Lewd System: Every Scream and Moan is EXP Chapter 324: I Don’t See Any Hands Here...

Jax sauntered away from the scene of destruction, not sparing a glance at the crumbling Imperial Palace left in his wake.

The cacophony of clashing steel and explosive mana from the two clashing forces served as a peculiar symphony of annihilation, yet regrettably, he couldn't linger to offer commentary as his mission remained unfinished.

Still, his previous task had been a resounding success. The diversion was established, chaos was unleashed, and now he ambled through the royal grounds, subtly guiding panicked soldiers towards the devastated remnants of the palace.

Spotting a contingent of warriors approaching, Jax adopted a dramatic flair, flinging his arms wide. "You absolute fools, what are you doing out here?! Our Emperor is bleeding out in the rubble, and you're out for a stroll?! Hurry! If you can hold a weapon, join the fight! If you're as useless as I am, spread the word! Double it and pass it on! May our glorious Lord survive this tragedy! Long live..."

He faltered. He realized he had no clue which banner these men served.

He regarded them, and they returned his gaze. An intensely awkward silence stretched as Jax, with wide eyes, passively awaited their declaration.

Finally, the bewildered captain raised his sword and bellowed, "Long live Emperor Oberon!"

Their allegiance confirmed, the group of warriors charged blindly towards the collapsing structure.

Jax mused as he watched their retreat. 'Dogs of that Emperor then. I wonder how they'll react seeing their glorious leader fighting for his life, completely exposed and missing an arm. It's going to be quite difficult to salute that.'

He relished the devastation he had wrought when suddenly his expression contorted in rage. 'You lot are fortunate I'm leaving you alive for the heinous crime of kidnapping a child.'

He clenched his fist, surveying the estate where everyone was rushing towards the commotion. 'What's taking the girls so long? I've already stripped the guards from their posts like a human magnet. Did something go awry on their end?'

At that very moment, a lone guard, amidst the thousands scrambling about, approached Jax instead of fleeing. Jax immediately resumed his act. "Get back in there! Emperor Oberon needs you! That psycho Damian has stripped him bare and is attempting to sheath his legendary spear directly up His Majesty's royal posterior!"

He dramatically cupped his ear. "Listen! Do you hear those high-pitched squeals?! The longer you stand here, the deeper that spear penetrates! Rush in and save his delicate backside before he becomes an imperial shish kebab!"

The guard paid him no heed, continuing his approach with a placid expression that seemed utterly disconnected from the news of his Emperor's violation by a legendary weapon.

Jax sensed something amiss, perhaps he had mistakenly targeted one of Damian's subordinates this time, and readied his sword. Then, the guard spoke in a monotone, clearly not his own voice. "I am a messenger from the lovely and cute Lady Lavinia. I am here to report the current situation in the prison."

Observing the guard's vacant eyes, Jax instantly understood the man was a puppet under Lavinia's hypnotic magic. Even his choice of words bore her distinct influence.

Lowering his guard, Jax asked, "Tell me about the situation from their end."

The guard reported in the same unnervingly flat tone. "Evangeline and Delphine are currently engaged with the Grand Magus, who is overpowering them, while Athanasia and the adorable Lavinia were caught spying and are now fighting and fleeing from pursuers."

Jax hissed through his teeth. "Your so-called adorable Lavinia will be fine. Guide me to the cells first."

—x—X—x—

Back within the prison walls, Delphine and Evangeline found themselves as playthings for the empire's foremost magus, a figure ranked second in power.

Delphine's arrows left no mark; his high-tier spells formed a protective barrier that rendered her attacks as insignificant as mosquito bites, while he amusingly toyed with the intruders.

He even turned his back on Evangeline – a move that would typically prove fatal for any adversary. But was it?

Behind him, Evangeline ascended using her wind steps. As she descended upon Grand Magus Loid, she conjured a wind blade aimed directly at his exposed back. Yet, the attack struck only the ground as Loid had simply vanished from his position a second prior to impact.

Genuine appreciation tinged his voice as he spoke from behind her. "Advanced-tier magic! You girls are truly impressive for your age. It's quite a shame, however, that you've chosen the wrong allegiance."

