pay attention and not get killed by Nao in the process.

    "I''m going after her" Suna dered, her attention shifting from one thing to another. Her head felt like it would explode with all her thoughts bouncing around inside. It was a painful feeling and Suna needed a distraction from it.

    However, the unimpressed looks she got from the other two indicated that she had missed a crucial point during their discussion.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I just said that you should go after her. It would be dangerous for you as well as her and it might get us all killed. Besides, you need to stay here and protect me, I mean this opening" the fairy seemed to have panicked at the thought of losing her guards.

    Suna felt no affection for her or her cutesy actions. Suna was sure that she had liked cute things before stepping into this forest but something seemed to have changed inside her that made her unable to care.

    She wanted to snap that little irritation''s head off before it put them in any more danger. She wanted to see the tiny body bleed and break and so much more- (just as her friends had been broken in her memories)

    And then a quake shook thend she had been standing on and caused Suna to lose her bnce. She felt her body slide toward the hole and a pair of small hands trying to keep her out of the ce where Maria had disappeared to.

    "Do. Not. Fall. The gem would explode if you entered the water without the curse. That''s why I took Maria''s ne away as well" Nao felt another pair of hands join the small ones on her back and her body finally moved away from the hole.

    Nao''s disapproving expression had the same intensity it always had but it somehow felt worse to have it directed toward her. Suna felt her stomach drop as Nao red at her down till she surrendered.

    "I have one suicidal idiot in my party, I do not need another. Get yourself together because we''re about to getpany soon" Nao sounded bitter and Suna wanted to object to the suicidal part of the usation. She was not suicidal, not like Maria at least who somehow happened to end up in every bad situation they came across.

    But Suna no longer had any grounds to talk about it because deep down she knew Nao''s words to be the truth. She had not exactly stopped herself from slipping toward the hole when she realized what was going to happen next. She had even allowed it to happen to some degree.

    And she felt afraid of the sudden change inside her because this was not her. Suna was not weak like that.

    She was not weak like her human that had chosen to give up on life rather than face the new reality it had been thrust into. That was not Nao.

    ''You might be a demon but the human in you doesn''t die till you die yourself. Don''t delusion yourself to think that you''ll always be in control'' was what the guild master had told her before she had been taken in by him. Nao had never believed in those words, her confidence far too huge to allow a mere human to ovee her will.

    But now it was different. Fear was a strong emotion to be feeling in such a situation and it was forcing the human consciousness in the body to respond. Nao was getting weaker by the second and even she did not know what would happen if the human inside her body awakened.

    She would rather die than find out.

 Chapter 91 90: Not Letting Go

    Maria''s hands closed around the gem and pain exploded all over her arm. The magical energy of the gem was strong and itshed out at everyone and everything around itself. Maria''s body was still safe due to the protective shield around the gem but it would notst forever.

    Maria needed to pull the gem out if she wanted to break the curse that had beenid on this forest. She could feel her resolve to weaken as time passed and the gem''s influence dragged her deeper and deeper into letting go.

    The monsters went mad as soon as her hand touched the gem. The magicshing out at them was changing them from inside out at an rming rate. They would go on a rampage soon and copse the roof right on top of her.

    And the worst of all, the gem was slipping out of Maria''s hand and it almost had escaped a few seconds earlier as well. It was slimy and slippery which was causing a little too much problem for Maria. Every time she tried to get a hold of it, it ended up out of her reach.

    Not to mention, the pain she felt whenever she touched the gem was something she had never experienced before. It made her want to rethink her life choices but she had to prevail. The lives of her friends depended on her being able to conquer this gem.

    She had to pull the gem to the surface at any cost.

    Maria used every bit of magic she had to coat her hand in protective magicalyers and held the gem out. The heat did not diminish in quality even with dozens of magical protections between Maria''s hand and the gem. This was going to leave an imprint if Maria survived this.

    [Warning. Overexposure to hostile magic detected. The user is asked to let the hostile magic go or actions would be taken to preserve the host''s life]

    Every warning in her system red to life around her but Maria blocked it out. She had only one goal in mind and it was to get the gem out of this water.

    ''The curse would break if the gem absorbs the moonlight. I just need to get to the top and I''ll be free'' Maria did not know how she knew that but it felt right to her. Taking the gem out of here was something she was supposed to do to ensure that she survived this curse.

    Maybe it was her subconscious self that helped her out or it could be her cursed instincts screaming at her from the back but this was the only reason Maria pushed forward. This and for her friend''s safety. They would all die if the gem exploded in the water.

    [Warning. Sensory overload exceeding maximum limits. Reaching the harmful limits will cause the system to initiate a user safety protocol. Would the user like to initiate it?]

    Maria ignored the pull that asked her to say yes. The subtle influence of her system had not gone unnoticed by Maria but she did not want it. It could go to hell for all that she cared.

    One second Maria pushed herself to go faster, the next she felt something collide with her back and send her swimming right into the wall. Her back protested when she tried to move it and Maria felt genuinely terrified that she might have hurt her spine in the collision.

    Swimming hurt but it was better than being shoved into the wall by the beast that wasing back for round two. It had no clear sense of direction and Maria could not read its moments.

    ''It''ll move left'' Maria''s body moved ording to the spontaneous thought and she barely managed to avoid the huge body that passed her. She knew she would not have been able to do it if she had stopped to think over her actions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "MARIA! Lookout" Suna''s voice broke the silence like a pleasant surprise before Maria felt something disturbing the waters around her with moments. She dodged out of the first body that was thrown into the water but more and more followed shortly.

    Monsters broke away from her toward the unconscious Sirens falling into the water. Maria tried to block out the crunching noise emerging from around her as she shot up everything she had.

    Only her hand made it out of the water, the gem open for the moonlight to fall on before Maria felt something grasp her tail. Hands reached for her body and she felt a Siren trying to choke her.

    Her hand shook but Maria held onto the gem in her palm. She needed to keep it open and straight, facing the moon or all her suffering would be for the naught.

    Her oxygen felt as if it was being cut off and her body started to shut down. Maria did not even have enough energy to get free but she knew she could let go now. The gem was out in the moonlight and its energy was beginning to change.

    Screams emerged from around her, tearing themselves out of the Siren''s throat all around and Maria felt more pairs of hands join the first one as she lost consciousness.

    ''Finally, it''s all over'' Maria felt the curse weaken as her body started to sink. The arms around her added extra weight she was not equipped to handle on her own.

    But strangely enough, all Maria felt in her ending moments was peace. The pain was fading away as well as the ckness that preceded one''s death. Maria could not even tell if she was sinking or being pulled up.

    "Breathe. Maria, you need to breathe if you want to live" That sounded like Nao but Nao did not panic like this. Nao was calm and assertive and she liked to scold when she was nervous.

    Not beg like she was right now.

    But maybe it was theck of oxygen mixed with the trauma she had suffered that made Maria imagine Nao like that. Suns looked saner thanst time as well. Not 100% but considerably better than her zoned-out self.

    "Get out of the way. She''s sustained too much damage but I can help" even the little fairy was here, trying to make Maria feel better. This was such a goodst dream as well and onlycked Neah to make it perfect.

    Every thought nked out of her mind as the small fairy twinkled around her with her magic dust which reminded Maria eerily of another small fairy from popr folk tales. It was a hypnotic motion and lulled Maria into a state of unconsciousness.

    [Safety limits exceeded. The user has sustained irreversible harm. The system will need to go to a two-day stand-by period for recovery. May the user be protected in the meantime]

 Chapter 92 91: The Next Step

    [Bringing all systems online. Exiting standby phase. Checking for damage.

    User data: Clear]

    It was loud around Maria when she opened her eyes. Her body felt like it was led when she tried to move it, so she gave up. There was no use forcing herself to move if her body did not want her to.

    Though, she did wonder why she had been left alone. Surely Nao had to have been worried about her and Suna as well. At least one of them should have been with her to ensure that? Maria did not sustain anysting damage.

    "Ah, you finally woke up today. I''ll go and inform the others" the voice sounded tiny and surprised at seeing Maria but it did not take long for her to figure out who it had been. There were only so many small creatures that coulde closer to Maria and she felt grateful once the door opened to let Nao in.

    Nao looked like she had aged a decade while still remaining young. However, her eyes held the darkness and stress which made Maria guilty for some reason. Had it been a worry for her that had done that to Nao?

    "A week. You were unconscious for a week Maria. Do you know how behind it sets us on our journey?" Nao was not yelling but the words brought forth a flinch in Maria.

    A week? Really? Surely the damage had not been that excessive?

    "What about the curse? Is it broken? And the Gem of Requiem? Where did it go? Are you and Suna Ok?" Maria had wanted to assure Nao that she was alright. But her mind and mouth had other priorities

    And they were not appreciated by Nao. She looked halfway between wanting to murder Maria and hugging her to elevate her worry. It was as amusing as it was terrifying. The fairy just looked amused at Nao''s suffering face.

    "Maria, you can''t just risk yourself like-", "She''s awake?"

    And, of course, Nao did not get to finish her sentence before the front door was broken in and Suna entered with a cheery air around her. She looked older as well, more mature but there was darkness around her that Maria had not felt before.

    Suna took a step toward Maria before she stopped. Maria felt stiff at the approaching demoness without her consent and it left everyone a little awkward.

    Thankfully, no one really brought it up again. But the incident did leave Maria shaken. She was sure she had never reacted like that with anyone else but there was something ''wrong'' about Suna now. She felt wrong.

    "Suna, you are overwhelming her with your enthusiasm. Tone it down a bit" Nao handled the situation pretty quickly and broke the tension. Maria felt her breathing ease as her attention shifted from onepanion to the other.

    "Take away all my fun, shy don''t you. First, you take away my drinks, now this as well" Suna pouted and Maria felt a smile tug over her lips at the familiar banter. She had not realised just how much she had actually missed it.

    It continued like that for a while and Maria took her time to bask in the emotions it brought forth inside her mind. Thest few days she had remembered had not been the best so anyfort felt nice.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So, how are you feeling now? Think you are good enough to leave this forest?" Suna asked, breaking away from her argument with Nao. She looked curious which was a good sign from thest time Maria had seen her.

    "I''m ready to leave whenever. Well, as long as my body cooperates, that is." Maria tried to pick her body up but it held no strength. It must have been a funny feeling to see Maria so helpless in a safe environment.

    Maria could see Suna trying to hold her smile back and even Nao looked entertained. The oracle was sure it had something to do with the safe environment they were in that brought forth the teasing mood between them all.

    "I''ll ask the cooks to prepare a special meal for you so that you can gain your strength back. The tourist cabin will pass through this forest in a few hours so we''ll take it to get to the Grand Canyon" Suna informed Maria with a special focus on words.

    Maria was sure that the rise they would be hitching would be free. Nao and Suna looked like they were in a mood to have retribution for all they had suffered from. It would be fun to see and also provide Maria with a much-needed rest.

    The food was really good and it did help Maria gain the much-needed energy she had beencking. Her stomach also appreciated the food Maria shoved inside it but she had moderated herself for the sake of her health.

    And when the travellingpany''s cabin came, Nao made sure to scare them with every bit of energy she had. As luck would have it, the cabin staff had some familiar faces in them and seeing Nao and Suna in front of them, rtively unharmed, freaked them out.

    So they had a ride that took them all the way to the Grand Canyon''s outskirts. But that was where the journey ended for them.

    "You''re not going inside the city?" Suna asked for the fifth time in fifteen minutes. It was weird for a travellingpany to do this because Maria was not sure if it was abnormal or not.

    None of the other travelers looked invested in entering the canyon as well which made Maria think that it might have been the norm. But there was a tense air around the travelling group which seemed unusual.

    "Y-You actually want to enter the canyon? Are you out of your mind?" A traveler asked, surprised by coloring his features as he took in their group. And he was not the only one surprised either.

    Most people looked at them like they had lost all their brainpower which was disturbing. Maria did not enjoy being looked at like a freak.

    Well, any more than she was anyway. Having someone look at you like you had lost your head was a weird thing to see but Maria was more interested in the reason behind the subtle fear she saw in the group''s eyes.

    "You don''t have to escort us if you don''t want to. We can go ahead from here ourselves" Nao replied as she jumped out of the cabin with Maria and Suna in tow.

    The rest of the passengers watched the trio walk away to a certain death even without realizing it.

    After all, everyone knew that the Grand Canyon was something you appreciated from the outside, not walk inside if you value your life.

 Chapter 93 92: The Grand Canyon

    "Everyone, be on your guard. I can''t sense anything from the canyon but that doesn''t mean it''s not a trap" Nao reminded the group as she stood at the entrance of the town.

    The gateway that read ''Grand Canyon'' looked abandoned and uncared for but it was still fairly new. It had no wear and tear that came with time, just neglect. It seemed as if the people of Grand Canyon held no respect for its town.

    "From the information, Lady Karin left us with, the node entrance should be in the underground tunnel beneath the canyon. We will need to walk down on foot and then climb down" Nao walked around as she repeated the words Lady Karin had told her.

    She had to repeat them since Maria had been unconscious at that time and Suna had not joined them yet. They felt needed to be shared again with the group for safety reasons.

    "We should find a guide first to show us around. Cliffs can be dangerous if we don''t secure a safe path down" while falling down the cliffs was not a real concern for the group, it could very well dy them if the cliff did break down.

    Not to mention, there was a scarceck of supply among their group. They needed to restock in food and water since they had emptied their supply before reaching the Grand Canyon.

    There was no way they would trust the travelingpany to not spike their food to get rid of them. It was just better to stay on alert against such people. Not to mention, there was always a risk of them getting recognized if they mingled too much with the general public.

    It was just better to stay away and in their ownne for now.

    "But don''t you find it weird how bare this town actually is? I don''t think I''ve actually seen any humans at all. I can''t even feel anyone here" Sunained as she looked around the empty roads. There really was no one around which was a huge red g.

    "It really is weird. Let me go ahead and check this ce out" Nao observed as well with a frown. There were things really wrong with this ce and Nao was not in any hurry to get caught in another curse. They were so close to achieving one of the goals Nao had been given.

    Maria had no choice but to agree to separate for now. Nao was already off and Suna looked eager to go off as well. She had looked as awkward around Maria these past few days as Maria had felt around her.

    It was clear that the misadventure at the cursed forest had unimaginably changed Suna. It had changed them all but the changes brought forth in Suna were the most obvious ones and she seemed closer to the original novel Suna than ever.

    Somehow, that thought was terrifying on its own for Maria and she was not sure how to feel about it. On one hand, it meant that things were moving in the right direction. But it also meant that the things that happened in the original novel might happen again.

    "So they left me behind. Might as well start gathering supplies on my one now" Maria was not salty about being left behind like this. She was just irritated to be thought of as the weak link that needed to be protected.

    Maria entered an antique store to look around for treasures. This was a part of her powers she hated the most but she had no other choice but to do some ''borrowing'' again. She was running low on items to barter the system shop with and this ce looked empty.

    Maria would have to be really careful though. She did not want someone to actually walk in on her while she was stealing, er, borrowing things from strangers.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria picked up a bow while she made a show of examining it. It was well crafted but merely for decorative purposes. It did not look like it could even fire a straight arrow but somehow it attracted Maria.

    There was a certain charm about the bow thatpelled Maria to touch it and interact with it. Maria wanted to hold the bow in her hand and pull the string back. She needed to let the arrow fly and hit its mark and¡­

    ¡­She never got to do anything because she was tackled to the ground by something small but heavynding on top of her. Small caws dug themselves into Maria''s arms and they stung with pain.

    "T-Thief. P-Put the bow b-back. I-It''s mine" the voice was too loud pitched to be a full-grown person so Maria concluded it to be a kid that had attacked her.

    He had one hell of a grip on Maria''s leg and it was starting to hurt as well. Maria needed to get out of the hold as soon as possible before something bad happened. It would be hell if Suna and Nao came back to find Maria in such a situation.

    Despite everything that was happening, Maria did not want the kid to die at herpanion''s hands.

    "Fine, I''m letting go of the bow so you can let go of me now as well. There is no need to get violent" Maria carefully put the bow down so as to not damage it. She knew that the kid had his eyes trailing Maria and the bow while she did this.

    The bow likely held a great significance for the kid. He had attacked Maria for the bow, not even caring about his life. That took some serious guts and a lot of willpower even the best of the soldiers did not possess.

    This kid was interesting and it made Maria curious. He was obviously terrified but was trying to defend the shop from Maria at any cost.

    In response, Maria decided to do what she had specifically been asked to never do by her teachers. She held her hands up in a surrendering pose and sat down in a defeated way.

    "I surrender. Please don''t hurt me. We were just passing through this town as tourists" Maria exined as she watched the kid rx at her words. Her unarmed posture along with her surrendering pose must be making the childfortable around her.

    Now she needed to steer him to tell Maria what she wanted and then she could focus on getting out. Hopefully, she will be able to do it before Nao or Suna decide to make aeback and check in on her.

    After all, Maria was not sure she would be able to exin her current condition to herpanions.

    (There won''t be an update tomorrow since I''m not feeling well )

 Chapter 94 93: Native Citizen

    "I surrender. Please don''t hurt me. We were just passing through this town as tourists'''' Maria watched as the re in the kid''s eyes lessened. Her words were working in putting the kid''s shield down.

    "Tourists? We don''t get them now. Brother refuses to tell me why people don''te here anymore and because of this, our business is not down" the kid sounded sad. But he no longer seemed murderous which Maria took as progress.

    Not having someone point a weapon toward you did wonder for one''s mood. And Maria took this distraction to swipe some earnings off of the nearby table. She was sure the kid would not notice her small theft.

    "So, where did youe from? Are you here alone? You should not wander around the town without weapons on you. My brother says it''s dangerous and my brother is the smartest person I know" Maria felt her lips tug themselves into a small smile at the enthusiasm.

    It was good to see kids being kids. It surely cheered Maria up and assured her that there was at least one other responsible person in this ce that could help her out.

    "Is your brother that smart? Then, can he help us as well? I and my friends" Maria asked as she passed her most harmless smile toward the kid. She wanted toe across as friendly and could see herself seeding in the endeavor.

    The kid looked like he was about to agree but then his face shifted. The door opened and Maria felt a bad feeling before she saw Suna move.

    The kid did not even get a chance to defend himself before he had been captured by Suna in an unforgiving grip. She sneered at the kid and Maria could see the terrified expression on the kid''s face.

    Whatever progress Maria had managed to make with the kid was gone in an instant and Maria could not help but feel annoyed at it. Suna had attacked without any provocation which gave Maria a headache.

    "Suna, let him go. He''s just a kid and not a threat to us" Suna and the kid both shot her wronged expressions but the grip did loosen. The blue expression on the kid''s face started to fade as oxygen reached his lungs and he took in deep breaths.

    Suna seemed to be blinking slowly, likelying out of a daze and it made Maria feel worried about her. This was not something that was supposed to happen and Suna had been the most forgiving one of them. It felt wrong to see her attack a kid like that.

    "Suna, are you alright? You went a little nk there" Maria asked as she approached the dangerous woman carefully. Maria believed that she would not be attacked but being cautious was a good idea.

    A tamed dog might not attack its owner but the potential to go feral was always there. And while Suna was neither a dog nor feral, this analogy did stick to her as well. Demons were simr to animals and in most cases, even worse when pushed.

    "Huh? I, when did I get inside? I think I nked out again" Suna muttered, seemingly to herself before her eyesnded on Maria. She looked a little rmed and sheepish as she took in the oracle.

    So breaking had not been a part of the n after all? Why was Maria not surprised at seeing such a development happening right in front of her eyes? She should have been paying attention to it.

    "Well, you kinda attacked and scared off our only lead. Hope you are happy" Maria knew it was wrong of her to sass out at Suna who had done it all unconsciously but she could not help it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Thankfully, Suna did not take her words in a negative light and brushed them off with a wave of her hand. She seemed to not have minded the tone Maria identally used with her.

    "What''s done is done. Let''s find Nao and tell her about the situation. She''ll want to know sooner orter" Maria knew Suna was right. Nao would want to know.

    She would also throw a fit if she found out that Maria had seen someone and not told her about it. Their rtionship was fragile enough as it was. Maria did not want to make things worse between them.

    She deployed her system and instantly found Nao not too far away from them. The other female seemed deep in concentration and she also had a frown on her face. Her hands held a struggling familiar small form beneath her and her eyes seemed to be looking at the kid with a calcting expression.

    "L-Let me go" the kid cried out as he was held down. Nao was being really gentle with the kid as she held him down but she couldn''t avoid all the injuries on the kid. Maria could see a lot of the wounds being infected.

    She had missed it all during her first meeting with the kid because she had been too busy trying to keep him calm. Also, the cloak the kid had worn had hidden all his injuries from Maria''s eyes.

    "Nao, you can let him up. He''s not a threat but a native person from this ce" Nao did not look impressed at the words Maria spoke. Maria read the unspoken ''what did you do'' in Nao''s gaze.

    "Y-You again. I won''t fall for the same trick twice" the kid growled out as he tried to get free from Nao. Nao had eased the pressure but had not fully let go of the kid. It seemed like a good idea since the kid looked like he would bolt away at any second.

    "Sorry but we''re desperate as well. We can''t allow you to run away since you''re the only person in this town" not that the kid would be of any help to them.

    The kid was small and likely too weak to make it down. Maria just wanted the kid to call his brother and that was it. Even Maria was getting tired of all the chasing she had to do.

    "Let me go. I''m not alone here and my brother would make you regret taking me hostage. Let me go before the sun sets'''' the kid tried desperately to get out and Maria noticed the changes in his words.

    The kid had asked to be let go before the sun set. So maybe whatever was wrong with this ce happened at night. It did sound Interesting but also dangerous.

    "Let''s find shelter for tonight and observe" Nao suggested and the trio dragged their +1 along.

    (Instead of no chapter today, I decided to do only one today and tomorrow. It amounts to the same so hope this works out better. It''s totally not because I managed to squeeze an extra written chapter in or anything)

 Chapter 95 94: The Other Human

    Their shelter turned out to be a small cot with blocked windows with two bedrooms lined opposite each other right on the ground floor. The first floor was locked so the trio decided not to open it for now.

    They had just barged into someone''s house uninvited, they did not need to barge in on their privacy as well. The best they could do was to make themselvesfortable while still being on the outlook for the real house owners.

    "Here. This is for you" Maria passed a container of fresh food toward the kid who looked back at her in confusion. He looked like he had never seen a good container before and Maria nudged the kid to take the container and eat.

    He hesitantly took it but did not look happy to have this opportunity. He also had his guard up and did his best to deter any attempts Maria made to start a conversation with him.

    "It''s not poisoned so you don''t need to worry about dying" Maria teased as she watched the kid take a hesitant bite. She had noticed the hungry, yet cautious approach the kid took toward food and felt her heart hurt for him.

    The kid was going through a lot and the trio was just adding to his misery. There was no need for them to keep the kid hostage other than to talk with his brother. Thankfully, the kid did decide to eat the food and not starve himself.

    "J-just because I''m eating this doesn''t mean I''ve forgiven you. M-My brother wille for me and then y-you will regret taking me" the kid replied as he gulped the food down. The kid had been really hungry and starved which made Maria kind of sad. No kid deserved to starve like this.

    But Maria did not know this kid''s condition either. Maybe there was a reason he was like this and Maria should not get attached to him.

    "Maria, someone is here. Nao had gone out to check" Suna entered the room and her eyes shifted around in vignt checking. She had noticed the change in their surroundings and posed ready to attack. Nao was a good choice for scouting the enemies and just sensitive enough not to be a hindrance to the group.

    "See, I told you my brother woulde. Your friend is history now" the kid boasted as he looked toward Maria. He had so much hope in his eyes and Maria felt bad for him. His hope was about to be crushed by Nao in a few seconds.

    While the human that had entered seemed powerful by human standards, he was nowhere near Nao''s level. His magic was also weak whenpared to Nao and so would be his body strength.

    Poor guy had no idea he was in for a rough time already. All Maria could do was feel sorry for him. Nao was not one to show mercy and recently, her list of not showing mercy even included kids.

    The door creaked open just a bit and Maria tried her best to stifle herughter. Nao was deploying an amusing means to entertain them and Maria knew that the next part would provide her with a worthy reaction.

    "See, I told you my brother is strong. Brother, help me out?" The unfamiliar guy that had opened the door was shoved inside and Nao emerged from behind. One of her hands held onto the teen''s arm to hold him hostage while the other shoved him inside.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even a blind person could see who was really in charge here. The kid looked ahead with an open mouth as his brother was hurried inside the room and held in a threatening position. The poor kid looked like he would cry.

    "Now then, we have the person we wanted. What should we do now? Start heading down the actual canyon cliffs?" Nao asked once she secured the teen''s hand. He was not going to get an opportunity to attack Nao.

    The teen struggled under Nao''s weight but it was meaningless. No matter how much he tried, a demon was superior in power to an average human. There would be no winning for the human here and it was better for him to ept that.

    "What are you, people? Are you humans? Demons? Are you a friend of the devil down the canyon? What do you want with my brother?" The guy yelled as he finally gave up getting free. A wise choice seeing as how Nao was getting irritated with him.

    "Devil? What are you even talking about? I did not sense any devil aura here when I scouted this ce and we also just arrived here this morning" Suna asked gently. She was the good cop to Nao''s bad one and it somehow suited her character.

    Not that the elder brother seemed to think the same. He looked angrier at the words. The younger brother looked scared but it had more to do with Nao''s angry expression.

    "Don''t y dumb. You''re too strong to be a normal human. Besides, your magic is not normal as well, and did I mention that you are just freaky strong?" The man asked in an irritated tone.

    He still looked scared but seemed to have gained some confidence since he had not been harmed yet. Maria signaled for Nao to let the elder man go. Meeting his younger brother would prove to be a good chance for the elder man''s confidence in them.

    And the elder did not hesitate to run toward his younger brother and act as a shield between him and the trio. There was weariness in the elder brother''s eyes but confusion as well now. After all, he had been let go without a fight and did change one''s perspective toward a potential threat.

    "What do you want with us?" The elder guy asked as he clutched his younger brother closer to himself. He had a mad-dog look in his eyes which did not bode well for Maria. She felt like the man would snap and bite them if they gave him the chance to.

    So they needed to keep him in control before he hurt them or himself.

    Maria got ready to try and calm the man down but the shaking of the ground stopped her short. She felt her bnce being shot down and she fell toward Suna.

    The shaking did not look natural and made Maria flinch with the high frequency she could feel all around him. The pair of brothers in front of her looked green in the face and they looked scared as well. Something was wrong with the scenario and it bugged Maria.

 Chapter 96 95: Mystery Of Grand Canyon

    The shaking did not stop even after 5 minutes which was unusual. It just proved Maria''s theory of it not being any normal earthquake but the shaking did seem to be lessening with time.

    "What kind of earthquake was that? Itsted too long to be normal" Suna sounded freaked out but also vignt. They all had realized that things in the Grand Canyon were not as peaceful as they had hoped them to be.

    Maria just found herself epting her fate. How dare she even think things would change once she reached here? Things never change for their group and that was a core concept for them.

    "Shit. We were toote. Looks like we''ll need to spend the night here" the elder brother sounded disappointed and angry at the prospect. But there was also an air of defeat around him which seemed uncharacteristic of what Maria knew of him. (Not that she knew much)

    Something had scared the elder brother enough to keep him with the trio even when he wanted to escape. Something out there was dangerous and it made far too much sense for Maria and her friends to get caught up in the cross-fire. It was like a divine power was guiding them.

    "Fuck. They are here already today. Listen, do not open the door even if it gets knocked. We do not need to invite anyone tonight or ever" the elder brother sat down as he covered his younger brother''s ears to block the noise out.

    Maria wanted to ask him more about that but the knock on the door stopped her short. She shared a look with Nao and the eldest decided to check the threat out. She stood up before anyone could protest and walked toward the door.

    "Oiii, don''t open it. You''ll get us all killed if you do that. Hey, stop your friend before she does something foolish" the elder brother sounded freaked out as he watched Nao move toward certain death. He clutched his younger brother tightly and waited for the worst.

    He had watched stronger people being killed by those devils. The girl might have captured him but she had no chance of being able to survive those devils.

    The door opened slowly and the elder brother clutched his younger counterpart for dear life. He would protect the younger, just as his parents had protected a few years ago. He would not allow their sacrifices to be in vain.

    The shadowy reached for the female and touched her face. It was all over now and the female had no chance of survival. She would be sucked dry to her bone and then devoured by the devil.

    Or that was what was supposed to happen. But instead of that happening, the hand passed right over the female''s face, not even stopping to feel anyone, and then the door closed.

    "I hate zombies but at least they are dumb. Well then, what should we do next?" Nao asked as she parted the curtains to have a look outside. People walked around without any rhyme or reason except to quench their unending hunger.

    This single incident infirmed the trio of major happenings going around them. And the picture being presented was not pretty, to say the least. It was no wonder that the duo had been so cautious with the females.

    "Is that what those devils are called? They started appearing out of nowhere one day and took over our friends and family. Now only a handful of people are left" the younger brother exined as he dragged himself toward the window.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He looked sad and it tugged at Maria''s heart to see. The kid was far too young to be having this kind of trauma. But sometimes things happened beyond anyone''s control.

    "They seem to be looking for something in the area so they must have a master as well. I don''t want to get involved with them so let''s wait for them out" Nao observed as she closed the curtains.

    These mindless zombies were harmless to the three demons but their sheer number would slow anyone down. This was the only reason Maria decided to hold back for now.

    "Anyway. Who are you, people? You look surprised to see those devils but you also don''t fear them. They ignored one of you as well where they would have previously killed people for doing the same" the elder brother asked but the fear was not as omnipresent as it had been before.

    Instead, there was curiosity visible in the man''s eyes which made for a far better oue for the group. Curiosity was something they could manipte to their advantage to get the desired result.

    "We''re not fully human so those zombies don''t see us as food. You don''t need to fear for our safety" Suna exined in a cheery voice which caused the brothers to freeze.

    It did not click inside Maria''s head instantly why the brothers froze like that, but once it did, she wanted to smack Suna for her bold exnation. They should not be telling their secrets to everyone they meet.

    "Y-You''re w-w-what? Are you here to k-kill us? Please don''t" the elder brother''s voice had a little shake as Maria decided to bring her hood down and show her unusual appendages. There was no point in hiding how she was any longer anyway. And maybe seeing a familiar face would help as well. (That is if they recognized her)

    But they did not seem to have recognized her face. They just panicked even more which was beginning to get irritating fast. Suna was trying to reassure them but it seemed to not be registering inside the brother''s mind.

    "That''s it. I was not nning to harm you but you''re irritating me now. Sit down or it will hurt" the pair of brothers instantly stopped fiddling around and focused on Nao.

    Maria decided to let Nao handle the introduction and tell the brothers about what they wanted from then. Fear was a big indicator to get people to do what Noa wanted and Maria was not above using it. Besides, Nao had experience in dealing with these things.

    "I could take you there but we won''t being back out alive if I did. There is the leader of devils in there and it''ll get us if we venture closer. I won''t subject my brother to this fate" the elder brother cried out as he held the younger one closer.

    But this made Maria''s eyes narrow.

    The demon that caused this mess and those zombies searching around for something seemed like something Maria needed to pay attention to. And herpanions seemed to think so as well if the looks being passed around seemed to indicate something.

 Chapter 97 96: One-Sided Disagreement

    "I could take you there but we won''t being back out alive if I did. There is the leader of devils in there and it''ll get us if we venture closer. I won''t subject my brother to this fate" the elder brother sounded vindicated and for all the right reasons.

    The fierceness in his voice was something Maria had only seen in cornered animals before. The elder was pushing past hisfort zone to confront Nao on her impressive decision.

    Even more so for him since? Maria could see him trembling in fear in front of Nao. Suna looked startled as well but her mind looked to be miles away. One of these days, Maria was going to cut into her brain to see what brought about these changes.

    "You don''t have toe with us if you don''t want to. You just need to lead us to a position from where we can navigate ourselves. I think even you can manage that much" Nao replied with a straight face. She had not even flinched at the full re being aimed her way. It made here across as cold-hearted.

    Nao was likely scaring the pair of brothers but even Maria knew it was all empty talk.

    Probably.

    "It''s still too dangerous" the elder brother screamed before realizing his situation. Nao just raised an eyebrow at the disy of emotions but did not make any move to harm the sibling pair.

    And it must be scaring the pair in front of her. They had no idea what was about to happen next and they had no preparation as well. It truly was a situation between a rock and a hard ce.

    "*You* do not have toe if you don''t want to. I''m sure your younger brother can show us the way" Nao''s bargain caused all kinds of reactions. The younger brother curled upon his brother''sp in fear while the elder looked even angrier at the prospect of harming his younger brother.

    "Keep your hands off of my brother or else-" the empty threat was left hanging. They all knew there was nothing the elder brother could do to make the situation any better. Nao was the one in control and had one hell of a determined mind to back it up as well.

    The trio watched the elder brother struggle with himself toe up with a solution but they all knew his fate had been sealed the second he had been discovered by them. He neither had the power, nor the means necessary to upset the trio.

    "Fine. I will help you but only till the entrance. And my brother stays here" the elder brother bargained as he clutched his young brother tighter in his arms.

    There was real concern and desperation in his eyes that made the trio agree without hesitation. They had no real need of the kid and he would be a distraction if they took him along.

    "Fine. We leave in the morning as soon as the area clears out. Suna, set up the parametric spells for tonight so that we can have some rest" Suna agreed without dy. Her magic washed over the house and secured it.

    It was deadly quiet after that as the noise from outside got cut off abruptly. Suna had made sure that nothing passed between her barrier and outside so they could be as loud as they wanted tonight.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I would like a formal introduction to know who I''m dealing with. My name is Samuel and this is Denis'''' the elder brother replied once he rxed a little bit. Maria was sure that the tense air and the awkwardness between them would never really go away.

    But at least this was a start of a friendship Maria could see blooming into something grander in the future. Now, if only the siblings stopped trying to fear for their lives and start trusting their group.

    "Maria, Nao, and Suna. Make sure you remember our names" Maria introduced. She kept it to the bare minimum to not give anything away and if the sibling pair suspected anything, they did not indicate it.

    The night was the quietest they had in a while. No noise prated the barrier and everyone except the two brothers slept like a baby. Somehow despite the current situation, this was the easiest situation they had faced in a long time.

    The morning was dry and pleasant and the trio was ready to head out with Samuel while Denis stayed behind. The younger brother was not happy with the arrangement but he did not make things difficult for the group either.

    The trio set out with Samuel carrying a familiar bow that had started it all and Maria could not help but be amused.

    Not to mention, the small shadow following behind them in secret was adorable. The kid was trying so hard not to get noticed by them and Maria allowed him to follow. Everyone in her group had noticed the kid following behind but decided to indulge the little kid.

    After all, it was safer with them than to be alone in the town. And since the trio had taken away the kid''s brother, it was only fair that they protected the kid as well.

    "Do you have a feeling like we''re being followed as well?" Samuel finally asked once they entered the valley. Suna had been the one that had subtly alerted them about their adorable stalker and the three watched in amusement as the teen tried to figure out where their stalker stood.

    The kid was more than good, even by adult standards and Maris felt like he would be even better with a little training. She could see potential and so could Nao. Maybe she could coerce her friend into teaching the kid for a while.

    "Following? Ah yes, your brother had been following after us for quite some time now. What about it?" Suna asked as she quickly scouted the area. She was quick on her feet as she hopped around the area.

    No one missed the flinch and building rage in the elder brother''s body and Maria had to dodge the flying fisting toward her face. She did not want to deal with an emotionallypromised adult who was their ticket into going inside the canyon.

    "Y-You bastard. You could have told this me beforehand. He''s just a kid and should not be here at all" Samuel tried to hit Maria and Nao decided she had enough. She hurried and picked Daniel up before his brother could lose it fully.

    "Calm down. Here, catch him" Nao shoved the kid toward his brother and it finally allowed Maria to get away.

 Chapter 98 97: Unseen Adversary

    "Here. Catch" Nao threw the kid right at Samuel and it gave Maria enough time to get away from the elder brother. Samuel looked unamused with his younger brother in his arms and there was an air of awkwardness in his smile when he faced Samuel.

    "Eh, surprise?" Daniel asked with an almost questioning tone. He was trying to appear innocent when he was not and Maria could see Samuel''s temper rise. She understood why the elder was getting angry at the kid since it was dangerous for a kid to be here alone.

    So Maria averted her eyes from the scolding scene going in front of her. It reminded her too much of herself when she decided to do something she should not have been as the oracle. It brought forth bitter-sweet memories. (And maybe of her past life as well when the doctors scolded her for being impatient)

    Nao seemed to be enjoying the reunion though and Maria could see the amused looks of the elder demon colored with a reminiscent look. Even Suna looked amused which was a big plus in Maria''s books.

    "We need to go back to drop Daniel. We cannot allow him to roam the canyon" the elder brother protested, finally breaking the easy atmosphere that had descended over the group.

    While the trio could understand why Samuel wanted to go back, this was not a luxury they could afford right now. They had to keep pressing ahead if they wanted to reach the bottom today and wasting time was not on anyone''s agenda at the moment.

    "No. We must keep going ahead. Bring the kid with you if you want to keep him safe but we are not going back" Nao dered with finality. No one else protested against the new addition except Samuel.

    "Not" the elder brother was dead and set on not bringing his younger brother with him but Nao was not one to back down as well. The ring match was getting heated faster and faster.

    Maria wanted to enjoy the moment but she could not. There was an air of uneasiness around the group that prompted them to keep on moving ahead. Maria''s sixth sense tugged at her to leave the ce before something bad could happen.

    "Nao, Suna, we need to get moving. I don''t think it''s wise to stay here any longer" Maria called out which snapped the other two into attention immediately. They had noticed the changes in their surroundings as well.

    The only ones who were unaware of the danger they were in. It made theirints much more irritating to hear when they did not contribute actively.

    ? "Give him here. Suna, pick up this weakling and get ready to move" Nao manhandled Daniel right out of his brother''s arms while throwing theining elder toward Suna who caught him without much fuzz.

    The elder looked surprised to see the fragile-looking female carry him as if he weighed nothing. Maria, being the only one who had her hands free, decided to look around for the source of the noise she had heard. The rest of the crew jumped out of sight and hid in the trees.

    Maria barely made out a shadow on the ground before she forced herself to hide as well. There were familiar figures on the ground, ones she had seen the night before. However, they looked much more lethargic and wasted than when she had seen them in the dark.

    "Maria. Status" Noa''s voice came over the speaker and Maria toned down the volume. They had talked about what to do in such situations beforehand so it was not hard for them to coordinate who does what in such a scenario.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Zombies fromst night. They look washed out but still push themselves. It''s entirely possible that we were spottedst night" not that it would be surprising. They had not taken any precautions against being found out after all.

    The zombies were not a threat but they would slow the group down if they stopped to take their time with them. It was a choice between a rock and a hard ce for their group.

    "I''m not going to approach them but I''ll keep them under surveince for the time being. You both should circle the forest and meet me at the end. It is not wise for us to retreat" her words cut off any protest Samuel had against them moving forward.

    If they had been spotted the day before and the zombies had followed behind them till here, then it meant that their master wanted something from them. And somehow, Maria had a feeling it would not be wise to get caught so easily.

    "We''ll wait for you once we arrive. You have us marked under surveince as well, right?" Nao asked but she already knew the answer. Maria had everyone in their group marked to keep tabs.

    Maria confirmed the decision and then went to lead the zombies off of her trail. She made minimum noise to keep the zombie''s attention on her while her group got to escape from the other side.

    Maria''s eyes met Nao and Suna''s and she gave them a salute. Nao just sighed as she jumped with the kid in her arms while Suna winked with an amused smile at her. There was a silent understanding between them.

    Maria leads the zombies toward the outer forest edge before she found more and more of them joining behind her. The group of 2-3 zombies had expanded into a group of almost 40 zombies who ranged from 20-50 years old.

    Once they were out of the danger zone, Maria slowed her speed down and jumped up. Her moment had been fast enough to not alert the zombies where she had disappeared and it caused a small wave of confusion between them.

    It would not be long before they forget what they had been chasing after since zombies had slow brain functionality. As a result, they could not retain a lot of information for a long period of time.

    Maria waited for the bodies below her to pass beforeing down. It would be safer once the clearing was empty and then Maria could start heading toward her group.

    Or at least that had been the n before Maria found herself deflecting the de being aimed her way. The power behind the blow made Maria''s arms strain with pain but she sessfully managed to fend the attack off.

    "Ah, what do we have here? Another one for the master''s collection? And this one''s a fighter as well" well, things just went from good to bad in a span of a minute.

 Chapter 99 98: Pikas Playtime

    "Ah, what do we have here? Another one for the master''s collection? And this one''s a fighter as well" the voice sounded emotionless but Maria knew nothing good coulde out of it. The body in front of her looked almost like a child''s, which made it difficult for Maria to be able to guess the correct age range.

    Lifeless eyes stared back at Maria which made her nervous looking back at them. She had never liked to look at eyes that held no emotions in them. (It reminded her too much of the patients that had lost hope)

    "Are you not going to reply? Are you a defective human?" The child asked if its soulless eyes stared right into Maria''s own. It seemed as if the child saw Maria but at the same time could notprehend who he saw.

    Had Maria been mistaken for a human? Even with her bunny ears right on disy? Surely the kid was not as stupid as to think that normal humans had bunny ears outside of special circumstances.

    "Who are you and what are you doing here?" Maria asked as she instantly jumped back to maintain a distance between herself and the kid. The kid might loom harmless at first but there were so many factors here.

    And the things that looked most harmless were often the most dangerous out there. Maria should know since she was often seen as a harmless person as well. The mask of being a ''sweet harmless Oracle'' was one only worn by her to fool the public.

    "Who is Pika? Well, Pika is Pika and Pika is the master''s possession. Pika is here to make sure the master gets new toys in their possession and makes them happy" it got Maria how the child''s voice did not change throughout the sentence.

    The creepiness came crawling back as she realized that the kid was not normal. Several cuts on the kid''s body should have hurt but the kid acted like they were not even there. Many of the injuries Maria could spot would have left even the veterans at a loss but not the kid marching toward her.

    It was clear that either the kid had a high pain tolerance or the kid could not feel the pain. Was the kid a zombie as well?

    Maria had never seen or heard about such a self-aware zombie before but there was always a first time for everything. And the world was a big enough ce for Maria not to ever question what could or could not happen. She was a prime example of this subject herself.

    "Don''t try to resist Pika" Maria dodged the rather clumsy attack being made at her by the child-like zombie and she tried not to let herself attack back the kid with too much force. She wanted to subdue him, not kill him off.

    But if the kid kept up his attempts, Maria was not sure how much longer she could just sit back and dodge. Not because she was not powerful enough, but because she was running short on time.

    She needed to find a way to get away and inform her group of this new development. Her system was recording it all but sending it over would have to wait. Otherwise, her battlefield would get invaded by Suna and Nao which would attract even more attention.

    "Stop running away from Pika. We''ll sure we''ll have a lot of fun together" the child was too random in his attacks and managed to get inside Maria''s guard a few times to scratch her. It was not difficult with Maria not giving it to her all but it was still a shame.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The nails managed to scratch her arms which gave Maria a burning sensation. There was poison in those nails and it hurt to be subjected to it. But Maria''s demonic side neutralized it within minutes. That was a benefit Maria liked about her new body.

    "Pika doesn''t understand. Why did the human not be Pika''s friend?" The zombie had stopped to look at Maria in confusion. It had stopped as soon as those nails had gazed at Maria''s arms and the kid''s face had turned into eager anticipation.

    But soon it was reced by confusion as well as a heartbroken expression which paired well with the kid''s face to make Maria feel guilty. Darn her and her feelings that made Maria hesitate to attack the confused kid.

    "Pika is confused but Pika was told to kill anyone who doesn''t want to be Pika''s friend. Pika is sorry for her next action" Maria felt the tone change before the moment of the body in front of Maria changed as well.

    Thezy attacks from before had a force behind them that should have been impossible for the small body to be able to produce. And yet those fists made an impact that left Maria in a need to defend herself.

    Now that things hade to this, she had no other choice but to fight back and knock the kid out as soon as she could. It was a matter of both their safety.

    Her magic swelled but the harmless type just slid off of the zombified girl. Since she was no longer living, normal spells like spells or slowdown did not have an effect. It was going to get tougher from here on out.

    "Please give up. Pika doesn''t want to hurt you" Maria had no other choice but to deploy a blunt weapon on the kid. Chances are, the kid would not even feel it once he was hit but Maria still felt a smudge of guilt as the handle of her knife made contact with the kid.

    The body copsed without even a hint of pain orint and Maria immediately dashed for safety. The noise being made during their small fight had alerted other zombies of her cement and many had already started to make a move toward her.

    And zombies were a difficult race to deal with. They are often tricky and difficult to kill. Maria could already see all the trouble they would bring her if she allowed them anywhere near herself.

    "Sorry kid. Bit stay down for now" Maria used a powerful binding spell to keep the zombie in ce and finally started returning to her friends. Such troublesome matters needed to be dealt with as soon as possible and Maria did not want to drag it out any longer.

    As sorry as she felt for the zombie kid, she had other living matters to tend to. This minor infraction caused in this one town was not worth all the effort Maria would have to put in to do her work.

 Chapter 100 Note: Important

    There will be no chapter in the next two days since I decided to work on a new Yuri story called Sexretory of the Harem. Unlike this one, it will be rather slow in updating. Like 2-3 chapters a week for some time since I want to focus on this one first. But I would be grateful if you decided to add that story to the collections as well. I mainly had to get it out since the idea would not leave my head and it was interfering with this story writing.

    This story''s schedule will not change and it will be updated in the same schedule as it always had. So hopefully you will visit the new story as well and show it, love. I want to try and get an exclusive contract for that one since I feel like the idea is good and fresh.

    <novelnext></novelnext>

    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 101 99: Moment Of Weakness

    "W-What kind of i-inhuman strength do you h-have?" Samuel asked as he was tossed around by the demoness who held her. She looked fragile but she was anything but delicate. She was moving with Samuel in her arms like he weighed nothing.

    "I''m a demon. The strengthes with the territory of being one" Suna exined as she dodged another hoard of zombies below them. It was getting more and more difficult to get away from them since their number kept on increasing.

    However, halfway through the chase, the zombies decided to give up on them and move toward the other direction Maria had taken. Something had attracted their attention and Suna could only guess what it was. She just knew it had something to do with Maria.

    "We''re safe. Let''s make our way out now" Nao took charge as she corrected the kid in her arms. She was having an easier time navigating since her charge was smaller and allowed Nao more room to work with.

    She had gotten used to carrying Maria around in her fish firm so this weight in her arms felt familiar to her. Samuel was not a difficult passenger to carry around either but Suna just preferred something softer and heavier in her arms.

    Maybe she should get Nao to agree to be carried by her? It would be an amusing image since Nao was taller than her. But Suna wanted to carry Nao and then drop her into bed and the-

    "-not right. Maria is rejecting my attempts to contact her. Should we follow after her?" Nao asked in an almost hesitant tone. They were almost at the meet-up spot and they should head toward it. Maria also had the means necessary to contact them if things got bad.

    But the air of hesitation could never be taken away fully from inside the group. Maria was important to the pair and this world so she could not be allowed toe to harm.

    "Go back? No. Not. Never'''' there was only one of them who had a problem with this n really and that was Samuel. The poor guy had been freaked out this whole time and there was no way he would allow these fools to lead him toward certain death.

    Suna wanted to smack the man so badly for overreacting. The situation was not half as bad as he was making it out to be but he was getting irritated now. The only reason Suna had not knocked him out was that then he would be an even bigger hindrance.

    "Excuse me. This has been buzzing for some time now and I don''t know what to do?" Daniel, the kid brother, was much more useful in overall regards as he handed themunicator to Nao. The female demon had put it aside when Maria had not answered her the first few times.

    It looked like whatever the problem with Maria was, it had been solved already and the other female finally found time to contact her back.

    "Nao, there might be a bigger problem here than we first anticipated. Avoid the zombies at all costs since some of them have woken up their previous consciousness. I just faced a zombie that could speak and even think on its own" Maria warned and Nao felt her eyes narrow.

    "Reanimation? Isn''t that a taboo practice? Things just keep on getting worse and worse" Nao hissed out. She had heard of the practice but had never seen it being sessfully carried out before.

    A single attempt required a lot of resources and magic at one''s disposal. To have such a massive outbreak was asking for trouble. And all this had to happen at the Grand Canyon as well. What a mess of things it was all turning out to be.

    "Have you heard of this practice?" Maria asked in surprise. The surprise took Nao back as well before she remembered the golden rules Lady Silvya had implemented over Maria''s study.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes. But it''s not important enough to discuss for now. What are you thinking of doing now? The situation just changed for us all" if those zombies could think then it would get difficult to avoid them all the time.

    "Let''s not change the initial n. Head for the lower level of the canyon entry as nned. I''ll follow after you at my own pace" Maria suggested and Nao was about to agree before she remembered an important detail.

    It would not matter how fast they tried to move ahead down the pathway, it would not matter in the end because they did not have the key permit with them. The only one who could enter the depths without any precaution was Maria. No one else was strong enough.

    And if they did somehow make it down, then it would make them a contender for the demonic war which would be worse than actual death.

    "We can''t. You have the key to the node" Nao reminded and she almost heard Maria curse before she caught herself. Nao could hear light footsteps from behind Maria as the speakers softly captured the noise on the other side.

    "Head to the entrance for now. We''ll see what we can do once we are all there" Maria sounded like she was in a hurry. The noise must have not escaped her notice as well and the need to move must be overwhelming for her as well.

    Nao was worried but she also knew it would be best to head to their meet-up spot for now.

    "Let''s head in. Maria would catch up with is" Suna had full confidence in Maria and her abilities which helped Noa rx as well. Suna was right after all. Maria would somehow pull through it all in the end.

    "Huh? WE''RE STILL HEADING DOWN? ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Samuel asked as he panicked. It was unfortunate for him that the other three had started to build immunity toward his behavior.

    Even his younger brother chose to ignore him and took Nao''s hand to follow her. The elder brother was quite outnumbered in this department and the thought of being left alone was worse.

    "N-No wait. Don''t leave me here" and just as Nao had thought, the man quickly followed after them. He might have been a coward but he had survived this long and with a kid as well.

    Though, Nao had to give props to the younger brother in this situation. He was unnaturally calm for such a situation and had even found a trick to make the elder follow after him to safety.

    And Nao could not help but feel suspicious of the situation. Wasn''t the kid brother way too calm? Just how calm can a human kid be in such a horrific situation?

    (Only one chapter/day for some time because I actually managed to write)

 Chapter 102 100: True Colors

    "T-There was a ce like this down here? I never would have guessed" Nao looked at the bewildered human who could no longer tear his eyes away from the depths of the crystal cave in front of him. It was for a good reason as well.

    The whole cave shined with precious stones and other jewels embedded into the walls at random intervals which made multicolour light reflect from their surface. It made the cave glow in different shades of the rainbow and gave it an ''out-of-this-world'' effect.

    "Should we try to enter? It doesn''t feel like an entrance to the node chamber but I still want us to be careful" Nao exined as she examined the surface of the cave. The rocks looked quite beautiful but ordinary.

    And with the possibility of not being the only party present here, these protections might have been put into ce by another demon to not let anyone in.

    "I don''t see a problem. If it''s the node barrier then we won''t be able to enter anyway. Otherwise, we can send a message to Maria to be careful" Suna agreed as she observed the same thing. The surface of the rocks was even not harmed by the passage of time.

    The whole cave system looked rather fresh and on a second look, it looked artificial as well. Natural caves had a roughness to them that this one did not.

    Nao tried to dig her hand into the barrier to get entry but the magic inside the shield repelled it. It was nowhere strange enough to be a node shield since the sensation felt familiar to her.

    ? Nao was sure she had seen such protection before that only allowed selected parties to enter and exit from a said location. But everyone who could afford to put such a thing up had to be an influential figure. Why would something like this pop up here all of a sudden?

    "It repels demonic energies. Should we try and blow it up?" Suna asked as she readied her magic. Nao had considered the same idea before she had dismissed it due to obvious reasons.

    "Let''s wait first before doing something like that. The barrier is just as likely to explode as it is to break" Nao reminded as she held Suna back. The magic building in Suna''s hand also disappeared as soon as she loosened her hold on it.

    Nao was not sure if the magic would only repel demons or if it would repel humans as well. What about half-demons? Did it ount for it?

    Nao quickly nced at the younger sibling of the duo who had been leaning against the barrier. He looked paler and his face looked red but he had not passed through the barrier yet. So did it mean that the barrier rejected humans as well?

    "Well, looks like we''re stuck waiting for Maria now. Hopefully, it doesn''t take into ount her unique situation" it likely won''t since there were only a handful of known half-human and half-demon hybrids that were rumoured to be. Nao had never seen anyone besides Maria either.

    Nao turned to take a headcount before sitting down, only to find one of their members missing. The elder brother, Samuel, had disappeared from their group and no one had mentioned it yet. Had they just not realised? Not even the younger brother?

    "What are you doing?" Suna''s cry attracted Nao''s attention toward the other side of the barrier where the terrified human sat. He looked as if he had seen a ghost and every colour had drained out of the human''s face.

    "I, this, how did this happen?" The human looked confused about his new circumstances and Nao did feel sorry for him. It was likely not his fault that he had crossed over. But itplicates things for them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Not to mention, it now begged the question of how it had been done? Why had the younger brother been able to cross the barrier and not the younger brother? Nao quickly took a look at the younger brother who had a closed-off expression on his face.

    "It doesn''t matter how you got in there. Since you''re already inside then go and find a way to get the barrier down for us" Suna ordered. She had aplex expression on her face as well. She had the younger brother clutching at her wrist but Noa could not see his face to find out what kind of expression he had.

    The elder brother took all the attention onto himself with his weird ways of expressing himself. The voice of the elder was passing through a barrier before reaching Nao and it was still loud enough to give her a headache. She did not want to imagine what it would do if there was no damper in between.

    "-and it''s too dangerous. I cannot possibly leave Daniel with you alone because it would be irresponsible and dangerous and -", "Just hurry up and take this barrier down"

    Nao finally snapped, which snapped the other shut as well. It felt good to have that annoyance shut off as soon as her angry voice reached the male. The scared expression did not waver but it did change.

    "A-Alright. B-But does be careful. Things are not as they seem to be" the elder warned as he walked away. Somehow, it left Nao with an impression that he meant it in more than a vague way and was warning them to be cautious at all times.

    Surely Noa was not the only one catching these subtle hints and one look toward Suna confirmed her suspicions. Maybe it was a good thing Maria was away for now.

    "So, what are we doing now?" The kid at Suna''s side asked as he rounded his big and innocent eyes toward the pair. Not even one shred of fear lingered in the kid''s eyes in such a situation.

    It was really weird and Nao felt chills go down her spine as she took in the situation from another angle.

    She had believed that the danger had been far away from them this whole time but what if it was not so far away from them? What if the danger was near to them all the time.

    "Is something wrong, sis?" Daniel asked as he innocently tilted his head. For some reason, Nao felt warning bells ring inside her head as the kid neared her. Without Maria and Samuel in the picture, the demeanor of the kid seemed to have changedpletely.

    "Nao, look out" Suna cried just as a shadow jumped between Nao and the approaching kid. No, in between but on the kid¡¯s figure which halted him in his tracks.

    What was going on here at the moment?

    (100 Chapters already? WOW)

 Chapter 103 101: The Caves

    Maria felt the demonic presence faintly before she felt Nao''s and Suna''s presence which instantly shifted her focus into attack mode. Maria jumped toward the ce she had felt the hostile aura from and dropped down on something.

    She made sure her body weight kept the enemy pinned down while she took notice of the situation.

    "O-Ouch. You''re hurting me" a soft voice came from beneath Maria''s feet and she instantly tried to back away as soon as she registered a kid''s voice inside her mind. How weird that she had jumped down directly on top of the kid. Maria had been so sure that she hadnded on the foreign aura and -

    "Do not let him go. Maria, keep him down for as long as you can" Nao''s voice broke Maria out of her trance and she instantly increased the pressure. The kid made a noise as if he had been hurt but Maria kept the pressure up.

    She had no idea what Nao was nning but Maria knew that her partner had a n. If it involves capturing a kid for this purpose, then Maria would capture the kid.

    "Let. Me. Go. I have done nothing wrong yet" the kid howled as he tried to get away. It was a valid effort, maybe a little bit too strong for a human kid. Maria knew even she had not been that strong at that stage and she had begun to train at that stage as well.

    Something was not adding up here. Shouldn''t human children be rather weak, especially ones that were in danger of being in the grasp of malnutrition? Then there was the fact that there was demonic energying out of the kid beneath her.

    "I don''t feel confident with your ''yet''. Maria, can you make sure he doesn''t get away from us or try to attack us?" Maria wanted to groan at what Nao was asking of her. There was only one way to ensure that no magic could be used by the kid and that was with the help of her chains.

    Nao likely had forgotten a specific detail but Maria had not.

    But opening her mouth right now would be counterproductive as well. They could not let the enemy know that Maria had such a weakness that could be exploited so easily. So Maria decided to take out one of her smaller chains to wind it along the kid''s arms.

    "You sure?" Suna asked, worry crossing her expression but it fell away at Maria''s confident nod. She had made sure to bind the kid properly and then she noticed someone from their group missing.

    "Where''s the elder brother?" Maria asked in a neutral tone. The elder brother was not a threat to them but he could still prove to be a problem. If the younger brother had somehow managed to keep his demonic side hidden, then the elder might have been much more capable.

    "He''s not a threat. I think he''s fully human since he managed to pass the barrier when we could not. Let''s head there and try with you" Nao turned toward Maria as she addressed her.

    Maria felt her eyes twitch in irritation at being treated as a test subject before she passed the Daniel to Suna. However, Maria forgot a tiny problem and heard Suna groan in pain as soon as she touched the chain.

    "Shit, sorry. I forgot that this one renders the demonic powers useless so demons are not supposed to touch them. Suna, drop the chain" Suna''s hands still clenched the chain tightly, despite Maria''s words of warning and Maria felt her heart stop.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Then it sped up as Maria hurried and pried the chain off of Suna''s hand.

    It was slightly burned and stained red everywhere else. It would take time to heal since the burn had rendered demonic energy useless and even Nao looked worried as she neared the others.

    "Nah, don''t be sorry. It''s kinda my fault for not looking at what I was grabbing. I''m sure this will not happen again for some time" Suna tried tough her injury off but it was noughing matter.

    Such injuries were prone to infection very quickly and they also became a liability in the battle. If something happened to Suna because of her inability to use her dominant hand, then it would be all Maria''s fault. Maria could not even raise her head to look at Nao or Suna.

    "Hey, what if it burned me as well? Can you not get it off? I promise to behave, '''' the kid asked in a t tone. It sounded mocking to Maria''s ears but she knew the kid was not trying to agitate her.

    "These are weak ones so they won''t hurt you as long as your clothes are in the way. Be careful if you don''t want to get hurt" Maria should not be telling all this to their captive but she somehow felt bad for the kid.

    And he had been right in saying that he had not done anything to their group yet. He was innocent in most of his ims and that was why it irked Maria so much. There was so much split evidence and her feelings said nothing.

    The cave was beautiful when they entered it again and Maria kept walking even when the other three stopped. She felt herself pass through some kind of barrier that provided her with almost no resistance but she felt her friends stop.

    "What''s wrong? Is it the barrier?" Maria asked. She tried to move out again but Nao''s head shake stopped her in the middle.

    "Go deeper and try to take this barrier down. It doesn''t allow demons inside so we send the elder brother in to take it down. I''m afraid that he might be in danger" Nao exined as she urged Maria to go ahead.

    What a weird pair the siblings were. A demon and a human and Maria felt surprised and eager to know how it came to be. Did the elder brother even know that his younger brother was a demon? Was that the reason the sibling pair had survived for so long?

    But there was also the question of how. Most demons were contracts like Noa and for the kid to exist here meant that he also had a ceremony being done to him. But for what reason? And how even did it?

    Somehow, the mysteries kept on piling up one after another and Maria left in search of her next goal - to take down the barrier and find the elder brother. Just how far could a human walk in such a suffocating cavework anyway?

    But anyway, Maria decided to walk down the path her instincts led her. It was as good a lead as any in her opinion.

 Chapter 104 102: A Close Save

    "Stupid outsiders with their stupid sense of adventure and that stupid demon who decided they were no threat to them so he could let them do as they wish. Why did I have to be put in danger?" Samuel cried at the unfair treatment he got from the hands of the outsider.

    And to think that he''s been having such a good week as well. The demon and its Zombies had left the main town alone for some time and things had genuinely settled down enough to be considered peaceful.

    But then those outsiders had toe and drag the pair of brothers into this forbidden territory they were not supposed to venture into. Terrible things happened here and every child had been specifically warned to nevere in this direction, no matter what.

    It was Samuel''s first time here as well and he had no idea what he should be doing now. He had been asked to take down the shield but how did one achieve that? Were there any specific guidelines for Samuel to follow? Did he have to destroy something to achieve that?

    "God. Why is it all soplicated?" Samuel had just wanted a peaceful life but it had been stripped away and then he had just wanted peace and quiet for his family. Was it all too much for him to ask?

    "Pika has never seen you before here. Are you a new type of Pika" for a second, Samuel felt like he was hearing his brother talk? His brother had sounded eerily simr a few years ago before Samuel had helped him outgrow that style of talking.

    But on second thought, he dismissed the thought of this voice belonging to his brother. It was too young and fragile sounding than his brother. Also, Daniel could not cross this barrier for some reason. (He knew the reason but he was in denial)

    "I, sorry, wrong ce. I''ll be going now" Samuel turned around and ran. Getting caught here would be a sure way to die. No, it will be worse than death since the very consciousness Samuel was trying to protect would-be swiped away.

    He could not forget. Samuel could not afford to forget the things he needed to keep close. He was the only one who could carry the torch of the Grand Canyon traditions and perform the sacred ceremonies for the world tree since he was the only one old enough to remember.

    ''Those ceremonies are what keeps this continent afloat. If we stop doing them, then something bad will wake up. No matter who dies or who gets killed, one of us has to survive'' that was what a vige elder had told Samuel when he had been young and those words had been the ones that had been stuck inside Samuel''s head.

    They gave him the courage to just keep going for as long as he could. Now that he thought back at it, those words had almost been a curse for him and had enved Samuel in their grasp.

    "Running from Pika is futile. Humans are to be Pika''s friends or they are to be killed" the child replied as it ran behind Samuel. And the demon was fast. Samuel did not know what to make of it. Was it a zombie? A human? A mix? Or even something more?

    But the demon was not omnipotent which was the biggest advantage Samuel had. The demon was as fast as it could be for someone that size but it was slow in reflexes and other departments.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It took too long to notice that Samuel had changed directions or even notice the slight trap Samuel had set while running which caused the demon to trip. It was slow progress but Samuel could feel the changes in the distance between them already.

    The demon was almost upon him when the most amazing of things happened. The wall between Samuel and the demon copsed which caused a rift to form between them. Samuel was finally free from his pursuer and could breathe a sigh of relief.

    "I finally found you. You are a hard human to track down and that''s saying something when it''sing from me" it was Maria that had barged into the scene. She skipped from the top of the stone pile to Samuel''s current location, all the while ignoring the pile beneath her feet.

    Some of her skips looked like they could cause her to slip but the female never did. It made her look like a clumsy angel and Samuel could not help but feel blessed. There was a small halo of light forming behind the female that gave her an otherworldly look. She looked so beautiful that Samuel felt unworthy to look at her¡­.

    ¡­and then she slipped. The grace onlysted until the veryst step which caused the female to crash into Samuel painfully. Her elbow knocked the wind out of Samuel''s chest in a painful way and whatever magic that has been cast vanished in a second.

    "Hey, look carefully before standing in someone''s way" the female cried out in anger and Samuel felt his temper rise. It was not his fault here but Maria''s for barging into him.

    "I''ve been standing there longer and you saw me stand there. How is it my fault all of a sudden?" Samuel almost yelled and then felt the colors drain out of his face.

    Maria had just taken down a stone wall and harmed a demon. She was a potential demon. If she decided to harm Samuel then there was no way he would be able to outrun her. Not when she was far faster than the monster from before and did not have slowed reflexes.

    Samuel waited for Maria to snap and decided to kill him. He would deserve it as well with the way he had been behaving. He closed his eyes out of reflex and waited for the blow toe. If he was going to die, then he did not want to see hisst moments.

    And he waited for Maria to end him but the pain never came. Nor did any other sensation indicate that Maria was approaching him. Maybe it will be a quick death by a spell which would also be agreeable with him. He just wanted it all to be over with.

    But nothing came his way except silence and a smallugh being forced out of Maria''s throat. Surprisingly enough, it was not mocking but reassuring and melodic.

    "I knew you had it in you to be brave after all. Let''s get going then. Our friends are waiting for us" the female turned away and just like that, Samuel got to live another day.

 Chapter 105 103: A Matter Of Trust

    "You sure believe a lot in that half-demon friend of yours but you''re setting yourself up for failure. I''ve observed her and she''s too soft-hearted isn''t she?" Nao ignored the obvious jab the kid tried to make. She was not in a mood for this.

    The kid had been trying to top with Suna and Nao''s for a while now without any apparent sess but it was getting to Nao''s head. She could feel a small headache from behind her head which made her grumpy.

    "Don''t be ridiculous. Maria is just fine as she is. She''ll be here soon enough with your brother" Suna replied, not even opening her eyes at the usation. Her body was rxed and held no signs of fatigue. Her words were sure as well, full of confidence and trust.

    Nao was not surprised since she felt the same way about Maria. Her friend had been tough and resilient when she set out to do something. That was also why Nao knew that Maria would be alright even when Nao finally died.

    "She''ll be fine but would you? You know, every demon has that point in time where they have to choose between their contract and their desire. I wonder what you two will do about it" the smaller demon asked and Nao chose to remain silent.

    She was not willing to give any more inch than she had to and that was final. But it was weird to see Suna be quiet on this topic. Suna was a vocal person but she had also gone through a lot in these few days.

    "Every demon is granted a body as a result of a contract and as a result, they are bound to a human. I can tell that neither of you is bonded to that half-human so the itch must be bad right? The itch to find your human half, the one who made the contract to bring you here" was the kid teased and Nao was thankful that he had not said it all in front of Maria.

    Not that she was trying to hide it or anything. Maria knew most of it already since she had been in Nao''s life for a long time. But knowing it and hearing it were different things. Nao wanted to be the one to tell it to Maria personally when she decided to reveal it to her and Suna as well.

    She deserved to have time on her hand and toe to terms with before divulging such a personal story. It was none of their ces to ask Suna.

    "Oh. Is that why you are here? Toplete your part of the contract and to be free? What? human life got to be too much for you?" Suna jabbed back with an annoyed tone. At least she was not angry anding after their hostage.

    "Freedom? Of course, I want freedom from this curse. It shackles at me every second and it tugs at my insides in irritation. You two must feel it all the time as well. Then why? How do you ignore it that well?" The kid asked and Nao felt like sighing.

    ? This was a kid even by demonic standards. He likely had not spent too long here, nor had he been in thepany of his summoner for a long time. It must have been a difficult adjusting period for him.

    "There is no cure, no ignoring. You just get used to it over time. Humans are fragile and most of them will die even before we ever got to be free. It''s better not to think about it too much" Nao exined.

    There was not much to be done once their summoner was killed off. It left the bond in a semi-tempered state. A demon was lucky if they got told what they needed to do for freedom before that point. In a way, Nao was among the lucky ones since her summoner had been Silvya.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her master had warned her to be careful against that crafty witch but Silvya had never given Nao any major reason to be afraid of her.

    "So, I''m just stuck just because that idiot could not bear the burden of summoning me? Why me?" The kid asked as he tried to roll his hands into a fist. But the chains binding his hands and arms stopped him from making that action.

    "Get it over with kid. You are not alone in that regard. A lot of people go through it and have it worst than you. At least all you have to deal with is the ufortable feeling" Nao tried to force the thoughts out of her head of her first summon.

    Suna was quiet since she had nothing to add. She likely never had a proper summoner bind since she had been abandoned ever since she had been called here. Suna had gotten lucky to find someone to take her in at the right time before she went berserk.

    Demons without any initial bond, be it familial or summoner, went out of their mind pretty quickly. It was a one-way ticket to rampage after all.

    "You got lucky you had your brother here with you. Or, do you not even consider Samuel to be even that?" Suna asked and theplicated expression on Daniel''s face was painful to look at. It was like looking at a young Howl again.

    ''They''re not important so why should I care?'' Nao could even hear the exact words a young Howl had said but the same female had decided to abandon everything for her family as well. It made Nao miss the other female. She wanted to know how Howl was doing now.

    "Hurry. Nao, pick him up and jump" Suna made an abrupt moment that broke Nao''s concentration. And right in time as well since she could hear footsteps all around them. They had been surrounded by zombies in the short time Nao had been lost in her head.

    She quickly jumped up the tree with the kid in her arms and looked down at a slowly waking army of zombies being led by a child. No, not one but multiple children.

    "Pika cannot find the intruders" one childined in a t tone while the other continued with "Pika must inform Pika about Pika''s failures"

    "Are they named names Pika?" Suna asked in a confused tone but the answer was pretty evident in front of them. There were a lot of ''Pika'' so maybe it was not a name but a designation.

    Anyway, this boarded not good for their group. Maira was still inside and now the entrance of their cave had been preupied with these zombies. There was no safe exit for Maria anywhere now.

 Chapter 106 104: In The Shadows

    ? Maria almost slipped over the pile of rubble she had left when she knocked the wall down. She had not wanted to do that initially but had decided to take the chance in the end. If she brought the cave down on herself then that was it. Maria had survived worse and she always had her magic to rely on.

    And then she had found the elder brother and decided to join the coward. Her clumsy actions had caused Maria to slip and they also presented her with the perfect opportunity to tease her target.

    Much to her surprise, the guy had snapped back. He did have a backbone and Maria had observed it before when he had tried to take Nao on. Maria only needed to ignite his spirit to get him fired up.

    "By the way, how do we take down this barrier from the inside? I don''t see any mechanism and your friends were less than helpful" the guy asked with a confused face. Not that Maria faulted him much. Nao was not the best of exiners and it showed far too often.

    "We need to take down the seal formation that is holding the barrier in ce. It''s easy enough since you can just smudge the edges to get it away" Maria exined and she could feel it. The shock the man must be feeling.

    The stronger a seal, the fragile it was. Except for some special cases, most of the seals that involved a lot of power were fragile enough to be blown away. It made sense why such a seal had been ced in a secure cave.

    "Huh? Just like that? But even if taking the seal away is easy, I still don''t know what it looks like. What if I identally trigger something wrong?" Samuel asked with legit concern in his voice. The worry was real for a human since they were fragile without magic.

    But somehow, Maria knew that the man would be alright in the end. He would not mess it up and this feeling was something Maria chose to trust. Samuel would be alright in the end.

    "Just follow your gut and destroy the seal that feels right. I will be with you the whole time but even if I''m not there, I know you''ll be alright" Maria assured the man who looked slightly green in the face.

    Maria had been trying to reassure the elder but those words seemed to have worried him even more.

    "Don''t say things like that or you''ll make me even more nervous. Besides, you are no oracle so I should not listen to you about the future. The oracle is dead after all" Samuel replied and Maria felt the smirk on her face freeze.

    Oh yeah, she had forgotten that she was legally dead for some time now and was difficult to recognize with her new appendages and shorter hair. Maria dodged a bullet there. Still, could the guy not trust her just this once?

    "Fine, do what you want to but make sure you remember my words. My sixth sense is really strong, you know" Maria replied and that was it. There was nothing else to say and the pair started walking.

