Chapter 381: Volume 1 Chapter 381 Evil Dragon x Slave x Witch (1)

In the era when demon beasts wrought havoc, disease and famine followed.

Inside Zhucheng, however, it was prosperous and luxurious, filled with rich nobles, followed by wizards, mages, and talisman masters……

The region opposite Zhucheng was the Pinminku, where cannibalism was common, trees withered, land could not be farmed, wells dried up, like hell itself.

Status was strictly divided; once branded with a slave's mark, one could only spend one's life in the dark, sunless Pinminku.

However, rich people often came to pick slaves; once chosen, one could escape the hellish Pinminku and go to the paradisiacal Zhucheng.

Many slaves hoped and prayed to be noticed by the rich.

Those slaves not chosen by the rich grew skin and bone, gnawed on bark, and despondently watched the few crows perched on the dead branches.

"Gah—!"

The hoarse, harsh cries of the crows echoed in midair.

They waited for the slaves to die, then swooped down to peck at flesh and bone.

The air reeked of rotting decay and a heavy aura of death.

In front of a relatively better house in the Pinminku, several people stood.

The fat man wearing a gold chain in front smiled obsequiously, the layers of flesh on his face sagging, bowing and scraping like a pug dog before the person before him.

"How have you been lately, Miss Jiang?"

The girl called Miss Jiang was Jiang Zhi; she wore a hat whose tip grew ever finer, in a gothic witch style, a wide dark robe covering her whole body, revealing only a chin as white as snow.

"Are there any slaves who are hybrids of demon beasts and humans?"

The slave master rubbed his palms, hesitant: "Such slaves are to be executed immediately."

Jiang Zhi rummaged in her pocket, then pulled out a stack of money and threw it at him.

Seeing the money, the slave master's eyes lit up; he smiled narrowly and said, "Please follow me."

He led her to the cellar prison of the wooden house, where several people lay sprawled haphazardly—no, they did not look like humans.

Some had black bat wings on their backs, some had bird talons for legs, and some even had rabbit heads.

"These are all we have, though the price will be a bit higher."

The Half-beasts in the cages seemed to hear their movements, staggering to the bars with appeasing smiles, yet their bodies bore wounds big and small.

The slave master introduced: "Very obedient, specially trained; these Half-beasts fused with demon beasts inherit the beasts' single-minded affection, loving only one person for life—if you abandon them, they will commit suicide rather than flee and retaliate."

Jiang Zhi said nothing, her gaze casually sweeping over the Half-beasts inside.

This world is divided into two regions: one is the prosperous, decadent Zhucheng where the rich and nobles live, along with some professionals who can exterminate demon beasts.

The other region is the Chendi, overrun with terrifying demon beasts, where no grass grows, light is dim, and danger abounds.

And at the edge where Chendi meets Zhucheng lies this Pinminku, inhabited by slaves and the dying; few ever manage to leave.

The body Jiang Zhi inhabits is that of a wizard; her parents were also wizards, all affiliated with the Wizard Association.

Wizard is merely a profession for exterminating demon beasts; there are four others: mage, talisman master, puppeteer, summoner. All professions are collectively called Emissaries.

Each profession is highly restrictive, requiring extraordinary talent—only one in ten thousand people can wield such arts.

The highest nobles of Zhucheng, to restrict them, impose severe punishment on any Emissary found harming others or acting for personal gain.

A hundred years ago, a supreme Emissary erected a barrier over Zhucheng.

Demon beasts cannot enter Zhucheng, so the Pinminku bordering it also escaped harm.

The world's villain is not the slaves in the Pinminku, but the demon beast Evil Dragon sealed in the Forbidden Technique Altar of the Chendi.

In this world, dragons are the most dangerous kind of demon beast, ferocious, loving slaughter, and possessing the power to destroy the world.

But ten thousand years ago, it was sealed by the Forbidden Technique Altar.

As time passed, the Evil Dragon gradually regained its strength; soon it could break the seal and deal a catastrophic blow to the world.

Her mission is: ① save the world, ② conquer the Evil Dragon, and finally obtain its Hatred Value.

Never mind how difficult the preceding steps are; this last item is utterly impossible.

However, she has grown accustomed to it.

This time coming to the Pinminku to select a Half-beast is precisely for that Evil Dragon.

During the few months she has been in this world, she found a dark art in ancient texts.

Capable of fusing one demon beast into the body of another.

The Evil Dragon is also a demon beast; she can try it.

But as the vessel, the other demon beast must be willing for the dark curse to take effect.

Most demon beasts in the Chendi have lost their reason; even if one finds a rational high-level demon beast, it cannot be made willing to serve as the Evil Dragon's vessel.

So she thought of the Half-beasts in the Pinminku; Half-beasts possess human emotions and are also demon beasts, making it not hard to win their willing consent.

"Miss Jiang, these are all the Half-beasts you want."

Jiang Zhi's gaze fell upon a figure curled up in the farthest corner.

The gold-wire glasses on her right eye could measure the affinity between demon beast and Evil Dragon; along the way, only that Half-beast showed the highest compatibility.

"That's him."

The slave master followed her finger to a Half-beast in the cage, stared blankly for a few seconds, then hurriedly said:

"Miss Jiang, this Half-beast is utterly untrainable; no amount of discipline works on him—why not pick another?"

Jiang Zhi shook her head, refusing: "No need to change; I want him."

The higher the compatibility, the harder it is for the Evil Dragon to break free from the Host's body.

As her words fell, the Half-beast curled in the corner suddenly lifted its brow; those eyes, empty and still like a dead pool, met hers through the dim light.