Panic seized Evangeline as she realized Loid was positioned directly behind her. She stumbled, attempting to create some distance between them.

From across the chamber, Delphine cried out, "Evangeline, be careful!"

Delphine had already unleashed the most potent arrow in her quiver, an artifact bestowed upon her ancestors by the legendary fire spirit itself. Evangeline scrambled, but miraculously managed to fling herself clear of the arrow's trajectory just in the nick of time.

Loid watched the incandescent projectile hurtling towards him with a smile. "Impressive. But why does it feel so familiar? Have we crossed paths before?"

Ignoring him, Delphine commenced the incantation, her voice resonating with the authority of a lineage entrusted with this formidable power for generations. "O Sovereign of the Primordial Flame, honor the ancient pact! Emerge from the embers and reduce my foe to utter ash!"

The arrow, already blazing with a magma-like intensity, transformed mid-flight into a fiery monkey beast. Its mere presence drastically altered the surrounding atmosphere.

The very ground it traversed erupted in cracks, and the prison's walls and structures, already weakened from the prior conflict, began to tremble. The intense heat radiating from it caused the air itself to distort.

The fire spirit was on the verge of engulfing Loid entirely, and a triumphant grin spread across Delphine's face. However, that grin vanished instantly as she witnessed her attack, intended to consume the magus, become the very thing that was consumed.

Loid stood unmoving, a void-like hole materializing before him, methodically erasing the fire spirit from existence, devouring it piece by piece until nothing remained.

His smile dissolved as he observed the faint burn marks the attack had managed to inflict upon his face. His tone, now devoid of its earlier playfulness, became grave. "How can you wield something so perilous? I believe it's time to conclude our little contest. So, be a good girl and surrender. Then, you will answer all my questions regarding your cult, your objectives, and the source of your power, or that of your entire organization."

Delphine gritted her teeth in frustration, muttering, "Damn it, how are we ever supposed to defeat this monster? It's impossible."

Her gaze then fell upon Tempris, huddled in a corner of the room. The diminutive dragon was trapped within a small, enchanted cage, held in an unconscious state, a captive unable to fight back or even stir.

A fierce emotion ignited within Delphine at the sight, and she drew her bowstring once more. Yet, she was not alone in this action; Loid had instantaneously teleported beside her, now grasping the bow with her, his fingers resting upon hers in a mocking gesture of assistance.

His voice, stripped of all amusement and replaced by raw anger, boomed, "Did I not instruct you to obey, like the dogs you are?"

He raised his hand, intending to strike her across the face.

But his hand was halted midway.

All three pairs of eyes swiveled towards the individual who had just intercepted the Grand Magus of the Heutrian Empire's blow, aimed at a girl he barely knew.

It was Jax. His eyes had turned pitch-black, and dark spots spread across his flesh, as if he had willingly absorbed some infernal power into his being.

He spoke, his voice chilling the very air in the room. "Do you have any notion of the ramifications for striking my student... especially right under my watchful eye?"

Loid's fury intensified as he wrenched his hand free from Jax's grasp. "So, you are their leader. But how dare a mere follower of demons lay a hand upon me?"

Jax responded with a chillingly flat tone, conveying only the unvarnished truth. "What hands?"

Immediately after Jax uttered those words, Loid experienced a bizarre sensation. Looking down at his wrist, he watched in disbelief as his hand separated from his body with a clean severing, a cut he felt only after it detached and fell to the floor with a sickening thud.

Through his agony, he looked up in horror to find the culprit. Standing beside Jax, sword in hand, was Clarice, the Sword Saint acclaimed throughout the empire, holding the very blade that bore the rank of number one, above Loid himself – the sole reason his own ascent was perpetually blocked. Her sword was still slick with his blood.

Through gritted teeth, Loid managed to stammer, "Clarice, how could you betray us?"

Clarice offered no acknowledgment, her gaze fixed solely on Jax. She turned to him and declared with unwavering deference, "Master, I await your next command."

-x-X-x-

A/N: Sending immense gratitude to Ordici_T, Matthew_Decker_4219, Don_Pakula, Milk_Man_4767, tony_adams_4787, Martijn_Wiersma_1870, and Mario_1359 for the golden tickets. Your support ensures I never feel alone in this arduous journey! 🔥

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