Chapter 35: Another powerful demon clan

Esabella rubbed her pale wrists where Dante had just gripped them. Her full red lips stayed curved in that wild, intense smile, her attractive red eyes completely focused on his face. She didn’t look like a proud queen who had just been pinned against a pillar; she looked like a hunter who had finally found the most precious treasure in the world.

"Are you completely crazy?" Dante asked, his voice entirely flat as he took another step back. "I told you, I’m only here for the core. I don’t care about your delusions."

"Call it whatever you want, my King," Esabella whispered, her voice shaking with excitement. Her tail thrashed behind her, its bladed tip slicing a clean line into the stone floor. "You can be as cold as you want. It only makes you want me more and look more handsome."

Dante ignored her comment entirely. He reached into his pocket and checked the Seven-Sins Asura Blade. Now that he had vented all the trapped souls into her palace crystals, the invisible handle felt perfectly light and stable. His physical efficiency was back to one hundred percent.

"Just answer the question," Dante said, keeping his eyes narrowed. "Where is the core of this floor? If it’s not in this room, tell me where it is so I can go get it."

Esabella let out a soft giggle, her large chest rising and falling against her black lace corset as she stepped away from the pillar. Her hips swayed gracefully as she walked back up a few steps of her throne, the high slit of her skirt parting to show her long leg.

"The core isn’t in this palace," Esabella said, turning her head back to look at him. Her massive black-and-purple horns caught the light of the room. "The Black Basin is split in half. My clan rules the southern sector, but the northern volcanic mountains belong to the Blood-Gorged Clan. Their leader is a brutal, giant demon warlord named Balor."

"Balor," Dante repeated the name in a cold tone.

"Yes," Esabella nodded, her long red nails tapping against the armrest of her throne. "He is an absolute monster who stands over five meters tall and wears armor made from the bones of his enemies. His clan uses the energy of the floor core to power their volcanic fortresses and forge their dark weapons. He guards it with thousands of heavily armored soldiers."

Dante didn’t even blink. He turned his body toward the large bronze doors he had entered through.

"Fine," Dante said plainly. "I’ll head north, strip the core from his hands, and kill anyone who gets in my way. Now Stay out of my business."

He took two steps toward the exit, intending to leave the palace immediately. But before he could take a third step, a dark blur flashed in front of his eyes.

Void Step—

Dante halted his movement. Esabella had moved with incredible speed, appearing right in front of him to block his path. Even dante got shocked after seeing her incredible speed and now he knows that she was just playing with him earlier. She was so close he could smell the faint scent of ash and dark magic radiating from her skin. Her massive horns tilted slightly forward, framing her beautiful face as she stared right into his eyes with a wild, possessive glare.

"You are not going alone," Esabella said, her voice dropping to a serious tone.

"I don’t need your help," Dante said, his deadpan expression unchanging. "I can handle a warlord and a few thousand trash mobs by myself."

"I know you can," Esabella said, her red eyes dilating as she reached out, her fingers hovering just an inch away from his face without actually touching him. "I saw your incredible strength just now. But Balor is a filthy coward who uses underhanded tricks, ambush traps, and burning volcanic poison. His territory is a literal death trap for anyone who doesn’t know the path."

She stepped even closer, her full red lips twisting back into that intense, yandere smile.

"Besides, you are my King now," Esabella whispered, her bladed tail scraping aggressively against the floor in pure excitement. "I will never allow those disgusting northern dogs to lay a single finger on you. If a single drop of their dirty blood stains your clothes, I will lose my mind. We are going together, and my elite forces will wipe their entire mountain off the map even though they are very powerful i believe we two can kill them ."

Dante stared at her crazy, stubborn face for a few seconds. He internally calculated his options. His status screen was still frozen, meaning his major system skills were completely locked. While his invisible sword was light and his physical density was high, fighting an entire army of thousands in an unfamiliar volcanic zone filled with poison would waste too much time and stamina. Shaking off this crazy woman was clearly impossible anyway.

"Do whatever you want," Dante sighed, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "But don’t get in my way during the fight. If you slow me down, I’ll drop you behind."

Esabella’s eyes sparkled with pure adoration. "I knew you would make the right choice, my King! I will never slow you down. In fact, I can’t wait to see you look so brutal and ruthless again when you crush Balor’s skull."

She turned toward the twelve guards who were still standing along the walls, trembling in fear. Her casual, sweet expression turned instantly into a freezing, dominant mask of pure authority.

"Assemble the vanguard!" Esabella commanded loudly, her voice echoing like a whip through the hall. "We are marching north to the Crimson Valley immediately. Prepare the carriages and get the armored beasts ready. If anyone delays our departure by even a single minute, I will personally feed your soul core to the abyss!"

"Yes, Great Queen!" the guards shouted in panic, saluting before running out of the room as fast as their legs could carry them.

Within twenty minutes, the courtyard of the palace was filled with loud noises. Dozens of massive, armored lizard beasts were being lined up, pulling iron carriages. Hundreds of Esabella’s elite demon soldiers were forming tight lines, their weapons clicking as they prepared for a full-scale war.

Dante walked out of the palace gates, standing next to Esabella. She kept her red eyes glued to his profile, her hips swaying gracefully as she walked beside him, her bladed tail swaying happily behind her dress.

"The journey to the northern mountains will take a few hours through the ash deserts," Esabella said, looking at him with a sweet smile. "We can share the royal carriage. It will give us plenty of time to talk about our future kingdom."

Dante didn’t answer her. He simply climbed onto the vehicle, his face completely deadpan as he sat down, looking out toward the dark, jagged mountains in the north. He didn’t care about her kingdom, but he knew one thing—the red Valley was going to become a massive bloodbath, and he was ready for it.