Volume 8, Chapter 74 – Illusory Delusion

Ignoring the pitch-black lake water that parted around her on its own, Lucitine, standing before the dark crimson metal door, slowly exhaled.

Though she had said she would never return to this place, things had developed to such a point that the vow from back then no longer mattered. Everything was the fault of the original Venex, who had brought this upon herself.

The image of the original Venex surfaced in her mind, and Lucitine’s pink eyes grew increasingly sharp.

She didn’t have the courage to tell Fia that she had already realized the culprit behind all this was her past self. If initially she had only suspected that pure white fairy was the original Venex, then when she saw those Chaos in the underground cavern with eyes filled with ominous dark red light, she was directly certain—all of this was connected to the original Venex.

Because those controlled Eyes distinctly carried the original Venex’s aura. This aura, imperceptible to the senses, could only be detected by fellow undead. And not just the Eyes in the underground cavern that had betrayed Fia—the pure white fairy they encountered on their way back to Blossom to fetch Ruth, the one already dispersed by Claire, also carried the same aura. She could no longer cling to hope.

Even if the original Venex wasn’t the instigator of everything, she was certainly connected to the incident. She must have used some method only she knew to leave the Immortal Sanctuary. As Fia said, since the original Venex designed the substitution rule to preserve herself, she must have anticipated that later selves might resist. She would certainly have prepared contingencies.

This was a conflict between her present self and her past self. She shouldn’t drag Fia into it. No matter how cleverly she phrased it, she couldn’t change the fact that the original Venex was her. Her past self, out of selfishness, had threatened Fia’s family to obtain a living body, nearly turning all of Blossom into a sea of fire. Such atrocities made Lucitine feel ashamed. She had to settle this with that demon personally.

She had to do it herself, as the Queen of Death, to wash away the guilt in her heart, to be able to face Fia again.

Summoning the Scales Sword into her hand in advance, Lucitine’s gaze was firm as she forcefully pushed open the metal door.

The oncoming white light didn’t make her flinch. She strode forward boldly. By now, the Venexes within the Immortal Sanctuary had revived. Sensing Lucitine’s murderous aura, they dared not approach to inquire. Lucitine ignored them, heading straight for the depths of the Immortal Sanctuary. In just a few breaths, the angry Lucitine found her target.

The original Venex was floating quietly at the sanctuary’s end. Though she clearly sensed Lucitine’s arrival, she still had her back turned to Lucitine, hovering at a height requiring one to look up to see clearly.

Without the slightest politeness, Lucitine pointed the Scales Sword straight at the original Venex.

“Give me an explanation, Venex.”

“Oh?” The original Venex deliberately paused a second before replying. She turned around, as if not seeing the Scales Sword aimed at her, her expression innocent. “What explanation? I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Still trying to play innocent even now? Do you dare release your memories for me to inspect!”

Lucitine’s ringing voice echoed throughout the Immortal Sanctuary. Every Venex could clearly hear Lucitine’s forceful declaration.

“My earlier suspicions were right. The substitution was just something you designed to preserve yourself. We are merely byproducts of your design. When the time is right, you’ll appear to seize the body. I feel ashamed that you and I were born from the same soul! Why did you collude with Chaos and threaten Fia using her family? What kind of accomplishment is that!”

The moment she finished, the Immortal Sanctuary buzzed with noise. Lucitine had stirred up massive waves in the memories of the many Venexes. Each of them had seen Lucitine’s memories and therefore held the same love for Fia that Lucitine did. Now, not only did they learn that the original Venex’s design was merely a selfish act, but they also heard that she had colluded with Chaos and threatened Fia. Every Venex frowned. They stared at the original Venex, slowly gathering behind Lucitine.

And Lucitine didn’t hold back. She directly joined hands with the Venex closest to her. In an instant, all the Venexes shared Lucitine’s memories. Their dissatisfaction instantly transformed into anger. Everyone glared furiously at the original Venex.

“Original, we need an explanation from you.”

“Nobody wants to be your puppet.”

“I knew it—how did we all die for no reason together? So it was your doing!”

As time passed, the confused jumble of accusations quickly escalated into condemnation. But the original Venex simply closed her eyes, silently enduring it all. Only when the voices grew louder and Lucitine demanded again did the original Venex reopen her eyes.

