312-314

Chapter 312: Are You Incapable? 

“Is the person in charge of building this base embezzling funds or what?” 

Jay gave Roy a sidelong glance. 

“Stop talking nonsense. This experimental base was overseen by General Hammer himself when he was still a Navy Commodore.” 

Roy shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. 

Just then, the metal pipe let out a series of cracking sounds, and the fissures on its surface grew more pronounced, as if something was about to burst out. 

“Something’s wrong! Fall back!” 

Roy immediately grabbed Jay, who was in rough shape, and pulled her back. 

Moments later, the metal pipe exploded, releasing a flood of red and yellow substances. 

To avoid getting splashed by the stuff, Roy, in his Ghost Wolf form, used his explosive strength to scoop up Jay and leap back a good distance in one swift move. 

In the end, the red and yellow substances splattered onto the ground and walls. 

“Miss Jay, you okay?” 

“I—ugh, I’m fine! Just a bit dizzy!” 

Jay was the first to experience being whisked away by Roy’s Ghost Wolf super strength, and judging by her reaction, it wasn’t exactly pleasant. 

That’s no surprise—Ghost Wolf’s explosive power could propel Roy dozens of meters in an instant. It was way more thrilling than any bungee jump or amusement park ride. 

Jay’s body was only slightly tougher than an average person’s, so her first time experiencing this was naturally uncomfortable. 

Luckily, she managed to keep her stomach in check and didn’t puke. Vomiting inside a gas mask would’ve been a nightmare. 

Roy set Jay down to let her catch her breath, then approached the red and yellow substances to figure out what they were. 

Up close, he could see they were a kind of red, organic creature, interconnected by something resembling tendrils or roots. 

The yellow parts were like pustules growing on the creatures, constantly contracting and expanding. 

Roy noticed more of the stuff was still oozing out of the metal pipe, as if the entire thing was filled with it. 

Jay, having recovered, came over for a look. Her expression turned grim. 

“This stuff really did leak out!” 

Roy glanced at Jay, but her gas mask hid her face. 

“You know what this is?” 

Jay nodded. 

“Yeah. It’s what they’re researching in the main lab. They call it Carrion.” 

Carrion? 

The word translates to rotting flesh, decaying corpses, or something impure. 

Just the name alone screamed trouble. 

“What’s something this gross even used for?” 

“You think an intel officer like me would be privy to that kind of info?” 

Jay shot Roy a look. She was just a mid-level agent in Naval Intelligence. Even her high-level clearance for this base was temporarily granted by Hammer. No way she’d know something that classified. 

Roy threw up his hands. 

“Since it’s military research, I’m guessing it’s for warfare. Isn’t that how it always goes in the movies?” 

That fit the global stereotype of the American military perfectly. 

Jay didn’t take the bait—she was military herself, after all. 

“It looks like this Carrion is what’s causing the rapid temperature spikes and creating that red mist. Cliff Leighton wasn’t completely lying.” 

“Don’t let your guard down. That guy’s probably mixing truth with lies.” 

“I know. Let’s keep moving. The heat here is unbearable!” 

Soon, the two passed through the red-mist-filled area, and the temperature returned to normal. Jay let out a heavy sigh of relief. 

“Phew, finally out! How much farther?” 

Jay was panting. Staying on edge in that heat had drained her. 

“Not far. Miss Jay, which maintenance tunnel are we in right now?” 

The maintenance tunnels were a maze, and after following the Hellhound’s phantom, Roy had lost track of their location. 

Jay pulled out her PAD for a quick定位. 

“We’re probably in a corner of the living quarters. Outside is the staff dorms.” 

“Then let’s head out.” 

The Hellhound’s phantom tracks had vanished in the maintenance tunnel, meaning Cliff Leighton was likely in the living quarters, not Lab 3 as he’d claimed. 

That guy was definitely lying! 

When Roy and Jay exited the tunnel into the living quarters, what they saw only confirmed Cliff Leighton was shady. 

The living quarters were completely normal—except for the lack of people. Nothing was out of place. 

“That bastard was totally lying to us! What’s he hiding?” 

Jay was furious. 

