Forced To Become The Devil’S Succubus Lover Chapter 3
byChapter 3: Those Who Betray Their Own Kind Do Not Deserve Forgiveness…
The sounds on the staircase had not yet faded.
Talia went in and out several times without catching Su Sheng’s attention.
“This is a magical anesthetic potion. Mix this into the water and give it to Norton. Do you understand?”
“But, but…”
“This is a joint requirement from the Holy Temple and the Kingdom. Are you going to defy it?”
“…I wouldn’t dare.”
Just then, a soft, questioning voice came from above: “Talia?”
The voice was very familiar—it was Su Sheng’s.
Talia jolted, stuffed the potion that had been pressed into her hand into her pocket, and hurried upstairs.
“Your, Your Highness, I just went to the restroom. Have you prepared a new batch of medicine?”
In truth, Talia’s face was filled with tension and guilt, looking extremely unnatural. Unfortunately, Su Sheng was preoccupied with researching and testing the antidote and paid no mind to her expression. He waved Talia over, his voice as cool and gentle as ever.
“Yes, come quickly.”
Su Sheng had always been patient with sincere and simple children like Talia.
But such people were often indecisive and easily exploited.
Talia returned to the alchemy room. While Su Sheng was engrossed in flipping through an ancient text, she quietly took the anesthetic potion from her pocket and poured it into Su Sheng’s water cup.
Perhaps it was her first time doing such a thing, or perhaps a strange sense of guilt welled up inside her, but after administering the drug, Talia stared at Su Sheng nervously, without blinking. When Su Sheng picked up the cup, preparing to drink, her guilt reached its peak.
“Saint Son!” Talia suddenly cried out.
Su Sheng paused his movement of drinking, put the cup down, and turned to look at Talia, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
“What is it?”
Talia opened her mouth, her thoughts swirling several times before she finally said:
“You must take care of yourself, too. Please drink some water.”
“Mm, thank you.”
The potion was colorless and odorless, making it virtually impossible to detect when mixed with water. Su Sheng drank it, then continued his research on the antidote.
Su Sheng flipped through the ancient text he had only half-read, feeling a headache coming on.
In fact, all the newly formulated potions had an inhibitory effect on the curse cast by the Demon King, but the effect was negligible. Aside from their differences, the only common factor in these potions was the inclusion of his own blood.
And not just ordinary blood, but blood mixed with Light elemental magic.
Perhaps the dosage of blood wasn’t large enough?
Thinking this, he cut himself again, increasing the blood dosage. The amount of blood drawn this time was four or five times greater than before, and simultaneously, the Light elemental magic in his body was rapidly draining away.
Pale-faced, Su Sheng failed to notice the struggling look Talia cast him from behind. After the bloodletting was complete, Su Sheng felt extremely weak.
He felt a wave of dizziness and could no longer stand steadily. He could only motion for Talia to come over and drink the potion placed on the table herself.
Talia walked over and drank the blood-laced potion.
“How do you feel?” Su Sheng asked faintly, lifting his eyelids while supporting his forehead with one hand.
“I, I feel the sunlight is so warm, Your Highness, I think I’m cured… No, no, I really am cured…”
As soon as she spoke, Talia’s skin, which had been as pale as a vampire’s, returned to a healthy color, and her cat ears disappeared.
Talia was overjoyed, spinning around in the open space. She picked up a cup she had prepared earlier and handed it to Su Sheng.
“Saint Son, you’ve worked hard. Please drink some more water.”
A hint of relief flowed in Su Sheng’s eyes, and his joyful face was like melting ice and snow. He took the cup—
A few sips of water later, the dizziness intensified, and finally, the world blurred.
In a daze, he felt himself collapsing onto the floor, and many familiar faces entered the room.
…
Meanwhile, in Spire Castle in The Abyss, a mirror twice the height of a man stood diagonally in the center of the castle, facing the throne.
Upon the throne, the Demon King leaned back lazily. The wine glass in his hand swayed occasionally, then stopped. The crimson wine emitted a rich, mellow aroma, staining the owner’s pale, thin lips.
