Chapter 107: Chaotic Madness

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When Maya regained consciousness, Zane had already left the room. Only the scattered clothes on the floor and the disheveled bed bore silent testimony to what had transpired.

“I...”

Gazing up at the pitch-black ceiling, Maya blinked slowly. Her mind was still a chaotic whirl, and her body felt as limp as cooked noodles—utterly devoid of strength. She emitted a faint moan, reaching out to rest her hand gently on her slightly swollen abdomen, sensing the warm, pulsing life within. She felt like a bucket filled to the brim with water—any slight movement would spill its precious contents onto the ground.

The dark elf maiden now lay on the bed as if she had just endured a fierce battle, exhausted yet deeply satisfied, savoring the lingering aftermath. It took her a long while to piece everything together. She had hoped to use her charm to approach that mage, to secure his aid above all else. According to Maya’s plan, her own body would be the key to achieving this goal. If she could grant that mage unparalleled pleasure, he would become hers to command.

But events had taken an unexpected turn. The man shattered her defenses, breaking through effortlessly. Maya found this unbelievable. She had invested countless hours training herself to maintain composure even in moments of utmost vulnerability. Yet now, all those efforts seemed worthless. No matter how she struggled, the mage always found her weaknesses—some so deep even Maya herself was unaware of them. In his presence, she reverted to a fragile, timid dark elf girl, not the gifted high priestess she had always been.

What was going on?

Frowning deeply, Maya racked her brain. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright, her eyes glinting with fervent light.

It was Ros! This must be a reward from the Spider Goddess herself!

As a high priestess, Maya had never before received a direct blessing or reward from Ros. But like all dark elf priestesses, she yearned for the glorious favor of the Spider Goddess. Many tales circulated in the priestess academy about Ros bestowing blessings on those she favored, invariably granting them supreme pleasure.

Supreme pleasure!

At that thought, Maya’s eyes sparkled vividly. Last night, she indeed felt that joy—a transcendent ecstasy. She felt herself sinking entirely into it, and in fact, she did lose herself completely, her mind shattering beyond endurance into endless oblivion.

That must be Ros’s reward and blessing!

Now, Maya was certain. She had drawn Ros’s attention. That mage—the emissary of Ros—had come to bestow this gift upon her! Ordinary dark elf men could never possess such skill, nor breach her meticulously trained mental barriers so effortlessly. Only Ros, the exalted Spider Goddess, wielded such power.

A radiant smile spread across Maya’s face. She believed her own deduction, for she had invited that mage, brought him into the Dinavore family, and presented him before the matron. She had helped him fulfill his mission smoothly. Thus, the Spider Queen used this man to grant her pleasure and blessing. At this moment, Maya felt indescribable bliss. She bowed her head, closed her eyes, murmuring prayers, then rose to her feet.

But this time, Maya’s eyes shone with confidence.

She had received Ros’s blessing, and Maya believed that if she could once again please Ros, she could relive that soul-immersing rapture from the mage. At the thought, she instinctively licked her lips. In this moment, she thought of her sister and mother. Her sister had pushed forward Ros’s plans but failed. Her mother had lost Ros’s favor as well. Clearly, they were both failures.

Perhaps this was her best chance to prove herself to the goddess.

Having made her decision, Maya stepped out of her chamber, heading toward the matron’s audience hall. Along the way, she passed numerous dark elf warriors strengthening their defenses against a possible second attack. Yet Maya knew well that no family would dare assault them again so soon. Zane’s devastating destructive magic was formidable, but his control over the lower realm’s demons was of greater concern to the dark elves. He had forcibly reclaimed command over those infernal beings under a powerful matron’s contract—who knew if he could do so again? In Malsobris, every strong family was entangled with demonic entities. None wished to suffer the same fate as Matron Henet when attacking the Dinavore clan.

This would be a good beginning.

As this thought crossed her mind, Zane’s image appeared once more, prompting a sweet, blissful smile. She liked this man—he was the Spider Queen’s emissary, her instrument. And he was her only link to the goddess. Maya had seldom been interested in men, but perhaps he was the exception. If it was him... At that moment, her gaze grew distant, a strange crimson symbol flickering in her pupils before fading silently.

If it was him, she could give everything.

At that moment, Maya felt no hesitation—as a dark elf priestess, this thought troubled her not in the slightest.

She lifted her chin and entered the hall, soon spotting Verna standing across the room. This piqued her interest. For some reason, Maya was now deeply curious about anything related to Zane. Wearing her usual smile, she approached and extended her hand in greeting.

“Hello, Captain of Arms. How are things?”

“All is normal. No major issues for now. Even if other families attack, these troops can hold long enough,” Verna replied promptly.

After Zane’s warning, Verna had been watching this young priestess carefully. Though Maya might be less than half her age, her cunning rivaled any matron’s. Verna had no desire for insincere pleasantries with a high priestess. In fact, she was surprised to hear Maya’s greeting—there was usually little direct communication between high priestesses and captains of arms, save for mutual needs. And besides, Maya was not male!

“I still need to check the defenses over there...” Verna said, turning to leave.

Just then, as if remembering something, Maya abruptly asked, “By the way, where is the mage? That honored mage?”

Verna paused, then shook her head. “Him? I’m not sure. Maybe sleeping in his room?”

To Verna, this was a simple reply. But Maya’s reaction was unexpected. The moment Verna spoke, Maya lunged forward like a wild beast, wielding the snake-headed whip in her hand, fiercely wrapping it around Verna’s neck, pinning her against the wall.

“Do not disrespect the honored mage!”

Maya shouted hoarsely, as if someone had insulted her sacred faith itself. Even Verna was startled. She had seen high priests display capricious moods before, usually to confuse enemies. But Maya’s fury was genuine and unabashedly displayed before her, which surprised Verna greatly. Her hand, which should have drawn her longsword, hesitated.

“Ah, sorry,” Verna stammered.

Yet in the next moment, Maya seemed to realize something. She quickly released the whip and bowed to Verna with an unimaginable reverence, as if addressing not a captain of arms but the clan matron herself.

“I did not mean to lose my temper. Please forgive my rashness. I just believe you should show more respect to the honored mage.”

Having said this, Maya raised her head, smiling apologetically yet kindly, then turned to leave. Verna watched the young girl’s retreating figure with puzzlement. She was certain Maya was no longer herself. Yesterday, she had been an ordinary, normal dark elf woman. Now, she had become something entirely different.

Verna was no stranger to punishment for speaking ill of Zane—Patilina had once threatened her. But Maya was different. Her dissatisfaction was sincere, and her attitude respectful. Such behavior was hardly expected from a dark elf priestess. They rarely showed such concern for others. Moreover, the gleam in Maya’s eyes seemed strange, as if the being before Verna was not a dark elf but a beast cloaked in dark elf skin.

Thinking this, Verna reached up to touch her neck, still burning from the snake-headed whip’s grip, but her mind was on another question.

What had Zane turned this dark elf into?

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(To be continued.)