Demonic Po*nstar System

Chapter 269: Separated

Kaiden couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath.

His mind’s eye moved toward the stream overlay.

The chat was exploding. The viewers were outright spamming.

#LunaSupremacy

STORM VALKYRIE GOING FULL THUNDER

💀 SHE SAID WHAT SHE SAID

Team Kaiden drama is top-tier entertainment

#TellThatBitch #PutHerInCharge

It went on and on, line after flashing line of emotes and hashtags, full of both admiration and unfiltered amusement. Luna had never been one to hold back, but this? This was the first time she’d gone completely off the rails.

And the fans loved it.

He turned, grinning, and found Luna pacing in tight little circles.

Her voice carried in frustrated mutters. ”That bitch just dropped the supplies on the ground! How lacking in brain cells can one get?! I swear, I’ll kill-”

Kaiden walked straight toward her.

Luna sensed his approach.

”Don’t you dare hug me!” she warned with her eyes flicking toward him mid-rant. ”I am NOT calming down. I don’t want calm. I want violence. I—Kaiden. Don’t.”

Too late.

He stepped forward, forcefully pulling her into his arms without saying a word.

Luna stiffened in his embrace. Her fists moved up, positioning between her and his chest. Then, they pushed, trying to move Kaiden. ”No. This is not fair. This isn’t a hug moment! I’m still mad. Very mad! Who do you think you are, the Paragon of Hugs? You can’t just hug... your way... through everything...”

He didn’t say a word in response. Just held her closer, warm and firm. He was an anchor, grounding her frustration.

”... Damn it,” she sighed.

And then it happened.

Her arms loosened. Her tense shoulders drooped. The rage in her limbs gave way to an exhausted exhale, and Luna slowly melted into his embrace, resting her cheek against his chest.

”I’m still mad!” she hissed, barely audible. ”But... not so much...”

Kaiden chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

”Hmph!” Her cute scoff and firmer hug were the only responses to his actions received.

Nyx knelt beside one of the bags Vaelira’s summons had so ”graciously” dropped. She gave the contents a quick inspection, rummaging through the dried goods, vials of filtered water, wrapped meat packs, and sealed nutrient bars.

”We’re good,” she called out.

Aria was already checking a second bag beside her. ”Only a couple of biscuits got crushed in this one.”

Nyx rose to her feet first, casting a glance at the still-hugging duo nearby. A teasing smirk curled on her lips.

”Well then...” she mused aloud while slinging one of the larger ration bags over her shoulders. ”The Chaos Gremlin has finally stopped tweaking. It’s time to move out.”

Luna mumbled something into Kaiden’s chest. Nyx didn’t hear it in full, but it involved at least two swear words and a passionate wish for the Space Valkyrie’s shin to meet a table corner.

The others began preparing. Aria heaved her pack onto her back with a strained huff. Bastet, with some feline flair, plucked a lighter pack in one hand and tossed it to rest against her shoulder.

Kaiden gave Luna one last squeeze and loosened his grip. She pulled back reluctantly, avoiding eye contact.

With that, the party pressed forward into the left wing, deeper into the cursed artery of the dungeon.

They didn’t make it far before the first wave hit.

Grotesque creatures emerged from the walls themselves; skeletons fused with iron, zombie knights with bone armor and heavy halberds, and bloated ghouls with chains embedded in their limbs.

Kaiden instantly rushed forward, entering Wrath Stance. His greatsword flared with a hellish gleam as it carved straight through the first monster, cleaving it in half.

Behind him, Aria fired off a barrage of [Crescent Volley]. Each lunar blast pelted the enemies with the girl’s careful precision. But even as she fired, she frowned.

”Wasn’t this supposed to be a riddle puzzle?”

Kaiden barked a laugh while sidestepping a flailing claw. ”If only life were so easy!” he grunted while driving his blade through a skeletal knight’s spine. ”On the bright side, we’re getting close to the first bottleneck.”

Bottleneck. The phenomenon that occurred when one reached the final milestone before their class would upgrade, granting them new spells.

The first one would happen once they reached level 24 with a maxed XP bar at 24000/24000.

”Puzzles are better with a little carnage sprinkled in anyway,” Luna chimed in, slamming a gust-fueled [Thunder Slash] into the crowd. Lightning exploded from the impact point, sending two enemies flying.

The group kept pressing on, carving their way forward with efficiency. Their bodies ached from cursed hunger and fatigue, but their coordination was good, their synergy tight.

...

Undead beasts of various kinds had all been struck down in their path. Crypt crawlers, shade archers, and decaying priest-mages who tried to hex them with silent incantations... All fell.

Then, the corridor opened up into a wider space, a small circular antechamber.

And standing at the far end was a familiar silhouette.

A tall, lithe figure clad in tattered noble finery. The fabric had once been fine velvet, now rotted through with bloodstains. His eyes were sunken yet glowed with malevolent hunger. A crimson rapier rested in his hand.

A Fallen Vampire Noble.

Aria froze mid-step.

Nyx’s breath hitched.

Luna’s expression hardened as a wave of guilt hit her like a gut punch.

Aria had lost an arm. Nyx had been nearly killed. And Luna... she hadn’t moved fast enough. She hadn’t seen it coming.

She tried to pretend otherwise, but the image of Nyx collapsing in a pool of her own blood had haunted her since.

The three girls stood there for a split second.

However, there was one woman who didn’t share their hesitation.

No memory chained her. No guilt slowed her stride. No hesitation lived in her blood.

Bastet hissed, releasing a low and guttural sound. Her pupils thinned into slits, and the air around her shimmered with golden heat.

The Fallen Vampire Noble locked eyes with her.

It recoiled instantly.

Its shriek echoed across the chamber. It raised its bloodstained rapier and shouted.

”Awaken!”

From the cracks in the walls and ceiling, rotted hands and twisted, shriveled bodies began to emerge. Bone-thin ghouls that had their mouths permanently frozen in silent screams. Starved Thralls.

But they didn’t matter.

They didn’t even reach her.