Chapter 251: Dekans Characteristic Gentleness (1/2) |
"W-What are you going to do?!"
Elaine's eyes widened, her face filled with horror as she shouted.
But her body couldn't move.
Now, no matter what Dekan intended to do to her, she couldn't move a muscle.
"Don't worry, I'm very kind-hearted; I won't torture you, as thanks for your help to Cornelia earlier."
Dekan smiled, narrowing his eyes.
When he said the word "thanks", his tone seemed to drop just a little.
Elaine looked into Dekan's eyes and realized that Dekan seemed a little angry.
He clearly saw through what Elaine intended to do by bringing Cornelia here.
If this gray-haired demon said he was going to kill her, she wouldn't be afraid.
If he said he would let her live, she would be terrified.
Because the methods this perverted demon used to torture prey were endlessly bizarre.
She had already experienced the pain that nearly snapped her mind earlier.
She couldn't imagine what kind of hell it would be if this gray-haired demon tortured her with all his might.
But what was truly terrifying now was...
This gray-haired demon said he wouldn't torture her.
Then what exactly awaited her??
"Let... let me go, I am still useful to you..."
Elaine's body trembled instinctively, beads of sweat covering her forehead; her lips parted slightly, trembling incessantly.
"Huh? What are you talking about? You make it sound like I'm the bad guy. And what's with your appearance? Smile, relax."
Dekan raised his eyebrows and said somewhat angrily.
He knew that as the nemesis of evil, it was normal to be feared by villains.
But scaring villains like this every time...
Always made him feel a bit uncomfortable inside.
It must be because of these villains' overreactions affecting his public reputation.
Damn it.
Dekan shook his head, turned around, and stopped looking at Elaine.
And Cornelia understood tacitly; she took out ropes and tied them to the Warden's corpse and Elaine's feet respectively, preparing to drag them towards the camp.
"No!! No matter what you're planning! As long as you ruin me, that group of people will definitely die! You will be the one who directly caused their deaths!"
Elaine shouted frantically.
This was the only life-saving straw she could think of.
"Quiet."
Accompanied by this command from Dekan, Elaine found herself unable to speak.
It was as if her throat was jammed.
Dekan put away the silence spell, then looked at the remaining Paralysis Potion.
He gave Elaine a supplementary dose.
Making her completely unable to even speak or blink.
Now she was just a doll with a clear consciousness.
"Alright, just listen obediently later."
After whispering, Dekan stood up and ignored Elaine.
Dealing with ordinary low-quality villains, Dekan wouldn't waste much time; killing them was enough.
But for high-quality villains, if time allowed, Dekan would likely give them a good "military training" before killing them.
For excellent villains, like Ruin Bishop Ivans or Corrupt Bishop Fahim, Dekan would not only kill them but also break their hearts; after torturing them, he would make them die by the methods they loved to inflict on innocent people the most.
As for Elaine, it was hard for Dekan to define which level she belonged to.
Her sins were far less deep than Ivans or Fahim.
She didn't reach the level of "excellent".
But her obsession with toying with human hearts was something Dekan hadn't encountered before.
So Dekan believed she would definitely bring him some brand-new fun.
"Cornelia, if she had sneak-attacked you just now, could you have dodged it?"
Dekan asked abruptly while walking.
No matter what, this was the question he cared about most in his heart from just now until now.
"Yes, I didn't trust her completely; I was in a combat-ready state at all times."
Cornelia turned back seriously, looked at Dekan, and answered.
The handbook Dekan wrote for her explicitly mentioned it.
After getting separated from Dekan, no matter how pure and good a guy looked, don't trust them.
"Phew, but I will find you as soon as possible in the future."
Dekan heaved a sigh of relief and nodded with satisfaction.
"Mm. By the way, where is Cat Teacher?"
"Cornelia meow!"
Cat Teacher crawled out of Dekan's collar, and Cornelia waved her paw.
"Ugh..."