Yet her eyes no longer held emotion. Those pink irises had turned pure white, without pupils. An ancient pressure, inspiring submission, radiated from her. Even though they were all Queens of Death, the Venexes couldn’t help but step back. In that instant, the original Venex seemed to have become a being of a higher order than them.

Not only that, but even more obvious changes occurred on the original Venex’s form. First, goat horns materialized atop her head. Then a tail, wings. Finally, even her facial features, through a series of wriggling, took on an enchanting appearance completely different from Venex. She lost the elegance of the Queen of Death, replaced by a bewitching visage like that of a succubus queen, capable of captivating all.

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Beyond this, the original Venex’s body color also shifted from pale pink to pure white. Not just her torso—the horns atop her head and the tail behind her were likewise white. Her already tall figure stretched even further. The slender legs extending from the black miniskirt wrapped around her hips nearly commanded one’s full attention. Even the gentle sway of her calves, curved in graceful arcs, was enough to stir desires in the heart.

This was the original Venex’s true form. She was a demon from another world.

“Ingrate trash. You actually think you’re another me? I gave you too much, and now you presume even further. A watchdog should know its place. Kneel!”

By the end, the original Venex’s voice was filled with rage. Wherever her pupil-less white eyes passed, not a single Venex could remain floating. Like lesser dragons before a true dragon, their bodies uncontrollably prostrated on the ground. Only Lucitine, possessing a living body, remained standing steadily.

This wasn’t the original Venex using some spell. It was merely her innate aura overwhelming the Venexes.

“Hmm?”

The original Venex’s gaze locked onto Lucitine. Her pupil-less white eyes made Lucitine’s heart quail.

“Able to resist my pressure—is it because of your living body? …I suppose. Raise enough dogs, and one will grow a rebellious bone. Come here.”

Come here?

Lucitine’s eyes sharpened. She thought she would suffer a mental attack, but the next second she realized her misjudgment. The original Venex’s command was directed at the Scales Sword in her hand. The Scales Sword erupted with a joyful hum. Its pitch-black blade then flashed with white light. Before Lucitine could react, the Scales Sword shot towards the original Venex in an instant, firmly grasped in her hand.

Docile as a dog rewarded with a head pat.

Looking at the Scales Sword, so perfectly in sync with the original Venex, Lucitine couldn’t help but think this. She glanced sideways at the Venexes prostrate around her. These Venexes could only grimace, trying to rise, unable even to speak, completely suppressed by the original Venex’s aura.

Fortunately, she hadn’t expected them to help from the start. It was already a relief that they weren’t being manipulated by the original Venex to attack her.

Unshaken by the scene before her, Lucitine produced a holy lance that no undead should be able to hold, striking it heavily on the ground. When this lance, over two meters long, appeared, the Venexes suppressed by the original Venex felt their pressure greatly reduced.

This was Lucitine’s countermeasure. Unless the original Venex was a memory entity with no magical power, no matter how she transformed, she couldn’t change the fact that she was undead. And what counters undead most was always holy magic. In the past, Lucitine couldn’t use this holy lance. But now, possessing a living body, she could freely use holy magic. This greatly increased her chances.

She raised the holy lance in her right hand, pointing its sharp tip at the original Venex. A high fighting spirit coalesced wildly within her.

“One last question. Was that pure white fairy that attacked me and Fia before you?”

“So what if it was?”

The original Venex admitted it directly. She lifted her chin, looking down on Lucitine with contempt, as if surveying an ant.

“I didn’t expect such a fool to emerge among the Queens of Death. Haven’t you wondered why gods whose strength exceeds the Ninth Rank would act so timidly towards me, a Ninth-Rank Queen of Death, to the point of making verbal promises? Even the weakest Tenth Rank is beyond the reach of the Ninth Rank. The only reason is that back then, I possessed the power to destroy them. I am a soul from another world. Though my strength wasn’t top-tier in my world, on the World Tree continent, even one or two gods and Darkborn leaders combined wouldn’t be my match.”

As if savoring the feeling of plentiful power returning to her body, the original Venex admired her own form, unseen for ten thousand years. At this moment, she was no longer a memory entity, but something possessing a soul.

