Why must the devil be Defeated?

In the boundary forest of the Moon Demon Territory, within a cave.

Shane stood at the entrance of the cave, keeping watch outside as if on guard, yet his gaze frequently darted back into the depths of the cave, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

There, Chafne sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed, as the curse that convulsed over her body was being expelled by waves of intense Holy Light.

That Holy Light originated from illusions that manifested around Chafne.

These illusions were all clad in the vestment robes of Divine Practitioners, some old, some young, some male, some female, yet all gazed upon Chafne with eyes of adoration, invoking various high-level Recovery Magic to rid her of the curse.

This scene left Shane both astonished and impressed.

Chafne's Unique Skill allowed her to manipulate the strength of impressions and attachments in the mind—the more someone was enchanted by her charm, loyal, adoring, and obsessed with her, the less they could resist her, even becoming her "property."

This so-called "property" referred to all aspects.

For instance, if someone was merely infatuated with Chafne, they would only lose their vision and hearing senses, allowing Chafne to see and hear through others, the impact being rather superficial.

However, the more someone was enchanted by her, the deeper the connection of the Ripple Heart Demon became, and the more Chafne could plunder from others.

In the end, Chafne could even transform into someone else, using their abilities, and even peeping into their hearts and memories.

This was the terrifying aspect of the Ripple Heart Demon—the more someone was infatuated with Chafne, the more they loved her, the less they had secrets and resistance, until Chafne completely exploited them, draining their value entirely.

Were this power to be possessed by an ugly miscreant, it would probably go to waste.

Unfortunately, the bearer was not an ugly miscreant, but the most beautiful witch of the Three Realms, whose allure caused countless emperors and heroes to fall head over heels, forever missing the track of their lives—the Charming Demoness.

This was what fortified the formidable might of the Ripple Heart Demon and the terror of the Enchanting Demon.

When Shane learned of this, he was secretly alarmed, only to realize he had still underestimated this ability.

"Can she actually recreate the people connected to her in the form of illusions, and these illusions possess the exact same strength and abilities as the originals? Isn't this Ripple Heart Demon a bit too horrifying?"

Shane didn't even know how to describe his feelings at the moment.

He even saw among those Divine Practitioners using Recovery Magic to remove the curse from Chafne, one kind-faced, benevolent legendary Pope.

If he wasn't mistaken, that guy should be called Yule.

This truly made Shane feel like life had kicked him in the guts.

"Look at you, you old reprobate, secretly smitten with an Enchanting Demon to the point of becoming an illusion, can you still face the Goddess you serve?"

Shane's incessant internal mockery had not ceased since earlier.

But then, he felt a twinge of guilt.

"Could it be, I could also be shown in the form of an illusion by that witch and become her lackey?"

Though he did not wallow in infatuation, if one spoke of relationships, his and Chafne's surely would surpass anyone else's, right?

Thus, the deeper the relationship, the more profound the mental impression with the Ripple Heart Demon, the deeper the connection into the other's abilities, it seemed unlikely that he wouldn't be turned into an illusion...?

"I..."

Shane felt somewhat overwhelmed.

Just then, an extremely annoyed voice reached Shane's ears.

"Don't worry, this kind of recreation has its limits; at the very least, it's impossible to replicate a person's Unique Skill, not even Special Skills, let alone the Hero's Holy Sword."

Following this voice, the illusions surrounding Chafne reluctantly faded away, allowing her to open her eyes.

"...You're reading my mind again?"

Shane looked at Chafne with a speechless expression.

"Who asked you to stand there looking like you're questioning your entire existence?"

Chafne narrowed her eyes.

"Seeing this ability of yours, anyone would question their life, okay?"

Shane rolled his eyes.

"Coincidentally, my sisters often say the same," Chafne said with a smile, "But as much as this ability is powerful, there are equally obvious side effects."

Chafne's words, full of implications, jogged Shane's memory.

Indeed, Ambassador Parren of the Sun had mentioned that this kind of power, which leveraged the heart as a medium to connect to others, was mutual.

So, Chafne could extract value from others through their infatuation and obsession with her, but others could also subjugate her spirit when they made a deep impression on Chafne's heart, leaving her unable to resist.

Thus, Chafne disdained everyone, so as not to expose her heart's vulnerabilities, not forming deep impressions of others, thus becoming unable to reject their demands.

Ripple Heart Demon—the ability to control others through mental connections was indeed a Dual Blades Sword.

