Chapter 9 - 9
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
[Abyssal Demon], Are creatures that embraced the power of Demon Lord, These entities are the nightmare of all races on the continent.
Whenever Abyssal Demon appears, the various races of the continent set aside their differences and join forces to combat this terrifying disaster.
these brutal and bloodthirsty Demons tear apart and devour all living things, bringing death, curse, and other disasters to the entire continent.
Everyone is filled with terror and wishes to eliminate them as quickly as possible.
However, the power of Abyssal Demons is not something ordinary people can match.
Even trained armies and knights of the church must pay a painful price to defeat them.
Faced with these creatures, most people have only one choice: [ run for their lives].
But where did these Demons come from?
Initially, the people on the continent had no knowledge.
They only knew that these creatures first appeared thousands of years ago in the icy Winter Forest in the north.
After generations of sacrifice and hard work to investigate Winter Forest, the mystery was finally unveiled.
[Demon Temple]
This ancient Temple deep in Winter Forest is the source of all evil.
The Temple contains strange and eerie black energy, which gives birth to Abyssal Demons.
Ordinary monsters or animals in Winter Forest, when exposed to this black energy, become extremely bloodthirsty and ferocious, hostile to almost all living things, and their power increases.
These creatures infected with Shadow energy are known as Abyssal Demons.
Abyssal Demons originate from Demon Temple, and it is the evil power within the Temple that brings them into existence!
The scholars on the continent quickly reached this conclusion.
With the announcement of this finding, the entire continent erupted into chaos.
To end the tragedy caused by Abyssal Demons, all major races and empires formed a grand coalition, marching toward Winter Forest with the goal of finding Demon Temple and destroying it.
However, People underestimated the number of Abyssal Demons Inside the Forest.
Abyssal Demons harbor deep enmity toward other species and instinctively launch attacks on areas where people gather.
When the coalition army confidently entered the forest, it inevitably drew the attention of countless Abyssal Demons.
Among them, some Abyssal Demons had reached the terrifying level of a Demon Kings
(demon kings = 8th level).
In the end, the coalition army was defeated, and less than one-tenth of the people who entered the forest returned alive.
Since then, the various forces on the continent no longer dared to actively assemble troops and enter Winter Forest.
At most, they sent small teams of three to five people to infiltrate and attempt to complete the "beheading mission" without attracting the attention of other Abyssal Demons.
Of course, these actions usually resulted in all members being declared "missing."
As a result, the major forces decided to switch to defense, building fortifications outside Winter Forest to prevent Abyssal Demons from leaving.
In this way, hundred years passed "peacefully."
However, three hundred years ago, the major empires and races made an astonishing discovery.
The number of Abyssal Demons found around the forest was rapidly decreasing!
While there used to be more than forty sightings of Abyssal Demons every month, a hundred years ago, there were only a dozen or so per month, and now there are fewer than ten per year.
This naturally raised suspicions that something had happened in the Winter Forest, causing the decline in Abyssal Demon numbers.
[Perhaps the strange energy within the Demon Temple was weakening? Did this mean that the danger of entering the cold and frosty Winter Forest had decreased?]
As more and more speculations arose, elite teams from various forces gathered the courage to venture into the cold land once again.
They had only one objective: [Demon Temple].
In Winter Forest, near Chegwa Glacier, a team of five adventurers sat quietly, preparing themselves while cautiously guarding against sudden Abyssal Demon attacks.
The five-member team was composed of strong and sturdy people, wearing white robes with rare golden threads embroidered on them, forming a symbol resembling a pair of wings. If there were others present, seeing this distinctive pattern would easily know their identity.
They hailed from Asumos Church, the most powerful Church on the entire continent.
Led by the brave hero Pix, one of the 10 apostles, the team of five had been dispatched by the Pope as "special forces" to investigate Winter Forest.
However, among the team of five, there was an exceptionally unusual presence—a little girl dressed in tattered clothes, delicate and cute, with beautiful gray double ponytails and bright, lively eyes.