    Maria felt the quietness close around herself and a weird sensation browsed itself inside her body. Maria felt the iing message before she received it.

    [User Notice. Key item - Gem of Requiem has activated its effect. Would the user like to take the key item out?]

    Maria hurriedly opened her inventory and took out the golden gem. It was glowing in soft light but it was not aimed in every direction.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Instead, the light seemed to be curving toward one of the sides and Maria felt just the slightest tug to move in that direction. Maria hesitated a little but then decided to follow her feeling. She had to believe that Samuel would be alright on his own.

    So Maria decided to follow her feeling and the golden light guided her. They both aligned in the same direction and the sensation tugging Maria increased in frequency. It almost felt like a second heartbeat inside her chest.

    Maria followed it up to the ce where a cave wall blocked her way. The surroundings she had reached were different from the previous ones and Maria made a small attack to check the waters.

    Her attack did not even leave a dent in the wall which made her frown. She increased the intensity of her attack but nothing seemed to be helping before she got frustrated and identally threw the gem at the wall.

    As soon as the gem touched the wall, a small explosion sounded and knocked Maria back into the wall. It had been violent enough to shake the whole cave and many wall segments fell.

    And then Maria saw it, the red barrier she needed to cross to get to the node. The energy she could feel from behind the barrier felt familiar to Lady Karin which was surprising enough.

    And as Maria approached the barrier, she did not notice the eyes watching her every move. Nor did she notice another figure slipping behind her and clutching her arm to get across the barrier. The key Lady Karin had given her and the aftershocks due to the Gem''s explosion had left Maria numb.

    Would Maria have found this barrier if she did not have the Gem of Require with her? Something told her that she would still have found this ce anyway but the gem made it all easier.

    Maria used her magic to retrieve the fallen gem and examined it. It had not even retained a single crack on itself, even after the huge explosion it had undergone. This thing was dangerous and reminded Maria of her chains.

    But the barrier was down now and Maria slipped in before it coulde up. The second heartbeat inside Maria gave a painful squeeze before Maria felt a pop sound and she was in. She was finally on the path of the node and the arm holding onto Maria finally let go of her.

    And somehow, it all went unnoticed by the major party. There were two entities in the space where only one was supposed to enter and this event was a big deal.

    Maria walked at a decent enough speed to reach into the deeper cave depth while she followed her magic and the key. The shadow behind Maria followed with a delighted smile on its face.

    Finally, it''s time. The door was opened and there was only one obstacle in its way. Its minions were ready as well and soon the hunt would begin. The mindless zombies had their own orders to carry out.

    (Again, Do check out ''Sexretory of the Harem'' on Webnovel but don''t read it till it''s at least chapter 15. Add it to your library so that you don''t miss out on it)

 Chapter 107 105: Guest From Albest

    There were two heartbeats inside Maria¡¯s chest and a third one throbbing all around her. She did not doubt the fact that the cave she had entered just now was different from any other she had been in before. Somehow, this one felt alive.

    Or maybe it was because of the weird feeling she got from the second she entered this cave. It felt like a physical presence around her like Nao and Suna were in the time they ¡®helped¡¯ her out.

    Then there was the feeling of having someone watch her. Maria had looked around to try and find the intruder a few times now but had alwayse up unsessful. It did not help that the feeling of the heartbeat inside the cave masked any other presence inside it.

    The seal inside Maria throbbed as a result and tugged at Maria to follow it. Maria could not resist the flow of magic being poured into her being by the feeling, so she followed it. Despite having someone tail her, Maria only focused on going inside.

    [Restricted area entered. Cutting external connections. The system will be going on off-time due to high-authority intervention]

    Maria knew she should be panicking right now due to her system¡¯s weird warning but the feeling of suffocation that apanied the panic did note. It was all calm and quiet. It was serene and epting.

    Maria kept on walking till she reached a small valley filled with red liquid and she just knew this was her final stop. This was where she was supposed to be and she instantly gazed upon the center of the ce.

    ¡®That¡¯s the node¡¯ everything in Maria pointed to the small spherical red blob in the center of the magma pool to be the node of the world tree. Several branches-like entities circled the spherical ball and formed awork all around it.

    The veins were thin and fragile-looking but Maria thought she saw them contract and expand like blood vessels.

    And not just them.

    The spherical ball in the middle looked like it was moving as well and it looked almost translucent to Maria. It looked like a picture of an embryo Maria had seen a long time ago and she wanted to examine it.

    But the pool of magma made for a big obstacle in her way. Maria could try to climb the veins to reach the embryo but it did not look safe. The veins looked like they would snap under her weight anytime she tried to as much as step foot on them.

    Maria was deep in thought about what she should do now when she felt something fast move past her and toward the magma pit. Maria had no time to issue a warning before the shadow tried to climb up a vein but jumped back just in time to avoid falling into the magma pit once the vein snapped.

    The ce around Maria gave a painful throb. Maria did not know why she could tell but the snapping of the vein had felt like it hurt her as well.¡¯

    ¡°So it¡¯s not going to be that easy, huh¡± The new figure muttered as she tried to pick herself up. Maria could only watch in silent observation as the new figure locked eyes with her.

    ¡°So the Oracle was alive all this time. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m, surprised but it certainly is my lucky day. I wonder how Lady Baron would pay for such information since you feel strong as well¡± thedymented, a little lost in her thoughts and Maria felt her eyes rise in a challenge.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She had no idea who Lady Baron was but the name did sound familiar. Must be a nobility back home for the name to be familiar but not influential enough to have left an impression.

    But why would someone like him be happy to know Oracle''s wellness specifically?

    ¡°You seem to know me but I don¡¯t know you. Identify yourself and your objective here¡± Maria asked as she gripped her chains in her hand. It was a risk to deploy her chains but Maria knew she had to do something and minimize the damage at the same time.

    While Maria was proficient in different weapons, most of them were not her specialty and would cause property damage. And this pce did not look like the sturdy type either.

    ¡°Oh, my apologies. I¡¯m Ri John from Albest kingdom. But I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not important for now. I would like to make a formal request of the Oracle¡± thedy asked and Maria felt shocked at the admission.

    Albest kingdom was the neighboring canopy, or so it was believed to be.

    Truth to be told, the seven major canopies did not interact with each other since they were difficult to cross for anyone but the royal families of the ce. Only they knew the hidden routes from one canopy to another.

    And for a person of Albest kingdom to pass over meant that Maria¡¯s nobility had to have known. Heck, Neah had to have known. Then, did they know what happened in this town and had left it intact still?

    It made their merit drop in Maria¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to look that scary. Your nobility and our nobility had a deal so they can¡¯t interfere in my work too much. You know, politics and that shit. But anyway, that¡¯s not the important part¡± the female reminded Maria as she finally put her hood down.

    And just as Maria had known, the person in front of her was not fully human. But she did not feel like a demon as well. She felt like a mix but not like Maria was. She had demonic energy but no demon part.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Maria asked in rm as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing in front of her. The female had actual demonic features with reptilian skin and scales and all that shit.

    ¡°Huh, me? I¡¯m a chimera. But I can see why you would be surprised to see someone like me here. Your ce doesn¡¯t have people like me, right? We¡¯re a specialty of Ablest kingdom after all¡± the female cheered as she made a suggestive pose.

    Maria did not look at her ¡®assets¡¯. Not that Maria even could with the pressure of her heart increasing around her. The nod was reacting to something and the ce was beginning to be filtered with a red light.

    The external heartbeat of the cave echoed inside Marai¡¯s ears and it felt pain in her chest. Ri took advantage of her state and managed to get a head-start on Maria. The Chimera managed to grab onto a thin vein and Maria felt pain all around her.

 Chapter 108 106: Rid Of The Pest

    The chimera made good use of Maria¡¯s distraction to get a headstart but it did not help. The veins around them were just too thin to be used to get to the center and Maria felt her knees about to give out due to the echoed pain she felt.

    It hurt, hurt bad and Maria felt her body push itself unconsciously back on her feet. Her chains made a clumsy attack on the chimera which was easily dodged by the female. The follow-up attacks were not any better in quality and strength.

    Maria¡¯s head felt light and empty as she attacked. It made it very difficult to time or power her attacks up but it did make Maria capable of hitting some of the attacks on Ri.

    However, despite it all, it was not enough for Maria to be able to push the female back and the chains were beginning to drain Maria of her power. The heat was only a matter of time now and Maria hated to think of the consequences it would bring.

    ¡°Be careful with that weapon. It can kill someone¡± Riined even as she maneuvered herself out of harm¡¯s way and it was odd how Maria was not hitting her. Wasn¡¯t Maria¡¯s reflexes too slow?

    They felt sluggish and uncoordinated. Like a puppet dancing on someone¡¯s string. Maria knew she was making an effort to attack but her arms did not move in the same way she wanted them to.

    ¡°Give. Me. Back. My. Control¡± it was a dual struggle to fight with the chimera and try to get her body back at the same time. It left Maria in a position of vulnerability and Maria did mind it.

    She wanted the control of her body back and she could feel the disapproval all around her. The cave, the node, the very essence of this ce did not want her to be independent of its control.

    [Karin¡¯s extension is not free from us. You will fight for us] Maria gritted her teeth as the pressure and thoughts sank into her being. They tried to crush her will but she could not allow it.

    She would not allow it.

    ¡°I am not her extension. I am my one person and I will protect you as such¡± Maria¡¯s voice was strong and confident and her magic shined brightly. She was no one¡¯s extension but here of her own free will.

    Everything that was happening, everything that will happen, was her own choice and no one else¡¯s. Even if this was destiny or something as mundane as a path, Maria would follow it as long as she wanted to.

    ¡°I will help you because I want to. Not because Lady Karin trusted me or something. So allow me back my control¡± Maria would like to believe that her words were the reason she got her control back but she was not as optimistic.

    The chimera had tried to climb up a thickened vein in the time Maria had been fighting to get her freedom and the snapped vein did hurt.

    ¡°Now even this one¡± Ri muttered as she looked around for a thicker vein and Marai knew she had to stop her before she did something stupid. Maria could feel the presence inside the node and it did not look happy.

    Maria had no idea what a node was and why it helped such importance to the demonic war but she knew everything inside her was telling her to hurry up and stop this destruction. This pce should not fall at any cost.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [We shall trust you this once] the pressure around Maria decreased and she finally felt like her own self.

    And as soon as Maria could use her powers, she decided to take a shot at Ri with her chains. Her low was aimed at Ri¡¯s body and never managed to touch the ground even when the chimera jumped out of the way.

    Having her body fight under her own will was a liberating experience for Maria and she cherished it a lot. It made it easy for Maria to be able to aim her chains.

    And somehow, the control of those chains came easier to her. She knew how and where to aim to avoid damage and Maria knew it was because she had tried to struggle against the control. It taught her something she would never have learned otherwise.

    ¡°You are so persistent. Why don¡¯t you just knock yourself out now? Don¡¯t those chains hurt you as well?¡± the chimera asked and Maria had to wonder how she knew. Someone must have told her which meant that her informationwork was solid.

    But there was also a chance that the nobility had been the one to share it with Ri and it was a big possibility. The nobility did not know the real extent of what these chains did but the old families like Clement and such did know the chains had a bacsh as well.

    ¡°They do? I was not aware of that¡± Maria taunted back in an attempt to get the chimera to second-guess herself. She did not like to be at a disadvantage in knowledge was often a big factor in a victory.

    Never mind that Maria could feel the heat starting to build up inside her at a much slower rate than normal. It had to be because of the node¡¯s help and Maria felt grateful.

    ¡°Fuck those fools and their wrong information. You are such an annoyance since I can¡¯t kill you or the master would have my head. I don¡¯t see what he sees in a spoilt brat like you who can¡¯t even appreciate their great self¡± the chimerained.

    ¡°Master? Great self?¡± Maria asked, feeling like she had heard those words before. Was it their contractor? The one who had called them here in the world from the lower realm?

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know him? Master¡¯s the greatest and the kindest person I¡¯ve known. He saved us when we were a fated to die. Master is someone bigger than fate itself and-¡± thedy never managed to finish since the floor beneath her feet gave a painful throb and broke the female¡¯s bnce.

    And since Ri was closer to the edge of the magma pool, the motion was enough to push her into the pool and that was her likely end.

    It must be a painful way for someone to die and Maria felt herself diverting her eyes away from such a death. She felt sorry for the girl who had so much more to give but she also felt relieved to be rid of such a nuisance.

    But Maria still had a problem and that was to reach the center aisle of the cave.

 Chapter 109 107: Race To The Center

    ''Will you risk it ande here or will you turn tail and run away. Choose wisely'' That was not a voice but a feeling Maria was having. The one-sided conversation that resonated with Maria''s heart was not taking ce in the real world.

    But the cave had started to break down a little and Maria could feel the magic leaking into the cracks forming on the seal around the cave. It was badly damaged and Maria was sure that this ce would copse.

    "Darn it. Nao, Suna, can you hear me?" Maria tried calling her friends to inform them about the changes in the n but her system was still down. It looked like Maria was alone in the cave.

    ''Are you going toe? Or are you not going to?'' The voice was right inside Maria''s head and it was loud enough to cause a headache to her.

    "I''ming but I don''t know how to" Maria replied but her voice went unheard over all the loud bombarding going on inside her head. It felt like it would crack open at any time and Maria tried to calm it down a little.

    Nothing seemed to be working and it was painful to keep standing there all that while. This was not good for Maria''s mental health and especially not good for other people if this ce somehow copsed under all this pressure.

    ''Find a way to me. Show me your courage, young warrior'' Maria gritted her teeth as she tried to go against the onught of pressure being aimed her way. She felt like she was being tested and that was not a feeling Maria liked to be subjected to.

    But she knew she had no other choice but to obey that voice. She had to find a way to the center and clear the misunderstanding. She needed to clear this trial and find a way off of these caves as soon as possible. There was a real chance that they would copse like in the original novel.

    "I need to remember. What did the MC do to get to the center? He was alone as well but he somehow made it" Maria missed her system and the incredible amount of information it held. It had been a big help in getting this far for them.

    Many instances had remained the same as the original setting while various of them had changed. Maria was 120% sure that had been no zombies when the Mc had arrived but Spiritual golems that had acted as a defense mechanism.

    The MC had been down here alone, ready to sacrifice himself to stop the node''s destruction when the ceiling had copsed and someone else had taken his ce. This was where Suna had supposedly died in the original novel.

    ''Hurry up. I don''t have much time left the voice sounded urgent and Maria snapped into motion at its urgency. She needed to get to it right now. The feeling inside her chest was getting violent and her secondary heart was beginning to hurt.

    She needed something sturdy to climb to the other side but nothing seemed to be of importance to make it possible. The only thing connecting both parts were the veins-like connections that looked fragile. Maris had seen them get snapped under Ri''s weight.

    But there was a significant difference between Ri''s size and Maria''s. Besides, 6 major veins looked like they could handle Maria''s weight. They would be a better alternative for Maria to try her luck on.

    And it was not like Maria had any other choice in the matter. She needed to get to the other side. For herself and Suna as well. She could not help the feeling that something bad would happen if she did not.<novelnext></novelnext>

    [The ceiling copses and something falls on top of the node. The weight of the fallen object proved too much for the fragile bud and caused it to get crushed. And then the shaking started that copsed the cave.

    No, not only the cave but the whole kingdom is `supported by the node. It was all going to get crushed and the only thing being left behind would be a red-eyed monster with a smiling face but emotionless eyes.

    Those eyes sent shivers down Maria''s back as she stood tall between the falling bodies of her friends and people.

    "Thank you for waking me up. The dawn of this world has started now"]

    Maria felt bile build up inside her throat as the slippery and scary voice reached her ear. The sheer power of that voice had been enough to send shivers down Maria''s back and she knew she could not allow it to exist.

    That entity had been pure evil like nothing she had seen before and Maria found herself shivering in fear at it. Just what the heck had it been? It was not something that belonged to this realm.

    And what was the deal with her vision? Was it the future? The past? And alternate timeline? Or something from the original novel itself? Maria could not tell without her system.

    But she could tell what started it all and it had been the crushing of the node. It had caused the energy inside the node to run rampage and then take a solid form. Maria needed to stop that from happening. That monster could not be allowed to exist yet.

    And that is why Maria started running. She needed to get to the node before something horrible happened and she finally found a stable vein to climb up.

    However, she was not the only one with a will d in steel. The pool of magma showed the barest moment where Ri had sunk and a hand shot out of it to clutch at the solid ground.

    It found the ground and dragged its body over the surface. The skin could not be recognized from its earlier wless state. It had burn marks all over and even the scales looked like they had been peeled off of her skin. The body had a reddish shade that looked more like paint than burn marks and the gashes looked deeply embedded.

    It was a badly represented disy of hurt but Maria did not see it. She had her whole focus aimed at getting toward the center and that is why she missed it when Ri stepped inside the magma pool again. The female had her whole focus on getting to the center.

    But this time, she did not sink. Instead, her body floated above the magma pool just a little bit and slithered toward the center of the pit. The chimera moved like an unseen force and reached the pit center just as Maria did.

    (There will be only one chapter tomorrow due to privges update. The next time I update after that will be when privges go up. I might or might not also participate in mass release so we''ll see)

 Chapter 110 108: The Adversary Continues

    "You''re alive? But how?" Maria tried to contain her disbelief against what she had just seen. There was no way anyone could have survived that hellish fall into the magma pit but the chimera was somehow alive and well enough to stop Maria in her way.

    "It''s not hot enough to kill me. It''s no magma but blood which cannot get hot enough to harm me. Getting out took time since the magma was too hot though" Ri exined in a calm voice.

    It looked as if the female was hurt badly, nothing showed up on her face. Instead of a pained line, a sunny smile showed itself on Ri''s face and it looked out of ce there. Instead of being charming, it was horrifying.

    What was worse were the swarms of zombies that had started to descend into the blood pool around them. They were not being harmed by the substance and would soon reach the center of the pit. It was a difficult situation and Maria was alone in handling it.

    "What are you trying to do?" Maria asked as she took in the scene with wide eyes. This was not good since it would cause a lot of destruction. Maria needed to stop the marching army at any cost.

    She wondered what Suna and Nao were doing and she even missed them as well. Stopping this charging army would be so much easier if she had help but Maria was alone in this problem. She could not count on anyone else but herself.

    "It''s our lucky day since we get to cripple ourpetition so much in one blow. The node of Germa and the oracle will die in one blow. Die and be the foundation for our new ruler" Maria parried the first few attacks but she was getting weaker by the second.

    It did not help that she needed to restrain herself to not harm the ce around her. The whole node was sensitive and left her at the mercy of defending herself from the attack. The enemy number was overwhelming as well which made the task equally taxing on her.

    "Fine. Bring it on" Maria threw herself into the battle. It was a mindless ughter that went on for minutes. Maria did not stop.

    Maria could not stop or it would spell the doom of everything she cared for. The node could not be allowed to be destroyed but only resealed. And they were already running out of time which was bad.

    "Don''t try and resist. Once we get the power of this node and use it to revive our master from the previous war, it would all be over. All our suffering would have meaning ande to an end. And for that to happen, you, the Oracle, need to die" the chimera looked mad at the state of the battle.

    Maria dodged another attack as she twisted her body out of the way of the iing attack and charged back with her fist. It was easy to connect and had enough power to send the zombie flying away.

    But when one fell, another quickly rose to take its ce. It was a never-ending cycle that could not be broken till the center figure was taken down. And Maria also had to take extra care not to hit too hard to permanently damage the people around her.

    Maria''s opportunity to counterattack came halfway between her punching another zombie away and tracking Ri close to her. The female was aiming for behind Maria, trying to use her next dodge as an opportunity to press forward. But she was not going to get a chance since Maria deflected her attack at thest second.

    The magic st that was building up in Ri''s hands changed its course and hit Maria which was painful but it did prevent the attack from reaching the node. However, it did not stop the zombies from attacking the node and Maria felt the defenses give way before the roof copsed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Debris fell from the sky but the smile on Ri''s face did not falter. It looked as if it had been pasted there by someone.

    "Now this is troublesome. I don''t want to get buried beneath the rubble. Everyone, cover me" the zombies stopped their assault as they gathered around the chimera in an attempt to shield her.

    Maria did wonder why the other did not use her magic to shield before realizing that she could not. The external magic pressure was too much for the shield to handle and Maria deployed her chain in the form of an umbre to cover herself.

    It was not the best defense but it was adequate to protect Maria. It made the rubble slip away from her and helped her conserve strength as well.

    But this falling rubble, there was something significant about it. Maria felt like she should be doing something right now. Preventing something right now but she was not able to remember.

    It was the worst case of short-term memory loss Maria had had in a long time and she could not find herself to be having a worse timing than this. Something was nagging at her to prevent the fall of something and she missed her system and its ability to remember.

    "Suna, Nooooo" Nao''s voice echoed and Maria watched as herpanions fell.

    No, Suna was one falling while Nao was trying to reach her. Maria''s vision had changed but for the worst this time. She needed to stop the pair''s descent before they crashed into the node but the only option she had was to deploy her chain.

    It would hurt the pair badly, maybe even kill them but it was the only choice she had. If they fell into a node and damaged it, then it would destroy the whole of the continent they were standing on.

    "Don''t get in my way" and of course, the zombies had to join in attacking her at the very second Maria decided to help the falling pair out. She could see Nao trying to reach out for Suna and clutch her arm. Her oldest friend was reaching out for someone she loved and Maria needed to support them.

    She needed there to be a world when her twopanions arose. (If it was not a question because Maria refused to think of it like that ). She needed to protect the node and that is why she used the remaining of her magic to make a with her chains.

    She would stop that fall at any cost, even if she had to empty herself of her magic. And the pair did stop once they hit her. Their speed fell and Maria felt relief fill her.

    And then she felt someone stab her and the safety disappeared from beneath the pair.

 Chapter 111 109: Temporary Truce

    "I lost Maria''s signal. I can''t find her presence either" Suna observed as she spread her senses all over the cavework. She had been able to sense Maria all but a minute ago but had lost her signal in a matter of seconds.

    It had not been a brief trigger as well, but a sudden silence from Maria''s side. One second she had been there and the next second, it had all been quiet and calm.

    "Did your friend finally die? What about my brother? Did she meet up with him?" Daniel asked in a worried voice. He had been tied up by Nao at the start of the whole mess and he had not been let loose till now.

    One thing Nao had to say was that the kid had a vivid imagination for someone who was a demon. He had a lot of impossible scenarios inside his tiny head which amused Nao a lot when she heard him whine about unfairness. But those words were not always appreciative.

    "Since we have yet to lose a signal from our side must mean that Maria is alive in there. But theck of signal from her side is a concerning thing. We can''t even enter to check since we have the zombies on our trail" Nao pointed out with calm observation.

    She would not recognize the thought of Maria''s death until it was thest thing she did. She would not survive such a crushing blow to herself if things did end up in that way. The less Nao thought about it, the better for her.

    "Nao, I''ll be going out to check for Maria and the barrier. You stay here and keep me safe from the distance" Suna looked determined to go down and check things out so Nao knew it was impossible to talk her out of it.

    Besides, Suna was strong and just as worried about Maria as Nao was. And one of them had to go down to check for Maria in this mess. They could not afford to lose the Oracle here and now.

    "Be careful. I''ll try and divert their attention" Nao meant the zombies and there was an easy understanding between those two. Their experience showed in such a moment since they did not even need tomunicate to let the other know what was going to happen next.

    "Hey, untie me first. I wanna help" the kid cried out in helplessness. It was not his intention to fight but that was the better oue for him.

    The two fighters could forget about him once they entered the fighting arena and that would be a devastating problem for Daniel. He also had no way to protect himself against these monsters as long as he was bound.

    "We would but we can''t. Since we''re demons, those chains drain out our energy as well. It''ll be better for you to wait out here for Maria or your brother" Nao''s words crushed all the hopes Daniel had for getting free.

    This was a risky situation for him. What if the girl died inside there or something happened to his brother? Won''t he be forever trapped in these chains till someone came to free him? What kind of fate did it leave him with?

    "Don''t worry. Maria knows better than to die here. Things would be alright-" Suna never got to finish her words since the earth''s shaking stopped her cold. Something had broken in their surroundings and the group felt their magic increase in strength.

    But the seal had not beenpletely broken in yet. The quake felt like it had damaged something in the surroundings but had not broken the seal. It was only a matter of time though before the seal would be done.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "H-Hey. The signal went dead from our side as well. W-We lost all control" Daniel watched as the connection screen go nk in front of his eyes.

    He had no idea how thismunication thing was supposed to work but even he knew that the power inside the device was not supposed to go out ever. Was their third member dead?

    "The power went out? Don''t be a liar" Nao felt panic seize her as she fought against the iing wave of attackers. The zombies were beginning to get annoying with their inability to stay down. They could not be taken out without taking out their leader first and that was another thing Nao had added to their list.

    So she had no time for prank calls on Daniel''s part right now. Not when she was working hard to save his life as well as her own.

    "I''m not lying. Come and check for yourself. And also, untie me please" the kid begged as he looked on toward the fighting group. He could help cover the group with his archery skills as well. He had brought his bow with him but he needed his hands for it.

    He also had no time to waste here when his weak elder brother was in there, fighting for his life. Daniel needed to go in there and help him out or he would never be free.

    "Fine. I''ll untie you but don''t act smart with me. I will restrain you if you try anything funny" Nao agreed and took out a cloth before touching the chains.

    They obviously drained her still but the effect was not drastic and the chains gave way easily. They had not been tied strongly in the first ce, so they were really easy to get out of.

    And the kid got to work instantly. His shots connected with the zombies and held enough force to keep them in ce. The arrows that pierced the zombies made them stick to tree surfaces where Suna finished them off.

    It was mindless work and Suna found herself lost in it. This was an easy and familiar part of war she had not missed but she would rather not have it any other way. There was one point in the fight where it looked like everything was over as zombies started to copse one after another.

    It was a sudden phenomenon that startled Suna as well. The zombies fell like puppets without strings and Nao felt like it was all over.

    And then the ground shook which caused fissures to appear in the ground. It caused the ground to split over and Nao watched in horror as Suna slipped inside. The other girl seemed unresponsive to the shout of her name so Nao felt she had only one choice.

    "SUNAAAAA" with a yell of her name, Nao followed behind the other. All other thoughts except Suna fled her mind as she focused on recovering her partner.

    (I idently posted the warning a chapter early. The next chapter will be out when the privges go live tomorrow. Hopefuly they go love tomorrow)

 Chapter 112 110: Determination

    The pain in Maria''s side was nothingpared to what she felt as she watched as friends fell down the crack. She had tried so hard to catch the falling hair before tragedy struck them but her single motion of broken concentration had done her in.

    "You! What have you done?" Maria''s voice wasyered in horror as she watched the pair crash into the mold of flesh that the node was.

    The more time she spent down here, the more Maroa understood what the bode was and the realization sent shivers down her spine. It was such a big secret and it needed to be kept quiet from the wrong hands.

    "Done? Why, nothing. Whatever happened was because of you" Ri smiled her ''wrong'' smile and Maria felt fury build up inside her. How dare the girl show her this face after trying to sink the whole continent with her foolishness.

    And then to me Maria for it all was another height of foolishness Maria could not tolerate. Her blood snagged with the tone of vengeance and her magic agreed with the notion. Her chains sang with glee as well at a chance of being let go.

    It was an utterly foolish thing for Maria to do but she couldn''t help it. She had to eliminate this threat before it increased and then clean up the area to make sure no one alive knew the secret except the guarding tribe and-

    -these emotions were not her one. She was being led astray by the nodes'' emotions again which was a bad thing. Maria was no one''s puppet but the nide made her feel like one anyway. It had too much of a sway on her.

    "You''re getting distracted. Maybe you''ll die here as well and this node will be mine. I shall be a candidate and help my master out" Riughed in utter joy as she tried to sh at Maria. Her zombies had already given up on and now existed as broken bodies around the pair.

    Many of them hadnded in the blood pool with their eyes still open and Maria felt sympathy for them. Those people did not deserve this end.

    "Nao, Suna. Are you both alright?" Maria asked as she parried away another attack andnded near the fallen pair. The node was still throbbing like a heart which meant that it was not dead yet but it was getting closer and close to dying.

    Maria could feel thebor the node was going through to survive but the embryo inside the node was as good as dead already. It would need to be reced by a better and fresher body that would be a demonic lord candidate.

    The whole race was to get the unborn embryo''s power and press forward as a candidate. It was all about the power and Maria knew she would not allow Ri to have it here. She would die fighting if she had to.

    "You''re friends are being drained dry right now by the world tree. You better drag them away before they die" it was true and Maria could feel it as well. Her friend''s life forces were being sucked by the tree node to ensure its survival.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It hadtched on like a leech to them and would not let go till there was a better substitute. Maria tried to get her friends from the node but the veins were holding them tight and would not let go without sustaining damage.

    And then there was this problem named Ri that was attacking them still. It was hard to keep away from Suna and Nao''s unconscious bodies behind her and Maria could feel the build-up around her. This ce was going to explode and take this continent any second with itself.

    Maria parried another attack aimed at the node behind her as she held her temper in. She would not allow others to see her struggle to contain herself. Such a liability this situation had left her being a sitting duck for the next attack.

    Maria tried to move her chains but her endurance was way past its limit and the attack made its way past Maria''s defenses.

    "Say bye" Maria red back at the chimera and waited for the blow. It would not be a bad way for her to go away either. At the center of the node with her friends.

    It just sucked that she lost at such a crucial time. There was no stopping the node now and Maria felt the sadness all around her. The node was terrified at the happenings but unable to do anything without someone taking away its powers for usage.

    But the only people capable of it were unconscious andying dead to the world. There seemed to be no hope.

    "Get away from her" there should not have been any hope but the furious attack happening over Maria''s head said otherwise. She found the power to duck down from the iing attack.

    "Y-You alright?" A familiar but scared voice asked from Maria''s right as she felt arms supporting her. Her swimming vision spotted Samuel as the one who had supported her while his kid brother seemed to be engaged in an archery fight with the chimera.

    The small-bodied child was at a disadvantage against the chimera but it did not show up in the exchange of blows. Maria was sure it was a mesmerizing disy of skills but her vision was not coherent enough to make out the details of the same.

    "S-Suna and N-Nao" Maria tried to walk toward her two friends and Samuelplied with her request. Suna seemed to be in a bad shape while Nao looked rtively unharmed. But both did not look in any condition to be moved away from their position.

 Chapter 113 111: The Difference Maker

    "U-Use m-me" pride and guilt swarmed around in Maria''s head as she watched the demoness in front of her propose for her doom. Maria did not doubt the fact that Suna meant every word she was saying.

    She was asking to be killed to provide the world a chance to live on. It was not that different from the Suna of the original novel but Maria was not ready to part ways with her friend just yet.

    "It won''t be enough. Your life force has all but dimed out already. Even if we sacrifice everyone here, it won''t be enough. Supporting the whole continent is a huge risk already" Samuel looked conflicted as he spoke those words.

    Maria did not fault him for the sadness in his eyes, nor the cutting tone he had been using. Even the man was having a hard time with this situation. The younger brother was still locked in a showdown with the chimera on the other side of the room.

    "Isn''t there anything else that can be done? I''m sure we can save the embryo" Maria sounded desperate. No, she was desperate to do something about this situation. It was all her fault that things hade down to this.

    She had been the one to open the door and allow Ri entrance into this part. The roof has also copsed due to her carelessness which marked her as the problem here. Even if things somehow turned out to be alright, it would still be her fault.

    "There might be something we can do. There is a tablet which details an emergency procedure for treatment in case things go south but I don''t know how to read it" the man replied and suddenly, there was hope.

    "Nao is a linguist so she might know how to read it. Suna, try to wake her up. I''ll carry it there" Maria picked up Suna on her shoulder like a sack while she proceeded to do the same with Nao.

    However, their height difference made it difficult for Maria to be able to achieve this. She was the shortest of the trio after all. Samuel made a motion to help but Maria just waved him off to not bother. It was not like he would be able to help her.

    "Just lead the way. We should leave this ce to your brother" Maria spared whatever magic she could to set her chains up around the node. It needed to be protected but they needed to find the way out as well.

    "A-Alright. DANIEL, KEEP IT UP" the elder brother cried out before he started to run. Maria had to make an extra effort to keep up with him and it annoyed her to no end.

    After all, she was the one carrying two bodies on her shoulder and not Samuel. Of course, it was going to slow her down. But the other did not even consider her situation when he started running.

    Maria felt something collide with the chains she had left behind and instantly felt chills down her spine. It had been a brutal attack that showed no mercy. It would have crushed the node had it not been for her protection being anti-magic. Just what was the youngest doing against the group he had been fighting.

    "Hurry. It should be here? Huh, how is it possible?" Samuel''s confused voice rushed over Maria as she dragged the other two toward the small clearing and instantly felt her breath catching up inside her throat.

    The wall was shining with red text everywhere Maria saw. It was written in anguage Maria had never seen before but she felt like she knew what those words meant. It was a beautiful disy of artistry.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Nao, can you decipher this?" Maria asked as she sensed a moment behind her. It felt familiar, like Nao''s and that was what caused Maria to take a wide guess.

    Meanwhile, she couldn''t take her eyes off of the shining walls as the text bounced around her and its magic even touched her. It was curious about her and Maria reached back with her own in response. There was a familiar feeling about this magic, even when she only had a general idea about the gist of it.

    "Decipher what? Maria, did you hit your head and are now seeing weird things?" Suna asked as she stared around their group. Maria could feel the confusioning off of her and it felt genuine to her.

    Whatever Maria was seeing, Suna could not. And from the other three''s expressions, neither could they.

    If Maria had her system active with her, she could have asked it to rify things for her. But her system had been deactivated ever since she had set a step inside here. Won''t it be safe to say that her system had a connection with what was going on here?

    "You really can''t see it? There is text all over the wall that is written in bright red. I can''t decipher it since I don''t know thenguage" Mariained as she told the truth. There was nothing to be done if she could not even tell what the text is about.

    "You can? Is it a ''that'' kind of situation?'' Suna asked and Maria was pretty sure she meant ''Oracle''. But somehow, Maria did not think those two things were rted. It felt more like this thing was connected to her system.

    But Maria hesitated in answering back. How could Maria exin to everyone that she had another entity that lived along with her? She could not even tell Nao that she was not her Maria and she had not many years to do so.

    "I think my inventor has a notepad and pen inside it. Let me take it out and draw the words out for you" Maria drafted the words to the best of her abilities but she did not have much time and she was sure she had butchered a lot of characters.

    Maria was not good at copying writing and running on fatigue did not help her write any clearer. And Nao agreed if her furred expression was anything to go by.

    "So, what happens next?" Maria asked with hesitation. She did not want any bad news but she knew she had to hear it as well.

    "Please work on your handwriting. I almost did not understand any of it. But from what I could, I can conclude. I now have a n of action" Nao sounded confident and Maria felt relief go over her head.

    But somehow, the relief she felt was different from any other time she had felt it. This one made her heartache and her mouth run dry. It was not a good feeling to have.

 Chapter 114 112: Things That Needed To Be Said

    "Are you worried? Don''t you trust your friends?" Maria turned toward Samuel at her side with an annoyed expression on her face. She did not appreciate being spoken to in such a way, even when the other was trying to be nice to her.

    "It''s not about trust. I trust them with my life but not their own. This is a suicide mission and they belittle me by thinking that I would not notice" Maria had conflicting thoughts about what Nao and Suna had nned.

    "Then, shouldn''t you stop them from doing something this foolish?" Samuel asked as he ran behind Maria. The man was still timid but had a much broader mindset than before. He looked content but worried as well.

    Maria felt guilty when she thought back to the kid they had left behind to face Ri alone but she could also tell that he was not dead. None of the two they had left behind were dead.

    "You talk like I have the power or the right to stop them. I knew this was a possible oue for me to have but I just wished and wished that it would not happen. Looks like it is no longer an option" even Maria knew she was putting up a tough front in front of the man.

    All she wanted to do was break down into sobs and clutch at Nao and Suna in desperation. She wanted to beg them not to do this but she also knew she could not do that.

    Maria had always been someone who valued freedom of choice above all. Even her mistakes were things she could not regret. So how could she stop the other team from making their own decisions?

    "Well, but still. Aren''t you allpanions? Won''t it hurt you and Oiii? Don''t cry now. P-Please calms down" Samuel sounded nervous as he tried calming Maria down. But whatever he said, the tears would just not stop falling down Maria''s face.

    Now that her wounds had been pricked fresh, Maria found herself not being able to stop her sobs. They wrecked her body and made her vision blurry. There was a distinctive presence of heat inside her as well and it was only a matter of time before Maria would be over in her head.

    Samuel had one of his hands awkwardly on Maria''s head as he tried to calm her down. And it somewhat did help her feel better since it was a human touch. But she was still nothing close to feeling alright.

    "D-Don''t have time for it. L-Lets go" Maria dislodged herself away from theforting hand on her head. It was painful to feel like this when they were all on a suicide mission.

    Maria felt the hesitant nce being aimed at her by Samuel. It felt too familiar and Maria could not help but feel ufortable at the attention. This felt different from how Nao and Suna looked at her. Had anyone ever looked at her like that?

    Maria was not sure and that was why she felt a re being aimed by her at Samuel.

    "W-what did I do now? You even re like Daniel sometimes and I can''t help it alright? Look at you like a sister I never had" the man cried out in rm and Maria felt her eyes soften.

    "Don''t forget that we were strangers all but yesterday. We were also the ones that dragged you into this mess and put your brother in danger. Are you sure you want to trust us?" Maria asked and she wanted to hit herself instantly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    What kind of idiot asked this kind of question in such aplex situation? She should not have asked such a question to Samuel.

    "It doesn''t matter to me that we were strangers. You took a risk I should have taken a long time ago and I knew the risk of doing this. Deep inside, I knew the time toe here was near but I justcked courage. Of course, Daniel knew that" Samuel exined and Maria felt things click.

    She had found it odd that Samuel had not tried anything overly physical in trying to escape. It also exined the younger brother''sck of hostile nature.

    "You do know Daniel is a demon, right? He''s not your brother" Maria reminded, now curious about the type of response she would get.

    "Of course. But that doesn''t change the fact that we''re brothers for me. Do you see Noa and Suna differently because she''s a demon?" Maria felt herself fall quiet at the question.

    The situation was not the same for them as it had been for the pair of brothers. Maria had never known human versions of Suna or Nao so there was noparison for her. She had only known them as demons and this was it.

    "As for the first part. Ever since I''ve known Daniel, he''s been a demon. The vigers except the chief were afraid at his birth since he had been blessed to be the next head. To die protecting this ce is a reality he epted and I''m ready to apany him along" Maria took a few seconds to digest it all but it did make sense to her in the end.

    A guardian deity being reincarnated at the time of birth was not an umon practice to see. Especially in the more outskirts parts of the ce. This ce especially made sense since it had the node.

    But that also meant-

    "Your brother is ready to sacrifice himself for the cause. We need to stop him and tell him where there is no need to do that. Nao said we have an alternative to the sacrifice" Maria reminded and felt Samuel turn away from her. Maria spied a paper clutched in Samuel''s hand tightly and she remembered it as something Nao had handed to Samuel at thest second.

    She had tried to peek over Samuel''s head when he had read it but she had been sessfully distracted by Suna back then. And now it did not seem like the right time to ask what the note said.

    "Alright, we''re here. I can see them fighting still but we need to get to the node" the node was still warped in Maria''s chains and was rtively safe. But it would be difficult to get to them in the middle of the ongoing battle.

    Both - Ri and Daniel were strong but there was clear favoritism showing up thiste. Daniel''s younger body would copse due to the fatigue which made this n a time game.

    They needed to carry out the node before that happens or interfere to create a diversion for retreat. But it was difficult to watch the struggle Daniel was going through.

 Chapter 115 113: Hooded Words

    ''Please keep Maria busy so that she could not do something stupid. We''ll somehow take care of the node'' Samuel clutched the note tighter in his hand as he ran after Maria.

    ''Those stupid people are overestimating me. Just what can I do against someone like her?'' Samuel winched as Maria blew away another boulder being aimed their way due to the battle going in before their eyes.

    It was incredible and well worth the name befitting a guardian. Daniel was holding well against the invader and Samuel could not be prouder of him. This battle made him realize just how much of a difference there was between him and his brother.

    "Listen. Follow me so that we can retrieve the node. You need to take it to Nao and Suna. I''ll stall Ri" Maria suggested as she quickly took in the changing state of the battle.

    The initial n had been to force the ceremony right in the middle of the battle but it was no longer an option for them. The battle would make their magic unstable and cause irreceable harm to the node.

    "Alright" Samuel agreed without much of a fight. He had realized the graveness of the situation as well. This was a fight that would determine the end of their world so they could not afford to sit back and rx like that.

    Unfortunately for them, Ri chose the moment they exited to scout their way and spot them. Maria managed to block the iing attack but not withoutpromise.

    "Don''t stop on my ount. Take the node" Maria cried as she held the attacking chimera in her chains. She could not allow the creature to move because its target had been the node. But her chains shook, worth the effort it took to contain the chimera.

    Daniel attacked Ri as well and it finally connected dead on. Maria let her chains go just in time for the attack to connect. However, the chimera was still conscious and well enough to fight. The skin on her body was just too tough to fight against by normal means.

    Samuel did not waste even a single second during the exchange and picked up the bloody node. He had to fight his gag reflex to not hurl his breakfast out due to all the blood but he held on somehow.

    "I''ll be going ahead" he called out but got no reply in response. The other two had their entire focus on the adversary in front of them. But Samuel had a job to do and as the only one left in his n, he had to see the task is finished.

    Samuel felt the attack some behind his back but he did not turn away to face it. He would not allow the enemy this luxury and he also respected his friends to be able to protect his unguarded back at all costs.

    And just as he had believed, the attack never made it to him because Maria stopped it right in its tracks. Daniel also stood as a shield between himself and his attackers. It would have been a touching moment for sure, had Samuel turned back to look at it.

    But all he did was run and focus on getting the node back to the other half of the party. Nao and Suna were trying to achieve impossible things and Samuel wanted to be a part of it.

    The earth around him quaked and Samuel could start to feel the breakage build up in the core. It was the feeling of decay and damage all around him that was beginning to affect the world te above them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Here. Bring it here" Suna called as she waved her hand toward him. She looked like she had been through a wringer and Samuel felt bad about everything that was happening.

    "Is it alright? I feel guilty about not telling yourpanion anything" Samuel asked as he gently put the node down. While he did agree that the actions that were about to take ce were necessary, it did not mean he agreed with them.

    If someday his brother tried to pull this shit, Samuel would have killed him. Or at least tried to. Maybe the pair in front of him was afraid of that as well. Maybe they were doing it to protect themselves as well.

    "Maria will be alright. She''s stronger than you think she is. Besides, I''m more worried about ourselves. We already know that one of us won''t make it out alive but the other one might also not make it with their mind intact" Nao exined with a pained expression.

    And Samuel did understand why that was. It was not easy to maintain the kind of magical pressure needed to treat the node so there were bound to rpse. The whole thing was not even guaranteed to work in the first ce.

    It was a big gamble on their part and Samuel felt himself gulp in nervousness. The anticipation was killing him but the necessary arrangements had already been made. Now it was all left up to them toplete it.

    "Tell me what you need me to do. You know the sequence, right? Guide me through it" Nao asked and Samuel could not deny the convection in her eyes. She was ready to die for something she believed in.

    "Transfer your magic here and-" so Samuel repeated the words his ancestors had left for him. It was supposed to be his younger brother who did this in case of emergency but things had changed. Samuel felt his stomach roll at the gratitude he felt at the turn of events.

    This might have just spared his brother''s life at the cost of two others but Samuel could not help but thank god for it.

    Magic flowed into the node and it finally started to respond again. The broken veins were beginning to heal between the prayers and the magic which meant it was time for the final step.

    "I''ll take it from here. You both lure the zombies into the pit" it was time for the sacrifice. The amount of life force needed to correct it would be massive but Samuel had a feeling that things would turn out to be alright. He had faith in hismunity''s lifeforce to not let him down.

    They would get over this obstacle. And the zombies arriving at the right time reinforced his belief. They just needed to y it outright and it would be all over.

    "Lookout" Samuel felt a shove and then a bleeding body over his own.

    Suna had shielded him at the cost of her own life and her head bleed from the cut she had received.

 Chapter 116 114: Decisions Made

    ''Will you risk it ande here or will you turn tail and run away. Choose wisely'' the echo had been quiet for a while now but it had picked up again a few minutes ago. Maria hoped it was because of herpanions.

    Had they managed to save the node and provide it with enough nutrition to keep it alive? Must be so since the ce had not copsed fully yet.

    "Hey, hey. Where are you looking?" Maria dodged the iing attack and replied with her own. She fended off the chimera away from the tired body of Daniel behind her. The kid was tired while the chimera looked like she was not even breaking a sweat.

    Fuck Ri and her inhuman stamina. How was someone able to keep up with her and her such a huge amount of stamina alone? Or maybe Ri just did not do one person at a time.

    "Sorry for making you defend me. I know you must be itching to go to yourpanions" Daniel''s voice sounded full of regret and Maria instantly felt Suna''s and Nao''s dead bodies sh before her eyes. But she shook it off since it was not going to happen. She would not let it happen.

    (She was only dying the inevitable but Maria would fight it off if she had to)

    "Don''t say that now. We all made this decision so no one is at fault here" Maria exined as she fended off another attack. The chimera was getting faster but Maria could also feel her reaching her limit. It was only a matter of time before the other broke downpletely.

    However, the desperation in the chimera had brought forth what Maria had hoped for. The zombies were beginning toe back and most of them were starting to cross the blood pool. It was time now.

    Maria red her aura and the blood shone with the spells it had been embedded with. The zombies were being absorbed and it turned the gleeful expression on the chimera''s face to fury. Maria felt it the instant it drew on Ri''s face what they had done.

    "You! What did you do? How did you do it? The node should have been destroyed and the magic freed" Ri yelled but the smile on her face did not falter. Rather, it forced augh out of her throat.

    It sounded wrong and crazy on those lips. Especially even more so when Maria could feel the anger physically taking shape around her. The chimera was getting out of control and Maria red her magic as well.

    She would only get one chance before the heat would take over for her but she could utilize the potential of her chains. It was going to suck and be painful but it was the only way to keep the monster down. She had never even heard of someone having this strong of a will.

    "Daniel, cover me. I''ll bind and drag her down into the depth of the pool" Maria exined as she readied her chains.

    This might be herst attack. There was no guarantee that this would even work for her but she had no other choice. The chimera did not look like someone that stayed down.

    But she had only just started to yank the chimera down when she felt something else take control of her chains and drag the chimera away.

    "I''ll handle this. I can''t let an outsider make such a decision for us after all" Daniel smiled and Maria felt her heart get caught up in her throat before she saw the two bodies disappear down the blood pool.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The chimera would die in the chains but Maria couldn''t help but feel like the kid was lost as well. The pool would dry them as soon as the spell caught hold of them.

    "Suna, Nao. I should find them now" Maria remembered the other two members of her team she needed to find before they sealed this ce. She couldn''t help but focus on the bad feeling she was having regarding the situation.

    There had just been something in the other two''s expressions she had ignored before. But now her brain decided to pick up on any details it had been missing beforehand. It made Maria feel frustrated and helpless in a way she had seldom been before.

    "Darn it. Where are you both? Why did my system have to go on a vacation now?" Mariained as she ran around to find her friends. Logically, she knew there was only one ce where herpanions could have gone buMaria mind wasing up nk now.

    It was not only the heat but her exhaustion catching up with her now. It left her lethargic and in need of a lot of rest. But she kept on pushing to find herpanions.

    Maria could not leave them to die just like that. Not when she knew she could do anything about it. The zombies were already down after all.

    "Maria. I''m here. Where''s my brother?" Samuel was the first one of the bunch Maria saw but she did not have an answer for him. There was only one correct answer for that question and it would break the man.

    However, her silence must have been enough for Samuel to fall quiet. Maria did not have the heart to tell him the whole story, nor did she have time to do so.

    "I see. You should go to Nao and Suna then. They are in the center tform and who knows how long we have left" the man replied with a choked-up voice. It told Maria of suppressed emotions as well.

    Maria wanted to tell the man that things would be alright but it was not her ce to do so. The man had just lost his brother so Maria had to give him space to let his emotions out. She should not interfere.

    Besides, she had a ce she needed to be as well. She needed to find Nao and Suna since she had no idea what they were doing in her absence.

    "This is too much work. I want to go on a vacation after this is over'''' Mariained as she ran toward the thickest vein. It was finally starting to show its vibrant bloody color and Maria just knew that it would sustain her weight this time.

    And it would have to since it was her only option left. The pool was already a deadly ce for anyone to step into and Maria did like to stay alive.

    And somehow she made it to the other side without many problems. But things seemed out of control and Maria felt her heart choke up fright.

 Chapter 117 115: The Sacrifice

    "You shouldn''t havee. This is not a sight for your eyes" Nao''s voice cut through the numbness Maria was feeling. It was like hearing underwater but somehow duller than all that. Maria felt her heart give out a painful lunge as her eyes tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

    Nao looked bad but not in a general sense. Her skin looked like it was melting away from the bone or maybe it was the heat and the sweat that was making her look like that. Her torso was half-lying in the pool while the other half did its best to keep Suna out of the pool.

    Suna was in a marginally better physical condition but Maria was not sure if her mental condition would be any better than Nao''s. There was also a head wound there that was bleeding rather badly for Maria to feelfortable with.

    "Don''t move. I''ll get you both out" Maris jerked into motion and her chains managed to get a hold of Suna to drag her out. She only had the strength to drag one of herpanions out at a time and Nao could not be pulled up as long as Suna was there.

    "Good. Maria, do take care of yourself and don''t let this encounter change you. Remember, I love you" Nao replied and her voice came out calm and sincere. Maria instantly hated that voice since it sounded too much like a farewell. There were no farewells inside here.

    However, Maria was spared from answering since she had to catch Suna. The chains had gotten her to a safe distance but Maria wanted to physically hold her to assure herself that she was here and alright. Her hands brushed against Suna''s and instant relief filled her being.

    "Nai, it''s your turn" Maria called out as she put Suna down but Noa was nowhere to be found. Her hand that had clutched the edge so tightly no longer held the ledge and Maria dashed toward the edge to have a look.

    Her eyes met Nao''s closed ones and her throat felt like it was about to stop breathing. Her hand extended toward Nao and despite all the sensations telling Maria to pulp back, she continued ahead. Her hand brushed against Nao''s and her body instantly froze at the realization.

    There was no life inside the body. It had been sucked away by the blood pool, just as it was sucking away Maria''s. If she did not get her hand away in time, then she would be dead as well.

    But despite it all, Maria did not move her hand away from where it clutched Nao''s body. It was too difficult to pull away from her friend and Maria could only feel a whish of emotions inside her chest.

    They haven''t even talked about their fight yet, and haven''t resolved the air between them. So how was Nao already dead? How could she possibly think that it was alright to just up and die like that? There had to be more here.

    Maybe it was a prank and Nao woulde back any second if Maria waited here. She and Suna could wait here and then get Suna to a medic to get her wound treated? It would all work out well in the end, just as it always had, and then they would move on to the next node to do what Nao had wanted to and-

    -Suna groaned in pain which made Maria''s heart lunge in pain. Nao was likely gone and here Maria was, wasting time when Suna was fighting for her life as well. Hope was a terrible feeling to have and Maria hated how it had taken hold of her in the end.

    Maria had thought that she had been ready for whatever life was going to throw at her but that was not the case here. Nao''s separation felt like a step Maria could note back from. She had no will to even move, much less save Suna or herself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The cave around her was beginning to give a healthy glow and the feeling was bing stronger. The node had been revived but the sacrifices needed to be had been too much for them all. Even the arrival of Samuel at her side did not make her flinch.

    "Let''s get out of here. This ce is going to seal itself and we''ll be trapped without the key'''' Samuel asked as he grabbed Maria''s shoulder. But he neither had the power, nor the influence needed to make Maria move.

    "Leave me be. Take Suna and get out. I''ll wait for Nao" Maria replied, her voice hollow. It was the exact voice one used when they had lost all hope and Maria felt eerily like the child that had first been hospitalized and had gradually lost hope

    She had thought she had gotten better, stronger than herst life but her brush with the node had reminded her that she had been wrong to think so. She was still that weak brat who could do nothing but sit here andment her choices.

    "No. You cannot stay here since I promised your friend that I would get you out. Both her and my brother made a choice that we need to acknowledge. We can''t be selfish here" Samuel argued and Maira felt her jaw clench in irritation.

    Of course, the man had to go out and say exactly what Maria had not wanted to hear. Selfish? Had what Nao did not been selfish. She had chosen death without consulting Maria first and it felt like a nightmare now.

    Maybe Maria was dreaming it all up and was about to wake up any second.

    "It''s foolish. But if you''ve decided to die anyway, you can. I''ll take yourpanion out and get her treated" Maria agreed but somewhere inside her, something decided to rebel. She found herself between the man and Suna as a defense agent.

    She had not even felt her body mode but she had Suna on her back before she knew it. It felt like such a fluid motion that Maria could not help but flinch.

    "No. I''ll carry her'''' Maria decided and she felt the magic around her pulse in pleasure. The node was finallying alive. It was a bitter-sweet victory Maria could not appreciate.

    ''You have my gratitude. As a reward, let me help you continue your quest to stop the war. Just as that demoness asked me to'' Maria heard the voice and heard the yelp but it all faded away into white light.

    Maria felt something soft and cold beneath her and she positioned Suna so that she did not touch the surface before passing out.

 Chapter 118 116: Tower Defence

    "You alright? You look stressed out. Maybe you should take a break" blue eyes blinked up to look at the old court advisor in front of her. He looked concerned but not overly so. That meant that the damage Neah sustained was not heavy. A good thing indeed.

    "It''s alright. I justck a little sleep but I''ll recover" the princess waved off the concern her royal advisor showed her. She had too much work to do anyway. The recent attacks on the viges had left a lot to be done from their side.

    Not to mention, there was ack of understanding in the ruling noble families. Most of them were too proud to allow ''normal people'' to rule over and there had been too much unrest as a result. Every day there was a new report of a sh happening somewhere.

    Not to mention, the worst of all - deaths. Both nobles andmon people had been dying left and right too frequently to be a coincidence. And ever since Lady Clement''s death, the incidents had just kept on happening.

    It had been so bad that it had even reached the faraway ministers which caused them all to seek an audience with her. It had left Neha in a state of unease throughout the week while she tried to get things straight.

    Not to mention, it had caused her to lose sight of Maria and her rag-tag group of friends. Neah felt guilty for that but she knew that Maria would not fault her for this. The alternative had been to let her citizens suffer.

    "By Lady. Count Baron is here to seek an audience" Neah waved her hand to allow the soldier to go. Count Baron Clement was a rather new addition to their nobility and he still made Neah feel off around him. There was an aura of ''not right'' around him that made Neah shudder.

    "My Lady. Lord Ashura" The noble bowed down to the two and the slimy feeling came back. However, Neah had to face the Nobel with a smile on her face. She could not show her difort at having the other here.

    Her olderpanion had no problem showing a sincere smile though. Lord Ashura had taken Baron Clement under his wing and Neha could not figure out why he had done that. The noble was ''highly resourceful'' and would aid their master. But all Neha could see was a snake, looking to backstab them.

    "How did the negotiations go? Did you get them?" The eldest asked with an eager voice. Neah felt her curiosity peak at the question but she contained herself.

    She had known that the old man had finally decided to contact Albest. The only kingdom with technology advanced enough to teach the node down and the one still on speaking terms with them.

    "Of course. Then sent one of their nobilities to find the node for us. All we have to do now is to wait" the noble sounded confident which made Neah rx. At least he had done something right and soon they would have this node in their possession. Then they could finally settle things.

    Maybe it would provide Neha with enough resources to go after Maria as well. She had not seen the other ever since the train incident and even the news about the oracle was getting scarce. Thest Neah had heard, they had headed to the Grand Canyon but never made it there.

    "I see. This is great news indeed" Neha agreed. Once they had the node in their possession, she could finally dedicate their resources to finding Maria. There was no way to avoid her either.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Not that Maria was not trying to do that already. She had already dedicated quite a good amount of the task force to find Maria and even the key bearer for the node. It would be necessary if they wanted to enter the node.

    But for now, simply having it in their possession would be a great idea. It would allow them to make sure no one else gets their hand on it. They already had Jamaica''s node on their side. It had been unfortunate what happened but it had yielded a profit for their side.

    But before anything else can be said, the whole world shook beneath their feet. It was a different kind of shaking than the natural earthquake''s shaking. This one held purpose and destruction.

    And it was long. Far longer than any other they had faced before and it even caused the magical protection in the royal castle to shake. If this continued then there was a real chance for the royal castle to topple over.

    "This is the node. Someone dared disturb it. we can finally track it now" Ashura sounded amazed rather than worried at the prospect. He was only interested in the personal gain he and his master could get from this while Neah felt worried.

    "Y-Your highness. The lower areas are beginning to copse under the fissure" a soldier made his way toward their group on shaky legs. It must have been difficult to move with all this shaking and Neah quickly moved to help him stand back.

    It allowed her a direct view of the lowernds of the area where the buildings had started to copse on top of one another. A lot of people would have been squished under the rubble which made it an emergency.

    "Send emergency rescue squads as soon as you can. Send them to the most vulnerable areas and set up relief camps in open spaces" Neahmanded as she watched the soldiersplying with her demands.

    But that was not enough for her. She had to personally look over things or she won''t feel satisfied with her efforts. And since everyone else knew how stupidly devoted Neah was, they did not stop her from leaving to help.

    "So, are you not going to harvest souls today, Baron? It should be the perfect opportunity for you" Ashura asked in a light voice. But Lord Clement did not make any move to show that he had heard.

    But they both knew Baron Clement had heard and was now considering his options. It was a perfect opportunity to power up Prince Noah''s soul and no one would be able to question him either. The deaths could be ounted for as a result of this earthquake.

    "No. Not this time since she''s too close. I can''t let my secrets out just yet" the noble said as he gestured to the wall where Howl had hidden. Since he knew she was there, he had taken extra precautions to safeguard himself.

    "My lord your orders" one of his soldiers ran toward him and he knew it was about time to start acting.

 Chapter 119 117: Help From Far Away

    Maria was not sure what hurt more, her body or her emotions. Her chains had almost sucked her dry and it hurt to even move. But she had also faced a huge loss on the way here that hurt much more than Maria had anticipated.

    ? It had been so sudden and her body would still not listen to her. The only thing she could try to move was her hands and it was not much either.

    Suna¡¯s armsid down on her side so she was not alone here. But still, she felt the loss of Nao acutely and it just hurt in the end. Why had it been Nao who had sacrificed herself? Maria could not even be angry at anyone.

    And Nao was dead.

    Then there were the voices around her that were so loud that they made her head hurt just by being near them.

    ¡°Hurry. The sacred forest had been breached. They¡¯re in the vicinity. What should we do now?¡± a person asked and Maria used all her energy to meet terrifying amber eyes before she was out cold.

    Around her, various bodies looked over her with a terrified ze before a determined yet beautifuldy stepped ahead and reached the pair.

    ¡°The divine being has spoken. They had survived the challenge and shall be treated like our guests. Bring the human to my workshop while the other one goes within the colt house¡± thedymanded and no one disputed her words.

    As one, they all worked to bring the pair to their respective ces before the dawn drew over the forest.

    When Maria came about, it was to a pair of hands touching her in her vulnerable ce and entering something soft yet sooting inside her. Her body appreciated the contact and made her tighten over those fingers.

    ¡°Awake, are we? Tell me if this feels weird for you. I am not used to such tasks¡± the voice was calm and soothing which made Maria fall further into the trance.

    The fingers inside her felt so much better than anything she ever had. They chased away the heat and Maria¡¯s body tightened when they tried to escape her body. She was not letting go of them anytime soon.

    It drew a chuckle from the female in front of her before she felt the essence inside her dissolve in a soothing wave. It felt so good and it was so charming that Maria instantly felt her insides spasm.

    ¡°Can I soothe you even more? Your lips look experienced so I think it should not be a problem¡± the question was apanied by a swab of those fingers and Maria instantly nodded her consent.

    The other could do what she wanted if it meant that the heat would go away. She felt those fingers leave her body and instantly chased them with her body.

    But they did withdraw and something bigger took its ce inside Maria. It was instant relief for her and her body weed the new heat inside itself.

    Maria moved just as the cock inside her did and it pushed the essence egg deeper inside her. It was all so good and so much. It chased away any and every thought Maria had.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her mind nagged at her to remember some other important details but she was too tired to hold onto that thought. Not when she had something this good pounding inside her at such a speed.

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re doing so g-good. O-Our lord has b-blessed me¡± the female panted and Maria felt her speed increase before the body on top of her froze.

    Maria reached her peak at the same time and the heat decided to finally take the back seat. It was not over yet but it would be alright now. Once she had Suna with her, things would be alright in the end.

    ¡°S-Suna?¡± Maria asked as the female in front of her escaped her body¡¯s embrace. It had been an unconscious question even since Maria was almost asleep when she asked but it did draw a chuckle out of herpanion.

    ¡°Yourpanion is alright. You can see her once you are alright again¡± Maria¡¯s eyes closed and her body wentx. This ce felt safe to her and her system had not informed her of any danger yet which made Maria finally fall asleep.

    And right in time as well since a loud howl echoed through the settlement as soon as the door opened. A panting soldier entered the room and instantly flushed at seeing their leader in such an indecent ded skin before his eyes moved on to the incision form of Maria.

    ¡°Eyes up here. Now, tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡± the female leader asked as she stepped between Maria and the soldier. She could not allow him to feast on their guests¡¯ indecently body state just yet. It would not be proper.

    And the guard gulped at seeing the look in those wild eyes. Thedy looked like she would kill him if she did not like his answer and that was a terrifying thought. But it was not terrifying enough to stop his report from going through.

    ¡°Mydy. The beast is awake and is causing a rampage through the guard stand. We are not able to stop it without weapons alone and we are not sure if we should use magic or not¡± the soldier asked and thedy¡¯s expression changed.

    ¡°I see. I will be there soon so keep it contained for some time¡± thedy reminded and the soldier instantly left.

    Lady Elma could not help but sigh at the mess this mess of a situation she had found herself in and then waved her hands to make a note appear in her hand.

    ¡°This better be all worth it, Karen. I am not in a mood for another civil war¡± the elder demoness waved her hand as the note disappeared in the mes.

    ¡®The oracle should be visiting you soon. Make sure you take care of her, dear sister¡¯ the note fluttered till it was no more than a burned piece of paper.

    And so the holy maiden of the settlement stepped out of the house to contain the rabid animal that had decided to attack them. If the other demon thought it could win over Elma then it had a few thingsing.

    ¡°Why are all of you more trouble than you are worth. Even that man brought us nothing but despair¡± thedy whispered as she stepped into the settlement. People parted for her like as she walked through and ended up in front of a rabid wolf-demon.

    ¡°Calm down girl. We are not your enemies¡± and of course, the girl did not register those words but chose to attack her instead.

 Chapter 120 118: The Hell Named Ima - Part 1

    ¡°Mydy. You are back. What should we do against that thing?¡± a soldier asked as it pointed toward the huge dog-like demoness in front of the group. Elma gave the demoness a lookover before she waved her handoff.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. You all should leave this ce now. I will take care of it myself¡± the leader asked and everyone fled the scene. Elma knew no one present there present could take care of this creature.

    Not unless one of the generals came back to the town or any of the other high-ranking soldiers. These people were innocent and had no idea how to use magic to defend themselves.

    It made Elma feel sorry for them and was also the reason she had decided to stay here for now and assist them in taking care of themselves for now.

    ¡°Stay down or you will not be allowed to see the oracle¡± Elma called out once she was sure that they were alone. It was kind of a gamble to voice it in front of the demoness but she was willing to bet that the brat had not gone too far off just yet.

    There were ways to be able to tell and she could see that this one demoness could still regain her wits if handled correctly.

    And her guess had to be right as well since the demoness showed signs of being aware of the title ¡®oracle¡¯ and what it implied for her.

    Not that it mattered since the demoness chose to attack her instead of calming down. Maybe Elma should have worded it off better to not trigger the demoness.

    Not that it mattered because Elma was not about to be beaten away by such a young brat on her watch. She had other things to consider and too much to do. The node was also something she had to take care of and protect.

    Unlike the other guardians of the nodes, she was someone who took a personal interest in it and would only hand over the power to someone she deemed fit to rule. And currently, the list consisted of only a handful of people.

    ¡°M-Maria¡± the voice was not clear but m could hear the semnce of words forming inside the other¡¯s mouth. It seemed like the other was not as mindless as she had first thought which was good.

    It meant that Elma could take her chances in subduing the other without fearing causing permanent harm to her. She was not sure how she would be able to exin to the oracle if she did somehow end up killing herpanion.

    So Elma waited for her chance and struck at the perfect opportunity. Her hand reached for the neck and cut off the oxygen supply the demoness had.

    It caused her to instantly drop down to the ground with a pant and Elma ced one of her feet on the wolf demoness¡¯s chest to keep her down. She had no intention of allowing her to wreak havoc around her.

    ¡°Have you calmed down now? Good. I¡¯ll take you to meet yourpanion now¡± Elma extended her hand to allow the demoness to smell the oracle on her.

    It was a double-edged sword since it could cause a violent reaction in the body beneath her but there was also a chance that it would calm the demoness down. Seeing as how she was reacting, it was the second effect this time and Elma was d for it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Lady Elma, are you alright? We heard what happened from the soldiers¡± another guard, an elite one came over to check what was going on and Elma could not help but scoff in irritation.

    Of course, these people only show up once they knew things had returned to normal. They did not have any intention of helping her since they were all cowards in the end.

    ¡°I have it all covered here. Make sure you handle the post-battle clearing. I want this pce spot-free once I return¡± thedymanded as she picked the wolf demoness and tossed her over her shoulder.

    It was a funny fit since the wolf form of the demoness was far huger than her but it was good exercise. Elma had enough power to be able to perform these kinds of tasks with ease and the wolf wasplying with her.

    The soldiers could do nothing but watch her howl the wolf away from them. They could not even question her since Elma was the authority here and it helped that she had royal connections this time around.

    ¡°Here. she¡¯s inside but sleeping. Make sure not to disturb her¡± the demoness moved faster than Elma had thought and ended up on the end in no time at all. But surprisingly enough, she did not make any sudden move toward her unconsciouspanion. Instead, she seemed content toy against her and bask in herpanion¡¯s presence.

    It was all rather romantic in that sense and Elma felt a smile stretch itself over her face. It reminded her of a long time ago when she had been traveling with her group as well. It had been before she had been bound to this fate and even before the nodes had be a real problem.

    Those had been simpler but happier times for her and her wholepany. Elma missed those days but she also knew it had been necessary to tell them goodbye.

    Besides, the oracle looked like she was waking up again and she would have questions this time. The heat looked like it was finally ebbing out and Elma needed to brace herself for anything that mighte.

    She owed it to Karen to help out that much and once it was done, her debt would be done as well.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± the oracle asked as she opened her eyes. The wolf demoness tensed at the oracle¡¯s side but made no move to greet her. There was a fearful expression on her face as the demoness tried to suppress her aura rather miserably.

    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too much. You almost die due to ack of lifeforce but luckily, we found you in time. If you are asking about the continent, then know that you are in Ima. Wee to the hell¡± Elma greeted and she instantly felt two pairs of eyes move toward her.

    The oracle looked a little disoriented but still had a sharp look in her eyes. So maybe she was not as native as Elma had first believed her to be but she did wonder how long would she survive.

    After all, Ima had earned its name as the hell for a reason beyond being difficult to live in. it was a true hell once you leave any settlement.

 Chapter 121 119: The Hell Named Ima - Part 2

    "Be careful with her injuries. They just stopped bleeding and -" but Elma''s words went unheard as the wolf demoness half-jumped on The oracle as soon as she showed signs of waking up. And to think that the demoness had been doing so well in avoiding the Oracle''s injury as well.

    The Oracle looked much more put together for her part but there was confusion in her stare as she looked back at herpanion. Elma was sure that it was because of the injuries she had sustained.

    "Who are - wait, Suna? What happened and why do you look like that now? What happened to your human form?" Elma frowned at the question, realizing that perhaps the other had not always looked like her half-form.

    Actually, now that Elma thought about it, half forms were actually rare outside of Imu. But the sight of one in Imu was not rare itself. Maybe that was what had dubbed Elma into thinking that this was alright. Maybe she should have given it a little more thought. Where had Karen been situated again? Garna?

    "Don''t fret over her. Yourpanion cannot reply right now anyway in that form. She must have suffered a great blow to be reduced to this" Elma exined and instantly saw the party in front of her. She had not meant to attract attention but it looked as if she had been forgotten.

    Elma was not sure if she should feel amused or insulted at being forgotten but she decided to be indifferent. This was not her forte of expertise and human emotions were bothersome.

    "Heavy blow? I guess Suna did suffer a huge blow to her head beforeing here. Is there anything we can do to change her back?" The Oracle asked and Elma wanted to assure her that it was possible.

    But it was all rather up to a toss of fate. There was not much they could do from their side even when they wanted to since this transformation was more about willpower than anything. It was a terrible price to pay for getting power in your hands.

    The oracle seemed to be aware of it as well since she seemed content to let her emotions guide her and ran her finger through the wolf demoness''s hair. It was moved in a soothing gesture which was likely being used to calm the said demoness down.

    "So, what are your ns for the future? What did youe to this ce for?" This was a loaded question with only a limited answer. But depending on the one she got, Elma might have to reconsider her ns for the future.

    She had a few things she needed to get done that she could not interfere with herself. It was a golden opportunity for her as well. She was not kidding when she had called the Oracle her gift from the heavens.

    "n for the future. I don''t really have one for now. I was not even nning to end up here. Wait, where are we?" The oracle asked. Perhaps she was a little slow in the head or the injuries she had suffered had been much more severe than Elma had first thought them to be.

    "You''re in Imu. I guess the node in Gerna shot you through to the next universe. A curious development but not one that is impossible. You must have been impressed enough to help you out" Elma exined. She didn''t mind the slow reflexes the oracle showed her.

    After all, both Karen and the node had approved of her so she must have something more to her. Elma would just need to observe and she would find her answer.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That ce was nightmarish but I guess it did change things for me" there were dark shadows in the Oracle''s eyes which Elma felt was wrong toment about. It was not her jurisdiction and she had no inclination to get into the mess.

    Not to mention, she had no idea what might have happened to the other to have one of them end up in half-human form.

    "So you have lost your way, huh. Rest for now and then figure out what you want to do. Time is the only thing we have left" Elma informed but somehow it pulled up a dark frown on the Oracle''s face.

    Now, what was wrong? Surely nothing Elma said had triggered anything major. But then again, Elma was not one to be majorly intuned with her emotions so she often missed things.

    "Time is the one thing we do not have. We need to seal the node back up before the war. The demonic war is about to begin" Elma surely was not that out of the loop to not even know that the war was about to begin once again.

    Sure, Imu was out of the information loop for the majority of the time but that did not mean Elma did not make it a habit of knowing things. Just how recent was this development and how urgent it was to start damage control.

    "The demonic war is about to start? Tell me everything you know right now" it might not have been a smart idea to grab the injured party and start an interrogation but Elma could not help herself.

    Thest war had been a thing out of the nightmare and the only good thing that would havee out if it had the demon king. The world would not survive another war.

    The wolf demoness behind the Oracle issued a warning growl for Elma to stay back but it was ignored. So was the bite that her arm supported. It was not strong enough to break the skin, but rather, a warning.

    "Suna, it''s alright. I don''t mind sharing the news with our savior. Provided that she doesn''t go ahead and tell it to everyone" that had been a warning as well and one Elma was more than willing to follow.

