Viktor found Erica in a dense forest.

She lay unconscious among the weeds, her body wrapped in a thin barrier, her pulse and breathing extremely weak.

If not for this magical barrier, Erica's life might have already been lost in that battle.

Even now, she was still in critical condition.

"Too dangerous," Viktor said flatly.

Whether it was the volcano incident or the recent demon invasion, Erica acted like a greenhorn who had never encountered danger before.

She never considered the consequences.

If Viktor hadn't deciphered the magic array in advance, Erica might have already been swallowed whole by Yem.

"The Duke's education method is very problematic."

Erica always wanted to prove herself, constantly trying to make others see her in a new light.

Especially her father.

However...

Viktor turned his gaze to the other side, to the purple-haired woman who was also covered in wounds, even more severe ones.

She emitted a transparent magical glow, various magical enhancements ensuring her life was not in danger.

But her body was black and blue all over, with muscle tears beneath the skin even harder to detect.

Her injuries appeared even more serious than Erica's.

"At least she's not as cold-blooded as her father."

If not for Erica, this woman would surely have died at the demon's hands.

Viktor stared at her intently. Her clothes were completely torn, revealing ghastly wounds.

Although the bleeding had stopped, the horrifying injuries still sent chills down one's spine.

"Has Erica's appearance changed the timeline?" Viktor mused.

In the game's prologue, players were told a background story about a demon invasion.

And in the middle of the first chapter, Gwen would tell the player about her elder sister's cause of death.

Kevla Delin, killed by the minions of the greed demon boss, Yem.

This character, whom players never had the chance to meet, didn't even have a portrait in the game. She was truly an NPC outside the main plot.

And now, this unconscious woman on the ground, who bore a striking resemblance to Gwen...

If he wasn't mistaken, this must be Kevla.

"She's a demon hunter," Vega chimed in from the side.

"That explains it," Viktor nodded, understanding what being a demon hunter meant:

In the game, demon hunter was a special profession. Players could become demon hunters by completing a transfer quest after dialoguing with NPCs who possessed the orthodox bloodline.

In his past life, Viktor had helped many players grind these transfer quests, so he was quite familiar with this profession.

Demon hunters harbored an extreme obsession with demons. Once they discovered a demon, they would pursue it to the ends of the earth until either the demon was killed...

Or they were killed by the demon.

If this demon hunter's fanaticism were translated into game stats, demon hunters would deal an additional 50% damage to demon units.

Since demons were essentially concentrations of magical power, correspondingly, demon hunters also dealt 10% increased damage to mages.

Mages were already a group with low health and poor resistances.

After the numerical conversion, demon hunters also became partial counters to mages.

In short, mages hated demon hunters.

Of course, demon hunters weren't without their drawbacks.

While knights, another melee profession, could use some mana to increase their strength, demon hunters were truly a 'manaless' profession in every sense.

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"Good thing we came early," Viktor said, bending down to check Kevla's condition.

Vega nodded in agreement. "Indeed, if we had come any later..."

"Her injuries would have been almost healed."

Viktor, however, was unfazed. He flipped his palm, and a vial of crimson potion appeared in his hand.

"You're quite good at making others owe you favors," Vega mocked, watching as Viktor poured the potion into Kevla's mouth, which she swallowed smoothly.

He then took out another vial and fed it to the unconscious Erica.

After finishing all this, Viktor dusted off his hands and said:

"After all, I'm not an orthodox cleric. I can't make them fully recover."

This statement left Vega speechless.

Viktor was putting on an act again.

So it played along and asked, "I fail to understand, how did you manage this?"

The state that clearly deviated from death characteristics unmistakably showcased the potion's miraculous effects.

If Vega had Viktor's eyes, it would surely have seen the health bars floating above the heads of the two who had taken the potion, instantly growing by a large chunk.

For players, as long as there was even one drop of blood left, it didn't count as a critical state.

And Viktor, using an NPC template, could still take out player items, and more incredibly, he could provide them for other NPCs to use.

This was already his unique ability.

Other players couldn't give player items to NPCs to use.

"Well then, let's wait quietly for a while," Viktor said, leaning back as a chair materialized from the ground to support his body perfectly.

He casually grabbed a magic book from his palm and started supplementing his knowledge that needed studying.

About ten minutes later, Kevla was the first to open her eyes. A strong sense of weakness instantly swept over her body, making her unwilling to move. Her injuries all revealed her current precarious state.

The feeling of defeat that washed over her made Kevla contemplate suicide.

