Chapter 175: Epitaph
In a quiet valley.
Soren stood in front of a tomb, deep in thought. In the distance was a small river that would bloom with flowers in the coming spring. He gently set up a gravestone and sighed deeply, drawing out a curved blade to prepare for the inscription.
—”Tomb of Arianna.”
Soren sat down and looked at the sky, seemingly pondering what epitaph to leave.
He didn’t know much about this woman, but Soren knew what vampires were. From vampire derivatives, vampire servants, bloodlines, and so on, to the formal vampires, the entire process was a ruthless rule. The embellished tales in folklore didn’t exist; dark creatures are dark creatures, with no relation to goodness, light, or justice. From the moment of transformation, newborn vampires were fated to be enslaved until they gained freedom.
Vampires possess talents such as [Creating Offspring], [Enslaving Servants], and [Dominating Vampires] based on their own strength.
This is a dark species centered around family.
A vampire can enslave servants that do not exceed twice their basic life. There may be some other requirements, but Soren did not study them in detail. These transformed newborns become their servants, their will directly controlled by the vampire unless they forcibly resist the mental control. Otherwise, they must wait until their vampire master exceeds the control limit or actively grants them freedom. A high-level vampire often commands a large number of minions, offspring, servants, and bloodlines.
Arianna was a newborn who successfully resisted mental control, provoking her master’s authority and causing other servants to doubt their master’s strength.
Vampires are actually pitiful beings.
Though they possess powerful abilities, they are eternally cursed, always bearing the negative state of [Bloodthirst].
This bloodthirst is a terrifying curse, only slightly weaker than [Dark Thirst] and [Soul Thirst]. If the will check for drug withdrawal is 10 points, then the will check for bloodthirst is at least 30 points. Not to mention the mere Arianna; even Soren, if transformed into a vampire, would be unable to resist this primal desire.
The longer it is suppressed, the stronger the explosion when it breaks free!
Even a will as ironclad as steel can be worn down over long periods. The romanticized vampires of stories are lies.
Soren had never seen a vampire that does not k*ll.
This will check is always in effect; even a legendary monk may not withstand it. After suppressing the urge, they may bite even their loved ones. If Soren were transformed into a vampire, not biting others could drive him mad enough to bite Vivian. The first time a newborn feeds, if interrupted by no one, they will drain the last drop of bl**d from the first being they feed on.
Never overestimate your own will.
[A certain existence, during a long abstinence from meat, rare to encounter, directly ate a lot when it happened. To reach the position of national ruler, their will undoubtedly far exceeds that of ordinary people.]
In the face of survival, sometimes you find that your will becomes weaker over the passage of time. Because what you’re fighting against is the instinct for survival; if humanity disappears, all that remains is instinct.
It’s common to resort to cannibalism when starving!
So.
Arianna lost.
She lost to the instincts of vampires, lost to [Bloodthirst], which was not surprising at all, as Soren himself also lacked the confidence to resist such thirst. Perhaps if he were in her position, he wouldn’t resist at all, merely controlling his bloodthirst not to overflow.
But she did not lose entirely.
When she moved Soren’s cut wrist away, he already knew that Arianna had resolved to d*e; she had taken her revenge, and she wanted to end her life. This was a struggle between humanity and bloodthirst; she struggled for a long time in this contradiction, repeatedly losing to bloodthirst, yet at the last moment of her life, she overcame it. Arianna chose her fate.
That is d*ath.
This is a cruel world.
Cruel enough that even s*icide cannot be chosen lightly, because s*icide is a grave sin in the teachings of any deity.
She chose d*ath. She was free. She was also liberated.
…………
Soren sat in front of the tomb for a long time in contemplation.
Then he slowly drew out the curved blade and inscribed this line on the gravestone — “In the darkness, my heart yearns for the light.”
No one could help her.
Now even the deities cannot protect themselves. Her soul will be reborn in the bottomless abyss, and after reincarnation, she will lose most of her memories. If she has not lost herself, then she will embark on the arduous ‘soul redemption’ path. If she has already lost herself, then she will sink in the abyss, possibly becoming part of the demons or devils.
Soren turned and departed into the distance.
The fleeting emotions did not alter the path in his heart. Whether alive or dead, he was destined to fall into the abyss.
Because wherever Vivian is, so is he.
He moved toward the City of Wealth, where there had been no trace of Vivian until now, but he was certain that clues would come soon. Because the Demon Son of Fear was growing stronger through their mutual slaughter, and soon all those Demon Sons of Fear would reveal themselves, at which time Vivian’s figure should also appear, as she too must walk towards the Throne of Fear through slaughter!
This is fate.
Only by overcoming the will of the Demon God of Fear can she choose her fate again.
…………
Bottomless Abyss.
Level 570 — [Fallen Paradise].
This is the territory of the Succubus Queen. Although her territory has expanded considerably over the long time, she still likes to remain in her past domain, which is also the home base of the abyssal succubi. The number of layers in the Bottomless Abyss is hard to estimate; some planar spaces are very small, while some environments are exceedingly harsh, and demons can only survive in a portion of them. In many of these planes, even they cannot survive. Among the numerous planes, the oceanic abyss demons still occupy a large part of the space, so the territorial struggles among abyssal demons are very brutal.
“Hmm?”