    And perhaps she had some of her own secrets to tell as well. Especially since she no longer had her key to the node. The Oracle would need to know just what she had signed up for.

    "Alright. I''m not inclined to share my private information with the world as well. And I have a responsibility to the node I need to see after" the Oracle''s eyes widened at her words which showed that she understood the subtle message being passed.

    So she was not as dumb as Elma had first thought her to be. Things might turn out to be better than she had anticipated after all. Maybe she could count on these people since Karen seemed to trust them.

 Chapter 122 120: Tough Circumstances - Part 1

    ?"Are you like Lady Karen? Is the one responsible for the node present on this continent? Can you hand us the key? I know we have not known each other for long but I would like to ask you to trust me" Did Maria sound desperate? She thought she did but it was difficult to be able to tell.

    Suna''s threatening growls behind Maria did not help clear her image as well. But Maria could not knock Suna out as well because they may cause more damage.

    ? "Like Karen? Well, more or less but I''m much more involved than her in mynd''s wellbeing. I have no intention to sit back and watch it get engulfed in another war" Lady Elma looked to be a kinder soul and her words just reconfirmed Maria''s suspicion about her character.

    She was also easier to get along with than Lady Karen and this was a weing break. Maria was not sure how she would be able to handle a person she would have to spend mental power going against. She was not emotionally prepared for the blows since she was still reeling from the thought of Nao.

    And it did hurt to think about herpanion who was no longer there but the hurt was not as all-present as Maria had thought it would be. It more or less came and went in waves. If Maria thought about Nao, then it hurt but if she was distracted, she did not even remember.

    It made her feel guilty but also relieved. It meant that she could carry on the mission Nao had entrusted her with. She would not need to back down from the task she had been entrusted to. And maybe she could also gather some information from her system and check up on some things.

    ''System, are you still there?'' Maria asked, a little worried. Her system had taken a break when she had entered the node so she was not even sure if it was working properly or not.

    [System in the middle of a reboot. ETA: 1 day remaining]

    So at least her system was still with her despite itsck of usage. It was a grounding presence in Maria''s life and served as a reminder that everything was not as bad as it could have been. Everyone could have ended up dead if things had gone just a little more south.

    "So, what are your ns from here? I assume you would want to go after the node and seal it up?" Lady Elma asked and it was a golden opportunity for Maria to jump up on the offer. Did it not make things easier for her?

    But then why did she get the feeling that it was not going to go as smoothly as Maria was hoping for? Suna seemed like she had enough of the world and decided to fall asleep with her head in Maria''sp. Her weight was afort against the conflicting emotions Maria felt.

    "I would like to seal the node before it bes a problem. You do understand that we cannot allow a sessor to be born without checking the candidate whom we can trust" Maria exined, expecting the other party to agree with her.

    But the silence was little more encouraging than a t-out refusal of her proposal. Whatever was bothering the other, it had something to do with the node and the key.

    Generally, Maria would have considered it as not her problem and left it behind but she had learned in the past few days to not let things be. It was necessary to resolve them before you lost a chance to.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Is something wrong? You can''t trust us? You can always send someone you trust to keep an eye on us" Maria suggested as Suna curled even smaller on herp. Her head tapped Maria''s hand to ask for petting and Mariaplied.

    She thought she felt frustration leak through the other''s irond hold on her emotions before it all shut down and Maria looked at a nk mask of a face in front of her.

    "I don''t have the key any longer. I entrusted it to someone a long time ago and we might need to go to retrieve it. I can''t do it myself since it would cause a political scandal" Lady Elma did what now? How could she just hand the key over to someone? Was it not a sacred thing?

    But then again, even Lady Karen had handed it to her without thinking much over the issue. Maybe it was not as big of a deal as Maria was making it out to be?

    After all, having the key was not equal to having the node''s power in your hand. And maybe it would not be so bad if they exined it all to the one who held the key right now. Maybe a talk would be all they needed.

    "So, where is the one to whom you gave your key? Where can I find them?" Maria asked with an eager tone. Maybe things would work out better this time around?

    But Maria should have known than to be optimistic about this topic. She should have learned her lesson a long time ago but it seemed as if she could not keep it inside her head. So Lady Elma''s words just highlighted how much Maria''s life sucked.

    "The original person I gave the key to is dead but his daughter still lives. I''m sure she has the key you desire. You can get her to hand it over to you" Lady Elma informed. Her tone sounded calm and detached as if she had nothing to do with it.

    Lady? You could have retrieved the key since it was your job but you did not? And why? Was the key not something important that needed to be kept away from dangerous hands?

    "And where would we find this ''daughter'' you speak of? Why did you not get the key back yourself?" Maria could no longer hold back.

    She did not have much of a filter for questions, to begin with so this was bound to happen sooner orter. Hopefully, she would not offend Lady Elma with her questions outright.

    "The daughter could be found at the imperial jail and would be executed in two days. You both are lucky you got here in time. Once she dies, who knows where the key would go" Lady Elma shrugged.

    For someone who cared a lot about her continent and what was happening there, Lady Elma looked weirdly rxed about looking at one of the biggest sources of power there was. But really, did she have to deliver the news like this? All it did was give Maria anxiety.

 Chapter 123 121: Tough Circumstances - Part 2

    "Executed in two days? Don''t joke with me over this. Where are theughs? The camera crew?" Maria tried to lighten the situation but nothing made it look like Lady Elma was joking with her. The otherdy was 100% serious, wasn''t she?

    How did Maria always end up in these situations when she least expected it? Why were there so many unnecessary twists that did not make sense in her life? Ah, because this world was originally a novel, right?

    "Trisha McWell is the current owner of the key and thest of the McWelk line as well. The governing council decided she was to be executed due to being a danger to the peace of Imu. They scheduled it to happen in two days" Maria gulped as she heard the name.

    What a coincidence to hear the name. She knew that name since she had taken the time to learn about the MC''s harem originally. But Maria had never thought she would meet anyone else from it except Suna. The other few girls in Gerna haven''t even made an appearance.

    "The princess? I thought the government agreed to leave the royal family alone if they agreed to not interfere with the government." The original file had said something about neglect and unjust killing.

    But unlike other people, Maria did not have a lot of knowledge about this ce. She had never expected to even set foot in Imu since it had copsed by the time the main party had met the former princess.

    How did they end up in Imu of all ces? Especially when they did not incline ever heading here? This ce was about to end up as finished anyway.

    "I can''t believe my luck. We just escaped a life-threatening situation, only to end up in another life-threatening situation. How did this happen" Maria moaned those words out in almost pain? There was no other choice for her but to seal the node of this world now.

    Either that or sneak into the royal pce to use their connector and hop the world. Staying here would be a death wish. Maria was not ready to die this young and she also needs to live out Nao''s wishes.

    "Like- threatening? Did you see something you cannot share about? Are there rules about not telling the future to others?" Lady Elma asked and Maria frowned. She had thought that the other knew about Oracle and their powers but that seemed not to be the case.

    But Maria was also sure she had heard about thest oracle and her journey to far distantnds. What was the name of thest oracle again? For some reason, Maria felt like the answer was just at the tip of her tongue before it slipped her mind.

    "I might know a thing or two about what is going to happen here. The node is going to copse and Imu would end up as a relic of thest" Maria informed and waited for the bacsh.

    No one liked it when they were told about the eventual downfall of their home. And with how much Lady Elma had seemed to be attached to the people and the continent, it was akin to poking a sleeping lion. So if Lady Elma decided to attack her to get more information, it would be within her right to do that.

    "I see. That is a real problem but not one we can tackle right out of the blue. It would be better for us to focus on retrieving the McWell heir first" Lady Elma concluded which surprised Maria.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She had thought for sure that the elderdy would jump up at the chance to save this world, even if it meant the death of Trisha McWell but maybe Maria had overestimated the attachment Lady Elma had in her key.

    "Saving the node or not, we will need the key to get there first and for that, we need Trisha McWell. Let''s hope we make it in time '''' Apparently, it was Maria who had her information mixed up. She should have thought about the situation better.

    But Maria has always been a doer and not a thinker. The one who generally came up with ns was Nao and surely she would have a good one this time around as well-

    -but she was gone. She would never make ns and Maria felt her eyes be wet at the reminder. Nao was gone and the grief over that came in small waves. It was so painful to bear and Maria could not help but choke at her tears.

    "It seems like you are not in any condition to continue this talk. Shall we postpone it for a few hours?" Lady Elma asked and Maria clutched her chest tightly. She needed to get over Nao for now. There was no time to mourn her now.

    The time to mourn woulde soon. But for that to happen, they needed to survive first. And the only one with this knowledge was Lady Elma in front of her.

    "No need to postpone this talk. We don''t have the luxury of time to wait around" Since Lady Elma did not respond with a negative, Maroa supposed that she agreed with her. Not that it mattered to Maria.

    She had all but recovered from the wounds she had sustained and her heat was manageable as well. There was only a thin line between the two-day frame and the node''s copse would happen within this week.

    ? "Alright. I already had a force ready to carry out a rescue operation and you joining them might turn out to be a bigger power boost than we originally thought. However, yourpanion would need to stay here" Lady Elmamanded and Maria felt reluctant to part with Suna.

    Of course, she understood why she could not take Suna. The other female was not in her right mind but surely it was better to keep her with Maria?

    "Do we have to? No one else other than me would be able to control her if she got into a rage. She also seemed to have absorbed a little of the node''s magic" thest part was a guess since Maria could not feel the magic bit it still felt right to say.

    Besides, the transformation Suna had gone through seemed not natural. There had to be other factors involved in this. Maria was sure of that and she did not want Suna out of her sight for some time.

    "Alright. Have it your way but you''ll be responsible for her" it was fine with Maria. Suna was her responsibility in the end and Maria was going to take care of her.

 Chapter 124 122: Lucas

    "Will this n even work? Aren''t the governing council suspicious of you and your motives?" Maria asked as she followed a few footsteps behind Elma. The n had been for Maria to pose as Elma''s escort while also gathering information once the meeting between delegates began.

    Generally, no one paid any real attention to the escorts the ministers decided to bring and they were even hosted in another room while the council meeting was held in the council.

    However, Lady Elma had confirmed that she had been a part of the royal fraction before democracy had taken hold of Imu and as a result, she had been kept under a tight lock and key situation. And this was also why the princess was to be executed.

    Not because she had done something wrong (not that Maria knew), but as a future-proof n to make sure the royal family never returned to the throne. It was such a barbaric reason and had yet gained such extensive support for itself.

    "Inform the others that Lady Elma and her escort are here. I hope the meeting is ready to take ce" there was a sudden shift in atmosphere around Lady Elma and it was clear for Maria to see that she was putting up a mask to deal with the other candidates.

    The looks being aimed in their way were not friendly either. Everyone was looking and observing Lady Elma as if she was a wild animal who would pounce on them if they looked away. But it also helped take heat off of Maria''s back. No one paid Maria any attention since Lady Elma was such a great presence.

    Lady Elma stopped to face Maria, her expression twisted into a thoughtful frown before she cupped Maria''s chin and leaned in to press her lips against Maria''s cheek. However, unknown to everyone else, the cupped hand hid the Lady''s lip and the message was passed sessfully.

    ''Keep your partner hidden till it''s time. Make sure you get the location marked before the break'' Lady Elma departed with thosest lines of instructions and Maria found it hard to look around. Everyone had their eyes on her now which made Maria nervous.

    She needed to disappear and having her on her did not help her in this regard. Rather, it just made it difficult for Maria to be left alone and she knew she would havepany as soon as Lady Elma left.

    And it did happen like that. As soon as Lady Elma left, Maria felt her side re with life. More and more people were slowly making their way toward her but no one made any open move. It looked as if they were waiting for something to happen before approaching her.

    "Mydy. I don''t think I''ve had the pleasure to meet you before because surely I must have remembered such beauty as yourself. Why don''t you grace me with yourpany today?" A fresh voice called and Maria instantly felt rm bells ring in her head.

    She knew what that fresh tone and those fancy words meant. She hade across enough of them during her time in the court to hear the false im through a sincere sounding voice. And Maria hated how her mind cringed at the lines being uttered at her.

    She might have sessfully escaped the oracle''s role and the courtroom but even she could not escape from such people. They existed everywhere in this world and Maria just happened to encounter them.

    "I''m sorry sir. I''m not from around here so I''m afraid I don''t recognize you. And Lady Elma was firm to reject anypany being offered to me. I can''t just refuse mydy" Maria was not sorry to pin it all on Lady Elma.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It might have been a gamble to use Lady Elma''s name here since Maria still did not have a grasp of the mask she wore in the court. However, Maria had recognized a formidable force in that expression and now was counting on it to keep her away from the clutches of this opportunist.

    "Oh, I see. That''s too bad but I''m sure you''ll learn soon enough. Here, there is thepany you must keep and that you must avoid. Let''s see where you end up" the voice of the man was still pleasant but now had a little strain to it.

    He had thought himself high enough on the poprity list to be known instantly. Was this like one of those snubbed-up nobles who expected everyone to know their name? Maria could feel the oing headacheing her way as she thought more and more about it.

    "Master Lucas, let it go. She''s new and will learn with time. Why don''t you join us for now? We would love to hear any new information you have" thankfully, Maria was saved from answering any further when a flirtatious voice called out to the young man in front of her.

    A small hoard of people came to the blond man''s side and one of thedies took his arm in a flirtatious way. Another stered herself right against the man''s chest in an indecent way.

    But it did the trick and sessfully distracted the man from Maria. The small crowd also ventured the blond master away from Maria and toward the food section. Maria thought she saw one of thedies give her a wink before turning their attention back to the young master.

    "Be careful with him. You won''t want to anger Lucas since his father is the current president of the electives. And as things are going, he might get reelected again soon. Keep up in his good books if you want to go live" someone whispered inside Maria''s ear but when she turned to see, there was no one.

    With Lucas gone, the attention being aimed at Maria was also reduced. No one paid any attention to her and Maria was thankful for this. She could finally start moving now and start collecting information.

    This room was a big spot to collect information but nothing would be found as long as people stood around in groups. They were all too guarded to let out such information easily.

    "Hey, you cannot leave this room without an escort" the guard at the front stopped Maria, and all she could do was re at him. She knew there were Lady Elma''s people in the crowd and even guards who were supposed to help her out but it did not lessen her irritation for her.

    She watched a somewhat familiar face near her and instantly rxed. One of Lady Elma''s people, huh? Finally, the n was starting toe together from their side.

    But things were never that easy, were they?

    (It would help a lot if you can buy privileges and read ahead. All your support in the form of GT, power stones and Privilege purchase means much to me)

 Chapter 125 123: Dumping A Fool

    "I''ll escort thedy out. I hope it''s not a problem?" The guard Maria had seen with Lady Elma before deciding to make his way toward Maria''s current location. Lady Elma had said to let him escort Maria out since it would be a far easier alternative than fighting their way out.

    However, things were never that easy when Maria was involved and this situation was one of the most difficult ones. Her words had not gone unheard in the room and had attracted various interested eyes.

    Especially a blond-haired noble who seemed to be thinking something. He even ignored the pawning hands on his clothes by other beautiful people surrounding him as he looked over to Lady Elma''s escort. She did not fit in the court which meant that she was not one of their people. She was also odd.

    "Let mee with you as well. I was looking to go and freshen myself up as well" Lucas walked over to the group with an air of importance and all Maria could think was ''fuck him.''

    Lucas had spent a lot of time listening to his fatherin about Lady Elma and her meddlesome ways. Since both his father and Lady Elma were well-liked by the masses, his father always had the chance of being reced by her.

    The only thing stopping Lady Elma from taking his father''s elected seat were her connections to the previous royal family and her interest in them. She had refused to take a governing seat as long as they lived. And now the life of thest royal was also on the end of its thread.

    It has taken ages to get the council to agree to the execution and even more so to get the masses to agree. But it had been an uphill battle they had won and soon there would be only democracy running this ce. But the real people in power would be them.

    As soon as Lady Elma''s fraction went down, it would all be up to them to lead the masses. They had everything present as well and their agent had been ready to be Lady Elma''s escort today to carry out their n.

    But things had gone wrong somewhere and this new problem had shown up. A pretty little thing but a problem nheless. It did not help that she looked somewhat familiar with those pink hair. But she was in hybrid form so she had to be from Inu. The other continents were not nearly as tolerant of such exposed demonic features.

    Such a shame that their continent had so many of them but it''ll be alright soon. These demons were a parasite anyway and would soon be eradicated from Imu.

    That was why he was so curious about this new presence that had a chance to foil their ns. Lucas wanted to keep an eye on her and make sure their ns went off without any problem. He could smell troubleing off of this chick from miles away.

    "I-eh, I''m not sure I''m a high enough escort for both young of our esteemed guests. I should call over someone else to help and-" the guard started but Lucas stopped him. As if anyone needed to guard him.

    "No need. I''ve personally seen today''s security so I can act as an escort as well. In fact, we don''t even need you around. Now youngdy, let us go" Lucas offered his hand to the suspicious pink-haired woman. He could see the guard trying to refute him but it was all useless.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After all, Lucas was the chosen one. The one who had been given everything and the one who was destined for great things. As such, looking through this plot was a child''s y. Even if the woman decided to attack him, he would just subdue her and that would give him solid grounds against Lady Elma.

    And his smile widened as thedy had no excuse against him anymore. He could feel her reluctance to put her hand in his own but she did take his arm anyway. Lucas enjoyed the tense body of the beauty on his arm before finally leaving the room.

    Various envious and worried eyed watched him leave, no doubt imagining themselves in the Lady''s ce in his arms but Lucas was not worried. He had the court eating out of the palm of his hand and thisdy would be no different.

    "So, may I know my lovelydy''s name?" Lucas kept his voice pleasant and sweet. Ladies ate the ''polite prince'' act he put up and even the toughest had let their guard down. He just had to be patient a little longer.

    "My name? It''s Maria. And I hear your name is Lucas?" Maria sounded like a familiar name. His mind could not help but be tickled as he heard that name. Where had he heard it before?

    They crossed a familiar hallway that led to the prison cell. It was indistinguishable from any other but Lucas felt his eyes move toward it. It held the former princess Trisha McWell who he wasn''t allowed to meet. His father had forbidden him and even passed the news to the guards about it.

    However, Lucas could not help but feel like it should not be such a big deal. It was not like he would suddenly do something extreme even if the princess did turn out to be a beauty. He had his standards and someone about to die was not it.

    "Is there something in that corridor?" Maria''s voice called out to him as the female lightly squeezed his arm to gather his attention which he constantly shifted with a charming smile. Right, he had work to do and the fancy bathroom was right around the corner as well.

    Lucas entered the bathroom after thedy, having a full intention of cornering her there and now. This would be the end of it all if he had something to say about it.

    "So, what are you nning? Don''t think I didn''t notice your suspicious gaze and -" he never saw the attacking and before he knew it, he had been knocked unconscious.

    When he woke up again, the whole ce was up in shouts about fire and he had a wolf-like entity in front of his face. It growled at him and Lucas felt the fear coursing through his body for the first time. What had happened? How had he been knocked unconscious so easily? And where was thatdy - Maria - he had apanied?

    How had things gone so wrong for a chosen one like him? Was the world not his for taking? Surely it was all a misunderstanding or even a dream?

 Chapter 126 124: Finding The Princess

    Maria knocked the annoying man down in a single blow. It was a heavy-hitting one as well since Maria did not hold back her strength when she punched the guy. And it felt good to finally put the man down a peg or two as well since it felt like a vengeance.

    This was something she would not have been able to do as the oracle in her world but here she was an unknown force that no one could point to even if things did turn out not to be as smooth as their side had hoped for.

    After all, who would believe that one of the strongest men in the kingdom got done in by a small and delicatedy? It would ruin Lucas''s reputation if he ever admitted to it in politepany. And since Maria knew that, she could take advantage of that fact quite easily on her end.

    She left the bathroom alone and signaled to the hidden guard that had followed behind her. There had been precautions taken in case such a situation arises and the guard was ordered to run interference and give Maria time to execute her side of the n.

    "Is master Lucas out of the picture?" The guard asked with doubt in his voice. The use of the prefix did not escape Maria''s attention and it also made her wonder just how influential this ''Lucas'' was. He certainly was all bark and no bite but he still didmand a remarkable presence among their people.

    "He''s just knocked out. I did not kill him since it could spell trouble for us. If anyone asks, just tell him he had a little too much to drink. I heard he''s lightweight" despite her reluctance, Maria had spent a little time at the party and had picked up on the gossip vine there.

    And after too many hushed stories about young master Lucas and a bottle of alcohol, it was quite an easy lie to believe as well. That was why Maria was confident that it would work in her favor.

    "Alright. Do you want me toe with you or stand guard?" The guard asked as he looked past her at the washroom. Maria had to take some seconds to think this through but decided to carry out the mission solo for the time being.

    "Stay here for now. Or better yet, go check up on mypanion and make sure she doesn''te out yet" although Maria was sure Suna would not disobey her, there was still a feeling of worry inside her. When things went this smoothly, it was always a sign of disaster toe.

    "Understood" the guard left and Maria took it as a clue to start exploring the ce.

    She had a few ideas about where to start and the corridor from before had piqued her interest as well. She was sure it held something important and she had even sensed magic warding it off from visitors.

    It was also the only clue she had regarding the princess so she decided to take it for now. She walked slowly as she passed a few people. They did give her a back nce since she had no guard with her but Maria acted as if this was normal.

    Hopefully, she would just be taken as a minor delegate and not be questioned any further. Humans had a habit of ignoring any troublesome thing they saw if it coulde back to bite them in the asster.

    But not everyone was as ignorant as the couple and some guards had started paying attention as well. So Maria deployed just enough magic to not be detected as she finally reached the forbidden corridor.

    It did have a light protective spell woven over it which was quickly waved off by Maria and revealed a stone corridor. It was dark and had no light source, a direct contract to the gothic meeting hall she was in currently.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She entered the corridor and felt the spell snap itself together behind her. Now she was cut off from the real world and had stepped into an isted space where she only had limited ess to her magic. The ce was created using a simr magic Suna had used but much less rxing and long-held.

    And the deeper Maria walked in, the more disturbed she felt with the feeling she was receiving from this ce. The magic felt simr to a node''s but the execution was all wrong and dark. It was suffocating and she had to actively use her magic to ward it off.

    It also triggered a chain reaction inside her body and seemed to be affecting her life force. It poked at the still recovering life force and tried to forcefully ignite her condition. It was trying to throw her into a heated gaze.

    [Hostile intruder detected in the vicinity. The host is asked to be careful]

    Maria jerked at the warning, her muscles going tense at the notice she got.

    Hostile was not a term her system used before for anyone, even the ones that had attacked her intending to kill her. But the mere aura of this pace was suffocating with misery and death.

    "Are you here to finally die? I told you I would kill you all if you stepped in here" the cold voice spoke from behind Maria and she barely made it in time to protect her jaw with her chain.

    The sword in the other''s hand collided with Maria''s chain and triggered a reaction. A familiar sensation coursed through Maria''s soul as the two weapons met. It felt as if they were echoing each other''s powers and could sense the familiarity in each other.

    "I''m not here to fight. I''m here on behalf of Lady Elma to free the princess" Maria raised her hands in a ''surrender'' pose and hoped that it came across as genuine. She would fight if she had to but she would prefer not to.

    The person in front of her regarded her for a few seconds before the grip on the knife loosened just a little. However, at no point did the weapon get dropped or even released. It seemed as if the other believed Maria but did not trust her words.

    "I''ll give you the benefit of doubt since you have a familiar feeling about yourself. Then, tell me this. What does that old witch want with me?" Maria felt taken aback by the tone.

    So this was the princess? Wasn''t she a little too wild right now? Very unlike the calm and collected figure of theter story. Was that demeanor something that had been acquiredter or was this wild nature an act?

    Maria hesitated to answer.

 Chapter 127 125: The President Enters The Scene

    The outside guard had tightened up considerably as soon as the conscious body of Lucas had been discovered in the bathroom. The guard outside looked as baffled as to the one that had discovered the body. It had left quite an impression on the passerby.

    "Look out for the fool who spiked the drinks. You all know just how quickly the young master gets drunk" as soon as the orders came, hushed whispers broke out around the hall. Everyone gossipped about the issue and theck of the ''escort'' with Lucas.

    Everyone looked a little disturbed at the missing person and various theories broke out amongst the visitors. Master Lucas was known to get weird after getting drunk so anything could have happened to the escort. Maybe it was Master Lucas''s fault that she had disappeared as well. It won''t be the first time either.

    No one would entertain the thought that the female might have been behind the unconscious young master. Thedy had looked so fragile while the young master was someone who had disyed his extreme powers again and again.

    "What is all this yelling about? It even reached our meeting?" The crowd parted for the iing group being led by no one else but the president of the current governing council. He looked sharp with eagle eyes and his eyes quickly took note of the situation.

    A disgusted look passed over his face as soon as his eyesnded on his foolish son and he could not help but curse him inside his head. What kind of idiot showed such a side in public? Especially when their father was a high-up public figure.

    "Mr. President. We''re afraid that someone spiked your son''s drink. We''re trying our best to catch-" the guard called out but the president stopped him with a wave of his hand. Instead, his eyes moved over the spooned crowd and a calcted look passed over his eyes.

    "No need. Just dump my stupid son in a room and let him recover. I apologize for his foolishness and hope you all would forgive my stupid son" the apology, as well as polite words, caused everyone to instantly drop their guard snd look at the president with a sympathetic expression.

    The president was such a morally upright man with a ck sheep for a son. Everyone pitied him for having such bad luck even when he had done nothing but good for the people. He had even fought to set up a public house for the people where they were the rulers and the judges as well.

    He was a good man in all of their eyes so no one had any problem. By following his directions. They did not even think of him as anything but a saint for looking after them all.

    "Mr. President, we have reports to make to you" the man paused from where he had been passing out instructions before turning toward the guard at his side. The guard seemed to be avoiding his eyes but he also looked impatient and signaled for an ''alone'' talk.

    So it was something that could not be said out loud in thepany. That likely meant that he should hear him out.

    "Excuse me, gentleman. Kindly to our guests while I sort out a little problem" the president called and everyone just wished him luck. It felt good to be held in such high regard by the people he had cultivated. They all had been groomed slowly by him to be on his side.

    And even if the royal family was somehow to return and uncover his secrets, the president had enough confidence in his image to get away unscathed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hurry up. I do not have all day" the president asked as he flexed his hand. The guard flinched, likely remembering the various rumors he had likely heard. Most of them were true as well since the president had been a war veteran when he had been young.

    He was powerful and not afraid to show it off. Unlike his son, he was all bite and seldom barked. That was what made him so efficient overall.

    "Sir, we checked the drinks but nothing had been spiked. The younger master''s previouspany even attested to the fact that he had not been drunk when he left. The escort with him also disappeared somewhere we cannot trace. The guard assigned to them did not even see her leave" the guard let out those and then held his breath

    The president was a whimsical man with varying moods. He could be irritated at the news or take it well. There was no telling what would happen from here on. The guard was taking a risk by being the one to report this.

    "And? There is more right? Even I could have guessed this much" the president looked bored at the news which made the guard flinch. The president was in a bad mood and it only made his next words stuck inside his throat.

    There was an 80% chance he would get injured in the next five minutes but the guard had a duty to maintain. He had to tell the president the disturbing news he had initiallye to deliver.

    "No sir, there is more. The prisoner we took somehow escaped our hands. The half-demoness with incredible power is no longer in our custody" and there was the temper. The wall behind the soldier exploded and caused heat to explode at his side. It hurt but the angry expression on the President''s face was even worse.

    It spoke of death and harm and it was not a good sign. The public thought of the president as a gentle andpassionate man but he was a ruthless tyrant in reality. He had a vision and he wanted it fulfilled.

    "I want that creature found and cored as soon as possible. Also, find the one foolish enough to attack my son and eliminate them as soon as possible. I will not take any chances with my position" the guard trembled under the re being aimed his way.

    The president was livid and it did not bode well for anyone involved with him. His rage was rather consuming and did not differentiate between friend and foe. It was a weird situation to be in for everyone.

    The guard bowed and left the room while the president fumed behind his back. No one noticed the figure leaning against the wall, listening in on everything.

    And even as Lady Elma left the hall to pass on new orders, no one suspected a thing. The president was not the only one who knew who to y the masses after all. Lady Elma had been doing it for longer than him.

 Chapter 128 126: Fated Meeting - Part 1

    "I''ll give you the benefit of doubt since you have a familiar feeling about yourself. Then, tell me this. What does that old witch want with me?" Well, that was a good question, was it not? But Maria had a feeling that nothing she was going to say would matter in the end.

    The other felt too inhuman, too inflexible, and too familiar for Maria to feelfortable about this talk. Also, the other had not dropped the attacking pose which made Maria''s hair stand on the back of her neck as well.

    "Lady Elma asked us to rescue you from the prison. This continent is in danger of copsing. No, it is fated to copse within this week and we need your help to stop it" Maria exined, willing to take the gamble and open up about her position.

    Whether the other would believe her or not would be a different story altogether. Although, Maria could feel the other paying rapid attention to her words. Maybe the princess did know something about this eventual copse.

    "If you''re here to tell me this lie then you are more than wee to but I don''t believe you. imu is not that weak to fall just yet. I can still feel that it''s healthy, " the princess replied without any doubt in her voice. Maria would have been content to believe in her words if she had not known the truth.

    Now, how does one go about this situation? Even if she revealed herself to be the Oracle, would the other side even believe her on this topic? Unlike Gerna, the people of Imu had never really seen the Oracle. There had never been one born here either.

    "Even so, can''t you give me and Lady Elma the benefit of the doubt? This ce must be suffocating to live in'''' Maria tried another angle. Surely the other wanted to be free of all these bindings.

    "Nice try but I''m not willing to trust you. Just leave" the princess ordered before she turned away. But there was something in her bodynguage that worried Maria. It looked defeated and a little hunched back.

    It looked as if the princess had lost all hope and was just waiting to be executed. This should not be right because the princess had been made out to be a powerful and prideful warrior that had never given in to anyone. She had not been this empty husk of emotions.

    "I won''t. Either youe with me or we both stay here" Maria knew she was being selfish here. She had Suna to go back to and a mission to aplish and here she was, apanying someone who didn''t want herpany.

    The right thing to do would have been to wrestle the key out of the princess''s hold and leave the binding cells. This way, they all got what they wanted and the continent would be saved. But instead, something in Maria asked her to stay here and to observe what was happening.

    "Again, do what you want to but don''t associate yourself with me. I''ll deny any involvement with you when you get caught. They must know you''re here by now" the princess informed Maria but Maria chose not to move out of the cells.

    She had no intention of leaving the princess alone. The other was not a bad-hearted person, just a little lost on her way. Maria would make sure to free her from the chains that were binding them.

    And it was not because this poor girl reminded Maria of Princess Neha. It was not because Maria wanted to see someone in the same position as her (former?) dear friend going through tough times. She just wanted to see people be happy and make choices that they wanted to.

    The cells were quiet but it was not long before Maria heard the clinking sound of metal and marching footstepsing their way. The guards wereing and one of them must be on their side to signal theiring.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "This is not good. Go and hide in the back. I''ll take care of the iing soldiers. Make sure you keep yourself hidden and do not scream" the princess shoved Maria lightly toward the back room and Maria wanted to protest.

    Why did she have to hide? She had done nothing wrong here.

    But she had. But only had she broken a lot of rules bying here, but she had also knocked out Lucas in the washroom. The guards must have found him and someone must have put out two on two together.

    "We''re not done yet. I won''t leave this ce alone" Maria vowed before she entered the backroom. The room looked like a bedroom with a small study table and a queen-sized bed that looked upied.

    B-But that could not be right. The princess was outside and no one else should be in there except Maria. But the bed looked upied and there was someone beneath the sheets that gave it a filled look and Maria felt herself panic.

    ''Who is that?'' Maria asked herself, forgetting that she had a system that could answer for her.

    [Scanning. Person identified: Trisha McWell detected]

    Trisha McWell? The princess? Then, who had been that outside that had urged Maria in? A ghost? Someone Trisha had known beforehand and had apanied her?

    Maria felt the curiosity get the better of her as she removed the sheets from the princess''s face, only to almost fall back in shock and bit her lips to not scream.

    The face that looked back at her was the same as the one she had seen outside. If not for the age difference between the two bodies (as well as some obvious development), the two bodies could have passed for as twins.

    But Princess Trisha was said to be an only child. Even Lady Elma had only talked about one princess and no one else. Maria felt like she was missing something.

    Hesitantly, her hands moved to touch the sleeping princess to confirm whether this was reality or not. Maybe this was another illusion and would break if she touched the princess? Maria almost did make it to the princess''s cheek before her hand was taken into a harsh grasp.

    "Don''t try anything funny. The guards are gone so you should take your cue and leave as well. I do not want you here she wakes up" the person from before, the princess look-alike said with a harsh grip and Maria felt herself bite her tongue. It hurt to have her wrist in that grasp. She was going to have marks, wasn''t she?

 Chapter 129 127: Fated Meeting - Part 2

    "Don''t try anything funny. The guards are gone so you should take your cue and leave as well. I do not want you here when she wakes up" Maria opened her eyes to look at harsh silver eyes looking back at her. They were terrifying eyes that well into if you were not well trained.

    But Maria had too much experience dealing with dangerous people and she also knew that the others would not start something with her in the princess''s presence. Maria did not know why but she was certain of this fact. And she wanted to talk with Trisha McWell as well.

    "I told you before that I cannot leave till I take the princess with me. I think I shall wait for her to wake up before I make a decision" Maria replied as she strategically positioned herself. She put the princess in between herself and the pissed-off twin (imposter?) so that any attack made on her would affect the princess as well.

    The other realized it soon enough but it was toote to be able to do anything about it. As soon as the other moved, so did Maria to maintain the status quo. It was a stalemate and Maria knew she had the advantage over them.

    "You''ll be wasting your time then. She is never gonna wake up again" the twin growled in anger and frustration. She also spoke as if she had experienced hope, only to be crushed away by reality. Maria felt bad for her but she also knew that Trisha McWell did wake up in the end. She did and joined the MC''s harem.

    But telling it all to the angry woman in front of her would-be futile if the other refused to listen to her. Maria needed to calm her down before she made her proposals. She also needed to convince the others that she was the Oracle and not a random chick spouting nonsense.

    "Listen, the princess will wake up soon and she will live. But she won''t get better being cooped up here. You need to get her to a real doctor and not the shams these people keep on sending after us. I''ve seen it all as the oracle" Maria reassured but got an amused scoff in return.

    It was clear that she was not being believed in by the princess-look alike and for good reasons as well. ''Trust me bro'' was not a good enough source to confide in someone.

    "Nice try but the real oracle is on Gerna. Also, there is no way out for me or her. You see these chains, they make us a prisoner with no opportunity of escaping" the princess look-alike exined with a bitter smile. She was not happy with her treatment and it showed up in her bitter smile.

    Maria had not considered there to be a reason for the other reason for not being able to leave. She had always chalked it up to not having enough will or opportunity. Not something like this. And it was not like it was an umon urrence in the prisoners either.

    "These chains keep you here? Can''t you get them off?" Maria asked and instantly felt stupid for asking. Of course, they could not be taken off that easily. Otherwise, the princess and her look-alike would have been put in them.

    So likely magic resistant and other things? No wonder it was taking the princess this long to get better. Maria''s store might have something to make her feel better. Provided that she had something to exchange for it. As it happened, the few things Maria had were not wealthy enough. She had even missed a chance to stick up in the grand canyon earlier.

    "Well, since we''re stuck here for a while, I don''t mind telling you the story. But only because you are that witch''s acquaintance so you''re trustworthy" the princess look-alike exined and Maria felt amused.

    For someone iming to not like Lady Elma, the princess look-alike did seem to trust her judgment to a degree. It made things easier for Maria so she wasn''tining.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It all started when the previous king was forced to surrender all his power and establish democracy. It happened out of the blue one day as well-"

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    "Your Majesty, the p-people. They''re protesting against being ruled over. They''re asking for a ruling governed by their leaders. W-What should we do?" The guards that broke into the court painted in fear.

    There was a hoard of people outside, the likes of which he had never seen before and it made the pce guard nervous. Imu had been a rtively happy ce with no discrimination. The conditions for living had been harsh but they had also been rewarding for those willing to work hard.

    Even in this hell of a ce, life thrived under the royal rule and people had rights already. It had all seemed like a happy rule as well when the news or a protest had hit the fan. It had been sudden as well so nothing could be set up against such a protest.

    People had gathered outside the royal gates in a matter of hours, demanding for the royal family to step down and for the general public, someone frommon birth to take over.

    "I guess it''s about time. Invite their leaders inside and gather our ministers. It''s time we have this talk. If the people are unhappy, it is our duty to hear them out" the king ordered. He was not a perfect king by a long shot but he had tried his best to make things fair for everyone.

    That is why he wanted to know where he had failed his people. He wanted to be better, do better and it would only happen if he opened his heart and mind to listen to the general public.

    "B-But what about the precautions. We cannot allow the king to meet up with these violent people''s leaders. Who knows what they will do" a minister asked and the king felt a heavy feeling inside his heart. His kingdom was dividing itself up from the inside out.

    It was not right and perhaps it was time for him to step down. Living an ordinary life would be a good step for his family and a lesson in humility as well.

    "Just tell them all together. I''ll be there in an hour" the king ordered and left the room. He had to be at a ce before he could begin discussing the future of his family and the country.

    He opened the door and smiled at the image his family made in front of him. His lovely wife, his two-year-old daughter, and her twin shadow demoness as had been the custom. His own had fulfilled his duty a long time ago.

 Chapter 130 128: Shadows Of The Past - Part 1

    "You''re going to step down as the king? And then what? Give the kingdom over to a fool to rule?" The queen asked with barely present patience in her voice. Out of all the ridiculous things she had heard, this had to take the cake. The kingdom was barely afloat as it was, a takeover would ruin the economy.

    And the king knew it as well. So the queen could not understand the reasoning behind this decision. Did the kingdom want to end itself by nning an upheaval right now? Even when the node was so close to being upset?

    "I know what you mean. The time for the war ising closer each day and we cannot fault the node for showing fear. The oracle had been born as well so there is no avoiding it. But I can''t unhear the cries of my people as well. They call for me to take action" the king replied back with a pained voice.

    There was a sh inside his mind and heart about what he should do. His mind said to give up and to prepare for the time the node actually decided to explode and take Imu with it.

    But his heart was with his people. They had only a little time left for them and they deserved to be happy. If being independent and losing themselves to their ideals would help them, then so be it.

    It was a tough situation to be in. Everyone would be affected if he did decide to go through it. And no one would suffer more than his daughter who would lose her birthright. It was not fair to her to bear the burden of the key and still be expected to sit back when things happen.

    "I''ll have a talk with Lady Elma and have her take Trisha in case something happens to us. Worst case scenario, she always has Kagemori with her" the king replied as he gestured toward the identical-looking demon at her daughter''s side. He was more than sure she would protect his daughter in the future.

    The queen also looked relieved at seeing the demoness with her daughter but the fear in her eyes did not drain away fully. It would never ebb out as long as the people were opposed to them.

    "My lord, the ministers are here along with the leaders of the opposition. We''re ready to hold court" a soldier dared to interfere in their private time but the king decided to forgive him. Times were too tense to hold any grudges. And he had ordered to be kept informed.

    "I''ll be there soon" the king gave his family ast loving look, somehow aware that this might be thest time they would be able to share such peace among themselves.

    The tension and oppression in the council room could be cut with a knife and the king entered it. The clear divide between the king fraction and the opposition could be felt in the air. But the kind did not allow it to deter him. He had made his decision after all.

    "Let''s cut the chase. We want you to step down as the king and allow the people to govern themselves" the faction leader proposed before the king could even sit down properly. It was a ballsy move and indicated the confidence the leader had in himself.

    Several weapons rose up and were aimed at the foolish human that had dared to even suggest this but the leader did not flinch. He looked the king right in the eyes as a challenge and it was the king that had to bow down.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Lower your weapons. We are only here to take things out" the kind order and several people hesitated for obvious reasons. This had been an insult to their king, to their monarch and it should have been equal to death.

    But the kind knew he could not harm this leader or it would send the wrong message out. He had asked for peaceful negotiations, so it was all that was going to take ce here. He had no intention to give the other side any more ammunition than they already had against him and his family.

    "You want people to govern yourself? I''m not sure I understand how you would do so or even why. Have we offended you in some way with anyw or recent action?" The king asked with a gentle and understanding voice.

    He saw the other, elder leader of the opposition movement at his words. Those elder eyes looked betrayed and a little moisty but the younger leader took charge. His fist mmed into the table and the noise caused a lot of people to flinch.

    "It''s not about actions but the principles. We might have rights in writing but we can''t execute them as long as we don''t have power in our hands. We no longer want a single family to have all the power and have a threat of oppression looming over our heads. We demand independence" the leader asked.

    Several guards took the position to attack him again but were waved away by the king again. He could understand where the kid wasing from. He had seen the signs of oppression building up in the newer generation''s mind. There was nothing to be done against the prejudice that had built inside their mind but to sate it.

    "Alright, if it is something you desire, then I shall give it to you. But you have to promise not to touch my family or the royal soldiers if I step down. They were just following the duty they were assigned to" several people reacted, but the most obvious ones were the guards that did.

    No one in the room could believe that it was happening, least of all the leaders of the opposition who had prepared themselves for a hard fight. They had nothing more to add or things would go out of their favor.

    The younger leader fumed as he took in the development. The n had been for the king to resist and then for an unfortunate ident to happen to his partner leader. It would have been enough for his fellow people to ask for the King''s head and prevent any further attempts for the royal family to even be able to gain power.

    But now the king had gone ahead and done it. He had foiled all the carefully nned strategies the young leader hade up with. So they had to take the hard way out.

    They had to use their internal mole and make things go into action. This was the only way left for them to be able to maintain their advantage and stille out with an intact face.

 Chapter 131 129: Shadows In The Past - Part 2

    One second it was all calm, the next second a small gunshot sounded. The guard that hade with the opposition hit the ground as he intercepted the shot being made by a council member. Chaos broke out as soon as the body hit the ground.

    "We came here in peace and this is what we get? We want retribution for this or the peace talk is over for real" the young leader of the opposition fumed externally but his inside was filled with glee. No one knew who had made the shot but the trajectory clearly put it as the royal fraction''s fault.

    Everyone looked panicked but the king had taken to kneeling in front of the hurt soldier and seemed to be pressing against the wound in the shoulder. The bleeding was bad but the soldier could still be saved.

    "Someone, get a doctor in here. He''s not dead" the king cried but his voice went unheard amongst the crowd of other shouts and fights. He had to strain his voice and things did not look to be going in his favor.

    "D-Don''t b-bother. I-It''s all part of the p-n. Y-You were b-b-betrayed b-by-" the guard was barely able to get the tour before his body gave away and he died. The king felt his heart drop at those words but he had expected it to happen anyway.

    Court politics was a dirty thing and you could trust no one, not even yourself. Maybe it was a good thing this all happened during his rule and not his daughter''s. He could protect her from this cruel world and also take the me.

    "Everyone, quiet down. What had happened cannot be undone, it can only be atoned for. The fault was from our side so I''m willing to take the me for it. I''ll step down as the king and hand over the future to the people of this country." The elder leader of the opposition looked like he was about to protest but he was not able to get a word in.

    Instead, it was the younger leader that exploded in rage and just anger. That rage did not bode well for a leader, much less for someone who had people''s hopes and dreams riding on his back.

    "Stepping down is not enough. We need to make sure this never happens again. We need someone to die as an example. A life for a life" no one breathed a word, too taken aback. The king was the only one who looked to be not surprised at the demand.

    After all, he had sensed the killing intent a mile away from the young leader. And he had a feeling about this happening from the very beginning.

    "Mathew Rosewell, you''re getting out of the line. Don''t forget that he''s still the king of this country" the elder leader yelled in a constipated voice. Even he had been taken aback by the demand that had been made right in front of him.

    The young leader might have said ''someone'' but everyone knew he meant the ''king''. The young leader was out for blood and no one would be able to stand in his way. He was like a wild animal with blood, going as far as he could to get it.

    "No, he''s right. This happened because of my negligence so I need to take responsibility as well. But please, leave the innocent alone" the young leader gritted his teeth at the stubbornness of this one man but he also calmed down.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It didn''t matter that the king would die saying these kinds of words. He could always make it so that no one else heard them outside of here. After all, unfortunate idents can always happen when you least expect them to.

    The execution and the reasoning behind it were announced the very next day. It left everyone in shock but also hopeful for a better future. And the twisted rumors of the happenings in the council room had already begun circting.

    The queen averted her eyes as the king wasid to rest. Her arms clutched her precious daughter closer to her chest with the seal disyed right on her back. The shadow stood beside the pair with a nk expression, having no idea how to behave in such a situation. She was still new and had nothing but her orders to follow.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    "-A few yearster, the queen was executed for the crime of leading a royal restoration. Of course, it never happened, but the fake evidence spoke for itself. That man, Mathew is the current president of this sham of independence so it was easy for him to nt it all" the shadow, Kagemori spoke and Maria felt a yawn escape her.

    Not that the story was boring or anything but Maria was tired of having heard a lot. Her body was tired and the corset she had been wearing to fit into her dress was also being a pain.

    "So, how did you get to know behind the scene news? A power of yours? And what did it have to do with her condition?" Maria asked as she pointed to Trisha. The story had given Marai enough of an image but still not enough information to be able to know exactly what was happening.

    "Ah yes, that. It''s because she overused the weapon the key turned into. She had no idea it could suck life force and now she''s almost out. I don''t know what to do about it" Kagemori sounded worried and Maria felt pity for the poor girl.

    It sounded as if the weapon that had caused this condition in her and Maria''s chains had a simr overall effect. And Maria knew how painful it was from experience if not taken care of. For someone to try and fight against it must be incredible.

    "I might have a solution or two about this situation but you must promise not to hurt me. In fact, leave us alone for a few hours and I promise you that princess Trisha would be alright" was it too bold of Maria to propose this kind of thing to someone who was not even awake?

    Maybe. But it was not like Maria was asking to have sex with the other. She still had Lady Karin''s essence so she could use it to help Trisha. She was just not sure if Kagemori would appreciate it or not.

    "I should not trust you but I''ll give you the benefit of the doubt. I don''t particrly like that witch but she does care for Trisha. But I will kill you if you harmed her" the demoness replied as she walked out and Maria felt her breath getting caught up in her throat.

 Chapter 132 130: Helping Out

    Maria was not sure whether she had been truly left alone with princess Trisha, or if the other female was in the room adjacent to her or not. Nor did she have any time to think about it as well.

    ¡°System, run full body check and tell me the current status¡± Maria got to work. Ideally, she should have not been thinking aloud but it did help her focus. So she allowed her mind and her tongue to wander around as she took out supplies.

    She had no idea just how experienced Trisha was and it was not like Maria has experienced herself either. But Maria did have some experience with herself which was not bad. She could do this if she focus.

    [Condition approaching critical. Chance of dehydration: 90% in the next 48 hours]

    Wasn¡¯t it a coincidence? The execution had been scheduled for the next day and the chances for the princess to not even survive that long were high.

    Maria gulped as she put a hesitant hand under the princess¡¯s skirt. Maria¡¯s face turned red at her actions but she continued to lower the panties. She had to remind herself of the bigger picture and that was the save the princess¡¯s life.

    The first touch to anyone else¡¯s lower lip was a jarring experience for Maria. Not only was it weird but also new for her. The only other person she had touched this part of was her own.

    Coincidently enough, all other sexual experienced Maria had so far had been demonic and had dual sex to them. And they had also been one that had taken charge with her somewhat in bed. Even with Suna, it had been Nao that had taken charge.

    This was new territory for Maria and she hesitantly sank her fingers inside the other.

    The instant feeling of tight and wet assaulted her hand and Maria felt her breath get caught up in her throat as the wet and warm feeling assaulted her fingers. It was soft and so squishy that her finger could not help but move around.

    It felt different from her own and the external heat could be felt on her fingers as well. It was weird for her but Maria continued to move her finger around to loosen the other.

    The tightness and the responding shake of the body in front of her likely meant that the princess was a virgin or had really low experience. So Maria decided to take her time with it.

    The second finger took some time and effort to get inside and the resulting clutching motion made Maria aware that she needed to give it time. So she started small and worked the pussy muscles around her finger.

    It took considerable effort to fit her third finger in the princess but Maria somehow managed to. It was an overpowering feeling to be inmand of someone like this and Maria found herself going a little out of her way to experience it.

    And for the first time, a groan escaped the unconscious princess in front of her. It was a small and sweet smile that brought Maria¡¯s actions to a stop and made her look up in rm.

    But the princess had not woken up from her actions and likely would not if Maria did not provide her with the life-sustenance in the form of the small egg. It would not magically solve everything but it would help out in the short run.

    Maria took her time to make sure the princess was prepared to take the egg in before she brought it forth and started to push it into the princess.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her thighs felt drenched in her fluid but Maria continued to push the essence into the princess in front of her. The health of her patient came first before her own and Maria did want to help the other.

    It took some pushing from her side and some pain-filled cries from the other before Maria felt the body in front of her give way to the egg. And as soon as it did, Maria jabbed it as deeply as she could.

    It was still not deep enough for Maria¡¯s liking when she backed away but she did not want to push the princess¡¯s body any further. She did bring back her fingers inside that pussy though, to stimte it and excite the princess.

    Maria felt the body in front of her getting closer and closer to releasing and she felt her own needs rise.

    With the immediate threat of the heat taken care of as good as she could, Maria felt her body react to the erotic sight in front of her. Her free hand could not help itself and slipped under her panties to touch her pussy.

    The first finger entered her easily and so did the other. Maria was too loose and wet to provide much resistance against the touch and her hips moved to apany the moment.

    Maria somehow managed to move both her hands at a constant pace, a feat she did unconsciously but she did manage to chase her peak at the same time as the princess.

    Thankfully, the princess did not wake up from her actions and Maria quickly gained the distance between them both.

    The princess¡¯s thighs were drenched in the fluid and the evidence of what had happenedy on the bed and both of their bodies. Maria could not see any alternative to this situation. There was no bathroom to freshen herself, nor any clothes to change into.

    Maria did have her inventory but the style of clothing was too different and would cause if she changed. So Maria decided to wait for the princess to wake up since it should not take long now.

    Maria knew from the experience that it did not take long for Lady Karin¡¯s life essence to work but even the supply Maria had was running low now. She would need to find a substitute or ask Lady Elma to make some more for her.

    The princess stirred and opened her eyes slowly. Her Hazel eyes looked at Maria and then back at herself in a dazed expression before awareness mmed into her eyes and they went wide.

    ¡°W-WHO? W-W-WHAT? KAGEMAR-¡± Maria pped a hand on top of the princess¡¯s mouth to stop her from causing a scene while also trying to be gentle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I helped you out with your heat. Don¡¯t worry, Lady Elma send me and I already exined it all to Kagemori. Well, not all but enough to make her trust me¡± Maria exined but the princess still was a little wide-eyed.

    But the panic seemed to be ebbing away slowly as understanding mmed back into her eyes. Finally, she looked ready to listen and also a little grateful.

 Chapter 133 131: The Vision Of The End

    ¡°I am not sure what is happening but my condition seems more manageable today. How did you help me out?¡± the princess asked with a hesitant voice. She sounded like she was stilling to terms with things around her but she seemed aware of her surroundings at least.

    This was as good a sign as any and Maria was d she had taken the step to help the princess out. Even if it left her in a rather sticky situation.

    ¡°I-uh-that is to say. Do we have to talk about how? You can guess yourself, right?¡± Maria squeaked out thest few words, not willing to diverge the information to the other. But the ssh of expression, as well as the embarrassed flush on Trisha¡¯s face, told Maria that she had guessed it out as well.

    ¡°Just forget all about it then. We do not need to mention it again. Especially to Kagemori. This.Never.Happened¡± the princess stressed out in a soft voice filled with threat and Maria agreed without any dy.

    She had no intention of bringing this topic up again and she valued her life too much to even consider going against princess Trisha. Not because she was afraid, but because she knew she would not gain anything of value by doing so.

    ¡°I should go and bring Kagemori back now¡± Maria assured herself that she was not running away. But maybe she was because she did not want to face the embarrassing situation in front of her.

    When she exited the room, the shadow was nowhere to be found that leaving Maria in a predicament. She had been so sure that the elder demoness would not have left the other two alone under any condition but the reality told a different tale.

    Maria was not sure what to make of this situation but to go out even further. Maybe the other had left some kind of clue for her to discover? But before that, Maria decided to leave a surveince bug behind.

    That also reminded her that she had a map on her system that could provide her with an idea of where Kagemori would be. There should not be anyone else close enough to them to show up on her radar.

    Or that had been the n but as soon as Maria opened her map, it showed her a different picture. There was a group of people gathered at the front of the entrance and they all seemed to be in a tug of war.

    Maria had a bad feeling about it but she decided to press ahead anyway. She knew she would find Kagemori where all the people were present.

    And she had only taken one step ahead when she felt static fill her head. Her surroundings started to shift in a familiar way and Maria cursed her powers for their awful timing. Why did this have to happen now of all time?

    [Initiating future vision. The actual result of the visions may change depending on the actions taken in the past.

    Warning: The host is advised not to change the past]

    Maria felt her vision whiten out and she thought she cked out for a few seconds before she realized that it had not been so.

    Her vision took some time to adjust to the moving wall in front of her and light exploded around the whole ce. Spells rained down around her as Maria quickly took shelter from the explosion.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She looked up from behind the boulder and instantly felt her breath get caught up in her throat. The scene in front of her looked to be out of a war scene with random spells flying around.

    One side had humans with their dominant force and advanced technology (Compared to the rest of the continent) which did not look as if it belonged to Imu. While the other side had a mix of races going against them in an all-out war.

    Maria ducked as an explosion made its way toward her before realizing that she was not present there. She was just a projection that was seeing a possible future.

    ¡°The continent is shaking. Why do you not surrender? Is her life that important to you?¡± the leader of the humans asked. He had familiar eyes and hair and even the face looked familiar, if not older.

    Maria took a few blinks to realize that the leader looked like an older, fiercer version of Lucas and it made her instantly connect the dots. The blond man was the president of the rebel force, the current government.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about her or even about us anymore. We thought we established the government so that we all would get represented but it¡¯s only you and your fraction. This ce used to be much more harmonious before¡± the other side¡¯s leader cried out, a human with dog ears.

    His words caused others to break out into a cheer of agreement and Maria could see it angering the blond in front of her.

    ¡°Harmonious? Don¡¯t kid me. You are all demons who took over human life when you appear and even then you have the decency to not stay human. If we do not stop you, then there would be no humans left. Did you even know the body you are upying? He used to be one of us¡± the human leader cried out fiercely.

    The demon fell quiet with mute anger in his eyes. It seemed as if those words had hit a little closer to the home than the demon had first anticipated.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not our fault. We are bound by our contract as well¡± a demon replied from the side but fell quiet at the acidic look he got back.

    ¡°The reason is not good enough for your existence. If only you did not exist, then this world would be peaceful. Darn, you all. You need to die and leave us, humans, alone. You all are cancer and so was the kind who encouraged you all. Because of him, so many of ourrades ended up as demons¡± the blond leader cried and Maria did not care.

    She did not care for the drama, nor the building tension.

    All she cared about was the key and the shaking of the earth. She watched as the princess, no, Kagemori? Was brought up to the execution stand and the de pierced her neck. Someone yelled from Maria¡¯s side and she turned toward the voice with a surprised expression.

    Terrified hazels met her own gaze before Imu started to break down. The shaking got worse and the very air stilled before it all went crashing down. Node¡¯s power ripped through it all and so did Trisha¡¯s body.

    It was a zing field of fire and anger and Trisha was the demonmanding the end of Imu.

 Chapter 134 132: Moving Fast - Part 1

    The fire and the heat faded into the familiar surroundings of the holding cell Naria had been in. The more Maria tried to hold onto the vision, the more it slipped away and even she knew there was no point in trying to get back to the vision.

    Besides, the most important parts of her vision had been already recorded by her system at that point. If there was time to waste, it would be better to spend it on reviewing the recording than to try and relive it.

    Mariamanded her legs to move, despite the shakiness she felt, and they hesitantly obeyed to take Maroa toward the hoard of people she saw on her map. She quickly established a vantage point as she watched Kagemori argue with the guards.

    Maria had a limited vision and audible hearing from the group and she knew she needed to get closer in order to be able to listen better to the conversation. That was why she decided to nt a bug instead and maintain her distance.

    "-and they cannot wait around. We are tasked to bring you to another holding cell. Apparently, an intruder had broken in here." The guard said and Maria took in a sharp breath. Had her betrayal been discovered?

    Maria had counted on Lucas''s superiorityplex in helping suppress this talk but maybe she had miscalcted in this regard. Maybe Lucas had more of a brain than she had initially anticipated.

    Or had someone else figured it out?

    "An intruder? And you think they''lle here? Isn''t this ce under a mour?" Kagemori asked with a confident voice. She made it seem like she knew nothing and Maria would have believed her if she had been in the guard''s position. But Maria also had not known Kagenori for long and had no idea if this was her usual behavior or not.

    "Don''t be so haughty with us, princess. Most of us are in this position because of you and your family. You even allow yourself to get corrupted with a demon so you have the authority to tell us what to do" a guard snapped rudely but Kagemori did not even flinch.

    However, those words did give Maria a clearer picture of what was going around here. And Maria was not sure how much of what she saw she actually liked.

    "It''s not my fault that you all are insecure about your life and position in this new world. It is not me but the guilt that is affecting you so. Killing me off would not solve anything" Kagemori replied back and Maria saw the soldier getting pissed off even more.

    It was even to the point where it looked like the guard would raise his hand to p the princess''s shadow. But the other guards around him had better control and sense than him. They manage to stop him in time and even cover the princess in case something did happen.

    "Do not be hasty, Pablo. President asked us to see Princess Trisha to her new room without any harm" the other guard informed as he held the engraved soldier back. There was an actual fire in those eyes but it finally seemed to be dimming down quite a bit.

    However, even as that happened, no one actually lowered their guard and Maria debated her odds of being able to steal Kagemori sessfully. It seemed as if those fools could not tell the difference between Kagemori and Trisha, which gave Maria a chance to be able to help her by attempting a rescue.

    But somehow, despite all the odds, Kagemori''s eyes met her own and the other shook her head in a ''no'' motion. Was she asking Maria not to save her?<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t care what you all n but I''lle with you willingly. I don''t know what you are nning for Imu next but I cannot allow you all to destroy it anytime soon" Maria''s next breath came in sharp and painful as she considered the implications of what was happening.

    It also helped match some of the scenes in her vision with the current happenings.

    The setting she had likely seen must be from the execution of Kagemori and the other party must have also been fooled to save Kagemori. And it also exined the unstable Trisha in her memories.

    The best way to prevent this oue would be to save Kagemori here and now. It would prevent future events from happening but it would not guarantee a happy oue.

    Though, the warning her system had given her also yed a key role in holding Maria back from taking action. She was not sure what to do since it had been the first time her system had portrayed such a warning to her.

    Maria''s hesitation gave the opposition enough time to snag away Kagemori and when Maria finally made her move, it had been toote for her. She could have med it all as a part of the n but Maria was aware that it had been her indecisiveness that had caused them to end up in this situation.

    So, Maria decided to let Kagemori go while she went back to Trisha. From her vision, she knew that Kagemori would not die or even be harmed for two more days. That was enough time for them to n a few things or even break her out.

    But to do all that, Maria needed assistance first. She also needed Princess Trisha toe back and fight.

    But most importantly, she needed the node key from her.

    Saving Kagemori would be important but it failed in front of the colossal task that was to save Imu. It was going to fall with or without Trisha''s intervention. Lady Elma needed to know this and Maria also needed to prepare something for Suna''s treatment as well. As the other was, she was a liability to her.

    "Where is Kagemori? Did she take things badly?" Trisha asked as Maria returned. She looked amused but also worried.

    The princess had not recovered fully, as was visible by her paleplexion and pain-filled eyes. But she would likely be alright. She was stronger than she appeared and Maria''s vision had been clear over this fact as well.

    "She decided to take your ce for the beheading since the guards seemed unaware of your existence and took her as the princess. We don''t have time to waste here any longer" maybe the princess was shocked, maybe she was lost but Maria did not give her the luxury to gather herself.

    Time was a luxury they did not have and it was also ticking down for Imu. They needed to do something and they needed to do it fast.

 Chapter 135 133 Moving Fast - Part 2

    The halls they ran through were quiet and bare of the soldiers. They also had w marks that made Maria very suspicious about their origins. They looked smaller than a normal beast but toorge to be a normal pet.

    They looked to be human-sized and the only one who fit the criterion for this inside Maria''s mind was Suna. But it should not be possible since Suna had been hidden well and had been ordered not to show herself to the others.

    But the marks were aligned in the same direction Maria was heading and she hurried through the corridor. Trisha followed behind her, somehow keeping up with the change in show Maria showed at random times and they knocked out the random guards in the way.

    A shadow walked out from the side corridor and Maria got ready to attack in case of another guard before she felt a familiar feeling brush against her magic.

    "Calm down, it''s just me. I managed to retrieve Suna. Did youplete your side of the mission?" Lady Elma exited the corridor, looking no worse for the wear. But she looked tired and a little impatient, a simr look her own mother often had after a hard court session and Maria felt herself flinch involuntarily.

    Her mother had been scary and unforgiving at those times and Maroa hoped that Lady Elma would not turn out to be simr to her mother. The mood had been one of the worst parts of visiting the court. (but definitely not the worst)

    "Lady Elma, you''re here. Listen, they took Kagemori and-", "not now. Let''s get out first"

    The princess did not get to finish her words before Lady Elma interrupted her words. Her eyes moved vigntly around the ce which indicated that it was not as secure as they had first been led to believe. Maria also looked around with a suspicious look.

    "Are we under surveince?" Maria asked. She knew better than to assume anything at this point, especially with the type of advanced machinery she had seen in her vision. It didn''t belong to Imu for sure, so maybe they had a backer.

    But this was all a talk forter when they had time to think it all over and then n ordingly. For now, they had to somehow get out of this ce undetected.

    "Can''t I get out with you? Or did they really find out about me?" Maria asked. She had no problem with being found out but she also knew that her being caught could spell disaster for Lady Elma. The other female was in a delicate situation and her position would likely be a keyponent of their future n.

    That was why this was such a loaded question for them to be able to answer. And by the expression on Lady Elma''s face, it seemed like a loaded question as well.

    "You''re not found out right now but I have a feeling the president Rosewell knows about you. I would rather not risk it" Lady Elma exined and it did make sense to Maria. She had heard a lot about the man and she knew better than to underestimate those old court men.

    "Then, I''ll take Trisha and Suna and escape. Do you have anything nned?" Maria asked, already forming a flimsy n that was likely not going to work. Again, nning had not been a strong point for her and it showed.

    "We can''t leave Kagemori behind. We need to get her as well" Princess Trisha yelled and it was a bit too loud for Maria''s taste. And Lady Elma''s as well since she looked back at Teisha with a heated expression.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It caused her to quieten down instantly but the fire had not been doused down by their attempts. There was more than a 50% chance that she was going to do something foolish and it could cause their group a lot of inconveniences.

    "Kagemori will be alright for the next two days. In fact, they won''t harm them till her execution date" Maria assured but Princess Trisha did not look as convinced as Maroa had hoped her to be.

    In fact, she looked even more worried at her words but Lady Elma seemed to be getting the message Maria had been trying to send.

    "Did you get a vision? Care to share the possible future with me?" Lady Elma asked with a curious voice. If Maria had any doubt that this female was not interested in the future of Imu, they all vanished at the question.

    "Huh? Vision? Possible future? But how is that even possible? Isn''t the oracle supposed to be in -", "not now. Keep on moving" Maria took advantage of the shock To drag the princess after her.

    It worked in her favor since the princess was finally not resisting, likelying to terms with the shocking news she had just heard from Maria and Elma. But it worked just fine in Maria''s favor.

    "Here, I chipped the wolf-girl so that you can find her easier. You should not face any problem if you follow the path I''m giving you" Lady Elma threw the small spherical device toward Maria. Again, it was not tech that fits in with Imu''s somewhat primitive resource management and it brought forth more questions than answers.

    "You''ll make it out alright?" Maria asked, atst, her voice small and tense and she got rewarded with a small smile in return.

    Lady Elma did not answer as she turned around but she didn''t need to either. Her smile had been reassuring and calm. It gave Maria all the answers she needed in order to carry out her mission.

    "Would someone exin to me what is going on?" Trisha asked in an almost panic but there was no time for Maria to waste on her. Not when she had a lot of other problems to face.

    Suna''s location did not hinder the progress Maria had made but the tightness in guarding position was slowly but surely being made visible to Maria. She knew that they would be caged in if they did not hurry up and rescue Suna.

    "Psss, Suna. Hurry here" Maria called out from her hidden position as soon as her eyes met Suna''s. She had not been spotted yet but was in an open enough spot to make for easy prey. Maria was not sure if this was something she did voluntarily or if it had been Lady Elma that had left Suna in such a situation

    And her words did reach Suna at the right time, causing her to move before she could be spotted by the guards. Now at least one problem was out of the way, even if it was not the one Maria wanted to be.

 Chapter 136 134: Resistance Base - Part 1

    "Sir, we''ve managed to secure princess Trisha in our custody. Also, the intruders inside the pce had been repelled by our forces. Everything is under control now, President Rosewell" the elder man looked at the guard that had presented him with the information with an unreadable face.

    The expression on the President''s face looked closed off but it also had just a hint of satisfaction mixed into it that reassured the guard that he had done well. The president was likely pleased with the effort being put up.

    "I see. And what about Lucas? Has he gained consciousness yet? Has he talked?" Elder Rosewell asked, sounding a little impatient and the guard hesitated to answer. He did not want to answer the elder because he knew it would piss him off but staying mute here was not an option either.

    In the end, he decided to tell the elder what he had heard from his colleagues and if the worst came his way, he would me someone else for this information and wash it off of his hands entirely.

    "Sir, your son has gained consciousness but he refuses to say anything. ording to him, he had one too many sses of drinking that caused him to lose consciousness but we found no traces of the foreign substance in his blood, nor did we find any excessive amount of alcohol" the blond elder hummed thoughtfully.

    It might have been the confirmation the elder needed to solidify his ims about this issue but the guard was not sure. He could not read the elder, despite his experience in dealing with him. The elder seemed like a changed person every day and maybe that was why his opponents in the courthouse were also not able to counter him.

    "And what about Lady Elma''s escort? Did you find her at least?" Now, this the guard had an answer for and he puffed his chest out in pride before replying.

    "Of course. Lady Elma''s escort was seen leaving the perimeters alone a little over an hour ago and alone. We further investigated and found that there was no way she could have been involved in things. The timing doesn''t match" the guard assured, lying out of his teeth.

    He was not sure why Lady Elma had asked him to lie about her escort and send her home early but the guard was more than happy to do herdy this tiny favour. Maybe it would also lead to something between him and Lady Elma in the future?

    Well, not likely but he could always dream about these things, could he not? It did not harm anyone in the slightest even if he did do it.

    "You''re dismissed then. You along and join you post" the elder dismissed and it took a few seconds for the guard to figure out that it had been him that had been addressed. He had been a little too lost in his thoughts to pay attention to what had been happening around him.

    But as soon as the orders came in, he bowed to the President in front of him before joining his post back with an almost skip in his steps.

    "Not involved, huh? You''re one craftydy, Elma. But it''s time you are brought down" the elder muttered as he opened a chessboard in front of him and moved a piece from the opposite side.

    ¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''m out? It''s been months since thest time I''ve been out here. It feels good" princess Trisha eximed as she took in the vibrant scenery in front of her. This was thest stretch of the royal pce and the courthouse before they would be out.

    Ideally, they should have gotten going but Trisha had gotten nostalgic and Maria had folded like paper under her demand of ''five more minutes. She tried to justify her actions as sensible but even Maria knew she was acting out of pure nostalgia here.

    "I know this ce is beautiful but we really should be going now. We don''t want to get caught" Maria reminded but it looked like her words were falling on deaf ears. The princess was in her head right now, likely going through her memory and it was a dangerous headspace if one was not knocked out.

    "Suna, no" Maria yanked at Suna''s shirt as the female tried to make a dash for a small butterfly in the bush in front of her. The animal instincts must be strong for her to show this much canine behaviour and it worried Maria.

    Would Suna ever go back to normal? Or was he stuck like this forever? Maria had no time to ask these questions from Lady Elma beforehand and now it seemed like such an oversight on her part. It just confirmed her belief that she was not made for nning and strategy.

    "Suna, Trisha, we need to leave now. The guards areing" Maria yelled without actually yelling and it worked. The other two finally ventured back to her side with a guilty expressions on their faces and Maria finally finished decoding the device Lady Elma had given her.

    As she had suspected, it had not been Imu''s technology but it had not mattered in front of her system. It had decoded it in a matter of minutes and had uncovered another set of coordinates inside the coded data.

    It had to be the site of the meeting Lady Elma wanted them to make their way toward and Maria decided to risk it to reach there. She wanted to finish the node business and then use the extra time to get out of this ce, or even get Suna treated for her injury.

    But the carrier of the key seems to have other ns and Maria felt like she was being swept with the flow along the way. She also felt like she was getting invested in plots she should have no connection with and it sucked. It had been herpanions'' job to make sure she was on track but it had not exactly worked out in her favour.

    Thankfully, the road toward the coordinates was empty and they managed to avoid all the patrolling units along the way. They didn''t even realise that they had been so close to the base when Maria saw a little deep in her system indicating an intruder nearby.

    Suna growled and attacked before Maria could form any semnce of thought and held the other by her neck in a submissive position. Whines and growls rose through the canopy and the hybrid body beneath Suna''s locked itself to get Suna off of herself.

    And when Maria finally had a good look at her, it looked like the other was a bird-demon hybrid with feathers on her neck and other parts. Her stomach also looked pregnant and Maria tried not to stare at the indecent state Suna had left her in.

    "Get your mutt off me" the other growled, clutching her stomach protectively"

 Chapter 137 135: Resistance Base - Part 2

    "Get your mutt off me" the other growled, clutching her stomach protectively. And for a second, no one moved to do anything. The situation was far too delicate to make any sudden moment before Maria snapped into action and decided to try tugging Suna off the pregnantdy before harm could be done to her.

    "Suna, off. She''s not a danger" Maria''s words must have worked since Suna finally decided to listen to her and release the pregnant demoness in her clutch. The harpy looked happy but also pissed at being treated so harshly and Maria did not me her for it either.

    Had she been in Suna''s position, she would have tried to fight off the intruders as well. But she was not and the rational part of her won the war. She moved to physically move Suna off since it did not look like Suna was going to listen to her anyway.

    And as soon as her hands fell on Suna''s shoulder, the hybrid did let go of the pregnant demon and Maria could finally have a good look at her. She did not look harmed in any way, shape, or form but some indications marked her as not well. It must have been something serious that had dragged her out into the open.

    "Can we help you out? It''s not safe for someone in your condition to be out here right now. I''ve heard rumors about what is happening in Imu and they do not sound pretty" Trisha also moved closer but she was much more careful than Maria. She also had a more delicate touch to her.

    Also, her eyes had a troubled look as she looked at the pregnant hybrid''s condition and it did not take a genius to guess why that had been so. Maria could physically feel the need to help out the other and she was a foreigner in thesends. Trisha must be feeling it much more urately than she.

    "No, it''s alright. This is what I expected would happen when I took this mission but I was the only one they could spare. You are the people Lady Elma sends to aid us, are you not?" The pregnantdy asked and Maria nodded her head.

