Chapter 72 - Chapter 70: Episode 69 - Adaptation
Min-ah had been an A-rank hunter, but after her re-awakening, she realized her physical capabilities had surged to a new level.
Furthermore, by using her Sensory Enhancement, she could feel a powerful, swirling energy deep within her body.
It wasn't a massive amount, but in a desperate situation like this, she couldn't afford to be picky.
As she instinctively coated her body in that energy, her physical prowess spiked significantly.
She swung her sword in a wide arc toward the Ogre Elite Soldiers.
Aiming for the gaps in their rare-metal armor, she sliced through an Ogre Elite Soldier's neck in a single stroke.
Maintaining her momentum, she turned the other three into corpses just as easily.
Caught off guard by the speed and power she hadn't displayed until that very moment, the Ogre Elite Soldiers were cut down in an instant.
Scanning the battlefield, she saw the Orc troops beginning to retreat.
With the battle over, Min-ah immediately began assessing the damage to her allies.
The enemy had retreated, but the cost was devastating.
The expedition's key figure, Maria, was dead, and the number of combatants lost to the Ogre Elite Soldiers and the Minotaur was staggering.
Only five hundred non-combatants and seven hundred combatants remained.
Most of the hunters had surely realized it by now.
In this Demon World, prolonged fighting was a death sentence.
Every combatant understood that the Demon World's atmosphere drained their stamina and made recovery nearly impossible.
The price of that realization was far too high.
With Maria dead, Min-ah, as the Vice Expedition Leader, stepped up to take command.
Their hideout was compromised, so they had to move toward the Succubus territory as soon as the wounded were stabilized.
She declared that their only chance for survival was to open a Gate and return to Earth, and she began leading the expedition forward.
Miel watched Min-ah, the new expedition leader, with a look of surprise.
She could sense the powerful energy inside Min-ah.
The quantity seemed minimal, but the purity was more refined than anything she had ever encountered.
Miel knew exactly what that energy was.
Magic Power.
It was the energy inherent to all monsters and every resident of the Demon World.
High-grade monsters used it to bolster their bodies or cast spells.
Yet, despite being human, Min-ah possessed such pure Magic Power.
It wasn't just a fleeting trace; it was actively gathering within her.
Even among royalty, such a level of Magic Power was unheard of.
As Miel looked at Min-ah, it felt as if the ghost of the Demon King, who had died thirty years ago, was staring back at her.
Miel had been born after the Demon King's death, but the purity of that energy felt identical to the legends.
Christine, the First Elder of the Demon World Council, crumpled the report she had just received and tossed it aside.
It claimed that humans had raided the Demon World.
The news barely made an impression on her.
Still, she had to investigate their motives.
Public opinion of the Council was already poor; she couldn't afford to let this slide.
She ordered thirty elite royal knights to annihilate the human groups and capture their leader for interrogation.
The rebels were a far greater threat than these humans.
It had been thirty years since the Demon King passed.
With the throne empty, factions were scrambling to seize power.
The Demon King wasn't just a ruler; he was the driving force of the Demon World, an existence present since the dawn of their civilization.
There was no one left to succeed him.
To be precise, no one met the necessary conditions.
Even the royals with his bloodline failed to qualify.
High-purity Magic Power was the only requirement to become the Demon King.
Royals once assumed their bloodline guaranteed that purity, but that was a relic of the past.
The bloodline had diluted over generations, leaving little difference between royals, nobles, and commoners.
Moreover, the royals had no desire to ascend.
They knew the succession ceremony wouldn't make them king; it would allow the Demon King's soul to consume their own.
Only the most desperate, impious bastards remained.
'Is it the nature of royals to fear sacrifice while forgetting the luxuries they've enjoyed?'
Nevertheless, a Demon King was essential.
That existence, with its immense power and knowledge, had promised infinite glory to the Council and the noble families for over five thousand years.
But with the throne empty for thirty years, that promise was fading into uncertainty.
Only the Council elders and the Chairman knew the truth.
Rumors swirled that the Council was intentionally blocking the succession.
Was their downfall inevitable?
Christine couldn't shake the dread of their miserable fate.
Seon-ah sat in his room, looking increasingly haggard, doing nothing at all.
After discovering Miel had abandoned and deceived him, he felt completely hollow.
He just wanted to stay there and die.
A knock at the door broke the silence.
It had to be the woman the Succubus Lord mentioned—the one who had brought him here.
He recalled Miel's older sister, who had carved letters into his skin, claiming she had learned about Earth.
If not for her, he would still be living in that blissful, false dream.
He thought that living in a happy lie would have been better than the agony of the truth.
Hatred for her took root in his heart.
He wanted to scream at her, to ask why she had brought him here and inflicted this pain.
But when the door opened and he saw her—the woman who looked so much like Miel—the anger died in his throat.
Even knowing he had been betrayed, affection for Miel still welled up in his heart.
He knew the feeling was a lie, but he couldn't turn away.
Hiding his true emotions, he spoke.
"Why did you come in? I didn't call you... Please, just leave..."
His voice was weak; he hadn't eaten or drunk anything in days.
"I came because I was worried. I brought you something to eat, so please, have a little."
She looked at him with genuine concern.
Seeing Miel's face on her made it impossible to push her away.
Even though he knew it wasn't her.
"...Why did you bring me here? If it weren't for you, I'd still be... living happily with Miel."
The succubus remained silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry."
She said it with such sincerity that it felt like Miel herself was apologizing, and his heart twisted.
"I have nothing left. No friends, no parents... no lover. Everything is gone. If Miel is gone, I have no reason to live."
He vented his story, knowing she couldn't possibly understand.
She hugged him, her expression filled with sadness.
"I'm truly sorry... It was pure greed on my part. If I had known what Miel did to you, I never would have brought you here."
Hearing those words, the realization that she wasn't Miel hit him harder than before.
The apology he craved hadn't come from Miel's lips.
He wanted to know the truth about what Miel had done to him.
No... he already knew she had betrayed him from the start.
The only emotion left was revenge.
The ultimate revenge he could take on Miel.
He knew how to hurt the woman who had treated him like a toy.
He looked at the woman in front of him—the one who looked just like Miel.
If he shared intimacy with her—not by being forced, but voluntarily—what would Miel's expression be when she returned?
Would she apologize?
Or would she fly into a rage and treat him like a broken possession?
It was impossible to know.
This was his only path for revenge while he was still unable to let Miel go.
"Did you really mean that you were sorry?"
He asked, staring at her sad face.
"Yes..."
She sounded sincere.
"Then hold me... Erase the traces of Miel... Violate me intensely and break me."
This was the only revenge he had left.
If he couldn't resolve his feelings, finding satisfaction through her—and the pleasure he would feel through the Yin Mark—would be a more painful memory for Miel than anything else.
Watching the succubus's shocked expression, he began to undress himself.