Demonic Pornstar System novel Chapter 276

Chapter 276: Tragic Tale

"I pity you," the woman continued, her eyes slowly scanning them all as if they were livestock at auction. "You fragile little mortals, clinging to your petty bonds. You stink of desperation. Your stomachs cry out. Your skin itches from within. Your minds tremble, even now. I can hear your blood singing."

She smiled wider.

"So allow me, in my boundless mercy, to relieve you of your burden."

"Your Highness," Luna suddenly spoke up.

Her voice was not its usual, cheeky, smug, sarcastic self.

It was soft. Reverent. Polished with the respectful tone of a servant bowing before royalty.

"If I may... Would you be willing to entertain a final request from a lowly one like myself before you end my miserable existence?"

The Countess blinked, clearly not expecting this response.

Her head tilted to the side a bit, and curls of matted silver hair brushed her collarbone as she regarded Luna like a curious insect that had spoken.

A beat passed.

"I will permit it..." the Countess drawled, her lips curling again. "But be quick. Don’t waste my valuable time."

’What valuable time? You’ve been standing in place, sleeping... For who knows how long...’ Nyx asked inwardly, but she knew her gremlin bestie was at work, so she did her utmost to retain a perfect poker face and let the Storm Valkyrie do her thing.

Luna dipped her head. "Thank you, Your Highness. Truly. I just... I’ve never seen anything like this region. The hunger, the architecture, the blood magic. It’s all so... mesmerizing. I find myself wondering how it came to be."

The Countess’s posture straightened with an audible pop. Her chest puffed out, and the crystalline heart in her torso pulsed a little brighter. She looked pleased.

"Oh. I do so love it when the commoners appreciate my vision."

Luna said nothing, only bowed deeper. She remained as such for a good few seconds before she spoke up again.

"So my question would be about this place as a whole. Could you tell me how it came to be such a unique location?"

The Countess smiled downright proudly, this time. She even tilted her head back and raised her chin.

"You may call me Countess Veylin."

She waved a clawed hand lazily, as if swatting away the memory.

"But I digress. I know you’re all going to die in moments, so I’ll make it quick," she added, clearly enjoying herself far too much now.

She lifted her arms and twirled once, the blood-tattered gown fanning out, exposing more of the twisted sinew that clung to her midriff like corset laces.

"My child and I have differing tastes... Especially because after being remade, I lost all my damn levels..." The countess sighed dramatically once again.

Aria looked visibly ill.

Luna, still in her subservient act, asked softly, "So... everything that happened here... the curse..."

"The result of my child’s endless appetite," the Countess whispered with a manic gleam in her eye.

"No..." Aria couldn’t take it anymore. "You can’t say it was because of the child. Everything became like this because of you and your endless desire for more! You already had a life of privilege as the wife of a count, yet you wanted more. And even when you were given the opportunity to cultivate something that would help you gain strength that was your own, you couldn’t be bothered to put in the time, so you looked for shortcuts!"

Luna straightened.

The bow in her spine vanished. The meek angle of her shoulders flattened, becoming cold and fierce. And her disgust was no longer hidden behind lowered lashes; it radiated from every line of her face.

She summoned her [Stormblade] with a surge of crackling electricity. The weapon roared to life in her hand, the storm itself singing for blood.

"Shortcuts..." she repeated after Aria, "Shortcuts that came at the expense of the people unfortunate to be near this lunatic..."

The air whirled around her. The calm before a hurricane.

"Time to slay this bitch."