Category: The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 511: A Domestic Dispute of Epic Proportions

“—”

A chilling air filled the silent tree house.

It was killing intent.

Real, tangible killing intent.

Both Lid and Lucy emanated a dense killing intent, making even Millu, who had been sobbing, stop.

“…Is she telling the truth?”

Lid stared at Shien, its beastly eyes emotionless, as if looking at a piece of meat ready to be devoured.

“I’d like to know as well.”

Lucy also nodded, her movements gentle, her voice pleasant, but the killing intent emanating from her was even stronger than Lid’s, the ferocious Beast Demon.

“Haha…”

Shien laughed.

What else could he do?

Cry?

He wanted to, but it seemed the people here weren’t going to give him the chance.

Especially Airi, who, as if she hadn’t noticed anything, said directly,

“Of course, it’s true.” Airi said calmly, “He even saw my chest. What do you think?”

“Pfft!” Shien spat out blood.

“Hoho…” The killing intent emanating from Lid and Lucy intensified.

It was now tangible, like sharp knives, capable of shredding a person to pieces.

Under this killing intent, Lilith and Millu looked at each other, seemingly not realizing what was happening, or not thinking anything was wrong.

Lasha, however, for some reason, also emanated a chilling aura, just like Lid and Lucy, her gaze towards Shien colder than ever before.

This made Shien shout,

“You can’t possibly believe that!?”

Shien wanted to say, how could such a clumsy lie fool anyone?

They were all top figures in their respective races. Weren’t they smarter than that?

However, before Shien could say this, Lucy spoke first.

“I believe it.” Lucy looked at Shien disdainfully. “Because that’s definitely something a shameless person like you would do.”

Shien’s past actions had finally come back to bite him.

“I believe it too.” Lid said coldly, “After all, as far as I know, you two are almost always together, and I know this girl, she would never lie about something that didn’t happen. She’s not that shameless.”

This time, Shien really wanted to vomit.

But it had to be said that Lid’s words made sense.

“Didn’t you sleep with me?”

Airi stared intently at Shien.

“…”

Shien was speechless.

He did remember using this girl as a body pillow and sleeping comfortably with her a few times.

“Didn’t you see my chest?”

Airi continued calmly.

“…”

Shien’s lips twitched.

It seemed… he might have… probably… seen it…

“Heh.”

Lid and Lucy sneered simultaneously, like judges passing judgment, their killing intent surging.

“Wait!”

Shien had to defend himself.

“Although I did sleep with this girl a few times, it wasn’t every day. She’s exaggerating!”

Shien accused Airi.

Although this girl wouldn’t lie about something that didn’t happen, she definitely had a talent for exaggerating things.

Unfortunately, Lid and Lucy didn’t listen.

“Even if it was just a few times, you still slept together, didn’t you?”

Lid remained unmoved.

“And you even saw her chest, right?”

Lucy also stared at Shien, anger burning in her eyes.

“It was just her chest!”

Shien continued to defend himself desperately.

He was certain that both Lid and Lucy had gotten the wrong idea.

He had only seen what was hidden under Airi’s pillow, not seen through her clothes. Besides being shocked, he hadn’t enjoyed any eye candy at all!

But hearing Shien’s words, Lid and Lucy’s thoughts went even further astray.

“Just…?”

Lid repeated.

“And ‘just’…?”

Lucy looked at Shien as if he was a beast.

Even Lasha, who had been silent, spoke.

“I know Mr. Shien is very thirsty.” Lasha dropped the final bomb with an impassive face. “Next time, I’ll try to improve and let Mr. Shien take care of his needs with me, instead of him even laying his hands on a child.”

These words caused an explosion of killing intent.

“…You even touched her?”

Airi’s expression changed, and she also stared at Shien, her expression turning cold.

Even Millu stared intently at him, as if someone important to her had been bullied.

“Haha… hahaha…”

Shien laughed again.

His laughter was hollow.

He knew that no matter how much he explained, it was useless.

Countless cliché plots told him that in this situation, trying to reason with a group of angry women and clear up the misunderstanding was impossible.

At this moment, they had transformed into the most unreasonable beings in the world, not listening to anything he said.

“Fine!”

Shien gave up.

“Isn’t this just a death trap? Come on! Let’s see what you can do!”

Shien abandoned his attempts to explain and drew the Holy Sword from his waist.

Seeing this, the girls’ expressions changed again.

“Interesting. Want to fight us?”

Lid licked her fangs.

“You actually dare to fight back?”

Lucy was furious.

“…”

Airi didn’t say anything, but seeing Shien drawing his sword so decisively (or desperately), she slowly stood up.

“Bad person!”

Millu, perhaps not fully understanding the situation, also seemed to be targeting Shien, her face puffed up like a bun.

Before Shien, a group of girls entered battle mode.

This was undoubtedly a terrifying group of opponents.

Three of the Six Demon Lords: the Dragon Demon, the Beast Demon, and the Ghost Demon.

The Kingdom’s treasure, the inheritor of the Mitra Holy Sword, the human princess known as the modern Hero.

Plus Lasha, who silently retreated to the side, not pleading for Shien, but watching coldly.

Undoubtedly, this was the most formidable lineup Shien had ever faced.

Shien was under immense pressure.

Truly immense.

He wasn’t confident he could defeat any of them individually, and now they were joining forces. How could the pressure not be immense?

Including Lucy, Shien didn’t dare to underestimate any of them.

This princess possessed the Mitra Holy Sword. Once it was unsealed, she would be at least at Aldia’s level.

Moreover, this princess also had a hidden Unique Skill she had never revealed.

Even facing Lucy alone, Shien felt like he would have to use all his means, let alone with three of the Six Demon Lords also present.

Fortunately, Shien wasn’t completely without help.

“Swish!”

Lilith appeared before Shien in a flash, evil aura surging around her, emanating a terrifying presence.

That presence made Airi, Lid, and Millu’s eyes narrow.

“Lilith, stand down.”

Airi said to Lilith in a deep voice.

Lilith naturally wouldn’t back down.

She didn’t know what was happening.

She only knew that these people were planning to bully Shien.

And anyone who planned to bully Shien was her enemy.

Therefore, Lilith shook her head resolutely.

“Lilith…”

Shien was touched.

As expected, his clingy little jacket was the best, he hadn’t doted on her for nothing.

“Good girl, today we’ll fight against these unreasonable women together and show them that truth is justice!”

Shien said these passionate words to the strongest evil goddess.

“Mmm-hmm!”

Lilith nodded obediently, ready to unleash her power as an evil god for the sake of so-called justice.

Airi, Lid, Millu, and Lucy were all angry.

“It seems you two need to be taught a lesson.”

“It’s been years since anyone dared to provoke me like this.”

“Bad people! Bad people!”

“I don’t care anymore. I’ve endured enough. Today, I’ll let it all out!”

Astonishing auras erupted from the three girls and the little beast.

Instantly, the night sky above the Elven Homeland was filled with swirling winds and dark clouds, lightning and thunder gradually appearing.

All the elves in the Elven Homeland were terrified by this and panicked.

“Wh-what’s going on…!?”

“S-such terrifying magic power!”

In the Queen’s Palace, Leia and Nia, who were discussing matters, changed their expressions drastically and cried out in fear.

“What… what are they doing?”

Sophie was dumbfounded.

With the power of the Queen’s Palace, she clearly sensed the source of everything and was shocked and bewildered.

“Roar!”

Even Yulin was startled and flew from the giant tree canopy towards the tree house.

“This…”

Even Melika, who was whispering with her elven childhood friend and sharing a bed with her, jumped up in a panic, looking at a loss.

“What happened…!?”

Carol, with the members of the Elven Corps, had appeared, looking at the turbulent sky with shock.

Finally, even Nadue was anxious.

“I… I just shifted my attention for a moment, trying to find the one behind the ritual in the Tegor Forest, how did it turn into such a big commotion!?”

The great Goddess of Nature felt her vision darken.

Seeing a terrifying disaster about to befall the Elven Homeland, even the entire Tegor Forest, Nadue was at a loss.

“It can’t be helped.”

Within the Elven Homeland, a dense natural magic power suddenly converged.

“Hmm?”

Shien and the others, who were about to fight, all sensed the abnormality, looked up, and let out sounds of surprise.

“Th-this… this is…!?”

All the elves in the Elven Homeland, sensing this anomaly, widened their eyes in excitement.

Including Carol.

Including Leia and Nia.

And also Sophie.

Airi and Lid exchanged glances.

Shien and Lucy were both surprised.

This sudden phenomenon attracted everyone’s attention.

Until a clear, incredibly vibrant voice reached everyone’s ears.

“Please, for my sake, show mercy.”

When this voice rang out, all the elves in the Elven Homeland knelt on the ground.

Even Sophie, the Elven Queen, and Melika, who was with her childhood friend, were the same.

Their faces were filled with excitement.

Their eyes were full of fanaticism and reverence.

Without hesitation, all the elves chanted in unison,

“We welcome the descent of the Goddess of Nature!”

“We welcome the descent of the Goddess of Nature!”

“We welcome the descent of the Goddess of Nature!”

The loud and respectful voices echoed through the air.

As for Shien and his group, they naturally looked up at the sky.

“The Goddess of Nature?”

Shien was still dumbfounded.

What was going on now?

A domestic dispute had attracted the descent of a top goddess of the Divine Race?

“Lady Nadue…?”

Lucy seemed to have calmed down.

The same went for Airi, Lid, and Millu.

“Nadue?” Lid said calmly, “So you’ve come to the human world?”

“That one…” Airi muttered, “Sneaking into the human world again to peek?”

Clearly, they were both used to the Goddess of Nature’s sudden appearances.

Nadue naturally wouldn’t admit this.

“No, I haven’t come to the human world yet. It’s just that something unusual happened in the Elven Homeland, so I sent my voice and will here through the connection between the Elven Race and myself.”

Nadue said this without batting an eye.

Since no one could see her, and no one knew her current situation, she naturally could say whatever she wanted.

Otherwise, if she was really seen as a peeping Tom goddess, wouldn’t that damage her perfect image?

Unacceptable!

Nadue quickly changed the subject.

“Although I don’t know what happened, you all possess astonishing power. If you fight here, the damage to the Elven Homeland would be devastating. Please calm down, okay?”

Nadue’s pleasant voice did have an incredible power, soothing the rising anger in everyone’s hearts.

Shien also breathed a sigh of relief.

The situation wasn’t in his favor.

This wasn’t just a group of ordinary women.

Even excluding Lucy, the other three were Demon Lords.

Half of the Six Demon Lords were here, and they were planning to teach him a lesson. Wasn’t that terrifying?

Even though Shien didn’t intend to be bullied by these unreasonable women, facing these opponents, even with Lilith’s help, he was still a bit apprehensive.

Therefore, Shien spoke first,

“This has nothing to do with me. It’s all these unreasonable women, acting all tough and picking on a weak man like me.”

Shien used his Unique Skill—[Shifting Blame].

Airi, Lid, and Lucy almost lost their tempers again.

This bastard, truly shameless.

Who was acting tough?

And was he a weak man?

How dare he say that?

Damn it!

Chapter 510: “There’s No Room for a Third Person.”

Elven Homeland, Tree House.

When Shien returned with Millu, before they even entered, Carol, who had been anxiously pacing outside, silently excused herself.

Having guessed Lid’s identity, this vice-commander was undoubtedly worried about the Elven Queen and went to check on the situation.

Shien ignored her and entered the tree house with Millu, seeing the others gathered in the living room, waiting for him.

“You’re finally back?”

Lucy, sitting there, looked at Shien entering and sighed for some reason.

“Welcome back, Mr. Shien.”

