https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-770-Lanchi-Begins-to-Understand-Hei-Ri/12585313/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-772-Sybeline-Finds-a-Little-Grey-Cat/12585315/
Chapter 771: Sybrian Feels Like She's Repeating History
Chapter 771: Sybrian Feels Like She's Repeating History
Sixteen hours earlier.
In the Demon Realm, Nakalis.
Under a sky shrouded by thunderclouds, a phantom-like demon king's palace loomed amidst the mist, its presence both mysterious and formidable. Winding paths meandered through the vast plaza, leading directly to the castle's imposing gates.
Within the throne room of the Demon King's Palace.
"Hmm..."
Sybrian slowly awoke from her slumber, emitting a soft hum of drowsiness.
Her silver hair tumbled down like a waterfall, gracefully draping over her black satin skirt, the hem of which fell lightly around the base of the throne.
At this moment, her amber eyes had reverted to their true form, the eyes of a demon, and her hair was no longer simply tied with a ribbon. She could feel the cool touch of the demonic jewelry adorning her head.
Sybrian lifted her head, slightly dazed, as she found herself seated upon an imposing throne.
Earlier that morning, she and the four great demon clans had arrived in Bliarda, the capital of the Krexe Empire. Before they could meet with Miss Unity, the Allied Spy from the Kingdom of Kambara who was responsible for liaising with them, she had hurriedly led Antanas and the others to the Void Gate in Bliarda, entering the Shadow World at nine o'clock sharp.
The castle's courtyard was paved with intricate and enigmatic patterned stone slabs, and the indoor fountain sprayed out fine, pale blue particles, all the way to the deepest part of the throne room. On either side stood row upon row of pitch-black armor, and the hall was filled with a suffocatingly deep aura.
The last time she was in the Shadow World, she had also opened her eyes here, finding herself in the midst of a demon palace akin to hell, and she was at the very center of it all.
Undoubtedly, this was the final node of the Blood Moon Calamity series in the Shadow World.
At the end of this story, she would bear witness to the conclusion of this era.
Unlike the last time when she had been startled, she was now intimately familiar with this throne room.
It was practically her home.
And there was the trustworthy Mother Kaliyera.
Sybrian breathed a sigh of relief and regained her princess demeanor.
Looking at the assembled courtiers on either side of the throne room.
The gathered demons presented a diverse array of appearances, most of them exuding an air of stern authority.
Some of the noble demons possessed such formidable magical power that they rivaled, or even surpassed, Antanas and Pranay.
Today must be an important occasion for the demon clan, bringing together the great demon clans in this place.
Soon enough, Sybrian's gaze fell upon several familiar figures among the seated demons.
All four of the great demon clans, including Antanas, were present.
They, too, seemed to be just awakening from a dream, their expressions bearing a hint of bewilderment.
Sybrian couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
This time, in the Shadow World, she was not alone. She had the company of these four great demon challengers.
It appeared that Antanas and the others had attained the status of civil officials in the current demon realm, firmly standing as her absolute supporters.
However, none of that mattered as long as Kaliyera was by her side; she would never feel lonely or afraid.
Speaking of Kaliyera, where was she? Sybrian subconsciously turned her head, searching for Kaliyera's familiar presence.
"Your Highness, who are you looking for?"
A voice, devoid of any emotion, chilled Sybrian to the bone. It sent a shiver down her spine, and she fought the urge to activate her invisibility skill to escape.
That voice...it wasn't Kaliyera's.
"..."
Sybrian forced herself to remain calm, striving to keep her expression neutral.
As long as she remained seated on that throne, she was the demon princess.
Even if the advisor behind her wasn't Kaliyera, there was little cause for alarm.
But the question remained: where was Kaliyera? She was neither by the throne nor among the assembled demons.
Sybrian turned her head slightly.
Standing behind her was a female demon of formidable stature, her features harsh and her aura icy. Her eyes were like stagnant pools of water, sending a shudder through Sybrian.
The woman was undoubtedly beautiful, but there was an air of sickness about her. Her scorpion-like tail, with its distinct bony joints, swayed slightly, as if ready to drip deadly venom from its tip at any moment.
And when this mysterious demon laid eyes on Sybrian, she smiled.
There was a smile on her face, but none in her eyes; they were pitch-black, swirling with chaos, giving no hint of her thoughts.
"Your Highness, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something you wish to say?"
The scorpion-tailed demon inquired, her gaze fixed on Sybrian.
"It's nothing," Sybrian replied politely, nodding. "I just wanted to say that you're very beautiful."
"Oh?"
The scorpion-tailed demon seemed taken aback by this response, a hint of unfamiliar emotion creeping into her voice.
She didn't press further, merely glancing at the clock as she awaited the commencement of the day's gathering.