    She had to wonder how these people knew how to recognize them but she did not pay much attention to it. They had not done anything to change the future yet which also meant that things were happening as they had in her vision. Besides, Maria did not want to suspect a pregnantdy of things that could potentially happen.

    "How did you know?" Trisha asked thedy even as she helped her up. Maria could see her strain under the weight and it made her remember that Trisha was not fully healed yet.

    As bad as her condition had been, there was no way the heat would have been cured only after one try. It would be better for Lady Elma to tend to her but Maria was not sure they would get a chance or even time to do so before things derailed. Two days was just too short of a deadline.

    "You''re not trying to be subtle and Lady Trisha looks like her father. It was not difficult to put two-on-two together. You might also want to get your hybridpanion checked out since she looks like she''s suffered heavy trauma" Thedy exined as she led them through the rest of the forest.

    Maria kept an eye on the coordinates given to her by Lady Elma as a precautionary measure since she did not fully trust the harpy just yet. The story she had told the group did sound genuine but it had a lot of nks in the mix as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Most importantly, Maria knew she had her other twopanions safe in her hand and it made her cautious as a result. She did not want to somehow end uppromising everyone of herck of vignce.

    The forest thinned the further they went and soon it opened up into a small clearing with a cave on the other side. It had a small opening, just enough for one person to cross at a time and the pregnant harpy moved toward it.

    "It''s safe. Let me go in first so that you don''t get taken in as an intruder" the harpy informed before she entered and Maria tensed up. As soon as the harpy had left, a lot of eyes had snapped onto the group but Maria could not pinpoint their exact location.

    Even Suna seemed tender as she sensed all the new auras around the duo and Maria was sure she was going to do something foolish. However, since there was no attack on them yet, Maria decided to give them the benefit of doubt in this case.

    "Don''t attack them till they give us a reason to. We don''t want them as our enemies" Maria reminded her hybridpanion who may or may not have understood her. Maria had not spent a lot of time with Suna in her new form, so she had no idea how much she could understand her and follow orders.

    But somehow, Maria''s words caused the aggression in Suna''s frame to drop down but not her guard. She was still as vignt as ever but no longer hostile to the presences around them and Maria knew this was as good as it was going to get for them.

    Trisha entered the cave ahead of them. Out of them all, the enemy had the least incentive to kill her. She was a safe bet to send in as bait in any condition and Maria had confidence in being able to break her out in case this did turn out to be a trap

    Maria decided to push Suna into the cave first before taking the rear guard. Suna had the better reflexes among the pair but Maria was not sure if she would be able to stop when the time came. It was just better to eliminate the risk and put herself between Suna and a potential enemy.

    But it seemed as if there was no need to. No attack came in and Maria spotted a few familiar faces in the mix. It was the resistance camp and there were very helpful individuals inside.

    "You all are finally here. Lady Elma left instructions for us since she will not be able to join us. Sit down so that we can brief you" the familiar shape of the resistance head greeted them and Maria felt her nerves calm down. Now things were really on the right track. The one she had seen in her vision and she also knew what to do now.

 Chapter 138 136: The First Leg

    "I''m not nervous. I''m not nervous and I know I can do this'''' Maria watched Trisha pump herself up. The decisive day was already upon them and everything had been nned by the resistance.

    The task sounded simple but it had manyyers to them. Their enemy was not a one-time viin from a novel but a whole organization that had the nation behind them. Things could turn violent at any given time if they were not careful.

    "You''ll do just fine. You know the castle inside-out right? So lead us to the ce where you think they kept Kagemori'''' Maria assured the princess in a gentle voice. She did understand the hesitation and doubt the princess would be feeling right now. She had felt all that at one point as well.

    In fact, Maria was still nervous since their n had a good chance of going off the rails from the very start but she also had hope. There was still time for them to be able to do everything right.

    "I know but I still feel afraid to step in here. It feels like I''m stepping back in time and I don''t like it. This ce looks like it has barely changed at all" Trishamented as she finally entered the Royal Pce. Maria could understand the feeling of seeing ghosts at every corner.

    Maria was sure she would feel simr if she ever stepped back into her home and saw it barely changed. It held too many memories, especially with Nao gone as well. They were all depressing thoughts Maria did not want to think about.

    "By the way, was it alright to leave your hybridpanion behind? She looked tough and I''m sure she would havee in handy" Trishamented as she cleared the way for them. Their chosen point of entry was from the garden but they had been neglected for too long.

    All kinds of grass and climbers had outgrown around the path and it made navigation a bitch. Had it not been for Trisha and her urate memory of this garden, Maria was sure she would have gotten lost.

    Especially when her scanner just showed nts and more nts in the way. Her system also did not respond on time due to some effect these nts had.

    "They''re the protection nts. My father once told me that they were magical and could hinder magical usage, but they''re an invasive species so we didn''t grow any outside the royal pce" Trisha exined as she took in the interesting look Maria gave the nts.

    "Invasive? Are they from another continent?" Maria asked, now curious. She had heard about inter-continentmunication recently and she could not help but marvel at the possibility. Did it exist for every known continent or just specific ones?

    Also, did that mean Maria could use that device to travel to another continent once she was done here? It would make things so much for her in the long run and she would be able to save so much time and effort.

    "From another continent? Nonononono, nothing like that. Father said that these were a gift from a power source I''ll learn about once I grow up but the tech used to grow them is from another continent. They''re from Jamaica and I hope I get to visit it soon" Trisha''s voice sounded dreamy, a mix between longing and assurance.

    The ''power source'' Trisha''s father mentioned must be the node. This meant that the node had been disturbed after thest war. Maybe that was what made it so much more vtile.

    "Duck" Maria mmed her hand on Trisha''s head to force it down while she looked ahead to keep watch. There were only so many guards here right now but the potential of calling a backup was always there.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And if Trisha somehow got spotted, then it would all be over. Her presence as a surprise factor in this raid was what the resistance had been counting in to make their n sessful. That and the fact that Kagemori was far from helpless if she tried.

    "God, they are everywhere. Your mutt would havee in handy" Trisha whined. Maria felt her temper rise at the words but she held it in somehow. She had to remind herself that Trish did not mean it as an insult to her or Suna.

    But it was difficult to remember sometimes. It did not help that Suna had shown no sign of improvement in thest few hours (not that it should be expected) but it had left a sad taste in Maria''s mouth.

    So she was a little touchy about that subject and more likely to snap at others for bringing it up as well. The only reason she hadn''t snapped at the princess yet was that she knew Trisha was saying all she thought in order to forget her grief.

    "Should I go out and start my act now?" Trisha asked once the soldiers had passed their hiding ce. Her nervous energy showed through her mask of confidence and Maria prayed for patience.

    "Not now. We need to head deeper inside in order to cause confusion. No one would believe you capable of escaping this far unaided" Maria reminded the princess as she took out her map.

    Finally, it was starting to work again. Whatever had affected it had to have been a part of those unique nts and Maria snagged a few for future usage. Who knows when they mighte in handy.

    "The only way in here is from the front door or a secret passage. The entrance to the passage is this way" Princess Trisha took hold of Maria''s wrist and dragged her toward the backside of the castle. It was another ce that looked to have been left rtively untouched.

    But Maria felt like they were headed into a trap. Her senses had not led her astray so Maria decided to heed them and stop Trisha as well.

    "Maybe we should look around for another ce to enter. I have a bad feeling about our next move" Maria spoke. Her system had not pinged her about the danger but she was aware that it was there.

    "Did you see anything? Can''t your future vision tell you what you''re seeing? It''s a part of your power right?" Princess Trisha asked in a quiet voice and Maria paused.

    "My powers don''t work that way. I can''t control what I see and when I see it" Maria replied and she could feel the ''why'' on the tip of Trisha''s tongue.

    But Maria did not have an answer for her. Even she was not aware of how her powers worked, so how could she reply to the other about this matter?

 Chapter 139 137: Disasters Strike Together

    "How are the people? How many died? How many were injured? Where is the report?" The whole ce was up in a roar about the recent disaster that has struck Garna. It had been too unnatural to be anything but magically created.

    However, try as they might, they were not very sessful in being able to track down the source of the quaking. It almost felt like someone was sabotaging their attempts at tracking the source from the inside. But they had not been able to find any proof just yet which meant that they had been unable to track the source as well.

    "Princess Neah, another batch of survivors have been found but we have no more space in our camp. What should we do now?" Another soldier came in with the report and Neah was not even sure why they all sought her out for this.

    While the princess was the highest authority in the country, she was far from a reliable source when it came to space management. Furthermore, she did not have time on her hand to take up every problem and design a solution for it. She had appointed leaders for the same task but the papers still somehow ended up with her.

    "What about west camp? Who is in charge of it? There should be space there" there had been thest time Neah had checked but it had been hours since then. It was entirely possible that she might have missed a space or two in the entry while reading it.

    "Wow, this ce looks like a mess. Want me to help?" Neah groaned at the man, no, a teen who entered the room with a cheerful voice. Out of everyone that could have arrived here, it had to be Alester of all people.

    It did not help that Neah was not able to read him, no matter how hard she tried. The teen was a mystery to her and even to the other court officials. Moreover, he imed to be a noble and even had the right certifications but no one could dig anything on him.

    "Either help with the restoration effort or go away. We don''t want a liability here" Neah''s words came out sharp but they seemed to be having no effect on the person in front of her.

    Instead of looking remorseful or even somber, the grin on the teen''s face grew. His smug face had a smile that said ''I know something you don''t'' and it was the most infuriating thing in the world. Every time Neha saw that smile, it made her want to punch the teen.

    But of course, she could not do that, or she would risk her secrets being exposed. The power required to leave an impact was jotted normal after all and Neha''s reputation painted her as a normal human everyone could sympathize with.

    "Hey, I just want to help you out. I even got you some news about what is happening. Get the old man and meet me in the meeting room" Alester jumped down from the upper balcony he had been standing in and nearly gave a nearby maid a mini-heart attack.

    The voice Alester had used had been low enough to only be heard by her. Magic had beenced in his words which meant that this conversation was not for anyone else''s ears but her and Ashura''s.

    Neah''s eyes narrowed at the choice of words Alester had used. As far as she knew, Alester avoided Ashura whenever he could. For him to call for Ashura meant that things were changing significantly and in the direction they did not want them to.

    "I''ll be retiring early today. Forward all the documents to their assigned section and warn them that there will be an inspection today" Neah ordered before she left. She did not wait around for the others to gather their wits and question her back.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Neah was not known to retire early so this must have shocked them enough to make her retreat possible. However, she did not retire to her chambers but went to the old council room instead.

    If there was one ce Ashura would be, it would be there. Neah was not sure of the reason but the old man really liked that relic of a ce. Any free time he had, he spent it there with his old books. Even Neah was not allowed to touch them or peek into them.

    "What is it, child? Another magical attack?" Ashura asked. He looked quite calm even after the attack and it did not surprise Neah in the slightest. Sometimes, it looked like there was nothing that could shake the man and make him break character.

    There had been only one moment Neah had seen the elder man shaken and it had been when their master had chosen her instead of her brother. And it had only been a brief pause at that.

    "Alester called for a meeting with you and me specifically. I don''t know what he wants" Neah''s voice almost had a hint ofint in it. She was too dignified to openlyin but little things like this were permitted.

    These habits generally slipped out from her height facade in front of her close ones. The only one who had seen more than Ashura had been Maria. But that had been an entirely different case. Maria was not really family for her and would be in the same sense as her parents or Ashura.

    "So that brat is back. Let him in" not even a pause was awarded to her words but Neah had not expected him to stop his reading anyway. She was too used to seeing him like this to even be surprised at his behavior.

    And neither was Alester when he finally entered the room. He took one look at the elderly sitting in front of him before throwing himself in the chair opposite him. Neah was the only one left standing in the room with an awkward air.

    "Did you know that Trish was alive? He was spotted leaving the cursed forest near Grand canyon" Neah felt shock course through her at those words. But she was not the only one who had been taken aback by those words.

    Ashura had stopped reading his book for the first time ever and his nk eyes stared right into Alester''s own. Neah felt like a conversation was going on in front of her that she was not a part of.

    "Is that so? I guess we better keep an eye on Karin then. The reappearance of Trish is no small matter. And these quakes, are they rted to him as well?" The elder asked and the smile on Alester''s face took a sinister turn.

    "Oh no. That was the Albest diplomat. The fools tried to stir our node" and the headache just intensified for Neah.

    What a disaster this meeting was turning out to be. And it had only been a few seconds since it started as well.

 Chapter 140 138: The Doomed State

    "The Albest diplomat? When did we get an Albest diplomat in our midst? Didn''t we have a partnership with them not to interfere in each other''s continents?" Princess Neha asked with an almost pained voice.

    Her mind shed back to all the diplomatic meetings she had to sit in. It had been a painful process for her since it had cut off her personal time but it had been a sacrifice she had been willing to make to lower her load. Having another continent, one which was much more advanced than them, not interfere with their working load was a big relief.

    But apparently, it had all been a hoax and Albest had done what they had wanted from the start. And it had happened at the worst possible time as well. They were not ready for the political implication this will be bringing them.

    "Luckily for us, the other party seemed to be of individual interest. I poked around a little and found no document that assigned them as having been sent by their government" Alester''s words finally caused Neah to breathe out a sigh of relief.

    As long as this incident did not involve Albest''s government, they could handle it. But it also made one wonder how a ''fake'' diplomat had entered their kingdom. There was only one official way and that could only be essed by high-ranked nobles.

    "And what about Trish? Why did he appear now?" Ashura asked in a calm voice. Neha had even forgotten the old man''s presence or the first part of the news Alester had presented them with. In her opinion, it had been far less important than the political fallout this ''ambassador'' could have brought.

    But it seemed like herpanions had other ideas. And it was not like Neah could me them either. She had grown up in the shadows of the past generation so she did not have a good grasp of their strength or influence. But these people had grown up at the same time as the others and had a much better idea.

    "He''s content toy still for now but I''m not sure what he''s nning. My sources were keeping an eye on him for quite a while now but he caught on to me a while back. However, I have a feeling he woulde to visit Lady Karin at least once before he begins his n" Alester sounded sure.

    It made one wonder just how close the two might have been for Alester to say those words with his twisted smile. It gave Neah chills just looking at him.

    "Do what you want but don''t let him interfere in our ns. Also, it''s time to pick up pace in project N" Again, project N was something Neha only had passing information about. She had chosen not to get involved with it once she had other responsibilities in the mix.

    "Sure will do. Oh, and princess, I met the Oracle and I have to say that she''s a charmer. I can see why you like her so much. Too bad she managed to escape this continent" Aleater''s words gave Neah a whish and she felt her head turn toward the teen.

    But he was already escaping the scene, having delivered the disturbing news to her. His steps had a cheerful jump to them and the skipping motion was a given trademark of his happiness.

    "Hey, wait. What do you mean to escape? Did you do something? Alester-?" But the teen had disappeared as soon as he had crossed the threshold. He had left the scene and left Neha behind with a head full of questions.

    ¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "P-Princess Trisha? H-How did you¡­. What are you doing outside your room? Didn''t you say you were not feeling well?" A soldier asked as Trisha entered his line of sight.

    Their n had officially begun and all that was left was to cause a little confusion. They had finally managed to enter the inner corridors and it was finally timed for the princess to begin her act. She had to stay strong and pretend as if she had escaped her room.

    "I''m still feeling a little sick but staying locked up will only make me feel sicker. I just need some fresh air into me" Trisha replied, cringing inside at the corny line she had to speak.

    She hated that she had to pretend to be someone she was not but she had to do it for Kagemori. The other had already taken up the role as the princess and now it fell on Trisha to keep up the role. Even more so when she was handicapped due to her over usage of magic.

    "I.., of course not. You''re not free to roam around princesses. Please go back to your room. I''ll even escort you there" the guard squeaked out those words. It became more and more clear that he found the situation to be difficult but not impossible.

    Darn it, Trisha had been right about Kagemori. She was causing trouble all over and making it difficult for the guards to be able to maintain the calm inside the pce.

    "Fine. But I''m not happy about it '''' Trisha almost pouted, the same way she had seen Kagemori do when she had not been happy about something. And the guard caved into the pressure.

    Maria, who had taken to hiding nearby, gave her a sign that said ''good job'' as the guard began leading her away. The princess felt bad about what she was about to do to the poor guard but not bad enough to stop. Nothing could stop her from rescuing the only remainder of her family from this hell-hole of a ce.

    The corridor changed as Trisha was led around to her confiding quarters and she felt her face pale more and more as they walked. This wing, she recognized it but she could not believe this was happening.

    Why of all ces had they chosen this section to house her? Did they not have any decency? Any humanity? Why did they think that the princess would want to be in her childhood section where memories could assault her each and every waking moment.

    "Hey, by the way. Did you not say that you weren''t going toe out just a few hours ago? What are you doing out now?" The guard asked and the answer he got was in the form. If a fist to his face that knocked him out cold.

    The princess had a small tremble wrecking her body and her fist shook in rage.

    "Don''t talk about things you have no idea about. I cannot stand it when you all talk like you know me" the princess whispered as she stood over the unconscious body with a hard expression on her face.

 Chapter 141 139: The Node

    "Don''t talk about things you have no idea about. I cannot stand it when you all talk like you know me" the princess whispered as she stood over the unconscious body with a hard expression on her face. Her eyes held a ferocity Maria had seldomly seen in seasoned war veterans and she did not envy the guard.

    But she was very much the princess who looked to be in quite a foul mood now. She had not expected to be faced with such a problem when she had agreed to team up with the mild princess.

    Actually, Maria had never even thought the gentle princess to be capable of knocking out a guard so brutally and with her bare hands as well. It was borderline attractive but also scary. Luckily for the princess, Maria had seen worse before so she was not afraid.

    "That was not in the n. I think he''s bleeding as well" Mariamented as she closed in on the pair. She had been ready to take the guard out but there seemed to be no longer a need for her to interfere. The precautions they had taken just went to waste with a single move from the princess.

    "I''m not sorry. This ce just got to me" the princess exined and Maria was sure she made sense in her head. But the words just served to confuse Maria even more. What did the ce have to do with being sorry? Those things did not connect inside Maria''s mind.

    But it did not matter in the end since they had achieved what they had wanted to. The guard had hopefully led them to the door where Karemori was being kept. And this door was thest obstacle in their way.

    "Do you think this door has a trapid on it? As ast defensive step?" Maria asked, not daring to touch the door. The guard had made explicitly sure never to touch the door even when he arrived in this corridor and walk a straight path ahead.

    It almost seems like he had been afraid to touch anything here in case it turned out to be dangerous. And Maria found herself unconsciously mimicking the notion of the guard. Her instincts were yelling at her not to make a move in her haste.

    "Maybe it''s because my mother was such a peculiar person, or maybe it was because her family was cursed, but she liked to collect weird stuff. Weird magic stuff that was cursed. Sometimes, the curse just bled out of the object and into the walls and it started one too many rumors'''' ah, now that Maria could understand. It also exined the poking feeling she got from some of the objects.

    The magic she had been feeling was actually cursed. But it was all weak and harmless to her. It would have worked on weak people though and made for one hell of a security system. A weak person might not have noted but Maria could see the care being put into selecting some of these objects.

    They allplemented each other in some way.

    "What happened? Aren''t you going to open the door?" Maria asked as she watched the princess hesitate in front of the door. She had expected the princess to take this chance and knock the door down as soon as they reached here but the princess had frozen in front of the door with a silent expression.

    Maria tried to guess what it was that the princess was thinking but she could not figure it out. But it must be important enough for the princess to pause like this. She had been the one in the most hurry after all.

    "I feel like there should be something I need to do before entering the room but I can''t remember what it was. It''s just been so long since I''vest been here that I can''t even remember this ce for what it was" the princess sounded sad and heartbroken. It made Maria feel awful for her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ? What if, one day Maria went back to her home but forgot how to even open her own bedroom door? What would she do then? Break the door down? But it held too many memories for her. With her mother and with Nao.

    "We have no other choice but to open the door. We''ll worry about the consequencester" Maria assured as she pushed the door open. The princess did not look like she was going to do it anyway.

    And magic mmed into Maria with an impact she had not expected. It felt familiar and it pushed her back with a vengeance. It probed around her to look for something she did not have and it hurt as the magic invaded her.

    "Don''t hurt her. She''s with me" and just like that, the magic received from around her. The harsh force disappeared and the barrier Maria had been leaning against disappeared as well But the echo of a distant voice remained inside her head and nothing could force it out.

    It had to have been the node. Nothing else had quite such a strong presence. But why? And how? The more Marai thought about it the more it did not make sense to her.

    "I''m sorry. Now I remember. I need to suppress my magic before I enter. When I was younger, Kagemori and my mother used to do it for me so that I wouldn''t identally open a door and walk in there. It''s the curse of the pce" Maria felt sweat drip down her face at the news.

    "So, any door here can lead to that ce?" Maria asked as she tried to catch her breath. What a nightmare this royal pce was going out to be. Who builds a royal castle on top of a node anyway?

    "Well yes, but also no. Usually, the power to connect to that ce is hereditary. The day I got it my father lost his. So everyone else should be safe. I don''t know why it opened for you" the princess sounded genuinely confused at the notion but Maria was not.

    She looked down at her system screen that had a text.

    [Node connection sessfully established. Kindly get the key needed to enter]

    Well, fuck her system as well. Maria was not going to back down now. But she also did not have enough time to take care of the node. She needed to prioritize saving this country from copse first.

    "I don''t know what''s going on here. Wrap this around your wrist and let''s save Kagemori" Maria passed a small part of her chain toward Trisha who took it with hesitation. And as soon as it was pressed down on her skin, Maria felt her magic being damped.

 Chapter 142 140: Kagemori

    "Get out. I don''t want to see you till it''s execution time" despite all the jokes one could make at Maria''s expense, she really did not see the attacke her way. Her body had to reflexively dodge out of the iing vase or she would have gotten hurt.

    Princess Trisha had a far better time than her as the attack never reached her. She managed to follow Maria''s lead and got out of the attack''s way. However, all thismotion did not even make Kagemori lift her head up and nce a look at them.

    "Hey, I would have you know that what you did was pretty rude" Maria called out as she stepped over the broken pieces of ceramic lying in front of her. She hated how high her voice had squealed in her fright but at least Trisha found her fright funny. Maria foul felt theughs quacking the princess''s frame.

    "Kagemori, we''vee to break you out of here," Princess Trisha replied in an amused tone. Her mood seemed to have been lifted after seeing her friend rtively unharmed. And it warmed Maria''s heart to see as well.

    Now they only needed to get out of here and they would be done.

    "Break me out? But why? I''m supposed to be here" Maria stared at the demoness with a surprised nce. She had no answer for Kagemori since she had not anticipated such a situation to ur.

    And neither had Trisha, if her startled expression was something to go by. The princess looked like she had swallowed a sour lemon and now was suffering the consequences. And really, the current situation could not be anything further away from that truth.

    After all, what did one do when the one they were rescuing did not want to be rescued? Did they force their way out still? Or should they abide by their wishes?

    "I''m sorry, did I hear you right? Wee all the way here, only to be told ''Why''? Kagemori, hurry up, and let''s leave" Maria was shocked but Princess Trisha seemed to be taking it personally. Her voice sounded really angry and tired as she almost yelled.

    Maria had to put up a silencing barrier at thest second in order to maintain their secrecy. Otherwise, they would have been swamped by the guards a long time ago.

    "My being here is not a coincidence. Listen, Trisha, I''m a demon who was called here to protect you and that''s what I''m going to do. Once they kill me off, you''ll be free to live your life" Kagemori exined in a calm voice. The detachment in her voice made it seem like she was talking about an unrted death, not her own.

    And that seemed to be tipping the princess off even more. Her expression was clouded in anger and worry at her friend''s words. Maria knew the buildup and she knew it was not going to end well for anyone.

    "Free? I don''t want to be free if you''ll not there with me. Please, let''s leave" Princess Trisha was on the verge of begging and Maria felt like she was invading a boundary she should not be. This was not a ce for someone like her to be in. It was supposed to be a private moment.

    And yet, here Maria was. Right in between a private moment once again and her system also chose this time to inform her about an intruder heading her way. It really had the best timing imaginable. Ans by ''best'' she meant the worst.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Look, I hate to break your reunion but someone is headed our way and we won''t be able to leave now. We need to hide somewhere" Maria informed the pair, forcefully shoving her way in between their conversation.

    The two looked startled at her voice, likely forgetting that she had even been there in the first ce which was rude on their part. It was not her fault the other pair had a weird tension between them. They should really fuck it out and rx.

    "It must be the president. The guards did tell me that I was nning to visit me before my execution. We can''t let him find you two" Kagemori looked panicked and for good reasons.

    Out of every imaginable person in Imu, the one who was most likely to foil their ns was President Rosewell. His mere presence was a huge obstacle in their path and he had been the primary trigger for the node to destroy Imu.

    "Bathroom, let''s hide there for now. Trisha, don''t remove the chain or we''ll be found out immediately" the princess nodded as Maroa dragged her toward the restrooms. It was the only ce imaginable that could be used to hide.

    Maria could see the president''s position on her map just outside of the room door. The bathroom did not have a lock so it was entirely possible to walk in here and find the pair. That was why the ball was in Kagemori''s court now. She was the only one who could distract elder Rosewell and also get the information in the process.

    The sound of the door being opened reached Maria''s ears and she held her breath in. She was afraid to even make any noise and give their position away.

    "What a good day it is. Don''t you think so as well, my dear princess?" The elder''s cold and sharp voice reached Maria''s ears. It sounded exactly how she had imagined it to be - powerful and in control. This person might be evil but his voice did have the charm needed to lead.

    And his mere pressure asserted him as someone important. Maria was not in the room with the man but she could tell he was something else with his voice alone. This was the worst kind of one could face - charismatic enough to get followers but also smart enough to not change blindly.

    "I told you, I don''t have the key. It disappeared with my father. How many times do you need to get me checked?" Kagemori sounded bored and tired. Even her words sounded rehearsed to Maria''s ears like she had said the same thing many times.

    Princess Trisha took a sharp breath at the question. Maria knew guilt when she saw it and right now, Trisha was feeling a lot of it and all for the wrong reasons. It was not her fault her friend was a sacrificing idiot who decided to take on her identity.

    Besides, Kagemori knew what she was getting into. Probably. But she did have a will to live. Maria saw it in her eyes so at least she did not have to worry about Kagemori''s unnecessary sacrifice.

 Chapter 143 141: The Truth Behind The Capture

    "I told you, I don''t have the key. It disappeared with my father. How many times do you need to get me checked?" Kagemori looked ufortable in the position she was in. President Rosewell stood on her other side with a knowing smile and Maria felt it send shivers down her spine. It was not a natural smile and even had an edge to it.

    But Maria was helpless to do anything but hide in the bathroom. Only the sliver of space between the open door allowed her to bear witness to the scene in front of her. She had even pushed Princess Trisha to the side to not let her witness this scene.

    The princess surely would not be able to hold herself back if she saw this. The words were already getting to her and Maria was afraid that she would do something foolish in an attempt to take revenge against Rosewell.

    It was only Maria and her protection that was stopping Trisha from attacking the other anyway. And the Oracle knew that the princess would charge the second Maria gave her the leeway to do so. She could almost see it in her eyes, the way Trisha would try and sneak past her and -

    -her hand shot out to catch Trisha before she could move.

    Maria startled herself with that quick motion as well, never mind Trisha. But her other hand moved out to ce itself over Trisha''s mouth before she could make any sound. The maneuver proved to be their saving grace since it prevented Trisha''s scream from being heard by anyone.

    Maria dared to take a look outside, only to find the room empty of anyone but Kagemori and president Rosewell. Somewhere in their inside exchanges, things had taken a weird turn outside and Maria found herself interested in knowing more about it. Her senses told her that she should hear into the conversation happening outside.

    "I didn''t ask you to dismiss them. What are you nning here?" Kagemori sounded tired, a different form from her usual activities. It almost seemed like she had given up on pretending and she decided to be her real self in front of Rosewell.

    So, did the man know about Kagemori''s secrets or was there something else that was going on there? Even Princess Trisha sounded surprised and her muffledints only encouraged the weird feeling.

    "I''m not nning anything in particr. I don''t need to when I have you here. You will drag the real princess out soon enough and I know she has the key. I wonder if your death would trigger it to activate" the man almost sounded genuinely curious.

    This really was the worst-case scenario for them. Not only did the man know their secret, he even knew about the key and its possible usage. His words sounded confident when he asked about the princess and Maria knew things were bad.

    Their only saving grace was Kagemori and her excellent acting. She was not letting it show that president Rosewell''s target was in his sight. It made it possible for Maria to control things at her side as well.

    "You''re delusional. The node is a wild being and far too powerful for one person. You''re not even a demon in the first ce" Kagemori informed with a tired voice. This looked like a conversation that had happened a lot as well.

    "We won''t know until we try. It''s foolish to assume that humans and demons have different potential in the first ce. After all, the body you''re upying is a human in the first ce" the man was not wrong entirely but he had a lot of facts wrong.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But he did raise some good points with his words. Maria had never really thought back to the fact that the node only epted demons as power bearers. She had never needed to think over this fact and had chosen to believe Nao unconditionally. But thinking back at it it did sound suspicious since every demon had been a human at one point.

    The silence from Kagemori''s side meant that she either had no answer or she was not willing to share it with the audience. Maria felt her disappointment rise up at theck of an answer. She wanted to know as well but it looked like today was not the day.

    "Anyway, I heard some interesting news that I wanted to share with you. What were you doing outside your room? How did you even escape it in the first ce?" President Rosewell asked and Kagemori''s voice finally had a hitch at the question.

    It was difficult to tell whether it was because she had been genuinely startled by the question or if she was faking it. At least Maria could not tell from her position.

    "I never left the room and you know it as well. Are you trying to ckmail me?" The princess look-alike asked in a threatening tone. It was a miracle that her voice came out as strong as it had been. It even had maged into it and the surroundings were starting to respond to it.

    The feeling of invading magic touched Maria and she recoiled from it. It was not as weing as she wanted it to be and Maria just knew it was the node that was showing interest in her. But her partner looked unaware of the invading magic.

    "ckmail? Well, take it like that if you want to. But do know that you need to die at any cost. You know why, right?" The elder asked and Kagemori looked pained. But she did give a confirmative node back to him with the most poisonous expression on her face.

    Maria held her breath as the elder left the room. His eyes moved over the bathroom''s direction and Maria refused to move. Or rather, her body was the one that refused to move. All her senses told her that she would be discovered if she did and it kept her frozen in ce.

    Her tight grip on Trisha did not allow her to move away as well and she could feel the man looking in their direction with a curious re.

    And then he turned back with an interesting look on his face. But it did not fool Maria a single bit. The man knew full well that there were intruders in the pce. But if he knew the real identity of the intruders, Maria was not sure.

    She took some extra time staying hidden to make sure the elder was gone beforeing out. Her system was a big help in being able to keep an eye on Rosewell''s moments.

    And her eyes met Kagemori''s serious ones when she finally did decide toe out of her hiding spot.

 Chapter 144 142: The Solution Is Simple

    "He''s ying with us. He knows we''re here for sure. What should we do now?" Maria asked her voice tense as she came out of her hiding spot. She could spot the knowledge about what she had said in Kagemori''s eyes as well. The other female recognized the danger they were in as well.

    "Yes, he does. He''s trying to lure us out" Kagemori agreed with her. Trisha had an understanding face as well, her eyes shing in an ufortable way. Out of everyone here, she was the one most at risk. Even if they did manage to escape, whether or not Trisha would be let go was still up for debate.

    But they all knew they had to escape. Staying here any longer was not an option for any one of them. Not with the threat of danger looming over their heads. If they did manage to get caught, it would be all over for them.

    "I know a way we can get out. Now is the chance since Rosewell would not see iting. But we''ll need to do something about the guards" Trisha knew this ce inside-out so it was not difficult to believe that she knew a way out.

    However, it was Kagemori that stopped them from following Trisha. Her expression had a worried look to it and her eyes did not face herpanion''s head-on. Maria knew it had something to do with her capture and her feeling proved to be right.

    "You''ll need to go alone. Rosewell made darn sure I won''t be able to leave this ce withoutpromising my rescue party. I''m chipped with technology far beyond what you''ve seen before" Kagemori sounded remorseful about the face.

    Maria frowned at the exnation, her expression darkening. Theseplicated things but maybe not as much as Rosewell was thinking it would. Maria knew she was not advanced enough to remove the chip but her system should be able to dull it enough.

    ''Run a scan. See what you can find out about the chip'' her system chipped with an annoying sound but it started the scan.

    "We''re not leaving you behind. Who knows what they''ll do to you. Maria, tell her we''re not leaving her behind. Maria?" Trisha asked, annoyed that she did not have Maria''s full attention. But Maria was busy watching her system work.

    The chip was advanced, as Maria had thought it to be. But it was not impossible to hack. Her system was doing a good job of disabling it. It was also decoding the information inside the chip to know where it was from.

    [Scanningpleted. The disabling process begins. Chip code: Albest-08-CXI-D2]

    The shock Maroa felt should not have been that bad. But it could no longer be a coincidence that this chip was from Albest. That kingdom was everywhere and Maria felt like she had no idea where to even begin.

    "-can''t leave. The rms would ring and bring in all the guards" Kagemori exined but Maria had toned her out in favor of focusing on her system. It did not need her help but sometimes it didmand her to direct her actions manually.

    [Deactivating Microchip Albest-08-CXI-D2. ETA: 5¡­4¡­3¡­2¡­1¡­deactivated]

    Maria breathed a sigh of relief as the process finished sessfully. Not that she had been worried or had doubted her system. Not even a single bit. But she had been worried about something going bad.

    Luckily, she had managed to sessfully pull off the hacking.

    "We''re all free to go. I''ve disabled your chip for now but we need to leave now. We don''t have time" Maria exined as she took Kagemori''s hand on her own and began dragging her. The other''s shock and Maria''s strength were the only things that made it possible to achieve.<novelnext></novelnext>

    However, Kagemori began to struggle as soon as she snapped out of the shock. Her body tried to get free but it was obvious that she was not putting her everything into it.

    The poor girl wanted to be free but had no idea how to go about it. It made Maria feel sad for her.

    "Let me go. I should not leave this room-" Maria felt Kagemori''s tense body and her recoil as she was dragged out of the room. Even Maria held her breath in case of an rm.

    Not that she did not trust her system, she really did. But still, ayer of caution went a long way in making sure things were alright. Trisha was thest one to exit, her body acting as a barrier between Kagemori and the door.

    "I-It did not ring" Kagemori eximed in a relieved voice and suddenly her body went boneless in Maria''s arms. The stress just bled out of her and the strength she showed just a second ago was gone.

    Trisha made a hasty moment to catch her but backed off as soon as Maria got there first. Between them, they managed to howl Kagemori off and get her to safety. Maria also made sure to keep an eye on her map to make sure they would not be spotted.

    Time was running out after all and they only had a couple of hours left before the appointed time of the apocalypse.

    "Hurry, this way. The door should be right around the corner" Maria took the rear as Trisha led them to the secret passage only her family knew about. It was their only hope since the guards were heading to Kagemori''s cell. Her escape would be noticed anytime now.

    But Maria was not worried. They had a head start and they were about to get out of her as well.

    "It''s locked. What should we do?" Trisha asked and Maria pushed her to the side. She used all her strength to burst the door down. It didn''t matter that the noise would bring everyone else here as well.

    "Let''s go. We only have this one chance" Maria cried out as she went in first. The passage was old and covered in dirt. It did look like it had not been used for a long time and Maria felt reassured of their safety as she moved through the tunnel.

    And she finally saw it, the end of the tunnel was in sight once again. If they ran, they would reach it in under a minute. And that was what Maria intended to do.

    Until a shadow blocked their way and looked back at the group with a sinister smile. It was a familiar face as well, one Maria had not expected to see after what had happened earlier.

    "Did you think you could get away from me? I''ll make sure you all get killed right here and now" Lucas Rosewell stood in their path, his eyes shing red.

    (Had the worst possible day imaginable. Thankfully, writing helps me escape.)

 Chapter 145 143: The Blond Demon

    "Did you think you could get away from me? I''ll make sure you all get killed right here and now" Lucas Rosewell stood in their path, his eyes shing red. Maria felt her annoyance build up as she took in the man who was thest obstacle between them and their freedom. He was a sore spot in her eye and it made her want to get rid of him.

    The other two stopped behind Maria, their gaze taking in the new figure in front of them with a hostile air around them. Maria positioned herself between the two parties, her body posed in such a way that Lucas was able to see the two behind her sess.

    Not that it mattered much. Lucas has his whole attention focused on Maria anyway. He did not have eyes for anyone else in there but her anyway. In a way, she was the primary target there and she knew she had to do something to herpanions out of here.

    "Well, I won''t expect greatness from someone who got taken down by a single woman. Besides, I don''t think you have what it takes to take me down" Maria taunted as she signaled for the other two to leave. She could take care of one human on her own.

    Trisha looked startled and a little reluctant to leave her behind but Kagemori understood her reasoning. She picked up her still protesting friend and jumped out of the way. It would not do them any good to have everyone incapacitated at the same time.

    Maria took the attack head-on, knowing that she had to keep Lucas''s attention on her. If she did good, then the other would not have a chance to go after her other two party members. Not that it should be a problem since he had been weak thest Maria saw of him.

    But there was an unsettling feeling about him right now. Maria could see weird energy floating around him and it made her nervous for some reason. The energy around Lucas built up and Maria braced herself for the impact but it never came her way.

    Instead, it curved around her and targeted the other group at her side. Thankfully, Kagemori had enough awareness to have sensed that attack and dodged it ordingly as well. Otherwise, who knew how things would have ended up as.

    "Where do you think you both are going? I''ve noticed you as well" well, fuck. There went their n and any notion they had to get away. The power Lucas has used had not been an ordinary one either. Maria could feel the mes licking away her side, injuring her greatly.

    But thankfully, they seemed to not have been lethal for her. Trisha showed no signs of injury while Kagemori looked injured more than Maria, but still conscious somehow. The attack had been centered around getting the demons out of the battle.

    "You scums got lucky this time. Next time I will not miss" Lucas sounded confident in himself and Maria felt herself shudder as he readied for another attack. This one would hurt if it connected with her since Maria did have her demonic blood activated.

    "Get Kagemori out of the range. He''ll only be able to hit one of us" Maria called to Trisha as she began moving as well. This way, they could minimize the damage being dealt with on their side.

    Of course, being Lucas''s primary target, she had expected the attack to be aimed at her. She was also the ablest fighter in the three right now and despite her injury, Maria was aware enough to know that she was the best fighter in their group.

    Maria tried to avoid the spell that was after her but it seemed to be adamant to hit her. Maria felt trapped in the space she had found for herself since she could not run toward the other side and risk it hitting Kagemori.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But just as Maria was sure she had exhausted the spell, something unexpected happened.

    The spell split itself into two and a thread of fire sprung itself toward Trisha and Kagemori. Maria tried to interfere but the spell on her side stopped her in her tracks. It blocked any attempts Maria made to get past it.

    And the other part of the spell hit the duo. It had been an unexpected oue, but one that delighted Lucas. Theughs he let out sounded taunting to Maria''s ears and she felt her blood rush through her body.

    Despite all the deaths, all the destruction, Maria had not actually seen anyone get severely injured. Even with Nao, she had been there one second and then not. This feeling of disorder, Maria felt had not been apanied by it.

    But now all she could do was wallow in her one ipetence and her anger rose with the feeling. She knew it was not her fault but her mind did not agree with her. It wanted vengeance and the nearness to the node amplified her magic.

    "You" Maria knew she was projecting her feelings of ipetence at not being able to save Nao in this situation. It was stupid, the circumstances were not even simr. But still, Maria could not help. Her magic justshed out.

    One second, Lucas had beenughing and Th next, he wasid out t on the ground with Maria on top of him. She looked pissed off as well, her eyes zing.

    "H-How did you do it? Any demon that touched the mes should have been killed. The princess was the only one supposed to live" Lucas sounded surprised and Maria felt a dark glee fill her heart at his shocked look. Served him right for underestimating her.

    She did not answer him as she picked up her chain to deal the final blow but her body betrayed her. The me had not taken her life but Maria had injured herself a lot. Plus, she had not been able to fully didge thest few attacks.

    It had to have been the adrenalin that kept her going for this long but there was a limit after which her body could not take it any longer. It seemed like luck was on Lucas''s side today as she survived just in the nick of time.

    Maria heard footsteps and she felt someone pick her up. So was that it? Had they actually failed to carry out the n? But more importantly, did they manage to change the future? These were all questions that gued Maria but she had no answer for them.

    And her body did not have the will to move either as she was captured by the enemy soldiers.

 Chapter 146 144: Choosing A Candidate

    The next time Maria woke up, she felt her head ache with pain. It was pounding with the rhythm of her heart beat and she had no idea why or how it had happened. It just hurt to even think about what she had gone through before this.

    And instantly, her mind shed back to Trisha and Kagemori. If she had been knocked out, then the other must have been knocked out as well. What happened to them? What about Lucas? Was he dead? Had Maria seeded in killing him?

    ¡°You should not try and get up. Your wounds are bad and they will continue to get worse as time goes on. Not to mention, your life force is dangerously down. I told you to be careful, did I not?¡± Maria felt her body sag at the voice. It was Lady Elma who was looking back at her with a disapproving look on her face.

    Maria was barely able to move, but as soon as she did, her eyesnded on the unconscious form of Kagemori. The demoness looked alright, if not a little hurt. At least this was one piece of good news for them.

    ¡°Where is Trisha?¡± Maria asked as she looked around for her other partner. She expected to see the princess there as well since they had been their primary target but the princess was nowhere to be seen.

    Not to mention, Lady Elma seemed to be avoiding Maria¡¯s eyes with an almost guilty expression in them. Whatever had happened, it had not been good.

    ¡°We managed to retrieve you and Kagemori in time but Trisha was a different case. Unfortunately, with President Rosewell there, I could not retrieve her as well. I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯s been captured¡± Maria felt her heart stop at the news.

    They had tried so hard to rescue Kagemori, only to end up with a scenario even more concerning than before. And Maria could not help but feel like it was her fault in some way or form.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t try to get up. We just got you stabilized. You¡¯ll rip your stitches off if you got up now¡± Lady Elma yelled, trying to keep Maria down. But the struggle in her body was real and Maria¡¯s desperate attempts gave her more power than needed.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. We need to stop this execution before the node goes off and-¡± Maria did not get to finish the words.

    Lady Elma had a sorry face but she was adamant as well. Maria felt magic sneak up her arms and hold her gently. She tried to buckle herself free but it was of no use. Lady Elma was serious about keeping her in the bed.

    Kagemori had woken up in themotion as well, her injuriesid bare for the world to see and Maria didn¡¯t even have enough energy to give her friend an appreciative nce.

    ¡°W-Witch? Did you manage to save us?¡± Kagemori asked her voice horse due to theck of moisture in her throat. Lady Elma passed a ss of water to her before taking her ce in front of Maria again.

    She looked constipated as she faced the princess-lookalike. There seemed to be some history there that Maria was not privy to. Nor did she care particrly about it.

    She just wanted to be free and make sure she saved this continent. She had gotten attached to the people here and she did want to see them live out their natural lifespan.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Rest for now. We¡¯ll take over from here. Don¡¯t worry, the princess is safe for now¡± Kagemori¡¯s body lost its tension as soon as those words reached her. Maria felt conflicted at the emotions she saw in front of her.

    But when she did not contradict Lady Elma¡¯s words, Kagemori finally closed her eyes and went back to sleep. It was then and only then that Maria turned toward Lady Elma with a critical eye.

    ¡°The one you saw at the alter was Kagemori, right? But with the recent happenings, it seemed as if we have managed to change the future¡± Lady Elma started but Maria was not so sure.

    While she did know that they had changed the future objectively, she could not help but feel like she was missing a point there. Something in her just told her that things were not as right as they thought them to be.

    Or maybe it was Maria that was overreacting to everything. Maybe she needed to take a calming breath and let things be as they were.

    ¡°Still. We cannot allow Trisha to get killed here. If nothing else, then she has the key with her and she¡¯s too near to the node for me to feelfortable. By the way, where are we?¡± Maria asked, feeling the familiar thumb of energy around her.

    ¡°The royal castle. It was built right on top of Imu¡¯s node a few centuries ago to protect it. I guess you felt the familiar energy here?¡± Lady Elma asked in a tired voice. Maria nodded, a little dumbfounded at her present situation but chose to settle down as well.

    ¡°So, what do we do next? The old man Rosewell is looking for the node¡¯s key as well to monopolize the power. I¡¯m not afraid for him but some foolish demon might try to use this opportunity. And I¡¯m also concerned with Albest¡¯s involvement in all this¡± Maria cautioned.

    Really, the situation would not have been half as bad if not for Albest and its meddlesome ways. It certainly felt like they were everywhere and involved in every big or small scandal that was happening on other continents.

    Just the fact that Maria had run into them twice now made her feel like it was all a big plot she was a part of.

    ¡°Albest? This is bad then. I guess we have no choice but to choose a candidate for Imu. Maria, do you think Suna yourpanion would be a good candidate for demon lord?¡± Lady Elma asked and Maria felt her head short circuit.

    Suna? As a demonic lord? But she was not even in her right mind. And Maria did not think she would appreciate being bound to a node that took Nao away.

    And Maria¡¯s silence must have been answering enough for Lady Elma because she did not ask the question again. Instead, she turned to her sleepingpanion and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I guess we have no other choice. Shadows in Imu were raised as guardian deities for the rulers and it¡¯s time Kagemori took up the responsibility. She¡¯ll have to be a demonic lord candidate¡± and Maria nodded her consent. In fact, she could see no other better candidate than Kagemori.

 Chapter 147 145: Candidate Kagemori

    When Kagemori woke up, it was to utter silence. She was not sure how long she had slept after she had entrusted everything to Maria and Lady Elma but it must have not been long since everyone was still there in the room with her.

    Two pairs of eyes turned instantly toward her as she woke up. She could not help but feel hopeful when she thought back to thest thing she had heard Lady Elma say to her. The other might have been a witch but she did care about princess Trisha a lot. In a sense, Princess Trisha was the daughter Lady Elma never had.

    ¡°How long have I been asleep for? What about Trisha?¡± Kagemori asked in a fresh voice. Her body protested against the moment but she did not care. Her mind was fresh and she wanted to fight against anything blocking her way.

    She did not know why, but being in the ce got her full of energy. It felt like she was back in the pce but without her limiters on. The magic caressed her own and made Kagemori think of Lady Trisha¡¯s gentle touch.

    ¡°You¡¯ve not been asleep for long. In fact, it has only been fifteen minutes but we¡¯re d you are up. We have very important things we need to talk to you about¡± those words did not sound promising but Kagemori decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

    After all, Maria had risked her life to protect Kagemori and have even taken attacks meant for Trisha. That alone put Maria pretty high up in Kagemori¡¯s respect list.

    ¡°Important things? Sure, I¡¯m all ears¡± Kagemroi sharpened her senses as she took her spot at Maria¡¯s side. She was eager to hear whatever Lady Elma had to tell her.

    ¡°You know about the power buried beneath the royal castle? We need an inheritor for it. A demonic inheritor for it and we chose you to be the one. Do you think you can take up that duty now?¡± Out of everything Kagemori expected to hear, this was somehow thest thing on her mind.

    Her? A protector? But she was too young and not ready. Even Trisha was not ready to have that power be unsealed and lose her magic. And if Kagemori did take the power, then what about the princess? It was her inheritance.

    ¡°B-But I should not. It¡¯sdy Trisha¡¯s birthright and I have-¡±, ¡°-She cannot use that power unless she bes a demon herself. Besides, it would start a war which would be bad for her. You are the only one left¡±

    Lady Elma interrupted before Kagemori could finish, her voice filled with steel. Kagemori instantly felt her mouth snap shut at the re being aimed her way. Even Maria looked like she agreed with thedy.

    ¡°Alright. But, how and what should we do? The king said we needed a conductor and Lady Trisha is not strong enough to y that role yet¡± and even if she was, Kagemori was not sure she would be able to defile Lady Trisha in such a way.

    The way to transfer the energy of the node was through cultivating it with a human entity. That was what made it such a risky job since the node¡¯s energy was unstable at times and carried a risk of death.

    Kagemori was not going to risk Trisha¡¯s life for such a meager purpose, even if it meant that Imu would go to war or get destroyed in the process.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Our dear oracle here should be more than enough¡± there were two shouts of protest and Kagemori looked surprised to see the oracle look flushed at the prospect.

    She had thought that MAria knew what she was getting into but maybe she was just as blind as Kagemori was. That certainly did not make things easier for them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°We don¡¯t have another choice and you have experience, Maria. Don¡¯t give me that look, think of it as the payment. I did save your life after all¡± That was news to Kagemori but it did exin a lot of things to her about the odd rtionship between Maria and Lady Elma.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it but just this once¡± Maria sounded annoyed.

    ¡°Once would be enough¡± Lady m sounded smug.

    No one asked Kagemori if she was alright with spending an intimate moment with a practical stranger and Kagemori felt annoyed, but not as angry as she thought she should be. She felt like she could trust Maria to an extent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin now. We don¡¯t have much time to lose¡± Maria finally gave in, her voice soft and Lady Elma chuckled her amusedugh. But her were held loosely in front of her and her eyes shed before Kagemori felt magic surrounding her.

    It changed her surroundings from the room to a ce made out of rocks and dirt. Maria did not look as surprised to see all that but she did look paler. Her magical energy also looked pretty high and her face flushed with heat.

    These symptoms, Kagemori knew were associated with having too much life force inside oneself. But she had never thought she would meet someone who had such an effect on their constitution.

    Kagemroi knew what she had to do, but she was not sure where to even begin. The only experience she had with sexual acts was with her hand a few passing fantasies she had of Trisha.

    As such, she had no idea how to treat Maria at this moment. Her hands refused to move from around her and her eyes went wild with shock as the other settled herself in Kagemori¡¯sp.

    Soft lips met Kagemori¡¯s own as something wet ground down on herp. It was weird, arousing, and overall pleasurable. It made Kagemori forget what she had been thinking about and enjoy the moment.

    Her hand finally moved and rested on top of the oracle¡¯s bottom, fondling them hardly. It all seemed natural to Kagemori, something she should have been doing from the start. The fondness she felt inside her felt foreign as if she was channeling someone else but she did not stop.

    Or rather, Kaegmori did not want to stop and think. If she did, then she knew she would not be able to go through with it till the end.

    ¡®This is for Trisha. Do it for her¡¯

    But even that though fled her head as a tongue entered her mouth and started coxing her one to y. It was an overall sh and domination with teeth and everything thrown into the mix. The magic was overwhelming as well and Kagemori felt herself losing her reason. It was all too much and too little.

 Chapter 148 146: Snapping The Bond

    Maria felt the magic course through her body at an rming rate. It was filled with life force, a little too much life force and her body felt like an over-saturated sponge. In a cruel twist of fate, her body that was alwayscking life force now housed too much of it at this moment.

    Maybe that was why she did not feel any shame when she stered her body on top of Kagemori, her lower half meeting with the demoness''s own and causing friction to rise up.

    And it caused an instant reaction. Maria could feel the other let out a groan inside her open mouth as their lips crashed. It was a battle Maria felt she had to win. At this point, Maria had no idea where she began and where the magic ended.

    Even her body did not feel like her own. The node was pressing against her own magic, channeling it through her body and acting as a conductor. And as more and more magic passed through her body, Maria slowly begin to understand why it had to be a human who had to act as a conductor.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s too much. I can¡¯t concentrate¡± Kagemori huffed those words out in between the kisses Maria was initiating with her. The magic was bouncing between their bodies, traveling through Maria and right into Kagemori.

    Maria could feel the start of a bound happening between the node and the demoness in front of her. Maria was not a part of the equation, her magic a separate entity and her human nature protecting her from the node¡¯s influence

    However, Maria did not need the node to distract her when she had another, very hard thing poking her in her sensitive area. Her position in Kagemori¡¯sp gave her a perfect feel of her hardness and her enjoyment.

    ¡°Endure it for now. Focus on my touch instead¡± Maria whispered, knowing fully well how easily one could lose themselves in this feeling. The magic made it especially easy for the involved parties.

    But it seemed not to be enough for the female to act as a distraction. She needed something bolder and harder to distract her from the feeling of magic.

    Maria moved her hand under Kagemori¡¯s pants, her hands bold and light in their moment. She could not shop any signs of hesitation in her moment or she would chick out.

    At least the moansing out of Kagemori¡¯s mouth did encourage Maria to keep on going. It was hard and wet, a lot like Nao¡¯s had been and Maria¡¯s hand moved on its own to get the organ wet.

    The foreign¡¯s magic inside Maria encouraged her to pick up speed. Kagemori needed a little more stimulus to take the edge off of her. Maybe having Kagemori release once could help her loosen up and take it easy on Maria.

    Kagemori¡¯s hips already buckled up hard into her hand and the force was a lot more than Maria had expected it to be. But she also knew she needed to get started on herself if she wanted to fit Kagemori inside her.

    Her hand did not provide Maria with enough stimulus but it would have to do. She did not have anything to slick herself with but her body was wet. It made it easy for Maria to slip her fingers insdie and stretch her pussy.

    Kagemori was a vision, her chest red, and her breasts almost on disy. Maria wanted to touch, to y with her but there was just not enough time. Even her own body was on the verge of release and Kagemori had already tensed and released.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Once that had happened, Maria did not wait to take the stiff softening dick inside her. The magic would make sure Kagemori recover in record time while Maria just wanted to take the edge off of her.

    The dick inside her felt huge and the magic was overwhelming around her. The feeling of having the life force taken forcefully by Kagemori was not one that should have been enjoyable for Maria, but she still did enjoy it.

    Maria moved her hips experimentally and it turned out to be the right thing to do. The stimulus on Kagemroi¡¯s dick caused her to start hardening up inside Maria and then move.

    The initial thrusters were shallow and with Maria in control but that soon changed. The magic caused something primal to rise up inside Kagemori and took hold of the demoness.

    Unnatural gold eyes met Maria¡¯s own and she knew that it was the node that was in control. It was trying to establish a connection between itself and its chosen vessel. Maria felt like a doll being caught up in the middle of that struggle.

    But Kagemori did not slow down, nor did she stop her motion. She kept on pushing more and more into Maria, her body buckling with every thrust, and her back begin to hurt due to the friction.

    The whole world shook for just a second and Maria thought it had been her head. But the shaking did not stop even when Kagemori did, finally pulled out.

    Somehow, she had enough foresight not toe inside Maria and cause them additional time to waste. But it no longer mattered even if she did or did not. The transfer and conduction of magic had already taken ce.

    The node¡¯s gentle magical waves rested inside Kagemori as she reached her high. And the shaking of their surroundings stopped slowing down as well.

    However, it had nothing to do with the transfer of the node¡¯s magic since the stimulus felt external. Whatever had caused the whole ce to shake was not good news for the pair. And it was because of this that they knew they had to hurry up and snap the bond in ce securely.

    Maria tried to pick herself up but the magic made it difficult for her. And then it happened, the magical upload she had been dreading.

    They had finally run out of time but at thest possible second.

    It happened all in an instant. One second, it was all calm and serene, the pair enjoying the course of life magic buzzing through them, the next second things seemed to be blowing out of proportion. The whole building looked like it was about to melt away.

 Chapter 149 147: Good News And Bad News

    It happened all in an instant. One second, it was all calm and serene, the pair enjoying the course of life magic buzzing through them, the next second things seemed to be blowing out of proportion. The whole building looked like it was about to melt away.

    Even their surroundings could no longer hold on to their shape and the cave looked like it would cave in at any moment, burying the couple beneath the rubble. It was not an ideal situation to be in.

    "What is happening now? I can feel this ce getting agitated. My connection to the node might be new but it''s painful as well" Kagemoriined, holding her head in her hand. Her face had a pinched expression and her magic seemed to be running a little wild.

    Whatever was going on here, it had to be connected to the node. The ce itself looked alright and unharmed. Which likely meant that the problem was the key. Or more specifically, Trisha. The princess was also connected to the node familiarly and had formed a connection that could prove to be fatal if not looked after properly.

    "I think they''re going to perform a ceremony to force the node open. It''s a dangerous thing to attempt and I''m not sure if the node will be able to bear the pressure" Kagemori looked tense at the admission.

    Maria did not know what the ceremony was entitled to but it didn''t sound good to her ear. For Kagemori to sound worried, it must have a huge impact on the node itself.

    "They''ll try to sacrifice the key to force the space open for everyone. And I''m ashamed to admit that I don''t have enough strength to keep a hold on the node if they tried that" Kagemori admitted. She looked a lot paler than before, her face a mask of white.

    "Then let''s go save Trisha. You''ll get a hang of your powers on the way. I''m sure of it" there was a lot of false cheer in Maria''s voice but it was well-received. Kagemori let out a small chuckle at her words, her eyes fading to her original color.

    The chosen demoness did not say anything but her eyes betrayed everything she wanted to say. She was ready to leave this space but her emotions were not in her grasp. Even the littlest of things would set her off.

    Not that they had much of a choice in staying or leaving. Their surroundings were already dissolving at a rapid rate and it would not be long before they would be back in their original setting. The royal room was already starting toe back, as was Lady Elma''s silhouette.

    "Did you two have fun there? I can feel the power of the node in you" Lady Elma asked, her face pinched. She looked like she had run a marathon a little while ago but had yet to recover.

    "I felt like I was about to die there. A warning would be much appreciated next time" Mariained, not really meaning it. But it did help her feel better to let out her voice in such a way. It helped her feel human and ride down the high of having too much life force inside her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lady Elma justughed back at her words. Maria had no idea what she had found so amusing in those words but it did lighten the mood. It made it easier for Maria to ask the next question and expect to get a straight answer.

    "Did you locate Trisha? We felt some disturbance in the node once we were finished. Kagemori thinks it''s a ritual of some sort" Maria interfered, breaking the mood. The yfulness that had descended down the room instantly evaporated in favor of a more somber atmosphere.

    Lady Elma''s pale face finally regained some of its previous colors which indicate that the situation was not as grim as Maria had expected it to be at first. There was still hope for them to be able to do something.

    "Trisha is alive and well for now. Our sources did detail out the ceremony that is about to take ce and there is both good news and bad news" Lady Elma replied, her face straight.

    Maria gulped down her nervousness at the answer. Lady Elma had been looking at an agitated Kagemori so Maria did not know what to make of it. This could either go incredibly well or incredibly bad and there was no way to tell which alternative they would end up facing.

    "Break the suspense witch, we don''t have all day. I won''t do anything stupid" Kagemori replied, her annoyance clear in her voice. But she did seem to be in control of herself and that gave everyone some semnce of relief.

    Her voice sounded stable and Maria felt like she could trust her. And maybe this is what Lady Elma felt as well since she finally decided to drop her guard and spill all she knew about the topic.

    "The bad news is that they''ve moved the schedule of the sentence to be held in the next hour. However, our intel tells us that this will be a sham. We''ll use this opportunity to get Trisha" Lady Elma detailed.

    And thinking back at it, it did make sense for Rosewell to not kill Trisha outright if he wanted the node. The key was an important item and a necessity to reach the node. The only reason Maria and Kagemori had been able to bypass the protection for some time was because of Lady Elma.

    And even then, Maria could sense the amount of damage Lady Elma had sustained due to this action. She was not going to be a lot of help in this uing fight.

    "Alright. So we''ll attack in an hour?" Kagemori asked, her fingers flexing in a nervous pattern in front of her. Maria watched her cautiously, just in case she somehow lost her temper or the control of her powers. It was a really delicate bnce after all and one Maria was sure would be disastrous.

 Chapter 150 148: The Enemy

    "It sure is noisy. The sham should have started by now. We''ll have about an hour to rescue the princess" Kagemori''s voice carried over to the rest of the resistance troops and she pumped them up. Having gotten the blessing of the node, she was the most likely choice for the leader here.

    Even Maria had relinquished the leadership role to her, nor wanting to be a part of the chain ofmands. She did not want to shoulder the burden of having so many lives reliant on her. And then there was the fact that she was the only one who could make a difference here as well.

    "You''re not having cold feet here, are you? Lucas would be a tough opponent" Lady Elma took a step behind Maria, her voice uncharacteristically confident. Kagemori knew that this question was not due to ack of faith but due to concern.

    Lucas was not a normal being, his power something Maria had never seen before. She had not even gotten a chance to run her system''s analytics on it so she had no idea what she was dealing with. She only knew that the power won''t hurt a human.

    And yet, they could not send a human in because they get overwhelmed by the difference in technology. The humans on Imu were not magically trained, hence, theycked certain aspects of self-defense.

    "It''s time to leave. I''ll empty the way for you all" Maria assured Kagemori once she stepped down. For all her bravery, the demoness was the one most worried about this oue. She had not trained with the node''s powers so she had no idea what she was even going to do if she had to use them.

    The group around then was already starting to move and so did Maria. She was the decoy after all and also the one in charge of dragging out Lucas. He would be the most annoying person throughout the operation.

    The hallways were almost abandoned and it was pitifully easy to break into the castle. Surprisingly enough, none of the expected high-end fighters had been deployed in the way. So it should only be Lucas that should be in there.

    Maria separated from the group, her fast steps making almost no sound as they hit the ground. She was a blur, passing between the enemies and reaching the end corridor in a record time. And she did all this because she could feel the corrupted aura of unnaturalness Lucas gave out.

    That guy was here and he was ready to face her.

    "You came alone? I guess you don''t really care about your life" Lucas taunted, his eyes shing with glee. Maria could see the willingness in his eyes to fight her and she knew she had to drag this fight out in order to give her party a chance to save Trisha.

    The attack came without any warning or provocation. Maria almost didn''t even register the fast motion but she somehow managed to make it stop at thest second. It would not be reaching her today.

    However, the attack curved as it changed the trajectory. Instead of hitting her head-on, it curved slightly and managed to get Maria from behind. The heat was searing as well, getting to interrupt the flow of Maria''s magic and healing capabilities.

    [Anti-demon magic detected. Detecting source code]

    However this time Maria was prepared to take the magic head-on. She had her system take note of the magic while she tried something she had not in a long time - her human magic. She had been advised not to use it anytime outside of the emergency since it was a little destructive but Maria knew the warning meant ''death or else''.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And this pretty much felt like a death situation to her. The iing attack managed to scorch her left side but it gave Maria an opening to attack. Her human magic broke through the shield and hit Lucas dead-on, causing him to drop his concentration.

    "H-How did you manage to do that? I-It hurts. Demon magic should not be able to hit me since I''m a holy priest" the blond growled in a pained voice.

    [Anti-demonic magic scanned. Category - Holy magic]

    Well, wasn''t this great. The other turned out to be a priest, a simr designation to Maria but a few grades lower. Holy magic was special but it only hurt demons. No wonder Imu was having such a hard time dealing with this family.

    "Tough luck dealing with a half-human" Maria called out and only managed to look at the startled expression on the human''s face before her fist connected with that face.

    Luckily for Lucas, Maria didn''t use enough force to crack his skull open. She used enough force to knock him out and then decided to proceed ahead.

    She did not make it very far before she heard the now familiar voice stop her in her tracks. Her punch had, evidently, not been enough for Lucas since he picked himself up and readied himself for round two of the game. He looked pissed off but determined as well.

    "You might be a demon but you have a bit of a human in you as well. I see that someone broke the biggest taboo. As such, I pity you but it''s also time for you to rest. I''ll release your soul from its pain" the man roared before he was no longer human as well.

    Large white wings sprouted from the priest''s back, taking up half of the room and Maria knew it was bad. Her demon half was feeling the effect of that holy light but her human half seemed to be feeling rejuvenated.

    What a pain to be dealing with such an abnormal case. Maria caused inside her head as she dodged the feathers. If they hit her then she would be out for some time. Thankfully, her holy magic did provide her a fair share of protection against Lucas.

    "Dodge" Lucas yelled and Maria unconsciously followed hismand, only to change her direction at thest second and she used her magic to cancel out Lucas. And she was lucky that she did that as well since it would have been Kagemori who would have been hit otherwise.

    "What happened? Did you get Trisha?" Maria asked as she lowered herself in front of the demoness. Having Kagemori here just gave Lucas another target. And what was the demoness doing here anyway?

    "She''s, Trisha''s not here. We looked everywhere but we couldn''t find her" Kagemori replied back, her voice tense. The news hit Maria hard and her anger tipped.

    And Lucas, who was still floating in the air, let out a loud and amusedugh at their expense.

 Chapter 151 149: Your Princess Is In Another Castle

    As soon as Maria had separated from the group, Kagemori knew they were on a timer. It would not take long for the enemy to realize that they had a breach in security ande after the others in her team. It would be for the best if Kagemori headed deeper alone.

    "Look here. I''ll take the deeper parts myself" Kagemori yelled the orders, believing that they would be followed even without her presence. There was ack of personas around her and it was easy to infiltrate.

    Things were going as they had expected them to but Kagemori could not curb the feeling of ''wrong'' and ''trap'' her mind was yelling at her. The node was still fearless, the magic dormant but willing tosh out at hermand. Kagemori had to dedicate a good amount of her focus to keep herself under control.

    Knocking out the guards wasughably easy. Most of them had no magic of their own and weapons reflected off of Kagemori''s skin. The tough part was to knock the humans out without damaging them in the process. Any harm being done here.

    "Intruder alert" a guard gained consciousness and yelled at hismunicator. Kagemori chose not to go after him, trusting that her people would be able to take care of themselves. She proceeded toward her goal - the room where Trisha should have been held.

    The door came down with a bang, the empty room greeting her as she entered. Kagemori tensed, her senses sharp as she tried to find any hint of Trisha''s whereabouts. The girl should have been here but Kagemori couldn''t even sense her.

    "We got yed. Darn, that old man" Kagemori eximed as she scanned the ce with her magic. Even if the old man could have hidden Trisha, he would not have been able to hide the presence of the key from the node. And since Kagemori could not sense the key, there was only one oue left to imagine.

    Trisha had never been in the castle at all and they had been led on a goose chase this whole time. And now what? Kagemori couldn''t think of any other ce Trisha could be at.

    So she decided to be a sensible demoness and find the best person who could help her find Trisha. If there was anyone who could see her now, it would be the oracle.

    The node could sense the Oracle''s powers shining brightly and Kagemori followed them to the ce where she could feel two simr auras sh. The brush of those powers against her magic burned but Kagemori kept on going ahead. She was almost there.

    "Dodge" for a split second, Kagemori thought themand was for her. But then she saw Maria move out of the attack''s way. The power contained in the attack hurled at her was massive and Kagemori knew she would not be able to get out of this attack unharmed.

    So she braced herself, node''s magic covering her as she readied a counterspell.

    But it was not needed as Maria swooped in before the attack could hit her and stopped the burning light. Simr magic shed and Kagemori felt the start of a headache form behind her eyes.

    "What happened? Did you get Trisha?" Maria asked as she lowered herself in front of the demoness. The other female had her body ced in such a way that she acted as a barrier between Kagemroi and their enemy.

    "She''s, Trisha''s not here. We looked everywhere but we couldn''t find her" Kagemori replied back, her voice tense. She could see the frustration and helplessness Maria felt as the news hit her but there was nothing to be done about it now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They would have to find out where Trisha was the old-fashioned way or wait for Maria to have a vision about it. Both options were not optimal but the only ones they had.

    "So you finally found out. The princess was never here in the first ce since father expected you all to try this. Now, why don''t you all die here and save us a lot of pain?" Lucas asked as he lowered his body as well.

    The huge wings behind him moved to attack but Maria countered their light. The attack seemed to be damaging Maria as well, her eyes shut in pain and Kagemori cursed their luck.

    Just what was with this man and his power? Was there nothing to be done from their side? And even if they did, could they afford to waste time here when Trisha was in such a dangerous situation?

    "Kagemori, can you give me a minute? I can try and find out where Trisha is being held" Maria whispered in her ear, her eyes darting over to the enemy who looked a little too smug.

    Kagemori was barely able to cloak herself in time before the light made an impact with her node magic. It did not break the shield but Kagemori did feel the aftereffect of the sh.

    But that also assured her that she could hold the winged-man back. She could give Maria the time she needed to do whatever she needed to.

    "Alright. I''ll hold him off for now. But what are you nning to do? A new power? Unlocking a new weapon?" Kagemori asked, her voice excited.

    She didn''t even need to parry the next attack as Maria fully blocked that one. Her eyes had a determined glint and Kagemorii was sure something reckless was going to happen in front of her.

    "I''ll do what I''ve never done before. I''ll face myself to see a vision. The vision will tell us where Trisha is" Maria sounded convinced and Kagemori decided to take her up on her words.

    She had never heard of anyone being able to force a vision before but Kagemori would also admit that she knew almost nothing about the oracle or how her powers worked. If Maria believed that she could do it, then Kagemori would help her out.

    "Alright. I''ll try to hold him back while you work your magic. But be fast because Trisha cannot wait" Kagemori called back as she took a protective stance in front of Maria.

    She redied her magic, calling forth as much as her body could handle. The node amplified her magic, echoing her prayer and providing her with the means to be able to use her magic. The intensity burned at her surroundings and she could see even the winged man take a step back.

    The node was amazing but Maria knew she would not be able to keep it up for long. But she''ll drag it out for as long as she has to. For Trisha and for Imu.

 Chapter 152 150: Holy Fight

    Getting her magic to cooperate was like boiling the ocean. Her magic and her mind were the ocean having a constant shift in phases. It made pinpointing a single incident very difficult for her. Not only was there no indication, but Maria did not have a guide as well.

    This all was made even more difficult by the fact that they had a time limit and keeping her mind empty was a near-impossible task for Maria to be able to aplish. Every time she tried, her mind shed back to the current situation they were in. The sh of magic around her made it impossible to even concentrate.

    "Any progress so far?" Kagemori asked as she shielded yet another attack. Her face had sweat running down at all sides and Maria could see the fatigue lining up her brows. She was reaching the end of her endurance.

    No matter how much magic one had, there was a limit to how much they could use safely. Physical power was just as important as mental and magical power for a demonic candidate. And Kagemroi did not have it all. They had made her a candidate because there had been no other choice for them.

    "I am making progress. How long can you hold the attack off for?" Maria asked, her voice small. The magic inside her was in disharmony, fighting against itself to not let her see. It had to be some kind of protective measure to not allow the Oracle to do as they wish to.

    [Warning. Forbidden territory. Users are warned not to force a vision toe. Breaching the terms can have dire consequences for the user]

    Maria gritted her teeth as she forced herself to ignore the warning and force her way through her magic. She could feel the force repelling her out of the ocean of magic and mana around her.

    "Sorry" Maria heard before she felt her body being tossed around. The shock caused her to lose her concentration and lose the connection she had with her magic. It stung but it also might have just saved her life.

    Lucas lurked inches away from her face, his feather logged in the ce where Maria had just been as she felt herself react. Her chains rose up from beneath Lucas''s body, causing the winged man to dodge out of the way.

    Maria was totally out of her zone now, her concentration broken. She was not even sure if it was worth it to try and force herself back into the zone for another try.

    "Trying something new? Too bad I can''t allow it" Lucas attacked the pair again but this time it was easy to parry. Maria could still feel the pull of magic in her core that gave her an incredible amount of life force. All Maria had to do was to pull from the pool.

    But it would have consequencester. Her body was not made for carrying so much life force and she also did not have protection from the after-effects. Maria might as well make the best of it while she still could move.

    "Kagemori, I don''t think I have enough time to look for Trisha. We need to settle things and get the location out of Lucas somehow" Mariained, knowing her own limits. She was sure that she would be able to force her vision one day, but it was not today.

