The two of them climbed the steep slope, returning once more to the Demon Castle, which had been devastated by Burn.
The scent of sulfur in the air mingled with the smell of fresh blood, while in the distance came the clash of metal and the dying roars of monsters.
The Demon Castle was no longer a unified realm, but a chaotic arena, where the strong devoured the weak, all striving to ascend the path of the Demon King.
Wohard gripped tightly the massive battle axe he had seized just moments ago, its blade still smeared with Slime Mucus.
Sovinia followed behind him, giving clear instructions to guide their way.
They passed through several collapsed corridors, steering clear of tangled demon corpses. In the labyrinthine Demon Castle, Sovinia always managed to find a path, avoiding the battlefields.
Half an hour later, they arrived at a relatively intact area. At the end of the corridor stood a huge Obsidian Gate, its surface carved with intricate runes that now flickered with light.
In front of the gate, a group of demons of all shapes and sizes were gathered.
They stood atop the freshly dead bodies of over a dozen of their own kind, their feet soaked in blood.
One demon, bloated and covered in green pustules, pressed its palm against the gate. The Obsidian Gate sizzled and hissed as if being corroded, yet it showed no damage.
Beside it, another demon, bulging with muscle, skin bright red and horns jutting from his head, was hammering at the door with a giant war hammer. Each blow landed with a heavy boom, but the gate didn’t budge an inch.
Sovinia poked just half her head out from around the corner.
“Didn’t get enough fighting? Or have you run out of strength?”
“The Vault of Kimi is inside. Who doesn’t want it?” The Blood God Warrior put down his war hammer, panting. “But this door is tougher than the Queen of Demons herself—no matter what we do, we can’t get it open!”
A demon with a head covered in blue feathers piped up in a shrill voice, “Fool, this is a Seal Spell of Transmutation! Brute force won’t help—you have to use finesse.”
As he spoke, he yanked out one of his own feathers and chanted a spell at the gate. The feather floated toward the door, and the moment it touched the runes, it turned to ash.
“Your tricks are useless too!” the putrid demon mocked. “They say Kimi was beheaded by the Hero, but now I’m not so sure—maybe he’s still alive, just hiding in there, laughing at us.”
At that, the mood among the demons turned chilly.
“Impossible!” The Blood God Warrior stopped and retorted at once. “That explosion in the throne room made even the Demon King disappear. No matter how strong Lord Kimi was, he’s dead for sure. I heard the Hero sliced off his head and sent it flying!”
Sovinia thought to herself: If this keeps spreading, my nickname will end up as Kimi the Flying Head… What a bunch of idiots.
That door was sealed completely when I left. It’s no longer a door—it’s a wall, fused with my bedchamber itself, merely disguised as a door.
At that moment, a larger head appeared above hers. It was Wohard. His soot-stained, sticky face leaned close to Sovinia, and as he spoke, his breath stirred her silver hair.
“Looks like we won’t be resting in Kimi the Coldhearted’s bedchamber today.” Wohard kept his voice low. “Shall we find a hidden spot to rest instead? I’ve stayed there before—it’s fairly safe.”
Sovinia glanced up at him. Wohard’s height forced her to look up, a fact she found rather irritating.
She thought: Once I get my head back and regain my two-meter-tall body, the first thing I’ll do is smash your head into your chest with a hammer—let’s see you look down at people then.
With that, she slipped back behind the corner, putting some distance between herself and Wohard so she didn’t have to look up. “Who said we’re taking the main door? Come with me—I know a shortcut.”
***
She led Wohard back quietly, distancing themselves from the demons still struggling in vain. Sticking close to the wall, they came to an unremarkable stone wall.
Sovinia reached out her slender fingers and pressed a few bricks. Her movements were precise and practiced, without a hint of hesitation.
With the final press, the stone wall made no sound, but a Hidden Passage silently slid open, just wide enough for one person, revealing a pitch-black corridor.
She bent down and beckoned for Wohard to go in.
Wohard peeked into the dark opening, glanced back at the sounds of battle echoing down the hallway, and asked,
“You sure there isn’t a bigger Slime, or one of Kimi’s pets hiding in there?”