“We’ll know once we find him.” 

Unfortunately, the living quarters were also packed with surveillance cameras. Probably the only places in the base without them were bedrooms and bathrooms. 

When the cameras caught Roy and Jay heading to the living quarters instead of the energy sector, the radio crackled to life. 

“Why won’t you two listen to me like your predecessors did?” 

From the sound of it, the previous Marine team had come here and been tricked by Cliff into going to Lab 3. 

Their fate probably wasn’t pretty. 

Furious, Jay grabbed the radio and tore into Cliff Leighton. 

“Did you get them killed?” 

Cliff responded quickly. 

“No, no, no! Their job was to eliminate dangers and hazards in the base. I just sent them to do their work.” 

“Then stop hiding and get out here now!” 

“No rush. I’ve already sent someone to pick you up. You’ll meet her soon.” 

With that, the radio went silent. 

“Her? Could it be Elsa Leighton, Cliff’s wife?” 

Roy considered the possibility. 

“Maybe.” 

The next second, the entire living quarters plunged into darkness. 

“That jerk turned off the lights!” 

Roy found it odd that Cliff would do this. Military ops always came with night vision, so turning off the lights was pointless and would only piss them off more. 

Unless the darkness gave him some kind of advantage. 

As Roy pondered, he caught faint noises from above. Without hesitation, he entered Bullet Time. 

In his dark vision, Roy vaguely saw a blurry figure lunging at Jay. 

He shoved Jay out of the way and kicked the figure with all his might. 

“Ahh!” 

With a scream, the thing was sent flying dozens of meters, crashing into the wall at the end of the corridor. 

No joke—Roy’s 80-point strength attribute meant a full-force punch could obliterate someone. Even that hurried kick, using maybe a third of his power, sent the attacker soaring. 

Caught off guard, Jay also slammed into the wall, startled and confused. 

“Black, what happened?” 

Roy had already activated True Sight and spotted the creature in the distance—a bald, humanoid thing with both male and female traits and a tail. 

“Some invisible thing just tried to ambush you! Stay here, don’t move. I’m going after it!” 

The tactical helmet offered protection but dulled his senses. Otherwise, Roy would’ve noticed the invisible attacker sooner. 

He saw the creature scramble to its feet and try to flee on all fours. Roy fired his revolver, but the bullets were blocked by some invisible force field, doing nothing. 

So, he gave chase. 

“Roy, wait!” 

Jay tried to stop him, but Roy vanished in a blink, not hearing her. 

Now, Jay was alone in the pitch-black corridor. 

After everything that had happened, even a tough intelligence officer like her felt uneasy, fearing something else might pop out. 

If another invisible enemy showed up, no one would be there to save her. 

Jay got to her feet, trying to track Roy and the creature, but they were too fast. She couldn’t keep up. 

She ended up in an unfamiliar corridor, with no sign of Roy or the creature. 

Then, the radio crackled with Cliff Leighton’s voice again. 

“Looks like your partner ditched you. How pitiful!” 

Jay knew he was trying to rile her up, but she couldn’t help feeling angry. 

“Shut up, you liar!” 

“Guess where I am right now?” 

That made Jay wary. If Cliff was saying that, he was probably nearby. 

She scanned her surroundings. It was dead quiet, no signs of anything unusual. 

But Cliff kept talking through the radio. 

“Lady, why do you do such a dangerous job? For the thrill?” 

The words hit a nerve. Jay gripped the radio and snapped back. 

“None of your damn business!” 

“Heh, I’m just looking out for you. After all, you’re about to—” 

Mid-sentence, Jay heard a strange noise from around a corner. She tightened her grip on her rifle and crept toward it. 

When she got there, she saw a figure dart past. 

“Freeze!” 

Jay aimed her gun but hesitated to shoot. 

Cliff Leighton was the base’s chief scientist. Unless he was convicted, she couldn’t just kill him. 

All she could do was shout a warning, but the figure didn’t stop and vanished around the corner. 

In the dark, even with night vision, it was hard to make out her surroundings. Jay didn’t dare pull out her PAD to check her position and kept moving cautiously. 

