NOVPUBAlex looked toward the direction Zeka had fled. In that place, a pillar of blue-green flame continued to burn, its gloomy light casting a cold, eerie atmosphere over the surrounding space.
He let out a long sigh. "Goddamn it! My reward, my energy crystals."
Alex clenched his teeth, wanting to run toward it, but he had already learned his lesson from before.
Because of that, he decided not to give chase.
"Fine then! No reward is fine. I still have an SS-rank talent. As long as I have enough time and energy crystals, I can keep getting stronger."
"But still…" Alex said regretfully, "Goddamn it! The hero's treasure chest, the Evil God's energy crystals. Ah! My heart hurts…"
Alex shook his head and sighed, then walked in the opposite direction. He wasn't stupid, and he didn't want to throw himself into a place as terrifying as that hell.
No, that place really *was* Hell.
…
"You're serious?" Maisy sat in her chair, a hint of doubt in her eyes as she looked at Violette.
Violette didn't care about her look, sitting casually with a face full of irritation as she said, "Why would I lie to you?"
"Damn it! I was tricked by him too. I almost got trapped in that world forever."
Maisy glanced at Violette, sensing that she didn't seem to be lying.
"So, you're saying he's coming for us?" Maisy asked with a frown.
"That's right. He'll definitely come for us. He's become the Evil God— the more people he kills, the stronger he'll become," Violette said. "If he doesn't come for us, then who else?"
Maisy suddenly smiled and said, "But does he really have the strength to go against us? He's still just…"
"Maisy…" Violette suddenly cut her off, speaking tiredly, "I don't want to hear your plan. I'm only telling you what I know."
"I don't want to fight that disgusting thing either. You and the others deal with him."
With that, Violette stood up and walked away.
"Wait!" Maisy called out. "You really don't want to join the hunt for him?"
"No. Too exhausting," Violette said indifferently. "Besides, he's not the same as before. He's the Evil God now."
"You may not be able to capture him—on the contrary, he might end up turning you all into his next meal."
"Hahaha…" Maisy laughed loudly. "Alright then, thanks for the warning. I'll keep that in mind."
Violette snorted with disdain, then picked up her magic staff and left the room.
Maisy watched Violette's back as she walked away, her mind turning over some thoughts.
She clapped her hands once, and a man stepped into the room, bowing his head. "Captain, do you need something?"
"Have you found those locations yet?" Maisy suddenly asked.
"Not yet," the man replied, still bowing. "But I believe we'll be able to locate them in a few more days. It's just…"
"Hm?!" Maisy frowned, her eyes glancing coldly at the man.
He sighed and said, "It seems that the 'Resource Centers' are all concentrated in zones occupied by Rank F and E Lords. I'm just afraid they'll find them before we do."
"Don't worry," Maisy said with a smile. "If they find them first, we'll just kill them and take the places back."
"Gather the Lords and have them ready for battle at all times. Anyone who dares resist—kill them."
"Also, gather everyone in the group. We're going to hunt the Evil God."
"Yes, Captain." The man bowed once more and left the room.
Maisy folded her arms across her chest, her eyes gleaming with interest. She chuckled softly and murmured, "The Evil God, huh? I'd like to see just how powerful he really is."
…
"Ah! Finally, a break." Elara sat on a rock, holding a small piece of bread. She sighed and muttered with a tone full of resentment.
"My poor back, huhuhu… That skeleton really has no humanity." As soon as she said it, Elara realized she'd said something wrong.
That's right—Malrik *was* a skeleton, not a human.
At that moment, Elara suddenly missed the days back in the City. Even though her freedom was restricted, she had whatever she wanted.
She even had people to serve her meals and dress her.
Now, she had to drag around meaningless boulders every day, face terrifying flames, and listen to the endless wailing of tortured souls.
She let out another long sigh, wondering how much longer this would last.
Elara looked off into the distance, her eyes full of longing for freedom.
"Maybe… I could try to escape," she murmured.
However, she quickly shook the thought away. She didn't know where this place was or what dangers awaited.
If she made a reckless decision, it could simply take her from one dangerous place to another.
She pouted, opened her mouth to bite into the bread in her hand—when suddenly, a shadow appeared right in front of her.
"AGH!!" Elara screamed at the sight of the dark figure.
It was a young man, but both of his arms were crawling with vines—grotesque tendrils that looked like something out of a nightmare.
"Y-You… Who are you? What the hell are you doing here?"
Elara was terrified. She didn't even know what she was saying—her words spilled out purely from instinct.
"Ah! A beauty…" Zeka was taken aback by Elara's appearance.
He hadn't expected to see such a stunning woman in a place like this—more beautiful than even Violette.
Though she looked a bit messy and dirty at the moment, none of that could hide her dazzling beauty.
"Y-You… Don't come any closer!"
Elara tried to stand, but her foot slipped, and she fell off the large rock onto the ground.
Thud!
"Ack!"
As her rear made hard contact with the ground, a pained cry escaped her lips.
"That hurts!" Elara winced, her eyes tearing up from the pain.
"Are you alright?" A strange voice echoed out.
Elara looked up—and instantly recoiled at the sight of Zeka's face.
His jaw was partially dislocated, making it impossible for him to fully close his mouth.
Combined with the twisted smile on his face, it made him look like something straight out of a horror movie.
His arms—filled with tentacles—reached toward Elara.
The tendrils writhed like massive worms, slowly inching closer to her.
"AAAA!!!!" Elara screamed—then fainted on the spot.
"Huh?!" Zeka looked confused by Elara's reaction: "Why did she faint?"
"Ah! She must've just left the Trial Zone. She's probably exhausted and passed out. Looks like… this place really full of fortune for me." 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑝𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"This girl's really pitiful. Maybe she came here with other Lords to explore, but they all died—and she's the only one left."
"Alright then. As much as I want to kill Lords to grow stronger, you'll be an exception."
"You're very lucky, my little girl. I'll protect you—I won't let you suffer like Violette did."
In just a single second, Zeka had already spun a perfect fantasy in his head about Elara.
If she were awake, she'd probably shoot him a look full of contempt… or stare at him like he was a complete idiot.
But Elara was already unconscious.
After working for so long in such a… toxic environment, the moment she saw Zeka's grotesque appearance, her mind collapsed completely.
[You're seriously planning to take her with us?] Vinelord suddenly spoke up.
"That's right. Got a problem with that?" Zeka replied firmly, his voice tinged with a subtle threat.
[You… I can smell her blood—it's incredibly fragrant. If we drain her, we'll…]
"Shut up! I'm not the kind of person who just drains blood at random. From now on, I decide whose blood is worth taking."
Vinelord: [...]
[Goddamn it! Are you stupid? She's a Lord, and a strong one at that. Hurry up and drain her blood.]
"You're the one who should shut up! This body belongs to me—I'm the one who makes the decisions," Zeka snapped. "Besides, this girl is pitiful. I don't want to hurt her."
Vinelord: [...]
[Are you serious right now? Then why didn't you feel sorry for the others you drained? The ones you killed?]
"That's because back then, you were the one controlling me. It was your influence that made me lose my humanity temporarily."
Vinelord: [...]