Lasha’s indifferent demeanor reminded Shien of the time he didn’t come home at night, and his expression turned awkward.

“Thud!”

Lilith, without a word, immediately pounced into Shien’s arms, hugging him tightly, her face showing both relief and grievance.

“Sorry, sorry, I made you worry.”

Shien, feeling heartbroken, patted her head and comforted her.

Everyone had been waiting for Shien’s return and was finally relieved.

Only Airi didn’t have the energy to pay attention to Shien.

Because…

“Airi! Airi!”

Millu’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Airi, letting out the loudest cheer yet, then, like Lilith, pounced on her.

“It’s really you!”

Airi, seemingly having anticipated Millu’s arrival, sighed and tried to dodge, but she couldn’t avoid Millu’s pounce.

Millu hugged Airi tightly, rubbing her face against hers and cheering happily.

“Airi! Airi!”

Millu’s joyful laughter filled the tree house.

That laughter was infectious.

However, seeing this unfamiliar little girl suddenly hugging Airi, making her look displeased, everyone was still startled.

“Could this be…!?”

Lucy’s eyes widened in surprise.

“…”

Lasha also looked at Millu, silent, her eyes lowered.

“?”

Lilith tilted her head, confused.

Especially seeing Airi’s unwilling expression, yet unable to resist Millu’s hug and nuzzling, everyone’s surprise was evident.

If there were others here, they would definitely be shocked.

Airi, the Dragon Demon, one of the Six Demon Lords, known as the most ferocious being, was being hugged tightly by a little girl, seemingly displeased, yet unable to resist. This scene could definitely leave anyone stunned.

Shien, however, looked as if he had expected this.

“As expected, this girl is a Demon Lord.”

Yes.

Millu was a Demon Lord.

In other words, this seemingly innocent, naive, and romantic little girl was the sister of Airi, Sara, and Lid.

Lucy murmured in surprise,

“Millu Peshi, the Ghost Demon…”

—”Millu Peshi.”

This was Millu’s real name.

Millu was just a nickname.

The same went for Lid, who had been using a nickname. Her real name hadn’t been revealed yet.

“Airi! Airi! Airi!”

Millu hugged Airi tightly, like a beloved toy, chanting her name happily.

Airi, on the other hand, was displeased with Millu’s actions.

“Alright, stop it.” Airi said with annoyance. “Getting so excited every time you see your sister, how lonely are you?”

“Yes, yes!” Millu nodded repeatedly, looking pitiful. “Millu, lonely, Airi, always gone.”

The little girl looked aggrieved.

Unfortunately, Airi, with her heart of stone, wasn’t moved by this at all.

“Cut it out.” Airi saw through Millu’s act. “You’re always with Lid. How could you be lonely?”

Others might not know, but Airi knew very well.

Millu always had Lid by her side, never acting alone.

The reason was simple: this Ghost Demon’s mind wasn’t mature. Like a spoiled child, she rarely had her own judgment or principles.

If someone dangled a lollipop in front of her, this Ghost Demon would definitely follow them, easily deceived, and potentially causing a huge disaster.

Therefore, no one would let Millu act alone.

And Lid, if she acted alone, once she entered a battle, would become incredibly dangerous.

Therefore, these two sisters, one girl and one beast, had been together for more than ten thousand years, always acting together. One usually restrained her power, appearing weaker and under Millu’s protection for convenience, while the other acted according to Lid’s instructions, preventing them from going off track and causing trouble.

Under such circumstances, Millu always had Lid by her side and couldn’t possibly be lonely.

Of course…

“It’s different.” Millu said seriously, “Lid is older sister, Airi is younger sister.”

“What’s the difference?” Airi retorted, “They’re both accompanying you. Isn’t it the same whether it’s an older or younger sister?”

“Mmm…” Millu puffed out her cheeks and protested, “Different, different.”

“Sigh…” Airi said with a headache, “Always being difficult. Who’s the older sister, and who’s the younger sister?”

The two sisters, reunited after a long separation, started bickering.

It was quite an amusing sight, making Shien watch with interest.

“Hiss~~~”

Suddenly, a sharp pain in his waist made Shien gasp.

“You…”

Lucy had come to Shien’s side at some point, pinching the flesh on his waist angrily.

“What are you doing?”

Shien complained.

But this was met with Lucy’s glare.

“I should be the one asking, what have you been doing?” Lucy asked in a low but aggressive voice, “What did you do? Why are you with the Ghost Demon? Why is she here? What happened?”

Lucy bombarded him with questions.

Millu’s appearance had clearly made the princess anxious.

“Well, it’s a long story.”

Shien didn’t know how to explain.

Could he say that he met her by chance while bathing?

That would be ridiculous!

“Then make it short!”

Lucy didn’t let Shien off the hook.

The couple started bickering, attracting Lilith’s attention.

None of the three noticed that Millu, who was clinging to Airi, suddenly glanced at Lasha, who was standing there expressionlessly, and her innocent smile froze, her body trembling, as if stunned.

“Millu…?”

Airi noticed this, her expression turning serious, a bad feeling rising in her heart.

Millu just stared blankly at Lasha, not reacting at all.

Looking at Millu like this, Lasha, unusually, didn’t bow, but just stared at her, then reached out and patted Millu’s head.

This action not only stunned Airi, but also caused Millu’s emotions to erupt.

“Waaah…”

Millu burst into tears.

“Huh?”

“What?”

Shien and Lucy, who had been bickering, finally noticed this and looked at the crying Millu, dumbfounded.

“This…”

Even Airi was at a loss.

Lasha, however, remained unmoved, gently stroking Millu’s head, as if comforting her silently.

This development silenced the entire tree house.

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

This scene lasted for an unknown amount of time.

Until a faint voice came,

“Alright, Millu, stop crying.”

With this voice, the fluffy and mysterious little beast appeared in the treehouse.

“Huh?”

Lilith blinked her eyes.

“Y-you… you’re…!?”

Lucy was shocked, her expression changing drastically.

“Sister Lid…”

Airi turned her gaze to Lid.

As for Lasha, she stopped what she was doing, looked at Lid, and finally knelt down.

“Lasha greets Your Highness Liddoma.”

Lasha, just like when she first met Sara and Airi, bowed respectfully to Lid.

“…Get up, don’t kneel.”

Lid looked at Lasha with a complicated expression, then said with an impassive face, a slight tremor in her voice.

“Yes.”

Lasha obeyed, like a humble maid, but her expression remained indifferent.

“Lid…”

Millu, her face streaked with tears, turned to Lid as if seeing a lifeline.

Lid sighed and turned her gaze to Shien.

“Millu and I will be staying here for a while.” Lid said to Shien, “Is that alright?”

Shien frowned, his gaze sweeping over Airi, Millu, Lid, and Lasha, then he relaxed his expression and shrugged.

“This isn’t my territory. Why are you asking me?”

In other words, do as you please, no need to tell him.

“Alright.” Lid didn’t stand on ceremony and said to Airi, “We’ll share a room. Tell me everything. What’s going on?”

“…What are you referring to?” Airi’s tone was distant.

This naturally earned her a glare from Lid.

“Of course, I’m referring to when you woke up, when you came to the human world, and why you’ve been messing around here for so long!” Lid snorted. “You better tell me everything that happened after you came to the human world!”

“Why?” Airi still protested. “I’m not Millu. I don’t need to be questioned about everything I do, do I?”

“Do you really think so?” Lid narrowed her eyes. “Do you want to have a family meeting and see?”

Airi immediately shut up.

That would definitely be a bad thing for her.

Because this so-called family meeting was a gathering of the six Demon Lord sisters to discuss matters.

If that happened, regardless of the outcome, during the process, she, as the youngest sister, would definitely be the one being picked on.

In the past family meetings, Airi had always been the one at a disadvantage.

These plastic sisters always played this trick. It was hateful.

Especially Lid, who loved using this to suppress her younger sisters.

Speaking of this, it was necessary to mention the order of the six Demon Lord sisters.

Firstly, Sara was undoubtedly the eldest sister, the firstborn.

The second eldest was the Charm Demon, second only to Sara among the six sisters, considered the second-in-command of the Demon Race.

Then there was Lid, the third eldest, with three younger sisters.

The Poison Demon was the fourth.

Millu, the Ghost Demon, was the fifth.

And finally, there was Airi, the youngest, the baby of the six sisters.

And as everyone knew, the youngest sister had no rights. Airi always felt that she was being persecuted by her five older sisters.

Which older sisters would take turns using their younger sister as a body pillow, refusing to sleep without hugging her?

Which older sisters would force their younger sister to bathe with them and always touch her inappropriately?

Which older sisters would treat their younger sister like a doll, always wanting to play dress-up?

Which older sisters would interrogate their younger sister about everything she did, treating her like a pet, always keeping her at home?

Airi had them!

And she had five of them!

Even Millu was persecuting her!

Therefore, Airi had become a bit rebellious, not wanting to listen to her sisters at all.

However, if Shien knew about this, he would definitely say without hesitation,

“Is this persecution? This is clearly the doting of a group of siscons!”

This was the truth.

However, Airi would never think this way.

Therefore, Airi could only resist.

“I don’t want to share a room with you.”

The youngest sister, rebelling online.

“Oh?” Lid seemed used to this and said nonchalantly, “Give me a reason.”

Airi really wanted to say that there was no reason, she just didn’t want to.

But she also knew that if she said that, she would be seen as a spoiled child and be ruthlessly suppressed.

Lid knew very well that Airi hated being treated like a child.

Under such circumstances, as long as Airi didn’t give a reasonable excuse, she would definitely be provoked by Lid and forced to accept sharing a room.

Knowing this routine, Airi racked her brains.

After a while, Airi seemed to have an idea and turned her gaze to Shien.

“…”

Sensing Airi’s gaze, Shien’s lips twitched.

A sense of foreboding, a premonition of impending doom, suddenly arose in his heart.

And the next moment, Airi’s words confirmed his premonition.

“I’ll stay with that man.”

Airi pointed at Shien and said loudly,

“We always share a room. There’s no room for a third person.”

The air instantly froze.

Shien felt his vision darken, a single word appearing in his mind.

That word was—”Danger.”

Chapter 509: An Unsolvable Problem

Sophie felt as if she was back on that suffocating battlefield.

High-powered magic spells crisscrossed like artillery fire, bombarding the enemy forces.

Human warriors charged, roaring.

Demon assassins slaughtered madly.

Goddesses of the Divine Race appeared in every corner, like commanders dominating the battlefield.

The sky, the earth, the oceans…

Everything seemed to be facing the end of the world, bathed in blood and fear, as if on the verge of destruction.

She, the Elven Queen, was at the very center of this battlefield.

Beside her, besides her two trusted elven confidantes, were the Hero’s companions and other human heroes.

The thirteen of them were considered the stars of this battlefield, having nearly reached the limits of life, stepping into the legendary realm.

They even had the power to change the tide of battle, carrying the hopes of the human race, and even the Divine Race.

However, reality dealt them a harsh blow.

Even now, Sophie still remembered the despair she felt when “that” appeared.

“——!!!”

It was a roar that shook the heavens and the earth.

It was a horn announcing death.

The roar echoed through the air.

Tremors came from beneath their feet.

“It” appeared like a world-ending natural disaster.

A gigantic body that blotted out the sky.

A loud roar that awakened fear.

A ferocious appearance.

A terrifying aura.

The greatest “beast” of this world appeared on the battlefield, its limbs like mountains, its body like a continent, the entire battlefield beneath its feet.

They watched as it kicked over mountains.

They witnessed it scattering the clouds.

Fear.

Despair.

Insignificance.

Powerlessness.