Within a splendid palace, a woman of unrivaled beauty leaned back on her throne, lazily propping up her chin, appearing stunningly beautiful! She sat boredly on the throne, overlooking the planar space in front of her. Many of the demon lords have existed for a long time, and in their long lives, they surely have times of idleness.
As if discovering something interesting, she suddenly straightened up. With curiosity, she gazed into the void before her and slowly said, “Interesting! Interesting!”
“It seems that a fine soul has entered my territory!”
Snap!
She slowly stood up, raised her hand to snap her fingers, and commanded, “Eye Demon Observer!”
A portal appeared out of thin air.
Following it, a gigantic eye demon of legendary rank appeared, covered with countless eyes. Its enormous central eye seemed to penetrate through time and space; this was a rather unique advanced profession among eye demons. Eye Demon Observers gaze upon the abyss and hell, potentially serving powerful demons and devils. Sometimes, they even act as arbiters of lower planes. Eye Demon Observers are extremely dangerous beings; challenging them is no easier than dealing with weaker deities.
The giant eye demon slightly bent down, as it only had one immense head from which it could gauge approximate movements.
“Your Majesty, Succubus Queen!”
The Eye Demon Observer lowered its height slightly to avoid towering over the Succubus Queen, even though the queen, who had ruled for a long time, was shifting toward the Lawful Evil faction. However, everyone knows her temperament is unpredictable. It’s likely that even a slight misstep could lead to punishment.
The punishment of a succubus is not as easy as imagined!
A glimmer of divinity flickered.
The stunning woman on the throne stood up, and a pair of large demon wings unfolded behind her. Her human form rapidly transformed; horns appeared on her forehead, her pupils turned crimson, her breathtaking beauty became alluring, and faint cyan magical patterns emerged at the corners of her eyes. A teasing smile played on her red lips, and her fiery red hair flowed down to her waist. Draped in a silk gown, her abundant bosom was nearly exposed. A delicate belt cinched her slim waist, her shapely curves accentuated by voluptuous hips, and instead of human ankles, her long, powerful legs ended in cloven hooves unique to demons.
She seemed to be filled with endless temptation!
Just a glance suffocated one in the aura of passion and desire emanating from her!
“Crack!”
A loud whip cracked through the space.
The Succubus Queen conjured a whip in her palm, swirling with roaring flames and arcs of electricity. She suddenly whipped it into the void, breaking open the space.
As the Succubus Queen transformed into her true form, an aura of [Beauteous Allure] also spread out, momentarily mesmerizing the Eye Demon Observer with its giant singular eye, before awakening somewhat.
Since the Succubus Queen took over the evil divine jobs related to Fallen Desire, Forbidden Love, and Torture, the seductive aura she emanates has become increasingly astounding. Be it male, female, or even entities without gender, as long as they have self-awareness, whether alive or dead, they seemingly cannot escape the influence of her mesmerizing aura.
She is cruel, beautiful, malevolent, filled with endless temptation.
The Succubus Queen has previously seduced two demon lords and ultimately plotted their deaths! She is the embodiment of the chaotic evil Demon God and the most depraved incarnation of desire in the abyss; even the gods of the celestial realm find it hard to resist her power! Even the Spider Queen must tread cautiously in the presence of this insidious being!
“Succubus Queen — Mikanxute [Greater Demon] [Lower Demon God] [Greater Otherworldly Being]”
“Race: Succubus.”
“Attributes: Strength 30, Agility 36, Constitution 40, Intelligence 30, Perception 30, Charisma 49.”
“Faction: Chaotic Evil [shifting towards Lawful].”
“Profession: Enchantress Level 40 / Demon God of Desire Level 10. [Abyss Demon God]”
“HP: 800+/800+.”
“Abilities: Unknown.”
“Divinity: Lower Demon God.”
“Divine Roles: Fallen Desire, Forbidden Love, s*x, Torture Whips.”
“Domains: Enchantment, Corruption, Evil, Forbidden, Torment, Whipping, ab*se, Lust, Conspiracy.”
“Qi: Beauteous Allure, Alluring Gaze, Corrupted Desire.”
“Special Skills: Queen’s Kiss, Summon Greater Demon, Summon Succubus Legion.”
“Base Skills: Deception 530, Taunt 270, Alchemy 360, Focus 490, Deal 650, Disguise 530, Performance 320, Escape 470, Intimidation 570, Knowledge 450, Listening 460, Insight 360, Reconnaissance 420, Evasion 500, Use Magical Devices 520…”
“Other Skills: ???”
…………
A whip shadow sliced through the space.
Divine light glimmered in the Succubus Queen’s eyes before she suddenly flicked her whip through the space, lashing it into the River of Underworld, ensnaring a soul and dragging it out.
The soul shrank into a glowing orb the size of a fist.
The Succubus Queen reached out to catch the light of the soul, a cruel smile emerging on her lips. Her fair fingers molded it into the shape of a pebble, within which a shadow of a tortured soul could be faintly seen. She glanced at it with interest and remarked, “Seems like you haven’t given up hope yet? I adore this kind of toy!”
“I wonder how long you can last in my hands! … Hopefully, you’ll bring me some fleeting pleasure! …”
“Eye Demon Observer!”
The Succubus Queen tossed the soul stone formed by her fingertips to the Eye Demon Observer, wearing an evil smile as she commanded, “Send her to be transformed into a succubus!”
“Perhaps she is qualified to become a Radiant Nun! …”
……(To be continued ~^~)
