“Uncle Eric, is there… something wrong with my body?”

Just stepping out of the examination room filled with intricate magical instruments, Inanna blinked her clear eyes softly, with a trace of almost imperceptible tension, gazing at the old butler.

“No, not at all, my lady.” Eric’s face showed his usual gentle smile as he bowed slightly. “You are in excellent health. Every indicator is as perfect as can be.”

After seeing Inanna off safely and watching her slender figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Eric let out a quiet sigh of relief.

So it was indeed his own overthinking—it was not the worst possibility he had feared.

From here on, all of his focus must go into a strict investigation of the traitor within.

Inanna maintained her graceful and composed posture, walking back to her room at an unhurried pace. But the instant the door closed softly behind her, that forced calm shattered.

She nearly collapsed against the bed, clutching her silent and loyal Knight Puji tightly in her arms, then curled into the darkest corner of the room, burying her face deep into the mushroom cap.

Big Bro knew she was about to undergo an examination, yet he severed her connection to the Mycelium Network!

There was absolutely no need for that! She could have controlled herself perfectly—no one would have discovered anything abnormal!

Now, without that ever-present warmth and reassurance of the mycelium threads, Inanna felt as if she had once more been cast back into that cold, dark, voiceless abyss.

Alone, with no one in the world aware of her existence.

Fortunately, the contract she had formed through a special item with the Knight Puji still remained, letting her sense a faint link. That was her only comfort now.

She longed desperately to cast Puji Transformation on herself immediately, to rejoin that warm network, to once more be under Big Bro’s gaze.

But it was still daytime. Uncle Eric or other maids might come looking for her at any moment. She could only force down the impulse, silently enduring.

Time dragged by in torment.

At last, the sky outside darkened completely.

As night fell, Inanna locked the door at once, then eagerly cast Puji Transformation upon herself!

Her soft gown slipped rustling to the ground, and a round, pink-capped Puji rolled out from within.

The Knight Puji, who had been waiting nearby, silently moved forward, gently touching caps with her.

The moment she returned to the network, her once-foggy vision became clear and vast!

Countless familiar, comforting presences reappeared in her senses, like stars lighting up the darkness in her heart.

The Pink Puji visibly relaxed, flopping softly onto the floor.

“Big Bro?” she asked tentatively through the network.

“Hm? What is it?” That familiar voice answered almost immediately, as always.

“N-nothing…” The Pink Puji’s tone carried a trace of vulnerable dependence. “I just wanted to check if you were there… Big Bro, now… I won’t have those nightmares anymore, will I?”

“You shouldn’t.” Lin Jun’s voice gave a firm reply. “Don’t worry. Even if you do, just call me anytime.”

With that solid reassurance, the tension she had carried all day finally eased away. She drifted into a deep sleep.

That night, she indeed dreamed a peaceful, sweet dream.

…

The battle had dragged on for a full day, ending with the demon side suffering a minor setback, forced to withdraw within the protective barrier of the Scarlet Spire.

Duke Aramar, after personally clashing several times with Sigismund, realized that although his opponent seemed weakened, he was far from being easily defeated.

To keep pressing the assault would win no more ground, and would only increase his own casualties. So he chose to withdraw.

On Sigismund’s side, plagued both within and without, with an unwanted squatter in his body threatening to seize control at any moment, all he wanted was to end this baffling battle as quickly as possible.

Thus, with tacit understanding, both commanders manipulated their armies with great finesse, like carefully untangling knotted ropes, gradually pulling the locked forces apart until each side disengaged and retreated, ending the battle in anticlimax.

Afterward, to stabilize morale and quell internal opinion, Sigismund wasted no time blaming the defeat squarely on Duke Eleanor, who had sat idle throughout.

If Eleanor had just taken action, they could have pincer attacked, and all would have been well!

Most demon soldiers and mid-to-lower officers, knowing little of the truth, found the explanation reasonable and seethed with hatred toward Eleanor’s “betrayal.”

Only the adjutant, who had witnessed the confusion firsthand and faintly sensed the Duke’s oddness, remained doubtful.

As Sigismund’s close confidant, he could feel more keenly than others that in these last two days, his lord’s behavior carried a strange, unexplainable air.

For example… right now!

Lin Jun was sprawled lazily in a wide chair, shoving sweet sugar cubes into his mouth with one hand, while the other idly flipped through a thick black-bound book.

This book was among the spoils seized from the late evil sorcerer Margas, filled with obscure and dangerously twisted Abyssal magic knowledge.

Yet Lin Jun read it with relish, as though it were a delightful adventure novel.

If only he had the Mycelium Carpet here, he could have decomposed the corpse directly—then maybe he could already be testing out Abyssal magic himself.

But soon, Lin Jun thought of a workaround.

Because Abyssal magic was so self-destructive, few practiced it. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel•fire.net

In the United Kingdom it was outright banned, so Lin Jun had never had the chance to catch one alive.

Among demons it was still rare, though at least not forbidden by law.

So, with a wave of the Duke’s authority, Lin Jun publicly issued a recruitment notice: openly inviting Abyssal magic users of all levels—yes, even the lowest apprentice was welcome—with generous pay and benefits!

First, lure them in. Then, assign them “business trips to Mordu.” After that, all he had to do was wait for delivery!

Would this cause trouble for Sigismund?

Lin Jun couldn’t care less!

The mess would be Sigismund’s to clean up anyway.

Just like the adjutant now, standing not far away, secretly watching him with complex, doubtful eyes.

So what if he suspected?

Lin Jun didn’t mind at all.

Throwing a wild party in someone else’s house, then walking away carefree while leaving the host to clean the wreckage—

Now that was true comfort!

At the moment, what interested Lin Jun more was that hollow tunnel into the Abyss!

From that flood of chaotic information pouring out, not all was useless garbage. If carefully sifted, perhaps some valuable pieces could be found.

For instance, that “Justice”—which looked like an introduction to acquiring one of the Eight Virtues titles.

Unfortunately, terms like “harvest stage” and “justice value” remained a mystery.

For an ordinary being, even a fleeting contact with that torrent of information would shatter their mind.

But Lin Jun, thanks to his immense body, could try to make use of it.

Now what he needed was to raise his level and learn how to open that hollow properly!

Of course, the pleasures of life couldn’t be neglected either!

If this vampire body couldn’t taste normal food, then surely he could at least savor the “delicacy” of fresh blood?

First things first: consult Piglet.