These were the emotions in the hearts of everyone on the battlefield.

Sophie could even clearly see her confidantes and the other ten human heroes trembling beside her.

Instinctive fear arose uncontrollably from everyone’s hearts.

Even those called heroes couldn’t avoid it.

Because they were still mortals.

Because they were still flesh and blood.

It was no longer a question of whether they could win, but whether they were even on the same level.

Sophie was certain that if it weren’t for the cries and the fallen companions around them, the thirteen of them wouldn’t have been able to muster the courage to challenge that world-destroying beast.

And after their reckless challenge, more than half of the thirteen died on the spot.

Sophie was lucky.

No, not just Sophie, but Leia and Nia were also lucky.

Because they weren’t warriors charging at the forefront, but magicians providing support from behind. The world-destroying beast never even looked at them, only attacking the “flies” that harassed it.

Therefore, the three of them survived.

However, everything that happened in that battle was etched deeply in their hearts, unforgettable.

The world called it trauma.

Sophie wouldn’t deny it.

Those who experienced that, if they didn’t have any trauma, were just fools who forgot the pain after their wounds healed.

In that battle, they, the Thirteen Heroes, only managed to slightly hinder the world-destroying beast, at the cost of more than half their number.

Sophie couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Mitra, with the help of Omniis, the Supreme God, hadn’t successfully defeated the Demon King, making the Demon Race give up.

Would they have been burned to ashes by the flames of that monstrous beast?

Or crushed into meat paste under its mountain-like limbs?

Sophie couldn’t imagine any other outcome.

Now, that world-destroying beast that brought despair and fear to everyone on the battlefield, the Beast Demon among the Six Demon Lords, had appeared in the Elven Homeland, before Sophie.

Not in its gigantic, world-obscuring form, nor with its deadly roar, but like a small pet, a fluffy little beast, standing there.

“You haven’t changed at all.” Lid looked at Sophie and said casually, “Still so beautiful, so high and mighty, just like back then. It’s quite nostalgic.”

“Your Highness is joking.” Sophie smiled wryly. “It’s you, Your Highness Liddoma, who’s still as powerful as ever.”

“Really?” Lid raised an eyebrow and smiled. “It seems your words are still as sweet as ever. Even though I’m in this form, you still say I’m powerful. That’s too much flattery.”

“It’s not flattery.” Sophie shook her head. “I will never forget Your Highness’s true form. That scene is deeply etched in my heart. Even though you’ve changed your form for convenience, from your aura and magic power, I can still sense that unrivaled power.”

This was the truth.

Even though Lid’s current size and aura were vastly different from before, Sophie wouldn’t be so naive as to think this fluffy little beast was easy to bully.

Sophie knew very well that if it wanted to, it could return to its former form at any time.

At that time, in all of Omnipotence, besides the strongest of the Divine Race, who could truly threaten it?

“You’re good in every way, except you’re too uptight.” Lid chuckled and shook her head, then said nonchalantly, “Don’t put so much pressure on yourself, relax. I haven’t returned to that form in a thousand years, and I probably won’t have the chance to do so again in the future, right?”

“Really?” Sophie was slightly stunned.

“At least, I hope so.” Lid looked at Sophie, her smile fading, and said seriously, “As long as there’s no more war, I won’t need to return to that form, just like these past thousand years, right?”

These words made Sophie silent for a moment, then she smiled, as if relieved.

“Your Highness is right.” Sophie said sincerely, “Now we all understand that whether it’s the human race, the Divine Race, or the Demon Race, none of us want war.”

This was also the reason why Lid, Sophie, and the others could put aside their past grudges and coexist peacefully.

The pursuit of peace was the most fundamental desire in everyone’s hearts.

Thanks to this, the three races had achieved a thousand years of peace, and the Elven Race, moved by this, established the Peace Festival, leading to today.

Unfortunately…

“There are always some who can’t stand the sight of peace, unwilling to live a stable life, trying to destroy the peace we’ve built over a thousand years for some unfounded reasons.”

Lid’s voice turned cold.

Leia and Nia held their breath, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Sophie’s expression also turned serious.

“So the Demonic Refining Ritual has appeared in the Tegor Forest again?”

Sophie asked in a deep voice.

“That’s right.” Lid nodded. “Although the ritual has been disrupted by Millu and me, and most of the Demonized Beings born in the ritual were just eliminated by that interesting little guy we summoned, the mastermind behind the ritual might not have left yet and is still very likely lurking in the Tegor Forest.”

“The mastermind…” Sophie frowned and asked hurriedly, “Could it be someone from the [Original Demon]?”

“Who knows?” Lid said unhappily, “Perhaps, like the previous times, it’s a third party being used by the [Original Demon].”

“Is that so?” Sophie pondered for a moment, then said, “I understand. Your Highness wants our Elven Race to search the Tegor Forest, right?”

“Yes.” Lid said frankly, “In the past, we sent our demon subordinates to search the Tegor Forest, but found nothing. So, this time, I want to ask for your Elven Race’s help.”

After all, the elves were the locals. Although they didn’t control the entire Tegor Forest, their understanding and familiarity with it were definitely greater than the Demon Race’s.

Moreover, as nature’s favored children, elves were very sensitive to abnormal magic power. If they conducted the search, they might find something.

The reason why Lid wanted to drag Shien into this, besides wanting to see the abilities of the one who had charmed her younger sister, was also because the Demon Race’s previous attempts had been fruitless.

Therefore, this time, Lid wanted to borrow the power of another race and see if it could create a different outcome.

“This should have been our Demon Race’s own business, a problem caused by those troublemakers within our ranks, and we should be the ones to resolve it.” Lid said in a deep voice, “But the [Original Demon]’s recent activities have become increasingly reckless and frequent. The Demonic Refining Ritual, which used to only appear in the Demon Realm and the Tegor Forest, has even appeared in other places in the human world this year, in the Atlus Gorge of the Kingdom of Mitra. Even the Empire has shown some strange movements recently. All of this is making people uneasy.”

This was also a concern for the higher-ups of the three races recently.

Judging from the [Original Demon]’s movements, it was certain that their thousand-year-long plan to create the Seventh Demon Lord seemed to be nearing completion.

“If a Demon Lord-level being appears within the Old Demon Faction, it will definitely be a disaster for the three races.” Lid said to Sophie, “Therefore, I can only shamelessly mobilize all the forces I can.”

Hearing this, Sophie’s expression turned serious.

“Please rest assured, Your Highness.” Sophie promised, “This concerns the peace of the world. Our Elven Race will naturally do our part. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to face our Goddess of Nature.”

“Nadue?” Lid curled her lip. “If only that goddess were here. With her power, she should be able to find something, right?”

Lid still acknowledged the Goddess of Nature’s power.

Although that goddess’s strength might not be as great as a Demon Lord like her, she had still transcended the limits of life and could pose a threat to Demon Lords, not completely helpless against them.

And what made the Goddess of Nature truly troublesome was her ability to manipulate and even merge with nature.

Once she used this power, besides the Demon King and the Supreme God, no one could detect her presence or harm her, yet she could observe the entire world. Except for a few special circumstances, nothing could be hidden from her eyes when she was one with nature, making even Sara, the supreme ruler of the Demon Race, find her incredibly troublesome.

It was also this Goddess of Nature who discovered the existence of the Old Demon Faction, the [Original Demon], and the Demonic Refining Ritual.

This Goddess of Nature would sometimes descend to the human world, merging with nature and observing everything. It wasn’t strange for her to discover the [Original Demon]’s conspiracy.

If it weren’t for the fact that the members of the [Original Demon] were too cunning and secretive, active in both the human world and the Demon Realm, frequently changing their bases, and having developed methods to evade the Goddess of Nature’s prying eyes, they would have been found and eradicated by her long ago.

Lid believed that in the current era, the one who posed the greatest threat to the [Original Demon] was this Goddess of Nature.

Thinking of this, Lid couldn’t help but say,

“If the Hero were still in this world, dealing with the Old Demon Faction would be much easier, right?”

Lid said with emotion.

“The Hero… huh?”

Sophie also murmured, and Leia and Nia beside her fell silent.

In the hearts of all races, the Hero was a special existence.

The Divine Race saw the Hero as their trump card.

The human race saw the Hero as their faith.

Even the Demon Race feared the Hero.

If there were a Hero in this era, would the Old Demon Faction still dare to be so rampant?

Would the Seventh Demon Lord and the new Demon King, so important to the [Original Demon], still be such a threat in the face of the legendary Hero?

These thoughts made Sophie feel a bit melancholic.

“Perhaps, a Hero might truly appear again.” Sophie said, “Mitra’s Holy Sword has been inherited by that Kingdom’s treasure. Given time, she will definitely become the Hero of this era.”

“Perhaps.” Lid seemed unconvinced, then a smile appeared on her lips as if remembering something. “Or maybe, in this era, besides the Hero, there’s another interesting little guy worth our attention.”

Sophie didn’t understand what she meant.

Lid didn’t explain either.

“Anyway, I’ll leave this matter to you.” Lid said to Sophie again, “We’ll be staying here for a while. If anything happens, you can inform me.”

“Yes.” Sophie nodded seriously. “If anything happens, I will inform Your Highness immediately.”

“Good.” A fierce glint flashed in Lid’s eyes. “This time, not only Millu and I are here, but also Airi and Lilith, the evil god. I don’t believe that with this force, those [Original Demon] bastards can still cause any trouble.”

Leaving these words behind, Lid vanished.

Only Sophie remained, looking in the direction where Lid disappeared. After a long while, she murmured,

“Can we… really still hope for the Hero to appear…?”

This was an unsolvable question.

Chapter 508: “The Beast Demon”

Elven Homeland, Tegor Forest.

When Shien returned from outside and came back to the hot spring-like magic power source, Millu and Lid were still there.

“Airi! Airi!”

Millu was still hugging Shien’s leg and shaking it. Her intentions were obvious.

“Alright, alright, I’ll take you to see Airi now, okay?” Shien sighed. “I wanted to soak in the bath a little longer and clean myself up first.”

Having been interrupted by Millu and Lid, Shien hadn’t enjoyed his bath, so he was a bit dissatisfied.

“Bath?”

Millu tilted her head, glancing at Shien, then at the hot spring, seemingly deep in thought.

Seeing this, Shien was first stunned, then his heart stirred.

(Could this be… a bathing together situation?)

Shien’s dissatisfied expression instantly changed to one of anticipation.

Millu let go of Shien’s leg and ran towards the hot spring.

This made Shien a little excited.

However, reality was cruel.

“Hey!”

Millu dipped her small hands into the hot spring, then suddenly splashed the water towards Shien with a cute shout.

“Splash!”

A large amount of water was splashed from the hot spring by Millu, like a downpour, instantly drenching Shien.

“Huh?”

Shien let out a silly sound, his excitement extinguished as he was drenched by the water.

When the water subsided, Shien, now soaked, stood there dumbfounded, unable to react for a long time.

“Bath! Done!” Millu ran back, hugged Shien’s leg again, and said with a beaming smile, “Airi! Airi!”

So, this little girl didn’t want to bathe with Shien, but wanted to see Airi quickly and helped Shien finish his bath.

In the simplest and crudest way possible.

“I…”

Shien’s composure crumbled.

He might as well not have bathed at all.

“Pfft! Hahahaha!”

Lid, who witnessed all of this from atop Millu’s head, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

That unrestrained laughter enraged Shien, and he grabbed the fluffy little beast, ruffling its fur vigorously.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Didn’t you?”

Shien, fuming, rubbed Lid’s fur roughly.

“Hey! Stop it! Don’t do that to me!”

