Chapter 200
“Just resolving the Jinnok Incident isn’t enough.”
Chris was planning to use this opportunity—his brief time as a disciple—to deeply imprint his greatness onto the minds of the Venomous Demonic House’s practitioners.
“Of course, I’m not strong enough yet—but that’s fine. Poison is the one field where my talents can shine the brightest.”
His genius knew no bounds across disciplines.
But if there were one field where his talent was overwhelmingly exceptional, it was poison arts.
It might sound unexpected.
But it was the truth.
Even though Chris possessed remarkable talent across all fields, when it came to poison arts, his aptitude was on another level—so absurd it defied comparison to everything else thus far.
“Please look forward to it.”
“…Very well.”
Duke Huam nodded, still visibly worried—completely unaware of the mad growth Chris would undergo in just the two months he would spend as a temporary disciple.
Unaware of what kind of being Chris would become after absorbing the Poison Well.
And unaware of what sort of chaos he would bring to the Venomous Demonic House.
As Chris turned to leave—
An unexpected figure was waiting for him.
It was Marisa.
She looked worse than before, as if emotionally worn down—likely because of the betrayal from her older brother.
“What’s going on?”
“…I have something to say.”
After a moment of hesitation, Marisa finally spoke.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For everything. All of it.”
If it hadn’t been for Chris, she would’ve met a horrific fate.
And she never would’ve seen her brother’s true nature.
Chris shrugged.
“You don’t need to thank me. I helped you so I could use you later.”
“…Do you always have to sound so awful, even when you’re helping?”
“I’m being honest. Anyway, next time we meet, I’m going to wring you dry—down to your spine—so cheer up.”
“……”
Cheer up.
Those words brought tears to Marisa’s eyes.
It was clear—she still hadn’t recovered from the shock of being betrayed by her brother.
“A-Ah, no… This is… I-I’m sorry…”
Startled, Marisa hurriedly wiped at the corners of her eyes with her hand.
“You don’t need to force yourself to hold it in. If you bottle it up, it’ll just rot your heart.”
“……”
With teary eyes, Marisa silently stared at Chris.
Chris just shrugged again.
“You’re basically my useful pawn from now on. So I’ll stay by your side for now. If you want to cry, just let it out.”
Why?
Why did it feel oddly comforting?
His voice was as irritating and sharp as ever—just like always.
And yet… somehow, it felt warm.
“…I’m not crying.”
“Really? Then should I just go?”
“…No. Don’t go. Just stay here. Don’t say anything. Just… stay beside me.”
Marisa bowed her head deeply—
So no one would see her face.
Her shoulders faintly trembled.
Chris quietly stood by her side.
Without saying a word. But firmly—unwavering.
Strangely enough…
That blunt form of care brought a strange sense of comfort to Marisa’s heart.
* * *
Afterward, Chris began preparations to return to the Dark Demonic House.
He would be returning to the Venomous Demonic House about a month later.
“Looks like it’s going to be a busy month.”
There was a lot to handle back at the Dark Demonic House.
“First of all, I need to strengthen the combat power of the Dark Demonic House's practitioners.”
As promised, now that he had resolved the crisis, he had earned the right to be called a Grand Instructor.
Chris planned to use the authority granted by that title to begin formally training the practitioners of the Dark Demonic House.
“Of course, there’ll be plenty of resistance.”
He wasn’t planning to teach the average low or mid-level practitioners.
His targets were the elite—those who formed the core of the house: the 6-star High-Rank practitioners.
No matter how high his status as Archduke, it was unlikely those proud elites would easily accept his teachings.
“But I have to do it.”
And that wasn’t all he had to deal with.
He also needed to begin checking the growing signs of rebellion from Marquis Langham.
“Then there’s Princess Yulian…”
Chris’s gaze darkened.
His instincts were sounding the alarm.
Princess Yulian was dangerous.
“I need to settle things with her within this one-month window.”
Having reached that conclusion, Chris let out a heavy sigh.
It was truly one thing after another.
There seemed to be no end to the work.
“Ughhh! All I ever wanted was wealth and luxury!! Why the hell do I have to go through all this suffering?!”
Maybe it was the accumulated fatigue catching up to him.
Chris mumbled seriously to himself.
“Should I just quit everything? If I could go to some place where no one knows me and live in peace and riches…”
It was at that moment—
A voice spoke out of nowhere.
Soft and gentle—like a whisper brushing against his ear.
[That’s quite an amusing wish you have. I could grant that wish for you, if you’d like. What do you say?]
“!!”
Chris felt chills crawl down his spine.
Someone had appeared—without him sensing anything.
As Chris turned his head, he found someone watching him with a lazy, languid gaze.
A beautiful woman bound in chains.
The Demon King of Azure Flow.
Chris immediately dropped to one knee.
“I greet Your Majesty, the Demon King. I apologize for not offering proper courtesy sooner.”
Why is she here?
It surely wasn’t to harm him.
Even if she was a Demon King, she couldn’t attack the Archduke of a prestigious magus bloodline like him without just cause.
As expected, there was no hint of hostility in the voice of the Demon King of Azure Flow.
[Heh… You may dispense with the formalities. It was my fault for appearing so suddenly. Did I surprise you with my visit?]
Chris shook his head and replied calmly.
“Not too much, no.”
[Oh?]
“I’d been wondering if Your Majesty might pay me a visit.”
[And why is that?]
“Because, having laid eyes on such an exceptional talent like myself, it’s only natural that Your Majesty would take an interest, wouldn’t it?”
The Demon King of Azure Flow blinked in stunned silence at his utterly shameless reply.
From the days of her glorious past as the Fairy Queen to now, not a single soul had ever dared speak to her like that.
[…You’re more amusing than I expected. Aren’t you afraid of me?]
