< 621 Love Points remaining >
Chase gazed at the pages of Eve, the enchanting Grimoire that informed him with whatever knowledge and wisdom she had. With a determined heart, he had just spent some of his Love Points to grant Laila immunity to holy magic. A glimmer of hope sparkled in his eyes as he read the words unfolding before him. "There! Now Laila will be safe from holy magic," he whispered to himself, a sense of relief washing over him.
"If you think so, master," Eve replied with a skeptical tone.
"I do... Anyway, I think that's enough for now. I don't want to raise an attribute if it isn't going to help in the fight against the other Demon Lords. We'll save what we got and use them if needed," Chase said to his Grimoire.
"Well... I guess that is a wise strategy, Master... Hey, I think you should go and make that assassin guy your ally. If not, you could always corrupt him and make him into a sex slave. Or kill him. Or turn him into a vampire and let him roam free." Eve rambled on.
Chase sighed before standing up and looking over at the unconscious man, who was lying on the ground about ten feet away. He didn't like the idea of killing him, and he couldn't let him go without getting attacked in the future. So, Eve's advice was probably the best thing to do.
"Well... Let's hope I can make him see things my way... I really don't want to kill him. And I still want to learn what's going on here. Maybe I can see his past like what I did with Laila. I'm curious if it will happen again."
"Good luck, master. Don't screw up," the Grimoire replied, her voice filled with sarcasm.
Chase rolled his eyes and closed the book while walking across the deck of the ship that was littered with the dead bodies of the sailors and soldiers. He was impressed by Laila's handiwork. She had fought off an entire crew and had not suffered a single injury.
"She is something else... Outnumbered, yet she single-handedly took down the entire crew. It's like a scene straight out of an action movie," Chase murmured to himself, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
Eve tilted her body towards Chase, "Master, you do know that you helped as well, right?... You defeated that assassin and stopped that priest guy from attacking your minion. Without you, she would have lost and died."
"Huh? Well... I feel like I blindsided both of those guys. I didn't do anything besides knock the assassin out. And Laila could have handled Hanz on her own... She didn't need me," Chase responded as he looked down at the book in his hands.
"You know, master... You need to learn how to take a compliment. Stop being so humble. You deserve some praise."
"Yeah, yeah," Chase replied, ignoring her. "Anyway, I hope I don't have to witness freshly murdered bodies every day from here on out... It's something I don't want to get used to."
"What do you mean? You're the Demon Lord of Lust! Of course, you have to be used to death! I can't believe you're so soft... But... It somehow is getting these Love Points... I'll tolerate your softness. For now, Master," Eve's voice became slightly louder.
Chase shot a playful smirk in Eve's direction, his curiosity piqued. He couldn't tell if she even registered his presence, but there was a certain charm to her voice that captivated him. The idea of a talking Grimoire was strange yet intriguing, and he found himself drawn to her unexpected wit. She was beginning to weave herself into his thoughts, and he couldn't help but wonder just how clever she really was.
"I appreciate it, Eve. I'll try not to disappoint you," Chase laughed.
Eve paused in her tracks, lingering for a moment as Chase's unexpected compliment hung in the air. Taken aback, she hadn't anticipated such kind words from him. It wasn't her intention to win his favor, yet the sincerity of his praise made her feel valued in a way she hadn't experienced before. A swirl of confusion danced in her mind as she struggled to find the right response. What should she say to someone who made her feel seen and respected? None of her previous Masters have ever expressed any kind of appreciation for her. She felt something inside her, a warm feeling. It was so foreign. She didn't know how to handle it.
"Oh! Um... You're welcome, M-Master," She said shyly as she flew towards him.
Chase chuckled lightly, amused by the sudden shift in her demeanor. He had never imagined that the cold and calculated Grimoire could be flustered by something as simple as a compliment. It was refreshing, and it only served to reinforce his resolve.
Chase made his way to the heart of the ship, his boots thudding against the wooden deck. As he arrived, he spotted the assassin sprawled out on the planks, a stark contrast to the weathered surface beneath him. Blood trickled from his nose, a vivid red that starkly marked the scene, the result of Chase's earlier punch. The dim light cast shadows across the assassin's face, emphasizing the defeat and pain etched into his features.
"I think I heard that Lucius guy call him Broc, right?" Chase asked out loud while staring down at the prone man.
Eve nodded, her body bobbing slightly, "Yeah, I believe so, Master."
Chase crouched beside the unconscious figure, his eyes scanning the man's dark, padded armor. It wasn't the most formidable protection, but the layers of cushioning and the metal plates bolted onto it suggested it would absorb quite a bit of punishment. The man was a giant, standing at least six feet tall and tipping the scales at around two hundred sixty pounds. His bulk seemed to tell a tale of hardship, etched into the lines of his weathered face. Chase couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that this man, Broc, was less a brute and more a casualty of a cruel twist of fate.
"Hey, Eve... I don't know why, but I feel sorry for this guy," Chase muttered under his breath, his gaze shifting towards his companion.
"What?! He tried to kill your minion! Are you insane, Master?!" The book exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch.
"I know! I know... Hear me out, Eve. I don't think this guy is really bad; I mean, he seems like he was hired to be a bodyguard and was taken advantage of. I wonder what he was promised by the Mayor's son to become a murderer. I felt like something was off with this guy when he looked at me right before I knocked him out," Chase said while staring at the unconscious man.
Eve shook her "head" in disappointment again. It looked like she needed to give her Master "the talk."
"You can't trust anyone, Master. Everyone has their own agendas, including him. You must be ready to cut anyone down at any time, especially humans... They can be treacherous little creatures that say they side with you one day and stab you in the back the next. That is what has always happened to previous Demon Lords. He can only be trustworthy if he gets corrupted, and since he's not a demon, you shouldn't care if he lives or dies," Eve stated bluntly.
"Well, that's a dark way to think, Eve. I'm not a cold-hearted monster, plus people can change... Haah... I just hope my gut feelings are right about him. Otherwise, I don't know if I can kill someone outright, even if they're my enemy."
Chase looked over at the unconscious man, studying him.
"Well, Master... There's only one way to find out. Just go and corrupt him already. I can't stand your indecisiveness. It makes me want to smack you upside the head!"
Chase laughed softly as he gazed down at the unconscious man. He reached out his right hand and placed his pointer finger on Broc's head, "Let's see what secrets this man has, and we'll see what his stats are. That should help us decide whether to corrupt him or not."
A faint purple glow emanated from Chase's finger, bathing the area in its luminescence. He could feel the energy coursing through his veins, the power of his newfound abilities surging within him. Chase was met with a tingling sensation as the knowledge was transferred from his mind into his body. It didn't take long before Chase's Demon Eyes activated, and when he looked at the sleeping man in front of him. Broc's stats started to come into view.
< Broc, the Assassin Lv.4 >
< Race: Human >
< Alignment: Forced Evil >
< Strength: B >
< Defense: E >
< Dexterity: D+ >
< Agility: A- >
< Magic: C+ >
< Intelligence: F >
< Growth: A >