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“You didn’t think I was just playing around, did you?”

There was no voice, no threatening tone, and no action.

That gentle smile on her resembled that of the girl next door, but it had a chilling effect on Lacey. Although his body was engulfed in flames, he felt as though he was standing on a frozen plain.

The coldness from the depths of his soul was far more terrifying than the scorching heat on his flesh.

“I… I’ll tell…” Lacey reluctantly conceded, his voice trembling.

“Oh my, you’re changing your mind now, despite all that tough act earlier?” Lilith narrowed her eyes and smiled faintly. Her finger glided over the fairy-shaped gem liquid floating in the air. The unimaginable high temperature swiftly consumed the flesh on Lilith’s fingertip with a sizzle, revealing her golden finger bone.

However, Lilith remained unfazed as she smiled and wiped the shimmering gem liquid onto Lacey’s body.

“I hope you won’t say that I’m intimidating you. I’ll have you know that I prefer to be a kind person. It’ll be hurtful if people perceive me as a devil or a pervert.”

With a loud burst, half of Lacey’s body was instantly consumed by white flames. The abrupt loss of sensation rendered him incapable of even perceiving pain.

After the loss of sensation, the true torment began.

Under Cornelia’s power, the body parts that were consumed by the flames would regenerate, only to be consumed again. This continuous cycle of destruction and regeneration inflicted excruciating pain, comparable to the sensation of being stabbed by countless knives in the heart.

When the body parts were being regenerated, they itched horribly.

The unbearable combination of excruciating pain and horrible itch made being constantly burned by regular flames seem like child’s play!

What made it even more terrifying was that Lacey was kept conscious by that mysterious power. He was unable to even faint from the excruciating pain!

“I say it! I’ll tell you everything! Please… stop at once.”

Lilith leaned closer to Lacey’s little head and remarked in concern, “Oh my, Mr. Lacey is being so fickle. I wonder if he is being threatened by someone.”

“N-No… No one is threatening me. I… I’m doing this willingly…” Lacey gritted his teeth.

This Little Devil! I can’t fathom what kind of upbringing or environment she must have had to become someone so vile!

“Hm? Why do I sense that Mr. Lacey is thinking of something rude?”

“N-No…”

Lacey used the last ounce of strength in him to shake his head in denial.

How could this dev-… blonde loli be so sharp?

“Hmm, never mind. Anyway, I’ve achieved my purpose, so I’ll stop tormenting you.” Lilith sucked her finger and shrugged, deciding to stop dwelling on this matter. “I’m not really evil, just a little sadistic.”

Lacey was stunned into silence.

Just a little…? Are you sure…?

Lilith stroked Cornelia’s head and said, “Put out the fire first, Cornelia. We don’t want to give this guy brain damage.”

“Eeeyah?”

Despite not understanding why her mother interrupted her fun and told her to stop, Cornelia obediently followed her mother’s order since she was a good girl.

She pointed to Lacey, causing the flames engulfing his body to instantly extinguish. The liquid gem and gold dress rapidly cooled down too.

“Phew…” Lacey could finally breathe normally. He felt as though he had just returned from hell and found himself in a heavenly, colorful world.

Despite his harsh words and unwavering refusal to give in, the true extent of that torture remained unknown to those who had not personally endured it.

“Now, we can talk properly.”

Lilith crouched down in front of Lacey, her long blonde hair cascading down to her waist. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, with a slight smile gracing her lips. The moonlight streaming in from the window behind her illuminated her back, creating the illusion that she had grown a pair of white wings. She looked like an angel, exuding an unmatched sense of purity.

Unfortunately, she was anything but pure on the inside.

Lacey shook his head vigorously, forcing these unrealistic thoughts out of his head before saying, “Sure, but you have to promise me one thing.”

“Oh?” Lilith raised an eyebrow, finding it unbelievable that Lacey would try to negotiate with her at such a moment. Did he not realize the current situation he was in?

Lacey took a deep breath, his face turning serious. “If you don’t agree to this, then I won’t be able to say anything even if I want to.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t let me die when I tell you what I know.”

“Die?” Lilith tilted her head, looking perplexed. Realization then dawned upon her. She pounded her fist on her palm and said, “Ah, I see now. The one you refer to as master must have imposed a prohibition on all of you, ensuring that divulging his secrets would lead to instant death. After all, only the deceased can truly keep secrets.”

“You actually knew?”

Lilith stuck her chest out and proudly said, “Hehe. I hope you haven’t forgotten the fact that I’ve beaten up your teammate before.”

“Nine?” Lacey muttered in a barely audible voice, “How could that dumbass lose so easily when he’s far more powerful than me? What a disgrace he is.”

“You’re no better than him, Lacey~” Lilith playfully tapped Lacey’s head and taunted, “Remember, your current predicament is much worse than Nine’s. At least he had the courage to face death.”

A look of humiliation appeared on Lacey’s face, but upon seeing the faint smile on Lilith’s lips, he suppressed his emotions.

