Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 389 The Demon King's Disaster

Cultivation, combat, hunting, devouring...

This is its life.

The shadowy figure lurked in the shadows, watching the two people who entered the tavern. In its life, such scenes had played out countless times. A good hunter must show enough patience to deliver a fatal blow when the prey is most careless.

Unbeknownst to them, a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood lay behind them. Unbeknownst to them, humans bestowed upon them the title of "Demon King." But in reality, their lives had little interaction with those of humans, until a group of self-proclaimed heroes, under the banner of protecting the kingdom, arrived before them...

This was the most serious injury it had suffered since it had gained memory. Humanity had shown it the utmost respect, using the resources of its entire nation to build a golden warship. They poured all their faith into that magic cannon shot, and in return, it should give the human kingdom the same level of respect.

Its response was to destroy the country, plant despair in the hearts of everyone, and become the world-destroying god in human imagination.

And all of this began with these two humans it had chosen.

Before they knew it, it had completely darkened, and Kane and Argos's dinner was coming to an end. To their surprise, the old friend they called "Ampolis" turned out to be a pet octopus. Judging from the hunter's attire, it was easy to deduce that it was a monster he kept.

The shadowy figure silently followed behind the two, waiting for them to completely fall into darkness.

The darkness that humans fear is its best friend.

"Have you heard? That shelter seems to be quite something."

Kane explained his purpose. Having finally received Ethan's summons, allowing him to temporarily return to this world, he resumed his old ways.

He sensed an unprecedented conflict, and decided to go there to check it out soon.

"I never expected you to be interested in a bunch of 'puppets'."

"temporary."

Ampolis corrected Argos's wording, "These humans are studying how to give 'puppets' souls, which is an interesting study, even for us."

Believers are essentially resources, while the old gods have always valued the souls of humans and other beings. The reason why humans are the most sought-after "resource" is because their souls are more malleable.

Once they are able to bypass humans and create souls directly, it may even allow their energy to advance further.

There is no concept of "cultivation" among the Old Gods; that is a term created by humans. They were at the top of the food chain from the beginning, wielding supreme power. Cultivation and becoming stronger are meaningless to them. They have never even experienced a real battle. Even the wars before the First Era were more like cricket fighting to them.

Manipulating believers and creations to fight against their former favorite chosen ones can be an interesting pastime in itself.

This intriguing plane cannot withstand a war at the level of the Old Gods. The aftershocks will instantly destroy the surface of this planet, causing all living beings to perish, ultimately leaving only a dead star devoid of any signs of life and utterly destroyed.

They did not want this outcome.

That's why they thought Ethan was an oddball.

They possess similar powers to them, yet exhibit human behavior.

Now, they have discovered that Ethan has begun a new exploration of the soul.

Argos immediately stated, "In that case, I'll go with Kane."

……

The shadowy figure patiently followed the two people and the octopus. These prey, who had been targeted, were completely unaware that they had fallen into a trap—there were fewer and fewer pedestrians around, and they had already chosen the wrong path. It could only be said that even fate had abandoned these two poor people.

The shadowy figure had already seen through the content of their conversation.

Those were code words used by the military and the adventurers' guild to communicate. Terms like "puppet," "refuge," and "soul" often had special connotations.

Combining the identities of the two people and the context, as well as the shelling that occurred on the outskirts of the capital today, the shadowy figure immediately understood everything.

Just now, Kane, on behalf of the military, revealed their next move to the Adventurers' Guild: they were going to conduct reconnaissance at the site of the magical artillery barrage to ensure their plan would go smoothly. The old hunter immediately stated that the Adventurers' Guild would send additional personnel to assist the Imperial Army in their on-site reconnaissance.

As for the "soul"...

The shadowy figure licked its lips with a bloodthirsty look.

That naturally refers to it, the terrifying being known as the "Demon King" by humans, a ghost that appears and disappears without a trace.

