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Author: The Sole Survivor	Original Source: SFACG
Translator: CatatoPatch	English Source: Re:Library

With my character as a guarantee, I swore that whole incident with Mo Ning was entirely an accident. And that was why I couldn’t be blamed either for wanting to ride her, probably…

As I galloped ahead with Mo Na and Cinderel in my arms, our destination this time was the habitat of the Fire Elementals. Following closely behind me was the Cerberus couple, Sasani and Sinmosa. Above me were Jeerah and the representative sent by the Purgatory Shadowcats to accompany me, Masrow.

Our entourage was headed to the habitat of the Fire Elementals with the rest of the Abyssal Golems in tow in order to retrieve one of the required ingredients, a core of an Eight-star Fire Elemental, and also the heart of an Eight-star Fire Devouring Fish.

The Fire Elementals were allies with another clan friendly to me, the Demon Fire Salamanders, because they had a common nemesis, the Fire Devouring Fishes. Of the two ingredients mentioned, that fish heart was probably going to be the most troublesome to get, even with the Fire Elementals’ help. After all, I had only seen a Six-star fish up till now but nothing higher. However, I had a rough guess as to how to find an Eight-star, assuming it even existed.

“Relax, there will definitely be one.” Ferti’nier suddenly popped up with that bit of revelation. Yet before I could even clarify this matter further, she actually went silent once more without any warning. Did I do something weird?

If I had to describe the relationship between the Fire Elementals and the Fire Devouring Fishes, it would be that of a prey and its hunter. The Demon Fire Salamanders were on equally hostile terms with these fishes, making them perfect allies for each other. Because of that, there were probably no other clans who knew more about the Fire Devouring Fishes than the Demon Fire Salamanders and the Fire Elementals. That was why I decided to pay the Fire Elementals a visit, in hopes of getting an Eight-star core while also procuring some intelligence.

“Mama, are we going to visit those fire spitting people now?” She asked while tugging on my wrist and leaning in, her own arms still wrapped around Cinderel. She looked up at me and pouted. “Mo Na doesn’t like them, they are mean.”

Our last encounter with them did start off rather unpleasantly because of their brash behaviour, or rather arrogance. However, that bit of arrogance only seemed like childishness to me, because they didn’t have the strength to back up that arrogance.

The Fire Elementals had an obvious weakness, and that was their absolute helplessness against the Fire Devouring Fishes. The last time we encountered them, we easily defeated them simply because we had equipment made from the bones of said fish… Truly, it was the very definition of an epic fail.

It seemed like another encounter was inevitable this time around. Hopefully, that fellow had learnt lesson or I would have to resort to brute force again.

I prodded Mo Na on her little cheeks. “That’s because Papa needs their help.”

Because the Fire Elementals lived in a lava lake, that meant that my golems were basically dead weight since they couldn’t swim. With my biggest trump card sealed off like that, that meant I had to resort to other methods, like those equipment I mentioned before, along with my new allies.

The Purgatory Shadowcats, the Hellhounds and the Purgatory Warhorses could all be considered my allies now. Along with me were three representatives from their respective clans. With such a showing, they most likely wouldn’t try to start any trouble with me, or perhaps I should say that I wouldn’t have to bully them too much…

‘Whether it was by force or by deception, what mattered was I got that core.’

‘If everything proceeded according to plan, I might even be able to get them to help me locate Nola, assuming that the elemental to greet us this time had a better temperament than Arca…’

‘It had been some time since we last saw Nola. Before leaving, she mentioned she was heading home, who knew if she actually made it back in the end, or was just wandering around right now.’

‘Those salamanders should have had more dealings with the Fire Devouring Fishes as well, so if there was anyone who had information on an Eight-star fish, it would be them.’

Just as I was mulling over how to procure those two ingredients, the silent up till now Mo Ning suddenly spoke up with an earth-shattering question. “Dearest, is little Mo Na your daughter?”

“… Please don’t address me as dearest.”

Mo Ning innocently batted her eyes at me. “But we’re already engaged.”

“Please don’t…I’m about to cry.”

“Why are you about to cry, dearest?” Mo Ning threw me a concerned look. “Little Mo Na is really adorable.”

‘Me crying has nothing to do with Mo Na… it’s about you calling me dearest. Ahhhh…all that nonsense about being engaged is fine and dandy, as long as it’s a cute girl we’re talking about. Why is it I’m engaged to a horse! What went wrong in my life!? Why must I suffer so… what did I do to deserve this…’

Naturally, she had no way of knowing what I was thinking right now, but that didn’t stop her aggravating me further whether on purpose or by sheer coincidence. As we continued riding on, she maintained eye contact with me even as we passed by an undulating stretch of road. For some strange reason, this ride was extremely smooth. I had no horse whip or saddle to control her galloping, but it still felt extremely smooth riding on her, perhaps even better than driving a car.

‘You know. If you’re willing to cancel that whole engagement thing, we can still be friends…’

After a few hours of being together, I gained a rough understanding of who Mo Ning was as a horse. During battle, she was icy cold. Silent. But once you got to know her, she slowly became a lively, warm horse.

“Actually… Mo Na isn’t my real daughter…” I knew Mo Na was well aware of this fact as well, but this was the first time I said it out loud. I could feel her shifting uncomfortably in my arms the moment I said that. Her body stiffened a little but this situation only lasted a few seconds before she quickly recovered into a more comfortable position.

“Mo Na’s mother was an Imp. In order to save me, she ended up being captured by the enemies. By the time we saved her, she was already pregnant…” I gently patted Mo Na on the head then said softly. “I bestowed the name Mo Ci on her.”

Speaking of Mo Ci, I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my heart. I rarely thought about those who died, because I was a person that easily lost himself in grief. Once I entered such a state, leaving was hard. Whether it was now or then, such an emotional state wasn’t allowed. That was why I avoided thinking about those who died on our journey, though I would still think to myself sometimes how great it would be to have them back again.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

The journey up till now had seen a great number who sacrificed themselves for me. I had never once forgotten about their sacrifice, I just did not want to recall those painful memories… because I was now in a spot where I couldn’t retreat nor show weakness. The apocalypse was coming soon, and the current me didn’t even possess the right to take part in that battle. Other than thinking about ways to strengthen myself, I had no time for other matters.

Perhaps it was because I had gone silent for a long while, or perhaps it was because of the undisguised grief I was displaying right now, Mo Ning couldn’t help but interrupt my reminiscing. “So what happened to little Mo Na’s mother?”

“Dead.” I breathed in deeply at that point and hugged my little baby even tighter, taking in that comforting scent she gave off. “While incubating, a Devil’s egg requires a lot of mana… she could have given up then, but that would mean that only she lived… and that was she gave up… gave up on her life… in order to hatch her…”

Mo Na’s birth meant the death of Mo Ci. I was fighting outside at that point, but if I was by her side then, she wouldn’t have died no matter what. I could have given her some of the souls I had harvested. Failing that, I could have even given her some of the Small Imps I had under me… but… but there were no buts in this world…

“So that’s how you became Mo Na’s mama?”

“Papa.” I strongly emphasized that point.

Her eyes went wide. “… But you’re clearly a female, so shouldn’t it be mama?”

“An accident happened so my current body has no gender, but my soul is definitely a male’s.” I simply left it at that, either way it wasn’t like there were many who believed me.

“Whatever you say then, as long as you’re not a male.”

‘Mo Ning seems to like females… well, that’s her life to live… as long as it’s not a male homosexual we’re talking about… otherwise I have to burn him.’

Putting aside that issue for now, I gently kissed Mo Na on her head and said, “Baby, your papa will love you forever.”

“Mhm, Mo Na loves her mama too!” She leaned in and spun her head around a little before closing her eyes to sleep.

