Demon Realm, the Demon Venerable's bedchamber.
"Cough-"
Ning Ke spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor.
His chest hurt so badly he could not speak. His long, pointed nails clawed at the edge of the bed, dark shadows beneath his eyes. Fox ears emerged atop his head, and nine tails rose from his tailbone, lifting his robes as they swayed in the air.
A closer look revealed that one of them was slowly fading away, until only a faint phantom remained.
Losing a tail meant losing a life.
How could it not hurt?
Just then, the system's notification sounded.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the side quest to investigate the stone tablet and reinforce the seal.] [Congratulations, host, on completing the second stage of the Main Quest: playing the role of junior brother A Ke. However, because you did not complete the final step of self-detonation, Time Reversal cannot end yet. Until the third stage begins, you may spend your time as you please.]
After delivering the notifications, Xiao Yuan cautiously asked Ning Ke, [Host, are you all right?]
After all, she had witnessed the whole thing.
An ordinary person might not have been able to endure what Ning Ke had suffered.
Her host's mental fortitude was, quite frankly, absurd.
After spitting out the clotted blood, Ning Ke finally felt a little better.
Then, hearing that the system would not make him go through the second stage of the plot again, he suddenly found it easier to breathe.
Rubbing his chest, he turned and sprawled across the soft, five-meter-wide bed, rolling his eyes listlessly.
"All right, my ass! Shove your mother's fart through a full 360-degree spin!"
Xiao Yuan said, sounding aggrieved, [...Host, I told you, I don't have a mother.]
"..."
Ning Ke ignored her. After lying