Inside the special cell of Antanas of Protection, the conversation was drawing to a close, and a cooperative partnership had been successfully established.
"Then I will take you out of here. Please assist me for a period of time, and I will ensure your safety. Afterward, I will take you back with me to the Southern Continent to find Talia."
Beneath the bright illumination, the Poet of Great Love gave her promise to the great demon Antanas of Protection.
This was also the fair compensation he could offer Antanas.
"Uh..."
The terms themselves were sound enough.
Yet right after, Antanas realized that if they wanted to smuggle her out, they would have to form a slave contract.
She had never truly considered entering into such a contract, and binding herself that way to a daughter of Talia or Efatia felt somewhat bizarre.
"There's no need to form a slave contract," the Poet of Great Love added.
A demon like Antanas, who was naturally an ally of theirs, required no excessive constraints—a standard transactional pact between demons would suffice.
"However, forcing me out will alert the warden. Besides, Herrom Prison and the Protos Empire will quickly discover my escape."
It was not that Antanas had never broken out of her cell before; or rather, the suppressive barrier and cell wards of Herrom Prison alone could not keep her completely neutralized.
What truly left her powerless were the Great Demon Trial beyond—the Gentle Land of the Fallen—and the warden.
"I prepared a method to swap your identity long ago. I'll handle the warden—all you need to do is follow us."
The Poet of Great Love began walking toward the door, motioning for one of the three Domination priests to step inside as she spoke to Antanas.
"..."
Antanas immediately recalled the bizarre polymorph spells on the two who had entered her cell. They could disguise themselves as humans with utter perfection, duping the Protos Empire entirely.
"Isn't that... a bit too cheap a price on my end?" Antanas asked the Poet of Great Love.
The Poet of Great Love paused, looking back at her.
"Then how about bestowing your title mark upon me as payment for helping you leave Herrom Prison seamlessly?" the Poet suggested.
Hearing this, Antanas was somewhat surprised. She had not expected the request to be for her title mark.
"That's fine with me, but have you thought it through? It won't necessarily be useful to you, and it will permanently take up your soul space."
Generally, after becoming a great demon with one's own title, one could grant that title to the supreme demon one served, or bestow it upon an acknowledged junior to help them become a great demon.
Yet to become a great demon, among the three required marks, there had to be at least one disposition mark and one martial mark, both of which could only be obtained through the Great Demon Trials. A bestowed title mark could not satisfy this decisive condition.
In the present world, the ruins of the Great Demon Trials had mostly been destroyed, leaving virtually no possibility of a new great demon being born.
Her title mark was, at best, a decent passive spell that would permanently occupy a tier of soul space—it was not necessarily worth the cost.
Still, if the other party wanted it, she was willing to grant it.
"No problem," the Poet of Great Love nodded. "I'll fulfill my part of the deal first."
Standing in the doorway, the Poet of Great Love gestured for a female Domination priest to come inside.
"My Lord, is it time for my service?"
The Domination priest bowed deferentially to the Poet of Great Love.
"I am very sorry to trouble you to stay here for a while, but I promise I will get you out later," the Poet assured her.
Rescuing a great demon could not be detected by the Protos Empire for the time being.
For that would also alert the Bishop of Extinction, Askesan.
Only by keeping the great demon's existence completely under wraps could it truly serve as a pleasant surprise for Askesan later.
"It is my honor to assist you, My Lord."
The priestess's eyes shone with veneration. She marveled inwardly: *As expected of the one personally chosen by Lord Bishop of Domination—she truly managed to strike a deal with a great demon.*
Promptly, the priestess activated the specialized targeted [Polymorph: Demon] card given to her by the Holy Son, transforming into the likeness of Antanas of Protection.
Meanwhile, the Poet of Great Love handed another card—[Polymorph: Human], targeted specifically to assume the priestess's appearance—to the astonished Antanas of Protection.
During the days of preparation, Lanqi and the Poet of Great Love had crafted targeted polymorph cards each day, producing six in total. These would allow the three Domination priests and the three great demons to swap identities, enabling the great demons to be escorted openly out of Herrom Prison.
Antanas took the [Polymorph: Human] card with curiosity, activated it, and successfully transformed into the female priest.
"Truly remarkable."
Feeling the polymorph magic woven from demonic script, Antanas could not help but marvel at its wonders and the uncanny craftsmanship of its creator.
During the century she had been locked underground, magic this miraculous—capable of duping the Protos Empire—had actually come into existence.
"Then I shall fulfill my promise as well, and grant you the [Mark of Protection]. May you truly become a great demon one day."
Antanas raised her index finger and gently pointed it before the center of the Poet of Great Love's forehead.
As her words fell, an extraordinary silence descended over the pure-white light and shadow of the cell.
Suddenly, Antanas's eyes flared like the brightest stars in the night sky, carrying an irresistible power.
At that exact moment, her finger drove the fluctuations of magic within the cell to their apex. A sublime might structured from demon innate magic flowed from her fingertip, merging into the space between the Poet's brows.
Light and shadow intertwined like a phantasmagoric dream, beautiful and mysterious.
It was not merely a condensation of mana, but a supreme ritual inheritance belonging exclusively to the demon race.
As the mark took shape on the Poet of Great Love's forehead, the great demon Antanas slowly withdrew her finger.
The immense mana began to subside, but between the Poet's brows shimmered a brand-new imprint radiating profound light—
[Mark of Protection]
[Category: Soul Imprint]
[Rarity: Orange Epic]
[Tier: 1]
[Passive Effect: Grants a degree of magic defense.]
[Remark: Acknowledgment from Antanas of Protection.]
"My innate magic is a full-coverage protective barrier that can detect movements within its bounds and react immediately. The mark derived from it isn't overly powerful either," Antanas said helplessly. Before the bestowal was complete, even a great demon could not know what exact attributes their mark would carry.
"It's very good. Thank you, Miss Antanas," the Poet of Great Love replied, satisfied.
Antanas of Protection's innate magic and barrier expertise made her outstanding whether used for defensive spells or as an overall coordinator for institutional security—an indispensable talent for a school.
"Are you well-acquainted with Sinora the Spellbreaker and Pranay of Truth?" the Poet of Great Love asked after a moment of thought.
"What do you want with them?" Antanas's brows drew together tightly.
Judging from her expression, she clearly had no desire to deal with those two great demons.
"I want to persuade them and bring them out as well," the Poet of Great Love replied.
His purpose in coming here today had never changed.
"...You are completely mad. Besides, their abilities counter mine; I can't beat them, so I might not be able to protect you." Antanas shook her head repeatedly upon hearing the Poet's resolute tone.
She found the little princess's ambition downright terrifying. That aura and commanding presence resembled that of a true sovereign of the demon race.
"Neither of you is an eighth-tier Talia or Efatia. Even if you possess the bloodline of the royal demon scions, they won't hold back out of deference," Antanas added worriedly.
Unlike those two great demons, she was practically family to the two young princesses, so she would always talk things out first no matter what. Those other two might not even give them a chance to speak!
"Which carries more weight—being eighth-tier, or being a great demon?" the Poet of Great Love asked after pondering for a moment.
"A great demon, of course," Antanas replied.
An eighth-tier demon might not necessarily become a great demon, whereas almost all great demons had to reach the eighth tier to attain the mantle.
The Poet of Great Love nodded without saying more.
He was not far off from becoming a great demon himself. It was about time to inspect the fifth basement level.
Chapter 415