Chapter 82: Making the Demon Empress a Slave

To be honest, after hearing the woman’s story, Nolan almost burst out laughing.

Given the nature of the Underworld Gate, it was obvious that the Demon Emperor they wanted to resurrect was her disciple—not her.

But they had made a foolish mistake, wrongly assuming that Alicia was one of the Demon Emperor’s incarnations.

The more Nolan thought about it, the more absurd the whole situation seemed.

He could only feel pity for the old woman who had once possessed Melissa’s body—and for the strange man in the black cloak he had just killed.

In the end, their deaths had been completely meaningless.

When the woman noticed the faint smile on Nolan’s lips, irritation flared within her. But recalling the earlier slap and the man’s mysterious power, she could only grit her teeth and suppress her anger.

"By the way," Nolan said, glancing at her. "What’s your name? How should I address you?"

The woman kept a cold, indifferent expression as she replied, "My name is Malverna Morgathis. You can call me Malverna."

As a Demon Empress, her name was once sacred—something that couldn’t be carelessly revealed. If that rule were broken, anyone who heard it would die instantly.

But now, she was merely a weakened fragment of her former self, far removed from her peak.

Besides, the young man standing before her was far stronger than she was—rendering the curse ineffective anyway.

"Malverna, huh? That’s a beautiful name," Nolan said with genuine admiration.

"Hmph! Of course it is. I was a famous and powerful Demon Empress in my time," Malverna replied smugly.

Nolan rolled his eyes, irritated by her arrogance. Honestly, he wanted to say, "If you were that great, how did you end up getting tricked by your own disciple?"

But on second thought, the remark felt too harsh. Nolan, though known for his bluntness, knew when to hold his tongue.

After all, he had his own plans for Malverna and didn’t want her to hate him more than she already did.

"Well, I won’t mince words," Nolan said flatly. "To be honest, your incarnation is currently in the body of a little girl named Alicia Caltheron. She’s under my protection, and I came here to remove you from her."

His words made Malverna’s chest tighten and her breathing quicken. She had already suspected his visit wasn’t without purpose.

After all, this was a special space—one that ordinary people couldn’t enter.

Now that his true intentions were laid bare, a surge of emotions erupted within her: anger, resentment, unwillingness... and more.

But deep down, she knew resistance was pointless. This man was too strong—and too mysterious.

"However, I’ve changed my mind," Nolan added suddenly. He rubbed her chin and looked at her with a playful glint. "Now that I know who you are, I’m thinking of making you my slave. How does that sound? Do you agree?"

Malverna’s eyes widened, and her face turned red with a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Be your slave?! Are you—"

Before she could finish, Nolan pressed his index and middle fingers to her lips.

"Shhh..." He placed a finger to his lips. "Don’t get emotional. Think carefully about my offer. First off, I’m sure you want to come back to life, right? As it happens, I know a way—and I can guarantee it’ll work."

"Secondly, I’m sure you hold a deep grudge against that bastard disciple of yours, don’t you?" Nolan continued. "You might not know this, but the Demon Emperor died a thousand years ago—slain by two heroes summoned from another world by the supreme leaders of humanity at the time. Since then, the Demon race has become a scattered people, leaderless and in decline."

A faint smile curved his lips as he went on, "But I’ve heard rumors... That man scattered his incarnations across the world, all in preparation for a future resurrection. So tell me—do you really want him to rise again, to regain the glory he once had a thousand years ago, while you fade away as nothing more than a forgotten name in history? Malverna Morgathis, tell me—do you really want that? Don’t you long for revenge after what he did to you?"

Nolan’s words echoed in her mind like the whisper of a devil luring a soul into sin.

If someone asked whether she wanted to live again, the answer was obvious—of course she did.

And now, after hearing that her treacherous disciple had scattered his incarnations throughout the world, her desire for resurrection burned hotter than ever.

But Nolan’s terms were severe—almost intolerable.

As a former Demon Empress, her pride stood above all else.

How could she possibly bring herself to submit as a slave—especially to a mere human, and a young one at that?

As if reading her mind, Nolan tilted her chin upward, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"You don’t need to worry about that," he said evenly. "I don’t intend to keep you as my slave forever."

He held up two fingers. "I only need you to obey me for two years—no, two and a half. After that, I’ll let you go and stay out of your business. Of course, if you become a threat to the world, I won’t just stand by and watch. So, what do you say? Do you agree?"

Nolan wasn’t making the offer out of generosity.

He needed a subordinate who was strong, loyal, and unlikely to betray him—someone capable of helping eliminate Elina’s enemies in the battle for the throne.

Historically, such battles rarely lasted more than two or three years.

That made two and a half years the ideal window to make use of Malverna before setting her free.

Malverna stayed silent, lost in thought. After five long minutes, she took a deep breath and gave a small nod.

She parted her lips to speak—but Nolan’s fingers were still resting against them, drawing an annoyed groan from her.

"Ahem!" Nolan cleared his throat awkwardly and quickly withdrew his hand.

"Bah!" Malverna spat in annoyance, then shot him a hateful glare. "Fine, I accept your terms. But I have one condition of my own."

"Oh?" Nolan raised an eyebrow, surprised but not dismissive. "Go ahead. As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll accept it."

Malverna’s gaze sharpened, and a wave of killing intent radiated from her.

"If my disciple really does return to this world, I’ll be the one to kill him. You must not interfere," she said, her voice cold and resolute.

"That’s it?" Nolan raised an eyebrow, then gave a casual nod. "Alright, fair enough. I had no intention of getting involved anyway."

"Good." Malverna nodded, satisfied. But then her expression turned slightly awkward as she asked, "By the way... how exactly did you form the contract between us?"

To her, the contract was essential—it was the only guarantee that Nolan wouldn’t break his promise. After all, they were strangers. There was no reason for her to trust him.

"Contract, huh? Relax. It’s simple."

Without another word, Nolan leaned forward. Before Malverna could react, he kissed her—his tongue slipping between her lips under her stunned gaze.

Badump!

For the first time, Malverna felt her heart race wildly.

A blush bloomed across her face, spreading from ear to ear, softening her normally icy expression.

But before she could recover, Nolan pulled back and wiped his lips with a faint smile.

"The contract is sealed."

Malverna: "..."

Rage surged within her. The urge to slap Nolan came out of nowhere.

But to her shock, the hand she raised froze mid-air. She stared at it in horror, as if her body no longer fully obeyed her will.

Slowly, she turned to face Nolan, who was now chuckling softly as he met her gaze.

"That’s the contract," he said calmly. "You can’t lay a finger on me... Because from now on, you’re my slave. Understand?"

Without another word, he stood and casually crushed the chains with a fist raised in the air.

The sight left Malverna stunned. "How is that possible? You..."

Her voice trailed off as Nolan extended his hand toward her.

"Let’s go, Malverna."

She hesitated briefly, then took his hand with a firm, resolute look in her eyes.

"Yes."