Her young, innocent face combined with her slender and petite figure couldn't help but evoke sympathy.
Despite her youth, the little girl was undoubtedly a rare beauty, promising a bright future.
Yet, her beautiful face, side by side with her shabby clothing, emitted an uncanny aura.
The little girl seemed out of place before the hero, Pix, causing him to furrow his brow in confusion.
'Something seems strange...'
'Judging by her attire, this little girl is undoubtedly from a poor family. Could she be one of the wild children from Morra village? But how can a child from such a place have skin as fair as the North's glistening water?'
Pix began to doubt the girl's true identity.
However, no matter how he observed her, he couldn't sense any trace of magic, aura, energy, or the unique power of Abyssal Demons' [Shadow] emanating from the little girl.
'Is she just an ordinary girl? An ordinary little girl in this cold and big Winter Forest? How is that possible?'
Pix's watery blue eyes filled with confusion and suspicion.
While contemplating the girl's identity, Beckham, a tall man sitting next to Pix, stood up and approached the little girl, holding a piece of bread in his hand.
Amid the team's strange gazes, Beckham smiled and squatted down in front of the little girl, offering her the bread.
"Here you go, little one. This bread is for you."
"Really? Thank you uncle!"
The little girl looked up with joyous eyes at the black and burly man before her.
"Hehehe~ Eat slowly."
Receiving Beckham's nod, the little girl excitedly took the bread, holding it in her hand like a precious treasure, gradually lowering her guard around the group.
Observing this, Beckham smiled with satisfaction and noticed the simple wooden hairpin adorning the little girl's head.
The hairpin itself was roughly crafted, lacking artistic value, but it stood out due to the two delicate and exquisite white little birds with red crowns standing atop it.
This amused Beckham, and he asked the little girl with curiosity,
"Are these two little birds your pets? What are their names?"
"Butterfly and Crystal," replied the little girl.
As Beckham played with the two small little birds, he sat next to the little girl, his actions carrying a hidden meaning.
Seeing the girl's lack of reaction, he even reached out and patted her shoulder, his smile gradually turning lecherous...
His four teammates, including Pix, couldn't help but display looks of disgust.
Of course, Beckham paid no mind to his companions' disgusted stares. His attention was fully fixated on the little girl's beautiful face and youthful body.
Certain pervert thoughts were constantly breeding in his mind...
Seeing that the girl was not uncomfortable or unhappy with his arm around her shoulder, Beckham became even more reckless, his massive body sticking closer to the little girl.
'This little beauty is just what I was looking for~~'
"Little one, why did you come to Winter Forest alone? Even the outskirts are very dangerous."
"I came here to find food. Dangerous? Is it really dangerous here?"
The little girl blinked curiously, her emerald eyes full of innocence.
As he looked into the innocent eyes of the little girl, Beckham became even more excited.
"That's only natural; this is the Winter Forest. With your small body, encountering an Abyss Demon would surely be dangerous. Oh, wait a minute, Uncle will take you back. Where is your home?"
"No need, Uncle, I can go back by myself. But, isn't it dangerous here? Why did you come here?"
"Haha, Uncle and his team are elite forces under the" Sunlight" squad of Asumos Church. We came here to Find the legendary 'Demon Temple' "
Beckham laughed and said, intending to use his identity under the Sunlight squad of Asumos to gain the trust of this innocent girl.
However, the moment he spoke, the smile on the little girl's face gradually disappeared, replaced by an indescribable killing intent.
Her emerald eyes also emitted a strange red light, and the surrounding atmosphere became even colder.
"Looking for Demon temple? You... are looking for my Mother too?"
When Beckham heard the words of the gray-haired little girl, he shook his head in disbelief and couldn't hold back his laughter. He found it hard to believe what he was hearing.
