The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 701: “Will You Take Responsibility?”

Early morning, bright sunlight filled Succubus City and Shien’s room.

However, Shien sat on his bed, looking as though he was questioning his existence.

Feeling even more sore than the previous two days, only three thoughts filled his mind:

“Who am I?”

“Where am I?”

“What am I doing?”

He was completely bewildered. He had decided to stay awake all night, so why did he still fall asleep? Was he no longer used to the life of a shut-in? He looked up at the sky speechlessly.

After a while, Shien climbed out of bed with difficulty. He not only felt sore but also drained, as if he had overexerted himself. He wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep, but the bed seemed cursed, and he was afraid.

Moreover, the bedsheets had been changed, and the bedframe looked unstable, as if about to collapse. Even his clothes were new, his body clean and smelling strongly of perfume, as if he had been bathed and scrubbed while unconscious.

Shien suddenly shouted,

“It was you, wasn’t it, Lasha? I know it was you! Come out! Come out now, and I’ll spare you!”

He grew more and more agitated. Besides Lasha, he couldn’t think of anyone else who could do this to him while he was asleep. With his current power, even a Transcendent Level being couldn’t do this, only that unscientific maid. He suspected Lasha had secretly returned and done unspeakable things to him.

However, even before, he hadn’t felt this drained after waking up. He must have been attacked by some unknown “energy vampire.”

“No! This can’t continue!” Shien became serious. At this rate, he might die in his sleep. “I have to find out what’s happening.” Even if he had to die, he wanted to know why. He wouldn’t accept such a humiliating death.

Thinking of this, Shien rushed out of his room, bumping into Liel.

“What… what’s wrong with you?” Liel asked, startled, then even more so seeing his pale face, red eyes, and ghostly appearance.

Shien ignored her. “I don’t have time to explain. You can go play by yourself today,” he said, then ran off.

But before leaving, he hesitated, then, blushing, whispered to Liel,

“Please prepare more tonics for me, the stronger the better. I… I need them…” His voice grew softer and softer, as if speaking of something shameful.

Then he fled, leaving Liel standing there, dumbfounded.

Shien, filled with shame and indignation, almost burst into tears. “My reputation is ruined.” In Liel’s eyes, he must be seen as an incompetent man now. Thinking of her disdainful look, he felt a surge of sadness, then anger.

“If I find out who did this, you’ll pay…!” He cursed the culprit in his mind. But the more he thought about it, the more sore he felt, as if the cursing was tiring him out.

“I can’t think about this anymore…” For his future happiness, he stopped his lewd thoughts.

Arriving at Shafney’s door, he knocked forcefully.

“Shafney! Are you there!?” He shouted, no longer caring about being polite or disturbing her, only wanting to know the truth. Shafney’s strange behavior yesterday suggested she knew something.

Shafney’s voice, filled with exhaustion, anger, and even grievance, came from inside,

“What do you want so early in the morning…!?”

Shien, sensing her emotions, felt a strange pang of guilt. But his concern for the unknown situation overshadowed it.

“I have something important to ask you! Open the door!” he said urgently.

Shafney’s voice became even more aggrieved and resentful.

“Can we talk tomorrow? I’m too tired today, even more tired than the past two days. Let me rest,” she pleaded.

“You’re tired too?” Shien was startled, “I’m also feeling tired for some reason. Do you know why?”

Shafney was silent for a long time, then said hatefully,

“I don’t know, I don’t know anything. Don’t ask me. If you’re tired, go back to your room and rest. Don’t bother me, understand?” She seemed to lie back down.

But Shien wouldn’t give up.

“I don’t even dare to return to my room now. Too many strange things happened these past few days. I’m scared,” he said, making a pained face, “Just tell me, Shafney, is there something wrong with this Succubus Fortress?”

“Get lost!” Shafney snapped, “You’re the one with problems! You were the one who insisted, acting so wildly. Who can you blame? You made me so tired, and I still have to clean up the mess and deal with the aftermath…!”

“Wait!” Shien interrupted, stunned, “What did you just say? What do you mean I made you tired? And what mess and aftermath are you talking about?”

Shafney didn’t want to answer.

“Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with my Succubus Fortress, and there’s nothing wrong with you. Nothing you’re worried about will happen. Just go back and rest,” she said tiredly.

“We’re leaving for Central City tomorrow. You’ll only be here for one more night. Just go back to sleep, and I promise nothing will happen tonight, alright?”

