251 Dekan’s Unique Asaasi
“You, what are you going to do?!”
Ilene widened her eyes, yelling out of panic.
But her body wouldn’t budge.
Now, whatever Dekan wanted to do to her, she couldn’t move.
“Relax, I’m pretty kind-hearted, I won’t torture you. This is as a thank you for earlier helping Cornelia.”
Dekan squinted and smiled.
When he mentioned the word “thank you,” his tone seemed to drop slightly.
Ilene looked into Dekan’s eyes and noticed that Dekan seemed a little upset.
He clearly realized what Ilene and Cornelia had come here to do.
Could this red-haired girl be important to the Gray-haired Demon?
If this Gray-haired Demon said he would kill her, she wouldn’t be afraid.
If he said he would let her live, she feared it much more.
Because torturing victims by such a perverted demon could vary in bizarre ways.
She had already experienced the unbearable pain that nearly broke her spirit.
She couldn’t imagine what kind of hell awaited her if this Gray-haired Demon tortured her in full force.
But now, the truly terrifying part is…
This Gray-haired Demon says he won’t torture her.
So what awaits her?
“Please… spare me, I’m still useful to you…”
Ilene’s body trembled instinctively, her forehead drenched in sweat. Her lips parted slightly as she kept trembling.
“Hmm? What rubbish are you saying? You’re making it sound like I’m the villain. And what’s with this look of yours? Smile! Relax.”
Dekan raised an eyebrow, somewhat upset.
He knew that as a nemesis of evil, it was normal to be feared by villains.
But scaring them to this degree every time made him slightly uncomfortable.
It must be their extreme reactions that affect his reputation.
Damn.
Dekan shook his head and turned away from Ilene.
Cornelia understood and took out a rope, tying it around the Warden’s corpse and Ilene’s feet, preparing to drag them back to the camp.
“Don’t!! No matter what you plan! If you destroy me, those people will certainly die! They will all die because of you!”
Ilene screamed wildly.
This was the only lifeline she could think of.
“Silence.”
With Dekan’s command, Ilene found herself unable to speak.
It felt like her throat was clamped shut.
Dekan lifted the silencing spell and checked the remaining paralyzing agent.
He administered another dose to Ilene.
Now, she couldn’t even speak or blink.
She was nothing more than a sentient puppet.
“Alright, just listen quietly.”
Dekan muttered quietly and stood up, ignoring Ilene.
Dekan wouldn’t waste time on ordinary, low-quality villains; dispatching them quickly was enough.
For high-quality villains, if time permits, Dekan might train them before disposing of them.
For the best villains, like Destruction Archbishop Evans or Corruption Archbishop Fahim, Dekan would not only kill them, but also break their spirits, torturing them until they die in the ways they loved to torment the innocent.
And Ilene, Dekan found it hard to define her level.
She was far from reaching the level of Evans or Fahim to become excellent.
But her dedication to manipulating others’ hearts was something Dekan hadn’t encountered before.
Therefore, Dekan believed she would surely bring him some new excitement.
“Cornelia, if she tried to attack you earlier, could you have avoided it?”
Dekan asked out of the blue while walking.
Regardless of everything, this was the most important question in his mind since just now.
“I can. I didn’t fully trust her and was always in combat readiness.”
Cornelia responded earnestly, looking back at Dekan.
Her handbook written by Dekan explicitly mentioned not trusting anyone, no matter how pure they seemed, after getting separated from him.
“Phew, but I will find you as soon as possible next time.”
Dekan sighed in relief and nodded approvingly.
“Hmm. Oh, where’s Teacher Cat?”
“Meow!”
Teacher Cat poked its head out of Dekan’s collar and Cornelia waved her paws.
“Umm…”
Cornelia looked hopefully at Teacher Cat. She noticed that Teacher Cat had no intention of jumping onto her despite her prolonged gaze.
“Meow, Cornelia, it’s too cold outside. After we get past this level, I’ll come to you! Meow!”
After saying that, Teacher Cat retreated into Dekan’s coat.
Dekan thought for a moment about grabbing it and throwing it to Cornelia, but it was too much trouble.
It was definitely sticking to him now because he had extravagantly spent 50 Demon Points to rescue it on the third level.
Once it realizes its worth, there will be quite a show.
“Alright, now let’s apply a quick makeup.”
Dekan pulled out a palette, quickly turning the three untouched individuals into looking battle worn.
Although he couldn’t master disguise like Mia, after consulting with Mia and having a knack for painting, he could make them appear as though they’d survived a tough battle.
Afterward, they found the two dead bodies of the reconnaissance squad scouts.
