Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

But if the other side is still fixated on the so-called "Tower of Babel" and "Kingdom of Heaven," then this place will be their graveyard!

At this moment, as reinforcements from all sides of the Panhellenic Alliance were deployed, the five fingers that were gripping the throat of the Persian army gradually tightened.

The Argo is breaking through the smoke of battle, sailing from the chaotic seas. All the heroes of Argo are alive and well.

The Valkyrie Legion, armed with guns and shields, descended gracefully from the sky, forming a steel dome;

Berserkers and druids set out to clean up the battlefield and restore the damaged vegetation and ecosystem;

Amazonian warriors hunted down the locust army to buy time to build the great altar and seal the void.

The mighty Athenian hoplites marched into Thermopylae, while the magicians of the academy drew up magic circles and repaired the fortifications.

Under the saturation bombardment of magic, the human-faced locusts, which were the focus of the attack, fell in a flurry. Tanbei Canyon was plowed more than once by the overwhelming spell bullets, and the mountaintop was shaved down by a hundred meters, almost leveled to the ground.

Everything is proceeding steadily according to the strategic plan.

The ancient serpent gazed at the Persian army's encampment, which, under the crushing pressure from all sides, had already retracted its tentacles and was gradually being cut off from all contact with the outside world, and a cold smile appeared on its lips.

Haha, the virus beneath Greece, the Persian army at Thermopylae, the locust swarm in the Tanbei Gorge...

Plague, war, famine... your "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" aren't very effective, so all that's left is "death".

I'll see what you'll use to destroy my country and judge my people!

Of course, to ensure a flawless conclusion, the most crucial step of the plan needs to be completed after the Grand Altar is built on-site.

Chapter 168 Foxes are the most untrustworthy creatures

Samael looked around and, seeing that the dust had settled, breathed a sigh of relief. Scáthach and Skadi beside him also felt their chests rise and fall.

Clearly, after a series of intense battles and the uncontrolled mutation of the Flame Demon Sword, even the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom and the Winter God of Jotunheim were finding it difficult to cope.

"How are your hands?"

"We're still a bit rusty at this point, but it shouldn't affect our future sparring."

The ancient snake stretched its arms, blinked, and gave a half-smile.

"You guy..."

Scáthach sensed the sarcasm in her old friend's tone and felt a surge of anger, letting out a muffled groan.

"I'm resilient and thick-skinned, but you, when did you become so emotional?"

Samael had somehow ended up on the arm of the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom. Looking at the wounds that had been scorched by the demonic flames and forced through, resulting in torn flesh, he was quite helpless. He then took out a potion prepared by the God of Healing, poured it on the wounds, and carefully bandaged them.

"You are my opponent. Even if I were to take your life, it should be my gun that defeats you, not a mere demonic sword!"

Scáthach turned her head away and responded calmly, her tone proud and confident, but a slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

"I just beat you in a sparring match, is it really necessary to keep chasing after me like this?"

Samael paused, unable to suppress a frown and a complaint.

Upon hearing this, the Queen of the Land of Shadows' brow twitched. Just as she was about to speak, the person who was bandaging her increased the pressure, causing Scáthach to furrow her brow.

On the battlefield filled with the smoke of gunpowder, these two figures, leaning on each other, exchanged a few casual words, yet there was an indescribable tacit understanding and harmony between them.

But all of this was clearly seen by the legitimate wife.

Skadi, who had been standing still, turned pale, clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles cracked, and the question that had been brewing in her heart turned into a stiff hum.

"The mighty King of Jotunheim almost succumbed to the demonic power of Leivadin... Hah... How shameful..."

"Alright, leave the rest to me. I'm sure this battle hasn't been easy for you either. You two go to the Argo to hand over the duties."

Samael turned around, tactfully releasing Scáthach's grip, then winked and smiled at Scáthach, who was clearly not being sincere.

"Also, I've warmed up some mead for you over there. If you're tired, go have some to refresh yourself."

The Goddess of Winter paused for a moment, then nodded in realization. She glanced at Samael, who was patrolling the mountain path, and obediently took Scáthach with her and turned to leave.

