The Hero’s Abnormal Change in the Interrogation Room.

“Master~! I’m back.”

The red-haired beast-eared girl walked into the study, dressed in a dark blue hunter’s outfit.

As always, Lilith was still immersed in researching those dull and difficult alchemical theories.

Because she was conducting her own research and innovation, her progress was extremely slow.

She recorded every discovery in her notebook for future generations to study.

Although this was very boring, it was also strangely exciting.

Using an almost endless lifespan to research something…

Lilith could no longer count how many years she had studied alchemy.

Yet she continued to research without stopping.

At this moment, she was researching an upgrade to the anti-magic obsidian collar.

“Welcome back…”

Lilith said softly, looking down at her book without even lifting her head.

“Then I’ll head out again~”

Luna replied.

After the Ice and Snow Festival, Luna did not return immediately.

She planned to stay in town a bit longer before heading back to the Demon Castle.

She had already discussed this with Lilith beforehand.

The half-orc girl Aren encountered that day was indeed Luna.

She had simply changed her hairstyle and clothes.

Aren had actually failed to recognize her at all.

Luna found this a little helpless.

But come to think of it, Aren really was very pretty that day.

It must have been because of the clothes.

Luna thought to herself…

“Master?”

“Hm?”

Lilith raised her head, which was rare for her to do.

Her pitch-black pupils were unusually deep.

“Didn’t you go to capture Aren?”

“Where is Aren now…?”

Luna asked, somewhat puzzled.

This was, after all, very strange.

She had already been away from the Demon Castle for five or six days.

With Lilith’s strength, capturing Aren should have been as easy as catching a kitten.

Yet Aren was nowhere to be seen.

It was hard to believe.

Could it be that Aren had escaped?

“……”

Lilith did not reply.

She paused for a moment.

Then she sighed.

“She’s dead…”

Lilith answered calmly, as if it were nothing at all.

！！！！

In Luna’s impression, Aren could be said to be one of the most important things to Lilith.

If Aren were really dead, Lilith could not possibly be this calm.

Luna still remembered the scene from a few months ago, when Lilith flew into a rage because Aren had been injured.

“My lady, please don’t joke like that.”

“I know you couldn’t possibly have killed her…”

Luna looked at Lilith with a slightly serious expression.

“She’s in the dungeon.”

“If you want to save her, then save her…”

“If she’s truly dead…”

“Then bury her…”

Lilith hesitated as she spoke, as if making an important decision.

………………

“Tap, tap, tap…”

Accompanied by the crisp echoes of leather boots striking the ground, Luna walked into the dungeon.

Dense prison cells formed one small independent space after another.

There were so many that they made one feel dizzy just looking at them.

“Ugh…”

Luna felt a little afraid.

In the pitch-black dungeon, she could only rely on the faint light leaking in through small windows to find her way.

It was truly terrifying.

Even though Luna was already a Saint-rank mage and Sword Saint-level fighter, she still could not avoid the fear in her heart.

If one paid close attention, they would notice animal remains inside some of the cells.

Human remains.

Half-orc remains.

There were even elf remains.

The earliest lord of the Demon Castle was indeed an extremely twisted and perverted individual.

This dungeon was also built entirely by him.

Records in the library beneath the castle mentioned that the first lord, Nado, had conducted horrifying research.

He collected refugees of various races as experimental subjects and turned them into undead puppets for use.

Later, he was killed by the Demon Hunter clan.

These must have been the experimental subjects left behind.

Luna thought.

Because so much time had passed, the corpses had already weathered away.

There was no smell anymore.

But the atmosphere was still extremely gloomy and terrifying.

For example…

In one of the cells, there was a corpse gripping the iron bars tightly.

Unfortunately, the enchanted and sealed bars firmly trapped it inside.

It was no longer possible to tell what race it had been.

Its eyeless sockets were two large black holes.

As if silently recounting its suffering.

Perhaps after Nado’s death, no one had given them food.

They had simply starved to death inside.

“Ugh…”

Luna let out a small sound without realizing it.

She drooped her ears and quickened her pace.

She hurried past this area of the dungeon.

The scene before her was too unsettling.

She even regretted choosing this route.

If she had entered through another underground entrance.

She would not have needed to pass through this prison area at all.

………………… Luna continues forward …………………

In the pitch-black interrogation room, a single eternal lamp made of crystal stone illuminated the space.