    Maria needed more practice and more training before even attempting to push herself into that sea again. And Kagemori must have understood that as well because she did notin or even say a word of the curse. She just took her ce in front of Maria in a defensive position.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I see. If that''s the case, then I can''t allow you to die here. You have a mission to fulfill, right?" Kagemori asked in a neutral tone. She did not sound either encouraging or discouraging. She spoke it like she was speaking a fact and that was how Maria knew that Kagemroi believed in her.

    "Yup. We cannot fall here" and Maria did mean it. Lucas might have a significant edge above them but he was not invincible. His wings already showed signs of wear and tear. He was not going tost long as well.

    In the end, Lucas was human as well and even his body had a limit. Continuously using magic could be taxing for a trained body, never mind a human one that looked like it had not seen any hardships.

    Maria readied her chains, positioning her to use them as soon as Lucas stepped ahead. Her chains were not demonic of origin and had an essence of holding magic in them. Lucas won''t be able to stop them and that would be their hidden card.

    Kagemori was the bait and the lure to get Lucas in position while Maria was to be the executioner. They had not discussed this strategy beforehand but they both could tell what the other was thinking. Maybe it was because they had shared the node''s energy or maybe it was just how in-tune they were with each other.

    Lucas was arrogant, too drunk on his own power to see the trap he was hearing for. This was going to be his downfall. Maria could almost see it, the way he would move and the way he would be captured.

    She moved her magic around Kagemori, assisting the other in getting Lucas to the right spot. The winges man was none the wiser, following after the demoness with a cheerful vigor.

    Maria readied her chains, her muscles tense and she pulled them up just as Kagemori passed through her magical. Her chains sprang forward, rising up to capture her target and she saw Lucas''s eyes widen.

    And then she watched as he dodged her attacks. It happened in a distorted way, her eyes forced to shut at the light, and Maria barely made out what was happening. Had she been toote? Too early? Had Lucas caught on to what they had been nning?

    It was too difficult to tell and Maria reflexively pushed her chains in a trajectory that would not have allowed Lucas to get out, even if he did pull the same move again.

    She heard a yelp and then a curse as she opened her eyes. But instead of having escaped, there Lucas was, in the bundle of her chains. He had been captured and did not loo happy about it. Even Kagemori looked spooked so Maria was sure that something must have changed during their execution.

    "I would appreciate a warning before you pull something like that" Kagemori warned and Maria just looked on in shock.

 Chapter 153 151: Questions

    "I would appreciate a warning before you pull something like that" Kagemori warned and Maria just looked on in shock. She had not even been aware that she did something like that. How could she give a warning beforehand? It hade just as much as a shock to her as it had to anyone else present there.

    Even Lucas looked pissed off and surprised at having been captured in the chains. His attempts at getting free were futile since his human magic was wasted on the chains. Maria could only watch the man struggle to get back up but her chains were not letting him up.

    Maria knew how vicious her chains could be and she had no intention of going against their wishes. At least now since they were helping them.

    "W-What kind of creature is this? Its life force is so potent" Lucas asked, fear shining in his eyes. He genuinely did believe that the chains had a life force of their own and Maria did not want to be the one to break his delusion about those chains. She had enough patience to sit back and watch the man struggle.

    However, Kagemori did not have the same patience as Maria. The other girl was almost feral with the need to have her questions answered and Maria instantly felt bad for Lucas. He was going to have to face a half-feral demon who had the reasons to hate him.

    "Where did you take Trisha? Where is the princess?" Kagemori had not wasted any time in asserting her dominance. She had Lucas''s head in her grasp, tilting it ufortably and Maria genuinely feared that it would snap in two.

    She did not want to see the man die such a death, even if he deserved it. But even more so, she did not want to have his death on her hand. If he died then there was a chance that peace might nevere for the people of Imu. He was a public figure and one people respected to a degree.

    "Kagemori, don''t kill him. It would be in your best interest to aid us Lucas'''' the man looked at the two in front of him like they were the scums on the. However, he did not resist the magic binding him any longer.

    It was human magic that was binding Lucas and he had nothing to oppose it at a personal level. He was an understanding and intelligent person if only a little misguided. Maria did not fault him for it since it has been his upbringing.

    "I don''t know how you demons got your hands on the holy magic but you''re toote. Your friend, the princess has been taken to the execution ground which would act as an altar for the ritual. Father is hellbent on the task of eradicating the demons from Imu" the man finally spoke.

    He had been so quiet this whole time that Maria was beginning to think that he was not even conscious. But of course, the man proved her wrong as he spoke. He had a profound air around him but his words did sound taunting to Maria in a way.

    "Maria, we need to go now. If Trisha''s at the altar then we''ve wasted enough time already" Kagemori called back before she dashed out. She did not even stop to think back on them being betrayed or yed by Lucas.

    Maria did not stop her, letting Kagemori take a chance. Her instincts told her that Lucas was telling the truth so Maria chose to believe him. But she also wanted to have a talk with him about hisst action.

    There had been no reason for Lucas to help them out after his defeat but he still did. Maria just didn''t understand what was going on inside this man''s head. What did he want with them now?

    "What''s wrong? You don''t believe my words?" Lucas asked as Maria allowed him enough room to sit down. He sounded genuinely curious and Maria decided to humor him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I believe you when you say that Trisha is at the altar. But I don''t get you at all. You had no reason to tell us her location and yet you still did. You were our enemy one second and our alley the very next. Just what do you want from us?" Maria asked as she watched the man try to move.

    Her chains flexed themselves around the man, cutting off any chances of movement he could have made.

    "I should be the one asking you that. With these chains, they feel like they have a will of their own which should not be possible. And you, you''re not a demon but you''re not fully human as well. And I feel like I''ve seen you before. Like, way, way before today" Lucasined.

    Not that his voice sounded like it wasining, but Maria could tell from his facial expression what he was thinking about. And that very much did give him away. And it must have been confusing for him.

    "I don''t know about my weapon but I''m a half-ling. Father was a demon, mother a human" Maria was not even sure why she chose to reveal that information in front of Lucas. And even Lucas looked taken aback that Maria had revealed something like that.

    "Oi, are you sure you should be telling me this? Isn''t that a secret you should really keep?" Lucas asked, shocked to the core. Maria did not care much for him now.

    But it did confirm to her that her being a half-ling was a big deal. She would have to be careful to keep this secret.

    "It doesn''t matter. I already ran away from Gerna because I didn''t want to be a puppet anyway. One more won''t matter to me" Maria exined as she secured her chains around Lucas for thest time. He would not be going anywhere till this mess waspleted.

    She even made sure to put a timer on the chains in case she forgot to unlock them for a few days.

    "Gerna? You! The Oracle is a half-ling? You are the oracle, right? Hey, don''t leave me hanging" the man yelled but Maria left him without an answer. She had other things to do than to quench a single human''s curiosity.

    [User is advised to rest. The massive strain detected in user''s body]

    The system was loud and Maria''s body was heavy. It was difficult to move but Maria powered ahead anyway. She would copse once she was sure Imu would not end. Until then she needed to keep. On dragging her body and making sure she doesn''t copse.

    She had failed one princess, she did not want to fail another one.

 Chapter 154 152: Race To The Finish

    The crowd went wild as soon as the captive princess was led to the tform. There were cheers of happiness, regret and even anger. No one gathered here could say for sure that they knew what the significance of this death was, and they would likely not even know till it was toote.

    For ordinary people, life had changed as soon as their kind had died. The promised retribution, the oppression, it had all but been lifted from their shoulders. Or so they felt, having seen the differences. But many questioned this new change as well.

    The royal family was beloved but they had reached their end. It was just time for the change. But not everyone was willing to ept this change in the same way. Many of them still held doubt in their mind.

    "Today humanity will be free. The royal family had given shelter to demons. Demons who took away our brothers and sisters from us and wore their skin like clothes to protect themselves. Today we get retribution" the crowd went wild even as the princess struggled.

    Most of the older citizens had faced the challenge of seeing their loved ones being turned into strangers. As such there was a wave of lingering anger in most of the society. This anger had helped Rosewell before and now he looked forward to employing it again.

    "Coward" Trisha muttered, getting a shove by the guard. Her words had not been appreciated and now she paid the price.

    "But isn''t the princess human? Would it even be right to do this?" A human questioned and whispers broke out. The people in favour of saving the princess spoke up all of a sudden.

    It was tiny oppression that could be seening from miles away. Rosewell did not mind such distractions since they helped him set the stage up for what was about toe next. It was all going ordingly to how he had wanted it to go.

    "It''s a precaution. You don''t wait for an infection to grow before you cure it. Rather, you cut it off at the start. This is just what we are doing here" the man boasts, his voice confident. He had confidence in his words and his actions. He knew he was right in his ways.

    And even if he was not, who was going to question him and risk the wrath of the gods. Everyone knew President Rosewell had been blessed by the holy powers which he had passed onto his son. They did not need to know that it was something hereditary. That lessened the impact of his words overall.

    "You''re right", "I feel bad for the princess but it''s for our good"

    Slowly but surely, the voices in favour spoke up and got louder. They started to dwarf the opposition''s voice till they could no longer be heard over the victorious cheer of his name. He took in the defeated look of the princess and knew that he had won this round.

    She could say nothing as she watched her people condemn her to death. These people were the ones whom she had abandoned and they had abandoned her in return.

    "Ready to open the gate? Not that you have a choice" Rosewell knew well enough the significance of the key to the node. His good wishers from Albest had been through when they had detailed out what the significance of the key was.

    As such, he was really excited to see the Key''s magic in action. His hand twitched to get to use the key and now the activation was in his grasp. Finally, he could make do with his wish and gain infinite power.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I-It won''t do anything for you. I would love to see your face once you realise that the node''s power can only be granted to a demon" The princess taunted as if it would change things.

    They were not going to change anything. The node''s power was demonic but Rosewell had his ways to be able to channelling that energy. He just needed a demon who would be under his control and follow him without question.

    And luckily for him, his good wishes had given him just that. A chimaera form Albest a perfect solution - obedient enough to where he would not have to worry and politically inclined to not be harmed even if people prostrated. It was the perfect solution to his problem.

    "Don''t worry your little head about it. Just worry about keeping your expression straight. We won''t want people to worry about you now and find out the truth" Rosewell was not a bad man, he was just ambitious. As such, he did things in his own way.

    The magic circle activated and started to power right off of the princess. The area of effect was big enough to eclipse the whole Royal garden. However, the magic circle had been modified in such a way that it would only affect the demons, leaving humans behind without even a single scratch.

    "Then, let''s get you settled in. I don''t think anyone is going to protest against your death now" Rosewell asked, his voice certain. The people down in the gardens seemed to have understood that their presence meant nothing. All the protests had stopped and now it was time.

    "My people, fear not. The princess and her family have sinned but no more. She would give her life here and now purge this world of the evil and demons" the magic circle shined a bright red and then is activated.

    There was nothing anyone could do to stop it and people started to drop down on the ground as the light spread wider and wider. The demons hidden among humans were starting to be revealed and fall to the ground.

    Soon their energy would be consumed by the circle and force the node open. He had known that there were demons hidden among the humans but he had never really done anything about it. It had all been for this very moment when they would be the foundation for the better Imu.

    But for that to happen, the old order needed to be first abolished and then re-established into the right image of the holy text.

    "Trisha. Hang in there. I''ming" people and demons were falling all over, the chaos unimaginable. And yet the voice-only had one target - the princess.

    The elder watched as a very familiar female ran through the crowd, her body brimming with power and he felt fooled. Of course, she hade. He could not have expected his foolish son to do even one thing right.

    "Capture her. Don''t let the demon through" the guards would buy him time.

 Chapter 155 153: As It Happens

    Maria waste to the execution and it was her own fault. The scene she saw looked right out of her nightmare but Maria powered through it. The time for reflection and remembrance woulde, but not right now. It was not time yet for her to act on her feelings.

    It was time to be tactical and make sure she took down the dictator as soon as possible. The spell he had cast was already powering up but it felt wrong to the female. It was pulsing with an unknown energy and was not even discriminating between humans and demons.

    Maria knew there had to be something wrong with this spell. The way it was behaving was not natural. While Maria was not an expert in magic theory, she could tell that the original spell had been tampered with. She carefully navigated the spell, making sure to not step on any of the triggers as she ventured deeper into the magic circle.

    The main culprit was in the center of the ring, his hand holding Trisha tightly while Kagemori seemed to be doing it out with someone remarkably different. That magic in the few felt strangely familiar and artificial as well.

    [The user is alerted that a chimera is in the vicinity. The user is asked to be careful]

    Maria almost groaned at the news. Of course, it was a chimera again. Why had Maria thought that she would not see this creature again? Her luck was not that good. She knew from experience that a chimera was strong and not to be taken lightly. She had almost been done in by one not so long ago.

    But Kagemori was holding on her own with one in front of her and it gave Maria hope that things would be handled. She just needed to get Trisha and the magical circle would be done.

    But saying that and doing that were two entirely different things. Even with the element of surprise on her side, Maria found it remarkably difficult to approach the pair without giving her position away.

    Then there was also the fact that the circle was zapping her of her powers as well. It was highly corrosive and had made Maria lose her train of thoughts more than once. She had to actively shield against it or be threatened to be swept away in the flow of the things.

    "Shhh. Let me help out. I''ll draw away his attention and his fire. You focus on getting Trisha out of his grasp" Maria heard Lady Elma''s words in her ears. But when she turned around, there was no one there.

    Either Lady Elma had been too quick for Maroa to see or she had used her magic tomunicate her message. Both conditions were usible and neither mattered to Maria. As long as she could get an opening, things were bound to turn around.

    "Cease your foolishness Rosewell. Forcing the node open would be ying right into Albest''s hands. Have you not wondered why they are helping you? You''re not naive enough to think it''s because you both share the same idea, right?" Lady Elma stepped ahead, her eyes hard.

    Every eye in the arena turned to her, willing to listen to what she had to say. Even Maria felt her eyes drawn to the raw power she emitted and she had to admit that Lady Elma was the real deal.

    "Of course, it''s the keeper herself. Tell me, why are you interfering now when things have already gone south? You''re not naive enough to think that it would make things alright" Rosewell barked, his tone harsh.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The disrespect he held for thedy shined through his eyes and bled into his words. He was not a happy camper and Maria inches closer to him as he raged.

    "Don''t think that I''m the same as that fool of the king. He had an opportunity to get rid of the demons but he chickened out at thest second. And for what? A demon that looked like his own daughter? What a pathetic man" Maria took in a sharp breath as she heard that curse.

    The man really was ruthless, willing to drag the dead into his schemes as well. Had Maria not been ready to hold herself back, she might have done something bad to stop the nder.

    But she had control over herself and it allowed Maria to be able to keep herself hidden. Meanwhile, the other two verbally duked it out and even Kagemori kept the chimera at bay.

    This was the chance Maria had been looking for all this time. The time to leap across and smash her fist into Rosewell''s smug face was finally here. He was distracted and would make for an easy target.

    Ana Maria could even see how he would react to a scare if she were to carry out her n. The way he would dodge out of the way, the position Trisha would be released in. Maria almost felt like she was living the moment before she snapped out of it.

    But she had full confidence in her ability and with the way her ability was aiding her, Maria knew she would be sessful. The man never saw hering and Maria knew she had taken him by surprise. He released Trisha and positioned himself in a way to save his face.

    But he was not Maria''s target. She quickly changed ways mid-charge and caught Trisha. The unconscious girl was still pulsing with magic. She was so far gone that even removing her from the circle was not going to have any effect on the casted magic.

    Well, there went their n 1. It was of no use any longer and that meant they would have to think of something else in the meantime.

    However, Maria had a risky n 2 she had not run by anyone. It was either ingenious or utter failure and she would not know what it was till she tried it out.

    "Whatever you are nning won''t work. She''s too deeply connected to have the magic leave her now" Rosewell called as he saw Maria fish Trisha out of the circle. He looked quite smug for someone who had just lost their hostage and Maria gritted her teeth to stop herself from reacting back.

    Let him say what he wanted to for now. Maria would be satisfied to have thestugh. But she couldn''t help but snap back onest time.

    "That''s what you think" and Maria snapped her most powerful chain on Trisha''s arm, stopping all the flow of magic inside the circle. The man finally looked enraged, his eyes shing red as he watched the ones before him.

 Chapter 156 154: It Did Not Change

    Everyone held their breath as if nothing happened for a few seconds. However, Maria was not worried in the least. She could feel the served magic falling around her like small pieces of a puzzle and she instantly yanked the source open.

    And then all of a sudden, the whole ce was filled with light. High intensity, burning light that caused everyone to divert their eyes away from the source. The magic circle had lost its form and was breaking apart piece by piece now. Trisha seemed to be gaining color back as well, her magic flowing the way she wanted it to and Maria was sure to say that she had done it.

    She had forced the process to stop and as a result, saved Imu from copsing.

    "Maria, how''s the princess?" Kagemori asked from her position far away. She held the chimera at bay but her attention was focused on Maria and her charge. She seemed to be having trouble getting away from her attacker but Maria was sure it was intentional.

    "Alive and well. Her magic would make sure she survives this" Maria could already see the signs of improvement in Trisha''splexion. Not only was the color returning to her face but she also looked healthier overall.

    Kagemori finally pushed the chimera away and lept toward Maria''s location. No one was in their right mind to stop her either and it suddenly drew on Maria that the future had sessfully been changed. Despite her system''s warning, Maria had pulled this trick off.

    "Y-You''re all fools. What did you do?" President Rosewell was the only one who had enough presence of mind to actually be able to speak. His pale face looked pale as he tried to speak.

    But his energy looked zapped and Maria had a sneaking suspicion that he had been connected to the magic circle as well. The bacsh of breaking it prematurely must be getting to him as well.

    "Haven''t you caused enough damage already? Look behind you, you caused this. Not only demons, but you''re killing humans as well with your greed. Is your ambition alone enough to make it right?" Lady Elma asked as she stepped ahead from the rubble.

    She had been silent this whole time, willing to not get engaged and Maria did understand her reasoning. They did a neutral party in case things went south and somehow the me was put on their shoulders. The only one in such a position was Lady Elma currently.

    "Ambition? There is no ambition but only inevitable. Imu is dying due to the demon''s leaching ways. You should know that better than anyone else" huh, that was new. Maria had no idea how such a conclusion had been reached but she did not approve of it.

    Imu dying should have nothing to do with demons or such things but with magic. Not that Maria could feel anything bad within the magic of this ce.

    "Demons? Don''t project one demon''s mistake onto the whole race. And it was the humans that chose to discard the body in the node" Lady Elma replied in a cutting voice. The topic seemed to have hit a nerve in her.

    Honestly, Maria just wanted to go back to bed and sleep this whole nightmare away. She no longer cared about Imu or the node since they were stable now. And Imu even had a demonic candidate now which was alright.

    She never did seal this node and now she won''t be able to till Kagemori died somehow.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s toote anyway. That body had all but dissolved and Imu had absorbed its magic. No matter what you do, you cannot save your holy magic. There would be no more saints born on Imu" Lady Elma exined and it all flew over Maria''s head.

    And by that she meant, she knew what was being talked about but she had no context of the information being offered.

    "The bnce of power on Imu would tilt. It''s no longer a safe spot for humans. I tried so hard to prevent it and now the only people who could keep this bnce will be eradicated" the man, Rosewell, sounded so tired and angry. He sounded as if his whole world was copsing.

    Not that it mattered to him when he caused the royal family''s world to copse. He even caused unneeded death and destruction in his wake.

    "So, does anyone have any idea what is going on here? I feel like their conversation flew over my head" Kagemori asked as she propelled Trisha into a sitting position. The princess was finally starting to regain consciousness and Maria stroked her back to help her.

    As curious as Maria was about knowing all this, she also wanted to rest. Her body was starting to feel the fatigue the adrenaline rush caused her to miss. Her joints were protesting as well and there were people down in the za that needed her help.

    There was just too much to be done right now.

    "I guess it was unfair of us to thrust you all into this situation without knowing anything and I apologize for that. The simple truth of the matter is - Imu is dying slowly but surely. It had been ever since the previous war when the previous demon lord plunged and killed the previous candidate of Imu. He was poison, an abnormality, and people could not deal with his dead body. So they dumped it into the node to contain it. In the end, the dead body ended up corrupting the node itself" the node was corrupted?

    Maria had not felt anything when she had been there and neither had Kagemori by the looks of her expression. Trisha just looked confused, having missed most of the information revealed that had happened.

    "So, what will happen now? Rosewell started all this to get the node''s power, right? But I already took it in that sense. What will happen next?" Kagemori asked. Rosewell looked startled at the exmation but not angry. He looked as if he had somehow expected this answer.

    "Nothing will happen. The previous body had disappeared and the poison had already seeped deep into Imu. All we can now do is live with it. It''s not like we have the means to clean this poison anyway" Lady Elma eximed but Maria was not sure.

    She felt like there was still a chance for this ce and the node to live out its life. Besides, her system has not issued this notice before.

    ''System, has the future changed for Imu?'' Maria asked, not sure if she would be answered or not.

    [The future has not changed. The host is advised to not try and change the future anymore as well]

 Chapter 157 155: A Stranger Pays A Visit

    "You look like you need rest. Go, I''ll finish it all up in your ce" Neah felt her body copse at those words, appreciating the gesture more than she could tell. But her mind chased her for that. She hated how weak she got in these times.

    Neah might have taken Howl in a fit of jealousy and rage but she knew she had gotten lucky with her selection. The female was something else with her work ethic and dedication. Neah appreciated it, even if she hated everything else about Howl''s situation.

    "Don''t get cocky with me. You''re still a prisoner here and your family is still being kept as a hostage" Neah reminded the other, her voice no longer sharp and biting. Even Howl didn''t think of it as a threat since she showed no signs of cowering before Neah.

    They had fallen into a quick dynamic people had dubbed ''the CEO and the secretory'' and Neah had to admit that it fit. Howl was more than picking up for her ck in the past few days. She did work Neah had no energy left for and she would have seriously considered proposing to Howl had it not been for Maria.

    ? "Anyway, how''s the search going? Any progress?" Howl asked as she took half of the paperwork Neah had. She had gotten used to doing them and knew what was contained in these reports by heart. Neah didn''t even need to brief her anymore.

    "Alester is looking for Trish but he won''t tell us even if he found him. The Albest council was informed about their ambassador here but they im to not have sent anyone. And the killer is still out on the loose, causing us to lose vessels. He''s even resorted to killing normal people" the princess moaned as she rested her head on the table.

    The bad news just kept oning one after the other. She had not had the time tob through her court for traitors yet and it wasn''t looking like she would have time to do so either. There was just too much happening at the same time.

    "I was asking about someone else but I can see that your mind is not at a proper ce right now. Go and take a rest. I''ll handle things here" Neah wanted to protest but her eyes decided for her. They dropped, again and again, causing Neah to rub them in irritation.

    So much for putting her all in there and getting these papers done on time. She would have to get back to them tomorrow when Howl would no longer be there. Then she would be able to get started on the cases she was behind and finally have time to look over Maria''s case.

    God, she missed Maria a lot.

    "Fine. You win tonight" Neah relented her hold on her papers, making sure to lock the important ones in her desk drawer. It was magically resistant and would not open for anyone, not her. It was a secure location for her to keep secret stuff.

    Howl didn''t say anything as Neah did this, her eyes dropping at every other blink. It was difficult to keep them open for a long time now that her body had gotten the signal for ''rest time''.

    She quickly left the room before the urge to work more took over her mind. She knew that if she stayed there, then she would just be a hindrance to everyone.

    ''I guess it''s time to sleep'' Neah picked herself up as she left the room. It was toote to go back into the room anyway. Howl had already taken charge of the paperwork and any amount of force would not make her change her mind.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Neah moved silently through the halls, her head held high even as her alertness dropped by the second. She was following her well-trained instincts to find her room when she felt the barely-there thread of magic. It caused Neah to instantly stop and her mind lost its sleepiness.

    There was someone familiar and powerful in these halls who was not afraid to show her powers. Neah felt her body respond to the threat by forcing her powers to collide inside her arms.

    She peeked around the surface, only to take in a sharp breath to see Lady Karin standing in front of old man Asura. Neha would have tried to save the old man, had she not known how powerful he already was. This meeting also looked peaceful since the two people in front of her did not show any aggression.

    Instead, they seemed to be deep in conversation and Neah sprained her ears to be able to hear them more urately. Whatever they were discussing was bound to be fascinating.

    "-is near. Are you sure you don''t want to join us? There is a way to revive him as well. If this experiment is sessful then we''ll have so much power" Ashura boasted. He sounded certain of his victory and Neah paused.

    She was sure the old minister was talking about his secret pet project she was not allowed to peek in. This conversation made her even more curious about what it could be.

    "It''s a fool''s dream. My love is dead and he shall remain so. Don''t go and dirty ''his'' name if you want to do your experiments. And also stay away from my territory or else I won''t be lenient anymore" Lady Karin did not sound threatening but you could not mistake the growl in her voice.

    She was subtle in her threat and Maria had a newfound respect for the redheaddy. Unlike the court, she did not need a loud or powerful presence to be heard. She was the powerful presence herself.

    "Ah, did our little experiment get too close to your territory? I''m sorry that we did not notice. We''ll be sure to keep it under ourmand next time" Ashura dismissed, his voice trying to sound sorry.

    Neah felt the brief sh of magic as the two elders stared at each other. Her instincts told Neah that things might getplicated if blows were exchanged here.

    Thankfully, things did note down to blows. They both calmed down as they stared at each other. It felt like conversations happened as those eyes met each other.

    "Just stay clear of me and don''t mess with the node. The oracle is already out of your grasp anyway. Thest I knew, the node threw them towards Imu. Who knows where she ended up?" Lady Karin''s parting words haunted Neah.

    Maria was where and what did she do? Also, why Imu? Last Neah heard it was an unstable continent on the verge of a civil war.

 Chapter 158 156: Unofficial Claim

    Neah was not sure when she started moving after Lady Karin, but she felt her feet move and air pass through her hair as she hurried away after the redhead. Master Ashura had already closed his door, content to no longer be a part of this fiasco.

    And it was not like he had not sensed Neah when she had decided to chase Lady Karin. He was much more powerful than he let on and chances were that he had known that Neah had been there for quite some time now.

    ¡°Are you going to speak up any time soon? Or, would you like to chase me all over the town?¡± Lady Karin asked, finally fed up with her shadow. She looked like she was not in a good mood and Neah paused.

    She realized that she had to be careful with her next words or things might not turn out to be in her favor. She was alreadycking in a way to start this conversation. But she had to say something before she lost any more ground.

    ¡°Y-You said that Maria is no longer in Gerna. How do you know this?¡± Neah panted, out of breath from the short exercise. This much exertion should not have been anything had she gotten proper rest. But the stress of thest few days coupled with the tense atmosphere had gotten to Neah.

    And Lady Karin seemed to get that as well because she did notment on the princess¡¯s less-than-perfect appearance. Instead, she focused on the determined expression Neah held.

    ¡°How I know this is not what you are concerned about. Tell me, are you worried about the oracle, or the implications of what it means for you as the possible candidate?¡± Lady Karin asked, surprising Neah.

    What did those words even mean? As far as Neah was concerned, Maria had nothing to do with the node or her candidacy.

    ¡°I am not sure what you mean. What does the oracle have to do with anything? And also, I won¡¯t need Gerna¡¯s node anymore since we have a contract with Jamaica¡± Neah replied back.

    Her words caused the redhead¡¯s eyes to narrow. But if she thought something else about Neah¡¯s words, she did not share. Instead, she had a thoughtful look on her face as she regarded Neah carefully.

    ¡°I see. So the old man did not trust you enough to tell you everything and yet he is setting you up as a candidate. I would advise you not to trust Ashura and you should also know what is going on with the oracle now¡± Neah felt confused but also angry.

    She already knew that Ashura had been hiding things from her. It was not difficult to figure out when some topics were suppressed as soon as Neah entered a room. But it was not like the elder made a secret of it.

    He made sure Neah knew that some topics were forbidden and it was better to stay away from them. Neah had no desire to open up about those topics either.

    Or she had not had before Lady Karin¡¯s words. She had half a mind to back out and not listen to Lady Karin¡¯s words but she felt her curiosity win over her desire to not hear.

    And she did. Lady Karin detailed as much as she could, telling Neah about the role of the oracle and what had happened in thest war. And the more Neah heard, the more her eyes widened.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Are you sure there is no other way? Can¡¯t I take her ce?¡± Neah asked once Lady Karin was finally finished with her story. Neah felt horror take hold of her once she knew what the future had in ce for them all.

    The nodes, should not be touched outside of the war. And even then, their power was just too much. These things should not be allowed to even exist in the first ce since they were bombs just waiting to go off.

    ¡°If we had another way, then we would have likely tried it out by now. Letting the oracle seal them is the only way to make sure we all remain safe till the next time. Maria might be young but I believe she has what it takes¡± Lady Karin replied in a neutral voice.

    Neah could tell that the elder cared about Maria and it made her feel d. Maria had some decent support behind her and it would keep her safe in the future.

    ¡°I know Maria can take it. She¡¯s strong but I am still worried. I can¡¯t help it either and I can¡¯t help her out as well. This sucks¡± Neah replied, her head held in her hand. She wanted to help the oracle so much but her hands were bound.

    ¡°I know. Love makes us do crazy things but we should not let it rule us¡± the redhead called as she walked away. Neah had no energy to go after her.

    Not if she had any intention of attending the diplomatic meetings in the next few days. The representatives of Albest wereing and it would be a brutal fight for resources. Neah needed to be at her best if she wanted to keep them at bay.

    ¡°Oh, and girl. I ept your offer of protection. I won¡¯t join you officially but you¡¯ll have an unofficial ally in me as long as you are on the oracle¡¯s side. You have some good people at your side¡± thedy called out and Neah lifted her head.

    She only saw the waving hand and the leaving body before she felt relief flood her body. She felt someone else step behind her, a handing to touch her head.

    ¡°There she goes. She¡¯s still as strong-willed as ever but she¡¯ll be good for you¡± Alester¡¯s voice teased Neah and she tensed. Her body moved around on its own to fend the man off of her.

    But the teen was much more flexible and managed to get out of her hold in time. He was even smirking, an amused glint in his eyes as he watched Neah try and keep herself in check.

    ¡°What? Why so angry at me? And to think that I even brought you information about the ¡®killer¡¯ that had been going on a rampage in the lower areas¡± the man taunted and Neah stopped all of a sudden.

    ¡°You have? Then give it to me¡± Neah demanded, her hand outstretched. The teen gave her a smile before handing the paper to her.

    The paper felt like lead in her hand and Neah cursed her luck. All she had wanted to do was to sleep but things just kept on getting more and moreplicated for her.

 Chapter 159 157: Imbalance

    ''System, has the future changed for Imu?'' Maria asked, not sure if she would be answered or not.

    [The future has not changed. The host is advised to not try and change the future anymore as well]

    The wordings were clear and undisputed. They shined right in front of Maria¡¯s eyes without any fault but Maria was sure it could not be right. How had the future not changed even when everything else had changed about it?

    They had managed to get Trisha out of the circle, the forced opening had been stopped and even the magic had been contained to a degree. What was left there for things to change?

    ¡°Everything alright? We¡¯re going to announce what happened here to the public. What do you want to do?¡± Kagemoria asked as she neared Maria. Trisha had been handed over to Lady Elma while the other demoness chose to sit beside Maria.

    Maria must be looking extremely pale since even Kagemori looked worried. To have something worry her enough to make her leave Trisha was a first and Maria felt betrayed by her own body.

    ¡°Hey, do you think it is all over? Is the node OK?¡± Maria¡¯s voice must have sounded really worried because it gave Kagemori a pause. Whatever she had been about to say got stuck on her tongue as she gave Maria a look-over.

    Maria could feel the node¡¯s magic flowing through the demoness in front of her and it caused Maria¡¯s instincts some bacsh. She could not tell where Kagemroi began and where the node ended.

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything wrong with the node but I am not an expert at sensing the node yet. I¡¯ll let you know if I feel anything wrong¡± Kagemori promised. Her word reassured Maria but her worried did not flow away.

    Instead, she was sure that things were bound to get even more difficult with time. The mere fact that her system had ssified this situation as ¡®not resolved¡¯ had implications and Maria knew she had to talk with Lady Elma as soon as she could.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. There is no point in worrying about something that we prevented¡± Maria replied back, not wanting to worry Kagemori. If even she could not feel something wrong then there was nothing more to be done right now.

    The best way for them to ensure Imu¡¯s well-being would be to take its citizens to a safe ce and have them recover. A lot of people had been caught up in the cross-fire and many of them were humans.

    ¡°What should we do with him? We cannot leave him alone and killing him won¡¯t solve anything as well¡± Trisha raised a valid point as she pointed to President Rosewell.

    Despite all said and done, he was a leader the people had elected. As such, he had a reputation that would not be sullied by such a scandal and those who continued to believe in him would be a hassle.

    After all, opinions were one thing that was impossible to change once they had been formed. Even solid proof would not be able to undo the brainwashing of a decade and there would be people who would remain loyal to Rosewell.

    Killing him would not solve anything either in this case.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll round up some guards and secure anyone who tried to protest. I hope they¡¯ll stay calm if they see me as the one taking charge and we can exin the situation to everyone¡± Lady Elma suggested.

    In a way, her being a neutral party was a good thing right now. People were more likely to listen to her and see reason than to have any royal family member but in.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take Trisha and go back to the base. She needs rest and a quiet ce to gather her magic back. Maria, do you want toe with me? Yourpanion would be there as well¡± Kagemori asked and Maria had no reason to refuse.

    As much as she wanted to solve the mystery behind her system¡¯s warning, she also wanted to see how Suna was doing with her own eyes. She had left herpanion behind with strangers and she was worried.

    She also had a lot of issues with energy and her body did feel heavier than before. Her energy had been zapped by the continuous usage of her magic and her chains had only made the matter worse.

    ¡°It would be nice to have a bed to rest in. I¡¯ll leave it all up to you¡± Maria finally let her hold on her mind go and her body instantly fell. She had not realized it yet, but the only reason Maria had held on for this long was because of her stubbornness.

    Now that there was no longer a reason to hold on to her consciousness, Maria let it go and so did her body. It was a mess of depravity and having too much Lifeforce.

    The node had used her as a channel and Maria had no time to recover from its effects. Then she had shed with the holy magic and the bnce of her body had all but gone out of the window.

    And now she was paying the price for it all. Her body was too heavy for her and she could feel everyone¡¯s worried gaze looking at her.

    ¡°I-she just copsed. Is she alright?¡± Kagemori asked as Maria felt her kneel at her side. She felt hands on her arms, turning her around and Maria wanted to protest against them. But they also relieved pressure on her chest and it felt nice to have a constant flow of oxygen down her lungs.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be alright. You can leave her to me for now and we¡¯ll meet youter¡± Maria wanted those hands back on her. She had gotten used to them and she was sure Kagemroi felt conflicted when Maria let out a whine.

    But the need to help Trisha won out in the end and the demoness left.

    ¡°Give me a few moments to finish up here and then I¡¯ll help you out. Your body¡¯s magical bnce had been shot out and you will need some private help to restore it¡± Maria could feel what it meant and her body shuddered in anticipation.

    Maria was tired, too tired to fight her body as it became heavier and heavier. She wanted to sleep but her mind did not allow her this luxury. It wanted relief but her body could notply with the demand.

    Maria was sure she almost cried tears of joy when Lady Elma returned to her side. Maria had a feeling that things would turn out alright in the end since she had the elder here.

 Chapter 160 158: Curing The Imbalance - Part 1

    "Yourplexion does not look good. Are you sure you are up to some physical exertion? We can always do thister" Lady Elma''s voice was like a cutter. It cut through the hazy fog around Maria and wrapped around her body

    And it had to be just Maria''s luck that her body remembered the voice it had heard during a passionate night not too long ago. It was reacting to her, tensing and rxing in small intervals. It made Maria want to reach out and pull the other down over her body.

    The only thing stopping her right now was knowing that they were out in the open with hundreds of people in the vicinity. And as much as Maria wanted to sate her hunger, even she could tell that it would not be a good idea to show herself off in such a manner.

    Though her heat-crazy mind did find some appeal in giving everyone a show, her rational mind threw it against it and thankfully, Maria was able to hold off for now.

    But if Lady Elma as much as touched her in that way, Maria would lose it for real.

    "D-Don''t you dare. You own this to me" Maria hissed out, not caring about whom she was talking to. The only thing on her mind right now was to get to a private ce and get relief.

    "Well, fair enough." Lady Elma replied before turning to the others and yelling, "Oi, someone takes charge of this ce and gets the people settled up. I have another serious matter to attend to"

    Maybe some people wanted to protest against Lady Elma''s decision, maybe there was no one. But Maria had a death grip on Lady Elma now and she was not going to let her go. The Lady should have known as well because she did not even try to get out of her hold.

    The next few minutes were a blur to Maria as she was manhandled into a carry hold and then taken to a secure ce. She could feel magical protection being enchanted all around her and she waited with anticipation for Lady Elma to join her.

    "My, aren''t you eager? Did I keep you waiting?" Maria did not respond with words but with actions. She only saw the wide eyes before she pulled Lady Elma down over her body. She made sure to rub her wetness against Lady Elma¡¯s hardness.

    If she had any doubt about Lady Elma¡¯s interest in her, it would have wavered away in this movement as that hard cock pressed up against Maria¡¯s wet pussy. And it just caused her body to want that cock even more.

    Maria felt a finger near her mouth and her body made an unconscious decision to take it into her mouth. She did not even register that she had done it until a harsh jab caused her to almost choke.

    Lady Elma sure had long fingers as they even managed to reach the magic of her throat. The taste of magic on her tongue was thick as well, causing Maria to leak even more from her holes.

    And then Maria made the mistake of looking up at Lady Elma with a begging gaze. The elder¡¯s eyes darkened to an impossible shade of ck and Mari felt her life sh before her eyes.

    She was going to die. She was going to die while being dicked down by this goddess she had met only a few days ago and Maria¡¯s mind did not even care about it. She just wanted relief and she wanted it now.

    ¡°How eager. I guess you do have something of that man in you after all. I¡¯m going to enjoy my time with you¡± Lady Elma replied as she fisted Maria¡¯s face in her huge hands. Maria¡¯s slow brain refused to even categorize her words as threats.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Instead, it pulled at a primal part of her and caused her to let out a moan. She liked the thought of being yed with if it meant that it would keep the heat away from her body.

    There was a hand on her breast, massaging it softly and Maria felt herselfing closer and closer to release. She was almost there as well when she felt magic obstruct her orgasm.

    ¡°No. You can¡¯te yet or your bnce would never recover. Onlye once you have my magic coaxing your own into harmony¡± Lady Elma denied her the release, her words soft but cruel in Maria¡¯s ears.

    The hand on her breast returned and she felt herself being turned to be pulled back. Something soft pressed against her back and something hard against her ass.

    Two hands massaged her breasts now, her shirt discarded long ago and it took her an embarrassingly long time to even realize she was in someone¡¯sp. Lady Elma really was taking her time to y with Maria.

    Not that she minded since it felt so good.

    ¡°L-Lady Elma?¡± Maria asked as those hands picked up speed. It felt divine but not enough. She wanted those hands on her pussy, not on her breasts.

    ¡°Elma would do¡± the demoness replied back, finally moving toward her prize in Maria¡¯s lower half. Her hand only touched Maria and she felt shock go through her. Her magical imbnce was making her even more sensitive.

    She needed to slow down or she would explode. Maria wanted to convey this to Elma but her tongue refused to move for anything except moan out Elma¡¯s name and ask for more.

    And Elma either didn¡¯t care or had no intention of stopping there at all. If anything, her fingers finally picked up the speed as they entered Maria. They were slow and hesitant, likely looking around and feeling her.

    But Maria did not need all that preparation. It might feel long ago, but she had just been fucked that day. Her body was loose and recipient to those fingers and she was sure Lady Elma could feel that as well.

    ¡°Fuck, so tight and wet. It¡¯s hard to tell that you are not a virgin¡± Lady Elma whispered as if she had not had sex with Maria before.

    But Maria did not mind a bit of ttery. Not when her body appreciated thepliment and took those fingers even deeper inside her. They were reaching inside her and stretching her beyond anything but a cock had done.

    And this was not even the main course yet. Maria vaguely remembered that hard and thick cock inside her and her body tightened in anticipation for it toe. She needed it and she wanted it as well.

    But before she could get it, Elma pushed her away and onto her knees right in front of her.

 Chapter 161 159: Curing The Imbalance - Part 2

    Maria was on her knees in front of Lady Elma and she felt something hard touch her lips. She only had enough awareness to pick her head up and look at the cock in front of her face.

    It was stiff and throbbing. Big as well and it begged the question - what should Maria do with it? What did Elma want her to do?

    ¡°Suck it. Hurry up since we don¡¯t have all day to waste here¡± Elma was not asking, she was demanding and Maria gave in to her instincts. She took the cock in her hands but it had not been what Elma wanted her to do.

    So she chose the second option she had been considering and her lips met the hard flesh.

    The reaction was instant and the cock twitched in front of her face. It gave Maria the confidence she needed to warp her mouth around the head and take it into her eager mouth. And it finally caused Elma to let out a curse.

    ¡°F-Fuck. Your m-mouth, it¡¯s talented¡± Elma¡¯s hands were fisted in Maria¡¯s hair, setting up a soft pace to fuck her mouth. It was a little rough but Maria could not mind it.

    Not when Elma¡¯s magic pulsed in her cock and it reached inside Maria. It felt far too good for her toin about it now. The only thing she could do was to suck the cock even harder and try to get Elma to lose herposure.

    She felt the cock touch her throat and she choked, instantly letting the cock out of her mouth. But it just excited Elma even more as the grip in her hair got tighter and a lust-filled gaze met her own.

    ¡°You¡¯re a minx. I see that I need to treat you like one. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll fuck you into submission¡± Maria did not remember if she had ever been talked to like this before but she like it.

    It was different and humiliating at the same time. But it was such a ride and it made her blood pump faster inside her veins. She needed to hear more of those filthy words.

    The fingers came back to Maria¡¯s pussy and they did not wait before trying to stretch her. Her pussy parted eagerly for them as well, her juice leaking down like a fountain.

    She was sure there was a wet puddle beneath her and she should be embarrassed. But those feelings wouldeter when Marai was not so lost in this passion and her own heat.

    ¡°You¡¯re so ready that you¡¯re wetting this whole ce. Fuck, I can¡¯t wait to sink into your pussy¡± Elma whispered in her ears before she felt the hard cock breach her pussy. The whine Marai let out was the loudest.

    And could feel her body opening up to that cock, her pussy pulling the hard length inside her and gripping it tightly. Her imbnce had caused her to be needy and Maria¡¯s hips proved that.

    They moved even without her say, trying to get that cock deeper into her. The motion also caused her huge breasts to bounce in front of Elma¡¯s face and she felt hands reach out for them.

    ¡°You need to not poke fire¡± Maria heard before Elma moved her hips. Her cock drove right into Maria and caused her to yell out a moan. It was all too much.

    Not only did it feel good, but the magic was also coursing through Maria now. It was a mixture of node and Elma¡¯s magic that was caressing Maria¡¯s own and coxing it to follow the right flow.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was all too much, this feeling and this instance. She was also being over-stimted by not being allowed to release. It was the torture of the best kind, one Marai would not want to be in but could not help but carve.

    ¡°E-ELMA, P-PLEASE¡± Maria could not even recognize her voice as it left her mouth and she could feel the smugness being radiated out of Elma¡¯s entire body.

    The elder demoness was enjoying this a little too much and her magic was also reflecting her joy. Every movement send Maria just a little bit deeper into the hole of pleasure and she was losing herself quickly.

    But she could feel her magic mending itself and the foreign magic of the node taking shape into her core. And there was more than one kind of magic inside her.

    At the highest of her passion, Maria could only feel pleasure and magic pulse inside her and that was why she felt it- a different node¡¯s connection.

    Somehow, she had gained the magic of not only Imu¡¯s node but another one as well. Maybe it was Gerna¡¯s, maybe it was something else. Maria was not in her right mind to even start thinking about it.

    Not when her long-awaited release was approaching her like a train and would m into her at any second. She did not even have the mindset to brace herself, much less wait for it to pass.

    ¡°E-ELMA¡± Maria yelled as she yanked at the demoness¡¯s hair. She was not sure what she was asking but Elma sure did. The yank must have been painful enough for the demoness to lose her focus for a few seconds and then she flooded Maria¡¯s pussy.

    ¡°Fine, you cane now¡± And Maria didn¡¯t even hear her when she released. The pressure and the pleasure, both were too much for her to handle. Without Elma¡¯s magic keeping Maria in check, her body did release.

    And Maria went boneless, her energy spend on that one act. She would be useless for the next few hours and she knew that as well.

    Thankfully, Elma had better control over herself and her magic helped them get cleaned up. It took a few minutes but Elma was back to her regal self, looking as if nothing had happened here at all.

    ¡°You should rest. I¡¯ll get yourpanion here to keep youpany. Then we can discuss your future and you can use the transporter to head to the next continent¡± Maria was tired and spent.

    She didn¡¯t notice Elma leave the room, nor did she notice Suna enter the room and take a seat at her side. But she did notice semi-intelligent eyes looking back at her from Suna¡¯s face.

    The demoness settled at Maria¡¯s side without anyints and Maria felt her mind be at ease at the gesture. She did not want to move from her position since it wasfortable.

    And she finally fell asleep after all that, her mind quiet and allowing her to enjoy her newfound freedom.

 Chapter 162 160: For Now

    The party was in the full swing. People were drinking out to their heart''s content and the mood was significantly lighter than the past few days. Maria could not help but like this change in pace. It felt deserved after everything that had happened to these people.

    For now, she was content to sit back and rx against Suna''s wolf form. The other wasing back around in bits and pieces of her former self which assured Maria that recovery was not off the table for her. Herpanion had found some good doctors in Imu who could look after her.

    "You''re not going to join all those people? I''m sure there are many who would enjoy thepany of a young thing like you" Lady Elma made her way toward Maria. Just like everyone else, she had been busy doing her own thing as well.

    She had taken control of the fraction that had been under Rosewell''s control and was minding them till Lucas could take control of them. The faction was loyal to a fault and refused to listen to their side of the things. The only reason they were holding back, for now, was because Rosewell was alive.

    "I would join but I don''t think Suna likes the idea" the half-wolf growled her agreement as she yfully snapped at Lady Elma. This was another change Maria had noticed - theck of killing intent in Suna''s actions.

    The demoness had mellowed down as soon as the threat had passed. It did make Maria wonder if her primal form had been able to sense the node''s distress and react ordingly.

    But then again, Maria was not sure if the danger had passed for them or not. The warning of her system still loomed over all their heads.

    "Well, have fun with your wolf then. I''ll be in the corner if you need me" Maria nodded as Lady Elma left them alone. She eyed Trisha and Kagemori sitting at the back and having a heart-to-heart as well. And if there were tears involved, well, Maria diverted her eyes to not see them.

    She had too much on her own baggage to uncover.

    Now that everything hade to pass, Maria found herself listless. She did not know what else she could call this feeling of loss inside her. She turned her head to console someone, only to find her side empty.

    Oh yeah, Nao was no longer there. Maria had forgotten that tiny detail. Luckily, Suna was still there and she made the appropriate soothing gesture toward Maria. It felt nice but not as nice as Nao''s had been.

    "Thanks. I''ll go get a drink" Maria pushed herself back to her feet. She needed to move or the restlessness would make her do something stupid. Somehow, her instincts had begun to scream at her to take cover and Maria was not sure why she was feeling like that.

    She tried to catch the eye of someone else who could be feeling the same but the shaking stopped her in her search. It caused her to lose her bnce and fall t on her back.

    For a second she thought she was the only one feeling those shakes but then more bodies fell due to the intense shaking. Kagemori''s familiar scream greeted her ears as well but Maria had much bigger things to focus on.

    "Lady Elma, it''s the node. It''s getting unstable" Trisha called out as she held Kagemori''s unconscious body in her hand. The demoness was likely feeling the bacsh of whatever was happening there.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know. I feel it as well and this is bad. The forced opening of the node''s seal caused the contamination to leak out of its seal faster. It''s corrupting the magic itself" Maria felt her breath get stuck in her throat at those words.

    Magic was the very foundation of a world. It was what kept it working and constructive. As such, once the world was out of magic, it would start to break down. It was usually a slow process and took eons. Imu was decaying at an rming rate.

    "Can we do something? The contamination can be purified, right?" Maria asked. She did remember her lessons on holy magic even if she had hardly ever used it. If she could help here she would do it without hesitation.

    Maybe her chains could hold the contamination away if she awakened them. Even though there was a chance of death, Maria felt the need to do that much.

    "Even if you could help, I can let you do that. Imu is no ce for the oracle to die. At least, not right now when the war is so close in our head" Lady Elma sounded as if she was forcing those words out.

    This must have been a decision that had been very difficult to make and yet thedy forced those words out. Maria did not know whether to be impressed or passed that she was being taken so lightly. Did it look like she was itching to die?

    "Besides, it''s Imu''s problem so the solution should alsoe from this ce. It''s not like we don''t have holy magic of our own" Maria had an answer against that logic. The others were right, Imu did have strong holy magic. The welders were strong as well.

    But admitting it felt like a defeat for Maria. That was why she did not speak when the question was brought up. She just looked at the determined people around her. People who were ready to give anything to save their continent.

    "You should leave Imu while you still can. This is our fight now" Lady Elma warned, her tone leaving no room for argument. Her expression dared Maria to go against her and Maria folded.

    "Suna, let''s go," Maria asked as she neared the wolf, probing the other to pick herself up. But the wolf stubbornly kept sitting. She looked at Maria in understanding and regret and Maria felt like she knew what Suna was trying tomunicate to her.

    Maria might not like Suna''s decision but she did respect her enough not to contradict her. Not in front of so many people who had helped Suna get back at her feet.

    "Alright. You can stay here till you recover but I expect you toe back as soon as you are cured. Don''t think you can get away" the wolf gave Maria her equivalent of a happy smile and Maria turned away.

    She did not want to look at Suna anymore or her resolve would crumble. Suna was special to her and this decision was painful but necessary and well.

    "So, when do I move to the next node?" Maria asked Lady Elma who had a closed-off expression.

 Chapter 163 161: A New Destination

    "So, when do I move to the next node?" Maria asked Lady Elma who had a closed-off expression. The closed-off expression did not make things easier for Maria to interpret, nor did the words she heard.

    "Ideally, I''ll ask you to leave right now but we do have a little problem. There are only two circuits that are currently open. Our natural circuit leads to Jamaica but it''s too dull to operate. I''m afraid that something happened there. Your only other options are Gerna and Albest" Lady Elma''s words sounded practiced.

    Maria could tell that she had a lot of practice in being able to deliver these kinds of news to the people. And what terrible news it was.

    Ideally, Albest would be the next destination to aim for but Maria was not sure if it would be wise of her to go there. There were too many things that were connected to Albest for her not to worry.

    "Can we force Jamaica''s connection open? Even if the node could no longer be sealed, I can use it to move ahead" Maria exined with a hopeful voice. Going back to Gerna was not an ideal option right now. Not with how Maria had left it.

    The only way to progress was to go ahead of the curve. The next world was waiting for her and it would be scary. Maria would be alone for the first time and that thought terrified her to no end.

    "It is possible but we''ll need to do it before we get the purification started. You''ll have no time to prepare" Lady Elma exined and Maria nodded to show that she understood.

    It was not like being prepared would help her out when she did not even know what to expect. For all she knew, she could be stepping into a world that wanted to eat her alive. Or it could be the modern world. But Maria owed it to these people to at least try.

    "I''ve made up my mind. Hurry up and set the array" Maria called, trying not to second guess herself. She knew what she was capable of and so did her magic. She needed to leave Imu and seek out her destiny. Maria had a feeling it was her system that was responsible for it.

    ''There is not anything I can do for Imu, is there?'' Maria felt guilty for turning tail in such a tough situation. The people of Imu had nothing but polite to her all this whole and Maria felt like she had not reyed them anything.

    [The user is reminded that they chose these paths]

    Her system reminded, trying to wash the me from itself once again. And Maria hated how it worked as well in these situations because it was true.

    Maria had been the one making the choice all along, not her system. She was sure things would have ended up this way with or without it.

    "Follow me. I don''t want anyone else to get caught up in the magic" Lady El. A shook her head at the few eager heads in the crowd. Maria hadn''t even noticed them inching closer to the magic circle and the young heads dropped at the scolding tone.

    "B-But we want to help her. She saved Imu from falling apart" a young thirteen years old whispered as he looked at Maria with a familiar gaze. She had seen that look too much to mistake it for anything other than a young crush.

    She needed to do something to discourage that look at all costs. The more Maria saw these looks, the more she hated to be in this position.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You can''t have to help me. You''re not even taller than me right now, much less strong" Maria was not good at discouraging children. Her role as the oracle meant that she had been taught to encourage, not discourage.

    These kinds of situations had always been handled by her guards or Nao. Maria felt awkward to be put in such a situation and she could hear light huffs or amusement from around her.

    The one being let out by Suna was especially loud and Maria felt stressed out. How did one do this without sounding rude in the process? These children were just trying to help her out.

    "I''m strong though. I''m sure I can protect you" the teen replied with a determined expression. Maria instantly turned toward Lady Elma for help. She was too out of the depths here.

    She could tell that Lady Elma wasughing at her expense as well, even if it did not show up on her face. It made Maria''s face redden even more at the obvious deration.

    "Now, I''m sure you can protect her perfectly but I can only send one person through right now. You''ll need to wait your turn Shinji" the teen faltered at those words but his eagerness did not subdue. If anything, this fueled his determination even more.

    Maria felt the next actioning but she could not stop it from happening. Her mind nked and her body stopped moving as she watched the smaller body bow in front of her.

    "Please wait for me to grow up and be stronger. I wish to repay you somehow" Maria stood there awkwardly, taking in the deration. The teen kept on looking toward her in earnest.

    She felt old, so old right now. She did draw on to her that her body was 17 but she was mentally much older. The child was barking up the wrong tree here.

    The silence was stuffing but thenughter broke the tense atmosphere. Maria could hear almost everyoneughing at her expanse, even Suna. And the worst of it all - Maria did not even know the kid who had made this situation this awkward for her.

    "Uh, alright?" That was almost a question at this point but the child took it as a challenge and raised his fist in a winning pose. Maria just shook her head as she found herself in such a predicament.

    "Let''s leave now. I don''t want another deration" Lady Elma''s voice still had aughing echo in her voice. Maria found her one voicecking in the face of such a situation.

    So she allowed herself to be led away and pushed around. She almost felt out of it till she was pushed in and felt a familiar motion around her. Magic was building up around her and Maria''s eyes met Suna''s before it all disappeared.

    And Maria knew she was no longer in Imu. The node''s influence was wavering by the second and something else was approaching her on the other end.

    And this was how Maria crashed into a barrier, right in the middle of a celebration and almost naked woman.

 Chapter 164 162: The Gathering

    The clearing was silent for a whole minute when Marianded on top of the table. Every eye snapped toward her direction without even a dy and Maria could already tell that she hadmitted some kind of mistake bynding where she had.

    "Our sacred rite had been disturbed. Guards, seize the intruder and take her to the queen. She must pay for what she has done to us" Maria heard those words and her body sprang into action. She picked up a nearby knife and barely managed to hold off the sword aimed at her leg.

    She could tell that the attack had not been made to kill her, just injure her enough to be able to take her into interrogation and Maria was thankful for this distinction. But she would prefer it more if she was not attacked at all.

    The nakedness of the woman in front of her was also a distraction. The breasts were bouncing and making Maria divert her attention from the attack on her person. She had to make a conscious effort to stop herself from looking.

    There were too many warriors and Maria felt hesitant to go into fullbat mode. These people would be too much for her to handle if they got serious. Maria knew she would have to use her magic if she wanted to get out but she could also feel something wrong.

    Or rather, something wascking inside her. The more she tried to connect with her magic, the hollower she felt. It felt like someone had carved a hole in her chest and decided to leak the magic out. It was still there but the quantity was not enough to be able to be used actively inbat.

    "Wait. It''s all a misunderstanding. I''m not an enemy or hostile" Maria tried to reason as more and more warriors joined in the battle. She was getting overwhelmed and there seemed to be no end to these women.

    And it was all women as well. Maria could not spot even a single male in the whole vicinity. And no one was using magic as well, even when Maria could feel that they had magic in them. They seemed to almost be the primitive form of humans that had roamed earth a long time ago.

    "You must pay. Our queen would make sure you never wake up again" there were too many cheers for Maria to be captured. It would not be possible for her to be able to reason with these people.

    Maybe that was what finally gave Maria the courage to pull what little magic she could from the surroundings and make a magic shield. It was a weak one but it would work nheless.

    Their opposition had no way to counter the shield without the magic of their own. Not that they even tried since they looked too stunned to even move. The disy of magic seemed to have left them in a state of awe.

    "She''s an m-magi. S-Someone inform the q-queen. Check on the queen and detain her now" the naked woman who had attacked Maria first shouted. She seemed to be the only one who had enough of her senses to even speak.

    Not that Maria was going to allow it to happen that easily. She quickly managed to wiggle her way out of the warriors as she dashed outside. The forest would provide her with the shelter that she needed and it also felt like it had a lot more magic than the clearing.

    She needed to go to a magic-rich environment if she wanted to retain her magic even a little bit more. It felt like her reserves were almost empty and filling up really slowly. She had used the surrounding magic but it seemed to have affected even her own resources.

    "Man, this sucks. It''s so hard to be able to breathe without magic" Maroained as she tried to suck air in her mouth. The air was te and difficult to breathe as well. It was just something about this ce that was hard to swallow.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even the forest felt devoid of life as she walked past it. Ir had no presence in her senses, and neither did it have magic that she could use to cure her fatigue. It was all just nothing in her senses.

    "Hurry. She could not have gone very far. I think I see her that way" the naked women were back as they followed behind Maria. Unlike her, they had no problem being able to keep up with the forest and its surroundings.

    ''System, a little help?'' Maria asked as she finally neared the end of her endurance. Her muscles protested against her movement and walking speed but she kept ongoing.

    [User is advised not to deplete their magical reserves. Magic is a scarce resource and deleting magic could lead to a user''s death]

    Maria cursed her fate. The warning could not havee at a worse timing for her. She had just used a huge amount of her magic for a situation that she could have gotten out of without it.

    And now because of this ''rare'' resource, Maria was being hunted across Jamaica. She wanted to cry out at the injustice but there was no one to hear her out.

    Maria tried to crawl further away from civilization but she knew she could not do this forever. She needed to find the royal pce and move on to the next continent as soon as possible.

    Jamaica''s node had already lost its power and the continent has suffered as a result. It was too tough to be able to tell how theck of magic would affect this ce. The nts had already started to show signs of decay and neglect.

    There was only one source of magic Maria could feel in the huge forest, right in the middle of it and Maria decided to follow along with her feelings. She knew she would find something interesting there but even she could not tell what she would find.

    So Maria walked right toward the center of the forest where she felt the magic pulse. Her system helped her avoid the searching guards around her. It was a delicate process that left her more tired than she had anticipated it to be.

    However, Maria did not give up even when her body protested. She had to remind herself that it was not as bad as the heat she had been experiencing beforehand. This feeling could even be called a soothing cold that emerged as a result of hercking magic.

    The center of the forest has a smallke with a single-family cottage surrounded by a small field. The scene was domestic but also out of theme for the current ce and time period Jamaica seemed to be based on.

    .

 Chapter 165 163: The Girl Of The Forest - Part 1

    Maria felt almost hesitant to even step ahead into the field. Her steps felt like they would break the magic of this ce and render it back to how it had been.

    "Are you lost? Don''t worry and step right up. I''m sure my sister can help you out since she''s the best at everything she does" Maria totally did not jump at the appearance of the sudden voice at her side and if anyone would ask her she would deny it as well.

    But the child that sat on her two legs, crouching down in front of Maroa certainly appeared out of nowhere. The young girl looked to be around six, her cheeks still having the baby fat and her eyes still having their innocence of youth.

    She was a cute girl, if not a little weird. And she had totally scared Maria by appearing out of nowhere. And she also seemed to have no sense of property as she took Maria''s hand in her one and pulled her along.

    The house door opened with a bang as the red-d girl forced her way through with Maria on her toe after her. Maroa followed, wondering when the kid''s family would barge in on them and stop her antics.

    "Come here. There is my sister" the child pointed and Maria prepared herself for an awkward conversation with the kid''s family. She also needed to ask for permission to stay in the home for a little while and gain her resources back to a decent enough level.

    But all thoughts fled her mind as her eyes met with life-less dull ones of a doll. It was not even a realistic doll, but a mismatched heap of fabrics woven together to give a semnce of a human shape.

    Maria chewed her lower lip to not let a screen out as her eyes met the abomination but a squeak did escape her lips. She must not cry out.

    "What''s wrong? Did my sister say something to you? Don''t worry, I can make her keep quiet" Maria could not believe her eyes when she watched the doll flinch at those words. She looks at Maria with a pain-filled gaze but Maria did not know how to help her out.

    And it did not look like the little one was even aware of what she was doing to the person in front of her. Because that was what a doll felt like to Maria - a human caught up in a curse and all because of a small child who seemed to not even be aware she had such power in her.

    "No. Nothing is wrong. How long have you been staying here alone?" Maria asked as she broke eye contact with the doll in front of her. She could not keep looking at it and still maintain her cool. It was just too tragic to think of the oue.

    However, her voice came out stronger than she had anticipated and Maria felt thankful for it. She was not sure she would have been able to keep her cool for long.

    "Silly. I''m not alone since I''ve got my sister. She is often quiet and withdrawn and doesn''t even feel like my sister most of the time but I love her. She loves me as well" the kid sounded sure of herself.

    Maira let her have this, not breaking her delusion about her sister. She could see the sacred and disappointed expression on the doll''s face. The other had given up hope.

    "I see. And how long had it been? It must be difficult to live here with just you two" Maria asked as she walked after the kid. She was being dragged away after the small body with a force she had not expected.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria wanted to take her hand back but her instincts told her that it was not a good idea. That was the only reason Maria followed after the kid. However, there was something weird about this house itself.

    "Yura has been alone ever since her birth so Yura doesn''t mind the quietness. Yura also had her sister with her till she went away so Yura made sure to get a new one. People don''te near Yura''s home and Yura was warned not to venture too far away from her home" the kid exined.

    Yura''s expression reminded Maria of a kid trying to be impatient but not having enough mental capacity to be able to pull it off. The kid already looked like she wanted to run around and have fun.

    "Who told you this-" Maria did not get to finish her words. The magic surrounding her surged in panic andshed out. It was too weak to do anything but it did serve as a warning for her not to open her mouth.

    Maria quickly shut up, not wanting to enrage the magic around her. It was healing her and keeping her alive after all. And as soon as Maria quieted down, so did the magic.

    It was an abrupt change in pressure and Maria''s lungs did not appreciate the change. She coughed to get enough air in and decided to head the warning for now.

    "Are you alright? You got sick all of a sudden" Maria wanted to tell the kid that it was not ''all of a sudden'' but her throat got stuck when she tried. The magic was interfering again and making Maria unable to say anything aloud.

    Whatever this girl was, she had to be important. The magic in this ce was behaving weirdly and even by Maria''s standards. She could not help but feel as if she hadnded herself in a ce she was not supposed to.

    "I''m alright. I''m just a bit tired" Maria replied back. She did not feel tired but she did want to take a rest and gather her thoughts.

    Her magic reserves were also starting toe back to her but they were still dangerously low. Maria wanted to ensure she was in the right mindset and had enough resources before she left the clearing.

    "Ohhh. Has it been thatte already? The sun settled as well" Maria stared at the girl for a few seconds in disbelief. Setting sun? It had just been shining brightly in the sky.

    But when Maria picked up her head, her gaze fell on the setting sun which had not been there a few seconds ago. She was not sure what happened but it seemed to not have been a natural phenomenon.

    Maria felt her head turn toward Yura''s direction involuntarily and her instincts told her that she was responsible for this weird phenomenon''s urrence. Whatever the girl had done, it had affected the world itself and everyone living in here.

 Chapter 166 164: The Girl Of The Forest - Part 2

    "Let''s go inside now. The forest is dangerous once the sun goes down. Sister once told me that there are various kinds of beasts in the forest that onlye out at night. I don''t want to be food for them" for someone saying those words, Yura did not look scared.

    If anything, Maria would have categorized the expression on her face as eager and opportunistic. She had a feeling that the girl was actually excited to see those beasts that lived in the forest. How peculiar of her and also weird.

    "Let''s go in then" Maria agreed. She wanted to stop back and observe the child a little bit more. There was something disturbing about this ce and it may have been because of the lost node. Generally, losing a node had a big impact but the world seemed to be holding up.

    The child gave Maria a confused look when she looked back. Yura had not moved from her position for even a second and it made Maria stop and turn back to the child. She had to ask the question.

    "Not going to follow me? Didn''t you want us to go back inside?" Maria asked when the child still did not move after her probing. Yura''s look just intensified at Maria''s question before she held out a small hand.

    It was Maria''s turn to look back at her confused. The child wanted her to do something with her hand but Maria could not figure out what.

    "Hold hands. I want to hold hands" the kid asked, tone almost whiny and Maria gave in. There was no point in arguing with a literal kid over this topic and Maria also had a feeling that her refusal would not be taken kindly.

    The second she ced her hand in the kid''s, she felt a weird sensation going through her. It felt like raw and uncontrolled magic that made Maria flinch. She unconsciously tried to pull her hand out of the kid''s but Yura did not allow that.

    The grip on Maria''s hand tightened and the magic got a little harsher. It probed at Maria in a clumsy daze, as if it had no idea what it was doing. It was not painful but annoying.

    Maria knew she could crush it easily if she wanted to. The magic was leaving its marks on her soul and she could use them to get back at the caster. But she could also allow the magic to fade away. Maria tried to pull the magic from her surroundings before an rm sounded in her mind.

    [Danger alert - depleted magic zone

    The user is advised to be careful. Magic is a limited resource and User only has their reserves to pull from]

    Despite having magic all around her, her system''s warning was clear. The magic around Maria was hostile and should not be used under normal circumstances. Maira could not count on it to save herself.

    And that also meant that normal means of fighting would be meaningless. As much magic, as she had in her reserves, her main source of magic was her surroundings.

    "What are you doing?" Maria asked as she studied Yura. The child seemed as if she had no idea what she was doing. It made Maria wonder if all this was an unconscious y on the kid''s part.

    It would be surprising for sure but not impossible to think of. Especially not in such an imbnced world where not everyone had ess to magic.

    "I made a wish. I like you and I think you''ll make a good big sister. You don''t get mad at me and you are also not afraid of my magic. So I''ve decided to keep you here with me" Yura''s eyes shined as she proimed those words.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria could see just how serious the kid was. She also seemed stubborn and would likely not be swayed by logic. Maria would have to take some drastic measures against the child even when she did not want to.

    Maria tried to jab at the child softly but the magic prevented her from reaching Yura. It had a small shield around the girl which Maria tested out.

    It was strong. Too strong to allow normal attacks to pass through. Maria could tell that the kid had no idea how the shield worked. Nor how to invoke it as well. The chile was trying to follow Maria''s moments as she moved about but she was having trouble keeping up.

    But the magic had no problem keeping up. It acted as if it had a will of its own.

    "Why are you resisting? It''s better to live here where there is good food and nice shade. You also don''t have to deal with wild animals and bad people chasing after you" the child pleaded. It was not a bad deal for most people but Maria could not afford to stay back.

    The more she tried to hold back, the more she was pushed back. It was bad enough that she had no idea how to fight against the magic in front of her without her own.

    It also made her realize how much she actually relied on her magic to save herself. Maria was not able to keep up without her magic at all.

    So Maria had no other choice but to run toward the forest. That was the only ce she could think of that would keep the kid out of her life. There was the chance that she would run into her first attackers there but she was willing to take it.

    ''System, any kind of help you can give?'' Maria asked. She could feel her connection with her system as a faint line. Since it depended on her magic, theck of it was causing all kinds of problems for her now.

    [Analysing situation¡­¡­

    ¡­. The system can provide the user with a 1-minute window to make their move. Users can activate themand by the yell of ''now'']

    Maria cursed. One minute was not enough but it was more than she had thought she would get. She knew that the magic was acting upon the kid''s emotions. If she manages to get her out, then she''ll be able to get away.

    And Maria had the perfect thing to cut the connection temporarily. It might be a one-time thing but Maria was quite confident in it working.

    ''Now'' Maria yelled inside her mind as she grabbed a handful of nts she had sniped from Imu''s castle. They had weird properties that Maria hoped worked here. She was really counting the kid to have no fighting capabilities here since it was going to make her vulnerable as well.

    And she threw her handful at the kid.

 Chapter 167 165: Flee

    The kid flinched as soon as she came in contact with the spores and Maria felt the hold of magic lessen around her. This was her chance to run away now. The forest was so close to her now and all Maria had to do was cross the threshold.

    However, she could also see a pair of glowing eyes tracking her from the shadows. The eyes were tracking her with blood-lust mixed in that expression. It made Maria freeze in her tracks as she locked eyes with the beast.

    It looked hungry, its eyes freezing Maria in the way of her escape. It had an intensity that made her hesitant to take a step forward but that was not the only reason Maria was hesitant to step into the forest. The real reason was the barest hint of magic Maria could feel pouring out of the beast.

    This was no ordinary beast but a magic one that had its eyes set on prey. It was not going to let her go without a fight and Maria felt her instincts rise. Her feet refused to allow her to walk toward a certain death but Maria had to get into the forest.

    She forced herself to see, to face her fears and call upon every single bit of outside magic she could. The magic fought her but Maria was stubborn as well.

    /And that rewarded her with a vision. She watched as a naked body jumped down between her and the beast, blocking the attack and confidently meeting Maria''s eyes. The chocte skin of her saviour shined with sweat and flushed all the way down.

    Maria''s gaze moved downwards but her vision did not allow her the luxury to be able to look further than the huge pair of breasts.

    The beast lunged toward her saviour again but the female warrior parried the attack as easily as if she was cutting through butter. The beast''s unconscious body fell toward the ground in pain. It was gravely injured but not dead yet.

    Maria opened her mouth to ask a question but her bnce worsened, causing her to almost fall./

    It also knocked her out of headspace and reminded Maria the rescue had not happened yet. She was not even sure if her saviour was a friend or a foe. Would that even matter?

    But it did give Maria the confidence to run into the forest and get away from the emerging magic behind her. Not that the beast let her go.

    The huge monster was on her tail now, her body waving itself out of the way of the iing attack but the residue did manage to graze Maria''s cheek. She tried to step out of the other attack as well but it touched her.

    Maria finally felt it was the end of her chase. She waited for her vision''s events to take ce as the monster stepped ahead into her vision.

    True to her vision, the body of chocte and muscles managed to intercept the attack, knocking the beast out. But unlike her vision, nothing was blocking Maria from having a full view of those bouncy breasts and the pink skin and -

    "Admire meter. That is a forest spirit and will not stay down for long. Let''s run away while we still can" the voice knocked Maria right out of her headspace and she nodded unconsciously.

    The voice held tomanding a tone for Maria to not be able to obey her. It was a fast exchange but Maria found herself jumping at her feet and following after the woman without a second word.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The forest was dark and dangerous. It had various other dangers present in the vicinity and Maria could feel curious probes of magic trying to gauge her out. Many of them were not gentle as well.

    "Don''t pay them any mind. If you don''t respond then they''ll leave you alone" the naked woman in front of Maria exined. She spoke as if she knew what was happening with Maria.

    But when Maria tried to gauge her out, the other showed her no signs of possessing any kind of magic. Maria had to wonder how the woman had guessed her thoughts.

