Chapter 64: The Demon King Lady’s Abstract Doodles

Iris was going crazy.

Ever since she heard the name of the Red-eyed Crow, the mental state of the former Demon Lord Candidate had been on edge.

The Red-eyed Crow was her sister’s eyes.

As long as those eyes were watching, no matter where one hid, her sister’s great army would descend within three days, leveling the traitor and everything around them to the ground.

She had to defend; she had to set up a barrier!

Taking advantage of the dead of night while that terrifying Hero went to sleep and the Priestess was resting while sick, Iris sneaked into the Church Hall.

Holding a piece of charcoal stolen from the kitchen, she crouched on the floor and began to draw an array.

“Here is the array core, and here is the anti-reconnaissance magic…”

Iris trembled as she drew dark, ghostly symbols on the white marble floor tiles.

Although she had lost most of her Mana, as a former Demon Lord Candidate, the knowledge of magic arrays was etched into her very bones.

As long as she finished this Abyss Mist Array, she could temporarily shroud the Church’s aura and turn that damned crow blind!

“I have to draw the circles perfectly!”

Iris lay on the floor, her backside in the air, as she meticulously traced the complex lines.

She stayed busy until the sky just began to brighten, and the floor of the entire Church Hall was nearly covered.

“Whew, it’s finally finished.”

Iris looked at her masterpiece and let out a smile of relief.

With this, she could probably hold out for at least two or three days, right?

‘As long as I make it through those few days, perhaps the Priestess will recover and lead that monster Hero to drive my sister back?’

Carrying her beautiful delusions, Iris leaned against a corner and drifted off to sleep.

……

“Oh my god, what happened here?”

A cry of surprise woke Iris.

Iris opened her eyes to see Lynn standing in the middle of the hall, covering her mouth as she stared at the black graffiti covering the floor in shock.

“How did the floor get so dirty?”

Immediately after, Elent walked in carrying a bucket and a mop. After a night of rest, the over-energetic Hero looked even more refreshed than he had the day before.

“What is this?!”

Elent looked at the magic array on the floor and fell into deep thought.

Iris huddled in the corner, her heart leaping into her throat.

‘Did he figure it out? Does he realize this is a high-level magic array from the Abyss?’

Elent crouched down, touched the charcoal marks on the floor, and then sniffed his fingers.

“Charcoal dust?”

Elent turned his head to look at Iris, whose face was covered in black soot, and his gaze became serious.

“Iris, did you do this?”

“I… I did…” Iris stammered, trying to explain, “This is to protect — “

“Is the pressure too much?”

Elent suddenly sighed, interrupting her.

“?” Iris was stunned.

“I know I’ve made you do a lot of work lately, and you might not be used to it. You probably have some resentment in your heart,” Elent said in an understanding tone.

“But scribbling is wrong, especially drawing such abstract pictures in a holy Church.”

‘Abstract?’

Iris almost coughed up a mouthful of blood.

This was the Abyss Mist Array, a barrier capable of blocking detection magic!

And you call this an abstract drawing?!

“It’s okay. As long as you can admit your mistakes and change, it’s fine.”

Elent brandished the mop and spoke to Iris.

“Leave these stains to me. I just happen to need to vent some of my extra energy anyway.”

“No, wait, don’t wipe it!”

Iris tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The mop, full of power, descended with the sound of rushing wind.

Combined with Elent’s monstrous strength enhanced by Saint Light, it took only one stroke for the array core Iris had spent all night pouring her heart and soul into to turn into a puddle of black sewage.

“The lines here are quite hard to wipe away. It looks like I’ll have to use some force.”

“No, my anti-reconnaissance magic!”

“This side too. These circles are drawn quite well.”

“That’s a Mana amplification node!!!”

In just five minutes, the entire hall was brand new, and the floor was so shiny it could reflect a person’s image.

Elent leaned on the mop and gave a cheerful smile.

“Done! You see, with just a little effort, there’s no stain that can’t be wiped away.”

Iris slumped onto the floor, her eyes hollow, as if her soul had been wiped away along with the mop.

It was over.

It was all over.

The defense was gone, and she was even being treated like a bad child venting her frustrations.

Everything was finished.

“What’s all the noise about?”

Celia walked out wrapped in a blanket. Her cold was a bit better, but she still had a slight fever, making her look quite frail.

“Yelling like this so early in the morning.” Celia yawned. “Iris, what kind of trouble have you caused now?”

Iris looked up, wanting to cry and complain that her defense array had been destroyed, but the words caught in her throat.