Lid seemed surprised that Shien would dare to touch it, or rather, that anyone would dare to treat it like this. It struggled, its voice filled with anger.

Shien ignored it, venting his frustration fiercely, his mood finally improving a little.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to see Airi.”

After tossing Lid back onto Millu’s head, Shien wiped the water from his face and walked ahead listlessly.

“Airi! Airi!”

Millu, who had been stunned by Shien’s actions towards Lid, snapped out of it, putting everything behind her, and happily followed.

“That brat, how dare he treat me like this…”

Lid, lying on Millu’s head, smoothed its ruffled fur while muttering resentfully through gritted teeth.

Shien ignored it and continued leading the way.

After leaving the hot spring area, Shien saw her.

He saw Carol pacing back and forth in the open space ahead, looking troubled and anxious.

“You’re back…!?”

Carol also seemed to sense something, turned her head, saw Shien, and immediately rushed over excitedly.

“Why so excited?”

Shien didn’t expect this rigid elf to be so worried about him and was a bit surprised.

Who would have thought that Carol, rushing over excitedly, would raise her staff without a word and strike at Shien’s head?

“Crack!”

With a crisp sound, Shien caught Carol’s staff with his hand, stopping it above his head.

“I knew it.”

Shien said, as if he had expected this.

“Let go!” Carol abruptly pulled back her staff, glared at Shien, and said angrily, “Didn’t I tell you not to do anything suspicious?”

Shien’s disappearance had clearly put Carol in a very bad mood.

“Suspicious things?” Shien blinked and said innocently, “I was just taking a walk around. Is that considered suspicious?”

“You…!” Carol was furious. “Do you know that because of your disappearance, Princess Airi and Goddess Lilith almost caused a ruckus in the Elven Homeland!?”

Shien really didn’t know about this.

However, he could imagine the scene.

“It seems I made them worry.” Shien scratched his head and smiled wryly. “Now I’ll definitely be scolded when I get back.”

These words, instead of eliciting a response from Carol, caught Lid’s attention.

“So, that girl cares about you quite a bit.” Lid said with mixed feelings. “Getting so worried after you were gone for just a while, it’s hard to imagine that’s something Airi would do.”

“Mmm-hmm!” Millu also nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“Who are you…?” Carol finally noticed Lid and Millu, her anger replaced by confusion as she looked at the strange duo.

Shien ignored her.

“Let’s go, we should head back.”

Shien called out to Millu and Lid, intending to take them back to the tree house.

However, at this moment, Lid spoke.

“You take Millu back.” Lid said to Shien, “I’m going to see the Elven Queen.”

It was Carol who reacted to these words.

“See the Queen?” Carol wasn’t surprised that Lid could speak, but became wary. She looked at Lid and asked, “Who are you? Why do you want to see the Queen?”

Carol stared at Lid vigilantly.

“Don’t worry, little elf.” Lid didn’t seem angered by Carol’s attitude, but said with a smirk, “I’m just going to talk to that little girl Sophie about what happened in the Tegor Forest. I won’t do anything to her.”

“L-little girl?” Carol’s expression froze.

It wasn’t because Lid called her a little girl, but because Lid called Sophie, the Elven Queen, a little girl.

Sophie, as the Elven Queen, had lived for thousands of years.

Those who could call her a “little girl” were very few in all of Omnipotence.

And clearly, these few were all of higher status than Sophie.

How could Carol not be stunned?

But Lid no longer paid attention to her.

“I’ll come over to your place later.” Lid said to Shien, “Keep an eye on Millu for me, don’t let her run around, okay?”

After saying that, Lid, for the first time, stood up from Millu’s head, then with a “whoosh,” transformed into a black shadow and dashed out, instantly disappearing in the direction of the Queen’s Palace.

“Wait…!”

Carol wanted to stop her, but it was too late.

Carol instinctively wanted to chase after her.

“Alright, Sister, relax, don’t worry so much, okay?”

Shien reached out, grabbed the back of the Elven Corps vice-commander’s collar, and pulled her back.

“What are you doing!?”

Carol struggled.

Unfortunately, although Carol might be an excellent magician, she definitely wasn’t a good athlete.

Her struggles were nothing to Shien.

Shien calmly held the struggling elf, his other hand holding Millu’s, who was looking happy, and walked towards the tree house.

“There’s no need for that.” Shien said, “If she really wanted to do something to your Queen, she would have done so a thousand years ago.”

These words made Carol freeze.

“A thousand years ago…?”

This sensitive time period being mentioned, how could Carol not guess something?

At that time, Sophie, as the Elven Queen, not only participated in the final battle against the Demon King with the elves, but also, together with Leia and Nia, joined the Hero’s companions and other legendary experts of the human race, forming the renowned Thirteen Heroes, and fought against the Beast Demon, one of the Six Demon Lords.

Now, Shien mentioned a thousand years ago, and also said that if that mysterious little beast wanted to do something to the Queen, then the Queen would have been finished at that time. What this implied didn’t need to be explained.

“Could it be that that talking monster is…?”

Carol trembled.

Shien chuckled.

“Of course, it’s your Queen’s old rival.”

That was it.

…

Elven Homeland, Queen’s Palace.

Sophie, sitting on her throne, opened her eyes and stood up.

Leia and Nia had also arrived, their faces tense and worried.

Sophie came before Leia and Nia and, with these two close aides, looked at the figure before them.

There, the small, fluffy, and mysterious beast appeared, landing before the three legendary elven magicians.

“Long time no see, Sophie.”

Lid grinned at the three familiar faces.

Looking at this small beast, much smaller than it was a thousand years ago, but still emanating a terrifying aura, Sophie took a deep breath.

Leia and Nia bowed.

“Greetings, Your Highness!”

“Greetings, Your Highness!”

Leia and Nia bowed respectfully, their voices filled with awe.

Sophie did the same.

“It has indeed been a long time.”

Sophie’s voice was respectful.

“Liddoma, the Beast Demon.”

Chapter 507: “What Does It Look Like When I Attack?”

“Holy shit!”

Shien, who was slaughtering Demonized Beings with highly lethal Bestowal Magic, saw Millu’s actions and couldn’t help but curse.

Although it looked like she was doing the same thing as him, anyone with discerning eyes could see that despite the similar results, what Shien and Millu were doing was completely different.

Shien relied on highly lethal magic to explode the Demonized Beings with a single touch.

And Millu?

This girl didn’t use any magic or skills, simply focusing her immense power on her fingertip and poking the Demonized Being, causing it to explode.

The power unleashed in that instant could probably even destroy a small mountain.

Such terrifying power, even the current Shien couldn’t achieve, not even Yulin. Perhaps only Airi and Lilith could rival it.

How could Shien not curse?

“Don’t let those Demonized Beings escape, Millu.”

Lid, still on Millu’s head, gave instructions calmly.

“Okay!”

Millu nodded obediently, then in the next moment, her figure blurred and dashed out.

Her speed wasn’t particularly fast.

However, as she moved, her afterimage suddenly split into two, then four, instantly creating several figures that darted towards the fleeing Demonized Beings like ghosts.

“Doppelgangers?”

Shien was slightly stunned, then dismissed the thought.

Because, in his perception, all those figures were solid, not illusory doppelgangers.

Millu had transformed into several people, each rushing towards a Demonized Being, and like before, focusing her astonishing power on her fingertip, poking the fleeing monsters in the back.

“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” …

Throughout the forest, as the ghostly figures flickered, Demonized Beings exploded one after another, turning into splatters of blood and flesh, dyeing the ground red.

The scene was incredibly gruesome.

“Tsk, tsk, how cruel, how merciless.”

Shien condemned them seemingly righteously, but his actions didn’t slow down. Like Millu, he pointed at the Demonized Beings with his fingertip, and with a fluctuation of magic power, exploded them one by one.

The already eerie Tegor Forest, under the merciless slaughter of Shien and Millu, had become a true hell.

None of the Demonized Beings attracted by Shien’s magic power could escape their fate, all of them obliterated, leaving behind only blood, gore, and scattered body parts, a shockingly gruesome scene.

Under their merciless slaughter, naturally, none of the attracted Demonized Beings could survive.

When they finally stopped, the number of Demonized Beings they had killed, if not in the thousands, was at least in the hundreds.

“Is it over?”

Shien looked around, noticing that there were no more Demonized Beings, and said with a hint of regret, standing calmly amidst this bloody scene of carnage, completely different from when he first came to this world, vomiting after being splashed with blood.

“No more?”

Millu also stopped, her slender finger still extended, all her split bodies merging back into one, looking unsatisfied.

“The Demonized Beings in the surrounding area should have been eliminated.” Lid glanced at the two of them and said with exasperation, “What? You still haven’t had enough?”

Shien and Millu replied in unison,

“Not enough.”

At this moment, they were surprisingly in sync.

Lid was speechless.

“You were the one who said there would be an invigorating workout.” Shien said smugly, as if finally having a chance to retort, “But in the end, I only used one finger, and it was over. Such a waste. These guys looked so fierce, who knew they were so weak.”

“Mmm-hmm!” Millu nodded seriously, echoing, “Finger kill, fun, opponents, weak!”

The two suddenly became allies.

“Millu, you traitor.” Lid knocked on Millu’s head, then looked at Shien. “I underestimated you. I originally thought these Demonized Beings could at least cause you some trouble.”

It wasn’t surprising that Lid thought this way.

Although she had heard of Shien, she didn’t know much about him.

She knew that Shien could single-handedly subjugate the declining Old Demon Faction branch [Assassination Branch], decimate nearly half of the Kingdom Knight Order, and even destroy the noble district of the Kingdom’s capital. He was definitely capable.

But Shien was only in his early twenties, and a human at that, not a naturally magical elf, nor a naturally gifted warrior like a beastman. Even if Lid overestimated Shien, it was difficult for her to imagine how strong he truly was.

Therefore, in Lid’s view, Shien reaching the legendary level at this age was already astonishing. Throughout the human race, probably only that Kingdom’s treasure could compare.

Who would have thought that Shien’s strength was far greater than she imagined?

Although his level didn’t seem high, his strength far surpassed it.

Based on what he had displayed so far, Shien’s performance was no less than any of the Thirteen Heroes of the past.

Lid could guarantee this.

After all, in the Demon Race, no one knew the Thirteen Heroes better than her.

“I’m starting to get curious now.” Lid narrowed her eyes. “A little monster like you, why haven’t I heard of you before?”

With Shien’s strength and talent, logically speaking, it was impossible for him to be unknown.

But in reality?

About half a year ago, no one had ever heard of the name Shien.

This guy seemed to have appeared out of thin air, suddenly becoming famous and powerful, a prominent figure known to everyone in the world.

Lid hadn’t paid much attention to this before, but now she found it strange and intriguing.

(Big Sister and Airi should know something, right?)

Lid had this feeling.

Otherwise, with her cautious Big Sister’s personality, she wouldn’t let Airi mess around with a human of unknown origin.

(Could it be that Airi is interested in this human brat because of some secret?)

Lid figured this out and became interested in Shien.

Millu, on the other hand, seemed to have taken a liking to Shien and was now hugging his leg with a beaming smile.

“Big brother is so fun.”

Millu’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled.

This made Shien uncomfortable.

Recalling how this seemingly innocent, naive, and romantic little girl had just exploded those Demonized Beings with her fingers, Shien couldn’t help but worry that if she accidentally used a little too much force while hugging his leg, she might break it.

And thinking about how this girl wasn’t afraid of the bloody scene at all, but smiled happily, finding it fun, Shien felt that his premonition was correct.

There was something dangerous about this little girl’s nature.

And her power was also quite strange, able to ignore barriers and enemy attacks, as if she didn’t exist in this world, just a mirage, impervious to both fire and the fangs of Demonized Beings.

