Volume 10, Chapter 5 – The Beginning of the Little Demon Lord’s Journey

The moment she spoke, the blue staff in Yisi’s hand bloomed with light as bright as day. In the deep-red world, shrouded by a blood moon, this blazing radiance was like the sun falling to the earth, rendering the entire world white.

This was a Tier 40 magic that could remove negative effects over a vast area. If even [Seraph’s Blessing] couldn’t undo the ‘Eternal Freeze Seal’, it could only mean the ‘Eternal Freeze Seal’ was not a negative status effect. Unfortunately, this was also Tina’s first time using the ‘Eternal Freeze Seal’, so she didn’t know its fundamental nature. Otherwise, she could have applied the correct solution.

After about half a minute, the light that had turned the world white gradually dimmed. Before her vision had even recovered, Yisi reached her hand forward—her palm met a solid and cold surface.

The ‘Eternal Freeze Seal’ was still there.

“Haah… Although I expected this, it’s still frustrating to confirm that it really won’t work…”

After this, Yisi also tried using physical means to force a breakthrough, as well as casting seal-breaking magic on the deep-red amber, but both attempts ended with Yisi deciding to stop. These two methods did have an effect. In her Third Form Awakening, Yisi smashed her fist against the barrier at the base of the city wall. The deep-red amber at the base shattered on impact, but the city wall sealed by the amber also shattered into pieces along with the barrier, like a broken ice sculpture. If even the city walls shattered along with the barrier, the same would certainly happen to Hetty and the others sealed inside.

As for why she stopped trying to break the seal with magic, it was because Yisi had considered something else. The ‘Eternal Freeze Seal’ was formed from Tina’s Demon Lord’s Inheritance and a portion of her life force. If she (Yisi) used magic to break the seal, Tina’s Demon Lord’s Inheritance and life force might not return to Tina. Perhaps only Tina herself could release the seal for the inheritance and other things to return to her.

Realizing this, Yisi stopped wasting time, went straight back to Laxy and Tina, who were still waiting outside, and brought them into the deep-red world.

As Laxy poked the upper half of her body through the rift, she frowned.

“This is the demon world? The air is as turbid as mud—!”

Before she could finish speaking, Laxy, having fully entered the space, plummeted straight toward the ground as if crushed by some heavy weight. Fortunately, Yisi was flying right beside her and caught Laxy’s shoulder before she could even cry out. However, Laxy didn’t regain her ability to fly despite the save. Even when she flapped her wings forcefully, her body wouldn’t rise; she could only hang onto Yisi.

An anti-air barrier?

Laxy’s struggles made Yisi frown slightly. She subconsciously looked up at the petal-shaped barrier in the sky. When she had entered, she had thought it was just a barrier protecting the city and hadn’t paid it any mind. But thinking about it calmly now, the city was in ruins, yet the barrier above it was completely intact. It was simply unbelievable.

Furthermore, Yisi also noticed that Laxy’s magic power was being drained by the petal-shaped barrier.

“Tina, does the Demon Lord’s castle have a petal-shaped barrier in the sky?”

“A petal-shaped barrier?” Tina tilted her head. “There shouldn’t be such a barrier. Did something happen? I heard Laxy’s panicked voice just now.”

While carrying Laxy and Tina and lowering their altitude, Yisi took an ordinary iron spear from her inventory.

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“The fallen angels who invaded the Demon Lord’s castle set up an anti-air and magic-draining barrier before leaving, which is why Laxy almost fell—[Spear Throwing Technique: Star Breaker].”

Although it had no effect on her or Tina (who possessed a Demon Lord’s power), the barrier was a burden for Laxy. Yisi hurled the spear at the sky like a cannon of light. Like a balloon popped by a needle, when the spear pierced the barrier, the petal-shaped barrier quickly shriveled and finally dissolved into a splendid firework, gradually dissipating.

“Ah…” As if witnessing something unbelievable, Laxy stared wide-eyed at the blooming firework.

“My Lord, you destroyed the anti-air field? Even we God-Forged Angels cannot destroy a barrier so easily. Just what is the extent of your strength…”

“That’s why, didn’t I tell you my level, Laxy? At that level, destroying a barrier is just a casual feat, right?”

Laxy faltered and lowered her head, her voice so quiet only Yisi could hear.

