Lady Invidia appeared in front of the group, and in the next moment, reality seemed to warp around them. The throne room spun rapidly, everything bending and twisting out of shape, like paint draining into a sink.

Elaine steadied Lola, letting her lean on her shoulder. Wilfred stumbled slightly, while Ulric dropped to the ground, smashing his knees into the harsh asphalt. Elaine and Balthazar looked around calmly, waiting for the others to get their bearings.

“I sensed it here earlier, but it has faded now. You will need to lead the rest of the way.” Invidia said.

The group turned to Ulric, who was shakily getting up from the ground. Looking around, he found that they had teleported to right in front of the bookstore. The bookstore was completely empty, and at some point in time the bookshelf had been restored to its original position. Meaning the old man had most likely already fled. Nervously leading the way, he stopped in front of the bookshelf with the secret entrance, readying himself to be attacked.

“Give me a moment to open it.” He said, jogging his memory on what books Ed had taken out. But before he could get started, the bookshelf popped out of existence. He jumped back, preparing to see a bunch of threads waiting to burst out at him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the stairwell was empty.

Invidia took the lead down. She frowned slightly as she felt a wave of detestable holy power emanating from deeper into the complex. Ugh. What is one of those filthy weaklings doing here?

Entering the room where the main fight happened, they found a figure with angelic white wings cradling Ed’s body. A faint golden glow pouring from her into him. A giant battleaxe rested on the floor next to Ed.

~

Moments earlier, in one of the Company’s many offices, Zara’s screen faded to black.

“Congratulations for redeeming another sinner Zara.”

Buddie’s words fell on deaf ears, as Zara stared at the screen with such intensity and excitement that it felt like she could burn a hole through it. I did it? I fucking did it! He survived! She jumped out of her seat and cheered, ignoring the strange looks she got from the surrounding coworkers.

“Send me to Ed!” She said excitedly, itching to finally see how he’s doing.

“Are you sure that’s what you want as your reward? You won’t receive any credits if that’s what you choose.” Buddie asked.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Zara didn’t even wait for him to finish, already nodding her head before he could finish his question.

“Okay. If that is what you want, then so be it. You will be sent to meet him as part of a vacation lasting one week. During the length of this vacation, you will not have to design any traps. Enjoy your vacation.” Buddie said.

The world spun around her as she lost her footing, tumbling onto the ground. Her wings stretched out behind her in attempts to stabilise herself. Shaking off the dizziness, she looked around at the bloody mess surrounding her.

Bodies littered the floor among pieces of shattered glass and splintered wood. Some of them were torn into pieces, others smashed into bloody pulps. Most importantly, she found Ed lying there unconscious, covered in blood.

She used her wings to rocket herself forward, landing in a kneeling position next to him. “Ed!” She called out to him worriedly. Not receiving a response, she checked to make sure he was still breathing and that he had a pulse. After that, she checked his body for any injuries.

Phew, it’s not his blood. Looks like he just overexerted himself. Let me just give him a little push. Focusing her mind, a faint golden glow ebbed out from her hands, coating Ed’s body in an angelic light. Come on. Wake up.

She pushed as much of her power into Ed as possible, hoping for him to quickly wake up. She heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer as she rested his head on her lap.

“Buddie, give me my battleaxe.” Wary that an enemy might be approaching, she summoned her weapon back to her, letting it rest just within reach. A group of five appeared in the doorway much faster than she anticipated. A wave of disgust washed out from her soul as she laid eyes on the group. Hellspawn.

Clutching her axe, she stood up to face them, ready for battle. They must’ve done something to Ed. The glow faded as she flapped her wings, charging at the group with a mighty swing.

The one in front smirked slightly, while the succubus couldn’t help but laugh, in a rapid, high-pitched and distorted way. What’s going on?

The group moved incredibly quickly, bypassing her with ease as her axe crashed into the ground. Her heart shot into her throat as she saw three of them stop at Ed while the other two searched the room.

“No! Get away from him!”

~

The angel charged at the group, her axe swinging wildly at them. It was immediately obvious to all of them that she had no idea what she was doing. Her form was off, allowing them dozens of opportunities to instantly kill her. Both in terms of strength and skill, it was like a toddler trying to fight a trained professional.

Pathetic. With a thought, Invidia stole the angel’s speed, slowing her down to a crawl. Lola broke down into a fit of laughter while the rest of the group studied the area.

“Is this the place?” Elaine asked, her question directed at Ulric.

“Yes.” He nodded, his eyes firmly locked onto Ed, a trace of confusion darting through his mind.

The group walked around the slowly moving angel. While Invidia and Balthazar split off from the group, the remaining three stayed together, crowding around Ed.

“No! Get away from him!” The angel called out, her voice slowed down to the point of absurdity.

The group ignored her as they tried to understand how Ed appeared here when Draven couldn’t find him at all only a couple hours ago.