Chapter 368: Chapter 368: She Seems Like a "Sycophant"
Sterl was left dumbfounded. What on earth was going on?
Could it be that...
He connected this with Flanda's earlier behavior and came up with a theory—
Could it be that the Succubus Queen has some special detection ability that revealed my uniqueness? Perhaps it's because my human race bloodline from Earth actually contains some secrets? Or maybe she discovered my Earth human heritage and intends to report it to the upper realms.
Or is it possible that after mastering the Solidification Method, absorbing me would bring her, a divine-level Succubus, immense benefits?
Or… simply that my charm is too strong, captivating this goddess?
Sterl's mind was in a state of alert!
There was not an ounce of joy; something unusual must have an underlying reason!
The first two speculations both implied extremely terrifying outcomes! Either he would meet his end, or he would attract the attention of mysterious forces targeting the human race from Earth…
As for the third possibility…
Sterl simply dismissed it in his mind, trying to amuse himself.
Not to mention a goddess, even some ordinary professionals wouldn't pay a hefty price just for a member of the opposite sex or for beauty.
Sterl quickly ruled out that possibility.
He pondered, should he just run away?
No matter what conspiracy was at play, if he wasn't there, it wouldn't matter.
Without hesitation, Sterl pressed the button on the Emergency Escape Device.
Before the effects of this item could manifest, Sterl took a moment to enjoy the bizarre expressions that emerged as countless people broke free from the enchantment.
The Supremes under the Succubus Queen and the Supremes left behind by the Lord of Evil Spirits were the first to react. They began recalling the words that had flashed through their minds, wearing expressions of disbelief.
No way???
What kind of joke is this?
Has the Succubus Queen gone mad? Making such a decision, could it be that this Mephistopheles is her illegitimate child? But that's impossible; the Succubus race doesn't produce male members.
What is going on here??
This was tantamount to handing over her subordinates to Mephistopheles. Even in Hell, where divine-level demons are notoriously brutal towards their subordinates, such an overt betrayal would be unthinkable!
That would destroy her credibility!
After this, the number of followers willing to follow her would surely decrease significantly.
Countless players and demons were left stunned, many of them trembling and unable to maintain their floating positions, plummeting to the ground.
Their faces were filled with sheer terror.
"Your Majesty, have you sold us out??"
"Why? Why is this happening?"
"Did I hear that wrong?"
...
Those who had eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Succubus Queen were now utterly broken.
At this moment, the space was sealed under Divine Power; there was no escape! Mephistopheles could truly wipe them all out!
Many turned to look at the Succubus Queen, unable to speak or question her; their eyes revealed a desperate hope that perhaps she was joking—that she had some ulterior motive to recruit Mephistopheles and this was just the way to start things. Maybe she would even mention later about saving their lives??
However, the Succubus Queen was serious. With a mere wave of her hand, countless demons and players from [Swallowing Heaven] were bound and pressed to the ground, unable to mount any defense.
Now, if Mephistopheles wanted to kill them, he could do so with a mere unsheathing of his sword; he didn't even need to use his Platinum Skill.
In an instant, their minds felt like they were on fire! They didn't even know who to beg for mercy.
Mephistopheles? How could they possibly do that? He was a harbinger of death.
Licitris?
To question a god's decision was a death sentence for mortals!
"Ha~ha"
"Yah~yah"
Under the immense pressure, these demons and players from [Swallowing Heaven] could hardly speak, only able to emit incoherent sounds.
Some were so overwhelmed with fear that their internal energy surged wildly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Some even self-destructed!
Their deaths were tragic, their flesh and bones completely ignited by their own energy, turning to ash!
The effects of the self-explosion severely injured many of the players and demons around them, who were already suppressed and now had no strength left to resist.
...
The players under the Lord of Evil Spirits were just as bewildered. They accepted the situation a little better because they had anticipated that escape would be difficult from the start.
However, not witnessing Mephistopheles' downfall left them feeling some regret.
But that didn't mean they could accept… that Mephistopheles had so openly offended a god's authority and yet received such favorable treatment.
They felt it was utterly absurd and deeply frustrating!
Why?
Why should he alone enjoy all the good fortune?
Mephistopheles was powerful, with unparalleled talent, and yet he also received the favor of a god—not just any god, but the embodiment of desire—
The Succubus Queen, Licitris. To be favored by this deity meant not only material support but also the purest enjoyment in the realms of physical and spiritual pleasure!
Many demons and players from [Swallowing Heaven] not only resented Mephistopheles for forcing them into such a dire situation, but they also envied his fortune…
It was all too enviable!
