CHAPTER 770: I’D RATHER DIE THAN CALL HIM THAT

[Why are you even worried about that type of thing?]

The system notification suddenly blinked before Ryuk’s closed eyes, prompting him to open them.

’Huh?’

[You don’t have a dick, remember!?]

It flashed thrice, and for the first time, Ryuk exhaled in relief, glad in missing his body parts.

At least his first time wouldn’t be ruined by this demonic woman.

With that newfound confidence, he turned back to her, only to see her pause in shock, staring at him in disbelief.

"Did you..." she said, her lips moving but no words coming out, before she eventually forced them through.

"Did you lose it in the battle?" she asked, her face growing pinker with every passing second.

That was when it finally clicked for Ryuk, and the system panel flashed.

[Seems like someone finally knows your little secret.]

The realization caught in his lips, words failing to rise, and cheeks turning ruby red, and so he did the only thing he could:

Shutting his eyes from the embarrassment.

"Fuck off..." he whispered.

Her disbelief faded into an amused giggle.

"You really are one abnormal kid," she said.

But then, Ryuk felt the pressure in the room shift.

It stilled, like an incoming storm, and he opened his eyes to the sight of her, now serious, wearing a focused expression.

"I have a couple of questions for you..." she began. "And if I sense even a single lie, I’ll instantly kill you."

That was surprising to him.

Even during their battle, she had never displayed such seriousness.

But now, every word carried weight, like it was her will manifesting itself.

"The first is — what’s your name?"

"Ryuk," he replied simply.

"Your full name." She added.

"Ryuk Knull."

At the mention of that, Ryuk noticed her breath catch for just a moment, like one who had difficulty breathing,

It was silent and subtle, almost like a mirage.

"Secondly, your tattoos..."

"They shift into the energy state of anything they come in contact with, don’t they?"

She reached her hand forward to his chest — and the moment it touched, Abyssal energy began oozing from Ryuk.

The purple colour of his tattoos changing to black.

"In the fight... back when I held that girl, you touched my hand, copied my abyssal energy, and your form shifted into a 7-meter tall Knullic transformation," she said, her hand still pressed against his chest, and now shifting to where his heart was beating.

There was no change in her tone, but Ryuk could sense the leaking bloodlust behind every word.

"I want to ask you an important question," she said, eyes closing."One that will determine everything."

[She already touched you, and you now have her Abyssal energy.]

[If you plan to escape back to your main body, this is your best chance!]

The system’s notification blinked, and it was right.

Ryuk had noticed upon awakening that Owen’s Abyssal chains had been taken off him, rendering him unable to shift.

But now, she was unknowingly feeding him the energy needed.

Yet...

As he looked at her closed eyes — as if she awaited a heavenly decree — and listened to the slowly loud pounding of her heart.

He felt curious.

Why would she react in such an extreme way to a simple question about his Knull transformation?

Was there something she knew, something she needed to confirm?

Whatever it was, Ryuk felt it deep in his core:

If he answered, he might learn something bigger.

"The Knull transformation," he began, watching as her eyes remained shut,"...is my original Knull transformation."

She opened her eyes quickly.

"Your original Knull transformation?" she repeated, and Ryuk nodded.

"But you don’t have a Knull bloodline. Your bloodline is an ancient beastly line... it leans toward the Draconic type." She paused, confused, watching him nod.

"Yes. I currently bear a beastly bloodline. But I used to have a Knull bloodline, before I replaced it with this one."

She remained silent.

"So my Knull transformation was what I once had, when I was a Knull."

"And in our fight, I simply copied back what I once was."

’His heart didn’t stutter.’

’His words were smooth.’

’And the lie-detection runes didn’t blink.’

She glanced at the dim runes lining the wall in confirmation.

Of course, they weren’t ordinary runes she drew for decoration.

They were ancient lie-detection scripts, ones she had placed specifically for this moment.

And they weren’t reacting, meaning he was telling the truth.

Her hand slowly moved off his chest.

"So... you once were a Knull, before purging yourself and embracing a new bloodline."

"And that transformation was once your true Knull form."

She summarized, watching him nod.

"And you said your name is... Ryuk Knull?"

Another nod.

She slowly rose to her feet, turning to the ancient runes carved on the cave wall.

Her claws retracted into hands as she gently traced them with her fingers.

"Tell me something," she said, her voice almost trembling — but her back still to him, making him unable to see her expression.

"Have you heard of a name?"

"What name?" Ryuk asked.

"Theth’Vorgath!"

And the instant those words were spoken—

Her ears twitched, and she heard it, Ryuk’s own heartbeat rising by just one silent beat.

She turned toward him, flashing a grin.

"So you do know that name," she said, stepping back toward him.

But she couldn’t help but notice — his eyes had turned cold.

So cold, the temperature in the cave felt like it dropped several degrees.

"I will not answer any questions you may ask of him," Ryuk said calmly.

"What’s your relationship with him?"

All she got in response was a mocking smirk.

"I already told—" he began, but suddenly froze as her hands gripped his throat — climbing on top of him, and pinning him to the bed, while her hands shifted into monstrous claws that tightened harder and harder against his neck

"Tell me... what is your relationship with Theth’Vorgath?"Her voice roared, dark flames bursting forth from her eyes.

But all Ryuk had was a poker expression that didn’t change even as the last bit of air was being squeezed out of his lungs.

’I’d rather die than call him that,’ the thought echoed silently in Ryuk’s head.

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A/N:

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In and Out_SnowySmoos