lol: After being blessed by the Happy Demon, I became the harem king

Page 31

It was already late at night.

Compared to the appalling conditions of the lower levels of Zaun, the environment in the middle levels is considerably better. Even so, Zaun is still Zaun, and the middle levels are only relatively better. Walking through it, layers of rock and bridges completely obscure Zaun's streets and alleys. The air is stifling, much like London during the Industrial Revolution, perpetually shrouded in moisture and toxic smog.

Although the air pollution has been alleviated due to the martial law order, the stuffy and humid conditions caused by the terrain are still unbearable.

In this deserted street, Salafine, her hair already damp from the moisture, was limping along the alleyway.

Struggling through the alleyway, Salafine's clothes were torn and mangled. Her face was ashen, and her body bore the marks of struggle. Ragged and clumsy, she limped along, one hand gripping the wall for support. Perhaps from crying, her eye makeup had smudged and flowed down her face, leaving two blurry streaks.

Her other hand pressed against her lower abdomen, her slender waist slightly hunched, her hips opening slightly to the sides with each step, trembling involuntarily with every movement. A mixture of red and white fluid flowed slowly with the rhythm of her legs as she walked. A few curly hairs clung to her lips, and she occasionally let out a low moan of pain, as if even the friction from walking caused unbearable agony for the young woman.

"Uh...isn't this a little inappropriate?"

Located some distance away, hidden from view by Fain, Zeli spoke somewhat sheepishly through the peephole, "I feel like this is a challenge for Seraphine... Maybe I should go up? Otherwise, if someone sees us, they might think something happened to Seraphine..."

"Who would believe you if you went up there?" Hearing this, Fain shook his head and said helplessly, "Everyone in Zaun knows about our relationship, not to mention that you were the first to charge ahead during the day and shattered that alchemy vehicle with a single shot. As for being seen, there's no need to worry at all. Janna's Storm and my Flowing Water are constantly monitoring us. Apart from our target, no one can peek in. The raging wind and rain will keep them from even opening their windows."

Just as Farn was speaking, a storm swept through the entire street. The rain poured down, creating large curtains of water against the windows. It was as if a layer of greasy plastic film had been laid over it, obscuring what was happening outside.

Still battered by the storm, Salephine appeared increasingly haggard. Her tattered clothes, soaked by the water, clung tightly to her body, perfectly showcasing her beautiful curves. Standing behind Farn, Caitlin, the observer, looked utterly bewildered and confused.

Although she was a hostage or a suspect, Caitlin was not actually treated badly. Apart from being forbidden from going out alone, she was not subjected to any major restrictions on her personal freedom or imprisonment; she was simply required to stay with Farn.

Now, having witnessed firsthand how Fain tore Seraphine's clothes to shreds, and knowing that Seraphine's current state is entirely a facade, Caitlyn cannot comprehend why these people from Zaun are doing this.

"If you ask me, there's no need to let Seraphine play her. That little girl is so innocent, like she grew up in a fairy tale. It would be funny if she developed some strange empathy for playing such a pitiful character," Jinx said, lying on the abandoned sofa, looking annoyed and displeased.

It was a single sofa, but Jinx was as casual and carefree as ever, lying in the place where she should have been sitting like a child, her long legs swaying against the backrest in stark contrast to her braids hanging on the floor.

As they were talking, a sinister smile crept onto Jinx's lips, and she turned to Caitlyn beside her, saying:

"Since we're going to attract demons anyway, I suggest we make it real. This Piltover cop isn't exactly a good guy... Fain? Well, it's not too late to switch now. Since they're all enemies, humiliating them before killing them shouldn't hurt, right?"

Upon hearing this, Caitlin narrowed her eyes slightly, but remained silent—in fact, she had already noticed that Jinx was always full of malice and hostility towards her.

However, this malice and hostility was peculiar; it wasn't simply a desire to kill. Rather... it was a desire to humiliate, and then strip away one's personality, dignity, and the like.

