Turning her head ever so slightly, she watched out of the corner of her eye as the red-haired woman on the cave floor inched toward the knife within her reach.
Velmaria made no move to stop her. The threat barely registered compared to the thrill flooding her body. She welcomed it—enjoyed it—even as Malrik's tail moved within her untouched depths, claiming the last vestige of her maidenhood with a slow, exploring thrust.
What's this?? thought Malrik as he sucked on Velmaria's tit, his tail squirming inside her as he technically took her virginity—well, half of it, as his tail had only torn through half of her hymen.
But that wasn't what confused him.
It was fear.
Not just any type of fear—but fear of what would befall someone if they didn't succeed.
Images flashed through his mind—
A horde of goblins ravaging the red-haired woman, her hands tied and her legs spread wide, taking in goblin after goblin as they fulfilled their carnal desires, filling all her sexual orifices.
Her body was covered in semen, taking it in every hole. Her eyes cloudy, her stomach bulging with life.
And in front of her—the other woman Velmaria had brought into the cave—receiving the same treatment.
He and Velmaria watched it all with twisted amusement—
Then burst into laughter.
The vision ended just as suddenly.
A sharp sting prickled through him as his mana drained—[-30 MP]—a price paid for activating Lust Sense, showing him the festering lustful fear within the red-haired woman.
Before he could fully understand what had just happened, a burst of wind rushed over him as Velmaria twisted her body, parrying the red-haired girl—the same woman who had looked at him with scorn.
The other two women, along with Saelira, let out audible gasps as what little hope they had—the hope that the red-haired woman might kill Velmaria—faded into despair.
One of the girls on the floor tried to bear through the pain in her body and stand, desperate to help. But a single look from Velmaria shut her down.
She had seen how effortlessly Velmaria had butchered the goblins, keeping them half-alive, and her body shuddered at the memory.
Her eyes darted to the nearest goblin—its vocal cords and limbs sliced so precisely it could neither move nor scream. Yet she knew: if it could, the cave would be filled with its cries.
She squeezed her eyes shut, whispering a silent prayer that someone would find them... that these demons would be executed.
But then—a dry thud struck the ground before her.
Slowly, she opened her eyes—and met a pair of brown ones, glassy and lifeless.
Her face froze in terror. Then twisted into horror as a blood-curdling scream tore from her dry, cracked lips.
Save me, save me—heroes, anyone! She screamed internally, pushing herself backward, away from the severed head.
Terror clamped her throat shut. Her breath hitched. Her body trembled violently, the last shreds of dignity slipping away as a warm wetness spread between her legs, soaking her thighs completely.
She couldn't look away from the severed head staring blankly up at her, its mouth still hanging open in a silent scream, blood pooling thick and dark beneath it.
Her gaze snapped upward, landing on Velmaria.
Velmaria's crimson eyes burned with twisted amusement as she cradled Malrik in her arms. Her fingers held onto his as the knife the girl just had was now within their shared grasp.
Malrik—no, that thing—was smiling too, lazily, as though they hadn't just murdered someone without a second thought.
The girl fell to her knees, hands trembling so badly she could barely keep herself upright.
"P-please," she sobbed, the words tearing from her throat, raw and desperate. "D-don't kill me... don't kill me... I'll do anything you want... please!"
The other girl—already slumped on the floor, bruised and beaten—saw her chance. With tears streaking down her dirt-caked cheeks, she forced herself up onto her hands and knees.
"M-me too!" She cried hoarsely. "I'll do anything! Please—I'll serve you, just don't kill us!"
Their pleas echoed against the cave walls, weak and broken, filled with the kind of terror that even death couldn't wash away.
Velmaria tilted her head slightly, as if considering. A cruel, slow smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Malrik shifted lazily in her arms, his tail curling with interest.
His eyes drifting to the Exp that had appeared
{+38.1 EXP}
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Name: Malrik Thorneveil Tenebris
Race: Incubus Scion (Demon Lord)
Class:
Level: 6 {+1} ([158,492,830,127] - Locked)
EXP: 348 / 800 → 386 / 800
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Affiliation: ???
Title(s):
● Spawn of Abyzrakul Tenebris
● Son of Thorneveil Abyzrakul Tenebris
● Thamor, the Lord of Consorts
──────
Compared to that goblin, the EXP he got from killing a human was a lot more.
This made him feel a bit off—mixed feelings, as Velmaria had made him kill her and he couldn't resist—but that was the human part of him.
The other part...
...He'd never admit that.
His eyes took on a crimson glint, his dark, slit-like pupils becoming more prominent as he listened to the two girls beg and plead. Despite the gunk, they still looked decently attractive.
Hmm, would my authorities work on them?
I just have to think about it right, like this?
[Malrik Thorneveil Tenebris (Authority) {Activated}]
His eyes were purged of their crimson glint as a golden glow overtook them.
A visual illusion of a golden halo appeared above his head, along with two illusory golden rings around his index and middle fingers.
The silver ring on his ring finger also glowed gold, and the ring on Saelira's finger mirrored his.