“So what makes you think the Ninth Rank is my limit? Still, I must commend you for seeing through my plan of [Substitution] as self-preservation so early. Correct. [Substitution] was a ritual I designed to maintain consciousness. But I wasn’t so desperate as to be on the verge of collapse. I sealed away most of my consciousness and power, leaving only a small portion for you. I am fundamentally different from you memory bodies. Naturally, you couldn’t read my memories. I designed the substitution merely to wait until magical technology developed enough to create a living body for me.”

“In other words, you don’t even qualify as ‘me.’ You’re just watchdogs helping me communicate with the outside world and look after souls. Now your mission is over. I’m taking back what’s mine. Understand, you ungrateful things!”

With that, the original Venex instantly charged at Lucitine. Lucitine could barely track her movements. She instinctively stepped back and raised the lance horizontally, barely managing to block the original Venex’s attack at the last possible moment.

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Clang!

The sound of metal rang through the Immortal Sanctuary. The heavy force transmitted through her arms nearly made Lucitine lose her grip on the lance. Her entire skeleton creaked in protest.

So fast!

Lucitine’s heart skipped a beat. She could even sense that this was the original Venex holding back, reluctant to damage the living body. If she wanted to, her arms would surely have shattered inch by inch already.

Tumultuous waves crashed in her heart. She had come here prepared to abandon the living body and fight as an undead. But now, the original Venex’s strength was such that even gods feared her. She couldn’t imagine how to defeat her.

Find Fia first!

She clenched her teeth, pushing with all her might against the original Venex, trying to shove her away. But the original Venex’s strength was greater. She couldn’t break free no matter what.

The original Venex looked down at Lucitine, whose arms trembled violently as she was forced to lower her head. Leisurely, she extended her left hand, her fingertips gently tracing Lucitine’s smooth cheek like caressing a lover.

“A perfect body. Though adapting the soul to this body will require sacrificing some power, it’s far more enticing to inherit this perfect body than to remain in this boring place. Ah~ah~ Just from seeing the memories you shared, I’m already longing to make love with Fia in bed. Oh my? Trying to quietly use magic? You can’t. Your soul belongs to me. Though it’s been too long and it’s a bit uncooperative, commands of this level are still no problem.”

The original Venex pinched Lucitine’s cheek hard. The magical power Lucitine had been quietly coalescing vanished instantly. The forced interruption of magic made Lucitine’s body shudder. But she had no time to curse, because a tremor originating from the depths of her soul filled her entirely.

Intense dizziness and nausea surged into Lucitine’s mind and chest. Meanwhile, a slowly rotating gray magic circle appeared in the original Venex’s palm. She pressed the circle in her left hand against Lucitine’s cheek, while gradually reducing the force in her right hand holding the Scales Sword.

Normally, suddenly withdrawing force during a strength contest would surely lead to defeat. But strangely, Lucitine’s hands didn’t advance. Her body even staggered back a step, to the point where she had to use the lance as a crutch to keep from falling.

Her elegant face was contorted, as if enduring intense pain. Cold sweat trickled down her cheeks. Correspondingly, the hand the original Venex pressed against Lucitine’s cheek began to disappear. Looking closely, one could see the original Venex’s left hand seemed to be reaching into Lucitine’s cheek. She was seizing control of Lucitine’s body, and at terrifying speed. In an instant, her entire left arm had sunk into Lucitine.

The flesh of her face felt like it was being torn apart, then her left shoulder and torso. Burning agony spread through Lucitine’s entire body. She forcibly suppressed her screams, lowering her head and biting her lip hard. Her eyes were so red they seemed to bleed.

“Even if you take my body… Fia won’t let you get away with it!”

“I’ll inherit your memories. Pretending to be you is a trivial matter. I’m far more likable than you. A demon like me knows how to cling to the strong and survive. I’ll submit to her, fulfill her every wish. In the end, she won’t be able to do without me. Then the original meaning of ‘Lucitine’ will disappear forever, becoming a name that belongs to me.”

Her words mingled with enchanting seductive vibes. As she finished, the original Venex’s left side had completely merged into Lucitine. The overwhelming power of the Tenth Rank overwhelmingly defeated her. Lucitine was like a lamb to slaughter, passively enduring the agony from every part of her body, as if her bones were being forcibly pulled from her flesh. Despairing, she watched her soul being gradually squeezed out of her body—as half of the original Venex’s body burrowed into Lucitine, half of Lucitine’s soul was correspondingly forced out. Even more terrifyingly, with one body half-occupied by two souls, Lucitine’s two sides displayed completely different expressions.

