SSS Demon King System: The Rise of a Dying Extra-Chapter 40: The Nightmare.

Sin and Selene were especially bright that night, their light filtered through the window illuminating the dark corridors of the fort with an intense silver light.

In silence, a figure crossed that darkness, wrapped in a cloak.

[Mission: discover the castle’s secret room]

Lloyd still remembered that side mission, he had obtained it after completing the slaves one.

However, Lloyd didn’t know which room it was, so he would have to search.

The mission also specified that Lloyd go alone at night, it gave no explanations, but Lloyd trusted the system.

Until now, all its advice had been good.

The boy continued walking through the corridors, until a noise caught his attention.

It was like a moan and accelerated breathing.

Lloyd had very developed senses, so he could pick up things like that.

What surprised him was the origin of the sound; it was Alice’s room.

Lloyd approached the room with curiosity, opening the door slowly.

The boy was very interested in the girl, however, apparently she didn’t have many capabilities.

When she tried to train with the sword, she barely used strength, and when Lucia tried to teach her to do tasks, Alice failed clumsily.

Lloyd didn’t get angry at those mistakes, he only gave her encouragement to continue.

After all, there was a reason Lloyd wanted to manipulate her and not just tell her what to do.

Lloyd didn’t doubt she would do everything he wished, however, he wanted her to be the one who wanted to obey.

He wanted her to make an effort.

And for that, he had to win her over.

The boy knew that wasn’t too "correct" from a moral point of view.

However, Alice was broken, repairing her would take too much time and it was simpler to do it that way.

Moreover, Lloyd had received the [well of lies], a path of transcendence that rewarded Lloyd for lying and manipulating.

Manipulating Alice wasn’t just a way to ensure a powerful weapon, but also allowed him to earn a substantial amount of extra V.P.

Lloyd wasn’t going to feel bad about using Alice, after all, Alice wanted to be used.

While reflecting on that, the boy slowly entered the room.

Upon doing so, Lloyd could witness a strange scene.

Alice was whimpering in her bed, but the strangest thing was that her features weren’t inexpressive; she looked like a normal girl having a bad dream.

That confused Lloyd, though it also caused him curiosity.

Was she more vulnerable at night?

What tormented her so much?

The boy knelt beside the bed and took Alice’s hand delicately.

There was only one way to know.

The young man concentrated while closing his eyes; he was trying to enter her dream using his incubus trait.

* * *

"Hahaha, look at the half-breed, she’s trembling with fear! How pathetic," a youthful and malicious voice shouted.

The reality surrounding Lloyd had vanished, to reappear as a different scenario.

Lloyd saw how he was among the streets of a village.

There, three children were in front of Alice, laughing and with stones in hand.

"Filthy wretch! Don’t come near or you’ll infect us!" another voice said.

A stone flew toward the girl.

She didn’t move aside, however at the moment of impact her whole body tensed and her eyes closed.

Yes, she was scared.

In fact, Lloyd could see how she trembled, even if she continued standing.

Lloyd could intuit why she made the effort not to move aside, because if she moved aside it would be worse.

Was this how she felt inside? 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Or was it a memory from her childhood?

Lloyd wasn’t sure, however, it wasn’t the time to reflect; he had to act.

Lloyd approached the scene. When one of the children threw another stone, Lloyd caught it with his hand.

"Enough," the young man said firmly.

The children looked at him with confusion, and then with disbelief.

"Who are you?" one demanded to know.

"Idiot! She’ll infect you!" the second warned.

"Why are you defending that stinking brat?" the second complained.

Lloyd sighed; they were too many stupid questions at once.

They weren’t worth answering.

The boy turned and slowly extended his arm toward Alice to caress her grayish hair gently.

"Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you anymore, Alice," Lloyd said with a kind and calm tone.

"Why are you touching her? She’ll infect you!"

"You don’t have to defend her, she’s a worthless half-breed."

"Ewww, how disgusting."

Lloyd’s sigh was long before looking back at those brats.

"She’s not ’filth’ nor is she ’filthy.’ She’s my precious and adorable puppet. I won’t let them damage what’s mine, much less some spoiled children," Lloyd said crossing his arms and looking at the brats with condescension.

"B-but, she’s just a half-breed," another insisted.

"So what?" Lloyd responded, he smiled macabrely. "I don’t see what’s wrong with it. In fact, it turns out I’m also a half-breed, though a bit different from Alice."

The air became heavy; an ominous atmosphere enveloped the place.

"Half-breed? Really? Then you’re two of a kind," one of the children mocked.

"I couldn’t put it better," Lloyd said taking a step; his shadow stretched extending across the entire floor. "But unlike Alice, I’m a much greater blasphemy; I carry demon blood in my veins."

The temperature descended, and in unison, fear invaded the children, who were now trembling.

"A-are you a demon?"

"No... I’m much worse," and upon saying that, their sentence was served.

Dark hands emerged from the ground. They were limbs created with a liquid that looked like concentrated darkness.

The hands stretched, trapping the children, who between screams and tears were swallowed by his shadow.

Lloyd smiled pleased while the ominousness vanished.

He turned with a smile.

"See? Now you have nothing to fear," he declared proudly. "You’re my property, and I don’t let them mistreat my things. Oh?"

Lloyd was surprised, interrupted by a sudden hug from Alice.

Her small arms surrounded him while she buried her face in the boy’s chest, with tears in her eyes.

Lloyd sighed while caressing her head gently.

The girl’s sobs became louder and louder, however, Lloyd felt she would have a lighter burden from now on.