The two girls gasped as their personal-status panels were forcibly made to hover in front of them:
──────
[]{Elira Wens}[]
Race: Human | Class: Commoner | Level: 1 | EXP: 12 / 100
Alignment: Neutral Good | Affiliation: Redwillow Village
Titles:
●Bloom of Redwillow
● The Gentle Hand
──────
──────
Stats:
HP: 28 / 70
MP: 0 / 0
Stamina: 20 / 50
Attribute Value:
Strength 1
Dexterity 2
Vitality 2
Intelligence 5
Charisma 8
──────
Skills & Abilities
Advanced Sweeping (Active): Efficiently cleans large areas, removing dust and dirt with minimal effort. Can maintain floors, hearths, and courtyards at a high standard.
Water Fetching (Active): Can carry and pour water accurately without spilling, useful for cooking, cleaning, and tending animals.
Herbal Knowledge (Passive): Knows basic medicinal herbs and home remedies, allowing simple healing or relief for minor ailments.
Cooking Basics (Active): Prepare simple meals and preserve food effectively.
Cloth Care (Active): Wash, mend, and maintain clothing or fabric items, preventing damage and extending longevity.
Household Organization (Passive): Naturally keeps surroundings tidy and efficient, improving household productivity.
──────
The first panel was grayed out.
It killed his mood slightly—since it wasn't golden, he sighed and hoped the brown-haired girl's panel wouldn't be gray too.
But when it appeared, it was also bathed in gray light.
Though this was Malrik's first time seeing that color, his game knowledge told him everything he needed to know: he had failed to activate his Authority. He had only used it twice before.
The first time had been with Velmaria, but he hadn't succeeded—her status panel had been blood red.
Even though it had failed, she had been ecstatic that he managed to use the stolen godhead of the fallen god of marriage. She said he was one step closer to becoming the Lord of Consorts.
After that, she had kidnapped Saelira to test whether he could use his godhead on her and grow stronger.
He had succeeded—Saelira became his first consort, and a copy of her stats had been added to his own. That time, her panel had been gold, which confirmed it had worked.
Though he had never seen gray before, he could guess its meaning.
Gold meant he could create a ring and marry them.
Red probably meant their level was too high.
Gray… meant he couldn't at that time—or that he wasn't truly willing to make them his consorts.
In other words, his plan to use his other Authority—intended to trigger when he made them swear an oath of love and protection, exploiting their desperation and effectively granting him temporary immortality as long as they lived—had failed.
I guess I still have Saelira, he thought as he read Sella's status.
──────
Status Profile:
Name: Sella Darn
Race: Human
Class: Farmer
Level: 2EXP: 25 / 150
Alignment: Neutral
Affiliation: Redwillow Village
Titles: Field Tender, Sunrise Harvester
──────
HP: 24 / 85
MP: 0 / 0
Stamina: 25 / 65
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 1
Vitality: 3
Intelligence: 1
Charisma: 6
──────
Abilities/Skills
Animal Handling (Active): Tends, guides, and calms livestock, improving their health and productivity.
Crop Cultivation (Active): Skilled in planting, watering, and harvesting crops efficiently, optimizing growth for better yield.
Milking & Dairy Care (Active): Milks cows and goats and processes milk into basic dairy products.
Farm Maintenance (Passive): Notices problems in tools, fences, or irrigation naturally, allowing quick repair and upkeep.
Harvest Efficiency (Passive): Gains a bonus to stamina recovery when performing outdoor or repetitive farm labor.
Foraging (Active/Passive): Finds edible plants, herbs, and small resources in fields or nearby forests.
──────
Velmaria laughed gently.
"What do you think we should do, my lord? I don't think we can keep them anymore," she said, taking the knife out of his hands and looking at the girls with a cold glint.
Killing one of them should teach them a lesson.~
Malrik sighed internally.
She's probably already set on what to do with them anyway. "There's nothing more I can do but comply with this twisted demon maid," he thought.
Yet the grin pulling at his mouth made the thought feel like a blatant lie.
"Legs..."
That was all he needed to say.
Velmaria smiled brightly, as if she'd been waiting for it.
"As you wish, my lord." Her voice was thick with excitement.
"I need you to sit down first, though. But make sure you watch closely."
She placed Malrik down gently on the dirt floor.
The moment she let go, one of the girls bolted, sprinting into the dark tunnels in a blind panic.
Velmaria didn't hesitate.
Her arm snapped up, and with a flick of her wrist, a thin black knife flew through the air.
There was a dull thunk—then a wet thud.
The girl dropped immediately, skidding across the dirt.
Her ankle had been severed cleanly—the foot lying a few meters away, twitching weakly in the dust.
Blood poured out fast, soaking the ground under her.
Velmaria walked over calmly.
The girl tried to crawl, clawing at the dirt, whimpering through gritted teeth.
Without a word, Velmaria grabbed her by the remaining foot and dragged her back like a sack of meat.
The girl screamed once when her stump hit the ground, then bit her own lip hard enough to bleed, trying to stay conscious.
When Velmaria reached Malrik, she threw the girl down roughly at his feet.
The broken stump was still bleeding hard, staining the dirt a deep red.
The other girl—Sella—was frozen in shock, hands trembling in the air like she wanted to move but couldn't.
Velmaria straightened up, bloody knife spinning casually in her hand.
She gave a playful curtsy.
"One down, my lord. Shall I take the other one's legs too?" she asked sweetly.