Chapter 105: Escape

Before Zora could react, the System exploded first. The initial broadcast was a truly mindless mechanical tone, followed only now by the System’s startled, frantic voice.

[It succeeded—?!]

Zora didn't quite understand it either, but she wasn't one to fret over herself. She pleasantly dropped the matter and turned back to her business.

[—Ugh...]

The System wanted to speak but couldn't find an opening. It watched the Host as if she were chopping vegetables—one strike, one kill—still weighing the force used and constantly adjusting so they died more swiftly and cleanly.

The System performed a self-scan and analyzed the detection function, reaching a conclusion:

There was a high probability that the Host had succeeded in the conquest long ago; it was just that the villain had been suppressing his emotions, so the detection function never picked it up.

System:

[...]

It sounded ridiculous, yet it was logical.

Then why stop suppressing it now?

The System glanced at the Host, who was working diligently. Aside from an initial moment of surprise, she seemed to have no other emotions.

The System silently muted itself.

...

Zora only found time to think about what had just happened after she finished the killing.

"Conquest success?"

System:

[Yes, Host! We’ve completed half the mission! Next is ensuring the villain doesn't destroy the world...]

"If the conquest is successful," Zora thought for a moment, "doesn't that mean if I tell him not to destroy it, he won't?"

[Too naive, Host! Many times, love isn't the driver of action!]

The System countered loudly.

[Many people have wives... sorry, wrong phrasing.]

The System restarted:

[Many people have masters, yet they still feign compliance while acting in opposition! Who knows what logic circuit leads them to destroy the world! We had a Host who thought everything was fine after a successful conquest.]

[In the end, because that male lead wasn't a 'love-above-all' type, he still hated the world and eventually killed everyone in the whole school.]

"?"

The System looked at her frowning, puzzled expression and said with pity:

[Poor Host, 'school' is a modern term; here, it would be an academy.]

A Host from a low-magic world always made the System want to show a bit more care.

"No," Zora asked, "why mention love? Isn't this a servant conquest?"

[...]

[...]

After a long silence, the System finally let out a laugh of realization.

[...Ha.]

Ridiculous, yet logical.

[Host, it was my oversight. I forgot you are from a low-magic world and didn't know the term 'conquest' usually refers to romance.]

Zora: "Your fault."

[...Yes, my fault.]

"Anyway, the conquest succeeded," Zora said, then paused. "Does this mean he hasn't completely become my servant... but it's love?"

[Correct, Host. The villain fell in love with you; that's why it shows conquest success.]

"..."

It felt strange. That sensation of a racing heartbeat from last time surged up again. Zora touched her chest.

She was suddenly very curious.

Can a servant fall in love with a master? Or rather, will things be different now that the conquest is successful compared to before? How different?

The wounds on her body hadn't healed yet. Zora didn't know how Turi Qi had finally resolved things. Having finished the killing, she felt her task was done and waited in place.

After a moment, Turi Qi hurried over: "Let’s return to the sect, Junior Sister."

She was somewhat urgent. When communicating with a disciple to hand over sect affairs, the phrasing of the letter made Turi Qi feel strange, as if something were happening under the surface.

Zora gave an affirmation.

...

When they reached the sect, Turi Qi was called away by a disciple. Zora continued toward the Falling Rock Forest with indifference.

However, the gazes of those passing by were strange. Originally, Zora never cared about such things, but these people weren't just looking; they were whispering to their companions.

Upon meeting a passing disciple who kept staring at her for the fifth time, Zora suddenly looked at him.

The disciple hurriedly withdrew his gaze and was about to walk away quickly when a hand landed on his shoulder.

She didn't use force, but her cultivation—many levels higher than his—naturally exerted a deterrent effect.

The man froze.

Zora asked: "What were you thinking when you looked at me just now? Say it."

Under the intense pressure, the disciple began to tremble: "..."

This... this is definitely a threat—!

He didn't dare lie and swallowed hard: "I... I was thinking... Junior Sister Zora, have you been deceived?"

Zora: "What?"

Disciple: "It’s... it’s... Senior Brother Vane—no, Vane, he’s from the Demon Realm! He even has a Demonic Seed and lurked in the sect to commit many evils. Now everyone reviles him. But you were friends with him before, right... You should quickly check your body and meridians. Could you have been plotted against by Vane? The elders said Vane plotted against a disciple before, and that disciple was forced to leave the sect!"

