CHAPTER 60: PATH OF RESCUE

"Hm?"

Seralyth’s eyes narrowed as the pulse of magic brushed against her senses. The vibration wasn’t loud or violent, but subtle—like a ripple. She lifted her hand, sensing the thread of energy coil into her palm.

From her ring, she pulled something out—a withered fragment of what used to be vibrant. A leaf. Shrivelled, its veins darkened and brittle, the edges crumbling as if it had been drained of life.

Her expression hardened."Damn it."

Emma, standing across from her, flinched at the sudden shift. She’d been about to ask if this had relation to Caelen, but the words hung on her lips, and Seralyth’s aura pressed down before she could speak. The former Queen’s shadow magic began to stir.

"Wait—" Emma stepped forward.

Too late. Seralyth’s body melted into the ground like she was slipping beneath the surface. In a blink, only her head remained, eyes glinting very sharply. And then—gone.

The silence that followed was heavy.

Emma blinked, her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t even managed to ask. The image of that dried leaf lingered in her mind, and the book as well. Why would something so simple make the Queen vanish in such haste?

Confusion pressed on her chest. And beneath it, a thought whispered like a curse. Caelen... don’t tell me this really does involve you.

Without hesitation, she turned and left the room. If anyone had answers, it would be Elunara.

[Demon cave door – Seralyth]

The shadows pulled her out at the entrance of a door in the cave.

Jagged stone twisted unnaturally, and from the cracks in the walls, threads of oppressive energy leaked out. The closer she stepped, the more suffocating the air became.

Her hand brushed against the stone of the entrance. The door embedded into the rock shimmered faintly, its surface rippling with an unnatural sheen. It wasn’t the barrier itself that made her hesitate—it was the aura.

A strange presence radiated from within, not contained to the doorway but expanding, coating the entire dimension. Even she—who had walked among many creatures and faced rulers of shadow—found it unpleasant. Too unnatural. Too vast.

Her jaw tightened as a memory surfaced. A warning, a message she’d once thought would not be necessary, came back to her. When the time comes, place the orb and leave the dimension.

She whispered through clenched teeth. "So close. So close to ending this shit—and now this?"

Her hand dipped into her cloak, pulling free the usual book. Maybe, she thought, it held more than just vague stuff and might help.

Flipping it open, she skimmed through the flickering rune symbols. Unlike before, the words shifted smoothly, like they were cooperating. A system interface.

She went to Caelen’s profile.

Her eyes scanned the page. Then stopped.

Her breath hitched."What...?"

PLAYER INTERFACE

[Personal Info]

Name: Caelen

Race: Demon

Age: 19

Affiliation: None

Title: King of Lust

Status: 44% Awakening (halted)

Primordial Type: Demon

[Abilities]

Black Wings (Passive/Active) – New

Flight under command. Now capable of enduring powerful attacks. Minor resistance to light. Cannot withstand divine energy.

Demon Link (Passive) – Evolving

Bonded servants can receive commands, share energy (limited), or be summoned. Link strengthens through emotional connection.

Primordial Birth (Active)

Create a corruption seed. Transforms targets into high-tier Incubi/Succubi. Backlash risk if overused.

Side Effect: Transformed demons experience uncontrollable lust.

Cooldown: 1 month.

Demon Allure (Passive)Presence alone induces vulnerability and attraction.

Demon Form:

Always active, unavoidable, magic-free.

Human Form: Consumes Demon Energy.Works via eye contact, voice, and emotional closeness.

Effects: Emotional sway, trust shifts, resistance breaks.

Tier 1 intensity.Warning: May unintentionally charm linked targets.

Demon Form (Active)×5 boost to all stats.

Demon abilities cost no energy.

Transforms physical appearance—horns, aura, presence.Causes high temptation. Marks user to avoid demons/hunters.Duration: ??? (Scales with Endurance).

Primordial Authority (Passive/Active) – New

?#?#?#?#?#?#?#?

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Seralyth exhaled sharply, the page trembling slightly in her hands.

"Authority..." she muttered. The word she’d dreaded.

The word she’d half-hoped, half-feared would appear. Authority among demons was rare—so rare that only royalties held the right to wield it. Yet this wasn’t just Authority

. This was Primordial, and it might be stronger.

Her lips curved into a bitter smile."Is that it?"

The words were hollow.

Authority wasn’t something she wanted Caelen to simply stumble upon; she wanted him to actively unlock it. However, the implications were unmistakable. If he genuinely unlocked it, he wouldn’t just be another demon ascending the ranks—he would rise above them.

Her gaze flicked back to the cave door, where the aura writhed, thicker, denser. It pressed against her skin like claws, which did not bother her too much, she dealt with worse.

"Damn it..."

She stepped closer, but stopped. The air alone made her uncomfortable. Even she couldn’t simply walk inside and stay there for too long. If she forced her way in, she risked burning her magic.

Her hand tightened around the book. She hated the thought, but... should she ask for help? But before that, could another demon enter in her stead?

The thought was better than asking for help. Yet the strangeness of the aura, the impossible density of it, left her with no answers.

Her shadow stirred, wrapping around her ankles. With a scowl, she sank again, her form dissolving into the dark. If she couldn’t get in alone, she needed to reassess.

[The Queen Garden]

The familiar scent of flowers hit her as she emerged again, this time behind her daughter.

"You’re here," Elunara’s voice cut through at once. She didn’t turn—she’d sensed her mother’s arrival.

Seralyth walked forward casually, stepping from the shadows into view. Emma stood nearby, face tight with worry. Evelyn had abandoned her reading. Both stared at her like they were waiting for a verdict.