All attacks passed through her body, unable to harm her, and she possessed incredible strength, enough to explode a Demonized Being with a single finger, and she could even create doppelgangers. She was both strange and terrifying.

Shien felt that this innocent and romantic little girl wasn’t human at all.

She was more like a—”ghost.”

Therefore, Shien always felt a chill around Millu.

Lid, on the other hand, this seemingly mysterious fluffy creature, made him curious.

“Speaking of which, why didn’t you attack just now?” Shien asked Lid. “I wanted to see what it looks like when you attack.”

Lid glanced at Shien.

“If other humans knew you had this thought, they would probably drown you in their spit.”

Lid said these strange words.

“What do you mean?”

Shien raised an eyebrow.

“It’s simple.” Lid chuckled. “Because unlike you, they definitely wouldn’t want to see me attack.”

Shien naturally didn’t understand these words.

Only Nadue, merged with nature, as if recalling some trauma, couldn’t help but shudder.

Looking at Millu, who was hugging Shien’s leg with a smile, and Lid, who was lying lazily on Millu’s head, Nadue smiled wryly.

Only she knew how terrifying this strange duo truly was.

If, in the Demon Race, the Dragon Demon and the Poison Demon were widely considered the most ferocious, then these two were considered the most dangerous.

The Dragon Demon and the Poison Demon were feared because of their brutal nature, but these two weren’t like that.

Their personalities weren’t bad. One was innocent, naive, and romantic, the other lazy, mature, and easy to talk to. But when they unleashed their true power, besides the Demon King, these two were the ones who could bring the greatest harm to this world.

Therefore, these two couldn’t act alone. One had to be restrained by someone, the other had to restrain herself.

And once these restraints were removed, they would instantly transform into the most terrifying existences, bringing disaster to the world.

Frankly, even Lilith, the evil god who once turned the earth into hell, was probably only on par with these two.

If Lilith was the strongest evil god, then these two were the strongest evil demons.

“Fortunately, these two aren’t as moody as the Dragon Demon and the Poison Demon, and they’re relatively easy to get along with.”

Nadue could only be thankful that Shien encountered these two.

Chapter 506: A Bloody Magical Feast

Shien ended up going with Lid and Millu.

Although being forced into this made Shien a little unhappy, he agreed with dealing with the Old Demon Faction and the Demonized Beings.

Even though the Demonic Refining Ritual had been disrupted, and the remaining Demonized Beings couldn’t devour others to gain strength, they were still valuable to the [Original Demon].

Therefore, Shien and the others had reason to eliminate these monsters.

Of course, trying to find a few remaining Demonized Beings in such a vast forest was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Under such circumstances, besides Nadue, who could monitor the entire Tegor Forest, probably no one could accurately pinpoint the locations of all the lurking Demonized Beings.

Fortunately, there was a method.

“Demonized Beings are products of the magic ritual, having lost their sanity and only madness remaining.” Lid explained, “They only have one instinct: to continuously attack others and devour their flesh and magic power to gain strength.”

Even though the ritual itself had disappeared, this instinct would still remain within the Demonized Beings.

“Therefore, they will instinctively attack individuals with abundant magic power and life force. As long as you release your magic power, the Demonized Beings in the surrounding area will definitely be attracted to you.”

Lid had been using this method to clear the Demonized Beings in the Tegor Forest. This was also the reason why Millu was constantly emitting a large amount of magic power.

Knowing this, Shien unhesitatingly unleashed his magic power.

“Boom!”

With a sound like a volcanic eruption, terrifying magic power surged from Shien’s body, forming a massive pillar of energy that soared into the sky.

“Roar!”

“Awoo!”

“Groan!”

At this moment, countless monsters in the Tegor Forest were startled.

Some fled in terror, while others looked at the soaring pillar of energy with apprehension, choosing to retreat, countless birds and beasts stirring in the night and leaving the area.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

Only a few grotesque monsters scattered in the forest, sensing the astonishing magic power, were stimulated and, instead of fleeing, charged towards Shien.

Lid and Millu watched this scene from close by, staring at Shien, whose body was burning with terrifying magic power, a pillar of energy rising from him and soaring into the sky. They were stunned.

“Such astonishing magic power?”

Lid was very surprised.

“So amazing!”

Millu’s eyes shone brightly.

Both of them were shocked by the terrifying magic power Shien unleashed so recklessly.

The fact that Shien, so young, possessed strength comparable to a legendary expert, was already surprising enough. Now, releasing such terrifying magic power, it was impossible for Lid and Millu not to be shocked.

“Amazing! Big brother is so amazing, Lid!”

Millu rubbed Lid’s head excitedly.

“Indeed.” Lid readily admitted, looking at Shien with flickering eyes, and murmured, “It seems he’s hiding quite a bit.”

A man favored by Airi was indeed extraordinary.

Lid realized that Shien might be hiding something.

“Here they come.”

At this moment, Shien, who was recklessly releasing his magic power as if it was worthless, said these words.

Lid and Millu then noticed figures silently emerging from the surrounding darkness.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

The crazed Demonized Beings appeared before Shien and the others, roaring ferociously and staring at Shien as if he was a piece of meat.

Little did they know that Shien was looking at them as if they were piles of minced meat.

“Come.”

Shien beckoned to the surrounding Demonized Beings provocatively.

His arrogant demeanor enraged the Demonized Beings.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

Countless Demonized Beings, like a pack of hunting wolves, lunged from the shadows.

It looked as if ghostly figures were rushing towards Shien at an astonishing speed.

To this…

“[Flying Star]!”

Shien chanted a short incantation, activating the magic he hadn’t used in a while.

Countless small meteors appeared around Shien, transforming into a meteor shower that bombarded the surroundings like a torrential downpour.

“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” …

As the meteors struck the ghostly figures, the attacking Demonized Beings didn’t even have time to scream before they were sent flying.

Some crashed into trees, shattering their trunks, some rolled into the bushes, and some even smashed into the ground, sending dust and debris flying, creating chaos in the surroundings.

Seeing this power, no one would believe that the magic Shien used was merely meant to suppress enemies, its lethality almost nonexistent.

But in Shien’s hands, this magic, which had always been quite powerful, was now amplified by [Inner Perception of Heaven’s Decree]. Even though Shien deliberately reduced his magic power output, it still displayed power far greater than before.

Millu and Lid were surprised again.

“Stars?”

Millu blinked.

“Could that be Celestial Magic?”

Lid asked in surprise.

Shien ignored them. Seeing the Demonized Beings being blasted away by the meteors and falling to the ground, barely alive, he made an estimation.

“Although I reduced my magic power output to less than half of what it used to be, the magic’s power has actually increased. If I used the same amount of magic power as before, the power of this spell would be at least three times greater.”

Shien made this judgment based on the magic power he consumed and the power of the spell he cast.

And then…

“My progress in magic seems to be no less than my progress in close combat.”

Shien was satisfied with this.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

As if angered by the smug smile that unconsciously appeared on Shien’s face, the Demonized Beings, who were barely alive, roared and struggled to get up.

Even with the increased power of the magic, using a non-lethal suppression spell, and a basic one at that, to kill these Demonized Beings was still a bit insufficient.

Since that was the case…

“Then I’ll give you a bloody magical feast.”

Shien vanished from the spot and appeared before a Demonized Being.

“Teleportation?”

Lid was surprised again.

“Ooh!”

Millu’s eyes also widened.

Shien, ignoring them, extended a finger and pressed it against the chest of the Demonized Being, who hadn’t reacted yet.

“[Bestow: Split].”

Magic power flowed from his fingertip, piercing the Demonized Being’s skin and entering its body.

“Swish!”

The next moment, with a tearing sound, the Demonized Being split apart, turning into chunks of flesh and blood that splattered across the ground.

And Shien had already vanished again, appearing before another Demonized Being, his finger pressing against it.

“[Bestow: Pulverize].”

Magic power surged from his fingertip, once again piercing the Demonized Being’s skin and entering its body.

“Crack, crack, crack…”

The Demonized Being’s cries stopped abruptly, its body trembling, then cracks appeared all over it, turning it into dust that scattered in the wind.

“Roar!”

A nearby Demonized Being, seeing this scene, wasn’t afraid, but roared and pounced on Shien, who had his back turned, unleashing a sharp claw strike.

Shien, as if he had eyes on his back, his figure blurred, dodged the attack, and appeared beneath the Demonized Being’s outstretched arm, closing in.

“[Bestow: Burst].”

Shien grabbed the Demonized Being’s arm with his hand.

Magic power surged from his hand, like a malignant growth, enveloping the Demonized Being.

“Bang!”

The Demonized Being couldn’t even resist before it exploded, turning into countless chunks of flesh that scattered in all directions.

Blood rained down, instantly vaporized by Shien’s magic power, not a single drop touching his body.

However, Shien was still holding the Demonized Being’s arm.

This gruesome scene finally stunned the surrounding Demonized Beings, making them freeze, not daring to move.

“Wow! Wow! Wow!”

Millu cheered, her eyes shining brightly.

“How bloody.” Lid clicked her tongue, a smile unconsciously appearing on her small, beastly face. She muttered, “But I like it.”

Shien, as if testing his magic abilities, used various lethal Bestowal Magic attributes, slaughtering the Demonized Beings one after another.

And the magic power he used was only a wisp at his fingertip, yet its power was terrifying.

Thanks to this, even among the crazed Demonized Beings, a few felt instinctive fear and turned to flee.

One of them, unfortunately, ran towards Millu and Lid.

“Roar!”

The Demonized Being roared, its fangs bared, and lunged at Millu and Lid.

“Millu.”

Lid, still on Millu’s head, didn’t move, just called out calmly.

“Hiya!”

Millu reacted, looking at the pouncing Demonized Being, not with fear, but with excitement.

“Whoosh!”

The Demonized Being’s fangs bit into Millu, but incredibly, they passed right through her small body.

At this moment, Millu turned around, extended a finger, and, like Shien, pressed it against the Demonized Being.

No, it wasn’t pressing, but poking.

Millu poked it hard.

“Bang!”

When her slender finger touched the Demonized Being’s back, with a terrifying burst of power, the monster exploded, turning into a bloody mist.

Chapter 505: Thanks For That

The [Original Demon], as the first and oldest faction of the Old Demon faction, devoted significant effort to the Demonic Refining Ritual, aiming to create the Seventh and evolve Demon Lords into a new Demon King.

Only through continuous Demonic Refining Rituals, producing countless Demonized Beings as sacrifices and nourishment for the Demon Lord Larvae, could the Seventh be successfully born.

To achieve this, the quantity and quality of the demons and monsters used in the ritual had to be guaranteed.

Under such circumstances, it was only natural for the [Original Demon] to target the Tegor Forest, the largest monster forest.

Therefore…

“A thousand years ago, after the war ended and the Old Demon Faction [Original Demon] was born, the Tegor Forest has been frequently used as the site for the Demonic Refining Ritual.”

Lid explained this secret to Shien.

“At first, no one noticed this, because the Tegor Forest is vast and secluded. As long as they hid within, no one could discover the anomaly. There were many successful cases of the Demonic Refining Ritual here.”

Those successful cases all turned into powerful Demon Lord Larvae, becoming part of the Seventh created by the [Original Demon].

It could be said that the Seventh within the [Original Demon] was born and originated from here.

“Later, because of the Goddess of Nature’s power and the vigilance of the elves living here, the Demonic Refining Ritual was finally discovered.”

Lid said calmly.

“It was then that we discovered the existence of the [Original Demon], the existence of the Old Demon Faction, and their foolish plan.”