The System couldn't help but speak:

[They’re really slinging the mud hard.]

Zora ignored the other information and only repeated: "Demonic Seed?"

The disciple was quite resentful: "Yes! A Demonic Seed! That kid even deceived you, Junior Sister; it’s truly hateful!"

Zora thought for a moment and argued seriously: "It’s okay. He didn't know about the Demonic Seed himself."

"..." The disciple was choked, then added: "Yes, otherwise he wouldn't have been discovered... but he hid the fact that he was from the Demon Realm!"

Zora nodded: "True."

The disciple’s face was full of anxiety: "That’s why I wanted you to check your situation, Junior Sister. I heard that during the war decades ago, those from the Demon Realm were skilled at using poisons and hexes. What if..."

So, the plot has started?

Zora’s mind drifted for a moment as she recalled her plan: "Then where is he now?"

"He’s being held at the Black Suspending Sea."

Zora understood. Just as she was about to leave, she turned and answered solemnly: "He won't."

"Ah?"

"He won't use poison or hexes on me."

The disciple was momentarily speechless: "..."

The Master-Servant Oath wouldn't allow it either, Zora thought. Suddenly, she recalled the successful conquest and hesitated.

Mhm. Using poison or hexes doesn't seem to have a necessary connection to whether the other person is the one you love.

So she discarded that reason.

The Falling Rock Forest was faintly visible in the mist. Zora opened the array and walked straight in.

Since the plot had started, what she needed most was to wait.

Wait for Vane to be kidnapped.

The Black Suspending Sea was inaccessible; Zora hadn't thought of barging in, as that would alert the demonic cultivators in the shadows.

She stopped abruptly.

The morning sun was brilliant and hot. Only one person sat at the table in the courtyard, swinging an empty wine flask.

Zora stayed quiet for a moment, then moved slowly over and sat beside her.

Zhou Shijin didn't look at her, gazing instead at the distant peaks. She said, "Do you know about Vane?"

Zora stared at her: "I know."

"Don't do anything stupid. Even if you dodge Wanghua-jun, you can't dodge the pursuit of the entire cultivation world. That kid won't die; in a few hundred years, he might have a chance to get out."

"What stupid thing?"

"..." Zhou Shijin turned her head and looked at her carefully. The girl's face was pale and clean in the sunlight, her amber eyes showing no panic, as if she truly hadn't thought of kidnapping her servant.

Zhou Shijin suddenly laughed aloud: "True. You are you, and others are others. What do you plan to do next?"

Zora watched her, her eyes unblinking: "Go to the Demon Realm."

"Ha—go to the Demon Realm," Zhou Shijin laughed even louder. "Are you going to become a demon?"

"No."

"You're going to the Demon Realm as a cultivator?"

"Mhm. I'll go to the Demon Realm and see where I end up."

"Mhm..." Zhou Shijin seemed to ponder, her expression relaxing. She didn't ask for a reason, only saying, "That's good."

—

That's good.

Knowing where your path lies and what you should do is enough.

Then, with no other words, the two sat as comfortably as if they were sunbathing.

Zora lay on the table, then lifted her head from the crook of her arm to show her eyes. The shadow of her lashes flickered on the skin beneath her eyes as she stared directly at her.

Zhou Shijin showed no reaction to being stared at, gazing off into the distance on her own.

Zora: "Are you going to die?"

She felt the aura of decay on her.

"Yes."

"Master."

"Mhm?"

"I'm starting to miss you now."

"...Miss me later."

The two fell silent again.

The nearby forest was moved by the wind, emitting a pleasant rustling sound. The shadows of the trees were dappled; the ground looked as if dotted with jumping spots of light, so bright one couldn't look away.

The position of the sun moved slightly.

After an unknown amount of time, the woman suddenly spoke: "Thinking carefully, I’ve lived quite happily. No regrets."

Zora didn't reply. Tiny fragments of soul drifted before her eyes like flowing clouds or dandelion seeds, rising freely and then scattering into the air.

Zhou Shijin's silhouette grew faint and transparent, dissipating from her limbs. Finally, just as her eyes were about to vanish, she gave Zora a look—a plain, ordinary look.

Then, she was gone forever.

Liyu had left a mask; Zhou Shijin left nothing at all.