Tell the Priestess she had drawn an Abyssal magic array? That would be asking for death!

“It’s… it’s nothing…” Iris sobbed. “I was just… practicing my drawing.”

“Drawing?”

Celia glanced at the clean floor and then at the black soot on Iris’s face.

‘Is this child under that much pressure? She’s started doing performance art?’

“Fine, stop drawing and go wash your face.”

Celia walked over to the dining table and sat down.

“I want some hot water. Elent, pour me a glass.”

“Yes!”

Elent immediately put down the mop and went to pour a glass of warm water, handing it over.

Celia held the cup and took a sip, but her brow suddenly furrowed.

“Why does this water taste weird?”

“Weird?” Elent also poured a glass and tasted it. “It doesn’t. It tastes the same as before.”

“No.”

Celia set the cup down and looked at the clear water inside.

As a veteran foodie, Celia was naturally very sensitive to changes in water quality. Right now, there was a faint taste in the water, like rust combined with rotting leaves.

Although it was very faint, it definitely existed.

“Priestess, something is wrong!”

Just then, Grandpa Bagla from the Village ran in frantically.

“Something strange has happened. Please come and take a look!”

“What is it?”

“The well, the old well at the village entrance!” Grandpa Bagla’s face was deathly pale, as if he had seen a ghost.

“I went to get water just now, and the water I pulled up was completely black. It was even smoking!”

Black? Smoking?

Iris, in the corner, trembled when she heard this.

This was a sign of the Abyss corroding the water source!

Had her sister’s army already started to take action?

“What a pain.”

Celia glanced at the water in her cup, sighed, and wrapped her blanket tighter.

“Elent, give me a hand. Let’s go see.”

Although she really wanted to keep sleeping, if something was truly wrong with the water, wouldn’t that mean she couldn’t make her Happy Water anymore?

This was a major matter involving her own interests.

She could not tolerate this.

The two arrived at the old well at the village entrance, which was already surrounded by people.

Seeing Celia arrive, the villagers consciously made a path.

Celia walked to the edge of the well and leaned over to look down.

The originally clear well water was indeed murky now, appearing a dark murky green, with a thin layer of black mist floating on the surface.

That smell was exactly the same as what she had tasted in the cup earlier, only a hundred times stronger.

“Is it cursed?”

“I told you the chickens haven’t been laying eggs lately. There must be something wrong with the water!”

The villagers were talking amongst themselves as panic began to spread.

Elent stood behind Celia, his expression serious.

“Priestess, this aura is the same as what I felt at the Black Forest Crack.”

Celia gathered a ball of Saint Light in her palm and lightly tapped it against the surface of the well water.

The well water boiled violently, and the black mist let out a sharp hiss under the Saint Light before a small portion of it dissipated.

However, more black mist soon surged up from the bottom of the well, refilling the opening.

“It looks like it’s been contaminated.”

Celia withdrew her hand, her expression turning sour.

Relying on her own Saint Light to disperse it could purify it for a short time, but as long as the amount of Saint Light was below a certain level, the black mist would make a comeback.

If the source wasn’t resolved, the entire Village’s water supply would be doomed.

“Miss Celia, what should we do?”

“Everyone is counting on this well to survive!”

However, as Celia looked at the well full of black water, a thought flashed through her mind —

‘With this color, if I added some bubbles, could I sell it as cola?’

Wait, no, drinking this stuff would kill people.

“Don’t panic.”

Celia turned around. Although she still looked ill, the calm tone of her voice made the villagers feel a bit more at ease.

“Stop drinking the water from here for now. Go drink from the river, and remember to boil it before drinking.”

“Elent.”

“In attendance.”

“Go take all the ice out of the Alchemical Freezer and distribute it to everyone for their emergencies.”

“But that was for your Happy Water…”

“Stop talking and just go.”

Happy Water was important, but it wouldn’t be good if these villagers died of thirst.

After arranging everything, Celia wrapped her blanket around her and started walking back.

As she passed by Iris, she noticed the new employee was staring fixedly at the well, the fear in her eyes so thick it was almost overflowing.

“What, do you want to jump in and take a bath?” Celia offhandedly teased.

“N-No!” Iris was startled and quickly shook her head.

Celia didn’t ask further; she simply looked up at the sky.

It had been a rainstorm yesterday, and although it had cleared up today, the sun still looked hazy and gray.

Ever since that Red-eyed Crow had come over, it had brought a mountain of trouble.

And Celia hated trouble the most.

Especially the kind of trouble that kept her from drinking clean water.