r18novel Page 165
Page 165
Without hesitation, Zhou Ye reached out his hand, and a bloodstain appeared on his palm. The blood dripped onto the contract, was instantly absorbed, and transformed into a complex rune.
Draig also exhaled a breath of dragon breath, which contained a drop of golden blood, and was also absorbed by the contract.
【boom--】
The entire mental space trembled violently, and the contract scroll transformed into countless points of light, which entered Zhou Ye and Drag's bodies respectively. A strange connection was established between the two, not master and servant, not friends, but a more complex symbiotic relationship based on a contract.
“The contract is complete,” Draig’s voice echoed in Zhou Ye’s mind. “From this day forward, I will abide by the agreement for a thousand years.”
Zhou Ye nodded: "I will prepare the mechanical dragon body as soon as possible. 1.3"
“Wait,” Draig suddenly said, “you still haven’t told me your true nature.”
Zhou Ye was silent for a moment, then raised his head and looked directly into Drag's eyes. Deep in his pupils, a light that did not belong to humanity suddenly flashed—a light that was a mixture of rationality and absurdity, as if the rules of the entire universe were flowing within it.
“I am… the Herald of the End.”
The moment this word was uttered, the entire mental space trembled.
What is the Herrscher of the End? They've been lurking in the mystical realm for so long, how come they don't know about such an existence?
"Okay, I promise you, my powerful partner whom I just met."
Zhou Ye opened his eyes and found himself still standing in the pure white training space. The crimson arm armor lay quietly in his palm, but now he could feel the restless life force within it.
“Dreig,” he said softly, “welcome to the new world.”
The arm armor trembled slightly, as if in response to his words.
Chapter 133 End of Cultivation
The slight sense of weightlessness from the spatial transition faded, and the warm light of the living room embraced them once more.
【The House of Time and Spirit】The memories of hell had not yet faded, and every nerve fiber in her body still lingered with the excruciating pain of being torn apart. But when Rias saw Himejima Akeno standing opposite her, she froze. That was no longer the "Queen" she knew and needed to protect, but a drawn blade, surrounded by a chilling magical aura of interwoven lightning and darkness.
Akane was also looking at her. She saw in the depths of Rias's emerald green pupils that the once swaying innocence remained, her magic pure and concentrated, like a volcano about to erupt.
They smiled at each other, a smile filled with the relief of surviving a calamity and the pride of a transformed being. The next second, tears uncontrollably streamed down their faces. This was not weakness, but a baptism. They embraced tightly, feeling the newfound power surging within each other. Sona, supporting the swaying Tsubaki, couldn't contain her excitement, her usually calm face betraying her overwhelming emotion. The other 30, whether it was the newly joined Yura Tsubasa, or Kusashita Reiya and Hanabi Momo, were all immersed in the joy and sorrow of this growth, tears and laughter mingling, composing a unique melody in the warm living room.
Zhou Ye sat on the sofa, quietly watching the scene unfold. His expression remained unchanged, as if he were appreciating a drama that had nothing to do with him.
"Have you cried enough?"
A cold voice severed the warmth. The women's cries stopped abruptly, and they all turned to look at the man, their eyes still wet with tears.
Zhou Ye ignored their expressions and simply snapped his fingers. Several piles of equipment, emitting a faint glow, appeared out of thin air on the carpet in the center of the living room. Each pile contained three items: a pair of shields at the wrists, shimmering with the light of magical runes; a weapon, either a longsword or a staff, flowing with energy; and a pair of sleek combat boots.
“The basic version of artificial armor,” Zhou Ye said, as if introducing a product, “The wrist shield can effectively resist low to medium intensity physical and magical attacks. The weapon can amplify your magic output. The shoes can increase movement speed and defense.”
Yura Tsubasa and the others stepped forward and carefully picked up their respective pieces of equipment. As their fingertips touched the equipment, a warm current instantly flowed into their bodies, and the runes on the equipment lit up, as if resonating with their magic.
