Chapter 390

Chapter 390
## Chapter 390

Succubus (2)

The environment within the chamber transformed, the oxygen turning dense and suffocating.

“………”

“…Huh.”

A profound quietude, a palpable sensation of imminent consequence, saturated the room.

Yet, even through the mounting strain, there existed an enticing magnetism, a gravitational pull drawing every ounce of their focus toward her form.

Gulp.

Anxious swallows cleared their throats, their eyes locked upon her as she advanced. Her stride was weightless and fluid, yet carried an innate authority—each footfall serving as a quiet testament to her supremacy.

The moment she closed the distance to the Matriarch, the grandest figure in attendance, the friction in the air melted away, replaced by a radiant, receptive grin.

“Greetings. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Hella. I look forward to our time together.”

A uncomplicated introduction, a handful of unforced words delivered with a pleasant expression.

Nevertheless, it etched a profound mark, a scar left not merely upon their intellects…

…but deeply woven into their souls.

‘She is… mesmerizing.’

The Dream Walker Matriarch pressed a palm against her chest, whispering to herself as an unfamiliar heat spread beneath her skin.

As a succubus herself, a sovereign of allure, her natural defenses against such charms were essentially flawless… yet her pulse was racing far quicker than its usual rhythm.

And if she found herself swayed, then the remainder of her people…

“Oh ho ho, the pleasure is entirely ours. I am Liliana, the reigning matriarch of the Dream Walkers. We feel deeply privileged by your arrival, regardless of the… chaotic circumstances.”

Suppressing her internal reaction, she maintained a polished composure, her movements elegant and dignified like high nobility—a sharp juxtaposition to the unceremonious and relaxed demeanor Hella displayed.

“However, this corridor is hardly appropriate for a proper discussion. Perhaps we might retire further inside? We have readied refreshments for our distinguished visitor.”

Sweeping her eyes over the ruined surroundings, she guided Hella toward the inner residential sectors.

This structure was a vital hub, the primary nexus of their travel network.

It was far too critical a location to permit any ongoing lapse in focus.

‘…And yet… ’

Her eyes drifted back toward Hella, who was currently trading pleasantries with Siana, her appraisal sharp and calculating.

Having ascended to the absolute pinnacle of the Master Realm, she possessed the ability to decipher volumes from a mere physical presence.

The way someone walked, the rhythm of their lungs, minor twitches of the face, the shifting of their pupils, their instinctive mannerisms and involuntary motions…

She scrutinized every detail before arriving at a definitive verdict.

‘…Huu, she is not L’rei’e.’

Her initial assumption had been flawed.

The contradictions were far too numerous, spanning her outward visage and physical proportions to the fundamental essence of her internal mana.

‘Yet, the resemblance is… undeniable.’

She could not dismiss the connection.

After all, she had identified the spark—or rather, the legacy—the very instant her eyes fell upon her.

There was a particular quality to her presence, an elusive trace of familiarity that conjured memories of the Sovereign of Demons she had once revered.

‘And those specific eyes, those distinct horns… there is no mistake. She is L’rei’e’s… ’

Her attention lingered fixedly on Hella’s features.

Deep scarlet irises, their centers gleaming like polished gemstones, flanked by two pointed, midnight-dark horns that curved gently backward.

Though every other attribute diverged, those particular traits were L’rei’e’s unmistakable hallmarks!

Suddenly, mid-thought, her gaze collided directly with Hella’s.

A brief crack formed in her stoic facade, her concentration momentarily fractured by her internal deductions.

“Hehehe, it appears your mind is flooded with inquiries.”

Hella’s expression shifted, looking entirely aware of the older woman’s inner monologue.

Yet, she chose not to press the matter.

She merely offered a smile and swung open the entryway to the parlor, gesturing politely for the others to precede her.

“Dialogue remains the most direct path to alignment and mutual comprehension. Let us bypass the trivialities. I suspect your schedule leaves little room for procrastination.”

With those words, she drifted across the threshold unprompted,

…stepping forward as though the entire estate belonged to her.

—

‘So, this constitutes the stronghold of the Dream Walkers? Truly befitting a lineage that gave rise to a Sovereign of Demons. They stand entirely apart from those… worthless commoners I have crossed paths with until now.’

Hella offered a slow, approving nod, genuinely struck by the sight.

While she kept her external expressions carefully guarded, she was inwardly thrilled by the turn of events.

‘This asset will prove immensely advantageous. Given my recent emergence, constructing a solid bedrock is paramount.’

The grander her leverage became within these dark realms, the swifter she could scale her dominion.

Securing the backing of the Dream Walkers would allow her to rapidly solidify an influential contingent.

Furthermore, Liliana, the Sovereign of the Succubi, represented the most potent instrument she had managed to encounter up to this point.

‘…Fiends accumulate greater strength while residing in these dark territories, so I must calculate for that variable… If a mere Viscount possesses this much weight, what manner of power do the Dukes wield?’

