Chapter 187
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Chapter 187: The Demon Lord
As they left the coffee shop, the night had deepened, and Tatsumi City was eerily quiet after a turbulent few days. No one was out on the darkened streets.
The autumn breeze of the late night cut through the air. Merete Chambers, her clothes thin for the weather, shivered slightly and murmured, “It’s a little cold.”
Bai Yan noted that her physical condition was average. For someone like her, wearing an evening gown might have been an intentional choice to set a certain mood. Was she feeling cold now?
He quickly realized that this was likely a subtle way for her to appear more vulnerable, a method women sometimes use to draw others in by showcasing a small weakness.
Though the witch’s body might feel cold, Bai Yan knew her pain tolerance far surpassed that of an ordinary human. This wasn’t an authentic “girlish” reaction.
He decided to joke, “What if we do these things together, and as I continue to grow fond of you, I end up falling for you?”
“Falling for me?” Merete Chambers narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Well, that would be great. If I could make you fall in love with me, I’d have all the power and resources at your disposal, wouldn’t I? Maybe you’d even want me to have a child for you, so you could feel you’ve successfully controlled me?”
Bai Yan felt a moment of disbelief. Was this really her thought process? He resisted the urge to react in disgust.
“Not enough?” she asked with a straight face.
“No, the problem isn’t there at all.” Bai Yan spoke plainly, but suddenly he noticed a wicked smile creeping onto her face.
It was the same grin she had worn when teasing Samoyed earlier.
Bai Yan realized that the witch was teasing him once again, using this slightly ambiguous humor to bridge the distance between them and gain trust. It was a simple tactic, but effective nonetheless.
Merete Chambers, her smile still in place, said, “You have many secrets locked away in your heart, secrets that only make you more lonely… If you ever decide to share them, I’d be happy to be the person you trust.”
Bai Yan gave a slight smile and nodded. “Perhaps one day, I’ll share my secrets.”
However, the one who knows everything is not you, he thought.
Merete Chambers, understanding him, smiled knowingly. “I see, you have someone you trust deeply. You were just thinking about her earlier. Even if you trust her, you won’t share everything. That’s just your nature.”
She shook her head. “But if that person you trust is a woman, that could be a problem for me.”
“Don’t make it sound like you’re pursuing me,” Bai Yan responded coolly.
“Samoyed, did she trust you unknowingly at first and eventually become your slave?”
Merete Chambers squinted, not denying the accusation. She rarely denied anything people said about her.
With her usual smile, she replied, “No, Samoyed had many choices at the start, but she only chose the one she knew was inevitable.”
Bai Yan wanted to ask where they were headed next, but he held back. Since Merete Chambers claimed she could lift the curse, he decided to follow her.
Adelaide and Black Vulture were his teammates, and he had no reason to turn his back on them now. Besides, he figured she wouldn’t deceive him—not right now, at least. And if she did try anything, it would be meaningless.
Bai Yan’s original body, meanwhile, was far away.
In the Platinum Zone, in the villa where he’d lived for years, the real Bai Yan was having a late-night snack with Maryse, who had shown up uninvited. She was used to luxury foods from her family, so he had prepared Chinese hotpot for her, which left her mouth numb—literally. Now she was soothing the sensation with an ice cream bar.
Bai Yan thought it best not to use his original body around Merete Chambers. Who knew what she might do? His “other” self could handle this, ready to release an incarnation if necessary.
Finally, Merete Chambers and Bai Yan arrived at a location that seemed entirely unremarkable—a typical crossroads.
Merete Chambers, her face red from the cold, pulled a set of leather clothes from somewhere and quickly donned them.
“Let me explain,” she began. “This place may look ordinary, but it’s actually perfect for summoning the demon lord, ‘Sburnak.’ It matches the necessary longitude and latitude.”
“Trust the information Samoyed provided. While she’s foolish, she’s an expert in this field. She also leads a small, accomplished black wizard sect, responsible for over a hundred deaths.”
Samoyed. Though her appearance was sweet and angelic, Bai Yan knew better. Beneath her innocent smile, she had a mischievous and devilish nature.
Bai Yan nodded silently, standing across from the witch without saying a word.
