As Allen spoke, his gaze fell on Evelyn, who still lay beside him with her eyes tightly closed.
It was not that he could not take Evelyn and leave this place directly, but if he were to use the Demon King's power to force a way out, his identity would inevitably be exposed.
He was currently hiding his identity at Radiant Magic Academy, showing the outside world only the magical fluctuations of an Intermediate Mage.
Even the Demon Tribe prisoners at the bottom of this valley could not break free from the soul devouring chains, yet he would be able to take someone away with ease. There would be no way to explain that.
Moreover, Evelyn had been injured by the shadowed miasma and had not yet recovered. For now, this place could be considered a relatively safe spot for her to heal.
As for Marcus and those robed figures at the top of the gorge, Allen believed they had already left.
Seeing the two of them fall into what should have been a place of certain death, and being wary of the miasma and unwilling to venture in rashly, they naturally would not waste time lingering here.
Allen kept all of this in mind. He planned that after leaving the Godfall Battlefield and settling Evelyn somewhere safe, he would look for Marcus and personally investigate the background of that group.
Ever since he learned that Evelyn's entire family had died at the hands of the Demon Tribe and that she harbored a deep hatred for Demons, Allen's thoughts had grown even heavier.
He did not want to reveal his true identity as the Demon King and hurt Evelyn's heart, nor did he want his exposure to disrupt his own plans.
He glanced down at the dim, lightless armor around his body, his feelings a mixture of many things.
This suit of light armor that Evelyn had sent with the last of her magic could not withstand the shadowed miasma at the bottom of the valley at all.
The moment it touched the miasma, its protective power had already been exhausted, yet he knew clearly that this had been Evelyn's final means of saving his life.
That sentiment only strengthened Allen's resolve to protect her at all costs.
Allen then turned to Moloch and gave him a few careful instructions."You must act with great caution. I am currently carrying out a secret plan."
"I need to hide my identity and stir the situation from the shadows. You must not expose me under any circumstances."
"Go. Take people to the human stronghold city states and bring those few back. Spare their lives. How you deal with the rest is up to you."
"Find a reasonable pretext. Say they trespassed into Demon Tribe borders. Do not let it lead back to me."
Moloch nodded repeatedly in excitement, fully believing in Allen's secret plan. To him, being able to follow such a far sighted Demon King was a turning point after a hundred years of imprisonment.
"I understand! I will handle it cleanly and efficiently and will never cause you any trouble!"
Allen looked up at the rolling shadowed miasma above and asked,"Is there a way for me to leave here without exposing my identity?"
He needed to balance secrecy with Evelyn's safety. He could not break through by force the way he had when sending Moloch away.
All three of Moloch's heads turned at once as he thought quickly. He immediately bowed and replied,"Yes! I have a way!"
"Please rest assured. Leave this to me! As long as I can get out of here, I will have them help you leave this place without anyone knowing!"
"I guarantee the entire process will be reasonable and justified, and your identity will not be exposed!"
Allen nodded in satisfaction, thinking that this Moloch was indeed clever and quick to understand, someone who could be of use.
"Good. Go."
As his words fell, a vast surge of shadow magic gathered in Allen's palm, and he struck fiercely toward the miasma above.
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In an instant, the violent magic swept across the area. The churning miasma rapidly receded, and the crisscrossing soul devouring chains seemed to be guided by an unseen force.
They parted to either side, opening a wide passage that led straight to the top of the gorge.
Moloch nodded excitedly and leapt into the passage Allen had opened, climbing rapidly. His six arms alternated in exertion, and in an instant, his figure vanished at the end of the corridor.
Opening the soul devouring chains at the bottom of the valley required immense magical power, but for Allen, who possessed the power of the Demon King, it was effortless.
After sending Moloch off, Allen's gaze returned to Evelyn. His voice, low and tinged with apology, whispered,"I'm sorry, Evelyn."
He was far too powerful, and had never prepared healing potions. Now, to help Evelyn recover, he could only search for anything usable on her person.