    "Don''t make that face. I can guess what is bothering you since I can sometimes feel them as well. I can''t perform any magic though, don''t have any capability to" the woman exined as Maria quickly gathered her senses back.

    Ah, that did make sense but Maria had not even known if it had even been possible in the first ce for people without magic to be able to sense such things. But maybe it was a special case due to the nature of this continent.

    "Why did you help me out?" Maria asked once her brain started working again. As good as her luck was, she was not naive to believe that she had been helped out by someone''s good nature. There was always a reason for people to help her out.

    And true enough, there was ack of surprise in the female''s expression when Maria asked this question. It made her certain that the other had been waiting for Maria to ask this question.

    "Our queen is curious about you and asked us to bring you to her. You should thank her since she''s the reason you''re even alive right now" the woman replied as she cut through the overgrown nts in their way.

    Maria took in the other''s muscr form as well as the agility and decided against running away. Chances of her not even making it past the 100-metre mark before being captured again were high.

    Theck of magic was really a hindrance for Maria right now since it was an integral part of her fighting style. Her raw power was also decent enough and trained but it was not polished without magic.

    And who knew what her trying to run away would do. She had freedom of her limbs right now which gave Maria the luxury of being able to defend herself. Risking that chance was a little too much to think of right now.

    "Alright. I''ll meet your queen. I''m curious about her as well" Maria agreed, trying to assert dominance. She needed to show that the meeting was not happening against her wishes.

    "As if you even had a choice" the other scoffed. And they both knew that the naked one was right. Maria had no other choice but toply with the wishes of her saviour.

    In the sky, the moon showed no signs of moving. It felt as if the time itself had stopped for the stars in the sky. The world around Maria was stagnant in its wake and the sky was in its constant state.

 Chapter 168 166: Queen Of The Forest

    "Look, we''ll go over some ground rules before you enter the room. You do not get to look at her majesty. No matter what happens, you need to keep your eyes lowered to the floor or you''ll die" her naked guard exined as she led Maria further.

    Maria could feel the start of a probing feeling inside her chest. The magic was checking her out to see if she was a threat or not. It was simr to how she felt with the little girl but a little more static in nature. It was also stronger and likely denser as well.

    The ''pce'' their queen had was a small clearing with magical wards just strong enough to be noticed by Maria. Even a weak stroke of magic would have blown them away.

    But in this magic-limited world, even this small development was something else. Maria was sure none of the warriors around her had ever managed to prate the magic shield. The more she studies it, the more incredible it seemed to be able to create something this delicate.

    Whosoever had made this shield must have incredible magical control over themselves.

    "Are you listening? It''s for your own safety that you do. Do not set your gaze upon our queen" the guard warned before she ced a hand on the magic shield.

    Maria watched as the shield lowered just enough for one person to pass through and she waited for the next instructions. She did not want tomit any faux pause in this ce by overstepping her boundaries.

    But all she got was a ''go-ahead'' node and Maria finally entered the ce. She felt the shield fall behind her and cut her off from the outside world. Now she no longer had any control over her actions or over the actions of those around her.

    "Wee ounder. Step ahead so that we can see you better" the voice was an echo without any distinctive feature to distinguish it from the others around her.

    Maria gulped as the voice echoed inside her mind. She knew it was all thanks to magic but she still felt intimidated to see this disy of power with such limited resources.

    "Excuse me. I didn''t mean to offend" Maria apologized, feeling her manners kick in. It had been a long time for her but she had not forgotten her lessons in manners. She took a small step ahead and straightened herself.

    ''System, are you there?'' Maria asked, not really feeling optimistic. The magical field around her was weird and did not provide her with any magic.

    [The user is assured of the system''s presence]

    But it seemed as if there was no need for her to worry about such things. The system was there to remind her that it had not gone anywhere.

    "An ounder and an overlooker. My, it has been eons since Ist saw such a scene. Tell those fools that I am not going to y their game. Jamaica already gave away its node" the voice echoed.

    Somehow, Maria got the feeling that the queen was angry. Even if the voice was almost mechanical in nature, it still held a pulse of anger in it. Maria could see the magic around her echo that pulse and resonate with her own.

    "My apologies. I''ll put my system away if it bothers you" Maria replied back, ignoring her system''s warning and shutting it off for now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As much as her system helped her, she did not want it to be the reason to get killed by the Queen.

    "The overlookers have caused a lot of problems for us but my sisters forgave them. I shall not follow the same path. But I''ll also not hold a grudge against you for seeking their help" the voice boomed and Maria had a feeling she was getting closer to the source.

    She had no idea why she felt like this, but the energy she had been feeling was really close. It did not feel like a mortal, but closer to Lady Karin''s and Lady Elma''s.

    And it also gave her an idea of what she would be dealing with in the near future. She stepped out slowly into the clearing, keeping her eyes low. Not because she wanted to, but because magic was making her do it. It made sense now, the warning she had gotten.

    Every time she tried to pick her head up, the magic seemed to be forcing her back down. It seemed as if it did not want her to set her gaze upon the figure of the queen.

    "You can lift your gaze. Since you''re not from this world, the curse would not work on you. The magic will not hold you back as well" the Queen''s voice finally seemed as if it was not echoing. Maria could hear iting from right in front of herself.

    Maria tried to lift her head up, still feeling the resistance but it was not so prominent this time. It made it easier for Maria to lift her head and gaze at the naked body in front of her.

    The body was entangled with veins and held against the gigantic tree right in the middle of the forest. Thorns protruded out of the probe form, making it seem as if it would start bleeding any second now.

    But the most surprising of it all was the face that stared back at her. Maria was sure she had seen that face before but much younger than the adult form in front of her.

    "Yura?" Maria muttered as she stared up at the demoness. The demoness had pearly white skin and everything was on disy. But Maria found herself unable to loom away from the face in front of her.

    "So you saw her, the mirage of the forest and you managed to get away as well. You are either really foolish or really lucky" Yura''s adult face spoke back to Maria from her position.

    Maria had thousands of questions she wanted to be answered. She wanted to ask the female why she was here like this, how to move on to the next world, and even some more questions about what the real nature of the system was.

    But her words got stuck in her throat at the sorry look being aimed in her way. It made her think that she might have missed something crucial when she had checked herself.

    Hesitantly, Maria opened her mouth to ask the other to borate but there was no need to.

    "The curse being put on you is shining bright. Be careful or it might engulf you whole" the body warned and Maria felt the magic echo those words inside her head.

 Chapter 169 167: Family Time

    "You look like you''ve aged a few years. Something eating at your mind? Didn''t I tell you to rest yesterday?" Tired eyes looked back at herpanion and the heavy bangs beneath them spoke volumes about the state of the owner.

    Neah heard Howl''s words but they did not register inside her mind. It was too full of the worry and the ''what-if'' scenarios going through her mind. Mostly because of the news Alester had presented her with.

    As much as she did not like Alester, she could not deny that he was a talent scout and really good at getting information out when he wanted it to be. Neah was sure that any im he made would have to hold meaning.

    "I was going to rest but then Alester dropped a bomb on me. I''ll inform youter what it was about but be careful with the Ablest representative" Neah whispered. She was tired but not tired enough to not be vignt.

    The ''killer'' was still out on the loose and it would be targeting this meeting today. Alester had been so sure of this fact when he had handed the paper to Neah. She was not even sure how the teen had gotten this information.

    But Neah had instantly tightened the security when she had read the note and it had caused a lot of discement to happen. Neah was counting on this unrest to be able to put the killer out of their misery once and for all.

    "The diplomats have arrived. Let''s head to the council room now, Princess Neha" the princess sighed, getting ready for another tough battle.

    For some reason, the Albest people have never liked her. Every time she had met them before today, they had subtly let her know that they preferred her brother over her. But her brother was not here now and Neah felt nervous about the response she was about to get.

    "Things would be alright. You''ve done your best and they hold no value in the eyes of our people" Howl assured. The female was not going to be able to apany Neah in the meeting but she had a good head on her shoulder.

    But Neah could not help but be worried about her as well. Unlike most people who were here by choice, Howl had been forced into her position. No matter how much she hade to ept it, there was always that lingering doubt in Neah''s mind about her.

    And she hated herself for thinking like this.

    "You''re right. Maybe I''m overthinking things. Well, you are free now so you can go visit your brother. I''ve heard that your mother is not well so get her treated as well" the surprise was evident on Howl''s face.

    It was not often that Neha spoke such words to her, much less allow her to go back to her family like this. Neah did not like to share the attention of those she approved of and Howl had certainly wormed her way in.

    And Howl felt her heart melt at those words. She had not thought she would hear those words from Neah''s mouth.

    "Take your time and don''t worry too much" Howl assured as she watched the princess go. She also ignored the knowing looks being aimed her way by the guards.

    And Howl knew what they thought her rtionship with Neah was but they could not be more wrong. She sometimes got the feeling that there might develop more between them than this but that was wishful thinking.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Neah was too deep in love with Maria to even consider another option. And thismitment was something Howl understood. She would not be able to take Neah away from the prison she had made for herself, nor did she have the resolve to.

    "Everyone, back to your post. I''ll be off now but I don''t want to hear anyints about your behavior" Howl''s words were harsh but her voice was fond. These guards, had be family to Howl over her time here.

    She heardughter around her that informed her that she had been heard but the guards were not going to take her words seriously. They always were like that anyway so Howl did not care.

    Leaving the castle after a long time for nothing else than her own work was a surreal experience. Leaving alone was the first one for her and Howl felt disbelief fill her as she finally managed to step out.

    She had never thought she would be able to leave in this lifetime.

    And once she was out and over her shock, Howl began to move toward where her family had been situated. It was still the wealthy section of the town but not the nobility one. (She had tried so hard to keep her family out of the castle and nobility section since she did not want people to find out about them and target them)

    It was a modest two-story house her family had been relocated in. It had a small frontwn along with a kitchen garden in the back. She spotted her brother right away. He was ying outside the house and had not spotted Howl yet.

    She entertained the idea of spooking him by sneaking around his guard but then decided against it. Her brother deserved to have a nice time with her.

    "Howl, you''re back. You don''t have a nice sister with you?" The kid asked as he looked around for Neah. The princess had made sure to apany her every time she decided to visit her family. So in Shou''s eyes, she was like another sister.

    Not that Howl minded anymore. The princess was fond of Shou to a degree and even made sure to offer him the best of the best. She was nice like that and it was all these traits that made it easy for Howl to forgive her.

    "She has some work to do today but she gave me a day off. Now, what are you doing out here, and how''s mother doing?" Howl asked, finally reaching her brother. He had grown taller and it irked Howl to have missed that development.

    The child was alsoing out of his shell and blooming into his talents.

    "Mother is alright now. Doctors say that she''ll make a full recovery soon. But sis, there is something else I want to show you. There is a ghost in the forest and I made friends with it." Shou exined as excitement colored his voice.

    It made Howl curious as well since she had not heard anything about a ghost in the forest. Maybe she should check it out and see if it''s dangerous.

 Chapter 170 168: The Last Words

    "A ghost in the forest? And you went to see it alone?" Howl was not usually an overbearing kind of sister. If her brother wanted to explore on his own, he had the full freedom to do so as long as he promised to take care of himself.

    And Shou was not weak. His innate magic was stronger than some of the fully-grown magicians Howl had the pleasure of meeting. It made Shou well-protected and also well-established in the social hierarchy. Some so many people had their eyes on Shou already.

    But something about this situation bugged Howl. She was not sure what it was about, but there was an unsettling feeling inside her heart when she heard about the ghost of the forest. Maybe it was just because of all the talk about the ''killer'' that was floating around the royal chambers.

    "Hmm. I call it a ghost but I''m quite sure the creature is living. But it has all its insides showing and it''s so huge and has fire as well as machinery. I didn''t know what else to call it" Shou exined. He sounded excited at his discovery but Howl was not that thrilled with the exnation.

    It sounded less like a natural creature and more like a spell gone wrong. It would be difficult to tell with this description alone but Howl was sure that someone was trying out something harmful they needed to stop.

    Howl was nning to take care of this problem herself but she also wanted to let the royal guards know what was going on. Having such a monster on the loose was not a great idea with the meeting going on.

    "Shou, bring me themunication paper from the house. I''ll need to send a message to princess Neah about the ghost" Howl asked in the calmest voice she could.

    She knew that her words would upset her brother but it was her duty to look out for him and everyone else. Her brother also had no self-preservation instincts when it came to those monsters and something exciting.

    "B-But why? You''re not thinking of killing the ghost, right? It''s my friend and it''s done nothing wrong" Shou sounded upset, just as Howl had known he would be. Her brother was predictable and also too young to know what was happening.

    And in many ways, it was Howl''s fault that things had escted to this extreme. She had always made sure to keep Shou aware of this side of things and it had created an immunity inside the kid in return.

    Now he did not even think of danger as a danger but as another part of his life.

    "Shou, he could be dangerous but if he''s not then we will leave him alone" Howl bargained but she already knew she had lost her brother''s attention. The kid looked back at her with betrayed eyes.

    "You don''t believe me when I say that the ghost is a good creature. You''re going to kill him regardless" which was true. They were not going to take any chance with such a creature.

    Not with the node being this unstable and Albest looking to gain a foothold in their kingdom. There was too much at risk to allow a potential killer on the loose.

    Howl would rather be ''safe than sorry.

    "Shou, don''t be a fool and-" Howl knew her brother was going to run away but she could not stop it. She tried to move but her feet forze at their ce.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was all the distraction Shou needed to start running toward the forest. The magic holding Howl did notst, betraying its temporary nature but the damage had been done. Shou was already out of her reach.

    "Darn it. That brat is not worth all this pain" Howlined, knowing that she was going to follow after her brother anyway. She had no other choice since she was attached.

    But she also had a duty to let the Royal family know of the danger. Neah would be so disappointed in her if she did not report back at the earliest.

    So Howl made a decision and entered the house with urgency. Themunication papers were kept inside her mother''s room and Howl froze outside it. She had not seen her mother for some time but she did want to see her.

    She just had a feeling that she needed to see her mother. She could feel the aura of death lingering around the olddy and her heart leaped into her throat.

    "Come in dear child. Are you not going to visit this old Lady for thest time?" The voice beckoned Howl to enter. She could not go against it without paining herself and Howl didn''t even try to fight againstmand.

    She allowed her body to lead her inside the room, her eyes zed over with unshed tears. The old woman who had taken care of her looked so fragile and breakable that Howl was not even sure what she could do to help out.

    "Where has that little imp taken off to? I told him to stay home today. Something bad is going to happen" the old woman asked. She sounded worried and so certain that Howl had to wonder if it was a promotion.

    But it was a silly thought and her mother was not a seer. It was likely a passing feeling being attuned to the world at death''s gate gave the elder woman. Howl knew that the old woman would notst long.

    "It''s nice to see you, mother. I''m afraid I made Shou mad and he took off into the forest. I''ll go chase him as soon as I send a letter to princess Neah" Howl shifted in her ce as the dark eyes of her mother looked back at her.

    The elder woman had a knowing smile on her face that made Howl nervous. The elder looked like she knew something Howl did not and it was concerning to be looked at like that.

    "The princess, huh? She''s a good kid, if not a little misguided. Make sure you drag her toward the right path. Hard times will being for everyone" her mother paused, her eyes looking far away before she snapped back. "Now go and bring your brother back.

    Howl had so many questions she wanted to ask of the woman who had raised her, so many things she wanted to tell her.

    But it all fell t when she looked into the knowing eyes of the elder. It felt like whatever she wanted to tell her, the olddy already knew.

    In the end, Howl left the house feeling her heart heavy with the knowledge of what was toe.

 Chapter 171 169: Dont You Dare

    "The curse being put on you is shining bright. Be careful or it might engulf you whole" Maria felt those words hit her and she could feel a disturbance in her magic. Along with her own, there were many other sources of magic inside her that she had never paid attention to before.

    It was often said that if you pull magic from a source, it tends to stay with you forever. The world, your surroundings, and even the people you''ve been with left marks on your being. Maria had never paid much attention to it before.

    But now? Now she could see those little details. Theck of external factors made Maria more in tune with her internal magic. She could feel the magic inside her swirl around and reach out toward her core.

    She had never seen magic be this sensitive before to hermand but it still refused to move how she wanted it to. It got stuck underneath her skin every time she tried tomand it.

    "Is that why I can''t use magic right now? I can feel it inside me but it refuses to respond to me" it worried Maria a lot, her inability to be able to perform her magic.

    She had initially thought of it as a by-product of being in this ce but maybe it was more than that. Her system had not told her about it in its initial report but Maria had not probed either.

    "It''s not just you but Jamaica as a whole that has been cursed. However, as a magic user, you feel that curse more closely. It won''t be long before it takes you over as well and you be unable to use magic as well. Can''t you feel your magic fade?" The female with Yura''s face asked.

    "No" the answer was almost instantaneous and spoken with Maria''s instincts in y.

    Maria had never noticed it before but those eyes had no pupils. It was unnerving to look into those eyes and be able to maintain calm. They were distracting and also made her lose focus with their shiny reflection.

    Maria took a deep breath to focus on the question being asked. Had she lost any of her magic without knowing? It did not feel as if anything was missing inside her reserves, even if they did run a little low.

    She coughed to interpret the tense atmosphere her words had created and continued her exnation.

    "I don''t feel as if any of my magic is missing, just obstructed. However, I won''t be able to tell the difference until I''m able to perform magic" Maria rified. She hoped that she had not just offended the queen in front of her.

    The magic around her pressed against Maria in warning but she ignored it. It was not hurting her and likely will not hurt her as long as she kept herself physically in check.

    "Is that so? I guess only time will tell such things. The influence of the divine is strong on you so maybe you are being protected for now. But what is your intention ining here? People don''t travel to Jamaica often" the queen asked.

    She seemed to be past the whole ''no-magic'' talk so Maria did not bring it back. She had a feeling her meddling would not be appreciated by the Queen.

    Then again, she could try and strong-arm her way with her system. And if not, well, she''ll think of something eventually.

    "My primary objective was to deal with the node. Since Jamaica''s node is not workable, I wish to move to the next world" Maria replied back. As much as she did not want to offend the queen, she also did want to move on to the next world.

    The more she stayed in Jamaica, the more she felt like something was wrong with this ce. And herck of magic did not do her any favors. This ce held a lot of the answers to the questions Maria had, but she was not sure if she was ready to hear those answers yet.

    "Oh! Running away, are we? Unfortunately for you, you do not have that choice. Once the curse has affected you, you cannot leave this ne. If only you had not met that shadow in the forest, you would still have that option" the queen replied back.

    For all her interest, she sounded amused and bored at the same time. Maria could tell that the queen did not care about her circumstances in the slightest and if Maria tried to force her way through, she should be stopped.

    Still, Maria took one step toward the source of magic she could feel and the bound body of the queen finally showed moment. Maria instantly felt the pressure of magic as veins parted to show a bony hand holding a spear.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The message was clear - stay away from the source of magic.

    "I don''t want to be your enemy but I can''t allow someone cursed toe in contact without a magical source. I hope you don''t take offense" the queen spoke. However, her tone worded it like she was the one who would take offense if Maria tried to get past her.

    This was troublesome for Maria and also time-consuming. She neither had the patience nor the time to stay here and y nice.

    "Is there some way to break this curse? I can''t stay here for long" Mariained. She was polite in asking but the silence made her lose hope.

    "It is not for me to say if there is a cure or not. However, there is one being here that can give you the answer you desire. Everything here is bound by the node''s will and the curse we harbor but the creature bound to you is far beyond this realm" The queen hinted before the vines started covering her body.

    Maria got the feeling that this was the end of their conversation and the queen was not in a mood to answer anything else.

    But she had given Maria enough of a head start to make progress. The answer to all her questionsy with Maria.

    ''System, do you know some way to break this curse?'' Maria asked. She was not going to let her system get away from half-assed answers again.

    [System is analyzing the curse¡­¡­

    Analyzing¡­¡­..

    Curse identified¡­.

    Searching avable cure¡­..

    None in the shop is avable. Searching world¡­¡­..

    Possible cure found - 2.

    Would the user like to see the list?]

    The system asked and Maria instantly pressed yes. And then she felt her heart sink as she read the cure.

    One was avable in the remains of the node which would be impossible to find without the queen.

    The other blinked at the location she had run away from - the younger Yura''s home. She would need to backtrack to a ce she didn''t want to. But Maria would if it meant leaving this ce.

    She had a task toplete.

 Chapter 172 170: The Decision Made

    ¡°Are you done with your talk? I am being assigned to you to look after your health and well-being while you stay here. The princess has taken a shine to you and asked me to do that¡± the naked woman who had apanied her to the royal pce found Maria as soon as she exited thepound.

    Her voice sounded annoyed at being made to y babysitter but Maria was surprised to hear about a princess.

    Why had this person never been mentioned before? Even the queen had not hinted about the existence of a princess before now?

    ¡°The princess? Do you have a whole royal family? But the queen-¡± Aurora started, only to stop herself short. These people had never seen their queen¡¯s face, much less known about her condition.

    Maria was not sure if the queen was even capable of reproducing in the state she had been. So unless she had been desperate for an heir, there was no way the queen was responsible for the existence of the princess.

    ¡°Oh no, you misunderstood. The queen and the princess are blessed by the magic in Jamaica. They are not rted by blood or even familial ties. They just appear one day with the mark¡± the naked beauty exined.

    This was weird but somehow it did seem to make sense. With the original queen in the condition she was in, there was no way she was going to provide an heir to this kingdom.

    ¡°So you groom the princess to take the queen¡¯s mantle when theye of age?¡± Maria asked but it caused the guard to pause and level Maria with a harsh gaze.

    It was so potent that it caused Maria to take a hesitant step back at its intensity.

    ¡°The queen would always be the queen. She¡¯s connected to Jamaica in a way no one else is. The princess is just a figurehead we keep around. Do not mistake them as one and the same again¡± The guard¡¯s tone left no room for back-talk.

    Maria had a feeling that she would have been stabbed if she had tried to speak back. So she kept quiet as she was led around feeling quite foolish.

    She had felt the queen¡¯s power and knew it had been simr to Lady Karin¡¯s and Lady Elma¡¯s. Of course, the queen could not be reced like that without the node¡¯s input.

    However, did Jamaica even need a princess when they had an eternal queen ruling over them? It felt like such a counter-productive thing to have. But Maria held this question in, not wanting to offend these people again. She had already caused one faux pause.

    She needed to appease the guard so that the rest of this trip was uneventful and also cooperative.

    ¡°Of course. I felt your queen¡¯s magic and it¡¯s really strong¡± Maria praised and saw the guard straighten up a little. The praise had done its work and the guard no longer showed her hostility.

    ¡°That it is. But we should start heading back to your quarters now. The princess has called for an audience with you in the next few¡± The guard informed and Maria almost cursed. She had been thinking of leaving in the morning hours.

    ¡°Alright¡± the agreement was reluctant but Maria decided to take the chance and have this meeting. For all she knew, this princess might turn out to be a saving grace for Maria and her journey.

    The canopy of the royal grounds finally faded and Maira saw night¡¯s darkness in front of her. The sky looked just the same as it had been when she had entered the royal chambers.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Now, Maria had not expected the night to magically disappear while she had been inside, she had expected it to have changed a little bit. But it felt as if the time had not passed at all since she had entered the royal chambers.

    The naked guard followed Maria¡¯s amazed nce toward the sky and let out a sigh.

    ¡°The sky will stay the same till the ¡®curse¡¯ in the forest decided it to be so. Don¡¯t worry about it so much as you¡¯ll get used to it soon¡± The guard assured but Maria was not sure if that sure a good thing for her.

    For someone to have this much control over this world, they had to be connected to the node in some way. And with the node gone, there was no telling what this would result into.

    "Does this happen often?" Maria asked, trying to get more information out of the woman in front of her. This phenomenon was unheard of in her continent, but here it seemed like amon enough to not even warrant a second look.

    The guard followed Maria''s eyes toward the sky with a mncholic look, her eyes zed over. She looked as if she wanted to say something but was unable to open her mouth.

    And then the magic interfered. It was the gentlest of waves, the barest of moments but Maria felt it interfere with the guard. The zed eyes nked for a single second and Maria knew whatever she was about to tell her was gone from her mind.

    "The sky has always been like this. That is why we need our princess. She''s the only one who canbat the ''curse'' and make the time change regrly. However, this only happens when she wants it to happen" the guard replied back, the zed and nk look finally fading.

    Maria knew she had missed her opportunity to ask questions so she quieted down. The root of her solution was obviously the princess here and Maria felt curious about her.

    Maybe going to meet the princess before she left was not a bad idea. She could try to get a little assistance out of the royal or even some answers if she was lucky.

    Besides, it''s not like she had a better idea about this whole thing. She was still restricted with her magic and the curse made her unable to gain any advantage. She would need outside help and knowledge if she was to seed.

    And what better way to do that than to appease the princess. Even if she had nowhere the same influence as the queen, she was someone who could use magic as well. And

    And so far, Maria had learned that princesses have resourceful people around them that coulde in handy in various situations. She could totally take advantage of this and leave this ce.

    "I think I would like to meet your princess as well. She seemed like a delightful child" the guard gave her a look that did not seem pleased with Maria but she chose not to care.

    As long as she got to meet the princess, it did not matter to her.

    (I''ll make a deal with you all. For every 100 privilege chapter unlocked, I will do a spicy extra R-18 scene as a side piece. It will not be canon but will be free to read)

 Chapter 173 171: My Friend

    "Shou,e back here Shou. I''m not angry at you and I won''t scold you" Howl yelled as she made her way through the forest. There was something wrong with this forest for sure. It felt far too quiet and monotonous for Howl''s taste.

    There was a feeling of doom all around the ce that left her feeling cold and bothered. It felt like she was about to suffocate by her own feelings and she could not understand how it didn''t bother her brother in the slightest?

    Was it because he was a human? Too young to feel this? Too magically advanced to be affected? Whatever the reason was, it could not be good.

    "Shou" Howl yelled, not being able to feel her brother''s aura as well. The bright spot that Shou was could not be spotted no matter how much she tried.

    Howl continued her trek till she reached the only known clearing in the forest. It had beenbeled as the forbidden zone due to all the powerful beasts that used to live there. She had visited this ce once with Neha before and it had been loud.

    ording to the soldiers that had apanied her, fightsmonly urred here and it was never quiet. But now it was deadly quiet and Howl felt worried about what it could mean.

    "Howl, you followed after me. I won''t allow you to kill the ghost" her kid brother yelled from across the clearing, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

    Howl had not even sensed him, much less seen so it surprised her to see her brother standing in front of her without her knowledge. It was a testament to how much this ce was affecting her.

    "I don''t care about the ghost or anything else. We need to go back to our mother now. She wants to talk to you" Howl exined. She knew that the younger was angry with her but even he would not ignore her words if it were about their mother.

    Howl was counting on this fact and she felt satisfied when she saw the younger''s anger slip into uncertainty.

    "M-Mother? Wasn''t she resting? Did you visit her? N-No, you''re trying to fool me, aren''t you? You''re trying to fool me toe back so that you can take care of the ghost in my absence" the kid guessed with an angry pout.

    He was not wrong since this was one of the reasons Howl had been trying to get him away but it was not the main one. The main reason was their mother.

    "I''m not lying to you. Mother really doesn''t have much longer to live so I would like you to have yourst words with her as well" Howl pushed all her sincerity in her voice to show that she was not joking.

    Her brother realized that as well, his eyes widening. For all the teasing Howl did with him as the target, this topic was not one she was about to instigate during this time. There were things you could joke about and then there were things you should never joke about.

    "B-But she was alright in the morning? Howl, wait here for a second while I go and say goodbye to the ghost" the kid yelled as he ran away.

    It happened too fast for Howl to react and she could only watch as her brother left her sight.

    Then she snapped out of her daze and followed after him with a curse. She didn''t know why but she had a bad feeling about this ghost.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The appearance of such an entity along with the warning Neha had issued her, all seemed too interconnected in her mind. She did not have to be a seer to know something bad was about to happen.

    It was magic that hit Howl first, the feeling of dominance as well as over-consuming despairing from the heap of meat in front of her. The more Howl felt the stronger that feeling got.

    And then her eyes registered the fact that her brother was trying to climb on top of that heap of flesh.

    "Shou, get down. What are you doing?" Howl questioned as she worriedly watched her brother make the climb. He looked confident and nor worried at all but Howl felt her hearte to her throat at the disy of numbness.

    That was too dangerous and could end up killing her brother if he was not careful.

    "No, it''s alright Howl. The ghost will not hurt me. He doesn''t even move and just lies there. The only reason I know he''s alive is because he breathes and gives off this weird magic" her brother exined. He sounded certain but Howl felt terrified.

    The kind of magic being let out of the creature was not normal. It left her breathless and she was standing so far away from the body. She had no idea how her brother was even able to find the courage to venture close to that body.

    Howl was so worried about her brother that she missed the moment that huge body moved a little. The magic was too strong to register even if it changed and it left Shou as the only one to feel the change happening.

    Still, he was a kid and did not think anything of it. He slowly made his way in front of the huge metallic face and finned down at it.

    "Hello, friend. I''m sorry I can''t stay here longer today since my sister needs me back home. See, there she is - My sister Howl. She works for Princess Neah and¡­woooh" the body actually reacted at the name.

    Howl was not sure if it was because of her or the princess''s name, but it caused the magic to get angry andsh out at its surroundings. The imbnce also caused Shou to fall down from the huge body.

    Howl felt her body move on its own as it hurried up to catch her falling brother. The fall wasrge enough to break bones and she liked her brother alive.

    "I thought he did not move," Howl asked as she eyed the huge body picking itself up from the ground. Blue eyes looked back at her and they felt familiar to her. They looked like Neha''s eyes when she was filled with power and vigor and they also promised death to her.

    "Hello, friend. It''s nice to see you up and about. My name is Shou" her brother, the fearless idiot, spoke up. He sounded excited while Howl felt dread fill her heart.

    They were going to die. Those eyes promised death and the body it was attached to did not seem to have enough brain capacity to change its decision.

    And then the weirdest thing happened. Those eyes looked at her brother and softened. And suddenly, there was hope for them.

 Chapter 174 172: Loosing The Brother

    The giant non-human looked at Shou as if he was something precious. Even Howl could understand that look but she still did not feel satisfied enough to levae her kid brother in the monster¡¯s hand.

    Just because it was not doing anything dangerous right now did not mean it would remain this docile all the time. Howl would rather not take a chance to have something happen to her brother at all.

    ¡°Shou, I think we¡¯ve had enough fun. Now say bye and let¡¯s go¡± Howl yelled and those soul-less blue eyes turned to her. They unnerved her a lot more than she had been letting on since they were a replica of Neah¡¯s.

    The monster also did not seem to appreciate her butting in or typing to hide her brother behind her back since Howl could feel the pressure of magic surrounding her as she yelled. The creature did not like her interfering but it did not seem as if her brother was being affected.

    ¡°But Howl, he just woke up after a long time. He also says he¡¯s lonely so I want to keep himpany. I¡¯m sure mom would understand¡± Shou yelled back as he made his way toward the creature.

    Howl tensed, waiting for the time the monster decided to attack her brother. She would not let anything happen to him but she also did not want to spook the creature.

    Amazingly, the creature did not attack her brother at all. Those eyes were back on her brother as he made his way near the huge body.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®he says he¡¯s lonely?¡¯ I don¡¯t hear anything. And mom won¡¯t be disappointed, she¡¯d be dead¡± Howlined. Her heart gave a painful and fearful beat as she watched her brother step on top of the creature¡¯s hand.

    Howl flight against the magic keeping her in ce. She needed to get to her brother and get him away from that creature before something major happened. This magic did not feel right to her, so why couldn¡¯t her brother see it as well.

    That creature was nothing but trouble. It was abnormal and should not even exist.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to say anything for me to hear, the magic is clear enough in its speech. The magic wants me to help him out so I would like to help him out. I¡¯m sure mom would understand¡± for all the bravery her brother was showing, he did sound hesitant when he spoke of their mother.

    However, even that thought was not enough to bring him back to Howl¡¯s side and she had to wonder just what it was that the magic was telling Shou.

    Her brother had always been a strange kid, a little withdrawn and hearing magic as he grew up. As such, Howl had no idea what was going on inside his mind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool. Shou, Pleasee back here¡± Howl almost begged. She had never begged before with this desperation. Even with Neah, she had a feeling that things would work out.

    But now? Now, the future was a nk te and Howl had no idea how to solve this thing with her brother.

    Her broken expression seemed to have done the trick since it caused Shou¡¯s eyes to widen and he took a hesitant step toward Howl. But since he was still on top of the hand, it only took a single motion and her brother¡¯s form disappeared behind the huge hand.

    The fingers closed around the small body and cut off Howl¡¯s visual ess to her brother.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°SHOU, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?¡± Howl asked. She heard muffled yells back that told her that Shou was alright but the titan was in no mood to let her brothere with her. It picked up the small body and started to move.

    Howl knew it was foolish of her to engage the monster on her own. There was no guarantee of sess, much less winning but she could not let the monster take her brother away.

    She had promised her mother that she would look after him.

    Her magic charged in her hand as she brought forth her weapon and attacked the legs. It was the perfect way to ensure that the monster would stop walking and give her time to secure her brother.

    Howl knew she could not win, so her only out of this situation was Neah and her arrival. She had sent the message to the princess already so it was only a stalling game. Unlike her, Neah would be able to track Howl in this forest with ease.

    ¡°Alright, you asked for it. Let my brother go and we can do this the easy way¡± Howl yelled as her weapon made contact with the skin.

    She braced herself for an impact but her weapon didn¡¯t even make a dent in the huge body mass of the creature. Instead, the magic rebounded and caused a small shock wave to backfire toward Howl¡¯s body.

    She dodged it but it still managed to get her in her side. The gash bled through her clothes and her hand reached out to support her side.

    And to add salt to the injury, the huge creature didn¡¯t even flinch at her attack. It still continued to move away from her as she bled out.

    Howl tried to move but the blood would not stop flowing. She even tried to direct her magic toward her injury but was unable to. The magic seemed as if it was flowing out of her at a rapid rate and so was her energy.

    It was so bad that her knees were not even able to support her weight and they buckled down. Howl knew she would likely not survive this encounter but she had to do something.

    She had to make it easier for Neah to find her brother and kill that creature once and for all. Howl had seen the magic that creature had and she was sure that it could not be allowed to survive for the good of humanity.

    ¡°Princess, she¡¯s here. We found her¡± Howl¡¯s ears heard those words but her eyes were focused on the disappearing figure of the creature in front of her. She used whatever magic she had to mark that huge body before she felt her consciousness fade away.

    From her on, it would be up to Neah and others to stop that creature. Howl could finally rest in peace. Even as her body was picked up, all Howl felt a cold embrace of sleep and an even colder embrace of numbness.

    She was out before Neah reached her body or could ask her any question but she had done her part. She could finally rest now, knowing that her only remaining family was safe.

    At her home, her mother took herst breath as well, tears flowing down her old face.

 Chapter 175 173: The Hall Of The Princess

    ¡°You are not going toe in again?¡± Maria asked her baked guard who stopped in front of the main door. To Maria, it felt like she was being led into a trap all on her own. She had been assured that her life was not in danger but Maria could not help how she felt trapped.

    The only reason she knew that her life was not in danger was that her instincts were not screaming at her to run. Nor did she have a vision that could tell her what was about to happen.

    ¡°Only invited guests and members of the princess¡¯s harem are allowed entry. A lowly guard such as me has no business entering this pce¡± the guard exined. She looked pinched for some reason but Maria was not courteous enough to ask.

    Besides, she had just met the guard a few hours ago. She did not feel close enough to her to make such personalments just this early in their rtionship.

    ¡°I understand¡± Maria ended their talk with her words. There was nothing else left for her to say as she entered the pce. The huge doors closed behind her, leaving her to face the mostvish garden she had ever seen.

    Jamaica was not a poor ce, far from it. But it did seem tock a lot of natural resources due to the condition its node was in. This garden was a direct contrast to the outdoor situation with itsvishness and magic density.

    Maria could even spot some rare variety of nts she had seen on Gerna being grown here. Those were magical herbs that required an intensive amount of magical energy to keep on growing.

    This princess sure was bold and uncaring to make such a ce right in the middle of the crisis Jamaica was facing with its magic and it irritated Maria. It also made her instantly dislike the princess.

    Various naked maids made their way around Maria, not looking up at her as she went further inside the pce. They seemed to be avoiding her gaze, their eyes timid and resolute to not look at her.

    It was clear to see the signs of mistreatment even when the physical marks were not present on their bodies. Abuse did not only leave physical marks, after all but there were also enough mental markers to cripple someone for life.

    However, as much as Maria wanted to stop and ask someone about their condition, she also knew not to butt her head where she was not needed. These people would not appreciate an outsidering to their rescue.

    Also, as much as she hated to admit it, she did need the princess¡¯s help. Alienating her this early was just asking for trouble on her behalf.

    Maria continued walking till she was stopped by a guard at the inner pce gate. For the first time, Maria saw someone wearing clothes. The cover was a flimsy band of cloth but it did cover all the major parts of the guard¡¯s body.

    ¡°Halt. How did you enter this ce?¡± the guard questioned. It was not threatening, merely ceremonious but Maria still felt irritated by the interruption.

    ¡°I was lead here. The guards outside informed me that the princess wanted to see me¡± Maria calmed her temper that wanted to explode. These people were irritating and their voices seemed to hold no emotion.

    They felt like dolls ying a role more than humans.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°You are permitted to go in¡± and just like that, the inner doors opened as well. The guard did not even spare her a nce as she passed him.

    The inside was even morevish than the outside. However, the only difference between the inside and the outside was the naked females from the outside had been reced by men. Beautiful and barely dressed as they were, there was no mistaking the figures.

    Various bodies were draped all over the surfaces at disy and Maria averted her eyes from them. Even if they did nothing for her, it still felt invasive for her to see them in such a situation.

    There were one or two situational girls in there as well but they were rare whenpared to the number of men upying the ce.

    And in the center of it all sat avishly dresseddy in all flowing silk and covered in gold. Her almost-delicate body rested in thep of a guy who had been bound to the throne behind her.

    It was a picture that should not be for others¡¯ eyes but it was happening right in the middle of a popted hall and Maria felt embarrassment creep up her face.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the outsider who was called forth by our queen? You look weak but still beautiful enough. Alright, I¡¯ve made my decision. You¡¯ll join my harem as the 100th member. Guards, take her away and prepare her for the ceremony¡± thedy on the throne called.

    She sounded bored as if she had nothing to do with the happenings going on inside the room and Maria felt insulted.

    She turned to leave but was stopped by the guards. They looked back at her as if asking her to cooperate with her but Maria was not going to have it. Her swift moves made a quick work of the guards.

    But before she could leave, she felt magic trying to bind her. But Maria was too worked up to allow it and too angry to care. She let her magic interact with the neutral magic in the air and twist the princess¡¯s magic.

    It helped that the magic was not as fond of the princess as it had been of the little girl in the forest. The princess also was not a master in controlling her magic as the queen had been.

    As such, it was really easy for Maria to be able to deflect every attempt being made to detain her. She could also feel the princess getting frustrated at being stopped again and again.

    ¡°Everyone, stop her at all costs. If she escaped here then it would be your heads that would pay the price¡± the princess yelled and Maria felt her temper rise. Maria had no idea why she did it, but she made her way toward the princess and her hand met the princess¡¯s cheeks.

    The silence that rang through the hall was something no one had expected, and so was the red blooming on the princess¡¯s face. Maria had not expected herself to be in this situation, but she had ended up being in this.

    And her blood also boiled to see such a selfish princess. This was no way for royalty to behave and Maria would not stand to be treated like this.

 Chapter 176 174: The Contract

    The sound of the p was sharp enough to still echo once Maria had taken a step back to admire her work. The red print stood out vividly on the princess¡¯s skin and it left quite an impression on the on-lookers.

    Everyone in the hall seemed to be staring at Maria¡¯s work in a morbid fascination but no one made any noise to acknowledge what had just happened right in front of their eyes. It almost seemed as if they could not believe that someone would be brave enough to do this.

    No one except the princess was sitting there and gaping like a goldfish. She seemed to be the only one who could move about and her hand slowly reached for her cheek with an expression of disbelief.

    ¡°Y-You hit me. Did you dare to hit me? B-But how? T-T-The magic should have s-stopped you¡± the princess stuttered. Her voice betrayed how unsettled she felt and Maria would have felt sorry under other circumstances.

    But she felt rage right now for the abuse of power the princess had shown her. Her eyes zed with an unholy light and it caused the princess in front of her to flinch at seeing that look.

    ¡®Good. let her feel afraid of me¡¯ Maria could not stop her dark thoughts, nor did she want to. It felt good to admit the truth inside her mind.

    ¡°You are not the only one who can control magic here. And it¡¯s not very fond of you as well. I can easily take care of you and it will not interfere¡± Maria bluffed as she kneeled in front of the fallen princess.

    She red at anyone who tried to approach them and help the princess down. She needed this lesson to stick with the princess and it was causing the others in the room to avoid looking in their direction.

    ¡°You all should leave now. Your princess and I need to have a serious talk¡± the ves and the harem members shared a look before they finally left.

    Much to the princess¡¯s disbelief, not even one person gave her a backward nce and she could only sit there and see it all happen. But it was not long before she snapped out of that daze and her eyes turned angrily toward her people.

    ¡°Hey, where do you think you are going? Don¡¯t you dare leave or I¡¯ll make sure your life will turn into hell¡± the princess threatened. She did not look very threatening while sitting on the floor like that but it did cause the people to stop in fear.

    However, another re from Maria caused them all to snap back into motion and flee the hall as fast as humanly possible. It left Maria alone with the princess and she could see the stunned silence that had been left behind.

    ¡°Those fools. I will make sure they all suffer for abandoning me like this¡± the princess spat. She sounded angry but also hurt at being left behind like this. Maria had been expecting this reaction so she let the female yell her empty threats.

    Once the other was done yelling, Maria grabbed her arm and made her face the younger head-on. Their eyes shed before the princess flinched just a little.

    ¡°What is your problem? Don¡¯t stick your nose in where it is not needed. If you don¡¯t want to be a harem member, you don¡¯t have to be¡± the princess finally relented as she looked away from Maria¡¯s intense gaze.<novelnext></novelnext>

    One could tell that she felt out of her depth and did not want to continue this conversation at all. But Marai could not let it drop here. She had to make the princess realize what she had been doing wrong.

    ? ¡°I am not sticking my nose anywhere. You are the one who made this my problem so you might as well stick around to see me rectify it. I¡¯m going to make sure you don¡¯t treat people like objects again¡± the princess looked panicked for a moment but then her expression turned into a haughty one.

    Maria felt surprise course through her as the princess looked back at her filled with confidence. She seemed not to be worried about what Maria was about to do.

    ¡°Alright, try your best shot. But I¡¯ll just overpower you in magic and make you mine as well. You are interesting enough¡± Maria did not know what happened but it felt like a switch had been flipped inside the princess.

    Maria felt the magic trying to im her and bind her to the princess. It was an advanced form of magic and if carried out sessfully would leave her at the princess¡¯s mercy. She could see how the princess was able to keep this many people in her harem without protesting.

    Too bad for her, Maria was not going to fall for this trick. Maria had a lot more going for her than small magic tricks and it was about time the princess looked at real magic.

    Maria caught the magic before it could start binding her and reversed the direction of the bind. She was not sure if the princess could feel this change or not, but Maria did not really care about it.

    She allowed the magic to mingle together before she slowly started tightening the thread. It was a binding contract and could not be broken once it had been written. And as much as Maria did not want to be responsible for the princess, it felt wrong to leave her behaving like this.

    By the time the princess caught on to the thwart was happening, it was toote for her to be able to do anything. The contract had already been formed and it dictated the princess as property. The appearance of the bond mark on the arm was also a huge rm g for the princess and her yell knocked out Maria from her concentration.

    That was the only reason the bond was left iplete and not two-way. The princess had doomed herself for all eternity with her foolishness with a half-formed bond.

    ¡°Y-Y-Y-YOU. WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?¡± The princess yelled as she clutched her arm. She could clearly tell what had happened but she seemed as if she could not believe her eyes.

    ¡°I reversed your spell on you. It is your own fault for trying to y with me. Now if you would excuse me, I have a ce to be at and a curse to break¡± Maria pushed herself away from the bbergasted princess.

    She did not care what happened next since the princess had been bound and would not be able to abuse people as she had liked. Her days of tyranny were over atst.

 Chapter 177 175: Princess Chases

    It all happened so fast for the princess. She had been living her best life a few minutes ago and now she was bounded by the same magic she used on her harem members. She did not even dare to look at her mark as she watched her ¡®master¡¯ leave.

    The magic was forcing the princess to leave with the pink-haired demoness, to assist her in whatever she desired but the princess knew she could resist her. She did not want to leave her life of luxury and rest she had earned by being as good as magic as she was.

    She had been chosen by the dozen of people in Jamaica to be the princess so she knew she was special. She had to be or she would not have been chosen at all. These people were lucky that the princess had saved them from a life of poverty outside of the pce.

    So what if they had to cater to her whims once in a while? They could do that since the princess had allowed them to live in her home.

    But even the princess had known that her life had been a little empty. As fun as these people had been, they had been unable to curb the loneliness inside of the princess.

    It also did not help that they were too afraid to even speak up against her and it sometimes made the princess even harsher when dealing with her harem members.

    But this ounder had been different and interesting. That was the excuse the princess gave for her fast-beating heart. The other¡¯s attitude had interested her and made the princess want to know more about her.

    It had to be love and not fear because the princess had nothing to fear from. The magic would not let her get hurt in any way shape or form (although it had just allowed her to be hurt).

    ¡°Guards, anyone. Hurry up and help me out. Prepare clothes for me since I need to go out¡± the princess yelled, forgetting that she was alone in the hall right now.

    It took a long time for her to realize why no one wasing to help her out but the princess just huffed once she realized why no one else came.

    It irritated the princess but she did not dwell on it for long. She did not care much and left the room to get ready on her own. She did not need those stupid guards, nor did she need the maids to be able to get dressed on her own.

    She would be out and about as soon as she figured out which side of her dress was inside out and which buckle correspond to which hole and how it was tied around the waist and-

    ¡°Princess, do you need help tying up your clothes?¡± a servant finally arrived at her room, her eyes wide in surprise at seeing the princess¡¯s state. The princess knew she had been looking ridiculous but she kept her temper in.

    Even if she had wanted tosh out, the magic tightened around her in a warning and she hurriedly shut up her mouth. She did not want to see what would happen should she lose her temper with the maid for no reason.

    ¡°Yes, I will allow you to help me out here since I am in a hurry¡± the princess replied back in a haughty tone.

    But theugh she got back told her that her words had not been taken seriously at all by the maid. She also got a feeling that she was beingughed at by the others around her but she did not allow it to get to her.

    She just focused on the mirror and allowed the maid to help her out with the clothes and make-up. She kept at it till she felt everything was perfect and then turned around to leave.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Princess, where are you going? You have the selection ceremony for your new harem members¡± the maid asked, her voice sounding worried and scared at the new mood her mistress had found herself in.

    She was not sure what to make of the look in the princess¡¯s eyes since she had never seen that before and all she could do was a pity the one who must have chased the princess to look like that.

    It would not be long till the rumors of what happened inside would reach her and the maid would remember the mark she saw on the princess¡¯s arm. But till then, she would be amongst the people who were surprised at the princess¡¯s new mood.

    ¡°I am going out. The ceremony had been postponed until further notice and would be picked upter. Tell the guards to not let anyone in or out of here till Ie back¡± the princess ordered as she finally left thepound.

    The guard clouds not help but snort once they heard the order. The princess? Leaving thepound? It would be the first time for her to be doing such a thing and they were not sure if the princess would even be able to survive outside. She had never ventured to the outskirts before.

    ¡°I hope she dies there. At least we would all be free then¡± The reply was half-hearted but sincere. The princess was not well-liked but she was a necessary part of their life.

    For all their ¡®titles¡¯ no one remembered how to live in the outside world any longer. The luxury of the pce had spoiled them all and they were used to this ce being their home.

    And as bad as the princess could be, she was still akin to family and they all hade to care about her. The guards generally did not see her bad side so their impression was not as bad as the harem members.

    Still, it caused an uproar in the pce and it was not long before a toon was dispatched to look for their run-away princess.

    But on the other side of the forest, Maria felt a headache m into her at lightning speed as she met the princess dressed in flowing garments and haughty expressions.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you need to go back to your maids and harem?¡± Maria asked, her tone filled with irritation as she parried away another attack from the beast in front of her.

    She was just ying with the beast, not really in any danger but she did feel annoyed at the distraction the princess was causing her. She did not want the other here and she was letting the princess know that as well.

    ¡°Well, get used to it since I¡¯m not going anywhere. You stole my heart so I¡¯ll take yours as well¡± the princess confessed.

    (This book will end after one more arch. After the Jamaica Arc, we will head to Albest and that will be thest arc for this book. Anything more will be posted in a separate book but we''ll see. It''ll be close to 250 chapters. But it''ll all depend so don''t help me to it.

    If the story demands, I will go over it and add a few more arcs)

 Chapter 178 176: Taking The Beast Down

    Maria red at the woman at her side in hope that it would relevant to some kind of plot she was not seeing but the princess sounded like she was delusional and serious at the same time. Maria could not help but cradle her head in her hand as soon as she heard those words.

    She had never heard such bullshit in her life before. There had to be a reason for the princess to have stepped outside in this dangerous environment and it didn¡¯t even look like she had guards with her. Just what was this girl nning on doing?

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. Go back home¡± Maria almost yelled but held herself back. There was no point in alienating the princess anymore than she had already done. It was not like the princess would be able to go back to her previous lifestyle at all.

    But the princess had other ideas and her gaze met Maria¡¯s as their wills shed. The princess refused to back down and she even fought the magic when it tried to make her obey.

    Maria knew it must be ufortable and slightly painful as well to go against the natural magic like that but the princess did not let it show up on her face. Her regal self did not change as she stared Maria down.

    ¡°I am the princess and I get what I want. If I want toe with you then I wille with you. Wasn¡¯t my cooperation the reason you epted my offer to meet in the first ce?¡± the princess asked.

    Maria could only look back at the female as her mouth gaped a little due to shock. She was not even sure the princess had been paying attention to her except in the harem sense but Maria had clearly underestimated the female.

    Not only had she known the real reason Maria had decided to take up her offer to visit her home, but she was also using it to her advantage now.

    But still, as much as Maria did ¡®need¡¯ her help she was not so sure that she ¡®wanted¡¯ it. The princess was a wild card with her magic all over the ce.

    ¡°Just go home. I don¡¯t need a weakling like you to help me out. For all I know, you¡¯ll end up being a liability¡± Maria''s words were cutting and they must have stung the princess. The expression that bloomed on her face was one of pain.

    But the princess still help on, her eyes hardening as she red Maria down. It was an adorable attempt and the fluffy clothes only made it much cuter but Maria knew that anyone else in her ce would have shuddered.

    ¡°You do not get to order me. I will go back when I want to and- hey. Stop walking away from me¡± the princessined as she watched Maria walk away from the clearing.

    Her footsteps chased after Maria which the oracle did not mind. It would be better for them to get out of the clearing before continuing the conversation. It was not a safe ce to be and Maria had seen a huge body circling around them.

    She walked faster, picking up speed and the princess did the same. Despite all the liabilities she was carrying around her, the princess did manage to keep up with her.

    But so did their shadow. Maria could acutely make out the huge magical shape following after them and knew that it had to be a guardian beast of the forest. Maybe one had decided to check out what was going on.

    ¡°- and don¡¯t you dare ignore me. What¡¯s wrong? Why did you stop?¡± the princess asked as she watched Maria take a fighting pose. Maria gave her a ¡®shus¡¯ motion with her finger on her lip before she twisted her body.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her de collided with the beast¡¯s huge paw and stopped the iing attack. She put her body mass behind her and managed to send the beast back a few steps.

    ¡°Holy. Is that a guardian beast? I¡¯ve only heard about them from others and this one looks massive-¡± the princess continues. Was she even aware of the danger she was in? It did not seem as if she was.

    The beast looked at the princess as well, his eyes lighting up at the sight of another prey and Maria cursed under her breath as the beast changed targets.

    She was not able to stop the beast as it attacked the princess who barely managed to dodge. Her body looked to be alright but not her dress.

    ¡°Hey, watch it. This was very expensive¡± the princess yelled at the creature, her hands fisting at her side. As angry as she sounded, she also sounded cared for the beast, and for good reason.

    Those fangs looked like they could tear someone apart with ease and Maria had no intention of allowing the princess to be a victim of them. Not when Maria had kind of forced her to be the oracle¡¯s problem.

    ¡°Oi, princess. Run behind me and I¡¯ll distract the beast for now¡± Maria yelled, trying to get the princess¡¯s attention. Who knew what the princess was thinking but she did look scared of the beast.

    Thankfully, her panic was not deep enough for the princess to ignore Maria¡¯s yells. Her angry expression turned toward Maria as she dodged another life-threatening attack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®princess¡¯ all the time. I have a name and it is Venus. At least address me as Mistress Venus¡± the princess yelled back as she tried to run toward Maria.

    Maria ignored the yelling princess as she posed her body between her and the beast. The beast was a magical creature and would not die. But Maria still knew ways to send the beast back.

    She pulled at her magic reserves and felt another echo of her own. She looked back at the sulking princess with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°What? It is my life at stake as well¡± the princess yelled back but she still helped Maria with amplifying her magic. Maria just shook her head in a fond way at the princess¡¯s indirect help.

    And it helped a lot. Maria was barely able to move her magic but the princess helped her control the surroundings. It felt different, rawer, and scorching. It was not a permanent solution but would work in allowing her to be able to take the beast down.

    And down the beast went. The magic was too much for the poor beast to be able to manage alone and he just growled in warning as it engulfed him.

    And then Maria was left alone with the princess as the magic calmed down around her.

 Chapter 179 177: The Half-Point

    ¡°What is it? I¡¯m not a mind reader¡± Venus almost yelled as Maria stared at her in wonder. She could see that the princess felt nervous by having Maria¡¯s stare aimed at her. Not that Maria med her either.

    But still, she stared down at the princess with an appreciative look aimed at the other. She could almost not believe that the princess had ended up helping her out in that fight.

    ¡°You could have been free if the beast did manage to kill me. And you still helped me out? Maybe I misjudged you a bit too hard¡± Maria spoke under her breath. Her words were just loud enough for Venus to take offense to them.

    ¡°Let you die? Who do you think you are to tell me what I can and cannot do? True, I would have been free if you had died and I kind of did not think about that¡± the princess¡¯s expression went from angry to thoughtful.

    The re also turned toward Maria with a new light and the oracle could not help but feel as if she had made a mistake by telling the princess this new information. She was almost sure that the princess would not try anything with her at first.

    But everywhere else was a free game and Maria was not sure she would be able to stop the princess every time.

    ¡°I suddenly feel like I made a huge mistake. Can¡¯t you go home now?¡± Maria asked thest part loudly while looking at the princess. The princess did not even grace her with a node in return, too busy pretending as if she did not hear the question at all.

    And that gave Maria her answer. She was stuck with a trigger-happy princess for the next few days.

    ¡®At least the princess cannot kill me, right system?¡¯ Maria asked, just to console her. She did not need the stress of looking over her shoulder every second of the day.

    [That is correct. Princess Venus cannot cause you direct harm as per the contract. However, indirect harm is still possible as long as the magic does not associate it with the princess.

    The user is asked to be careful while dealing with this case]

    Maria tried to hold her disappointed yell inside her throat. She did not need to announce to everyone what she was feeling when she was already in a bad mood.

    She especially did not want the princess to learn of these circumstances since she had a feeling that the other would use this against Maria in some way.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do next? Totally not asking because I want you to die or anything. I promise¡± the princess asked, her expression curious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be entering the ¡®witch¡¯s¡¯ clearing since I need something from her. You are wee to join me¡± Maria replied back, finally giving a straight answer.

    The oracle did not mind answering this question since it would not help the other in any way. In fact, it was entirely possible that it would throw off the princess. hard and finally make her go home.

    That would be the best-case scenario for Maria. And she could tell that the princess wanted to back off as well. Her eyes were huge and terrified at the notion of going to that clearing but the princess still held on.

    ¡°The ¡®witch''s¡¯ clearing? Are you sure you want to do that?¡± The princess asked in a scared tone. She even looked spooked out which amused Maria.

    For all her apparent bravery, the princess was not brave at all. She showed her fears too easily and also had a bad attitude toward life.

    Or so was the impression Maria got.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Yup, that one. So you should go home while you still can. Who knows, you might wake up tomorrow and find yourself free of this curse¡± Maria teased back but she had no intention of dying.

    She would fight tooth and nail to get herself out alive. There was just too much to lose by dying here and she would be unable to help Suna and Neah if she died here. Heck, even Howl was counting on her.

    But the princess in front of her did not know all that. She had limited information to go off of and it was clearly making the princess ufortable.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go back but I can see that you are serious as well. Then, I shall tell you a secret. There is a legendary pond that is said to neutralize the ¡®witch¡¯s¡¯ curse for some time. You should use it before you go and meet the witch¡± the princess offered the information.

    Maria could hear the uncertainty in her words as she conveyed that information. The princess sounded as if she did not believe those words herself but was just trying to present Maria with some hope.

    It was a sweet gesture if this turned out to be true.

    ¡®System, can you check the validity of this im?¡¯ Maria asked. She was not even sure if her system was capable of this feat but she still felt confident in trusting it in this matter.

    [Scanning archives¡­¡­

    Information source found¡­¡­

    Checking validity¡­¡­.

    The pool does exist. Location coordinated are confidential and User is asked to find them on their own since it is above their clearance level]

    The system imed. Maria was not even sure how it had managed to check that in this short amount of time. But it did verify the im.

    But what the heck was a ¡®clearance level?¡¯ and why did it just pop up? It almost felt like the system was making it up in order to not tell Maria where the pool was.

    But the system¡¯s proficiency also brought doubts inside her mind about its true nature. It was too powerful and too knowledgeable, almost divine in nature.

    ¡°So, do you have the location of this pool?¡± Maria asked the princess. She wanted to ask the system again but could not help but hesitate in asking this.

    ¡®Darn that queen and her words. They are making me hesitate¡¯ Maria cursed as she looked toward the princess.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact location but I do know the way to find it out. But the way there is dangerous and I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll get out alive and-¡± the princess rambled but Maria stopped her.

    She took the princess¡¯s hands in her one and tugged toward herself. Their eyes locked and Maria could see the princess unconsciously gulp her saliva down in nervousness.

    ¡°It will be alight. Just tell me what we need to do and I¡¯ll take care of everything from there¡± Maria assured and the princess seemed to be believing her words.

 Chapter 180 178: Forbidden Forest

    ¡°This is the forest of submergence. They say that a witch lives here that has extraordinary powers to be able to pinpoint any location. Of course, I''ve never met her before today but I do know that-¡± the princess rambled. Her nervousness showed in her words.

    The pair had been lucky enough not to have faced any more beasts on the way here but Maria was just counting time till their next big hurdle. Things were never this easy and she had learned this the hard way.

    ¡°-but they say that he¡¯s an old witch and a guy to boot as well. How weird is that? A guy using holy magic and being good at it-¡± the princess continued, unaware that she had lost herpanion¡¯s interest a long time ago.

    And as interesting as the princess¡¯s words were, Maria was just not interested in knowing this much about someone she was only going to meet first.

    But the forest around her was starting to lighten. The sun was finally showing the signs of rising and the rays were beginning to warm the forest up. Various animals were also starting to make sounds around her and give the forest an actual effect as a forest.

    But Maria knew that it would also make things difficult for her. She had been relying on her ears and the site to alert her to the presence of the beasts and avoiding them. The quiet allowed for the noise to echo.

    But the waking forest was a little more lively than what Maria would like it to be.

    ¡°Venus, it¡¯s interesting and all but you need to keep quiet. We won¡¯t be able to hear the beasting if you ran yourmentary¡± Maria had no mercy for the princess, her voice showing her irritation.

    As much as she sympathizes with the princess and her situation,(she did not) she could not find herself liking the princess at the first nce. She was not even sure why the other had decided toe out and join Maria.

    She said that it was because she needed to see Maria die with her own eyes but so far she had only been a hindrance and not even a good one at that. It felt more yful than it was dangerous and gave Maria a headache.

    ¡°How rude. I¡¯m a princess and you can¡¯t expect me to keep quiet and-¡± Maria decided she had enough of that moving mouth. She moved her fingers in a ¡®keep quiet¡¯ motion and the princes went tight-lipped.

    Was it an abuse of her power over the other? Absolutely. Did it change Maria¡¯s behavior toward the princess? No way.

    It also did not help that the princess had taken tothing on to her arm and tugging Maria after her whenever she wanted to show her something worthless or just wanted to gain her attention.

    The tug was also strong enough for Maria to lose her bnce and fall back into the princess. It was not dangerous, just annoying and it made Maria want to yell at the princess.

    But as she turned toward the princess, she could see a frightful expression on the other¡¯s face. Venus looked a little scared and tried to point toward something.

    Her face was the only reason Maria relented and she hesitantly lifted the spell on the princess. And the princess immediately made use of this opportunity to let out some un-dignified words Maria was surprised to hear.

    ¡°Fucking hell. Why did you do that? And also when I was just about to tell you that someone had been following us for quite some time now¡± the princess almost yelled before she realized where she was and toned her voice down.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria felt her eyes narrowing as she quickly scanned her surroundings. But she could not find anyone in her vision or senses.

    Her system was not useful since the forest had too many life forms to keep track of. Even if she opened it right now, her location would show dozen of blinks since there were too many creatures surrounding them in the forest.

    ¡°How do you know that we are being followed?¡± Maria asked as she narrowed her eyes, the nervousness the princess disyed looked real enough so it was not a trick.

    ¡°It¡¯s the magic. It ismunicating with me and telling me to tack off. This forest is not safe for us and it¡¯s quite vengeful since we crossed the neutral threshold¡± Venus replied.

    The magic felt peaceful to Maria but maybe it was different for someone who had grown up in Jamaica and had a more intimate rtionship with it.

    And besides, Maria was sure she did not feel magic the same way as Venus felt and there was hostility between the princess and the magic surrounding her.

    ¡°It is capable ofmunicating?¡± Martia asked. Even if it did turn out to be a Jamaica thing, Maria was curious enough to ask this question. None of the other words had mentioned this phenomenon to her.

    ¡°Of course not. But the feeling of foreboding is still the same. It¡¯s almost like it¡¯s telling us not to bother going deeper inside¡± Maria rolled her eyes, finally realizing that the princess was making a mountain out of a mole-hill.

    That forbidding feeling was likely the change in magical pressure that Maria had felt as well. The forest here had denser magic than before and purer as well. But for the princess who had been sheltered her whole life, it likely felt like forbidden territory.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal then. Let¡¯s go deeper and find the boy-witch¡± Maria replied back. Her system already had the coordination for the nearby settlement and Maria didn¡¯t even want to think why that was.

    The more she tried to figure out her system, the moreplicated it became. It was better to go on with an ¡®I believe you¡¯ attitude than to try and second-guess her actions.

    The princess gulped down her nervousness but she did not turn back on Maria.

    The grip on her arm tightened as Maria ventured deeper and deeper into the forest. It was all quiet except for the natural calls of the animals around her.

    But then a sound of shing broke this silence and Maria instantly made her way toward the sound. She had a feeling that she needed to be there. The magic was gently probing her to move toward the way and Maria followed it.

    She ignored the way Venus clung to her arm as she scouted the source of that shing noise but Maria did not slow down. And finally, she entered a clearing where two figures seemed to be practicing their sword-y.

    (Can''t keep up with 2 ch/day. Will give you one longer chapter everyday)

 Chapter 181 179: The Younger And The Older

    She ignored the way Venus clung to her arm as she scouted the source of that shing noise but Maria did not slow down. And finally, she entered a clearing where two figures seemed to be practicing their sword-y.

    Maria did not have much experience in sword-wielding since it had never been her forte. But she did have formal training in weapon use and could recognize a training stance from a mile away.

    The pair seemed to be training and weirdly enough, it looked as if the younger boy was the one who was teaching the elder how to wield the de. Though ¡®younger¡¯ and ¡®older¡¯ was stretching the ages a bit. The kids looked to be fifteen and eleven from what Maria could observe.

    ¡°A, how cute. They are ying around as knights. I think I can take them in if they want to be royal guards¡± Venusmented in that overly-sweet voice adults often did when they found the children to be amusing.

    But nothing was amusing about the pair in front of Maria. In fact, they looked as if they did not care what Maria and Venus thought and held themselves in the way trained warriors often held themselves.

    They also did not look amused, not nervous to see two strangersing their way. But they had tensed and marai could recognize the attacking stance from a mile away.

    ¡°Venus, don¡¯t start now. These kids are not ordinary kids¡± Mariamented in a low voice so that only herpanion could hear. She did not want to alert the kids that she was on to them.

    They looked jumpy enough and Maria even had a feeling that she was missing something.

    ¡°An intruder? What do you want?¡± the elder kid asked as he took a stance in front of the younger ones. His body screamed of ¡®protectiveness¡¯ but Maria could also see the younger one roll his eyes in amusement.

    If Maria had to categorize the two of them, she would say that the younger was the real danger between the pair and also the leader. Maria had no idea why she felt that way, but she could, not help herself.

    There was just something familiar about the young child in front of her. Maybe it was his golden hair and blue eyes or the familiar feeling of magic emitting from the kid. The elder one had nothing though, nk as a sheet.

    ¡°No, not an intruder. I¡¯m the princess and I want to see the boy-witch that lives in this forest-¡± Maria jabbed the princess very subtly to make her quiet down. She could see the pair in front of her tense up at the mention of the princess. It worsened even more at the mention of ¡®boy-witch¡¯.

    Those seemed to have been the trigger words since Maria could see the elder boy showing extreme reactions to those words.

    ¡°There is no ¡®boy-witch¡¯ in this forest. You are mistaken and should leave now¡± the elder one forced out through his gritting teeth. Maria could see a subtle hand move toward the elder¡¯s back in a show of silent support.

    The younger¡¯s blue eyes met Maria and she was taken aback by the intensity in them.

    ¡°You heard him. There is no witch in this forest so you should leave for now¡± the youngermanded. His voice sounded soft but it held a tone that could not be spoken against.

    It had beenced withmanding magic and anyone who had no protection would have fallen victim to that voice. It solidified Maria¡¯s belief that the younger definitely knew something about the ¡®boy-witch.¡¯<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°Huh, why would we go back now? We walked all the way here and I am not going back without getting what I want¡± the princess opened her mouth, only to make the situation worse.

    Maria could only shake her head in wonder as the princess made their situation worse. She had no idea why she had even decided to take the princess with her in the first ce?

    But she had and the was her mess to settle now.

    ¡°What she means to say is that we are not here to cause trouble. We just need information and once we get it, we¡¯ll be out of your hair¡± Maria called. She could see the pair turn their attention toward her and ignore Venus.

    The princess huffed at the audacity but she had no other way to release her anger than to huff and puff. She was more talk than show and it was fortunate for Maria that the princess was such a fool.

    ¡°Fine. then speak. But we still reserve the right to not answer¡± The elder boy replied. The pair had shared a look at Maria¡¯s request but the elder had taken the charge.

    But Maria still had a feeling that it was the younger that was in charge this whole time. There was just the feeling she got when those blue eyes looked at her. They challenged Maria to speak up against her and she found herself not wanting to anger them.

    Still, she needed to have the situation under her control and that was why Maria tightened her voice when she spoke the next words.

    ¡°I want the location of the ¡®Holy Land¡¯. Kindly assist me in this endeavor¡± Maria even bowed down to show her sincerity. The correct term for the ce she had been looking for was the ¡®pool of purity¡¯.

    The silence that followed caused Maria to finally pick her head up and have a look at the pair in front of her.

    The younger had gone white as a sheet and his eyes darted between Marie and the princess in a frightful way. The elder also did not stay idea and quickly hid the younger behind his back.

    ¡°There is no holynd. You both are on a suicide mission and it would be better for you to leave now. Yuuki, let¡¯s take our leave as well now¡± before Maria could say anything else, the elder had taken the younger¡¯s hand and dragged him out.

    Maria could only watch as that happened, too stunned to even respond. Venus seemed to be in a simr daze as well, her eyes darting after the leaving pair with a ¡®what the hell happened¡¯ expression.

    ¡°Well, I guess we are back to square one. Let¡¯s find a vige for now and then we¡¯ll start looking again¡± Maria suggested. There was nothing else for the pair to do anyway so the princess did notin.

    But something about this encounter seemed to have rubbed Maria the wrong way. That younger kid had been interesting and Maria felt her attention spin back to him.

 Chapter 182 180: Worst Case Scenario

    ¡°How much longer will we have to keep moving? I can¡¯t even feel my feet anymore¡± Maria regretted her decision to travel with a spoilt princess for the hundredth time as she heard theints. They had not even been walking that long in her opinion but Venus still voiced herints to her.

    Maria ignored her and kept walking down the road she had found in the forest. The lively forest provided a decent distraction from the princess¡¯s whine but Maria couldn''t help but still hear them.

    ¡°The vige should be nearby. I can¡¯t help but feel like we are missing something here.¡± Maria replied,pletely hearing the princess¡¯sints. She tried to not let the princess distract her from her work but it was a difficult thing to do.

    The princess was not only loud butmanded incredible presence as well. The forest sounded a little noisier when she walked through it. Or it might just be Maria¡¯s imagination at work, making her think that.

    ¡°You said the same thing ten minutes ago and even fifteen minutes ago as well. Tell me honestly, are we lost?¡± Venus sounded disappointed but resigned as well when she asked that question.

    It was easy for Maria to see how she hase up with that opinion but Maria was not willing to admit that they might be lost. She had her map pointing to the vige but it was Maria¡¯s fault that they were not in the vige yet.

    The map was clear of their destination and Maria had been following it diligently for the past few minutes but it did not seem as if they were making any progress. It seemed as if they were stuck in the same loop.

    ¡°We¡¯re not lost, just a bit misguided. I have a map guiding us toward the vige but it''s a bit difficult to follow for me¡± Maria was notining, she was just stating a fact. It was a coincidence that her voice did not sound like that.

    And the unimpressed look on Venus¡¯s face let Maria know what she thought about this situation.

    ¡°I see. So we are lost then. Can we at least rest now?¡¯ the princess asked in a neutral voice. She had a ¡®why me¡¯ expression on her face that irritated Maria. In her opinion, the princess had done nothing butin this whole time.

    She had no credibility or even a right toin like this to Maria.

    ¡°Fine. we can rest but only for a short while. I don¡¯t trust this forest¡± generally, a quiet forest was a dangerous one but all the sounds in this forest were putting Maria¡¯s instincts to test.

    There was something about all that noise surrounding her that made Maria¡¯s instincts scream at her to stay alert and to be ready for anything. She also felt like she was on the verge of a vision but it would just note.

    And knowing Maria¡¯s luck, she would get that vision at the worst possible time and would not be able to do anything about it afterward.

    But maybe Maria could force herself to have that vision? She could feel her magic more acutely even since she had exited Imu and she almost felt like she knew how to make it activate her vision.

    ¡°It¡¯s too noisy. I feel like we¡¯re going to get attacked any second. How do you even rx in all this noise?¡± the princessined as her body sagged into the tree behind her. Maria was vaguely aware of the spoken words as well as actions.

    Her magic was moving in a constant flow inside her veins, urging it to move on the way and to facilitate the movement of her senses. Her surroundings well dulling as well and Maria felt like she was going into a trance.