“You can sleep in papa’s arms for now. Later…” Before I could finish that sentence however, something happened ahead. I could feel a torrent of mana gathering before a rift spanning two meters wide tore open the dimensional space ahead. The rift itself resembled a shattered mirror, and as I got closer, I could feel it beckoning to me. Within the voids of dimensional space, I could vaguely hear someone praying for me to descend.

‘That’s…’

“A summoning. And it seems to be of the highest tier as well.” Ferti’nier finally broke her silence to explain. “I felt a disturbance just now -so it was to construct this Summoning Gate.”

‘Summoning? So there is a caster somewhere summoning me? But shouldn’t it pull me directly over there… at least that was what happened with that deplorable Occultist.”

“You were too weak in the past, plus the offering was quite bountiful.” As she said that, I could picture her smirking in my mind. “This time, it’s different. You have three Original Sins, and have even gained the title of a Devil Overlord. Even though your strength is still that of a Four-star’s, your position is already the equivalent of an Overlord’s. You have the right to refuse this summoning, but I do not suggest you do so. Because even if you cross over, you can still come back at any time.”

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If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.

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Author: The Sole Survivor	Original Source: SFACG
Translator: CatatoPatch	English Source: Re:Library

In my heart, the Hellhounds’ clan head was always the more reliable Overlord out of everyone present here; if there was anything I wanted to know, asking him was the better choice. With that in mind, I softly asked, “About those weird looks you guys are giving me…”

“Hahaha… what are you talking about?”

Before that Cerberus could even answer my question, the Overlord Cat butted in, all the while winking at me in a fashion that somehow made his already punchable cat face even more punchable. Assuming I could punch him, of course.

‘What do you mean what am I talking about? What else could I be talking about?!’

“Ahem. From now on, you have to make sure to provide her a good life.”

The Hellhounds’ clan head finally spoke up, but his words just seemed so foreign to me… what the potato did he mean when he said I had to provide her a good life? Wasn’t it just a simple pact about being my mount? It wasn’t like we just got engaged, let alone married. So why did I have to provide for her…

‘Shi– did I just fall into another trap?’

“Judging by that look on your face, I think you’ve guessed the reason as well.” The Overlord Cat gleefully reminded me. “What you just signed was an engagement pact, don’t cha know~~”

“…”

‘I… I… I just wanted a mount… why the potato did you guys do this to me?!’

“Hahahaha…I can’t take it anymore… I’m dying over here… hahahaha…” Having been silent for a good long while now, Ferti’nier finally couldn’t contain herself from laughing uncontrollably in my head. I could even picture her shapely body jiggling right now as she laughed…

‘You knew about this. You definitely knew about this, didn’t you?!’

“What… that’s just common knowledge.” Ferti’nier giggled as she said that. “ Under normal circumstances, it is forbidden to ride on the backs of the warriors of the Purgatory Warhorse, unless they have the approval of that horse. However, it is only the males of this clan that can become another’s mount. Females are normally barred from this role.”

‘I know she’s a female. That shadowy Nightmare Steed and that corporeal Nightmare Steed also mentioned something about this arrangement violating their ancestral rules, but didn’t Mo Ning still go through with the signing anyway?’

“And that’s where the problem starts.” Ferti’nier knowingly cleared her throat at that point, most likely to frustrate me even further. Upon confirming that I was in fact at my limits, she then proceeded to solve this mystery for me. “Female Purgatory Warhorses can only be mounts for their partners, and when I say partner, I mean the kind you can ride in the day and in the night.”

‘The kind you can ride at night… fishcakes… I’ll admit, I’m about to blow my top right now… that answer was just… I knew I was being played!’

‘Riding in the day is one thing, but I’ll pass on riding her at night… fishcakes… my interests aren’t that unusual yet… No… I need to break off this pact right away…’

“Oh, you can if you want to. But once you do, my dear little brother, you will have to face the undying wrath of the Purgatory Warhorses.” Having said that, her tone changed from her usual mischievous teasing to a darker, more ominous tone. “After all, who likes to be played like that, am I right?”

‘So what you’re saying is that no one likes to be played. So they decided to gang up on me instead? Why must living be so difficult?’

“Nyaa~ Looks like Mo Ning has finally found herself a partner. What a joyous day this is.”

The Overlord Cat’s happy meowing brought me to reality. At this point, there really was nothing left to say. I had suddenly gained a fiancee…rest in pieces me…

“I’ve long heard rumors that the most talented of the young horses actually neighs for the same side… to think it was true.” The Overlord Cerberus clicked his tongue at that point then continued, “I guess anything is possible in this wide world.”

‘That’s right, anything is possible in this wide world, so why are you looking at me when you say that? I’m a normal person, thank you very much. I have no interest in horses!’

“Even though this goes against our ancestral rules, if Mo Ning likes it that way, it can’t be helped.” The shadowy Nightmare Steed tossed her a fatherly look at that point then swept his eyes over to me. He then quietly whispered in the ears of the corporeal Nightmare Steed. “They look quite fitting together.”

‘Fitting, my foot! How do I look fitting with a horse?! Don’t think I can’t hear you just because you’re whispering!’

The corporeal Nightmare Steed unmistakably harrumphed at that point. While he didn’t express his stance on this subject, it was most likely approval for our relationship… hold on, what relationship?

“If both parties are females, they should get on well with each other.”

The shadowy Nightmare Steed seemed to be comforting that corporeal Nightmare Steed, but he still seemed displeased. “All that talk about neighing for the same side… I still think it goes against our ancestors’ wishes…”

‘So when you say it goes against your ancestral rules, it’s not about females not being able to become a mount for another, it’s that you see me in that light?!’

The shadowy Nightmare Steed continued comforting him, “our children have their own lives, just let nature take its course.”

The corporeal Nightmare Steed said no more, neither objecting or approving, clearly his anger was stuck fast in his chest right now.

Now that my battle with Mo Ning was over, it also meant that this entire war was at its end as well, although its end was a lot more different that I had originally envisioned.

I had gained a Nightmare Steed Horn so I had no reason to stay behind either. This outcome wasn’t exactly perfect, but it was passable.

‘Still… wherever I go, Mo Ning goes as well… should I let her have a taste of her own medicine then.’

It was at that moment that Mo Na, with Cinderel hugged snugly in her arms, came flying out of the Devil King Idol and flew right into my arms. With one arm still wrapped around Cinderel, she hugged my neck and wrapped her legs around my waist.

“Mama’s the best!” Her eyes practically screamed with adulation as she pecked at my cheeks , covering them entirely in her saliva.

“Woof woof woof!~~” Cinderel took the opportunity to climb onto my shoulders and lick me as well. From the looks of things, these two were clearly excited at this new turn of events.

Yet just as I was basking in the love of these two little scamps, an extremely displeasing voice cut in from behind me.

“Devil, I will never approve of your inappropriate relationship with Mo Ning!”

Without even turning around, I could already tell that it was Warwraith who said that. The same Six-star elder who had suffered multiple times at my hands. The fact that he would come over to cause trouble was well within my expectations.

After placing the two little scamps back on the ground, I unhappily narrowed my eyes at Warwraith, then spat back, “why don’t you tell me what kind of relationship you hope the both of us will have then?”

“None at all!” Seeing me so defiant merely angered him further. At this point, his nostrils were practically flaring up with the heavy breathes of anger he was taking. “Don’t think that just because you’ve signed that pact you can do as you please. Let me tell you straight up, I won’t allow you to touch my daughter, and don’t even think about trying to ride her, or else…”

“Godfather.” Before he could finish threatening me, Mo Ning abruptly stopped him. “This is my decision.”

“But she’s a female. There’s no future in being with her.”