Hearing this, Shien was still uneasy.

“What happened? Can’t you just tell me?” he asked, exasperated.

Shafney was silent.

After a while, she said softly,

“If I tell you, will you take responsibility?”

This strange question confused Shien.

“Huh?” Responsibility? Responsibility for what?

As he thought this, several images flashed through his mind, beautiful and joyful images, like forgotten memories resurfacing, then disappearing again.

“What was that just now…?” Shien clutched his head, trying to remember, but the images didn’t return.

He didn’t know that the events of the past few days, both in his dreams and in his half-asleep state, were deliberately blurred by a certain Demon Lord. If those things happened while he was awake, she couldn’t blur them. But since they didn’t, she used her Unique Skill to interfere with Shien, blurring those ambiguous memories.

That’s why Shien couldn’t remember anything.

Naturally, she wouldn’t let him remember. After all, she couldn’t accept it herself.

“Go back,” Shafney said, her voice slightly displeased, “You’ll see your precious little Airi in Central City.”

“By then, you’ll realize that what happened these past few days isn’t important.”

“Hmph.” Shafney sounded unhappy, her tone almost jealous.

Shien wanted to ask more, but Shafney didn’t answer, seemingly having fallen asleep.

Shien could only give up and turn to leave.

In her room, Shafney lay in bed, listening to his retreating footsteps, thinking about the events of the past few days, and sighed softly.

“What should I do now?”

“Even I don’t know.”

“This is so annoying…”

Shafney pulled the blanket over her head. For the first time in tens of thousands of years, Shafney, the carefree and free-spirited Succubus, felt troubled.

Chapter 702: Why Fear a Succubus?

Another uneventful day passed.

After his fruitless visit to Shafney, Shien returned to his room, which he was starting to dread, and stayed there.

Liel didn’t challenge him to a fight today, only delivering tonics once. Shien kept his head down, not looking at her, not wanting to be hurt by her disdain.

Liel did inform him that she had arranged the Shajin Clan’s settlement in Succubus City. The Shajin Clan had started moving, and Shajina expressed her gratitude through Liel, saying she would never forget his kindness.

Shien didn’t dwell on it, asking Liel to take care of the Shajin Clan, and then stayed in his room. He’d done what he could and didn’t know if he would see them again.

Tomorrow, he would leave Succubus City with Shafney for Central City in the Moon Demon’s territory.

Perhaps he wouldn’t have the chance to return to Succubus City after today.

Fortunately, he had no attachments here, and after arranging the Shajin Clan’s matters, he could leave without any worries.

Thus, his last night in Succubus City arrived.

However, he wouldn’t be able to rest well tonight.

“I have to take the initiative.”

This was Shien’s plan after a day of pondering. He had a bold guess.

“Something happened to me, and something happened to Shafney. If it’s not related to her, who would believe it?”

Once could be a coincidence, twice a coincidence within a coincidence, but three times in a row? He no longer believed in coincidences.

Combining his own situation and Shafney’s unusual behavior, his guess was earth-shattering, so unbelievable that even he couldn’t quite believe it.

If he were inexperienced, he might dismiss it, but he wasn’t.

Therefore, no matter how unbelievable, he had to consider this possibility.

To confirm his guess, he would have to take a risk.

“I have to sneak into Shafney’s room and investigate.”

Shafney would never expect this. After sneaking into his room for three nights and doing unspeakable things to him, finally giving up today, he was now planning to sneak into her room.

If others knew about this, Shien would be hunted by the Succubus’s admirers throughout the Demon Race and even other races, truly becoming an enemy of the world.

Of course, Shien wasn’t afraid of this.

The problem was, the “flower” he wanted to “pluck” wasn’t some roadside wildflower, but a thorny rose.

If a Demon Lord was angered, even the current him would suffer.

But Shien was ready to risk it.

“One Lasha is already enough to confuse me. If there’s also Shafney, then wouldn’t I be constantly taken advantage of without even knowing why?”

This was absolutely unacceptable!

So, Shien consumed all the tonics, replenishing his energy, then drew his Holy Sword.

“Heresu!” He unsealed all three seals at once. Facing a true Demon Lord like Shafney, he couldn’t be careless.

Although the concealment of [Inner Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] was powerful, against a Demon Lord, he needed the Holy Sword’s power. With the Holy Sword’s “All Skill Levels +10” effect, his [Inner Awareness] would be several times stronger. This gave him confidence in not being discovered by Shafney.

