Chapter 223 Devil of Death
Dear friends! The month is coming to an end, as you may have noticed, and only two chapters are left to write. After that, I will take a week off, and then the daily chapter releases will continue. I hope for your understanding!
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The week had passed since Adam entered this strange state and found himself cocooned. He showed no signs of life, a cause for concern. Despite their desire to help, the cocoon blocked any attempts to intervene or learn about his condition.
However, panic didn't fully set in as long as Amarantha remained relatively calm. Adam had placed a special mark on her, allowing her to observe whether he was alive or not. This precaution ensured that even in his death, Amarantha would gain valuable information about the enemy.
"Only time will tell. His condition is much deeper than mine, and I sense a subtle trail of illusions. It seems he is immersed in an illusion and experiencing visions," Veronica muttered. She furrowed her brow, looking concerned. "Moreover, this illusion has a natural property... someone specific hasn't used it to harm Adam."
"What?! Are you saying it's because he's about to undergo evolution?" Sierra asked in surprise, leaning towards the cocoon and poking it with her index finger. She tilted her head in confusion. "But... I haven't heard of any illusions. Maybe you're mistaken?"
"No, it's not a mistake," Veronica sharply replied.
The girls were surprised by Veronica's strong conviction as if she had seen this before. She sighed and shook her head, feeling a bit tired from all the events. Seating herself on a chair crafted from black energy, she began her explanation.
Long ago, I traveled with my elder brother, known as the strongest demon in the history of the Abyss. He was incredibly talented and possessed astonishing power that captivated any demon woman. Veronica praised her brother and continued, "Once, I had the honor of witnessing him ascend from a mere Demon General to a Demon Knight! The spectacle was similar to what is happening to Adam now!"
"Your elder brother... the creature they called the 'Devil of Death,' right?" Amarantha clarified, and seeing Veronica's nod, she held her breath. After a sigh, she added, "Honestly, I heard a lot about him in my youth from books. Because of him, demons were feared, and in the mortal realm, his... um!"
Amarantha was about to continue, but suddenly, she felt a strong pressure that harmed her. Coughing up blood, she struggled to regain her breath. Veronica frowned, looking towards Adam's cocoon, the source of the pressure.
"Darn it... I forgot he also has royal blood. This means his breakthrough will be several times more dangerous," Veronica muttered and clapped her hands, creating a barrier around them, including Elizabeth. She approached Amarantha, assisting her in recovery, and offered a healing pill. "Take this. It's a healing pill that will help you recover."
"T-thank you..."
Having consumed the pill, Amarantha felt a considerable improvement, and her complexion normalized. She glanced at Veronica, who exhibited a mix of pride and surprise.
"Well, it seems he was genuinely talented, and I just didn't notice it all this time," Veronica muttered a hint of sadness in her voice.
The girls turned their attention to the cocoon, which began cracking, emitting dazzling black flashes. The pressure intensified; even the enclosed space showed signs of destruction. Small black holes appeared in the air, growing larger with each passing second, covering the entire area.
The sturdy trap was starting to crumble! Amarantha frowned as the laws of darkness seemed to vanish, undergoing a corrosive effect. By then, the cocoon was halfway open, revealing pitch-black eyes that observed the external world.
BOOM!
"Focus your magical energy! It's a soul attack!" Veronica shouted, alerting the others.
"Yes!"
Amarantha and the others swiftly applied protection to shield their minds. A wave struck them, and they frowned, sensing an alien force attempting to break through their defense, harm their minds, and seize control.
"Adam! Wake up!" Amarantha cried, hoping for a response, but in vain.
The black eyes gazed with absolute apathy—no intentions to kill or anything else reflected in them; they were as pure as a mirror.
Crackling sounds echoed. The cocoon began breaking into pieces, revealing its contents. Everyone held their breath.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
It was Adam... but significantly transformed. Standing at a towering three meters, he possessed a muscular and powerful body, surrounded by an aura equivalent to a Demon Knight (C+). His hair had grown, flowing freely in the wind like a mantle. Moreover, his limbs underwent substantial changes—his legs resembled crow's feet, enlarged twice, while his arms were more spear-like.
"Is this... the form of the Devil of Death?" Veronica murmured in surprise, furrowing her brow. "I remember, my brother initially used this form but later switched to a more humanoid one."