The sun shone high. Zora rubbed her eyes and opened them again; the space before her was still empty.

She stayed slumped on the table alone for a while. It was clearly a good thing—a peaceful passing—yet it felt like reluctance. This was an uncontrollable emotion. Her heart felt as if a piece were missing, empty and vast; she couldn't adapt for a time.

Zora lifted her head, propping up her chin. The light was piercing. She watched quietly, feeling the high-intensity rays spread over her eyes.

"A bit of reluctance."

She spoke to herself as if analyzing her current mood, or rather, feeling that saying it made things much easier.

"Sad."

"Uncomfortable."

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes downcast for an instant, before speaking:

"...Lonely."

This was loneliness.

So lonely.

She still had friends, and she still had Vane, but at this moment there was only her.

Without Zhou Shijin, she felt lonely; it seemed no one could replace her Master's position.

Her heart felt heavy with discomfort, yet also like an empty, drafty hole.

Separation was not worth minding.

Only the parting of life and death could touch her.

...

Yuxiao Hall.

The emptiest place in the December Sect. Here sat the soul lamps of the elders and immortals. A soul lamp only required a strand of the person's hair, a drop of blood, their consent, and a wisp of spiritual power to be made.

They weren't that precious and could be remade at any time. Moreover, most elders and immortals were always in the public eye; even in seclusion, they would make another soul lamp for their disciples. Thus, Yuxiao Hall was not guarded by important cultivators.

Only a small child watched over it daily.

She hadn't yet achieved inedia and needed sleep; her head bobbed as she drifted off.

Suddenly, her head hit the doorframe. She snapped awake and habitually glanced at the countless soul lamps in the hall.

Outside the hall was a single building, but inside was a star-like illusion.

The soul lamps were like candles; countless pea-sized flames floated up and down in the vast sea of stars, moving slowly along certain trajectories, impossibly beautiful.

Among them, one lamp flickered and disappeared.

The child’s eyes widened. She looked again and again, confirming that a soul lamp had indeed gone out.

"N-not good! Immortal Zhou has passed away—!"

Soon, the news of Zhou Shijin’s passing spread through the sect. Within a single hour, everyone knew.

However, it didn't cause a major stir. The elders had known she was nearing her end; a moment of sighing and it was over.

Sect Leader Ling Zhihuan was talking with Turi Qi when she heard the news.

She knew about Turi Qi’s handling of the Tu family. Seeing her again, she felt that the softness in the eyes of this Chief of the Sword Gate had long vanished.

Turi Qi hadn't experienced the decades of entanglement with Wanghua-jun, devoting herself entirely to sect missions. Naturally, she was more mature and stable than in the original, and even her indecisiveness had gone, making her seem quite efficient.

Ling Zhihuan: "I began teaching you sect affairs bit by bit twenty years ago. In truth, I’m still hesitating."

Turi Qi lowered her eyes to listen, respectful and polite.

But the Sect Leader shifted the topic, asking: "Why did you kill your relatives?"

Turi Qi was neither humble nor arrogant, saying: "They tried to kill me and my junior sister. It was only right to pull them out by the roots to end the trouble. Later, learning they harmed commoners and acted recklessly, the crime was doubled. I am not the magistrate's office, but I still have the responsibility to handle my relatives."

Ling Zhihuan lowered her eyes, her elderly face and intense, serious gaze scanning her.

Turi Qi remained unruffled. After a long while, Ling Zhihuan let out a light laugh.

"Very good."

However, the matter of passing on the position required dealing with the various elders. The Sect Leader they wanted to appoint was another disciple—a lackey of the elders. Once the sect fell into such a person’s hands, everyone knew what it would become: a total monopoly for the elders.

That was why Ling Zhihuan had delayed, never agreeing to step down.

But the time was indeed nearing; she couldn't hold on much longer.

Ling Zhihuan looked at the person before her. She was silent for a moment and was about to speak when she heard a notification from outside the hall.

"...S-Sect Leader, that Vane has been kidnapped!"

Ling Zhihuan frowned: "Who kidnapped him?"

"It was a demonic cultivator!"

"..." She let out a sigh.

Did Vane truly conspire with demonic cultivators?

Not necessarily. It seemed more likely they were after the Demonic Seed, but the elders wouldn't think so.

