They surveyed their surroundings before their interest wholly converged upon the Hero.
The intensity of their gaze made the Hero shiver uncontrollably and break out in goosebumps.
"Our ancient Sanctuary... this gift pleases me, girl of humankind."
In the next moment, a segment of the Insect Eye crystals suddenly parted to reveal layers of sharp, serrated teeth beneath, and deep within, a flickering red light vibrated, emitting an echo-like sound, speaking in the distorted Universal Language of the Kingdom.
"Your hatred, your Curse and resentment are so genuine, sparing no effort to seek out that ancient Spell Chant and this Sanctuary, seeking our Strength. It's been ages since I've seen a human like you."
Facing the enormous scorpion that began to speak on its own, the Hero was at a loss for words and thus maintained silence.
The Devouring Curse Demon had slowly descended from the air to the ground, casting a vast shadow over the girl, causing her pupils to constrict.
"Thus, I choose to grant your request, to fulfill your desire, bestowing upon you a Curse that will kill all Goblins."
Gazing down at the diminutive human, the Devouring Curse Demon's echoing voice carried a hint of pleasure.
As its words fell, the Demon's hard shell slowly cracked open, revealing a deep fissure from which darkness churned and a rich stench emanated.
Upon removing the Demon-locking Ring and willingly suppressing the Blessing of Wind Moon Night, the nearly devastating stench almost rendered the Hero faint.
This Chaos was similar to what she had encountered in the Hidden Passage but was more active and contained greater Magic Power.
...And if Hunting Knowledge was not mistaken, this Chaos should be composed of the corpses of the Witch Demon Scorpion and other intelligent beings.
She bowed her head down involuntarily, her entire body trembling slightly, as though enveloped in Fear.
The Insect Eyes around the fissure stared unblinkingly at the girl, savoring her pitiable reaction, as their mouthparts began to speak one after another.
"I will transform your entire body into a Curse against the Goblins.
"They will develop an Obsession for you, be driven to Madness by you, even though you will become weak and helpless before the Goblins...
"But all Goblins who violate you will be rendered infertile."
The mouthparts curved into a sinister smile, mirroring the curve of the Insect Eyes.
"Yes, should every Goblin in the world violate you, then the Goblin Species shall be exterminated." The tone of the Devouring Curse Demon carried a chilling delight,
"However, there is a slight side-effect to this transformation: you will appear as a Goblin to the eyes of humankind, but since you'll spend the rest of your life in the dens of Goblins, that shouldn't be much of a problem, should it?"
The quivering mouthparts settled, and the deep glow fixed its gaze on the Hero, awaiting her reaction.
"...Ah, is that so." After a brief silence, the Hero lifted her head and responded without a trace of emotion.
Her face was expressionless, her gaze calm, as if she had lost all Hope and was indifferent to everything.
"What's the matter, girl of humankind, are you not pleased?"
The nearly thread-thin Insect Eyes alongside the grim mouthparts spoke in bewilderment.
The Devouring Curse Demon observed with interest the girl who had Summoned it.
She possessed a certain Magic Power, but that was all; she likely was not strong enough to defeat Goblins, having perhaps been violated by them at a young age, and hence her intense hatred towards the species.
What a pity, initially it had considered whether to follow the example of the past masters of the Sanctuary, using virgin humans as Shamanesses and breeding grounds.
The Devouring Curse Demon was indeed very satisfied with this long-awaited Summon. If the girl had merely wished to Curse one or two enemies, or even a village, it wouldn't mind fulfilling its duty.
But to exterminate the Goblins through a Curse was almost impossible.
A Curse is not a poison, nor a disease, and it cannot spread limitlessly. To cast a Curse, one must specify the target, or the effect will be negligible.
A Curse intending to annihilate Goblins would mean that it must target the entire Goblin Tribe, making even the most potent of Curses ineffectual when spread across countless Goblins.
However, perhaps transforming this girl would allow the Goblins of one region to be exterminated after decades of violation?
The Devouring Curse Demon awaited the Summoner's reaction with anticipation.
Would she weep and beg for mercy, or collapse and flee in terror?
Regardless, it intended to thoroughly twist the girl's body and soul, although if her reaction proved amusing, it was not opposed to adjusting the effect slightly.
The Devouring Curse Demon thought gleefully.
Despite being a Demon King Level creature, with almost no natural predators besides its own kind, the glories of ancient times were long gone for the Devouring Curse Demon.
In the ancient days, they could domesticate thousands of humans, indulge at will within city-sized lairs, enjoying the offerings from an entire city.
However, now it could only roam the wilderness like a common Magic Creature. Human cities had become no-go zones, and even devouring a few remote and weak villages required extreme caution.
Therefore, although it was a Demon Monster King, it had been a long time since it had toyed with humans in such a manner.
Indeed, it could easily destroy a village or even a town, but once its movements were exposed, it would be met with humankind's relentless vengeance.