She harbored no doubts regarding her capacity to best them in single combat, even trapped in her current limitations… but should their entire armies intercede…

Her immediate priority lay in anchoring the absolute allegiance of the Dream Walkers.

‘Compelling their obedience through sheer violence appears impractical. Their natural immunity to seductive manipulation is far too high… ’

Fortunately, such drastic measures were entirely superfluous.

An intrinsic… tie already bound them together.

Hella, Liliana, and Siana assumed positions across from one another within the parlor.

They bypassed all empty pleasantries, recognizing the gravity of their current timeline.

Their dialogue traversed a multitude of subjects, shifting from official geopolitical dynamics to… deeply personal matters.

“…‘You are unaware’? What is the meaning of that statement?”

Liliana’s brow furrowed, a trace of irritation bleeding into her tone.

The elusive nature of Hella’s responses was clearly testing her patience.

In response, Hella merely gave a casual shrug of her shoulders.

“I am certain a blood tie exists between myself and the former Sovereign of Demons. My manifestation could not have occurred without cause. However, my consciousness has only recently awakened. Furthermore, this marks my debut within these dark territories…”

She deliberately steered clear of providing a transparent explanation regarding her genesis.

How could she possibly unveil the unvarnished reality to them?

That she was merely a vessel, a proxy constructed from the physical remnants of the deceased Sovereign of Demons, just one iteration among several?

She deliberately kept her commentary vague and open to perception, yet she abstained from outright deception.

A creature of Liliana’s profound stature would instantly register the slightest hint of dishonesty.

‘I cannot be certain if subterfuge would slip past her notice, meaning I must proceed with absolute caution.’

Hella remained a comparatively young vessel, regardless of her astronomical rate of development.

She could ill afford a reckless misstep.

By leaving her declarations shrouded in ambiguity, permitting the imagination to wander…

“…Could he have… set contingencies in motion? Anticipating his ultimate demise…? Hmm, and considering she carries the core of the Sovereign Mother… It is possible they…”

…she effectively allowed them to piece together the fragments and forge their own… historical account.

There was no obligation for her to clarify the finer details.

“In any case, my own curiosity is piqued. Matriarch Liliana, what precisely was the nature of your bond with the 14th Sovereign of Demons and the Sovereign Mother of Succubi? You speak of them with immense familiarity.”

Liliana, who had been locked in deep, troubled contemplation, abruptly stilled at Hella’s informal inquiry.

A brief, heavy intermission hung in the room before,

…she answered, her focus locking tightly onto Hella with a peculiar gleam dancing in her eyes.

“…They were my sibling and my maternal parent.”

Following that revelation, she began to recount the past, her delivery turning soft and melodic, akin to sharing a historical chronicle or a ancestral lineage with a relative returned from afar, or a young niece she was greeting for the first time.

L’rei’e and Liliana were both offspring of the reigning Sovereign Mother of Succubi.

Yet, L’rei’e had been entirely… extraordinary.

In stark contrast to Liliana, who entered the world as a standard succubus, L’rei’e had manifested as a… anomaly, a ‘hybrid succubus,’ possessing an overwhelmingly dominant paternal genetic makeup.

The existence of a male equivalent among succubi was virtually unheard of, given their typical role as… sustenance, or rather, instruments of… carnal indulgence… but when factoring in the sheer magnitude of her sire’s might, the anomaly became plausible.

He had been, after all, the 13th Sovereign of Demons, the most dominant force of his generation.

‘…Her sire was the 13th Sovereign of Demons, and her maternal parent was the Sovereign Mother of Succubi.’

It was an undeniably… awe-inspiring heritage.

It left little wonder as to how she had climbed to the status of a Sovereign of Demons in a realm teeming with savage and bloodthirsty predators.

“And those specific eyes, those distinct horns you have come to inherit… they were passed down directly from the 13th Sovereign of Demons. L’rei’e harbored a distaste for them, viewing them as excessively… glaring. She remained oblivious to the profound jealousy the rest of us felt.”

Liliana offered a soft sigh, her fingers brushing against her own modest horns, which barely spanned the width of a palm.

Siana, remaining seated beside her, offered a silent nod of agreement.

From there, Liliana’s narrative marched forward, detailing the actions of the 14th Sovereign of Demons, L’rei’e, and the Sovereign Mother’s military campaign into the lands of Auterica.

The territories of the Dream Walkers had flourished under their governance, yet complacency was an luxury they could not tolerate.

They sought to abandon their desolate birthplace to harvest wealth and provisions from alternate realms… but far more critically, they possessed a divine mandate to execute.

“…The decree of the Dark Deity?”

“It was a generational obligation inherited since the dawn of the primary Sovereign of Demons, from what I understand. Though in truth, it mattered little. That realm was… entirely vulnerable to subjugation.”

They were required to mount periodic campaigns into Auterica, systematically grinding down the defensive capabilities of mankind, and to… enact specific metaphysical preparations.

As those words reached her ears, a sudden realization, a grand theory, sparked within Hella’s consciousness.

