Priestess of darkness.

-Ding! 

[…You got 45EP.]

[EP: 50.]

'...Is that all? I didn't level up even after doing all that?'

Devon's disappointment could be read on his face as he showed his displeasure at his system's greed.

However, realizing that he could do nothing but accept the situation, he walked towards his torn limbs ten meters away with a bitter feeling of defeat.

He may have defeated his enemies, but he never expected to have such difficulty, let alone sustain such injuries against 'mere' wolves.

Anyway, as he leaned down with difficulty while being careful not to fall, he suddenly remembered Mystic.

'That girl is no small fry, even her beasts were ferocious.' He thinks about it, speculating on whether or not to go help his master.

After five seconds, he shrugs. 'I wouldn't be much help anyway, given my current state.'

After recovering his bony arm and leg, his consciousness switches to his own problems.

'Will they connect together if I get them close to...

While speculating on this, he cancels his skill at the same time as the prostheses.

However, he sighed in disappointment as he saw that his actions must be mistaken for madness.

'It would have been too good to be true, anyway.' He said with a little wry smile.

'Maybe the magic will take effect once I return to the pet garden?' He then thought of the most plausible hypothesis.

However, before he decided to go to his master, a notification appeared before his eyes.

[Do you want to spend 27EP to restore your body to its initial state?]

'...No, I prefer to keep my points for now. I could restore my body's condition after a turn to the Pet Garden, right?'

[Affirmative. But, you will need to stay there for thirty minutes to fully rest. During this period, your host won't be able to summon you.]

'...No need to worry. 27EP is too much compared to this short time.'

With that crude answer, he rushed in Mystic's direction.

'Although frustrating, I learned a lot against this pack of blood wolves. Due to my strong desire to save my spiritual energy for the next battles, I ended up spending more than I expected.

This is solely due to my ignorance and arrogance. Believing that I was strong enough to fight these wolves without the help of my skills, I needlessly wasted my time, efforts, and half of my spiritual energy.

In the end, I am still a beginner who knows practically nothing about this world.' Along the way, Devon sorted through his thoughts to note his weaknesses and hoped to find a way to compensate for them in the next battles.

This is the difference between him and the other beasts. 

Although having the same overall characteristics, he had a wise spirit in the body of a beast.

As the saying goes: give a wolf the same cognitive ability as a human and he will be the king of the jungle, dethroning the lion king.

Such is the power of the one creature that did not adapt to its environment, but rather reshaped it to fit itself, Man!

It only took him a minute and a half to get close enough to Mystic and her enemy.

Except that...

-!!

Devon's eyes widened when he saw that instead of being the predator, his master had become the prey.

The sight of Mystic bound by thin bloody ropes like a puppet, covered in wounds sent shivers down his spine.

'What exactly is this insane doing!?' He had a hard time believing that Mystic could be defeated by Miyorirath in a duel.

What he expected instead, was mockery from her due to his current state.

But how could he believe that she would be the one in such as danger!?

This idea had never crossed his mind until he witnessed the scene that was currently unfolding.

As his mind constantly wobbled between countless questions, a kind of anger mixed with fear invaded him again, like the time he saw Mystic being tortured by Pettriddas.

Even if he still doesn't know why he felt this incontrollable rage every time he saw Mystic hurt, his fear was nevertheless very clear to him.

The death of his host constitutes his own.

His immortality was just a joke in the face of this reality.

And then, before he lost his cool and charged ahead, the same thing happened.

[Would you like to spend 27EP to restore your body to its original state?]

As if the system knew the situation of his host's master, it made him the same offer as before.

This time, Devon didn't even need to answer before the system granted his request.

Instantly, a cone-shaped halo of black light rose from his body, fully obscuring his silhouette.

In just five seconds, his silhouette manifested again, this time in its best condition.

Although Mystic was the first to see him, his presence was soon discovered by Miyorirath who also had quite heightened senses compared to average humans.

Turning around, and noticing the annoying skeleton, she was not surprised but irritated instead.

'I already knew he had defeated my beasts, but to do so without taking any damage, that ugly thing is… quite impressive. I must add it to my collection.' She mumbled, focusing on Devon in turn.

Devon, just after fully regaining his mobility, manifested an aura sword and tried to approach as quickly as he could.

"If I were you, I wouldn't take a step; unless you want to see your dear master dead!"

Of course, the best approach would have been to shoot her with an arrow before she noticed him.

But he was aware of his lack of precision, so, he could not take this risk.

However, the situation seems to have become worse than before for Devon and Mystic.

Seeing Devon stop, Miyorirath showed her best smile.

With her blade under Mystic's throat who is still immobilized, and her greedy eyes on Devon, her true intentions seem to become more obvious now.

...The reason why she hasn't killed Mystic yet until now.

"Break your bond with that beast, and leave it to me if you want to live!" She said with an eerie smile.

She pressed her blade harder against her throat, making her bleed, as a threat. 

But as usual, Mystic barely changed her expression despite it being the first time Miyorirath aimed at her throat.