Noticing Caitlyn's gaze, Jinx met her eyes with a cold smile and said, "Fill her up completely, until her belly is bulging. She might not even want to go back to Upper City then~ Hahahaha~~"

Sensing the malice in Jinx's words, Caitlyn was not angry at all. Instead, it only confirmed her suspicions. She calmly replied, "Does Vi's departure hurt you that much?"

"Shut up, cop!" Upon hearing Vi's name, Jinx stood up abruptly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, turning her scarlet eyes toward Caitlyn.

Despite her anger, under the influence of her obsessive and extreme mental state, Jinx's lips curled into an unusual smile.

"You don't seem to realize your situation? This isn't your hometown, Piltover."

“No, that’s not true,” Caitlin said calmly. “But Vi will still come to visit me.”

According to what Farn said earlier, Vi was a messenger between the two cities and was given the authority to enter and leave Zaun to ascertain Caitlyn's situation.

Now, this right has become Caitlyn's tool to provoke Jinx. But just as Jinx's eyes are gradually filled with paranoia—

"Calm down. Caitlyn is not your enemy, and Vi has not betrayed Zaun. She is just blinded by the reality she sees."

Noticing that Jinx's mental state was starting to go to extremes again, Fain shook his head helplessly: "And Caitlyn is watching you too. This unrestrained malice and madness will only make her look down on you more and more."

Upon hearing Fain's words, Caitlyn made no comment, simply shrugging at Jinx. Jinx, however, noticed the calm Caitlyn's expression and her lips twitched repeatedly.

After a moment of silence, the girl pouted unhappily, then squatted down next to Fain, opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue, and pointed to her open mouth.

Seeing this, Fain also put his finger in and applied the happiness factor.

Having ingested the happiness-boosting factor, Jinx's condition had noticeably improved. Even so, her gaze towards Caitlyn was still filled with intense hostility, though she wasn't as obsessive as before, nor did she directly utter any sarcastic remarks. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, fidgeting with her braids in silence.

Judging from the thoughts in his eyes, it was clear that Caitlin's words were still affecting him.

Seeing that the two had calmed down, Fane, sensing Salafine on the street, said, "External disguises are useless against creatures in the spiritual realm. Only their mental state is their prey. Especially for those demons who feed on extreme emotions and constantly create negative emotions such as panic, no matter how disheveled their appearance is, if their spirit remains sunny, healthy, and cheerful, then even the most foolish little demon will easily discover the trap."

"Salepney possesses the ability to read the emotional rhythms of others. While this rhythm of panic and unease might just be a difference in atmosphere for ordinary people, it is a more direct manifestation of a state for demons than facial expressions and body language. Therefore, apart from me, only Salepney can take on this responsibility here."

Farn shrugged contentedly—"Listen to me, that demon would probably run away after just one look. While I'm powerful and handsome in the material realm, I'm even more outstanding in the spiritual realm!"

"That sounds so arrogant!" Zeli couldn't help but stick out her tongue. "Although what you're saying might be the truth."

“Remove the possibility.” Farn rubbed Zeli’s head.

"I told you not to touch my head!" Zeli angrily dodged and chased after her, breathing heavily. "And even if it's Seraphine, why did you have to do it yourself?"

Zeli stroked her chin suspiciously and said, "Tearing her clothes was one thing, but she also ripped her pantyhose and squeezed milk into them..."

“We had to go all out with the act, otherwise how could little Salafine’s emotions be so real?”

Watching the two of them flirting, Caitlin frowned, her eyes filled with deep confusion as she looked at Farn to the side and said:

"Although I don't know much about it, judging from your conversation, you're... hunting demons?"

Caitlin didn't feel particularly nervous about being a hostage. On the contrary, after calmly observing the situation and confirming that she was safe and wouldn't suffer mistreatment or abuse because of her status as Mrs. Piltover or the head of the Giraman family, Caitlin quickly relaxed.

She could sense that Farn—or rather, the Winds of Change—had ulterior motives towards her. But Caitlyn wasn't nervous; on the contrary, she was exceptionally clear-headed. This meant she held immense value for Zaun. As long as the negative impact she brought outweighed her value, she was likely safe.