“Lady, are you looking for me? I’d advise you to stop.” 

Jay ignored the radio. Responding would only distract her. If she could just find Cliff, everything would be solved. 

But Cliff wouldn’t let up. 

“Why can’t you just behave? Like that woman did!” 

Woman? What woman? 

Then, Jay faintly heard voices coming from a nearby room. 

Got you! 

The closer she got, the more cautious she became. 

Jay moved silently, almost tiptoeing, making no sound. 

She even muted the radio to avoid giving herself away. 

“If I were you, I’d head to Lab 3 instead of wandering around here.” 

He’s definitely there! 

Suppressing her excitement, Jay calmly approached the room and burst in. 

But in what was clearly a storage room, there was no Cliff Leighton—just two radios playing off each other. 

Damn it! 

Roy had encountered a similar trick before but reacted in time to avoid the trap. 

Jay wasn’t so lucky. As she turned, a pale middle-aged man appeared behind her, jabbing something into her abdomen. 

Jay convulsed and collapsed. 

“I told you, you shouldn’t have come looking for me. But you didn’t listen!” 

Cliff Leighton retrieved the radios and dragged the stunned Jay away. 

When Jay came to, all her gear was gone, and she was locked in a transparent glass room—some kind of observation chamber. 

Inside were a bed, furniture, and even some children’s toys. 

Outside was a laboratory-like area. 

Jay was certain she hadn’t seen this lab during her last visit to the base. 

Cliff Leighton was just outside the glass, sitting at a chair and staring at a computer, seemingly watching surveillance footage. 

Is he looking for Black? 

Now captured, Jay’s only hope was Roy finding her. She had to find a way to disrupt Cliff. 

With a plan in mind, Jay started pounding on the glass. 

Cliff glanced at her, then turned back to the screen. 

“You’re awake! No need to rush. I’ll have your partner tracked down soon. Huh, what’s this? Another rat?” 

He’s definitely after Roy! 

“Asshole, why are you doing this? Let me out!” 

“No point yelling. It won’t help. Why don’t you sit down and enjoy the last moments of your life?” 

Cliff didn’t even turn around, his eyes glued to the screen. 

Jay bit her lip, realizing she needed another approach. 

“Oops, looks like my clothes got torn. Did you do something to me?” 

Jay suddenly adopted a coy, flirty tone. 

Honestly, she rarely spoke like that, so it sounded a bit awkward—enough to make Cliff shudder. 

But Jay’s figure was stunning, a classic American bombshell, and she was now posing to show off her assets. 

Still, Cliff didn’t turn around. 

Jay was pissed. I’m doing all this, and he won’t even look? So she started cursing. 

“Are you freaking incapable or what?” 

That finally got Cliff to turn around. 

Miss Jay (Adrianne Palicki) 

Chapter 313: My Lips Aren’t That Tight 

No man likes being called inadequate, even if it’s true. 

“What did you just say, you filthy b*tch?!” 

Judging by Cliff’s explosive reaction, Jay had clearly hit a nerve. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lost it like that. 

Now Jay knew exactly how to get under his skin. 

“Looks like you are inadequate, huh? Did your wife put a green hat on you?”  

Those words would sting any man, let alone someone like Cliff, who already had issues. 

“Don’t mention that b*tch! Or I’ll show you what real pain feels like!” 

Fuming, Cliff stormed over to the glass cell and pointed at Jay, cursing loudly. 

Jay kept up her relentless taunting.  

“So, what? You couldn’t satisfy your wife, so you had to resort to other methods? Did she get fed up and run off?” 

Cliff’s face turned beet red with rage. He marched over to a control panel and started fiddling with it. 

“B*tch, I’ll make you regret saying that!” 

Seeing his actions, Jay felt a pang of nerves but stayed calm, continuing to provoke him to buy Roy some time. 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! No wonder you’re hiding out in this base. Too scared to face everyone’s judgmental stares? Cliff Layton, if it’s that bad, maybe try those little blue pills. Or do those not work for you either?” 

Jay’s relentless jabs pushed Cliff over the edge. A robotic turret descended from the ceiling of the glass cell, startling her. 

