Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

Bozokasti felt his mind go blank. He walked out of the tent with the box and bumped into the two men who had just finished talking with the Victorian soldiers and were walking towards the tent together. He showed the box to the escorting officer and questioned him:

"What's this?"

The lieutenant glanced casually at the contents of the tin box, his face expressionless, and answered with absolute certainty:

“These are daily necessities, sir. Each bag of our supplies should be labeled with its contents. Considering your educational levels, His Highness the Prince specially used Ursus, Victoria, and Yan languages ​​to write them. If you still can't understand them, I don't mind helping your sorting staff to decipher them.”

"I'm not... talking about that!" Bozokast said angrily. "Why... would there be... this kind of thing... in the military supplies?"

The lieutenant listened with difficulty to Bozocasti's breathless words, frowned slightly in confusion, and asked in return:

Why not?

“Victorian soldiers maintain their dignity even on the battlefield, let alone the fact that your needs are for daily necessities, not just military supplies. We will naturally include daily necessities in the package.”

Bozokasti wanted to ask something more, but Talulah gently stopped the giant's movement. She whispered:

"Perhaps this is what they consider life?"

Bozokasti stood there speechless.

Indeed, Bozokastie, who spent his life amidst the smoke of battle and the snowstorms of the tundra, once had his glorious days. In those days, he and his comrades, back to back, would drink heartily in taverns during their leisure time. He also witnessed the extravagant lives of the Ursus nobles; perhaps, for them, this was what life truly meant?

But why did His Highness Wayne give us these things? Was it so that we, the warriors of the snowfields, would envy their lives? Was it to lure the warriors to join Victoria?

This is impossible. The guerrilla fighters are as tough as iron and will never succumb to any temptation!

At this moment, the lieutenant, who had learned some of Bodracas's general ideas from Talulah, also understood and bowed his head in apology, with a hint of regret but without being servile:

"I'm sorry, but please don't misunderstand this."

“His Highness the Prince and His Highness the Princess ordered us to bring as many supplies as possible to ensure your soldiers’ comfort. That’s why we specifically brought some daily necessities. This was my own initiative. If it offends you or your soldiers, I can take back these supplies and inform His Highness so he can replace them with other supplies.”

Bozokasti's eyes flickered, but he finally shook his head:

"No...it's nothing...thank you."

He's overthinking it. This was a gift from Victoria and Kazdel, and he's being picky about it. It's like he's getting a freebie and then complaining. Besides, it's not exactly a temptation or an insult; it's just a difference in lifestyle and circumstances that leads to some misunderstandings.

He waved his hand and said:

"Please convey my thanks to...His Highness."

The lieutenant breathed a sigh of relief, gave a Victorian salute, and turned to leave.

Bozokasti then looked at Talulah, a hint of goodwill appearing in his red-glowing eyes:

"Thank you for reminding me."

He stepped aside, making way for Talulah to enter the warm tent, before continuing:

"I have...something...to tell you..."

He coughed loudly, and seeing that Yelena still didn't react, he had no choice but to reprimand her:

"Yelena!...Stop...playing with...the lipstick! Look...at your face!"

The white rabbit's ears perked up, and it turned its head, its pale face, painted with exaggerated red lines, meeting Talulah's questioning gaze. Talulah couldn't help but chuckle. Yelena then blushed and put down the half-worn lipstick, sitting awkwardly on the ground. But her eyes still couldn't help but curiously examine the other bottles and jars in the box.

Bozocasti felt he should reassess his previous conclusion. These rare Victorian artifacts were incredibly appealing to the guerrillas, especially the young, who had spent too long in the desolate snowfields, practically living like cavemen.

His daughter, Yelena, who is usually as cold and aloof as her Originium Arts, also couldn't resist the temptation of such kindness.

However, let's get down to business first.

"Leader...my king...will come...to this icy plain...to our side."

"Bozokasti said slowly. Talulah's eyes widened in surprise.

Bozokasti's nickname is Patriot, a title derived from his illustrious military exploits in the conquest wars of the Ursus Empire. His king's arrival in this snowy plains—doesn't that mean the Emperor of Ursus is about to arrive?!

Seeing that Talulah seemed to be packing her things and planning to run away with the guerrillas, Bozocasti, not wanting to keep her in suspense any longer, quickly added:

"Don't rush... No... Your Majesty... is the king of my bloodline. Sarkaz... the most noble... Demon King!"