What Caitlin wants to do now is to determine her own value in order to determine how much "freedom" she can have in Zaun.

Thinking about it, Caitlin didn't suppress her thoughts and said bluntly, "I have to say, this sounds a bit like a fantasy."

60. The Devil, the Lone Woman

Upon hearing Caitlin's words, Farn looked over with interest.

Caitlyn's heart skipped a beat at this, but she quickly regained her composure and said calmly, "While the talk of demons has a long history in Runeterra, it is essentially just hearsay, attributing incomprehensible things to unfounded magic and mystery."

“What you said makes a lot of sense, but that’s not what you meant,” Farn said dismissively.

This eased Caitlin's mind a little. Meeting Fane's gaze, she then said, "Regardless of whether the demon is real or not, I think it's somewhat... foolish to lure your target with this method and theory."

As she spoke, Caitlyn's gaze remained fixed on the people around her. But gradually, Caitlyn also noticed that something was amiss—she was aware of the intense conflict between Zaun and Piltover. And in Caitlyn's mind, whatever her intended meaning, her words ultimately condemned the actions of Farn and the others.

This action will inevitably lead to two reactions from Fane and others—one being those who share Caitlin's thoughts but dare not disobey Fane. Even if they try their best to disguise it, they will more or less reveal a slight degree of agreement the moment they hear their own thoughts.

Without needing eye contact or actions, just a few subconscious and unconscious movements, Caitlin could determine this.

Another possibility is that everyone present was a staunch supporter of Farn, regarding his orders as an honor and believing them to be absolute truth. In that case, their reaction to the revelation of the truth would likely be anger…

but now……

As he watched Caitlin, Fane's gaze shifted from interest to acceptance, and finally to indifference. Meanwhile, Zelly blinked and shook her head at Caitlin with a helpless expression, her wistful look seemingly reflecting on her past self.

Jinx, on the other hand, didn't even bother to pretend. She glanced at Caitlyn and then gave a disdainful sneer.

The reactions of everyone present exceeded Caitlin's expectations. It was as if... she was telling them something boring and ridiculous.

“Actually, it’s not your fault…” Zeli noticed that Caitlyn’s expression was a little strange, and scratched her head to smooth things over, “Even the people of Zaun don’t remember Janna very much… let alone Piltover, which has already abandoned the name of Zaun.”

“There are still some people who know about Piltover.” Upon hearing this, Jinx chuckled and said, “But those are mostly seafarers from the harbor and airport. There are still some old-fashioned people who pray to the Bluebird before setting sail.”

Having been in charge of smuggling from Zaun to Piltover, Jinx knows very well that some of the coolies, sailors, and laborers in Piltover still hold a simple Bluebird faith.

"But as the head of the Giramanen family, our dear Caitlyn doesn't need to desperately pray for a favorable wind to fill the sails," Jinx said sarcastically. "After all, our dear Caitlyn has never lacked anything since birth! She's a Piltover darling, born with a silver spoon in her mouth—a glamorous star prosecutor—she believes everything she has is earned through her own efforts. Why would she need to pray to some damn Janna? Right?"

Jinx's sarcastic remarks made Caitlin frown in displeasure.

Caitlyn could certainly accept Jinx's provocation and dissatisfaction. Because Caitlyn knew very well that Jinx valued Vi highly—not because Caitlyn understood Jinx, but because Caitlyn understood Vi. It was through Vi that Caitlyn learned so much about Jinx and the details surrounding her.

Although Vi describes Jinx... or rather, the former Boom, as an innocent and well-behaved child, based on Caitlyn's own knowledge of Jinx, while her understanding of her personality isn't entirely certain, she does have a general impression.

That's why Caitlin knows very well that when Jinx is truly enraged, she won't take the opportunity to mock and ridicule, but will silently use every means to destroy her enemy. And this process is often calm, utilizing everything that can be used.

In comparison, things like this now... it's obvious that what he just said has become a complete joke in the eyes of Jinx and everyone else present.

