Neca Island.

At noon in the Demon King's castle, the scorching sun hung high, casting intense light on every corner of the wasteland.

Far from the palace and the bay, heat shimmered off the ground in distorted waves. This was a military stronghold far from the bustling commercial district of the Demon King's city – the Maya Magical Engineering Research Institute.

Lan Qi walked alone through the wasteland until he reached the entrance of the underground research institute, where he was greeted by saluting demon soldiers and escorted into the facility.

Huperion didn't want to come to Neca Island, where the palace was, so Lan Qi let her rest by the bay on Leith Island, playing with Sigrid.

At McCarthy's restaurant, Thunder Lord Gareth and his cousin Tia were guests, so the area was safe.

Thinking this, Lan Qi passed through layers of barriers and anti-magic steel protection doors, entering the depths of the research institute.

Unlike the scorching exterior, the light changed from the blinding daylight to a soft indoor glow as he entered the relatively cool interior.

Inside the institute, many demon researchers were still busy at lunchtime. The sounds of their conversations, the roar of heavy machinery, and the hum of magical energy circuits were the only sounds inside the laboratory.

Lan Qi slowly walked through the many laboratories on both sides of the corridor, his eyes full of anticipation for the demons.

Until he came to the central control room at the deepest part.

"Good noon."

Lan Qi took off his soft felt hat with its domed crown and small brim.

Today, the simple lines of his top hat, paired with a loose coat over his waistcoat, made him appear even more scholarly, calm, and reserved.

The figure in the central vault quickly looked at him.

"You're here. We've been working according to your instructions for a day."

Maya Lord sat in front of the desk at the deepest part, the table piled high with magical engineering equipment, and looked up to speak to Lan Qi.

They had finally captured Eduardo, the Fourth Progenitor.

The Fallen Lord Kaliella's idea was to send Eduardo to the Paskwal Seal in the City of Purgatory as soon as possible.

But the Nameless Lord McCarthy felt that the value of the ninth-order blood clan Eduardo should not be buried.

So, for a whole day, under the instructions of the Nameless Lord, they started an emergency project, and the Nameless Lord's natal summon, the Great Poet, also began a comprehensive transformation of Eduardo.

"But if we want him to submit, we still need to break through his psychological defenses, even if it's only for a moment, so that he is willing to accept our request voluntarily."

The Maya Lord, still covered in a black cloak and shadows, with only her ghostly blue eyes exposed, said,

"We've used all kinds of torture, but we haven't been able to get Eduardo to compromise. I don't see any hope of getting the Fourth Progenitor to submit."

Esmerode shook her head and sighed, as if hoping to persuade Lan Qi to give up tormenting the Fourth Progenitor, Eduardo.

Because Lan Fu's behavior was too cruel, even the Maya Lord was starting to get scared.

If Eduardo wasn't sealed away, she felt like she wouldn't be able to sleep well.

"..."

Lan Qi was slightly silent.

Looking at those blue eyes alone, for a moment, Lan Qi wondered if the Great Poet was pretending to be the Maya Lord to prank him.

It wasn't until he saw the Great Poet's figure pop up that Lan Qi was sure that the demon covered tightly in the black cloak was the real Maya Lord.

Now, the Maya Lord Esmerode was already the leader of the experimental team. As the most magically talented Great Demon in the Demon King's city, she could basically understand the principles of the forbidden curse imprints that the Great Poet taught her as soon as she heard them.

Unlike the Maya Lord, a talented woman who rose from humble beginnings to become a Great Demon through her own efforts, the Mist Lord Orion was born into the great aristocracy of Nicalis in the Demon King's city.

"When can we go to eat? I'm so sleepy and hungry."

The Mist Lord Orion, with his jet-black hair and cold golden eyes, dropped his blood-stained metal gloves and complained with disgust.

The body of a ninth-order blood clan was not as easy to cut open as his eighth-order Great Demon general body.

As a noble of the Demon Realm's famous family, he rarely did such dirty work himself.

Especially that demon woman named Lan Fu, who was instructing him to use all kinds of tortures that even their Seventh Army of the Demon Realm wouldn't use.

But to thank Lan Qi for saving them, he had promised to help Lan Qi with anything.

So he also joined the experimental team, helping the Great Poet Lan Fu and the Maya Lord Esmerode as an assistant.

Lan Qi looked at the Mist Lord Orion, and for some reason, he just wanted to laugh a little.

"Nameless Lord, why are you looking at me and laughing?"

The Mist Lord Orion noticed Lan Qi's expression and asked, puzzled.

"I'm not laughing."

Lan Qi waved his hand.

"You definitely laughed. Tell me why."

The Mist Lord Orion moved closer and stared at Lan Qi's face, pressing for an answer.

"... Maybe because I'm happy to see you?"

Lan Qi hesitated for a moment, then smiled brightly, asking him with some uncertainty.

Perhaps it was because Orion had a bit of a shadow of an old friend, especially those golden eyes. Lan Qi was almost deceived by this cold first impression.

"I don't like men. I only treat you as a brother. No, you clearly like the princess. Don't say such jokes."

