Following the Mutual-Obligation contract and dual cultivation session that saw Konrad's birth, Gulistan lay against Talroth with doe eyes plastered on him. Having saved herself for almost three thousand years just for the vain hope of being accepted by this man, only she could understand the depth of her satisfaction.
Moreover, Talroth modified the flow of time to turn twenty-fours into an entire month of carnal bliss.
"This King has controlled your gains to ensure your cultivation rises to the late-stage of Divine Transformation and perfected your foundation. This King will also grant you resources and extra boons to those you mentioned. Once you complete the contract, and the child becomes this World's God, you can rise to the Infernal Realm, to receive your remaining boons."
Talroth explained while standing up, and thinking that the seed of this month would soon germinate within her belly, Gulistan could barely suppress her ecstasy.
"If you perform exceptionally well, This King doesn't mind giving you extra rewards. Anything you want besides what we discussed?"
Talroth asked while his royal garb reappeared around him.
"I wish to…officially join your harem."
Gulistan mustered her courage to propose. Having studied the topic for a long time, she knew better than most that entering the household of an Infernal King was no mean feat, and usually required earthshaking cultivation. But even if she didn't fit the requirements now, she didn't believe she wouldn't in the future.
"My…harem? To what end?"
Talroth asked in a tone that betrayed none of his thoughts.
"So that I may fight…for a place in your heart."
Gulistan trembled to say while her heart raced like a teenaged girl's. But as soon as her words echoed, Talroth burst into a peal of derisive laughter.
"Hahahahaha! What a joke! When even the great Asmodeus, the number one beauty and demoness of the Infernal Realm, couldn't shake This King, a cheap whore selling her body for power asks what? A place in This King's heart? Hahahaha! How laughable!"
Talroth laughed and scorned in a cruel tandem. And as his words echoed, Gulistan went from trembling in apprehension to quivering in pain. And though no blade grazed her, she could feel innumerable daggers stabbing her heart.
"Girl, to This King, women are tools. This King likes seeing them writhe in pleasure, not due to care, but because it satisfies This King's vanity. You writhed well for a beginner. This King can give you a passing grade. But if This King made you feel as if you were special, apologies, that was a misconception, you are not. Across the multitude, you rank at the bottom.
This King is a Legendary God, standing at the pinnacle of the Three Realms. Who are you? What are you? How dare you yearn for a spot in This King's heart? Know your place."
Talroth pursued, with every single one of his words hammering Gulistan's soul with greater might than a sledgehammer. And with crushing ridicule draping her, she could not raise her head. Warm tears trickled down her cheeks as she gritted her teeth to suppress her cries.
Still, Talroth showed no mercy.
"Raise a good child, and This King can not only consider making you a concubine but also elevate you to demonhood. The better the child, the higher the chance. For a golden-blooded girl like you, that's a lot more than you deserve.
But as for those petty delusions, you should forget them at once, for your sake, of course."
Leaving those words behind, Talroth vanished to return to his realm. And now that he no longer stood before her, Gulistan allowed her throat to scream her pain.
Again, the scenery changed, not because there was more to see, but because Konrad was done, and left Gulistan's memories to return to the outside. And clearly, she'd experienced them alongside him, for her tears now trickled down, while rage and hatred twisted her otherwise ravishing face.
"No wonders. When kings clash, the commoners suffer. When parents fight, the children are the casualties. This is a beautiful example of that adage…invented by me."
Konrad stated while staring at Gulistan who knelt before him. And awoken by his voice, she rose in a wild outburst of fury.
"Yes, what's wrong with that? I carried you for nine months. If I want you to be the tool of my revenge, why shouldn't you? If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself for having that face! Those damnable looks that make want to disfigure you!"
Gulistan snapped, clearly devoid of any of her usual composure.
"Konrad, I hate you! Every time I see you, every time I see those eyes, the contours of that face, my heart is incandescent with rage! I loathe you! I wish you were never born! That that past didn't exist! But since you are, and it does, why won't you be a dear and do mother's bidding?!
In any case, it's not like that rancid bastard of a Demon God sired you to show paternal love.
This King? This King? Joke! In ancient times, who dared disparage the human race? When the God of War brandished his sword, what Primogen had the gals to say the two words, "This King?"
If I were not born in the Mortal Realm if the human race wasn't suppressed, how could he disparage me so?! I'm not willing, I want to pull him down his throne, trample his skull, tear out his vocal cords and shove them down his ass!
What a pity that it's impossible! Right, he's a Legendary God, the pinnacle of the Three Realms! The Overlord and The Warden aside, who can force such a fate onto him? The only thing I could do was to fulfill my end of the bargain to complete the contract and keep you as my sword within the Mortal Realm!"
Gulistan snarled, hiding nothing whatsoever.
"To be honest, I liked you more when you were a waste. At least, I could oppress you as I wished. At least, you didn't so perfectly remind me of him! I even grew to accept that we would die together! How beautiful would that be?
But you had to rise and be exactly like him! The same conceit! The same vanity! The same inward belief that the world should bend before your knees!
How laudable that even without guidance, the son can so perfectly mirror the father!"
By now, Gulistan's eyes had gone bloodshot, and she wildly gestured to emphasize her words.
"What foolishness! At least, if you followed me, you could keep your damnable life! But with your hubris, once your cultivation can no longer, or takes too long to advance in this world, you will rise to the Infernal Realm.
And when you do? Never will you be able to escape his palm! So what if your talent is higher? So what if your foundation and battle-power defy all reasoning?
EIGHT RANKS! From Minor God to Legendary God, there are EIGHT RANKS! Not your run in the mill Saint or Sage Ranks, no. EIGHT…IMMEASURABLE…GOD RANKS! What? Are you going to cross them all to challenge him?! Or do you expect him to welcome you with open arms and abdicate his throne?!"
Gulistan rumbled, pouring out at all the things that weighed on her heart.
And the more she spoke, the more certain Konrad became of his reasoning.
"I finally see what is wrong with you."
He declared with full confidence while stopping Gulistan's tirade.
"It's obvious. I see the light where it lies. You're not getting enough cock. That's why you went off the rails."
Konrad affirmed with a sorrowful sigh. And hearing his words, Gulistan blinked in disbelief.
"Come again?"
