Lin Ling sat on the bed, staring at her hands for a long time.
The room was quiet.
Outside the window, the blackened soil of the Demon King’s Castle remained, with dense magic pressing down into the night like an invisible layer of mist.
Just a moment ago, she had been moved by the fact that she finally ate soft bread last night.
It was soft.
Truly soft.
Not the kind that could smash through a wall.
Not the kind that would make her teeth question their existence.
It was genuine bread that could be normally processed by a human mouth.
After Lin Ling finished eating, she fell into a state of near-holy satisfaction.
She had even seriously considered whether she should erect a monument for that piece of soft bread.
The inscription would read—
“To the Great Bread that Saved the Saintess’s Teeth.”
But just as she was clutching her pillow and preparing to sleep, a memory flashed through her mind.
It was something from the game before she transmigrated.
The Saintess account where her HP was permanently locked at 1, but her MP was ridiculously high.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't a very popular character.
Rather, teammates would often fall into silence when they saw her join the party.
Then they would politely ask:
“Your account... can it actually heal?”
Lin Ling would usually answer with great confidence:
“Of course it can.”
“It’s just that the method of treatment might be a bit creative.”
And as it turned out.
It was indeed very creative.
So creative that her teammates often found it unacceptable.
And now, Lin Ling suddenly remembered that besides healing skills and a bunch of weird equipment, her character had one very special skill.
The name of that skill was very holy.
The effect was very sinister.
——Holy Light Stasis.
It sounded like a deity bestowing merciful holy light to bring peace to those in pain.
The actual effect was—
Suppressing the flow of magic within a certain range.
All magic casting within that range would slow down.
Mana recovery would be weakened.
The construction of large-scale spells would become unstable.
Even some continuously operating magic circles would experience brief pauses because the magic supply was being throttled.
Most importantly.
This skill did not distinguish between friend and foe.
Enemies would be nerfed.
Teammates would also be nerfed.
The boss couldn't unleash its ultimate move, and neither could the teammates.
The enemy mages were silenced, and her own mages followed suit.
The scene was once extremely fair.
So fair that everyone wanted to report her.
Lin Ling had once explained very seriously to her teammates:
“Think about it, as long as the enemy can’t use skills, isn't the fact that we can’t use skills less important?”
The teammates were silent for three seconds.
Then they kicked her out of the party.
But Lin Ling always felt they didn't understand tactics.
Although this skill affected everyone, it had a very special mechanism.
It restricted the flow of magic and character casting within the area.
However, item-based effects were not completely restricted.
For example, pre-prepared magic items.
For example, passive effects from equipment.
For example, items that didn't rely on live casting but ran on internally stored magic.
In other words.
The skill would make everyone weaker together.
But it wouldn't make items completely useless.
This left a lot of room for maneuver.
Sitting on the bed, Lin Ling’s eyes gradually lit up.
“Wait.”
She slowly hugged her pillow.
“What if this skill... could be used in this world?”
She had tried it before.
The problem with the demons' land wasn't that she couldn't extract magic at all.
She could.
And she truly could pull the magic out of the soil.
But the problem was that the magic surrounding the land was too dense.
The moment she drained the magic from a small patch, the surrounding magic would rush back in.
It was like scooping water from the ocean.
You scoop out a bucket.
Then the ocean looks at you.
And naturally fills it back up.
So simply “draining” it was useless.
The key was to make that small area temporarily stop the external magic from filling back in.
That is to say—
First, control the flow of magic in an area.
Then, deal with the residual magic inside.
The more Lin Ling thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
She could use Holy Light Stasis to suppress the flow of magic around the experimental field.
Let that patch of land temporarily become an isolated small area.
Then, she would extract the magic inside.
It wasn't scooping water directly from the ocean.
It was first creating a bucket of water within the ocean.
Then drying out the water in the bucket.
That way, the external seawater wouldn't immediately rush in.
At least, it wouldn't backflow instantly like before.
“Isn't this just...”
Lin Ling suddenly looked up.
“A Local Low-Mana Experimental Zone?!”
After she said it, she froze for a moment.
Then she silently covered her mouth.
“Oops.”
“Did I just suddenly sound like a serious researcher?”
Lin Ling took a deep breath.
“Calm down.”
“I have to tell the Demon King about this.”
