The Night of Despair and a Hero’s Search

The night was profoundly dark, suffocatingly oppressive. It felt as though countless layers of thick cloth had been draped across the sky, pressing down so heavily that it stole one’s breath.

Loran Forest, a place steeped in ten millennia of history, had seen its arduous epochs forgotten by time. Its countless trials and tribulations were now buried beneath ice and snow, making it hard to believe this unassuming woodland once harbored tens of thousands of living beings.

However, that was merely a distant past.

Humans, creatures far more avaricious and expansionist than even the demon race, eventually discovered this place. They lured adventurers with promises of wealth and status, transforming these so-called explorers into smiling executioners who readily wielded their blades against the indigenous inhabitants.

No longer did peaceful, idyllic homes exist, nor any creature content to live undisturbed. Under the crucible of iron and fire, every being once inclined towards peace was now forged with an intense desire to fight.

Who could have imagined that the once docile, fruit-eating goblins, now ferocious in appearance, had evolved sharp carnivorous teeth purely for survival? They now tore into and attacked humans with brutal efficiency.

With resources finite, species would resort to any means necessary for their continued existence. Nightfall, in particular, marked the prime hunting hour for these creatures.

“Hoo… hoo… hoo…” A girl in a simple dress struggled through the forest. Her once relatively clean clothes were now caked with mud and leaves, and several scratches from sharp plants marred her skin.

Behind her, countless pairs of glowing red eyes slowly drew nearer.

“Ugh—” Freya’s right foot unexpectedly struck a stone, and the momentum of her flight sent her sprawling violently to the ground. Gritting her teeth against the searing pain of her twisted ankle, she scrambled to her feet and resumed her desperate sprint.

Run—run—run!

The night was profoundly dark, without even a sliver of moonlight piercing through the impenetrable cloud cover.

Freya strained her eyes wide, relying on the faint glow of nearby plants to stumble forward. In truth, she had no idea which direction she was heading, nor if she was even making any progress at all.

It was a darkness so absolute it felt as though she had plunged into an inkwell. She believed she was running forward, yet it seemed she was merely flailing, as if the very concept of space had ceased to exist.

Deep regret gnawed at her; why had she foolishly squandered so much magic in a fit of anger? Had she not overused her abilities, the creatures pursuing her would pose no threat whatsoever.

The more she dwelled on it, the more miserable she became, and somehow her thoughts drifted to Roland. ‘It’s all his fault! All his fault! All his fault!’

‘If he hadn’t been flirting with other women, I wouldn’t have gotten so caught up in the act and lost my temper. If I hadn’t lost my temper, I wouldn’t be completely out of magic now. If it weren’t for…’

‘In short! It’s all that idiot’s fault! That bastard! That scumbag!’ She mentally hurled every insult she could conjure at him, yet even so, a profound sense of injustice welled up within her.

‘Why… why do I tirelessly serve him for so long… only for him to go flirt with other women?’ ‘Did all my efforts just go to waste?’

‘Fine, let’s just consider it wasted. That idiotic Hero will never change his fickle, disgusting habits. No matter how much I give, it’s useless.’ ‘I can’t keep this up… acting is so exhausting… I don’t want to be Freya anymore…’

‘My real name is…’ ‘Huh? Wait…’ ‘Every Demon Lord’s name is personally bestowed by their predecessor, but it seems that short-lived idiot before me forgot to give me one!’

“Damn it!” she spat, utterly exasperated. “Bloody hell! I’m not going to die without even a name, am I? Hiss—”

Her right foot suddenly began to twitch uncontrollably, and the pain burrowed deep into her muscles. Her legs had reached their limit, seizing up in spasms.

She could no longer run.

With a hint of grim resolve, she leaned against a large, gnarled tree, silently awaiting the arrival of her pursuers.

****

*Crunch—crunch—*

The footsteps drew closer, and she could now vaguely discern their outlines. They were tall and robust, emanating a faint aura of the demon realm, though far inferior to true demonkind.

When they were less than ten meters away, she finally saw them clearly. They were a type of goblin she had never encountered before, standing a full two meters tall, with blue skin adorned by white totem tattoos and layers of well-defined muscle.

Their mouths were filled with beast-like fangs, and their bodies radiated the essence of water. Beyond the blue goblins, there were red ones as well, these emanating the aura of fire.

She estimated there were at least ten, each no lower than Level 15. ‘I’ll try… with this last bit of magic, perhaps I can deal with them… What? There’s more!’

A colossal figure, over three meters tall, emerged. Its skin was earthy yellow, its muscles explosive, and two sharp, upward-curving horns crowned its head.

This monstrous creature possessed a head that was neither quite human nor bovine, yet it stood upright on two massive hooves like a person.

‘A Level 20 Minotaur, and… a male one at that?’ ‘That thing… tsk, animals really are ferocious among themselves…’

As these erratic thoughts raced through her mind, the Minotaur grunted something unintelligible to the goblins. The goblins then slowly moved, encircling the girl.