    It was a bad time for her to force her vision but it also felt like the perfect time to try this out. She did not need a big vision, just a validation that she could do this.

    [Dulling senses¡­ connecting to the magic core¡­.

    User is asked to reconsider their decision to force the vision¡­..]<novelnext></novelnext>

    The system warned but Maria was too deep to get out now. She needed to reach inside and yank the connection open. She was almost at the gate of her threshold now and she felt her magic escape her hand like water.

    But she managed to grasp a small portion of it and it transformed into a crystal ball.

    [Forced vision induced¡­..warning, forced vision induces¡­..

    The user is informed that it might leave lingering mental fatigue once the host emerges from the vision]

    Maria did not have enough mental capacity to be able to multi-task right now. She could either focus on the system¡¯s words or force her way deeper into her consciousness.

    And she kept on pushing forward and her surroundings changed to the forest she had just been in.

    ¡®Wide eyes looking back at Maria with a hand gripping a knife with blood dripping down it.

    ¡°I-I-Never. It¡¯s not my fault. I did not kill him. I promise I did not¡± that sounded like Venus¡¯s voice but Maria could not hear her voice.

    She could hear the child from before, an angry howl mixed in that ever-cold voice of his. It was the elder one as well, the one Maria had dismissed.

    But she could not make out where the younger one was. The only thing the clearing had was the elder teen as well as the female pair.

    And the dead body of a giant beast lying in the middle of their clearing. It was bleeding but Maria could not feel any life forceing from it.

    And the elder teen was not taking it well at all. Maria could feel the magic around them going out of control and she tried to move but she could not. Was she tied down? She did not even have enough energy to change the direction of her face and look at the teen head-on.

    And then it drew on her just what could be happening to her. These events were recent and would happen any second now. Her irresponsible body was in a trance and Venus had tried to protect her.

    She needed to wake up. She needed to wake up right now or things would take the worst turn.¡¯

    ¡®System, wake me up system¡¯

    [User is informed that they would suffer a bacsh if they chose to do so. Should the system still progress with the request?]

    ¡®Yes. Now hurry up and wake me up¡¯ Maria huffed as she felt her heart beat painfully, but she did feel her consciousness return to her so that was a plus point for her.

    (Remember the deal. For every 100 privilege chapter unlocked, I will do a spicy extra R-18 scene as a side piece. It will not be canon but will be free to read. Also, fill this form https://forms.gle/ZVAyGEKReuxgqvng6. It will be linked in the description as well. This will be open this whole month. Also, no information will be recorded)

 Chapter 183 181: Red

    ¡°It¡¯s too noisy. I feel like we¡¯re going to get attacked any second. How do you even rx in all this noise?¡± Venusined. She had not meant toin this much but she could not help it. Comining was a coping mechanism for her and it helped her rx as well.

    But above all, hearing her own voice helped keep her grounded and made her realize that she was alive and doing considerably well in life. That was what prompted Venus to keep onining even when she knew she did not need toin any longer.

    But it did not seem like herpanion was hearing her out any longer. Venus could spot the ounder¡¯s face rx in a daze and she could not help but feel insulted. What gave this ounder the right to ignore her like that?

    But Venus knew she had no right to get angry as well. She had forced her way into this situation and had even strong-armed the other into taking her in. And besides, it was not like her magic worked on Maria anyway.

    She would just lose if she tried anything funny. And that was the most important reason Venus held herself back from trying to kill Maria. Well that, and the ve bond she had with the younger.

    She could still not believe that she of all people had ended up like this.

    Still, it was the perfect opportunity to get rid of Maria and have herself freed as well. The pink-haired female was a prime target for any monster if they attacked.

    If she had not opened her mouth to reprimand Venus¡¯sint, then it was likely that she could not wake up even if they were to be attacked. Venus needed to create an opportunity for a creature to be able to attack them.

    But it was a difficult task as well. Venus did not have enough confidence to be able to pull this off sessfully and still manage to get away unscratched.

    ¡°Alright. Maybe leaving her alone for a while would help? Wild animals like to attack when they had an advantage¡± Venus muttered as she carefully stepped away from Maria. She made her way toward a bush and hid in it.

    She would observe first before leaving Maria alone for now. She knew she wanted to do this but there was a pit in her stomach that opened every time she thought about this topic and made her turn back.

    It was almost like a dance where she took one step ahead and instantly took two steps back. Venus was not even sure how she managed to make it to the bush without running back but it had something to do with the butterflied inside her stomach.

    ¡°Now, let''s see if a wild beast decided to take the bate or not¡± Venus spoke aloud, mainly to hear her voice and to remind herself that she was still there. She waited but it did not seem like any beast was going to take the bait.

    In the end, she decided toe back out and stop her attempts of having Maria killed this time. The female would wake up any moment now and Venus would need to answer a lot if she disappeared like that.

    Venus stood up from the bush, brushing the thorns and other material off of her clothes before making her way toward Maria.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But she had only taken a few steps before she heard it - the loud roar of a wild beast and Venus found herself unable to move. It was not only loud but was warning everyone to stay away from it.

    She watched as an injured beast crawled in the valley, the white fur on its body matted with dirt and his side bleeding red. The beast headed toward Maria¡¯s body and its heavy footsteps created an echo.

    Venus was rooted in her spot due to fear of the huge beast. It was powerful, a total package, and Venus was sure it would gulp her down in one bite if it wanted to. She did not want to be its dinner at any cost.

    But she could not help but feel fascinated with the beast as well. The white fur, that majestic body as well as the magic it oozed out. It all made Venus look on in admiration.

    Until she realized that the beast had made its way to Maria and was right in front of her. Venus did not know what came over her but she felt her body move and attack the huge beast.

    She was a bundle of sensations, her will all over the ce but she knew she could not allow the beast to attack Maria. She had to defend herself or something bad was going to happen.

    It was likely the bond she shared with Maria that was making her feel this way but Venus did not have enough awareness in the spur of the moment. She redacted as the magic wanted her to and her weapon shed with a wed hand.

    But before the beast could ovee its shock, Venus attacked again. Her body had a will of its own and she had no idea why or how she was moving like this. But her weapon did meet the beasts¡¯ ws again and its injured body went down.

    Venus did not want to attack him, she really did not want to. The eyes that looked back at her seemed intelligent as well as knowing. They made Venus want to apologize to the beast and exin her actions.

    She had never taken a life before but it seemed as if that streak was about to end now. Venus would make life here and she would no longer be the princess. She had a feeling that the magic would reject her as soon as she made this kill.

    But her body had a will of its own and she closed her eyes to not look at the knowing but resigned expression on the beast¡¯s face.

    Her weapon came down and it felt all too slow to Venus. It collided with something hard and stopped in motion. She tried to apply pressure but it did not bulge.

    She slowly opened her eyes to meet a vision of red. Blood was the only thing she could see and a pair of pained eyes looking back at her.

 Chapter 184 183: Gratitude

    The sh had happened in an instant. The weapon collided and the knife managed to graze Maria¡¯s skin. But she had managed to stop the knife from attacking the beast behind her which was a huge win in her mind.

    Poor Venus looked shocked as well as scared about the happening and Maria did not fault her for this confusion. She had managed to interfere in the nick of time after all.

    The beast behind her gave her a curious stare but the blood flowing through its wound left him too tired and weak to do anything but sit back and look in front of him. It was a heavy wound as well, one that was earned through the oue of a vicious battle.

    ¡°Maria, what are you doing? That¡¯s a beast. We¡¯ll get killed¡± Venus yelled. She sounded worried but also terrified of the monster. Maria understood where the princess wasing from.

    They had faced nothing but vicious beasts until now. As such, the princess had a legit fear and loathing toward these beasts. But Maria knew that this beast was someone they could not harm.

    ¡°Yuuki! Yuuki, are you alright? What did these people do to you?¡± the familiar voice of the elder boy from before broke the tranquil silence of the clearing. Maria watched as the elder teen made his way toward the beast with gentle and hesitant steps.

    For what it was worth, the beastid down on the ground with a calm expression as well. He allowed the kid to approach them with a fond expression and Maria had a feeling that they were not supposed to experience this moment.

    ? It felt far too intimidating for Maria to look at. Venus made a gagging motion behind her but Maria could see that she was finding it difficult to look at the scene in front of her as well.

    ¡°Hey, stop. You will aggravate the injury. Don¡¯t touch it with your bare hands¡± Maria stopped the teen before he could make any contact with the heavily injured beast. The wound was too deep to be left alone.

    At the same time, Maria could see that it would get infected if it was left untreated any longer. She had some medical supplies with her but she hesitated to use them.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about us. We have been in such a situation far too many times. Look¡± the teen ced his hand gently on the wound and Maria could feel a surge of magic build up around her.

    Then teen removed his hand and the wound seemed as good as healed. It was an excellent feat of magic. And also, far too advanced for someone born in Jamaica.

    ¡°You can use magic as well. But how and why. Why not join the royal guards? You would get so many benefits if you did¡± Venus questioned. It seemed as if she was unable to wrap her head around this fact.

    The words caused the elder teen¡¯s eyes to harden and Maria could see him getting irritated at the question. It seemed like there was a story there that Maria was not privy to.

    ¡°Whether I use magic for Jamaica or for my own good, it does not matter. In the end, it will only respond to me when I need it the most¡± the teen huffed. He sounded sour about that fact and a little grumpy as well.

    The beast behind the kid let out a found huff before headbutting the teen. It caused the teen to fall on his knees but he did not look like he minded much.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The fond expression on the kid¡¯s face spoke volumes about how he felt and Maria was curious about how this friendship hade about.

    ¡°I was not aware that magic beasts were able to take the human form,¡± Maria asked, finally breaking the ice. The kid looked reluctant to answer but the beast seemed amused.

    Maria could see it happening before the magic moved. The beast shined with magic before he was reced by the younger teen from before. White eyes looked back at her with a calm expression.

    ¡°Not all of us can. Let¡¯s just say I was granted a chance to be able to protect someone important to me¡± the words caused the elder teen to go red in the face. It was almost cute in a morbid sort of way.

    ¡°Yuki, stop giving secrets away. Don¡¯t be nice to them. They hurt you, remember?¡± the elder teen asked. He sounded halfway between resigned and angry.

    However, Yuki did not look like he had heard thoseints. Instead, he gave bowed toward Maria. Those white eyes looked at her with a knowing light and Maria had a feeling that the beast knew who she was.

    ¡°No, they did not hurt me. The young female here saved my life. I would like to invite them back to the vige¡± The beast replied. He paid no attention to the raging teen behind him, likely too used to his tantrum.

    But Maria could not help but feel on edge. She felt as of the beast knew about her and was testing her. Thankfully, she did not have to make a decision. Venus made one for her.

    ¡°A vige? Finally. I thought we would keep on walking around in circles forever. This forest is like a maze¡± She did not even sound sorry for what she had been about to do.

    And in a way, her carefree attitude was refreshing. As annoying as she could be, Maria could not deny that Venus was a breath of fresh air from her thoughts. And if the beast did not mind her presence, Maria would also notin.

    ¡°We would like to take your offer. There are a few questions we need to ask you as well¡± Maria wanted to bow back but her body refused to bow.

    She did not try to fight it very hard as she looked at the expression she was being aimed with. The beast looked as if he understood what Maria was thinking about.

    ¡°Then, pleasee. I also have news that might be of interest to you¡± the beast sounded sure of his words and Maria felt a chill do down her spine at those words. There was only so much that could be of interest to her and Maria could not even begin to think what the man was talking about.

    She followed after the pair, memorizing the way they wereding her toward. She was sure she had passed through the clearing before but she had not found the vige entrance.

    And she understood why as well once the beast dragged the center stone away from its ce. The entrance had been hidden.

 Chapter 185 Interlude: The Words Of The Upper Realm

    "The lower realm has gotten noisy again. I can''t feel the power in my node. Do you think something happened to it?" The eternaldy asked.

    One could tell at a nce that she was not human, but some kind of divine beast. Her tone made you want to obey her everymand and answer her every question.

    One could not even think of not taking her seriously.

    And that''s why when the tense situation was broken by amusedughter, everyone turned to face the culprit.

    "Sister Heera, you lost your power source. Oh, how will you ever cope? It''s not like you cannot use any of the other thousand avable methods to cultivate your power." The new man added.

    Even the re being aimed at him by his ''sister'' did not phase him. He carried himself with confidence.

    "It''s not about the node Kiryuu, it''s about respect. They dared to mess with a thing of mine. All this after they denied me my husband-to-be. How can I take this insult?" Herra asked?

    Her words finally caused theughter to stop from the man sitting opposite her and consider what she had just said.

    For a minute, it looked like the man would let it go. But then he made a decision.

    "Don''t worry, sister Heera. Since you no longer have your node''s ess, you cannot go to the continents in person. But worry not. I will take revenge in your stead." The man replied.

    Kiryuu pushed his chair back and left the empty council hall. Not that he had ever expected it to be full of people.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The council of the continents only existed in name. It was a duty they embraced because it was something their mother had bestowed on them. They could care less about what happened to the lower realm.

    Everyone except sister Heera. She had the misfortune to fall In love with a demon. She had even been promised that demon but he had run away from her.

    It had angered Heera enough to curse a whole continent not even under her control. Luckily for Heera, the owner of the continent''s node did not care and their mother was still asleep for now.

    But now that he had free reign, what should Kiryuu do? It was not often he went to the lower realms. They were boring andcked spirit. Besides, being bound to one was draining.

    So maybe unchaining himself from those parasites was a good idea. The nodes were two-way streets. They empowered the upper continent with the lower continent''s magic but only in small amounts.

    In return, they took heavy magic from the upper realm and provided it for the lower realm''s sustainability.

    Besides, Kiryuu could not help but feel excited. He had also heard a strange rumour. The oracle had a special gift this time around. He wanted to meet her.

    He had so much to talk about with her and she did not belong in the lower realm.

    And maybe, just maybe her presence in the upper realm would calm sister Heera down. Or she would die.

    But who cared.

 Chapter 186 184: The Bad Feeling

    ¡°Princess Neah, we saw the beast heading toward the center city. What should we do? Do we try to stop it?¡± the guard posed in front of Gerna¡¯s princess asked. He held his posture rigid but did not look the princess in the eye.

    He could not look the princess in the eye. It would be too much and the princess was too angry to even bother with small fries like him. He would only be killed if he was lucky, he did not want to see what else she could do to him.

    Not that he would me the princess for her foul mood. Someone had managed to injure Howl to the verge of death. Their second inmand was still fighting for her life, without any guarantee of waking.

    ¡°Keep tabs on that monster. Don¡¯t let it out of your sight but do not try to engage it yourself. Try leading it toward the outer fields where we can take care of it¡± the princessmanded. Her eyes did not stray away from the female in the adjacent bed.

    She knew she needed to get up and prepare to take the monster down, but she could not pick herself up. Howl¡¯s unconscious face stopped any attempt she made.

    ¡°Princess, bad news. The M-monster had made contact with Albest''s representative. We don¡¯t know what the representative was doing outside but we have a crisis on our hand.¡± those words finally dragged Neah out of her slump.

    It was one thing for the monster to head toward the civilization, it was entirely different for it to target a diplomat.

    She had left Master Ashura in charge of the diplomats so she was somewhat secure in their safety. But she could not help but feel helplessness build inside her heart.

    The beast was not as mindless as she had thought it to be. It had enough situational awareness to go after the real heavy hitters.

    And then there was the familiar magical presence the beast gave off. Neah felt like she should know to who that presence belonged. But the answer escaped every time she tried to narrow the suspicion pool down.

    ¡®I wonder what you would have done had you done in my ce, Maria?¡¯ but there was no answer.

    ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s time to move. Do what you must to ensure everyone¡¯s safety. Someone, go a locate Alester as well. We will need his help¡± the soldiers watched in mute amazement as the princess called for the teen.

    It was a well-known fact that the princess could not stand Alester for some reason. For Nead to call for him was a big enough deal to get people talking about it.

    But Neah could not help but take a step back. She felt as if danger was just about to start and she needed to be careful. This felt like a deration of war.

    And inside her blood, she knew. The demonic war had started. The node¡¯s power inside her was restless and there were only a few powers left in the y.

    Out of the ten known nodes, four had already lost their powers to their current holders. One had been sealed off. But there was no information about the other five.

    But what she did know was that Albest had a hand in all this. Neah had contacted the other kingdoms to know the current status cue. But no matter where she contacted, she could not escape the clutches of Albest.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Magnificent. So this is the beast that had resulted from the amalgamation of our technology and the Node¡¯s power?¡± Alester watched the old man from Albest watch the approaching beast in fascination.

    He had never really liked Albest royalty, nor their nobility but he did understand why Ashura wanted to work with them. They had the best technology avable on any continent. Even Gerna was no match to them in that regard.

    ¡°We are eternally thankful for your support and patronage in provisioning us with funds as well as people to experiment with. The beast grows stronger day by day. It will not be long before our master makes ae back¡± Ashura assured.

    The sugary sweet words pouring out of the old man¡¯s mouth made Ashura gag. He did respect the elder but he did not like his methods.

    The elder was not someone who held on to his ideals. He would take any and all ways to make sure he would seed. That was the same reason he had taken over the royal family, won the princess over, and helped set it all up.

    The only wrench in his ns had been Lady Silvya and her fury. The female had messed up a lot of things for them when she had enacted her n. It had set off a motion of events that could not have been foreseen.

    It had led the oracle away from them.

    ¡°But, would it really be alright? Don¡¯t we need the oracle to make sure it¡¯s our master thates back? We can¡¯t really risk it now¡± the diplomate asked but his eyes did not move away from the iing beast.

    Alester felt sick at the magic approaching them. It was far from clean. It was revolting to his senses and he wanted to shut them all off and have a nice and rxing sleep.

    But he could not do that. Not now when he had to keep an eye on the diplomat as well as Ashura¡¯s cunning ways. He could see that the elder was nning something.

    ¡°Hey, look. Is that beast carrying a child with him? Is it even safe?¡± the girl from the diplomate¡¯s side asked. Ashura had almost taken her for a doll but it seemed as if she could speak.

    But her words did cause everyone to turn toward the beast to observe. And just as the girl had pointed out, there were a small child in-between the beast''s ws. The kid was being cradled in those huge ws and Alester frowned.

    He did not have a good feeling about it. Even Ashura looked startled at the news but he held himself back frommenting. Something weird was happening around them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out. You all stay here¡± Alester informed before he leapt up. The kid had looked familiar and Alester had a bad feeling about it.

 Chapter 187 185: Rampaging Monster

    Alester cursed under his breath as he approached the monster. The giant body carried the kid with him, walking toward the ambassador and the kingdom. Every step that the creature took caused the flora to die around it.

    ¡°Stop right there. You are not permitted to enter the city. Put the kid down and circle toward the back.¡± Alester ordered. He did not like this creature or the very idea of it existing. It had been amusing before, but it no longer amused him to see.

    There was something unnatural about this creature. Something that rubbed Alester the wrong way. But he could not figure out what it was. The more power this creature assembled, the more Alester¡¯s feeling grew.

    Alester waited for the creature to stop at hismand, but the monster ignored him and walked past him. Alester twisted his body in disbelief, watching as the monster ignored hismand.

    This was not good. This insubordination could not be allowed to exist. Alester needed to stop the monster before he caused irreceable harm to the surroundings and the people in Gerna.

    Alester powered a binding spell, his magic blowing around him. His target was not the monster but the kid he carried around. If he could separate the kid, he could subdue the monster with everything he had.

    Roped emerged from the ground, twisting themselves around the huge body of the monster and Alester waited for it to smash to the ground.

    The huge body struggled but it did not fall. It became even fiercer in its struggles and Alester watched in disbelief as the roped disappeared from around the creature.

    It had absorbed the magic that had been cast on it. Alester tried out a few more low-level spells but the same things happened. The spell was absorbed in the creature¡¯s body.

    This was bad. Restraining magic had been the only thing that had stopped the monster before. Even the mastermand did not work on this creature.

    Alester¡¯s panic caused him to miss the arrival of Lady Clement. The newly-minted noble was arrogant and proud. He was also the one who had been handed themand of this creature.

    Alester should not have been surprised to see him here. And yet, he could not help but marvel at the new arrival. He had not expected the other noble to risk his life like that.

    ¡°In the name of your creator, I order you to stop. You must not go any further-¡± the noble did not get to finish his words before he was almost stepped over. Alester¡¯s quick thing saved the Nobel''s life and pulled him out of harm¡¯s way.

    The Nobel¡¯s expression of disbelief was new. Lady Clement looked taken aback at hismand being ignored.

    Had it been anyone else, Alester would have felt sorry. But the Nobel had iting a long time ago. A human with no magic power did not belong in their world but the Nobel had tried to force his way in.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t it stop? It was bound by a contract¡± the Nobel questioned. His wide eyes looked nervously toward the advancing creature.

    ¡°Perhaps it had grown beyond the contract¡¯s power. With the princess missing, I don¡¯t think anyone can stop that creature anymore. It is far too powerful¡± Alester was not kidding. The creature was deadly.

    And it just kept growing stronger with every step he took. Something was unnerving about feeling such raw power.

    ¡°I never thought such a creature could exist. How could anyone grow beyond magic¡¯s power? Isn¡¯t magic the ultimate weapon that could conquer everything?¡± the human questioned.

    Alester had neither the time nor patience to exin that magic was not the end to everything. It was a means but it had its own rules.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And sometimes, they did not make sense.

    ¡°Go and gather everyone you can. We need to stop that creature. It is heading toward the royal pce. Try and find princess Neah as well¡± Alester ordered. It sucked that the princess had taken off in a hurry as soon as the meeting had ended.

    The creature was almost to the city gates now and the citizens in the street froze at seeing him approach.

    Alester could see the kid in the monster¡¯s arm trying to reel him in. He seemed to bemunicating with the monster and even pulling reactions out of the monster.

    Alester admired the courage. He even sympathized with the kid for staying strong in this situation. But he also knew that he could not put the kid¡¯s life above the other people of this country.

    This was a country his master had created. It was where he was going to return back to. And this city needed to be protected.

    ¡°Darn those Albest people. Thye is making a mess of everything¡± Alester could not help but curse Albest out. It was their fault this creature existed in the first ce. Had they not proposed their experiment, all this could have been prevented long ago.

    It was because of them that the Albest had to suffer this fate. The people in the kingdom were facing all this hardship just because the main kingdom could not keep it to themselves.

    He cursed that kingdom. He despised that kingdom. And he despised their priest.

    ¡°H-Hey. That monster is killing all those people. It should not do that, right? It is not supposed to kill magic-less people¡± Lady Clement pointed out with an ashen face.

    He was right in that regard and Alester cursed his oversight. He had lost sight of that monster for a few seconds and the people around him seemed to be paying the price.

    Alester geared up to chase after the creature before he stopped short. A messenger birdnded on his finger and he was obligated to check it out.

    Especially since it belonged to Ashura. That crafty old man was always on about something.

    ¡®Talk that being toward the central portal. It will be handed over to Albest now¡¯ Alester felt his temper rise.

    Handed over to Albest? What kind of answer was it? He did not want to follow this ridiculous order.

    But he saw no other way to stop the rampaging beast. Magic did not work and they no longer had the home-ground advantage either. This seemed to be their only way.

    ¡°Alright. So this is what we¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll inform the princess as well. Let¡¯s drag the monster to Albest¡± the bad feeling inside Alester was growing. This n did not sit well with him but he did trust Ashura.

    That old man had the same goal as them - to see their master rise up and destroy that arrogant upper realm.

 Chapter 188 186: Safe Once Again

    ¡°Is this some kind of joke I¡¯m too dumb to understand? Why would we ever hand that monster over to Albest?¡± Sometimes, Neah questioned Ashura¡¯s wisdom. He was a smart man but he did make some very dumb decisions.

    For example, the one he had made today. Why were they handing the monster over to Albest and providing them an unfair advantage?

    Neah had rushed over to the royal pce as soon as was sure Howl would not die, only to find out Ashura¡¯s n. And to say the least, she was not impressed.

    ¡°This is insurance. Albest already has control of all the avable nodes except Gerna¡¯s and their own. They have the other candidate on their side as well. We cannot afford to go on a full-scale war with them¡± Ashura sounded regretful.

    But Neah had grown up under the elder¡¯s control. She could spot that he was regretful, but not about their current situation. There was something else eating the elder up.

    She also knew that he would not tell her what it was.

    ¡°So, you are saying to make their powerful force even more powerful? Which side are you even on, Ashura?¡± Neah sounded bitter. She knew that the elder would not have suggested it if it was not for their one good.

    But she still felt as if she was not trusted enough. Had she not proven herself to be capable of taking care of this problem for their kingdom.

    ¡°It is not about sides, but about principle. Both, we and the Albest kingdom, have the same goal - to revive our master and to see the upper realm fall. This will be the final cobblestone in our alliance¡± Ashura assured.

    So now there was an alliance as well? Neah felt bitter to be kept in the dark for so long.

    But she did understand why that had been the case. She was young and tended to act on her emotions.

    She was not sure she would have taken it any better if the situation was not as dire as it had turned out to be.

    ¡°Alester is out there, guiding the beast toward the dimensional portal. You just need to make sure no citizens got caught in the exchange. We will head to Albest in a few days as well since it¡¯s almost time for our master toe back¡± Ashura spoke.

    He sounded so confident that Neah had no heart to stop him from speaking.

    She still felt uncertain about his words but was relieved as well. As soon as this monster was out of Gerna, she could rx.

    ¡°And what about Shou? That beast has Howl¡¯s younger brother with him¡± Neah questioned.

    ¡°He has? Well, the kid will go with him as well. We cannot afford to anger the beast any more than we already have¡± Ashura sounded calm when he spoke.

    It was not right. Neah did not like his words or his tone. There was ack of care when he spoke about Shou.

    ¡°We cannot let him take that kid. He¡¯s a Gerna citizen-¡±

    ¡°-and will not be harmed. Neah, that kid is keeping the beast calm for now. Once we have the beast secured, the kid will be returned to us¡± Ahsura assured. Neah was bitter, but she backed down as well.

    It was not like she could do anything else. From what she had observed, magic was a no-go against the beast and physical weapons did nothing as well. She was not even sure how Albest was going to keep it contained.

    ¡°Fine. As long as Shou remains unharmed, I do not care. I¡¯ll make sure no citizen is harmed in that creature¡¯s way¡± Neah did not sound as confident as before but she did decide to take her duty seriously.

    The monster could be seen heading toward their way from a long distance. Alester could also be seen guiding the creature.

    But it was the people Neah was worried about. Many of them had already been injured and showed the signs of magic exhaustion. She knew she did not have the time to sit back and chit-chat with Ashura any longer.

    ¡°Hurry up. Show this kingdom that you are the real royalty they can count on¡± Ashura¡¯s words sounded ttering.

    He had always been encouraging and his words had always been a source of power for Neah. She did not know how the other managed to do this, but he managed to motivate Neah in any situation.

    She lept through the air,nding between the citizens.

    ¡°Everyone, head toward relief section one. The beast will pass through this area in a few minutes¡± her words carried over, amplified through magic and she could see people paying attention to her words.

    Most chose to listen to her, and she helped out those who could not walk.

    Neah could only watch helplessly as the beast passed through the town, not caring where he stepped on. The nearer he walked, the drainer Neah felt.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The symptoms of many of her rescued citizens showed magic exhaustion as well and Neah felt the dots connect inside her mind.

    Most of the recent deaths had been attributed to this symptom. Neah had thought it to be a serial killer at first, but now she could see the truth.

    This monster had been the reason so many of her people had died.

    ¡°Darn you Albest. I will make sure you pay for this¡± Neah was sure it was Albest''s fault. Ever since that kingdom had decided to interfere with Gerna, weird things kept on happening.

    First, Lady Silvya¡¯s betrayal. Then her parent¡¯s silence on this topic. And now Ashura¡¯s involvement. Neah no longer knew what she believed in but she wanted answers.

    And since she was not getting any from the people around her, it was time to find those who can really answer her. Neah had kept away from her parents long enough and she knew it was time to finally pay them a visit.

    In her opinion, the royal couple had been a fool. They had kept away from the iing demonic war, not wanting Gerna to be a part of it. But they did not understand that it could not be stopped once it had started.

    And it was due to their negligence that Albest had such a head-start. Neah wanted, no, she needed to hear from the real reason they had kept quiet about all this.

    She needed answers before she could make a decision.

    And once she had them, she would finally face the future and make a decision. It felt like such a monumental step.

    The princess and the whole kingdom watched as the beast stepped into the huge portal and was delivered out of Gerna. And with that, Gerna was safe once again.

    ¡­....................

    "Your highness, we''ve secured the key. Should we pull the scout out of Gerna as well?" The impassive face of the Queen did not change.

    It was impossible to tell if she felt joy or sadness at the news. Her impassiveness astonished the onlookers as well. But her court was used to herck of response.

    "If our messenger is done with Gerna, ask him toe back. We do not need to waste any more time there" the words were devoid of emotions. The queen was just a puppet after all.

    The true nature of their queen was not hidden from the Albest court. But they hade to ept her with time. There was a trust formed because of familiarity as well as circumstances.

    "Of course. We also confirmed that Lady Silvya is indeed dead. Should we go ahead and scrap her key as well?" The guard who had been reporting asked.

    The queen narrowed her eyes but turned her head away from the onlooking party. She seemed to not have any opinion on this topic but the onlookers knew.

    They knew what this meant for their queen.

    "Retrieve the chains if you can. But I doubt we''ll find them in Gerna. Silvya was a sly one. After all, she managed to ensral my brother" the Queen spoke. She did not sound angry.

    But the court knew the queen was putting up and acting. She was furious when her brother had ignored her in favour of a Nobel.

    The Queen had other ns to get her brother to marry. She had wanted him to marry into the upper realm and act as a spy. He had the power, as well the influence to be epted.

    But her brother had been too much of a fool. He had wanted to marry for love and had managed to escape to Gerna. It took almost 16 years for the queen to trigger another demonic war for a chance to get revenge on the upper realm.

    After all, she had been cursed by them to live a doomed life. And not only her, but her subordinates had been subjected to that as well.

    "Then, shall we look for the oracle? She''s the only one capable of controlling the Queen" the guard questioned.

    "There is no need to. The threads of fate are connected. The oracle will find her way to Albest sooner than we think. Meanwhile, we need to deal with the Gerna princess" the queen ordered.

    The oracle was one problem. But princess Neah was a whole can of worms. And she also had a node''s power in her veins.

    How troublesome this thing was turning out to be.

 Chapter 189 187 - The Storm That Is Approaching

    ¡°Wee to our vige. Don¡¯t get toofortable or you won¡¯t be able to leave¡± the elder boy, who had been introduced as Kuro, spoke up. He gestured to the pair to enter first before he took up the rear end.

    Kuro was also carrying Yuuki, but his eyes never strayed away from the pair in front of him. Maria was not surprised to see the hostility aimed at her. Her partner had tried to kill Yuuki.

    ¡°We¡¯re going as fast as we can kid. Do not try and rush us in. You are such an unfriendly child¡± Venusined. However, she did not have her bitching attitude aimed at the kid.

    Instead, she was calm and collected.

    ¡°You say that but you have not made any effort to know me. What if I am a sweet child but act like this to piss you off?¡± the kid taunted back. Kuro was sharper than Maria had given him credit for.

    The kid knew how to push Venus¡¯s buttons and piss her off. And every time he did that, the female flew off the rail in a pit full of rage. It was amusing to see.

    ¡°Kuro likes her just fine. He just doesn¡¯t know how to express himself. I have been looking after him for a long time so I can tell¡± Yuukimented. Maria could tell that he was in pain but hiding it.

    Maria wanted toment on that but she also knew it was not going to solve anything.

    ¡°I would like more information, please. Jamaica feels like it is dying. This cannot be its natural state¡± Maria felt sorry for the nt and everyone living in it.

    Theck of resources was precise because of the node¡¯s situation. She had seen what a failing node could do on Imu, but Jamaica was in a league of its own.

    Even the nts were wilting without their energy source. And Maria could tell that the real source of Node was no longer in the continent. Things would not have been half as bad if that was the case.

    ¡°Our node had always been weak. But Albest managed to rip its power source off. They managed to force the node open without the key and took the magic source. Jamaica is done for¡± Yuukimented.

    The teen had a harsh gaze as he spoke of the past. But he did not sound regretful.

    ¡°And? You have a n for dealing with this, don¡¯t you?¡± Maria asked. As much as the creature sounded defeated, he did not sound out of hope. That gave Maria the impression that he had a n.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a n but a mere idea. Since Jamaica will notst long before the war hit, we will need to scatter the people on different continents. Hopefully, the node will rejuvenate after the war¡± the beast sounded confident in his im.

    Somehow, Maria got the feeling that this was not the first time they had to take this route.

    ¡°And what about you? Is your consciousness because of the loss of node as well? None of the other beasts disy your level of intellect¡± Maria asked as theirpanions finally calmed down.

    ¡°It is not that theyck it, but they repressed it to conserve magic. I have to fulfill the old princess. I managed to regain mine when it was all sealed up. The beasts are not our enemies¡± Yuuki¡¯s longing gaze aimed at Kuro hinted at a story.

    A story she did not want to poke into right now. She already had her foot in two boats, she did not want to step into a third one.

    ¡°I see. It was Albest again? Somehow, it feels like they have their hand in everything going wrong. In Gerna, In Imu, and even here¡± Maria replied bitterly. She did not care much for politics, but this level of interference felt like a little too much.

    However, she just got azy node from the beast at her side.

    ¡°It does feel like that, right. But they are desperate as well. They are the ones who are the shortest in time before the divine retribution hit them. They are desperate to wake their ¡®master¡¯ up¡± the beastmented.

    If Maria expected to hear anything else from him, she did not. The beast had no intention to overshare his thoughts.

    ¡°Kuro, we need to hurry. Otherwise, your guardian would start to worry¡± those words sobered Kuro. they even stopped Venus, who only looked back with suspicion-filled eyes.

    ¡°Guardian? Do you mean your father? Did the old princess run away and marry?¡± Venus asked. Her words finally made it all click for Maria.

    They knew how they were all connected and why Maria got a feeling that Venus knew Kuro. he was the old queen¡¯s son.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°My father? He died a long time ago. The people around the vige say that he left this continent as soon as I was born to look for his ¡®master¡¯s¡¯ soul but I don¡¯t believe them.¡± Kuro replied.

    He didn¡¯t sound bitter so Maria took it that he did not care about this topic. But Yuuki looked pained at the admission. Maria had a feeling that he knew what happened to the kid¡¯s father and it was not pretty.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care. That hag is no longer the princess and I won¡¯t hand over my position to anyone else¡± Venus was back to her ssic ¡®I am better than you¡¯ sense and Maria just signed.

    There were things you cannot change, no matter how hard you tried. And Venus''s attitude was just one of those things.

    ¡°Why you-? Take that back. Don¡¯t insult my mother and all the work she did for Jamaica. She was at least a hundred times better than you and your lecherous ways¡± Kuro replied.

    His words hit Venus¡¯s weak point and Maria could see the red crawling up the princess¡¯s face. Venus was about to hit hersting point very soon.

    ¡°I am not lecherous in any way. Those people have a choice to make and they chose to stay with me. They get benefits in return as well. Isn¡¯t that right, Maria?¡± Venus turned toward her for support.

    But she should have known better than that. Maria did not ept her habits of very anyway.

    ¡°SEE. Even your partner doesn¡¯t support you. I bet you are still a virgin and pretending to make a harem to appear as if you are not¡± Kuro continued and Maria was afraid for his life.

    Venus was about to explode and Maria knew she had to interfere now. She could not allow Maria to kill their only present source of information.

    ¡°I am thankful for all your help. Can we ask you to host for tonight? I have a feeling that we should not spend tonight outside¡± Maria was not sure why, but she felt a little under the weather.

    Her muscles were protesting and the magic was in a disarray inside her. Something big was about to happen soon.

    It won¡¯t happen in Jamaica, that much she was sure. Jamaica already had its fair share of problems.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind but the decision is not in my hands. I live with Kuro and his guardian, so you¡¯ll have to ask him¡± Yuuki deflected. Maria turned toward the other kid who seemed shy all of a sudden.

    Maria could see the desire in his eyes to connect with Maria and Venus. The kid had magic and he was strong as well. It was likely that he had not met anyone else like him.

    Maria and Venus might be the first persons he felt like he could talk with and that might work in their favor.

    ¡°I might consider it if the hag here asked for my forgiveness. Otherwise, you can forget to stay the night¡± those words caused Venus to begin cursing.

    ¡°- No way. I will not apologize. The princess of Jamaica lowers her head for no one, you shitty piece of fucked up -¡± and they were just wasting time. Maria had no patience to listen to Venus¡¯s cursing.

    There was a time and ce for everything and Maria knew this was not the time to be standing ideal.

    ¡°Venus. Shut up and apologize. Right now. Please¡± Maria was not sure if it was her voice ormand that made Venusply with her request. But the princess did turn toward the teen and bowed her head.

    Maria could not hear what she said to the kid. Venus was too soft-worded in her apology but even Maria was smart enough to understand that it was not a full apology.

    ¡°Y-Y-YOU-¡± Kuro seemed lost for words, his face twisted between fascination and anger.

    ¡°Kuro, you can forgive her now. We should start heading back. I can feel a storming. Even the spirits feel restless today¡± Yuuki sounded serious. Maybe it was not just Maria that was feeling on edge tonight.

    The sky looked clear tonight but it would not stay that way for long. Aurora could feel the magic start building up in the sky. It was not any ordinary magic, but a build-up from the node.

    It should not be possible to do this in Jamaica. The ce had already lost its node but the magic was still building up. And Maria knew she would have a vision that night.

 Chapter 190 188: Running Interference

    ''[Initiating future vision. The user cannot change the actions that are about to happen. The action perimeter is outside the host''s range]

    Maria blinked as her eyes opened slowly to a sea of fire. She did not recognise the building on the far left of her vision. Nor did she recognise the architecture of the ce.

    But there was a familiar feeling about this ce. It seemed simr to the ancient Greek settlements Maria had seen on the inte. Neither Gerna nor Imu had such settlements. Thendscape was lush with flowers of all kinds.

    It would have been beautiful, if not for the sea of fire that was engulfing everything. The smoke made it difficult to be able to see anything of significance.

    All Maria could do was look straight. She had taken a single nce at the ground and her eyes had not dared to stray there again. Her footsteps made a crunching sound as theynded on the decaying bodies of the youth.

    The country, no, the continent had been lit aze. Was it because of the node? The vision did not provide Maria with enough information about this topic.

    "Give up. You have already lost everything princess" Maria headed toward the voice. It was the only source of sound that was avable to her. She did not care that the words were hostile.

    Worstes to worst, she''ll just fight. The environment was rich in magic. Even the fire held enough magic to enrich Maria''s core for years.

    "Give up? How can I give up? I''m a representative of the node. I''m the princess of "-". I cannot allow this country to fall" Maria wanted to hear more. She moved closer to be able to hear better.

    But no matter how fast she walked or how far she walked, the distance did not be breached.

    "I know who you are. But you are also someone who is allied with the Albest republic. We cannot allow you to run free either." the first voice spoke.

    The smoke made it difficult for Maria to be able to see who the speaker was. But the magicing out of them was magnificent. It almost rivalled the defeated princesses.

    "Since you are about to die anyway, let me show you something. This me, is it familiar?" There was a me? All Maria could see was a blind light.

    The intensity of the magic being used burned her eyes but Maria kept on looking. She needed to keep on looking.

    "That is? B-But how? The node is contracted to me. How could you-", "Use the nodes'' power? It''s simple. I empowered that node. It channels my magic." The figure replied.

    Maria was just as stunned as the princess.

    Someone who can channel the node''s magic was unheard of. There would have been no need for key holders and representatives if someone like that existed. But where was this person during thest demonic war?

    "You? I know who you are now. But what is someone from the upper realm doing here? You don''t pay attention to us lowly pebbles" the princess sounded bitter.

    Maria was interested in the conversation now. The upper realm was something that was seldom mentioned. Mostly as a myth and the people there were referred to as gods. It was not something Maria had anticipateding across.

    "So that witch told you about us? This makes things easier then. Now, why don''t you provide me with all the information you have and then I''ll make the node explode" the figure said.

    Maria was still not able to get a look at the shadowy figure and she had a feeling that she never would. The vision was actively trying not to let her see that shadow''s face.

    "Don''t you mean you won''t explode the node if I told you the information?" The princess replied. She sounded equally scared and brave.

    "No. This continent is done for. I don''t need this or the node to harvest magic for me anymore. Now, why don''t we continue this session" Maria wanted to get out of this vision right now.

    It made her feel helpless and weak. First of all, she had no idea where this vision was even taking ce.

    Second, she was sure she would be of no help against the shadow. Their magic was overwhelming and consuming.

    "You won''t get away with this. One day, you upper realm bastards will be dragged down. You won''t get to harvest our magic forever for your one gain. The nodes are draining the human life force" the princess spat.

    She struggled to get out of the hold but Maria could tell that this was it. There would be no getting out of that hold for her.

    "Hmmm. But there are so many of you humans and demons. You even breed like battles on the loose. Why can''t we harvest a few of you? We''re not causing you any harm." The figure replied.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria looked away as the princess broke down into sobs. It was a helpless situation where the node was breaking apart. Maria wanted to help out but she had no control over magic.

    Nor could she affect the visions. All she could do was sit there and wait for the vision to end. She felt sorry for the princess.

    Maria had no love for Albest, but she was brave enough to admit that she did know enough about them to form a baseless opinion.

    "You''ll all be dragged down. Once we have all the nodes, we''ll drag you down with your one power." The Princess cried out as she took her final breath.

    And with that, the continent was done for. Maria could feel the node migrating with excitement and it would be blown to pieces any second.

    "A. Now I''ll have to find another target to drain for power. I guess German would be a good target for my next node. Don''t you agree, little eavesdropper?" The man turned his head toward Maria.

    It should not be possible for him to see Maria but she had a feeling that the figure was looking directly at her. There was a feeling of unrest inside her heart as she faced those eyes head-on.

    "I don''t -? You can see me?" Maria asked. She should have stayed quiet but she could not help herself. She needed to ask that question. and sate her curiosity.

    "Seeing is not the right word here. I can feel your presence. A bright light that had been bestowed a rare gift from the ''mother.'' You are wasted on these people of the lower realm." The man''s voice was charming.

    Had it not been for what Maria already saw of him, she might have been persuaded to hear him out. But not now. She had standards and she had made a promise to Nao.

    Besides, her insides felt funny when the man said ''mother.'' They revolted with a nauseating feeling that screamed ''wrong'' and ''danger'' inside Maria''s mind.

    "No? Yes? What''s your answer? Think over my offer until we meet again in Albert. You''ll be heading there next anyway" Maria wanted to ask how the man knew.

    But she did not get a chance to ask. The ground beneath her gave way and broke apart. The vibrating node finally boomed and took the continent away.''

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    Maria panted as she opened her eyes. Her vision was so clear in front of her eyes. Generally, she tended not to remember her visions but this one was stuck inside her mind.

    She felt Jamaica''s magic howl around her. It felt sorrowful and mourning.

    Maria wanted to know if it felt the same loss she felt. But that should not be possible. Maria''s visions told of future events. One that had yet to happen.

    That continent she saw in her vision had time on its hands. It would not be destroyed for some more time. If Maria interfered on time then she could make it before the continent was destroyed.

    "The node is crying out. It feels the loss of its own even without its magical core. It seems as if the upper realm has started to move." Yuuki''s voice broke Maria''s concentration.

    Venus cuddled harder against Maria''s side. Her warm weight was something that was grounding for Maria. Her hand unconsciously sought out Venus''s head to pat.

    "My vision showed me the future. One of the continents is about to be destroyed" Maria admitted.

    "I see. So you are the oracle. But even your vision cannot save the doomed. I''m afraid that you will be toote in your warning, even if you issue one now. After all, even more, minutes can be considered as future" Yuuki sounded remorseful.

    And Maria understood why her system had said that this vision can not be changed. It also exined why some visions can be changed without consequences.

    It was never about impact, but time. The more time she had, the better chances Maria had of interfering. It also gave her the advantage of knowing what was about to happen.

    "Sleep tight tonight. We''ll leave for the pool tomorrow. It is no longer safe to venture outside on your own. Not if the upper realm is beginning to pay attention to us." Yuuki spoke.

    And Maria agreed with him. Her vision had put her on edge and The node''s sadness added to it.

    (Remember, the pole will remain open this whole month. https://forms.gle/ZVAyGEKReuxgqvng6)

 Chapter 191 189: Separation

    It became difficult to sleep after having such an experience. Maria did not want to close her eyes and have the scene of doom sh before her eyes.

    Her eyes refused to stay open in the morning but Maria still managed to drag herself out of the bed. It helped that Venus had decided to roll off her sometime in the morning.

    Even the morning routine did not have the usual enthusiasm it usually had. Maria felt like a puppet moving through the actions her body was used to.

    "Good morning. Would you like to have breakfast now? I''ll go set it up." Aurora tensed as Kuro''s guardian appeared behind her. He gave her a scare and did not wait for Aurora to present her consent before leaving.

    This was something she had noticed yesterday as well. The man seemed to not understand the meaning of ''no.'' He did things at his own pace and ignored everyone else.

    But Maria has seen him nce a few times toward Kuro. It looked as if the man was seeking permission before acting. He did not act like this with anyone else with Kuro. Even Yuuki was ignored by the man most of the time.

    "There is something wrong with that man. He doesn''t feel alive" Aurora didn''t even realize he had made that observation till the words were out of her mouth. But now that she heard them aloud, they seemed to fit the situation.

    "So you noticed that? Kuro''s guardian is a shadow puppet connected to his magic. His mother was concerned that he might be alone once she died so she left him a gift." Yuuki walked up to Maria from behind her.

    Maria had felt his presence long before he decided to announce it. She followed him to the breakfast table.

    "I think we should leave for the pond as soon as possible. The future is uncertain now." Maria felt ironic saying those words.

    "I was thinking the same things as well. You should not spend much time in this town." Yuuki agreed. He had a folded paper along with utilities ced in front of him on the table.

    Maria knew that there were many things she had no knowledge of in this world. Surprises were a given factor and nning could only take her so far.

    But her outline for the future events was falling apart. She had already scouted through the original archive but nothing indicated this turn of events. The upper realm was not even touched till the very end when MC decided to ascend with his harem.

    "I would appreciate it if you would keep these things to yourself for now. I don''t want Kuro to fall victim to it all." Yuuki asked as Maria heard the moment in the hallway. The other two upants of the house had woken up.

    "Of course. Kids should not be involved in adult matters." Maria realized how wrong it sounded in her mouth after she had spoken those words.

    Her current body was not adult as well (Even if she was sure her birthday had already passed). But circumstances were different for her.

    "I agree. An adult is someone who has seen things and knows how to handle a situation. Kuro is far from it and so is the princess. It is not their burden to bear." Yuuki ended the conversation as Venus bounced into the room.

    Kuro did not stay away for long as well.

    "So, when are we leaving? I cannot wait to be finished here and then return home. My nails are in dire need of maintenance." Venusined.

    She was back to her usual energy levels so Maria was sure she had a good restst night.

    "We''ll be leaving in an hour. I have the map with me but we can''t rely on it once we''re in the jungle." Yuuki exined.

    "Why can''t we rely on it? It''s a map. It''s supposed to be trustworthy." Venus asked. Maria was thankful to have her here and asking these questions.

    Maria was curious as well but she didn''t want to show it. It would feel like she owed one to Yuuki if she asked.

    "It''s because the forest of mirage is a little weird. You''ll see why once we enter. But remember, whatever you do - do not stray away from the path." Yuuki warned.

    His tone sounded chilled and scary. It was a warning and promise mixed in one ball. It made Maria want to obey it at any cost.

    "Sure. Got it. Stay on the path and not leave the group. Seems easy enough." Venus was confident but Yuuki''s head shake made Maria doubt that it would be this easy.

    The forest of mirage, huh? Maria wondered why it was called that.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She had a really bad feeling about the forest.

    "Venus, stop ying around and be serious. It might be a life and death situation there." Maria reminded her. She had not wanted to dampen the mood with her words but she needed the princess to take this seriously.

    Maria did not want another death on her hands. She was not strong enough to survive the guilt.

    "Rx. It''ll all be alright. After all, we''re strong." Venus did not lose her cool even after the threat. Maria just decided to let her be in her world.

    "Let''s leave now. We cannot rely on the weather to be this consistent for long." Yuukimented before he folded the map.

    Since he was the only one who knew the way, he led the group toward the forest. It was nice of him to do that but Maria felt something poking her still.

    She was not sure why she got the feeling that she had missed something crucial?

    The edge of a misty forest was visible in front of the party. It had to be the forest of mirage that Yuuki had mentioned before. It would not be long before the group would enter the forbiddennds.

    "By the way, how long are you both going to apany us? Isn''t it dangerous? And, isn''t Kuro too young for this journey? You could have just given us the map and pointed us toward the way." Venus asked. The group tensed.

    Maria stopped as well. She had not thought about this, but there was no need for the younger pair to apany them. Kuro should not be here. He was too young and untrained.

    "Ah. I had hoped that you would not ask this question before we entered the forest. And I''m afraid that I cannot give you the answer to that question right now" Yuuki was avoiding the question.

    Maria could see the hints of nervousness in his bodynguage. Kuro looked confused though, so it was likely that he did not know.

    "Why can''t we be here? Yuki forbade us to go alone in the mirage forest and it''s dangerous there alone. Isn''t their strength in numbers?" Kuro asked. He seemed to have missed Yuuki''s nervous shuffle.

    So, whatever was going on here was known by Yuuki but not Kuro. It seemed as if it was another thing they could not know.

    "Will your presence affect us in any way throughout our journey?" Maria asked. As much as she could see Yuuki''s need to venture into the mirage forest, she did not want to risk her own life.

    "No. I can assure you that we have the same goal here. We won''t be a hindrance to you." Yuuki assured them and Maria decided to trust him.

    It did not seem as if it was Yuuki''s first time in the mirage forest. He would prove to be a good host and way-finder for them.

    "Fine. Lead the way. But we will abandon you and take the map if you betray us in any way. Maria was sure she could take Yuuki if it came down to it. The beast seemed to understand that as well.

    "Very well. Now, let''s enter." Maria decided to give the younger pair the benefit of doubt in this situation. She did not have enough brainpower to keep an eye on them and also ready herself for the mirage forest.

    Everyone walked in at the same time but the mist made it difficult to look where they were going.

    "The visibility will be low for the first few meters. Make sure to walk in a straight line and we should be alright." Yuuki exined as he walked. Maria followed after him and finally emerged from the misty path as well.

    She looked around for Venus but her hand did not find anyone. The other female had been walking a few steps behind her but was nowhere to be found now.

    "Those idiots. I told them to walk straight but they decided to stray away at the very first step." Yuuki raged. He sounded worried as well and it made Maria''s mad feeling worse.

    Meanwhile, Venus tried to navigate the most but she lost her footing and sense of direction. Herpass also seemed to not be working.

    She was lost till she saw a shadow figure move through most and followed after it. She reached out to snap her hand on a person''s wrist and her eyes met a familiar pair.

    "Y-You? What are you doing here?" Her voice rang clear but was lost in the most surrounding her.

 Chapter 192 190: A Misty Adventure

    Venus did not want to admit it but she knew she was lost. She had gotten lost the second she had taken her attention off of Maria. And now she did not know where to head.

    She wanted to keep walking straight but the most was making it hard to know where she was heading. Turning around was not an option for her either.

    "Stupid forest and stupid most. Why does it even need to exist?" Venusined as she rubbed her arms. She was sure it had not been this cold a few seconds ago.

    It was not until she was the shadow in the most did she start heading over to it. She reached for the shadow with her right hand and grasped the thin arm. And then she pulled.

    It was not a hard pull. But it certainly caused the smaller figure to be pulled toward Venus. Likely because they had been shocked at the action.

    "Hey, watch it." Kuro''s familiar voice reached Venus''s ears and her fear eased. She felt safer to have Kuro here with her.

    Especially since she knew that Yuuki would not abandon Kuro at any cost. As long as she stuck around with the kid, she was sure to be rescued.

    Not that she doubted Maria. But she had given the reason for the other to save Kuro. All she had done was irritate Maria and leave. a bad impression on her.

    "Ah, it''s only you. What are you doing here? Did you happen to get lost?" Venus asked. Her tone did not betray her happiness at not being alone any longer.

    But of course, she could not show that side of herself. Especially not in front of the previous princess''s son. Venus had her pride on the line.

    "L-Lost? Of course not. I was just looking around for the others. T-They are the ones who got lost." If Venus had a lot of pride, so did Kuro.

    It was a stalemate where both of them came to a mutual agreement. They were not lost, the other two were.

    "So, should we keep walking straight? Or did we already miss the direction? J-Just asking for convenience''s sake. There is no way we are lost." Venus finished the sentence with a smallugh.

    The kid did not say anything to her nervous question.

    "Let''s go this way." He pointed to their ''apparent'' front direction and the pair started walking, unaware of the eyes keeping watch on their every step.

    The mist hid the sound of the footsteps following them. It also hid the glow of their predator''s eyes.

    And it especially hid the crouching figure that jumped as soon as they reached the appropriate mark.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    "Those idiots. I told them to walk straight but they decided to stray away at the very first step." Yuuki raged. He sounded worried as well and it made Maria''s mad feeling worse.

    She looked back at the mist and it seemed to have thickened in a matter of minutes. It also had several discolorations that made it difficult to figure out what was going on.

    "We can''t help it if those idiots decide to get lost. All we can do is head back and get them out." Maria answered.

    She tried to spot Venus''s silhouette the most but was unable to. The mist was just too thick.

    "The problem is not about retrieving them but finding them. The mist is a separate dimension and it spans a high mass. The only way to find the way through it was to walk straight." Yuuki exined.

    Maria thought about the topic but it did not make much sense to her. Even if the most hidden profile, should there not be a sense of smell? Or other ways to track someone?

    ''System, can you track people through the mist?'' Maria asked.

    [The user is assured that the system can track subordinate ''Venus'' through the mist. Should the system make a note of the starting point to guide the user back?]

    The system asked.

    ''Yes,'' Maria did not hesitate to answer.

    "I have a way to track Venus through the mist and get back here. But I can only track Venus urately. Do you still want to tag along?" Maria asked.

    As much as she did not want to leave Kuro to the mist''s mercy, she did not have the resources to retrieve him as well. She had to focus on her curse.

    "Might as well tag along. Besides, I owe you an exnation about why I decided to bring Kuro along on this journey." Yuuki sighed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria tilted her head to signal the other to continue. This was a topic she was interested in as well.

    Even then, she felt like she already knew the answer.

    "Kuro is cursed, just as you are. He has magic but cannot use it properly due to his curse. Initially, he was to be the node''s partner before the Albest continent decided to interfere and made our guardian angry." Yuuki exined.

    Maria had already guessed this much.

    "The guardian is the girl you met in the forest. The one who looks like our queen. They used to be a single entity but the loss of more caused them to separate. The man, no, the divine beast of the upper realm did this to her as punishment for ''aiding'' Albert." Yuuki''s eyes shed as he spoke those words.

    They sounded almost like a curse to Maria so she did not pay much emphasis to them.

    But what did catch her attention was the mention of the upper realm. It reminded her of the man she had met in her vision. The one who had addressed her despite her having no physical form.

    It assured her that there was something more about the higher realm beings. Something that made them stand out, changed them in a way no human or demon was capable of.

    "That being from the upper realm? Do you know anything about him? Any description or such?" Maria asked but she did not have much confidence in being answered back.

    And yet, the man in front of her looked back at her with glowing eyes.

    "Of course, I know. I saw that man with my own eyes. His glowing golden eyes refuse to leave my mind. That aura of power was also something I have never experienced before. I am ashamed to say but I am terrified of that creature." Yuuki sounded calm.

    Maria would not have been able to gauge his fear from his words alone.

    But having seen the real thing, Maria knew why the man felt his way about that being from the upper realm. There had been something dangerous about him.

    "Well, I will have to face him one day if he is the opposite. And - look. We found Venus and she has Kiro with her." Maria''s train of thought was cut short as soon as she spotted the pair.

    The pair seemed to not have heard her, nor seen her. So Maria decided to walk closer to them.

    [Warning. Hostile entity approaching. The user is asked to be cautious]

    Maria did not hear the attack, but she still reacted to the system''s warning. Her first reaction had been to use her chains and they blocked the iing ws.

    The resulting ss finally managed to drag the other two''s attention toward Maria.

    "Run. Get out of his w range." Maria ordered. The w had enough power to even push her back and she had to wrap her chain around the ankle and pull.

    The creature cried out in pain but there was no visible wound. The skin had been tough enough to have withstood her assault. The chains were useless if they could not breach the skin.

    "Should I try attacking it with magic? I''m sure I can do some damage." Venus suggested as she maneuvered her body and Kuro out of the attack range.

    She was careful to protect her left side while keeping a weapon on her right. Where did she get the knife? Maria had no idea of the brainpower to spend on this topic.

    Thankfully, she could count on Yuuki to protect the other two while she dealt with the beast.

    "Head toward the exit. It''s to your left and straight. I will be able to find you once I''m done here. Do not separate." Maria ordered as her attention was taken by the beast in front of her again.

    Yuki did not need another reminder about the task and finally decided to go drag the other two toward the exit.

    Maria covered their backside as the trio made their way outside. The beast had tried to circle her a few times and get past her defenses. But Maria had held on and even pushed back against the beast.

    "It''s you and me against each other. Better get used to it soon if you don''t want to die here." Maria tainted. The beast did not look like it would listen to her.

    Maria did not want to kill him either but there was no other way to liberate the beast.

    More urately, Maria did not have enough time to figure out another way to liberate the beast. And she was not nice enough to leave him and allow him toe after the group.

    Maria had learned her lesson. And sometimes, eliminating the danger forever was the better option.

 Chapter 193 191: Cannot Be Changed

    "Keep on running. Don''t look back or you''ll make us lose our way." Yuuki''s voice sounded like it was being obstructed by fog. The only reason the pair could tell what he was saying was that they already knew what he wanted to say.

    "B-But we can''t leave Maria behind on her own. The beast would kill her." Venus sounded worried but she did not stop running.

    Despite her worries, her life was more important to her. And a deep part of her was d to see Maria in such danger. It gave her hope of being free from the curse.

    "She has better odds of surviving without us than with us. You just focus on your one survival." Yuuki snapped as he tightened his hold.

    Kuro did not contribute to the argument. But the weak experimental tug he had given his arm told Yuuki what he thought about this situation.

    "Kuro, don''t even think about it. You are the most vulnerable out of all of us here. You can''t even ess your magic." Yuuki scolded. Those words finally put a damper on Kuro''s eager expression.

    The most was finally thinking out and Yuuki could see the exit. They were finally free. Even the noisesing from behind them could not make Yuuki look back.

    "No, don''t look back." Venus cried out but it was toote. Kuro had already turned to look behind him.

    Yuuki tugged the other two in front of him as he turned around. His ws met another pair and the sh ended up in a stalemate. The exit behind their back began to get foggy.

    "You both, head toward the exit. It will not stay stable for long. I''ll follow after you." Yuuki instructed. He parried the w away from his face as he jumped back.

    There was no room for negotiation in his voice. Kuro did not get to protest as he was picked by Venus and the pair toward the exit.

    "Let me down. I can help." Kuro''s struggling voice reached Yuuki and it prompted him to work harder. He needed the kid to survive this.

    "I can''t. I''m not delusional to believe that the beast will save me if we separated. I would rather not take the risk." Venusmented. Her magic sent a small beast flying away from the pair.

    The pair exited the fog before the entrance disappearedpletely. From here on, it was a waiting game.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    The moment of Maria''s chains resembled a practised dance. One she had practised for a long time.

    The chains shed and they defended against the enemy. It was a seamless sh which forced the audience to watch in awe.

    But there was no audience there. This was not a dance for entertainment either. This was a battle for survival where only one would walk away victorious

    The beast was tough but even it had to bow down to the chain''s immense power. Every snap of that divine metal sailed the beast a little more of its power.

    And little by little, the beast began to be worn out by the magic loss. Maria did not even feel the burn on her life force''s drain yet and she could only contribute to herck of magic.

    "Is that the end for you?" Maria asked as her chains rained down on her foe. It snapped the neck away from the body in a single snap.

    ''System, scan the surroundings for hostile enemy presence.''

    ? [Scan initiated¡­..

    ¡­¡­ no hostile presence detected]

    That should not be right. Maria could feel a lot of hostile eyes aimed at her. They were watching her every move.

    Or maybe it was the side-effect of the mist. It was an unknown factor in all of these situations.

    "I can''t help but get the feeling I''m being yed with," Mariained as she picked a random direction to walk in.

    She had a hypothesis she wanted to confirm and the more she walked, the more she felt like she was right.

    She was walking but she doesn''t seem to be getting anywhere. Her system also pointed out that she was not leaving a designated area.

    So she gave up for now and decided to follow Venus''s signature. She had gotten away from the mist as her signature points to the outside zone.

    And Maria was almost out as well before she felt a w reaching for her.

    Her body dodged the attack on its own and used her chains to capture the wrist and pull.

    "Yuuki? Why did you attack me?" Maria asked. It had almost gotten dangerous for her and the others as well. Had she not stopped in times she would have served the other''s arm off his body.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Yuki looked startled to see her as well. His magic seemed out of sorts and agitated. Maria let his arm go and took a step back.

    "Sorry, I thought you were another monster out to get me. There were a few that attacked me a while back and I had to stay back to distract them." Yuuki exined as he turned around.

    His ws met empty air but his face was a mask of concentration. Was he fighting an invisible enemy?

    Or, was it another illusion of the mist. Slowly but surely, Maria had stopped seeing the beasts in the mist. None had been solid after the first beast either.

    It made her believe that the monsters did that. a person faced here was in their mind. Even the injuries they sustained only materialised physically once they believed in them.

    This mist was borate illusion magic being cast actively on the entering person. And from the randomness of it all, the caster had long passed away.

    "Yuuki, don''t fight the mist. It''s all in your head. Focus on running away." Maria exined.

    Yuuki seemed to not believe her words. His eyes were trained on the imaginary figure only he could see. Maria knew he was lost to her.

    "Don''t be a fool. These beasts are real. They were some of the noblest beasts before they lost their mind to the node''s destruction. I cannot allow them to continue like this any longer." Yuuki exined.

    His reason seemed to be twisted up. Maria was sure that the initial reason Yuuki had given her was to save Kuro and Venus.

    But his words and tone seemed to have shifted in a small amount of time. Maria couldn''t help but feel like it was the effect of the space they were in.

    The mist was affecting Yuuki as well. Maybe it had something to do with the node''s destruction and the beasts losing their mind in the aftermath.

    But whatever the reason, Maria had a goal now.

    Her chains snapped around Yuuki''s smaller human frame and she tugged him on her shoulder. The weight felt hampering without her magic but Maria managed to carry him out somehow.

    And her steps took them out of the mist in a matter of minutes. No monster attacked them on the way out.

    "These beasts were not real. The mist was just using your mind against you. It wanted to make you forget the reason you stepped in there." Maria exined instead of apologising.

    She knew that Yuuki would understand what she wanted to say. And the beast just sighed.

    "I knew deep down that seeing myrades again was too good to be true. But I just wanted to hope that I would see them again. Even if it was on a battlefield." Yuuki exined.

    There was no need to exin it all to Maria. She understood that feeling well.

    After all, even she had people she earned to see after this long. It would not matter if they were the enemies or allies in the future, as long as Maria was to see them again.

    "Save your apologies. I don''t need them. Besides, I can see ourpanions heading our way. We don''t want to worry them. Let''s agree to bury this incident." Maria proposed. She was not close enough to Yuuki to have a heart-to-heart.

    "Yes. That would be for the best." Yuuki agreed as the other two finally reached them.

    "Sorry. We did not mean to stray away from the path. This will not happen again." Venus promised. But Maria had a feeling that this would happen again.

    She did not say anything though. She just stared at Venus in a warning. It was Yuuki that finally decided for them.

    "What happened cannot be changed. Let''s head ahead and stay alert for any danger. Anyone who has gotten past the mist in thest few years never made it back alive." Yuuki warned.

    Maria saw the other two gulp their nervousness down. She could feel their conflicted need to head back home but also find the pond fighting with each other.

    "You can stay back here if you want. I won''t fault you. But I can''t guarantee your safety either." Maria''s words caused a wave of protest.

    "No what.", " I am totallying with you."

    Maria shook her head at the behaviour being disyed. But she did not protest against the pair''s choice.

    And so, they finally move ahead. The feeling of being watched did not stop for them. But their watch did not make a move either.

    Maria felt as of the presence watching them was familiar to her. But it also felt like it did not belong in this world either.

    And her system beeped like crazy as she moved ahead.

 Chapter 194 192: The Place Changes?

    "This ce gives me the creeps. The trees look like they are changing shape every few seconds. I cannot take it anymore. I want to go home." Venusined.

    Maria had noticed the oddities as well. But she had chosen not to speak of them just yet. She wanted to observe a little more before reaching any conclusion.

    "You think so as well? I swear that tree used to be much shorter than 6 feet a few seconds ago. It looks like it''s over 10 feet now." Kuro added.

    Venus and Kuro had a runningmentary going on. Maria added her opinion when she felt like it was needed. But not too much.

    Yuuki seemed to be the only one without anything to add to their observation. The youngest had a nostalgic look on his face.

    "Should we seek shelter for the night? The sun should be setting soon." Maria observed. The day-night cycle seemed to have returned to normal in this forest.

    "We shall. I''m sure there is a habitable cave somewhere nearby. I''ll go and check." Yuuki sounded confident in his assumption. If not for them getting lost and Maria''s system keeping track of their moment, Maria would have assumed that Yuuki knew this ce.

    The kid came back after a ten-minute interval with an unreadable look on his face.

    "I found a cave we can spend the night in," Yuuki exined before anyone else could ask any questions.

    "Great. Finally, we get to rest. Let''s hurry on over." Venus cut in before anyone could question the younger. No one had the heart to contradict her words and followed after Yuuki.

    However, Maria observed Yuuki subtly positioning himself after Kuro. It was a position she was vaguely familiar with. But from Kuro,''s perspective.

    Nao often used to stand guard behind her when she was afraid for Maria''s life.

    "Everything ok? You can tell us if there is. a problem with the cave idea. We can camp outside as well." Maria suggested.

    Her words caused Yuuki''s face to pale a little. But the beast averted his eyes away from Maria when he shook his head.

    "Hurry up. Is this the cave?" Venus asked as she pointed to a dark entrance. It did look like a cave, but one that was often found in a horror story.

    Every instinct in Maria that was afraid of the haunted stories urged her to not step in. But Venus seemed to have no such filter.

    Kuro did not seem to fear the cave either. His steps caused Yuuki to start walking as well. Maria was the only one who did not move.

    The cave gave her a bad feeling. It felt ''real.'' It was difficult to exin Maria''s feelings in words to an external party.

    Ever since entering the mist, Maroa had a feeling of her surroundings not being real. She could touch and feel them without any problem but it felt like this space was a dream.

    The biggest evidence was the presence of their physical stuff. Maria''s inventory had stuff she remembered not bringing with her on this journey.

    "Maria. Hurry up ande inside. There is a pond here with fresh water." Venus called. The call finally managed to make Maria move.

    As much as she did not like this cave, she did need to restock on water. Fresh water was a luxury the group did not have throughout the day.

    The cave wasrger than Maria had expected. The rocks lookedfortable to sit back and rx on as well.

    "This cave is great. But it would be better if it was a little more spacious." Venusmented. Maria rolled her eyes as she took the seat beside Venus.

    It was after half an hour that Maria noticed an oddity. The cave ceiling seemed to be a little higher than before. Maria wasn''t sure about her observation and decided to ask around.

    "Hey, isn''t the ceiling higher than a few minutes ago?" Maria asked. The trio in front of her lifted their heads to check as well.

    "It is? I can''t tell. I think it was always that high?" Venus replied. Not that Maria had expected her to take notice.

    Kuro seemed undisturbed as well and resumed his previous actions. But Yuuki gave her a solid ''let''s talk alone'' gesture.

    Maria decides not to drag the topic out and waits for Yuuki to exin. The next fifteen minutes passed in silence.

    "I''ll go and refill our bottles. Maria, apany me this time." It did not take long for Yuuki to make his move. Maria was worried about leaving their vulnerable two alone but decided to follow Yuuki anyway.

    The beast would not dare to put Kuro in any danger.

    "So you observed it as well. This ce is changing every few seconds." Yuuki did not beat around the bush.

    Maria nodded in agreement. She had noticed that but there was more to her observation than that.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It is not changing randomly either. It''s responding to our thoughts. The lengthening of trees, and the type of environment we saw, all were a direct result of what we wanted to experience." Maria added. The more she spoke, the more certain she felt.

    "The cave changed when Venus mentioned it being bigger. But the other two did not notice." Maria had found that odd as well. Odd, but not out of character for them.

    "Can this be a coincidence? Them not noticing these things? Venus is not the most observant person in the world" Maria asked.

    But Yuuki shook his head.

    "Even if they see no observer, they should have noticed these changes. They are not subtle. And I noticed another thing. These changes are not being prompted by you or me. Just by those two." Yuki added.

    Marks thought back to all the incidents she could find in her memory and realised that Yuuki was right.

    Had it been her, Maria was sure she would have seen Gerna''s native flowers in this illusion.

    "So, it only responds to certain individuals?" Maria asked. She could not figure out why the illusion changed for only certain individuals. Was it a princess thing? A bloodline thing?

    "No. I don''t think that''s the case. I think it''s a magic thing. Both your magic and mine are primarily outside of Jamaica''s influence. I don''t think it can affect us." Yuuki observed.

    It was a hold assumption to make when they had no evidence. But strangely enough, Maria did believe those words.

    "Let''s assume that it''s true. Then, how should we use this information?" Maria asked. Since Yuuki had brought this topic up, Maria hoped that he had a solution for this as well.

    "We need to make them show us the way to the pond. If this ce is responding to their beliefs, then they are the only ones who could lead us to the curse-breaking pond." Yuuki''s words made sense.

    Maria did not like the possibility of creating the two most unreliable people she had the displeasure of meeting, but there seemed to be no other way out.

    "I agree and we should-" Maria started before she felt her system interfere. The timing was admissible and problematic as well.

    [Initiating future vision. The actual result of the visions may change depending on the actions taken in the past]

    ''Kuro and Venus looked back at Maria with twin faces of disbelief.

    "Are you sure this is going to work out? I don''t feel like this ce is changing much" Venusined. But Maria could see her trying hard to think.

    Nothing happened. The pond at the corner of the room stood still and the cave still retained its initial structure.

    But there was a disturbing air around them now. Maria felt her system zing in warning but she felt like she could not move.

    The magic did not seem to be happy at being forced to make itself change conscious

    "You should not have yed with fire. Once you are aware of the changes, I can''t allow you to leave this ce." Maria did not see the attacking.

    Not that she was the target of the attack. The huge body that leapt out of the water headed toward Venus.

    Kuro noticed in an instant and tried to push Venus out of the way. But the monster was too huge and hit the mark.

    Maria could not see Yuuki anywhere but he had to be nearby. Maria didn''t hesitate to attack the monster but her attack phased through that giant body leaving no marks.

    "Who are you? Where are you?" Maria feat on edge. The voice echoing around the cave seemed to have no starting point. It made Maria''s head ache.

    It felt like it was something directly inside her mind. And she did try to force it out but she could not find the origin.

    ''System, how is that person?'' Maria questioned. The system was not responding to her stress.

    [The user is not authorised to know the identity of higher-ups. The system cannot help the user.]

    Higher-ups? So this person was someone from the upper realm?