“I haven’t done anything wrong—so no, I’m not afraid. Your Majesty’s scales of justice are surely impartial. I can’t imagine someone as noble as you would punish the innocent.”
[………]
For a moment, the Demon King of Azure Flow’s brow twitched.
Chris’s words had struck a nerve.
To her ears, it sounded like a veiled jab—mocking the way she’d tried to defend Marquis Goras unfairly during the recent treaty negotiations.
And in truth, that’s exactly what it was: sarcasm.
“No way she came here with pure intentions.”
Just because she wore a friendly face didn’t mean he should let his guard down.
The Demon King of Azure Flow was still an enemy.
Sure enough, she got to the point.
[The truth is, I came because I have a proposal for you.]
“Please speak, Your Majesty.”
[Have you ever considered pledging your loyalty to me?]
“!!”
Chris flinched in surprise.
“…Forgive me, but I’m not quite sure what Your Majesty means. Both I and the Dark Demonic House already serve under Your Majesty’s command.”
[You don’t need to play dumb. I’m asking for your personal loyalty.]
The Demon King of Azure Flow drew out a long-stemmed pipe and placed it between her lips.
Whether it was some manifestation of divine power or not, the world around them shifted in an instant—becoming the same desolate backdrop of the World Tree she had shown him once before.
[I know your situation. No matter how unbelievable your achievements may be, once your protector—Nordian—dies, you’ll eventually be crushed by Marquis Langham.]
“………”
[Swear yourself to me. I will protect you from Marquis Langham, help you become the true master of the Dark Demonic House… and on top of that, I’ll give you the riches and luxury you’ve always dreamed of.]
Chris laughed inwardly.
“Just as I thought. So that’s what this is about.”
Chris studied the form of Aria, the Demon King of Azure Flow, leaning against the World Tree.
As expected of a High Elf, she possessed stunning beauty.
But to Chris—who knew her true nature—she appeared nothing but wretched.
“Please speak plainly.”
[Hmph?]
“Your Majesty does not seek simple loyalty from me, correct? What is it that you truly want from me?”
The Demon King of Azure Flow fell silent.
Her gaze turned cold—no longer as casual as before.
Chris bit his lip tightly.
In that brief instant, when her true essence seeped out—an oppressive force descended upon him, as if his very soul was being crushed.
And then—
[The Sacred Darkness.]
The Demon King of Azure Flow finally spoke her desire.
[Offer me the Sacred Darkness, the source of power behind the Dark Demonic House.]
* * *
Chris’s expression turned cold.
Just as I thought.
It was exactly what he had heard in his past life.
“The Demon King of Azure Flow desires the Three Wells.”
The Three Wells.
They were the three primal sources of power from the Southern Magus Empire’s Three Great Houses:
The Sacred Darkness of the Dark Demonic House
The Poison Well of the Venomous Demonic House
The Flame of Ruin of the Destruction Demonic House
These were the sources of the chaos the Demon King of Azure Flow sought to unleash upon the Southern Magus Empire.
“Why do you want the Sacred Darkness?”
[To become a true demon. Or more accurately—to transcend the limits of mortality.]
She exhaled a wisp of smoke from her long-stemmed pipe.
[There are many sources of great power in this world, but the Three Wells of the Southern Magus Empire… they are truly unique.]
Chris remained silent.
[You Dark Demonic House people probably don’t even know. The Sacred Darkness, and the other two as well—they aren’t mere power sources. When absorbed properly, they transform the soul itself.]
Chris did know.
He had absorbed the Sacred Darkness fully—becoming a half-demon, and elevating the rank of his soul in the process.
“The Poison Well and the Flame of Ruin must have similar effects—enhancing the soul’s grade.”
That was one of the main reasons Chris now sought the Poison Well.
While enhancing the soul didn’t bring immediate combat advantages, it had tremendous implications at higher realms of power.
“Even among 9-stars, the difference between someone who’s ascended to a half-demon or half-star soul and someone who hasn’t… is like heaven and earth.”
He intended to ensure such a situation never unfolded.
But if the worst came to pass—if the boundary between the Three Realms collapsed again as it did in his past life—then advancing the soul’s grade would become essential.
“Is the Sacred Darkness truly essential for transcending mortality?”
Chris asked, lightly probing her.
Fortunately, the Demon King of Azure Flow answered without resistance.
[Of course. Black (黑) represents Origin. Poison (毒) represents Refinement. Ruin (亡) represents Annihilation. Among the Three Wells, the Sacred Darkness plays the central role in transcending mortality.]
Chris etched her words into memory.
“And when you say you wish to take the Sacred Darkness, what exactly do you mean? Are you saying you intend to perform the Sacred Darkness Ceremony yourself? With all due respect, Your Majesty has already fully formed her vessel of demonic energy. That makes it impossible to absorb the Sacred Darkness.”
To undergo the Sacred Darkness Ceremony, one’s vessel must be incomplete—still capable of growth.
[There’s another way. I can claim the original source of the Sacred Darkness itself.]
“!!”
Chris’s expression hardened instantly.
That was absolutely unacceptable.
It was tantamount to erasing the very foundation of the Dark Demonic House itself.
“So that’s why she’s been stirring up all this chaos within the Dark Demonic House.”
Knowing her demands would never be accepted, she was plotting to destroy them from within instead.
“There’s no point continuing this conversation further…”
Even so, Chris decided to probe her a little more.
Opportunities like this didn’t come often.
“Before I answer, may I ask one thing? Why does Your Majesty seek to become a true demon?”
Even in his past life, the reason behind the Demon King of Azure Flow’s obsession with the Three Wells had never been fully uncovered.
Was it simply a thirst for power?
Chris didn’t think so.
The Demon King of Azure Flow wasn’t the type driven by shallow ambition.