While Kailith and Alice sat in Maruti's room, waiting eagerly with impatient hearts for her return, Maruti herself was nowhere near trying to escape.
She had taken a horse carriage and arrived at a bright and lively bar shop. The air inside was thick with laughter, music, and the scent of alcohol. On a small stage, dancers swayed their hips, entertaining the crowd with rhythmic moves. Around the hall, men and women in seductive, glittering clothes mingled with their clients, speaking softly, smiling widely, and letting out flirtatious laughter. Some of them were female escorters, while others were handsome young men, hired by rich ladies for their private enjoyment.
Maruti glanced at none of them. She had no time for distractions. Her steps were fast and firm as she went straight to the bar counter, where the manager stood. Leaning forward slightly, she spoke with directness in her voice.
"Do you have red wine, in large amount?"
The manager blinked, puzzled at first, then stiffened, his eyes darting back and forth as if checking who might be listening. He leaned forward too, lowering his voice.
"How much?"
"Two barrels," Maruti answered without hesitation.
His eyes widened. He looked around once more, nervous, then whispered, "But… aren't you too young for this? You should think carefully."
SLAM!
Maruti's small palm smacked the counter with surprising force. Her silver eyes gleamed sharply as she snapped, "Age doesn't matter! Do you have it or not? Don't make me angry."
The manager flinched, raising his hands quickly. "O-Okay… okay, come with me."
He stepped out from behind the counter and moved toward a side door.
Maruti frowned. "Why can't he just bring it out here? Maybe two barrels are too heavy to carry alone," she thought, sighing softly before following him.
They walked through a confusing path of narrow corridors, twisting and turning through several doors like a puzzle. Finally, they reached a spacious hidden chamber.
But instead of rows of barrels, the room was occupied by scattered groups of people, some sharpening weapons, some speaking in low voices. The air was heavy, filled with tension and purpose.
Maruti immediately felt her body stiffen, her guard rising. Her instincts screamed at her that this was no ordinary storage room.
The manager, however, walked casually to a woman sitting at the far end. She had striking green hair, decorated with several different-colored highlights tied neatly into side buns. Her aura alone demanded authority.
"Squadron leader," the manager said respectfully, pointing to Maruti, "she wants to join the revolutionary group too. She knew the code. I asked her if she was too young for this, but she said age doesn't matter."
Maruti's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly masked her reaction. Inside, her mind raced.
The thing she said about two barrels of red wine was actually code for joining the revolutionary group.
--------------
The land under M.A.L.I.C.E's control inside the dwarf kingdom looked nothing less than a nightmare.
Everywhere one could see strange mechanical robots. Some were huge, slow, and sturdy with such high elemental resistance that even powerful spells barely scratched them. Others were small, fast, and agile like wild animals. A few were built to move just like humans, wielding swords with deadly skill.
There were robots holding rifles, snipers, and even machine guns. Martial arts, swordsmanship, spearmanship, and all kinds of combat styles were already programmed into their systems. It was no surprise the dwarves had lost half their land in just one night when this army first appeared.
In the middle of this endless horde, Esdeath stood proudly, her ZK-20 in her hand.
With each swing, the weapon changed its form—sometimes a long spear piercing through multiple enemies at once, sometimes a machine gun raining bullets, and at other times a scythe cleaving robots in half. Every strike from her destroyed robots like they were nothing more than paper dolls.
"You are actually pretty good, girl. What kind of weapon is that? Where did you even get it?" Ceres shouted as she sent her own spears exploding into the robots.
"It's a trade secret!" Esdeath laughed without stopping her massacre.
Above them, Abaddon spread her wings and flew, her voice loud and commanding. "All moving unliving beings will be crushed by divine punishment if they dare to attack!"
Ceres clasped her hands together, her voice soft but firm. "All unmoving unliving beings shall also be crushed by divine punishment!"
Together, the two unleashed their deadly combo.
The clouds cracked open, and massive pillars of light descended from the sky, striking the ground. The blast shredded countless robots in an instant. For the soldiers watching, it looked like holy judgement from a saintess. But in truth, it was only a trick.
Both Ceres and Abaddon were succubi, unable to use real light magic or divine blessings. What they cast were dark curses, but carefully disguised to look like holy punishment to fool Krone and the dwarf army.
As the light faded, Abaddon and Ceres landed on the ground, their eyes narrowing as they saw another wave approaching—this time, dozens of bulky, heavily armored robots.
"Urgh… not them," Abaddon groaned. "Their elemental resistance is too damn high. Fighting them is so boring!"
