“I see. I don’t need to explain, then.”
Anlis took several deep breaths and finally calmed down. Her mind raced, and soon she connected the dots.
This definitely wasn’t Vylian’s doing.
For one, Vylian was the same gender as her. Besides, she was still a virgin physically—how could such an absurd thing happen on a biological level?
That left only one possibility.
It had to be the concept of [Life] causing this trouble.
It must have happened last night when Vylian was fixing her curse—she took advantage of the opening.
“Looks like you’ve figured it out. I guess I don’t have to explain.”
“You were fully conscious back then, weren’t you? Why didn’t you stop it in advance?”
“Ah, well…”
Vylian’s eyes instantly grew evasive. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, her expression turning awkward.
How could she possibly explain that this was now her only weakness?
The reason she’d been able to stay calm before was that every time Anlis triggered the curse, she was in an unconscious state—like a beast driven purely by lust. Once she satisfied that urge, she’d obediently fall asleep, without the rationality to analyze the details.
But if the fully conscious Anlis now knew about this weakness… If her identity as the Demon King were ever exposed, and Anlis used this leverage against her to “overthrow the superior,” the consequences would be unthinkable.
“I’m not actually that powerful, you know. That’s residual divine power from a god. I can’t even track its traces. Don’t make things hard for me.”
Vylian deliberately softened her tone, putting on a helpless act.
Anlis couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth.
A Level 999 Demon King unable to track some residual divine power?
Don’t make me laugh!
From the looks of it, this woman probably tacitly accepted that she’d get pregnant from that divine power, didn’t she?
Was she trying to use this child to tie her down?
If she had a child, there was no way she could focus wholeheartedly on being a Hero, let alone go on a crusade against the Demon King.
“So what do we do now?”
Anlis lowered her head, clearly out of options.
Humiliating. Too humiliating!
First, she was cursed by the Demon King and reduced to a tool for her desires. Then, she was secretly controlled by the Demon King disguised right beside her, unable even to grow in peace. Then, she could only watch helplessly as her best friend was sent to the Abyss, powerless to stop it.
And now, she was going to bear the Demon King’s child while still a virgin!
This was taking “enduring humiliation” way too far!
“I’ve already sealed that embryo with my own Holy Light.”
Vylian’s tone became unusually serious. “I’m asking you because I want to give you the choice.”
“If you want to keep it—after all, that child shares half my blood—I’ll take full responsibility. If you don’t want it, I can remove and destroy it, but doing so will definitely damage your body.”
“The Holy Order might have a way to remove it without harm. If you really want to get rid of it, you might have to go to the Holy Order. The main cause is that divine power after all.”
“Huh?”
Anlis couldn’t believe it.
Vylian had spoken at length, but her tone carried no coercion at all. It was completely a consultative tone, truly leaving the decision in her hands.
“I’ll go to the Holy Order to remove the divine power’s influence.”
Anlis didn’t hesitate. This was her bottom line, even if Vylian opposed it or scolded her.
“Alright.”
Vylian responded calmly and decisively, just two words.
Anlis was a little surprised.
“Then after we eat, we’ll go home to report we’re safe, and then we’ll head to the Holy Order to ask Archbishop Glen.”
“Okay.”
After reporting home safely, Anlis took a bath and changed clothes. Then Vylian took her to the Holy Order.
Nothing unusual happened along the way. It was very smooth. Glen was in his office, reading the action report handed to him by the Temple Knights.
The contents read like a short, satisfying story.
“You two, what brings you here today? Saintess, you’ve come at the right time—I was actually planning to go find you shortly.”
“Um, Archbishop Glen, we came to see you about something very urgent, and we’d like your help.”
Anlis couldn’t hold back any longer. She interrupted Glen’s rambling, her tone laced with urgency.
“Yes, please go ahead.”
Anlis took a deep breath and voluntarily explained the whole story—how she’d unexpectedly become pregnant and suspected it was the work of the God of Life’s divine power.
Glen’s face lit up.
“Really? That’s great! Ahem… I mean, what terrible news. Please come over, and let me examine you under the Holy Light.”
“Alright.”
Anlis, a little speechless, obediently followed Glen to a hall deep within the Holy Order.
A massive Goddess statue stood there, enveloped in dense Holy Light. The air echoed with a gentle, sacred hymn.
In this environment, Anlis felt a vague discomfort. She glanced at the Corrupt Monarch beside her.
Vylian, however, acted as if nothing was wrong, completely unperturbed.
Ha. Of course she felt repelled, but Vylian simply suppressed all abnormalities with her sheer level.
“Hero, you have a Corruption Curse on you, so you might be repelled by the Holy Light. Please stand here. It might hurt a little—bear with it.”
Anlis nodded and slowly walked to the center of the platform, standing still.
Archbishop Glen approached her, clasped his hands, and began chanting a profound sacred incantation.
As the chant rang out, the Holy Light around the Goddess statue grew denser. A dazzling pillar of Holy Light slowly descended toward Anlis.
The next second, excruciating pain surged through Anlis’s entire body. It felt like countless burning needles piercing every inch of her limbs and bones.
Her face instantly turned deathly pale. Beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead. The intense pain made her legs buckle, and she collapsed to her knees, unable to stay upright.
“Aaaah!!!”
“Wait! Stop!”
Vylian immediately called for Glen to halt. Receiving the signal, Glen stopped at once.
He quickly walked over to Anlis, frowning deeply as he carefully observed her condition.
“Hero, it seems the curse on you is worse than we imagined.”
“The curse on me?”
Having just recovered from the fierce pain, Anlis looked up.
“The curse on you is too high-level. The Holy Light sees you as one with the curse and attacks you. If we let the Holy Light remove the divine power’s influence, it might end up removing you first.”
“Then what do we do?”
Anlis couldn’t help feeling helpless.
She knew exactly what needed to be done.
She had to remove the curse first before she could remove the divine power.
But this curse was placed by a Level 999 Demon King. How could it be easy to remove?
So that’s why Vylian had agreed so readily—she knew even coming here wouldn’t succeed.
Seeing Anlis so dejected, Glen did not comfort her. Instead, he shifted gears and cleared his throat. “Hero, you needn’t worry too much. This might actually be a good thing.”
“A good thing?”
“You must understand, terminating a newly conceived life is not recognized by the gods and violates the Holy Order’s teachings. I was already breaking the rules by agreeing to help you just now—this will not happen again.”
He paused, then revealed a gratified smile. “Besides, the child in your womb is the fruit of you and the Saintess! If it is born while you are still a virgin, it will certainly add a legendary chapter to be passed down through the ages.”
“Such a legendary child will be born as the Holy Order’s heir to the Saintess, bathed in Radiance, with a supremely noble status.”
“So, there’s no need to reject it. You should be happy instead!”
At this, his eyes lit up. “Oh, right! When are you two planning to get married? If you need help, I promise to arrange everything splendidly!”
Married?
Anlis looked at Glen in bewilderment.
She was supposed to marry the Demon King, disguised as the Saintess, and give birth to this child, who would become the Holy Order’s heir?
Wait.
What the hell was this guy talking about?