Chapter 27: Recognition!

Jax did not return to the Capital after leaving the Varkuun Consortium, instead continuing to hunt parasites to the Demon Kingdom while word of his deeds spread like wildfire.

Demons all across the Kingdom heard of what he did, and most cheered in delight at the changes being implemented.

However, while all of this was happening, Jax had already moved to the second target, the Grimholt Bloodline, who were located in the Southwest of Varkuun territory.

While the Varukuun Consortium hoarded wealth, the Grimholt Bloodline were Blood Supremacists who dabbled in slave labor, forcefully enslaving their fellow demons through generational debt or trickery and forcing them into eternal servitude.

Jax appeared outside the City that the Grimholt Clan controlled, spotting as the workers or more specifically, slaves, were beginning their shifts.

Jax didn’t give them any chance to fight back. By the time his boots touched the main plaza, thousands of soldiers were already on their knees, crushed by the sheer weight of his presence.

“Seal the city,” Jax said quietly, and his words turned into reality. A massive barrier of his own crimson-black mana expanded outward, sealing off the city, stopping all communication and teleportation going in or out.

The ruling council of Grimholt tried to negotiate with Jax, but he didn’t listen. He forcefully overrode all of the Magic Slave Contracts they were using and hunted down the true masters of the Grimholt Clan.

He eventually found them in an underground chamber beneath the largest Magic Weapons forge, their hands completely clean despite their orders condemning tens of thousands to slow deaths drowned in slave debt.

He killed them quickly, and headed back, emerging in the City’s central tower to address the City.

“Grimholt will still forge weapons, but to arm the Demon Kingdom, instead of their private vaults. No more exploitation,” Jax said, immediately appointing provisional overseers among the workers who had proven to be competent under oppression.

Once he was done here, Jax immediately headed to Sir Ashveil’s Estate.

The Ashveil properties stretched across the eastern borderlands. Massive Knight Orders and Mercenary Academies sworn in theory to the Demon Kingdom. In practice, they sold their blades to the highest bidder, Divine-aligned clients included.

They called it neutrality, but Jax would call it treason. In his Kingdom, he didn’t want neutrality. You were either with Jax or you were against him, and those against him would be put to the sword.

Jax met Sir Ashveil in the open courtyard of the man’s ancestral keep. The man seemed to try and gaslight Jax, showing up in ceremonial armor and robes with banners covered in ancient sigils of loyalty.

“You stand on sacred ground,” Ashveil declared, voice steady. “My family has defended these lands for centuries.”

Jax looked at the banners.

Then at the mercenary contracts spread across Ashveil’s war table—Divine seals still glowing faintly.

“You defended whoever paid you,” Jax replied.

Ashveil’s hand tightened on his sword, “The world is not so simple, Your Majesty.”

Jax didn’t care enough to humor Ashveil more and moved before the man could remove his blade from his sheath.

Jax shattered the keep’s central tower with a backhand strike, the ancient stone collapsing in a thunderous cascade. His killing intent rolled outward like a stormfront, forcing every knight, and mercenary to their knees.

“Those who sold demonic blood to Divine hands,” Jax announced, “step forward.”

Silence.

Then one, another and soon dozens followed, all of whom were burnt to a crisp under Jax’s black-gold flames.

Once Jax was done with all that, he finally returned to the Cathedral, with his name being cheered all across the Demon Kingdom, spoken in both fear and reverence.

Jax walked towards his bedroom in the Cathedrals when he sensed a familiar presence arrive nearby.

“Welcome back, my King.”

Jax turned his head slightly, spotting Serika standing in her pristine maid attire, her fox ears twitching softly with her long foxy tail swaying behind her. She had a rosy expression on her face as she looked at Jax, admiring his physique and remembering how he ravaged her not long ago.

“You’ve been quite active my King, all of the maids and even my family are all chatting about what you’ve been doing. Everyone’s excited for the future,” Serika said sincerely.

Jax exhaled slowly, some of the tension finally leaving his shoulders. “It was necessary.”

Serika smiled, straightening as she walked beside him once more. “Still, it deserves recognition.” She leaned closer, her voice lowering just a touch, “I’ll serve you personally tonight. You’ve earned at least that much, My King!”

A faint smirk tugged at Jax’s lips as he heard that, “I’ll hold you to that.”

They continued through the inner halls until Serika stopped, expression shifting from playful to attentive.

“There’s something else,” she said. “The Hero you captured… Natasha. She’s awake.”

Jax’s golden eyes flicked toward her. “Already?”

“She regained consciousness not long ago,” Serika replied. “The restraints are holding. She’s… not taking it well.”

Jax nodded once. “Good. I’ll deal with her now, how about you…get ready for me tonight,” Jax said, leaning in and taking a taste of Serika’s lips, his hand wrapping around her waist as he pulled her close.

Serika felt herself breathless by the time Jax pulled away from the kiss, a string of saliva connecting them as Jax licked his lips, winked at her, and walked away confidently while she was left to reminisce about the kiss and prepare to be ravaged later that day.

Jax meanwhile, headed to the Prison located directly beneath the Cathedral, the air thick with suppressive runes that were etched into the walls.

Guards knelt as he passed, eyes lowered with none of them daring to follow him.

The Prison Chamber was dark, located by the occasional magic lamp, and at its center, suspended slightly above the ground, was Natasha.

Heavy black chains wrapped around her limbs and torso, anchored into the floor and walls, glowing with sigils designed to devour mana, divinity, and will alike. A thick suppressor collar rested against her throat, pulsing faintly.

Most of her armor had been stripped away, leaving her barely clothed, her slim, sexy body almost on full display alongside those voluptuous breasts.

The moment she sensed someone enter, she exploded with fury.

“You bastard!” Natasha screamed, thrashing against the chains as holy sparks fizzled and died uselessly against the suppressors, “Coward! Come closer! I’ll kill you! I swear it!”

Jax stopped several steps away, his expression unreadable.

Natasha roared again, veins standing out as she strained, teeth bared like a cornered animal. “Say something! Afraid to face me now you bastard?!?

Without a word, Jax raised one hand and cast a spell, light warping around his face until his features vanished entirely, leaving only a blurred silhouette where his head should be. His golden eyes were gone, his presence muted just enough to deny her recognition.

Natasha froze mid-breath.

Her rage faltered, confusion flashing across her face as she stared at him, chest rising and falling hard. “What… what are you doing?” she demanded, voice less certain now.

Jax stepped closer, boots echoing softly against the stone.

“You wanted to see who defeated you,” he said calmly, his voice unchanged. “You’ll get that.”

He lifted his hand again.

The spell shattered like glass.

Jax’s face was revealed.

Natasha’s eyes widened violently, breath hitching as the realization slammed into her. Her mouth fell open, a sharp gasp tearing from her throat as recognition set in, horror eclipsing everything else.

“Y…It’s You…”

The chains rattled as her body went rigid with recognition.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep