They entered the cave.
First, they traversed a dry, narrow tunnel that sloped downward.
There were a few primitive traps along the path, but they were obviously incapable of posing any real threat to Zoe and Ethan.
As they descended deeper underground, the cramped passage gradually widened, eventually opening up into a subterranean stone chamber.
The stone chamber cast a faint glow, as though the very air itself was luminescent.
In a corner of the chamber sat what appeared to be the mummified corpse of a woman.
Clad in tattered clothes, the withered body leaned against the stone wall.
And the savage child was curled up, snuggling in the corpse's embrace.
“Mama.”
The wild child clutched the mummy’s arm, whimpering in a tone that sounded like a plea, calling out again and again.
Several words were carved into the stone walls of the chamber.
They were a message left behind by someone named Amelia.
“I threw the child out because she has that lizard monster's blood running through her. Sooner or later, she will grow disgusting scales.”
“But she is my child. Today, she learned to call me 'Mama.'”
“Even though she is the spawn of that monster—that beast that raped me.”
“I should have killed her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.”
“There is something howling outside...”
“I brought her back.”
“...I want to take her away from here. I want her to survive. I want her to live in the human world.”
“I must make sure she lives a good life, I must...”
The final carvings were dense and crooked, left right next to the mummified corpse, accompanied by what looked like dried bloodstains.
They seemed to be the words Amelia had written at the very end of her life.
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Ella.”
“Mama, Mama...”
Ella curled up in the withered embrace, repeating the only word she had ever learned.
But the dried-up corpse could give her no response.
Through countless days and nights, she had repeated this unanswered cry over and over again.
...
“How on earth did she survive?”
Ethan felt a sudden pang squeeze his chest.
Until his gaze landed on a set of characters carved elsewhere in the stone room, completely different from the rest of the handwriting.
“Roso...”
Ethan forced himself to look away, forcing his mind to stop thinking about or trying to memorize those complex, ancient words.
“Don't look!”
He quickly warned Zoe not to look, not to commit it to memory.
But Zoe had already finished reading it, and he understood.
‘Rosovali.’
The true name of a High Demon.
Zoe also knew the true name of another High Demon—the subspace demon that Jaden had summoned in his previous life at the cost of his own soul.
Kupiyana.
Just like Kupiyana, Rosovali was a High Demon whose presence could be sensed the moment their name was called.
By sacrificing one's soul, one could make a deal with the demon in exchange for power.
To an ordinary person, a demon's true name was an extremely perilous thing.
Simply remembering it was dangerous; they might accidentally speak it aloud one day and find themselves seduced by the demon's whispers.
And upon seeing this demon's true name, Zoe and Ethan instantly understood how a mere child had managed to survive in this swamp.
Amelia had offered her own soul to forge a contract with this High Demon.
Allowing her child to survive as a result.
Ethan raised his hand, using his sword to gouge out and destroy the demon's true name: Rosovali.
The noise from his actions instantly caught Ella's attention.
Ella leaped up from the withered corpse at once, glaring warily at Ethan while letting out a beast-like growl, shielding Amelia's body behind her.
Zoe extended his pitch-black shadows, binding Ella in place.
Next, he reached his shadows toward Amelia's corpse.
“Awooo, awooo! Mama! Mama!”
Ella struggled frantically, tearing at Zoe’s shadows with all her might.
“Let me do it.”
Ethan looked on, finding the sight hard to watch.
It wasn't just out of pity for Ella, but because he felt it wasn't right for Zoe to have to play the villain here.
If someone had to be the bad guy, an old man like him was far more suited for the role.
“It's fine, I'll do it.”
Zoe stored Amelia's corpse into his Shadow Pool, placing her inside carefully.
Meanwhile, Ella bit and thrashed about until she eventually passed out from exhaustion.
“What should we do with this place?”
Ethan glanced around the stone chamber, which was covered in carved words and letters.
“Let's seal it up.”
After exiting the chamber, Zoe collapsed the narrow passageway, sealing the subterranean stone room away forever.
And so, the two resumed their flight, now with an extra child in tow.
However, having gone through this experience, the atmosphere between them grew somewhat somber.
“Awooo, awooo!”
Upon waking up, Ella immediately resumed biting Zoe.
Zoe didn't really mind. His entire body was made of shadows anyway, so she could bite all she wanted.
Furthermore, with Ella’s absurdly massive reserves of mana, she could serve as an excellent emergency mana battery if needed.
Zoe had also cleaned off all the mud and dirt from Ella's body.
Just like washing a stray puppy only to discover its true fur coat, it was only after washing her that Zoe realized Ella had silver-gray hair.
She was actually quite adorable, except for the ferocious expression on her face that suggested she was ready to pounce and tear someone apart at any second.
“Want some?”
Zoe took out a piece of prepared jerky from his Shadow Pool, attempting to train Ella with food.
But Ella remained completely unmoved, continuing to glare fiercely at Zoe.
Left with no other option, Zoe retrieved Amelia's corpse.
Ella pounced like a wild beast instantly, wrapping her arms tightly around Amelia's body while staring at Zoe as if he were a despicable thief.
Ella still had no concept of life and death; in her eyes, this corpse was merely her sleeping mother.
Yet, like some cruel demon king, Zoe placed Amelia back into his Shadow Pool once more.
Ella lunged at Zoe, biting and clawing in an attempt to save her mother.
Zoe took out the jerky again. After several repetitions, Ella finally associated the jerky with her mother. She swatted the jerky to the ground, lunged down, and began to devour it.
“Good girl, good girl, just like that.”
“Next time, don't drop it on the ground. It would be even better if you eat it from your hand.”
Zoe rewarded Ella by letting her hold Amelia for a brief moment before taking her back into the Shadow Pool.
This made Ella growl and hiss at Zoe non-stop.
At this point, Ella finally understood that she had to behave and listen to the pitch-black baddy in front of her if she wanted her mother.
Even though it was a rather hellish method, this was currently the only way to communicate with Ella.
Watching from the side, Ethan hesitated to speak several times but ultimately remained silent.
Rate on N.U.
