The Heroine Must Die

She didn’t have time to decipher that. Her first instinct was to toss him into her inner space for protection.

But Edmund snapped, “Wait!”

She paused. “What?”

“Your inner space already has an owner,” Edmund said sharply. “You can’t just throw him in there.”

She frowned. “Why not? What’s the difference?”

“It’s a huge difference,” Edmund said impatiently. “He’s extremely weak right now. His body will instinctively absorb demonic energy. If he absorbs enough from your inner space, the space might recognize him as a native creature.”

Lauren stiffened. “And then?” she asked.

“And then,” Edmund said flatly, “he might end up becoming your subordinate spirit beast.”

Lauren’s eyes widened. Absolutely not. She immediately gave up the idea.

Lauren didn’t waste another second. She scooped Tarot up into her arms and shot straight out of the cavern, leaving behind a single, cold sentence:

“Leave no one alive.” The dozens who heard her felt their last thread of hope snap.

Ruthlessness had nothing to do with age. A skilled hunter always looks like prey. The moment she cleared the cave, Briar moved.

The entire cavern trembled. Stone cracked. The ceiling collapsed inward as thick red vines tore through the structure, dragging everything down—corpses, ritual artifacts, even the blood pool itself.

The naked man who had been drowning in blood never resurfaced.

The cave caved in completely. When the dust settled, there was nothing left but a massive crater—and beneath it, layers of crushed bone and stone, buried forever.

......

Far away, in the depths of Dark Castle, the Demonic Lord opened his eyes. “Failure.”

The subordinate kneeling below stiffened. “Demonic Lord… you mean—”

Before he could finish, the Demonic Lord vanished. The subordinate hurried after him, but by the time he arrived, the Demonic Lord was already standing at the edge of the collapsed crater.

An immense wave of demonic energy spread outward, blanketing the entire region.

No life. Not a single survivor. Only bones. Fragments of lingering aura and memory impressions surfaced in his mind.

A colossal red monster covering hundreds of miles… A young woman’s voice—

*Leave quickly. The Demonic Lord will owe you a favor.*

The scattered images pieced together.

A rescuer. A woman. A massive red creature. Young. Easily underestimated.

“A disciple of the righteous sect…” The Demonic Lord’s lips curved into a cold smile.

Interesting.

A righteous cultivator daring to enter the Demon Realm alone—into Dark Souls Land—and not only rescue someone, but slaughter everyone involved?

“Demonic Lord, over here—” the subordinate called, searching for survivors.

“No need,” the Demonic Lord said calmly. “There are none.”

The subordinate swallowed. Who in the Demon Realm was capable of this?

“Good. Very good,” the Demonic Lord murmured. “It seems the righteous sects have produced someone extraordinary. Daring to snatch food from a tiger’s mouth.”

His gaze darkened. “Pass down my order. Shut down all Heavenly Demon Wells.”

“Seal the crossings. No one is allowed to cross the Demon River.”

Lauren had already anticipated retaliation. Carrying Tarot, she moved at full speed toward the nearest Heavenly Demon Well.

She didn’t dare slow down for even a breath. By the time she reached it, she was just in time.

She handed over the required Devil Crystals and stepped into the well’s teleportation platform with Tarot in her arms.

Moments later, the guards received a transmission. Shut it down immediately.

Lauren noticed the guard’s expression change. “What’s wrong?” she asked calmly.

“Girl, come down quickly. They said we can’t activate it anymore.”

Lauren blinked, wide-eyed and innocent. “Why? My brother needs treatment. He’s severely injured.” She lowered Tarot slightly so the guard could see his bloodstained body. “If we don’t leave now, he might die.”

The guard looked troubled. “I know, but we just received orders. We can’t—”

Lauren bit her lip, frustration flashing across her face. “Are you joking? This is a matter of life and death! If he dies here, who’s responsible?”

She swiftly pulled out a storage bag stuffed with Devil Crystals and pressed it into his hand.

“Please. Just delay the message for a little while tonight. These are all yours. My brother was hurt in Dark Souls Land—he can’t hold on much longer.”

The guard’s hand tightened around the bag. The Devil Crystals inside would tempt anyone. Then—

Lauren casually took out a token and waved it once in front of him before quickly putting it away.

Just a flash. But it was enough.

The guard’s face changed dramatically. That token bore the insignia of Dark Castle—high-ranking status.

This girl wasn’t simple. He immediately straightened and waved her inside. “Stand properly. I’ll activate it.”

Lauren nodded gratefully. Moments later, she emerged from the other end of the Heavenly Demon Well.

She didn’t stop. Not for a second. She sped toward the Demon River at full throttle.

They wouldn’t shut down the wells without reason. It had to be because of her.

She steered the flying boat recklessly fast. In the distance, she could already see the black waters of the Demon River cutting across the land like a scar. Almost there.

“Who goes there? Stop!” A squad of Demonic Cult guards rose into the air ahead of her. “The Demonic Lord has ordered that no one is to cross the river!”

Lauren didn’t waste time arguing. She flung several Rank 7 Explosive Spirit Talismans forward. The sky lit up.

Boom—

The guards were obliterated into dust before they could even scream. Her flying boat didn’t slow. But more figures soon surged from the riverbanks, surrounding her and attacking simultaneously.

Lauren activated the flying boat’s defensive formation. The energy consumption doubled instantly. Without hesitation, she dumped a massive pile of spirit stones into the core array.

The airship trembled under constant bombardment. Explosions rang endlessly, the barrier flickering as the boat’s speed dropped lower and lower.

These were just underlings. If she wasn’t mistaken, the real monsters would arrive soon.

The man in the blood pool had been protected by numerous True Demon Realm cultivators. He wasn’t ordinary. And above them all stood the Demonic Lord.

“Boom!”

A deafening roar shattered the defensive barrier. The flying boat exploded midair, reduced to fragments and ash.

Lauren had already grabbed Tarot and leapt free, using her own spiritual power to continue flying forward. Below them churned the Demon River.

On the opposite side— The land of the righteous sects. She could already smell it. Clean spiritual energy. So close.

“Heh.” A voice sounded behind her. “Just a young girl.”

A crushing aura descended. It was overwhelming. Vast. Suffocating. The same terrifying pressure she had once felt from Silent Fang.

She didn’t need to turn around. The Demonic Lord of the Demonic Cult had arrived.

“Little girl,” the man said lazily, hands clasped behind his back, “I’ll give you a fifty-mile head start.” His tone dripped with arrogance.

Lauren smiled brightly. “Fine. Thank you.”

She shot forward without hesitation, streaking toward the opposite bank of the Demon River. Behind her, demonic energy surged like a tidal wave.

It swallowed the sky, blotting out the sun. Even the clear river below turned pitch black under its influence.

Fifty miles? Bullshit.

He might have said he’d give her a head start—but his demonic aura blanketed the entire stretch of sky. As long as she remained within its range, fifty miles meant nothing.

Even five hundred wouldn’t save her. As the invisible boundary of those “fifty miles” approached, Lauren quietly pulled a small device from her sleeve. A detonator.

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