Two men approached Lilith and Bungo, looking like typical thugs searching for trouble at first glance.
The first had an unnaturally long, hooked nose with a large, hairy wart dangling from the tip, and his eyes were set so close together they seemed to be constantly trying to collide.
The second was a thick-skinned brute with a bizarre, sparse mustache that resembled two shoe-shining brushes glued under his nose, his slimy tongue frequently licking the corners of his mouth.
"What are some disgusting, green monsters looking for here?!" the one with the wart growled, measuring Bungo with a hateful gaze.
"We aren't inside yet, so we can kill them with impunity," the one with the mustache added, baring yellow teeth.
He pulled out a small, rusty dagger and began waving it in front of the goblin's nose. Bungo, terrified, immediately took a step back, nearly tripping over his own feet.
And here comes trouble… Lilith thought, sighing heavily.
The sight of the bandit's slimy tongue made her wince with disgust.
"Bungo, did you hear what they just said?"
The goblin, trembling under the weight of the large sack on his back, could barely stand. An image from the past suddenly appeared in his mind - a time when he had been severely beaten by humans in a similar place.
"I was beaten here last time, too..." he gasped sadly, his eyes glazing over for a moment."Such is the fate of weaker monsters."
"Fate, eh?!" laughed the bandit with the dagger. "Oh, you pathetic creatures, don't ignore us when we're talking to you!"
Lilith took a slow step forward, standing in front of her servant. She looked down at him and asked calmly:
"Do you remember what I told you before we left?"
Bungo immediately stood at attention, even though his knees were still shaking.
"Yes! Never make unnecessary trouble during the journey!"
Lilith nodded with a slight smile.
"Good. In that case, close your eyes for a moment and don't peek through the cracks."
Bungo obediently covered his face with his hands, squeezing his eyelids shut as tightly as he could. The people standing in the queue for the gate grew somber and skittish, seeing the impending commotion.
Lilith turned to the bandits, a dangerous smile blooming on her face.
"Don't you think calling someone like me a disgusting monster is a bit rude?"
The bandits froze for a moment, but not out of fear. Their gazes began to travel lewdly over her body - over her prominent breasts and rear, shielded only by strange, shimmering purple scales.
"Brother... I don't understand what's happening, but I have an incredible urge to fuck this monster," the one with the wart muttered to his companion.
"Mhm... maybe it's some special race?" the other replied, greed flashing in his eyes.
"Wouldn't we make a fortune if we sold her to a slave trader? There are bound to be some perverts who like 'specimens' like this."
Lilith felt a vein pulse on her forehead.
She smiled with blatant superiority, though she was seething with rage inside. She spread her powerful, leathery wings, which cast a long shadow over the bandits.
"I am a merciful Demoness, so I will spare your lives if you just leave now. Get out of here!"
The bandits looked at her stupidly for a moment, then the one with the mustache erupted in a furious scream:
"Don't mess with us, you fucking whore!"
He lunged forward, aiming the dagger straight at her chest.
"You're dead already, you horny bitch!" he yelled, staring lustfully at her ample curves.
Hearing them call her a whore, Lilith felt a second vein pulse on her forehead.
She tried to maintain a shred of rationality, but the bandit smiled nastily.
"We'll show you the power of the puzzles we've gained!" he cried out, confident.
Puzzles? Lilith thought blankly, not understanding why this bandit was saying some random word.
After a moment, she narrowed her eyes with interest. She pointed a finger at herself, defiantly tilting her chin.
"In that case, attack. I'll show you what true Power means."
The bandit turned around, waving a hand to a group hidden in the crowd.
"Let's take her, boys!"
Suddenly, three more men stepped out from the queue. One looked like a priest in dirty robes with a strange eye symbol on his chest; the second was a knight in scratched armor with a large, serrated sword; and the third was a mage who, instead of a traditional wand, wielded a staff topped with a dried rat.
Were they always standing there? Lilith wondered, but she had no time for further thought.
The first bandit rushed with his sword, yelling:
"Let's see how you stop this!" The second crossed his daggers, shouting: "Bloody Cut!"
The knight in the back struck his sword into the ground, roaring: "Earth Fang!"
Sharp spikes shot out from beneath the ground, racing straight toward the demoness.
Simultaneously, the mage raised his staff, forming a fireball, and the cleric whispered:
"Green Asylum!"
A magic shield flared around all five of them.
All the attacks hit the point where Lilith stood. Dust rose into the air, and fire enveloped her silhouette.
However, when the smoke cleared, Lilith stood unfazed. Notifications flashed before her eyes:
[-0 HP]
[-0 HP]
[ Beginner Anti-Magic has reduced the power of all attacks to zero]
MINERVA reported in her head.
Lilith casually blocked the blade of the last bandit with her hand. The knight, seeing this through his shield, turned pale instantly.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" he gasped in disbelief. "What kind of magic is this? How is it possible we didn't even scratch you?!"
Lilith, still holding the opponent's sword in her bare hand, narrowed her eyes and smiled icily.
"So, when are you going to start attacking?"
The terrified bandit lunged away from her, nearly tangling his own feet, but despite his trembling hands, his face contorted in a final act of desperate arrogance.
"What are you staring at, you horned whore?! Do you think just because you have tough skin, you're someone better?!"
He spat at her feet, his slimy tongue nervously flicking across his lips.
"You're just a piece of demonic meat that we'll throw to the dogs to devour! Brothers, finish this bitch off, let her learn her place!"
Lilith stood motionless, her gaze becoming unnaturally cold. She felt something finally snap inside her, and the rising anger silenced all rational thought.
Slowly, she took a deep, wheezing breath, and the air around her began to thicken and vibrate with hatred.
"Origin Aura," she whispered, her voice sounding as if it came from the very depths of the abyss.
In a fraction of a second, a powerful, violet-black aura exploded around her body, carrying a primal, paralyzing terror. For five seconds, the space before the gate trembled under the influence of this inhuman power.
When Lilith deactivated the skill, she saw only the five would-be kidnappers fleeing with their tails between their legs toward the forest.
She smiled triumphantly and turned to Bungo.
"You can open your… "
She stopped, seeing what she had done.
Most of the people previously standing in line lay unconscious on the ground.
"What happened?" she asked stupidly, scratching the back of her head.
[Results of using Origin Aura: 16 fled, 42 were stunned, 73 lost consciousness, including 30 who soiled themselves ]
MINERVA informed her emotionlessly.
Lilith felt terribly foolish.
"Dammit, it was supposed to be without a commotion..."
Suddenly, she heard loud shouts from the cave entrance. She looked behind her and saw three dwarven guards racing toward her with bared axes.
"YOU MONSTER!" the dwarves roared.
Lilith sighed sadly, watching the approaching warriors.
"Dammit... so much for a peaceful entry."