Sybrian's heart pounded with anxiety.
It wasn't just the presence of this unfamiliar and dangerous demon that unnerved her, but also the absence of Kaliyera.
While this scorpion-tailed demon might not possess the same strength as Kaliyera, the powerful aura she exuded still left Sybrian feeling uncertain.
The other demons present on the stairs showed reverence towards Sybrian, and likewise, many displayed fear towards the great demon standing behind her.
The presence of the scorpion-tailed demon made the atmosphere in the entire throne room even more solemn and oppressive. All the demons were carefully weighing their attitudes, lest they incur the wrath of this formidable being.
Sybrian hesitated, unsure if she should ask the great demon who had taken Kaliyera's place beside her.
The demon exuded power and an aloof aura, with an air of age and experience.
But Sybrian couldn't sense any hint of maternal warmth from her; only a chaotic sense of evil.
Even speaking to this scorpion-tailed demon could be dangerous.
If given a choice, Sybrian would rather jump off the stage and go find the Ice Snow Witch.
However, as the princess, it wouldn't be appropriate to do something strange or impolite, nor could she draw the scorpion-tailed demon's attention to her teacher. Sybrian was certain that this scorpion-tailed demon was at least at the General level, possessing the aura of a Quasi-King with six seals, only a step away from Kaliyera's seven.
Until she understood the situation better, she chose to remain silent and wait for the demon to speak first.
Usually, Sybrian was accustomed to interacting with great demons, surrounded daily by her close friends who were also great demons, and she had also managed to foster good relationships with the great demons of this era, such as True Night.
But then, another question arose.
Where was True Night?
And Mist?
And Thunder?
Why were they also missing, just like Kaliyera?
With these two generals and the scholar by her side, Sybrian felt confident in facing any vampire, even able to hold her own against a ninth-rank for a few moves.
This timeline felt extremely foreign to Sybrian.
The more she thought about it, the more confused she became as to whether this familiar yet unusual new timeline was truly connected to their previous Shadow World and the old Demon King's Castle, Nakalis.
"...So, how have the vampires been doing lately?"
Sybrian couldn't help but ask the scorpion-tailed demon behind her.
Since the Demon King's Palace remained intact, and the demons were able to gather here for a meeting, it suggested that the situation outside wasn't too dangerous.
If she guessed correctly, Lanchi was once again separated from her at the start of this timeline.
He was likely still the Prime Minister of the Pollant Empire, leading the allied forces in a desperate resistance against the vampires.
Just thinking about Lanchi possibly being alone, without anyone to support or accompany him, made Sybrian's heart ache.
"...?"
"Your Highness, are you still preoccupied with the vampires?"
The scorpion-tailed demon gave a mocking laugh, her voice drifting into Sybrian's ears.
"What do you mean?"
Sybrian didn't understand her implication.
With the vampires constantly watching them from the north, they were mortal enemies of the demons and the Pollant Empire. How could she not pay attention to them?
"The vampires surrendered three years ago and are now peaceful. You don't need to worry about them anymore."
The scorpion-tailed demon replied concisely.
She didn't seem particularly concerned about the vampires.
Just like she wouldn't bother remembering the names of her defeated foes.
"Your Highness, you only need to focus on the Demon Realm. Let the past be the past, and leave behind any lingering shadows of those old dreams."
The mysterious great demon behind Sybrian sighed, as if she had grown accustomed to the princess' nostalgic behavior.
"...!"
Sybrian was stunned, listening to the great demon's words.
The vampires had lost? How many years had passed? And what was left to fight for in this Shadow World? She had thought that the final battle of the Blood Moon Calamity would take place in this Shadow World, but it seemed that they had already reached the post-war era, akin to having cleared the final stage.
Why had it been so smooth...
Sybrian felt that this overwhelming victory was almost too good to be true.
"Your Highness, did you dream of some unpleasant memories again?"
The scorpion-tailed demon inquired, having observed Sybrian's expression.
"..."
"Yes..."
Sybrian pretended to have just woken up, a hint of confusion in her eyes as she acquiesced to the great demon.
Since the demon didn't seem to have any intention of harming her, she might as well nod in agreement.
Moreover, for some reason, the demon's captivating voice made her reluctant to resist.
No, this was probably a mind-controlling demonic sound.
Every cell in Sybrian's body was telling her that the great demon behind her was not to be trusted, yet she had almost lowered her guard because of the demon's enchanting voice!
If it weren't for her frequent exposure to Great Poet's demonic sound and the fact that Lanchi had trained her to have sound magic resistance in the Music Classroom of the Inferno Corridor Academy, Sybrian felt that she might have unwittingly become obedient to the scorpion-tailed demon.
