Before their deaths, these two crimson demons had the chance to admire a breathtakingly beautiful girl performing a flawless, dreamlike waltz.

As they were on the verge of exhaustion, the girl with light cherry blossom-colored hair had eyes filled with the gentle spring water.

She elegantly and decisively delivered two mace strikes, taking the lives of the two crimson demons.

As she had said, they didn’t even have time to let out a scream.

Before they realized they were dead, their bodies had already collapsed powerlessly.

‘Virtue +10’

‘Virtue +10’

‘Current Virtue: 54’

Looking at the neatly laid-out bodies of the crimson demons, Vanessa, holding a blood-stained mace in one hand, rested it lightly against her shoulder and bowed gracefully, speaking softly like a drizzle falling on tender green leaves.

“Wishing you all a good dream.”

The little white fox, who had watched the entire scene from behind, stared intently at the girl’s back with its enchanting eyes, as if trying to discern something.

Her hair and eye colors matched. She should be from that family.

But now, it still didn’t have enough evidence.

The fleeting flame earlier might have just been a similar spell, not the terrifying holy fire that instilled fear.

As for her hair and eye colors, these could be coincidences.

After all, from what it knew, that family was practically extinct, with only a male member from a dead branch remaining, who wasn’t worth paying attention to.

Now, suddenly, a member with an intact heritage appearing was clearly impossible.

Just as the little white fox was deep in thought, it seemed to sense something and suddenly looked towards a nearby bush, its expression changing.

Damn it… It’s been discovered after all.

This was inevitable. After such a long fight, with the strong scent of its kin’s blood, the crimson demon chieftain couldn’t have missed it.

In the next moment, Vanessa’s eyes narrowed, and she rolled backward.

“Boom! Boom!” The spot where she had been standing was blown into a small crater.

Although she had dodged in time, the shockwave still caught her, sending her flying.

Vanessa’s boots scraped against the ground, sliding for a distance.

The magic resistance she naturally possessed, along with the resistance provided by her [Armor Fortress], had been a great help.

Otherwise, even the residual shockwave would have likely broken her bones.

Even so, she was still injured. However, she didn’t cast a basic healing spell on herself.

She had her own plans, her gaze fixed on the large shadow slowly emerging from the forest.

“Quite unexpected, little human girl,” a rough voice rang out.

A nearly three-meter-tall, heavily armored crimson-skinned demon with explosive muscles walked out.

He carried a spear about 3.2 meters long on his shoulder.

The spear’s shaft was pitch black, and the blade, shaped like a dragon’s claw, was embedded with a gem emitting an icy blue light. The spearhead was adorned with a blue tassel.

Clearly, this was an enchanted weapon, likely of at least [Magic Tool] grade.

Vanessa remembered that weapon grades were divided into five tiers, from lowest to highest: [Common Iron], [Refined Steel], [Magic Tool], [Divine Weapon], and [Legendary].

Among these, [Common Iron] and [Refined Steel] had no enchantments, while [Magic Tool] and above had magical properties.

At the [Divine Weapon] level, weapons could even possess their own intelligence and recognize their masters.

Vanessa recalled that in the original story, Aesphyra’s weapon was a [Divine Weapon], and it was a growth-type one.

It could absorb the blood of demons and evil people, gradually growing to the [Legendary] level.

Vanessa felt a strong oppressive aura from this tall and burly crimson demon.

Clearly, this demon’s magic level far surpassed hers.

Could it be that she had encountered a Wraith level?

But why? She distinctly remembered that in the original plot, Aesphyra only killed a few low level crimson demons and there was no mention of a Wraith level.

Where have things gone wrong?

Vanessa tightened her grip on the mace.

“Tsk, these useless pieces of trash,” the crimson demon chieftain glanced at the subordinates Vanessa had taken down, showing not a hint of anger or sympathy, but rather utter disdain.

“Mr. Crimson Demon, are you seeking revenge for your kin?” Vanessa’s lips curled into a charming smile.

“Revenge? Hah, these trash don’t deserve it,” the crimson demon chieftain snorted.

“Five against one, and all of them got killed. I don’t even want to admit these incompetent fools are my subordinates. You think I’d avenge them?”

“Still, no matter what, these trash are my kin. Human, do you know how we crimson demons deal with outsiders who kill our own?” The crimson demon chieftain scrutinized Vanessa’s stunning face and luxurious figure, licking his lips greedily.

“Though, I must say, I’ve never seen such a beautiful human before. Tsk tsk, I dare say, the village girls we’ve snatched from human territories before can’t even compare to a single strand of your hair.”

The crimson demon chieftain’s gaze was filled with undisguised greed and lust, looking at Vanessa as if she were a prized item on a shelf.

“Such a gaze towards a lady is quite impolite, Mr. crimson demon,” Vanessa’s beautiful face held a delicate smile, but her voice no longer carried any warmth.

“Heh, just looking is too much for you? Wait till later, it won’t just be looking,” the crimson demon chieftain let out a lewd laugh.

“What’s your name?… Never mind, human names are just like labels on goods, meaningless,” the crimson demon chieftain carried his spear, clearly believing Vanessa stood no chance against him.

And indeed, she didn’t.

Vanessa knew full well that no matter how strong she was, she was just a small fry who had barely reached the [Apprentice] level.

This tall crimson demon, whose identity she didn’t know, had already demonstrated magic power far beyond her own.

He was likely a Wraith level.

If he truly was a Wraith level-level demon, then she was in serious trouble.

Even Aesphyra had to fight with all her might against such enemies.

Under normal circumstances, Vanessa stood no chance.

The little white fox thought the same, so while the two were talking, it had been playing dead, hoping to slip away while the crimson demon chieftain’s attention was on Vanessa.

It knew well that every crimson demon chieftain was at least at the [Wraith level] level.

Given the human girl’s current level, she had no chance of winning.

However, the crimson demon chieftain wasn’t a fool.

He had noticed the little white fox’s subtle movements.

“Where are you going, my lady?” the crimson demon chieftain sneered.

“Our chieftain is very interested in meeting you. Please don’t decline.”

“…”

The little white fox paused, knowing it couldn’t escape.

Although the demon had been talking to the girl, his attention had been on it the whole time.

This exchange carried a lot of information, enough to surprise even Vanessa.

This powerful crimson demon actually addressed the little white fox as ‘my lady’?

So, was it also a demon?

Come to think of it, the fox did look familiar.

“According to our clan’s rules, any outsider who kills our kin will be sliced into a thousand pieces,” the crimson demon chieftain’s voice brought Vanessa back to reality.

“But, such a pretty little beauty like you, killing you would be a waste.”

“Woman, I’ll give you a chance to serve me. Don’t be ungrateful,” the crimson demon chieftain spoke condescendingly.

The feeling of holding someone’s life in his hands was something he could never get enough of.

“…”

Vanessa remained silent.

“What, do I need to show you the difference in our strength? Let me remind you, my patience is limited. If it weren’t for your looks, you’d already be dead.”

The crimson demon chieftain chuckled. “You are quite strong. I’m curious what kind of human you are to possess strength surpassing even a crimson demon.”

“But if you think strength is just about brute force, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Whether it’s powerful humans or powerful crimson demons, what truly matters is magic. The higher the level of combat, the less place brute force has.”