“If you behave yourself, I’ll only enslave you until you beg for death,” Xuefei said indifferently. But compared to locking her away in some dungeon, executing her right here was the better option after all. That way, it could at least somewhat satisfy the Evil Dragon’s pent-up resentment.
Besides, time was almost up.
Hatching time.
Even though the necklace around her neck could transfer some of her body heat to the adorable dragon egg, personally incubating it was still the best approach. What had started as a deliberate act had long since evolved into a ritual driven by an inner compulsion, a ceremony to fulfill her deepest cravings. For some inexplicable reason, ever since becoming a Dragon Consort, Xuefei had grown obsessed with these utterly irrational rituals—and that obsession had only intensified after conceiving the dragon egg and finally laying it.
If that precious little daughter successfully hatched into the world, what would become of her? It was probably inevitable at this point. But before then, Xuefei was determined to go all out and get Leia pregnant with a dragon egg as well, so she could experience the “delight” of carrying one firsthand.
“I’ll help you remove that thing. Truth be told, that’s the main reason I came here in the first place.”
“Is that right? You do realize you’re bargaining with a being of Dark Filth.”
“Of course,” Lydia replied with utter conviction, the corners of her mouth curving into a faint smile as she raised both hands in mock surrender. “I wouldn’t have come all this way if I didn’t want something out of it, would I? I can’t beat you—that’s a stone-cold fact.”
Xuefei narrowed her eyes, baffled by the woman’s ready capitulation.
This one had at least Super Tier Layer 1 strength. No—perhaps she had even reached Super Tier Layer 2. She simply couldn’t unleash her full power here in the Evil Dragon Domain.
And was she even telling the truth?
From Xuefei’s past experiences, the words of gods were utterly untrustworthy. They were a pack of sanctimonious scoundrels, hypocrites who would stop at nothing to advance their own interests.
“Let’s get one thing straight first: what exactly did you plant inside Sophia’s body?”
“That wasn’t me,” Lydia explained. “Whatever’s inside Sophia is some kind of marker. That’s the whole reason I’m here for it.”
“So you’re willing to slaughter thousands upon thousands of Demons just for that thing?” Xuefei demanded angrily. Lydia, realizing further talk was pointless, could only shrug her shoulders.
“…”
“Of course I can remove it. But you have to promise me one thing in return.”
“Name it.”
“If we leave it in there, that poor little Vampire Princess is definitely going to die because of it.” Lydia’s face remained impassive, showing neither sorrow for the life hanging in the balance nor relief at the prospect. She simply stared intently at Xuefei, as if the Dragon Girl’s decision mattered a great deal to her.
Xuefei’s gaze drifted once more to the distance, where the pitiful little Vampire Princess writhed in agony within Setra’s arms. It was as if a dagger were twisting through her soul, a sight that wrenched at the heart. Setra kept pouring her power into Sophia in reverse, even slicing open her own finger and lips to feed her more blood. Yet all she could do was clutch the constantly moaning and shuddering body tightly—allowing Xuefei, through that fragile form, to glimpse another version of herself…
The true tragedy wasn’t the pain itself.
It was watching something beautiful get destroyed right before your eyes.
Xuefei had endured this sort of thing countless times. If she could remember it all, the trauma—nearly enough to trigger PTSD—would be seared into her soul as an inescapable shadow.
“You bastard, toying with other people’s lives like that.”
“Don’t blame me. Even if I hadn’t shown up, this day would have come for her eventually. That ‘Stake’ buried inside her, sealing away most of her power, would have done her in—leaving her to die in agony.”
“Damn it…”
Xuefei clenched her fists.
The woman’s offer was so utterly unreasonable, clearly designed to provoke her into a rage and create an opening for escape. And judging by the current situation, it had worked!
Lydia swallowed hard, her deep blue eyes peeking cautiously from beneath her hood as she studied Xuefei. “You have to guarantee it: I save her, and then you let me go.”
“I guarantee it.”
“A wise choice.”