Neither the Divine Race, the Demon Race, nor the human race could ignore this.

“The three races all sent many people, intending to completely annihilate the [Original Demon] in the Tegor Forest and destroy their plan.”

Unfortunately, the Old Demon Faction was well-prepared.

They had anticipated that the ritual would be discovered and had prepared an escape plan.

“As a result, that time, we only managed to stop the Demonic Refining Ritual, but we couldn’t effectively damage the [Original Demon].” Lid snorted coldly. “The most infuriating thing is that those rats became very cautious afterward. For a thousand years, they haven’t shown themselves.”

Airi had also said before, in the Atlus Gorge, that the [Original Demon] never revealed themselves easily, but would give Demon Lord Larvae to those Old Demon Faction branches or human forces who were trying to do something, using them to perform the ritual and gather sacrifices to achieve their own goals.

Because of this, this oldest branch of the Old Demon Faction also became the most mysterious, never revealing themselves, making it extremely difficult to effectively harm them.

“And when we left the Tegor Forest, those bastards would return at the right time, continuing to use the forest for the Demonic Refining Ritual to create Demon Lord Larvae and complete the Seventh. Once we received news and came here, they would immediately retreat. For a thousand years, the three races have been played by this [Original Demon].”

Lid’s voice was filled with anger, and even Millu looked furious, a terrifying killing intent emanating from her.

Shien could imagine how frustrated the three races were, being played by the [Original Demon].

“Even Nadue, the Goddess of Nature, intervened several times, using her power to monitor the world, and Lildas, the Goddess of Fate, also used her power many times, trying to find them, but they seemed to have anticipated everything, constantly shifting their base between the human world and the Demon Realm, using various methods to evade the Divine Race’s power. In the end, even the Divine Race couldn’t do anything to them.”

Lid sighed.

“Helplessly, we could only use some crude methods, setting up sentries and defenses in the places they often targeted, especially this Tegor Forest, a ritual site they couldn’t abandon.”

Therefore, although the Tegor Forest seemed dangerous, and no one would normally come here, not only was the [Original Demon] active here from time to time, but even the sentries and spies of the various races would frequently come and go.

This was the reason why Lid and Millu were here.

“In the Demon Race, Millu and I are closest in nature to monsters, and the territories under our jurisdiction mostly have various monsters. Moreover, since it’s difficult for us to act alone due to our special circumstances, we often team up and operate in the Tegor Forest.”

Lid finally revealed the reason for her presence here.

“This time is the same. Because my subordinates reported a new Demonic Refining Ritual, Millu and I came to the human world, to the Tegor Forest.”

They also knew about the habitat of the Elven Race, that the Elven Homeland was nearby.

Therefore, while they were here, they would occasionally visit the Elven Homeland, firstly to relax, secondly because of Millu’s curiosity and playfulness, and thirdly, to use it as a supply station, sometimes finding some human food to eat, sometimes finding a place to bathe.

At least, that’s what they did whenever a Demonic Refining Ritual occurred in the Tegor Forest and they needed to deal with it.

This time was the same.

“I didn’t expect to encounter you.” Lid looked at Shien. “This is an unexpected harvest.”

“Yes, yes!” Millu nodded repeatedly.

Clearly, these two had long known about Shien’s existence, and about his relationship with Airi.

This time, when Shien came to the Elven Homeland and unintentionally mentioned Airi’s name, they appeared and immediately guessed his identity, just like Shien guessed theirs.

“I originally thought that girl must have gone crazy. A dignified Dragon Demon, one of the Six Demon Lords, actually messing around with a human brat. If I didn’t know her personality, I would have suspected that she had slept too much and her brain had turned to mush.”

Lid’s words were quite vicious.

“Yes, yes!”

Millu nodded repeatedly, making it difficult for Shien to retort.

Of course, that was their initial thought.

Now…

“Although I still don’t quite understand what’s wrong with that girl’s mind, since Big Sister has acknowledged you and doesn’t intend to pursue the matter between you two, and you seem quite capable, so young yet possessing at least legendary-level strength, and most importantly, not afraid of us and daring to face us, you’re considered passable for now.”

Lid’s evaluation was quite harsh.

But overall, Shien had met their standards.

Otherwise, they might have really attacked him.

As Lid said, if he wanted to be involved with Airi, he had to bear this risk.

Otherwise, did he really think he could easily gain the favor and protection of a Demon Lord, the pinnacle of the Demon Race, despite the difference in status and strength?

Perhaps Airi herself didn’t mind, but she was still one of the leaders of the Demon Race, her every move could influence the entire race, and even the world. Even if she didn’t want to, others would still act because of her. This was the influence of a high-ranking figure.

Shien naturally understood this.

But he never took it to heart.

With his special identity, he would eventually enter the sights of those at the top of this world. He was already mentally prepared.

Although his strength wasn’t to the point where he could act recklessly, he at least had some confidence now, which was why he wasn’t afraid and dared to follow Millu and Lid out of the Elven Homeland.

Thanks to this, if it were any other time, facing Lid’s arrogant evaluation, he would definitely retort.

But now, he was more concerned about something else.

“So, the Demonic Refining Ritual is still being held in the Tegor Forest?” Shien asked, “Did you find anyone from the [Original Demon]?”

Lid answered directly,

“No.” Lid replied, “If they were that easy to find, this oldest branch of the Old Demon Faction wouldn’t have survived for a thousand years. They would have been eliminated long ago.”

“Yes!” Millu also nodded vigorously, as if agreeing, and even made a punching gesture. Her small fist created a surprisingly strong gust of wind, scattering the surrounding flames, a terrifying display of power.

Shien fell silent and sighed.

“What?” Lid asked, “Do you have a grudge against the [Original Demon]?”

Seeing how much Shien cared about the [Original Demon] and the Demonic Refining Ritual, Lid was a bit curious.

“A grudge?” Shien curled his lip. “If I have to say, it’s not that I don’t.”

Although the Garibaldi family was the main culprit in the Atlus Gorge incident, the [Original Demon], as the mastermind behind it, Shien hadn’t forgotten about them.

Coupled with his conflict with the Old Demon Faction, Shien naturally considered this most mysterious and oldest branch of the Old Demon Faction his enemy.

Of course, the main reason Shien was concerned about the [Original Demon] was still the matter of the Seventh and the creation of a new Demon King.

He was summoned to this world as the Hero. According to Nien, it was because she wanted Shien to resolve a hidden crisis.

And this hidden crisis was very likely the [Original Demon]’s actions of creating a new Demon Lord and a new Demon King.

Since that was the case, how could Shien not confront the [Original Demon]?

“Anyway, I’m not on good terms with the Old Demon Faction. You just need to know that.” Shien said to Lid, “If possible, I will definitely wipe them all out from this world.”

How ruthless.

However, Millu and Lid’s eyes lit up because of Shien’s words.

“I agree!”

Millu raised her hand energetically.

“Indeed, those bastards should be completely eradicated from this world.”

Lid also nodded repeatedly.

Clearly, these two, like Airi, loathed the Old Demon Faction.

It should be said that all Demon Lords and demons loathed the Old Demon Faction.

Especially the [Original Demon], who wanted to create a new Demon Lord and a new Demon King. This was trampling on the way of existence of Demon Lords and the Demon King’s authority.

Moreover, for their own purposes, they not only used monsters as sacrifices, but also targeted demons, harming their own kind. Every member of the Demon Race wanted to annihilate them.

Shien’s words resonated with Millu and Lid.

This also made them look at Shien more favorably.

“It seems that girl Airi has some good judgment.”

Lid even said this, showing how much she hated the Old Demon Faction.

Shien wouldn’t have thought that he, who was being scrutinized by these two big shots before, would now gain their favor because of a single sentence of shared hatred.

Shien only wanted to know one thing.

“Since you didn’t catch anyone, can you at least stop the Demonic Refining Ritual?” Shien frowned. “I didn’t sense the evil and dark magic power of the ritual. Could it be that the ritual site isn’t here?”

“No, the ritual site is nearby.” Lid shook her head. “However, the ritual has already been disrupted by Millu and me.”

“The ritual has been disrupted?” Shien was taken aback.

“That’s right.” Lid waved her paw. “Millu and I both took action. Do you think the ritual could still continue?”

Indeed, the identities of these two weren’t simple. Since they had come here and taken action, they couldn’t have gone to the Elven Homeland to relax without any results.

“Although the ritual was disrupted by us, we haven’t found the culprit yet, and some of the Demonized Beings formed during the ritual escaped and are now wandering in the forest.” Lid said, “These Demonized Beings might be recovered by the [Original Demon] and used to feed other Demon Lord larvae, so we need to eliminate the remaining Demonized Beings as much as possible.”

“Eliminate! Eliminate!” Millu cheered, seemingly full of energy.

Shien then understood.

“You’re not planning to use me as muscle, are you?”

Shien was stunned.

Lid smiled “kindly.”

“We just want to see your strength.” Lid said teasingly, “How about it? Isn’t it exciting? A truly invigorating activity, right? Makes you sweat a lot, doesn’t it?”

Thanks for that.

As Shien rolled his eyes at this, Nadue, who had been watching, narrowed her eyes.

“The [Original Demon] again?”

A cold glint flashed in Nadue’s eyes.

“It seems I need to keep an eye on this forest.”

Chapter 504: “A Couple of Flat-Chested…”

Unlike the Elven Homeland, the Tegor Forest at night was terrifying and eerie.

There was no light.

There was no scenery.

There was only a forest shrouded in darkness.

The moonlight and starlight were blocked by the tall trees.

There were no sounds of birds, beasts, or insects, only a suppressed magic power and ominous aura.

The only ones active in the Tegor Forest at this time were nocturnal monsters.

And nocturnal monsters were usually carnivorous, ferocious, and sinister. Moreover, this was the depths of the Tegor Forest, where the lurking monsters were all high-level. Even legendary-level experts needed to be extremely cautious here.

However, under such circumstances, a little girl, a mysterious small beast, and a young human noble were strolling through the forest.

“Hum hum~ hum hum~ hum hum hum~~~”

Millu, walking at the front, skipped and hummed a strange tune, completely out of sync with the eerie surroundings.

“Haaa~~~”

Lid, lying on Millu’s head, yawned continuously, seemingly more bored than sleepy.

“…”

Shien followed them with narrowed eyes, silently telling himself not to mind, not to mind. If he complained, he would lose.

But Shien did regret it.

He regretted following this pair out of the Elven Homeland.

“Am I stupid? Isn’t soaking in a natural hot spring more enjoyable? Isn’t looking at elven beauties more pleasing to the eye? Or even going back and playing some wholesome games with Lucy would be better, right? Why did I come out for a night stroll because of a little curiosity?”

Shien almost questioned his life choices.

Mainly because he had been following this pair for so long, yet he still didn’t know what they were up to, which made Shien feel a little amused.

“Could they just be out for a walk?”

Shien strongly suspected this.

Even a fool wouldn’t want to take a walk in a place like this in the middle of the night, but this pair, even if they weren’t fools, seemed a bit crazy.

…Should he find a chance to run away?

Shien seriously considered this.

But his thoughts seemed to be seen through.

“Young man, be patient.” Lid glanced at Shien and said calmly, “You have nothing to do in the Elven Homeland anyway, so why not come out and have some fun with us, right?”

“Heh.” Shien snorted and said, “Are you sure this will be more fun than staying in the Elven Homeland?”

Did they not know that he had a fiancée who was the most beautiful woman in the human world?

As Shien thought this, Lid spoke again.

“At least it will be exciting.” Lid said, as if patting its chest, “I guarantee you’ll have a good workout, the kind that makes you sweat.”

…Could he accuse her of innuendo?