Although in this world, everything could be Kaliyera—with Talia as Princess Kaliyera, the Ice Snow Witch as Snow Woman Kaliyera, and Lanchi as Male Kaliyera—this scorpion-tailed Kaliyera felt like trouble.
Everything felt strange. An ominous aura permeated the peaceful atmosphere, filling Sybrian with growing anxiety. She truly had no idea what was going on anymore.
[Shadow World: Eternal Punishment Immortality Finale]
[Level: Eighth Tier]
[Total Number of Challengers: 9]
As Sybrian pondered the answers, she saw the information that the Shadow World presented:
[Twelve years ago, you returned to the Pollant Empire with him.]
[Good times didn't last, as the Pollant Empire immediately became the first war front, suffering the brunt of the Honing Empire's furious retaliation and full-scale invasion.]
[For your safety, Kaliyera ordered your recall, and you returned to the Demon Realm under the protection of the Demon King's Army, accompanied by Sigil.]
[Although you didn't want to leave him alone on the front lines, you had to consider the bigger picture and ensure Sigil's safe return to the Demon Realm.]
[Six years ago, the vampires launched a series of crucial battles that would decide the outcome of the war: the Oberron Campaign, the Evernight Land Encirclement Battle, and the Defense of Nakalis, all breaking out in the same year.]
[With tremendous sacrifices, the northern countries, led by the Pollant Empire, successfully held their ground and joined forces with the demons to protect Nakalis, the crucial logistical and military industrial support base.]
Sybrian's heart finally eased as she read this part.
From the Shadow World's prompt, she realized that what she was seeing was likely a projection of the story from twelve years ago, from Miss Witch's perspective.
[Under the desperate protection of the Fallen Lady Kaliyera, you, who were supposed to have died many years ago in late autumn, survived once again.]
[Your survival ultimately made no difference. What was meant to be lost would be lost, and what was fated to be won would be won. You knew you shouldn't hold him back, and could only watch as he walked further and further away from you.]
[You knew that he was as strong as tempered steel and as fragile as glass. Before ending the chaotic era, nothing could sway him, not even if fate took everything from him. You knew you would gradually fall behind and be unable to keep up with his pace.]
[You promised to take care of yourself and wait for the day he returned, giving him a forever home in your heart, which was the most important thing you could do for him.]
[Three years ago, the northern countries, led by the Pollant Empire, emerged victorious.]
[But you still haven't been able to wait for his return.]
[You are worried and don't understand what has become of him.]
[However, you also have your hands full with the recent turmoil in the Demon Realm, and you need his help. You can only try to find him.]
[Mission Objective 1: Protect the little spark left by Kaliyera.]
[Mission Objective 2: Understand the mindset of Lancrose, the Sun of Darkness. (To be continued)]
[Mission Objective 3: Ensure the survival of all challengers until the 21-day time limit ends.]
[...]
"..." Sybrian's heart trembled as she finished reading.
Kaliyera's little spark? What happened to Kaliyera? She had no idea what the second mission objective was about, but the first one was undoubtedly about her.
"Excuse me, what about Fallen Lady Kaliyera...?" Sybrian asked, her voice weak as her anxiety grew.
"Forget about Kaliyera. She's ancient history. From now on, you only need to remember the name of your Aunt Mehrogas, the Desecration Lady." The scorpion-tailed demon replied arrogantly, her voice filled with the absolute authority of a powerful being.
"I am the current regent of the Demon Realm; they are not." She glared at the assembled courtiers, a malicious smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Sybrian paused for a moment.
Kaliyera... ancient history?
She struggled to hold back her tears, biting her lip as her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Finally, she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
She couldn't accept this fact.
Coming to this era in the Shadow World, her greatest expectation was to see Kaliyera.
But now, just twelve years later, Kaliyera was gone forever.
"I don't want to never see Kaliyera again..." Sybrian sobbed, her tears dampening the skirt she clutched in her hands.
"Your Highness, I believe I've mentioned that you shouldn't bring up Kaliyera in front of me. Are you challenging my authority?" Mehrogas asked with a sinister smile, leaning forward to stare intently at Sybrian, her serpentine gaze unnerving.
"..." Sybrian's sobs abruptly stopped, her pupils locked onto Mehrogas's, unable to move.
She stiffened, her back feeling like it was immersed in ice, and she had never encountered such a terrifying female demon or experienced such chilling magic.
In that moment, she felt that if she continued to anger the Desecration Lady, she might be subjected to a punishment beyond death.
"Don't be afraid, Your Highness. How could I possibly harm you? After all, I am your aunt." Mehrogas then turned to offer a mask-like smile, "As long as you obey me, you will be my good little girl, and no one will be able to take you away from me..."
(End of Chapter)
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