However, those words made Devon think even though it wasn't the time for it. Among her three greatest desires, freedom probably dominates the top.

At her silence, Miyorirath became more serious.

"Stop acting shrewd and break your contract bind with him before--

"...It's my soul beast." She murmured before Miyorirath finished, but still with the same nonchalance.

"...A guardian beast?" Miyorirath frowned, unconvinced by this answer.

"For the last time, take the sacred oath of liberation and I swear on the blood of my clan to spare your life." She growled with more fire in her eyes.

Unlike Mystic, she seems more willing to negotiate despite being in a position of absolute dominance.

Except that the situation seems to create a misunderstanding between them. She was not ready to believe what Mystic was saying about the nature of Devon's contract.

If Devon was an ordinary beast, the contract could be broken, but he occupies the place of a guardian beast, known to stay with his master for eternity.

More importantly, 

Mystic looks her in the eye and smirks like a fox. "So then, go ahead, let's finish with!"

"…"

'What's wrong with that girl? I knew she was insane, but... sigh, if only Elaydja was here, he could known what to do.'

At her silence, Mystic became more persistent, as if begging her to end her life!

"Why are you hesitating? Is the world you come from so gentle that you can't finish off an enemy?"

"..."

'I'll just have to wait until he joins me, he already knows where I am. All I have to do is to hold her prisoner until my brother returns. Even if I can't kill, he wouldn't have any trouble doing it.'

Seeing her growl but not react, Mystic clicks her tongue in annoyance.

"Tsk, fine; I'll do it, after all, it's not a high price to pay compared to my life." 

Right after retorting those words, as if she had no choice but to comply with her will, Mystic closes her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Devon and Miyorirath could see the crucifix mark on her forehead glowing brighter as she calmed down.

Miyorirath's eyes widen at the sight of this mark.

Her reaction suggests that she has information about this mysterious mark on Mystic's forehead.

'This mark. No doubt possible, she is a dark priestess who masters the art of reincarnation, no wonder she has an undead with her. But how the heck is that possible? I thought this skill belonged only to those of blood demons?'

Despite being on guard, Miyorirath thought she should watch Devon instead of Mystic who was within range of her blade.

However, just as she looked away from Mystic,

-Jab!!

Her eyes dilated as she felt a sharp pain pierce her from behind.

Devon's shock was no different as well, his astonishment seemed to be stronger than Miyorirath's.

'That bitch is crazy!' He struggled to wake up from the stupefaction, seeing Mystic's inhumane actions.

As for Miyorirath, despite the excruciating pain she felt deep in her soul, she forced herself to turn her head toward Mystic to understand what had really happened.

However, she was greeted by Mystic's cruel smile who, although still bound by her red steel wires, somehow managed to pierce her with her sword.

"...You soon of...!" She couldn't finish her curse before she fell to the ground with Mystic's sword in her heart. 

At the same time, Mystic got rid of the restraint as if nothing had happened; showing once again that she was one step ahead of her enemy who believed her to be immobile.

Devon couldn't help but wonder if all this wasn't comedy for Mystic. Otherwise, how can we explain the fact that she can free herself from these wires of steel by breaking them effortlessly?

'Does she have masochistic tendencies?' The only one who cares about this detail is Devon. 

Progressively, Miyorirath's pupils dilated as the breath of life escaped from her body. 

Instead of waiting for her to die, if only for the soul's sake, Mystic leans towards her, placing her foot on her back and ripping her sword out indelicately. 

"I warned you, I was going to kill you in the most efficient way I could think of." She then mumbles before decapitating her with a single swing of her blade, spraying her blood all over. 

Devon watched her actions in silence, somehow horrified by the hate he currently sees in her eyes. 

The question he wanted to ask her about why she let herself be mistreated if she had the strength to free herself was forgotten, carried away by another feeling.

"[She was willing to spare you, why did you kill her like that?]"

Hearing Devon's voice filled with dissatisfaction thundering in her mind, Mystic looks at him, not knowing what to say in response. 

After three seconds, she innocently smiled at him. "No one has the right to covet what is mine." 

"[...]" 

For some reason, Devon felt a cold draft over his body as he observed Mystic's smile. 

'I'm not so naive to ignore the nature of the world I currently live in. 

Nor hypocritical enough to judge her actions, but seeing her act with such cruelty, ... what exactly did she experience in this clan?' He couldn't help but momentarily speculate on that as he watched Mystic strip Miyorirath's corpse. 

In total, a purse containing a few hundred gold coins, and a scarlet dagger, were the items Miyorirath had with her.

Of course, the most important gain is undoubtedly her grimoire which is in her pool of blood, near her corpse. 

Devon approached Mystic, picking up the grimoire on the ground and trying to inspect its inside.

But to his surprise, the grimoire was sealed, unable to be opened by him.

"Don't make yourself any more stupid than you are right now. It takes twenty-four hours for an iron-tier grimoire to become an uncontracted grimoire."

Afterward, Mystic approached the only two puppets left behind and touched them to make them hers.

After which, she continued on her way with Devon and the two golems.