‘Hold up. Exactly which of those two eyes of yours told you that I was a female?! You’d better watch that horse tongue of yours, otherwise I’ll sue you for libel.’

“It’s alright. I can accept it.” She firmly stated, clearly of the mind that gender wasn’t going to be an issue for her.

“I can’t accept it!” His voice nearly tore up at that point. Having voiced his disapproval, he then turned his barbed tongue to me. “You’d better not have any inappropriate thoughts about my daughter, otherwise I’ll never let you off the hook.”

‘Hmph, you dare to threaten me? Just you wait, I’m going to sleep with your daughter tonight… No, no no… I was wrong, sorry. My tastes aren’t that eclectic yet. I like girls, maybe even Devil girls… but Mo Ning is one hundred percent a horse…I just can’t…’

‘And that’s why I completely agree with you, old horse. If you wish to object to this engagement on the basis of being her godfather, then I’ll oblige in letting you take the blame for it.’

“Since you’re so against this arrangement, I guess it can’t be helped then. I’m willing to…”

“Dearest!” Just as I was about to agree with Warwraith’s objection, Mo Ning unexpectedly barged in with what had to be the most sinister sounding dearest I had ever heard that bored right into my soul.

‘I swear she’s trying to scare me to death with those words of hers. What do you mean dearest…I swear even my goosebumps have goosebumps at this point.’

“I say…I don’t think our relationship has progressed to such a stage yet…so how about we skip on the names for now?”

“Since we are engaged, we are clearly now of one mind and one body.” Mo Ning smiled at me then -don’t ask me how I could tell that a horse was smiling at me, but I just could. In fact, her smile was so sweet I swore she was trying to kill me right now. “Is my dearest trying to renege on his words?”

‘Sister… is it alright if I call you sister… exactly what do you see in me? I’ll change, I swear.’

The pressure from her was just too great for me to bear at this point. I had no choice then but to turn my puppy dog eyes towards Warwraith, in hopes that he would help share this burden with me. Yet my pleading didn’t move him in the slightest. Instead, his animosity seemed to have even grown further.

“You blasted thing! Not only did you steal my daughter, you’re even making fun of me now!”

‘Exactly how was I making fun of you? I was trying to ask for your help, so how about lending a hand for once… you useless horse of an ally…’

“Godfather, please don’t use such harsh words on my dearest.” Mo Ning shielded me right away from his gaze. “Dearest had no intention whatsoever of mocking you.”

“You two haven’t even gotten married yet!” He was practically hopping with fury right now, but there was nothing he could do against Mo Ning, except to pretend that this whole mess never existed in the first place. However, he still made sure to throw out one last statement of defiance.

“Either way, I object to the two of you being together!”

‘And that’s why you don’t mess with a delusional father who has a daughter complex. Exactly how do you think this relationship is even possible?! Please. Just wake up and smell the Purgatory sulphur! I was clearly trying to ask for your help and you actually thought I was mocking you… how bad are your eyes even?!’

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Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.

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Author: The Sole Survivor	Original Source: SFACG
Translator: CatatoPatch	English Source: Re:Library

The end of our battle was inevitable, yet also sudden. Still, it did come to an end.

Mo Ning stopped releasing those fiery bursts and began falling to the ground. As she plummeted, those Vengeful Flamesouls and my Shadow Demon Guardian continued following downwards, maintaining that tight encirclement even as she landed.

Even though she had never experienced the power of my Nether Flames before, her instincts told her that this wasn’t something she could handle. That meant she had no way of breaking through the encirclement, especially not with that pesky Shadow Demon Guardian keeping a close watch on her.

Yet she did not surrender right away. She merely stood there silently, as if she was pondering whether or not to embark on that last hurrah. As for me, I had no intention of recalling my Vengeful Flamesouls until I had confirmation that she had lost. Either way, this victory was mine, so even if she chose to persist, I could just slam those Vengeful Flamesouls right into her. In the worst case scenario, I could just recall my Vengeful Flamesouls right before she died. As for whether or not that would permanently cripple her… well… since one was one the battlefield, they should have the required self-awareness as well!

This moment of hesitation only lasted two seconds before Mo Ning showed a change. Her gaze had hardened -seems like she wanted to fight it out then. Yet just as she was about to make her move, the voice of that shadowy Nightmare Steed boomed from above. “That’s enough. This battle is over.”

“She actually won… now that’s an interesting turn of events.” Crouched safely away from our battlefield, the Overlord cat licked his paws before tossing the Hellhounds’ clan head a nonchalant look. “That little fellow actually has three Original Sins.”

“I told you so. Even if I’m old, I’m not senile enough to make a mistake like that.” Having said that, the Hellhounds’ clan head suddenly asked, “So what’s your plan?”

The Overlord cat shrugged his shoulders. “Even our clan’s Cat King was helped up to the throne by her, what else can I do?”

The Hellhounds’ clan head knowingly nodded at that. “Speaking of which, it seems like a couple of our younger generation Hellhounds are on good terms with her as well.”

“Then let’s just leave it at that for now.”

“True.”

Because the shadowy Nightmare Steed willingly admitted defeat for their clan, Mo Ning had no reason to risk that encirclement any longer. Instead, she coldly lowered her head and muttered, “I’ve lost.”

With the outcome decided, I finally recalled my Vengeful Flamesouls and my Shadow Demon Guardian. At the same time, the shadowy Nightmare Steed descended from the skies and landed between the both of us.

“A loss is a loss, since you’ve won this fight, then we will grant you the right to recruit any of our clan’s brave warriors to fight for you. The Nightmare Steed Horn will be sent to you shortly as well.” The shadowy Nightmare Steed eyed the other Overlord Purgatory Warhorse at that point. That horse then left the scene; probably to go fetch the horn. “Other than the Nightmare Steed’s horn, do you have any other request?”

“With regards to recruiting your clan’s warriors… I have no need of that right now, but I will in the future. Should your clan ever encounter any new Devils in the future, I hope that you would do your best to capture them alive, then send them over to me.”

To be perfectly honest, while I was only given the right to recruit their warriors right now, I could consider this as having conquered their clan. After all, allowing me to recruit their warriors was a form of recognition. For the time being however, I had no need for a massive army yet. I had no enemies in Sable Radiance, so the most pressing issue now was to repair the Exchange Array, and subdue more Devils.

“So you want them as captives.”

“That’s right. Best don’t harm them as well, they are going to be my important soldiers in the future.”

“Alright, we’ll settle on this deal then.” Even though this was an oral agreement, I wasn’t too worried. These horses seemed like a principled lot who wouldn’t go back on their words easily. Besides, capturing some lone Devil and sending him my way wasn’t all that difficult for them.

Just as we finished ironing out that deal, the Overlord Warhorse came back with a foot long black horn in his mouth.

I reached out and gingerly took it from him, cradling it in my arms like it was some precious jewel.

‘So this is the horn of a Nightmare Steed, doesn’t seem all that special to me though. Still, at least it means I finally have one of the items required for repairing the array… Geez… it felt like a really long journey just to get this blasted thing. I swear I’ve aged a few years in the process.’

“Because each and every Nightmare Steed Horn is able to aid a Purgatory Warhorse in his evolution towards a Nightmare Steed, they are all regarded as treasures in our clan…”

‘Is he trying to tell me indirectly that he just did me a big favor? Please, I earned it fair and square, and you’re not getting it back either.’

For the time being, that was all the business I had with the Purgatory Warhorses. It was time to resume my journey to find the rest of the ingredients. However, I still needed a representative from their clan to accompany me. And I would much rather Mo Ning.

With that in mind, I openly broached this subject with the shadowy Nightmare Steed. “I still have other matters to attend to right now so I’ll be leaving. Before that, I hope your clan is able to spare a representative to accompany me. I just so happen to lack a mount as well.”