‘…The Dark Deity was actively disrupting the restoration of the Human Deity!’

She lacked the knowledge of why the Dark Deity, confined within a distant and unreachable void, had been designated with such a responsibility.

It was possible they were merely fundamental adversaries, or perhaps some cosmic… covenant or restriction existed beyond her current understanding.

The vital takeaway was that those sacrificial campaigns had manifested as the incursions into Auterica,

…and they had ground to an absolute halt following the demise of the 14th Sovereign of Demons.

Consequently, the grand designs of the Human Deity, including the resurgence of the Eternal Sovereign, had begun to… stir.

‘…My word, his persistence is staggering. He refused to abandon his designs despite being entombed within the abyss for millennia. And he genuinely managed to pull it off?’

He had even succeeded in turning the tides against the Dark Deity, executing a flawless retaliation.

She could scarcely conceive the true extent of his might prior to being bound by the ancient seals.

Then again, it aligned perfectly with why the Prime Creator, who almost never chose to directly cross the mortal threshold, had personally stepped onto the battlefield.

“My maternal parent chose to ride alongside L’rei’e by choice. The remaining Dukes… put up quite a fierce resistance to the plan.”

The seductive authority L’rei’e wielded had posed an immense hazard.

Had she been granted an extended window of time, she could have brought every single high-ranking fiend to their knees, cementing an absolute autocracy over the dark territories.

Yet, all of that belonged to history now. Both L’rei’e and the Sovereign Mother had met their end during that fateful campaign into Auterica.

She remained ignorant of the precise mechanics, or whether the remaining Dukes or the Human Deity had orchestrated the downfall…

“…Yet it appears… a fresh window of opportunity has opened before us.”

Liliana’s delivery, previously measured and gentle, suddenly took on a… fervent quality, an intense ardor coloring her syllables.

Her gaze, which had been clouded with grief and remorse, now blazed with a savage resolve.

“We accept you as our kin, the direct heir to the 14th Sovereign of Demons, L’rei’e. Even if your emergence did not… stem from her womb, you carry her sovereign essence and her overarching destiny.”

Rising to her feet, she casually swept her hand against the flank of the grand table occupying the room’s center.

The massive piece of furniture, laden with delicacies and drinks, skidded violently across the flooring before shattering against the far wall, yet neither individual spared it a glance.

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

“—and my offspring, Siana,”

Siana, breaking her protracted silence, interjected with a voice that rang clear and resolute.

Before Hella could even process the sudden revelation regarding Siana’s maternal connection to the Matriarch, the pair dropped to their knees in unison before her.

“We offer our sacred oath of allegiance to Hella-nim.”

Their declarations reverberated with immense gravity, a surge of raw arcane pressure flooding the confines of the room.

Simultaneously, a fresh pact, a spiritual bond of fealty, locked into place between Hella, Liliana, and Siana.

It appeared that swearing servitude to a higher-tiered entity within these dark realms operated independently from any preexisting external covenants.

“Our collective ambition is singular.”

Liliana, her brow pressed firmly against the solid ground, spoke with a voice heavy with deep-seated fervor.

Though she had recognized Hella as her niece, she prioritized her obligation as a devoted vassal, her delivery remaining profoundly reverent and unyielding.

“To eradicate those… treacherous Dukes… and to witness Hella-nim claim the supreme throne of the Dark Realm!”

Her eyes, burning with a mixture of old fury and a thirst for retribution, locked squarely onto Hella’s.

Observing the raw hunger in her expression, Hella allowed a soft smile to grace her lips.

Her response had already been determined from the start.

—

“…Th-this can’t be…”

Miyamoto Ken swallowed hard against the dry lump in his throat.

[“Gurgle! Gurgle!”]

[“Ah…! This… divine essence! Give us more! More!”]

Deformed entities, their physical structures warped and profoundly unnatural, squirmed and convulsed in the space before him.

Random clusters of eyes, olfactory organs, jawlines, appendages, craniums…

Their anatomical pieces were stitched together haphazardly, their numbers entirely irregular, presenting a visual display so… horrifying that it evoked a deep, instinctual revulsion.

Pale, fleshy… perversions of nature.

“Ah, you appear taken aback.”

“Yes, somewhat…”

A soothing, pleasant voice drifted out from the space behind his back.

A silhouette, that of an elderly, sophisticated man, glided up to his side and offered a reassuring pat upon his shoulder. His gaze remained anchored to the scene unfolding ahead, a peculiar light dancing in his pupils.

“What is your assessment? Are they not… utterly magnificent?”

A greasy, disturbing craving hummed beneath his seemingly warm and benevolent exterior.

Before Ken could formulate a coherent reply, the elder forged ahead, his words vibrating with a fanatical… devotion.

“These very beings are destined to steer our legions to absolute triumph—.”

His eyes, resembling dark voids completely stripped of illumination, crinkled into thin, crescent shapes.

“…The frontline infantry of the Almighty.”