Pant… pant…
A hot breath and a gentle breeze brushed past Liyakade’s face.
The tip of her nose was filled with the scorched smell of sulfur and molten rock.
The crackling sound of burning echoed in her ears.
This familiar smell and sound—every signal made Liyakade understand that Korim had come to see her again.
“Oh my, Liyakade, long time no see. I feel like you’re full of energy today. Did you eat something good?”
A soft, sweet voice sounded in front of Liyakade.
She opened her eyes.
On the black steps, a small, white figure was lounging casually, sitting cross-legged atop the tall throne.
Vaguely, Liyakade could almost see a glimpse of the scenery beneath Korim’s skirt.
Liyakade immediately felt a surge of heat rising within her.
“…Boss, Great Ancestor, Lady Korim, could you please act a little more ladylike when you appear? Don’t always sit cross-legged on the throne like that. If you do, won’t people down on the steps be able to see everything at a glance? Hasn’t any clan member ever told you that before…”
“Hee hee, isn’t sitting like this so the clan members can get a better view? Rather, back in the day, I didn’t even wear…”
“Alright, alright! Stop right there, don’t keep going!”
Liyakade quickly raised her hand to interrupt Korim.
‘If all the ancestors were really like this, wouldn’t that mean they could throw a party in the city every day? That would be… actually not bad?’
Liyakade quickly shook her head, shaking that stray thought out of her mind.
It was always like this when she came here.
She would inexplicably fall into Korim’s rhythm.
No wonder she was the ancestor of the Succubi.
Every gesture could stir Liyakade’s desires.
“So, Korim, why did you suddenly come to see me?”
“Hahaha, your elder felt that the energy inside you seemed very full, so I came to see what was going on. Speaking of which, you’ve seemed to be in a bad mood these past few days. Did something happen?”
“Ugh… don’t even mention it. It’s about that thing I told you last time. Korim, didn’t you say that as long as I don’t use Blood Magic, the awakening level of my bloodline won’t increase anymore?”
Mentioning this, Liyakade felt a bit defeated.
She recalled what Korim had said during their last conversation.
She clearly hadn’t used Blood Magic anymore, so why did it feel increasingly difficult to get close to Alice?
“I haven’t used Blood Magic at all these days, so why does even just touching Alice now feel so uncomfortable?”
“Hehe, whose fault is it that you left in such a hurry last time? You ran off before your elder could finish speaking.”
Korim giggled, playfully teasing Liyakade.
“Okay, okay, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have run off so fast last time. Korim, can you tell me what’s really going on?”
Seeing Korim still teasing her, Liyakade quickly admitted her mistake.
She really didn’t have the mood or energy to keep bantering with Korim lately.
Dealing with her relationship with Alice was already exhausting her.
“Actually, even if you stop changing, that Light Element Magic user—Alice—will continue to change. The higher her level, the stronger the Light Element she unconsciously emits. I’m sure you can feel it now. Even without releasing any Magic Power, she’s like a blazing mass of Light Element energy, isn’t she?”
“…It does feel a bit like that. Ugh…”
Liyakade helplessly grabbed her silver-white hair.
‘No wonder they say Light Element Magic users are the bane of the Demon Race. Once Alice grows to a certain level, just walking past a group of low-ranking demons would probably terrify a bunch of Monsters into not daring to move, let alone attack her. Once her level reaches a certain point, Alice is essentially wearing reflective armor. If you try to attack her with physical techniques, you’d have to first consider whether you can withstand the damage from the Light Element counterattack.’
“Oh, right, Korim. I found a plant today.”
Of course, Liyakade hadn’t forgotten about the Purple Mist Vine Grass.
Her intuition told her that this exotic plant, Purple Mist Grass, was inextricably linked to the Demon Race.
It just so happened that Korim had come to see her today, so Liyakade could ask about it all at once.
“This plant is called Purple Mist Core Grass. Korim, do you have any idea what this exotic plant is?”
“Aha, that’s it. Did you eat some today, Liyakade?”
“Huh?”
Hearing Korim’s question, Liyakade lightly raised an eyebrow.
‘It seems my intuition was right.’
“Korim, how did you know? I didn’t eat it, but I think I inhaled a lot of its powder. Do you know what this thing is?”
“Of course. This is a unique exotic plant from our Magic Domain. Because the energy within it is too abundant, even to the point of being violent, very few races besides the Demon Race can consume it without side effects. Even for a Demon Race member consuming it for the first time, it can cause some emotional instability or similar issues.”
Hearing Korim’s explanation, Liyakade suddenly found it a bit hard to accept.
She had originally thought this stuff was similar to the forbidden items from before she crossed over.
