Chapter 574: Nyxariel

Demon Kingdom

Deep within the heart of the Demon Kingdom stood an enormous palace, its dark towers piercing the crimson sky.

Inside one of its private offices, a woman sat behind an ornate desk.

Her soft pink hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, while her pink eyes, each bearing a vertical slit, stared intently at the object resting in her palm.

It was a small emerald-colored crystal, barely the size of a pebble.

Yet despite its size, it radiated an extraordinary aura.

A beautiful, otherworldly glow shimmered within its depths, as though something ancient was sleeping inside it.

A faint smile appeared on the woman's lips.

"It's beautiful... No matter how many times I look at it."

She was none other than Demon Queen Nyxariel Noctyra. The object in her hand was a Primordial Shard. She admired it for another moment before turning toward a small metallic box sitting on her desk.

She carefully placed the shard inside. The moment she closed the lid, a dark-pink magic circle materialized above the box. It rotated slowly before descending onto the metal surface.

A faint pulse of magic spread through the room.

Then the magic circle vanished.

Nyxariel nodded in satisfaction.

She picked up the box and placed it inside her storage ring.

"That's better."

She rose from her chair and left the office.

Her heavy black armor produced a series of metallic clinks with every step as she walked through the palace corridor.

Soon, she arrived before the entrance to the royal treasury.

Two heavily armed guards stood before the enormous metal doors.

The moment they saw her, they immediately bowed.

"Your Majesty."

Nyxariel nodded.

The guards stepped aside.

She placed her palm against the massive door and released a small amount of mana. A faint glow spread across the surface.

The ancient runes engraved into the door activated one after another.

With a deep metallic rumble.

BOOOOM!

The treasury door opened.

Nyxariel stepped inside.

The treasury was enormous, filled with countless treasures accumulated by the Demon Kingdom over centuries.

However, the Demon Queen didn't stop to admire any of them. She walked deeper into the treasury until she reached a secluded chamber.

After entering, she remained there for several minutes. Eventually, she returned. She stepped outside and placed her hand against the door again.

The enormous entrance closed. A series of magical seals appeared across its surface.

Nyxariel inspected them carefully before nodding.

'That much protection should be enough for now.'

She turned around.

"Your Majesty."

Nyxariel stopped.

A woman suddenly appeared several meters behind her.

She wore dark robes, and a pointed hat rested atop her head. Several strands of dark hair fell around her face, while her sharp eyes carried an intelligence that made even the royal guards wary.

She was Amanda, one of the Demon Queen's trusted friend.

Nyxariel frowned slightly.

"Amanda, don't suddenly appear in front of me like that."

Amanda smiled faintly.

"Sorry."

"If you're planning to come here, inform me beforehand."

"I would have," Amanda replied, her expression becoming serious, "but I came because there's something important we need to discuss."

Nyxariel studied her face.

Amanda wasn't someone who would casually interrupt her.

After several seconds, Nyxariel sighed.

"Fine. Let's talk somewhere private."

She took out a communication crystal.

Mana flowed into it.

A moment later, the crystal activated.

"Sir Astaroth."

Her voice echoed through the crystal.

"I need you to come to my office. There's something important we need to discuss."

A deep voice answered from the other side.

"Understood, Your Majesty. I'll be there shortly."

Nyxariel put the crystal away.

"Come."

Amanda nodded.

The two women walked back through the palace corridors.

A Short While Later

Nyxariel returned to her office and sat behind her desk.

Amanda took the chair opposite her.

For several moments, neither woman spoke.

Nyxariel folded her hands together.

"So, Amanda. What is this important matter?"

Amanda opened her mouth.

Knock! Knock!

Both women turned toward the door.

"Your Majesty."

Nyxariel recognized the voice immediately.

"Come in."

The door opened.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped inside.

He appeared to be around fifty years old, with short gray hair and two large black horns protruding from his forehead.

His body was covered by heavy dark armor, while a large sword hung from his waist. Despite his age, his presence was intimidating.

The moment he entered, the atmosphere inside the room seemed to become heavier.

He was Astaroth, the Head of the Royal Knights.

He stopped several steps away from the desk and bowed.

"Your Majesty."

Nyxariel nodded.

"Astaroth."

His eyes briefly shifted toward Amanda before returning to the Demon Queen.

"I was told you wished to speak with me."

"Yes."

Astaroth straightened.

"May I sit?"

Nyxariel gestured toward the empty chair beside Amanda.

"Of course. Sit."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Astaroth walked over and sat down.

Now the two most trusted person sat in the room facing Nyxariel.

Nyxariel's expression became serious.

"Now that we're all here..."

Her gaze shifted between Amanda and Astaroth.

"Tell me what happened."

Amanda exchanged a brief glance with Astaroth.