“Indeed, if My Lord is level 427, there is no question you could do this. But even Lady Trino never reached that level, let alone a human. This power is almost like a god’s… The gospel guided me, an Angel of Guidance, to find the Hero, so that I could become the Hero’s mentor while she was still young. If the Hero has already reached her peak from the very beginning—” At this point, Laxy’s mouth fell open slightly, and she muttered to herself as if in a daze, “Doesn’t that make me… useless…”

In an instant, even though Laxy didn’t voice her inner feelings, Yisi could tell from her listlessly drooping white wings and her angelic halo, which had dimmed as if about to disappear, that Laxy was utterly dejected.

No, no, Laxy is very useful.

Yisi hurriedly affirmed Laxy’s merits in her mind.

First of all, as long as Laxy stayed in her room, she didn’t have to worry about anyone crawling into her bed at night. Plus, in the morning, Laxy could help her comb her hair and get dressed. For someone like her, who couldn’t comb her own hair and was bad at putting on complex clothes, this was an enormous help. Not to mention Laxy was the only one in the party besides Refina with a huge… bust. Despite her emotional denseness and overly serious personality, that body—so perfect it could be called a work of art—combined with a maid outfit was a treasure. Just looking at her made Yisi’s mood improve. And besides, occasionally she could even enjoy Laxy’s lap pillow.

She had a feeling that if she didn’t explain, Laxy might actually lose her confidence. Yisi first cleared her throat, then consoled her in a joking tone.

“Level 427 is actually a joke. How could I possibly be level 427, ahahaha…”

“My Lord, are you telling the truth? All the power you have displayed along the way is enough to prove your strength.”

“No, no, no, that’s all just thanks to the convenience of items.” Borrowing words Laxy herself had once said, Yisi raised the hand wearing Andrea’s ring and lied without changing her expression. “See? This ring is one of the sources of my power.”

As if trying to find any trace of a lie, Laxy’s gaze wandered back and forth between Yisi’s eyes and the ring.

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“Really?”

“Of course. Didn’t you suspect me before, Laxy? Well, I have to admit, my own strength is pretty high, too.”

As if pondering the truth of Yisi’s words, Laxy frowned seriously, her hand subconsciously rising to her lips. She muttered while nodding repeatedly. “Mhm, if My Lord has a certain amount of strength herself, and then borrows the convenience of powerful items… Indeed, if My Lord were level 427, the gospel’s command would be too strange. Instead of making me the Hero’s mentor, it would be better to make me the Hero’s servant.”

“Well, that’s how it is.”

Yisi spread her hands. Although she valued Laxy’s help in daily life, that didn’t mean Laxy couldn’t teach her about combat. Even now, setting aside the level difference, if she were just like Laxy—with her total magic, magic recovery rate, and magic control all at level 41—she still wouldn’t be able to last ten rounds against Laxy.

Not spending any more time on this topic, Yisi turned and looked down at Tina, who was much shorter than her. Tina’s gaze had been fixed on the amber city. She must have been looking in that direction because she sensed the Demon Lord’s castle, even though she couldn’t see anymore.

Yisi took Tina’s hand and held it gently.

“I tried to break the seal, but I’m worried that if I break it, the Demon Lord’s Inheritance and life force that formed it won’t return to you. So I decided to let you try first. If you try every method and still can’t break the seal, then I’ll think of another way.”

Seeing Tina open her mouth as if to say something, Yisi quickly reached out her index finger and pressed it to Tina’s lips.

“Don’t say things like ‘as long as Hetty and the others are saved, it doesn’t matter what happens to Tina,’ okay? I don’t want to see you permanently lose your sight. Besides, you should think about Hetty and Sandra. If Hetty knew you not only gave up your Demon Lord’s Inheritance but also sacrificed your vision just to save her, do you think she, as one of your subjects, would feel good about it?”

“Mph…” Yisi’s words left Tina speechless.

The former couldn’t help but sigh.

Why are all the young rulers she meets like this? If it were Evelyn, she would definitely choose to get her sight back first and then consider saving the subjects sealed inside. That woman is a complete egoist.

Yisi took a step forward.

“Anyway, let’s go to the barrier’s edge first and let Tina try to release the seal.”

“Mhm.”

Nodding, Tina followed Yisi to the barrier’s edge. Perhaps sensing its presence, Tina stopped on her own when she was just one step away. As if sensing something, she tilted her head slightly, reached out her palm, and pressed it against the barrier. The next moment, like a house dog catching its master’s scent, the spot Tina touched began to glow. The ominous deep-red turned into a gem-like bright red, rippling outwards like water. Then, the barrier she was touching began to melt, visible to the naked eye, like ice meeting a red-hot iron rod.