Xuefei abruptly sealed the girl before her inside a cubic prison of black chains, leaving her no means of escape. She then glanced over her shoulder at Setra, who immediately caught on and flew over, cradling Sophia in her arms.
Setra shot Lydia a venomous glare and bit her lip. If Xuefei weren’t standing right there, she would have torn her apart on the spot… But saving Sophia came first.
“Urgh…”
“Sophia, hang in there.”
Setra stroked the Vampire Princess’s head. Lydia spared a brief glance at the suffering girl before drawing Xuefei’s attention firmly back to herself.
“Sign a Mutual Oath Contract with me. We’ll stake our powers on it—violate the terms, and you’ll suffer the full brunt of the other’s power as punishment. Simple enough, right?”
Xuefei nodded.
She reached out and, on the contract parchment hovering in the air like a holographic projection, traced her name in pitch-black ink…
“Very good,” Lydia said with a smile. “Now, once I resolve this crisis, the contract will lift immediately. Simple, isn’t it?”
A golden sword materialized on Xuefei’s right arm, while a black inverted cross appeared on Lydia’s right hand, signifying the contract’s formation.
Under Setra’s wary gaze, Lydia extended her hand toward Sophia’s chest. As the Vampire Princess let out an even more anguished groan, Setra reached out as well, poised to disrupt any action that might harm her.
Then, a massive golden stake slowly withdrew from Sophia’s chest, drawn to Lydia’s palm like iron to a magnet. At the same time, Sophia’s expression grew serene. She ceased her pained groans and tremors entirely, slipping into a deep, peaceful sleep in Setra’s arms. Setra shot Xuefei a glance. With the Dragon Consort’s nod of approval, she swiftly departed the frontline battlefield, racing without pause toward a distant medical station.
“Now, will you let me go?”
“…No.”
“Oh?”
Still baffled by Xuefei’s refusal, Lydia suddenly noticed that the marking on Xuefei’s petite right hand had vanished!
Meanwhile, the inverted cross on her own arm had grown even darker and more profound.
Twilight descended like a curtain, the horizon devoured by gloom until nothing remained but endless darkness.
“You tore it up?!”
“That’s right,” Xuefei admitted without hesitation. “Your offer alone wasn’t enough to warrant an equal contract. Give it up—we lack the basis for any real trade.”
To her surprise, Lydia didn’t panic or wail like some green recruit bemoaning her fate. She remained utterly calm.
And what she did next left even Xuefei stunned.
Lydia pulled back the tattered half of her hood, revealing her true face.
Her silver-white hair flowed like flames of pure light—brighter and more radiant than Leia’s, shimmering with the sacred luster unique to a Light Envoy. Her slender features balanced maturity with a touch of youthful innocence, capturing that exquisite transition from girlhood to womanhood, forever preserved in this perfect instant.
There was a resemblance to Leia.
Yet Leia’s face exuded a natural, bewitching charm. Her petite, tender features, infused with an aura of regal dominance, transformed cuteness into commanding presence. A beauty capable of toppling nations, Leia outshone this girl named Lydia—at least in Xuefei’s eyes.
But the very fact that such a comparison was possible spoke volumes.
The shock was beyond words, Xuefei thought.
“You’re… Leia’s…?!”
Why hadn’t she noticed? Not now—not even in the first playthrough…
Lydia offered only a faint smile, saying nothing more. The golden stake in her hand shifted form, ultimately becoming a sheet of golden paper that floated into Xuefei’s grasp.
“That’s… the War God’s?!”
“Sorry, I forgot to mention—this was just my clone. Carrying thirty-five percent of my power was a shame to lose, hee hee. But if escape wasn’t an option, I had no choice but to abandon it~”
Xuefei stared at the envelope in her hand as a torrent of impossible yet irrefutable truths raced through her mind.
War God… Dolores… So your power has appeared here after all.
Before she could make out the handwriting, she lifted her gaze to Lydia’s form, now fading into translucence. Understanding dawned, and she spoke coldly:
“I’ll claim your power. And don’t let me see you again.”
“Otherwise, no matter who you are, I’ll devour you whole.”