Then she placed both hands on the table.

"Nyx... we may have a problem."

Nyxariel's eyes narrowed.

"What kind of problem?"

Amanda took a slow breath, her expression unusually serious.

"It concerns the Devils."

Nyxariel's expression changed instantly.

The atmosphere inside the room grew heavy.

Astaroth's hand unconsciously moved toward the hilt of his sword, his instincts immediately alert.

"What happened?" Nyxariel asked.

Amanda looked between the two of them before speaking.

"It's about the investigation into Vetaal. I've been looking into everything related to him, and after putting all the information together, I've reached a conclusion."

Nyxariel narrowed her eyes.

"What conclusion?"

Amanda's voice became quiet.

"He might be a Devil."

Silence filled the room.

Astaroth's expression hardened.

"Devil... You mean one of the Seven Devils? The ones who nearly destroyed the world in their attempt to reach godhood?"

Amanda nodded slowly.

"Yes. One of those seven."

Astaroth swallowed.

"But our records contain almost nothing about them. We only have a few ancient scriptures describing the war between the Devils and the Gods. According to those records, the Devils were defeated."

"That's exactly the problem," Amanda replied.

Nyxariel leaned slightly forward.

"Why do you believe Vetaal is one of them?"

Amanda folded her arms.

"Think about it. Vetaal was trapped on that island for more than two Eras. That's easily over five thousand years."

Astaroth frowned.

"As far as we know, no ordinary race can survive for that long."

"Exactly."

Amanda nodded.

"That alone would make him suspicious. But there's more. Almost every piece of information we have about the Devils comes from the Second Era. After the beginning of the Third Era, the word Devil practically vanished from historical records."

Nyxariel's eyes narrowed.

"So you're saying that because Vetaal existed during the Second Era and survived until the present day, he could be one of those Devils."

"Yes."

Amanda paused.

"And there's another thing. The amount of power he possesses doesn't make sense for any ordinary immortal."

Astaroth's expression became grim.

"If your theory is correct, then this is extremely dangerous."

"More than dangerous," Amanda replied. "If Vetaal really is one of the Seven Devils, we need to know what he wants now."

Astaroth looked toward Nyxariel.

"Your Majesty... he might come after the Primordial Shard."

Nyxariel's gaze hardened.

"That possibility has already crossed my mind after hearing to Amanda. We need to understand how to use it before anyone else discovers its true purpose."

Amanda nodded.

"Exactly. The threat we've been worrying about for years may somehow be connected to the Devils."

She looked directly at Nyxariel.

"If the Primordial Shard truly possesses the power described in the ancient records, you need to understand it before someone else does. And ascend beyond the Mythborn Rank."

Nyxariel remained silent for a moment before nodding.

"Then we'll proceed carefully."

She turned toward Amanda.

"Amanda, continue searching for information about the Devils. Search every continent. Old records, forbidden texts, ruins, temples... anything. Even the smallest fragment of information could be useful."

Amanda sighed.

"Of course. I was planning to do that anyway. Looks like I'll be busy for the next few months."

A faint smile appeared on Nyxariel's lips.

"You're the one who wanted an interesting investigation."

"Not this interesting."

Astaroth couldn't help but chuckle quietly.

Amanda glanced at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing."

"Hmph."

Nyxariel shook her head before turning toward Astaroth.

"You too, Astaroth. Increase the investigation into that organization."

"The organization that was hunting Lark?"

"Yes. Find out who they are, what they know about the Primordial Shard, and why they were willing to go to such lengths to obtain it."

Astaroth nodded firmly.

"Understood."

Amanda suddenly looked curious.

"By the way... what did you do with that Lark after taking the Primordial Shard from him?"

Nyxariel looked at her.

"I decided to leave him somewhere safe."

Amanda's eyebrows rose.

"Oh?"

She leaned back with an amused expression.

"When did you become so soft? I honestly thought you'd kill him after taking the shard."

Nyxariel's eyebrow twitched.

"The hell? I'm not that cruel. He was only a young man caught in something far beyond his understanding."

Amanda gave her a suspicious look.

"But what if those demons find him? What if they interrogate him and discover that the shard is now with you?"

"They won't."

Nyxariel's voice was calm and confident.

"I've already instructed a few trusted men to keep watch over him from a distance. If anything happens, I'll know immediately."

Amanda nodded, but her curiosity remained.

"That's not the only reason, is it?"

Nyxariel went silent.

Astaroth also looked at her.

Amanda leaned forward.

"There must be another reason you decided to keep him alive."

Nyxariel's expression became serious.

"There is."

"What is it?"

Astaroth's eyes narrowed slightly as he waited for her answer.

Nyxariel looked toward the window, her pink eyes becoming distant.

"He is..."