Cornelia looked at Cat Teacher somewhat pitifully.
Because even though she stared at Cat Teacher for so long, Cat Teacher had no intention of jumping onto her.
"Meow-u, Cornelia, it's too cold outside meow. I'll come to you after passing this layer!"
After speaking, Cat Teacher burrowed back into Dekan's cotton coat.
Dekan momentarily wanted to grab it and throw it to Cornelia's side.
But he couldn't be bothered to argue with it.
It was clinging to him so much now mainly because he generously threw out a huge sum of 50 Devil Points on the third layer to save it.
When it discovers its own worth later, there will be a good show to watch.
"Alright, next let's quickly put on some makeup."
Dekan took out a palette of paints and quickly turned the three unscathed people into a battle-damaged state.
Although he couldn't master Mi'e's disguise technique, having consulted Mi'e and being skilled at painting, he could still disguise the three to look like they had experienced a fierce battle.
Subsequently, they went to find the corpses of the two Scout Team scouts.
However, Dekan and Morion each carried one of these two corpses, transporting them back to the camp properly.
Just like this, they got closer and closer to the camp.
When there was still some distance from the camp.
Under Dekan's instruction, Morion piled the corpse in his hands onto Dekan's hands, then Cornelia gave Elaine a few ruthless stabs.
Dekan looked at Elaine on the ground and said:
"Alright, Morion, go pick Elaine up; hold her carefully like holding a hero."
"Huh?"
Morion frowned, seemingly very resistant.
"Cornelia is dragging Faceless Igna, my hands are already full; this kind of prince-like job is left to you."
Dekan nudged Morion with his elbow and said.
"Tsk, prince? Host fits better. Don't think I don't know, last time you even planned to let me go seduce Countess Lilislina."
Morion clicked his tongue, unwillingly untied the ropes on Elaine's feet, and then picked her up.
Elaine was terrified beyond measure.
Although she hadn't seen this youth with pear-wood colored hair make a move.
But she just felt that falling into this guy's hands in her immobile state, having several lives wouldn't be enough.
Being held by him, she felt no sense of security at all.
Only indescribable fear.
She wanted to struggle desperately, but her body had no sensation and couldn't move.
"Alright, alright, how could I let you be a host... Watch your expression; next, our expressions must become heavier, just like going to school or work."
Under Dekan's guidance, Morion and Cornelia quickly understood what state they should return to the camp in.
Subsequently.
The group finally returned to the camp.
First, the temporary guard team on duty outside the camp was alerted.
Next, everyone in the camp was alerted by the commotion and this scene.
...
"This, this is?"
"What happened to Elaine?!"
Everyone in the camp couldn't believe it.
This nightmare-like Warden had now turned into a corpse!
And Elaine looked like she was on her last breath.
Although there was still a trace of tenacious vitality in her body.
But even the strongest Mage Ryan in the camp had examined her.
Her injuries couldn't be saved by any healing magic anymore.
Probably only a Tier 8 Priest could keep her alive.
But it was impossible to find a Tier 8 Priest in this prison.
She was already beyond saving.
On the contrary, the gray-haired girl and the pear-wood hair youth brought back by Cornelia were no longer the priority focus of everyone.
Everyone wore expressions of sorrow and despair, a deathly silence.
All this happened too suddenly; they were like a group of helpless children struck to the point of being unable to accept reality.
They could only let time pass slowly.
At this moment, every minute and second passing in the camp was like an invisible sharp blade, cutting and eating away at these people's wills, leaving only endless darkness.
They felt no joy over the Warden's death.
Just surrounding Elaine, tears hanging from the corners of their eyes.
"Cornelia, what happened..."
Finally, Mage Ryan moved his gaze away from Elaine, looked at Cornelia, and asked.
He seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
"When we arrived at the bodies, we found two new companions. They encountered the Warden as soon as they arrived on this layer, but they weren't as lucky as me; there was no Scout Team to point out the Warden's characteristics to them..."