“B*tch, it’s too late to take it back now!” 

The turret fired a bolt of electricity, striking Jay’s body. 

She collapsed, convulsing as steam rose from her body.  

It was an electric shock turret! 

The voltage was deliberately calibrated—enough to cause pain but not enough to knock her out. 

Cliff smirked smugly at Jay.  

“Got anything else to say now, b*tch?” 

Gasping for breath, Jay looked up at him with disdain. 

As an intelligence operative, she’d been trained to withstand interrogation. A little physical torture wasn’t going to break her. 

“I was just wondering… did you use this same trick on your wife? How’d she feel about it? Was she cursing your inadequacy too?” 

Cliff’s breathing grew ragged, clearly struck by another sore spot. He slammed the control panel’s buttons repeatedly. 

“I told you—don’t. Mention. That. Woman!” 

He spat out each word, pressing the button with every syllable. 

“Agh—!” 

The continuous shocks left Jay in agony, her body going numb in places, making it hard to hold herself together. 

Luckily, her black shorts hid any visible signs of distress from Cliff’s view. 

After taking so many hits, Jay couldn’t speak for a moment. 

But that was fine—Cliff had plenty to say. 

“You b*tches always bring this up! I’ve dedicated everything to the great cause of science. Can’t you at least try to understand me? Why do you always defy me? Why do you always oppose me?!” 

It was clear Cliff had a lot of pent-up resentment. Jay’s provocations had unleashed a torrent of complaints about his wife, Elsa. 

Though unable to speak, Jay’s mind remained sharp. She pieced together fragments from Cliff’s rant. 

After becoming the chief scientists of the research base, the Laytons had secretly started their own experiments. This hidden lab was something Cliff had set up using his authority. 

During these secret experiments, it seemed the couple had clashed. 

Elsa wanted to stop the experiments, but Cliff refused. 

Despite her objections, Cliff pushed forward with the experiments. 

But what he hadn’t anticipated was that, just as the experiments were nearing success, Elsa planned to report his actions to the higher-ups at Amacham Tech. 

Though Cliff caught wind of her betrayal in time, the report had already been sent. 

In a fit of rage, he killed Elsa and began planning his escape. 

“So, this whole mess at the base is because of you?”  

Jay felt she was getting closer to the truth. 

Cliff pressed himself against the glass, glaring at her. 

“What do you know? I never wanted this! But Bartholomew, that old b*tch, remotely ordered the base’s security to capture me! I had the highest clearance, but no one followed my orders! If it weren’t for Dren, I’d have—” 

Dren? Who’s Dren? 

The name caught Jay off guard. She racked her brain but couldn’t recall anyone by that name at the base. 

A nickname, maybe? 

Fortunately, Cliff’s next words cleared things up. 

“Dren is my greatest creation. Elsa was nothing compared to her! With Dren’s help, I dumped Elsa’s body in the main lab and released Carrion to create chaos and escape the base. 

But I never expected Elsa’s lingering consciousness to merge with Carrion. Once freed, Carrion’s power spread across the entire canyon. If I step foot outside this base, she’ll hunt me down. That filthy b*tch!” 

By now, Jay had pieced together the full story. 

It all boiled down to a marital spat between the Laytons. Because of their conflict, hundreds at the base had died, and General Hammer’s elite marine squad was wiped out. 

Marriage is terrifying! 

#DailyFearOfMarriage 

Having vented his frustrations, Cliff seemed much calmer, no longer bothered by Jay’s earlier insults. 

“Lady, spilling my guts does relieve some stress. I feel much better now. All that’s left is to find your friend and reunite you two—” 

Before he could finish, the secret lab’s door was kicked open. Roy appeared, holding Dren by the throat. 

“I heard someone was looking for me.” 

Cliff’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Roy. 

“Impossible! No one can resist Dren’s power!” 

“You mean that charm ability?” 

Roy smirked. 

While tracking Dren earlier, Roy had noticed something familiar about her aura. When Dren, cornered with nowhere to hide, tried to use her charm ability on him, Roy realized she was using succubus powers. 

She was likely a monster created by combining succubus cells with other biological material. 

