Wake up!
Zaria jolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat, her heart pounding in her chest. A mysterious voice echoed in her mind, leaving her in a state of panicked confusion. She frantically scanned the dimly lit room, her eyes darting from one sleeping form to another. Everyone seemed to be asleep, but Lily… Lily was gone.
Panic seized her. She scrambled out of bed, still in her evening clothes, and rushed out into the hallway, desperately searching for any sign of Lily.
Finding no trace of her, Zaria burst into the courtyard, where she spotted two guards huddled together, sharing a smoke. She hurried towards them, her face etched with worry.
"Hey, I need your help!" she gasped, her voice trembling with anxiety.
"What's wrong? How can we help?" one of the guards responded, his voice laced with concern as he took in her frantic demeanor.
"I'm looking for a girl with long silver hair. Have you seen her?" Zaria pleaded, her eyes searching their faces for any flicker of recognition.
"Oh yeah, I saw her," the other guard chimed in, exhaling a plume of smoke as he passed the rolled tobacco to his companion. "She left the barracks with one of the knights. Looked kinda scared, if you ask me."
"Thank you so much!" Zaria exclaimed, relief washing over her, albeit tinged with a growing sense of dread. She spun on her heel and raced towards the barracks gates, leaving the two guards staring after her, their faces etched with worry.
Zaria sprinted towards the gates, her heart pounding in her chest, but was abruptly stopped by the guards on duty.
"Whoa, slow down there! Where do you think you're going at this hour? It's past curfew, you know," the guard barked, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he blocked her path.
Zaria, gasping for breath, bent over, her hands on her knees. "A girl… white hair… where is she?" she managed to choke out between breaths.
The guard's stern expression softened as he saw the genuine fear in her eyes. "Oh, her? She left with a knight, headed into the city. Listen, I'll let you out, but you have to promise to be back before sunrise. I need this job, you understand?"
"Yes, I promise!" Zaria cried, a nervous smile flickering across her face.
The guard relented, and Zaria burst through the gates and into the deserted city streets. An eerie silence hung in the air, the usual hustle and bustle replaced by an unsettling stillness. Only the occasional Night Watch patrol broke the quiet.
She approached each patrol, her voice growing more desperate with each encounter, asking about Lily and the knight she had left with. Each time, they pointed her towards the main walls, the path leading out of the city.
Driven by a growing sense of urgency, Zaria followed the trail, her footsteps echoing on the empty cobblestones. She reached the main city gates and spotted the guard who used to be stationed with Athenis.
"Hey, Zaria, what are you doing out this late? And dressed like that? Are you planning to venture out without armor?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
"There was a girl with silver hair. I heard she left with a knight. Please tell me where they went!" Zaria pleaded, her voice cracking with desperation.
"I'm not sure but I saw some people who match their description, they took the forest path. I wondered where they were going at this hour… Maybe if you follow it, you can catch up to them. Also…" His words trailed off as Zaria, unable to contain her anxiety any longer, took off at a sprint, following the path into the darkness of the forest.
She plunged into the thick undergrowth, sharp branches tearing at her clothes and skin, but she barely noticed the pain. Adrenaline fueled her every step, her only thought to find Lily.
After what felt like an eternity, she stumbled into a clearing. In the distance, she saw a group of men holding torches, their flickering light illuminating a horrifying scene, but further beyond the clearing there were several tents and caravans which were clustered together, and within them, she could make out cages filled with beastmen and dark elves, chained and collared like animals.
She ducked behind a bush, her heart pounding in her chest, her eyes wide with horror.
Zaria squinted, trying to get a better look, but the darkness obscured the details.
"Shit, it's too dark to see anything. What the hell is going on over there?" she muttered to herself, her frustration growing.
Would you like to activate the hidden skill God's Eye?
"Who the hell said that?" Zaria whispered, her eyes darting around, searching for the source of the voice. But there was no one there.
The skill God's Eye enhances the user's visual capabilities. Would you like to activate the skill? [Yes]/[No]
Fear gave way to desperation. "[Yes]," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
In an instant, the world around her sharpened, the darkness receding as if the sun had suddenly risen. She could see everything with crystal clarity.
"Lily!" she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle the cry that threatened to escape.
