The moment Skyler stepped into the 16th level of the Battle Royale, a wave of biting cold struck him. Soft, falling ice coated his hair within seconds. Austin, Charles, Zack, and Yuris, who arrived behind him, shivered, amazed by the bizarre shift in temperature.
But Skyler was lost in his thoughts.
Suddenly, his fists clenched tightly as he struggled to push away the memories that had resurfaced after seeing General Ki. But no matter how much he tried, they filled his mind, refusing to be buried. Faint, ancient whispers echoed at the back of his mind.
’Sky, you promised to help this old man.’
’How could you forget?’
’Is this how you repay my kindness?’
Skyler’s eyes turned dazed.
It was General Ki’s voice.
He recognized it immediately.
The voice was intertwined with another voice, so eerily familiar it sent chills down his spine and made him feel nauseous.
’Is this how you repay the person who brought you into this world?’
’Cannot you die to save your sister?’
’Unlike you, who’s useless, she’s brilliant. We can’t lose her. So do it to repay us.’
It was at that moment a cold pair of hands suddenly enveloped his eyes from behind, a soft yet haughty voice whispering in his ear.
"What are you thinking about after ignoring me for so long? Are even 100,000 system points and a Mythic‑tier skill not enough?"
Skyler’s heart rate sped up at the sound of the voice. He grabbed the hands and jerked his head back, only to be met with a pair of blood‑red eyes. Floating directly behind him was a dangerously beautiful woman in dark attire, a pair of horns crowning her head.
Locking her gaze on his face, satisfaction shining in her eyes, she drifted closer and murmured with a teasing, predatory charm.
"Surprise."
Skyler could barely manage a word.
"Hah...?"
The memories that were tormenting him melted away the instant he saw her eyes.
He was so captivated by her that he didn’t even notice Austin, Charles, Zack, and Yuris, all bound in chains. Two powerful demons, wearing eerie smiles, flanked them, keeping them too terrified to even cry out for help.
They could only watch in horror as Skyler fell under the spell of the woman who had effortlessly tied them all and tossed them aside like unwanted trash the instant they sensed her and the two demons’ presence.
It was at times like this that they wished they had potion-making abilities like Isaac.
Skyler blinked, and before their wide eyes, he actually reached out to rub the blazing tips of the woman’s cascading black hair!
The four couldn’t believe their eyes.
How could a man be so fickle?! Not even a week had passed since Skyler parted from the beautiful princess, and this bastard was already flirting with another woman—not to mention one who looked like she could kill them all with a mere flick of her finger!
Had he gone insane??
The woman tilted her head, following Skyler’s fingers, and let out a chuckle.
"Why aren’t you surprised?"
Skyler finally found his voice, his mind returning after seeing the messages 505 had been flashing before his dazed eyes.
"It was you who made those offers?"
The Demon Queen moved back, her sharp features betraying the dark edge beneath.
"Hah, I don’t like how calm you look. You know, I had to give up a lot to come down again. I was sad when you refused all my offers to be my little disciple. So now, I’ve decided to make you my servant instead."
She smiled, as if what she said were completely normal and not a menace.
"In the end, this is your fault."
Skyler, who finally looked happy, didn’t even have time to withdraw his fingers from her hair before he, too, was bound and tossed beside Charles and the others. Stunned, he stared at the woman, who looked satisfied. His mind processed her words, and a wry smile curved his lips as he let out a sigh.
"Let’s talk, okay? No need to tie me up."
Even without knowing who she was, he just knew she was another fragment of Riruru’s incomplete soul he had been searching for.
Austin and the others glared at him, then sneered disdainfully, thinking he deserved exactly what had just happened to him. Not all women were like the gentle princess; if this guy flirted with every other beauty, he deserved to be taught a lesson by them.
The woman ignored Skyler and simply started picking at her nails, humming.
"There’s no need to talk. I’ll just take you to my domain on the 52nd level and lock you up forever. Then everything will be settled."
Everyone froze. Zack, the transmigrator, was the most shocked. What the hell—why was there suddenly a dark imprisonment trope popping up in this story?! Finally, one of the two demons who had followed the Demon Queen here spoke up hesitantly.
"My Queen, you can’t do this. The Battle Royale has its rules: as long as someone hasn’t cleared the lower levels, they can’t just casually go to the higher ones, even if their planet’s people have already done so."
He had barely finished speaking when a powerful force slammed into him, sending him hurtling backward and forcing him to spit blood. The Queen’s dark voice echoed.
"When did mere rules stop me?"
The other demon immediately dropped to his knees, horrified. Trembling, he smashed his head against the ice‑covered ground.
"Forgive his audacity, my Queen!"
She sneered, ready to grab Skyler and drag him away, but before she could, a powerful force seized her body. A cold, mechanical voice then echoed sharply inside her mind.
(Your paid stay time in this lower level has ended. Please cease using your power and return to your level immediately. If not, the system will be forced to send you back.)
Shocked, she tried to resist the force.
"Wait! How can my time end so soon? I paid so many system points this time! At least let me take this person with me! I’ll pay double the points than before!"
But the voice grew colder, sharper.
(Some rules are laws. Please leave.)
Seeing her expression grow increasingly dark, Charles and the others were scared out of their minds. Meanwhile, Skyler, who understood what was happening from 505, struggled against the chains. He frowned when 505 told him she was enduring pain.
"Stop struggling and go back. I’ll accept your offer and come find you at your level. Struggling against a higher power could damage your soul. Listen to me, okay?"
Hearing him, she paused, surprised that Skyler knew what was going on. Though she had long stopped trusting others, she was startled to find herself listening when Skyler asked. A faint blush crept up to her ears. Still, her voice remained composed.
"Don’t you dare forget what you said, or I will make sure you regret ever fooling me."
With that, she tore open the space before her to return, secretly stealing another look at the bound figure. Their eyes met, and he asked one last question, his voice teasing.
"What’s your name, my Queen? Shouldn’t you at least tell me this so I can find you?"
The blush on her ears spread down to her neck as she glared indignantly at him. But her words carried a surprising sadness.
"I don’t have a name. The demons just call me Queen because I subdued them. When you reach my domain, I will know instantly. There’s no need for you to search for me."
Skyler nodded and watched her leave.
The two demons quickly followed behind her before the crack she had vanished into disappeared. As the crack finally vanished, Skyler looked down helplessly and smiled.
"She forgot to untie us."