“Alright, speak.” Lilith patted the small empty stool beside her, gesturing for Lacey to sit down and talk to her. At the same time, she gave Cornelia a look that told her to remain vigilant.

“Don’t worry, with Cornelia here, that prohibition won’t work. Nine met a meaningless demise last time due to an unexpected turn of events and my own error. If that hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t even be here now.”

“Fine.” Recognizing that there was no alternative but to believe and compromise, Lacey let out a somber sigh and took a seat on the stool that Lilith had prepared for him.

He then began talking, “I was a slave, born in a small town in the Southern Federation…”

The Southern Federation consists of dozens of large and small city-states, each with their own unique dynamics. The relationships among them are both balanced and occasionally hindered by conflicts and rivalries, which were nothing out of the ordinary.

The central government of a nation comprising numerous city-states lacked the ability to effectively communicate orders to the smaller cities on the borders. While they technically had the authority to do so, it would have been futile. The city lords of those cities held supreme power and were akin to the sole rulers governing those areas.

Corruption and darkness had firmly established themselves in the small cities, and Lacey was born in the deepest depths of one of them.

To be more precise, he was born in the city lord’s manor.

He was the child of a slave, and that made him a slave too.

When Lacey was five years old, his mother passed away due to being overworked and not properly resting after giving birth to him. Her death was accompanied by several complications.

Similarly, when Lacey was ten years old, his father tragically lost his life after accidentally breaking a wine glass and two wooden canes in the manor.

He did not even have a tombstone to commemorate his life.

At the age of twelve, Lacey made a startling discovery. He possessed an extraordinary power to manipulate people’s minds for a limited time. This revelation sparked an idea within him—to escape from his current life.

Unfortunately, in their small city, it was deemed a serious crime for a slave to flee, especially from the city lord’s manor. To preserve his reputation, the city lord dispatched formidable men to hunt down Lacey, a mere insignificant slave.

Overwhelmed by despair, Lacey soon realized his abilities were futile against those formidable mages and warriors among his pursuers.

In his darkest hour, his master appeared in his life.

“Stop, stop, stop, stop!!” Lilith abruptly and impolitely interrupted, her face filled with suspicion. “That plot sounds rather cliché. Are you sure you’re not trying to fool me?”

“Absolutely not.” Lacey shook his head. “I swear every word I said is true.”

“But… isn’t the slave trade banned?”

“Heh, you’re really a princess.” Lacey smiled disdainfully.

“He’s probably telling the truth.” After watching for a long time, Diana suddenly broke the silence. She reached into her sleeve and took out a map, unfolding it and pointing to the southern border.

“The Southern Federation was originally formed out of necessity due to the ongoing conflict between the neighboring Shadow Theocracy and the Luminous Theocracy. This conflict often spilled over into the surrounding areas, causing internal chaos. Additionally, it is important to note that the Southern Federation allowed and even encouraged the slave trade, which was deeply ingrained in their culture. This newly established nation, less than a hundred years old, managed to defend against the two northern theocracies largely due to the immense profits generated from the slave trade, which provided a strong capital base. It is worth mentioning that the Southern Federation is the only border between the human nations and the Elven Forest. Many elven slaves also came from there.”

Lilith looked at Diana blankly. “Are you sure about that?”

“Of course. I’ve been there with the old man before. It’s a place where slaves are openly sold on the street, complete with price tags.”

“Is that so?” A subtle glimmer of gold flashed across Lilith’s eyes as her gaze followed Diana’s finger on the map, etching the location firmly in her memory. “Seems like I’m the one who’s out of the loop this time.”

A slave market, huh? That really brings back some bad memories.

“Carry on. You were saying that you met that master of yours?”

“Yes.” Lacey nodded, then shook his head. “To be more precise, I didn’t meet him. I heard his voice directly in my mind. It was almost divine.”

Lilith frowned slightly.

Not in person, but a voice transmission?

“And then what did he say?”

“He said…” Lacey clasped his fluffy hands together, as he gazed into the distance. His face radiated reverence, as though he was a devoted worshiper.

“Do you desire to be liberated from all of this?
Do you yearn to deliver divine retribution to those you despise?
Do you aspire to trample upon the arrogant and powerful?
Do you long to witness a greater and more expansive horizon than those individuals?
Do you seek to avenge the loss of your parents?”

Lacey released his clasped hands and lowered his gaze to the ground, his voice barely audible as he murmured, “Why would I decline? I’m willing to do whatever it takes. It matters not if he is a god or a devil, or if he desires my soul or anything else.”

Lilith suddenly grabbed Lacey’s shoulders tightly and shook him.

“That sounds like a routine. I’m starting to suspect some of the other guys were either beggars or slaves like yourself. And then what happened? Did that guy grant you immense power to destroy all your enemies?”

“And then?” Lacey pointed to himself and replied, “And then… I became like this.”