Chapter 309 Blood gushed out from Hayden's neck. His eyes widened with resentment. He tried to speak, but no words came out, and there was nothing he could do. Even if he had infinite mana, he could not escape from the binds of human flesh.
The Demon Slayer had pierced through his vitals.
He fell to the floor in a crumpled heap and died.
The thirty-six Golden Divine Beads he once held scattered all over the ground.
By then, Jonathan and the others had regained their composure.
They felt a twinge of regret in their hearts. After all, the monks from Daphunova Temple were not bad people. They felt guilty for killing them.
Yet, the four of them were not ordinary people and had decisive minds. What's done is done. There's no need to dwell on it.
Jeff said grimly, “We can't underestimate the abbot's divine beads. | will bring them back and fashion them into
something else.” Naturally, Jonathan and the others did not try to stop him.
After Jeff collected the thirty-six Golden Divine Beads, they all got into the car and left the place.
The view before their eyes became clearer after Jonathan drove some distance away.
Soon, they arrived safely at the entrance of Pearl Building.
Upon stopping the car, Jonathan carried Zoe, and they entered the building.
The underground base of Pearl Building was brightly lit.
Inside, the room was filled with priests sitting cross-legged on the floor. They were entirely focused on setting up a formation that had four light and dark fish and two eight trigrams cleverly arranged in the center.
In the surroundings were countless wind chimes, windmills, and runic seals.
The runic seals were authentic seals that were made by Jeff himself, and they could hold a large amount of spiritual
power.
While the formations were up, no ordinary wind should have been able to enter the base. However, the windmills spun rapidly. A pleasant scent filled the air, and the people who had just entered the place immediately felt revitalized.
Jeff led the way and headed straight to the operation room.
He had already made preparations and had the room set up in advance.
Under Jeff's lead, they arrived at their destination. The doctors, surgical instruments, and sterilization equipment were all ready.
Jonathan walked into the room and placed Zoe on the operating table. The moment he set her down, Zoe immediately woke up and held his hand. Her forehead was beaded with sweat as she cried out fearfully, “Mr.
Lawson, help me!” Jonathan stared at Zoe in shock. A pleading look and helplessness filled Zoe's eyes.
Despite her plea, Jonathan was not about to be soft- hearted. He apologized and broke away from Zoe's grasp.
“I hate you!” Zoe cried.
“It doesn't matter,” Jonathan replied indifferently. He did not care if she hated him since he had not let her down. If it weren't for them, Zoe would have been killed by the people from Daphunova Temple.
Turning to Jonathan, Jeff said, “You may feel uncomfortable since you're a man. Go wait outside.” Jonathan nodded in response and exited the operating room. Jeff remained in the room. After all, he would be the one to deal with the cacodemon when it was born.
Jonathan stood there and waited quietly outside the operating room.
It was not too torturous a wait because he was actually looking forward to the birth of the cacodemon and find the Infant King's subordinate. He hoped that nothing bad would befall Mabel.
At that moment, Jonathan's phone rang. It was a message from an unknown number.
The message read: I'm leaving.
Jonathan knew the unknown number belonged to Amber and that the message was from her. Truth be told, he could not comprehend, nor did he care much about Amber's sentimental behavior and hesitation. At that moment, Mabel's safety was the only thing at the forefront of his mind.
He texted back: Have a safe trip.
Approximately half an hour later, a baby's cry sounded from the operating room.
Startled, Jonathan got to his feet.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe cacodemon is born! “Do you think you can escape? Not a chance!” Jeff's voice also sounded from the room.
He hurriedly produced a gilt bronze bowl and confined the infant in it.
An infant about the size of a puppy lay in the bowl, its body covered in blood and a layer of substance. Its eyes were closed.
Mabel and Beatrix came over to check out the commotion.
Jeff hurriedly carried the gilt bronze bow! to the center of the formation.
He sat down cross-legged in the formation and tapped the infant on the forehead.
With that, the infant stopped moving.
Once Jonathan ascertained that the situation was under control, he turned to Mabel and asked, “How's Zoe doing?” “She's fine. The doctors here are all at the top of their class. They're currently stitching her up,” Mabel replied.
Jonathan let out a sigh of relief.
Mabel added, “I think Zoe will hate for your this.” Jonathan smiled wryly. “She can join the queue. Anyway, | have a clear conscience.”
Mabel sighed. “I should be the one she hates.” “Let's not be so sentimental. We don't owe her anything.” Mabel fell silent, and they both turned their attention back to Jeff.
Shortly after, Jeff retracted his finger.
“What's the matter, Chief Yount?” Jonathan asked anxiously.
He was afraid that after all that they had done, Jeff would tell him that it was impossible. Standing up, Jeff replied, “I managed to get a general sense of the direction, but we will need the cacodemon to lead the way. I've implanted a sort of directional pulse in its mind. It will lead us to the Infant King's subordinate.” “Does this mean we can't get rid of the cacodemon now?" Mabel asked worriedly.
