Chapter 291: The Girl Imprisoned in the Dungeon

Offshore islands of the West Continent.

The Holy See Nation, renowned as the “Land of the Gods,” upon witnessing the magical projection, immediately dispatched an extremely high-ranking cardinal.

This cardinal arrived with a grand entourage and directly activated the most precious ultra-long-distance transmission array, rushing through the night toward Academy City.

Their sole purpose was one thing.

To confirm whether the power of this “Saintess” stemmed from the divine or from heresy.

Even the most powerful human empire on the continent, the Rhine Kingdom, had sent an envoy directly from the royal family.

They carried a personal letter from the emperor, intending to behold the true appearance of this newly ascended Saintess and to evaluate her strategic value to the empire’s future.

All major powers were stirring, the winds and clouds surging!

However a full day had passed.

The gates of Academy City had welcomed countless envoys and caravans.

Forces from every side gathered, and the atmosphere grew subtle and tense.

What left all the factions anxious and panicked was this: The Saintess who had saved Academy City, together with her giant dragon… had disappeared!

She was like the meteor of that night—cutting through the deepest darkness, bringing the most dazzling light—then vanishing completely into the sky before dawn.

No one knew where she had gone.

Her companions from Magic Feather Fantasy were questioned repeatedly, but they could only shake their heads helplessly.

The gryphon knights and mages who had fought in the battle only remembered her final descent before she left no further trace.

Among them, the “Saintess” naturally became the primary focus of investigation.

The room where Su Nian had previously stayed in Magic Feather Fantasy had long been turned upside down.

Beyond that, no wall in the world is completely airtight.

Shadowmoon Manor—where Su Nian frequently came and went—was also searched.

As the master of Shadowmoon Manor, “Mo Yuan Sir” stated that he, too, had no idea where Su Nian had gone.

After various forces investigated Shadowmoon Manor, they still came away empty-handed.

All they found was a large collection of the “Saintess’s” clothes.

For a time, the entire world was searching for this suddenly emerged Saintess, Su Nian.

They imagined she might be mortally wounded, hiding somewhere to recover.

Or perhaps she was truly a divine incarnation who, having fulfilled her mission, returned to the heavens.

But none of them could have imagined—

This Saintess whom countless people now worshipped, revered, and searched for was, at this very moment inside the hidden underground chamber of Shadowmoon Manor.

Thanks to the magic array Chu Tian had exchanged from the system, along with additional concealment measures throughout the basement, no one who spied on or coveted Su Nian could find her.

In his view, after Su Nian had revealed the giant dragon and demonstrated absolute power, she would surely become the target of every faction’s greed.

Unless he tore off all pretense and confronted them head-on with raw strength…

To avoid exposing any flaws, Chu Tian continued to act exactly as “Mo Yuan Sir” always had, showing not the slightest crack.

Only at night would he use spatial magic to come to the basement of Shadowmoon Manor and check on Su Nian, who remained unconscious.

The man sat beside the bed, his fingertip gently tracing the exquisite necklace-like form of the Lover’s Prison Collar around her snow-white neck.

In his eyes there was not the slightest reverence for the “Saintess”—only blazing possessiveness.

If the fanatical devotees of the Saintess were to see this—the city-saving heroine, the female hero, being “kept” here by Chu Tian—they would surely go mad and attack in a swarm.

How dare he “imprison” the Saintess—unforgivable!

Two days passed.

The girl remained in a coma.

It seemed that battle had truly exhausted her beyond measure.

Over these two days, in order to suppress the desire in his heart, the demonized Chu Tian had mostly exited his “demon form.”

Toward an unconscious girl, he would not disregard her condition…

“Hmph!”

“You little brat, completely disregarding your own safety, even exposing your trump card.”

“You really know how to cause trouble!”

Though he had “hidden” the girl away,

and it appeared to be imprisonment, he knew that until she recovered her strength, keeping her out of sight was the safest choice.

After all, the eyes of the entire world were now fixed on her.

And not all of those gazes were kind.

Though his mouth complained that the girl was “trouble,” in action Chu Tian ultimately took gentle care of Su Nian.

He reached out, using a warm damp towel to carefully wipe away the fine cold sweat that had formed on her forehead.

His movements were very light.

Very soft.

Afraid of disturbing the little wildcat sleeping within.

After finishing, he skillfully picked up the warm water already prepared on the bedside table and fed it to her slightly parted cherry lips, little by little, with a small spoon.

Clear droplets slid along her graceful jawline, slipping into the delicate hollow of her collarbone, and finally disappearing into the depths of her nightgown’s neckline.

When he did these things, his expression was focused, as though he were handling a priceless treasure.

The third day after the Winter Festival.

Shadowmoon Manor, underground chamber.

This place had originally been used by the previous owner of the manor to interrogate prisoners.

Now it had been remodeled into a small bedroom.

The room contained almost no furnishings—only a large, soft, fragrant-looking bed.

A stunningly beautiful girl, wearing a thin silk nightgown, lay upon this bed inside what was once a “dungeon room.”

The fragile yet exquisite figure of the girl formed a bizarre, heart-palpitating contrast with the cold, hard dungeon surroundings.