Cornelia lowered her head, mumbling.
This was the acting method Dekan taught her; if she couldn't act out expressions well, just lowering her head would do.
"And then?"
Although Mage Ryan's heart was already as dead as ash, he still asked, unable to hide the urgency in his heart.
If it were usual.
Even if new prisoners were sent in and encountered the Warden.
There would definitely be people from the Scout Team nearby to point out the Warden's characteristics to them.
But it just happened today.
Two people from the Scout Team were poisoned.
"Then Sister Elaine, in order to save them, started taking me to launch a frontal attack on the Warden..."
Cornelia continued recounting.
At this moment, Elaine lay on the ground listening to Cornelia's nonsense.
What have you guys distorted the facts into?!
But she couldn't even lift her eyelids.
She could only listen to Cornelia talking nonsense, rubbish, and balderdash.
"The four of you combined forces and took out the Warden?"
Ryan basically figured out the situation.
These two new prisoners seemed relatively strong.
Adding Cornelia, maybe they really had a chance to take out the Warden.
"Because they are two rather special supports who can control the Warden and strengthen Sister Elaine's combat power to Tier 8, so Sister Elaine, for some reason, fought like her life depended on it to defeat the Warden..."
Cornelia explained according to the rhetoric Dekan told her beforehand.
Listening to Cornelia's words, Mage Ryan looked at Elaine with a complicated expression again and closed his eyes painfully.
"Why... why go to this extent..."
Mage Ryan muttered sorrowfully.
Of course, he knew why Elaine did this.
Because once a traitor appeared in this group.
Poisoning the Scout Team.
Then next, the survivors would fall into a terrifying killing game.
Probably no one could survive.
Even Elaine, who seemed the most intelligent and strong, probably felt powerless.
But in her despair, she just happened to see a chance for a desperate fight.
As long as she could take out the Warden, the others could still be saved.
So she bet her life.
Sacrificing herself to save everyone.
Because this was the only clumsy method she had to save everyone.
"Then who exactly is it?"
Ryan asked in a low voice through gritted teeth.
Although he omitted the complete sentence, Cornelia knew he was asking "Who is the traitor that poisoned the Scout Team people."
As one of only two people who knew the truth currently, Ryan knew Cornelia couldn't be the murderer.
Cornelia's voice became a bit finer, with no intention of concealing the truth from the camp crowd:
"The cause of death for the two Scout Team members was toxin in the food. At that time, the only person handling the food distribution was Sister Elaine... When I took the dying Sister Elaine to find the bodies, we finally confirmed their cause of death. They were just simply killed by the poisoned food supplies... All this was just a joke of the Demon Realm Prison."
PART 2
After hearing this, Ryan froze on the spot, lost in thought.
Subsequently, he stumbled somewhat crazily to the two corpses and examined them.
The result was indeed as Cornelia said.
If the murderer wasn't Elaine herself, then it could only be that the food itself carried poison.
But obviously, the poisoner couldn't be Elaine who sacrificed herself to defeat the Warden.
"Then... Elaine didn't have to die... Were we all just toyed with by a casual stroke of the Demon Realm Prison?"
"Mm..."
Cornelia nodded.
"Elaine!! Why are you so foolish! Do these damned demons find it so fun to play us in the palm of their hands?!"
Ryan's voice was exceptionally desolate.
He had understood everything.
Elaine didn't have to die.
She just became a sacrifice!
Obviously, the Demon Realm Prison discovered they were living too comfortably.
So it secretly put poison in the food supplies, wanting to provoke them.
However, existing with a huge information gap, they didn't discover it.
Being played around by the Demon Realm Prison.
Only after sacrificing Elaine did they discover this was the Demon Realm Prison's trap.
If they could have found these two bodies a little earlier, maybe Elaine wouldn't have foolishly gone to perish together with the Warden.
But everyone understood.
Elaine was such a kind and noble person; given the chance where two people were being attacked by the Warden, she would definitely have done so.
