Two hundred years ago, humans signed the [Siveshus Empire Treaty] with Demon King Siveshus, establishing the permanently neutral Siveshus Empire where divine church forces could not interfere.
The area directly above where Demon King Siveshus slumbered was designated as the Royal Capital district. Thanks to the powerful magic overflowing from the Demon King, young people under 26 in the Royal Capital district had greater divine affinity—meaning they leveled up faster.
The deeper into the dungeon, the more deeply magical beasts were affected by the Demon King's overflowing magic, making them increasingly powerful.
With Viloti's and Adeline's guard corps, plus Bernice—these three forces gathering together had already begun awakening certain high-order magical beasts in the dungeon's depths.
But now, besides those high-order magical beasts, another young lady was beginning to rage.
Adeline followed behind Felyn and Viloti, already going crazy in her heart watching them walk together.
Dangerous light flickered in those blue-gray eyes, and even the surrounding air began to heat up.
"Lady Adeline..."
Ailo looked worriedly at his young lady. The usually gentle lady seemed like a different person at this moment.
"That Viloti dares to get so close to Felyn..."
Adeline bit her lip, unable to help clenching her fists.
Sourness and unwillingness flickered in her blue-gray eyes, but she still forced herself to calm down.
"Lady Adeline, then we..."
"Let's proceed as planned."
They couldn't meet Viloti now. Though both guard corps had sensed each other's presence, as long as no one met face-to-face, they could tacitly avoid interfering with each other.
But once she and Viloti met, even if she said nothing, there would still be the crisis of conflict and friction between both sides.
Seemed she couldn't leave a good impression on Felyn today.
Then, just like how Felyn silently gave for her, she'd silently give for him.
...
"Today's luck is really good."
Felyn sat on the ground, recording the magical beast before him.
For some reason, today felt like receiving the Demon King's blessing—whatever the exam tested, he could encounter those magical beasts.
And when magical beasts came before him, they suddenly seemed to lose their courage, very cooperatively displaying the behavioral patterns mentioned in books.
Like the magical beast before him—a three-meter-tall gargoyle that should normally be extremely fierce.
But now it stood obediently in place, even following the textbook sequence to display corresponding behavioral and attack patterns.
"Mm mm, the attack method uses its..."
With live demonstration, Felyn quickly understood the book's meaning.
He carefully recorded in his notebook, completely unaware of the gargoyle's pained expression.
This was probably its hardest day as a magical beast.
It had been sleeping peacefully in its nest when over a hundred people suddenly swarmed in and drove it out.
The gargoyle ran and ran, discovering dozens more people ahead, so it quickly changed direction.
Finally arriving here, seeing only three humans and just wanting to vent its fury, cold words suddenly appeared in its mind.
"If you don't comply, I'll kill you."
That masked girl was so intimidating, and could even communicate with it!
Shameful! I'm a dignified fifth-order magical beast gargoyle, yet one day I have to be humiliated by humans as a model.
"Change pose."
The gargoyle immediately changed poses, its eyes full of flattery toward the masked girl.
Among these three humans, only the masked girl stood while the remaining man and woman sat on the ground.
What did that pink-haired girl mean, bringing her mate here for an outing? Giving water and feeding things—do you need to reproduce right in front of me, gargoyle? Damn it!
Viloti knelt beside Felyn, also somewhat surprised watching the obediently posing gargoyle.
Someone was definitely controlling this. Her gaze fell on the masked girl.
Communicating with magical beasts required very high-order divine arts.
Mastering such high-order divine arts meant definitely being a high-ranking divine church member.
Though several powerful guards still lurked around Viloti, they couldn't make a fifth-order magical beast change poses like a pet.
This person was strong—stronger than anyone in her guard corps.
But why did this person feel so familiar, as if she'd met her somewhere?
And such a strong person would willingly team up with a useless adventurer like Felyn.
Her feminine intuition radar activated as she searched Felyn's recent social network in her mind.
Besides Adeline, there seemed to be only Bernice.
Could it be her?
Or did this guy Felyn have other girls in places she didn't know about?
"Phew, observation of the last magical beast is complete. Today went so smoothly."
Felyn closed his notebook. Events had progressed far beyond his expectations.
All six magical beasts from the exam had been collected in just one day.
What incredible luck.
"Felyn, time to go back?" Viloti patted her knees and stood up too.
"My task is finished. Ber... Miss, do you have anywhere else to go?"
Bernice shook her head without speaking.
The gargoyle, seeing it was no longer needed and receiving Bernice's permission, thunderously ran away.
"Then let's retur..."
Bernice suddenly grabbed Felyn's hand.
"Eh, what's wrong?"
"Lady Viloti! Step back!" Guards hidden around Viloti also jumped from the shadows, protecting her.
The space before Felyn's group shattered like glass. A white-gloved hand elegantly extended from the crack, and a figure subsequently walked out from the spatial fissure.
"Good day, everyone. My name is Hubert, and I'm a demon."
Hubert adjusted his tailcoat, his monocle glinting in the dungeon's dim light.
These three powerful forces gathering together had awakened this demon from slumber.
"Allow me to appear in such a rude manner, it's really..."
Before the self-proclaimed demon Hubert finished speaking, Viloti immediately pulled out a seventh-order seal to cast.
Ice-blue seal patterns condensed at her fingertips as countless ice spikes formed in the air, pointing at Hubert like silver arrows.
Almost simultaneously, Bernice pulled the trigger of her seal gun. Magic patterns on the barrel instantly lit up as silver-white light representing divine arts flowed like water. Her movements were clean and efficient, eyes behind the mask sharp as blades.
A brilliant silver-white light pillar shot skyward, illuminating the dark passage.
Sacred pressure swept around—power sufficient to purify all evil, divine judgment light.
Where the beam passed, space showed subtle distortion, as if reality itself would be torn by this force.
This was Felyn's first time witnessing high-order divine arts.
This was true divine arts—pure divine power with much greater might than seals.
"Too much chatter." Both beautiful girls said simultaneously.
"You actually... started fighting without letting me finish speaking..."
Hubert's voice came from the distorted space, his figure flickering in and out of the divine arts' radiance.
"No martial virtue..."
Hubert lightly waved his finger as countless magic circles appeared on the ground.
Magic was the demon race's weapon. Those who hadn't specifically studied demons wouldn't know what these techniques represented.
"Felyn, be careful!"
Magical energy filled the air, making Felyn's breathing somewhat difficult.
He felt his body suddenly become very light, as if falling backward.
His vision began blurring. Before completely falling into darkness, Felyn saw two figures blocking in front of him.
One pink, one silver-white.
He seemed to also see that faint rose-tea color in the distance rapidly rushing toward him.
Then Felyn's body seemed to be extracted from reality, falling into endless void.
How is it like this again...
Last time he fell unconscious in the dungeon, he woke up at Viloti's house. Where would he wake up this time?
(End of Chapter)