harleyscars Page 223
Page 223
"Without any magic or holy power to activate it, the book ash can form a semi-living entity, like a robot synthesized through alchemy, acting spontaneously according to the instructions written on the book before its death—"
My great-grandfather, as if he had long foreseen this day, wrote the following instruction on his last page: "Kill all humans who attempt to pass through the Path of the Hero!"
"Although the Book Ash can only operate for a very short time using its residual physical power, it is enough to force a defenseless hero to his death on a narrow road that is not even suitable for passage."
"Before his death, my great-grandfather offered up his most glorious and precious 'book ashes' for the Book Demon Clan, for the entire Demon King's Castle, and for the future of the Demon Clan."
“Admirable, Swell.”
Apophis nodded slightly in acknowledgment; even with its profound experience, it felt it necessary to show the deceased the utmost respect.
"That's book ash, more precious than the relics of the Holy Church. You should have kept it safe, Swell?"
"Of course, I put that pure white 'book ash' in the most exquisite box and placed it under the highest level of restrictions of the Demon King's City. Only demons of the Demon Official rank or above are qualified to touch it."
Sverre explained to Apophis in detail:
"After all, although each grain of book ash stores powerful physical force, it is actually a whole, and its essence is very fragile—"
"Once it's broken down into loose sand, its internal microstructure is destroyed, and then it's no different from ordinary human ashes..."
Chapter 327 [A Family] (Seeking monthly votes~)
"Wrap, spicy pill..."
Standing at the doorway, Mino's face was deathly pale.
This time, the room that was opened seemed somewhat unusual.
He had never seen such a magnificent arrangement in the Demon King's castle: the decoration alone was far superior to the other rooms in the Demon King's castle, with ornate bookshelves and books firmly fixed to the walls and even the ceiling.
It also features an automatically operating magic circle inlaid with exquisite magic stones, gently reciting the contents of books in the demon language with an inexplicable tone, like a prayer or sacrificial incantation. The air is filled with an extremely formal atmosphere, much more solemn and dignified than the kingdom's library.
The only thing he couldn't understand was why, on the central table of the room full of books, there was an exquisite treasure chest filled with white ash, placed like an offering.
No, that's not the point anymore... Mino's fingers trembled slightly. He took a few steps back, his expression more serious than ever before:
"—Wash the motor! (I've messed up!)"
Mino's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the white-haired loli covered in a thick layer of white ash, standing beside the overturned treasure chest...
Just as he was excited about the suddenly transformed, exquisite room, the little guy skipped and hopped inside. Before he could even react, he bumped into the tall square table in the center of the room, knocking the treasure chest off.
This exquisite and gorgeous treasure chest had absolutely no protective measures. As soon as Mia's little hand touched it, it opened with a snap.
The once quiet and tidy little girl suddenly became dusty and dirty, as if she had fallen into the sand.
The air suddenly became awkward and silent.
Inside the room, the little one hadn't quite figured out what was going on. Her big, bright eyes first filled with confusion, then welled up with increasingly thick tears. Finally, the little crybaby's eyes swirled, her lips pouted, and she tilted her head back, letting out a soft sob.
“Ughhhhhh!!!”
"You silly little thing, how could you cause such a big mess, and then you're crying like a victim!"
Mino quickly picked up the dirty Mia and comforted her for a while before the crying subsided and turned into occasional sobs.
Mino gently patted Mia's back to comfort her while staring at the "crime scene" before him with a chill running down his spine:
"Although I don't know what this white ash is, since it's placed in such a precious place, it must be something very important... This is terrible. If they find out, I'll be dead. They'll definitely beat the shit out of me."
"Who would commit such outrageous acts of destruction in the Demon King's castle? -- Who is it? It's so hard to guess!"
Mino couldn't help but shudder. Looking at the innocent-looking little girl in his arms, he knew that even if she was the culprit, he would still be the one who got beaten up in the end.
"No, no! We absolutely cannot be discovered!!!"
A strong will to survive surged within him. Mino clenched his fists, his tone more formal than ever before. He lowered his head, meeting Mia's bewildered gaze, and said righteously:
"Let's cover this up together, this perfect crime!"
Gathering the clumps of white ash from the ground, the little boy with the chubby face nervously looked around by the stairs, keeping watch for Mino.
Seeing that no one had passed by, Mino quickly picked up the ash and silently walked back to the cell, reaching the window.
Every last bit of white ash was scattered outside the window.
"Phew, the body disposal is complete." Wiping the sweat from his brow, Mino returned to the room and looked at the empty box: "Next, it's time to reconstruct the scene—"
"Although I don't know what that white ash is, as long as I find a similar filler, that should be fine."
Mino stroked his chin and quickly came up with an idea.
half an hour.
"Perfect!"
Mino looked at the box, now full of white powder again, gently pinched off a small amount, brought it to her nose, and smelled it. Soon, a look of satisfaction appeared in her eyes:
"99.9% chance, a rare find!!!"
"Grandma! Grandma! Grandma!" On the ground, Mia, covered in dust, stood on tiptoe, calling out longingly.
"Shut up! These milk powders will be deducted from your food allowance this month!" Mino snapped, trying to stop him.
