Guber's message was like a stone cast into a calm lake—it instantly stirred up waves of chaos.
The previously cheerful atmosphere in the chat group came to an abrupt halt.
[Kisaragi Mugen]: "!!!"
[Takagi Saya]: "???"
[Akame]: "…"
A flurry of punctuation and ellipses clearly showed their inner shock.A demon—a terrifying being that only existed in legends!
Silence became the dominant tone in the chat.
After a long pause, Kisaragi Mugen was the first to break it, her words tinged with disbelief:
[Kisaragi Mugen]: "You… you're serious? You're really a demon?"
Takagi Saya followed closely behind, skepticism in her voice:
[Takagi Saya]: "No way. There's no way a demon could exist in the real world. Are you messing with us?"
Compared to their shock, Akame remained much calmer, sending just a single question mark:
[Akame]: "?"
But Guber didn't bother replying to their questions.
Instead, he quietly changed his group nickname to "Guber."
The chat interface refreshed instantly.
The simple two-character name replaced the silly and exaggerated former one.
As for their doubts, Guber still had no intention of explaining.
After all, some things are more convincing when left vague rather than spelled out.
When Guber returned his attention to the scene before him,he couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions.
Demon, huh?
At this point, that identity no longer felt strange or unacceptable to him.
"Master, are you alright?"
Grayfia's voice brought Guber's thoughts back to reality.
She looked at him with concern.
That sudden surge of pressure earlier had truly startled her.
Even though the oppressive aura had mostly faded,she could still sense that something about Guber had changed.
Guber calmed his mind and turned to her, offering a gentle smile:
"I'm fine, Grayfia. Sorry to worry you."
The awakening of the Diablo bloodline had given him immense strength—but it also intensified the emotions buried deep in his soul.Joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure… all now more vivid than ever.
Seeing that Guber seemed normal again, Grayfia relaxed a little:
"As long as you're alright. Master, would you like to continue viewing the tributes?"
"Of course." Guber nodded, a flicker of anticipation flashing in his deep reddish-purple eyes.
"As you wish."
Grayfia gave a slight bow. Her slender hand reached for the cloth on the final cart and gently pulled it away.
In the next moment, a brilliant golden light burst forth from the cart, illuminating the entire room.
There, resting atop the cart,was an exquisitely crafted golden birdcage.
The entire cage was made of pure gold, engraved with lifelike images of birds and flowers.Each golden bar was as fine as a hair yet incredibly sturdy, forming a dense, inescapable prison.
And in the center of the cage stood—a palm-sized… girl?
At that moment, the system's voice once again rang out in Guber's mind:
[Congratulations! Host has collected "Prisoner of the Fairy Cage."]
[Reward: Advanced Allure Physique!]
[Congratulations! Host has collected "Kasugano Sora."]
[Reward: Time-Space Control (Beginner)!]
…
A series of system messages followed.
Advanced Allure Physique, as the name implied, was a constitution capable of subtly influencing and manipulating others' thoughts and emotions.
Time-Space Control (Beginner)—though only at the beginner level—granted actual control over time within a limited scope.
He could accelerate, rewind, or even pause time.
Though it couldn't affect large-scale areas,he could freeze a target in eternal stasis, or make them fast-forward or rewind through time's river—all with a mere thought.
Two powerful abilities.
And then—
Kasugano Sora…
That name was not unfamiliar to Guber.
Looking more closely at the girl in the cage,his gaze was instantly drawn in—unable to look away.
The girl was curled up in a corner of the golden birdcage,her delicate legs tucked close, trembling like a frightened fawn.
She scanned the unfamiliar surroundings with anxiety, her pale face full of helplessness.
In her large, clear brown eyes, tears shimmered, threatening to fall at any moment.
She had long, creamy-blonde hair, tied with black ribbons into twin bows.Her dainty features were doll-like, impossibly cute and charming.
She wore a simple pure-white dress, embroidered with black floral patterns at the hem—its contrast only made her porcelain skin appear even more flawless.
"…It really is her,"
Guber murmured in surprise,as if some long-buried memory had been illuminated by her presence.
Before he could fully process it,another wave of system messages hit him like thunder:
[Detected: Host has collected a "Child of Fate." Unlocking hidden reward!][Congratulations! Hidden Function Unlocked—World Coordinate Anchor (Bound to Kasugano Sora)!]
The barrage of system prompts left Guber slightly stunned.
But it was the last message that completely captured his attention.
"World Coordinate Anchor…?"
"So collecting Children of Fate really does unlock hidden rewards…"
He muttered to himself, and as soon as the thought crossed his mind,a surge of knowledge entered his brain.
World Coordinate Anchor, as the name implied, allowed him to locate a person's coordinates across worlds.
And because this anchor was bound to Kasugano Sora,it meant he could now travel through endless space and time—and appear beside her whenever he wished!
At that thought, a flash of brilliance lit up in Guber's reddish-purple eyes.He turned once more to the girl in the birdcage.
Kasugano Sora seemed to sense his gaze.
She flinched, shrinking deeper into the folds of her dress,as if hiding there could shield her from the outside world.
…
"Master."
Grayfia spoke again, as if noticing Guber's attention had locked onto the girl.
She began to explain in a calm voice:
"This girl was delivered by a rogue demon… as a 'gift.'"
"A gift?"