Although no one else was there to witness the massacre of the City of Embers, the impact of the city’s destruction soon spread all over the Crucible.
At the center of each of the other ninety-nine major cities, many Devils looked up at the Crucible Ranking tablet in amazement, unable to hide their shock.
The death of two ranked Devils, one after another—of Lord Embers and the Two-Headed Devil—was indeed somewhat surprising, but it was not what startled them.
Instead, it was the new name, ranking third on the list, that caught them off guard.
"Crimson Maiden, 1,046,205 Slaughter Points."
Looking at this strange title, which none of them could recognize, they were filled with confusion.
Although there were many Devils in each Crucible, pretty much all the powerful Devils were well-known.
So, even if any changes occurred in the Crucible Ranking, the person entering the list should at least be somewhat famous.
Yet, none of them could remember ever hearing about this name.
"What happened? Who is this person?"
"Is their rise related to the death of Lord Embers and Lord Nightmare?"
Many Devils questioned, and the more they thought about it, the more tempted they became.
No one knew how strong the so-called Crimson Maiden was and, more importantly, how she obtained her ranking.
Most of them believed that since she was able to rank third, her strength was bound to be overwhelming.
But others had doubts about it.
The death of Lord Embers and Lord Nightmare and her sudden rise were obviously related.
What if this person just so happened to get lucky and profit off their fight?
As these thoughts raced through their minds, many Devils began moving. Among them were quite a few ranked Devils, who were eager to improve their ranking and leave the Crucible.
--
Liora didn’t know the impact her actions had on the Crucible.
At this time, not much time had passed since the Two-Headed Devil’s death, and she was beginning to regain consciousness.
Her body, lying on the ground, trembled slightly, and her eyelids twitched as she slowly opened her eyes.
A haze flashed in her crimson pupils, revealing confusion.
However, as the memories of what had just taken place flooded her mind, the haze quickly faded away.
"So, that is how it is...", Liora whispered and moved her hands, patting her body to throw the dust and rubble off her.
Then, pushing against the ground, she slowly rose to her feet.
The Myriad Devils Armor and the Low-Level Regeneration had worked tirelessly while she was asleep, and by now, most of her injuries had healed.
Even though some of the more severe wounds remained, requiring a little longer to repair, they were at least no longer restricting her movements.
"The consequences of using the Spear of the Blighted Sun are more severe than I expected. Thankfully, everything turned out fine in the end.", Liora muttered, feeling relieved.
Just from the fact that she was still alive despite having lost consciousness, she understood—she had emerged victorious from the battle at the City of Embers.
Among the many powerful beings, including two ranked Devils—the mysterious Two-Headed Devil and the cunning Lord Embers—she stood as the final victor.
Liora knew very well that this was the result of her own efforts and the careful preparations she had made beforehand.
Although it was the Spear of the Blighted Sun that killed Lord Embers, she was able to create it only because she had been accumulating Evolution Points.
These points were the spoils of her previous battles, as well as the massacre she had just carried out.
Moreover, if not for her caution—having spent the past few days carving the Infernal Golem Summoning Array—casting the Spear of the Blighted Sun would have nearly killed her.
"No matter what... It was all worth it.", Liora thought, her lips curving upward without her realizing.
Although it had been difficult and she had nearly died a few times, the gains of the battle were evident.
After glancing briefly at her Slaughter Points and ranking in the corner of her vision, Liora’s gaze shifted toward the words "Crimson Maiden" that had unknowingly appeared above them.
She wasn’t confused by these words’ meaning, understanding that this was the title bestowed upon her by the Will of the Demon World.
Every Devil would be granted such a title upon entering the Crucible Ranking, and even though hers was quite straightforward, it was also strangely fitting.
Whether it was her hair and eyes, or her journey of becoming stronger so far, they had all been dyed in bloody red colors.
"Fortunately, I didn’t get something like ’Butcher Maiden’. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to show my face in the Demon World.", Liora chuckled softly as her thoughts returned to reality.
With the death of everyone, the city had turned into ruins, shrouded in dead silence like a ghost town.
If she wished to, Liora could easily take over it and rule the city, just like the Lord of Embers previously did.
After all, this was one of the major one hundred cities, the location of one of the hundred mysterious Crucible Ranking tablets.
However, she didn’t choose to do so.
In her opinion, becoming a City Lord was merely a waste of time.
Did power, influence, and wealth matter in the Crucible?
The answer was obviously no—the only thing that mattered was one’s own strength.
"Rather than wasting my time cosplaying as a City Lord, I’d rather work hard to enhance my strength.", Liora mused as she wandered through the city’s streets, picking up anything of value she came across.
This was true whether it was the Two-Headed Devil’s blood and soul, or the shattered weapons belonging to unnamed Devils.
Before long, she finally arrived at the city’s center, stopping right in front of the majestic stone tablet.
Taking a look at her name and the two names above it, she approached it slowly before pushing against it, trying to move it.
Unfortunately, the large tablet didn’t even budge under her efforts.
No matter how hard she tried, it remained unmoving, like a silent bystander only existing to witness history.
"As expected. It deserves to be something given by the Demon World.", Liora clicked her tongue, knowing that her idea of taking it away would never work.
Realizing this, she didn’t make any further attempts. It was clear that these stone tablets were not supposed to be taken away.
She didn’t know if trying to steal them would anger the Will of the Demon World and cause it to bring down punishment. And she wasn’t planning to take the risk.
The shadow beneath her rippled it and, like a gluttonous beast, devoured her figure.
Complete silence shrouded the City of Embers once again, as it stood empty, waiting for the next Devils to arrive.