## Chapter 290 – The Queen’s Fall (11)
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‘Is this… the end…?’
It felt like it had started around midday, but the detoxification lasted until the sun was setting, turning into evening.
Despite the considerable time it took, perhaps it was because everyone resisted the poison with all their might.
Whether it should be considered fortunate or not, there were no fatalities during the detoxification process.
Everyone who received treatment managed to survive, but Diana, a relatively weak rat beastkin, unfortunately succumbed to the poisoning on the spot.
Diana’s body, too, had all the poison extracted and was laid down in her place in the residential area.
And scattered around were naked beastkin females, already fast asleep, exhausted from the battle and relieved by their salvation.
Unfortunately, the Nemeas who had succumbed to the poison had no choice but to be disposed of, so there was nothing to cover their bodies in their natural state.
The areas that had become congested and dark red from the poison, or had melted away hideously from the dragon blood poison, were being somewhat corrected as the Parasites reorganized their bodies.
So, fortunately, they regained their ‘beauty’ from before the poisoning, and their lives as women were preserved.
As such, this sight would probably be unbearable for any man, but for me, who didn’t want to disturb their rest, it felt like a kind of torture…
‘I need to figure out poison resistance somehow next time……’
Was it the downside of concentrating for too long?
Even though I seemed to have had a useful thought, my mind was hazy, and it passed by as if it were just a random thought.
Even though I’m usually fine even without sleep, I felt an irresistible fatigue now.
Similarly, except for Pina, who was dozing off while leaning against the now-empty box, and Leah, who had her arms crossed with a look of deep fatigue, perhaps from concentrating quite a bit, it felt like no one was awake.
And Leah, noticing that the work was done, picked up the dozing Pina to return her to the children in the residential area.
Finally able to feel relieved that I had finished, I suddenly turned my tentacles to look at my condition.
‘Ugh… I deserve to be tired…
It’s a wonder I’m not dead…’
The tentacles that absorbed the poison during the detoxification process would eventually cause poisoning to the main body, so there was no choice but to cut them all off.
It wouldn’t have mattered if it was just one or two.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms and constitution of each person, at least six, and up to ten, had to be cut off for detoxification.
Detoxifying Vivian, Lani, and the 50 or so Henias required a truly exponential amount of tentacles.
‘Only ten left…
Is this how a balding person with only a few hairs left feels…
By the way, I had more tentacles than I thought…’
Even though the other tentacles would grow back later, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness.
The tentacles that I had been using so freely until now had been reduced to a level that I could count on my two hands, so there would be problems with my daily life for the time being.
I basically do everything through my tentacles, after all.
Seeing, hearing, feeling, and even conceiving life.
‘Oh well, nothing I can do.
They’ll grow back eventually…
Let’s just consider it a cheap save.
Compared to losing them all…’
In that sense, even my sex life would be difficult.
Looking at the treasures that I had managed to protect scattered around, I proudly stretched out my tentacles on the floor.
At that moment, perhaps it was because my senses were dulled amidst the fatigue.
A soft and plump sensation of someone hugging my tentacles tightly brought back my hazy senses.
‘Did you sleep well?’
“Yes… I slept well……”
‘How’s your body… how are you feeling?’
“You saved me…
So I’m okay…… sob…
You tried to save us…
You did so much for us……”
Even Vivian’s touch, caressing the cut ends of the tentacles that still felt tingly, didn’t irritate me.
Perhaps it was because I thought it was her unique sensation that I could feel because she was alive.
Rather, at the touch of Vivian’s fingertips stroking them, and the trembling of her voice that seemed to crack, I diligently stroked her with the few remaining tentacles.
“Actually… I was scared……
I thought I might die… I imagined it……
I thought I would leave you behind…”
Then I felt her desperately clinging to my tentacles, and the feeling of her pleasant embrace.
The few remaining tentacles, enjoying the heavenly softness, felt like they were twitching, thoughtlessly recalling the instinct to preserve the species.
Maybe that’s why it was fortunate.
“I… I want to have… your child……
Give it to me like you did to Lani……
Make something… that I can leave behind for you……”
That she was thinking the same thing as me.
That’s how we were able to confirm each other’s feelings.
‘You worked hard.’
“For… you……
Ah……!! I… I can walk…!!”
And so, unlike usual, a special evening in the lair where everyone else was asleep.
“Ah… Aah…!! Hng… Ahheuaat……♡”
The only sound coming from within the lair, the panting and delicate moans of the queen’s chamber, echoed and brought today’s great event to a close.
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The same day, afternoon.
At Mademoiselle, just before Hye-ryung’s poison had spread.
At the very moment when Vivian’s group and Carla’s group were achieving their respective goals.
A group of humans who had broken through the vanguard sent by Jebi and the surprise encirclement created by Vivian were heading somewhere inside Mademoiselle, tightly united.
“What the hell is going on!!”
A sharp, irritated voice that echoed loudly filled the once-glamorous hallway.
A woman and armed men surrounding and escorting her were barely making their way through the hallway, as if forcibly dragging her along.
That was because the frenzied woman was currently suffering quite a bit of damage.
“Reinforcements are currently on their way, and we’ve reported it to the Public Security Police Department!!
You must evacuate first and plan for the future.”
“That’s not what I mean!!
How much money have I spent all this time!!
Are you telling me you can’t even stop those things and are making a fuss!!”
The overbearing woman, Laratina, had lost all the composure she had shown until now, and was venting all her anger and yelling at the men.
