The owner of that voice—the dense black mist—seemed to tremble slightly, as if it were looking around, surveying everything here.
Debbie’s unfocused pupils suddenly contracted, reigniting a spark of hope.
She realized this might be the only chance she would ever have.
Summoning all her strength, Debbie dragged herself up from the ground. She could feel the demon’s gaze land on her.
Though terrified, though weak, though her cracked lips trembled, Debbie still used her last ounce of strength to reach out toward the shadow and forced out a hoarse whisper: “Great Demon…”
“I want to… make a deal with you…”
A… deal?
Xing Yue was still dazed.
Once it sank in, her mind raced as she tried to process everything before her: the dim basement, the flickering red light, the bloody patterns on the floor, and a tottering young girl with eyes burning far too bright…
This scene… the more she looked at it, the more it resembled…
That classic trope where a desperate person, with nowhere left to turn, uses forbidden means to sacrifice themselves and summon a demon, ultimately walking down a path of no return?
And I’m the demon being summoned?
Xing Yue broke into a slight cold sweat.
Was a witch like her even considered a demon?
Since when was the definition of a demon so broad?!
And I was just at the Demon King Castle a moment ago. If I suddenly got summoned here, and Phyllis found out…
Xing Yue couldn’t help but picture the scene: Phyllis looking at her with a half-smile, a leather whip cracking in her hand, while she herself was fitted with a pet collar, and Phyllis cooed in a dangerously sweet tone:
“Running off, are you? Then you’ll just have to stay in the little dark room forever and keep Mama company~”
From then on, cute little Xing Yue would be reduced to nothing more than a caged songbird in the Demon King Castle, singing and singing and singing within the prison woven by Mother’s love… (Narrator’s voice)
Σ(＞Д＜lll)!!!
Yaba…!
That was totally going to happen!
Xing Yue swallowed hard, but then suddenly realized that everything around her had gone blurry. Her perspective had switched back to the Demon King Castle.
Huh?
Xing Yue looked down at the ladder, then examined her own fair palms. She was definitely back, and her body moved freely again.
She leaned down over the ladder to look. The two goat-headed demons were sitting on the ground, boredom having driven them to press their heads together in a game of strength, seemingly completely unaware of her movements.
“Xiao Du.”
“I’m here, Your Highness.”
Xing Yue’s mind churned. She deliberately stretched and yawned, then glanced at the eyes that had opened on the crystal chandelier, testing the waters: “Was I just asleep?”
Xiao Du replied respectfully, “You weren’t asleep, Your Highness.”
“You’ve been studying diligently. If you’re feeling tired, you may now return to your room for a proper rest. Of course, this is merely my suggestion. You don’t have to follow it.”
“Mm, it’s fine. Thanks for your concern.”
Xing Yue calmly withdrew her gaze, but a storm raged inside her heart. She turned her attention back to the black magic book lying flat on her lap.
No…
Hadn’t she just…?
The thought had barely formed in her mind when everything before her blurred for a moment, then seamlessly switched back to that basement. The entire transition was smooth as silk.
“Could it be…”
A bold guess rose in Xing Yue’s mind. She tried to focus on both places at once.
Sure enough, now she could see both perspectives simultaneously. She could even make her two selves perform different actions independently.
It was just that the view in the basement was a bit hazy, while the perspective from the Demon King Castle remained crystal clear—unless she concentrated entirely on the basement.
So that was it…
It felt like she had sent a small sliver of consciousness over there as a surveillance camera, while her main body stayed at the Demon King Castle, completely undetected by anyone.
Xing Yue felt an immense wave of relief.
At least the book hadn’t actually summoned her physically.
But if that was the case…
Didn’t that mean she could explore the outside world without ever leaving her room?!
She just didn’t know if the summoned consciousness dying would have any effect on her main body. If not…
Then she could go wild out there, huff at anyone she wanted, and get away with it!
At that thought, Xing Yue got completely pumped.
This book was a treasure!
“Hehehe~”
Just as Xing Yue was getting carried away, she suddenly heard a weak, pleading voice.
“Please… eat me… Great Demon…”
Oh right, she almost forgot.
Xing Yue remembered there was still a person in the basement, and that person seemed to have summoned her in the first place.
She shifted her focus back to Debbie.
There was the bloodstained girl, using her knees to press against the cold, rough floor, stubbornly dragging herself inch by inch toward her.
The girl finally stopped in front of her, then slowly and completely opened her arms. A posture of full surrender, abandoning all resistance and defense.
As if silently declaring: This body, this life, and this soul—all are yours to do with as you please.
Debbie felt an incredible lightness in her heart.
Just now, this demon in front of her had swallowed hard, then gotten excited and let out a creepy “hehehe” laugh.
She knew that her offering satisfied the demon completely.
Debbie wasn’t afraid of the demon showing greed or craving for her. She was only afraid of dying without any meaning, of arriving at the end without avenging her family and friends.
“Eat you?”
From the strange, mist-shrouded humanoid figure came a voice tinged with confusion.
Debbie couldn’t understand this almost “hesitant” reaction. She took it as the demon appraising the value of her offering.
Fear and blazing hope were like two red-hot pliers clamping down on her heart.
She pressed her hand against her chest, letting the still-fresh blood completely soak her front, then lifted her face and begged: “Please… please… I want revenge… as long as I can make that ‘demon’ in human skin pay!”
“My soul, my flesh, my everything—you can take it all now!”
Her voice was filled with urgency, as if afraid that this one and only “demon” who had responded to her might change her mind and leave.
But the demon’s next words sent Debbie’s heart plunging straight into the abyss.
“Ahem, sorry~”
“I’m not a demon that eats people, and I don’t crave your soul~”
The demon… refused her…
The last trace of color drained from Debbie’s face in an instant, and her consciousness nearly collapsed with those words.
But just as she was about to fall into darkness, that voice came floating back, carrying a hint of curious exploration.
“However… I’d like to hear your story.”
“About why you’d go to such lengths, even be willing to make a pact with a demon, just to pursue your revenge.”
“Let that story be the deal between us.”
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