"Little one, what else can you do at the Demons Temple? Figure out its location. If possible, destroy it? Otherwise, what else can you do there? We're not like those cultists who expect to gain power from the Demons Temple."
While shaking his head and sighing at the little girl's ignorance, Beckham patted her shoulder. However, as he continued to pat her, Beckham's eyebrows furrowed.
'Huh?'
' Wait, didn't this country girl just say something strange? '
"Wait a minute? Little one, what did you just say? Your mother? What does that mean?"
But in response to Beckham's question, the bright smile that had remained on the little girl's face had disappeared, replaced by a sinister smirk.
"Of course, just like those people before you, you all are so arrogant."
"Arrogant? What are you talking about, you country girl?"
"Exactly what it sounds like, I'm saying you're stupid."
"What?! How dare you..."
Feeling the contempt in the little girl's jade-colored eyes, Beckham's muscles tensed as he was extremely displeased with being underestimated by this wild little girl.
He wanted to teach her a lesson, and when she cried out beneath him, she would know the consequences of insulting a member of the 'Sunlight' squad.
However, just as Beckham's right hand was about to tear off the little girl's thin clothes, an unprecedented surge of pain suddenly shot through his brain from his right arm.
In the next moment, with Beckham's dumbfounded gaze,
His right arm, which was holding onto the little girl's shoulder,
Was torn off by her alive and kicking...
Suddenly,
Blood splattered everywhere,
The bright red blood gushing from the severed arm stained Beckham's white robe and covered the little girl in a layer of bloody veil.
'What?!'
'Huh?'
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! My... my... my arm!!!! What the hell did you do?!!!"
The intense pain caused Beckham to scream in agony, and he looked at the little girl with a resentful and incredulous gaze.
He had not felt any energy fluctuations from her body?!
She was just an ordinary little girl, right?!
How, How could she tear off his arm directly?!!
Beckham's brain was already occupied by emotions of terror and doubt, and he tried to understand what was happening.
Unfortunately,
The little girl had no intention of giving him time to think.
"Butterfly, Crystal, it's time for dinner."
The harmless little girl said calmly,
After the words come out of her mouth,
The two small white birds, which were quiet and peaceful just a moment ago, suddenly grew rapidly and became crazed, transforming into a bloodthirsty monster with red eyes and emitting a horrifying black aura!
At the instant when Beckham sensed this energy, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
"Abyssal Demons?!!!"
Beckham couldn't believe that this was his final word.
Before he could even react, the bird's sharp wings sliced through his waist like a blade, tearing apart the strapping two-meter-tall man in two.
The ground was stained with bright red blood, and the flying intestines further fueled the bird's ferocity.
After emitting a piercing and eerie screech, the two birds suddenly turned into two black lights and attacked the four remaining members of the church, who were staring in shock.
In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains trembled, as the demon-shaped monster's sinister laughter and the church members' desperate screams shattered the silence along the riverbank.
"Lily!!!"
As he watched his teammate get their heart ripped out by the demon birds, Pix trembled as he gripped his sword hilt, his hatred like a burst dam flooding his reason.
"You bastard!!!"
Staring fiercely at the little girl not far away, Pix let out a heart-wrenching roar.
Though he didn't know how this little girl could command abyssal demons, she was undoubtedly the mastermind.
It was she who summoned those two abyssal demons to launch a surprise attack on his unprepared teammate!
The thought of avenging his comrade occupied Pix's mind.
A powerful blue sword aura burst out of his body, attaching itself to the holy sword in his hand, turning it into a five-meter-long giant sword radiating destructive power! The powerful strength of [sword saint (7th Tier)] was fully unleashed at this moment.
The sky trembled, and the earth groaned.
The powerful sword energy caused the space to gradually warp, and the two demon birds beside him even trembled and involuntarily stepped back.
"Die!!"
Roaring with anger, Pix suddenly turned into a lightning bolt and rushed straight toward the little girl, His sword pointing directly at her neck.
