[Alfred’s POV]

Sweeping the shattered fragments of glass scattered across the floor, the old butler guided the broom quietly, gathering the jagged fragments into a neat pile.

It was the broken pieces of a porcelain teacup which remained where they had fallen upon the polished wood. Its pale golden tea spread across the floorboards in a thin puddle.

Lowering himself slightly, the old man picked up another shard.

His visage remained impassive.

"Hmm. A minor miscalculation on my part. It appears I was somewhat too generous with the dosage."

Then, he smiled slightly.

"I am very sorry about it, Young Master Julian. Though, the desired result was achieved nonetheless."

He paused briefly before continuing to look at the white-haired young man who was lying unconscious on the floor beside him.

Julian Rozenberg.

After cleaning the last traces of the mess, he carefully lifted Julian into his arms and carried him to the nearby sofa.

The young man remained motionless throughout the process.

Dressed in his usual white robe, Julian looked unusually very weakened. His eyes remained shut, and his breathing had become slow.

Once he was certain Julian was comfortable, the butler stepped back and took up a position several paces away. There, he stood quietly with his hands behind his back, his wicked gaze fixed upon the sleeping young man as though standing watch over him.

Several minutes passed in complete silence.

Then, at long last, a subtle movement appeared.

One of Julian’s fingers slightly twitched.

Alfred noticed the small movement immediately.

Moments later, an overwhelming surge of Dark Mana began to leak from Julian’s body, emerging slowly like a black mist.

Soon, the atmosphere grew noticeably heavier, and the room itself seemed to become darker and more sinister.

The sight was deeply unsettling.

No.

It was utterly harrowing!

The vast sea of dark mana was coming from Julian alone. Wave after wave of sinister darkness surged from him without end, spreading through every corner of the room.

Julian himself remained motionless upon the sofa. Yet the aura surrounding him felt overwhelmingly portentous!

Alfred simply watched.

Then, little by little, Julian’s eyelids trembled.

Gradually, his eyes opened.

The moment Julian’s eyes opened, Alfred lowered his head and bowed deeply. A trace of reverence appeared on his aged face as he spoke in a calm voice.

"Welcome back, Lord Mamveth. For countless years, we have waited for your return. Today, our wish has finally come true."

Julian did not answer immediately.

His crimson eyes drifted toward his hands. He slowly raised one before his face and turned it over several times, studying every detail with careful interest.

His fingers curled and uncurled as though testing the responsiveness of muscles that had long been unfamiliar to him.

After that, his gaze traveled across the rest of his body.

A smile gradually spread across his face.

Then he laughed maniacally.

The sound was low at first, but it quickly grew into a sinister chuckle.

"It works."

"Kukuku~ It really works!"

He rose from the sofa and stretched his limbs before rolling his shoulders.

"Amazing. His body can truly withstand the sheer power of my soul."

His smile widened.

"Kukuku~ How marvelous."

Alfred remained bowed.

"Of course, Lord Mamveth. That body carries a fragment of the bloodline of one of the Seven Virtuous Paragons, after all."

Then, the room instantly fell silent.

"What... did you just say?"

The amusement vanished from Mamveth’s face.

A terrifying coldness entered his eyes.

Before Alfred could react, Mamveth casually waved his arm through the air. A sharp tearing sound echoed through the room!

Slash!

Alfred’s left arm separated from his shoulder and crashed onto the floor. Blood erupted from the wound and stained the polished wood crimson. Yet despite the gruesome injury, Alfred merely dropped to one knee and lowered his head even further.

Mamveth’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at him, undisguised loathing evident in every line of his face.

"Do not utter the names of those wretched creatures in my presence, you lowly demon. Not once. And not ever."

His voice was calm. Though, that calmness only made it more terrifying. Dark mana surged around his body as his gaze grew colder.

"Those self-righteous vermin robbed me of my ultimate vessel 500 years ago, and forced me into centuries of humiliation and decay. Their existence is an insult that should have been erased long ago."

His eyes narrowed.

"If I hear you praise them again, you will beg for the mercy of death long before I grant it."

The room grew heavier under the weight of his fury.

"Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-yes, Lord Mamveth."

Mamveth stared at him for a moment before shifting his attention elsewhere.

"Anyway, where was I again? Ah, yes... kukuku~ this body is remarkable. However, it is still incomplete, is it not?"

Alfred immediately pressed his remaining hand against the wound in an attempt to stem the bleeding.