Now, it's halftime.

Samael, supporting himself on the broken rock face, made his way towards the denser vegetation along the mountain path riddled with potholes and sparsely populated with people. His pace slowed as he finally stopped in a surviving patch of dense forest.

However, in the darkness, a pair of golden eyes gleamed eerily.

Immediately, the ancient serpent knelt down on the soft, withered grass, watching Wenquan Pass become its prey, trapped like a turtle in a jar, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, we made it...

A silent murmur flowed from the man's lips, and his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

puff!

But in an instant, Samael's face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The viscous, filthy substance, like black mud, splashed onto the rocky ground, sizzling and killing all the surrounding vegetation.

At the same time, the figure sitting in front of the rock lost its support, its body leaned back, and slumped to the ground.

A strange, ambiguous smell of blood, seemingly real yet not quite, wafted through the mountain breeze.

rustle……

After a moment of deathly silence, rustling sounds spread from the shadows, and the grotesque silhouettes projected on the ground gradually overshadowed Nasamael, pulling him inch by inch into darkness.

So sweet, so delicious!

With its head lowered, it moved closer to its prey, its nostrils flaring as it savored the lingering fragrance in the air, its eyes filled with ecstasy.

tick...

A glistening drop of liquid fell onto one side of Samael's cheek; his scorching breath seemed to penetrate his skin, seeping into his flesh and bones.

The sudden external stimulus caused the ancient snake to open its eyes, its pupils reflecting the golden-haired, white-faced figure, tens of meters long, gracefully strolling and sniffing beside it.

"You're so careless, you're so badly injured and you still ended up all alone..."

The fox, with its pointed chin, curled a playful smile at the corner of its mouth.

"It must have been very tough for you to keep going until now so that the people around you don't have to worry."

"Ahem, Tamamo-no-Mae..."

Samael coughed, clutching his chest with his left hand, and propped himself up with his right, trying to get up.

boom!

However, his slightly raised chest was crushed by a fox's paw.

At the same time, the golden-haired, white-faced fox narrowed its golden eyes, its gaze sweeping down with a sinister look, a hint of malicious mockery appearing between its brows.

"Ha, to take such a risk for a mere, trivial emotion is utterly foolish. Men, even if you're fearless, there should be limits. Your luck won't allow you to escape danger every time..."

"what you up to……"

Samael, pinned to the ground by the fox's claws, had his pupils contract sharply and his muscles tense, clearly realizing something.

"What are you doing? Heh, your life is like a spider's web in this forest, at my whim, destined to return to dust. Such an end is truly tragic, miserable, and tedious for a foreign king with a reputation for virtue..."

"Well, I thought you'd become some kind of remarkable person. This kind of performance isn't even worthy of being an aperitif. It's a complete waste of my expectations for you."

Tamamo-no-Mae lay on her side beside Samael, raising her sharp claws to trace the contours of Samael's face, her fox tail swaying wildly, her expression even more intrigued.

Aren't you going to make a move?

The ancient snake's expression was cold and stoic, and his voice became lower and more subdued.

"Hehehe, this is just the beginning of my enjoyment. Your incredulous expression is quite amusing. The wretched state of a beast weakened by the loss of its strength is worth savoring. Alright, so how shall I now taste your delicious soul? I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and I can hardly contain myself..."

The calamity beast, revealing its gluttonous desires, raised its fox claws once more, and sharp spikes emerged from its paw pads, while golden flames swirled and rose.

"As a parting word of advice, always remember this: foxes are the most untrustworthy creatures, so..."

Amidst the mocking murmurs, a beastly claw, wreathed in golden flames, slammed down with overwhelming force, striking Samael's chest.

puff!

The surging divine power surged through his body, causing Samael's face to turn pale for a moment before he turned his head and vomited out dark red blood.

Meanwhile, the giant fox shimmered with light and gradually reformed into a human form. Its two fair arms lifted the heavily injured Samael from behind and gently patted and massaged the man's back.

"Stop playing. Spitting out this stagnant blood will make you feel much better."