"There is one more thing..." the disciple said softly through the door. "Sect Leader, Immortal Zhou has passed away."

Ling Zhihuan was stunned. The first to react was Turi Qi; she stepped forward in shock: "What!?"

Ling Zhihuan was silent for an instant: "I'll go take a look. You handle your own affairs first. Those Tu kinsmen—aren't you in a hurry to handle those matters?"

Turi Qi: "But—"

Ling Zhihuan said meaningfully: "Let her be alone for a while first."

Turi Qi hesitated for a moment, then finally lowered her eyes: "...Yes."

The Black Suspending Sea should have been inaccessible, yet the demonic cultivators had found a loophole. Ling Zhihuan went to the Black Suspending Sea; only a pair of spiritual-locking handcuffs remained, stained with patches of blood.

She ordered a strict search. The infiltration of demonic cultivators into the sect was a major oversight; the elders were also furious, and for a time, the sect was in a state of panic.

By the time Ling Zhihuan finished handling the miscellaneous affairs, it was already late. She was originally going to return to the Hall of Seeking Immortals, but her footsteps paused.

The sky was filled with stars, reminding her of the night Zhou Shijin joined the sect. It was just like this—so many stars they were uncountable, crowding together and flowing through the galaxy.

Go and take a look.

Busy affairs sometimes prevented even sadness from lasting. Only now did she realize that the companion she had known all those years ago had actually dissipated.

The Falling Rock Forest was the same as ever.

Ling Zhihuan went in and saw Zora sitting by the stone table, propping up her cheek and looking at the starry sky.

She didn't know how long Zora had been watching, nor how long she had been sitting on the stone stool.

Ling Zhihuan approached her: "Your Master is gone. What will you do? I will do my best to help you."

Zora heard the voice and turned her head: "Leave this place."

Ling Zhihuan was stunned: "Leave... leave the sect?"

Zora’s round eyes stared at her, but she answered with a non-sequitur: "Did you once think of passing the Sect Leader position to Senior Sister Turi?"

It was hinted at in the original; the System had suggested it.

Ling Zhihuan lowered her head, looking at her quietly. She saw that this sword cultivator seemed to have some intent.

"I still do."

Zora: "Why haven't you passed it yet?"

Ling Zhihuan shook her head: "The elders won't agree. I still need to wait."

"Mhm..."

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. Maybe I’m very lonely," Zora said honestly. She thought for a moment. "And I'm about to leave..."

Zora originally wanted to say that Turi Qi had helped her with the Tu family—though she didn't care about the reputation.

But Zora paused and said: "Because she is my friend."

"..." Ling Zhihuan’s expression shifted slightly.

Regarding Vane’s escape, they should have come to question or even interrogate Zora, who was close to him. But Zora’s cultivation was there; no one was willing to offend her.

If it weren't for Vane having a Demonic Seed and the Sword Sovereign Wanghua-jun backing the elders, they wouldn't have dared touch Vane—mostly because they couldn't beat him. But with the Sword Sovereign, it was different. Vane initially had no power to resist because he was blinded by the Demonic Seed. Later, it was entirely because the Sword Sovereign was present; he couldn't resist in public and could only suffer the Bone-Nailing punishment.

Before Ling Zhihuan left, she said: "By the way, Vane was kidnapped by demonic cultivators. The situation in the sect is tense now. You... be careful."

Zora: "Mhm... Do the people in Yuxiao Hall sleep?"

She asked so bluntly.

Ling Zhihuan chuckled: "...Yes, nighttime is when the child sleeps."

Zora nodded: "Goodbye."

"...Goodbye."

She walked to the exit of the Falling Rock Forest and looked back once more.

The courtyard was deep. The girl sat there alone, her fingertip sliding across the table as if tracing the carved patterns on it, full of innocence.

Ling Zhihuan watched the Falling Rock Forest slowly for a few more moments and closed her eyes.

...The state of affairs was always changing. By her side, all sorts of people had left; of those she was once close to, few remained now.

The stars twinkled, and the sect fell into tranquility. Even for cultivators, most needed sleep.

And on this night, several lives vanished quietly. Those elders, having reached the peak of their talent and unable to advance, were now obsessed with infighting, fighting for power and forming factions. Thus they neglected their cultivation, and their vigilance was lower than even ordinary disciples.