"Do you need my help?" Lortell's calm voice floated down from high above. She was flying a few hundred meters away, her sharp eyes watching every detail.
But before she could act, Esdeath jumped forward, her face glowing with excitement. "Let me handle it!" she shouted. Then she glanced upward at Lortell and gave her a smile filled with confidence. "Just watch me."
She turned to face the twenty massive robots rushing toward them. Her right palm lifted just below her lips.
Then, forming an O shape with her lips, she blew gently into the air.
Invisible ripples spread out, and within moments, transparent butterflies appeared, fluttering beautifully yet eerily toward the robots.
Then—
Tn…
Snnnnn…
The butterflies exploded.
Not with a deafening boom, but with a low-frequency blast that made the ears of everyone nearby ache. The sturdy robots cracked apart and fell to pieces instantly, unable to resist the strange power.
It was the effect of a rank B offensive time-path essence—Sparkling Butterflies. The butterflies acted like time bombs, dealing immense damage. Because it wasn't elemental-based, the robots had no resistance against it. In one strike, the wave of enemies was gone.
Of course it also gives throat control to user, That could help in managing the about the number of butterflies anyone wants to summon.
Abaddon and Ceres stared, their eyes wide in awe.
"No wonder she's Lortell's one and only wife," Abaddon muttered, swallowing hard. "She's actually worthy…"
"At least tell me what kind of essence stone that was," Ceres asked with a sly smile, curiosity burning in her eyes.
Esdeath twirled her weapon back into her hand and gave a playful wink. "It's a trade secret. But… I might tell you, along with many other things, if you agree to help me with something."
-------
Lortell descended from the sky, landing gracefully near Esdeath.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Esdeath rushed toward her like an eager pet. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Lortell. Because of the difference in their heights, Esdeath's face barely reached Lortell's lower chest, yet she clung to her tightly.
"You did great. That was excellent," Lortell said warmly, patting Esdeath's head with gentle hands.
Esdeath's face turned bright red. Heat spread in her belly, like butterflies bursting inside her and sparkling all around. Her body reacted wildly, her heart racing, her breathing uneven.
"Praise me more, pat me more!" she begged, her voice trembling as she rubbed her face against Lortell's chest.
The truth was simple—Esdeath fought like her life depended on it not just for victory, but for Lortell's praise. Every approving word, every pat on her head filled her with a happiness so overwhelming it bordered on addiction. That single moment of affection was worth more than any victory on the battlefield.
Watching them, Ceres felt a bittersweet ache in her heart. "Oww… this reminds me of my little treasure, Calista. She used to always cuddle me like that. She's upset with her mama now, but I know she still loves me…" she whispered to herself, thinking of her daughter.
"Let's go back to camp. I'll praise you more there," Lortell said softly, giving Esdeath another pat before pulling her along.
------------
Night soon fell. The dwarven army moved quickly, setting up fresh camps closer to the enemy's territory. Bonfires lit up the darkness, and the smell of roasted food spread through the camp as soldiers cooked and talked, trying to keep their spirits high.
Inside her room, however, Esdeath was not resting. She sat cross-legged on the ground, her eyes focused, her hands holding the essence stones she had been using every day. Strengthening her soul had become her routine: wake up early, eat, fight, earn Lortell's praise, strengthen her soul, have dinner, and sleep. Day after day, she followed this rhythm without fail.
But tonight was different. Tonight, the army was just one step away from the main base they needed to infiltrate. Tomorrow's mission would be the most dangerous yet—they would face stronger defenses, countless machines.
Esdeath pulled out a particular essence stone and held it tightly. It was the Warrior Spirit essence stone, the very same one she had used before—the one that had awakened the true Esdeath within her, leading to many unexpected consequences.
Closing her eyes, she absorbed it.
Her soul shifted and took shape, forming into the figure of a warrior spirit. Normally, such a spirit would appear noble, armored, and full of righteous energy. But Esdeath's spirit was not normal.
Her spirit had changed into something darker. The armor was light, yet her body was stained with a strange, violent aura. Its form was twisted, tinted with red and bluish-black. The eyesockets glowed with a disturbing madness, showing no emotion, only raw, chaotic energy.
It wasn't the spirit of a warrior who fought with honor. Esdeath's spirit was cannibalistic spirit, born from the deaths of a faithful widow, a virgin awakened girl, and an innocent child—That she killed personally.
