Sterl's mind remained undisturbed.
Flanda was merely an ordinary Supreme; even if she didn't perish outside the Heavenly Palace, she would eventually meet her end.
No one could save her.
This demon had some affection for him, but Sterl could never be sure until the end whether Flanda had her own agenda or if she was truly infatuated with him just like Licitris.
...
The day after Flanda's death.
The Heavenly Palace, as an artifact, had already been activated by Licitris and was floating in mid-air.
However, throughout the layer of hell, the constant deaths were causing the total amount of Blood of Contamination to increase rapidly, eroding the entire realm.
The sky had transformed into an Iridescent hue, with clouds of the same shimmering color drifting above, while the ground was twisted and resembled a distorted rainbow, completely unlike the human world.
Everything was being passively tainted.
The Heavenly Palace itself held no life; it was merely a distorted entity, and its energy would not be converted into Blood of Contamination, allowing it to hold out for a while longer, but not for much longer...
Sterl and Licitris had spent several days indulging in pleasure.
Inside the Heavenly Palace, various facilities operated automatically to provide for their needs.
Meanwhile, Licitris was being relentlessly brainwashed by Sterl.
He maintained his aloof demon persona while subtly suggesting in bed that he was the only one who truly cared for Licitris, that everyone else was merely captivated by the Succubus Queen's charm.
"Aside from me, no matter how many partners you seek, you will never find true love."
"Now that we're both nearing death, why not indulge ourselves? There's nothing to fear!"
It even sounded somewhat reasonable...
Licitris, having never experienced such psychological manipulation and already inclined to comply, quickly succumbed to his influence...
She could only think of indulging in pleasure with Mephistopheles, willing to do anything for her lover.
...
"Ha~ Ha~ Ha~"
Amidst the sounds of heavy breathing,
Sterl lay on the bed, while Licitris rode him with wild fervor.
Sterl felt the movement of the Succubus Queen's waist, watching as strange pink patterns flickered across her abdomen, dazzling him to the point of being momentarily blinded.
In the extreme sensation of contraction and pressure,
Sterl felt his blood surge, and Licitris quickly leaned down to intertwine their lips and tongues.
In the peak of pleasure, the two embraced, lost in ecstasy.
Outside... in the camp, there were fewer than a hundred demons and Swallowing Heaven players remaining.
All of them were covered in sores and oozing pus under the effects of the Blood of Contamination, letting out agonizing wails.
In this state, they had actually stopped killing each other, needing to preserve their heads for when their infection progress peaked.
All the "people" were silently awaiting their demise, until a sudden noise pierced the silence—a player on the brink of Annihilation lunged at the others!
He unleashed all his abilities, even at the cost of... self-detonation!
Fiery energy surged forth.
This Swallowing Heaven player, seemingly attacking to survive, was willing to sacrifice his life to take down his enemies.
As the infection progress of the Blood of Contamination eased momentarily, the infected could experience a brief sense of relief. For this fleeting moment of respite, players who knew they were doomed had gone completely mad!
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Ugh!!!"
"I'm going all out with you!"
Slaying a god in the lower realm was not something a unit beneath the gods could easily plot.
Whether Licitris would fully obey Sterl's commands remained uncertain. After all, she was a divine-level entity, and it was entirely possible that at the last moment, she could awaken to the allure of Mephistopheles through instinct.
Sterl's psychological tactics were a science, not hypnosis... and there was always a chance of failure.
It was unclear just how terrifying the Archduke of Blood could retaliate with the Origin of Chaos.
The pressure on Sterl was immense!
But despite the turmoil within him, his expression remained unchanged as he wrapped his arms around Licitris.
In the days prior, the Succubus Queen had been obsessively clinging to him, while Sterl had remained rather aloof, all to set the stage for this moment.
When Licitris felt pain from the Blood of Contamination, it represented her most vulnerable moment.
Instantly breaking from his usual demeanor, Sterl gently embraced her and said, "Are you okay?"
"Do you need to rest? Don't worry; no matter what happens, I'll be right here with you."
His sweet words flowed freely, as if they cost nothing.
The contrast between his previous indifference and his current tenderness seemed to transform Mephistopheles, a famously cold character, into someone capable of warmth through love.
It perfectly provided Licitris, who was at her lowest point, with a much-needed boost of emotional support.
Even divine-level beings were merely stronger animals.
Sterl reaffirmed his thoughts as the Succubus Queen's heart shattered. She leaned against Sterl's shoulder, her face filled with fear, quietly sobbing, "I... I don't want to die."
"I've worked for nearly a thousand years to ascend to godhood and gain my current strength."
"Why? Just because of some turmoil in the upper realms, am I meant to perish??"
Licitris was unaware that the issues in the upper realms were tied to calamity; she could only attribute it to an unfortunate accident.
Sterl simply stroked her head gently.
Eventually, Licitris seemed to come to terms with her fate, resting quietly against Sterl's chest: "Well, I suppose I am approaching my end."
"But my talent would have been trapped at the level of weak Divine Power."
"In another thousand years, I would have exhausted my lifespan and fallen."
"Perhaps I traded this thousand years for the chance to meet you."
"That's not a bad ending."
The glow of the Blood of Contamination shimmered around her, even as Licitris desperately tried to suppress it.
Sterl could still see the perfect form of the Succubus Queen, with what looked like live insects churning and writhing beneath her skin, grotesque bulges appearing that were quite nauseating.
Sterl pulled Licitris closer. "What are you saying?"
"Is there really no way to suppress the Blood of Contamination?"
"We've only just met, and now we're talking about parting ways."
"Let's at least face death together."
"This isn't the Archduke of Blood's layer of hell; there should be plenty of blood around. Could we use this ordinary blood to dilute the corrupted blood?"
Sterl suggested.
At that moment, he hadn't been infected by the Blood of Contamination, showing no symptoms.
Sterl's reasoning was sound; he had been firmly protected by Licitris and hadn't come into contact with much blood. Consequently, the progression of the Blood of Contamination was relatively slow.
The argument itself might not hold much weight.
But Licitris was willing to accept this reality—she had protected Mephistopheles.
This lie was something the Succubus Queen could easily convince herself of.
Sterl's earlier words were meant to lead into the next topic.
Mephistopheles didn't want Licitris to fade away prematurely and, in a panic, suggested a hypothesis—
Since the Blood of Contamination was transmitted through blood, and there was a river of blood in this layer of hell, perhaps the sheer volume of blood could neutralize some of the toxins?