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She can undo the barrier just by touching it? Observing this scene, Yisi tilted her head in surprise. At first, she thought some special magic would be needed. If she could undo it just by touching it, Tina would regain her sight soon.

“So this is the demon that even a Demon Lord was helpless against…”

While Tina was trying to release the seal, Laxy looked up, her gaze fixed on the goat-headed demon in the city center, which was surrounded by numerous demons and fallen angels. Just as Tina had described, it was a monster covered in black fur, its body the size of a hill. Using the wind dragons Yisi had seen outside Chloe as an example, even four of them combined would not be as large as this goat-headed demon. It had the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a human, topped with a giant goat’s head. Its human-like hands gripped a trident taller than itself. The bulging muscles and the flowing lines of its body, from a purely artistic standpoint, made it a masterpiece that would make countless sculptors sigh in awe.

“Have you seen this kind of demon before, Laxy?”

“My deepest apologies, My Lord. Even I, an Angel of Guidance, have never seen such a demon. I can feel its threat. Even though it’s frozen in the barrier, I feel as if I can’t breathe. And such an existence isn’t even Demon Lord Styx himself… It’s hard to imagine how strong Styx is. It’s still unclear why Styx attacked Tartaros. The Divine Religion prophesied from the gospel that a disaster was imminent. If Demon Lord Styx is that disaster, then absorbing Tartaros’s power now is likely the first step. My Lord, we must hurry.”

Laxy’s beautiful profile was tense, and her body was coiled as if facing a great enemy.

Yisi, meanwhile, alternated between using the [Omniscient Map] and [Eye of God] while she questioned Laxy.

“I remember you said, Laxy, that you were sealed in the ice coffin because you beat up Tartaros on the street. Compared to the Tartaros from a thousand years ago, is this goat-headed demon stronger?”

“…No, the Tartaros from a thousand years ago were stronger. Back then, I was too immature and acted without thinking.”

“I wasn’t trying to blame you, Laxy…”

Withdrawing her gaze from the goat-headed demon, Yisi sighed quietly.

It was a pity this goat-headed demon had human-like features; otherwise, she could have turned it into feed for the Rubber Slimes. Such a huge body, plus its extremely magic-rich flesh, would be enough for the slimes to enjoy for a long time.

As for this goat-headed demon’s strength, like the fallen angels, its race description included ‘Forbidden of Lost Paradise’, so the demon itself didn’t have a ‘level’. Therefore, she didn’t know its level. The only thing she was sure of was that this goat-headed demon was definitely not her opponent.

Five minutes later.

Yisi, waiting behind Tina, gradually frowned.

It was too slow.

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From Yisi’s perspective, the barrier melted by Tina didn’t drip to the ground like water, but rather turned into red magic power and flowed into Tina’s body. Tina’s aura grew as a result, but both the speed of her aura’s growth and the speed at which the barrier melted were excruciatingly slow. Even after five minutes, Tina had only melted a hole just big enough for her elbow to fit through. If she had to melt the barrier at this rate, even a hundred years might not be enough to rescue the people inside. This was, after all, a massive city capable of housing a million people.

Less than a minute later, Tina’s back began to tremble slightly. By the time Yisi walked up, Tina was already clenching her teeth, beads of sweat covering her forehead, looking as if she had completely overdrawn her stamina.

“Tina!”

While shouting, Yisi quickly pulled Tina in front of her. Tina, as if just released from a nightmare, gasped for breath while being supported by Yisi.

“Wh-where am I?”

Was she silent just now because she was trapped in an illusion?

Yisi looked at the [Omniscient Map]—thankfully, other than her magic power being depleted, Tina’s condition was normal.

Unable to see and getting no answer, panic gradually crept onto Tina’s face. She reached out with trembling hands, feeling her surroundings, and asked in a small, thoroughly shaken voice.

“Yisi? Yisi?”

“Ah, I’m here.”

“Huu… Did the seal melt?”

“Mhm, a part of it melted, but there’s still a lot left. I think we need a long-term plan. Let’s go back for now.”

“I see…” A sense of relief spread through her chest. Tina’s brow gradually relaxed. She blinked, preparing to stand up on her own. But just then, Tina’s vacant eyes gradually regained their focus, and her expression filled with shock. “Eh?”

Maintaining her posture of bending over to support Tina, Yisi looked confused.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… My eyes… are they healed?” Staring blankly at Yisi, Tina’s young face lit up with delighted surprise.