Her secretary-like man was choosing words that would be comforting to her.
“They were initially defending well and even winning…
But suddenly, an unidentified enemy launched a surprise attack…
I don’t know who they are, but they’re elite!!
We’ve requested reinforcements from other businesses, so reinforcements will gather soon.
So now, as quickly as possible……!!”
“Ugh……!! What about the nobles!!
Did you contact the ones I’ve been feeding?”
The nobles she had bribed and built relationships with to receive favors in times like these.
But Laratina’s expression was turning vicious as the man’s words were no different from saying that even those nobles were not helpful now.
“I contacted them, but…
They say it will take time to gather their private soldiers…
This way…!! There’s another exit this way…!!”
The group rushed in the direction pointed out by the man, who also managed some of Laratina’s assets.
They fiddled with various places and, thanks to the man’s actions in opening a secret door different from the one Carla’s group had entered, they quickly led Laratina inside.
They ran through the passage inside the secret door, up and down the stairs, for about three minutes.
“When are we going to arrive!!”
“Please be patient…
It’s almost there……”
They were able to come out inside an empty house about eight blocks away, in what could be considered a completely unrelated place. As soon as they left the house, they were moving along the alley that came out.
“Now, if we just follow this alley a little further, there’s a secret hideout…”
The man who was next to Laratina, encouraging her as if to tell her that they had almost reached their destination.
His words were cut off in the middle, and a muffled sound was heard. Laratina’s scream, startled by the sudden sound coming from nearby, echoed briefly.
“Kyaa!!”
When she looked back, she saw a head, neatly severed and rolling away, stopping at her feet.
Laratina’s face was losing its color at the sight, as if her neck had been cut at once with a sharp wire.
“U… Ugh……!!”
“Am… ambush… Keheok!!”
“Aaaaaah!!”
“Block…!! Block them!!”
Laratina, who was retreating while leaving behind her allied soldiers who were collapsing around her, as assassins seemed to have been lying in ambush, already knowing how they had found out.
“N… No……!!
I don’t want it to end like this…!!”
To escape from the assassins, she was backing away, and then she began to run, fluttering her skirt.
But not only did she step on a bumpy puddle, but she also stepped on her long skirt, causing her to fall right there.
“Aah……!! Ugh…
Aa… A…!! Hiik…!!”
Just as she was about to get up and run away, Laratina felt a cold sensation on her neck, and she froze as if she had been frozen, except for her heavy breathing.
“Wh… Who is it……!!
Do you… know who I am……!?
I’m… asking you now…!!”
Her guards had already been wiped out.
Of course, it was only about ten people, but it was different from the result she had expected, thinking that they would be able to hold out as they were skilled.
Laratina, who had lost even the last thing she could rely on, was desperately shouting with a trembling voice at the person who was holding a knife to her neck.
“H… How much do you want……!?
I’ll give you double… no… four times as much…!!
So……!!”
At that moment, Laratina’s pupils were shaking violently at the sound of something rustling and dragging from the opponent’s neck, and the sound of chains clanging.
“Chains of Silence…… Why……?
That can’t… be……
You guys are… Deckard’s… Augh!!”
At that moment, the opponent silently took the sword away from Laratina’s neck and slammed her face into the ground, causing her to let out a painful scream.
And from the darkness far away, someone was walking out with heavy footsteps, reflected in the corner of Laratina’s vision, her face buried in the ground.
“Ugh… De… Deckard……
Why do you… care……!!
Not even… once until now……!!”
Wearing a thick, long leather coat and leather shoes, and chains wrapped around his body.
The attire of a certain slave trader who makes any slave submit, unable to even muster the courage to resist, rough, hideous, and cruel.
And the man, wearing a very wide-brimmed fedora, made one think of a medieval clergyman.
With indifferent eyes hidden in the shadow of his hat, Deckard was looking down at Laratina, who had her face buried in the ground and was glaring at him with only her eyes.
“Don’t you remember, Laratina?
Wasn’t it not even once?”
“You… you created this position for me……!!
You told me… to become… queen…
Ugh… you told me to……!!
You made me……!! Didn’t you…?
You were the one who connected him and me… Ugh…
You were the one who told me… to have ambition…
I was just doing what you told me to do……!!”
The content of the conversation that some people might find shocking if they heard it.
Perhaps in response to Laratina’s remarks, which may be a secret of the back alleys that had been veiled, Deckard slowly bent his knees and seemed to crouch down in front of her.
“I didn’t think there could be two queens in the world.
Talent that can always be replaced is discarded.
In that sense, there is a new talent who is quite promising.
And Laratina… you haven’t forgotten already, have you.”
As their faces got closer, the distance between their eyes also got closer.
“Your actions have gone too far.
Bringing the back alleys to the surface and selling hidden secrets…
Endangering comrades by touching the Academy…
And yet, you ran away quite diligently with that snake-like movement.
Without even thinking about the shepherd who would come to find the lamb that had strayed from the path.”
Deckard’s thin, slit eyes, in which his eyelashes felt beautiful, were showing a chilling smile, unlike at first.
“Didn’t I say that my motto is honesty and trust?”
Laratina, who was meeting his eyes that reminded her of the abyss, was trembling like a fragile girl compared to her mature body, and was despairing at the ‘judgment’ that would be handed down to her.
“I was… wrong…… I… so…
Sa… Save me…… Please… Save……!!
I don’t want to dieeeeeeeeeee……!!”