The left side, belonging to the original Venex, showed an enchanting smile. Lucitine, being squeezed out, had eyes full of fury, her consciousness blurring from the excruciating pain.

Yet the original Venex’s words weren’t without effect. When she heard that the name Lucitine would disappear, Lucitine’s eyes, glazed over from agony, suddenly focused. She regained a moment of clarity. Biting down hard on the tip of her tongue, the piercing pain shooting through her limbs made both her and the original Venex jolt—especially the original Venex, who hadn’t felt pain in ten thousand years. She let out a miserable scream.

But even this scream lasted only an instant. Seizing the moment the original Venex was distracted, Lucitine manipulated her only usable left hand, grabbing the holy lance in the nick of time. Holding the lance head, she stabbed fiercely towards her own heart.

Ignoring the massive amount of blood flowing from her tongue, Lucitine cursed viciously.

“The name Lucitine will not be erased! Even if I die with you, I won’t let you have it easy!”

“Stop! Bitch!”

Panicking, the original Venex hurriedly grabbed for the lance with her right hand, not yet merged into the body. The holy aura on the lance instantly made the original Venex’s right hand erupt with sizzling burns. Unfortunately, the power of the Tenth Rank was not something a single holy lance could match. The original Venex seized the lance just as its tip was about to pierce Lucitine’s left chest. Almost simultaneously, Lucitine’s left hand gripping the lance trembled violently—a sign she was losing control, and a symbol of the power struggle between her and the original Venex.

But in terms of pure strength, Lucitine was no match for the original Venex. No matter how she strained, squeezing every shred of strength and attention from every cell, she could only watch helplessly as the lance tip slowly, steadily moved away from her heart. Even greater despair welled up within her. She didn’t fear death. She feared being replaced, with no one remembering her. Though her bloodshot eyes bulged as if to burst from their sockets, she could only feel her soul being slowly squeezed out again.

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“I told you, you’re no match for me. Don’t worry. Once I occupy your body, I’ll imprison your soul in a magical tool. You’ll be forced to watch me be intimate with Fia, to hear Fia call my name and love me… Yes, I also have the right to crave Fia’s love.”

As she spoke, the lance was completely seized by the original Venex. She tossed it aside. A series of clangs echoed through the Immortal Sanctuary. Then, an embarrassed blush appeared on Lucitine’s face. Her right hand quietly reached for Lucitine’s left arm, savoring the tingling sensation as nails traced tender skin. To ordinary people, this sensation would be trivial. But to her, who hadn’t felt sensation in ten thousand years, it was something to relish, to the point her body trembled with excitement.

“Ah~ah~ This is the wonder of the living. Just thinking of Fia’s powerful soul and captivating charm makes me want to leave this godforsaken place immediately. If only I could spend a night of passion with her…”

“Give it up. I’ll never like a dog that might bite at any moment.”

Abruptly, a cold voice like thunder crashed into the ears of both Lucitine and the original Venex.

Lucitine, who had been unable to force her soul out no matter what, watched as Fia simply grabbed the original Venex by the neck with one hand and yanked hard. The original Venex’s soul was effortlessly dragged out like a ragged sack. Lucitine’s soul returned to her body, but she had already exhausted too much energy in her struggle. Hastily, her soul couldn’t control her body. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground with a thud, gasping for breath on all fours like a beaten dog. She wanted to call Fia’s name, but her throat, from exhaustion, couldn’t produce any sound. Instead, the original Venex’s voice came faster.

“Fia?!”

Though thrown aside by Fia, the original Venex still crawled on hands and knees to Fia’s feet, tightly hugging her calf. Her earlier composed enchantment had entirely transformed into pleading.

She had seen Lucitine’s memories and fought Fia personally. Based on her research into souls, she believed Fia’s soul was stronger than all the living beings on the continent combined. She couldn’t possibly be Fia’s match. This was also why she deeply loved Fia. In her continent, she was a demon, and female demons instinctively cling to the strong.

Not to mention she shared the same memories as Lucitine. Her fondness for Fia was no less than Lucitine’s. From her perspective, Fia was the one who gave her new life, let her experience the wonder of being alive, and brought her the warmth of family.

The original Venex explained urgently.