Lily lay on the ground, her clothes torn and dirty, a gag stuffed in her mouth. Her hands and feet were bound with heavy chains. Standing over her were the nobleman and his two guards from the city they had bumped into earlier in the evening, along with Grim, one of Varix's companions.
Resonance has been awakened due to the activation of God's Eye. The user will have the ability to hear everything within a 20-meter radius.
The voice echoed in her mind, and suddenly, she could hear their conversation as if they were standing right next to her.
"So, Mr. Malik, this is the one you wanted, right? I expect my payment upfront," Grim said, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"To think I would stumble upon such a magnificent beauty in this city of all places. She will make the perfect slave," Malik sneered, kicking Lily viciously in the stomach.
Grim and the nobleman laughed, their cruelty sending a wave of nausea through Zaria.
Fury coursed through her veins. It wasn't just the horrifying scene before her, but the memories it triggered. She knew Grim all too well. He was a cruel and twisted man who had subjected her to countless acts of violence and sexual assault in the past.
After several brutal kicks, Malik wiped his boot with a cloth as if removing dirt. "Ah, that feels refreshing," he said with a smug smile. He gestured towards one of his guards. "Be a good boy and bring this filth to my tent. I'd like to sample my goods before I sell them on the slave market."
He strolled away, one of his guards dragging Lily by her hair as she struggled weakly against her bonds.
Grim and the other guard remained in the clearing, lighting up their rolled tobacco.
Zaria trembled with a mixture of rage and fear. She knew she was no match for them; God's Eye had revealed their stats, and they were far too powerful for her to confront directly.
"I need to do something, and I need to do it fast," she thought, her mind racing.
Warning! Confrontation is not advisable. It will lead to your death.
"Screw whatever you are! I need to act now!" Zaria shouted, her voice thick with desperation. She burst from the bushes, charging towards the two men, her mind devoid of any coherent plan other than to get past them and reach Lily.
"I hate rats," Grim muttered, turning to see Zaria barreling towards them. Suddenly, a thick tree root erupted from the ground, wrapping itself around her ankle and sending her sprawling face-first into the dirt. The impact knocked the wind out of her and chipped her front teeth.
Before she could recover, three more roots emerged, binding her wrists and her other leg. The roots lifted her and flipped her onto her back, her face exposed to the night sky.
"Zaria, long time no see! What do you think of my Forest Spirit magic?" Grim sneered, approaching her as she struggled against her restraints.
"There's no need to struggle. You'll only make things worse for yourself," the other guard said, his voice cold and devoid of emotion as he loomed over her.
"Fuck you!" Zaria spat, her voice thick with rage and defiance.
Grim slowly wiped the spittle from his forehead, his lips curling into a sadistic grin as he brought his finger to his mouth and licked it clean.
"Fuck you, you say? I guess we might as well do that before killing you. Gosh, I've waited so long for this moment," he chuckled darkly. He raised his foot and stomped hard on her belly, repeating the brutal act several times, his laughter echoing through the clearing as he reveled in her pain.
The other guard watched impassively, a flicker of disgust crossing his face at Grim's brutality.
"You little bitch, don't you know I love you? Look at you, no man would ever touch you! You should be thanking me for showing you so much affection in the past, you ungrateful wench!" Grim roared, his face contorted with rage. He raised his foot again and pressed it down on her throat, cutting off her air supply.
Zaria gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face from the pain and humiliation. She gritted her teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.
"I see… a fire in your eyes. I will extinguish it, just like I used to do in the past!" Grim snarled. The roots binding her ankles shifted, separating her legs and pulling them apart with agonizing force.
Zaria tried to close her legs, but the roots were too strong. She tried to use her hands, but they were also bound tightly.
Panic flooded her, the defiance she had clung to dissolving into sheer terror.
"No, stop! Grim, please stop this! You don't need to do this, I beg you!" she screamed, her voice cracking with fear.
"Stop? Baby, the party's just getting started!" Grim cackled, drool dripping from his lips like a ravenous beast. He gestured to the guard, who approached her reluctantly.
"Forgive me, but orders are orders," the guard muttered, his voice laced with a hint of remorse as he reached for the hem of her shirt.
With one violent motion he ripped her shirt of her body exposing her small breasts, witch shook a bit from the force.
