My Pet Fox Is Actually A Demon Prince-Chapter 34: Gaining An Orb

The grip was cold.

Kyva twisted violently, her hands plunging into the water as she tried to claw at whatever held her.

"No– no, let go!"

It took Kyva a couple of seconds to notice that the hand grabbing her was attached to a body half-submerged beneath the surface.

Her eyes dragged upward, and she froze. The figure’s other half was missing, leaving it with just a torso, its ragged flesh disappearing into the dark waters. Its uniform was shredded and soaked through the deep, spreading stains. One side of its face looked barely intact, the skin slack and pale as death, clinging to bone.

But... its chest moved.

The terror in her eyes did not falter, but it gave way to stunned disbelief.

"You’re... alive?"

The figure did not answer, but its grip on her leg loosened. It slipped away as another arm dragged upward through the water. Every movement trembled, as though it cost what little strength it had left to remain in one piece.

Something glowed faintly within its grasp, a faint, wavering blue light that seeped through the murk.

Kyva’s eyes widened as it broke through the surface.

Was that... an orb?

For a moment, she forgot about the monster approaching. The figure’s arm faltered, nearly dropping it, but it forced itself to lift it higher, offering it to her.

The sight broke Kyva.

The orb must belong to the figure, and it was... passing it on to her. She wished there was something she could do to help it. But from its current state, it was merely moments away from surrendering to death.

But was it right to take it?

Kyva hesitated, her hands hovering uncertainly in the air.

Then, slowly, her fingers closed around the orb.

The moment she took it, the figure pointed a trembling hand toward a tree before going completely still.

Its arm dropped back into the water with a soft splash.

"Rest in peace now," Kyva whispered, relieved that the figure would no longer have to endure the torment.

She looked around the murky water, at the numbers of dead bodies, and something in her heart clenched painfully.

Her silent mourning was cut short when the water rippled slightly, followed by the thunderous sound of something approaching, closer.

Right.

The monster.

Her senses snapped back at once.

Clutching the blue orb tightly in her grasp, she turned, forcing her trembling legs to move.

She made for the tree the figure had pointed to earlier. It was half-submerged, its massive roots twisting upward like claws. At its base, a hollow split the trunk open, just enough to form a narrow gap.

It looked dark and cramped.

But big enough to fit.

The monster’s howl was far more frightening up close, and Kyva did not hesitate. She shoved forward, wading through the thick water. Something cold brushed against her legs, limp and bloated.

She nearly gagged but forced herself not to look down as she pushed on.

’Don’t think. Just move.’ she urged herself.

Her hands slammed against the rough bark, fingers slipping before she managed to find purchase and pull herself up.

With a desperate breath, she forced herself into the narrow hollow, squeezing past splintered wood and thick moss. The space was barely large enough, tight, suffocating, but she shoved herself deeper until the darkness swallowed her whole.

Then she stilled.

Completely.

Outside, the swamp fell into a terrible, listening silence.

Kyva clamped a trembling hand over her mouth, forcing herself not to make a sound as her heart pounded so loudly she was sure it would give her away.

A ripple spread across the water surface.

The monster was already here.

Her blue eyes drifted to the murky water below the tree she hid in, tracking the ripples as it widened with its approach. A small hole in the bark caught her attention, and unable to resist not knowing what was going on outside, she leaned closer and peered through it.

The monster stood not too far away.

Its long limbs stretched toward the same body that had given her the orb, lifting what remained (half a corpse) and bringing it to its gaping maw. Just like it had done to the previous corpse, it swallowed the body whole.

It chewed slowly, eyes completely vacant as it stared into nothing.

Kyva jerked back, pressing herself deeper into the hollow.

The monster didn’t seem to sense her anymore, yet it lingered, wading through the swamp and dragging one rotten body after another to feed on.

’I’m going to die here.’

The thought settled in her mind.

Her gaze dropped to the blue orb in her hands, the final gift from the figure. This was basically the artifact everyone was risking their lives to get, and yet she did not have to find it. It was given to her by a body seconds away from passing.

How was she supposed to use it?

If it was blue, then it likely held the water attribute.

But... how did it work?

Trying to figure out how to use the orb became a distraction for Kyva, something to keep her mind from unraveling.

The world itself was already cruel.

So the beast realm was bound to be worse.

It only made sense now.

Kyva had no idea why anyone would willingly want to come here, to face these man-eating creatures... and for what? Was it really worth the risk?

All she knew was that the Sacred Order was ancient. Beyond that, nothing.

The senior adepts had mentioned something about how monsters bearing the same attributes would be out to kill them. Now that she thought about it, the monster had used both water and earth.

So... it possessed two affinities?

That explained the swamp.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized how defenseless she was. She would not be able to flee from here unless the creature leaves.

But what if it doesn’t leave?

What if she starves and dies here?

To be honest, that seemed like a better choice than having those stinking maws sink into her flesh but still–

Why was she so unlucky?

There was no way death could like her this much.

’Think Kyva’ she shook off the negativity from her head.

No.

There was still hope.

She had the orb.

The trial only lasted two days and would be over at dawn.

All she needed to do was survive until then.

Just... make it to dawn.

How hard can it possibly be?

Time simply went by, but the monster still lingered. When Kyva peeked again, the monster’s eyes blinked in her direction, to the tree she was hiding in, and she immediately jerked back.

That was close.

The hollow was suffocating now, tight and airless. Sweat clung to her skin, and the stench around her had grown unbearable.

Dusk had settled, and Kyva was now currently fighting sleep, her senses dulled. She was exhausted, aching and uncomfortable in the tight space. It reached a point where she barely even cared about the monster anymore.

She just wanted to sleep.

However, the monster was still roaming the swamp. It felt as though it was searching for something, for her, perhaps? But then her thoughts were too sluggish to hold onto anything for long.

Her eyes drooped to a close, and this time, she did not fight it.

Unbeknownst to Kyva, the blue orb she held in her closed palm suddenly shimmered. It fused into her skin until it vanished completely.

The monster blinked up.