“Although it’s the basic version,” Cang Na picked up an elegantly designed magic wand, her blue eyes behind her glasses gleaming with a data-like light, “the design of its energy circuits surpasses the level of most craftsmen in the Underworld. And those craftsmen wouldn’t prepare such high-quality tools for lower-level demons.”
"That's enough for you." Zhou Ye's assessment was neither praise nor criticism.
His gaze shifted to Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki. "As for you," he paused, "your situation is rather special."
Four items floated in front of them.
It was a ring, an earring, a flowing staff, and a necklace.
“Rias,” Zhou Ye’s voice fell on her, “This Ring of Destruction was forged using ten drops of your blood essence, combined with my analytical techniques and demonic alchemy. It can highly compress your destructive magic, allowing you to unleash power beyond your limits without losing control. It was specially prepared for you to deal with Riser.”
Rias reached out, and the dark red ring automatically slipped onto her finger. A feeling of blood connection washed over her; she could clearly sense that the raging destructive power within her was now becoming docile yet deadly through the ring. She clenched her fist, savoring the unprecedented sense of control, but her face showed no joy.
The name "Riesel" was like a block of ice, instantly cooling all her excitement. This ring was not a medal of honor, but a weapon of battle.
“Akino,” Zhou Ye looked at Himejima Akeno, “this earring is made by fusing your blood and sapphire. It can greatly increase your lightning power.”
Zhu Nai removed her earring, a magatama as black as night, yet with purple lightning flashing within it. As she put it on, a strange sense of balance formed within her. A gentle smile graced her face, but within her purple pupils churned a darkness more dangerous than ever before.
"Oh my, with this, the enemy can experience an even more exciting punishment."
Zhou Ye ignored her statement and continued, turning to Cang Na: "Cang Na, this Flowing Water Staff can increase your water magic output by 10%, and it can also increase the magic output of friendly units."
Cang Na accepted the flowing water staff.
“This…” For the first time, she felt the inadequacy of her language.
Finally, Zhou Ye looked at Zhenluo Chunji, who had received a necklace. "It can make the Mirror of Remembrance you create more stable, and can even briefly reflect a part of the future reality, creating an illusion that combines reality and illusion."
Shinra Tsubaki gripped the necklace tightly, feeling the power it contained, and nodded heavily.
Silence fell in the living room once more. But this time, it wasn't excitement, but a heavy, oppressive feeling of impending battle.
“Boss,” Nami couldn’t help but ask, looking at the exclusive equipment that was clearly a level above, “Why don’t we have that?”
“Don’t you already have it?” Zhou Ye’s answer was simple and direct. “Besides, come talk to me about exclusive equipment when you can defeat a training horde of Knight-level Honkai Beasts with your bare hands.”
Nami pursed her lips and said nothing more. She knew very well that there was a huge gap between herself and Rias and the others, a gap called "talent" and "luck".
“Ye,” Rias 033 stroked the Ring of Destruction on her hand, then looked up, her crimson eyes staring directly at Zhou Ye, “Thank you. You’ve done so much for me.”
"Of course, you've helped me a lot. From now on, it's up to you to defeat Raiser and Kirkbor."
Rias took a deep breath, looked at Zhou Ye, and said solemnly, "I've gone through such rigorous training. If I can't beat him, I might as well get married and not become the next head of the family."
Just then, Akeno Himejima walked up to Rias, gently took Rias's hand with the ring on it, and wore her signature gentle smile.
"Minister, are you still afraid now?"
Rias was taken aback, but then understood what she meant. She grasped Akeno's hand in return, feeling the warmth and power emanating from her palm. That connection, rooted in blood, became even clearer because of the newly acquired equipment.
She shook her head, an unprecedented fighting spirit igniting in her crimson pupils.
“I’m not afraid anymore.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was incredibly firm. “Before, I was just a princess of the Gremory family. Now, I am the Demon King who holds destruction in my hands.”