She never thought she would survive after the battle with the demon.

"You should thank Duke Levi. He raised a good daughter," Viktor said, stopping the sound of turning pages as he put away his book. His deep black eyes stared at Kevla.

Hearing the voice, Kevla's body froze. She struggled to prop herself up.

The man before her sat in a chair, looking particularly mysterious against the backdrop of his black coat and the one-eyed crow.

Extremely elegant.

With her vision still slightly blurry, she didn't immediately recognize who he was.

But Kevla was a bit confused.

A chair?

Where did he get a chair in this godforsaken place?

Before she could think too much, hearing his words, she forced herself through the pain in her body and quickly turned to look to the other side.

Erica du Cloye.

Although fighting demons might make Kevla lose her rationality, her memories didn't disappear with it.

Moreover, the various enhancement effects emanating from her body were telling her what happened during the battle.

The demon's technique that had stained the earth with ink in the previous battle.

It was absolutely lethal damage.

That's what Kevla, with her abundant combat experience, told herself.

Which meant that Erica, in her conscious state, had used magic to save both their lives.

Kevla felt a sense of desolation.

If it weren't for Erica, she would have died at the hands of the demon.

She hadn't expected the demon to be so powerful, and herself to be so weak.

"She suffered a penetrating wound to her shoulder, yet still managed to save both your lives," Viktor said.

"That's quite remarkable."

Viktor's words hit Kevla's heart hard once again.

Kevla was filled with guilt.

"That... that demon..." she began.

"You're no match for it, but to be frank, unless the Emperor himself is willing to come personally, no one can defeat it in a fair, one-on-one fight," Viktor replied.

Kevla raised her head, her brows furrowed into a knot.

She couldn't understand.

The demon's strength was something she, as a demon hunter, had never heard of before.

It seemed like a being that shouldn't exist in this world. Kevla had sensed it, and so she had confidently pursued it.

However, it seemed the demon had never considered her an opponent.

In the end, because of her pride, she had almost lost her life.

"However, we've already taken care of the aftermath," Viktor said, standing up as the chair beneath him dissipated on its own.

He walked up to Kevla, and with a flick of his coat, two vials of crimson potion fell in front of her.

"Remember to think more before acting recklessly," he advised.

"Even for a demon hunter, being controlled solely by instinct doesn't necessarily yield better results."

"Also, remember to drink the potions, Miss Kevla."

Viktor swung his coat and turned around.

Kevla stared blankly at the man before her. As her vision cleared, her eyes gained more focus, and she suddenly recognized him.

"Viktor... is that you?"

Viktor didn't turn back, only leaving a parting message:

"Don't forget to take Erica back with you. I don't want the Duke to misunderstand me again."

After a gust of black wind, leaves fluttered, blocking Kevla's vision.

When the black wind dispersed and the leaves settled, Viktor's figure had vanished.

In his place, only a single black crow feather remained, symbolizing his visit.

The feather floated to Kevla's front. She grasped it, her mood heavy and complex.

Because on the feather was written a clear message:

"Four recovery potions, 8000 Geo. Remember to pay up."

She mustered her strength and picked up the red potion thrown on the ground.

Its color, as vivid as fresh blood, was completely different from any recovery potion she had ever seen.

She hesitated for a moment, but still opened the cap and poured it into her mouth.

An emerald light emanated from her body, and half of her injuries healed instantly.

She felt a surge of power coursing through her entire body.

"I can stand up now."

"What a miraculous potion."

She thought to herself. There was still one vial left, which if drunk, could restore even more of her combat power.

However, she no longer needed to fight now.

She saved the potion for Erica, cradling her in her arms, opening the vial, and pouring it into Erica's mouth.

......

Knock! Knock! Knock!!!

The door of the du Cloye residence was knocked on, and Duke Levi rushed out almost immediately.

He stood at the doorway, watching as Erica and Kevla supported each other as they approached the front door.

Erica, covered in dirt and grime, looked at her father and smiled happily:

"Father, Kevla and I held off the demon for a long time."

"Aren't I amazing?"

Despite her physical weakness, Erica's eyes still sparkled with expectation as she mentioned this.

"I'm not a burden anymore!"

"..."

Duke Levi remained silent, not saying a word.

The atmosphere seemed to grow tense for a moment.

Erica shrank her neck, lowering her head, seeming a bit scared.

But the next second.

A solid embrace enveloped her, as warm as she had experienced in her childhood.

Her father's trembling voice sounded by her ear.

"Erica."

"You will always be Dad's pride."