“Alright, I’ll let you have your pick of some of our finests young horses.”

Having said that, the shadowy Nightmare Steed was just about to go off and call the other Warhorses when I suddenly stopped him. I pointed at Mo Ning and said, “It’s fine, I’ll just settle for Mo Ning.”

The shadowy Nightmare Steed was stunned for a second. “You choose Mo Ning?”

“Mhm, I think she’s an excellent choice.”

“I object!” Having stayed silent for a long while, the corporeal Nightmare Steed finally spoke up.

‘Oh? Now that’s quite a big reaction from you there. Don’t tell me you’re still bitter about losing the bet? Well, too bad. I’ve decided on Mo Ning, so I’m definitely getting her.’

I deliberately put on a scornful expression then replied, “Didn’t you horses just say that I have the right to freely recruit within your clan? I haven’t even left yet and you’re about to go back on your word already?’

“Your request violates our ancestral rules.’ The corporeal Nightmare Steed vehemently countered.

Seeing as that corporeal Nightmare Steed was dead set on objecting, I turned my gaze towards the shadowy Nightmare Steed. Faced with my silent question, he shook his head. “It is inappropriate as he says.”

“It violates your ancestral rules?”

“That’s right.”

‘Ancestral rules? But all I’m trying to do is make her my steed. How is that a violation of your ancestral rules? Didn’t he just say that he would call over their finest horses to let me choose?! I swear you horses change your mind faster than you change your saddles! How about having some principles for once?! How cheap are your principles anyway? Are they sold by the kilos? Are they cheaper than that blasted cat’s?!’

Just as I thought that we had entered a stalemate, Mo Ning suddenly stepped in, “I agree to being your mount, let’s sign the pact.”

As she said that, the expression she had on looked rather strange -actually, I can’t differentiate their expressions so what am I even saying? Even so, I could vaguely sense that she was a little sheepish as she said that. She even avoided direct eye contact with me… What’s going on here exactly? Do you feel insulted by my request or something?

“Mo Ning… are you sure you wish to sign a pact?” The corporeal Nightmare Steed shot her an incredulous look. “This Devil… you’re sure you choose her?”

“Positive.” Her answer was firm, as if she had just made a life-altering decision right then.

‘Hey. What’s with that look of righteous resolve on your face? Is becoming my mount really such a terrifying thing? Who are you acting all self-righteous for exactly? I’m still the appointed successor of this region, don’t cha know? Have you ever heard of any of those demons who became a mount for other immortals ever being beaten to death by Sun Wuk@ng in the J@urney to the West? Just go read about the other demons in that book, tell me how many of them had a good ending?’

‘You know what? I know you’ve never read that book… but I still hope that you will understand one thing: being my mount is an honor. Understood?’

The shadowy Nightmare Steed and the incorporeal Nightmare Steed exchanged a look with each other. Who knew what went on between the two of them then, but the next time I got a reply, it was the shadowy Nightmare Steed who spoke up. “Since Mo Ning is willing, then we have no reason to object then… I’ll host the ceremony then.”

After what was basically your typical villain trying to steal someone’s bride scene, Mo Ning and I signed a non-binding pact under the auspices of that shadowy Nightmare Steed. And it really was a non-binding pact -except for the part that Mo Ning would now spend her life with me, till death do us part.

“Hahaha…”

The moment that pact was signed, the Overlord cat immediately began smacking his paws against the ground uncontrollably as he proceeded to fall over forwards in laughter. In fact, he tumbled on the ground a little, not at all caring that he’s supposed to be an Overlord.

Not only was that Overlord cat acting strange, even that normally stoic Overlord Cerberus seemed to be on the verge of laughter as he eyed me strangely, as if I had just done something incredulous.

‘Wasn’t that just a non-binding pact? It didn’t even state what I had to fulfill on my end; it was completely all on Mo Ning. For example, if I were to die, Mo Ning would be seriously injured and even die… so that was clearly me getting a better deal here. Why the heck are you two laughing your furry butts off here?! What’s going on here?!’

“Even though Mo Ning said that she was willing, since the both of you signed this pact, I hope you will treat Mo Ning well in the future as well, got it?”

Now that the signing was done, the glare that corporeal Nightmare Steed gave me wasn’t just his usual disdain, it had a hint of approval as well. How should I describe it? It was like if a dog was looking at you, but it saw you as its own kind.

Strange though this whole chain of events was, I still solemnly answered, “Since Mo Ning is now my mount, I’ll definitely treat her well.”

Strange. Truly, strange. Not only was that corporeal Nightmare Steed giving me a strange look, everyone else was as well, like I had just done something unbelievable…

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Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.

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Author: The Sole Survivor	Original Source: SFACG
Translator: CatatoPatch	English Source: Re:Library

Psychic spells have the ability to control a creature’s mind, and was once considered a forbidden branch of magic, because the magical world of that time thought that such spells toyed with a person’s soul. For example, there was once a caster who casted a permanent Bewitching Eye on himself that made almost anyone of the opposite gender fall in love with him… Even though such spells tend to not last very long and could even be resisted by individuals with a strong will, how many in this world could actually be considered strong-willed?

As for how many people ended up being cuckolded by that cur… well, I won’t comment on that, but suffice to say that I’m not one of them!

That is why I absolutely detest psychic spells. In fact, I like nothing more than for that guy to come back to life again so that I can burn him to death once more! Also, let me state for the record that he never laid eyes on my wife!

— <>

Note: This book has not been officially published yet, because the mage burned to death by the author was the son of the shadow owner of the publisher…

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‘I’ll admit, I’m weak. Extremely weak. So spare me these hotblooded encounters. All that nonsense about challenging those stronger than you is a load of horsepoop! Anyone who does that is a moron, and I’m definitely not a moron!’

Mo Ning continued chasing after me in her fiery cloud form. No matter how many lashes I threw at her, or how many spells I tossed her way, that fact never changed. In that case, it was time for more underhanded tactics. Previously, I wanted to see how well my guerilla tactics would work out, so I had the Shadow Demon Guardian stay out while she chased me. The situation was different now. Barring the use of my Nether Flames, I had nothing left to throw at her. With that in mind, I summoned my Shadow Demon Guardian into this fight, no longer wishing to drag this fight any further.

With a pair of shadowy wings on its back and its body made entirely out of the shadow element, it didn’t take long for it to reach the back of Mo Ning.

Just as it flew up to Mo Ning, it stretched out into a snake-like form and wrapped itself around Mo Ning. She immediately tried to break free of the shadowy binding by igniting her body with flames. Unfortunately, these flames didn’t seem to affect the Shadow Demon Guardian much. After all, the Shadow Demon Guardian itself was a medium for my Nether Flames, and those flames were a lot higher level than her ordinary flames.

Still, the flames she conjured had her mana infused into them so some degree of damage was still inflicted.

Now that she was entangled by my Shadow Demon Guardian, she couldn’t use her fiery clouds to propel herself. With no way to maintain her altitude, she began to fall from the sky. At the rate she was falling, it would probably take a few seconds before she came crashing to the ground, either dead or severely injured.

“ROARRR!”

Just as it looked like she was about to be defeated however, I ended up being disappointed. A frenzied roar later, a flurry of invisible blades shot out from her body and began slicing up the Shadow Demon Guardian… so even her mane was a possible point from which she could launch that attack?

A decidedly swiss cheese-like Shadow Demon Guardian had no choice but to let her go now that it could barely even maintain a solid shape, floating to the ground soon after like a leaf in the wind.

With her freedom regained, she immediately launched herself off in a fiery burst! However…

‘This distance should be enough.’

I roughly calculated the distance between me and Mo Ning: twenty or so meters. The Shadow Demon Guardian’s failure was already factored in my plan so my intention was never to defeat her like that. As long as the Shadow Demon Guardian did its best to delay her, everything else was just icing on the cake. With this amount of distance between us, that plan was a resounding success.

