SSS Demon King System: The Rise of a Dying Extra-Chapter 42: Entering the Temple.

Days passed.

Lucia had departed with some beast-men scouts, they would go to the village to see the situation.

While they investigated, Daimon studied the possible routes the traffickers who took the beast-men could have taken.

Sebastian began training the Fenrir tribe soldiers.

Even for battle lovers like them, training with the butler was no easy task.

However, they were motivated, they had many reasons for wanting to become stronger, which helped them move forward.

Lloyd also had to participate in training, and Alice joined only to stay with Lloyd.

However, Lloyd’s training was lighter, he also had to discuss with Gueri to trace possible strategies, though nothing would be official until Lucia returned.

Sköll also began training hard, though she did it away from Alice, perhaps out of fear or perhaps out of wariness.

At the same time, Lloyd’s investigation of the supposed secret room in Conrad’s fort had been hindered.

It’s not that Lloyd didn’t want to go, but Alice wouldn’t let him.

She was like a limpet.

The girl got into his bed at night and clung to him to sleep.

Perhaps she was afraid of having nightmares again, or something like that, Lloyd wasn’t entirely sure.

Alice was like a trap, that didn’t release easily.

Moreover, having her hugging him was comfortable, which made Lloyd succumb to sleep.

Days passed like this and finally Lucia returned after 5 days, with all the information.

Apparently, the Assassin Guild had settled in the destroyed village, they were waiting for the beast-men to return with Sköll to try to open the temple.

That was good and at the same time bad news.

On one hand they knew where Hati was, on the other, it also meant they would have to attack the Assassin Guild head-on.

They had to make a plan, they couldn’t simply attack the Assassin Guild just like that.

Lloyd had to think a lot, but in the end he had to surrender to the first idea he had; an idea repeated hundreds of times in movies.

The infiltrated hostage.

* * *

Hati had a secret, a secret she hadn’t told anyone, not even her sister.

She feared darkness.

Even if she tried to hide it, darkness scared her.

It was strange that someone with lunar Ki didn’t like the night.

That’s why, if Hati had been told she would be chained in a dark cave, she would have wanted to cry.

But, Hati no longer feared darkness.

Something like that couldn’t scare her anymore.

Now she was more afraid of falling asleep, and having those nightmares again.

Like how they cut off her mother’s head.

In front of her.

She couldn’t do anything.

After that she cried, until she had no tears left.

And now?

She was empty.

Hollow.

Footsteps were then heard, Hati recognized them.

It was Katerina.

"Hello, my dear Hati!" a voice said, the cave was illuminated by three blue light orbs, artificial spirits.

The woman approached Hati hopping, with a huge smile.

"You have no idea how happy I am, want to know why?" Katerina asked enthusiastically, though she got no response. "Exactly! We’ve captured Sköll."

Hati’s eyes opened wide, however, she also felt cold about it, after all they had already lost everything.

"Huh? Aren’t you happy?" Katerina asked with false surprise. "How cold! I’m sure she wants to see you again, well it doesn’t matter, there’s no time to waste, we have to finish this mission."

Katerina hurried. With a finger movement, the chains holding Hati vanished, making her fall dryly onto the ground.

"Well, come on, follow me."

Hati followed Katerina obediently, there was no point in resisting, she knew that.

Her empty eyes were proof she had given up.

They walked a good stretch until reaching the temple, there she could see several hooded men, they were those damn assassins.

They had already arrived at the temple, upon doing so, a hard memory hit the girl, her mother’s death was a wound that still bled.

"I see you brought her quickly," a voice said, the speaker was a hooded man with a skull mask.

However, Hati’s eyes opened wide seeing who he had with him.

It was Sköll.

It was strange, hearing she was here she couldn’t feel anything, however now her eyes filled with tears.

"Of course I did, I’m as eager as you to leave this place, this mission has dragged on too long," the woman complained.

In turn, she pushed Hati toward Sköll.

"Hati!" the girl upon seeing her sister lunged at her, though something prevented it.

They had a collar on their necks, connected to a chain; it was like a leash.

However, Hati didn’t have that problem, since they had placed a slavery curse on her.

The black-haired girl went to Hati while hugging her tightly, normally Hati wasn’t so sentimental, but this wasn’t a common situation.

"M-mom... Mom..." Hati couldn’t finish the sentence, as if saying it aloud would make that event true. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

However, her sister seemed to understand what she meant, she already feared something like that, however confirming it was still too painful.

Both cried while hugging each other, which irritated some.

Hati noticed a sting on her neck, it was a warning caused by the curse.

"Sorry to interrupt this emotional reunion but, we’re in a hurry," Katerina said.

The masked man pulled Sköll’s chain while starting to walk.

"I wonder if they even know how to do the ritual to open the temple," the masked man commented.

Sköll had an idea, in the story her mother told her, Fenrir’s heir uses Ki that mixes sun and moon to open the temple.

They only had to mix their Ki.

Sköll had trained to use her internal Ki, something she achieved thanks to Lloyd.

Though, it was also true that priestesses are capable of breathing prana unconsciously since birth, so they already have their Ki formed.

Sköll wasn’t worried that Hati didn’t know, she was a genius after all, she would surely learn to use it very easily.

Now they just needed to be taken there... For the plan to begin.