“I'm afraid so.” Jeff nodded.
“Would the cacodemon somehow turn against us and ‘cause a ruckus?”
Master Gardner said that our fates were intertwined with the cacodemon's. Are we going to fulfill the prophecy? “Let's take one step at a time. If it's in the cacodemon's fate to survive, there's nothing we can do about it,” Jeff replied.
He viewed the situation with an open mind.
Mabel could not afford to be lax since it concerned her life and death, so she did not refute Jeff's words.
“All right, there's no time to lose. Let's go!” Jonathan declared.
The Infant King's primordial spirit that was buried in Mabel's forehead was a ticking time bomb. The sooner they found the Infant King's subordinate, the better it was for her.
Subsequently, the group of people quickly left Pearl Building and got into the military car.
Jeff brought the gilt bronze bowl that contained the ccacodemon baby with him.
The cacodemon baby was going to act as a navigation
device of sorts.
“We'll head to Kransbay first,” Jeff said to Jonathan.
Approximately two hundred kilometers away, Kransbay was a city located on the periphery of Yaleview.
Jonathan floored the gas the entire way, and they arrived in just a little over an hour.
When they arrived in Kransbay, Jeff held up the gilt bronze bowl and tried to communicate with the cacodemon baby from time to time.
However, his attempts were not very successful. Opening its eyes, the baby stood up in the bowl and shrieked at Jeff in an excruciatingly ear-piercing voice.
Anyone could see that the creature was definitely not an ordinary infant.
A normal baby would have died ages ago from exhaustion from all its screaming.
Everyone turned to look at Jeff. “What's the matter?”
Smiling wryly, Jeff said, “I think it's hungry.” Jonathan felt a headache coming. “Does it want milk? Would fresh milk from the supermarket do?” “What it needs isn't milk, but blood,” Jeff said.
Jonathan's eyes sparkled. “That's even better! We have plenty of blood! I'll feed it.” “It can't be satisfied by just any—" Before he could finish speaking, Jonathan had already bitten the skin on his own finger and put it inside the ccacodemon baby's mouth.
The infant sucked on Jonathan's finger hungrily, like a parched land that had finally seen rain after a long drought.
“Well, I'l be damned!” Jeff did not know what else to say.
The infant continued to suck for five minutes, so much so that Jonathan actually felt a little lightheaded, before letting go.
The infant had grown visibly bigger before their eyes and could no longer fit in the bowl.
Interestingly, the dried substance and various bloody bits stuck on the cacodemon fell off by itself, revealing a pearly white body that looked just like a small baby. The only thing that set it apart from an ordinary infant was the little tail on its back.
Gurgling with contentment and joy, the cacodemon baby pounced on Jonathan. As it could not speak, it showed affection by licking Jonathan's finger tenderly, like a small and adorable pet.
Jonathan found the creature interesting, but he was still mindful of it. He wasn't about to lose himself to the ccacodemon baby.
“What's going on?” Jonathan asked Jeff.
Jeff smiled wryly. “The cacodemon baby hasn't regained the memories from its previous life. Currently, it thinks of itself as a newborn baby. It thinks you're its mother because you fed it.” “Well, damn! Can't | be its father instead?” The cacodemon baby continued to cling to Jonathan.
Subconsciously, Jonathan's paternal instincts were triggered, and he, too, began to feel affection for the tiny creature.
It was then that Jonathan finally understood Zoe's feelings.
Amused, Mabel reached out a hand to tickle the ccacodemon baby. Unexpectedly, the cacodemon baby immediately opened its mouth and shrieked at Mabel, startling the latter with its vicious behavior.
“Stop!” Jonathan ordered as he tapped the cacodemon baby's forehead. “Mabel is a good friend of mine. | want you to get along with her, got it?” Nodding, the cacodemon baby mewled and buried itself in Jonathan's arms, acting like a tame little kitten.
Mabel and Beatrix stared at the cacodemon in awe. The former reached out to stroke it again. This time, it did not reject her touch, but they could see that it was a little upset.
Even Beatrix, who was usually a calm person, could not resist the urge to reach out to stroke the cacodemon baby
after witnessing the adorable scene before her.
Just as the cacodemon baby was about to throw a tantrum, Jonathan scolded, “Little rascal, behave yourself! You should respect your elders.” Grudgingly, the cacodemon baby allowed Beatrix to touch it.
Chapter 310 In all honesty, the cacodemon baby was as beautiful as a porcelain doll, with eyes a dazzling shade of azure.
The only differences between it and an ordinary child were the long, slender tail and slightly pointed ears that gave it an elfish look.