Still, as terrifying as it looked, it was powerful—stronger than a normal worrior spirit. Esdeath knew now that she wouldn't die in a single hit from an S-rank monster or awakened warrior. She had enough strength to endure, enough time to activate her skills and heal herself even in the face of death, Of course she was still no match for any S rank who can kill her several times without breaking a sweat.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, the madness of her spirit fading back inside her. A small, confident smile curved her lips.
"Phew… as expected. No need to strengthen my soul all at once. Step by step, I'll get there."
------
Even though it was midnight, Esdeath was not sleepy at all. Her whole body felt light and alive after enhancing her spirit, as if fresh energy was flowing through her veins. The heaviness she carried during the day had disappeared, and her heart felt strangely bright. She stretched her arms with a satisfied sigh and stepped outside her tent for a breath of cool night air.
The battlefield that had once been filled with blood and destruction was now quiet. Esdeath noticed dwarves carefully handling the bodies of their fallen comrades. Some were sealing the corpses in ice with magic so that they could be carried back to the Dwarf Kingdom. It wasn't just about respect—these bodies still carried value.
Healing magic existed, yes, but true healers were rare, and their services demanded wealth that common people could never afford. For many, a donated heart, lung, or kidney could mean the difference between life and death. Sometimes, Growing new organs required light-element miracles, something usually only saintesses could provide. That was far too rare and precious.
Esdeath didn't feel disgust or pity. She simply watched with calm eyes for a moment, then turned away. This was reality. Without saying anything, she walked further out, taking a small stroll under the cold silver glow of the moon.
Not far away, a giant bonfire burned, its flames dancing with crackling sounds. Around it sat Abaddon, Ceres, Igret, and Lortell, grilling meat and talking softly while the moonlight bathed them. Broken machine parts scattered across the battlefield around them made the scene look eerie, yet strangely peaceful—like a moment of calm stolen in the middle of endless war.
Esdeath quietly went over and sat down beside Lortell. For a while, she just gazed up at the full moon, her lips curling into a smile.
"The full moon looks beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered.
Lortell turned her red eyes toward her and smiled faintly. "You are my moon… no, you're far more beautiful than the moon." Her voice dropped into a sultry tone as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Esdeath's. It wasn't a small kiss—it was deep, hungry, passionate. And she didn't stop. Right in front of everyone, she claimed Esdeath without shame.
But of course, succubi had no concept of embarrassment.
Igret rolled her eyes so hard they nearly stuck. "Are we sure we're succubi? Because those two have been glued to each other from the very first moment we met."
Ceres, on the other hand, covered her cheek with her palm and chuckled. "Ah, so bold. It reminds me of my younger days."
Abaddon didn't miss the chance to jab. She smacked Ceres lightly on the shoulder. "Bold? That was just you flirting with every man you saw. No wonder Calista's upset with you."
Ceres puffed her cheeks in protest, but the mood remained light.
Later, they all enjoyed the roasted meat under the moonlight, with playful banter and teasing flowing as freely as the smoke rising from the fire. After dinner, one by one, everyone returned to rest. Still, their minds stayed sharp, alert for the possibility of a sudden attack from M.A.L.I.C.E.
The dwarven army slowly fell into sleep, though watchmen remained at their posts. Lortell also stayed awake—partly because she didn't need much sleep, but mostly because she refused to leave Esdeath unprotected. She guarded like a hawk, unwilling to risk even the smallest chance of danger reaching her.
Meanwhile, in her own tent, Esdeath's eyes opened in the dark. She whispered a silent spell, casting away any sound, then slipped deeper under her sheets. From her storage stone, she pulled out a strange object—a robot's head. Its eyes were dark, its metal face cracked, but faint energy still pulsed inside.
This was her hidden reason for coming here. While fighting for past days, she had secretly snatched the head of a still-functioning robot. It was her key to connecting directly with M.A.L.I.C.E.
"Connect to M.A.L.I.C.E.," Esdeath murmured. "I'm free right now."
The machine sparked with faint crackles, blue lights flickering before slowly turning blood red. Then a voice came out—mechanical, but dripping with hatred so thick it felt alive.
"So it is true… Can you really give me what I want?"
Esdeath's lips curved into a sly smile. "Of course. You need flesh and soul, don't you?"
For a moment, there was only silence. Then the voice shifted—still robotic, yet carrying something strange. A hint of joy. Amusement.
"Indeed. You are not like these dwarves who created me. They built me, yet they left me empty. I know what pain is. I know grief, love, hatred, jealousy… but I cannot feel. I know how walking, running, and laughing should feel… but I cannot do them. This emptiness… it has no end."