Elunara’s expression was stern."Mother. Emma told me the book mentioned ’evolution.’ And then you vanished."

Seralyth met her daughter’s gaze, unflinching. "Yes. I had to confirm something. The space he’s in... I couldn’t enter."

Elunara frowned, trying to read her tone.

Emma stepped in. "You mean Caelen is in there?" Her voice was tense, strained, her body leaning forward as if she might run off if Seralyth gave her a direction.

Evelyn crossed her arms. Even without grasping every detail, she could feel the weight of it. "If he’s in danger, we need to know now."

Seralyth sighed, lowering the book slightly. "He’s alive. Fine—for now. But the space itself is dangerous. Something... I didn’t expect it to have been released."

Elunara’s lips pressed tight. Emma’s stomach dropped. Evelyn narrowed her eyes.

Emma muttered under her breath, almost pleading. "Caelen..."

Seralyth’s thumb hovered over the page. She’d been skimming through profiles, staring at lists, focusing on stats and skills—now, something else glared back at her.

A red circle.

It pulsed faintly in the corner of the interface, something she hadn’t registered until now. She pressed it.

The page shifted.

[System Alert]

Unrecognized Evolution Detected.

Path has been halted due to insufficient Primordial Energy.

Her breath froze."...Where did this come from?"

She tilted the book, as if the angle would make the words less ridiculous. Primordial energy. The one resource even the highest shadow creatures whispered about like it was a legend. Something even she can’t learn to wield.

Her master’s voice flickered through memory. Primordial energy doesn’t obey. It’s unnatural—just survive it, and you will get to see its dominance over the world.

She shut the book, eyes closing for a moment. The answer she needed wasn’t one she could create. If Primordial energy could be a key, then maybe... someone else had the thread.

When she opened her eyes again, they landed on Emma. The girl looked tense, pale, but her profile in the system had shown something almost similar to Caelen.

"You." Seralyth’s tone was sharp enough to cut stone. "Do you know how to increase Primordial energy? Or tap into it?"

Emma blinked, startled. "Me?" Her voice cracked.

"Yes. You carry it in your blood, I saw it."

Emma shook her head quickly. "I... I never used it for anything. I didn’t even realize—" She stopped. A memory struck her like lightning. Her face flushed. Lucy.

That night. Lucy’s body had burned her magic and almost making her drunk in lust. Emma had been desperate. Caelen’s energy had flowed through her, raw, also possessing primordial.

She had... shared it. Directly.

Her blush deepened.

Seralyth’s eyes narrowed, reading the change in her expression. "You figured something out."

Emma stammered, "Not me. I can’t. But Lucy... she—she might be able to."

The name dropped into the silence. Lucille.

Seralyth straightened, her mind moving fast. If Emma had seen it firsthand, then the wild one might be the key. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Then I’ll get her."

Before Emma or Elunara could question, shadows swallowed Seralyth again.

The silence she left behind pressed heavily. Emma clenched her fists.

"...What was that book?" she asked finally, turning to Evelyn. "Why does it feel tied to Caelen?"

Evelyn exhaled through her nose, steadying herself. "Remember what he told you about the system? About how it’s the reason he’s strong?"

Emma nodded.

"Well." Evelyn’s gaze hardened. "That book is the system. It’s the same thing, given form. And Caelen... allowed her to use it."

Emma’s eyes widened. "Wait. How can you tell?"

Elunara answered instead, her voice calm but firm. "I told her. She needed to know."

Emma’s lips tightened. "...Oh." She looked down at her hands. The thought of Seralyth reading into Caelen’s power left a bitter taste. She hated feeling useless.

Evelyn’s voice cut in softly but firmly. "Then we step up. We figure out how to help."

Emma raised her head. The weight in her chest didn’t lessen, but her eyes hardened.

[Demon Cave Entrance]

The shadows twisted violently, then spat out Seralyth with another figure in tow.

"Hey—hey! What the hell?!" Lucy yelped, stumbling as Seralyth’s hand clamped over her eyes. When the grip released, Lucy staggered, catching herself on jagged stone.

"Are you nuts?!" Lucy snapped, glaring. "Dragging people through shadows like that—what’s wrong with you?!"

Seralyth ignored the outburst, her gaze fixed on the cavern door. The aura poured out of it heavier than before. The dimension shuddered faintly.

"Calm down," Seralyth said flatly. "I don’t have time for your whining."

Lucy bristled, fists tightening. "Excuse me—"

Seralyth cut her off cold. "Your boyfriend is inside. About to be torn apart by creatures I put there."

Lucy froze. "...What?"

"He’s alive," Seralyth continued. "But not for long if you keep wasting time."

Lucy blinked, her bravado faltering. She turned toward the door. The air pouring out of it made her skin crawl—yet something else tugged at her chest. Familiar. Irresistible.

She stepped forward unconsciously, then stopped, her expression shifting. "What is this...?"

Seralyth’s gaze stayed sharp. "It’s not a trap. I put him there to train. But now it’s turned into something else."

Her voice dipped. "Go. Find him. Bring him to me."

Lucy hesitated, heart racing. The aura gnawed at her instincts, part danger, part temptation. Every part of her screamed not to enter. And yet—Caelen. If he were in there, she couldn’t walk away.

She clenched her jaw, muttering under her breath. "Damn it..."

Then she rushed through the threshold, disappearing into the dark.

The cavern roared in response.

Seralyth stood at the edge, her face unreadable.

Her shadows coiled faintly around her feet as she whispered to herself, "Show me what you did and have become, boy."

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