Farn, who was standing to the side, shook his head and then looked away, saying, "Actually, you're right."

“…Hmm?” Caitlin asked, puzzled.

In response, Farn simply stated: "Science is an ordered system of knowledge built upon verifiable explanations and predictions of the forms of objective things. Technology is the transformation of this systematized and formulaic knowledge into usable techniques. And the systematic and formulaic analysis and utilization of magic in the form of Hextech crystals is what makes Piltover the crown jewel of trade."

“Unfortunately, Hextech Crystals are just one of the many forms of magic.” Fain glanced at Caitlin beside him and said calmly, “But to regard everything in Piltover as the ultimate truth of this world simply because one is born in Piltover is a bit too arrogant.”

As he spoke, Farn handed Caitlin a spare pair of binoculars.

Seeing this, Caitlin also took the binoculars with suspicion, and after a moment of silence, she looked in the direction Zeli was pointing.

In the footage, Salafine continues to struggle through the torrential rain.

His face was filled with pain, sorrow, despair, and deep-seated hatred.

It's not a pretense—Fan can bestow happiness, and he can also take it away. It's just that in many cases, unless the difference is enormous, the other party's active cooperation is required. For someone like Salafine, who can directly sense emotional fluctuations in the mental realm, directly removing a certain emotion is incredibly difficult.

With Seraphine's cooperation, Fane successfully robbed her of her joy. Having lost her happiness and all hope for the future, Seraphine now mechanically carries out Fane's demands, but in reality, she is as lifeless as a withered tree, her body adrift like a boat without moorings. She merely acts instinctively according to her subconscious desires, her own thoughts silently cast aside.

In her dazed state, even Salafine herself was somewhat unsure whether she had been humiliated by Farn. After all, along with the loss of emotion, her consciousness and memories were also becoming blurred; Salafine only remembered the scene of Farn tearing her clothes and pantyhose.

Just as Salafine's despair intensified, a pale figure emerged from the deserted street corner on the other side.

"Oh! I see it! I see it! A guy is coming out!" Zeli exclaimed excitedly from afar.

Upon seeing the eerie figure, Caitlin frowned slightly but remained silent.

No special observation is needed; this storm itself is the work of Farn. Within this storm, every person and thing is vividly clear in one's mind. And now…

After confirming the individual emerging from the shadows, Fane calmly stated, "The Lone Woman, a familiar of the Pain Demon Evelyn."

"The Demon of Pain?" Upon hearing Fane's words, Caitlin raised an eyebrow in surprise. Fane, however, remained remarkably calm.

While Evelynn doesn't appear in League of Legends, she does appear as a card in Legends of Runeterra. She and many other demons attempted to gang up on Evelynn, hoping to gain a level boost by absorbing her power and concepts. Unfortunately, this failed. While Evelynn, as a playable character in League of Legends, isn't as powerful as Fiddlesticks or Ossilash, who are among the top primal demons of Runeterra, she is still one of the most powerful archdemons, second only to the primal demons.

In this situation, the demons, including the Lone Woman, who had wreaked havoc on a region and a city-state, were easily defeated. In the end, only five demons survived the siege of Evelyn.

They survived not because of their strength, for even the strongest of the five demons was utterly defeated after only a few rounds of combat with Evelyn. They were alive simply because Evelyn saw potential in them and deemed them worthy of her use, thus taking them as her familiars.

The Lone Woman is one of these five demons. As one of Evelyn's five familiars, the Lone Woman is most fond of disguising herself as a homeless girl to arouse the pity and greed in others, and then devouring their souls when their thoughts reach their peak.

In the card story, Mrs. Jepecus, the famous philanthropist of Piltover, was moved by the pitiful appearance of the lone woman, and in the end, her soul was devoured, turning her into an empty shell devoid of self-awareness.

And now...

Looking at the solitary Salafine, the lone woman's eyes were filled with surprise.

Although Zaun is filled with all sorts of paranoia, even in this situation, Lone Woman had to admit that this was the first time she had ever seen someone so desperate.

