Chapter 97 The Tides Have Changed (1)

Cold…

That was the first feeling I had when my consciousness returned. An icy chill covered my entire back, making it completely sore. My vision was blurry, but my other senses were gradually returning. When my eyes finally cleared, the familiar black starry ceiling came to view with the signature white jade floor surrounding me. And most strikingly, the Iron Heart that never stopped beating since we’d arrived.

It was then that when I realised where I was.

I was within the deepest chamber of Eyghon, the artificial Demon Lord sent here by the Outer Demons to conduct reconnaissance on our planet.

And I was currently sleeping on the cold, jade floor, completely forgetting the precarious situation I had landed myself into. Furthermore, it didn’t help that I was butt-naked, with no clothes to warm my Vampiric body.

Well, to say that I was utterly frozen would be a lie. A comfortable warmth permeated from my side, drawing my face to my right side. My right arm had been hammered down by a blood-stopping weight, making me lose the feeling in my fingers temporarily. However, I wasn’t perturbed by the disturbance.

Why?

Because of the Goddess that snoozed happily by my side.

Ysabelle was still firmly in the Garden of Hypnos, her breath turning into adorable snores. Even though she was sleeping, the beauty possessed a trace of grace and glamour that couldn’t be replicated through ordinary means. Ysabelle never once moved in her sleep, remaining at the same place she was when we both shut our eyes.

No, judging by how close she was, Ysabelle must have snuggled closer when I was asleep. Our bodies were practically merged together, with her naked hips overlapping with mine and her right arm crossed onto my left shoulder.

Good grief… I’ve raised yet another clingy lover.

I looked down at her naked body, only to see the aftermath of our vigorous bonding session. White fluids dripped down from her sacred garden, and small pieces of my pubic hair remained on her lovely little bush.

But despite having so many foreign substances within her, Ysabelle’s sleeping face was one of pure satisfaction. Yes, her hair was messy, and her body stunk of sweat and sex, but her vibe was one of complete relaxation.

“Mmmnnn,” Ysabelle’s eyes flickered slightly as she sensed my piercing gaze. Moaning slightly, the mature lady turned her head up from my armpits as her consciousness returned.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Morning…”

Still groggy, Ysabelle answered while rubbing her eyes. Like a child forced to wake up from school, the black-haired beauty yawned and was tempted to close her eyes once more. However, they immediately snapped open once she remembered everything that happened last night.

“C-Crap! H-How long have we been asleep?!”

In a fit of panic, Ysabelle leapt onto her feet and opened her eyes wide. Unbeknownst to her, Ysabelle’s sudden action made that white liquid fall down from her crotch even faster, turning the afterglow of a young woman in her prime into a face of pure shame.

“S-Sorry! W-Where are my clothes?”

“Over there.”

Ysabelle followed my index finger and found her dirtied battle suit laid upon my own clothes. She moved to cover herself immediately, but I stopped the eager girl right in her tracks.

“Hold on, those are dirty.”

“S-Still, they are the only clothes we have!”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I held onto Ysabelle’s hand and gingerly guided her out of this chamber. It was easy to forget since it felt like a century ago, but we were currently in the heart of Eyghon, the Demon Lord who neutralises magic power. When we were in the anti-magic chamber, I could not use my Creation Magic or any magic for that matter.

Fortunately, the exit hadn’t been sealed, and we could leave whenever we wanted. Once we reached a safe spot, I gave Ysabelle’s birthday suit one final look before regrettably casting my spell.

Like a Princess in an animated movie, Ysabelle’s naked body was wreathed in magic particles as a black cloth found its way onto her pale white skin. To begin with, I cleaned her body thoroughly with magic, even the uncomfortable white stuff forced into her nether regions. Then, I gave her basic underwear to cover herself while the dress was being made for her.

It was a simple black flare dress with a heart-shaped neckline. I wasn’t a designer, so I didn’t make any elaborate fittings or embroideries to the modest dress and yet… My jaw dropped when I saw Ysabelle wearing it for the first time.

There was only one word to describe the elegant beauty standing before me.

Stunning.

“W-What?”

“Nothing, I just don’t understand how a woman can be this dazzling. I must be hallucinating or something.”

“G-Goodness, Jin! Now’s not the time to be sweet-talking me!”