Rising Feathers!

A second later, countless streams of purple light shot towards the airborne Mo Ning. With no time to even process this sudden change, she ended up being hit by the lights!

In truth, the mana feathers I shot out just now was from a spell called Falling Feathers. It was a spell inspired by the Mana Feathers I shot out while inside the Devil King Idol; this was my first time using it in actual combat. Its effect was to launch countless Mana Feathers from my wings at my enemies. Should they miss their target, they would fall to the ground and lie in wait. Because I had the ability to impart consciousness on my spells, these feathers were able to respond to my command even after laying on the ground for a while. At that moment, these harmless looking feathers would suddenly spring to life and fire at my opponents once more.

These two skills were a combination together. When timed well, they could definitely catch a person off guard.

As the feathers threatened to pierce her flesh, they were suddenly obstructed by a red barrier that wrapped around her entirely, deflecting all of them in the process…

‘Blast it… they didn’t break through…’

‘I guess ordinary attacks won’t work on her… she is a Five-star, and the most talented one amongst their younger generation too. In fact, she looks like she might even be able to challenge one of their Six-star elders…’

“ROARR!!”

Not one to be on the defensive, Mo Ning let forth a furious roar upon successfully deflecting all the feathers. The barrier around her promptly shattered in a brilliant display of red. Following that, the shards of red light suddenly rushed towards me like a barrage of rockets!

‘What the?!’

I waved my hands and called forth a wall of Nether Flames mid-air to swallow the incoming shards of flame. Yet even after taking care of this sudden attack, I didn’t let my Nether Flames dissipate immediately. Instead, I waved my hands once more and summoned a Vengeful Flamesoul to toss at Mo Ning.

The Vengeful Flamesoul was a modified version of the Undead spell, Vengeful Soul. The traditional Vengeful Soul was more of a support spell with an extremely low attack power. Having been modified however, my Vengeful Flamesoul’s damage could only be described as terrifying. If someone with a low flame resistance were to even touch it, they would immediately be reduced to cinders!

(Author’s Explanation: Mo Na’s own version of Vengeful Soul had been modified as well, causing it to have an extremely high attack power. Even so, it was still a purely Undead spell. Mo Ke’s spell, on the other hand, contained both his Nether Flames and his Consciousness Impartment, resulting in an entirely new version of the Vengeful Soul that was unique to him.)

I continued summoning forth more Vengeful Flamesouls and tossed them at Mo Ning. On Mo Ning’s part, she probably knew that these Nether Flames weren’t something she could endure, so she never gave them the chance at all to get close to her. Using the fastest speed she could muster, she dodged the Vengeful Flamesouls. Unfortunately for her, these Vengeful Flamesouls had a second part to them: they could pursue their targets. Furthermore, as the number of Vengeful Flamesouls kept increasing, it was only a matter of time before she was mine.

Nether Flames were a terrifying form of fire. Even I wasn’t sure what would happen to Mo Ning if she were to get hit by them. However, I couldn’t afford to lose this fight. If I had to choose between losing and killing Mo Ning, I would definitely not choose to lose. Naturally, if there was a way to win without killing her, that would be for the best.

Yet just as I was worried about her getting burned to death by my Nether Flames, she actually charged towards me. She came galloping towards me in a burst of flames, behind her trailed an entire contingent of fiery red skulls…

‘Hold on, something’s wrong with this scene here…what are you doing coming this way?!’

That sight truly scared me for a second. I hurriedly summoned another wall of Nether Flames to block her charge, but she wasn’t one to give up so easily. Even when faced with a wall of flames suddenly appearing before her, she forcefully changed directions and managed to leap over the wall in the nick of time…

‘There’s no avoiding this anymore… she plans on finishing me off with this attack. If I were to run away now, she would definitely catch up to me and give me a lethal bump on the back… no, this won’t do at all. I mustn’t face her head-on, but I can’t run away either. Looks like there’s only that spell left…’

Her blood red eyes were truly a terrifying sight to behold. As she charged unwaveringly towards me, her eyes never once drifted away from me. As long as I made a move, she would immediately react to it.

Yet at the same time, her close watch of me was a chance. Up till now, I had always neglected my own combat prowess, because I had a bunch of subordinates to take care of that for me. Thanks to that, my own combat sense was lacking. Yet no matter how lacking it was, I wasn’t about to forget about my own strengths.

I was a Devil with three Original Sins. Most of the time, I used my fire and darkness talents given to me by my Lust Demon side. After becoming a Fallen Angel, these two elements were strengthened further. However, that wasn’t all I had… Strictly speaking, Lust was something Ferti’nier tacked onto me, just like how Pride was something I gained from Lucifer’s clone. My first Original Sin was actually Envy.

And illusions were the bread and butter for those blessed by Envy!

Now… how about having a look at my eyes…

I focused all of my psychic energy and mana into my eyes. In just a single moment, Mo Ning fell into my trap, all thanks to that dogged eye contact she maintained with me.

Mo Ning was a whole star higher than me. Her own psychic strength was high as well, meaning that whatever illusions I cast on her mind would most likely fail. And that was why I created an optical illusion instead. Keeping eye contact with her, I began to shift my position. Yet in her eyes, my simple movement created a trail of shadowy silhouettes in my wake. Because these silhouettes were both an illusion and also an actual optical phenomenon, she wasn’t able to see through this deception right away.

This clever bit of trickery paid off immensely. Because she wasn’t able to discern which was actually me, she hesitated for a moment.

As one of the most talented Warhorses in the younger generation, she was also the most likely to evolve into a Nightmare Steed. That meant that her psychic strength wasn’t going to be lower than an Illusion Demon’s. In other words, it was only a matter of time before she eventually broke out of this illusion. That was why I threw out even more Vengeful Flamesouls than before.

By the time she was able to successfully break free from my optical illusion, she found herself surrounded by reddish black skills…

‘Let’s see you try and charge now. As long as you do that, you will definitely ram into one of them, but if you don’t, that means you lose.’

This stalemate didn’t last long however as my Shadow Demon Guardian took this opportunity to insert itself between us. More importantly, it was covered in Nether Flames!

Seeing that, Mo Ning knew that this fight was over. She lowered her prideful head and finally admitted defeat.

The fight was… over.

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Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.

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Author: The Sole Survivor	Original Source: SFACG
Translator: CatatoPatch	English Source: Re:Library

If it was just a competition of flight, I was definitely stronger than Mo Ning. While we were preparing for this war, I made sure to practise whenever I could squeeze out time. Even though that resulted in me being laughed at by Mo Na multiple times, my flying ability had improved leaps and bounds. Even difficult aerial maneuvers were now easy for me. That was why I could easily lead her around in a goose chase. If I wanted to dive, she had no choice but to dive. If I wanted to ascend, she had no choice but to do so in a burst of flames.

If my hunch was correct, each time she launched herself off those fiery bursts, she had to use up her mana; it wouldn’t make sense otherwise. In contrast, my ability to fly did use up some physical strength as well as mana, but those were miniscule compared to hers.

In other words, I could just drag this fight out into a battle of endurance. While that might not be the most glorious of victories, it was still a win.

As Mo Ning continued launching herself off those fiery bursts, she had to dodge an array of lashes from my Darkness Whip and my Mana Feathers. She tried multiple times to speed up, but I always maintained a decisive edge over her. Furthermore, my ranged attacks were more varied than hers -she only had those flame breaths to spit at me.

Because I was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to survive some of my deadlier spells, I hadn’t used any Nether Flames yet. My new and improved Vengeful Soul which I learnt from Mo Na was out of the picture as well.