Clothing and appearance were secondary; what mattered was the despair emanating from Salafine—a desolate state of mind devoid of any joy that even made the lone traveler wonder if this girl had become prey for some great demon.

After all, many powerful demons do indeed enjoy letting their favorite prey roam freely to fuel their extreme emotions and thus gain greater satisfaction. However, after observing carefully for a while, the lone woman did not sense any warning marks from the other powerful demons.

The lone woman's appetite was whetted.

61. War Begins

Because of their unique mode of birth, beings in the spiritual realm often possess extraordinary patience. For them, waiting thousands or even centuries for a particular plan is perfectly normal. It is precisely because of this that, unless they encounter an exceptionally delicious soul, many malevolent beings in the spiritual realm—that is, demons—are quite willing to let their spirits roam freely for a period of time.

First, induce extraordinary pleasure in the other person, and then, at the peak of that pleasure, reveal your true self to them, thereby obtaining the extreme emotions you desire through this intense emotional fluctuation.

Spiritual life is such a messed-up thing.

Of course, there are good ones. For example, some of the spirits of Ionia, and some of the primordial demigods of Freljord. Their goodness or badness is often directly linked to their nature. Those born of fear seek to create more fear, those born of pleasure seek to create more pleasure—or even more extreme cases. Therefore, using a box weapon to check census records is quite convenient for identifying beings in the spiritual realm.

The Genshin Impact lottery is a famous internet meme.

Now, sensing Seraphine's despair, the Lone Wanderer felt incredibly lucky—as Evelyn's familiar, the Lone Wanderer's food was also the suffering of others. Although this didn't seem to relate to despair, and Seraphine's current state of despair was such that she probably wouldn't resist even if a knife were stabbed into her, let alone feel pain.

But it doesn't matter—the loner is more than willing to waste some time cultivating Salafine's deliciousness.

First, I'll pretend to be a caring older sister, showering her with meticulous attention to awaken Seraphine's inner desires. Then, I'll find out who caused this little girl's current despair and encourage her to overcome her enemies instead of giving up. Afterward, I'll find an opportunity to orchestrate a scene where I chop my physical body into pieces and throw them in front of the little girl—this despair will surely give me a good feast!

But this is not the end. The lone woman knows very well that this despair will also be accompanied by intense anger. At that time, she will secretly help the girl complete the act of humiliating her and killing her enemy. At the moment when the girl feels that her revenge has been achieved and her inner joy rises from the bottom to the top, she will reappear, sever her limbs, tell her the whole truth, maintain her consciousness and torture her in every way, and finally slowly dig out her heart bit by bit...

Let her watch helplessly as despair and death slowly approach.

At that time, no matter how strong her will is, this little girl will inevitably face utter despair, both physically and mentally...

Thinking this, the lone woman couldn't help but lick her lips.

Just thinking about it made her unable to contain her desire... "If I could offer her to Lady Evelyn, then I would have the power..."

As she pondered, the lone woman's eyes flickered repeatedly.

The lone woman knew little about Evelyn, only that she was a powerful demon who had regained her freedom after disappearing. Initially, the demons thought they could overwhelm Evelyn with their numbers, but Evelyn's power far exceeded their expectations. In the end, apart from herself and five other demons, everyone else became Evelyn's prey.

This also means that Evelyn holds the very essence, the very lifeblood, of all five great demons, including the Lone Woman. Rather than slowly devouring other souls, if she could offer such a top-quality delicacy and gain Lady Evelyn's favor, her power would surely surpass the other four, making her the most powerful under Evelyn's command!

This wasn't wishful thinking—because the Lone Woman could sense that Seraphine's spiritual energy was very active. This meant that Seraphine was able to perceive certain aspects of the spiritual realm.

Perhaps it is for this reason that the little girl is so desperate... The lone woman, who has lingered in Zaun for many years, is drawn to this place because of its intense, chaotic, and turbulent atmosphere. It is the best hunting ground for demons.

If this little girl was also unable to resist due to spiritual corruption, it also shows that she possesses a spiritual talent that is one in a million—this is extremely rare.