The Mist Lord Orion retreated quickly, then realized that he seemed to have been tricked by Lan Qi.

Although he had only known this Nameless Lord for a short time, he didn't dislike spending time with the Nameless Lord. After all, the Nameless Lord was full of talent, elegant and polite, which was his favorite type, but he was a little difficult to fathom.

"By the way, what kind of women do you like?"

Lan Qi changed the subject and asked.

The Maya Lord, who had been concentrating on her work in the distance, suddenly paused. Even though she wasn't looking over, it seemed like she was slightly focusing her hearing on this side.

"What kind of question is that?"

The Mist Lord Orion was stunned by Lan Qi's question.

The Maya Lord Esmerode silently started working again. She acted as if nothing had happened and didn't feel disappointed by the Mist Lord's answer. Or perhaps she had never had any extravagant hopes from the start.

"For example, to be more specific, do you hope that the woman to whom you will give a ring in the future will be gentle or violent? Skilled or clumsy? Someone who has been with you for a long time and knows you, or someone who suddenly descends and is arranged in front of you by someone?"

Lan Qi had a sense of professional psychological counseling, changed his way of asking, and slowed down his pace slightly.

"Of course, it's a woman who is gentle, skilled, and has been with me for a long time."

The Mist Lord Orion replied subconsciously.

After thinking about it carefully, he realized that Lan Qi's wording was very subtle, as if he was guiding him to answer. He instinctively didn't want to choose the latter option.

"If you really find a beloved wife, will you still love her forever when she is no longer young and beautiful?"

Lan Qi continued to ask.

"Yes."

Only this time did the Mist Lord Orion answer more firmly and decisively than any previous question.

"I've been doing some research on psychological tests recently. I just troubled you to try it out. Thank you for your help, Orion."

Lan Qi smiled and explained to the Mist Lord Orion.

"Then what did you find out?"

The Mist Lord Orion asked, puzzled.

"I guess, you'll probably find the woman of your destiny before long."

Lan Qi nodded with certainty.

"So that's how it is. Tell me earlier. If you need help next time, I'll help you at any time."

The Mist Lord Orion immediately beamed with joy.

He felt that talking to the Nameless Lord was very interesting, and the Nameless Lord was already an expert in this area, even able to quickly break free from the Fallen Gentle Village.

"By the way, the Fallen Lord is calling you over. She said she's ready over there."

The Mist Lord added.

"Thank you for your hard work. Go and rest. Of course, you can also go to my restaurant. I've instructed the chef to prepare your lunch as quickly as possible."

Lan Qi nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and thanked him.

"That's great."

The Mist Lord Orion chatted with Lan Qi for a few more words and soon said goodbye.

After seeing off the Mist Lord Orion.

Lan Qi glanced at the Maya Lord Esmerode, who had been stunned for a long time in the distance, and smiled slightly, meaning that this was all he could help her with. The next step was up to her to take on her own.

He turned and went alone to the only passage from the central control vault to the test site.

Walking through the automatically opened black waterfall illusion gate, he saw the streamlined passage and the illusion corridor inside. It was like walking a long road. When the light appeared again, he was standing in a circular, enclosed space.

Besides the inhuman Fourth Progenitor, Eduardo, there was also the Fallen Lord Kaliella, who controlled the blood clan duke.

"I don't think torturing him for a few more days and nights will make him submit. Maybe we can only seal him in the ancestral land. It just so happens that you're going to the City of Purgatory, Paskwal, and I'm also preparing to go to the human kingdom. Let's escort him there together."

The Fallen Lord Kaliella glanced at Lan Qi and spread her hands.

Although Eduardo had been tortured a little bit out of his mind by the Great Poet, there was still a piece of steel in his heart that could not be cut off in any way.

"Control his dreams as I said."

Lan Qi transmitted his consciousness to the Fallen Lord Kaliella.

In this Fallen Gentle Village barrier, as long as Lan Qi relaxed his mind and took the initiative to fall into the illusion, Kaliella could read his consciousness.

After a long time, the Fallen Lord Kaliella opened her eyes, and Lan Qi woke up from the illusion at the same time.

"I have understood your request, but the illusion you wove is a bit... Eduardo may soon suspect which side is real."

Kaliella's expression was full of contempt.

It wasn't that she wanted to discourage him.

To be honest, this dream wasn't just not beautiful, it was even very ordinary. She didn't think it could make the enemy fall into it at all.

"Alright, he has fallen into the Gentle Village."

But the Fallen Lord Kaliella still wove a Gentle Village dream that Lan Qi wanted her to help cast. Efficiency was paramount. She wasn't a demon woman who liked to talk nonsense.

"Don't worry, leave it to me."

Lan Qi said with certainty and closed his eyes to enter Eduardo's dream.

"..."

Kaliella raised her eyebrows in confusion,

"It's clearly my innate magic. How does it feel like it's become your thing again?"

She muttered with some annoyance, then began to observe Eduardo's new dream.

She wanted to see how this Nameless Lord was going to use her innate magic.

(End of this chapter)