"Perfect!! Look at that flat chest, it was meant for me to devour! You should be thanking me for doing you this service!" Grim shrieked, his eyes darting between her exposed breasts and her terrified face.
"Zaria, what are you doing to me? Your despair is making me lose my frickin' mind!" he roared, his voice laced with a strange mixture of lust and frustration. He gestured towards the guard again, who moved to stand between Zaria's legs.
The guard looked down at Zaria, who had soiled herself in fear. He felt a pang of pity for her as he glanced at Grim, who was now in a wild frenzy, biting his own lips until blood flowed freely.
"Perfect! A stream to ease my journey! Muahahaha! Go on, piss yourself some more!" Grim howled, slapping Zaria's face repeatedly.
Zaria whimpered, her body wracked with pain and terror. She tried to tense up, to protect herself, but her body refused to obey.
Warning! The user is sustaining traumatic injuries. Mental state is deteriorating.
"Come on! Cry, weep, show me your fear!" Grim shrieked, his voice filled with sadistic glee.
Would you like to activate the Khaos Engine? [Yes]/[No]
"YES!" Zaria screamed, her voice hoarse and desperate.
Grim's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light. "So you want me to make you? You filthy whore, I knew you always had feelings for me! Hahaha!"
Warning! This process cannot be undone.
"JUST DO IT ALREADY!" Zaria screamed hysterically, her voice a raw, animalistic cry.
"Fine then. Let me take you back down memory lane, my beautiful Zaria," Grim purred, a sinister smile spreading across his face as he nodded to the guard.
You fool…
The guard hesitated, his stomach churning with disgust. He had followed orders, but this… this was too much. He leaned in, reaching for Zaria's pants, preparing to rip them off.
Suddenly, a sickening crack echoed through the clearing, followed by the wet sound of tearing flesh.
"What the f—" The guard froze, his eyes widening in horror as he looked down. A hand, encased in jet-black armor, had burst through his chest, its fingers wrapped around his still-beating heart.
The hand squeezed, and the heart crumbled into black ash, scattering on the wind.
Grim stared in disbelief as a towering, headless knight, its arm embedded in the guard's chest, materialized before him.
The guard, his eyes wide with terror, looked at Grim, his lips moving soundlessly. "Boss, please hel—"
His head exploded in a shower of gore as the headless knight's other hand clamped down. Bone fragments and brain matter splattered across the clearing.
The knight lifted the guard's lifeless body by the arm it had impaled, and in an instant, the corpse was engulfed in black flames.
A voice, deep and resonant, emanated from the headless knight.
"Forgive me, but orders are just orders…"
"What the fuck is that!?" Grim shrieked, stumbling backward, his sword clattering to the ground.
The headless knight turned towards Zaria, who stared back, a mixture of shock and fear in her eyes.
The knight dissolved into a black mist that surged towards Zaria, entering her body through her open mouth, nostrils, and ears. Her body convulsed violently as the mist consumed her.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Grim screamed, scrambling to retrieve his sword.
Congratulations the Khaos Engine has been installed successfully.
Zaria's eyes snapped open. The runes on her arm glowed a fiery red. She looked down at her other hand, now covered in black, draconic scales, her nails sharpened into vicious claws.
Her gaze moved lower, and she saw that her legs were encased in thick black armor that seemed to meld seamlessly with her flesh, extending up to her waist. A long, black tail, tipped with a sharp, red crystal, thrashed behind her.
As if driven by an instinct she couldn't control, she spoke. "Ignite."
Black flames erupted from the runes on her arm,engulfing her body in black flames momentarily incinerating the roots that still bound her.
She collapsed to the ground, then rose to her feet, her eyes locking onto Grim, who stood frozen in terror.
"What's going on?" Zaria's voice echoed in her own mind, a desperate plea for understanding.
Fear not, Master. I will show no mercy to your enemies. My objective is to devour all who seek to harm the [Information is Locked]
Zaria, her body moving on its own, advanced towards Grim.
Grim, his face pale with terror, forced a nervous smile. "Hey, Zaria, we can talk about this. It was just a joke, yeah? We were just messing around like old times. Here, you can have my shirt, okay?" He fumbled with his shirt, offering it to Zaria, whose chest was still exposed.
Zaria took the shirt, her eyes fixed on it. In an instant, it burst into black flames, the heat so intense that Grim recoiled in fear.
