Chapter 7: Let Me Reward You

After wiping the last drop of filthy blood from her sword’s edge, Sophia sheathed her blade.

The sound of steel scraping against the scabbard was especially grating; everywhere she looked, nothing in the merchant convoy still lived.

As one of the Moonlight Level’s most outstanding transcendents, slaughtering these enemies, so far beneath her, was like a wolf let loose among sheep.

The few smears of crimson on her clothes’ corners were the only evidence of this one-sided hunt.

Now, with no one left to interfere, Sophia finally turned her attention to the box concealed in the middle of the convoy.

Gripping a corner of the cloth, Sophia lifted the cover to reveal an Iron Box adorned with intricate, mysterious patterns.

A gentle tap was all it took to confirm it wasn’t hollow.

Looking at the deep tracks this box had pressed into the road, Sophia hesitated.

With such a heavy object, there was no way she could move it without attracting attention, which meant her task would be impossible to complete.

“They only asked for the item, not the whole box, right?”

Although Sophia was considering things from the standpoint of finishing her mission, she couldn’t help but indulge a bit of her own curiosity.

Selim had already stripped her of every last secret; in return, Sophia wanted a glimpse into Selim’s mysteries.

“What could you need so badly?” Her fingers traced the patterns on the box.

“If I open it, I’ll know, won’t I?”

Making sure the target item was unharmed, she abandoned any idea of prying it open by force, and instead searched carefully—soon, her fingers brushed against a minuscule, raised button.

The instant she pressed it, a sharp pain jabbed her fingertip, and several drops of blood began to flow along the button’s grooves.

It was her first injury of the day; Sophia’s instincts screamed, and she leapt several steps back.

Bzzzz !

The mysterious lines came alive, lit by her blood, crawling rapidly over the entire box. With a thunderous boom, the lid sprang open.

Holding her breath, Sophia moved in for a closer look, eager to see what Selim had gone to such lengths and killed to protect.

Glorp.

A pair of wet, sticky eyes, like those of a giant snail emerged from the box’s darkness.

The creature revealed itself: a shapeless mass of slime, covered with countless distorted, human-like faces, twisted in agony. It evoked that famous painting of despair, The Wandering.

It was horrifying to behold.

Even Sophia, with all she’d seen, had never encountered a monster so blasphemous.

Just looking at it made her stomach churn.

Suddenly, the thing’s soft eyeballs crashed together, unleashing a deafening explosion.

An invisible sledgehammer smashed through Sophia’s mind; the dizziness hit so hard that her vision darkened, her steps faltering.

But that was only the beginning. The blood on the ground defied gravity, floating up and gathering near a long, newly-formed proboscis for the creature to suck.

With each gulp, the monster’s presence grew more terrifying by the second.

Long battles had honed Sophia’s instincts, she knew she couldn’t wait.

Suppressing her nausea, Sophia steadied herself, her sword flashing cold as she lunged.

Clang—!

The instant her blade struck, what had seemed a soft hide hardened into jet-black scales like steel; sparks flew. Sophia’s full-force blow barely left a scratch.

The chilling flame that once made her blade unstoppable was now utterly useless.

Feeding on blood was just the prelude.

What happened next chilled Sophia to the core: the scattered corpses gave rise to translucent, writhing shadows.

Were those… human souls?

Pulled by an unseen force, they wailed as they gathered at the monster’s side, and were gulped down in one swallow.

“Ooo—bzzzz.”

As the souls were devoured, sharp, piercing noises detonated in Sophia’s mind.

It wasn’t just noise; it was wailing that struck directly at her soul, like a thousand steel needles stabbing into her skull.

She gritted her teeth, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, and struck again.

Clang, the result was the same.

“What is this monster?”

Run! Go find Master, that was the only rational option.

But, in that time gap, how many more would this creature slaughter?

The Demon Hall was already in a precarious position. Such dereliction would be the perfect excuse for political rivals to attack, delaying her chance to uncover the truth—and exact her revenge in the Lupine Heart Kingdom indefinitely.

Her dream of pursuing the truth and vengeance in the Lupine Heart Kingdom would slip ever farther away.

She was completely helpless against it, just like the powerlessness she felt as an Imperial Guard.

Is there really… nothing she could do?

At the moment despair almost swallowed her, a faint sensation in her chest stirred her awareness.

There was still the blue silk pouch Selim had given her.

Could it be?

Fighting the soul-rending pain and vertigo, Sophia’s trembling hands fished out the pouch.