    "Rot here. I won''t allow those who break the rules out of my space." The figure spoke before Maria felt the voice disappear from her head.

    And with that, their only hope of escaping as well. This could not be allowed to happen at all costs.

 Chapter 195 193: Opps. Its Was A Mistake

    Maria woke up with her hand in pain. Her eyes registered red when she decided to take a look at her hand. It was covered in blood. The blood was still flowing out of her palm.

    "Are you alright? You nked out." Yuuki sounded worried. The episode did not seem to have taken much time. Kuro and Venus had note over to check yet.

    "Yeah. I''m alright. But more importantly, we can''t let Kuro and Venus know what the real meaning of this ce is. They need to be kept in the dark or something bad will happen." Maria spoke fast. She wanted to get her thoughts out before she forgot.

    Yuki looked overwhelmed at her fast response. Maria was not sure if he understood what she had said.

    "I don''t know how you came to that conclusion but I would assume that it had something to do with your cking out. A vision?" Yuuki sounded cautious when he asked.

    But Maria could tell that he did not want an answer from her. He was asking for the sake of asking.

    "This ce has an external influence. And I don''t mean ''out of continent'' external. More like, ''out of realm'' external." Maria tried to hint at the ''higher realm'' without taking the name.

    For some reason, the information refused to be uttered out of her mouth. She could not say ''upper realm'' without feeling her mouth mp itself shut.

    "That''s troublesome. Those people from the ''out of the realm''-" Maria was sure Yuuki was trying to say ''upper realm'' as well. But he changed his words at thest second.

    Yuuki looked frustrated as well. Looked like the restriction on speaking was not only being applied to Maria.

    "I see what you mean now. Someone is taking extreme measures to make sure we don''t spoil the things happening here." Yuuki concluded.

    "We don''t have any other choice but to subtly hint at our point across from those two dense idiots." Maria sounded worried. And for good reasons.

    Yuuki did not look confident as well. But it was gettingte and Maria could hear Venus getting impatient at their long talk.

    Maria decided to start heading back toward the group. It would not do them any good to make Venus and Kuro suspicious.

    Maria''s gaze fell on the pond adjustment to their campsite and a shudder wracked her frame. She remembered the monstrosity that had attacked them in her vision.

    Maria had a feeling that the beast was lurking in the pond''s shadows still. It was lurking, waiting for them to slip up.

    "Stop looking at the water. Hurry on over. We have food ready." Maria finally broke her eyes away from the pond and headed toward Venus. The girl had been trying to cook the ingredients Maria had presented her with.

    The cooking did not look great, but it was edible enough.

    "I''m tired. I''m not taking the first or second watch. Decide among yourself." Venus was half-asleep when she spoke those words. Kuro was also falling asleep sitting down.

    Maria was not going to count on them to keep watch either. It would either have to be her or Yuuki.

    "I''ll take the first watch. Maria can take second?" Yuuki purposes. He seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion and his eyes told Maria that they were on their own.

    "You''ll be alright? Wake me up when it is my time to keep watch." Kuro replied in one breath and he was asleep in the next.

    Maria found herself not very sleepy. Her body was tired but her breaking refused to quieten down.

    "Yuuki, I''ll be going for a small walk. I''ll be back in time for my turn at keeping watch." Maria promised.

    Yuuki looked displeased at her decision to abandon him but he did not stop her from leaving either. If anything, he seemed to understand Maria''s difort.

    "Alright. Come back when your time to keep watch starts." Yuuki was dismissed as he went back to his position.

    Maria decided not to venture too far away from the camp. She let her feet carry her across the cave as she observed it.

    And then she began to notice a lot of things she did not do in the beginning. The walls were smoother than in a natural cave. They also were soft to touch.

    Maria looked at the wall and watched as it caved in just a little. No stone could bend like that.

    Her feeling of danger got even worse as she walked closer to the water. It looked clean at first but there was an emerald glow to it in the darkness.

    Maria was not sure if it was her imagination or not, but she could make out a shadow swimming deep in the waters. It was ignoring Maria''s presence but she found herself fascinated with the creature.

    Maria had her system panel opened to scan the waters and record data in it. She stopped to find something of use.

    [User alert issued.

    The user is informed that they can use a key item here. Would the user like to use the ''Gem of Requiem''?]<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria jumped at her system''s voice. She identally shifted the screen.

    [Answer recorded.

    The user is advised to take a few steps back]

    But of course, her system''s warning camete. The gem made contact with water and caused a small explosion.

    Maria felt magic swell all around her and then the water parted.

    Maria jumped back from the water as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. The gem had touched the water and then transformed it into a portal.

    And the magicing out of the portal felt achingly familiar. It felt like a node.

    ''S-System?'' Maria asked. She had no words to describe what she felt or how to proceed further. She needed help and the system was the only one that could confirm for her.

    [Congrattions.

    The user had found the entrance and key to one of the hidden nodes. The node is not connected to any continent but has a connection to this space.]

    The system informed Maria.

    Maria felt her brain ache at the influx of new information. She had not known that there were hidden nodes. How could she ever anticipateing across them?

    Why did things never make sense in this world?

    "Let''s not touch this node for now. I should get Yuuki''s opinion as well." Maria decided but she did not get to make it far.

    The monster decided that it had enough of being agitated and jumped out of the water. It was calm one second and Maria had her hand in the beast''s grip the next second.

    "H-Hey!" By the time Maria''s voice echoed across the cave, she had already been dragged into the cold embrace of the cave waters.

    The water burned at her lungs and Maria found it difficult to breathe. The water was burning her throat as well as her lungs.

    And when she finally felt her body hit the ground, Mari almost cried out in relief. Her lungs decided to steal as much oxygen as they could. Maria finally felt better after she was let out of the water.

    "I don''t like you. You made a mess of my storybook." The voice came from a silhouette in front of Maria. It startled her but Maria''s body did not have enough energy to be able to respond.

    Someone touched her face and lifted it from the ground. And Maria found herself looking at a familiar pair of eyes.

    She had seen them before. On a face younger than the one in front of her. And also on a face much older than the person in front of her.

    The person holding Maria''s face in her hand looked like a mixture of Yura and the queen. The only difference was the scale of magic oozing out of this person.

    Maria''s senses told her that she could not face this enemy. She would not survive the sh and also doom others in the process.

    "Come. Sit and have a seat. I''m interested to know why you decided to Interfere in my storybook world." The female patted the empty seat at her side.

    Maria did not want to move but her bodyplied. It was like the other female had a grip on her body and was manipting it to her advantage.

    Maria sat down but her mind was nk. The female''s unnerving gaze made her falter even more.

    "So. Why did youe to this world? You don''t have to answer me if you don''t want to. But the consequences would not be pretty." The female asked.

    She did not introduce herself and Maria had a feeling the other did not care about it either. The sheer aura of the female made Marka break out in cold sweat.

    "I did not mean to end up here. Imu''s node sent me to Jamica. I am on a mission to seal them all and to prevent the next demonic was." Maria informed.

    She decided to be truthful to the female. She got a feeling that she would not get away with lying here.

    And the female did not look like someone who liked a good lie.

    "I see. So it''s that time already? Sister must be pissed off. And, what does it have to do with you?" The female asked and Maria felt her mouth move on it''s own.

 Chapter 196 194: I Wont Be Fooled

    "I see. So it''s that time already? Sister must be pissed off. And, what does it have to do with you?" the words rang clear inside Maria¡¯s mind. And she felt her mouth move on her own.

    ¡°I am the current oracle. I have to make sure the next demonic war does not happen.¡± Fear was not an emotion Maria was used to. But the irregr beating of her heart could not be anything else.

    The upper-realm goddess looked at Maria with a bored expression but Maria was sure her eyes were devouring her answer.

    ¡°The oracle? That makes sense. That is why you have mother¡¯s scent on you.¡± the bored voice continued.

    Maria was taken aback by the words and the attitude being disyed toward her. This was the second time the person from the upper realm had used the term ¡®mother.¡¯ Maria felt her curiosity peak at the word.

    ¡°Mother?¡± Maaria was not sure if she was asking her system or the female in front of her. But both refused to answer her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know about it. And you don¡¯t need to return to the book world either. This is not your story to interfere in.¡± the female spoke. The crystal ball lying on the table shed a blue shade and the goddess lost interest in Maria.

    Maria also willed her eyes to move toward the crystal ball.

    ¡°H-Hey, isn¡¯t that-?¡± Maria asked as shock prated her system. She could see Venus, Kuro, and Yuuki inside the crystal ball.

    But those were not the only people Maria could see. She could also see the queen and Yura. Even some unfamiliar tribes.

    The goddess did not answer this question either.

    Instead, she opened the book lying at her side and started writing inside it. On the other side, Yura reacted in a puppet-like motion. Things started to make a lot of sense to Maria.

    ¡°Are you controlling Yura? Is she a part of you as well? What about the queen?¡± Maria asked. She had no hopes of getting an answer by force. Nor did she expect to get one.

    But the goddess surprised her by actually replying to her question.

    ¡°Everyone in Jamaica is their one person. They are free to do what they want. I don¡¯t control their actions.¡± The goddess contradicted her words by writing inside her book.

    And the globe¡¯s color changed from bright blue to a might night. All of a sudden, hours seemed to have passed in Jamaica.

    ¡°You say that but your actions don¡¯t match your words. Is Yura even real?¡± Maria questioned. The more she thought about this topic, the worse her head hurt.

    ¡°Yura is her person, and so is the queen. They might be my creations but they have their own will to follow. I am just facilitating their development as a good parent should.¡± the goddess replied.

    She spun the globe and Maria watched as the beast rose in the night. They avoided Yura¡¯s hut and the queen¡¯s protection. But it left a lot of unprotected areas.

    ¡°Protection? It looks more like coddling to me. And that at the expanse of other people. They won¡¯t grow up if you keep solving their problems for them.¡± Maria¡¯s usations were true. But she was not sure if the goddess even understood the concept.

    Her actions indicated that the goddess did not care about what happened to Jamaica. They would also hamper Yura¡¯s growth.

    The girl was already attached to her ¡®sister¡¯. There was no need to encourage it anymore.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Jamaica will not survive if I withdrew now. The middle realm cannot live without the node and the node needs sustenance. Jamaica doesn¡¯t have enough of its own.¡± the goddess sounded certain of her words.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. Other continents had dealt with losing their nodes before.¡± Maria argues.

    But she had also felt the truth in the goddess¡¯s words. Jamaica did feel like it was decaying right before Maria¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°No. I do know that. The Queen has gotten older and she would not be able to have her position forever. It will be better for Yura to be ready for a shift." The goddess finalized.

    Maria was not ready to entertain that idea. But she found herself not being able to speak in front of the goddess.

    It was the goddess''s magic that was keeping Jamaica afloat. If she decided that it was not worth it, she would take her support back.

    "You are right. But why Yura? She doesn''t even know the difference between caring for and abusing people. And you''re not allowing her to learn either." Marina used.

    Yura might have been powerful but the power didn''t make someone fit for a ruling.

    As much as Maria did not like the queen''s attitude, she had to admit that the Queen did care for her people. Yura seemed to have no such concept in her dictionary.

    "I have not chosen her, my magic has. You are not required to interfere in this business. Now, tell me what you need and be on your way out of this continent." The goddess spoke.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The slow tilt of the goddess''s head in dismissal caused Maria to feel rage. The indifference was painful but it was also jarring to feel.

    "I want to go back. Take me back there and break my curse." Maria demanded.

    The goddess nodded, clearly misunderstanding the situation. Maria did not clear the misunderstanding just yet. She waited for the goddess to bring the cure to her curse.

    "Here. Take this medicine and you''ll be cured of the curse you are bearing." The goddess suggested.

    She did not look back to check if Maria was taking the offered pill or not. Instead, the goddess chose to ignore her.

    "Alright. I still have a question. Does the curse-breaking pond exist?" Maria asked. It was a curious and harmless question so Maria was sure the goddess would not think much of it.

    "Yes. It does. You were quite close to it as well. Now take the medicine and think of the ce you want to go to next. I will open the portal for you." The goddess asked.

    She moved her hand in a dismissal motion and Maria felt certain that the goddess had no interest in her. Despite Maria being the oracle and having a connection with their ¡®mother¡¯, the goddess seemed to be underestimating her.

    It was good for Maia¡¯s n.

    Maira pretended to gulp the medicine and waited for the goddess to open the path for her. The goddess did that without hesitation and Maria jumped through without a second thought.

    She did not wait around for the goddess to notice that Maria had betrayed her trust.

    The portal opened in a familiar cave and Maria could see Yuuki about to stand up and look around for her. Not much time seemed to have passed between Maria¡¯s kidnapping and her return.

    She could still feel the throb of the new node inside the pool. It seemed to be taking nourishment from the pool and the surroundings.

    It felt alive and about to sprout in a new branch anytime.

    ¡°You are back on your own? Do you want to take the next watch?¡± Yuuki asked. He sounded dead tired and the sprouting of this new node must be taking a toll on his magic.

    ¡°Sure. I will take the next watch.¡± Maria debated whether to tell him what happened between her and the goddess. But she ultimately chose to keep it all to herself.

    If the goddess came to seek revenge, having Yuuki and the others as non-aplice to her n might be a good idea. Maria had a feeling the goddess did not want to cause unnecessary bloodshed.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Inside her room, the goddess did not pay attention to the spot she opened the portal. The thought of being fooled had not even crossed her mind.

    It was not till she had a look at the cave group and saw Maria¡¯s familiar face there did she understand that she had been fooled.

    And then her temper rose.

    ¡°You little! Now I remember your face. I understand why your sister was so pissed off at you. You always cause trouble. Both you and your father. I did not care for that man but you! You have humiliated me enough.¡± the goddess lost her control.

    She had never been made a fool of. Everyone was too afraid of her to do such a thing to her.

    But this human had dared to sully her name. She had tricked the goddess into being let back in the story.

    ¡°Fine. If this is how you want to y, then this is how we will y. As long as Jamaica doesn¡¯t have a node, it is still mine to do with as I please.¡± the goddess cursed.

    She ced her open palm on top of the crystal ball and mist began to cloud the clear ss.

    Once the hand was lifted, one could not see anything but the silhouette of the people inside the cave. And soon, even they were covered by darkness.

    The goddess grinned darkly and took a step back. The crystal ball developed one crack and then another.

    Until it shattered into pieces.

    "I don''t want to y with Jamaica anymore. It can be destroyed now." the goddess whispered as she left the dark space.

 Chapter 197 195: A Pond, Not A Lake

    "Ugh. The weather is a nightmare today. My hair is going to get wet again." Venusined. The weather was bad. The sky could not even be seen beneath the mass of ck clouds covering it.

    "It looks like the gods are angry at us. I don''t have a good feeling about this." Yuuki''s eyes were focused on the sky.

    Their blue stood out to Maria. It might have been her imagination, but Maria was sure she saw magic swirl in the beast''s eyes.

    "That''s a lot of magic. I''ve never seen this much magic gathering in the sky before." Yuuki continued. He seemed to have been hypnotized by the swirling magic.

    Maria could feel the magic but she had no idea what it meant. She only knew that it was because she had tricked the upper-realm woman intoing here.

    "Should we take shelter inside the cave again? It won''t help us to get caught in the storm." Maria observed. The storm gave her a bad feeling.

    She did not want to step into it. It was like asking for trouble. A magic rain could mean anything.

    "No. We should not wait around. I don''t like the looks of the sky and we don''t have any idea when it will clear out either. We will be sitting ducks in the cave." Yuuki was not wrong.

    But his refusal to even nce toward Kuro''s face made it difficult for Maria to guess his emotions. Her instincts told her that something was wrong with Yuuki.

    "I agree as well. The sky feels unsettling. The magic is upsetting as well." Kuro added. He looked ufortable.

    Even Venus looked ufortable but did notin. Venus was not as sensitive to magic as everyone else at the party. So the effect on her was not that great.

    "Let''s go." Yuuki''s voice was starting to sound odd to Maria as well. It was void of emotions and hollow. Still, it seemed to not be bothering the other two with Maria.

    The forest had not changed in the night. The trees still felt odd and ever-changing. Kuro and Venus still made observations about them. Yuki still added his words to the mix.

    But Maria was not sure why she felt like something had fundamentally changed in this continent. The continent was mourning again.

    There was no beast to be seen anywhere in the path. Previously, beasts roamed around the forest without fear. Maria had seen a lot of those huge beasts on her way

    "Don''t you think the rest is too quiet? It''s unsettling." Maria spoke out aloud. She had intended to clue the other three in on her nervousness but she could not help herself.

    Her senses were freaking out.

    "Too quiet? Isn''t the forest always like this?" Kiro asked. Venus seemed to be agreeing with him. Yuuki was the only one to not say a word. The kid looked like he was in a trance.

    "It is? Must be my imagination then. Let''s go." Maria marched ahead.

    She had yet to ingest the curse-breaking medicine she had been given. Maria did not want to waste it unnecessarily.

    "ording to legends, the pool should be somewhere around here." Yuuki led the way. Maria was not sure if she believed him or not.

    But she had no other lead on the pool location. She just knew that the pool was nearby and it existed. So, following Yuuki was her only option at the moment.

    Still, she could not shake the feeling that she was being hunted by something huge. The surge of magic in the sky hid the other magical signatures around them.

    "I think I see something. I''ll go ahead and take a look." Kuro yelled as he separated from the group. Maria was toote to stop him, so she didn''t even try.

    What was shocking was that Yuuki didn''t try to stop him either. Maria was bing concerned with the dazed look in Yuuki''s eyes by the second.

    "This is not good. Do you think we should go and chase him down?" Maria directed her question toward Yuuki. Venus had already run off toward the pond.

    "Huh? Ah, sure." There was no question about it now. There was something wrong with Yuuki.

    "Hey, is everything alright with you? You seem to be a little out of it right now." Maria questioned.

    The tilt Yuuki gave with his head was unnatural. The calm expression on his face was not helping Maria''s nerves either. But before she could say anything else, Yuuki turned around and started walking toward the pond.

    And Maria folded after him.

    To say that she found a ''pond'' would be an insult to the great water body in front of her. It was ake with an expanse of blue everywhere.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So much water. Do you think it is safe to drink? What about taking a bath?" Venus asked, ignoring the rain drenching them. Maria had no idea how she ignore the main problem.

    Maria dipped her hand inside theke to confirm her suspicions. Her hand touched the surface and sank into it without any resistance.

    But the feeling of relief did not wash over her. The curse on her magic had not been broken.

    ¡°This is normal water. I doubt it had any magical properties.¡± Maria concluded. The water had a healthy shine, but it was normal water.

    Kuro and Venus looked defeated but Yuuki looked indifferent. He approached theke and conducted his one test.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. It gives off a magical presence but it had no sustenance. Looks like our journey is not over yet.¡± Yuuki concluded as well. The teen stood up and turned around without any exnation.

    Maria could just sigh at the other¡¯s motion and decided to follow behind him.

    But it was strange. Theke had no magic and yet it gave off a magical presence. Moreover, the presence was enough to fool even Yuuki¡¯s nose.

    On the other hand, the forest no longer held a presence of its own. It was almost as if the magical storm brewing over their head was sucking the magic dry from the forest.

    Even the falling lightning was made up of concentrated magic.

    ¡°Wow. I¡¯m so d we decided to leave the cave at the right time. Looks like the lightning fell right on top of it.¡± Venus¡¯s voice caused Maria to pause.

    She could not have been that concerned if the lightning was not made up of magic. However, the circumstances changed everything.

    ¡°Should we check it out? It¡¯s not like magic to interfere to randomly fall from the sky.¡± Kuro added.

    Maria became even more concerned. Jamaica had a magic deficiency. Having so much magic gathered in one ce cannot be good for this ce.

    But Maria still felt like she was missing something. The clouds were hiding something huge from them all.

    It was the earth¡¯s quaking that brought Maria out of her thoughts. It caused her to lose her bnce and fall.

    ¡°An earthquake? It¡¯s been years since west had one. I don¡¯t think this is a good sign.¡± Venus sounded shaky as she stood back up. Kuro looked pale as well.

    ¡°Thest earthquake was said to apany our misery. I¡¯m afraid that this is not a good sign for us.¡± Kuro exined at Maria¡¯s questionable look. Yuuki was still silent but with a distant look in his eyes.

    But the merge of magic was getting worse in Yuuki¡¯s core. Maria could feel something bad about to happen.

    But before Maria could make any other decision, the sky split apart. The figure that descended was fast and Maria was sure no one else caught her moment.

    "You should not have yed with fire. Once you are aware of the changes, I can''t allow you to leave this ce.¡± the goddess stood before Maria. She looked transparent to Maria¡¯s eye. A mirage that only she could see.

    Kuro and Venus passed right through her body. Yuuki hesitated but chose to side-step her. Maria could see fear in the beast¡¯s eyes and she did not feel good about it.

    When her eyes met Yuuki, she could read the ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t go against her¡¯ inside them. And Maria knew that she could not count on him to save her.

    After all, Yuuki¡¯s priority was Kuro. Maria was just an asset to him. He had no obligation to save Maria.

    ¡°Technically, I did not trick you. You said to think of any ce I wanted to go.¡± Maria reminded the goddess.

    She was ying with fire here. The goddess did not look like she enjoyed Maria¡¯s prank. Nor did she look amused at having things pointed out to her.

    ¡°I also recall saying that you were not allowed toe back here. Every action had a consequence and now it¡¯s time you face them.¡± the goddess replied.

    The divine being¡¯s hand moved and Maria had only a second to dodge the magical strike. The magic did not harm thend. It did not even leave a shred of evidence. But Maria knew she would have been gravely injured had she been hit.

    She might have even died if she had not dodged that strike outright.

    "Alright. Two can y this game." Maria knew she was in over her head, but she had to fight back. she had to save herself.

 Chapter 198 196: Into The Trap

    "You''re seriously trying to kill me. Can we not even negotiate the terms?" Maria was not looking to negotiate. But even she had to admit that she had no chance against the goddess. Not in her current limited state.

    "Negotiate? About what? You destroyed my carefully crafted story. I can''t forgive you for that." The goddess was not in a forgiving mood. Maria cursed her luck at the timing of the events happening.

    She had been so close to the healing pond and had her curse broken. And now she was stuck in a lockdown she could not win. She was outssed quite heavily.

    "Now that I have a good look at you, you do feel familiar. Is it the mother''s influence you carry? But I feel like there is something more-" the goddess was monopolising.

    It might seem like the question was aimed at Maria, but she knew better. The goddess was talking to herself.

    Maria tried to take this time and escape the goddess''s hold. But she was stopped without much effort.

    The goddess was hovering in the sky for one second, the next she was in front of Maria. She did not give Maria the time to gather her thoughts before familiar eyes looked back at her.

    "Ah, I remember. You were in the memories of amb that fell in my node. It''s a shame that she did not survive. You were quite close to this body, right?" Maria found her body not responding to hermand.

    She was in shock to see Nao''s face looking back at her.

    Maria had not expected to see Nao ever again. The magma should have burned the magic and the organic matter to bits.

    And yet, here they were. Nao''s face looked back at her without emotion.

    "Y-You. Don''t look at me with that face." Mari had meant to yell. But her voice broke at thest second.

    She did not recognise the person speaking. The voice sounded like hers but the tone was one Maria had never used.

    "Ha! So you did know her. I''m d I preserved this body." The goddess sounded trump as she stepped closer to Maria.

    Maria instantly backed down a step. Her emotions were all over the ce. She waspromised.

    "What happened? Not going to fight any longer? What happened to all your drive to fight?" The words came out of Nao''s mouth. The voice that spoke was Nao''s.

    But the words were not Nao''s. Nao would have never tried to fight Maria. Not even in practice.

    "Don''t speak with her voice." Maria felt engraved. She also realised an important fact about herself.

    She had never reallye to terms with Nao''s death. She had just fooled herself into believing that Nao might be alive somewhere. The hope had always been there.

    It was only now that the hope was dwindling inside Maria that she realised. She had never properly mourned Nao''s death.

    "I can''t do that. This body is one of my hosts. The only way to make her quiet is to cut off the vocal cords. I don''t think that is what you want me to do." The goddess taunted.

    The overconfidence was oozing out of the goddess. As was magical power.

    Had Maria been in her right mind, she would not even have thought of attacking such a person. It was too dangerous to engage the goddess when she held all the advantage.

    But Maria was not in her normal set of mind. She was enraged and she wanted vengeance against the person that dared to use Nao''s face.

    "Give it back. Give her body back." Maria did not even recognise her voice. She did not recognise her magic, nor her anger.

    It was like she was not even in control of her body.

    But the magic was still building up inside her. The node was fueling her anger. And there was an energy source filling her from the inside.

    She felt her magic connect with something familiar and nostalgic. Something marks had never felt before.

    But she did not fear the unknown familiarity. She weed it with open arms. It was something made for her.

    "Your magic is building up. I don''t like it. What are you ying at? No matter what you do, the course blocking your magic will not break." The goddess replied.

    The taunt was gone from her voice. Instead, it was filled with awareness. The goddess was no longer ying around.

    "I know what I am capable of. You can''t stop me." Maria was fast in deploying her chains. Unfortunately, the goddess was faster.

    Maria was more than good without her magic. Her chains unleashed powerful attacks. But the goddess was faster and deadlier. She even held the advantage of having magic.

    Maria could defend herself against the magic-using her chains, but it was a temporary solution.

    "Stop trying to be so stubborn. It won''t do you any good." The goddess replied. Her body was a work of grace.

    The flexibility the goddess disyed was one Maria had never seen in Nao''s body. It made things easier for Maria to digest.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I am not being stubborn. I''m just being true to myself." Maria remembered as she gathered her magic. It was not a lot but Maria condensed whatever magic she had.

    It made her attack smaller but deadlier. The goddess did not try to dodge it.

    Maria was not optimistic enough to believe that her attack had harmed the goddess. It might not even have left any visible scars on the goddess.

    "You are vicious. Is this how all humans fight? Or is it something unique about you? Now I see how your creator managed to charm my sister. Something is charming about your foolishness." The goddess replied.

    There was a hint of blue on her temple. It flowed down the goddess''s face in a river.

    It might have been blood, it might have been something else. Maria was not sure.

    "Unfortunately for you, I don''t have an answer. I never got to meet my father and my mother never told me anything about him." Maria spat those words out.

    She did not care about her family much. She might mourn and remember her mother from time to time, but that was it. As far as she was concerned, she had a father in her life.

    "I see. Unfortunate circumstances indeed." The goddess replied as she went on the offensive. Maria had no time to think.

    The goddess was ying with Maria. No strike was aimed to kill, just immobilise. It was a miracle that the chains were able to hold the goddess back.

    Maria could see the frustration build up on the goddess''s face. It felt good to be able to put that expression on the goddess''s face.

    Their sh ended in stalemate as the goddess caught the chains with her hand. But her face no longer looked perfect.

    "What is with your weapon? It is weird and it is draining me. How do you even manage to use it?" The goddess sounded fatigued? Maria was not sure if this was reality or a hallucination.

    "These chains are something my mother bestowed on me. Don''t touch them." Maria yanked the chains toward herself.

    She was beginning to feel the effect of the prolonged usage of the chains. They were draining her quite heavily now.

    And despite everything the goddess had taken, she did not look to be even winded. She looked as perfect as the time Maria had met her.

    Only her eyes betrayed just how much of a toll the chains had taken on her.

    "You will be a problem for us. These chains are no ordinary weapons. They feel like mothers'' magic. I cannot allow you to have possession of them." The goddess sounded enraged.

    This was the first time Maria had seen such emotionsing out of the goddess.

    The magic building up around her was dangerous and wild. It felt like it was about to consume Maria. She did not even dare move.

    "Maria, I''m here to help out." Maria felt her concentration break at Venus''s familiar voice.

    "Idiot. Get out of here. You will get killed." Maria did not know why Venus had returned here. The girl should have taken the chance to escape and even break her curse.

    And yet, she had decided to return.

    "How unfortunate. You won''t die, but she will." The goddess sounded gleeful.

    Maria suddenly understood what Venus was doing here.

    This had been a trap since the beginning. The goddess had a tight grip on this world and the magic.

    "Venus, don''t move." Maria knew she was stretching her powers thin. She was already putting herself in danger but she still chose to cover Venus as well.

    She directed the majority of her powers toward Venus and chose to take the attack head-on.

    The connected attack stung. It had been an all-out attack as well. But Maria has chosen the target as herself.

    "M-Maria?" Venus sounded like she wasing out of a trance. Maria had seen the signs. She had known that the other female was not herself.

    [User alert. Detected signs of life failure

    Emergency life-saving protocol initiated. Turning off the limiters]

    Maria did not hear anymore. It was all turning quiet and dull around her. Even the hands that touched her were cold to Maria.

    Was this what true death was?

    (I was plotting out the Albest saga for this book and it''s too long. I will be cutting this book before the Albest Saga and post the Albest saga as a stand-alone. Hope you all will stay tuned for it. This one will be finished by the end of the month. Around next 10-15 chapters. Then take time off to n the Albest Saga. and edit this story out. Also, if anyone is interested to Beta my (better) yuri story, they can dm me on twitter at https://twitter/DaygonY. They''ll get free ess to my premium chapters and other privileges. I''ll also be posting some art I''ve been working on.)

 Chapter 199 197: The Will To Die

    "Admirable, yet foolish effort on your part. That girl wasn''t worth your protection. Do you know what was going through her mind that whole time? She wanted you to die and be free." The goddess exined.

    Maria focused on Venus and her wide and frightened eyes. The fear Maria saw in them was real.

    "I didn''t mean toe here. I don''t know why I am here or how I got here." Venus was almost crying. Maria felt bad for the poor girl.

    "I know you didn''t mean to hurt me. Don''t cry unnecessarily. It doesn''t suit your image." Maria tried tofort Venus. But her voice was t and weak.

    Venus''s teary look did not get better at Maria''s assurance.

    "But it is my fault. It is all my fault. Even now it is my fault. I want to move. To get away from here. But I''m too afraid to. My magic won''t respond to me." Venus exined.

    She sounded shaken. Maria had no heart to scold her any further.

    "My dear princess, thank you for responding to my call. Now, be a dear and kill the enemy in front of you. You''ll be free once you do that." The goddess assured.

    Maria did not notice when the goddess walked in front of her and kneeled behind Venus.

    "I-No. I don''t want to do that." Venus exined. But her arms were moving on their own. They were heading toward Maria''s location.

    Venus was struggling against her limbs. Maria could see the struggle happening in front of her.

    And yet, she did not stop Venus.

    "Stop it. I don''t want to hurt her. No, you can''t make me." Maria did not move as the knife closed on her heart.

    Maria looked at the goddess''s trump look before blue shed against her abdomen.

    "Y-You. How did you do that?" The goddess looked shocked? Maria''s hand was soaked blue in the goddess''s blood.

    Her chains had pierced the goddess through her heart. It must have been a painful blow for the goddess.

    "Unfortunately for you, you chose the wrong person to taunt me with. First, you take Nao''s face. Then you try Venus. But your illusion does not carry the same feeling of bond in it." Maria exined.

    She could feel the goddess''s life slipping away and seeping into her chains. It was killing the goddess.

    "I guess it was my fault for underestimating you. You had our mother''s protection and her blessing. But it''s more than that. I underestimated your growth and true purpose. The human world was never meant for you." The goddess exined.

    Maria yanked her chains harder against the goddess''s heart. She wanted to rip the heart out of the goddess but she needed the other alive.

    "Are you not going to kill me?" The goddess asked. She still sounded amused.

    She likely knew that Maria was not going to kill her. And this assurance of her importance made the goddess arrogant.

    "I can end your life but it won''t benefit me. And this world would copse as soon as you die. It is your magic that is keeping this work alive." Maria''s observation caused the goddess to chuckle.

    It gave Maria a horrible feeling in her gut. It brought back the feeling of it all being too easy.

    Was the goddess not as powerful as people had made her out to be? The people from the upper realm were ruthless and untouchable.

    And yet here Maria was. Keeping a goddess hostage.

    "Benefit? My magic? So, have you noticed it yet? What you just did to this continent. No, to the whole upper realm? They must be in a frenzy right now." The goddessughed out loud.

    Maria could not see what was so funny.

    "Exin," Maria asked as she roughly yanked at the chains. The goddess didn''t even bulge at the action. Instead, she had an amused smile.

    "You revived a hidden node. It is a task no one has ever been able to achieve. The upper tea will not let this matter go. Though, I am curious about how you did that. Care to share with me?" The goddess asked.

    She sounded too calm and collected for Maria''s liking. Unconfirmed Maria''s feeling that the goddess had been captured only because she had wanted to be captured.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about. It was a coincidence that things happened the way they did." Maria was doubtful that this all was a coincidence.

    It had felt like deliberate meddling when she had received the gem. Ever since then, everything she had done seemed scripted to her.

    The actions were her one but the adventure felt like someone was directing it behind the scenes.

    "Coincidence? There is nothing like coincidence in this world. There is fate and then there is the will to change it." The goddess exined.

    "The future''s not set in stone. We have the power to change it." Maria knew those words to be true. She had seen the future change too many times.

    "Do you? You speak as if you have experience." The goddess probed.

    Maria did not know why, but she felt unsettled in this goddess''spany. There was something not right about her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She gave Maria a feeling like she was insane. Her thoughts and actions did not seem like they belonged to the same goddess Maria had met before.

    "You are not ''her.'' You are not the goddess I met in that space before. Your magic is different as well." Maria observed.

    The goddess she had met before had been aloof and detached. She had not seemed like someone to meddle in such affairs.

    And that goddess would not have allowed Maria to y around like that. She would have killed everyone in this world way before things get to this point.

    The goddess''s wide smile told Maria that she was right.

    "I expected nothing else from ''his'' daughter. You''re exactly like my beloved." The goddessughed.

    Maria felt creeped out by thatugh.

    Thest time someone hadpared her to her father, it had been Lady Elma and Lady Karin. Both had been far from normal.

    And now it was a goddess.

    "Would it help if I said that I am not the one you are looking for? It would be better if you take your interest somewhere else." Maria was on the verge of begging.

    "Even your leading side is just like him. So I''ve decided. I''ll leave this world alone if youe with me. I will treat you well." The goddess promised as she stood up.

    The chains snapped around her body without any struggle.

    Maria tried to move them but they did not bulge at all.

    "Don''t try to attack me. They won''t move since they were a gift from me to your father. Only someone who shares his blood can move them. But they won''t work against me." The goddess exined.

    She was getting too close for Maria''s taste. She did not want the goddess to get any closer to her.

    "You''re so much like him that it makes me wonder if you have his soul inside you as well. Let me check." The goddess''s hand reached for Maria''s face.

    And she panicked.

    Her magic was running wild, making her panic worsen. Her heartbeat was entric as well.

    "Just a little more. Let my magic in." The goddess was almost reaching for Maria''s heart. It was so painful and she did not like this feeling.

    She wanted it out.

    And just as quick as the goddess had tried to stab Maria, the feeling decided. Maria''s barely opened eyes watched the goddess hiss as she held her hand.

    It had been charred ck with the help of magic.

    "Those meddlesome fools. They were cast out of the upper realm but they still cause me problems. I don''t want to lose to them." The goddess hissed but Maria could tell that her condition was no longer stable.

    Even a small surge of magic would cause her to disappear for now.

    "Y-You''re the meddlesome one. I don''t want you here." Maria was ying with fire. She did not have enough magic for the spell.

    Still, she decided to enact the spell anyway.

    She had no idea who this goddess was, but she knew that it was safe for her to be near Maria.

    "Don''t use your magic. You don''t have enough. You''ll disappear if you cast the spell to repel me from this continent." The goddess informed.

    And Maria knew that she did not have enough magic in her. But she still decides to cast the spell anyway.

    "I no longer care if I die. I am tired of living. You made me realise that I want to meet Nao again. And death would be a kindness at this point." There was a point when Maria did everything she could to keep on living.

    She decided to take every step she could toward this world. She chose to embrace this wicked deed.

    But in the end, it was not enough. The more she tried to live, the harder it left to keep on going.

    Losing people had made Maria realise that she did not want to stay alone. Death was better.

    [Is the user intended to die of their one will?] The system asked.

    And Maria embraced that thought. She knew she would have no regrets.

    ''Yes.''

 Chapter 200 198: Drifting Apart

    Maria''s body thrashed around on the ground. The jerky movement was violent and caused her arms to start bleeding.

    "What the hell is wrong with her? I thought she was just like her father but she''s proven to be even crazier." The goddess muttered. Her tired body hit the ground.

    But she could not take her eyes away from the suffering female in front of her.

    She knew she had seen something like this before but it had been a long time. It took some time for her brain to register what she was seeing in front of her.

    "T-This is an ascension. But something is wrong. The girl is rejecting her magic." The goddess lying on the ground pushed herself to her elbow.

    It had been such a long time since anyone had ascended to the upper realm. Thest time had been when her love had his trail.

    But he had rejected his ascension as well.

    "Maria." The goddess recognised that voice as Venus. She had observed the girl beforehand to create a replica.

    "Don''te closer or you''ll die. That magic is not something you can control." The goddess replied.

    While she was in awe of the happenings, she also dreaded the moment a new goddess would be birthed.

    "W-What. But we need to help her." Venus cried out as she ignored the goddess''s warning. Venus took a few steps toward Maria before she was shoved back.

    It was Yuuki and his serious look that stopped Venus short in her tracks.

    "Don''t try to reach Maria. She won''t want you to hurt yourself. You are already struggling to breathe." Yuuki replied. Venus wanted to protest but she was not able to stand against Yuuki''s serious look.

    And she also knew that he was right. The magic power Maria was giving off was too much for her to bear even at a distance.

    "I-Is she ascending? My mother told me that it was possible but-"

    "-It had never been done. Not for a human at least. Their body is not meant to host this much power. That''s why the contract demons." The goddess finished.

    She seemed to be the calmest one. Venus instantly disliked her for some reason.

    Maybe it was the way the goddess looked at Maria. Or maybe it was the way she talked.

    ''Or maybe because she tried to kill you all.'' Venus''s brain supplied her.

    "You''re from the upper realm as well, right? Can''t you help her out?" Yuuki asked.

    Three pairs of eyes turned toward the goddess. But she did not look intimidated at all.

    "I could have tried if I had my powers. But those damned chains sealed me away. The only one who can unlock my powers is Maria." The goddess replied.

    Venus turned away from her and looked toward Maria. The poor girl seemed to be suffering quite heavily.

    "I can''t watch anymore. Please, someone, do something." Venus cried out. She sounded in distress.

    The goddess could not stop her jealousy from raising its ugly head. She hated how powerless she felt to help the female.

    The goddess had felt the attraction the moment she had cast eyes on the Oracle. It had felt like her love had reincarnated in his daughter.

    Some might have even called it an obsession but the goddess believed it to be ''love at first sight.''

    "I can help her out but I''ll need to recover first. Put a barrier over this ce and leave." The goddessmanded. Her voice had enough magic to make the best move.

    She had learned that trick from her sister. It helped that her sister did not control either node on this continent. It was uncontrollednd.

    "Are we just going to follow her order? I don''t think so and -hey. Stop it." The beast dragged the other two out.

    The goddess finally looked toward the female lying on the ground in front of her. The oracle looked pained even in her sleep.

    "It''s so foolish to fall in love like this. But I have always been like this." The goddess spoke softly.

    And as her lips met the unconscious oracles, the goddess felt her mind whisper some words to her.

    ''This is not love. You are just projecting your feelings on the poor girl because you like someone that looks like her.'' The voice took that wretched woman, Silvya''s tone.

    And the goddess ignored her. She hated Silvya and she did not want to ruin this moment. She had been bestowed a second chance by fate.

    And this time she would make sure there was no Silvya to ruin her chances.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    [Is the user intended to die of their one will?] The system asked.

    And Maria embraced that thought. She knew she would have no regrets.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Yes.''

    [The answer is uneptable. The user is not allowed to die before they have rectified the consequences of their actions.

    Opening emergency life-saving protocol ll]

    One second Maria was dying, the next she felt a magic course through her body. It was a foreign sensation she did not want to feel.

    ''Stop it. I don''t want to exist anymore.'' Maria cried out. Her thrashing made the chaine loose around the goddess.

    Maria was having a worse time than the goddess. The magic coursing through her body was foreign and it burned. She did not want the magic to save her.

    ''Don''t. It burns. I don''t want to live anymore.'' Maria cried. But the magic did not stop coursing through her body.

    The system did not stop even when Maria tried actively to resist the temptations of the power and life she was being bestowed.

    The surge of magic was so harsh that it leaked out of Maria. Her unwillingness to ept it caused her surroundings to deteriorate as more and more magic leaked out of her.

    "Stop it." Maria''s voice was weak as she spoke. It was barely audible to even her.

    But she knew that the system he''d heard her but chose to ignore Maria''s plea. Her body was heating up and cooling down too fast.

    The magic was in disharmony. It felt like a key trying to fit into a lick that shook too much. It tried its best but Maria was not ording to it in her body.

    "Don''t try to fight it. Let it take you over." A familiar pair of hands caressed Maria''s face but she fought against the hold.

    Nao''s familiar face looked back at her. The touch on Maria''s face burned and her anger surged.

    How dare the magic take Nao''s face? Was it not enough to sully Nao''s memory.

    Her hand passed through the mirage and the magic got even more discordant. She did not know what to do.

    The magic shed again and Suna looked back at her. The girl looked younger and happier as she extended her hand toward Maria.

    "Don''t fight it. ept it inside you. Please, for me?" The mirage asked. But Maria knew that this could not be Suna either.

    The other female was on Imu and was recovering. Besides, Suna had never looked at Maria with such a beloved expression.

    Not when Suna had been in love with Nao. That boat has sailed as well.

    Lady Karin and other people''s faces shed in front of Maria. But she passed through all those transparent memories.

    It looked like she had a lot of people in her life but no one truly important to ground her. There was no one she wanted to keep on living for. It was such a cursed existence.

    "Don''t close your eyes. I''m still waiting for you to resolve things." Maria''s was opened in an instant at the familiar voice.

    That face, that voice. Maria recognised it in an instant.

    "Neah." The whisper was almost unheard by everyone. The face looking back at her smiled gently.

    Maria tried to reach for Neha before she stopped herself. She did not want to give herself false hope and then get it all dashed.

    If her hand passed through Neah, Maria knew she would break. Neah was her anchor in this ce.

    And that was why she avoided the hands reaching for her. She did not want the hurt to take her over.

    "Don''t run away from me. We have things to resolve." The image said. But Maria knew that Neah was not real.

    She was in Ger a, governing the nation. And it hurt as much as it relieved her.

    But the hands touched Maria and they held on to her. A mouth whispered in her ear and Maria felt tears fill her eyes.

    She nodded before a mouth descended on her own. It felt good but also like a failure.

    After all, she knew that the hands on her body were not Neah''s. The mouth devouring her own was not Neah''s either.

    And the female in front of her was not someone she cared about either. It was a form the other hand taken for Maria''s convenience.

    And Maria had no idea why her mind had chosen this form at all to settle. She did not care either.

    ''Just pretend that I am the one you are seeing. I am real and I am here for you. Allow yourself to ept your fate and we''ll meet again.'' The voice in her ear had whispered

    And Maria chose to believe in her. She chose to pretend that she was in Neah''s arms because it felt good.

    It felt right to her.

 Chapter 201 199: Awakening

    "Mydy. You have received an invitation from our esteemed guests. Lord Ashira is asking for your presence in his chamber." The maid bowed. Lately, this has be a trend with Neah and those who served her.

    "Tell him I''ll join him shortly. I am trying to finish my work right now." Neah''s cold words caused the maid to shiver but leave.

    Neah sighed as she felt the maid''s presence disappear from behind the door. It was the fifth time this day. People generally came to disturb her but stopped short once they reached her door.

    Neah looked toward Howl''s silhouette lying at her side and sighed. Howl had yet to wake up and it had been a week already.

    Neah did not want to leave Howl alone but she had no other choice.

    "I''ll be back soon. Get some rest while you still can." Neah''s lips touched Howl''s forehead in a blessing motion. Magic rushed around Neah to form a protective barrier.

    It was only then that did Neah turn away and start walking outside the door.

    "Guards, keep watch on my room. No one is allowed to head inside." The guards were frightened as soon as Neah ordered them. Their unwillingness to look Neah in the face spoke volumes about their fear.

    Had it been any other time, Neah would have stopped to assure the guards that she had their best interest in her heart.

    But she could not even bring herself to act this time.

    "Mydy. Lord Ashura and Lord Alester are waiting for you inside." The guard bowed to her before Neah dismissed her.

    The room had a gloomy atmosphere and Neah felt at home there.

    She even weed Lady Karin''s startling presence inside the room.

    "You are finally here. Close the door and take your seat. As will begin shortly." Lord Ashura patted the seat at his side.

    But Neah was not in the mood to humour him. She felt bitter about being kept in the dark about this whole thing.

    And she could tell that she was the only one who was in shock.

    "What happened? Are we waiting for someone else?" Neah asked as she took the seat beside Lady Karin. The conference table wasrge and had a lot of empty seats avable.

    "We''re waiting for Lord Baron Clement. He has something very important to tell us." Alester sounded confident in his words.

    His words finished as soon as the door entered and a white-faced Lord Clement entered the room.

    "Ah, Baron. How nice of you to join us today." Lord Ashura sounded anything but pleased to see the man.

    Neah knew her feeling had been right. Lord Clement was bad news and it was lucky that Neah never trusted him.

    "I don''t know what happened. It is not my fault that the monster decided to go on a rampage. I tried to stop it but it did not listen. It had so much magic." Lord Clement sounded wrecked and scared.

    Neah narrowed her eyes as she watched no one else loom confused.

    It solidified the feeling she had been having about the monster.

    No. The killer.

    The reason the killer had never been caught was that he had a lot of background help. High-level help at that.

    "Lord Clement, what is the meaning of this? Tell me that I''m reading this situation wrong." Neah''s voice almost had a begging tone to it.

    She felt betrayed by her closestpanions. She had trusted Lord Ashura. Trusted him enough to listen to him and stop chasing after Maria for a while.

    "The situation escted more than we wanted it to. The creature turned out to be more powerful than we could have expected him to be. I''m afraid that even the upper realm can not stop its rampage once it awakens." Lady Karin spoke.

    Neah''s temper erupted.

    "Can someone tell me what is going on here? And start from the beginning because I seemed to be missing some facts. What is that creature Where did ite from? Why did it take Shou with him? Neah exploded.

    Her rage made the other three flinch. It was just a slight reaction on their part but Neah caught it.

    "That creature is an experiment we did to bring our lord back. The body is a vessel that contains our lord''s reincarnated soul inside it. It''s using Albest technology to extract enough magic for a reincarnation ceremony." Lady Karin exined.

    Neah did not know why she even felt surprised at the news. Of course, Lady Karin was involved with all this.

    She had to be since she was the node''s guardian.

    "And Maria? Where does she fit in all this?" Neah asked? She asked because she was tired of all the secrets.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The oracle. No, our lord''s daughter had enough blood magic to be able toplete the binding ceremony and bring our lord back. She was the perfect sacrifice. Had our n gone through, there would have been no need to involve Albest." Lady Karin started.

    "But of course. That bitch foiled our ns. I always knew Silvya was bad news for us. She managed to cause us trouble even in our death. Had it not been for her, our Lord would not need to have this abomination of a body." Neah had never seen Lord Ashura rage like this.

    Not only did he sound bitter, but he also looked red in the face.

    His words also made things clearer for Neah to understand. And she felt foolish for not connecting all the dots.

    No wonder that creature had seemed familiar to her before. It was because she had seen and felt that magic before.

    "You intended to sacrifice Maria for my brother. That creature is Nick. You did that to my brother." Neah whispered.

    Betrayal bled through her words. She could not believe what she was witnessing.

    "He was your brother and we did our best to bring his soul back intact. But I''m afraid that we made a mistake. The magic has twisted our lord''s soul into a shell of its former self. And we''ve also lost control over it." Lady Karin exined.

    It did make sense for her to be involved in all this. It had been weird that Lady Karin had not Interfered even when her territories had been threatened.

    "We cannot allow that thing to live. I''m going to stop it. It is no longer a living being and it dared to take Shou away." Neah spoke.

    Her words carried a finality to them. She did not expect anyone to object to her decision.

    But Lord Ashura looked like he was raging at her words. She no longer recognised the kind man who had helped her in her times of need.

    "We cannot do that. Our lord is our only chance to be free of the upper realm''s chains. We cannot risk it. I cannot risk him dying. And we still have a chance. If we feed the oracle to him, we can reverse this problem." Neah felt her brain stop working.

    Her horrible feeling finally came true.

    "So it was you. You were the one who made her run away." Neah''s anger was nearing its peak. She could feel the magic slipping from inside her core.

    It felt even more dangerous as the resonance began. Even could feel the node exploding inside her and connecting with her core.

    The magic did not feel like her one but it felt overwhelming.

    "T-That magic? H-How do you have that magic? It should not be possible. Y-Your brother is supposed to be the one-" Ashura did not finish his words before he had Neah at his neck.

    She did not even look around her as she held Ashura at his neck. She wanted to snap his neck.

    "Don''t you dare? She''s mine. MINE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Neah could feel Ashura''s struggle.

    She had never felt this out of control or powerful before. She felt like she could do anything.

    "We made a mistake. Our lord''s soul was never inside Prince Nick. What should we do now?" Lady Karin sounded almost nervous and afraid for her life.

    Neah did not care even a bit. She only cared about Maria.

    "We can''t do anything. We have to sacrifice Lord Ashura if we want to calm Neah down. You know how our lord got in these times." Alester replied.

    Their voices sounded saturated in Neah''s ears. But these parents did not matter to her.

    No one else did other than Maria.

    "B-But she had the soul of our Lord." Lady Kari. Sounded disappointed.

    "Yes. But unfortunately, it would only carry magic. Neither memories nor personality matters once a person dies. Even their former ties do not matter. Once a soul dies, they are a new person." Ashura sounded sad and scared as well.

    "Find a way to save Shou and kill that creature. Or you will be next." Neah did not know where she was getting all this confidence from.

    The other two looked worried but Neah was not giving them an option.

    "I don''t think we can. I''m afraid that you work up at the wrong time, my lord." Lady Karin said.

    Her fear drenched her scent. But she was not the one Neah was talking to.

    And the shadow did not take long to show himself as well.

    "Wee back, my lord. Allow me to take care of this matter." Trish stepped outside of the shadows in all his glory and Neah felt her temper calm down .

 Chapter 202 200: Tough Decisions

    "Wee back, my lord. Allow me to take care of this matter." Trish stepped outside of the shadows in all his glory and Neah felt her temper calm down.

    The timing of his arrival had been unexpected for Neah. It stumped her for a second before she gathered herself.

    Trish''s magic felt familiar against her own. The searching motion felt familiar and weing. It bes Neah to ept the offered help.

    Still, she had not lost herself to her newfound powers.

    If these people believed her to be anyone other than ''Neah'', then they were sorely mistaken.

    "I don''t know who you are. But your magic feels familiar to me. Are you going to be a problem for me?" Neah asked.

    The amused smile on Trish''s face made her feel uneasy. It felt so nostalgic and trusting to her. Neah did not even remember ever receiving such trust.

    It made her uneasy.

    "Rest assured. I will never be a hindrance to your cause. I swore to serve your soul. Even when it has lost all its powers, I still wish to hold on to that promise." The teen bowed.

    Neah felt uneasy but she did not back away either. She held her ground firmly.

    "Trish, you! You talk like you knew this was going to happen like this. Is that why you ignored me when I proposed the n to you?" Ashura sounded angry.

    Once upon a time, Neah would have cared enough to ask him about it. Now, she did not care about anything rted to him.

    "To be honest, that was because I do not like you. You''re a problem and you can''t seem to let go of your past. Our master is dead in everything but the soul. But you could never ept it." Trish sounded bored.

    Ashura''s face looked like it would explode in anger. The atmosphere was turning tense.

    Neah featured for the other two to interfere but they seemed to be ignoring her.

    No. The other two were behaving as if they had never even seen Neah''s plea for help. It was so much worse than being ignored.

    "Our master is not dead. He is too strong to be dead. He is back as Neah, isn''t he? Her standing there is proof of his existence." Ashura cried out.

    Neah had never thought she would say this, but Ashura looked like he had lost his mind.

    "Ashura, listen to me." Hopeful eyes turned toward Neah.

    "I am not your ''master''. I might have bid my soul and powers but I am my own person. Either ept it or leave this ce." It hurt Neah to speak those words.

    It hurt to speak those words to Ashura. The elder had been like a father to him.

    "I can''t ept it. I want to ept you but I can''t. Because if I did, then it would mean that everything I did this far was worthless. I can''t allow the upper realm to win this war." Ashura sounded tired.

    Lady Karin and Alester averted their eyes away from the grieving figure. But Trish did not have any such intention.

    "If you can''t ept it, then you are not needed. You are a danger to us all and you need to atone for your sins. Your fury has blinded you. Don''t worry, we will carry out what you could not in your life. But you need to rest now." Trish raised his sword.

    Lady Karin and Alester turned toward Neah to wait for her next order.

    If they wanted to see Neah save Ashura, then they were sorely mistaken.

    The elder might be like family to Neah but he did hold the same spot as Maria in her heart. And if Ashura had be an enemy of Maria, he had be an enemy of Neah.

    "M-My lord. Just know that I did not regret what I did. In the end, you did awaken." Ashura sounded delighted.

    Neah closed her eyes as Trish''s sword came down on the elder''s head.

    "I will leave this ce in your care. Make preparations to chase that abomination and take it down." Neah expected to be stopped and questioned more.

    But no one even spoke words to her. The air was filled with shocked disbelief at the actions that had just transpired.

    "Of course. Things will be done to your liking." Trish bowed again as he promised.

    And Neah believed him. He had a genuine tone of his magic. Neah felt like she could believe him.

    "By the way, how did you know that I was your master? You did not seem surprised to see me like this?" Neah asked.

    It felt weird to call herself the ''master.'' She was not used to the term. It felt invasive and not right to her.

    "Your scent was familiar. I met a girl who carried your scent on her body and instantly knew that the time hade. After all, thest oracle did not leave us empty-handed." Trish exined.

    Neah did not know what that meant but Aleater looked like he did.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Couldn''t you have told us about it? Why did your wife tell you about our lord''s incarnation but not us? It could have saved us so much grief." Alester moaned in defeat.

    "I thought you knew. Was that not why you sent the oracle to collect the Gem of Requiem?" Trish asked.

    "Wait? It has been found? I send her there to drag you out. Fuck. Things are getting more and moreplicated." Lester cursed.

    Neah did not want to get involved in any more of this talk. But the talk had diverted to the oracle and she felt like she had to stay now.

    "Gem of Requiem? What is that?" Neah chose a light question to start?

    The other three shared a look between themselves. It irritated Neah but thankful, she did not have to wait long before they spilt the beans.

    "I guess you of all people should know. Gem of Requiem was the source of our master''s powers. It was something that allowed him to contain his massive powers and suppress his node." Lady Karin started.

    "And?" Neah knew she sounded impatient.

    "And it allowed him to channel the power of the upper realm. It made him a god. But then he got cursed and his gem. It is a necessity to awaken your node. The fact that you awakened now means that someone triggered your gem." Lester exined.

    Neah waited for someone to add anything else. But it did not look like they wanted to tell her anything more.

    But Neah could conclude her one thought.

    "So, do I have the power of two nodes in me now?" Neah asked.

    The answer was a hesitant ''maybe.''

    It did not assure Neah but she also knew there was nothing she could do right now.

    "What do you want to do now? Do you want us to chase the oracle and bring her back? She will be a great asset for us." Alester asked.

    Neah wanted nothing more than to take his offer. She wanted Maria with her. But she felt like she could not take that risk right now.

    She might have caught Ashura but it did not make things safer for Maria.

    There was also the issue of Howl and her brother. Neah could not risk that much right now. She needed time.

    "Let things be for now. We have Albest to deal with. We''ll get the Oracle once everything has been sorted out." Neah promised.

    The other three did not contradict her words. It almost seemed as if they trusted her words.

    But Neah knew that she did not have their trust. Not yet.

    Not even Lady Karin''s. And the female had vowed to be under Neah''smand.

    But she was too tired to deal with it all now. Her magic was being sucked out of her and Neah could feel someone pushing against her core and pulling at her magic.

    Neah fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her body''s fatigue finally caught up to her.

    She felt her consciousness drifting apart as she fell deeper and deeper into sleep.

    ''Wake up.'' The voice felt familiar. So did the hands on her body. It felt good to Neah''s senses and finally, her body respond to that touch.

    Neah''s eyes opened slowly. They gazed into a familiar pair that made Neah doubt if she was still asleep or not.

    ''Don''t suppress your desire. Take what you want to.'' The voice in her head was bewitching. It was egging Neah to proceed with her iming.

    Maria looked like a dreame true for her. That flushed face coupled with the heated look made Neah want to devour Maria without leaving a single trace.

    Neah''s mind was empty as she reached for Maria''s body. This might have been a dream conjured by her tired mind, but Neah no longer cared.

    She was tired go this world and suppressing her emotions. She wanted to take and devour.

    Her hands finally touched Maria and she clutched the younger to her chest. Neah needed Maria.

    She needs her so much.

    And now she finally seemed to have caught her in her dream.

    "Neah? Where are we? Is this a dream? Or was it the node?" Maria asked. She sounded cohesive and in her mind.

    And she was solid to Neah''ss touch as well. Was this really a dream? Or something more?

 Chapter 203 201: The Confession

    The goddess cursed as she felt resistance from Maria¡¯s end. The oracle had been behaving herself just a few seconds ago. But now she looked like she had some fight still left inside her.

    ¡°Darn you. So even this disguise did not work?¡± the goddess cursed as she pushed more of her life force into the oracle.

    She did not want to see her lover¡¯s daughter die like this. Not when she was the only connection left to her love.

    ¡°Respond to me. Come on, respond to me.¡± The goddess desperately tried to wake Maria but the female did not look like she would respond.

    But that was not all. The goddess could feel her control over the slipping by the second. That should not have been possible.

    And yet, the goddess could feel the start of something emerging inside her body. The feeling felt familiar to her.

    ¡®Get out. You should not be touching her.¡¯ the voice was sweet and polite when it talked. But the goddess felt the anger.

    And then she was shoved out of the transient space she had been in. She quickly looked around to confirm where she had ended up at.

    Luckily, the hand clenching her own told the goddess that nothing significant had happened. She had just been thrown out of the imaginary space by a higher power.

    ¡°Fuck. What should I do now?¡± the goddess asked as she held Maria¡¯s hand tighter in her own. The oracle was not responding to her.

    The goddess tried to get in that space again but it repelled her forcefully. The force was external, not allowing the goddess any time to think on her part.

    And the power behind the push felt too much like a node.

    ¡°I guess things are getting out of control¡± the goddess sighed before she continued to channel her energy into Maria.

    She had invested too much in the female already to let her go.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    Maria felt the magic around her shift. Neah¡¯s face swam in and out of focus throughout the while.

    The hands on her body felt like Neah but Maria could tell that this was not the female she had been acquainted with.

    [The user would be wise to appreciate the offered help]

    The system was bing a meddlesome problem. Maria did not want it to interfere any longer.

    ¡°Maria. MARIA! WAKE UP¡± The voice shook.

    The tone Neah¡¯s body used changed in a second, and Maria felt her eyes open wide. Blue eyes met her own and Maria felt a jolt of lightning cross her body.

    ¡°Neah?¡± Maria¡¯s tone held the question quality.

    The elder smiles a soft but assuring smile. The illusion seemed real enough to even fool Maria¡¯s senses.

    ¡°Yes. I am finally here. Well, not physically but the spirit counts, right?¡± Neah asked. The princess had tears in her eyes as well.

    Maria wanted to reach out to her but her hands did not move. She had lost too much energy. All she could do was smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to be able to see you again.¡± Neah¡¯s face looked worried at Maria¡¯s words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you are dying. You are just low on life force. You can take it from me if you need it.¡± Neah offered.

    The princess refused to look Maria in the eyes. Maria tried actively to catch the princess but the elder seemed to not want to see her.

    But Maria did notice that Neah was eying her lips with a familiar glint.

    Maria had never paid attention to attraction or felt before. She had been naive when she was in Gerna.

    But even so, how had Maria missed such a big development? Neah¡¯s eyes spoke volumes about her feelings and the princess had never tried to hide them either.

    Or maybe it was Maria who had finally grown up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to burden you. You love me right?¡± Maria asked.

    Neah looked red in the face. For a second, it certainly looked like she would object to those words. Maria braced herself for the first string of rejection and denial from the princess.

    But all she felt was a hand on her face and a gentle press of lips.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ¡°You are right. I am in love with you. So allow me to help you out.¡± Neah sounded determined in her quest.

    Maria had no idea when she had closed her eyes but she finally opened them to face Neah.

    The elder looked serious and ready. But Maria could see the nervousness in her actions. It was surprisingly cute of her to behave like that.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say if I love you or not. All I can offer you is my body right now. Do you still want to be with me?¡± Maria asked.

    She was well past the point of caring now. She had lost people, her feelings, and even her dignity. She did not mind giving up what was left of her for her only friend.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to do things like that. You will be heading for Albest next, right? Find me there on the dragon bridge. We¡¯ll do things then. For now, allow me to help you out.¡± so this was a rejection?

    Maria had never thought that being rejected would feel this good. Neah¡¯s words seemed cruel but Maria could feel the care in them.

    And maybe just this once, she wanted to do things the right way. Being courted might not be such a bad feeling after all.

    ¡°Neah,e here.¡± Maria extended her hand. It took considerable effort on her part to even do this. But Maria made sure her expression showed how serious she was.

    ¡°You! You surely don¡¯t do things by half.¡± Neah replied but she did not dy the help.

    Lips crashed and bodies mingled with each other. Neah was fast with her hands. Her lips explored Maria¡¯s body.

    Maria cried out when the elder yed with her nipples. It felt so good to finally have this kind of attention being bestowed on her.

    The princess worked her way down Maria¡¯s body. Maria could feel the sensitive touch of those hands near her pussy.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done this before, right?¡± Neah asked. Her face was twisted in a jealous frown which made Maria chuckle. She forcefully pushed her arms to cup the princess¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yes, I have. But you seem experienced as well. Now show me what you can do.¡± for a second, Maria could have sworn she saw the princess pout.

    But it was quickly marked up as the princess picked up the pace.

    Fingers forced their way inside Maria¡¯s body and the stretch burned. It was her body¡¯s way of reminding Maria that it had been some time since she hadst had sex with someone.

    ¡°It should be enough. I can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± Neah did look to be at her limit. Maria extended her hands toward the female and pressed a kiss on the princess¡¯s lips.

    Maria focused on that feeling instead of the stretch she was feeling. Neah was neither small nor gentle. She did wait for Maria to adjust fully before she started moving.

    "Y-You were supposed to be mine. Why did father think you would be a good fit for my brother? He should have given you to me." Maria cried out as Neah''s penis hit her good spot.

    The friction felt unreal. It was too much and too little at the same time.

    "I didn''t know." Maria moaned out those words. The cock was hitting the best spots inside her. It was making Maria lose all her focus.

    Neah seemed to not like her answer. The next thrust caused Maria to almost bang her head against the ground. Luckily, Neah held her hand beneath Maria''s head to prevent an injury.

    "O-Once we meet again, I-I''ll officially make you mine. I don''t care about your past. Your future is with me." Neah sounded like a woman possessed.

    She even fucked as a woman possessed.

    But it was too far and hard for Maria to object. Her pussy was being railed into as it had never been before.

    Her body felt like it was one fire. Everything burned except the points where Neah was joined with Maria. The luxurious pair of breasts in front of Maria were the only thing she could focus on.

    "You like them? Why don''t you y with them?" Neah asked as she dragged Maria¡¯s hands towards her breasts. The pair was big enough to not even fit in Maria¡¯s hand. But she squeezed them anyway. And it seemed to be making Neah feel pleasure.

    The princess¡¯s rhythm faltered and Maria felt something warm and sticky fill her up. Magic mmed into her core and Maria felt overwhelmed.

    She could feel a pair of hands on her face but the magic seemed to be dragging her away.

    ¡°Remember. Find me in Albest when you arrive. I will be waiting there for you.¡± Neah spoke but her words sounded like they were too far away.

    Aurora''s heart felt heavy when she finally woke up.

    "Finally up? It is nice to see that my efforts were not in vain." the goddess spoke but Maria could hear the relief in her tone. It was difficult to see reality from her imagination but Maria had a destination now.

    "Who are you? Are you an enemy or a friend? If you are a friend, then can I ask you for a favor?" The goddess narrowed her eyes but her words reassured Maria.

 Chapter 204 202: End Of A

    "Wake up. Oi, wake up already. You''ve been sleeping for far too long." Maria felt her consciousness return slowly. Her body took its time to adjust to having a healthy supply of the life force.

    Maria felt disoriented, but that did not stop her from leaning away from the goddess. Her instincts screamed at her to get away.

    "Don''t look at me like I''m going to kill you. I do not have any intention of causing you bodily harm. Be grateful that you look like the love of my life. Or I would have ended up sucking you dry of your life force." The goddess sounded worried.

    Maria felt creeped out by recording that attention. She had not done anything and the female in front of him was showing herpassion.

    "Where are we?" Maria asked.

    "Still in Jamaica for now. But this ce will notst for long. The tug of war going on between the magic is too much for it to bear." The goddess exined.

    "And who are you?" Maria asked.

    The goddess looked dumbstruck at Maria''s question. Her eyes also held a little anger and disappointment that did not show up in her voice.

    "Of course, you ignorant human creature does not know who I am. Listen carefully because you will only get this chance once. My name is gold. I''m the sponsor of the node on Gerna" The female sounded proud.

    The shock Maria should have felt did note. The numbness countered any feeling Maria had over this issue.

    "Ah. I see. It was good to confirm. So, what are you doing here? And what happened to that bookdy." To most people, Maria''s questions might not have made sense.

    But the goddess in front of her just sighed.

    "She left. More specifically, you pissed her off. She doesn''t care about this ce anymore. She is not like me and won''t help you out." Gold sounded certain.

    "I see. So she''s not going to be a problem for us? Then, what about you? What are you doing here?" Maria asked?

    The goddess might have helped Maria out but she had also tried to kill her. The conflicting actions did not help Maria decide what to think about this new female.

    "Me? I''m here to be disappointed. I thought you were someone else." Gold did not sound disappointed.

    At least, her voice did not sound like that to Maria.

    "Ok" Maria epted her fate. Getting straight answers was out of the question for her.

    "Ok? Just like that? You have no more questions for me?" Gold asked.

    If she had been shocked earlier, she sounded beyond struck now.

    "I don''t have the energy or brain power to deal with you. And you still haven''t answered me. Are you an enemy? Or a friend?" Maria asked.

    "I can be both depending on your next answer. Will youe to the upper realm with me? There is going to be a war soon. I want you to choose the winning side." The goddess offered.

    The creepy feeling intensified in Maria''s mind. Was this some kind of sick fetish y for the goddess?

    "No need. I can''t leave this realm yet. I have responsibilities to take care of." Maria exined.

    The goddess looked gained but also understanding.

    "Fine. I understand. Don''t expect me to show mercy to you next time." The goddess exined.

    Maria thought she heard the goddess mutter ''like father, like daughter. They''re both the same and I can''t take it before she disappeared in thin air.

    "Huh. It was a weird experience. System, are you there?" Maria asked.

    [Does the user need any help?]

    The mechanical voice replied. It felt normalising to hear that in her life again.

    "Do you know who that was?" Maria asked.

    [A node creator from the upper realm. Lady Gold ascended almost 500 years ago. She was the victor of the demonic war before your father.]

    The system exined. For a system that was stingy with details, it decided to loosen its tongue considerably this time.

    "Are you sure it is alright to tell me all this?" Maria asked. Mostly for herself.

    [The user is authorised to view this information. The user has gained ess to the upper realm database.]

    The system informed Maria.

    "I did? So, can you tell me how to stabilise Jamaica now?" Maria asked.

    [Gaining user data¡­¡­

    Generating user maps¡­¡­..]

    It did not take long for the system to tell Maria the answer.

    And Maria wanted tough as soon as she saw what she had to do.

    Of course, things hade down to this. The only way to stabilise Jamaica was to rece the node with another one.<novelnext></novelnext>

    And Maria had already done that.

    Now all she had to do was to break the curse that had been cast on this continent and things would be alright.

    "System?" Maria asked.

    And the system did not dy in offering that information either.

    "Maria. Are you alright? You look a little pale. Can I help you out?" The voice belonged to Venus.

    The Princess had Yuuki and Kuro with her. The three looked a little out of breath but fine otherwise.

    Maria wanted to confront the princess but her eyes moved to the beast behind her. Yuki looked flushed and out of breath.

    But he also looked better than he had before. His face had colour and his eyes shined.

    "I know how to save Jamaica. But I will need all your help. You will need to distract the queen and let me pass to Albest." Maria informed me.

    As happy as she was to get the solution to Jamaica''s problem, there were huge drawbacks for her.

    Once the treatment began, Jamaica would go down in locked mode. Maria would be stuck there for the next few months.

    And that was precious time Maria could not waste. She had an appointment to keep.

    "Ew. Do you have to go? You can stay. a little while with me." Venusined.

    But Maria did not feel angry this time. She understood why the other female was behaving this way.

    "I have to go. It is my call and someone is waiting for me on the other side." Maria consoled her.

    The Princess looked let down but ultimately decided to give up.

    "Alright. Do what you want to. I won''t stop you." But her tone told Maria that she was unhappy.

    Yuki just nodded at her words and gave Kuro a deep look.

    "We will take care of the princess. I trust you to make the other preparations by this time tomorrow." Maria noted toward the beast

    She had a lot of nning to do but she had her system by her side this time. She had information and the optimal route of strategy with her.

    "I''ll get things done." Maria could see that the trio was reluctant to leave her. But they did that anyway.

    And Maria quickly made her way back to the cave they had reared previously.

    The pool glowed a soft blue. The node held the centre spots and the water gave off a holy feeling.

    It was one of the legends, the one that would be able to elevate Maria''s curse. It was a legend because it would only appear when certain conditions were met.

    And Maria had managed to trigger it to activate.

    The pool glowed blue and the water started to evaporate. It would not disappear fully as long as the node was other so it did not worry Maria much

    The rain was soft when it began to fall. It was sweet and chased away the curses of thend.

    No one heard the dying cries of a forest chase. They were drowned out by the much louder cries of the beasts that took over the forest.

    And Maria hurried through the forest among all this chaos. She used the night to make her way through the forest and toward the portal.

    Maria did not turn around to say goodbye. There was no need to make things even moreplicated. Jamaica would forget her soon enough due to herck of impact.

    "Maria, wait. I have something to say to you." Maria felt something collide with her as she passed through the portal.

    All she saw was. a familiar pair of eyes before gravity took her down to the water''s surface.

    "Venus, what the hell? Go back. You need to go back." Maria almost felt panicked but the portal was shrinking.

    It would not be possible to make it back without supernatural help. Even magic could not help Venus out.

    "No. It''s alright. I want to help you out so I''ll stay. You won''t chase me out, right?" Venus asked.

    And Maria could only sigh as the portal closed and sealed Maria''s decision.

    She feared Neah''s temper. But she feared the iing future even more. Venus was trouble and Maria was stuck with her.

    "Umm, where are we?" Venus asked. And Maria knew she was in for a long ride. She did not envy her luck and future self who would have to deal Venus.

    .................

    (This is the end of book one. I will not mark this bookplete for now because of a potential Albest saga. I will post about it here when it does live.

    Also, I''ll be posting some bonus chapters as side-storied form this novel for now. Some will be general, others R-18. Hope you try them out as well.)

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!