Chapter 390: Chapter 390

The atmosphere in the room shifted, the air growing heavy and oppressive.

A heavy silence, a sense of… anticipation, filled the air.

But even amidst the tension, there was an irresistible… pull, a magnetic force drawing their attention towards her.

They swallowed nervously, their gazes fixed on her, as she walked towards them, her footsteps light and graceful yet somehow… commanding, each step a declaration of dominance.

And as she reached the Matriarch, the highest-ranking individual present, the tension in the air dissipated, replaced by a warm, welcoming smile.

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Hella. Please take care of me.”

But it left a deep impression, a mark not just on their minds…

…but on their hearts.

‘She’s… captivating.’

The Dream Walker Matriarch, her hand on her chest, muttered inwardly, a strange warmth spreading through her body.

She was a succubus, a master of seduction, her resistance to such abilities practically absolute… and yet, her heart was beating faster than usual.

And if she was affected, the others…

“Oh ho ho, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I am Liliana, the current leader of the Dream Walkers. We’re honored by your visit, despite the… inconvenience.”

But she maintained her composure, her demeanor elegant and refined, like a noblewoman, a stark contrast to Hella’s casual and informal tone.

“But this isn’t a suitable place for a conversation. Shall we move inside? We’ve prepared some refreshments for our esteemed guest.”

She glanced at the chaotic surroundings, then led Hella towards the inner chambers.

This was an important facility, the heart of their transportation network.

It wasn't a place where they could afford to be distracted.

She glanced at Hella, who was exchanging greetings with Siana, her gaze sharp and observant.

Having reached the peak of the Master Realm, she could read a lot from a person’s demeanor.

Their gait, their breathing, their facial expressions, their eye movements, their unconscious habits and gestures…

She analyzed everything, and then reached a conclusion.

‘…Huu, she’s not L’rei’e.’

It had been a mistake.

There were too many discrepancies, from her appearance and physique to the nature of her magic power.

‘But she’s… similar.’

She couldn’t deny it.

After all, she had recognized him, or rather, her, the moment she saw her.

There was something about her aura, a subtle familiarity, that reminded her of the Demon King she had once admired.

‘And those eyes and horns… I’m sure of it. She’s L’rei’e’s…’

Her gaze lingered on Hella’s face.

Crimson eyes, their pupils glowing like rubies, and two sharp, black horns, slightly curved.

Even if everything else was different, those were L’rei’e’s trademarks!

And then, as she was lost in thought, her gaze met Hella’s.

A momentary lapse in her composure, her mind distracted by her thoughts.

“Hehehe, you seem to have a lot of questions.”

Hella’s expression, as if she knew exactly what she was thinking.

But she didn’t say anything.

She simply smiled and opened the door to the reception room, gesturing towards the inside.

“Conversation is the most efficient way to communicate and understand each other. Let’s get straight to the point. I don’t think you have much time to waste.”

And then, she casually walked inside,

…as if she owned the place.

‘So, this is the Dream Walkers’ headquarters? As expected of a clan that produced a Demon King. They’re different from those… insignificant rabble I’ve encountered so far.’

Hella nodded slowly, impressed.

She wasn't showing it outwardly, but she was quite pleased with the situation.

‘This will be very helpful. I’m a newcomer, so a strong foundation is essential.’

The stronger her influence in the Demon World, the faster she could expand her power base.

With the Dream Walkers’ assistance, she could quickly establish a powerful faction.

And Liliana, the Succubus Matriarch, was the most valuable asset she had encountered so far.

‘…Demons grow stronger in the Demon World, so I’ll have to take that into account… If a Viscount is this powerful, how strong are the Dukes?’

She was confident she could defeat them in a one-on-one fight, even in her current state… but if their subordinates were involved…

She needed to secure the Dream Walkers’ loyalty first.

‘It seems difficult to subdue them by force. They have high resistance to charm…’

But there was no need for that.

They already had a… connection.

Hella, Liliana, and Siana sat facing each other in the reception room.

They didn't waste time on pleasantries. The situation was too urgent.

They discussed various matters, from official business to… personal affairs.

“…‘I don’t know’? What do you mean?”

Liliana frowned, her voice laced with a hint of annoyance.

She was clearly frustrated by Hella’s evasive answers.

But Hella simply shrugged.

“I’m sure I’m related to the previous Demon King somehow. I couldn’t have just… appeared out of nowhere. But I haven’t been… aware for very long. And this is my first time in the Demon World…”

She avoided answering the question about her origins directly.

How could she possibly tell them the truth?

That she was just an avatar, created using the remains of the previous Demon King, one of many?

She kept her answers vague and ambiguous, but she didn’t lie.

A demon of Liliana’s level could easily detect any falsehood in her words.

‘I’m not sure if it’ll work on her, but I should still be careful.’

Hella was still a relatively new avatar, despite her rapid growth.

She couldn’t afford to be careless.

And by keeping her answers vague, leaving room for interpretation…

“…Did he… make preparations? For after his death…? Hmm, and the fact that she has the Queen’s essence… Perhaps they…”

…she could let them fill in the blanks and create their own… narrative.

There was no need for her to explain everything.

“By the way, I’m also curious. Matriarch Liliana, what was your relationship with the 14th Demon King and the Succubus Queen? You seem to know them well.”

Liliana, who had been frowning in thought, suddenly froze at Hella’s casual question.

