******
For a long, heavy moment after Venomspite was done speaking, the room stood frozen in both time and space.
Apart from the only sound in the room being that of the faint whistle of the wind outside, a chilling contrast to the suffocating silence within, no other thing could be heard.
No breathing.
No speaking.
And no nothing.
This went on like this for what felt like forever when suddenly, without any warning—
"You!"
Lilith’s voice cracked like a whip, sharp enough to slice through the air.
Her entire body trembled with an abrupt murderous intent as she pointed a shaking finger at Venomspite, her crimson eyes darkening to an abyssal black.
The killing aura rolling off her was so intense it made the weaker Demons’ knees buckle.
They quickly glanced at Lilith, only to find her eyes currently consumed by intense, unbearable rage and a powerful, murderous intent, her expression making her look as if she had lost her mind.
Just then...
"Did you just speak to my Lord in such an unbridled manner?" she growled, her voice guttural with unbearable rage. "Are you looking to die?"
Her words instantly jolted the other Demons back to their senses, and they instinctively turned toward Venomspite. Disbelief was also plastered on their faces.
All of them together had been dreaming of this day for years — the day they could finally rise against the intimidator who had ruined their lives and village. And now that the opportunity was right in front of them... why was Venomspite rejecting it?
Xylen, meanwhile, remained completely frozen at this moment, his eyes unfocused as he processed the flood of warning notifications he had just received.
Finally—
’How...?’ he thought, blinking rapidly, his head tilted in concern and confusion.
’How can Loyalty drop from almost 40% to... this... in seconds?’ He thought, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.
Eventually, he clenched his jaw in distress, frustration boiling inside him.
It had taken him painstaking planning, careful manipulation, and a lot of verbal acrobatics to raise the Demons’ Loyalty Scales. And now, in a blink, all of that progress had shattered like glass.
’Does this mean the Loyalty Scale is unreliable then? If it can drop this fast, doesn’t that make it nothing but a double-edged sword?’
The thought made his chest tighten.
’What if this hadn’t happened, and I had trusted someone with my life, unaware that this Loyalty Scale is unreliable, only for them to suddenly flip and betray me at the worst possible moment?’
Xylen felt helpless, but then after a moment, he forced himself to take a slow breath, steadying the bitterness rising in his throat.
’This is just another reminder not to give anyone but Aurelia my full trust. Ever.’ he sighed internally.
When he refocused, Lilith was still practically snarling furiously at Venomspite, who stood completely unbothered, his posture exuding nothing but cold indifference.
Seeing this, Xylen’s lips twitched in irritation, but he suppressed it, carefully smoothing out his emotions.
"So..." Xylen finally spoke, his voice quiet but sharp enough to draw every gaze in the room, including Venomspite’s.
"In other words, you’re saying I don’t deserve to lead you because I lack the ability, and I’m just a useless figurehead Baron?" He asked.
Contrary to expectations, however, his tone was devoid of anger — sounding eerily calm, almost indifferent.
Even Venomspite couldn’t help but blink in surprise.
He had expected Xylen to lash out, to shout, to try to defend his authority. But instead... he got this unsettling composure.
He stared at Xylen in a trance for a second, but then he quickly recovered.
"Yes," Venomspite replied, his voice unwavering, but before anyone could react...
"I wouldn’t mind dying to free this village," he continued, suddenly folding his arms across his chest. "But I refuse to waste my life following someone unworthy — someone who will only lead us to our deaths."
His words fell like a guillotine, and hearing it, the room plunged into another thick silence, the other Demons staring at him with slack jaws.
And Lilith...
"You!"
Her voice abruptly erupted like an explosion, and in the next second, her blade was out.
Shiiing!
The sharp ring of metal echoed through the room as she stormed toward Venomspite, her aura so heavy the weaker Demons visibly paled.
"Say that again," she hissed, the tip of her blade inches from Venomspite’s throat. "I dare you. Say that again, and I’ll carve your tongue out."
The other seven Demons quickly snapped out of their stupor and glanced anxiously at Venomspite.
"Brother...!" they whispered urgently, sweat beading their temples.
Venomspite, however, didn’t flinch nor look in their direction.
Instead, he met Lilith’s gaze with chilling calm, completely unfazed by the killing intent practically strangling the air around him.
He could tell without a doubt that, based on the aura, Lilith was released when she would attack him without hesitation, willing to fight with her life on the line—but he still didn’t back down.
This was who he was — blunt, even in the face of death.
After staring at Lilith’s murderous, ferocious, and furious gaze for a moment, he turned to Xylen, and only then did he react.
His eyes gleamed with disdain.
He didn’t say a word because he didn’t need to.
His expression said it all:
"You don’t even have the guts to fight for yourself? You need a woman to protect you?"
The second Xylen registered that unspoken message...
[ Warning! Venomspite’s Loyalty to you has decreased to 1%. ]
[ Loyalty has entered the Danger Zone. ]
[ Chance of Venomspite viewing you as an enemy he’ll attack on sight has increased to 90%. ]
[ Extreme caution is advised with this person! ]
Xylen, "...."
Three different notifications rang in Xylen’s ears and hearing them, Xylen was stunned.
’Seriously, bro?’
He pressed a hand to his face, exhaling a slow, defeated sigh.
Lilith, meanwhile, was still shaking with rage right now, her blade quivering against Venomspite’s neck.
"My Lord," she gritted out. "This... this idiot dares to challenge you! Just give me the word, and I’ll—"
"Back down."
Xylen interrupted, and in the next second, the room froze.
And then Lilith blinked.
"My Lord?" she repeated, her voice faltering. "He—"
"I said back down."
Xylen repeated, his voice steady and calm, but his gaze was sharp enough to cut steel.
Lilith looked as though she wanted to argue, but after a moment, she ground her teeth and reluctantly sheathed her weapon.
She glared daggers at Venomspite, her eyes burning with a promise of violence. But she stepped back, returning to her previous position.
Just then, Xylen caught sight of the remaining Demons from the corner of his eyes.
He saw a newfound respect, shock, and disbelief, clearly never expecting his action.
But... Xylen ignored them.
He only cared about one thing right now.
Venomspite.
The rebellious Demon still wore that same condescending look of earlier but beneath it... there was now a flicker of something else.
Awe and Curiosity.
Awe that Xylen had stopped Lilith, who could have handled the situation for him, and curiosity about what Xylen would do next.
It wasn’t only Venomspite who had this curiosity, but the remaining seven Demons and Lilith did too.