She stood up and looked around at all her family members and Zhou Ye's companions.
“I’ve made my decision,” she announced. “Immediately notify the Phoenix family. The ranking game will take place in three days.”
Chapter 134 The Roast Chicken Burning with Fury
After saying goodbye to Zhou Ye's home, Rias and her group returned to the activity room of the Supernatural Research Department.
The familiar mahogany tables and chairs, the orange hues of sunset streaming in through the window, and the faint aroma of black tea in the air.
Everything here is the same as it was before.
But they are no longer who they used to be.
Cang Na adjusted her glasses and sat down, intending to review and summarize the results of the training session.
Rias also pulled out a chair, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the [Ring of Destruction].
at this time.
On the carpet in the center of the room, an intricate and magnificent magic circle suddenly lit up, its golden-red light so bright it was blinding.
That symbol belongs to the Phoenix family, one of the seventy-two pillars of the underworld.
A loud phoenix cry suddenly rang out, accompanied by a scorching heat wave.
A burst of flame shot into the sky from the magic circle. After the flame dissipated, a young man dressed in a white suit, looking like a third-rate gigolo, walked out with an arrogant expression.
His short, golden hair was meticulously combed, but his deep blue eyes scanned the room with undisguised contempt.
"Ah, magic is still so scarce in the human world, it makes me want to vomit."
His very first words were filled with nauseating arrogance.
Lia T's expression, which had just relaxed due to the increase in power, instantly darkened.
That damn roast chicken always appears when she's in the best mood and then ruins everything.
"If you despise the human world, then go back to your Phoenix home in the underworld."
Rias's voice was cold, devoid of any warmth.
"This is my territory, not your home."
Following behind Riesel Phoenix was a voluptuous woman dressed provocatively.
She is none other than Eubeluna, who is famous in the underworld for her explosive magic.
To the surprise of Rias and Akeno, she actually accepted Riesel's offer and became his "Queen".
Riesel completely ignored Rias's anger. He reached out and lightly pinched Eubelina's chin, a playful smile playing on his lips.
"What are you afraid of? Your territory will become my territory in the future."
As he spoke, he gave Yubeluna a deep kiss on the lips in front of everyone.
Then, he looked at Rias with those lustful eyes.
"Learn from my capable empress how to please men."
"Get out of here before I lose my temper, Rasel!"
Rias suddenly stood up, and crimson destructive magic surged violently around her like tangible flames.
Riesel snorted twice, not caring about Rias's tone. Demons respect strength, the strong are above and the weak are below. Even the seventy-two noble families have a hierarchy of contempt.
Rias is weaker than him. Even if he, Riesel Phoenix, is only marrying into the family, he still needs to tell Rias who the king and queen are before he marries into the family.
“I think Rias, you should learn some human virtues, otherwise I, as your husband, will lose face.”
"Tsk, even without a live-in son-in-law, he's this ruthless. Speaking of humans, isn't there a famous Ming emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, who ate up the children of his ex-wife on the mainland? Do you want to follow his example and eat up the children of my Jimonli family?"
凸(艹皿艹)
This brat really dares to say that. Riesel wouldn't dare to accept it. Rias's brother is Sirzechs, the current Demon King Lucifer, and her mother is related to the Baal family, the head of the seventy-two noble demon families. If he dares to say that, he'll be imprisoned for life by his parents and brother when he returns to the Underworld, or worse, he'll be killed!
"Hmph, I didn't say that. Besides, shouldn't you give me an explanation? What's with the ring on your left ring finger!"
"It was a gift from my dear, isn't that good enough?"
Riesel instantly felt like he'd been cheated on. He hadn't even touched Rias's hand yet, and she was already being unfaithful.
His entire body involuntarily radiated flames, and he said in a cold voice:
"Who is the adulterer? I'm going to kill him right in front of you!"