This was the perfect moment for it to appear; it couldn't wait to see the expressions on its prey's faces when the "demon king" they feared suddenly appeared before them.

It silently assessed the distance between them, and as the two turned into a more secluded street corner, it suddenly expanded its body countless times, blocking their only way.

Despite its severe injuries, it was still more than capable of dealing with two ordinary imperial residents.

Fear, despair, humankind!

It grinned maliciously as it looked down at the humans standing in front of it.

This standoff lasted for nearly ten seconds.

"Tell me everything you know... Huh?"

When it came to its senses, it saw the moon and the starry sky, the dark clouds tonight, and a kestrel flying across the clouds at that moment.

Strange, when did it end up here?

This was completely different from what it had imagined. In its plan, these two weak but exceptionally well-informed humans would surely recognize it, which would save it the trouble of introducing itself. Next, it would, just like it had done with its past challengers, inject the mark of darkness into their bodies, making them its eyes and ears in the capital.

It can sense that the brave young man is still alive, and it will find him to complete its unfinished business.

—To deliver the final blow to the boy, this is the ending a hero deserves.

But now, it lies face up in a pile of debris on the side of the street, its prey moving further and further away, their conversation faintly carried to its ears by the evening breeze.

"What happened just now?"

Argos asked, puzzled.

It seemed that someone was blocking their way, but before they could ask, Kane gently pushed them aside. They could tell that Kane was not acting with malice and was moving as quietly as possible, just like a human saying "Excuse me, may I pass?"

Unfortunately, the obstacle seemed all show and no substance; with just a gentle nudge, it flew more than ten meters away, looking malnourished.

"He must be a petty thug."

Kane calmly explained, "Although the city's security has improved a lot, there will always be people who turn to crime. Let's hand him over to the Kingdom Army; after all, we're here as guests."

……

Thug!?

The shadowy figure could hardly believe his ears.

This was the first time it had ever been addressed with such contempt, which made it want to lash out and deliver a fatal blow to the two of them. However, after struggling on the floor for a long time, it didn't even have the strength to stand up.

It must have been caused by the magic cannon.

It seemed the injury was far more serious than it had imagined. The shadowy creature could only lie there, watching helplessly as its prey slipped away before its eyes—a humiliation it had never felt before!

Kane, Argos, and Ampolis...!
It memorized these three names and secretly resolved that one day it would seek revenge on these two humans and a monster, but before that, it had to change its strategy and recuperate.

It had encountered a similar situation before it became the "Demon King".

This failed hunt made it realize the harsh reality—in its current state, it couldn't even defeat an ordinary adult. It couldn't detect any energy fluctuations from Kane and Argos; they were just ordinary humans. As for the octopus, it was so weak that it looked like it could be caught by the restaurant and made into teppanyaki at any time if it left its owner.

The shadowy figure clenched its fist. Although it was humiliating, in its current state, it could only attack small animals and devour their souls to restore itself to a state where it could crush adult humans at will.

........................

Meanwhile, at Ethan's home.

"Why do you say I don't look like a cat at all?"

In the living room, the black cat sat upright on the coffee table, arms crossed, and questioned the ragdoll cat that Ethan was holding, "What do I lack compared to her?"

A few minutes ago, she had a sudden idea to have a cat showdown with Winter, but she suffered a humiliating defeat. Not only was she no match for the Ragdoll cat that only knew how to preen at Ethan, but she was also criticized for behaving in a way that was not like a cat at all.

"First of all, a normal cat would never sit upright on a coffee table."

Ethan is pragmatic.

Since Little Darkness turned into a black cat, her image has formed a stark contrast with Winter, making Ethan realize that Winter's portrayal of a cat has reached its peak. No wonder he had treated Winter as a real Ragdoll cat even after living together in Riverwood for so long.

Even when in human form, Winter sometimes reveals a charming and coquettish expression, just like a cat.

As for Xiao An...

Ethan didn't want to say anything too harsh, but even the old man relaxing in the courtyard downstairs could tell it was a person in disguise.