The blue goblins condensed water elements in their hands, then cautiously hurled them towards the girl.

‘It’s only [Frost Shard], a trash-tier spell with negligible attack power. Normally, I wouldn’t even bat an eye at it.’ ‘But now, with my magic almost depleted, I can barely defend against such minor tricks.’

‘Ah! No way, why is this [Frost Shard] so cold! Ahh! I’m freezing to death!’ ‘My body… is growing increasingly sluggish… My magic… my magic is gathering…’

At that moment, a goblin seized the opportunity, lunging forward to swing its wooden club at her arm.

Pain!

“f*ck!” she cursed loudly. “You lowly creatures! Do you even know who I am?! If you dare lay a hand on me, ahhh—”

It was another goblin; the vile creature had mustered all its strength to strike her in the abdomen, moving too swiftly for her to react.

‘It hurts so much…’ ‘I’ve never felt such pain…’ ‘I’m going to die…’

Her face pale, she was utterly speechless, clutching her stomach as she collapsed to the ground, gradually losing consciousness.

****

Roland held his torch aloft, slowly tracing the path they had taken during the day. “Hmm… this is the goblin camp from last time.”

In the distance, the goblin camp lay abandoned, its timber scavenged. Only the four watchtowers, destroyed by Freya, remained as desolate ruins.

Roland walked to the remnants of the central platform, angled himself, and located the spot where Freya had turned and left. ‘Yes, this tree, shattered by a single punch, is quite conspicuous. It must be the right place.’

He lowered his torch, revealing footprints along the muddy path. He identified Freya’s tracks among them, intending to proceed cautiously, yet his pace quickened instinctively.

‘Why am I rushing… Her strength far surpasses mine, so she’s likely not in any real danger. I just need to lead her out.’ ‘I’ll find her, explain everything, and then we can go home and enjoy rabbit stew together. A happy ending for all.’

“You are very worried about her,” came the voice of the Sage’s Stone. ‘Indeed, there’s a lot of rabbit stew at home. If she’s not there, it’ll go to waste.’

“That is not the reason.” ‘Right, I haven’t explained what happened during the day, and I feel quite guilty about it.’

“No.” ‘Also, I still need her quite a bit right now. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to improve my strength so quickly…’

“No!” the Sage’s Stone interrupted Roland. “These are all just bullshit excuses! I can feel your true thoughts; you simply can’t bear to part with her!”

‘Yes, yes, yes, having a girl serve me by my side is quite comfortable. I can’t bear to part with that.’

“Heh heh, and what about later?” the Sage’s Stone scoffed. “Will you be able to bear killing her then?”

‘That’s easy. Close my eyes, wave my hand, don’t overthink it, and the deed will be done before I even hesitate.’

“You had better be able to do it. You were not like this in your previous life.” ‘How was I then?’

The Sage’s Stone fell silent. Just as Roland was about to press further, it spoke chillingly: “To the northwest, there is the magical aura of your little wife.”

‘Bullshit! What ‘my little wife’?! You damn rock, stop spouting nonsense!’ After unleashing a string of curses at the aggravating artifact, Roland channeled all his magic and sprinted northwest like a hunting falcon.

****

When the Little Demon Lord opened her eyes, she found herself in a dim cave, surrounded by many women with faint life auras.

Most were barely clothed; apart from a small handful who remained relatively clean and unharmed, the majority reeked foully, their bodies covered in wounds. In the wilderness, without medical aid, these injuries had either festered and become putrid or were crawling with maggots.

The only commonality was the utter despair etched onto every woman’s face. “These women…” The Little Demon Lord gazed at them, a powerful sense of unease rising within her.

Beside her, a woman with vacant eyes drew closer. “You’re their spoils of war now too,” the woman’s voice was devoid of life. “You’ll be just like us soon.”

“Just like you? What are those… goblins going to do?”

“Anything, really. Perhaps they’ll eat our flesh, or use our bodies, or maybe even do both at the same time…” the woman stated numbly.

“Ah, how could this be… Goblins aren’t…” The Little Demon Lord seemed terrified, then tried to sense the magic within her own body. “My, my magic? Where is it?”

“Do you know, I was once a mage myself,” the woman said, reaching out to touch her head. “They forced you to drink the juice of Maragobi grass. This plant’s sap blocks one’s perception of magic, so the magic in your body has long since dissipated.”

The Little Demon Lord clutched her clothes tightly, glancing frantically towards the cave entrance. “Th-th-those things… when will they be back?”

“I don’t know…” The woman shook her head. “This is retribution…”

“Retribution?” “If we hadn’t massacred their kind and destroyed their homes back then, they wouldn’t have become like this. They are simply taking revenge, doing to us what we once did to them.”