The surrounding survivors heard most of it and roughly understood the situation.
Among everyone present.
Dekan, Cornelia, and Morion were the three actors.
Other survivors were truly deceived.
Only Elaine was dumbfounded.
Lying on the ground, she completely didn't understand what the situation was anymore.
Which play are you guys acting out??
The survivors were obviously enraged by the "Demon Realm Prison's operation", but like a flame without fuel, it quickly extinguished completely.
As the last bit of intense emotion dissipated, only endless despair remained in their eyes.
Even Mage Ryan sat down as if he had lost his soul.
Now.
Even if the Warden was gone, so what.
They were only stable for a while.
There would be new Wardens, new fatal threats in the future.
Originally they thought as long as they had Elaine, following her, they could live on together.
But now, with just a little trick from the Demon Realm, putting a little poison in the food distribution, they could be easily driven to a desperate situation.
Elaine died in vain too.
Without Elaine, they didn't know how to go on anymore.
Elaine: "..."
She couldn't speak.
But she wasn't afraid anymore.
Dekan was obviously just scaring her.
Anyway, she was dying soon and wouldn't be tortured much.
And Dekan's goal, she gradually saw through it.
Dekan simply wanted to dissociate Elaine's death from his actions.
Not to take the blame for causing the survivors' deaths.
Truly hypocritical to a laughable degree.
...
The atmosphere in the camp seemed oppressive enough to suffocate people.
Although these survivors were still alive, they all wore expressions of people about to die.
Light could no longer be seen in their eyes.
Once again, they couldn't see any hope of survival.
Just when they didn't know whether to continue living aimlessly or commit suicide earlier.
"You bunch of useless trash!!"
Dekan shouted.
"Hm?"
Everyone looked at Dekan blankly.
Elaine started to feel abruptly that something was wrong.
She thought Dekan was ready to wrap up.
What is this guy doing again??
"Elaine's death has no meaning! She deserved to die in vain! She was a big idiot!"
Dekan continued shouting.
"What does a guy like you know?! Shut up!"
This made others stare at Dekan with hostility.
This was their last bottom line.
"To save you bunch of trash, she faced a Tier 8 Warden without retreating even in death, fighting until the last moment of exhaustion. Now thinking about it, I just want to laugh! Just want to laugh..."
Dekan continued cursing, his eyes full of anger, but tears uncontrollably slid down the corners of his eyes,
"Was her hesitating sacrifice for seeing you bunch of dead people lose so easily to cowardice, and then commit suicide like useless cowards?"
Dekan's appearance and his words obviously left the survivors speechless.
They could only grit their teeth and cry.
But it seemed fire reappeared in their eyes.
The more they recalled Elaine, the more blurred their vision became.
They were indeed trash.
Without Elaine, they didn't even have the courage to live on.
"If you think her death has no meaning, think Elaine deserved to slave for you and deserved to die, then just go ahead and stay depressed, or simply commit suicide immediately! While she might still have one last breath now, able to hear your voices, tell her you will commit suicide! Let her die with everlasting regret!!"
Feeling it was about enough, Dekan shouted full of anger, simultaneously triggering [Three Corpses Berserk].
"No! Absolutely not!"
"We want to live, even in death we will struggle to the last moment!"
"Can't let Elaine die in vain..."
Everyone clenched their fists, voices rising one after another.
It was as if something hidden in their bones was ignited.
The survival instinct that had disappeared now burned in their hearts like a raging fire!
Not only were they not drowned by that surging tide-like despair, on the contrary, sorrow aroused the hot blood in their bones.
"That's right, you must live on, live on carrying Elaine's belief! Only then will her death not be meaningless!"
Dekan preached like an orator, encouraging everyone.
However, behind him.
Elaine lying on the ground: "?????"
She wanted to say a lot, but she couldn't speak!
She couldn't even open her eyes!!
