"Why is it that you called me here?" Damien asked. His voice was cold, any previous joking tone he held vanishing entirely.
But naturally, the Nox Demigod didn't feel any pressure from his change. She only watched him with a curious and entertained smile on her face.
"My, you don't want me anymore? And here I thought my form would be incredibly appealing to you." She responded.
"Why did you call me here?" Damien repeated. He didn't care about any of her bullshit.
The Nox Demigod rolled her eyes. "Can't you be a little more fun? You're the first person who has seen me in my true form in tens of millennia."
"Tell me why you called me here," Damien repeated himself a third time. He didn't plan to say it again.
"Tch. Kid, you're starting to annoy me. Fix your attitude before I kill you on the spot."
"Kill me then," Damien replied without hesitation.
"What?" The Nox Demigod questioned in surprise.
"Kill me then." Damien shrugged casually. "If you didn't kill me earlier, you won't kill me now. Am I wrong?"
Although Damien was indeed flirting with her because of his habit to flirt all the time, he wasn't the same brainless fool he used to be. His words weren't without meaning.
Just like when he acted brazenly with the Sect Leaders of the Cloud Plane, he needed to understand how lenient this Demigod would be with him, regardless of what her race was.
Because people of power cared immensely for face. If he could act sleazily to her face and live, it meant she probably needed him for something.
Not that it was hard to figure out what that something was.
"I won't help you escape this seal if that's what you plan to ask. If that's all, then either kill me or let me go."
The Demigod glared at Damien with killing intent in her gaze, causing his mental defenses to crumble. If it wasn't for his Void Physique negating a portion of her pressure, he would've been turned into an idiot with a single gaze.
"Khh…that's not a very nice way to treat your guests."
"Didn't you just tell me to kill you? Are you scared now that death is finally upon you?"
"Ha! If this is death being upon me, then the spatula my mom used to beat me as a kid was a God-ranked artifact. Don't joke with me."
The Demigod clicked her tongue. "It's true that I wish for you to release my seal, but it is not without benefit for you. Tell me what you want, and I can easily grant your wish."
"I want the extermination of every member of the Nox species in existence." Damien quickly replied.
The Demigod glared at him again. "I will only accept requests that are within my power."
"And if I ask you to annihilate as many Nox as your power allows?"
"I shall do it without hesitation."
It was Damien's turn to be suspicious. Obviously, this woman held no feelings toward her race. But if she was really an ally, why would the previous generations seal her in the dungeon?
'Yet, the reward is tempting.'
If she was willing to exterminate her race with her own hands for freedom, it meant she was willing to give everything. If he could capitalize on that…
'I might be able to get myself a Demigod maid.'
Damien grinned to himself at the thought, but he knew it wasn't possible with his current strength. He couldn't even sense the mechanisms sealing the woman, let alone break them.
"I am not asking for your immediate cooperation. I am asking for your consideration and help in the future when you become powerful enough."
"How do you know I won't die before then?"
"You will not die." The woman's answer came without hesitation. As she looked at him, a trace of respect surfaced in her eyes.
"I have witnessed your beginning, and I wish to be there to witness your end. Until I allow it, you are not allowed to die."
The woman flicked her finger, causing a portion of the darkness behind her to separate and shoot at Damien's body.
"H-hey!" Damien exclaimed in shock while attempting to dodge, but he never had a chance.
The piece of shadow submerged into his body, but no matter how he scoured himself, he couldn't find traces of it.
"What did you do to me?" Damien growled. His killing intent flared even greater than it did when he found out she was a Nox.
"Relax." The Demigod replied noncommittally. "It's just a wisp of my Divine Power. If you're ever in life-threatening danger, it will protect you once. Even a Demigod won't be able to harm you while it is activated."
Damien calmed down slightly hearing her words, but he couldn't let his guard down. It was still highly likely that this woman was lying to him.
But for now, he couldn't do anything about it.
"Haa, fine. I'll consider your offer. Since the war is starting soon, I'll be able to witness for myself whether or not unsealing you is worth the effort. But…what happens if I refuse?"
The woman smirked in response. "Do you think you can still refuse me? Even if it's just a trace, Divine Power is still Divine Power. If I really wanted to, I could just…"
The woman curled her finger. Responding to her motion, Damien's body instantly began to experience great pain similar to that of evolution.
But this pain didn't come with any benefit.
"Khh…" Damien gritted his teeth and endured without saying a word. He refused to lose to this woman.
Looking at him writing in defiance, a smile unknowingly crept up on the woman's face. 'This boy…is quite fun to play with.'
Even if he didn't know her thoughts, Damien instinctively felt danger. If he broke here, his life would become anything but fun.
The pain continued for close to 10 minutes before the woman finally got bored of his lack of reaction and stopped. Finally, Damien was given a moment of respite.
'Haa…haa…this bitch…' He sneered inwardly. 'Just wait until I reach your level. I'll turn you into a spitting image of Elitra.'
As he formulated in his mind, he finally regained his bearing. And even though he was internally raging, he pretended as if nothing happened on the outside.
"I have one final question." He said in between breaths. Looking at the woman seriously, he asked, "Why me?"
"Hoh? Are you curious? However, your curiosity might cost you more than you ever thought. Are you really willing to lose—"
"Oh wait, I'm literally the only one you know." Damien interrupted.
"Die."
Damien deftly dodged the shadows that sprouted under his feet to stab him. "Lady, don't be so harsh. How can you treat your only friend and future benefactor like this?"
"Who cares about that? I want you to die, so die."
"Tsk tsk, what a pitiful Demigod. An over 10,000-year-old virgin NEET with no friends. Such a shame."
"Die."
The attacking shadows became fiercer. Seeing this, Damien grinned. "Alright, since you're kicking me out on your own, I'll leave. Don't kiss me too much when I'm gone, 'kay?"
Damien's figure flashed away from the 100th floor in an instant. This time, the woman didn't block his escape.
Once again left alone on the 100th floor, the woman sighed helplessly. 'Tch…if only I knew even a single other person, I'd choose them over you without hesitation. Stupid brat.'