“Miss Sophia, I’m glad you didn’t run. I knew I was right about you.”

“Put down your sword. Use your hands. Dig out its heart from between its eyes, and bring me the Victory Fruit.”

If anyone else had told Sophia to face such a monster barehanded, she’d think they were out to kill her—and consider herself merciful if she didn’t cut them in two on the spot.

But this was information provided by Selim.

She… felt a strange sense of trust.

An absurd, nearly blind reassurance oddly outweighed her fear and doubts.

It was as if, so long as she obeyed the girl in the wheelchair, victory was inevitable.

She sheathed her sword and once more rushed up to the monster, reaching her hands toward the space between its eyes.

As before, the creature’s hide turned to hard scales.

But the expected resistance never came.

Her hands passed through, like moving through thick water, slipping easily into the creature’s head until her fingers touched a smooth sphere.

Without hesitation, she tightened her grip, yanked it free.

The monster let out a shriek so inhuman it hardly seemed of this world; its huge body shriveled, collapsed, then turned to a foul-smelling dust that scattered on the wind.

Standing where she was, Sophia held a Black Pearl, gasping for breath.

She’d once thought her rebirth absurd, but what happened today was even more unbelievable.

Both the start and end of this battle felt like a carefully staged nightmare.

All because she had “rescued” Baroness Selim by accident—and so had been coerced into working for her.

“Selim, just what kind of person are you?”

Sophia’s curiosity and awe for Selim reached new heights.

She tucked away the Black Pearl and turned back toward Selim’s Estate.

She had no intention of handing it over for nothing.

For Selim to obtain it, she’d risked her own safety as bait to lure Sophia in.

A Succubus even a seasoned Demon Hunter like her had never heard of.

How did Selim know about it?

For now, she neither wanted to ponder nor had the power to untangle that question.

But one thing was certain—Selim had orchestrated all this for the sake of the pearl.

It was the perfect bargaining chip, proof Selim was involved with Succubi.

Now, both sides held a crucial secret—her rebirth, and Selim’s dealings with demonic abominations.

The scales were balanced.

She could trade it for the information she desired, strike a deal with Selim, and get the answers she needed. To Sophia, it was a deal with no downside.

Yet Sophia still had one question.

Why pick her? Was it all really for her?

She shook her head, dismissing the idea.

If Selim were a man, Sophia would have to worry about hidden motives—and plan to kill and escape after extracting information.

But the other was just a frail, wheelchair-bound girl.

Albeit with a shadowy heart.

But…

A young noblewoman of the kingdom, crippled from birth, with no superhuman abilities.

Sophia remembered a younger girl who used to cling to her—a nuisance, but full of mischievous innocence.

Selim, with her unfathomable actions, reminded her more of the dark side of palace politics.

A girl who should be naive was forced to learn adult tricks to survive.

A strange sympathy quietly sprouted.

Looking at it closely, though Selim had forced her to act, Sophia hadn’t actually lost anything—in fact, clues she’d sought for years had found their way to her.

Besides, as a Demon Hunter, even if she hadn’t faced this monster today, it might well have happened in the future.

So many corpses had been enough for such a threat; what if it had been a whole town?

She might not even have escaped with her life.

So she’d gained something too.

Perhaps this mysterious girl, Selim, wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined?

Maybe they could even work together?

But as soon as the thought arose, Sophia shook her head. The other was too mysterious—better not get tangled up.

She wouldn’t investigate Selim’s connections to Succubi—she’d exchange the information for her freedom.

This would be their final meeting; as long as Selim didn’t pester her further, they’d part ways, each going their own road.

Holding the House Badge Selim had given her, Sophia passed through the Estate gates unchallenged.

She knocked several times at Selim’s bedroom door, mentally rehearsing what was to come.

What kind of tense negotiation would this be?

“Now that we both have our bargaining chips, it’s time for a new deal.”

As she spoke, she pushed the door open and entered.

The sight before her made her freeze on the spot, every prepared word stuck in her throat.

Selim was clearly startled by her sudden entrance. Her hand, halfway to her mouth with a pastry, stopped abruptly. Her delicate face flushed, and she grabbed her teacup, gulping down several sips before finally swallowing and coughing several times.

“Cough… cough, cough… Miss Sophia, welcome back.” Selim dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief, her face quickly returning to its usual playful, teasing smile.

She gently patted her lap—the one seated in her wheelchair—and, with a hint of teasing, said, “Let me give you a reward?”

Seeing Selim like this, Sophia was stunned.

This was nothing like the script she’d imagined!