Chapter 18: The Poor Little Girl

In the room where candlelight danced, on a rather cramped pink wooden bed, a plump, half-naked middle-aged man lay with his eyes half-closed, his smile sleazy.

Underneath him was pressed a little girl in a short lace dress.

The girl was only about twelve years old, with shoulder-length golden hair adorned with a pale green hairclip. Her face was youthful and pretty. However, her pale blue eyes were dull and lifeless, staring blankly at the ceiling as if she were already dead, completely oblivious to the overweight middle-aged man lying on top of her.

Next to the small pink bed, another girl was sprawled on the floor, her face and attire almost identical to the girl on the bed, as if they were cast from the same mold. But she was sobbing, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

The corpulent middle-aged man was Marquis Felix Luffman, and his favorite aspect of "Julina's Forbidden Paradise" was the array of secretive and forbidden services it offered.

In Forbidden Paradise, beyond human females, elves, and beastkin, anyone with enough gold or power could indulge in the dark services hidden within the depths of human nature.

The loli twins, who had recently arrived, were his favorite.

One was named Kuuderika, the other Ureirika. They might have been kidnapped and sold here, or perhaps their desperate parents sold them. 

However, Marquis Felix didn't care about this at all; he didn't even know whether the girl he was pressing down was Kuuderika or Ureirika.

All he wanted was to take a brief respite from the oppressive political struggles of the Baharuth Empire and unleash his twisted desires.

The girl beneath him had vacant, lifeless eyes and her body was utterly still, which greatly displeased Marquis Felix. After enduring prolonged abuse, her psyche had completely collapsed, and only healing magic kept her body intact. However, this magic could not mend the deep scars of her tormented soul, leaving her as nothing more than a walking corpse.

Such a little girl, despite her beautiful face, was a lifeless doll.

Marquis Felix grabbed her throat and shouted, "Cry quickly, cry quickly, if you don't cry, how can I get erection?"

The pale face of the little girl spasmed slightly, but her gaze remained fixed dully on the ceiling. Marquis Felix, annoyed, released his grip on the girl's neck. With his left hand, he fiercely slapped her across the face, followed by a sharp smack from his right hand, and then alternated blows. The girl's clean cheeks quickly swelled up, turning red.

Another little girl, sobbing under the bed, struggled to her feet, her childlike cries pleading, "Don't hit Ureirika!" She crawled on all fours onto the bed and fiercely bit into Felix's bare shoulder with her not-so-sharp teeth.

The Marquis pushed her away with a single motion, and Kuuderika crashed into the sturdy bedpost and tumbled off the bed.

On the bed, Ureirika's lifeless eyes finally shed a tear that trickled down her cheek.

Marquis Felix gets erectioned and starts groping for his short dick.

"Creaaak," the door to the room opened. Marquis Felix turned his head disapprovingly and saw a black-haired girl dressed in coarse linen pushing the door open, staring blankly at him.

Being interrupted at such a moment greatly infuriated Marquis Felix!

He glared at the solemn-faced black-haired girl and angrily said, "Did I ask for a nun's services? Get out of here immediately. Just seeing your face ruins my mood."

Marquis Felix turned back, ready to resume his actions with the girl beneath him. His hands tightened around Ureirika's throat, just about to make a move when he suddenly felt a chilling sensation up his spine, his hair standing on end.

This was a warning of death, a sign of a looming storm. He could sense the terrifying, silent presence behind him spreading like the wings of an ancient dragon, opening wide in fury, ready to unleash a storm of fiery breath.

Trembling, Marquis Felix turned his head. In his final glimpse, all he saw was a giant sword.

With a single slash from EeDeChi, Marquis Felix's bulky body flew off the bed, smashing through the solid stone wall and crashing into the next room.

In the adjacent room, a woman wearing an emerald crown was whipping a man chained to a chair when the wall suddenly shattered, and a bloody figure tumbled in. The elven woman dropped her whip and fled screaming.

Ignoring the terrified shouts from the next room, EeDeChi walked to the pink bed, tidied up Ureirika's tear-streaked dress, helped her up, and then picked up Kuuderika, who was sobbing on the floor, holding their frail bodies as she walked out of the room.

