NOVEL WEB Chapter 397: Plans Are Constantly Changing
Despite knowing who was most likely responsible for Luna's predicament, Alice and Andusia couldn't help but be puzzled by this situation. This was because neither of them had noticed the activation of magic nearby. Meanwhile, the act of remotely draining a pseudo-Demon King's mana was not something the average person could accomplish. If ordinary people had the technology to accomplish such a feat, the human realm wouldn't have any need for the Hero. The Demon King wouldn't be regarded as an unstoppable disaster, either.
"That Haydn is only a human king. With his strength, there's no way he can develop such a ridiculous spell... There's also no doubt that this long-distance draining spell is at the taboo level," Andusia sternly said as she sat next to Luna's head. If not for her body being made out of Living Wood, which caused a change to the properties of her mana, she would have most likely suffered the same predicament as Luna. "This taboo...might have even touched upon laws."
Taboos that involved the laws of the world were incredibly rare. Out of the taboos Alice knew, Psychokinesis Transcendence, developed by the Third Demon King Clyde Vapula, was the only taboo that touched upon laws.
If they were dealing with a Law-grade taboo here, it made sense Luna would get affected by it, especially when she wasn't prepared against it.
Meanwhile, the fact that Haydn had not only gotten his hands on the Pollution Roulette but also a suspected Law-grade taboo must most likely mean that he was connected with a former Demon King. Haydn might even have a Demon King's soul by his side planning all these things for him…
More importantly, Haydn had most likely collected enough demon mana from Luna already.
A Demon King's mana pool was significantly larger than the average human and demon. Even if Luna wasn't a full-fledged Demon King, she still possessed a mana pool far greater than the average person. Although Alice didn't know how much demon mana was needed to modify Demon King's Shadow from a summoning-type taboo to a possession-type taboo, the amount of mana Luna had lost was most likely enough for Haydn to begin carrying out his plans.
I originally wanted to give the key to Lilith and have her deal with Haydn, but…it doesn't seem like I have any more time to waste, Alice concluded. Although she didn't know how much time Haydn needed to complete the possession process, she highly doubted it would take so long that she could afford to wait for Lilith to make a decision and start to take action.
Moreover, Alice noticed that Luna's complexion was worsening as time passed. It was evident that whatever spell was draining Luna's mana was still continuing to do so. It also seemed that Luna's mana production was having difficulty keeping up with the drain rate.
If Luna remained in this overdrawn state for a long time, it wouldn't be long before her life force dried up. Should that happen, it went without saying Luna would die. So, Alice needed to find Haydn and interrupt his magic immediately.
"Andusia, pass this key to Lilith and tell her how to use it. Then, tell her everything about Haydn's actions. Also, have her contact her brothers. They need to get ready to deal with a kingdom without a king soon," Alice said as she handed the golden key recording Haydn's crimes to Andusia. Then, after seeing Andusia embrace the key half her height, Alice continued, "I'm going to find Haydn now and interrupt whatever magic he is using."
Haydn was a cautious person who didn't even dare to share the details of his plans with Gunst. So, the core of the magic affecting Luna must be placed by his side. Moreover, it should most likely be set up in a place he visited most often. So, finding Haydn should be very easy.
"Are you going alone? I'm sure you have also figured it out, right? Since that human can get his hands on not just the Pollution Roulette but also a special taboo that can remotely drain a Demon King's mana, he must come across a Demon King's legacy or, worse yet, have a Demon King supporting him," Andusia said as she hugged onto the golden key.
Andusia didn't ask how she should inform Lilith about the key's secrets using her figurine body. With her mana reserves, she had plenty of ways to do so without exposing herself. Rather than that, she was more concerned that Alice would face Haydn alone:
"You are still far from being a match for a full-fledged Demon King. If that fellow really does have a Demon King supporting him, you might not be a match."
Alice was naturally aware she wasn't a match for a full-fledged Demon King. Miriya Hampar had already taught her during their fight in Demon King City.
Alice's combat experience was vastly inferior to a full-fledged Demon King. If Haydn truly did have a Demon King's soul supporting him, Alice would definitely be put at a disadvantage if it came down to a fight.
"Don't worry. Even if I can't win, I can still hold on for some time," Alice said. She naturally didn't think she could beat a Demon King all by herself. However, she should have no trouble holding her ground for some time with her arsenal of panties. "Once you hand this thing to Lilith, come and help me right away. You should have a way to detect my location, right?"
"You…" Andusia sighed. However, she did not refute Alice's arrangement since she knew Alice was doing so out of worry for Luna's current state. Not daring to waste any more time, she raised her hand and conjured a crystal using her mana. Then, after handing the crystal to Alice, she said, "Hold onto it. I can use it to detect your location. I'll come and help you once I hand this key to that princess."
"I'm counting on you."
Alice nodded and accepted the mana crystal. Then, she left the house in a hurry.