She wasn’t even human, and she could still make innuendos?

Amazing.

“Forget it.” Shien sighed slightly and changed the subject. “How should I address you?”

Before Lid could answer, Millu, who was skipping along, turned around and raised her hand.

“I’m Millu!”

Millu said excitedly, like a student called upon by a teacher.

“Well, just call us by our names.” Lid said nonchalantly. “Since you know Airi and have such a good relationship with her, no one will say anything if you address us directly.”

“Really?” Shien curled his lip. “Are you sure I don’t need to add an honorific? Princess Millu? Princess Lid?”

“Mmm~~~” Millu puffed out her cheeks and corrected him. “It’s Millu! Mi! Lu!”

Meaning, just call them by their names, no honorifics needed, right?

Lid also gave Shien a meaningful look.

“It seems you’ve guessed our identities.” Lid said lazily, “Not bad, quite clever.”

“Heh.” Shien snorted again and said, “It’s not that I’m clever, but there aren’t many in this world who can address Airi directly and possess such magic power and aura.”

Therefore, it wasn’t difficult for Shien to guess their identities.

He just didn’t know who they were specifically.

Among the Three Goddesses, Shien had already met two, and the remaining one clearly didn’t match the appearances and rumors of these two.

Among the Six Demon Lords, excluding Sara and Airi, there were only four left.

Who were these two?

Shien could probably guess Lid’s identity, but he was still observing Millu.

Whether Lid knew this or not, it looked at Shien with a meaningful expression.

“I said you’re clever, not because you can guess our identities, but because you know how to treat us.” Lid grinned, its appearance rather ferocious. “A man favored by that girl Airi shouldn’t be afraid of us, let alone our identities and backgrounds. The fact that you can still face us with such a calm and casual attitude after knowing who we are is commendable.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Millu nodded vigorously. “Commendable! Commendable!”

Shien, however, didn’t care about this.

“Perhaps I’m just disrespectful, clueless, and arrogant.”

Shien shrugged.

“You are indeed a bit arrogant.” Lid didn’t deny Shien’s words and said, seemingly trying to scare him, “Knowing our identities, and still daring to follow us, aren’t you afraid we’ll attack you?”

“Oh?” Shien seemed intrigued. “Will you attack me?”

Lid didn’t answer but turned to Millu.

“Do you want to attack him, Millu?”

Lid asked casually.

Millu actually started thinking seriously.

Seeing this, Shien felt a chill down his spine.

He felt that deep within this seemingly innocent, naive, and childlike little girl was something terrifying.

And it wasn’t just about power, but something more fundamental.

Shien had a premonition that if she decided she wanted to attack, she would do so without hesitation, killing him on the spot.

Fortunately…

“Millu doesn’t want to attack.” Millu seemed to have reached a conclusion, shaking her head and smiling innocently. “Big brother seems fun.”

These words dispelled the chill in Shien’s heart.

“Is that so?” Lid still seemed indifferent, then said to Shien, “I’m the same. I don’t want to attack you unless you’re truly a coward who can’t even face us.”

It seemed that in their eyes, Shien was at least passable.

But Shien was certain that if he didn’t meet their expectations, they wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.

“Don’t think we’re cruel.” Lid sneered. “If you want to be involved with Airi, you have to bear this risk.”

“Yes!” Millu nodded vigorously again and said seriously, “Airi is important.”

Leaving these words behind, Millu, carrying Lid, continued skipping forward.

Shien rolled his eyes, seemingly not caring about their words at all.

Of course, Shien wouldn’t completely ignore their threat.

He had heard their words, just didn’t take them too seriously.

“A couple of flat-chested…”

Shien muttered inwardly.

“Hmm?”

Millu stopped and tilted her head in confusion.

“What did you say?”

Lid narrowed her eyes, her expression unfriendly.

“Nothing.” Shien naturally wouldn’t admit it and smiled brightly at them. “Let’s go, shall we continue our walk?”

“A walk?” Millu tilted her head even further.

“This isn’t a walk.” Lid retorted.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Shien still looked unconcerned.

If it were anyone else, they would definitely be angry by now, but Millu and Lid weren’t. One continued to look confused, the other seemed too lazy to argue, truly a strange and incredible pair.

They continued forward.

Until a certain moment, Shien’s eyes narrowed, and he abruptly stopped.

He sensed a familiar magic power.

That magic power was somewhat evil, dark, chaotic, and ferocious, making him feel very uncomfortable.

Shien’s expression turned grim.

Not only Shien, but even Millu seemed to have a fierce glint in her eyes, baring her teeth like a little lioness.

“Do you sense it?”

Only Lid still looked indifferent, looking at Shien with a smirk.

Shien didn’t say anything, but suddenly accelerated, his figure flashing like a ghost as he dashed forward.

The sealed Holy Sword at his waist had already been drawn.

And as Shien drew his sword, a dark figure suddenly lunged out from the depths of the forest ahead, like a beast lying in ambush.

“Roar!”

A ferocious roar echoed from its mouth.

It was a terrifying monster.

It had a wolf’s head, a snake’s head growing from its chest, six arms, some on its back, some on its legs, and a tail on its face. It had no natural biological characteristics at all, a grotesque and horrifying chimera, making one feel physically uncomfortable just by looking at it.

Such a creature wasn’t a monster, nor any known life form in this world.

Yet, Shien knew its name.

—A [Demonized Being].

This monster was used as a sacrifice, as nourishment for Demon Lord larvae, born in a magic ritual called the “Demonization Ritual,” formed from monsters and demons driven mad by the ritual, killing and devouring each other, absorbing each other’s flesh and magic power.

“Roar!”

The grotesque Demonized Being pounced on Shien like a predator.

Its speed was so fast that only a blur could be seen, proving its high level and strength.

But Shien’s eyes flashed coldly as he charged forward without dodging or evading.

The Demonized Being’s ferocious wolf’s maw opened wide, biting down on Shien’s head.

“Clang!”

At this moment, a sword light, like a crescent moon in the darkness, flashed.

“Swish!”

The grotesque Demonized Being didn’t even have time to react before it was decapitated by this extremely fast slash, its wolf head flying into the sky.

“[Bestow: Combustion].”

Shien chanted the magic spell in a cold voice.

Astonishing magic power erupted from his body.

“Boom—!”

In the dark forest, flames suddenly burst forth, illuminating the surroundings.

The sudden flames ignited the surrounding forest, burning intensely.

Shien stood amidst the sea of fire, watching as the Demonized Being was burned to ashes, then finally stopped.

But his expression was still grim.

At this moment, Millu and Lid approached him.

“It seems you really hate this monster.”

Lid smiled, seemingly satisfied.

“Burned it! Burned it!”

Millu cheered repeatedly, running around excitedly in the sea of fire, completely ignoring the flames, moving freely without even a single spark on her.

Shien turned to Lid.

“What’s going on?” Shien asked stiffly, “Why is there a Demonized Being here?”

This question, instead of being answered, was met with a counter-question from Lid.

“I’d like to ask you, why do you think there wouldn’t be a Demonized Being here?”

Lid’s counter-question stunned Shien for a moment, then he fell silent.

Seeing this, Lid nodded.

“You know, right? The so-called Demonized Beings are the product of rituals performed by the Old Demon Faction, essentially sacrifices and nourishment, monsters formed from demons and monsters driven mad by the ritual, killing and devouring each other.” Lid said with an impassive face, “Therefore, this ritual needs to be performed in a place with many demons or monsters, and the greater their number and level, the better.”

That’s why the Garibaldi family, who colluded with the Old Demon Faction, targeted the Atlus Gorge, because there were many high-level monsters there.

And then…

“The Tegor Forest is the largest monster forest in this world, even containing many legendary monsters that have existed since ancient times.”

Lid sneered.

“Such a good place for the ritual, do you think those bastards from the Old Demon Faction’s [Original Demon] wouldn’t have their eyes on it?”

This was the reason why there was a Demonized Being here.

Chapter 503: “You’ll Pay for This.”

When Shien finished dressing, Millu, holding Lid, came to him.

“Airi, Airi…”

The little girl with immense magic power tugged at Shien’s clothes repeatedly, her face anxious, as if urging or worried about something.

“This…”

Shien didn’t know what she wanted and looked confused.

“Alright, don’t worry, Airi won’t run away.”

Lid comforted her in a casual tone, and although Millu still looked anxious, she didn’t say anything more.

Seeing this, Shien had a thought.

“Could she be wanting to see Airi?”

Shien asked the little beast on Millu’s head, a strange expression on his face.

“Well, haven’t you guessed it already?” Lid yawned, looking at the puzzled Shien, a glint of intelligence in its eyes. It chuckled and said, “This girl likes Airi the most. Whenever she sees Airi, she’ll cling to her until Airi gets annoyed. If we hadn’t heard you mention Airi’s name when passing by, we might not have even noticed you.”

In short, if it weren’t for the mention of Airi, Shien might have been ignored by them.

To this pair, Shien’s only value seemed to be “knowing Airi.” Besides that, he didn’t seem to have anything they were interested in.

…He felt an urge to ruffle that child’s hair and eat a roasted beast leg.

“You want to see Airi, right?” Shien said with a forced smile, “Fine, I’ll take you to her.”

He would deal with their arrogance later.

However, as Shien thought this, Lid said,

“Before that, do us a favor first.”

Lid actually said this.

“A favor?”

Shien raised an eyebrow.

“That’s right.” Lid pointed outside the barrier. “It’s in that direction. Let’s go.”

Without waiting for Shien’s response, Lid tugged at Millu’s hair.

“Let’s go, Millu. Let’s finish this quickly so we can go see Airi.”

Lid’s words instantly changed Millu’s aggrieved expression.

“See Airi! See Airi!”

The little girl’s face lit up, and she ran outside.

Surprisingly, the barrier of the Elven Homeland seemed to have no effect on her.

The little girl with the mysterious creature on her head passed through the barrier silently, as if walking through water, completely unaffected.

“What the hell…”

Shien was dumbfounded.

The barrier that the Elven Homeland was so proud of, and which was possibly set up by the Goddess of Nature herself, was actually ignored by her so easily. It was truly shocking.

If she had broken the barrier with force, Shien wouldn’t have been so surprised.

If he hadn’t guessed wrong about her identity, then her power could only be greater than that of the Goddess of Nature. Being able to break the barrier set up by the Goddess of Nature wasn’t strange.

But she didn’t break the barrier, but directly ignored it, as if nothing in the world could stop her, completely unaffected.

This was quite impressive.

Shien hadn’t intended to follow.

After all, being ordered around like this, what did that make him?

But now, Shien was interested in this pair.

What did such a strange duo want to do here?

“Let’s go and see.”

Shien couldn’t suppress his curiosity.

Shien followed them.

Lid, as if knowing Shien would follow, said casually to Millu,

“Bring him out of the barrier, Millu.”

Millu didn’t hesitate at all, walked through the barrier, took Shien’s hand, and pulled him out, as easily as if they were taking a stroll.

“Airi! Airi!”

Millu, holding Shien’s hand, kept chanting this name, then pulled Shien forward impatiently.

“Where are we going?”

Shien couldn’t help but ask.

But…

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Lid’s casual tone made Shien narrow his eyes.

This little guy needed to be taught a lesson.

He would find a chance to mess with her.

It had been a while since he had some fun. He didn’t know if his skills had deteriorated.

…

Meanwhile, Carol was still waiting boredly some distance away from the hot spring.

“Why is he taking so long?” Carol complained. “A man, taking longer to bathe than a woman.”

Carol was getting impatient.

If she wasn’t afraid of being caught red-handed, accused of spying on him while he was bathing after promising no one would go in, she would have already barged in.

