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A majestic light enveloped Adelaide’s body along with a hum. It was an effect that always manifested when moving through portals so she waited for the light to die down without much thought.
‘What?’
But something was strange. The light and sound should have now gradually decreased, but it was only getting brighter.
Wiiyeeing-!
Adelaide crouched down in response to the deafening noise. Red and blue lights flashed around her.
Something was wrong. She was sure. At the same time, pain that felt like her body was being ripped apart began to engulf her.
“Ugh……!”
Adelaide groaned in terrible pain as her skin was torn and her bones were broken. It hurts so much, save me! She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t.
She was half out of her wits, barely figuring out what was happening to her now.
‘Portal Error.’
It was a very rare accident during space movement through portals.
There were various causes, such as old portals or unstable energy, but the results were mostly similar. The victim caught in the accident would be lucky enough to survive with only some of their limbs lost, but if they were unlucky, their whole body would disintegrate and die. Even the pieces of the body parts would be scattered from place to place, making it difficult to find.
She had heard that such horrific accidents happen very rarely, but she never imagined that she would be a victim. Even if there’s a low chance of it actually happening, once it occurs, you’re 100% trapped.
Am I going to die like this?
Adelaide struggled from the endless pain. How can I die so suddenly and in vain? It can’t happen. Even if I’m cut off in a few places, I have to live. Survive. She clenched her teeth and vowed.
Did God make my wish come true? Or did the power manifest? Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of her eyes. A dazzling white light filled her vision.
Flash!
Adelaide opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was the black sky. Countless stars were shining brightly in the night sky. Staring blankly at the twinkling stars, she soon realized she was lying on the ground.
“Huh……!”
She immediately raised her upper body and took a deep breath. It was as if the breath that had been constricted was finally released.
She hurriedly inspected her own body. She raised her hand, checked her legs, and groped everywhere to check for any missing part.
To her surprise, everything was fine. As if all the great pain she had just felt was a lie, she was not cut or injured anywhere.
‘I lived.’
Hot tears welled up. Adelaide mumbled that she had survived. Then she said a prayer of thanks to God, whom she did not believe in.
She never knew that it would be this thrilling to be healthy and alive.
“Guys, I’m alive….”
She recalled the faces of her precious demons in her head and sniffled.
After ten minutes, she calmed down a little. As she looked back at the situation calmly, she realized how lucky she was.
Of course, it was more of a misfortune if she were to think that she was involved in an accident and was caught up in a portal error, but surviving with her body completely intact was truly fortunate.
Adelaide slowly looked at her surroundings while she promised to kiss her demons like crazy once she returned to the dungeon.
She was sitting in a dark alley. There was trash rolling around and there was a subtle stench. She must be in a strange place because of the portal error.
Considering the breeze mixed with sand and dust and the temperature higher than the Sarman region, Esperanza sounded right. She had no idea where exactly though because Esperanza was such a large area.
‘Seeing the desert in the distance…… Is it close to Goldiberg?’
Adelaide narrowed her eyes and tried to guess where she was. The thought of going back to Greenville was already making her sigh.
Well, this is much better than falling in the middle of the desert though. She stood up from where she was sitting and struggled to think positively.
‘How can I get to a portal?….’
I don’t know where this is, but I can’t fly. If I do, I’m going to get tired soon and fall.
It would be best to quickly find a ladybug and go to the portal. Since there are some buildings, I shouldn’t have problems finding at least one ladybug.
But she soon realized that she was wrong. Most of the surrounding buildings were abandoned houses that could have been several hundred years old. There were hardly any other demons, let alone a ladybug.
Some demons, the few she barely saw, only stared at her menacingly behind a wall or inside an abandoned house. She didn’t know where this place was, but one thing was certain: it wasn’t a good place to live.
Adelaide continued walking as she searched around her with a tensed look on her face. She had been to a similar alley like this before in Belial. Of course, while she was being accompanied by Penelope.
Back then, Penelope told her that in alleys like this, there were always those who want to rob the demons who pass by. So, she advised her to never go out alone.
And Penelope’s advice was never wrong.
Whik-!
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A crowd suddenly jumped out of one of the tattered buildings and one demon rushed at her. He grinned as he stared at Adelaide with lifeless eyes. His long claws quickly aimed at her neck.