Julina's Forbidden Paradise was already in chaos. Unconscious guards lay scattered on the roads and stairs. Cries of "Intruder!" echoed continuously. Barely clothed patrons and women ran about in panic, while fully armed guards with sharp blades ran up and down the stairs searching for the intruder.

…

Zona Quinn, clad in dark green Gorgon leather armor, hurriedly ran towards the third floor. He was in charge of Marquis Felix Luffman's security when he was outside.

What should have been an easy job turned into a nightmare when intruders suddenly appeared in the brothel. On his way upstairs, Zona saw one guard after another lying unconscious on the ground, each with only one wound. The intruder's power was terrifyingly evident as each guard was either killed or knocked out with a single strike.

Zona was confident in his own skills. Before becoming a bodyguard, he was a renowned orichalcum-level adventurer, famous for his "Blood Dance Twin Swords" that had slain countless humanoid warriors and monsters alike.

On the narrow, dark spiral stone stairs, a black-haired girl carrying two frail-looking girls blocked Zona's path. 

The stone stairs were narrow and dark, the lamps on the walls extinguished, with only a stained glass window slightly ajar. Cold moonlight streamed through, casting a chilling glow on the black-haired girl's menacing face.

Zona didn't recognize the girl, but he knew the two little twin girls she was holding. They were Marquis Felix's latest favorite playthings. But how did they end up in her hands?

Zona broke out in a cold sweat. He drew his sword, pointing it at the stern-faced black-haired girl, and demanded, "Where is Marquis Felix?"

"You mean that pig?" The black-haired girl tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "He's already dead."

"You..." Zona was furious. If Marquis Felix was dead, he, as the security guard, would be held accountable. The marquis's family would surely send him to the gallows. His only option now was to take this girl's head to quell the nobles' fury!

Martial Art: Invulnerable Fortress.

Martial Art: Flowing Like Water.

Martial Art: Sky-Piercing Thrust!

In an instant, Zona unleashed three martial arts techniques in succession! With his blood-red twin blades, he lunged at EeDeChi, his body moving up and down the stone steps like an arrow, aiming for her throat.

Because she was holding a girl in each arm, EeDeChi couldn't draw the sword on her back. In the narrow stairwell, there was nowhere to dodge this fatal attack. 

All she could do was kick the charging dual-blade swordsman towards the stained glass window.

The colored glass shattered into pieces as Zona screamed, crashing through the window and falling outside.

Two more clueless guards charged up with spears. EeDeChi leapt, planting a foot on each of their faces, knocking them out instantly. She then casually walked away.

Emerging from the first-floor hall into the chaotic courtyard, she saw over a dozen fully armed guards lying around in disarray.

Next to the guards' bodies, Barrett, his face covered with a black cloth, was busy working frantically.

He turned over an unconscious guard, skillfully unfastening the chest armor with his thick, rough hands and rummaging through the cotton padding underneath.

EeDeChi, holding the two little girls, saw Barrett's actions and frowned, asking, "What are you doing?"

Barrett shrugged. "Just grabbing what I can before the sheriff arrives."

He pulled a small pouch of coins from the guard's inner shirt and waved it at EeDeChi. "Money's hard to come by. An adventurer needs to learn to make money off both the dead and the living. You wouldn't believe it, but these guards at Forbidden Paradise are not only well-equipped, but they also carry a lot of cash."

EeDeChi shook her head. "How is this any different from robbery?" She set down the two pale little girls and told Barrett, "Take care of them for me."

Barrett pulled down his black cloth mask and exhaled through his nose, retorting indignantly, "You're one to talk. You're the one who knocked out all these guards. I'm just collecting some loot. They were minding their business when you barged in and caused a ruckus. We should leave soon. The knights will be here any minute. We don't want to be caught by the sheriff and become wanted criminals."

"I just couldn't stand seeing all this," EeDeChi said, her face showing a hint of anger. She took the giant sword from her back and headed back into Julina's Forbidden Paradise.