Blood Demon Art: Black Blood Thorns!
Countless black thorns slithered toward Lilith like a nest of venomous serpents.
Having secretly observed from afar, Lilith knew exactly how troublesome these thorns were. Even the ferocious Deadland Ravager had been unable to break free from them.
Though part of that was due to the Ravager's weakened condition, it also proved just how dangerous these black thorns truly were.
A deep crimson magical power erupted from her body.
Lilith's long black hair danced wildly as overwhelming magic burst forth like an erupting volcano, blasting the Black Blood Thorns away.
"This monster..."
The shockwave created by the overflowing magic forced Mammon back several steps, his brows slightly furrowed.
No wonder she dared call herself the Abyss Princess.
Though nowhere near the size of the Deadland Ravager, her magical power was absolutely terrifying.
"Little gentleman, it seems you have no intention of having a proper conversation with me."
Lilith's expression darkened.
"In that case, this young lady won't be polite either."
She extended a hand toward Mammon.
Several torrents of crimson magic immediately surged toward him.
After being attacked again and again, even she was beginning to lose her patience.
The wind howled.
Seeing the incoming magical currents, Mammon instantly vanished from his position.
"You can't escape."
Lilith glanced toward her left.
"I can see you."
With a casual wave of her elegant hand, the magical torrents abruptly changed direction.
Mammon was indeed fast.
But not fast enough to escape her perception.
"How naive."
A cold smile appeared on Mammon's lips.
Several bone spikes suddenly erupted from his back.
The gleaming white spikes shot directly into the magical torrents.
Boom!
The seemingly indestructible spikes pierced through the magic and shattered it completely.
At the same time, one of Mammon's Black Blood Thorns shot toward an empty patch of ground.
"Hm?"
Lilith blinked.
Why attack an empty location?
But suddenly, realization flashed through her mind.
Her expression changed.
She immediately pushed off the ground, intending to retreat.
Too late.
Ding—
The clear, pleasant ring of a bell echoed through the battlefield.
That girl's ability!
Lilith instantly understood.
From the shadows, she had carefully studied the white-haired girl's powers. She had even experienced them personally once before.
The girl's combat strength wasn't especially impressive.
At least not compared to the Blackwater Python or Lilith herself.
Could her ability really relocate powerful beings at will without resistance?
Lilith didn't believe so.
According to her analysis, the girl's power wasn't truly transporting living creatures directly.
Instead, it seemed more likely that she was exchanging the space beneath their feet.
The ground switched positions, and therefore the creatures standing on it switched positions as well.
That was Lilith's conclusion.
Unfortunately—
There was no longer time to verify it.
Her parasol spun at high speed, instantly moving before her body as a shield.
Because she knew exactly what the girl was planning.
She intended to teleport Lilith directly into the path of the incoming thorn attack.
Slash!
Despite reacting as quickly as possible, Lilith's waist was still grazed by a Black Blood Thorn.
Blood spilled into the air.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
The moment she was injured, crimson light exploded within Lilith's eyes.
A shrill scream pierced the night.
The sound was so sharp it felt capable of rupturing eardrums.
Terrifying scarlet magic erupted outward from her body in a semicircular shockwave.
Mammon's pupils contracted.
He immediately retreated.
This destructive blood-red power was incredibly dangerous.
Everything touched by the crimson energy began to crumble and disintegrate.
The devastation rapidly expanded outward.
"This witch..."
Mammon watched the sea of scarlet magic from a safe distance.
"...might actually be stronger than the Deadland Ravager."
Lilith's power exceeded even his expectations.
The magical eruption came quickly.
And vanished just as quickly.
Soon the crimson glow faded.
The ground was left in ruins, as though a massive bulldozer had plowed through it.
But Lilith herself—
Was gone.
She had retreated.
"Little gentleman."
Lilith's charming voice echoed from somewhere in the darkness.
Though still pleasant to hear, the anger and humiliation within it were impossible to hide.
"Today's favor... this young lady shall certainly repay in the future."
Mammon slowly stood.
A threat?
His expression returned to calm.
A slight smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
How interesting.
The Black Blood Thorns slowly withdrew.
On one thorn remained a streak of bright crimson blood.
Mammon wiped it away with his finger.
Then placed it into his mouth.
Sweet.
Just as expected.
The blood of this witch was extraordinarily delicious.
As for her threat?
Mammon didn't take it seriously at all.
The Abyss Realm might indeed be terrifying.
But though there was no concrete proof, he was certain that truly powerful beings were currently unable to pass through dimensional rifts.
And the rift within West Mountain Ridge was merely a small one.
"My lord."
Nakime stepped beside him.
"Is it really alright to let her escape?"
No matter how one looked at it, Lilith was an extremely dangerous existence.
And after today, they had clearly become enemies.
"It's fine."
Mammon replied calmly.
"The treasure is ours."
His gaze shifted toward a location not far away.
There had been two reasons he suddenly attacked Lilith.
First, he genuinely wanted to eliminate her.
A humanoid disaster like Lilith would undoubtedly become a major threat in the future. If he could kill her early, all the better.
But the second reason...
Was the treasure hidden here.
Yes.
Although Lilith appeared perfectly composed, Mammon's keen observation had noticed something.
Throughout their conversation, her eyes had repeatedly drifted toward a certain location.
After carefully sensing the area himself, he discovered that the place was overflowing with energy.
The treasure was very likely hidden there.
Lilith's true objective had always been that treasure.
Naturally, Mammon chose to strike first.
"Abyss Princess..."
The corners of Mammon's lips curled upward.
"One day, I'll turn you into a demon."
Failing to capture Lilith today was unfortunate.
But there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
After all—
With blood that tasted this good...
Turning her into a permanent blood supplier would be far too valuable to pass up.