“Chi—!”
Before the Demon Hunter Squad even approached, the demons inside the cage let out terrifying hisses.
The Priests present immediately showed traces of fear.
Although they had never fought demons head-on, they had long witnessed their horror through the wounds of the injured and countless rumors.
Only Truth remained calm, leaving Kavier unsure whether she simply did not understand demons or truly possessed an extraordinary state of mind.
‘Hmm. One Dark Demon, one cannon-fodder demon, and one… hmm? A succubus? No, something I have never seen before. Is this the specialized breeding demon created by that Sovereign Demon?’
Truth thought as she observed the three demons captured by the squad.
The Dark Demon was one of the countless offspring of the Primordial Darkness.
Unlike the Primordial Sovereign, who had the entire demon race engage in simulated reproduction, the Primordial Darkness sought to continuously reproduce to preserve the demon race and expand its influence.
As for the cannon-fodder demon, its proper name should be “Common Demon.”
It was a mindless minor monster that existed in large numbers, the perfect target for most beginners to grind experience up to Third Rank.
“Holy Maiden, have you encountered demons before?”
Kavier asked as he gestured for Truth to step closer to the cage. She stood before it and came face-to-face with the Common Demon.
“Chi—!” The Common Demon hissed again, but it still failed to frighten Truth.
She pointed at it and then at the silent Dark Demon beside it.
“I encountered them in Deya City. It looked like this ugly type.”
The Dark Demon resembled a fusion of a canine and a human, covered in sparse, irregular black horns.
Its eyes were pitch-black, and its claws grew in a disorderly manner.
“Who are you calling ugly?!”
The previously silent Second Rank Dark Demon immediately flew into a rage. It lunged to the bars, gripping them as it growled menacingly.
“Oh, little Holy Maiden, do you think being surrounded by Demon Hunters makes you safe? Do you think that blessing from the Goddess of Life lets you stand above us?”
“Let me tell you—once you kill me, my father will remember your face through my eyes. In the future, you had better hide under the Goddess of Life’s skirt and never come out, or you will experience endless darkness!”
“Your father? That Ninth Rank Dark Demon?” Truth recalled the timid Ninth Rank Dark Demon she had frightened away in a single encounter at Suna’s home.
“It is the great Dark Monarch Darkros! Brat, are you belittling my father?!”
“All right, all right, I get it. Then what about this one? What kind of demon is it? Why does it look so much like a Succubus? It feels like that Sovereign Demon is plagiarizing.”
Ignoring the enraged Second Rank Dark Demon, Truth turned toward the severely injured female demon.
No matter how much the Dark Demon provoked her, she paid no attention. Right now, she was only interested in this “succubus.”
More than five hundred years had passed, and demons still had not been eradicated.
A large part of the reason was probably this “succubus,” wasn’t it?
“It is indeed plagiarism. The Primordial Sovereign simply refuses to admit it,” Kavier replied.
It seemed confirmed: the Ninth Saintess possessed an acceptance ability far beyond ordinary people.
For the Goddess, this was excellent news. She had long said she wanted a Saintess with strong acceptance.
Such a Saintess could be told truths that others could not bear, or be assigned tasks others would refuse.
For example, learning that Gods were not omniscient or omnipotent, but merely Adventurers who had broken through Twelfth Rank.
Learning that this world had only escaped the Creator’s control a little over five hundred years ago. Learning that extraterrestrials truly existed.
In short, the Goddess of Life wanted a Saintess who could handle matters unfit for public view. It would make many things more convenient.
And Truth was a perfect candidate.
Kavier continued introducing the Primordial Sovereign Demon’s proud creation.
“This type of demon is called a Breeding Demon. It can split itself to combine with other demons and give birth to one of its own offspring, along with a complete adult replica of the partner, except without the partner’s memories.”
“A replica? So the demons’ reproduction over the past five hundred years has just been copy and paste? No natural evolution at all?” Truth asked.
“Correct. That is why our scholars call their behavior ‘simulated reproduction.’ The demons have simply been standing still. Fortunately, the Primordial Sovereign only copied the superficial traits of a Succubus. It did not replicate the Succubus ability that allows them to grow stronger through training. As a result, all Breeding Demons can reach at most Third Rank and cannot advance further.This ensures that their offspring must grow from Low Rank rather than starting at Intermediate Rank or High Rank. Otherwise, we would be in serious trouble.”
“Then what is with this appearance? I know Succubi evolved to look like what humans find attractive in order to lure them. But if they are already reproducing with demons, why maintain a form humans like?”
Truth carefully examined the injured Breeding Demon. Brown hair cascaded over her shoulders.
Two small crimson horns rose from her forehead, and bat-like wings rested at her waist.
She looked entirely like a Succubus.
More importantly, her figure was striking, and her bio-armor was extremely… minimal.
“As far as we know, it is an escape strategy. Breeding Demons are weak in combat and frequently interact with Low Rank Adventurers. How should I put it……. “
“Because most Low Rank Adventurers are quite fond of their Succubus-like appearance, whenever a Breeding Demon is captured, it uses its looks and body to bargain for survival. Then it drains the Adventurer and escapes. This greatly increases their survival rate.”
“Drains them? Adventurers are not that foolish, are they? Aren’t they afraid of being killed instead?”
“At first they were cautious. But later, the Breeding Demons’ good reputation eased their concerns. Now any experienced Adventurer knows that after the encounter, a Breeding Demon will flee rather than strike a killing blow. So the two sides seem to have formed a tacit understanding. If a Breeding Demon is captured, leaving is actually quite simple.” Kavier nodded meaningfully.
“What about you? Have you ever made a deal with a Breeding Demon?” Truth suddenly asked.
Kavier fell silent for a moment and continued explaining their habits.
I will not tell you that almost every veteran Demon Hunter has made such a deal…
‘Hmph. If he will not say it, I will assume he has,’ Truth thought as she gave Kavier a meaningful once-over. Then she turned her gaze toward the Breeding Demon curled up in the corner of the cage, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
“I am quite interested in this one. Send her to the interrogation room later. I want to interrogate her personally.”
“Wait. What are you planning to do?!” The Dark Demon, who had been sneering at the side, suddenly panicked again.
“She is my wife now! You had better explain clearly what you intend to do to her!”