Hearing the rude manner in which she was addressed, Eliza instinctually turned around to punish the one who dared, but when she saw the two girls, she noticed that they looked a bit familiar.
“You two…” Eliza furrowed her brows and muttered. Her expression soon became mocking.
“Right, you’re the two companions of that brat. How is he by the way? I heard he got done in by the Demon God.”
“Ahh, you don’t have to worry about him. Haven’t you heard the saying? Good people die early but a scourge will last a thousand years. As if some fake god can kill him off.”
Qing Tan returned her words with a smile of derision. “But, talking about him so soon after we met, don’t tell me you’re…missing him?”
As Qing Tan spoke, her gaze traveled down to a certain part of the Demon Queen’s body.
Eliza gnashed her teeth. “Why the hell would I miss some random trash?! Don’t talk bullshit.”
Qing Tan smiled knowingly when she saw Eliza getting defensive. Truth be told, she hadn’t been there when Damien had humiliated the Demon Queen. Just based on the words Eliza was yelling while chasing after Damien, she had made a guess.
And it seemed she was right.
Eliza was feeling especially heated. She didn’t want to admit it, but the feeling of that bastard’s hands on her body still remained with her even now. She could vaguely feel a burning sensation on her skin whenever she thought about that day.
No matter how much she tried to go back to her previous habits, she wasn’t able to derive the same satisfaction she had beforehand. After all, she had discovered her kink, but it was too shameful for her to actually exercise it.
For being the one that taught her what her body craved, she wanted to tear Damien to shreds. If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a pitiful state.
“Enough.”
Just as she was about to counter again, a gruff voice interrupted. To the side, Demon King Granheim was looking over indifferently.
“Don’t embarrass us. It’s been so long since we’ve shown our faces, people will look at your performance and think we’re nothing much.”
“Tch.”
Eliza turned away indignantly. Meanwhile, Granheim turned his attention back to Feng Qing’er and Qing Tan.
“It was the two of you that gathered everyone today, was it not? I assume your plan is to eliminate our forces. While it’s not a bad idea to borrow a knife to kill, do you really believe that you can stop us?”
Qing Tan glared at the Demon King. Although he seemed like he was talking about the demon race in general, she was well aware that the last ‘us’ was exclusively referring to the Demon Kings.
“Whether we can stop you or not, you’ll find out soon enough.” Feng Qing’er responded with a humph.
“Say, where’s that guy from before, though? Don’t tell me he actually died?” Granheim suddenly said.
He was also interested in Damien. How could he not be? Regardless of the reason behind it, he had still forced the Demon God to act personally in order to deal with him.
“Didn’t I already say?” Qing Tan responded. “He’s alive and kicking. If you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll be able to meet him inside.”
Granheim grinned. “Good! I’ve been wanting to see what’s so special about that brat. If I can have the chance to fight him, I’ll be satisfied.”
Feng Qing’er glanced at the final Demon King among them, who had stood silently throughout the whole interaction. Eden had a light, almost carefree, smile on his face as he observed the ancient temple. It was almost as if nothing else in the world concerned him.
When he noticed Feng Qing’er’s gaze, he briefly looked back at her and gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment before turning back to the temple.
‘Of the three of them, I’m most worried about him…’ She thought to herself. The other two had relatively easy personalities to see through, but it wasn’t the same for Eden.
Eliza was the most easily provoked, so dealing with her was the simplest. Even though Granheim wasn’t the same in this regard, from what she could tell, he was a battle maniac. This kind of person was relatively straightforward in their ways.
Eden hadn’t spoken yet. In fact, he had done nothing besides stare at the ancient temple since they arrived. But something about his presence screamed danger. His very existence made her want to run and never look back.
‘Can this plan really deal with them?’
The two of them hadn’t really accounted for the Demon Kings. They were wild cards in this plan.
From what they had learned over their stay in the Trial World, the relationship between the demon race and the Demon Kings wasn’t as harmonious as it looked on the outside. They weren’t sure about how the Demon Kings would move in the event that their plan was successful.
But more than that, they had learned from Damien that the Demon Kings could be forcefully controlled by the Apostles. In the event that they ran into an Apostle who had a Demon King by their side, everything would be for naught.
‘We can only hope they get separated upon entry. If not, we have to find a way to separate them.’
Feng Qing’er and Qing Tan had never truly made a concrete plan, since the actual Inheritance site itself was out of their control.
Instead, they created the spine of the Olán while granting themselves the flexibility to change things on the spot if necessary. At the moment, they were discussing said changes.
Just as the tension between the Demon Kings and the two girls seemed to have subsided, the ancient temple began rumbling.
A heavy aura soon pervaded the atmosphere and filled the space with a feeling of desolation. As this feeling grew, the flora in the surroundings began to wither and rot.
Even the experts gathered could feel a subtle pull on their bodies that tried to return them to dust.
Everyone’s expressions hardened. They understood what was happening. It was finally time for the Inheritance site to open.
“Did you find anything?” Granheim sent a mental transmission to Eden.
“Nothing. None of the records on Inheritance sites that I’ve collected match with the characteristics of this one. What happens inside will remain a mystery.” Eden replied.
“Are we still going through with what we originally planned?” There was a hint of hesitation in Granheim’s voice.
“Why not? Doesn’t it seem more interesting to do things this way?” Eden sent back with a smile.
“Interesting…your personality will never change, will it. Fine, I’ll follow your plan. But if I die, I’ll torment your soul for eternity.”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
As the Demon Kings conversed, the spread of desolation seemed to reach its end. The ancient aura in the atmosphere strengthened to untold degrees.
And then…
Bang!
The massive doors of the ancient temple swung open with a bang. An endless corridor was revealed within.
“It’s open!”
“Let’s go!”
“Don’t push me!”
The gathered experts rushed in with all their might. Oddly enough, there didn’t seem to be any traps on the entrance.
The Demon Army soon rushed in as well. With the abominations in front and the Demon Kings in the back, they entered the temple unhindered.
Seeing the commotion, Feng Qing’er and Qing Tan looked at each other.
“No matter what, let’s meet up first.”
“Right. Be careful not to die in there.”
“Please. Die? If that bastard is a scourge that lasts a thousand years, then I’m one that lasts ten thousand.”
“Ha! Well said!”
Throwing around some casual banter, the two of them also entered the temple.