Despite the cuteness overload, the cacodemon baby was anything but docile, and everyone could feel the demonic energy radiating off of it. It was, without a doubt, bursting with unbridled rage and ferocity.
What was interesting, though, was the fact that the baby was only friendly toward Jonathan. Needless to say, the latter was immensely proud of his achievement.
Jeff, however, knew he had more important matters to focus on. After all, he needed the cacodemon baby's help to track down the Infant King's subordinates. “Hand me the baby,” he said, looking at Jonathan.
Jonathan nodded without hesitation and was about to place the baby in Jeff's arms when the little one started getting reckless. The next second, it opened its gaping mouth and
bared its fangs as it tried to bite down on Jeff's hand.
Seeing how aggressive the cacodemon baby was, Jeff swiftly dodged the attack and pressed a finger between its eyebrows. Even though the baby was immediately immobilized, it continued to snarl and growl.
“Be good, little one!” Jonathan comforted as he patted the baby's head. “Jeff won't hurt you.” The cacodemon baby instantly quieted down, but even then, one could see the exasperation and fear in its eyes.
Once again, Jonathan caressed the baby's head and cooed, “There, there. Daddy's here.” Wow, | think I'm getting pretty good at being a father.
Sure enough, the baby mewled and settled back into a calm, relaxed state.
“How unnecessary,” Jeff said impassively before using the cacodemon baby as a fulcrum to search for the Infant King's subordinates.
With nothing more to say, Jonathan and the rest kept their
eyes on Jeff.
Five minutes later, the latter finally withdrew his finger.
Having regained its freedom, the cacodemon baby yelped with joy and leaped back into Jonathan's arms, eager to be coddled and cosseted.
Upon witnessing that scene, everyone couldn't help but chuckle with amusement.
Jeff, too, shook his head and gave a wry smile. “The ccacodemon is the king of all negative energy objects. It's so terrifying that not even the soul emperor can hold a candle to it. That's why the people from Daphunova Temple feared its arrival into our world. It's the king of souls, for goodness’ sake... Alas, who knew it'd have such a tender side to it?" Jonathan felt himself bubbling over with joy as soon as he heard those words. Then again, how could he not? The ccacodemon was none other than the king of souls! However, he quickly recalled the matter at hand and glanced at Jeff. “Well? Have you found them?”
By then, Beatrix and Mabel had also turned their attention to the latter.
“We're in the right direction. If we continue westward for another hundred miles, we'll reach Pinelake Mountain Forest, where those negative energy objects are currently hiding,” Jeff replied with a nod. “Forests and mountains have always been their preferred dwelling place, but it's almost impossible to track them down with ordinary spells.
That's why | haven't had much luck until now. Truthfully, if it weren't for the cacodemon baby, | doubt things would end well for Mabel. Fate sure works in mysterious ways, huh?” Overwhelmed with gratitude, Mabel threw a glance at Jonathan.
Jonathan's my lucky star! He's the reason I'm still alive! “I guess that's what people mean by good begets good!” Jonathan said, shrugging it off with a smile.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHa! Who knew an unintentional action on my part would end up saving Mabel's life? | don't think I'm blessed with luck, though. | think I've just been rewarded for my good deeds. If Zoe had bumped into Beatrix that day, | reckon
Beatrix would've left after giving up the taxi to her. Mabel, too, would've done the same. There's no way she'd have accompanied Zoe to the hospital. Doing good does attract good fortune! They may seem unrelated, but the truth is, they go hand in hand! Not long after, the group piled into the car and continued on their journey.
The cacodemon baby refused to leave Jonathan's side even as he drove, so it sprawled on his shoulder and snarled at anyone who dared touch it.
Unsurprisingly, Mabel was a little worried about Jonathan's safety. After all, how could anyone be sure the baby wouldn't hurt him? “It's okay. The cacodemon baby is still pure-minded and only wants to love and depend on Jonathan. It's not going to hurt him,” Jeff said. “But | hope you won't be fooled by its appearance, Jonathan. As a cacodemon, it's born with a demonic energy that will only get stronger as it grows, to the point where it might even get out of control. When that
time comes, you'll have to keep your distance. Otherwise, | have no doubt your life will be in danger.” Once again, Jonathan's curiosity was piqued. “We'll be leaving the cacodemon baby after tracking down the Infant King's subordinates and helping Mabel refine the Infant King's primordial spirit, no? What's all this talk about it growing up?” “That's because we don't need to wait years for a ccacodemon to grow. It might happen overnight.” That realization sent Jonathan reeling in shock. “So, once we've completed our mission, how do you plan to deal with the cacodemon, Chief Yount?” “I'l kill it, of course!” Startled, Jonathan hastily glanced at the cacodemon baby.
Thankfully, the latter didn't understand Jeff's words and barely reacted.
However, when it saw Jonathan looking at it, it immediately nuzzled against him.