Still, even without this auto-pursuit skill that was Vengeful Soul, I had other tricks up my sleeves, like my Bone Spears.

Ever since we stepped into Purgatory, I hadn’t used any of my Undead spells, because my talents in that field weren’t up to par. Well, it was worse than Mo Na’s anyway. Of course, there were other reasons as well… like the fact that whenever I cast those spells, the effects were less than desirable…

However, in this situation where I wasn’t trying to injure my opponent, they were perfect for hindering Mo Ning.

That was why when I lashed at her and fired off my Mana Feathers, I threw out my Bone Spears as well. My Bone Spears were considered both physical and magical spells at the same time, and her red shield seemed to only be effective against magical damage seeing as she made sure to dodge all of my spears.

With my vast pool of mana, I could easily throw out a hail of such low level spells. Faced with such a massive force, even Mo Ning didn’t dare face them head-on. Thanks to that, our distance was maintained at a comfortable twenty meters apart.

Twenty meters was a distance that was neither too far apart, nor was it too close. In order for Mo Ning to cover this distance, she definitely needed more than one second.

This game of tag continued for several minutes before Mo Ning finally realised that she would exhaust herself to death before it ended. That was when she gave up entirely on dodging my Bone Spears, instead charging right at me. I furiously tossed more Bone Spears at her, yet her next action shocked me.

Just as a single Bone Spear was about to hit her, she suddenly boosted herself upwards in a fiery burst. She then used that Bone Spear as a launching pad to dodge even more Bone Spears. I would have never expected a horse to be capable of such… deft maneuvers had I not seen this firsthand. From where I was flying, I could only watch as she steadily closed the gap using the Bone Spears which were supposed to hinder her.

‘What the heck was that? Movement Skills, like those martial arts movies? Horse Taking Off Like Swallows? No… more like Horse Steps On Spears…’

I was furiously backpedalling with my wings while maintaining a close eye on Mo Ning. Thanks to that, I could watch in excruciating detail as her silhouette got ever bigger by the second. I knew she wasn’t happy about the fight so far, so a furious counterattack was about to happen next. Her mouth opened up slightly and turned in my direction. In all likelihood, she was gathering up mana for an attack.

‘Flames? Well, even if she spits out more flames, it doesn’t matter. I’m more agile than her and I have plenty of space to dodge in the air.’

‘But in that case, did she just go through all that trouble just to launch another plain old flame breath?’

A second later, I realised that I had underestimated her once more.

Her throat began to tremble, and just as I thought another stream of flame was about to burst forth, she instead let forth a terrible screech. That sound was like countless fingernails scratching against a blackboard. Like a vengeful ghost repeatedly haunting one’s head. Basically, it was a really, really uncomfortable sound.

‘Just what is she planning? Screech and then what? Why is nothing happening? No flames. Nothing. Perhaps a mistake…’

That thought barely lasted a second before I felt my body being sliced apart by what felt like miniature knives. These weren’t ordinary knives, however. They were formless knives that were both thin and sharp. My face ended up with countless cut marks and my hair wasn’t spared either as strands after strands of purple hair fell from the air. At the same time, my wings had suffered serious injuries and nearly stopped flapping. My whole body froze up for a second, then plummeted.

However, that only lasted a second before I performed a body flip and regained control. By the time I finished this maneuver, Mo Ning had just galloped past me, grazing my shoulders in the process… and it wasn’t just a light graze either…

There was no time to celebrate, however. Managing to dodge that charge was pure luck; there was no telling I would be so lucky next time. Thankfully, she wasn’t very agile in the air. Thanks to my good luck, her charge ended up missing its target and she couldn’t change direction in time. In order for her to turn around, she needed time as well. Time that I could use to regain my posture.

Once I managed to recover, I immediately distanced myself from her again.

Even though I had suffered some cuts just now, my wounds weren’t wide enough for the blood even to spurt out. The moment the cut was formed, it was already beginning to heal automatically. Not even a single drop of blood managed to fall to the ground in that short exchange.

Self-regeneration was a trait of Devils, and this trait was taken to its utmost limits in my body.

It was only until I managed to widen our gap to a comfortable distance that I finally had time to consider what had just happened. As I continued flying away, the scene of her opening her mouth to attack continually played out in my mind. She first opened her mouth then gathered some energy within it for some time before launching those knives. That attack had not only sliced my face apart, it had also wounded my neck, thighs, chest and waist. The self-made armor I had on was starting to look a lot less protective as well.

‘So what the heck was that? It was most likely an attack that made use of sound waves… Hold on, I remember now! Sinmosa once told me about a certain ability the Purgatory Warhorses had that was called Resonant Edge… Resonant Edge… I get it now. That was the Resonant Edge!

‘I was too careless just now in thinking that she only had that one ranged attack, and that I could win just by maintaining the distance between us. So that was just me making an @ss of myself… Well. Since I can’t win just by staying away from her, then I will just… keep staying away from her…

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Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.

Leave a comment

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Author: The Sole Survivor	Original Source: SFACG
Translator: CatatoPatch	English Source: Re:Library

“Mo Ning.”

The moment I agreed to the deathmatch and the other two Overlords agreed to be witnesses, the shadowy Nightmare Steed called out that name.

A moment later, a shapely Purgatory Warhorse trotted out from the pack. Each step she took was neither too wide nor too narrow -just an average step you would expect from a horse. Yet for some strange reason, they seemed elegant like a catwalk.

This particular Warhorse had an alluring figure, one more beautiful than any other Warhorse I had seen so far. One that was slender yet bursting with strength. While I wasn’t too sure why the word alluring popped into my head when describing her, it just felt fitting.

Most Purgatory Warhorses had black fur with some odd streaks of red here and there. Yet this Mo Ning was fully red. With each step she took, it seemed like a blazing ball of fire was approaching me.

“Greetings, clan heads. As well as the two Overlords from outside the clan.” As she said that, she bowed towards the three Overlords from her clan then greeted the Overlord Purgatory Shadowcat and the Overlord Cerberus.

From start to end, she never once turned to look at me… was I unnecessary here? Still, that voice was definitely a female’s.

“Mo Ning, we just came to an agreement. This will be your opponent.” The shadowy Nightmare Steed turned towards me then. “Devil, she will be your opponent. Mo Ning.”

“She’s a Five-star?” Normally, one could gauge a Purgatory creature’s strength by their body size. This Mo Ning was definitely larger than an average Purgatory Warhorse, but only by a little. Her strength shouldn’t be too high. Perhaps a Four-star instead?

“I know your real strength is only at the level of a Four-star, so we won’t bully you either. Mo Ning here is a Five-star.” Having said that, the corporeal Nightmare Steed’s mouth cracked open to reveal a toothy grin as if he was mocking me. “If you can defeat her, we’ll give you the right to freely recruit within our clan.”

‘What do you mean you won’t bully me…you already know I’m a Four-star yet you still got a Five-star to come fight me. You horses are just as shameless as that blasted cat!’

Even so, I wasn’t all too worried. I still had the Devil King Idol, after all. I just had to step on her.

“Fine. Let’s begin then.”

With that declaration, the curtain on this battle was raised. I turned around to try and enter my Devil King Idol. Yet just as I was about to do so, a black silhouette flashed before my eyes. There stood an upright, oversized cat Overlord blocking my way. Initially, I thought it would be the corporeal Nightmare Steed who would try and hinder me. I even prepared a whole speech about how a good horse doesn’t get in the way. Thankfully, I stopped myself right in the nick of time.

My lips twitched. I couldn’t help but wonder if that cat would suddenly slap me if I were to say what was on my mind right now. Finally, I resigned myself to saying it anyway, “You’re in the way…”

The Overlord cat didn’t answer me directly. Instead, he asked an unexpected question, “And where do you plan on going exactly?”