Now it seemed this thing was quite different from those forbidden items.
And based on what Korim said, after her first consumption, it did cause emotional instability.
But more than that, it had actually stirred up sexual desire, making her unable to resist getting intimate with Alice in the carriage.
That seemed like a manifestation of excess energy, too?
“So, tell me more about it. What kind of consequences would occur if a Human consumed this Purple Mist Core Grass?”
Korim lightly tapped her own cheek with a jade-like finger, putting on a thoughtful expression before speaking.
“If consumed in small amounts, it has a numbing effect on the nerves, probably acting as a painkiller.”
“If the dosage isn’t controlled properly, it leads to a feeling of Spirit Rampage.”
“Spirit Rampage? What’s that?”
Liyakade repeated the term curiously.
She had never heard of such a thing before.
“It’s probably a high-speed leap of the spirit, or rather, the soul. In a state of Spirit Rampage, the soul’s speed is much faster than the normal flow of time. Simply put, the soul enters double speed, or even multiple times speed, while the body remains at single speed.”
“Is… is that so? So that’s a thing!?”
“Yes, yes.”
Korim nodded deeply in agreement.
She continued explaining the side effects of Purple Mist Core Grass on humans to Liyakade.
“Although a Human’s mental strength can barely keep up with the effects of Purple Mist Core Grass, their body can’t. Therefore, it produces a feeling similar to Soul Departure. That’s why most Humans who take Purple Mist Core Grass experience symptoms like weakness throughout the body and an inability to control it—because the body can’t support it. As for the hallucinations, they are sensations produced by the Spirit Rampage and the body’s misalignment. The soul and the body see different things, which is why they are perceived as hallucinations.”
“Then… what about the addictiveness of Purple Mist Core Grass? Also, I heard this exotic plant is harmful to the human body. Why is that?”
Based on Korim’s explanation, Purple Mist Core Grass wasn’t actually a bad thing.
It was completely different from the forbidden items from before her crossing.
It was just that humans had misunderstood its true use.
But Liyakade still found it hard to accept.
If Purple Mist Core Grass really wasn’t that evil, then wouldn’t that mean Vidar wasn’t that much of a scumbag either?
“Of course, it’s because of the pleasure of the soul surpassing the body.”
Korim spoke with a serious tone.
“Since Liyakade-chan has already consumed Purple Mist Core Grass, you can try taking a whole plant next time. It can temporarily boost your overall combat power by about two to three times. Doesn’t this feeling of being filled with Magic Power make you intoxicated? Of course, ordinary humans certainly can’t enjoy this feeling of endless Magic Power. They probably only get the feeling of Soul Departure.”
“As for the physical damage, that’s of course because the human body is too weak. Such a massive energy impact doesn’t nourish their bodies; instead, it causes their bodies and organs to rapidly消耗, accelerating aging. That’s the real reason for the physical damage.”
“I see…”
Liyakade’s tone sounded a bit disappointed, which piqued Korim’s curiosity.
“What’s wrong? You seem really down after hearing all that, Liyakade-chan?”
“…Yeah, I am pretty down.”
“Is that so? Did something happen? Can you tell me about it?”
Seeing Liyakade’s dejected look, Korim changed from her earlier seductive demeanor and, like a caring older sister, gently asked about Liyakade’s troubles.
And when faced with Korim like this, Liyakade easily let down her guard.
After all, this was the only person in the world connected to her by blood.
“We ran into a bad guy. To target us, he poisoned the water source that a lot of people drink from. What he put in was Purple Mist Core Grass powder. We all thought this bad guy was a scumbag. But… now that you’ve explained it, it feels like you’re telling me that he’s not that bad?”
“Hahaha, that’s not the case at all.”
Korim covered her mouth and laughed, then gently stroked Liyakade’s little head.
Only at times like this did Korim show her loving and maternal side.
She gently comforted Liyakade.
“While I said Purple Mist Core Grass is useful for the Demon Race, that’s only for the Demon Race. Unprocessed Purple Mist Core Grass is a deadly poison for humans, of that there is no doubt. Moreover, no one among humans currently knows the true effects of Purple Mist Core Grass. The person you mentioned is absolutely a complete and utter villain!”
Hearing this, Liyakade finally understood.
Purple Mist Core Grass might not be that bad, but the person who used it was definitely a bad guy.
Saying Vidar and his men were all scumbags was absolutely correct!
“…Thank you, Korim. I understand now!”
“Alright, now that you understand, come over and let your big sister give you a kiss~”
“No, no way!”
Seeing Korim lunging at her again, Liyakade quickly dodged aside.