His only concern was whether the Holy Sword’s strong holy aura would alert Shafney. However, he also discovered that after reaching Legendary Level, his control over the Holy Sword had increased, even able to suppress its holy aura.

“Perhaps, soon, I won’t even need to seal the Holy Sword anymore.”

Since his identity was exposed, and his control over the Holy Sword increased, he didn’t need to worry about its aura being detected, so what was the point of sealing it? He initially sealed it to prevent it from being discovered.

“I should be able to freely control the Holy Sword’s power after reaching Limit Level.”

“And after surpassing Limit Level and achieving Transcendence, the Holy Sword will undergo a complete transformation.”

“At that time, with my Holy Sword even stronger than Mitra’s, I won’t have to fear anyone, right?”

Mitra, after transcending, reached the same level as Lildas, the Goddess of Fate, so he could be even stronger. Perhaps he couldn’t reach the level of the Demon King or the Supreme God, but being the third strongest in the world should be achievable.

No, with the Demon King gone and the Supreme God in seclusion, he would be the strongest.

Then, his mission would be truly complete.

“With such a bright future, why should I fear a mere Succubus?” Shien comforted himself.

He suppressed the Holy Sword’s holy aura, activated the concealment of [Inner Awareness of Heaven’s Decree], and transformed into a silent, ghostly shadow, flying out the window.

A while later, the shadow approached Shafney’s room.

…

Shien’s caution was justified.

As the ruler of the Succubus Territory and the master of Succubus City, the most powerful being in this fortress, Shafney’s room was heavily guarded at night. Although no one was allowed on the top floor normally, it was still the Succubus’s residence, with various security measures.

Magical barriers, traps, and alarms were activated at night, making the top floor impenetrable. Anyone trespassing would face severe consequences.

Moreover, although unauthorized personnel weren’t allowed here, many magical beings, like golems, gargoyles, magic soldiers, and animated knight armors, patrolled the area.

With these defenses, even if someone infiltrated the fortress and reached the top floor, they couldn’t approach Shafney’s room. If they tried to force their way in, Shafney would be alerted long before they reached her.

Fortunately, Shien wasn’t ordinary. With the perception of [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree], he could easily detect any traps and defenses, and with the teleportation of [Outer Vision of Heaven’s Decree], he could bypass the barriers and magical beings, silently entering Shafney’s room.

The Holy Sword’s skill enhancement effect was truly powerful. Except for [Samsara of Heaven’s Decree], which had no level, all his other Heaven’s Decree skills were greatly enhanced, allowing him to reach Shafney’s room with ease.

“Whoosh—!” Like a feather, Shien floated in through the window.

The scene was eerily similar to how Shafney snuck into his room a few days ago.

Then, he saw Shafney.

“Mmm…”

The Succubus, hailed as the most beautiful woman in the three realms, lay on her side in bed, sleeping soundly. She wore a thin, slightly transparent nightgown, her sleeping posture alluring, without any blankets, her perfect curves and voluptuous figure on full display, her long, fair legs intertwined.

Shien’s heart raced. If he took a picture of this scene, many in Succubus City would pay a fortune for it. Even Shien, who thought he’d developed a resistance to her charm, felt his mouth go dry, realizing something.

“So I wasn’t immune, but simply too exhausted to react before?”

In that state of soreness and weakness, no matter how beautiful the woman, he couldn’t be aroused.

Now, having recovered somewhat, he was naturally affected by her allure.

“You’re a true demoness. I want to smack you with my staff,” Shien thought fiercely.

He quietly approached the bed, looking at the sleeping beauty, and couldn’t help but reach out.

Don’t misunderstand, he wasn’t planning to do anything indecent. He had already decided what to do after sneaking into her room.

“[Bestowal: Dream Talk].”

He used a rare and unorthodox type of magic. This was a special property of Bestowal Magic, a basic level effect, yet it could make someone in their sleep reveal their dreams or unconsciously answer questions, giving their most direct thoughts.

This magic was usually useless.

Shien only thought of it after a day of pondering.

“Fortunately, I learned all the properties of Bestowal Magic. Otherwise, I’d be helpless now.”

However, at this moment, Shafney began to mumble in her sleep.

“Don’t… don’t come closer…”

“I can’t take it anymore…”

“Stop…”

“Mmm…”

These suggestive murmurs reached Shien’s ears.

“???” Shien was dumbfounded.