The Demon King watched with keen interest as Su Sheng, bound by his own people and struggling futilely, appeared in the mirror.
He took a small sip from the rim of the cup, then offered it toward the mirror, his eyes filled with both fascination and cruelty: “My Highness, do you like this grand gift?”
.
When Su Sheng woke up again, he found himself inside a carriage.
The carriage’s interior was familiar—it was the one the Saint Son usually rode. The furnishings were all as they had been, except for his bound self.
His hands and feet were tied with thick ropes, and even his mouth was sealed to prevent him from using magic.
Su Sheng was silent for a moment, then decided to kick the wall with his legs to attract someone and assess the situation.
Everything happened as Su Sheng expected. He had barely kicked a few times before someone entered.
Against the light, he couldn’t see the person’s face clearly, but the moment they spoke, Su Sheng froze.
“Saint Son, would you like some water?”
The person gently untied the cloth sealing his mouth.
Their movements were soft, treating Su Sheng as if he were a snowman, worried that he might melt if they weren’t careful. Despite this gentleness, Su Sheng felt an unstoppable chill in his heart.
His expression was cold. He looked up at the newcomer and spoke the name he had called countless times: “Femon, what are you trying to do?”
Femon did not speak, nor did he show any emotion. He simply unhooked the water bottle from his side and offered it to Su Sheng’s lips.
The rim of the bottle brushed against Su Sheng’s mouth. He had nowhere to retreat, so he firmly pressed his lips together, trying to avoid it. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “Answer me, Femon.”
During this time, Su Sheng kept staring at Femon, afraid of missing any micro-expressions, afraid that he had misunderstood him, afraid that he would come to hate him.
But Femon still disappointed him.
The man’s face twitched a few times, and then he bowed to Su Sheng: “Your Highness, please forgive me for the decision I made for the Kingdom. The Three-Day Pact is approaching. We must sacrifice you to the Demon King and beg for his forgiveness.”
The Three-Day Pact?
Su Sheng was stunned. It took him a moment to recall which Three-Day Pact Femon was referring to. His mouth opened and closed, and he stared unblinkingly at Femon. Finally, he spoke bitterly.
“…Haven’t I already formulated the antidote to lift the curse?”
Su Sheng’s voice was very soft, almost inaudible.
Femon looked down at Su Sheng and suddenly felt a moment of distraction.
Su Sheng did nothing but look up at him. His jawline and neck were particularly prominent due to his posture, and his chest rose and fell slightly, tightly encased in the Saint Son’s robes.
Everything was as it had been, yet Femon inexplicably felt a touch of pity, as if Su Sheng had finally shed his hard shell at this moment, revealing a fragile, easily shattered core.
Truly like a snowman.
His throat silently bobbed. Femon’s expression dimmed, and his voice was hoarse: “Your Highness, we have failed you.”
“People are saying: any human who fails to find the antidote within three days and turns into a demon will be burned to ashes by the sunlight. But you, my Saint Son, if we sacrifice you to the King of the Abyss to appease His wrath, we will be reborn.”
Femon continued, “Although you found a way to heal us, neither your physical condition nor the time available allows you to save everyone in the city.”
In Femon’s anticipation, Su Sheng might have shouted in anger, questioned him in disbelief, punched and kicked him, or cursed everyone and lamented the entire world.
But none of that happened.
Su Sheng listened quietly throughout. When he heard the end, his eyelashes merely fluttered, and then, extremely slowly, like an old machine, he closed his eyes.
Silence filled the carriage.
Femon said nothing more, unsure of what else he could possibly say.
He took out a small knife and severed Su Sheng’s Achilles tendons. Feeling the body in his hands tremble from the intense pain, he only gave Su Sheng a deep look, left a single phrase—”Take care, Your Highness”—and turned to leave.
As the carriage door opened and closed, sunlight spilled into the interior, making the fresh crimson on the floor particularly glaring.
