Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Chapter 1896  Creatures of Lust: Empusas

Step. Step. Step.

The sounds of multiple footsteps resounded in the large hollowed corridors of the old castle.

As soon as Jolly and his two female companions entered the old and worn-out castle, they sensed the presence of multiple demonic entities.

It was as if they had entered the den of shapeshifting snakes that hissed and talked in a weird humanoid language with each other in the shadows as soon as they laid their eyes on Jolly and the two ladies.

Soon, Jolly and Shaai found the source of the hisses and hushed voices.

These were spectral beings that emerged from the shadows as if the shadows were their birthplace. These were spectral beings that were manifested as demonic humanoids using the Lust Mana before being granted consciousness.

Jolly and his two companions soon found themselves surrounded by these demonic beings. "What… what are these weird creatures?"

Shaai asked as she looked at the demonic creatures with part caution and part curiosity. Each of these demonic creatures was only as strong as B-Ranked practitioners. As such, they were no threat to Jolly, Shaai, or Yona.

However, their sheer numbers were going to be a headache. Plus, Shaai had not heard of or seen these demonic creatures in Labh Salem's recent history.

"These are what they call Creatures of Lust. A very powerful variety among them," Yona replied with a neutral face as she looked at her enemies. "In some worlds, they are referred to as Empusas," she concluded before taking out her string instrument once again.

'Damn. These are some hot demonesses,' Jolly thought to himself as he looked at his enemies in a very particular way. One couldn't blame him for developing some kind of sympathy for his enemies after knowing about what his enemies really looked like.

The Empusas, sinister beings born from the depths of darkness and imbued with the essence of Lust Mana, were a sight both eerie and captivating.

These demonic creatures were born out of the shadows that seemed to writhe with a palpable malevolence.

At first, they appeared as mere serpentine shapes, coiling and slithering like dark tendrils of smoke. Their sinuous forms twisted and turned, merging seamlessly with the shadowy surroundings. But as they drew closer to their prey, their transformation began.

From being seen as shadow serpents, their bodies morphed into a nightmarish fusion of human and serpent. From the waist up, they bore a resemblance to humans, albeit with skin as dark as obsidian and eyes that glowed with an otherworldly light.

Their features were twisted into expressions of malice and hunger, with fanged mouths that dripped with a viscous ichor. It was as if they were feeding on the prey they had recently caught. It was most likely some practitioner from the divine or demonic faction that had dared to try his luck barging into the castle.

'It means… These creatures can go out of the compound barriers whenever they can. The barrier only prevents outsiders from freely entering and existing in its domain,' Jolly thought to himself.

The creature shapeshifted into the most charming and attractive groups of women. Below the waist, however, the Empusa's forms devolved into those of serpents, their torsos elongated and sinewy, covered in scales that shimmered with an oily sheen. Their movements were sinuous and graceful, their serpentine tails swaying hypnotically as they slithered closer to their prey.

Of course, the empusas with snake-like features from waist below were only a part of what the term empusas covered.

Amidst the writhing mass of Empusas, some possessed a unique ability to shapeshift into humanoid forms, resembling creatures that were no different from practitioners. These Empusas stood tall on two legs, their bodies adorned with sinewy muscles and skin as dark as midnight.

With two arms, they wielded their shadowy weapons with the skillsets of veteran practitioners, their eyes glowing with a lustful allure that drew unsuspecting victims into their clutches. These seductive Empusas moved with hypnotic grace, luring their prey with promises of pleasure before revealing their true, monstrous nature.

However, not all Empusas took on such alluring forms. Among their ranks were those who could shapeshift into more grotesque and dangerous configurations.

Some manifested with one leg and one snake-like trunk, their serpentine forms coiling and twisting with deadly precision as they slithered across the shadows. Others had two legs but bore four or more arms, each appendage ending in razor-sharp claws that dripped with a corrupted form of lust mana in liquid form that could be used as venom. But perhaps most unsettling of all were the Empusas with two heads, each bearing a twisted mockery of a human face. With their dual gaze, they surveyed their surroundings with predatory cunning, their voices a chilling harmony of hisses and whispers that echoed through the darkness. These types of Empusas could stack their Skills more easily because of having two brains and double the Int Stat.

"Damn. There are at least 200 of them," Shaai commented as she looked at the demonic entities with a grim look on her face.

As they encircled Jolly, Shaai, and Yona, their voices rose in a cacophony of hisses and guttural utterances, which was nothing but type of a demonic language.

"Hehe. These are just some B-Ranked sluts," Yona chuckled as she eyed the Empusas. "Don't worry. We should be fine as long as—" Yona was about to assure Jolly and the others when she saw the Empusas move abruptly among themselves all of a sudden.

At first, Jolly and the two ladies thought the demonic entities were about to attack them. They braced themselves for the incoming wave of demons. However, they were surprised when the Empusas started merging.

The Empusas were highly motivated to take down the enemies that had decided to barge into the castle. However, they were not as stupid as one might consider them to be because of their half-beastly status. They clearly understood that Jolly and the two ladies who were with him were way out of their league in terms of power level. As such, they decided to merge together.

Soon, the overwhelming number of Empusas started to drop. At the same time, A-Ranked entities emerged among them. These A-Ranked entities merged to form two S-Ranked Empusas as well.

'Damn. Now that's what I call creatures of Lust. Asmodeus is clearly well above my main self in using the Sin Series powers. I guess we still have a lot to learn from the Demon Princes.'

Jolly thought to himself as he looked at the newly emerged and highly powered forms of Empusas.

==Nôv(el)B\\jnn