The four Supremes under Licitris, including Flanda, looked at Mephistopheles with complex expressions in their eyes.
The loyalty of these individuals to the Succubus Queen was unquestionable. When Licitris chose to support Mephistopheles, they had no objections…
Flanda was somewhat relieved; at least Mephistopheles was safe. She sighed, knowing that she probably wouldn't get to enjoy that safety herself…
She was the only one who could understand Licitris's thoughts. The fact that Mephistopheles had such a strong allure for her meant that for a queen who had reached divine level power, he would be even more tempting.
What tormented Flanda was the realization that if Mephistopheles was so favored by the queen, she probably would never have a chance to get close to him.
"I can only hope the queen grows tired of him soon…"
"Or maybe when Mephistopheles has some free time, he could come to play with me. After all, I've made several efforts to save him; shouldn't he repay me a little?"
Flanda's thoughts wandered.
Meanwhile, the other three Supremes wore expressions of calmness.
Just moments ago, under the circumstances of Mephistopheles being so favored, they had even entertained feelings of betrayal. Their anger felt like it was igniting their very consciousness!
Unlike Flanda, who could understand Licitris's thoughts, they knew that this was likely yet another rival in love, and a formidable one at that, capable of receiving the greatest affection from Licitris!
The Supremes, captured by the charm, found it impossible to accept this one fact! They felt an impulse to kill Mephistopheles and take the place of the Succubus Queen!
Thus, the power of enchantment forcibly activated, twisting the minds of the three Supremes.
At that moment, they felt dazed and unusually calm. Whenever Mephistopheles crossed their minds, an inexplicable sense of concern and respect began to flow within them.
However…
In the midst of this focused attention and burgeoning hatred, Mephistopheles's figure suddenly glowed, as if he were about to vanish.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
Licitris reacted quickly. She had been closely monitoring Sterl's movements, especially since her enchanting voice had seemingly left Mephistopheles unaffected. The fact that he pretended to be under her control only made Licitris's heart flutter with excitement!
It was precisely because the power of enchantment was so overwhelming that this divine-level demon craved a partner who could resist her charms.
In other words, Sterl's usual tactic of appearing unremarkable…
Had finally been exposed.
At that moment, Licitris immediately activated her Divine Power to prevent Mephistopheles from teleporting.
To her surprise, while Divine Power did indeed freeze Mephistopheles in mid-air, completely solidifying the space around him, the white light surrounding him continued to operate!
It was sending him into a chaotic space rift. Licitris, having seen such things before, recognized what it was.
"A forced escape item! You… why are you using that?"
Licitris's expression shifted to one of deep grievance. Even a god was merely a more powerful entity, after all, and they too experienced emotions.
The Succubus Queen felt hurt! For the first time, she had developed such strong affection for a male, only to find that he completely disregarded her feelings?
Could it be that my fearsome reputation scared him away?
Caught between questioning Mephistopheles's actions and her own self-doubt, Licitris unhesitatingly chose to examine her own issues.
She quickly sent a telepathic message.
"Wait! Mephistopheles, I mean you no harm, and I would never hurt you. I can sign a contract—please, just stay and don't leave!"
"Don't use that item! The death rate associated with such things is far higher than what's written on them. If you get caught in the spatial rift, I won't be able to save you!"
"Please! Don't do this!"
...
Her voice flooded into Sterl's senses, leaving him momentarily stunned. Although the effect of her charm didn't work on him, the emotion infused in Licitris's words felt incredibly genuine.
Sterl pondered—
This Succubus Queen's demeanor is completely different from what I expected.
Wait, I'm the one who has chosen to escape despite your good intentions. The Succubus Queen is actually more concerned about my safety?
Sterl felt as if this was reminiscent of the sycophants from his previous life before transmigrating.
But aren't you a god?
Since his transmigration, Sterl had been able to analyze the thoughts of various powerful beings logically, yet today, he found himself utterly confused.
Huh??
Sterl was just about to be pulled into the spatial rift when suddenly, a blood-red alert flashed before his eyes.
[You are affected by a sealing spell; your current coordinates are fixed.]
[You are receiving…]
The text continued to flicker.
Sterl understood one thing: the forced teleportation item was not invincible; it merely provided immunity to spatial restrictions. With his coordinates locked, he could not teleport away.
However, such abilities were quite rare, and Sterl usually wouldn't encounter them.
At the same time, he heard a chilling, eerie laughter echoing around him, reverberating through the vicinity.
"You think you can leave?"
"You can't escape!"