Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person's POV

They nodded rapidly and almost hysterically, and with endless bows that bordered on the absurd, they slowly exited the small circular room through the open window.

The beautiful, enigmatic woman turned toward their retreating figures with an unreadable expression.

Her eyes lingered thoughtfully on the spot where they had just stood.

Taking the opportunity their exit presented, she cautiously scanned the area again and her sharp eyes sought out any trace of the mysterious presence she had sensed earlier.

But once again, she found nothing.

No shift in mana, no unnatural scent in the air, no energy trails to follow.

Nothing was visible, and there was no tangible disturbance that showed actual proof that someone else had been there or they were at the present.

Suddenly, as if reminded by a faint whisper of instinct, she raised her slender hand in an offhand gesture and her fingers gently touched the black drop-shaped gemstone resting in the center of her forehead.

There was no urgency in her movement and only a calm deliberation as though she were engaging in a routine she had repeated countless times before.

Suddenly, the world seemed to dim before her eyes as all its vibrant hues and muted tones drained away.

Like her previous experiences, it transformed into a stark black-and-white inversion of reality, though it was true that she had no way of knowing that such a vision was called a negative screen.

Yet, there was something markedly different about what she saw compared to an ordinary scene of just a window with a cool breeze flowing inside.

And for the first time, she perceived a crumpled and translucent white sheet draped across the open window.

Beneath which she saw two shadowy silhouettes sitting in a small confined space, though they were barely discernible to the naked eye.

Suddenly, a flash of silver gleamed in the eyes of the left figure and a sharp wave of mental disorientation struck her consciousness like a hammer to the skull.

Unlike an ordinary observer who would have remained oblivious to the sudden change, she instantly recognized it for what it was—a mental intrusion.

Without hesitation, she immediately canceled the active effect of her dark drop shaped gemstone's power and snapped herself out of the warped vision.

The vibrant colors of the world bled back into reality and everything returned to its normal state.

With alarming speed, she dropped into a perfect battle stance and cast her soul sense in a broad arc around her and spread it like a dense carpet of awareness over the room.

Her icy, dark eyes that were sharp as daggers locked onto the window while her hands subtly moved within her sleeves.

In fluid and precise movements, two slender triangular, black blades slid silently into her palms from her wide sleeves while remaining hidden away from any observer's view.

On the other side, Ethan had caught the strange transformation in her eyes the very moment she touched her forehead.

The sudden appearance of those void-like and pupilless irises sent an instinctive shiver through him.

Even though he remained concealed beneath Virelle's Ebon Veil Cloak, which rendered them to a near invisible state, his instincts screamed that she had just made direct eye contact with him.

And he obviously wasn't the kind to remain passive and sit idle under threat.

Reacting in an instant, he launched a mental counterattack using his third bloodline spell—one he had yet to employ since his Devil Emperor's bloodline awakening, the Labyrinth of Lucent Lies.

This technique created a web of interwoven illusions and formed a mental maze that ensnared the target's consciousness and trapped them within an endless loop of false realities while their body remained defenseless and comatose in the real world.

He still remembered the intricate genetic runic passage that described its deadly effect clearly,

Once caught, the victim would endlessly wander the mental maze for eternity and would be manipulated to never awaken unless released by the weaver of the illusionary maze.

But, as he had anticipated, his inexperience with the spell and the woman's powerful soul perception meant she detected the danger almost instantly and had acted with lethal swiftness.

Through sheer will and instinct, she severed the connection before her consciousness was fully ensnared by the labyrinthine illusion and pulled herself back into reality before it was too late.

"There's no point in continuing to hide yourselves. I already know you're there," she said coldly in her low and authoritative voice as her gaze remained locked onto the window.

"Show yourselves, or I will make you and trust me when I say this, things won't be pleasant if I do."

A hint of regret flickered across her eyes as she knew that if she had already ascended to the Sky Realm, she could have at least locked onto those two silhouettes with her aura alone.

But in her current state, such a feat remained out of reach.

Upon hearing her words, Ethan smiled faintly, and an amused curiosity danced in his eyes.

Then, without hesitation, he pulled off the dark cloak that concealed them both.

He didn't bother masking his appearance or altering anything about himself and revealed himself in his full glory while standing proud and confident.

And the reason behind his action, despite her discussion earlier, was that every instinct in his body screamed that this woman was merely pretending when she spoke of capturing him and presenting him to the lecherous Duke Vord.

Turning slightly, he noticed that the elf receptiost Aurae had somehow shrouded herself once more under her veil-like cloak.

He hadn't caught the exact moment she did so, but knowing that she was not an ordinary woman, it didn't surprise him.

With an inward chuckle, he turned his attention back to the dark-haired woman whose beautiful black eyes had already widened in disbelief.

Her almond-shaped obsidian eyes brimmed with shock and amazement.

But, just as he had expected, there was no eagerness or fanaticism in her gaze.