"Yes, Lord Mamveth. His consciousness has not yet been completely trapped within the necklace. The process requires more time, though we are currently working on a method to accelerate it. We have already identified a suitable candidate who can serve as the catalyst for that purpose."

Mamveth listened quietly before turning away.

He slowly walked toward a nearby mirror and examined his reflection. His crimson eyes lingered on the face staring back at him.

"I see."

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Well, it doesn’t matter. This body is merely an experiment anyway." His fingers brushed against his cheek as he continued studying the vessel.

"The other Supreme Demons never approved of my methods. They consider the idea of taking a human body as a vessel to be repulsive. They would rather spend centuries creating their own vessels from scratch."

A low chuckle escaped him.

"Kukuku~ but frankly speaking, they are not entirely wrong. It is a disgusting process."

His smile widened slightly.

"However, unlike them, I am willing to endure a little disgust if it leads to perfection."

Dark mana swirled lazily around him.

"Soon enough, this experiment of mine will bear fruit. When that day arrives, they will finally understand the brilliance of my vision."

His reflection smiled back at him.

Then his gaze shifted toward Alfred.

"You brought that girl into the Magus Spire, correct?"

"Y-yes, Lord Mamveth."

Alfred maintained his kneeling position.

"We are currently analyzing her body and conducting various experiments to strengthen her Spellcore. Our objective is to make it compatible with your soul and capable of enduring your power. She is still young, but her potential is immense."

For several seconds, Mamveth remained silent. Then a look of greed slowly surfaced within his crimson eyes.

"Good."

A pleased smile spread across his face as he continued staring at his reflection.

"Kukuku~ very good!"

Alfred slightly raised his head.

"But Lord Mamveth, what are you planning to do with that body then?"

A faint smile lingered on Mamveth’s face as he continued looking at his reflection. "Hmm, this body is not bad, but I desire something better."

His crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"As for what I intend to do with it..." He paused briefly before turning his gaze toward Alfred. "You mentioned that an island test for the first-year scholars of this academy will take place soon, did you not?"

Alfred immediately nodded.

"Yes, Lord Mamveth."

"Hmm..."

Mamveth rested his chin upon his hand as though contemplating something amusing.

"Kukuku~ then, I would like to have some fun with this body."

A sinister smile slowly spread across his face.

"Tell that human child to accelerate the trigger. I want full control of this vessel by the time the island test reaches its peak."

His voice remained calm, yet a trace of anticipation could be heard beneath it.

"I wish to cause a little havoc."

The smile on his face widened.

"And perhaps taste human blood once again. It has been a very long time since I last heard them scream."

Alfred’s expression stiffened. A trace of concern flashed across his face as he hesitated. He opened his mouth, intending to speak.

However, Mamveth interrupted him before a single word could leave his lips.

"Ah, do not worry."

A low chuckle escaped him.

"I have no intention of revealing my true form."

Casually, he adjusted the sleeve of his robe.

"I shall merely enjoy myself while wearing the disguise of this body. Once I have had my fun... I will simply dispose of it."

The implication was obvious.

Mamveth intended to use Julian Rozenberg as the perfect mask for his amusement. Every act of slaughter, and every scream that echoed across the island would ultimately be attributed to the young white-haired man.

Such was the nature of the Supreme Demon of Greed. Human lives were little more than toys to be broken and discarded once they ceased to entertain him.

The room fell silent for several moments.

Then Mamveth finally turned away from the mirror.

"Keep this matter a secret from the other Supreme Demons. If they heard it, they are going to be envious of it, especially that covetous fool, Levianor."

As he approached Alfred, Dark Mana gathered around his hand and flowed toward the severed shoulder. The crimson-black energy wrapped itself around the wound before spreading across the detached arm lying on the floor nearby.

Slowly, the arm rose into the air and returned to its original position. Under the influence of the Dark Mana, Alfred’s fleshes and bones began to reconnect and fused back together.

Within mere moments, the gruesome injury had vanished completely, leaving behind no trace that Alfred’s arm had ever been severed.

Mamveth glanced at the restored limb and gave a small nod of satisfaction.

"Now."

His gaze slowly shifted toward the blood staining the polished floorboards.

"Clean this bloody mess before the boy wakes up."

Having issued his command, he turned away without another word and calmly walked toward the sofa.

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[Chapter 204: The Imperfect Vessel]

Plot Points= 36,580