To be honest, this wasn’t Roy’s first run-in with a succubus. His resistance to their charms had grown stronger over time. 

The first time he encountered a cyber-succubus, he lost control. 

The second time, with Eluresha, he managed to stay in control and used his angelic form to break her mental hold. 

This time, with this bald succubus, Roy defeated her without even being pulled into her mental realm. 

Using the Hound Ring, he tracked Cliff down to this hidden lab. 

Jay’s strategy of keeping Cliff distracted had worked. It kept him from noticing Roy’s approach, costing him his chance to escape. 

“Don’t come any closer!” 

Cliff was panicking. His combat skills were mediocre at best; he relied on cunning and Dren’s special abilities to survive. 

With Dren defeated, he was understandably terrified. 

But Cliff still had an advantage. Standing on the other side of the glass cell, he kept his hand on the control panel, holding a threat over Roy. 

“Come any closer, and I’ll fry this woman with the shock turret!” 

Roy frowned. That was a problem. 

Cliff’s hand was on the button. If Roy couldn’t stop him in time, Jay was done for. 

But Jay had other ideas. 

“Roy, forget about me! This guy’s the one behind everything at the base. Take him out!” 

So this guy’s the mastermind? 

“Shut up, you b*tch!” 

In the split second Cliff was distracted, Roy entered bullet time, drawing his gun in a flash. With a flick of his wrist, he fired two shots. 

The .50 Magnum bullets from his Smith & Wesson M500 arced through the air, targeting Cliff’s hand on the button. 

The first shot shattered Cliff’s wrist with its sheer force. 

The second tore through his neck, leaving a gaping hole. He was dead before he could even register the pain. 

[Ding! Obtained Cliff Layton’s Fate Chest! Open it now?] 

“Tch, got off easy.” 

Roy holstered his M500, tossed the unconscious Dren aside, and prepared to free Jay. 

Jay stared at him, stunned. 

“How… how did you do that?” 

“Do what?” 

“Those two shots! The bullets curved around the glass to hit Cliff Layton!” 

Roy shrugged. 

“I just aimed, flicked my wrist, and the bullets curved.” 

Jay was grateful for the rescue, but his explanation was so absurd she was at a loss for words. 

“If you don’t want to explain, fine, but don’t feed me that nonsense!” 

“I’m serious! Why does no one ever believe me?” 

As Roy spoke, he didn’t notice Dren stirring behind him. When she saw Cliff’s lifeless body in a pool of blood, her mind snapped. 

“No, my love!” 

Just as Roy was about to punch through the glass to free Jay, he sensed a powerful mental surge behind him. 

Dren, devastated by her lover’s death, was undergoing some kind of transformation. 

“Black, watch out!” 

Jay’s warning wasn’t needed—Roy was already dodging. 

A massive fireball exploded against the glass. Luckily, the glass was sturdy enough to protect Jay inside. 

Roy noticed Dren’s appearance had changed. Horns sprouted from her bald head, and bat-like wings grew from her underarms and back, making her look even more like a succubus. 

Was she reverting to her primal form? 

No matter. Roy had taken down a purebred succubus before; a hybrid like this was no threat. 

“I’ll kill you!” 

Dren let out a piercing scream and lunged at Roy. 

“Hmph! You think you can take me in close combat? Did you forget how I beat you last time?” 

Just as Dren was about to reach him, Roy delivered a precise slap to her head, slamming her into the ground. 

Her head buzzed from the impact. 

Her physical stats had improved, maybe from an average of 30 to 40. 

But that was still no match for Roy. Beating him was impossible. 

Roy pinned her down by the neck, leaving her gasping and struggling on the floor. 

The scene was brutal, and even Jay found it hard to watch. 

“Black, hurry up! We’ve got other things to do!” 

“I know, I know!” 

As Roy prepared to finish Dren off, she started muttering. 

“My love… I can’t breathe… no… Mother…” 

Crack. Roy snapped her neck, and the light faded from her eyes. 

[Ding! Obtained Dren’s Fate Chest! Open it now?] 

Another Fate Chest—nice! 