“Fia, I… I’m also someone who loves you. I’m more suited to be by your side than her. Didn’t I tell you? I’ll submit to any request you have, even perverted desires and fetishes, I’ll accept them all. I’m not approaching you for gain. I also have her memories. However she treated you, I’ll give it back tenfold, a hundredfold. I’m stronger and more reliable than her. You can completely trust me!”

“Get lost.”

Fia frowned. She wanted to kick the original Venex away, but seemed to remember something. Instead, she looked back at Lucitine, gasping on the ground.

“Lucitine, is this the previous white fairy? The original Venex?”

“Ah… aah…”

Lucitine opened her mouth but couldn’t speak, only nodding in confirmation with her eyes.

Fia took a deep breath. Then she bent down, her right hand gripping the original Venex’s throat, lifting her entirely. Staring into the original Venex’s red eyes, her gaze held both indifference and anger. She didn’t know the feelings the original Venex held for her. She only saw it as a desperate struggle before death.

“I can overlook you testing my strength. But from the moment you used magic on all the elves in Blossom, you lost the right to my forgiveness.”

Sensing the killing intent in Fia’s words, the original Venex’s eyes widened to their limit, filled with disbelief.

“You… you want to kill me? You actually want to kill me! I just wanted you to look at me more! What’s wrong with that! Why does only that bitch receive your favor! I’m clearly better than her!”

Was this soul insane?

Fia frowned. She didn’t remember anything happening with this pure white fairy, nor doing anything to earn her affection. Ultimately, this pure white fairy’s ambiguous attitude towards her had been inexplicable from the start. Just now, when she dragged her away, she hadn’t even used her Tenth-Rank power to resist, allowing herself to be dragged.

Wait—

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Suddenly, Fia realized the reason.

Since this pure white fairy before her was the original Venex, she could understand it as the original Venex, upon receiving Lucitine’s memories, becoming infected by Lucitine’s emotions and memories, growing to like her. Hence those inexplicable declarations.

Her angry expression gradually softened to sadness. Gazing at the original Venex, whose eyes held only disbelief, Fia’s voice was deep.

“What you call love is merely your own delusion. My kindness was directed at Lucitine, not at you. Don’t indulge in illusions. They do you no good—that said, farewell forever.”

“You—!”

Despair filled the original Venex’s eyes. She wanted to speak, but Fia gave her no chance. Dealing with a soul required soul-targeting magic. Dazzling blue light began to coalesce around Fia—the glow of [Overload]. The original Venex’s rank was comparable to the Elf God’s. Without [Overload], ordinary [Mental Shock] couldn’t completely kill her.

However, behind Fia, Lucitine coughed violently.

“ Cough… cough cough , wait—”

Wait?

Fia turned back. She didn’t want to spare this person who had nearly committed mass murder. Even if she were a woman, it couldn’t be treated as if nothing happened.

“Still… still has secrets.”

Lucitine struggled to rise, but her strength wouldn’t allow it. She could only do her best to let out a weak voice, stopping Fia.

“…She… still has secrets she hasn’t told…”

“You want to spare her? Compared to confessing secrets, the chance of her becoming a future threat is greater.”

This was a world with magic. Combined with the original Venex’s multiple escapes in the past, Fia didn’t want to give her another chance to flee.

But Lucitine stubbornly persisted. Her face, covered with sweat, tears, and blood streaks, was full of determination.

“Can’t… useless…”

Lucitine probably meant she wanted to help as much as possible. Fia guessed. From the way Lucitine had looked preoccupied after seeing the Eyes, she surely knew there was a connection between the original Venex and the Eyes going mad. And she hadn’t yet found out where that connection lay.

After much consideration, Fia chose to follow Lucitine’s advice. She released the nearly-dead original Venex, changing [Mind Blast] to [Spatial Confinement] to seal her. Then she crouched down, supporting Lucitine under her arms to help her up. Her tone and expression gradually showed apology.

“Sorry, the crisis outside is resolved. But the kingdom of the dead will probably need rebuilding. Let’s go outside first?”

“Okay…”

The long-tensed string finally relaxed. The bedraggled Lucitine revealed a relieved smile of one who had narrowly escaped death. Her energy ultimately couldn’t sustain her consciousness. With her eyes darkening, Lucitine went limp, collapsing softly onto Fia.