Everything appeared hazy and indistinct.

Under the orange-yellow glow, there was a faint sense of warmth.

However, the torture devices hidden in the darkness shattered that illusion completely.

They looked vicious and frightening.

Fortunately, because they had not been used for a long time, they were rusted.

They had lost much of their chilling presence.

Under the dim light, there was a humanoid figure lying prone on the ground.

Looking closer, aside from the blood that had clotted all over the body.

It was clearly a person.

Silver hair was messily spread across the floor.

Mixed together with the dried blood.

It created an inexplicably beautiful scene.

“Dark.”

“Deep.”

“Fantasy.”

Luna murmured softly to herself.

These three words perfectly described the scene before her.

Luna walked forward.

She gently turned Aren’s body over.

She placed her hand on Aren’s pulse.

One second…

Two seconds…

Three seconds…

A faint tremor finally came through her fingers.

The heartbeat was extremely weak.

Almost imperceptible.

But at least it proved that she was still alive.

“She really is hard to kill.”

Luna said softly.

Aside from a wound on her head.

And abrasions on her arms from crawling.

There was nothing else visible.

Although there were large bloodstains on her clothes.

They seemed to have mostly healed.

“……”

Just as Luna was feeling relieved, she froze.

To make it easier to treat and inspect the wounds.

She tore open Aren’s clothes.

The sight inside sent a chill down her spine.

There were two large wounds on her body.

One was on the left side of her abdomen.

It had already festered.

Yellowish pus bulged out.

Some seeping from within.

Luna recognized this wound.

It was caused by bandits in that village.

She had witnessed it clearly at the time.

The other wound was unfamiliar to Luna.

It was slightly below the ribs.

Most likely inflicted by Lilith.

A dagger had been stabbed straight in.

The wound was extremely deep.

If guessed correctly.

The entire dagger had been buried in the flesh.

Although horrifying.

No vital organs seemed to have been hit.

Otherwise.

Aren would have died long ago.

There were almost no signs of healing.

Yet the bleeding had stopped.

The ribs were distorted.

Likely fractured by brute force.

It was truly terrifying.

Seeing this.

Luna felt heartache.

Though she had known Aren for only a month.

She knew Aren was a good person.

A close friend she could trust.

“Honestly…”

“You clearly couldn’t bear it.”

“If she really died like this…”

“Wouldn’t you be heartbroken again?”

Luna muttered softly.

She began chanting a healing spell.

Green light spread from her hands.

She touched Aren’s wounds gently.

The healing spell accelerated recovery.

And eased some pain.

“O flowing lakes and seas.”

“Gather within the palm of my hand.”

“Wash away the dust of this world.”

Almost instantly.

A water sphere appeared.

“Hiss—”

Luna tore open the remaining clothes.

She used the fabric to clean.

Her chest is so small…

Luna muttered.

The water washed away blood.

Leaving a faint fragrance.

A small hole on the forehead.

Another wound at the back of the head.

This explained the heavy bleeding.

She cleaned downward.

Pus and clots vanished.

Only sealed wounds remained.

And abrasions from crawling.

On the legs.

Only fractures.

No other wounds.

Luna casually removed the boots.

“……！”

Two blood-stained holes.

Her body jolted.

She lifted Aren’s leg.

Both Achilles tendons were severed.

Clean swordsmanship.

Lilith’s work.

Healing magic was useless.

She finally understood the crawling marks.

“This is…”

“How much hatred does it take?”

She could not believe it.

The healing spell took effect.

Aren slightly opened her eyes.

Luna did not notice.

Aren slowly sat up.

“Huh?”

“Aren, you’re awake?!”

“…”

“Aren?”

Something was wrong.

Luna shook her shoulders.

No response.

Gray-red eyes.

Pupils dilated.

Like a corpse.

“Aren!”

“Wake up!”

She did not move.

Still warm.

Alive.

“Aren, don’t scare me!”

No response.

Then it happened.

Aren turned her head.

She stared at Luna.

Blank.

Unfathomable.

One second…

Two seconds…

Three seconds…

Time resumed.

Aren lunged.

She opened her mouth.

She bit toward Luna’s hand.

Only then did Luna see it.

Four fangs.

Like a vampire.

“Ah!”

Aren screamed.

And lunged toward Luna’s blood vessels…