And this girl was none other than the one who had saved the entire city, the Saintess whom countless people now revered as divine…

Su Nian!

The air carried a faint damp, earthy smell, along with a trace of barely perceptible rust.

The inherent scent of the dungeon.

Yet the girl herself emanated the clean, gentle fragrance of someone freshly bathed.

She lay amid soft velvet bedding.

Golden hair cascaded like a waterfall across the dark pillow, framing her snow-white, delicate cheeks in a perfect picture.

The thin silk nightgown clung to her exquisite figure, outlining the alluring curves of her body.

That slender waist.

Those long, straight legs.

Every part radiated fatal temptation.

The next moment, the girl’s fingers trembled slightly.

This meant that the “Saintess” who had saved the city, after sleeping soundly for three full days, was finally about to awaken!

‘Mmm…’

Her consciousness felt like a stone sunk deep in the ocean, slowly drawn upward through chaotic darkness by a faint thread of light.

So heavy.

Her eyelids felt as though they were weighted with lead.

Every inch of muscle, every cell in her body, groaned with exhaustion, as though all strength had been completely drained.

Her fingertips instinctively curled, brushing against smooth, soft velvet sheets.

The scent at the tip of her nose was not the aggressive, cold dragon-musk that filled that horned demon bastard’s room, but a damp smell tinged with dust and metallic rust.

The unfamiliar environment instantly set her tense nerves on alert.

Memories flooded in like a dam breaking, surging violently into her muddled mind.

The sky-blotting demonic tide.

The violently shaking, burning floating fortress plummeting toward the city.

The desperate wails of tens of thousands of people filled her ears.

It was she who had begged the horned demon brat to help close the transmission gate, then spiritually attached to Little Green, soaring through the sky, slaying countless demon soldiers and generals.

Finally, she had ordered Little Green to transform into the giant dragon’s true form and slam fiercely into the falling floating fortress.

‘The city… was saved.’

A surge of irrepressible pride rose from the bottom of her heart.

‘As expected of me! Heh heh heh.’

Yet before the pride could last long, the final scene surfaced in her mind.

Her magic and mental power completely depleted, she had fallen helplessly from thousands of feet in the air.

Just as consciousness was about to fade, a pair of strong, powerful arms had caught her steadily.

It was that horned demon bastard.

This guy… had saved her?

An indescribable, complex warmth rushed uncontrollably to her face, tinting her pale cheeks with a faint blush.

“Ding! Affection increased. Current affection: -29.”

The cold system notification interrupted her thoughts.

Immediately after, a series of unprecedentedly magnificent golden panels exploded before her eyes.

“Ding! Emergency world mission completed: Demonic Race Transmission Gate Descent!”

“Mission completion: S-rank! The host successfully closed the transmission gate and saved Academy City from the falling floating fortress, protecting hundreds of thousands of lives.”

“Mission rewards being distributed…”

“Congratulations to the host for obtaining: 8 million Humiliation Value!”

“Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Demigod-level Time Magic Talent!”

“Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Light + Time fusion magic — [Resurrection]!”

The cascade of notifications made Su Nian’s breathing stutter.

Eight million Humiliation Value!

Plus demigod-level talent and Resurrection!

She could clearly feel that deep within her soul origin, some invisible shackle had been completely shattered.

Her comprehension of the laws of time had instantly reached an astonishing realm.

At the same time, her personal status panel refreshed.

[Overall Strength: Demigod (Lower Position)]

[Charm: 110]

[Total Humiliation Value: 16.57 million]

[Current Humiliation Value: 11.20 million]

[Current Status: Recognition State Lv3, Weakened, Imprisoned, Corruption (41%), Submissive Physique]

[Affection: -29]

Her strength had finally stepped into the demigod realm!

One giant step closer to the goal of one hundred million Humiliation Value—to become a true deity!

So saving the world could actually make her stronger!

Only…

Why was the word “Imprisoned” appearing in her status?

‘Gulp…’

A clear rumble came from her stomach, pulling her back from her complicated emotions into reality.

So hungry.

The weakness of her body and the hunger in her belly urged her forward.

Su Nian struggled, propping her soft, powerless body up with her arms and slowly sitting upright.

She wore a thin, form-fitting silk nightgown; the cool fabric sliding across her skin made her shiver involuntarily.

It was only then that she finally saw clearly the environment she was in.

This place was not some comfortable bedroom at all.

Rough gray-black stone brick walls.

A magic crystal hanging in the corner, emitting dim yellow light.

At the far end of the room stood a heavy door forged of black iron, with only a small observation window for peering inside.

No windows.

The air was damp and stifling.

‘This was… a dungeon.’ Su Nian’s heart sank heavily.

No… that wasn’t right.

She recognized this place.

This wasn’t just any dungeon—it was the deepest part of Shadowmoon Manor… the interrogation chamber!

Could it be that horned demon bastard had finally dropped the act?

He was showing his true colors?

Right at the moment when she had saved the entire city, was revered by tens of thousands, and her reputation had reached its peak—

Was he finally going to tear away every disguise, reveal his real face, and imprison her completely in this sunless place… to do as he pleased day and night…?