The fox, having abandoned its previous sinister and eerie demeanor, now wore a warm smile. It casually untied its water pouch and used it to rinse the mouth of the patient in its arms, displaying the demeanor of a virtuous wife and loving mother.

Samael, seemingly realizing what was happening, turned ashen-faced.

Clearly, he'd been tricked...

Chapter 169: Raise them first, then eat them?

"You fool me?"

Well, not entirely.

"for example?"

"As expected, I still really want to eat you, ごしゅじんさま~ (Master Master)..."

As the alluring tone shifted to a deep murmur, the fox spirit, dressed in the attire of a Japanese shrine maiden, knelt on the soft grass, moving with the grace of a four-legged beast foraging for food, forcing the instinctively retreating Samael to the rock behind her.

Those golden beast eyes, radiating a dangerous aura, were filled with an extremely aggressive gaze, and the pink tongue that moved its lips and teeth revealed a gluttonous desire.

She was serious.

"...I thought I was imagining things..."

The patient, slumped in front of the rock, remained silent for a moment, recalling the vague sense of crisis he had felt earlier, and murmured thoughtfully.

Samael then glanced indifferently at Tamamo-no-Mae, who was standing close by, and frowned as he asked.

"Then why did you save me in the first place?"

"Because my love for you is also serious~"

The vixen in front of him responded with a smile, her pretty face, which had previously displayed a mischievous and playful expression, now seamlessly transitioned into a shy and charming demeanor, as if she and Samael were a pair of lovers in the throes of passion, playfully flirting.

"Ok?"

"Well, only the souls that are personally selected and patiently nurtured can taste truly delicious. And to enjoy something truly wonderful, you must first nurture it with genuine emotion. There is no room for pretense; otherwise, the flavor will spoil, and it would be such a waste."

Tamamo-no-Mae sniffed Samael, looking quite regretful and resentful.

"So, when will my little fruit ripen? It's really troubling; I can't wait any longer."

As the fox's fingertips playfully brushed across his cheek, Samael felt like a chick being pulled from its pen, waiting to be cleaned, skinned, and cooked.

Nurturing love with love, cultivating the target until they are ready to be eaten?

By the way, could it be that you're the one who passed down this morbid idea from Japan?

Samael couldn't help but recall a report he had read in his previous life: a primary school in Japan had a course on "cherishing food and treasuring life," the contents of which were chilling and shattered one's worldview.

This educational approach involves each child at school adopting a small egg and writing their name on it. Of course, there are not only eggs, but also small animals such as piglets and calves. They then take care of these animals and raise them little by little. When the chicks hatch and the animals grow up, the project is almost over.

The fate of these small animals is that at the end of the course, the children will have to kill them themselves and cook them into food.

Many primary school students ate while crying, and the scene was once very out of control. The children had no choice but to accept this fact. In order to graduate smoothly, they became butchers with snot running down their faces, slaughtering and eating these little animals that they had poured love into.

Similarly, legend has it that Tamamo-no-Mae also has this vice: once she has a favorite soul, she will descend to the host's side and stay by his side, like planting fruit, until it matures.

So, don't be fooled by this sly fox's usual harmless, gentle, and considerate demeanor; in reality, this woman is truly lusting after his body, in every sense of the word...

"But don't worry, I, Tamamo, will not have any ill intentions towards you before you truly fall in love with me. After all, only a soul truly imbued with love is the most delicious thing. I still have that much patience."

Under Tamamo-no-Mae's seemingly mocking gaze, Samael seemed to remember something. His serpentine eyes met those golden eyes, and he calmly asked a question.

"So, how many times have you succeeded so far?"

"..."

Instantly, the atmosphere froze. Tamamo-no-Mae's smile froze, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. Behind this pretentious fox, several luminous tail shadows drooped down, making her look extremely dejected.

Samael understood the situation immediately.

He who fights with wild beasts should beware of becoming a wild beast himself; and when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

Similarly, emotions are undoubtedly a double-edged sword.

While Tamamo-no-Mae poured her emotions into her "prey," she was also affected by those emotions.

They keep saying that men are too easy to manipulate, and that they choose to serve and cultivate their preferred targets in order to steal the other's soul.