"I've heard something about this too... in this form, essentially, you're a killing machine. If he senses we're hostile, he'll immediately move to kill us," Sierra murmured, smiling and looking at Adam, who hovered in the air without spreading his wings. "But we're comrades, so he won't attack us. Right?"
"..."
"Hey... you're not saying he'll attack us?!"
BOOM!
Amarantha held her breath and sighed, looking at Adam, who was bound. He was still trying to break free from confinement but couldn't due to Veronica using a special thread that was exceptionally strong. Several hours ago, he had suddenly attacked them, and although they tried to restrain him and avoid being killed, it was incredibly challenging. He used spells even Veronica was unfamiliar with, and he could instantly teleport. After a long chase, they managed to capture him.
"How amazing... is this the effect of transitioning to a noble demon?" Amarantha murmured in astonishment.
"Of course not! How could you attribute his power to that? It's all about lineage!" Veronica irritably interrupted her, snorting. She pointed at Adam and explained, "I found him deep in Hell, at the mouth of a volcano where even gods wouldn't want to be. He was sitting there, watching the lava, and I was so captivated by him that I... um, brought him with me!"
"..."
No one commented on her admission of kidnapping, but another thing intrigued them. How could Adam, who was undoubtedly just a child back then, resist a place where even gods wouldn't be safe? This question troubled them, but they couldn't find an answer, and even Veronica herself didn't know the correct answer.
Amarantha pondered. Even though she had long studied demons, she had never heard of royal demons. Only after meeting Veronica did she realize they were something like special beings controlling the race. However, why wasn't the Demon King considered a royal demon? This made her think.
Moreover, Veronica referred to Adam as part of the royal demons, but she also clarified that she didn't know his true race, as she couldn't unlock his full potential no matter how hard she tried. Until a certain point, his power was blocked by an unknown force, which disappeared when he entered Elfheim.
And now they were back to the fact that Adam had undergone evolution. However, his current state was extremely peculiar.
"Will he stay in this state?" Elizabeth suddenly asked, drawing everyone's attention. Veronica looked at her with furrowed brows, so Elizabeth explained, "I mean... isn't it dangerous to leave him in this form? To me, it looks like he's suffering."
"Uh..."
Amarantha turned her gaze to Adam and saw black blood dripping from the corners of his lips. He was indeed suffering from using this form.
"And it's true! Veronica, do you know what can be done?" Amarantha exclaimed in shock, feeling the blood-chilling in her veins.
"For starters, calm down... if Veronica didn't obliterate everything to hell, then it means it's under control... ow! What was that for now?!" Veronica snorted, withdrawing the hand with which she had smacked Sierra on the back of the head. She shook her head and surveyed the surroundings. They had long escaped the trap and were in an abandoned city, having lost the trail of the remaining members of their group. The trap's space was destroyed, allowing them to walk freely, while the entire law of darkness was absorbed by Amarantha, who decided not to miss her chance, thus approaching a breakthrough.
"Let's find a safe place. I have a way to deactivate this form," she said, walking ahead.
"Really?"
The girls exchanged glances, not understanding what was happening. Veronica's tone sounded somewhat strange, and she didn't even turn towards them, concealing her facial expression. Despite their suspicions, they shrugged and began following her, supporting Adam as if he were a coffin.
"He's so heavy in this form..." Sierra complained and snorted. "Damn, son-in-law! You should be the one carrying your mother-in-law, not me!"
"Shut up already! He's unconscious, so who the hell are you babbling to?! Carry him, come on," Elizabeth shouted.
***
"O-o-one, two, and three! There, lay him down!" After a short walk, they found a castle with plenty of space. They laid Adam on the floor and sighed, feeling a slight fatigue. The man lay there, staring at the ceiling with his black eyes, devoid of any emotions.
"He's so heavy! Well, Veronica, what do we do now?" Sierra asked, smiling and turning to the woman, but then she froze. "Hey, what the heck?!"
The girls saw that Veronica started undressing and looked at them with a questioning expression.
"What? It's the only effective way."
"No, I didn't expect anything good from you, but to this extent?" Sierra muttered in shock and pointed at her. "You just want to take advantage of the opportunity, don't you?!"
To be continued...
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