However, in the face of the brave warrior's powerful attack, the little girl still wore that cruel smile, tilted her head, and pretended to be surprised.
"Sister!! Someone's bullying me!!"
' Wait, sister?! She has a companion?! '
As these words were spoken, an unsettling feeling suddenly arose within Pix.
And In the next moment, this feeling became a reality.
With a deafening roar, a white giant wolf suddenly rushed out of the flames, its blood-red vertical pupils filled with killing intent and a strong bloodthirsty impulse!
The moment its eyes locked onto him, he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.
And when he felt the thick black energy surrounding the giant wolf, Pix revealed a look of shock and despair.
"How is this possible A... Demon, A Demon king ....?!!"
After the shock, death was imminent.
The wolf's sharp teeth tore Pix's great sword into pieces, and all of his defenses, including his sword aura, magic shield, and the tough armor specially prepared by the Church, were all shattered under the wolf's bite, leaving nothing behind.
What also shattered was Pix's flesh and bloody body.
....
....
....
Lowering her head to look at the five bodies that had already been torn apart, the little girl disdainfully stroked her gray hair.
"Why are there more and more idiots like these lately? It's really annoying"
The little girl complained indifferently, muttering a few words before turning her head to look at the white giant wolf tearing apart the body of the deceased hero.
"Don't eat them, sister! If Mommy sees you, she'll scold you again!"
However, the giant wolf seemed to pay no attention to the little girl's warning and instead ripped off the head of the deceased and held it in its mouth. With a deep voice, the wolf spoke slowly:
"This human has a lot of energy inside~ It would be a waste not to eat it~~ Also, Mommy isn't here right now, so don't worry~"
"Sigh, sister, why do you never learn?"
The little girl sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hand.
"Never mind, don't blame me for not warning you when you get scolded later."
"It's okay, It's okay, Mommy isn't here anyway so it's fine~~."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Hmm? What do you mean, Liyu?"
Instinctively, the giant wolf sensed something was wrong and looked at her sister who was smirking behind her.
Soon, the wolf realized the reason for Liyu's smile, as the space behind them had already twisted at that moment.
Looking at the bloody spatial array that appeared without warning in front of them, along with the bloody butterflies floating near the array, the giant wolf was stunned, and the head it held in its mouth fell to the ground.
"No, no...This is too much of a coincidence...."
In the next moment
a flickering red light appeared, and a girl dressed in exquisite and elegant black robes and gauze appeared before them.
The girl appeared to be around sixteen years old, possessing a slender figure that exuded a subtle charm of youthfulness.
Her silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the tips of her hair were as bright red as blood.
Her snow-white skin was as clear as jade, and her exquisite features seemed like a masterpiece created by the Creator himself, stunning enough to make all things pale in comparison.
Her bright and clear Crimson-red eyes, like rubies, were filled with bewitching magic.
And as the black-haired girl squinted her eyes slightly, an overwhelming aura from a higher being was present.
and in the next moment,
The black-haired girl pursed her lips and angrily scolded,
"Limo! How many times have I told you not to eat those things? You stinky brat, is your butt itching again?"
The girl's voice was melodious, like the sound of a clear spring, but there was an indescribable sense of domination in it.
The giant wolf named Limo trembled in fear, whimpering and even shrinking into a little husky, hiding behind her sister 'Liyu' with a timid expression, looking at the black-haired girl.
Seeing this, the black-haired girl shook her head helplessly, then looked sternly at the gray-haired girl protecting Limo.
"Liyu, you too! Didn't I tell you not to provoke the church people? I still need them to help the 'heroine'!"
"Sorry, Mommy,"
Liyu obediently nodded.
However, there were no hints of regret in her emerald eyes.
In short, it was like she was saying:
[I know I did wrong, but I'll do it again next time...]
Sighing, the black-haired girl, named Yumo, who Was the creator of Limo and Liyu, rubbed her head with her index finger.
"Why are you two so difficult to deal with..."