It was an imposing building with twin towers flanking either side, a structure that seemed long abandoned from the outside. The walls were made of dark, weathered stone, their blackened surface giving the entire place an ominous feel. The ground surrounding the building was barren, with gravestones scattered randomly across the landscape-some tilted and broken, others freshly etched, as if marking recent tragedies.
In the highest room of the building, a grand, hollow chamber held a throne at its far end. Seated upon it was a woman of breathtaking beauty, her skin pale and smooth, her crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. Her long, dark hair cascaded in silky waves, framing her face and flowing down over her shoulders.
She wore flowing dark robes, intricately designed with silver embroidery that had blackened with age. A tarnished silver crown sat upon her brow, and her lips parted slightly to reveal sharp fangs. Her hands, tipped with long, lethal claws, rested on the armrests of her throne. Beside her sat a demonic camel-like creature, its skin cracked and dark, its eyes glowing red. Its mouth was lined with jagged, uneven teeth. The creature served as her loyal, otherworldly steed.
“Players?” the woman said, her voice a soft yet sinister echo that filled the room. “Did you say players?”
She addressed the two servants who stood bowing before her.
“Yes, My Lady,” one of them replied. “We spotted around eight players wandering in the nearby town. Some of them seemed familiar, but a few were unknown. There was even one among them who appeared especially weak-just a miner.”
Her crimson eyes narrowed with interest as she listened.
[Duke Gremory – Vampiric Duchess Demon Lv. 258]
[Named Demon – Ranking 56]
Gremory’s curiosity piqued as she snapped her fingers, summoning a circular magical formation in front of her. From within, an image materialized-a vision of the city, as if seen from a hovering drone scanning the area. The screen eventually zoomed in on two figures disguised as demons.
A sly smile spread across her lips. “A player with a level of 126?,” she chuckled softly. “No one can escape my ability to see through disguises,” she added confidently. “And this player… with only level 126, dares to roam the Demon World?”
She watched intently through the magical screen, her eyes narrowing as she analyzed the
scene.
“Players can’t die for good,” she murmured to herself. “They’ll just keep coming back if killed.” She licked her lips with a slow, deliberate motion.
“This means,” she continued, “this one player could satisfy my desires endlessly. I could drain his blood until he’s nothing but a dried husk, and then… he’ll revive, only for me to indulge again.”
Her gaze grew sharper, more predatory.
“My Lady,” one of her servants interrupted. “They are part of a group of players carrying a token from a higher-ranking entity.”
Gremory’s grin widened into a smirk. “That means nothing if their level is that low. What could a level 126 player possibly do?” she sneered.
“More likely,” Gremory continued with a smirk, “this one is just a miner. He’s useless to others, a burden. Even if we do nothing, he’ll meet a pitiful death. It’s a shame to let him die so meaninglessly.”
She paused for a moment, her gaze sharpening as a low growl rumbled from the demonic camel beside her throne.
“I want that one,” she declared with a twisted gleam in her eyes. “It won’t cause any trouble. A level 126 miner is worthless. I want him.”
A sinister laugh escaped her lips. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt this thrill… I truly desire him, to drain his blood until he’s dry!”
***
Broken returned to the inn and found the Shadow Wolves members lounging on their respective beds, clearly worn out from their day. Seeing everyone gathered in the same room, he figured they were either about to discuss their plans or perhaps even log out together to synchronize their timing.
He made his way over to Marlene, who glanced up at him.
“So, I’ve secured the right place for you to take care of your plan,” she said.
Interesting, Broken thought. From the way Marlene worded it, she wasn’t giving away any specifics about his task. Was she deliberately keeping the details from the others? What exactly had she told them about his purpose here?
“Yes. Thanks,” Broken replied.
“We’ll head out early tomorrow morning,” Marlene continued. “We’ll log out together after this and time it right so we can make the most of our schedule.”
“Understood,” Broken responded casually.
They sat in silence for a moment before Marlene broke the tension with a question.
“Is there something you’d like to discuss?”
“Not really,” Broken responded.
“Are you sure?”
Should he bring up the elf slave? Would it become an issue for the group if he doesn’t mention
it?
The elf girl had clearly threatened him not to reveal her level to anyone, even though he had no intention of doing so. But the fact that she knew he was a human player-and possibly knew there were other players besides him and Subaru-was concerning.
“Actually, yes,” Broken finally said.
“Go on,” Marlene replied.
Broken recounted what had happened during his walk with Subaru-how they had come across the merchant selling the enslaved women, and how the elf girl had communicated with him telepathically, recognizing him as a player. He was careful to leave out certain details, particularly those involving his Perception skill.
“An elf slave?” she repeated. “Elves have a strong affinity for magic, so it’s not surprising that some of them have telepathic abilities or skills that can see through disguises. But why did she reach out to you?”
She shot a glance at Subaru, who looked just as puzzled, confirming that he had no prior knowledge of this.
“Is this something we should be concerned about?” Broken asked.
Marlene frowned slightly. “I don’t want to dismiss this outright, but I think it’s more than something we can ignore.”
“We should find that elf and kill her,” the archer, sitting on the other side of the room, chimed in. “If someone knows about our disguises, it’ll make things difficult for us.”
“We’re not entirely free from scrutiny; you should all be aware of that,” Marlene added.
She then continued. “There are parties who know we’re here. We’re concealing our identities mainly to avoid unnecessary trouble with the lesser demons. Otherwise, we could easily go on a rampage and slaughter everyone in this town. Though, I doubt that would be much fun, considering the Named Demons in the area would likely retaliate,” she explained calmly. “Ck!” The archer clicked his tongue in frustration, clearly displeased. Marlene then turned to one of the members, an assassin. “Track down those slaves and keep a close eye on that elf,” she ordered, sighing before standing up. “An elf with such abilities isn’t likely to be of low level, or easily captured by mere slave traders. I’m certain she isn’t just some random elf; she has a purpose here. We need to ensure she doesn’t interfere with our
plans,” she said firmly.
Just as Maylock had mentioned, Marlene wasn’t one to act rashly. She was methodical and analytical, ensuring every move was calculated.