“If it really works, then maybe we can stably grow things on a small patch of land in the future.”
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became.
As long as things could grow.
There would be food.
With food, there would be bread.
Hehehe, soft bread.
And delicious meat soup.
Maybe even actual meat.
At that thought, Lin Ling’s gaze instantly became determined.
“Find the Demon King!”
She immediately scrambled off the bed.
Then she paused at the door.
The door wasn't locked.
Lin Ling blinked.
She reached out and gave it a push.
The door opened.
“...”
Lin Ling stood at the doorway, her expression complex.
“What does this mean?”
“Have I finally evolved from a caged pet to a free-range pet?”
She poked her head out and looked left and right.
The corridor was empty.
No guards.
No Aliviel.
And no one jumping out to say, “Where are you going, Miss Pet?”
Lin Ling was silent for two seconds.
Then she showed a slightly moved expression.
“Demons.”
“They’ve actually started to respect a pet’s right to free movement.”
She cleared her throat, straightened her back, and stepped out of the room.
“Very well.”
“Miss Saintess, setting off now.”
“Target: Demon King!”
Fifteen minutes later.
Lin Ling stood in an unfamiliar corridor.
She fell into an extremely deep silence.
There were three paths before her.
One to the left.
One to the right.
And one in the middle.
Every single one was pitch black.
Every single one looked exactly like the path she had just walked.
Every wall lamp emitted the same ghostly blue light.
Every wall brick looked like a long-lost sibling.
Lin Ling slowly clutched her head.
“Damn it, these cursed branching paths. One of them better not lead to a mysterious tentacle room and turn me into a fallen Saintess?!”
She clearly remembered coming out of her room.
Then going left.
Then turning right.
Then going down the stairs.
Midway, to avoid a portrait of the Demon King that looked like it might talk at midnight, she took a detour.
And then...
And then she didn't know where she was.
“Calm down.”
Lin Ling took a deep breath.
“When a person is lost, the most important thing is to stay calm.”
She looked seriously to the left.
“This way looks suspicious.”
Then she looked to the right.
“This way is also suspicious.”
Finally, she looked in the middle.
“This way is even more suspicious.”
She pondered for a moment.
“Very good.”
“There’s absolutely no reference value.”
Lin Ling crouched on the ground and began to seriously contemplate her life.
On the first day of transmigration, she was called a low-tier Hero by humans.
On the second day, she was treated as a pet by demons.
Now, after finally thinking of a way that might solve the demons' land problem, she was defeated by the corridors of the Demon King’s Castle.
Is this reasonable?
It’s not.
But it’s very isekai.
She stood up, deciding to follow her intuition.
“Since I don’t know the way, I’ll leave it to fate.”
“Fate will always guide the true Saintess.”
She closed her eyes and pointed.
Then she opened them.
She was pointing to the left.
“Alright, you’re the one!”
Lin Ling walked over aggressively.
Five minutes later.
She was back at the same three-way junction.
Lin Ling: “...”
She slowly took a step back.
“Could the Demon King’s Castle actually be a moving maze? A Saintess as smart as I am couldn't possibly have walked back to the start.”
Just as she began to seriously suspect whether the Demon King’s Castle was some kind of giant maze monster, a scent suddenly wafted through the air.
It was very faint.
But to Lin Ling, it was very obvious.
It was the smell of food.
Bread.
Soup.
And the scent of something that had been boiled.
It wasn't strong.
It couldn't even be called fragrant.
But for a Saintess who had been persecuted by black bread, it was prominent enough.
Lin Ling snapped her head up.
“Food?”
The tip of her nose twitched slightly.
“That’s right.”
“It’s the scent of a meal.”
“Even though it’s faint, I won’t mistake it.”
She followed the scent forward.
The further she went, the clearer the scent became.
Then, she stopped in front of a half-open door.
A bit of warm light shone through the doorway.
It seemed to be a kitchen inside.
Someone was speaking in low voices.
Lin Ling originally wanted to go in and ask for directions.
But just as she raised her hand, she heard a sentence from inside:
“Did the Demon King give her own bread away yesterday?”
Lin Ling’s hand stopped in mid-air.
Another voice inside lowered slightly.
“Yeah, sent it to that Saintess girl.”
Lin Ling was stunned.
