In recent days, beyond tormenting Su Nian to harvest her frustration points, Chu Tian had taken time to familiarize himself with this world.
He had come to understand its intricacies, its powers, and its perils.
To stand against the looming invasion of the demon clans, relying solely on his own strength would be folly.
He needed to unite every possible ally, forging a coalition capable of withstanding the coming storm.
The Western Continent, aside from the Demon Empire and its vassal states, was dominated by five human nations: the Rhine Knight Kingdom, the Crimson Maple Magic Kingdom, the Togro Kingdom, the Holy Light Theocracy, and the Neutral Kingdom.
Among them, the Rhine Knight Kingdom and the Crimson Maple Magic Kingdom stood as the most powerful.
Save for the Neutral Kingdom, the other four nations had long been locked in enmity with the Demon Empire.
In recent years, however, the demons had shown little activity, leading to a fragile, fleeting peace.
By all logic, Chu Tian’s path seemed clear: find the leaders of these nations—kings, queens, or their ilk—reveal the truth of the impending demon invasion, and rally them to his cause.
But reality, as ever, was far from simple.
Take the Crimson Maple Magic Kingdom, for instance.
Not all within its borders swore fealty to the royal family in Crimson Maple City.
Indeed, the kings and royal families of this world lacked the iron grip of centralized power.
In the Academy City, for example, citizens paid taxes solely to the city itself.
In return, the city handled its own defense and conscription, independent of the crown.
Smaller cities, towns, and villages were often fiefdoms of nobles, their inhabitants owing taxes only to their local lords.
Thus, while the royal family held nominal supremacy, their true control extended only to their own lands and the capital.
Wealth and military might rested firmly in the hands of the landed aristocracy.
In the Crimson Maple Magic Kingdom, three formidable factions held sway: the Crimson Maple Family, the Morsen Family, and the Academy City with its Magic Academy.Â
The Crimson Maple Family, led by the kingdom’s king, ruled the capital and its surrounding towns and villages, backed by an elite royal guard.
The Morsen Family, a hereditary duke house, controlled the strategic Morsen Fortress and its environs.
Positioned at the kingdom’s critical “Gourd Mouth” chokepoint, the Morsens commanded over half the nation’s military forces.
The Academy City and its Magic Academy, under the guidance of the revered Grand Archmage, produced countless powerful sorcerers.
Yet, the academy cared little for politics or who sat on the throne.
Chu Tian faced a dilemma: should he ally with the militarily potent Morsen Family, the righteous and legitimate Crimson Maple Family, or the enigmatic Magic Academy?
Meanwhile, his informants brought news: Theodore Morsen, the heir to the Morsen Duke, had arrived in the Academy City.
To those versed in the kingdom’s politics, the implications were clear.
If Theodore could sway the Magic Academy to his side, the Morsen Family might well claim the throne, renaming the kingdom after themselves.
Over the past few days, Chu Tian had studied the likely paths and targets of the demon invasion.
Morsen Fortress stood out as the most strategic and probable first target.
The second?
The Academy City.
The Crimson Maple Kingdom, geographically isolated from the other three allied nations, was a natural first strike for the demons.
If Morsen Fortress fell, the kingdom—save for its sea routes—would be severed from the outside world.
The kingdom’s terrain formed a vast peninsula, with Morsen Fortress as its sole guardian city.
If the demons captured and held it, the Crimson Maple Kingdom would be isolated, its fall only a matter of time.
Chu Tian knew the Western Continent would eventually succumb to the demons, but the details eluded him.
He could only surmise that Morsen Fortress was likely the first to fall.
If it could be held, the entire tide of the war might shift.
Chu Tian began to strategize in silence.
Since Theodore Morsen, heir to the Morsen Duke, was now in the Academy City, it wouldn’t hurt to send someone to make contact.
Understanding the Morsen heir could open doors—perhaps even to an alliance.
At the same time, Su Nian, having begrudgingly responded to the vile Horned Demon’s latest message, could only vent her frustration by stomping her feet.
Her tolerance had grown, not out of choice, but necessity.
Her plans and ambitions were nearing fruition.
Over the past few days, her humiliation points had skyrocketed, now exceeding 500,000.
She was over halfway to a million!
“Total Humiliation Points: 658,518 (1,000,000 needed for a Four-Star System Upgrade)” Â
“Current Humiliation Points: 504,815”
With only 350,000 points left to reach a million, a four-star system upgrade promised new abilities and better rewards.
If she endured just a little longer, she could ascend to the Saint rank.
The speed at which she amassed humiliation points far exceeded her expectations.
But every point came at a cost.
Each daily task, each degrading demand from the Horned Demon, chipped away at her dignity.
Tonight, for instance, she was ordered to prepare his bathwater—and to serve him as he bathed.
It was yet another violation of her boundaries, though those boundaries had already been shattered time and again.
The closer she came to a million points, the less Su Nian dared to resist.
Lying on the second floor, she idly counted the crowd queuing to buy phones, calculating her day’s earnings.
She wasn’t entirely slacking—someone might try to steal a phone, after all.
She was working.
Yes, that’s right.
Amid the chatter of the crowd, she caught snippets of gossip—no, intelligence.
Boredom had made her generous for once.
“Ding! Purchased Advanced Hearing. Cost: 1,000 Humiliation Points.”
For Su Nian, now residing in Shadowmoon Manor, 1,000 points were a trivial expense, easily earned compared to the past.
“Did you hear? Theodore Morsen, the Morsen Duke’s heir, is coming to the Academy City. He’s even visiting the Magic Academy.”
“I heard the same. A hundred-strong entourage left Morsen Fortress already.”
“Your news is old. Those nobles arrived two days ago via teleportation array. To them, the cost of a teleport is pocket change.”
“A hundred people through a teleportation array? How much would that cost?”
From the jumble of conversations, Su Nian sifted out fragments of value.
The Morsen Duke’s heir?
Could someone of his stature stand against the Horned Demon?
Perhaps he was a potential ally to the court.
She committed the name to memory: Theodore Morsen.
But at that moment, a frantic voice shattered her thoughts.
Lise, usually so composed, rushed to Su Nian’s side, eyes red and brimming with tears.
“Miss Su Nian, Amy’s gone! I’ve searched everywhere she might be…. I have alerted the patrols, but there’s no trace of her. Even her magic phone is unreachable. I’m so scared—what if something’s happened to her?”
Lise’s voice broke with sobs.