Return of the Fallen Nobleman With an SSS-Rank Talent-Chapter 85: Demon [2]

Adam froze when he suddenly felt her mouth cover his, but... that wasn’t all; he could feel his body growing weaker.

It happened instantly. It was as if something inside him was being drained, stolen away without him being able to stop it.

Looking into the demoness’s eyes, he quickly bit his tongue, finally freeing himself from her sweet kiss.

The taste was strange. Metallic... but not quite blood.

The demoness took a few steps back as she wiped the black blood from her lip.

The blood didn’t fall to the ground. It slid slowly, as if unsure of its own form.

"You’re too aggressive... though it’s something I don’t mind; I like dominant men."

Her tone was playful.

"..."

Adam said nothing; he knows with painful clarity that the demoness is obviously toying with him... Or at least that’s how it seems, but he isn’t entirely sure.

That uncertainty was the worst part. He didn’t know if he was being underestimated... or analyzed.

So he needs to buy as much time as possible until an idea comes to him.

His mind raced, but the ideas fell apart before they could take shape.

Just then, he spotted a row of windows.

As if in response to his desperation.

[Mission #2: Defeat or Subdue the Demon]

Description:

A strange and unique demon has been summoned after a thousand years, following a sacrifice. Having spent so many years in the demon realm, she seeks extreme stimulation.

Reward: 50 EXP, 10 Stat Points, Hero Summoning Card.

Adam felt a slight chill as he read it. Something about that description... wasn’t reassuring at all.

The reward held the allure of a tempting promise.

But the price... wasn’t clear yet.

He forced his mind to calm down; the system’s mission stated that he had to defeat her... which led him to believe that, with his current arsenal, he could put up a fight and subdue her... But how does one defeat a thousand-year-old demon?

The thought felt absurd even as it formed. Still, it was all he had.

He sighed inwardly and looked at the demoness:

He forced a smile, hiding the pressure building in his chest.

"What do you mean? That I smell bad?"

The demoness looked at him for a moment, and a smile formed on her lips.

"You don’t know? That’s strange; you should know, because you smell just like that bastard."

The words fell with a strange weight, laden with something Adam couldn’t identify... but that clearly wasn’t good.

What is that demon talking about?

A pang of unease shot through his mind.

Adam doesn’t understand what she’s talking about. Should he know? What should he know?

Nothing made sense. And that lack of answers was starting to irritate him.

The demoness let out a sigh and said:

Her patience seemed to be running out. Or maybe... she had lost interest.

"Enough talk; I have to kill everyone in this city to enjoy my freedom."

"!!!"

Danger struck before he could even think.

Adam quickly braced himself as he sensed the murderous intent. The Draham Mana Wheel appeared above his head and began spinning rapidly, absorbing mana from the air. He wasn’t going to hold back; he was going to go all out from the very start.

The air around him vibrated. The mana swirled as if swept up by an invisible force, obeying only his will.

That only made the demoness’s smile grow wider:

There was anticipation in her eyes. A spark of excitement... as if she’d been waiting for exactly this.

"Oh~, you’ve already got my full attention; you’re going to make me fall in love."

Her voice was almost playful, but beneath it lay something far more dangerous.

Adam didn’t hesitate for a second and launched his attack.

There was no room for doubt. Or for fear.

CLANG!

The sound of the sword striking one of its tentacles marked the start of the fight.

...

Making her way through the streets, filled with screams, where the city’s forces were quickly regaining control, Alexandra finally came to a stop.

The echo of the chaos still vibrated in the air: clashing steel, shouted orders, hurried footsteps. Everything was beginning to settle down... but the tension hadn’t disappeared.

Her chest rose and fell convulsively as she tried to regain her composure. What she had just witnessed...

The image remained etched in her mind, too vivid to ignore.

If she wasn’t mistaken, it was a demon summoning circle.

The mere thought sent a chill down her spine that had nothing to do with fatigue.

She had thought they were just stories and things from books, mixing lies with the truth... but she was completely wrong.

Miran, who was standing beside her, asked.

Her voice broke the thread of her thoughts.

"Princess, what was that?"

Alexandra fell silent for a moment.