Soaked in his own blood, Su Sheng surprisingly felt no pain or anger. He only felt exhausted.
He gently shifted his position to lie flat. In a trance, he recalled the time he first transmigrated into this world.
Back then, he often dragged his young body to read by the fireplace with the equally young Femon. He was very weak then and often bullied, relying entirely on Femon for protection. Femon had even promised to protect him for life. Thinking about it now, he felt like the burnt ashes in that fireplace.
Su Sheng moved again. Only now did he begin to feel some pain. He slowly opened his eyes, unfocused, and stared at the corner of the window.
Outside, the scenery was lush and green, with birds flying and insects chirping.
He recognized this road; he had traveled it many times. It was a view he had seen countless times, yet now it felt strangely unfamiliar.
In the past, when he rode this carriage, he used crystal wine glasses, the Holy Sword was at his side, attendants followed, and people cheered along the road. He had never imagined that one day he would be lying here, tendons severed, waiting for death.
The carriage compartment was too quiet, making the sounds outside particularly noticeable.
Su Sheng heard the complaints of the people outside the carriage.
—Why did he have to anger the Demon King?
—Why should we suffer punishment for him?
—Why hasn’t he turned into a demon?
…
The blood had begun to dry, becoming sticky and uncomfortable. Su Sheng shifted uncomfortably, then gave up, lying there and listening to the people outside curse him, sentence by sentence.
Strangely, the more he listened, the more relaxed he felt. By the end, he even had the presence of mind to agree internally.
Yes, yes, I was too ungrateful, challenging the Demon King merely for the sake of a trivial freedom.
Yes, yes, I was too overconfident, actually trying to break the Demon King’s curse.
Su Sheng continued this internal back-and-forth with the curses outside. After an unknown amount of time, he finally felt the carriage stop somewhere.
Su Sheng looked up.
The sky here was vast, yet it was so quiet it seemed devoid of life, filled with a deathly stillness.
The people outside the carriage cheered happily: “We’ve arrived.”
Immediately after, Femon and several Holy Temple staff members entered, preparing to lift him out. Su Sheng allowed them to do as they wished, but during the process, he briefly scanned the faces—they were all familiar.
Su Sheng closed his eyes, unwilling to look further.
The smell of blood was thick around him. He felt himself being placed on something with a stone-like texture. The surface was uneven, making him extremely uncomfortable.
While those people were untying him and kneeling below, Su Sheng secretly opened his eyes, taking in the surrounding scene.
As he expected, the array beneath him was drawn with blood. The slightly uneven lines told him that the person who drew the magic circle was not very proficient in magic.
Well, who else besides him would be willing to devote themselves to studying magic just to defeat the Demon King?
This was a good opportunity, he thought.
The sacrifice should ideally be held during the day, but since it was already twilight, the ceremony would have to wait until tomorrow.
He only needed to wait for nightfall.
He only needed to wait until those people fell asleep.
Su Sheng pretended to keep his eyes closed.
The sound of hooves approached, moving from far to near.
“Want some water?”
The newcomer shook a bottle, and water sloshed inside.
Seeing Su Sheng remain silent, the person spoke again: “Stop pretending, Your Highness. I am watching you tonight, so put away your little schemes. I won’t let you succeed.”
It was Femon. Su Sheng didn’t take his words to heart.
Night fell, and the surroundings grew even quieter. Even the breathing of the people nearby was clearly audible.
In such a silent environment, people finally couldn’t help themselves.
“It’s so cold here.”
“Nonsense, we’re so close to The Abyss. How could it not be cold?”
“Will there be demons tonight?”
“Look at your cowardice. Why fear demons? Aren’t we demons now?”
“Saint Son…”
“Why bring him up!”
Su Sheng could feel Femon sitting beside him the whole time. He didn’t want to speak, but after a short while, he opened his eyes: “Dark energy is approaching.”
Femon looked surprised: “How is that possible? Why don’t I feel anything?”
Su Sheng continued, “Have you forgotten my constitution?”
