Free Web Novel“You... what did you do to her...”
Vieya’s whole body felt dizzy, ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) her mind nearly swallowed by an enormous surge of anger and shock. She recalled what Flaviel had once told her long ago — You shouldn’t have come here...
Right. If she hadn’t come, she wouldn’t have known anything.
She could have continued hiding in some human city. Or maybe she could have taken her daughter and moved to another town, one where no one knew them, and started over.
But if she did that, Vieya would no longer feel like a slime girl — just a cowardly ostrich.
Whenever danger came, she’d just bury her head in the dirt, and everything would go away.
“Hehe...” The masked woman’s expression returned to calm, though she suddenly found Vieya’s current state very strange.
By all logic, the new swordmaster recognized by the Holy Sword should have already drawn her blade and charged, with all hostility aimed toward the Demon King, shouldn’t she?
Yet Vieya made no move at all. Her hatred was locked firmly onto her.
And that Demon King too — after dying so miserably before, and now even in death unable to rest in peace... Normally, she should have been roaring, flooding the world with fury!
Especially now, with this new Hero, this show-off who’d been accepted by the Holy Sword, right before her eyes!
So why are you just standing there watching?
Move!
Anyone who didn’t know better would think the two of you had a thing going on!
The masked woman began to sweat. She started to suspect the resonance array assigned to her by the organization was malfunctioning.
Could it be... that part of the array had been damaged?
No.
A formation like this only had two outcomes — success or failure.
If it failed, nothing would be summoned.
If it succeeded, the Demon King would appear.
Damn it... Don’t tell me the Demon King and this new swordmaster really do have something going on?!
“Looks like you can’t command the Demon King after all... useless thing.”
At that, Vieya finally let out a deep breath. She really didn’t want to fight Flaviel — not for any reason, not under any pretext.
She just... didn’t want to.
But—
Flaviel still wasn’t speaking... Was her body not yet solid enough?
Or was the energy output of this formation insufficient to fully summon a Demon King back from death?
Either way, Vieya had to kill the masked woman.
Her gaze sharpened, and she struck without hesitation. In a brief clash, the masked woman could only rely on substitute-death charms to avoid being instantly killed.
It was like a professional fighter storming into a kindergarten. Each time, Vieya intercepted the woman’s escape route perfectly — a single slash cutting her down.
Without those substitution charms, the masked woman would have died a hundred times over by now.
Meanwhile—
Within the glowing halo, light returned to Flaviel’s dull eyes, and her form grew more solid.
A world of many colors flooded back into her vision.
This place... a shrine?
Flaviel blinked. Shouldn’t she have returned to her slumber?
To keep her consciousness anchored in this world, she had chosen to merge herself into the cycle of this small world after death.
Until recently, some external force had damaged that closed cycle, creating gaps.
Anyone who entered Mount Aisa’s territory would unknowingly step into the loop, and if they died within it, they’d become part of it — just like the miners and soldiers.
Stay long enough, and the same fate awaited.
Moreover—
At first, Flaviel hadn’t known who had broken the cycle.
Trapped here, she couldn’t access outside information... until Vieya entered, awakening her.
Few people in the world could reawaken her. Vieya, whose body she had once marked, was one of them.
Anyone else would have to rely on crooked methods.
Like this one before her now.
Flaviel looked down at the silvery-white powder and the intricate formation drawn around her.
That powder — a rare material called Time Crystal. It didn’t exist naturally on this continent, found only in meteorites or fragments that fell from beyond.
And that formation... Flaviel studied it for a moment. She guessed it was a directional one — meant to ensure that the one awakened was her, and not something else.
“So I’ve become a ghost, huh?” Flaviel looked at her translucent hands.
In stories, ghosts remained in the world because of lingering attachments — people or things they could not let go.
Once the heart was freed of such bonds, the ghost would vanish into heaven and earth, dispersing like a wisp of wind.
“Will I disappear too?”
Flaviel muttered absently, then tried channeling the Time Crystals spread across the ground to awaken her power.
Not much — just a little would do.
The more power she drew, the longer she could remain.
The silver dust began to lose its sheen, transforming into energy she could manipulate. She then began refining and improving the resonance formation herself.
That alone made Hu Xiaoqi shiver in terror.
Th-that Demon King just modified the formation on her own, didn’t she?! She must be up to no good!
Hu Xiaoqi looked up — Vieya was still chasing down the masked woman, completely unaware of what was happening on the ground.
She had to warn the little slime!
“Vie— mmmph!” Hu Xiaoqi had just opened her mouth when a small pebble struck her squarely on the head — thwack!
Then—
She met the Demon King’s golden eyes, gleaming with silent warning. Her tail instantly curled up in fright. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Shh.
Flaviel seemed quite satisfied with this fox girl. Though she clearly harbored secret feelings for her little slime, it wasn’t a serious threat.
That fox’s only assets were her furry tail and ears — maybe enough to stir a bit of attraction in Vieya.
Otherwise, she had nothing. Even if you gave her a hundred years, she’d never rise above her station.
Flaviel turned back toward Vieya, hesitating whether to step in and help.
Boom!
Another substitution charm activated. The masked woman’s face went pale as paper — she realized she couldn’t keep this up.
But if this mission failed, her record would bear a permanent black mark.
And then, the others of the Wrath Vein would try to push her out.
Once expelled, she’d never reclaim her position as Vein Master.
At that thought, her eyes turned toward the fox girl lying on the floor, wagging her tail stupidly.
“Heh... that scheming little green-tea fox... and—”
Suddenly—
Her pupils contracted sharply. The Time Crystals on the ground had been completely drained, and part of the formation had been rewritten—
This— this was—
Her neck twisted stiffly upward, meeting the Demon King’s golden slit pupils — utterly emotionless.
“Damn it, something went wrong! Mission canceled!” she screamed inwardly.
Shkk!
Pain bloomed in her chest. A blood-stained sword tip burst through her from back to front, and the blue in her eyes dimmed away.
Shkk.
Vieya drew her sword back. Looking down at Flaviel, she opened her mouth and said quietly,
“Long time no see. I missed you. Can I treat you to a meal later?”
“An honor indeed... hehe...” Flaviel covered her mouth, smiling, her eyes curling like crescent moons.
“Eh?”
Hu Xiaoqi sat frozen on the ground, eyes wide, tail completely still — she’d even forgotten how to wag it.
