Chapter 283 Erina’s Crisis-First Half

Chapter 283 Erina's Crisis-First Half

Hiding discreetly, Erina observed the passing demons without making a sound. Her protective suit's stealth function and effective scent-masking capabilities ensured that the demons remained oblivious to her presence, unless within a 5-meter radius.

Peering through a hole in the wall, Erina maintained a low profile, avoiding any actions that might draw attention from the patrolling demons. As dawn approached, she anticipated the soldiers would have established a forward base in the capital city and sent a detachment to rescue survivors, including her.

Suddenly, commotion erupted outside with screams and unintelligible shouts. Intrigued yet cautious, Erina deployed her personal spy metal scarab to investigate the situation. She monitored the scene through her wrist console in a secure location.

Erina anxiously observed the scene unfolding on the personal console on her wrist. The demons, in their relentless search for her, discovered a group of survivors hiding beneath the ruins. With cruel efficiency, they captured the defenseless people and herded them into one central location.

On the screen, the demons menacingly threatened Erina, aware that she was monitoring their actions. A demonic leader bellowed, "Come out, little mortal! Or we'll start making these pathetic humans pay for your cowardice!"

"Come out!" The tank-like demon shouted, waiting for a response. After a minute of silence, Erina didn't emerge. In response, the demon swiftly killed the man it had used to threaten her.

Bang!

The tank-like demon shot the man with one of its guns, leaving many gathered people in shock. It then ordered a lackey to bring another victim. Each time they called out for Erina, the demons carried out their threat, reveling in the anguish of the captives. The screen displayed this harrowing reality, intensifying the pressure on Erina to reveal herself.

The next victim was a woman with a child. n-.O()V).e.-l(-B-(I-/n

"Mama! Mama!" the child screamed, trying to help her mom, but the demon kicked her down. The mother pleaded for her child's safety, but the demons restrained her.

"Come out, you mortal! Come out!" The tank-like demon shouted again.

Erina hesitated briefly but decided to come out. However...

Bang!

"Mama! Mamaaaa!" The little girl rushed toward her mother, hugging her lifeless body. The gun barrel then pointed at the child. "Come out!" The tank-like demon shouted once more.

Whether it's betraying their own family by reporting them to the royal family's secret police, accusing them of defiling the king or tarnishing the royal family's prestige, or donating hard-earned money to the royal family—everything falls under the umbrella of a "good deed." Even rescuing the royal family's picture from a burning house is mandated.

This concept is so absurd that there was an instance where a poor man's house was on fire. As he fled to save himself, he failed to rescue the king's picture from the flames. After the fire was extinguished, the poor man was arrested for not saving the king's picture, resulting in a 30-year jail sentence. He ultimately perished behind bars.

"Heh... the power of good?" Erina repeated in disdain before continuing. "Yes, killing your own innocent wife and unborn child is also considered a good deed for the king and this wretched royal family! They've turned this entire country into a good deed and a display of the royal family's prestige!" Erina vented her frustration as the demon drew closer, its head nearly within her reach.

"It's better that Sarah died before she could see you for what you really are—a heartless demon through and through! The only mistake she made in her life was marrying you!" Erina mockingly said, her voice turning sympathetic at the mention of Sarah, who was also her friend and a field medic who fell in love with this heartless demon.

"Don't you dare speak that name!" The demon roared. Despite being a scoundrel, Sarah was his true love, and her death continued to haunt him even after he became a demon.

Unlike the other tank-like demons, he had blood tears rolling down from his eyes—a small fragment of his broken and twisted humanity still present in this infernal form.

As the demon, Homer, tilted his head within Erina's reach, a hidden blessed dagger appeared in Erina's hand. She had concealed this dagger for a long time, waiting for the right moment to strike. In a swift motion, she plunged it into the demon's eyes!

Pierced!

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrghghghghhh!!!" Homer, the demon, roared in agony. Erina quickly retreated and ran away. Manipulating her console, she diverted the suit's energy to her legs, increasing her speed. She needed to get out of there.

"Follow her! And kill her! No, catch her for me! Killing her outright is too merciful. I want to show her the true meaning of being better off dead than alive!" Homer commanded his demon subordinates, and they swiftly pursued Erina.

In a desperate sprint for survival, Erina raced through the demon-infested ruins with her protective suit. The suit's energy, fully redirected to her legs, enhanced her speed as she maneuvered through the debris-strewn streets.

Behind her, the lower-ranked demons, under Homer's command, pursued relentlessly. Their ghastly forms, distorted by infernal energy, moved with unnatural agility. Clawed hands reached out, and demonic roars filled the air as they closed the distance between Erina and themselves.

The crimson-tinted ruins provided an eerie backdrop to the chase, the remnants of the bombed ghetto casting long, distorted shadows. Erina darted through narrow alleyways, leaped over fallen debris, and zigzagged through the desolate landscape.

Despite her enhanced speed, the relentless pursuit of the demons kept them hot on her heels. The occasional demonic growls and snarls echoed through the empty streets, intensifying the tension of the harrowing chase. Erina knew she had to outpace them or find a clever escape route to evade the pursuing horde.

In the midst of her frantic escape, Erina's heart sank as a sudden searing pain shot through her right leg. A demonic creature, resembling a grotesque fusion of a wolf and porcupine, had lunged at her, its iron-like quills finding their mark.

The demon's quills pierced through Erina's protective suit, tearing into her flesh and causing her to stumble. She gritted her teeth against the pain, desperately trying to maintain her balance. The lower-ranked demon, relentless in its pursuit, seemed to revel in her vulnerability.