Ysabelle was right. I shouldn’t be admiring my lover’s beauty. Due to our little tryst, we had wasted precious time, time that could have been spent on figuring a way out of this prison. I don’t know how long we had been going at it or even how long we’d slept, and there’s no telling how much time we had left.

But still… I stole two more glances at Ysabelle’s perfectly toned body in pure, sinful lust.

Alas, my eyes were noted with relative ease, causing Ysabelle to pout with her cherry pink lips: “Jin, that’s enough, okay?”

“Haha, I won’t ever get bored from looking at you.”

As I finished my teasing, I casually created a three-piece suit to cover my naked ass and walked over to the entrance of the chamber.

“Y-You! How are you so calm?!” Exasperated, Ysabelle stomped her foot on the ground, causing a small quake that knocked me off my feet. “We don’t even know if the deadline is up! What if Eyghon has returned to his world and we’re still stuck here?!”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. We’re still on Earth.”

“Huh? How can you be so sure?”

“I can still feel my connection to Irina and Lilith.”

Due to Lilith’s forbidden ritual to save my soul, an undeniable connection had formed between the four girls and me, whether it was a blessing or a curse. Irina was the first of the four to come into my life, while Lilith had strengthened our connection with the Bloodmate Pact. And while I was unable to pinpoint their exact location, I could feel if their presence was near or not.

“Is that so…”

“Oh, don’t be jealous!” My lips curved into a smile the moment I saw Ysabelle’s face drop. Grabbing her shoulders, I pulled her close and exclaimed: “We have the same connection! If you look into your soul, I bet you can see it.”

“Really?”

Ysabelle’s body jolted back, and her darkened face brightened up. If she had a dog tail, I was confident it would wag endlessly.

Seriously… Just how adorable can this girl get?

However, Ysabelle’s sunny expressions didn’t last long. She looked back at the chamber where we came from and let out a heavy sigh:

“But… Even if we’re still on the planet, there’s no way to escape. We tried using magic, physical attacks… Everything! But the Iron Heart wouldn’t budge. Are we destined to stay here forever?”

“Haha, while that sounds tempting… My business with this planet isn’t over yet.”

Living with Ysabelle in this isolated place brought a sense of novelty. We could be like the next generation of Adam and Eve, populating hundreds, if not thousands, of children until the end of the universe. But I scratched that idea from my idea instantly.

There was no way I was going to leave Irina and Lilith behind. Not to mention, I had yet to meet Rosalyn, and my goal of becoming the strongest being in the world was still unrealised.

Therefore… It was time to get out of this hellhole.

“Jin?”

“Ysabelle, stand back for a moment, please. I want to test something.”

I was still outside the influence of the anti-magic chamber, which gave me the liberty to summon out my trusted Soul Armament. Five rings appeared on each of my right-hand fingers, with chains connected at the base of my wrist where a glorious silver bracelet lay waiting.

Like always, the gems on my middle and thumb finger lit up. The middle ring represents my power over Spacetime, while my thumb ring represents the power of Creation. They were both valuable powers but useless against the battle with Eyghon.

There was, however, one single change…

The ring on my index finger.

It had been dormant ever since I’d awakened my Vampire Aspect. Just like my fourth finger and pinky, the gem on my index finger had been dulled with not an ounce of magic power flowing through it.

That changes today.

Glowing with a transcendent, crimson hue, the light the gem emitted turned into an illusory crimson flame. Wreathed by that mysterious power, my index finger was engulfed by a flame that produced no heat, yet… It possessed a dangerous aura that could strike fear in even the most powerful beings who ever lived.

Which was why…

“Wait, Jin! You can’t use magic in the chamber!”

“…”

I didn’t bother to explain the details to my confused lover. There was plenty of time to do so once we escaped from the Demon Lord’s stomach. I braced myself by taking a deep breath and continued channelling my magic power through my newly awakened ring. And then…

“N-No way…”

Ysabelle’s amazed voice sounded out behind me for a good reason. The anti-magic field, which should have denied all and any forms of magic, had been conquered. Magic power continued to flow out of my body, affecting reality even without me thinking.

Yes! I was right!

My newly awakened power really could be utilised in this manner!

And if that’s the case…

“Ysabelle! Come here and stand by my side!”

“H-Huh?”

“Hurry! We’re getting out of this place right now!”

Now that I have proven my hypothesis, there is no longer a need to dilly-dally here. It was time… for my third ability to shine.