However, Dekan and Morion each carried one body, carefully transporting them back to the camp.
As they drew closer, on Dekan’s instructions, Morion transferred the body to Dekan’s arms, and Cornelia delivered some finishing blows to Ilene.
Dekan looked down at Ilene on the ground and said:
“Alright, Morion, go ahead and pick Ilene up. You should treat her like you would a hero, carefully and with utmost gentleness.”
“Huh?”
Morion frowned, clearly reluctant.
“Cornelia is dragging the Faceless Ignar; I’m already holding enough. So, this princely task is handed to you.”
Dekan nudged Morion with his elbow.
“Tch, prince? More like a gigolo. Don’t think I don’t know; last time you wanted me to seduce Countess Lislinna.”
Morion clicked his tongue, hesitatingly untying Ilene’s feet and picking her up.
Ilene was terrified.
Despite never seeing this auburn-haired youth use any skills,
She only felt that being stuck in a state where she couldn’t move, would not be enough lives to save her if she ended up in his hands.
Being held by him didn’t produce an ounce of comfort.
Only indescribable fear.
She wanted to struggle desperately, but with no sensation in her body, she couldn’t move a bit.
“Alright, alright, how could you become a gigolo… Pay attention to your expression. We need to look serious, like when you need to go to school or work.”
Under Dekan’s guidance, Morion and Cornelia quickly grasped how they should behave when returning to the camp.
Then finally, the group returned to the camp.
First, they startled the temporary guards stationed outside the camp.
Next, the entire camp was alerted by the noise and the scene.
…
“What is this?”
“What happened to Ilene?!”
The people in the camp couldn’t believe their eyes.
The nightmare-inducing Warden was now a corpse!
Moreover, Ilene looked as if she were on her last breath.
Though she still had a slight flicker of life left in her, but even the strongest mage of the camp, Lyon, examined her and found that her injuries cannot be healed by any curative magic.
Probably only an eighth-rank priest could keep her alive.
But there’s no way to find an eighth-rank priest in this prison.
She was already, beyond saving.
Instead, the Gray-haired Maiden and the auburn-haired youth brought back by Cornelia had shifted from being the priorities of people’s attention.
Every face in the crowd expressed their sorrow and despair, and it was deathly silent.
Everything had happened so suddenly, it struck them like kids helplessly unable to accept reality.
They could only let the time pass slowly.
Each second that passes in the camp felt like an invisible blade, cutting through and devouring the will of these people until all that remained was endless darkness.
No one felt any joy about the Warden’s death.
Instead, they gathered around Ilene, their eyes brimming with tears.
“Cornelia, what happened…?”
Finally, Mage Lyon shifted his gaze from Ilene and asked Cornelia.
In an instant, he seemed to have aged ten years.
“When we reached the corpse, we found two new companions. They had just arrived at this level and encountered the Warden. Unlike me, they weren’t fortunate enough to have the reconnaissance team pointing out the Warden’s characteristics….”
Cornelia looked down, her voice trembling softly.
This was the performing technique Dekan taught her; if you don’t know how to act with expressions, simply look down.
“Then what happened?”
Despite his despair, Mage Lyon couldn’t hide the urgency in his voice.
Under normal circumstances, if the new prisoners encountered the Warden,
Someone from the reconnaissance team usually would point out the Warden’s characteristics to them.
But coincidentally today,
The two members of the reconnaissance team were poisoned.
“Then, Ilene, to save them, started to lead me into a frontal attack on the Warden…”
Cornelia continued her story.
At the moment, Ilene, lying on the ground, listened to Cornelia’s lies.
Have you twisted the truth so much?!
But she couldn’t even lift her eyelids.
She could only listen as Cornelia distorted and fabricated the truth.
“You four together defeated the Warden?”
Lyon had more or less figured out the situation.
These two newly arrived prisoners seemed to be rather strong.
Add them to Cornelia, and they possibly had a chance to defeat the Warden.
“Because they are two special support-type individuals, able to control the Warden and enhance Ilene’s fighting power to eighth-rank, Ilene, for some unknown reason, fought with her life to defeat the Warden…”
Cornelia explained according to the script Dekan had told her beforehand.
After listening to Cornelia’s words, Mage Lyon gave Ilene a complex look, painfully closing his eyes.
“Why… why go to such an extent…?”
Mage Lyon mournfully murmured to himself.
He of course knew why Ilene had done it.
Because once there was a traitor in their group,
The reconnaissance team was poisoned.
Thus, the next survivors would fall into a terrifying killing game.
It was unlikely anyone would survive.
Even the most intelligent and strong-willed Ilene was probably feeling powerless.