“Surely no one has such depraved tastes as to… sleep with goblins?” the Little Demon Lord asked incredulously, only for the woman to nod. ‘Heavens! Which damned pervert is responsible for this?! That’s far too extreme!’

“Is this your first time?” “Huh?” The Little Demon Lord didn’t immediately grasp her meaning.

“Poor child…” The woman’s gaze filled with profound pity. “Those beasts… it will be very painful.”

‘f*ck! I’d rather be violated by that idiotic Hero than tortured by these lowly creatures!’ ‘Wait? What am I even thinking?’ ‘No, no! Not even that idiot!’

The Little Demon Lord slapped her own face, vexed. “Why would I even think of him…?”

“Who?” “A… scumbag…” The Little Demon Lord pouted, looking quite indignant.

“Men suffer an even worse fate than women… they are flayed alive, their limbs severed, and then cut into pieces to be eaten,” the woman’s voice conveyed boundless sorrow. “My captain was tortured to death this way by them.”

“Ah…” The Little Demon Lord pondered for a moment, then asked with a sliver of hope, “Has anyone… ever escaped?”

“No, no.” The woman shook her head repeatedly. “They all died, every one…”

She was about to say more, but then two goblins appeared at the entrance. The women in the cave recoiled collectively, though a few simply lay on the ground, numb and seemingly lifeless.

‘Don’t see me, don’t see me…’ The Little Demon Lord buried her head in her arms, pressing herself to the ground. ‘Damn it, I wish I hadn’t turned into a woman!’

“Grak-grak!” One goblin pointed at the cowering Little Demon Lord, and the other stepped forward, grabbing her roughly and dragging her away.

The woman from before watched, silent, merely letting out a sigh of regret.

The Little Demon Lord’s pupils trembled, her body shaking incessantly. Her pleading gaze swept over every person, yet met with no response. ‘It’s over… it’s over…’

The Little Demon Lord closed her eyes in despair. A moment later, she was thrown onto a hard floor. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a massive stone chamber.

This stone chamber appeared far cleaner than the previous cave, with an assortment of fruits arranged on a stone table at the front. Behind the table sat a pure white goblin, watching her with keen interest.

She felt a prickling numbness spread through her body, and she clutched her clothes tightly. “A demonic aura,” the goblin spoke. “You are no ordinary human.”

‘Heavens! Goblins can talk?!’

“Woman, you may call me Keno, Keno the Thunderstrike.” Keno walked around the stone table and approached her. “We are indebted to the demon race; the power of the Demon Realm has permeated us. We have been reborn!”

Keno raised his hands, clenching them in the air. “With these hands, I shall exact revenge upon all humanity, making them feel the suffering of the world!” Keno’s eyes blazed with overflowing hatred. “An eye for an eye, blood for blood!”

“Th-then… I’m not human, so could you please let me go?” the Little Demon Lord whispered.

Keno smiled, stepping closer as he looked at her. “Not yet. You will bear my child.”

“Pfft—” The Little Demon Lord spat blood.

“Demonic blood is powerful. My child will also be powerful. A powerful child will bring revenge upon humanity!”

“I’d rather f*cking die!” the Little Demon Lord glared at him with intense hatred.

“You cannot,” Keno stated condescendingly. “I will break your limbs, drain your magic, and fill you with countless essences, turning you into nothing but livestock that exists to breed for me!”

“Bastard! How dare you!” The Little Demon Lord felt she had reached an unprecedented, life-or-death crisis, completely abandoning any shred of dignity. “My husband will kill you!”

“Oh? Your husband?” Keno sneered, a mocking expression on his face. “I’ll kill him too!”

“My husband is the Hero! The Hero!!! Aren’t you scared, you ugly freak?!” The Little Demon Lord, fearing the idiot wouldn’t hear her, shrieked with a voice that threatened to tear her vocal cords.

Keno’s right eyelid twitched, and he tilted his head,愣 for a moment.

“Hmph hmph, scared now, aren’t you? The title of Hero will surely scare you to death…”

“Impossible. The Hero died fifty years ago. For fifty years, no new Hero has appeared on the Teyvat Continent…” Keno’s expression turned furious. “Woman, you are lying to me.”

“I’m telling the truth! My husband really is the Hero! How the hell can I make you believe me…?”

“Then all the better.” Keno reached out, grabbed the Little Demon Lord by the neck, and lifted her, her face turning crimson. “Today, I shall taste what the Hero’s woman is like~”

‘Ugh…’

‘No, please don’t…’

‘Am I really going to lose my virginity to this goblin today?!!’

“Grak-grak! Goo-goo-goo-grak!” The shouts of goblin guards echoed from outside the door.

Keno’s face instantly turned cold. He flung the woman onto the ground, staring intently at her face as he gritted his teeth and demanded, “Who exactly are you?”

“Cough, cough, cough—” Clutching her neck and coughing, the Little Demon Lord gasped a few breaths. “Anyway… my current name is… Freya.”