Zaria stood there, staring at her transformed body, confusion and a terrifying lack of control warring within her.
'This is a fucking demon! A demon lord, with those horns on her forehead! I need to report this to the guild!' Grim thought frantically, desperately searching for an escape route.
As if sensing his thoughts, Zaria's gaze snapped towards him, her eyes glowing a menacing crimson. Grim felt a primal fear grip him, a magical pressure so intense it stole his breath.
Zaria walked towards him, each step leaving a scorched footprint on the earth. She reached out and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him effortlessly into the air.
Grim gasped in shock, not just from being lifted but from the realization that Zaria now towered over him, her transformed body easily twice his height. His feet dangled uselessly in the air.
"Zaria… pl… please," he choked out, his pants darkening with a spreading stain of urine.
Zaria's eyes flicked down to the spreading wetness, and a cruel, demonic grin spread across her face, revealing her newly formed fangs.
"Perfect. A stream to ease my journey," she hissed, her voice a chilling echo of Grim's own.
She flicked her tail, wrapping it around Grim's neck and releasing her grip from her hands. He hung suspended in the air by the tail alone, paralyzed by the sheer force of her magical pressure.
Zaria reached into his pants with her runed hand, her fingers closing around his groin. Grim's eyes widened in terror, his face ashen.
"Ignite," she whispered.
A bloodcurdling scream tore from Grim's lips as black flames engulfed his genitals.
"Heal," Zaria commanded, and instantly, the charred flesh regenerated, the pain vanishing as quickly as it had come.
"Now, let's do it again," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "Ignite."
She repeated the agonizing cycle six times, Grim's screams growing weaker with each iteration.
"No, stop! Zaria, stop this, please! You don't need to do this, I beg you! I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to you, please stop!" he sobbed, his voice barely a whisper.
Zaria's eyes lit up with a perverse pleasure. With a grin that would make a devil cower, she mimicked his voice perfectly. "Stop? Baby, the party's just getting started! Come on! Cry, weep, show me your fear!"
Grim's eyes widened in despair. "No, what the fuck are you? Stop, please!"
Zaria released her runed hand from his groin and pulled him closer with her tail until their faces were inches apart, his legs still dangling helplessly.
His expression was a mask of pure terror and horror. Zaria tilted her head, her transformed face contorted in a grotesque imitation of the sadistic smile he so often wore when tormenting her.
She gently cupped his face with her runed hand, her fingers forcing his mouth open.
"You must be starving. My memory archives show how you used to force Zaria to eat and suck on this thing," she said, gesturing towards his crotch with her scaled hand.
"Why not have a taste for yourself? Let's see if you like it." Zaria's eyes shifted from crimson to a deep, unsettling purple as she slowly moved her scaled hand back into his pants.
Her claw-like fingers explored his flesh, and Grim's body trembled uncontrollably.
With a sudden, vicious movement, she sank her claws into his groin and ripped. She held his severed manhood in her hand, her lips twisting into a cruel smile. "Quite small, isn't it?"
Grim's eyes rolled back in his head, his body convulsing as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness. Zaria shoved his severed member into his frothing mouth, her hands clamping down on his jaw, preventing him from spitting it out.
He panicked as vomit gathered in his mouth which was summoned by the disgusting taste of blood, hair and sweat in his mouth. But Zaria clasped his mouth together tighter causing the vomit to spew out from his nose.
It was a disgusting white and red slimy texture.
She tightened her tail's grip around his neck, squeezing until his body went limp, his head lolling to the side. The tightness caused her to sever his head from his body as she still held his head in her hands.
"Ah, I accidentally killed him when the fun was just getting started," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. She held his severed head in her hand, her smile widening. "People like presents. I will keep this for later."
"Infinite Storage."
The head vanished in a puff of black mist that was absorbed into her palms.
She looked down at Grim's headless corpse, sprawled on the forest floor.
"Devour."
The body began to disintegrate as if it was rotting, dissolving into a black mist that Zaria absorbed, her body humming with newfound power.
"Lily… I am on my way," she said, her voice a chilling whisper as she strode deeper into the forest, leaving a trail of scorched earth in her wake, her eyes fixed on the tents and caravans ahead, her heart filled with a cold, consuming rage.