Humming a tune, Roy walked to the glass cell and shattered it with a single punch, freeing Jay. 

“How strong is your fist?”  

Jay hadn’t expected him to break her out like that and grew curious. 

“Dunno, never tested it. Wait, what’s that smell?” 

In his ghost wolf form, Roy’s heightened senses picked up a strange odor from the cell. 

His eyes drifted to Jay’s lower half with a weird look. 

“You didn’t smell anything! And you better not say a word!” 

Jay felt a sudden wave of embarrassment, despite having long set aside her gender as an intelligence operative. 

Roy chuckled mischievously. 

“Alright, alright, I didn’t smell a thing! But my lips aren’t that tight, so who knows if I’ll spill…” 

“You—!” 

As Jay flushed with indignation, she suddenly noticed Dren’s body rising behind Roy in an unnatural, twisted posture. 

Roy seemed completely unaware. 

“Black, behind you!” 

“What? Trying to trick me into looking so you can sneak attack me?” 

Roy grinned at Jay, not buying her warning. 

This only made her more anxious. 

“She’s getting up! Turn around and look!” 

“No way, really?” 

Skeptical, Roy glanced back—and sure enough, Dren was standing, her body contorting as if something was about to burst out. 

Dren 

Chapter 314: Asmodeus 

This scene felt oddly familiar. Roy could swear he’d seen it before. 

“Miss Jay, get back!” 

Roy slung the M1014 shotgun off his back and aimed it at Dren. 

Dren’s consciousness was clearly gone. Her eyes were lifeless, tinged with a dull gray. 

So, what was controlling her body now? 

Roy got his answer soon enough. 

Pale pink tendrils slithered out of Dren’s mouth. It looked a lot like the awakening of the Seed of Silence, but Roy didn’t sense the usual mental corruption from her. 

Dren’s condition was closer to the human-faced spiders from the Octopus Incident—a symbiotic relationship between a special fungus and the host, like cordyceps. 

There was likely a similar fungus in Dren’s body. While she was alive, she’d kept it suppressed. But after her death, the fungus took over, turning her into something akin to the fungal monsters from Resident Evil 7 or 8. 

If it was just a fungus controlling Dren, though, that made things simple. 

“Die!” 

Roy pulled the trigger, and the buckshot tore through Dren’s body, obliterating half of it. 

But almost instantly, pink tendrils sprouted from the missing parts, filling in the gaps. That was as far as it went, though. 

This mysterious fungus had some similarities to the Seed of Silence but lacked its relentless regeneration and mutation abilities. 

The fungus-driven Dren let out a piercing screech and started shambling toward Roy and Jay. 

As expected from a fungal monster—pure instinct, no brain. 

If it didn’t need a brain, why keep it? 

Roy fired again, blowing Dren’s head to pieces. 

That shot hit the fungal Dren hard. It collapsed to its knees, convulsing as more pink tendrils burst through its skin. The sight was utterly revolting. 

“Say goodbye to this world!” 

Roy was about to fire another shot to obliterate Dren’s upper body when a delicate flower bud sprouted from the hollow stump of her neck. 

Wait, fungi could grow flowers? 

Forgive Roy’s lack of biology knowledge—he was a bit of a slacker in school. Some fungi could grow flower-like structures to attract pollinating insects. 

Stunned, Roy hesitated to shoot, and the bud grew larger, ballooning to the size of a person in the blink of an eye. 

Snapping out of it, Roy went to pull the trigger, but an invisible pressure suddenly filled the hidden lab. 

At the same time, a seductive, breathy voice echoed in Roy and Jay’s ears, lulling them into a daze. 

Roy’s strong willpower snapped him out of it quickly, but the shift was enough to put him on high alert. 

To charm him with just a sound… could it be…? 

Not wasting another second, Roy pulled the Execution Blade from his inventory and charged at the bud, ready to slice it apart. 

But by then, the massive bud had bloomed. Sitting in the center of the flower was a naked woman. 

Roy had never seen a woman this beautiful. Even Elizabeth and Michael paled in comparison. 

More terrifyingly, her body was perfection itself—every curve and proportion a golden ratio. 