But at the moment of despair, she saw the opportunity for a desperate attempt.
As long as she could defeat the Warden, the others would still be safe.
Therefore she bet her life.
She sacrificed herself to save them all.
Because that was the only way she could possibly save everyone.
“So, who is it?”
Lyon clenched his teeth and asked in a low voice.
Although he had skipped some words, Cornelia knew what he was asking, “Who is the traitor that poisoned the reconnaissance team?”
As the only two who knew the truth, Lyon clearly understood that Cornelia couldn’t possibly be the murderer.
Cornelia’s voice became even softer, with no intention of concealing the truth from the rest of the camp:
“The cause of the reconnaissance team’s deaths was the poison in the food. At the time, only Ilene handled the food distribution… When I found Ilene, badly injured, near the corpses, I finally determined that they were poisoned by the food supplies… This was all just a joke from the Demon Realm prison.”
After listening, Lyon was temporarily stunned.
Then, he staggered to the two corpses, inspecting them frantically.
It was indeed as Cornelia had said.
If the murderer wasn’t Ilene, then the food itself must be the poison.
But clearly, it was impossible that Ilene would poison food just to sacrifice herself and defeat the Warden.
“So… Ilene didn’t have to die… Are we just a casualty of the Demon Realm prison’s whims?”
“Hmm…”
Cornelia nodded.
“ILLEEEN!! Why are you so foolish? You dumb demons, do you not laugh heartily watching us like puppets in your hands?!”
Lyon’s voice was abnormally desolate.
He had understood everything.
Ilene did not need to die.
She just became a sacrifice!
Apparently, the Demon Realm prison discovered they had become too complacent.
So, a bit of poison was added to the food supplies, creating distrust among them.
In the end, due to the vast information gap, they didn’t discover it.
Ilene was sacrificed, only for them to realize it was a trap set by the Demon Realm prison.
If the two bodies had been found earlier, perhaps Ilene would’ve not foolishly fought the warden in a desperate bid.
But everyone understood that Ilene, being noble and kind as she was, would’ve taken this action regardless.
Now, the survivors understood the situation roughly.
Among them all,
Dekan, Cornelia, and Morion were the three actors.
Other survivors were truly deceived.
Only Ilene was confused.
She lied on the ground, completely unsure of what was happening.
What sort of drama were they putting on now?
Clearly, the survivors had been angered by the “Demon Realm prison’s tactics,” but like flames without fuel, they quickly died down.
As the last bit of intense emotion faded, their eyes showed boundless despair.
Even Mage Lyon collapsed, like he’d lost his soul.
What now?
Even though the Warden was gone, so what?
They had merely gained some respite.
There would be a new Warden, new deadly threats.
Before, they thought as long as they had Ilene, they could follow her to survive.
But now, with just a bit of manipulation from the Demon Realm prison by poisoning the food supplies, they could easily get pushed into a corner.
Ilene had died for nothing.
Without her, they didn’t know how to move forward.
Ilene: “…”
She couldn’t speak.
But she wasn’t afraid anymore.
It was clear Dekan was just trying to scare her.
Since she was about to die, she wouldn’t be tortured.
And Dekan’s goal was gradually clear.
Dekan was simply trying to disconnect Ilene’s death from his actions.
He didn’t want the blame for harming the survivors.
How laughably hypocritical.
…
The atmosphere in the camp was like a heavy oppression that could suffocate someone.
Though these survivors were still alive, they all carried expressions akin to the dying.
There was no light left in their eyes.
They couldn’t see any reason to continue living.
Just when they didn’t know whether to wander aimlessly or commit suicide early,
“You lot of useless waste!”
Dekan shouted.
“Huh?”
Everyone looked at Dekan dazedly.
Ilene suddenly felt something was off.
She thought Dekan was already done.
What was he going to do now?
“None of Ilene’s death is meaningful! She deserves what she got! She’s a damn fool!”
Dekan kept yelling.
“You have no idea?! Shut up!”
This made everyone glare at Dekan filled with hostility.
This was their last line.
“For you lot of waste, she didn’t retreat against the eighth-rank Warden, battling until her last moment. I find it hilarious now just thinking about it!”
Dekan continued berating, his eyes full of anger but tears rolling down uncontrollably,
“Her self-sacrifice was for you lot of dead men to easily succumb to despair and then commit suicide like cowards?!
Dekan’s appearance and words clearly left the survivors speechless.
They could only grit their teeth and cry.
But their eyes were starting to reignite with fire.
The more they remembered Ilene, the blurrier their sight became.
They were truly worthless.
Without Ilene, they lost the courage to live.