"I don’t know... but it’s very dangerous."

She couldn’t tell her maid that it was a summoning circle. Miran would report it to her father.

She was certain of that.

She knew that, even though they were always together, Miran was loyal to her father, not to her.

And that changed everything.

Therefore, she would keep that information to herself.

It wasn’t the time to confide in anyone.

Alexandra looked back toward where they had been a few seconds earlier and couldn’t help but feel worried.

The memory of the battle, of the knight... still weighed heavily on her mind.

Is that gentleman all right?

The question slipped out without her permission.

"Princess! Are you all right?"

She turned around when she saw some soldiers approaching.

Their steps were hurried but orderly. Discipline amid the chaos.

Her expression softened, and a warm, kind smile appeared—a stark contrast to her usual cold demeanor.

The perfect mask.

"Yes, I’m fine. Take me to the mansion; this place isn’t safe, and I need to know who that knight is."

The words came out naturally, as if she weren’t carrying the weight of everything she had just discovered.

"As you command, Princess!"

...

The initial impact was brutal; Adam was forced to stumble backward and felt his hands go slightly numb.

The force didn’t just push him... it shook him to his core.

The demoness’s tentacle tensed... and then moved.

It was just a split second. But in that split second, every fiber of his body screamed danger.

Adam barely had time to react when the tentacle whipped around like a lash and struck his side.

He couldn’t block it.

He could feel several of his ribs snapping under the powerful blow.

The pain wasn’t immediate... it was worse. It came like a wave that crushed him from within.

The air left his lungs, and his vision darkened for a moment.

His body flew through the air at high speed.

It crashed through a wooden stall, shattering boards and merchandise in an explosion of splinters, before slamming into the wall of a stone house.

The final impact was sharp.

His body screaming in pain, he slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood.

Every inch hurt.

"Ugh... shit, it’s too fast."

The words came out forced, broken, almost breathless.

Adam had no time to rest; he had barely managed to get to his feet when he sensed that something had changed in the air.

The pressure returned.

Closer.

... Just a few inches from his eyes, he saw the tentacle. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

He jumped aside quickly, and the tentacle pierced the spot where his head had been just seconds earlier, piercing through the wall.

The sound was violent as if the stone were nothing.

Pieces of the wall fell to the ground with a thud.

Dust rose slowly... while Adam could barely stay on his feet.

Adam rolled and, using that momentum, pulled himself up while circulating his mana and using his Mana Perception to the fullest.

Everything around him became clearer... and more dangerous.

The Draham Mana Wheel continued to spin violently, instantly replenishing his mana reserves.

It spun relentlessly, as if oblivious to the state of his body.

"Cough... cough..."

As he coughed, Adam coughed up blood, and his face contorted with pain in his ribs.

Every breath was a stab of pain.

He looked up, and the demoness hadn’t moved from her spot.

Watching him as if all of this were... irrelevant.

"Is that all? To think you’d be my soulmate, that you’d win me over, but... that’s all you are."

Her voice was heavy with disappointment... but also with mockery.

"..."

Adam didn’t answer; he clenched his teeth and moved forward. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, propelling himself forward. His sword traced a horizontal arc aimed at her neck.

He couldn’t hesitate.

The demoness tilted her head slightly.

A barely perceptible movement.

The blade passed just millimeters away.

The blade sliced through the air... and nothing else.

And then...

The world seemed to fall silent for a moment.

She vanished.

Without a trace. Without warning.

Adam sensed something behind him, but... it was already too late.

His instinct screamed before his mind could react.

A brutal impact struck his back.

The pain exploded.

His body was hurled forward again, smashing through a wooden window and falling inside a house.

The wood splintered as if it were paper.

Tables, chairs—everything exploded around him.

Fragments flew in every direction, striking him as he fell.

He rolled among the debris, coughing up blood.

The world was spinning. His vision was blurring.

"...!"

Adam tried to get up; he staggered across the floor, but a hand grabbed him by the neck.

At some point, the demoness had made her way over to him and grabbed him by the neck.

"I’m liking you more and more; I should give you another kiss."

"..."

Adam couldn’t stand the demoness’s behavior.

...But all he could see was that he was about to be kissed again.