She was like a masterpiece crafted by the Creator himself! 

Yeah, the Creator could be unfair like that. Some people got bodies that looked randomly thrown together, barely humanoid. Others, like this woman, were sculpted with meticulous care, flawless in every way. 

Even Roy, who’d seen his fair share of beauties, was momentarily entranced. 

The woman in the flower opened her eyes, their captivating gaze practically soul-stealing, impossible to look away from. 

Her red lips parted, and a voice dripping with allure spilled out. 

“Mmm, have I arrived on Earth? It’s not quite how I remember it.” 

The woman curiously surveyed the sci-fi-esque hidden lab, then stepped down from the flower, walking on air, seemingly unbothered by Roy and Jay’s presence. 

Jay was still under the charm’s spell, her cheeks flushed, hands moving on their own like she was lost in some kind of risqué dream. 

Roy, now fully alert, warily eyed the woman. 

Her entrance sparked some bad theories in his mind. 

“The Queen of Lust?” 

His voice caught the woman’s attention. 

She looked surprised, as if just noticing him. 

“A human who can break free of my power? Interesting!” 

She didn’t directly confirm Roy’s guess, but her attitude was as good as an admission. 

It was the Queen of Lust! 

Roy’s pupils shrank. A simple military investigation had somehow summoned a big shot like this. 

Thankfully, Asmodeus’s arrival seemed relatively low-key compared to, say, Samael’s terrifying descent. Her power was likely limited. 

Roy might actually stand a chance—numerically, he could even have the upper hand. 

The tricky part was the Queen of Lust’s abilities. 

In terms of stats, Roy was in a mid-game phase: strong early, weaker mid, and powerful again late. Right now, he struggled against tricky mechanics. 

And Asmodeus’s charm ability was exactly the kind of headache he didn’t need. She came with a passive desire domain that had Jay doing… things on the spot. 

Asmodeus studied Roy closely, then her face lit up with realization. 

“So it’s you! I remember now. You killed one of my daughters, making her the laughingstock of her sisters when she returned to Hell. And you stole another one!” 

Guess he’d been recognized. Time to go all in. 

Using Ghost Wolf’s explosive speed, Roy appeared in front of Asmodeus and swung the Execution Blade at her head. 

But Asmodeus seemed to anticipate the attack, stepping back just in time. 

The blade’s tip grazed the deep valley of her chest, missing her by a hair. 

Sometimes, a hair’s breadth was a world apart. 

“Such a crude man! Coming at me like that without even asking if I’m willing or interested!” 

Asmodeus’s tone was almost flirtatious, blurring the line between fighting and flirting. 

Roy wasn’t fooled. If one swing missed, he’d swing again. 

This time, Asmodeus couldn’t dodge as easily. No matter how sharp her combat instincts were, stats were stats. 

Even a pro like Faker at level one couldn’t beat a max-level Bronze—it was pure numerical dominance. 

But while Asmodeus lacked stats, she had mechanics. 

She placed her palm to her lips and blew a kiss. A red lipstick mark materialized in front of her, growing larger by the second. 

Sensing danger, Roy used Ghost Wolf’s explosive speed to retreat, narrowly avoiding the lipstick mark. 

“Ugh, why reject my kiss? Do you dislike me?” 

She was even calling herself “this concubine” now, acting like they were old friends. 

The fiery red lips chased Roy relentlessly, refusing to stop until they landed. Worse, they seemed to have the same intangible quality as the Hellhound’s phantom—Roy’s physical and elemental attacks couldn’t destroy them. 

And to make matters worse, Asmodeus’s seductive voice was slowing his reaction speed. 

At first, Roy didn’t notice, but a brief lapse nearly got him kissed by the fiery lips, cluing him in. 

This slow-boiling trap was impossible to guard against. 

He couldn’t keep this up! 

Seeing Asmodeus lounging with her chin in her hand, watching him dodge the lips, Roy decided to try a sneak attack. 

Fear Domain, activate! 

Blood Fury! 

Super Burst! 

Even under the Fear Domain, Asmodeus was only dazed for 0.01 seconds, but that was enough for Roy to appear behind her and lop off her head with the Execution Blade. 