Saintess girl?
Her?
The people inside continued.
“But the Demon King doesn't have much to eat herself, does she?”
“That was the only piece of soft bread left in the kitchen.”
“By giving it to the Saintess, the Demon King can only eat hard bread.”
“There isn't much hard bread either.”
“Yeah, that’s why she’s soaking it in soup to eat.”
“There isn't much meat in that soup, right?”
“Forget meat, you can count the scraps of meat on one hand.”
Standing outside the door, Lin Ling’s entire body slowly stiffened.
She remembered the piece of soft bread she had eaten last night.
It was soft.
You could press it down.
It didn't attack your teeth when you bit into it.
It was even a little bit sweet.
She had thought it was a reward for her hard work in the experiment.
As it turned out, it wasn't extra food.
Nor was it the kitchen suddenly finding its conscience.
It was the Demon King giving her own portion to her. Have the demons really run out of food to this extent?
The voices inside continued.
“Didn't Lady Aliviel and the others say they could give up their own rations?”
“The Demon King didn't agree.”
“Why not?”
“Why else? Everyone has work to do.”
“The patrollers have to patrol, the guards have to guard, the fields can’t be left alone, and then there are the people repairing the barriers and moving the granaries.”
“The Demon King said if everyone eats a little less, they’ll have a little less strength tomorrow.”
“But the Demon King needs strength herself.”
It was quiet inside for a while.
After a moment, someone let out a low sigh.
“Who says she doesn't.”
“But food really is running out now.”
“Nothing grows in the fields, the merchants outside have driven the grain prices so high, and they’re eyeing our ores.”
“Lately, even the kitchen barely knows how to divide the portions.”
“I heard that Saintess girl made a seedling in the experimental field lift its leaf?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“It’s true.”
“That’s probably why the Demon King was willing to give her the bread.”
“But she’s a Hero.”
“So what if she’s a Hero? She hasn't harmed us yet.”
“And I heard she’s only willing to help just so she can eat soft bread.”
“That sounds even weirder.”
“It is weird.”
“But... if she really can restore the land, that would be wonderful.”
Outside the door.
Lin Ling lowered her head.
She didn't go in.
She didn't make a sound.
If it were any other time, she would have jumped out to argue.
Like, “What do you mean I’m only helping for the soft bread?”
Even though that was mostly true.
It just sounded like it lacked Saintess style.
But now, she couldn't say it.
She suddenly felt that the soft bread in her stomach had become a bit heavy.
It wasn't uncomfortable.
It was just heavy.
Like someone had quietly placed a portion of trust into her hands.
She had originally just wanted to improve her own meals.
She wanted to stop her teeth from being attacked by black bread.
She wanted to eat meat.
She wanted to live a bit more easily.
But now, she had heard those words in the kitchen.
She heard that the Demon King had given her own food to her.
She heard that the food in the Demon King’s Castle was truly that scarce.
And she heard that the demons truly believed in her, truly saw her as hope.
Or rather, they were waiting for that tiny bit of possibility in her hands.
Lin Ling slowly clenched her fists.
“...”
She took a step back.
Then she turned and left.
She had to find the Demon King.
Right now.
That method from earlier couldn't wait until tomorrow.
Holy Light Stasis.
If it really could be used.
If it really could restrict the magic of a patch of land.
Even if it was just a tiny experimental field.
Even if it only let a seedling hold on for one more day.
It was worth a try.
Lin Ling looked up, her gaze unusually serious.
“Don’t worry, Lord Demon King.”
“I have a way.”
With that, she walked forward quickly.
Then she stopped at the second junction.
Left.
Right.
Ahead.
Three paths.
Lin Ling: “...”
The momentum that had just ignited was instantly snuffed out halfway by the architecture of the Demon King’s Castle.
She was silent for a few seconds, then slowly covered her face.
“Damn it.”
“Why do I have to keep being lost after the emotional scene is over?!”
She spun around indignantly.
She still couldn't tell the directions apart.
But this time, she didn't crouch down.
Nor did she stay collapsed on the spot for long.
She just took a deep breath and looked ahead.
“It’s fine.”
“A true Saintess, even if she’s lost, will be lost with style.”
She charged toward the left.
Three minutes later.
She was back at the kitchen door.