"I am well aware of the frightfulness of my abilities; this horror could even condemn myself to oblivion, so I always keep an inner ranking in my heart, scoring everyone—higher scores signify higher importance to me, as well as greater danger."

Chafne voiced this softly.

This aroused Shane's curiosity.

"What's my score in your heart, then?"

Shane looked at Chafne with a curious expression all over his face.

Chafne didn't say anything but suddenly smiled, with a profound meaning.

"Fine," Shane pursed his lips and said, "sooner or later, I'll have to try reading your mind too."

That way, it wouldn't be just him unilaterally revealing the thoughts in his heart.

Of course, Chafne's mind-reading was probably not yet complete; she could only occasionally catch some of Shane's fragmentary thoughts.

Otherwise, Shane feared he would have no secrets left in front of this woman.

(If one day I completely fall and become a subject of her desires, would all my thoughts be read, even the deep-seated memories in my mind?)

Shane suddenly felt relieved, grateful that he had held his ground before and hadn't been seduced by this witch; otherwise, he would have truly been doomed.

Thinking this, Shane hurriedly focused on his breathing and silenced all stray thoughts.

Chafne seemed to notice Shane's small gesture.

"What's wrong? Afraid that I'll learn some little secret of yours?" Chafne said with a half-mocking smile, "Then remember to stay away from me in the future, and don't harbor any improper thoughts about me, okay?"

At her words, Shane raised an eyebrow.

"I have improper thoughts about you?" Shane looked directly at Chafne, "It seems to me that a certain Enchanting Demon Lord has had quite a few improper thoughts about me as well."

"Me? About you?" Chafne's eyes widened.

"Isn't it?" Shane imitated Chafne's tone, smilingly said, "If not, then why didn't you resist that night?"

"I..." Chafne opened her mouth.

"Don't tell me it was the side effect of the Ripple Heart Demon that prevented you from resisting me." Shane blocked Chafne's retreat with a snort, "You said it yourself, the side effect works on the mind. If you couldn't resist, that proves you think highly of me, you have improper thoughts about me, you lust after my body, you are despicable."

Chafne was nearly driven mad with anger.

How could it be the same?

It was just a ninety-eight, one point lower than my Little Aiyi. Do you really think with that score you can do whatever you want with me?

That's just my own rating, not the Ripple Heart Demon's.

On the Ripple Heart Demon's part, it sees the breaches in the heart, the impressions on the soul, thereby determining the strength of the connection.

And you, how impressive were you those times? Do you not have a sense about yourself?

Nearly bringing me to disability, I almost died from your torment, how could I not leave the deepest impression in my heart?

And you say I lust after your body?

Every time it's you who force yourself on me!

Chafne's delicate body trembled, she raised her hand, wanting to punch Shane.

But at that moment, a surge of magic power swept over, causing both Shane and Chafne to pause.

"What's this…?"

Shane's eyes flashed, and he closed his eyes, letting go of his perception ability.

Chafne did the same, starting to sense her surroundings.

Before long, both of them detected faint traces of magic power appearing around them, even within the forest, lurking everywhere.

Moreover, the other party was deliberately concealing their movements, but their searching efforts were substantial, obviously up to no good.

"Are these people from the Primordial Demon?" Shane murmured.

"Probably," Chafne said with a cold laugh, "It seems that fellow still isn't willing to give up this opportunity."

Clearly, these people were sent by that Half-demon to search for Shane and Chafne's tracks.

"There's one Legendary figure leading the group, the rest are just Upper-level Demon Clan members ranging from Level 70 to Level 80." Shane looked at Chafne and asked, "Want me to go out and take care of them?"

"Don't," Chafne thought for a moment and finally shook her head to object, "That guy is likely using a Unique Skill to hide nearby. The moment you make a move, he will immediately notice."

Then, Shane and Chafne would definitely be pursued by him.

"I don't really mind, all cards on the table, I don't believe there's nothing to be done against an incomplete Transcendence." Shane furrowed his brow, "If you could also make a move, he'd be digging his grave by coming out."

"Me?" Chafne let out a bitter laugh, "Unfortunately, the curse on me hasn't been completely removed. The accumulation of hundreds of years isn't something that can be lifted just like that. Once I make a move, there's a high possibility that the curse will erupt."

In other words, if a fight really broke out, Shane wouldn't only have to confront the enemy, but also protect Chafne.

In such a case, things would turn very unfavorable.

That is to say...

"We're not fighting?" Shane was slightly disappointed.

"We're not," Chafne chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll settle this score with him sooner or later."

Shane nodded noncommittally.