Chapter 612: Book 5: Chapter 211: Bait

“Well, since you’re here, wouldn’t you like to take something with you?” Dragon Eater crossed her arms and rested her chin on her hand, speaking in a seductive tone.

“The Black Flame Crystals I have here are of high quality. I guarantee that just a few of them will help you beat that pervert until he’s completely disoriented. They’re colorless, odorless, and of guaranteed quality—perfect for discreetly taking care of ‘business,’ whether at home or on the go.”

She winked playfully at Lilith. “What do you think? Are you tempted? If you buy now, I’ll give you a discount of a hundred percent, plus a buy-one-free-one deal, and I’ll throw in a free limbs restoration package. They’re guaranteed to be as good as new, smooth, white, and tender.”

“I’m not interested.” Lilith refused outright.

“Huh? How could you turn down such a great offer?”

“You just want me to use it, don’t you? Giving it away is still a win for you.”

“Heh, maybe I’d earn a little… just a little…” Dragon Eater chuckled.

“Anyway, I’m not going to use it because that guy, Three, clearly wants me to. If I do, something bad will definitely happen.”

Lilith’s tone was resolute. She had a strong suspicion that Dragon Eater’s intentions were far from good.

And… Lilith looked up at the light above her head. It was the drop of blood left by the Dragon Ancestor. It used to be as bright as a star before but now flickered like a candle in the wind.

Since the Cornelia incident, the Dragon Ancestor had been silent. Lilith feared what the Dragon Eater might do without the restraint of the Dragon Ancestor.

“So, you won’t use it even if that little girl who saved you is about to die?” Dragon Eater leaned closer, her deep black eyes locking onto Lilith’s, her tone teasing.

“Don’t forget, that little girl is out there, foolishly fleeing while carrying you on her back. How long do you think she can last? Five minutes? Ten? Or do you think Three will kill her first?”

Lilith bit her lip, remaining silent.

“Actually… I think I know what will happen. If you show your power in front of those outsiders, someone from a Great World will come and kill you. It’s that simple,” Dragon Eater whispered in her ear.

“Simple? If someone from the Great World really comes to kill me, I don’t know how many people like Three they’ll send. Who could survive that?” Lilith replied in exasperation.

“Haha, you’re underestimating both yourself and me. By then, someone like Three won’t even qualify as cannon fodder. You’re also underestimating those ancient beings in the Great World, whose ages are measured in millions of years.”

“Then why do you still…”

“What’s the problem with that?” Dragon Eater interrupted Lilith, licking her crimson lips as a fire burned in her eyes—though it was unclear whether it was fueled by disgust… or hatred. She continued, “If they come, we’ll just kill them all.”

Lilith froze, instinctively replying, “That’s easier said than done…”

“No, it’s that simple.” The Dragon Eater cupped Lilith’s cheek, locking eyes with her. Though a spirit, the Dragon Eater somehow exhaled a breath that carried a faint, sweet scent, like orchids.

“No matter who comes, no matter how many—they’ll all die. We’ll keep killing until the whole Great World is too terrified to even speak. Believe in yourself, Lilith. Believe in me. As long as we’re united, we can kill anyone in this world we want to kill.”

“Anyone… we want to kill…” Lilith stared into Dragon Eater’s deep eyes, feeling as though her very soul was being drawn out. Her gaze gradually glazed over as she fell under the spell of the Dragon Eater’s whispered, hypnotic voice.

Dragon Eater murmured softly, “That’s right. As long as we’re united… Those who betray, defy, and scheme against us… will all die.”

She inched her head closer, their foreheads nearly touching. But suddenly, their world trembled. The shaking snapped Lilith back to reality, and she quickly pushed the Dragon Eater away.

“Geez…” The Dragon Eater looked up in exasperation, a trace of anger and deep frustration in her eyes. “Why is it always you? How many times are you going to interrupt me when things are getting good?”

“Oh, there you are, dear princess.” Three floated in front of Erica with a broad smile, as if greeting an old friend after a long time apart. “How could you be so cruel as to leave me behind? Do you have any idea how much I’ve invested for this moment?”

Lilith, who had passed out, was in no condition to respond.

Three then turned her gaze to Erica, who was glaring at her warily. “And you, little mouse, I clearly gave you a chance to live. Why would you come back just to die?”

“Hmph, I didn’t come back to die. I’m fighting for my future glory and riches.” Erica bared her teeth defiantly and waved her fist at Three. “I’m warning you, I’m really strong. You’d better behave and think twice before acting. Getting knocked out by my fist won’t be pleasant… Ouch, I bit my tongue.”

“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. Though I’d be more impressed if your legs weren’t shaking while you said it.”

“Mind your own business,” Erica retorted, sticking out her wounded tongue.

“All right, my patience is running thin. Hand over my dear Princess, and I’ll let you go without too much suffering.” Three felt it was a waste of time to engage with such a fool.

“I’m not handing her over! Lilith is my money tree. Cutting off someone’s wealth is as good as killing their parents—even though mine are long dead, I’ll still fight you for my money tree!” Erica tied Lilith securely to her back with a strip of cloth, then got into a fighting stance she barely knew.

“How boring.” Three was beginning to realize she needed to break this habit of conversing with anyone she encountered. If she kept running into humanoids who couldn’t grasp basic reasoning, she’d end up wasting a lot of precious time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Three weighed the blade in her hand, contemplating whether to just slice the Dragon Princess and that fool in half together.

She wondered if the Dragon Princess, now so weakened, would even survive after being cut in half.

Might as well try. If it doesn’t work… well, it’s no big deal. That old demoness will fly into a rage if something happens to her daughter. But if the sky collapses, the tallest one will get hit first. Hopefully that old crone can take it… Hopefully…

Three raised her blade, ready to strike.

“Huh?” She suddenly paused, frowning. A silly-looking fish had appeared out of nowhere, resting in front of her blade, motionless, as if curious about the weapon.

The fish was large, about twice the size of Three, resembling a catfish but appearing even more dim-witted—hardly a predator and certainly not one that had grown up as a carnivore.

‘It’s probably harmless. I’ll just cut it in half along with everything else.’ With that thought, Three brought the blade down.

The fish was effortlessly sliced into two, and the fishy smell of blood filled the air. Yet, an ominous feeling suddenly gripped Three’s heart. Trusting her instincts, she swiftly moved several meters to the side.

In that instant, a massive creature erupted from the depths of the dark, bottomless lake. It opened its grotesque, bloody maw, engulfing the exact spot where Three had been floating just moments before, where she had sliced the fish in half.

Three’s pupils constricted slightly as she realized just how close she was—less than ten centimeters—to the monstrous beast.