Those arrays they took pride in were easily torn apart. Those protective spiritual tools they had painstakingly gathered were pierced through before they could even be used; even the spiritual tools that automatically surfaced to activate were pierced by a single sword.

Those elders had long been fierce in appearance but weak within, their foundations hollow. Cultivation levels desperately built up with spiritual objects were vulnerable. It was just that they were constantly bathed in illusory pressure, and no one dared to challenge an elder, nor did the elders need to fight in person.

Furthermore, the development of the cultivation world hadn't been long. The strength of the premier sect lay in the disciples below and Wanghua-jun, not in any elders.

Sword Sovereign Wanghua-jun held himself cold and aloof, a lifetime of solitary height. The peak where he resided was the most remote and the coldest, which actually allowed others to take advantage.

One elder maintained a meditative posture, but his breathing had stopped. On his neck was a minute bloodline.

Another elder stopped breathing on an ice bed.

...

All had that minute red mark. At first glance, a very inconspicuous red mark.

...

Turi Qi went to the Tu residence one more time, not returning to the sect until nearly dawn.

It was still dark. She landed at the sect entrance and put away her gourd, only to run into Zora.

Turi Qi was stunned: "Junior Sister Zora, where are you going?"

Zora rubbed her chin: "Mhm... leaving here first."

Because in a little while, she would likely be hunted.

Zora’s tone was perfectly open. Turi Qi found nothing amiss and said: "Okay."

Zora took a few steps and passed Turi Qi. Only then did Turi Qi see beads of blood at her temple. Though she had changed her clothes, she could still smell the heavy scent of blood on Zora, and the fabric on her back and arms was gradually showing spots of blood.

"Junior Sister Zora," Turi Qi said, her gaze following her.

Zora tilted her head very patiently.

Turi Qi opened her mouth: "...Shall we go to Drunken Lu Bay tomorrow? Junior Sister Yiling doesn't know about Vane yet; we can go talk to her. Maybe that demonic cultivator used some array."

"No," Zora shook her head. The girl’s profile was slightly soft, her lashes thick and long, yet her eyes were very calm. "See you next time, Senior Sister."

Turi Qi’s breath hitched slightly, though she didn't know why.

Zora flew away on her sword, moving extremely fast and vanishing in the blink of an eye.

[Escaping for your life—can you afford not to be fast?]

the System said gloomily.

Zora gave an "mhm" in agreement.

[...]

It was clearly being sarcastic!

[Last night was truly too dangerous! What if you had alerted the male lead!]

"But I didn't," Zora paused and asked, puzzled. "And the elders weren't as strong as I imagined."

[That’s what happens when you don't put your heart into cultivation. In truth, Ling Zhihuan is no match for you either. People who manage sect affairs, unless they have startling talent, will always have less energy and time than those who work equally hard at cultivation.]

System:

[Host, are you going to the Demon Realm now?]

Zora: "Yes."

In the next moment, the dawn broke and white light flared. Zora raised her hand to block the piercing brightness, then slowly lowered it.

Half the sun rose from the earth, white and scorching. Everything around became clearly visible—trees, hills, houses, farmers.

Zora was enveloped in the morning light, like a ball of soft radiance, plunging into the distant journey.

Demon Realm.

In a moment of life and death, Vane heard the voice of a demonic cultivator.

The Black Suspending Sea was not inaccessible to everyone. At the very least, that group of elders who wanted him dead would enter to place a spiritual tool that absorbed spiritual power, letting him die slowly.

The meager spiritual power left in his body was being constantly drained, with none to spare for healing his wounds. A cultivator’s body is strong, but these were Bone-Nailing nails.

"If you don't want to die, follow me," a person said.

Vane agreed.

He didn't want to die, even knowing this person surely harbored ill intentions.

Once they reached the Demon Realm, it was indeed so. That demonic cultivator valued his Demonic Seed and wanted to dig it out.

If it weren't for the uncertainty of what effect the spiritual-rich cultivation world would have on a Demonic Seed that left its host, that demonic cultivator would likely have dug it out back in the Black Suspending Sea.

Vane had been recovering his spiritual power during the journey. After the demonic cultivator had led him for a while, he used a bit of spiritual power to plot his escape.

The demonic cultivator was relentless in his pursuit.

Vane could clearly feel the agitation of the Demonic Seed.