Allen carefully searched around Evelyn and eventually found a small storage pouch containing a few healing potions. He took one out and gently poured it into her mouth.
About fifteen minutes later, Evelyn's pale cheeks finally gained a faint flush, and the pain etched between her brows eased slightly.
Seeing this, Allen finally relaxed. He leaned against the rock wall behind him, taking a brief rest.
He raised his eyes to the miasma gathering again overhead. His gaze went blank, but his thoughts gradually drifted, lost in something he did not reveal.
At that moment, Evelyn beside him suddenly furrowed her brows, her eyelashes trembling rapidly. Her hands clenched tightly, palms slick with cold sweat, clearly trapped in a nightmare.
Her breathing grew more rapid, and childhood traumas pulled her into painful memories.
A tall figure shrouded in black robes stood with his hands behind his back. At his feet, a little girl of seven or eight curled up, Evelyn as a child.
The young Evelyn trembled uncontrollably, biting her lips tightly, afraid to make a sound.
But the terrifying figure slowly bent down. When Evelyn looked up, she could not see his face clearly, only a wave of dizziness washing over her.
"Do you hate me?"
The voice reached her ears and pierced straight into her heart.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks. She bit her lips so hard that they bled, yet stubbornly refused to utter a single sound.
The black robed man let out a faint, enigmatic laugh, impossible to read, giving no clue to his emotions.
He slowly extended his right hand, lightly pressing it against little Evelyn's forehead.
The icy chill swept through her entire body in an instant. Evelyn curled up violently, hugging her knees tightly, deathly fear enveloping her small frame.
But the black robed man did not strike to kill her. When Evelyn struggled to open her eyes again, the man had already slowly straightened up.
He left behind only a sigh full of endless regret and said,"I leave it to you…"
In her sleep, Evelyn's body was covered in cold sweat, trembling uncontrollably. Her brows were tightly furrowed, clearly still trapped in painful memories.
Allen beside her noticed her unusual state immediately. He bent over to check on her, concentrating his magic at his fingertips to sense her condition.
Fortunately, she had only been disturbed by a nightmare, and her body was unharmed.
"Did you have a bad dream?" Allen murmured softly, gently wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.
He then leaned back against the rock wall, his gaze falling on her tear-streaked cheeks.
…
In her dream, urgent and sorrowful cries rang in Evelyn's ears:"Evelyn! Evelyn!"
She lifted her head in a daze, deep tears still streaking her cheeks, her vacant eyes staring at the figure rushing toward her.
Her voice was hoarse and barely audible."Aunt Elena… it's only me left…"
The woman rushed to Evelyn, sobbing, and held the little girl tightly in her arms.
Elena's grief-stricken cries tore through the air."Evelyn!"
At that moment, the Demon Tribe had already left, but the once vibrant village now lay in charred ruins.
Among the broken walls, the lingering warmth of fire and the scent of blood remained. The laughter and joy that had once filled the village were gone.
…
At the bottom of Moonshadow Gorge, Evelyn still kept her eyes tightly shut, but tears flowed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Suddenly, a soft voice sang beside her:
"When your legs don't work like they used to before
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks
And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70
And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Oh me I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am
So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
Maybe we found love right where we are
When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades
And the crowds don't remember my name
When my hands don't play the strings the same way, mm
I know you will still love me the same
'Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it's evergreen
Baby your smile's forever in my mind and memory
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe it's all part of a plan
I'll just keep on making the same mistakes
Hoping that you'll understand
But baby now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are, oh
So baby now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Oh darling, place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are"
Allen let out a soft sigh. As he reached the final line of the song, his voice carried a trace of self-mockery and wistfulness:"One day, the answer to my mystery will be revealed."
Just as he quietly reflected, his shoulder suddenly grew heavy as a soft body leaned gently against him.
Allen carefully reached out, gently wrapping his arm around Evelyn's shoulders.
Evelyn's body shivered slightly, her eyelashes trembling, but she did not resist. Instead, she instinctively leaned a little closer to him.