“You… you’re how many years older than me? And you’re still making me call you ‘big sister’ as if you’re young!”
“Age is just a number. On the surface, we look the same age, right? If anything, my place there might even be softer than yours…”
“Don’t talk about that kind of stuff!”
“Fine, fine.”
Hearing this, Liyakade’s face turned bright red.
She couldn’t understand how Korim could always suddenly jump from a serious conversation to an H topic.
And… what Korim said was probably true.
Because Korim’s body was still untouched, while she had already experienced a threesome with Alice and Field.
Korim’s place was probably indeed softer than hers.
“Oh, by the way, Korim. I noticed that after I got back today, touching Alice didn’t feel uncomfortable anymore. Is that also because of the Purple Mist Core Grass? What’s the principle behind it?”
“That’s of course because your strength has increased.”
Korim took a step back and circled around Liyakade.
“Your Magic Power has increased quite a bit, so naturally you have more Magic Power to resist the Light Element that Alice unintentionally emits. Moreover, doesn’t Purple Mist Core Grass have a certain pain-relieving effect? You naturally wouldn’t feel that tiny bit of remaining pain.”
“I see.”
Liyakade nodded, indicating that she understood the reason.
Since that was the case, could she continuously consume Purple Mist Core Grass to resist Alice’s Light Element’s encroachment on her?
After pondering for a moment, Liyakade asked Korim about this question.
“Korim, could I continuously rely on consuming Purple Mist Core Grass to resist Alice’s Light Element? Is that possible?”
“That won’t work.”
Korim shook her head, denying Liyakade’s idea.
“Purple Mist Core Grass is just a temporarily boosting herb for your Magic Power. If you keep eating it, the Demon Race’s constitution will quickly develop a resistance to it. Not only will the boosting effect decrease, but the pain-relieving effect will also completely disappear. It can barely help for a short period, but in the long run, it will become ineffective.”
“I see…”
Liyakade felt a bit disappointed.
She had thought she had found a real solution, but in reality, this method of relying on Purple Mist Core Grass was just a temporary fix.
Liyakade looked up at Korim again and pressed for an answer.
“Is there really a method that can truly solve this problem once and for all?”
“…Let your elder think.”
Korim fluttered her wings, floated up from the ground, and circled around Liyakade twice, as if deep in thought.
Then she slowly stopped in front of Liyakade and spoke.
“There are two methods. The first is for your level to always be in a range where you overwhelmingly surpass Alice.”
“Overwhelmingly surpass? Specifically, how much?”
Hearing Korim’s words, Liyakade looked confused.
‘To overwhelmingly surpass Alice in level… My level is already much, much higher than Alice’s. Isn’t that already considered overwhelming?’
“A difference of at least LV.40 can be considered overwhelming.”
“What? How is that possible?”
Liyakade felt this was an impossible task.
It was easier when levels were low, like when she first met Alice.
She had been training for several more years than Alice back then, allowing her to be LV.40 higher.
But now, their levels were already high.
Having played this game, Liyakade of course knew that leveling up would only get harder.
Each level required immense effort and a massive accumulation of experience.
Leveling up was getting harder for her, while Alice was actually still in a phase of rapid level growth.
Even if Liyakade trained like crazy, she could never widen the gap to forty levels again.
“That’s way too hard, isn’t it? Is there a second method?”
Liyakade immediately dismissed the first method.
Unless Alice stopped training, there was absolutely no way Liyakade could overwhelmingly surpass her in level.
And Liyakade couldn’t stop Alice from continuing to train.
They were facing the threat from the prophecy.
Although Liyakade knew some of the story’s developments, just like the appearance of Darkness, no one knew if Liyakade’s actions would cause a butterfly effect, leading to even stronger enemies.
Therefore, Alice’s training absolutely could not stop.
“The second method.”
Saying this, Korim’s tone suddenly became serious, and she spoke to Liyakade with solemnity.
“That is to inherit the complete Inheritance from your elder and become the true Demon King.”
“Th-this, what does that mean?”
The second method Korim mentioned was clearly more shocking than the first.
Hearing this, Liyakade couldn’t even speak properly.
“T-tell me more details!”
“Every Demon King Candidate has their own unique Inheritance. The Inheritance can be passed down to descendants of the same race, but it cannot be given to another race, nor can it be stolen. If it cannot be passed down successfully, that unique ability will disappear. After becoming the Demon King, this Inheritance will fully awaken. As for our clan’s Inheritance, that is…”
“Sulfur Karmic Fire. The Sin Fire that never extinguishes within the Magic Domain, with no possibility of redemption. A flame that does not fear even the Light Element.”