Kami took a break at noon to visit Rebecca at Duke Luta Manor. He wanted to check on her well-being. Duke Ruta had arranged for her to attend Hobi Academy. As a Norna Faith nun, her enrollment required church approval. So, Kami needed to help. But he found no one there.
"Where is she? Where did she go?" Kami asked Selena, Rebecca's maid.
"She went to the Hobi Library," Selena replied fearfully under Kami's fierce glare. "She forbade anyone from following. Miss Rebecca left with her goblin friend alone..."
"Off to the library again by herself, honestly..." Kami muttered helplessly. He decided to visit Duke Ruta first, then search the library for Rebecca.
In truth, Rebecca hadn't gone to the library at all. She faced a huge problem: the demon potion's effects in her body were fading.
After drinking that Golden Sand Lizard-based demon potion last time, parts of her body changed. Her black hair turned golden; her red eyes became green. This was a normal potion reaction. Many demon potions altered appearances temporarily. Only rare ones caused permanent changes. Most wore off, restoring the drinker. Now, Rebecca faced that fading effect.
This morning, she clearly felt the potion's magic receding. Having tested potions often, she knew this sign well. She had to brew and drink it again immediately. She left early to find ingredients. Asking Duke Ruta for demon potion materials was awkward—they weren't close yet. So, she searched alone.
Rebecca didn't know the potion's name. She'd found it in a coverless Alchemy Codex from the Dark Lord's palace. It vaguely mentioned changing appearances. After years of failed potions, she tried this as a desperate measure. Drinking it triggered miraculous events, even bringing her to the human world. Originally a failed brew she'd ignored, now she needed it constantly to stay hidden. How ironic.
She remembered the recipe perfectly—her memory was sharp. But the key ingredient, the Golden Sand Lizard, was elusive. Though weak, it lived deep underground. In Rucadan, a major human city, it should be purchasable, right?
Yet... it simply didn't exist! Lilia's money aside, Rebecca visited countless shops in unfamiliar districts. No one sold it. Many didn't even know the species! Damn it—this underground creature was hard to catch, and its uses were unknown. No one cared about it. Without that codex, Rebecca wouldn't know its value either. She searched all morning, even in remote demon potion stores, to no avail. Worse, one obsessive shopkeeper bombarded her with questions. Potion researchers were notoriously fixated. When she asked for Golden Sand Lizard, he sensed hidden secrets and refused to let her go. Rebecca had no time. She just walked away.
"Guess I must catch one myself..." Rebecca murmured.
"I'll do it! You should return," Golago urged. "Staying out too long is risky for you."
Rebecca shook her head. "Split up. I don't know when the potion fades. Find it fast. Do you know the Golden Sand Lizard's habits? Where to find it?"
Golago nodded. "They're stealthy, but their droppings attract ants. Easy to track."
"Go now. Meet outside the city before dark!" Rebecca tightened her black robe, pulled up her hood, and strode out. Once beyond the walls, seeing no one nearby, she dropped her disguise. She shot forward like a cannonball and soared into the sky. Her Demon Race physique and overwhelming magic blazed forth—speed even dragons couldn't match.
Golden Sand Lizards thrived in dense forests. But Rucadan, capital of the Kasmo Empire, had none nearby. Like on Earth, humans here eradicated other races and habitats, especially threats. Only harmless creatures remained. Rebecca had to fly farther.
After an hour of high-speed flight, she spotted a thick rainforest—the lizard's prime habitat. Delighted, she landed and began searching.
Rebecca strolled through the perilous jungle, scanning the ground. Nearby demons fled at her presence, tails tucked. Even dumb animals sensed her lethal aura and dared not attack. Top predators radiated this innate pressure. Demons and beasts felt it acutely; humans and intelligent races had lost that instinct.
"Found it!" Her sharp senses detected movement underground. She dashed over, cast a simple wind spell to compress air, and blasted the earth open. She snatched the wriggling Golden Sand Lizard.
"What a big one~" Rebecca examined it. Being Chinese, she instinctively wondered if it was edible. This was her second encounter. Unlike her last excited brew, now she craved catching another to test its roasted flavor. As she pondered cooking it, a scream echoed from the forest depths.
"What the? People here? Or boring heroes? Oh no—the potion wore off. My hair's black again..." She glanced curiously toward the sound while noticing her darkened strands. Good thing she wasn't at Duke Luta Manor.
