Chapter 206: Reinvasion (3)
Chapter 206: Reinvasion (3)
Following the failed invasion of London, nations across the globe were feverishly rooting out demonic humans, leading to the capture of a significant number of them.
Among those who managed to flee and find a place to hide, one such refuge was Morocco, located just across from Europe.
For the demonic humans remaining in Europe, it was a place they could reach by forging identities and moving stealthily to escape the dragnet.
Though they knew Morocco’s proximity to Europe made it dangerous, the demonic humans who caught their breath there had no choice but to accept the risk.
Fortunately for them, the European nations lacked the resources to pursue demonic humans beyond their own borders. Having witnessed the tragedy in London, these countries prioritized thoroughly purging the demonic humans within their own territories first.
The demonic humans had worried about being hunted down, but no such pursuit came.
Thanks to this, they were able to establish a temporary foothold in Morocco. While living in hiding, they received unexpected assistance.
Africa was one of the regions that had failed to respond properly during the early days of the portals. Much like Nepal, where Han Shin’s party had traveled previously, many areas had vast, established monster ecosystems.
Fortunately, after the initial period of chaos, they received help from Awakeners of other nations. To be precise, since it was profitable, Awakeners had flocked to Africa as if they were colonizing it.
By now, the region had stabilized to some extent, and hunting was highly active. However, most areas were still under the influence of foreign Awakeners dispatched from developed nations under the guise of providing aid.
China was a prime example of such a nation.
And given the sheer number of Chinese Awakeners, it was perhaps natural that many among them were turncoat demonic humans.
Because the Chinese government used wiretapping and surveillance to hunt them down like rats on the mainland, many of these demonic humans intentionally moved to the relatively lax African regions, posing as ordinary Awakeners.
Clearing portals and generating profit by hunting indigenous monsters in Africa had become a commercialized industry, so they faced little suspicion. In truth, no one had the luxury to investigate them.
These individuals had been watching the events in Europe. They saw the large-scale invasion of London fail and tracked the movement of the European demonic humans as they fled the continent.
Thus, when the refugees arrived in Morocco, the Chinese demonic humans contacted them in secret and decided to form an alliance.
The demonic humans were in a clearly precarious position, and they needed to join forces to somehow summon demons from Nippur.
Just as they were filled with anxiety, the European demonic humans—who had learned dark magic—managed to establish contact with the demons of Nippur, finally grasping a lifeline.
They had been trapped in a dark pit, but now a means of assistance had appeared.
The Ego Artifact the demons were sending this time was different from previous ones. Since it was part of a much larger scheme, they prepared thoroughly.
The demons provided exact coordinates and timing for the portal transmission. The demonic humans waited in anticipation, entering the portal the moment it appeared to secure the Ego Artifact.
★ ★ ★
Having gained the ability to utilize Tiamat's divine power, Sitri began training to regain her combat effectiveness.
She could no longer use her original dark magic, and she had lost access to the subspace that housed her weapons. Consequently, Sitri needed new equipment.
If the Dragon God Tiamat were awake, Sitri might have received the weapons she desired directly from her. However, Tiamat was currently deep in slumber to recover.
Sitri had become a follower through Tiamat’s proxy, Han Shin—a truly exceptional case. A demon becoming a follower of a Benevolent God was unprecedented. It was something Sitri herself had never even considered possible.
Like Kang Yujin, Sitri had not been granted her own sanctuary. Therefore, she had to look through the treasuries within Grace and Laysia’s sanctuaries to find equipment.
After browsing Grace’s treasury, Sitri entered Laysia’s and began a meticulous search. Since this equipment would be hers for the foreseeable future, she couldn't afford to choose lightly.
“I think this armor will do.”
Sitri chose a set of full body armor similar to Han Shin’s. It appeared to be made of dragon scales, capable of shrinking to fit the wearer’s body and allowing for fluid movement.
The primary reason Sitri had worn her original black leather suit was its ease of movement, and her criteria remained the same.
Next, and most importantly, was the weapon.
During her time as a demon under Asmodeus, Sitri had wielded a whip sword. It was a weapon of her own making that responded to dark mana, transforming freely. She had used it to employ various attack patterns in agile combat.
Even though she no longer possessed a single drop of the dark mana she used as a demon and had to start anew as a follower of Tiamat, it was difficult to abandon the combat style she had honed for so long.
Among Asmodeus’s demons, she had reached the pinnacle through sheer skill alone. She was the strongest of them all. It was self-evident that her mastery of the whip sword was of the highest caliber.
Sitri spoke with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
“Hmm… there are no whip swords…”
She had already confirmed their absence in Grace’s treasury, and Laysia’s was no different. She hadn't expected to find something identical to her original weapon, but she had hoped for something similar that she could quickly grow accustomed to.
However, the whip sword was an exceptionally rare weapon. It was difficult to master; if someone without sufficient talent tried to force it, they were more likely to injure themselves than fight effectively.
Laysia, who had allowed Sitri into her sanctuary and was acting as her guide, felt a bit awkward at her words. Laysia had become a follower while Tiamat was awake and had received the weapons and armor she desired directly from her. But with Tiamat asleep, there was little she could do.
Then, Laysia remembered a facility she had never used herself.
"Do you want to follow me?"
"Yes."
Laysia led Sitri to a workshop tucked away in a corner of the sanctuary. Tiamat had created a space in the sanctuary where her followers could craft items themselves, but since neither Grace nor Laysia had ever used it, the place had been all but forgotten.
In fact, Grace could have shown her this place as well, but she hadn't mentioned it because they were supposed to check Laysia’s treasury first.
"You can craft the items you want here. However, I heard it consumes a lot of Lady Tiamat’s divine power."
The workshop was filled with various devices for creating high-quality weapons, all of which required Tiamat’s divine power as a fuel source.
Sitri had crafted her own weapons and armor even back when she was a demon of Asmodeus, so this space was perfect for her. Finding such a facility was a welcome surprise.
"But since I've never used this place myself, I can't be of much help," Laysia admitted honestly.
Sitri didn't mind at all. Looking around the facility with a face full of motivation, she said, "It’s alright. If you just lend me this space, I’ll take care of the rest."
"Okay. Let me know if you need anything. I'll help however I can."
"Yes. Thank you."
Sitri, who treated her with utmost politeness, also handled the household chores perfectly. Seeing her behavior—including how she had embraced Han Shin alongside Grace—Laysia felt she could finally let go of her suspicions. She began treating Sitri with genuine kindness.
They were women who loved the same man. Since Sitri had become Han Shin’s woman, Laysia recognized her as an equal. She had even told Sitri to stop using formal language and speak comfortably.
Though Laysia had been a noble in Bürg, she didn't possess a strong sense of aristocratic elitism; she simply thought it would be better if they all got along well.
Surprisingly, Sitri had politely declined.
Sitri felt that she was still lacking the proper qualifications. She was acutely aware that she wasn't yet pulling her own weight, and she wanted to delay such familiarity until she gained more self-confidence.
Hearing Sitri say she wanted to wait until she felt she had earned the right, Laysia found herself liking her even more. It showed Sitri was motivated to become useful to Han Shin as quickly as possible, which Laysia viewed positively.
Even now, faced with the tedious task of having to craft her own weapon, Sitri acted as if it were a great opportunity. Seeing this, Laysia felt an even stronger urge to help her.