“True, you are sensitive to Light elements, and also to Dark elements,” Femon murmured.
Su Sheng said, “They’re here.”
Sure enough, a flock of Vulture Demons flew over from the direction of The Abyss. Femon’s face turned serious. He picked up the sword beside him and shouted for the people to enter a battle stance.
At that moment, the people did not notice that Su Sheng’s eyes were not fixed on the Vulture Demons, but on the opposite direction—the other side of The Abyss.
On the other side of The Abyss, a hidden eye watched Su Sheng, and Su Sheng opened his eyes, meeting the gaze without flinching.
Deep within The Abyss, inside the castle, the Demon King watched a certain point in the void with interest. He could feel the blood in his body flowing faster.
It had been a long, long time since anyone had excited him like this.
His pale fingertips seemed to cross time and space, caressing the cheek of this new Saint Son, who was filled with hope.
Soon, you will be my servant—Norton Similias.
.
The flock of Vulture Demons disrupted the people’s formation. Femon was busy fighting and had no time to monitor Su Sheng, which gave him the opportunity he needed.
Dragging his bloody wrists, Su Sheng quietly altered a line on the magic array beneath him.
His teacher, who held a high position, once said he was a genius in array magic. He was terrifyingly strong in all fields, except for the way of the knight.
In truth, Femon was the best candidate to wield the Holy Sword, but only successive Saint Sons had the right to use it.
He quietly covered the altered part with his body, afraid to move too much lest he smudge the pattern. He maintained this position until the next morning.
The crowd was panting heavily, and the cleanup took a full half-night.
When they finally had a moment to breathe, Femon brought someone over. Su Sheng recognized the man, named Rotana, a staff member of the Holy Temple. His position wasn’t high, but he was slightly proficient in array magic.
Su Sheng’s heart sank slightly, and he subtly shifted his body.
“Rotana, check the magic array for any problems,” Femon instructed.
Su Sheng knew that although his alteration was subtle, if someone proficient in array magic looked closely, they would spot the difference.
Rotana indeed came over. He adjusted his glasses, leaned down, and meticulously inspected the blood lines.
Su Sheng’s expression remained calm, but he bit down hard on his lip.
The magic array was huge. After a while, Femon asked, “Have you finished checking the outer circle?”
“Yes, no problems,” Rotana replied.
It was time to check the inner circle, where Su Sheng had made his alteration. Su Sheng forced himself to remain calm. There must be another way.
Rotana adjusted his glasses again. The glasses seemed to be inconvenient.
Su Sheng keenly noticed that Rotana was nearsighted. He had probably damaged his glasses while fighting the Vulture Demons last night, which was why he needed to adjust them constantly.
Watching the sun slowly rise, Su Sheng suddenly had an idea.
When Rotana checked the section where he was lying, Su Sheng deliberately stalled. When the sunlight reflected off the lens, Rotana’s eyes wavered for just a moment. In that instant, Su Sheng rolled over and pressed himself back down onto the ground.
“Are you finished checking?” Su Sheng asked deliberately.
Rotana was actually a coward. Seeing Su Sheng’s cold face, he instinctively said, “Yes, yes, I’m done.”
Femon beside him pressed on, “Are you really done?”
Rotana thought for a moment. He hadn’t seen clearly, but the trajectory seemed roughly correct. Besides, the Saint Son was too intimidating. It was better not to say anything.
Clutching at a straw of luck, Rotana said, “Truly finished.”
After the inspection was complete, the crowd began to kneel and chant prayers.
Su Sheng could feel the magic array activating, and the midday sun was about to shine down upon the Kingdom.
In the final second of the crowd’s chanting, Rotana’s face turned terrifyingly pale, and he finally reacted, shouting, “Stop! This isn’t a sacrifice array, it’s a teleportation array!”
But it was too late.
Meeting the horrified gazes of the crowd, Su Sheng, enveloped in the white light of the teleportation, sneered, “Those who betray their own kind do not deserve forgiveness, not even the Demon King’s.”