“You, if you think her death means nothing, if you think Ilene should die like a slave for you, then you continue in your despair, or just kill yourselves now! While she might still have a last breath left to hear your voices, tell her you’ll commit suicide! Let her die without closure!!”
Dekan felt it was almost enough, shouting full of anger, triggering “Three Corpse Frenzy.”
“No! Never!”
“We will live on, even if we have to struggle to our last breath!”
“We can’t let Ilene’s death be for nothing…”
Everyone clenched their fists, their voices echoing one after another.
It was as if something deep in their bones had been ignited.
The will to survive that had originally disappeared, was now burning in their hearts like a roaring fire!
Not only were they not drowned by the overwhelming despair, but it aroused their blood with sadness.
“Right, you must live, you have to live on with Ilene’s belief! Only then will her death not be meaningless!”
Dekan preached like an orator, encouraging everyone.
But behind him,
Ilene lying on the ground: “????”
She wanted to say a lot but couldn’t speak!
She couldn’t even open her eyes!
She, a demon, had been turned into a saint, a paragon of virtue?
And these people, really believed in the “optimism” she used previously to deceive them, and decided to live because of it?
Could it be that her death did not destroy these people,
Instead, it accomplished them?
Only this kind of thing should absolutely not happen!!
This was the greatest indignity to her!!!
“Dear Ilene, may you rest peacefully as a saint. Your death not only failed to destroy these people’s beliefs, but will harden their hearts…”
Dekan whispered gently beside Ilene.
Although Dekan appeared sincere,
Ilene knew he was saying it intentionally for her to hear!
No matter how Dekan manipulated,
The absurd words of these foolish humans were disgusting, too disgusting!
Ilene’s heart screamed fiercely.
She wanted to control her body, even a slight sound would be enough!
But even with full effort, all she could manage was to lift her finger a tiny bit.
She was definitely going to die.
But she didn’t want these people to live forever mourning her death!
How disgusting!
She must tell these people the truth!
Shatter their hearts!!
But now…
She can’t move.
Ironically, from their words, it seemed they had already buried her deeply in their hearts, turning her into their strength.
“Ilene, don’t worry anymore, I’ll no longer be lost. I will adhere to your beliefs and lead everyone to keep living on!”
Mage Lyon’s voice was particularly firm.
He had successfully channeled sadness into strength.
As long as Ilene was in his heart, he would not be lost.
“Woo, Ilene…”
Ilene could hear these cries for her occasionally.
She was now extremely desiring to explode and die together with these people.
But she couldn’t.
She could only let these people express their sincere gratitude to her and revere her as a saint.
Then feel her life slip away little by little.
She never thought she would die like this.
Looking like a sacrifice.
Not only failing to manipulate these human hearts,
But on the contrary, achieving them!!!
It made both her and her previous careful planning seem like a joke.
I will not die as a saint!!
It’s too heartbreaking, too ironic!
I shall never rest in peace!!
Whatever Ilene screamed in her mind, she felt no sensation in her body.
Unable to express any emotion.
Dekan smiled in relief, thinking it was enough, and said softly, as though to bid farewell to an old friend:
“Virtuous Ilene, your deeds will be remembered not only by humans but also known among demons. Your death was not meaningless, every person you have saved will forever remember your kindness. Rest in peace as a human with pride.”
Ilene: “!!!”
This statement finally seemed to have shattered Ilene’s last psychological barrier.
Making her finally raised small finger fall back to the ground.
Though everyone was still crying, they held back their tears, looking at Ilene.
Dekan looked at this touching scene, wiping his tears contentedly.
But soon,
It seemed like he didn’t want others to see his tears, so he quickly turned around.
At this moment, only Morion and Cornelia saw Dekan’s face.
He was pretending to wipe away tears.
But in fact, his laughter from the corner of his mouth could not be contained.
The trembling on his body was only from holding back laughter.
Teacher Cat also peeked out of Dekan’s collar to check his condition.
Then, it shied away in fear.
It had never seen a human’s sorrow and joy expressed in such a way before.
Too creepy.
Then, it timidly only showed its eyes, looking at Ilene who lay on the ground faintly.
It knew Ilene wasn’t dead yet. Now she was in a condition where she was completely still.
She, as a demon, would have to endure for some time the gratitude of these people, as if they were praying and burning incense.
Every second before death would probably feel like endless torment for her.
Teacher Cat didn’t know how to comment.
If Dekan was a demon,
Even though he told lies, he was using demons’ tricks of manipulating hearts to deceive these prisoners.
He really did salvage their spirits.
If Dekan was an angel, his gentleness was darker than black.