“To the Devil King Idol, of course.” I pointed at the twenty meter tall golem nearby. “I still have a fight to win, after all. Since they are bringing out a Five-star, I have to bring out my trump cards as well.”

At that point, the Overlord cat sighed and gave me that knowing smile as if he knew this would happen. “You can’t.”

Seeing that, my heart froze. “What do you mean I can’t?”

“Because that golem you call Devil King Idol is a machine of war.” The Hellhounds’ clan head patiently explained. “Deathmatches are sacred fights. You are only permitted to use whatever weapons or armors you possess, but not tools like machines of war. Also, you can’t use consumables.”

“So you mean I can’t use anything other than normal weaponry and armor?”

“That’s right.” The Hellhounds’ clan head and the Overlord cat both agreed at the same time.

‘Fishcakes…you two traitors! Aren’t we supposed to be on the same side? Those Warhorses over there didn’t even make a sound when I walked towards the Devil King Idol, and you two actually… I swear!’

Now, we had a problem. Without the Devil King Idol, could I even beat a Five-star Purgatory Warhorse? I was confident I could put up a fight, but I wasn’t all that confident about winning. Strictly speaking, ever since I evolved into a Fallen Angel, I had only personally taken part in one battle -that fight with the Demonic Fire Sprite and that giant fish.

However, because of that fight, I was able to discover several interesting battle tactics.

Up till now, I had always wanted to fight a suitable opponent that wasn’t too weak or too strong. Unfortunately, all the opponents I faced up till now fell into one of those two categories. Thanks to that, I either had no interest or dared not hold any interest in fighting them. This deathmatch could be said to be a test for my new self.

Speaking of which, to think I was actually hindered by the experts I brought over myself… such an embarrassment.

As they said, a deathmatch was sacred. The moment both sides were confirmed, all the spectators would automatically back away and give them space to fight. The five Overlords were the same as well, backing all the way back three hundred meters in a circle. Mo Ning then stamped on the ground a couple of times then puffed out a cloud of black smoke. Even though she was clearly a creature of fire, the look she gave me now was ice cold.

Then, like a pair of conjoined twins, the corporeal and incorporeal Nightmare Steeds rose into the air in a spiral and gazed down upon our makeshift battle arena. “Let the battle of life and death commence!”

‘Life and death? Shouldn’t it be till one side loses? Hey, did you use the wrong words here?! What’s the point of making us fight to the death in the first place?!’

Unlike me who was clearly overwhelmed by his first deathmatch, Mo Ning had already taken up a battle stance. The moment that declaration was made, she galloped towards me at full speed!

Her charge was like a bolt of lightning. Before I could even react to her attacking, I already felt the wind being knocked out of my chest as I was sent flying away against my will.

My first thought was pain. A strong urge to spit out blood overwhelmed me, but that soon passed. However, the sight of me sprawled on the ground was still rather embarrassing.

‘Hmmm. My body seemed to seize up the moment I received serious damage. Luckily, my regeneration powers are a lot stronger now since I became a Fallen Angel.’ It didn’t take long at all before I was up on my feet and flying in the air with a beat of my purple wings.

Shadow Demon Guardian!

The moment I escaped from the ground’s embrace, I activated my Shadow Demon Guardian. My shadow instantly transformed into a shadowy demon that flew off towards Mo Ning. Its arms stretched out into a couple of razor sharp scythes that mercilessly closed in on her.

Purgatory Warhorses did not have the ability to fly. Neither did they have the ability to walk on air like the Nightmare Steeds so staying in the air was the safest bet. As long as I kept harassing her with my Shadow Demon Guardian’s uniquely relentless style of attacking, my odds of winning were big.

However, just as I thought I had a surefire, albeit shameless, way of winning, she mercilessly crushed my dreams with a simple step into the air. That’s right, she was in the air!

Mo Ning ignored the Shadow Demon’s attacks entirely with a leap upwards, and in a burst of flames and hooves, blasted herself up towards the heavens!

‘Coach, I want to report a cheater! That horse over there clearly isn’t respecting the rules!’

The sight of her taking to the air like that truly frightened me for a second. Thankfully, my heart was made of sterner stuff than that. I immediately recovered from the shock and furiously beat my wings to try and distance myself from her. As I did that, I fired a volley of mana feathers.

Faced with a blanket of magical feathers flying straight for her, who would have ever thought that Mo Ning would display an even greater display of agility than on land. As a landbound creature, she seemed to have no respect for the air at all as she continued galloping upwards as if she was on solid ground, all the while dodging the feathers she could and spitting fire at those she couldn’t.

Still, while her display was truly impressive, a small percentage of the mana feathers managed to hit her. However, at the same time as those feathers struck her, a red shield appeared to block them.

No wonder she was the strongest amongst the younger generation. And no wonder that Nightmare Steed dared to issue a deathmatch despite knowing that I had wings to fly. He already knew that I couldn’t do much against Mo Ning.

‘This won’t do at all, I need to retake the initiative. Since you like flying so much, how about I take that away from you then.’

I placed both my hands above my chest, left and right palms facing each other as I locked my fingers together except for my thumbs. Mana began gathering in both of them, and as I pulled them apart, a corporeal black string could be seen forming. By the time my hands were at their furthest apart, a centimeter thick whip formed of the darkness had appeared in my left hand. As it wrapped around my wrist, the rest of its black body hung downwards a full twenty meters or more.

The reason why it wasn’t covered in Nether Flames was because I didn’t want to kill her. In its current strengthened form, this darkness whip should be more than enough.

Swish!

The darkness whipped lashed out at Mo Ning but she swiftly dodged it in another burst of fiery hooves. Yet the darkness whip continued snaking after her relentlessly. Ever since I gained the ability to impart consciousness, my magical attacks had become more unpredictable. What I did just now was a simple lash, devoid of any method or technique. However, that whip didn’t require any input from me at all as it automatically raced after Mo Ning.

Like an animal in a circus, she was made to jump through the fiery hoop that was my lashing whip as she endlessly tried to shake it off. As that happened, I distanced myself from her, all the while peppering her with attacks in a bid to strike her back down onto the ground.

She was not to be deterred however as she furiously galloped after me, spitting out a flame breath or two from time to time in order to alter my flight. Unfortunately for her, I had wings now. I could easily dodge her attacks from any angle, unlike when I was still back on ground and had limited options.

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Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.

Leave a comment

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Author: The Sole Survivor	Original Source: SFACG
Translator: CatatoPatch	English Source: Re:Library

(I made a mistake from chapter 380 to 385. I misspelled Shade’s name as Warwraith. It’s actually Shade fighting all this while. Not Warwraith.)

“Who gave you that mission?” The shadowy Nightmare Steed pressed me anxiously.

“An esteemed personage…” I deliberately said so. Had I thrown out Lucifer’s name directly, they would have probably doubted my words. Also, my instincts told me that I shouldn’t. There was no real reason why I should feel this way, but I chose to trust them.

None of the Overlords present asked me who was this esteemed person. Instead, they were staring intently at me, scrutinising me for any hints of deception.

Naturally, I was telling the truth. It was just that the truth sounded laughably implausible, that’s all. At least that was how I saw this whole matter. In reality…

“So it was true then…” As the Hellhounds’ clan head left those words trailing, I could visibly feel the agitation in his voice. His body trembled slightly as he eyed me strangely. “And what else did his Excellency say to you?”

“Ah?”

‘He actually believed that? No way… are you sure you won’t at least question me? Are you very sure?’

‘I know for sure that I spoke the truth, but as an Overlord, someone who had even comprehended a part of the world’s laws, should you really believe such an outlandish claim at face value?!’

“What do you mean ah? Just spit it out already. Other than conquering Sable Radiance, what else was said?” The Overlord cat impatiently snapped while licking the fur on his paws. He then wiped them on his face as if he was washing it. “Like when can we leave this place?”