A brief silence, and then,

…she spoke, her gaze fixed on Hella, a strange glint in her eyes.

“…They were my sister and my mother.”

And then, she began to explain, her voice soft and gentle, as if telling a story, a family history, to a long-lost relative or a niece she had just met.

L’rei’e and Liliana, daughters of the same Succubus Queen.

But L’rei’e had been… special.

Unlike Liliana, who had been born as an ordinary succubus, L’rei’e had been a… mutant, a ‘succubus hybrid’, her father’s genes unusually dominant.

Male succubi were practically unheard of, as they were usually treated as… food, or rather, a source of… pleasure… but considering her father’s power, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

He was, after all, the 13th Demon King, the strongest of his era.

‘…Her father was the 13th Demon King, and her mother was the Succubus Queen.’

It was a rather… impressive lineage.

No wonder she had become a Demon King, in a world filled with powerful and ruthless monsters.

“And those eyes and horns you inherited… they were from the 13th Demon King. L’rei’e didn’t like them, she thought they were too… conspicuous. She didn’t know how envious we were.”

Liliana sighed, touching her own small horns, barely a handspan long.

Siana, sitting next to her, also nodded.

And then, Liliana’s story continued, leading to the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e, and the Succubus Queen’s invasion of Auterica.

The Dream Walker territory had prospered under their rule, but they couldn’t be complacent.

They wanted to escape their barren homeland and acquire resources from other worlds… but more importantly, they had a mission to fulfill.

“…The Demon God’s will?”

“It was a duty passed down since the first Demon King’s arrival, apparently. Well, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. That world was… ripe for the taking.”

To periodically invade Auterica, to weaken the humans’ power, and to… implement certain measures.

As she heard those words, a thought, a hypothesis, suddenly flashed through Hella’s mind.

‘…The Demon God was interfering with the Human God’s resurrection!’

She didn’t know why the Demon God, imprisoned in a remote and inaccessible dimension, had been tasked with such a role.

Perhaps they were simply enemies, or perhaps there was some kind of… rule or law she wasn’t aware of.

The important thing was that those rituals had taken the form of invasions of Auterica,

…and they had stopped after the 14th Demon King’s death.

And as a result, the Human God’s schemes, including the Immortal King, had begun to… awaken.

‘…Wow, he’s really persistent. He didn’t give up even after being imprisoned in the abyss for thousands of years. And he actually succeeded?’

And he had even managed to turn the tables on the Demon God, exacting his revenge.

She couldn’t even imagine how powerful he had been before being sealed away.

Well, it made sense that the Main God, who rarely intervened directly, had personally taken action.

“My mother volunteered to accompany L’rei’e. The other Dukes were… quite persistent in their opposition.”

L’rei’e’s charm had been a significant threat.

If she had had more time, she could have subdued all the high-ranking demons and established absolute control over the Demon World.

But it was all in the past. L’rei’e and the Succubus Queen had both perished during their invasion of Auterica.

She didn’t know the exact details, or if the other Dukes or the Human God had been involved…

“…But it seems… we have another chance.”

Liliana’s voice, which had been calm and gentle, suddenly turned… passionate, a strange intensity filling her words.

Her eyes, which had been filled with sorrow and regret, now burned with a fierce fire.

“We recognize you as our sister, the daughter of the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e. Even if you weren’t… born from her, you have inherited her power and her will.”

She stood up and casually touched the side of the table in the center of the room.

The heavy table, laden with refreshments, slid across the floor and crashed into the wall, but no one paid any attention.

“I, Liliana, Matriarch of the Dream Walkers—”

“—and my daughter, Siana,”

Siana, who had been silent until now, spoke, her voice clear and firm.

And before Hella could even react to the revelation that Siana was the Matriarch’s daughter, the two of them knelt before her.

“We pledge our loyalty to Hella-nim.”

Their voices resonated with power, a wave of magical energy washing over the room.

And at the same time, a new contract, a bond of loyalty, was formed between Hella, Liliana, and Siana.

It seemed like pledging allegiance to a higher-ranking demon in the Demon World was considered a separate matter from any external contracts.

“We have only one desire.”

Liliana, her forehead pressed against the floor, spoke, her voice filled with emotion.

She had acknowledged Hella as her niece, but she prioritized her role as a loyal subject, her tone respectful and unwavering.

“To eliminate those… despicable Dukes… and to see Hella-nim ascend to the throne of the Demon World!”

Her gaze, burning with rage and a desire for revenge, met Hella’s.

Hella, looking into her eyes, smiled gently.

Her answer was already decided.

Miyamoto Ken gulped nervously.

[“Ah…! This… exquisite blood! More! More!”]

Monstrous creatures, their forms grotesque and unsettling, writhed and twitched before him.

Eyes, noses, mouths, limbs, heads…

Their body parts were mismatched, their numbers varying, their appearance so… repulsive that it triggered a primal sense of disgust.

White, fleshy… abominations.

“Hmm, you seem surprised.”

A kind voice, emanating from behind him.

A figure, an elderly gentleman, approached him and patted his shoulder, his gaze fixed on the scene before them, a strange glint in his eyes.

“What do you think? Aren’t they… magnificent?”

A viscous, unsettling desire, barely concealed beneath his gentle facade.

Before Ken could even respond, the old man continued, his voice filled with a strange… fervor.

“These are the ones who will lead us to victory—.”

His eyes, like bottomless pits, devoid of light, curved into a crescent moon shape.