Lin Ling: “...”
She turned and charged toward the right.
Five minutes later.
She was back at the kitchen door again.
Lin Ling: “............”
Someone inside the kitchen said in a puzzled voice:
“Is there some sound outside?”
Lin Ling immediately pressed herself against the wall, holding her breath.
After a while, there was no more talking inside.
She let out a sigh of relief.
Then she muttered under her breath:
“The Demon King’s Castle is definitely a moving maze.”
“It’s targeting me.”
“And it probably thinks I’m suited for living in the kitchen.”
Just as Lin Ling was seriously considering whether to just rush into the kitchen and ask the staff for directions, footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.
“What are you doing here?”
A familiar voice rang out.
Lin Ling snapped her head around.
Aliviel was standing not far away, her purple hair falling over her shoulders, arms crossed, looking at her with a half-smile.
The moment Lin Ling saw her, she was so moved she almost rushed over.
“Aliviel!”
Aliviel raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“You look like you’ve just seen your savior.”
Lin Ling said solemnly:
“In a sense, you are.”
Aliviel glanced at her.
“Lost?”
Lin Ling’s body stiffened.
“No.”
“Oh?”
“I was just investigating the internal routes of the Demon King’s Castle.”
“And the results of your investigation?”
Lin Ling was silent for two seconds.
“The terrain near the kitchen is complex and not suitable for solo operations.”
Aliviel: “...”
“So you are lost.”
Lin Ling looked away.
“A little.”
Aliviel sighed.
“What did you run out of your room for?”
“To find the Demon King.”
The smile on Aliviel’s face faded slightly.
“To find Lord Demon King?”
Lin Ling nodded.
This time, she didn't continue messing around.
She looked at Aliviel and said seriously:
“I thought of a way.”
“I might be able to control the magic in the experimental field.”
Aliviel’s gaze changed.
“Control the magic?”
“Yes.”
Lin Ling raised her hand, and a bit of faint blue light gently emerged from her palm.
“I can’t just extract the magic.”
“Extracting it directly is useless; the surrounding magic will immediately fill it back in.”
“So I have to restrict the flow of magic in an area first.”
As she spoke, she gestured with her hands.
“Like scooping a bucket of water from the ocean.”
“Before, I was just scooping water in the ocean, so no matter how much I scooped, it would be filled back.”
“But if I use magic to isolate a small area first, making it into a separate bucket of water.”
“Then I dry out the water in the bucket.”
“Then the external magic at least won’t rush back immediately.”
Aliviel listened quietly.
She didn't interrupt.
Lin Ling continued:
“I used to... I mean, I have a magic skill in my head.”
She almost let it slip and quickly corrected herself.
“Holy Light Stasis.”
“It can restrict the flow of magic within a certain range.”
“The downside of the skill is that it doesn't distinguish between friend and foe; everyone in the range will be affected.”
“But item-based effects won’t be completely restricted.”
“So if this rule holds true in this world, I can use it to suppress the magic flow in that experimental field first, then use other methods to extract the magic inside.”
Aliviel was silent for a while.
“Are you sure you can use it?”
Lin Ling shook her head.
“I’m not sure.”
Aliviel looked at her.
But Lin Ling looked up.
“But I want to try.”
Her voice was a bit softer than usual.
“I want to try right now.”
Aliviel watched her.
Usually, Lin Ling always looked like she was afraid of trouble, hunger, and death, and only thought about eating meat.
But now, her eyes were very serious.
So serious that Aliviel didn't speak for a moment.
After a while, Aliviel gave a light laugh.
“Did you happen to hear something just now?”
Lin Ling’s body paused slightly.
She didn't answer.
Aliviel didn't press her either.
She just turned around and said:
“Let’s go.”
“I’ll take you to see Lord Demon King.”
Lin Ling immediately followed.
This time, she didn't complain about the Demon King’s Castle being too big.
Nor did she say she was only a little bit lost.
She just followed closely behind Aliviel.
The ghostly blue light of the corridor fell on her long platinum-blonde hair.
And in Lin Ling’s mind, only one thought remained.
She had to tell Ivelia about this method.
Right now.
If that piece of soft bread was the trust the Demon King had handed over.
Then she would at least personally deliver the possibility she had thought of in return.
Rate on N.U.
