“My Demon King, a minor commander outside requests an audience. It seems he has something to report!” A seductive Flower Demon knelt before the champion, not daring to raise her head. The one above her was a Demon King, one of the handful of demons at the very top of the Abyss.
Talan was a demon born from a special flower of the Abyss, so most of her followers were plant-type demons like herself. Hearing her subordinate’s report, she rose from her throne, her figure even more bewitching. Aside from her pale blue skin, Talan looked no different from an ordinary human.
That unusual skin tone only made her seem even more alluring!
“Oh?” Talan’s purple lips parted slightly. Her red nails brushed through the Flower Demon’s hair. It seemed like an inconsequential gesture, yet it left the demon trembling all over.
Talan was famous for her unpredictable moods. A moment’s displeasure could easily get you killed—there were plenty of precedents. The Flower Demon was terrified of meeting the same fate as those who’d come before her!
“Let him in. I’ve been a little bored lately.” Talan’s languid voice drifted down from her throne. Somehow, she’d already returned to it.
“...Yes!” The Flower Demon felt as if she’d escaped with her life. She sprang up and hurried out, then brought the Stone Demon inside.
“Greetings, my Demon King!” The Stone Demon crawled onto the floor as soon as he entered the room. Talan had a rule: male demons summoned to see her weren’t allowed to take even one step inside!
“Oh! Who did this to you?” Talan’s voice was still languid and seductive.
“My Demon King, I wasn’t beaten. It was...” The Stone Demon told Talan what had happened to him.
“Oh? So something like that really happened?” Talan showed a flicker of interest. “Keep an eye on him for a few days. If things really are as you say, come back and report to me.”
“Yes, my Demon King!” The Stone Demon finished speaking, then crawled backward out of the room.
For the next few days, the Stone Demon secretly watched Bexia. The more he saw, the more his heart pounded with fear. Every demon who came into contact with Bexia suffered some inexplicable run of bad luck, whether they were troublemakers the Stone Demon had sent to pick a fight or the prison’s usual troublemakers. Some were suddenly struck by disaster; others couldn’t get anything to go right. It wasn’t just their cultivation going awry—even eating nearly left some of them choking to death. Under normal circumstances, none of this should’ve happened.
Watching demons die for no apparent reason, the Stone Demon grew increasingly alarmed. He hurried to report what he’d observed to Talan.
“Oh! So, according to you, this demon is a walking source of bad luck?” Talan said with interest.
“My Demon King, every demon who goes near that one called Bexia suffers misfortune. They either die or get hurt!” the Stone Demon replied.
“Misfortune...” Talan murmured. Then she said, “I don’t think it’s misfortune. It’s another kind of good luck!”
“From what you’ve told me, he’s surrounded by bad luck, but he himself isn’t affected by it. Instead, the demons who bear him ill will are the ones who suffer. Judging by what happens to him, he should be a lucky demon!”
“All his misfortune is being borne by the beings around him. That leaves him with nothing but good luck!” Talan analyzed. The stronger someone was, the more clearly they could see the truth of things—and the more deeply they could think beyond the average person.
“My Demon King, what should I do next?” the Stone Demon asked.
“Just keep an eye on him in secret. If possible, get him to go to the Demon Lord’s palace. A lucky demon like that might bring me a few surprises.” Talan gave a sly smile, then added, “It’d be even better if he caused some trouble for the others, too!”
“My Demon King, what should I do if this Bexia dies?” the Stone Demon asked quietly. Since Talan had taken an interest in Bexia, he was wondering whether he should keep protecting him.
“If he dies, he dies. If that’s all his luck amounts to, then I’ve got nothing to look forward to.” Talan spoke indifferently. Bexia wasn’t worth all that much to her; she was only a little curious.
If Bexia ever proved himself valuable enough, Talan might consider looking for him.
As the mastermind behind all this, Bexia knew exactly what effect it would have. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have used a body that combined the Cause-and-Effect Phantom God with the Destruction Phantom God. His goal was to create an identity demons wouldn’t dare approach, so he could get things done more easily.
After being locked up for half a month, Bexia was finally released. His reputation had spread quite a bit by then. At the very least, the demons who’d been guarding him all wore dark expressions as they “escorted” him out!
Bexia had earned himself a reputation as a demon of ill omen. The demons who’d arrived with him, especially, avoided him like the plague, as if they’d seen a ghost. They were afraid the walking disaster would bring them bad luck. Even the Stone Demon, who’d suffered a great deal because of him, kept his distance. He went out of his way to avoid Bexia, as if he were a Demon King. The Lava Demon from last time had nearly been struck to death; though it survived, its strength had fallen by a great deal.
The Stone Demon had only just grown his arm back. He didn’t want to become the next Lava Demon. With a body as frail as his, how could he possibly withstand the Destruction Thunder?