Success? 

Crack! The same wound appeared on Roy’s own body, the searing pain snapping him back to reality. 

He’d been fighting thin air. The beheading? That was his neck. 

Now, most of his neck was sliced through, held together by just a sliver of flesh. 

Luckily, his Deadpool-derived super healing kicked in, rapidly mending the wound. 

“When did this happen?” 

Asmodeus let out a queenly three-part laugh. 

“Ohohoho! You didn’t think my magic needed to touch you to work, did you? You were caught from the start.” 

The lipstick mark was just a decoy to keep Roy trapped in the illusion—not the real spell. 

The moment Roy locked eyes with Asmodeus, he was already ensnared. 

This terrifying illusion ability was something Roy had only seen from Elizabeth. 

No wonder Elizabeth despised Asmodeus. Beyond any past grudges, the Queen of Lust’s illusions were eerily similar to the Queen of Sloth’s. 

Maybe Asmodeus had stolen this ability from Elizabeth. 

Two female demon lords with similar powers? That’s a recipe for pure, unfiltered rivalry. 

Roy clutched his neck wound, kneeling on one knee and leaning on the Execution Blade. His blood was still boiling—he hadn’t deactivated Blood Fury. 

Asmodeus’s abilities were strong, but Roy felt he wasn’t out of the fight. If he could just avoid her illusions, he’d have a shot. 

That was the problem, though. Even True Sight couldn’t pierce Asmodeus’s illusions—Marbas’s rank was too low. 

A Hell’s Seven Demon Lord’s illusions weren’t something a mere high-tier demon’s ability could counter. 

It left Roy frustrated, his immense stats shackled and useless. 

Wait—maybe his angel form could work? 

Asmodeus likely didn’t know Roy could transform into an angel. After all, Adra was killed by his demon form, and Eluresha’s original soul was destroyed. 

So, the Queen of Lust’s intel was outdated. 

But Roy only had one shot at a killing blow. If it failed, there’d be no second chance. 

He needed to keep Asmodeus underestimating him to make her drop her guard. 

So, leaning on his blade, Roy started laying on the charm. 

“As expected of the Queen of Lust, beauty and wisdom in one!” 

Asmodeus ate it up. Roy was ridiculously handsome, and flattery from someone like him was music to her ears. 

“Hehe, what a sweet-talker! I was going to take your soul to avenge my daughter, but I’ve changed my mind. You’re Belial’s vassal, and I love stealing Belial’s things!” 

She knew he was Belial’s vassal? 

Asmodeus licked her lips, set up a barrier, and sauntered toward Roy. 

With each step, her… assets jiggled lightly, a mesmerizing sight that left Roy’s eyes glued. 

She stopped in front of him, tilting his chin up with a finger, her pink, heart-shaped pupils locking onto his. 

“Become my vassal, and I’ll show you pleasures beyond compare!” 

For a split second, Roy was tempted, nearly agreeing. 

But he was already Belial’s vassal—though that was by trickery, not choice. 

“No, I can’t! I won’t give in!” 

Roy’s face twisted in struggle, fighting her charm. But Asmodeus suddenly kissed him, her tongue slipping into his mouth. 

Her tongue was impossibly long, carrying an intoxicatingly sweet taste. 

It was like that scene in A Chinese Ghost Story 3, where Xiao Zhuo uses her tongue to detoxify Shifang. 

Roy wanted to pull away, but her lips were like a gravitational force, inescapable. 

Damn it! She’s going to control me! 

If Asmodeus charmed him now, he might become her slave forever. 

Roy tried to transform into his angel form to take her down. 

But he couldn’t muster the chaotic energy in his body. His mind and body were frozen, helplessly savoring the Queen of Lust’s kiss. 

Then, Belial’s mark reacted, sensing Asmodeus’s intrusion. 

But the barrier Asmodeus had set up blocked Elizabeth’s side from receiving the mark’s feedback. 

Otherwise, it would’ve been like with Lilith—Elizabeth would’ve struck back remotely. 

“Roy Black, become my slave!” 

Asmodeus 

(End of Chapter)