Turning around, he placed his hands on Mia's shoulders, which were still covered in white dust, and said earnestly:
"We're accomplices now, you understand, Mia! We have no way out!"
"What's in this box is definitely not baby formula! Neither you nor I have ever been inside this room! Do you understand?!"
Looking at Mino's eyes, which were full of the will to survive, Mia seemed to understand but didn't quite, and subconsciously nodded.
"very good!"
Mino stood up with satisfaction, looking at the dirty little girl beneath him:
"Now, anyway, let's go take a shower first..."
As the moonlight traverses the ground in the dead of night, it envelops the sounds of the wind and insects in a serene stillness.
Kleidina stepped onto the stairs, calling out softly in all directions:
"Demon Lord? Demon Lord... Strange, where did he go to play again?"
When Kleinna got up to pee as usual, she discovered that Mia, who should have been sleeping in her room, had disappeared again.
She searched up the cell floor by floor, and finally, Kletina stepped onto the prison corridor. She was slightly startled when she heard two snoring sounds coming from the depths of the corridor.
Soft footsteps stopped outside the cell door. A silk nightgown, shrouded in shadow, slipped lightly into the cell. Kletina's gaze fell on the soft bed inside.
The two little ones, one big and one small, snuggled together, looking like they were tired from playing. Their sleeping postures were quite unsightly, with the blankets kicked to the edge of the bed, revealing their smooth, round little belly buttons.
"This means...they've made up?"
Kleidina was somewhat surprised, as she had also observed the relationship between Mia and Mino these past few days.
"My Lord Demon King, you'll catch a cold sleeping like this. Let's go back to sleep, okay?"
Kleinina stepped forward and gently shook Mia's body, calling out in a voice barely audible.
But Mia's two tiny hands clung tightly to Mino's arm like an octopus, unwilling to let go even while she was sound asleep.
“Really…” Kleinna sighed softly.
I had no choice but to pull the blanket back up from the bedside and cover Mino and Mia with it, gently patting the edges of the blanket to make sure it wouldn't be kicked over again.
Even breathing sounds emanated from her small body. Mia curled up again, a contented sleeping face on her lips, her cheek occasionally rubbing against the arm of the human beside her, like a white cat that had found its little nest.
"This doesn't seem so bad?" This thought inexplicably popped into Kletina's mind.
Dark clouds blocked out the moonlight, adding a layer of somber darkness to the cell. The silence and night enveloped the bed, but the only thing missing was the loneliness that belonged unique to the Demon King's castle...
"big boss."
Kleinna leaned down gently, caressing Mia's soft face, her eyes imprinting two peaceful and serene sleeping faces deep within her.
Moonlight pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the bedside, accompanied by a soft yet firm murmur:
"I won't let anyone take you away from me—"
Even if it means... going against the whole world.
Chapter 328 (Seeking Monthly Tickets) It's your turn to make your appearance, Great-Grandfather on the move!
The Path of the Warrior.
The sun shone as expected the next day, casting its light on the narrow and treacherous straight road.
"Haah...haah..."
A figure with long, crimson hair appeared at the end of the long road.
"Give it your all, my lord! Just one more day and you'll be able to traverse the Path of the Hero and accomplish that feat that no one has replicated in a thousand years!" The long sword at his waist trembled slightly, emitting a somewhat excited hum.
For ordinary people, the Path of the Hero is almost like walking a tightrope, a perilous journey with a slim chance of survival. But for Shana, whose holy power and magic were not sealed, the moment she stepped into the Path of the Hero, the difficulty level dropped from hell to superhuman, and she completed most of the journey in just two days.
"Haa...haa...it's easy to say." The girl's weak, panting breaths echoed in the air.
However, the inexperienced hero and the rarely seen holy sword made a fatal mistake.
Her withered lips were cracked, and her once vibrant crimson hair had lost its luster. Shana looked around at the barren canyon walls and the bottomless, desolate abyss, then raised her head, her expression one of utter despair.
"So hungry——"
"Why didn't anyone tell me I needed to prepare food before embarking on the Path of the Hero... I'm starving... Waaah, help me, Darkfrey..."
“My lord, who told you not to investigate beforehand? This is the price of being stubborn,” Darkfrey’s voice echoed in his mind. “However, it is indeed a bit strange.”
"According to my great-grandfather, although the Path of the Warrior is closed off, it has its own ecosystem, and edible fruits occasionally grow on the cliffs."
"But along the way, all we've seen are things that have dried up to dust and can't even be considered dried fruit."
"Could this also be a unique feature of the Path of the Hero?"
"Hold on a little longer, my lord. Think of how incredibly fortunate you are now! To be able to use your power on the Path of the Hero is simply unheard of!"
"Strength... can't put food on the table."
Her stomach rumbled, and Shana's legs went weak, causing her to slump to the ground. Her vision was blurry from hunger: "Darkfrey, I might become the first hero to starve to death on the Path of the Hero..."
"My lord, don't give up!" Darkfrey cried out urgently. "Hunger is not the problem. The main issue is that you haven't had water for too long. You can't just fall into a coma like this. Dehydration will only make things worse."
"Just a few more steps, just a few more steps, and maybe you'll see ready-made food!"