She, a dignified demon, was praised by Dekan into a saint, a supremely good person?
And this group of people, went crazy?
Why do they really look like they want to live on believing in the "optimism" she used to deceive this group of people before?
Could it be, her death not only wouldn't destroy this group of people.
On the contrary, it fulfilled this group of people?
Only this kind of thing, absolutely not!!!
This was the greatest insult to her!!!
"Elaine, just go in peace as a saint. Your death not only failed to destroy this group's belief but will make their hearts indestructible..."
Dekan whispered gently beside Elaine.
Although Dekan seemed to be praying sincerely.
But Elaine knew.
Dekan said this deliberately for her to hear!
Whether it was Dekan's operation.
Or the words full of life force from that group of stupid humans at this moment.
Disgusting, too disgusting!
Elaine roared madly in her heart.
She wanted to control her body, even if just to make a little sound!
But even using all her strength, it seemed she could only lift her finger a tiny bit.
She was undoubtedly going to die.
But she didn't want this group of people to live on forever cherishing her memory because of her death!
Disgusting! Disgusting!!!
She wanted to tell this group of people the truth!
Crush their hearts!!
But now.
She couldn't move.
Exceptionally ironic was, listening to this group's words, they had completely buried her in their hearts, turning her into strength.
"Elaine, rest assured, I will never be lost again; I will carry out your belief and lead everyone to live on!"
Mage Ryan's voice also became exceptionally firm.
He had successfully turned grief and indignation into strength.
As long as Elaine was in his heart, he wouldn't be lost.
"Sob sob, Elaine..."
Elaine could still hear the sounds of this group crying for her from time to time.
She now incomparably wanted to self-destruct, perishing together with this group.
But she simply couldn't do it.
She could only let this group express sincere gratitude to her, worshiping her as a saint.
Then feel her life draining away bit by bit.
She never thought she would die like this.
Making herself look like a sacrifice.
Not only failing to toy with this group of humans' hearts.
But fulfilling them instead!!!
This made both herself and her previous elaborate layout look like a joke.
I don't want to die as a saint!!
Dying like this is too unjust, too ironic!
I will die with everlasting regret!!!
No matter how Elaine roared in her heart, she couldn't feel any sensation on her body.
Couldn't express any emotion.
Dekan smiled with relief, seeming to feel it was about enough, so he whispered softly as if bidding farewell to an old friend:
"Noble one Elaine, your deeds will be circulated by humans, even known by demons. Your death is absolutely not meaningless; every person you saved will forever remember your kind act. Please, as a human, rest in peace with pride."
Elaine: "!!!"
This sentence finally seemed to crush Elaine's last psychological defense line.
Causing her pinky finger, which she had tried her best to lift, to fall to the ground again.
Although everyone was still crying, they all held back their tears from falling, gazing at Elaine.
Dekan looked at this touching scene and wiped his tears with relief.
However, soon.
He seemed not to want people to see him crying, and hurriedly turned around.
At this time, only Morion and Cornelia saw Dekan's expression clearly.
He was pretending to wipe tears.
Actually, the smile at the corners of his mouth couldn't be controlled at all.
The trembling on his body was solely because he was holding back laughter.
Cat Teacher also poked its head out of Dekan's collar to look at Dekan's state.
Then shrank back feeling somewhat afraid.
It had never seen human mixed joy and sorrow expressed like this.
Too creepy.
Then it timidly only showed its eyes, looking at Elaine lying on the ground dying.
It knew Elaine hadn't died yet, just in a state of suspended animation completely unable to move.
She, a dignified demon, still had to accept this group of people's gratitude like burning incense and worshipping Buddha for a while longer.
Before dying, probably every minute and second was extreme torture for her.
Cat Teacher didn't know how to evaluate.
Say Dekan is a demon.
Even if he was full of lies, bewitching this group of prisoners with demon methods of toying with hearts.
But he indeed saved these people's souls.
Say Dekan is an angel, his gentleness is darker than black.