[Demonic Profanity]!

She was so damn tired.

“For crying out loud, [Demonic Profanity], why do other transmigrators get to have high status, fine clothes, good food, a lover on each arm, and just enjoy the peak of life? And me? I’m like some miserable fugitive, hiding here and there, finally struggling to crawl back, and what do I see? Not a golden nest or a silver nest, but a goddamn… pile of shit! A smoking ruin that I have to clean up with my own two hands!”

“[Demonic Profanity]!”

The thought that Adrian, another transmigrator, could become a city lord, enjoying who knows how long of a life of power and pleasure, lying on a velvet bed, being served by beautiful women, and commanding the world, made Vivian’s blood boil.

He even had the time and money to capture a succubus like Lunai for his own enjoyment!

“Damn it all, whoever it was that tricked Lucia into launching that decapitation strike, I’m definitely going to kill that son of a b*tch… [Demonic Profanity]!”

‘In the end, it’s the fault of the person who screwed up the plot!

Vivian refused to believe that Lucia, the protagonist, could have her soul replaced by someone else, and then do something as stupid as repeatedly trying to assassinate a Demon Lord only to get herself surrounded and killed!’

She was almost certain that there was a “player” pushing things along behind the scenes.

It was those damn people who didn’t follow the script, who would do anything for experience points and achievement points!

‘It’s a common trope, right?

Some transmigrators don’t have a system, while others do.

They are the real “players”…

It’s these shit-stirrers who completely ruined the script that could have allowed her to lie low!

She, Vivian, a proper Demon Lord, was actually forced into such a desperate situation.

This was an insult to her identity as a transmigrator!’

In short, after seeing the state of her territory, Vivian was in a very bad mood.

Night fell.

The column halted its advance and began to set up camp to rest.

Although the Army of Evernight was composed of shadow-element demonic creatures, most of whom excelled at night combat—or rather, the night was their home turf, and being nocturnal was ingrained in their bones—many production activities still needed to be carried out during the day, such as farming and patrolling.

At the same time, humans weren’t stupid enough to choose to be active at night.

So unless they were creatures who really couldn’t get up during the day, or whose physiology was completely unable to adapt to sunlight, the demonic creatures would still rest according to a normal schedule after midnight.

It was just that adjusting their internal clocks for night combat was relatively easy.

“Phew… I’m… I’m exhausted, Lady Demon Lord…”

A breathless panting sound came from nearby—it was Lunai, who slumped down next to Vivian like a pool of melted butter, practically collapsing against her arm.

The little succubus’s fair face was smudged with dirt, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

Her meticulously groomed tail also drooped listlessly, giving her the appearance of being completely drained.

“C-can we switch the liaison for the front and rear of the column tomorrow?

I don’t think I can run anymore, Lady Demon Lord…”

The little succubus raised her big, watery eyes, which were filled with pleading and grievance.

Her voice, soft and sweet with a naturally seductive lilt, was like a kitten’s purr as she spoke to Vivian, pressing her soft body against Vivian’s arm for good measure.

…It had to be said, the succubus race was truly blessed with natural talent.

If Vivian were a man, she definitely wouldn’t be able to resist the charm this creature naturally exuded.

She’d be dying to press Lunai to the ground and punish her fiercely.

“Hah, you’re the only one who’s fast, agile, and uninjured right now. We can’t trouble the other wounded soldiers to run back and forth, can we?”

Vivian turned her head and looked at Lunai, who was so tired she was panting with her tongue out, yet still hadn’t forgotten to exude her succubus instincts.

The frustration in her heart was strangely diluted a little.

She sighed helplessly and reached out, her cool fingers gently pinching Lunai’s smooth, slightly warm cheek with a hint of imperceptible affection.

“Or would you rather trouble me?”

“Eek—I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Lunai instantly sprang a short distance away, sticking out her tongue in a playful reply.

She also knew she was just coming over to rest and act spoiled for a bit.

She would still conscientiously complete the tasks Vivian assigned her.

A succubus’s movement speed was actually quite fast, especially after hiding in their special pocket space.

In short, the current Lunai was the most suitable person to act as the liaison between the front and rear of the column.

“Lady Demon Lord.”

“Asi, what’s the situation?”

“All is normal, My Lady.”

After a short while, a low and respectful voice sounded from the shadows.

The alpha of the Shadowmoon Direwolves, Asi, appeared silently at her side and obediently lay down.

“There are not many signs of human activity in the vicinity. It seems they have all heard of your return, Lady Demon Lord, and fled at the first sign of trouble.”

“Mm…”

Vivian nodded.

“Strengthen the patrols. Don’t let your guard down.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

On the road back to the Demon Lord’s Castle, Vivian had, to be honest, seen many temporary camps of human adventurers, all of which clearly showed signs of a hasty retreat.

So Vivian was also worried, suspecting that there might still be other human adventurers, mercenaries, or even Hero parties active on her territory.

Thus, she had the Shadowmoon Direwolves pay attention to night patrols and defenses, to avoid being ambushed and stabbed in the back.

However, in one more day, they would be back at Vivian’s own Demon Lord’s Castle.

Although it felt like everything needed to be started from scratch, at least it was better than having nothing, wasn’t it?

The current Vivian still had four to five thousand demons under her command.

If she followed her plans step by step, there was a chance and a possibility of rebuilding.

And… she also needed a force, a mature and reliable force.

After taking a light breath, Vivian’s hand involuntarily rested on her abdomen again.

As time went by, she could feel the existence of the small life in her womb more and more.

And the reason Vivian’s own strength couldn’t be restored to its peak was also because of this child.

Her mana was nourishing this little life, but at the same time, as one grew, the other waned.

She needed more energy to supplement her own.

It was still fine for a short period, but as the fetus grew larger, the energy it required and the burden it placed on her would become heavier.

At that time, Vivian would surely need a mature system to support herself.

She couldn’t seek refuge under other Demon Lords.

Relying on others was not as good as relying on herself; she knew this phrase all too well.

Living under someone else’s roof, who knew what they would do—not to mention the existence of “players” now.

That meant that others whose strength was comparable to or even greater than her own were also not to be trusted.

“While it doesn’t affect my movements yet, and the energy consumption isn’t too great, I need to quickly rebuild the system of the Demon Lord’s Castle and maintain a positive energy cycle. That’s the key.”

For this, Vivian had to be thankful that she had made the right choice back then—if she had chosen to hide in some deep mountain forest, she might very well have starved to death.