In that instance, Jonathan felt a slight twinge of guilt. Oh, no. It'll be rather cruel to kill it...
“Jonathan, are you reluctant to see it go?” Jeff suddenly asked.
Upon hearing the man's question, Jonathan froze. He's right. | can't bear to let the cacodemon die. Besides, killing it will be far too ruthless. | don't know if the cacodemon will harm us in the future, but for now, it has helped Mabel and me a lot! On top of that, it trusts me so much! How can | bring myself to kill something that has helped me unconditionally? No. That will be unjustifiably harsh. Damn it. I can't tell Jeff that. It'll make me seem immature...
“Of course not!” he finally said through gritted teeth.
“Okay. Good.” Just like that, no one else uttered a single word for the rest of the journey.
Jonathan focused on driving and sped through the night.
By the time the group finally arrived at the foot of Pinelake
Mountain Forest, it was already three in the morning.
They could no longer proceed in their car and had to walk up the mountain path instead.
The meandering road was rough and bumpy, and it didn't help that the overcast sky had shrouded the area in absolute darkness.
Right at that moment, the cacodemon baby was hungry again.
However, just as Jonathan was about to feed it, Jeff stopped him.
“We're nearing our destination, Jonathan. The more you feed it, the faster it'll grow.” Jonathan's heart skipped a beat as he withdrew his finger, albeit reluctantly. Alas, the cacodemon baby instantly burst into tears, sounding so pitiful that the poor man almost couldn't bear it.
With that, the group continued marching up the path until they were in the mountains.
Jeff once again rested a finger on the cacodemon baby's forehead, rendering it quiet and calm.
As soon as he retracted his finger, there was no mistaking the joy in his eyes. “There are more than three hundred subordinates of the Infant King in this forest, and each of them carries a trace of his negative energy. They'll be perfect for Mabel!” One thing was clear—the Infant King hadn't nurtured so many subordinates to form an army or to dominate the world. Instead, it was using these humans to cultivate and boost his powers.
Unfortunately, its precious supplements were soon going to benefit others.
In any case, the Infant King had no one but himself to blame for how things had turned out. After all, karma wouldn't have slapped him in the face if he hadn't resorted to such monstrous acts in the first place.
Jonathan and the others were just as excited, and Mabel, especially, could feel her breath quickening.
‘Who would want to die if they had the option to live? A glint suddenly flashed across Jeff's eyes. “I've memorized the vitality frequencies of the Infant King's subordinates, so we no longer need the cacodemon to track them down.
Let's kill it before it grows. | don't want to risk having it wreak havoc in the future.” Jonathan drew back in shock. “What? You want to kill it right now?” Mabel, too, found that hard to accept. “Chief Yount, must we really kill the cacodemon?” Only Beatrix remained silent, and it was impossible to tell what was going through her mind.
“If you don't Kill it now, it will grow and return to Thymion to rule over all other spirits and demons. Can you imagine how disastrous the consequences will be?” Jeff said as he looked at Jonathan and Mabel. “When that happens, we'll all be responsible for letting it run amok and cause harm to humankind. It's a heavy cross we'll have to bear for the rest of our lives. Is that what you want?”
Jonathan immediately fell silent. As much as he understood Jeff's concerns, killing the cacodemon was still a tall order to him.
“By the way, don't forget that this cacodemon hasn't recovered the memories from its past life. Once it has, it will no longer have any affection for you,” Jeff added bluntly. “What baffles me is why the two of you are so bothered about this matter.” Mabel turned to gaze at Jonathan. She knew the latter was kind-hearted, so all she could do was try to talk some sense into him. “Jonathan, Chief Yount is right. We should do as he says.” “If you can't bear to do it, I'll help you,” Jeff said before taking a step forward to do the deed.
Even though the cacodemon baby couldn't understand what was happening, it instinctively felt fear and clung to Jonathan. All it wanted at that moment was to hide in the man's arms for safety.
“Wait a minute, Chief Yount!” Jonathan piped up.
“What is it?” Jeff snapped.
“Listen, the cacodemon has been a great help to us, and it doesn't feel right to Kill it just like that. No matter how dangerous it may become in the future, you can't deny that it has served us well, can you?” “What are you trying to say?” “In Chanaea, even prisoners on death row get a last meal of their choice. Can you at least let me feed it one more time? It'll be my way of returning the favor too.” Jeff, who was utterly taken aback, gave Jonathan a weird look. He couldn't understand the latter's train of thought, but thankfully, the request was reasonable enough. “Fine.
Since you're so insistent, you can do as you please.” Jonathan let out a small sigh of relief and promptly bit his finger before putting it in the cacodemon baby's mouth.
As the baby happily sucked on the blood, its body began to grow.
To everyone's surprise, the feeding became faster, and the
‘cacodemon grew up right before their eyes.