Talulah breathed a sigh of relief and was about to ask something when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest, which quickly spread to her head. The words she couldn't utter turned into a painful whimper, and her upright figure suddenly fell to the ground, struggling and curling up in a disheveled state.

"Ugh... Ughhhhhhh—"

"What... what's wrong?" Bozokasti hadn't expected a name to have such an impact, but his armor wouldn't allow him to crouch down, so he quickly called over Yelena, who was also frightened, and helped Talulah up.

But then they saw flames and golden light flickering in Talulah's half-open eyes, within which seemed to slither the shadows of dark snakes.

Leave of absence: My maternal grandfather passed away; I need to go home for the funeral.

As the title suggests, I received some terrible news: my grandfather has passed away. I have to go home for the funeral, and I expect to spend today on the train and bus, so I may not have time to update. Therefore, I am asking for a day off. I apologize.

To make 100 words. ...

Chapter 130 Have you ever heard of the Demon King?

"Ugh... Ughh ...

Talulah uttered words that were difficult to understand, as if they were being forced out of her throat:

"Killer... hiss..."

He had never encountered anything like this before, as if a consciousness was forcibly breaking free of its restraints, trying to take control of this body. As the one in control of this body, Talulah was momentarily unable to resist.

"Talulah, relax, relax, I won't hurt you!"

That familiar voice rang in her ears, and before Talulah's eyes—or rather, in her vision—was reflected a dark serpentine shadow that did not exist in the real world, but merely lingered in the realm of consciousness. The eerie serpentine shadow twisted and contorted for a moment before finally taking the form of Talulah. However, the serpentine Talulah was not wearing the original Talulah's imposing military uniform, but rather a black and white outfit more resembling the long dress of an Ursus noble, and even sporting a distinctive pair of gradient-colored stockings.

Her eyes were unfocused and panicked, no longer displaying her usual confident demeanor, but Talulah, tormented by pain, did not notice this subtle change for the moment.

She simply covered her head, conveying a message to Bozokast through muttering to herself:

"Kosich... help me... kill it!"

But under the influence of the "Black Serpent Seed," these words could only be murmured like a dream, completely incomprehensible to Bozokasti. He could only rely on his intuition to speak to Yelena, who was holding Talulah and somewhat bewildered:

"Go find the shield and bring my altar materials to the tent!"

The Sarkaz possess an ancient system of sorcery independent of Originium Arts, but the Wendigo are not a race skilled in sorcery. Compared to sorcery that requires rituals, altars, and sacrifices, and may even harm their own side, they prefer to crush their enemies with sheer physical prowess and bloodline talents. However, Bozokasti is somewhat special; he is one of only two pure-blooded Wendigos in the world, and throughout his long life, he has mastered some sorcery useful in combat.

He didn't know what Talulah had gone through, but since she had no physical injuries, the only thing causing her such pain could be mental. Coincidentally, one of the few basic witchcraft techniques he knew could boost morale and improve concentration.

Although it doesn't feel quite right, I can't worry about that now, I'll just make do with it!

Yelena acted swiftly; in just about five minutes, the shield guards, having received the order, had moved all the sorcery materials into the tent and set up the altar as instructed by Bozokasti. Patriot placed Talulah, who had stopped wailing but whose face was growing paler and whose pupils were gradually turning from gray to gold, on the altar, cut his thumb, and dripped a few drops of blood onto the outline of the simple altar.

The Sarkaz's power largely stems from their bloodline, thus blood holds a special significance for them. In another timeline, when Theresa was attacked and the Tower of Babel collapsed, she smeared her own blood on a spiral-patterned longsword and plunged it into Amiya's heart, entrusting the Demon Lord's bloodline and future hope to the innocent Katarus girl. Borocas' Stand, the pure-blooded Wendigo, while not as powerful as the Demon Lord's, is still second only to the Demon Lord, belonging to the ranks of the Kings of the Royal Court.

The moment the bloodline touched the altar, the light emanating from the crimson crystal at its center carried a strong, pungent stench of blood. Bozokas dismissed the shield guards, and even Yelena, unable to bear the acrid and strangely sticky smell, withdrew from the tent. Wendigo's eyes flashed red as he softly chanted obscure Sarkaz runes.

Talulah felt as if she were in a space that was both illusory and real.

These are not contradictory statements. She felt that there was nothing wrong with her thinking, but if she had to describe the world in front of her in one word, it would only be "bizarre and grotesque".