Merete Chambers began setting up the ritual, placing “Disturbing Calm Wind” at four points on the crossroads, aligned with the sacrificial items: “White Bone Teeth,” “Annoying Tears,” and “Transparent Bats.” These weren’t expensive materials—altogether, they probably cost only a few hundred thousand.
“I’m going to summon it now,” she said. “Then I’ll use black magic to suppress the demon lord and force it to negotiate with us.”
“Okay, let’s begin,” she concluded.
Merete Chambers closed her eyes and began chanting. Her words weren’t in any human language, but in a complex and ancient magic that was beyond human comprehension. The syllables sounded like they were whispered from another time, an age long forgotten.
“RALA–SA!”
The sacrificial items vanished, and Bai Yan sensed a shift in the air around him. The crossroads seemed to become more somber, the very air growing thick and heavy. He felt as though his mind had crossed into another world. A pure, evil presence was quietly spreading, waiting for the right moment to bring about destruction.
Finally, the wind stopped.
Bai Yan knew it had arrived.
Merete Chambers opened her eyes, a triumphant smile on her face. In the center of the crossroads, a pale light began to emerge.
Bai Yan observed the light closely, feeling the powerful ancient aura emanating from it.
The Demon Lords were powerful entities, higher than regular upper-level demons. Literature from the Demon Hunt Agency indicated that they were ancient beings with Crown-level strength. Even under normal circumstances, Crown-level beings couldn’t stand up to the Demon Lords. Their long lives gave them unmatched experience and knowledge.
Even more crucially, the planes inhabited by Demon Lords were not of this world. They were from a higher plane known as the “Creation Realm,” where entities possessed minds that surpassed common understanding. This made abilities like psychic power, soul magic, or illusions ineffective against them.
Bai Yan had long believed that “Psychic Dancers” in their later stages weren’t strong enough for this reason.
Merete Chambers broke the silence, speaking again. “Speaking of which, Samoyed isn’t as honest as she seems.”
Bai Yan looked at her. “What do you mean?”
Merete Chambers smirked. “Samoyed has tried to kill me several times. Growing up in the wilderness as a sinner, she doesn’t share the values of normal humans. Though she looks cute, she’s actually quite terrifying… A ‘talking monster’ wearing human skin.”
She continued, her eyes narrowing with amusement. “So, there’s a chance the spell could fail, or it might anger the Demon Lord. Be prepared.”
Bai Yan didn’t respond, but his other self was prepared. If needed, he could release an incarnation at any moment. He also had other tricks up his sleeve.
“Sburnak,” she said, almost as an afterthought.
This demon lord’s birthdate was unknown, but its presence had been documented in black wizard texts for at least tens of thousands of years. Known for riding a giant white horse and wearing a dragon bone helmet, Sburnak was always ready for battle. Despite its humanoid form, Bai Yan immediately knew that it was not truly human.
As the demon lord appeared, Bai Yan could tell immediately that it was not a being to be trifled with. It rode a towering white horse, nearly five meters tall. Its humanoid form stood at three meters, and its eyes were burning with blue flames. The blue magic array on the ground struggled to contain its imposing presence.
“I am the Lord of Demons, Sburnak, offering weapons to those who fight,” it declared.
“Human, why have you summoned me?”
Merete Chambers continued chanting, her hand bleeding as she cast the spell to suppress the demon lord. The black halo above Sburnak’s head flickered briefly, and its eyes narrowed in anger.
“Another black wizard using petty tricks,” it muttered.
It then looked at Bai Yan, its massive body trembling in recognition.
“Why are you here?” it demanded. “So, this was your hidden card?”
The demon lord suddenly dismounted from its white steed and kneeled before Bai Yan, its voice full of agitation.
“According to the ancient agreement, as the loser, I will fulfill your three requests.”
Merete Chambers looked at Bai Yan with surprise, while he stood still, pretending to be unfazed. Inside, however, he was taken aback.
This situation was far from what he had expected.
While unclear, the “master of Babel Tower” clearly had great origins. The ancient demon lord seemed to know more than it should… Fortunately, it hadn’t revealed Bai Yan’s true identity, or he wasn’t sure how Merete Chambers would react.