After all, the Astrology Guild had already started recruiting students, and the people of the capital were already used to basic transformation spells. Among them, the Transfiguration spell had been included in the second-tier exam questions of the Astrology Guild. If you just stroll around near the Astrology Guild's academy, you can see all sorts of strange little animals transformed by the students.

The difference between Winter and Darkness is as obvious as the difference between a Grand Druid and a novice who failed the entrance exam.

"There's nothing wrong with how you look transformed, but your expression doesn't resemble a cat at all."

Ethan rested his chin on his left hand. Although he didn't know the Transformation Charm, as a man who practically turned his house into a zoo, he felt his assessment was quite authoritative.

Although he could clearly sense recently that Xiao An seemed to be heading towards old age, her wicked schemes were more like a human in cat's clothing brewing a conspiracy.

"Xiao An, you've actually never really interacted with a real cat, have you?"

Ethan quickly identified the problem.

However, he felt that it was not Xiao An's fault, since normally it would be difficult for a cat to wander into a black hole or a polluted area.

The black cat on the coffee table stiffened, stammering for a long time without being able to say anything coherent.

Ethan's soul-searching questions hit the nail on the head.

She had never actually interacted with cats before, and her transformation into a cat was purely out of jealousy that Winter spent every day cuddling with Ethan in her cat form. However, she recently realized a serious problem—Ethan didn't seem to have any particular fetish for cats; rather, he simply enjoyed spending time with Winter.

This applies to both cats and humans.

but……

She is a person with a strong sense of self-respect and cannot stand being told that she is a mediocre person.

"I have an idea."

The ragdoll cat nestled in Ethan's arms spoke leisurely, "You can go out at night to observe the stray cats in the capital. Some time ago, many nobles spent a lot of money to buy cats as pets, but after discovering that they were disobedient and could not speak, they disappointedly kicked them out of their homes."

As a result, many stray cats appeared in the districts where nobles had settled.

"Hmph, just you wait!"

The black cat jumped up from the coffee table. "Let's have another match in three days!"

After leaving behind that harsh remark, the black cat jumped off the coffee table and ran out. Once the black cat's figure had finally disappeared into the night, the Ragdoll cat jumped down like a victorious general. In the blink of an eye, she transformed back into human form. She smiled and raised an eyebrow at Ethan, displaying a seductive charm like a cat. "Darling, the troublesome cat is finally gone. Shouldn't we do something now?"

"What...what are you doing..."

Caught off guard, Ethan took a half step back.

"Meow~"

....................................

late at night.

In the darkness, the shadowy figure finally found a new prey.

Luck smiled upon it once again, and it discovered many stray cats in the city—one of its favorite prey, small yet possessing a more vibrant spirit than most animals. It could imagine that some people had managed to buy these cats, only to abandon them for various reasons.

The nobles of those kingdoms who abandoned their cats could never have imagined that the cats they discarded would become its food, helping it regain its strength enough to hunt humans. And then, it would sneak into those people's estates under the cover of night...

The shadowy figure has found its prey.

A cat with black fur and beautiful heterochromatic eyes behaves very differently from other stray cats. It patrols among the cats like a leader, occasionally approaching a few to observe them carefully.

This is a stray cat king.

Its soul is especially abundant!

Unable to contain its hunger any longer, the shadowy figure appeared, and the startled cats scattered. It darted ghostly towards the black cat with heterochromatic eyes.

Clearly, the black cat was terrified.

With wide eyes, a tense body, and bristling fur, this is the state of a cat under stress.

Their souls are always being devoured in this state.

It's about to start...

"Fuck you!"

Huh?
The shadowy figure was stunned for a long time. If it hadn't misheard, the black cat was actually speaking human language.

Just as it was trying to confirm that this was not a hallucination, the black cat suddenly launched an attack, crashing into it like a cannonball.

"You scared all my cats away! You're asking for it! Are you crazy?!"

(End of this chapter)