“It might not be safe,” Sovinia replied, her voice echoing slightly in the narrow passage, “but it’s better than being found by those idiots. Besides, there’s food inside.”
The word “food” clearly worked.
Wohard said, “Let’s hope Kimi the Coldhearted’s food isn’t too… demonic.”
He ducked into the Secret Door with his battle axe. As he entered, he glanced back at Sovinia. She fished around in a small hole in the wall, pulled a cord, and the door slid shut.
“Seriously, Miss Sovinia,” he joked half-heartedly, “you’re so skilled at this—it’s almost like this place is your home.”
Sovinia’s hand paused mid-motion. Her heart skipped a beat.
Has he figured it out? Maybe. Stupid dog is surprisingly sharp. Even spotted the tiny cracks in my otherwise flawless act. No wonder he could lop my head off with one blow. I’ll have to lie.
Her mind raced, struggling to conjure up a convincing excuse—but nothing came to her.
As usual, she fell silent, her face expressionless as always.
Between them, the air turned heavy. In the Hidden Passage, only their breathing could be heard.
The mood turned cold in an instant.
Green fire flickered to life in the passage, its glow falling on Sovinia’s icy face.
Whatever lightheartedness Wohard had felt was snuffed out immediately.
What he saw was the empty gaze of a victim. The rumors of Kimi the Coldhearted’s cruelty to slaves flashed through his mind.
His guilt swelled.
What a bastard I am, he thought. I just joked about her trauma.
Guilt swallowed Wohard whole. He wanted to apologize, but any words seemed meaningless. So he too fell silent.
The two of them walked the rest of the Hidden Passage in silence.
***
When they emerged from the far end of the wall, their view opened up—the bedchamber of the First Heavenly King, Kimi the Coldhearted.
The bedchamber was small, even spartan.
A stone bed draped with black sheets stood against one wall; opposite it, a desk half-burned by fire, with scorched papers scattered atop.
A door in the corner led to a bathroom. In stark contrast to the plain bedroom, an open door on the other side revealed a vast Practice Hall.
Wohard guessed the space was big enough for two knights to joust with lances.
Inside the Practice Hall, racks of weapons lined the walls, practice dummies covered in sword scars, and the floor was etched with complicated Summoning Circles. The air still seemed tinged with the scent of sulfur and steel.
But what drew the eye most was the corpse slumped beside the burned desk.
An elderly maid in a gray Servant’s Uniform, her body twisted unnaturally on the ground, neck snapped a full one hundred eighty degrees, her wrinkled face staring at her own back, eyes bulging, mouth wide open.
Sovinia’s gaze swept the room, pausing on the corpse. Helana VII. She recited the name in her mind, utterly emotionless.
Sovinia remembered the feel of snapping her neck—crisp and clean.
“I thought the First Heavenly King’s room would be stacked with gold and bones,” Wohard broke the silence, looking around. “Didn’t expect him to be so… simple? Other than that Practice Hall, it looks like he spent most of his time there.”
Yes, I spent a long time here.
Sovinia felt everything had changed.
This was the source of her power, her only private space. She’d dreamed of killing the Queen of Demons, claiming the highest throne, then living here—always living here, practicing by day, and going out to cut people down by night, a life both simple and warm.
That lovely thought filled her with anxiety. The Queen of Demons wasn’t dead—she was sure of it. The Queen couldn’t possibly die so easily.
That woman would likely return to the Demon Castle, perhaps even come here. In her current state, if she ran into her…
And besides, there was a Hero at her side who could expose her identity at any moment.
No, she had to act quickly.
***
“I’ll go find some food.” Her voice betrayed no emotion. “You’re tired—rest here a bit.”
She strode across the room, her long legs quickly carrying her past the center. Sovinia walked by Helana VII’s corpse, her eyes lingering on the old woman’s twisted face for just a moment—no more than that.
Without hesitation, she pushed open an inconspicuous little door in the corner of the bedchamber.
Behind it was the Kitchen.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.