Here you'll find the land, the forests, the towering mountains, and the relatively low castles.

Talulah recognized them. The land was a snowfield, the place where the guerrillas were now, and the place most deeply etched in her memory. The forest was the thicket where they were hiding, the four withered pine trees, noticeably taller than the others, being their most distinctive feature. She couldn't quite remember the mountain peak, but the moment the clouds parted from its summit, through the crimson glow of its peak, she suddenly remembered. It was the mountain on the Ursus border that she had often gazed upon during her time living in the Dukedom of Kosichear. People called it "Blood Peak," not only because of its name but also because of the battle that had once taken place there, staining the mountainside red.

As for that low castle, it was a nightmare that Talulah could never escape in her life, the castle of Duke Koschche, the "Undying Black Serpent".

Everything was real without any flaws, but it was precisely this realism that made Talulah feel confused—these landscapes could not possibly appear together; they were at least thousands of miles apart!

Just as Talulah was feeling puzzled, a figure slowly emerged from the low castle. Her expression turned serious, and even though the other person had not yet arrived, she realized who it was—Koschei, or rather, the so-called "seed" that Koschei had left in her heart.

In the past, whenever Talulah's faith was shaken by reality, she would appear, with a condescending and mocking smile, seemingly giving guidance but actually ironically telling Talulah how to make things "better".

But this was the first time it had ever been forcibly pulled into this strange and mysterious realm, and then appeared before it in a physical form.

Just as Talulah was about to ask a question, a red light shone into the world. Although faint, Talulah felt her consciousness clearer. At the same time, the black snake approaching her curled its lip in disgust and cursed in a voice only it could hear:

"The Sarkaz are such a troublesome race."

Having shaken off her initial dazed state, Talulah looked at the black snake before her, who was almost identical to her except for her attire, and said coldly:

"Kosichek, what do you want? I won't agree to anything you say, nor will I do anything you suggest. Just give up on that idea!"

A somewhat forced smile appeared on Black Snake's face as he tried to appear more approachable and trustworthy, and he slowly said:

"No, no, no, I'm not here to instruct you, Talulah."

“I just couldn’t bear to see you in danger. Bozokastie is a traitor; he unintentionally brought you and the entire guerrilla force a huge problem!”

He paused, then asked mysteriously:

Have you ever heard of the Demon King?

Chapter 131 Prophecy and the Demon King

Have you ever heard of the Demon King?

"Black Snake said sincerely," Talulah said, shaking her head with a subtle expression.

Black Snake's almost pleading manner reminded her of those pyramid scheme and sales scammers—the kind whose sales performance is so poor they're practically begging on the street.

This is quite different from the black snake I remember. Who bullied you? The Demon King?

Black Snake breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Talulah didn't know about the Demon King. If she did, the problem would be much bigger.

For any user of Originium Arts or any spiritual entity, the Demon King is an absolute nemesis. This is no joke. Unless you are confident that your spiritual power can overwhelm the Demon King by dozens of times, you must be constantly vigilant when facing the Demon King's endless array of abilities. A moment's carelessness could leave you completely at his mercy.

And to have mental power dozens of times greater than the Demon King? That's impossible. Koschie can guarantee that even if you turned the entire Terra upside down, you absolutely wouldn't find a single person with that level of mental power. The reason is simple: how strong is the Demon King's mental power? He can wield ten rings left behind by previous Demon Kings, which means that the Demon King's own mental power is definitely ten times that of a normal mental master. To have mental power dozens of times greater than the Demon King would require the mental power of hundreds of people.

It's questionable whether even a few hundred Originium Mage-type players could be found in the entire Terra region, let alone bringing those hundreds together into one.

If Wayne were here, he might sigh and say that Koschei's knowledge was somewhat limited; at the very least, he didn't realize that a group of capitalists and a bunch of scientific madmen almost completed the project of creating a super soldier who combined the mental powers of dozens of people. Although Loken's method was abhorrent and the final product was pitiful, they did indeed almost succeed.

Black Serpent composed himself and solemnly explained to Talulah:

"The Demon King is the ruler of the Sarkaz, the most evil and terrifying being. There is a prophecy that records the Demon King's future."

Kosiche hesitated for a moment, then recited in a tone tinged with fear and hatred:

I saw that all the cities were ravaged and devastated.

I have seen calamities covering the earth.

I saw you, crowned with black, who had turned countless lives into memories.