“Aak, that scared me!”
But in the blink of an eye, Adelaide was out of the trajectory of his attack. She screamed in surprise, but she wasn’t really frightened.
Sure enough, she was now stronger than most high-level demons. The demons living in these alleys were only mid-level demons at best so they were no match against her in the first place.
Adelaide frowned as if displeased, and grabbed the neck of the demon who rushed at her. She then slammed his head down to the ground in one breath.
Kwaang!
A thick layer of dust rose with the loud thud. The demon who was targeting her didn’t even have a chance to scream and died.
Adelaide dusted her hand off without any guilt. She was certainly benevolent, but she was not soft enough to harbor pity for an opponent who tried to kill her.
“Hic…….!”
Some of the other demons fled in horror. They were demons who were targeting her. They must have run away quickly after seeing her strength.
Just tell me where I can find a ladybug! Adelaide tried to shout this, but it was unlikely that the demons who had fled would come back and kindly tell her where a ladybug was. Hence she took another deep breath and started walking again.
Then she heard a noise from not far away. It seemed to be a fight, and also seemed to be talking.
‘I should go over there and ask.’
Thinking so, Adelaide hastened her strides. It would be bad if they disappear before she even arrives. She was determined to catch them so they can’t escape once they see her and attempt to run away again.
…….Bang! Boom! Gooong!
The closer she got, the louder it became. A quick glance showed that a battle was indeed taking place just as she had expected. A bit of power was leaking but Adelaide didn’t bother to pay close attention. They were demons from this alley so they should all be similar.
“H-Help…… Keuk!”
Looks like the winner has been decided. Adelaide thought as she heard a voice near her. There’s just one more corner until she gets there.
“I don’t want to.”
And the moment she finally turned the corner.
Adelaide stood frozen.
A large man was holding the other demon’s neck with one hand. His broad shoulders, an inverted triangle-shaped torso, tightly packed muscles and long legs, and red hair. The man’s back was very familiar.
“Keup, p-please, heok, I don’t want to…… fight…….”
“Shut up and look.”
The voice that gave a death sentence, a rather harsh tone. It was colder than she knew, but it belonged to the same person.
Puk! The man’s hand pierced the chest of the demon without mercy. Red blood dripped down his muscular arm. The demon who had his heart pierced died with a light groan.
And Adelaide, witnessing all these scenes, called out his name in a trembling voice.
“Caladi……?”
Suddenly, the man’s body froze. His head slowly turned towards her.
Thump, thump, thump. Her heart was beating fast. The way he turned his head seemed too slow. As if time passed slowly.
“A-dela……?”
At last, their eyes met. His silver-gray pupils shook in the darkness.
Caladium stared at her with eyes wide open, as if he couldn’t believe Adelaide was there.
Adelaide also stood staring at him blankly.
Caladium’s face, which she had not seen in a long time, was slightly skinnier than before. The jawline, which was still clear, became sharper, and the area around his eyes was as dark as a demon who stayed up all night.
He was still blindingly handsome, but his aura had strangely changed. If Caladium in Greenville Dungeon was rough and playful, he now looked somewhat unstable.
“Why are you here…….”
“Maybe another dream?” Caladium murmured in a low voice.
Then he cruelly threw the demon he had pierced through with his hand against the wall.
Thud! The corpse, with a hole in its chest, crashed into the wall and slid to the floor. Caladium’s pretty hands were stained with bright red blood.
“Is it really you?”
Caladium took a step closer to her and stretched out his hand. It was the hand that had just pierced the demon’s body. Drip. Drip. When she saw the dripping blood, a voice suddenly came to Adelaide’s head.
“If one day, Caladium shows a violent behavior like I described, I hope that you will remember my story and flee without delay.”
Why am I remembering this now? Adelaide herself had no way of knowing.
And the moment the red hand was about to touch her shoulder, Adelaide did it unintentionally.
Flinch. Her shoulders moved. As if she was trying to avoid Caladium’s hand.
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Caladium saw this and hardened. Adelaide also took a deep breath, shocked by her own body’s reaction. Why did I flinch? She regretted it, but there was no turning back.
In the brief silence, their eyes met again. Her pink pupils trembled in shame, and Caladium’s silver-eyes that had been shaking seemed to have calmed.
No, to be precise, they became cold.