‘Leave? I guess he must be talking about when the seal on Sable Radiance will be lifted.’

This was the key point of this discussion. Not only was the Hellhounds’ clan head interested in my answer, the other three Warhorses were also eyeing me eagerly.

“His Excellency did not say when exactly, he just said that when the time was right, the seal would undo itself automatically.”

“So… it’s really because of your arrival then?” The shadowy Nightmare Steed suddenly asked this unrelated question.

However, I understood his meaning perfectly. Had it not been for me coincidentally ending up in Purgatory, Sable Radiance would have still been in a completely sealed up state, unlike right now where there was an endless stream of Devils appearing. And there definitely won’t be any talk of the barrier lifting.

“No matter how you look at it, the only plausible answer is me…”

So who was it that brought about all this change? That was a question that didn’t need answering. Every Overlord present already had an answer, and it was the same answer.

Following that, they still did not ask who this esteemed personage was, neither did they question the truth of my statements. A figure of that level was beyond their comprehension. If they were to really say out loud that such a powerful figure actually warned them not to interfere in my conquest… it would make him seem extremely petty.

That’s right. Petty. If I were to say that he specifically intervened to help me conquer the whole of Purgatory, that would have made more sense. But if it was just to conquer Sable Radiance, then it could be said that his goals were too small for someone of his stature. While Sable Radiance was sizable in its own right, coming in at roughly the same surface area as Earth, it was still just a small portion of Purgatory.

Just like how an emperor wouldn’t personally intervene in some random subject’s problems, an esteemed Devil like him wouldn’t interfere for something as insignificant as Sable Radiance. That’s right, the conquest of Sable Radiance was the equivalent of Peasant A’s everyday problems. Even if someone of his stature were to really care, he would have sent a subordinate instead.

“Other than that, what other mission were you given?” Asked the shadowy Nightmare Steed once more. Of all the Overlords present, it had to be said that this Nightmare Steed was the calmest and sharpest; every question he asked so far had been to the point. In contrast, the Hellhounds’ clan head was more like the old man of the lot. That Overlord cat clearly had a screw loose, while the corporeal Nightmare Steed was more on the rash side. As for that Purgatory Warhorse Overlord, he barely spoke at all.

Going back to his question of whether or not I had another mission, that was obviously a yes. I was also given the mission to bring about the apocalypse, but I didn’t want to divulge that.

“War is about to start.”

Fine. That was a little cutesy of me to do that. In truth, there really wasn’t much point in me hiding this mission from them. In order for me to gain all of their support, there were only two options. One: I beat them up all, but that clearly wasn’t possible. More than likely I would be the one who ended up bruised and crying.

That was why I chose option two: gain their recognition. As long as they recognised me, they would support me.

The moment they heard those five words, their bodies shook.

That Overlord cat was the first to react. His eyes lit up with a frenzied fire as he pressed me further, “With who?”

“The Human Realm… apocalypse…”

“MEEOOWWW! Finally! The seal is finally going to be broken! HAHAHAHA…” As he meowed into the skies, he started waving his paws about in an elated dance.

If the objective was to war with the Human Realm, it naturally meant that the seal on Sable Radiance had to be lifted before the upcoming apocalypse. Since I was here preparing for the apocalypse, it meant that the time for the breaking of the seal wasn’t far either.

This seal on Sable Radiance had severely restricted an Eight-star’s comprehension of the world’s laws. If one wasn’t able to comprehend the laws of the world, it meant that they couldn’t form a territory. However, this seal wasn’t airtight either; it was still possible to rise to Nine-stars. However, it had to be said that an Eight-star who managed to comprehend the laws of the world in such a state definitely had the potential to become a demigod. In other words, once the seal was undone, one of these five might just become a Ten-star!

That was why my answer was definitely a welcome surprise for all of them. Not only did that Overlord cat rejoice, the remaining four Overlords were all visibly happy as well. It was just that they weren’t as flippant as that cat in their expression. However, don’t think for a second that you had me fooled… I saw you four grinning away.

“That’s why I need all your help.”

Jokes aside, what had to be said still had to be said.

The three Warhorses exchanged a look with each other then nodded in unison. In the end, it was the shadowy Nightmare Steed who spoke up once more. “I understand your meaning, but you’re still too weak. We will never bow to someone like you.”

They were right. I was too weak right now. Had it not been for my Devil King Idol, I wouldn’t even have the ability to fight these Warhorses head-on.

Seeing as I was silent, the shadowy Nightmare Steed continued, “Even if that mysterious person is behind you, our clan still won’t bow to you. We only serve the strong.”

“I know that. But I’ve already explained my situation to you, and I do need that horn direly.” I breathed in deep at that point. Now was the time for some oral fireworks. If this part went well, the following matters would proceed smoothly. “I intend to repair a certain magical array. But the ingredients required are rather difficult to acquire. One of them is a horn from a Nightmare Steed.”

“In that case, we’ll give you the horn you need, seeing as it was his Excellency’s will that you came here. But you must leave immediately after receiving it.” The shadowy Nightmare Steed firmly stated his terms.

“That won’t do. I went through all that trouble to get here. Do you really think a single horn is enough to send me packing?”

“Then what do you want?” Before the shadowy Nightmare Steed could reply, the corporeal Nightmare Steed abruptly interrupted us, clearly irritated by my response.

“What do you think?”

The Corporeal Nightmare Steed’s gaze turned sharp at that point. “Are you not afraid of death?!”

‘A threat? Hmph, you think I will cave in so easily? Either way I still have Lucifer’s protection on my side. At the very worst, both of us die.’

With the guarantee that the Overlords were indeed restricted from acting, I was more than confident in standing my ground this time. “What do you mean by that? Are you trying to start a fight?”

“Watch it. Don’t push your luck or we can both find out who will die first!”

To be honest, I still wasn’t all that confident about going through with that bet entirely. Even though I knew that the probability was low, there was still that slim chance that this Nightmare Steed might just be mad enough to attack me. After all, there was no shortage of madness in this world, and one couldn’t be too careful.

“Fight. Fight. Fight. Now I really want to know what would happen if you hit her.”

At first, that corporeal Nightmare Steed and I were in a glaring match with each other. Yet after that Overlord cat opened his wretched mouth, whatever hostility lingered in the air instantly vanished. Sometimes, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was reverse psychology on his part or was he really hoping for us to fight.

“We will never serve you, not unless you have the strength to defeat us. However, we can allow you to recruit warriors from our clan.” Now that the hostility was gone, the shadowy Nightmare Steed used this opportunity to make his suggestion known. “If you can triumph over the most talented warrior amongst our younger generation, I will allow you to freely recruit from our clan. They will be yours to command at that point.”

“You want me to duel with your younger generation?”

“It’s a death match.” The shadowy Nightmare Steed corrected me immediately like a teacher scolding his pupil for his crass words.

‘If it’s just a fight, there’s no reason for me to back down. I still have my Devil King Idol so as long as it’s not against an Eight-star, I definitely won’t lose.’

“You mean those below Six-stars? If that’s the case, I accept.”

“She’s a Five-star. As long as you can defeat her, I will allow your recruitment.”

“A Five-star, huh? Alright, I accept.” I immediately accepted his terms.

“Are you sure you accept this fight?”

“Positive.”

“Good.” The shadowy Nightmare Steed swept his eyes across the rest of the Overlords, finally stopping at the Overlord cat. “If you all would so kindly be our witness.”

The Overlord cat licked his paws once more then threw me a quick look. “No problem. There’s nothing I like more than to watch someone else fight.”

The Hellhounds’ clan head nodded his approval as well. “I’m willing to be a witness for this fight.”

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Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.