The youth was covered in wounds and staggered forward. The spells suppressing the Demonic Seed were long past their limit. The loss of life force made the seed eager to break through the surface.

He stumbled into a narrow cave and fell, exhausted, panting heavily.

...If this continued, he would turn demonic sooner or later.

He could not turn demonic.

He must not.

In the original work, the reason the villain was able to counter-kill those chasing him was the eruption of the Demonic Seed.

However, at this moment, the youth disregarded the danger to his life, gritting his teeth as he thrust his fingertips into the flesh of his chest. There happened to be a whip wound there; his fingertips went deep into the flesh through the wound, a sticky sound accompanying the dripping of blood.

Where was the Demonic Seed? It should be near the heart. It would require very careful extraction to preserve his life, but that demonic cultivator clearly only wanted to dig out his heart directly.

Vane let out a muffled groan, cold sweat pouring down, his lips turning increasingly pale.

Soon, his finger pads touched the edge of bone. A weak spiritual power spilled from his fingertips, going through the gaps in the bone deep into the red flesh to find the specific location of the Demonic Seed.

The voice of the demonic cultivator sounded outside, imminent.

Faster, a bit faster.

The youth bit his lip. He wished he could quickly tear open his chest and remove the Demonic Seed; at least there would be a chance for life.

Suddenly, the demonic cultivator’s voice vanished abruptly.

The silence was unsettling.

Vane frowned. The cave was suddenly shattered, and a person walked in, holding a sword, seeing him as expected.

Zora: "You really are here."

Lingxun Slope—the place Vane had mentioned in the illusion before as the best place to hide.

Zora looked down at the youth who was nearing death, then at his bloody fingers thrust into his chest. Blood was constantly sliding down his fingertips to his palm and wrist.

Vane remained silent.

Zora didn't care: "Are you committing suicide?"

He still didn't speak.

Zora knit her brows in confusion: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No..." Having been tortured to this point, the youth's voice had become exceptionally dry. He coughed several times as soon as he spoke, but quickly steadied himself. "...You came to the Demon Realm."

"Yes." Zora squatted down to observe him. Vane leaned against the stone wall, looking truly wretched, yet he stared fixedly at her now.

Zora asked again: "Are you committing suicide?"

"...No," Vane seemed a bit dazed, but not because of the wound. "I am going to remove the Demonic Seed."

"Why?"

Vane paused, hiding part of his personal motive: "...Because I promised you that I would not stand in opposition to you."

"Even if you might die, you won't turn demonic?"

Vane pursed his lips, his dark eyes now brilliantly bright. "Correct."

He kept his word; she liked people who kept their word, and she liked his "loyalty." And love? With the conquest successful, she looked at Vane with a fresh, curious gaze.

Likely his kind of love was of this type—willing to give his life. It was incomprehensible and strange, yet it felt "safe" and "unthreatening."

Zora's heartbeat quickened familiarly.

She had already felt her heart stir; she had a shallow liking. But sometimes there was no need to understand the heart-stirring; instinct would drive her to make the most comfortable, most pleasing choice.

If Vane had already been marked by her as personal territory, then now he was being pulled a bit closer to her side.

Zora suddenly thought of her previous life.

Those in the arena would occasionally act tender, kissing a cheek or forehead without desire. This action left a deep impression on Zora because one couldn't commit an assassination at that moment.

Zora stared at him, suddenly following her heart to lean in and kiss his cheek—just a tiny peck, like a bird pecking wood.

She did what she wanted to do without hesitation, also because he was her servant and currently absolutely safe.

The youth grew abruptly stiff.

Having satisfied the thought, a bit of joy miraculously welled up in her heart. Zora didn't think much more, asking: "Did it come out?"

"...N-no." A few patches of light pink surfaced on his pale cheeks.

Zora urged: "Then hurry up and dig it out."

He stared at her blankly, as if his brain couldn't think anymore, only able to answer: "...Okay."

Using spiritual power, the youth’s fingertips attempted to dig out the Demonic Seed from his chest in a self-destructive manner, the flesh tearing inch by inch.

In such a bloody, life-threatening scene, one person had a slightly red face, digging out his own flesh with lowered eyes as if his heart were stirring with spring. The other person was observing seriously, seemingly quite curious as to what that Demonic Seed actually looked like.

System:

[...]