“I’m the vice-commander of the Elven Corps, a level eighty-nine archmage, actually acting as a lookout for a man from another race, I must be crazy.”

Carol muttered to herself, either in self-mockery or helplessness.

“Hmm?”

At this moment, Carol noticed something and looked up in surprise.

In the distance, under the beautiful night sky, a stream of evil aura and a dragon’s shadow were rapidly approaching.

“That is…?”

Carol tensed up.

She felt a suffocating threat from that evil aura and dragon’s shadow.

The next moment, the evil aura and the dragon’s shadow arrived, hovering in mid-air for a moment, then descended.

Their target was her.

“What?”

Carol’s expression changed.

But before she could react, the evil aura and dragon’s shadow landed before her, revealing their forms.

It was Lilith and Airi.

“Dragon… Dragon Demon Princess…!? And Goddess Lilith…!”

Carol held her breath.

But Airi and Lilith clearly weren’t in the mood for small talk.

“Where’s Shien?”

Airi asked directly.

“Shien?” Carol was stunned for a moment, then reacted and said quickly, “V-Viscount Buztout is currently bathing inside.”

“Inside?” Airi gave Carol a deep look, making her feel uneasy, then said calmly, “He has already left the Elven Homeland and is outside the barrier.”

“Wh-what!?” Carol’s eyes widened in shock. “Impossible! The Elven Homeland’s barrier is still active. Unless one of us opens the entrance, no one can freely enter or exit!”

This was a barrier set up by the Goddess of Nature, utilizing the power of nature and the environment. Without knowing the method, even level limit experts couldn’t freely enter or exit, and transcendent beings could only break through with force.

Since the barrier was still active, logically speaking, unless an elf guided him, Shien should still be inside the barrier.

Now, Airi was saying that Shien had already left. It was no wonder Carol was shocked.

But this was a fact.

“It’s precisely because he left the barrier that the magic power I placed on him is no longer detectable, and even the connection between Lilith and her [True Mark] has become blurred, making us unable to find his location.” Airi murmured calmly, as if talking to herself. “However, if it’s them, they can indeed easily enter and exit this barrier and block our senses, preventing us from finding Shien.”

Airi seemed to have guessed the reason.

Beside her, the evil aura around Lilith fluctuated continuously, showing that her mood was unstable, making even Carol apprehensive.

Carol was worried that Lilith would cause trouble in the Elven Homeland.

If that happened, it would be a big problem.

Fortunately, their savior arrived quickly.

“Your Highness Airi, Lady Lilith.”

With this call, an emerald green light descended from the sky, transforming into the graceful figure of the Elven Queen.

“Sophie?” Airi wasn’t surprised by Sophie’s arrival and asked directly, “You sensed it too, right?”

“Yes.” Sophie sighed and nodded seriously. “Such magic power, it’s indeed those two, isn’t it?”

“It can only be them.” Airi said with dissatisfaction. “Besides them, who else would wander around in this ancient forest filled with monsters?”

“Then…” Sophie said with worry, “Since those two have appeared here, does that mean something happened in the Tegor Forest again?”

“Who knows?” Airi said coldly, “I just want to know why they took my person and what they’re planning to do.”

“Viscount Buztout?” Sophie said hesitantly, “Isn’t it because of Your Highness Airi that he was taken away?”

Airi glared at Sophie, making her chuckle awkwardly.

She knew that she had exposed the truth, making it impossible for Airi to keep up her pretense.

“Should I send someone to look for him?”

Sophie could only suggest this.

“…Forget it.” Airi’s face was still filled with displeasure, but after thinking for a moment, she said, “If it were before, I would have been worried that Shien would be toyed with by those two. Now, with his increased strength, he should be able to handle them… as long as they don’t go too far.”

Towards the end, Airi finally showed a troubled expression.

Lilith immediately tugged at Airi’s clothes, seemingly objecting to her decision.

“Don’t worry.” Airi comforted Lilith. “He’s still safe. Otherwise, even with their interference, you would be able to sense his location through the [True Mark].”

Once the bearer of the [True Mark] was in danger, the owner would immediately sense it and, through the connection of the [True Mark], instantly arrive at their location.

Since Lilith couldn’t sense Shien, it meant he wasn’t in danger.

Thinking of this, Lilith calmed down.

Only Airi remained, looking towards the depths of the forest ahead, a menacing glint in her eyes.

“If you don’t bring him back safe and sound, you’ll pay for this, Millu, Lid.”

Airi murmured.

The night continued.

Chapter 502: Growing Something You Shouldn’t

“…!”

Shien abruptly stood up from the hot spring and turned around, looking in a certain direction.

There, a little girl had appeared at some point.

“You…?”

Shien was stunned.

He hadn’t expected that voice to come from such a young girl.

She looked like a beastman, wearing a leather dress, seemingly around thirteen or fourteen years old.

The little girl held a fluffy, mysterious creature, blinked her big eyes, and stared at Shien from the edge of the hot spring.

Shien was first stunned by her appearance and age, then his eyes narrowed.

Because he sensed a terrifying magic power from this little girl, and a ferocious aura that seemed capable of crushing the heavens and earth.

It felt as if a world-destroying beast had suddenly appeared before him.

But this little girl with such a terrifying aura simply stood there with an innocent look, seemingly curious about Shien, staring at him.

Frankly speaking, Shien didn’t dare to look away from her.

Before she spoke, Shien hadn’t even sensed her presence, which showed how extraordinary she was.

The current Shien was different from before. His [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] could even perceive the workings of the world, yet he hadn’t reacted to her presence until she spoke. This alone was enough to make him wary.

Of course, if he had been fully focused, Shien wouldn’t have been completely oblivious. It was mainly because he had been too relaxed and comfortable while soaking in the hot spring, and he had been lost in thought, making him less alert.

But even so, not just anyone could bypass the detection of [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree].

Yet, this little girl had done it.

“Who are you?”

Shien asked in a deep voice.

However, the little girl didn’t answer his question.

“Airi?” The little girl tilted her head, as if thinking about something, muttering, “Airi? Airi? Airi?”

She kept repeating this name, seemingly very interested in it.

Shien frowned.

“What?” Shien asked, “Do you know Airi?”

Shien decided to test her.

“Airi?” The little girl was still tilting her head, but seemed to understand Shien’s words and nodded vaguely, then said happily, “Airi! Airi! Airi!”

The little girl cheered, jumping up and down, and accidentally let go of the mysterious creature in her hands.

The mysterious creature fell to the ground without a sound, then, as if understanding human behavior, rolled its eyes and flipped over, staying in a prone position.

However, it stared intently at Shien, a look of scrutiny in its eyes.

Shien also noticed this mysterious creature, then he realized something.

The terrifying aura he had sensed earlier, like that of a world-destroying beast, actually came from this mysterious creature.

As for the little girl, although her aura was faint, she possessed immense magic power, even greater than Lucy’s, stronger than anyone Shien had ever met.

Just what were the origins of this girl and beast duo?

Shien subconsciously used [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree], trying to see through their levels.

However, he couldn’t see anything.

“This…”

Shien fell silent.

Then, an amused voice rang out.

“Alright, stop looking, human boy. With your power, you can’t see through our level. Don’t waste your energy.”

It was a voice that sounded young, yet somehow mature.

Hearing this voice, Shien’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked at the little girl again.

“Airi! Airi!”

But the little girl was still jumping up and down, chanting Airi’s name.

That voice didn’t come from her.

“Hey, hey, where are you looking?” The voice rang out again. “Here, look at me. It’s me talking to you.”

The mysterious creature lying on the ground raised a forelimb and waved it in a very human-like manner.

Shien finally understood.

“You… you were the one talking just now?”

Shien asked in surprise.

“Yes.”

The little creature readily admitted.

However, it hadn’t opened its mouth to speak.

That voice, rather than coming from its mouth, seemed to be transmitted directly into Shien’s mind, like telepathy.

This stunned Shien.

“Sigh, that reaction again.” The mysterious creature said faintly, as if bored. “Every time I meet someone new and talk to them, they have this reaction. It’s getting old.”

Shien resisted the urge to retort, glanced at the cheering little girl, then at the mysterious creature lying on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn’t help but ask,

“What are you? A monster?”

Shien’s eyes were filled with confusion.

“Heh.” The mysterious creature chuckled, seemingly too lazy to explain. “Just consider me a monster. To you humans, there’s no difference between me and a monster anyway.”

After saying that, the mysterious creature turned to the cheering little girl, its tone suddenly turning stern.

“Alright, stop jumping around, Millu. Pick me up.”

The little girl, called Millu, stopped and obediently picked up the mysterious creature.

“Lid.” Millu said to the creature in her arms, “Airi, Airi.”

The word “Lid” seemed to be the creature’s name.

“I know, I know.” Lid said impatiently. “Really, how much do you want to see Airi? She’s such a spoiled brat, yet everyone dotes on her and lets her do as she pleases. She’ll be spoiled rotten by you all sooner or later.”

“Hee hee.” Millu didn’t seem to mind Lid’s complaints and giggled happily, seemingly in a good mood.

Shien’s frown deepened.

This strange girl and beast duo, it seemed, wasn’t simple at all.

“Who are you?”

Shien was losing his patience.

This made Millu and Lid turn their gazes back to Shien.

“Young man, be patient, don’t be so impatient.” Lid grinned, its voice still transmitting directly into Shien’s mind. “Don’t worry, we’re not suspicious characters, at least not to you.”

“Not suspicious, not suspicious.” Millu repeated happily, like an innocent child.

Shien naturally wouldn’t believe their words so easily.

Not only because they were suspicious, but also because their behavior seemed strange.

Therefore, Shien didn’t let his guard down.

However, considering that his [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] couldn’t see through their levels, and their familiarity with Airi, Shien had a guess about their identities.

If they were truly who he thought they were, then it would be worth trying to communicate with them.

Just as Shien had this thought, the voice rang out again.

“Good, that’s the right approach.”

The mysterious creature, Lid, said approvingly, then added slyly,

“Anyway, you should get dressed first, lest Millu stares at that thing of yours for too long and grows something she shouldn’t.”

These words made Shien’s lips twitch.

What did she mean by “grow something she shouldn’t”?

If she meant a stye, then just say so, don’t be so ambiguous.

People who didn’t know might think it was something else.

…

At the same time, in several other locations, quite a few people noticed the situation on Shien’s side.

“Why are they here?”

Nadue, waiting outside for Shien to finish his bath, sensed that magic power and aura and was stunned.

“This magic power…!?”

In the Queen’s Palace, Sophie, who had her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and stood up from her throne, her eyes filled with shock and even panic.

In two different rooms in the tree house where Shien and his group were staying, two little girls opened their eyes simultaneously.

“Miss Lilith?”

Lasha, who was by Lilith’s side, called out when she saw this.

But Lilith ignored Lasha, turned her head, looked in a certain direction, then with a “whoosh,” transformed into a stream of evil aura and dashed out.

Lasha’s eyes flickered slightly, but she didn’t say or do anything, just quietly waiting, as if waiting for the dust to settle.

Naturally, in another room, Airi also got up.

“Those two…”

Airi murmured, sighing, either annoyed or troubled.

“Appearing here, it seems their bad habits haven’t changed.”

Saying so, Airi got out of bed.

The next moment, a pair of dragon wings unfolded on Airi’s back, and she transformed into a gust of wind, flying out of the window just like Lilith.

A stream of evil aura and a dragon’s shadow flew towards the same direction.

“…”

In a clear lake, Lucy, who was soaking in the water, raised her head and saw this scene.

Around her were laughing elven girls.

Lucy didn’t move.

She just stared, her thoughts unknown.