With a click, the woman put the key into the keyhole, and after a swift twist of her wrist, a gap opened in the thin layer of glass.

Coming face to face with the leather-bound book, the woman's blue eyes reflected its bloody crimson light.

Stepping forward, she put her right thumb in her mouth and bit on it, causing a small wound to form.

A low, almost inaudible moan escaped her lips as her delicate body shook in pain, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to ignore it.

Subconsciously, she couldn't help but recall the night that her father had solemnly brought her here and given her instructions in case something unexpected happened.

Following these instructions, she stepped forward and knelt down before placing her bloody thumb onto the book's leather cover.

As the tiny tadpoles feasted on the crimson liquid, the blonde woman opened her mouth and spoke in a solemn voice, imitating that of her father.

"Lord, according to the contract signed eons ago, I request that you help our family.", she said, and added:

"I'm willing to offer my soul and face eternal torment if need be."

--

While the blonde woman was seemingly praying in front of the crimson book, a dozen people suddenly barged into the room.

Most of these people wore shiny golden armors and held sharp weapons in their hands, while the man behind them, the one who seemed to be in the lead, wore a priest's robe.

"Priest, we've finally found her!", the knight at the front spoke to the man behind him, his eyes focused on the helpless, crying woman kneeling not far away.

"Should we capture her for interrogation and bring her to receive the Holy Light's punishment, or should we execute her immediately?", the knight asked.

As he spoke, he casually brandished his weapon forward, looking as if he would strike at the woman as long as the Priest gave the order.

However, even though a few moments passed, the knight received no answer.

Turning his head, he glanced at the Priest behind him with doubt, only to discover that an astonished expression had appeared across the Priest's angular face.

His golden eyes shone with fear and wonder, glued to the leather-bound book that the woman was worshipping.

Seeing this, the knight immediately understood that something was wrong.

Turning his head again, he stared at the crimson book, sizing it up.

The book's appearance immediately caught his eye.

He was not blind after all. The only reason he had previously ignored the book was because of the heat of the moment.

Looking at the uniform tadpoles that writhed as if alive, coupled with the Priest's horrified expression, the knight couldn't help but recall a rumor he had heard when he was a child.

When he was still a kid and had just entered the Holy Church, his mentor at the time had mentioned an ancient legend.

According to his mentor, besides the world they live in, there were countless similar worlds.

Some of these worlds were smaller, while others were far more vast, containing individuals whose strength was beyond human imagination.

Among those worlds, the most famous one was:

The Embodiment of Everything Evil...

The Birthplace of The World Destroyers...

The Invader of All Planes...

The Demon World.

Legend had it that the Demon World was not occupied by humans, but by strange beings commonly known as Devils.

The knight had always believed that this legend was merely a story, a tale for the bards to mention in passing.

The only reason he remembered it was not because he believed it, but because his mentor had specifically said that Devils had invaded their world in the past, piquing his interest.

"Stop her! Don't let that woman continue!"

Suddenly, a majestic voice jolted the knight and his companions awake.

The owner of that voice was the golden-eyed Priest, who pointed at the blonde woman with a ruthless expression.

Having received his orders, though surprised, the knights didn't dare to hesitate.

Instantly, they stepped forward and brandished their weapons, ready to attack the woman and interrupt the mysterious ritual that was taking place.

Feeling the movements behind her, cold sweat ran down the woman's forehead. She couldn't understand why her family heirloom had yet to react.

Doubtful, she had to wonder whether her father's words were indeed the truth or if he had just been deceived by his ancestors.

Sensing the wind brushing against her neck, the image of a sharp sword cutting through her neck passed through the woman's mind.

She knew that in just a moment, this would truly happen.

Despair filled the woman's eyes.

She did not feel sad to have died, but she felt regret that she couldn't save her family! She couldn't save her brother!

Closing her eyes, the blonde woman resigned herself to fate, holding her breath, awaiting the incoming death.

Yet, as seconds went by, the woman noticed that there had been no pain and that her head was still firmly attached to her neck.

Opening her eyes, the woman stared blankly ahead, only to find that her family heirloom had unknowingly disappeared, replaced by an unfamiliar figure.

The figure was a human woman with crimson hair and red eyes, whose entire body was adorned by majestic black armor.

The woman's facial features were picturesque and otherworldly, resembling the elves that the bards so much enjoyed singing about.

Although the blonde woman had always been confident in her appearance, she still felt somewhat inferior when faced with this unfamiliar woman.

However, now was not the time to show jealousy.

Staring at the figure before her and thinking of her father's words, she understood that the ritual had finally succeeded.

Her family's savior had indeed appeared!

"Lord! Please protect our family!", the blonde woman lowered her head and cried loudly as tears began streaming down her face and dripping to the ground.

Perhaps it was because of the situation she was in, or perhaps it was because the crimson-haired woman's appearance had truly stunned her, but the blonde woman didn't notice that the state of her "savior" was not much better than hers.

Countless blisters and scorch marks could be seen all over her otherwise smooth skin, while a large hole was open in her abdomen, from which large amounts of blood continuously poured out.

In her right hand, she was holding a lifeless head that seemed to have belonged to a human-sized puppet, making the scene look beautiful yet equally creepy.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.