SSS-Rank Evolving Monster: From Pest to Cosmic Devourer-Chapter 125: Rosary

Meanwhile, just beside the Dark Shadow Spiritual Garden, nestled beneath the looming canopy of colossal emerald trees and surrounded by the faint glow of spiritual fruit blossoms, a meeting of rare significance was quietly unfolding.

A woman clad in obsidian-black robes stood tall, her presence as sharp as a dagger unsheathed. Three blood-red triangles shimmered on her sleeves like a crest of silent authority. Her sharp eyes, cold and scanning, swept across the surroundings as if searching for something—or someone.

This was Rosary, the representative of the Federation and a peak Stage 2 cultivator in her own right.

A heavyweight.

Only Crown Prince Darius surpassed her in strength, and her tightly furrowed brow made it clear—she was far from pleased.

Despite the grandeur of the wooden castle and the revered aura of the spiritual garden, Rosary’s frown only deepened as her gaze landed on the woman seated leisurely across from her.

A few meters away, sprawled on a floating stone recliner, Noctys nibbled on a soft purple fruit, her snow white hair dancing in the wind.

Her crimson eyes sparkled with vague amusement, and a smug smirk tugged at her lips as if she were thoroughly enjoying Rosary’s frustration.

The air between them crackled—not with power, but tension.

After all, Ricky had personally assigned this task to Noctys.

Having caused mayhem and chaos for over a millennium, it was about time the former Demon Queen used her infamous talents for diplomacy... or at least for stalling.

From her side, Noctys looked completely at ease. In fact, she seemed rather disinterested—more invested in the spiritual fruit than the Federation envoy.

That made Rosary’s temper simmer dangerously close to boiling.

Her fists clenched at her sides, her eyes narrowed. She took a breath, then spoke, voice deceptively light but tightly coiled with suppressed rage.

"I requested an audience with the Venom Fang Overlord... not to waste time with some no-name woman who doesn’t even understand the basics of diplomatic protocol."

Her lips curled, though it was meant as a chuckle.

But the bitter undertone couldn’t be missed—it was clear she was barely holding herself back from lashing out.

Some distance away, Felicia and Forty-Two watched the scene unfold from the edge of the garden, hidden among the flowering trees. Their expressions were a mix of fascination and disbelief.

Even in their short time at the wooden castle, they had come to understand one universal truth:

Dealing with Noctys was harder than dealing with the Venom Fang Overlord himself.

The fact that Rosary was still standing in one piece, let alone continuing the conversation, was nothing short of a miracle.

Forty-Two blinked slowly and leaned toward Felicia, whispering in awe, "Is she insane?"

Felicia didn’t reply, but her tight grip on her healer’s robe suggested she was bracing for chaos.

Because if Noctys ever decided to retaliate with her full temper... things wouldn’t end well for anyone.

But the Demon Queen didn’t rise to the bait.

She took another bite from her fruit, slowly chewed, then finally met Rosary’s fiery gaze with her own deadpan stare.

And smiled.

A sharp, slow, almost playful smile.

"I’m sorry," Noctys said at last, licking the juice from her fingers with deliberate casualness.

"Did the little human forget she’s standing in my territory?"

She sat up slightly, her tone still relaxed, but her aura began to ripple ever so subtly through the garden.

The ground trembled faintly. Leaves rustled unnaturally. Even the air seemed to still in fear.

"You come here, into our forest, demand a meeting with our lord, insult the person he entrusted, and expect me to give you answers?"

Noctys tilted her head to the side, that eerie, taunting smile never leaving her lips. "My, my. You are bold."

Rosary’s face twitched, but she held her ground.

Noctys leaned back again, waving her hand as though dismissing a fly.

"Well then, Representative Rosary... let’s hear these important matters you traveled all this way to share."

As everyone expected, Noctys’s patience had already shattered into a thousand invisible shards. Her rage simmered just beneath the surface, threatening to erupt like a dormant volcano.

But the truth was hard to ignore—she couldn’t do anything about it.

Not because she lacked the will.

But because, at this moment, Rosary was stronger.

And that stung.

If Rosary believed she had the upper hand simply because of her cultivation level, Noctys was about to teach her a very painful lesson in humility.

With an elegant flick of her fingers, Noctys clapped once, the sound crisp, echoing slightly through the garden. A calculated smile played on her lips.

Rosary’s frown eased immediately.

She thought Ricky had been summoned.

Her lips curled in premature satisfaction, as if thinking, Finally, someone competent will show up.

Had anyone present heard her thoughts, they’d have likely stared at her like she’d lost her damn mind.

"Girl, what? You think Noctys would dare to summon the fearsome Overlord like she’s ordering room service? Are you delusional or just suicidal?"

But to everyone’s shock, someone did come.

It wasn’t the Venom Fang Overlord—no one was foolish enough to expect that—

Instead, a figure stepped calmly into view, cutting through the gentle mist of the garden with a weighty presence that silenced even the birds for a breath.

Crown Prince Darius.

Dressed in a plain but immaculate white robe, he looked utterly unimpressed. A quiet storm brewed behind his eyes, and his every step radiated the authority of a man who had seen enough nonsense for the day.

His presence rippled through the gathered air like thunder behind a velvet curtain.

Rosary’s face shifted immediately. The moment her eyes landed on him, a jolt of disbelief passed through her body. Her lips parted in astonishment.

Then, an excited gasp escaped her.

"C-Crown Prince! What are you doing here?" she stammered, her entire demeanor changing in an instant.

Hope bloomed across her face like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

"Could it be... has the royal army arrived to assist us?"

A murmur stirred among her entourage as they straightened subconsciously, expressions shifting from hostility to hopeful awe.

Rosary had prepared herself for all kinds of outcomes when she set out for this meeting—

The Venom Fang Overlord turning rogue and slaughtering everyone...

A sudden undead ambush crashing down before the discussion could begin...

Even being captured and held hostage as a political pawn.

But this?

Meeting the actual Crown Prince here, in enemy territory?

That hadn’t even crossed her imagination.

If Darius was here, then surely—surely—the Royal Army must be close behind, right?

Her thoughts raced, her pulse quickened.

Hope was a dangerous thing to hold.

As soon as the thought crossed Rosary’s mind—that the royal army might be here to rescue them—her heartbeat quickened like a war drum.

A warm flush crept across her cheeks.

Everyone was finally saved.

There would be no need to negotiate, no need to humble herself before that foul demoness Noctys or the terrifying Venom Fang Overlord.

She could finally breathe.

Hope surged inside her chest like a geyser bursting from the earth.

But even as her thoughts raced toward visions of salvation, Darius narrowed his eyes at her in quiet surprise. His calm gaze swept across her face—recognition dawning almost immediately.

Rosary?

What’s she doing here?

He hadn’t expected to see a familiar face, let alone this one.

Back in the royal academy, they’d crossed paths more than once. And not just him—the son of Iron Fang Legion supreme commander had once shared the same dormitories, lecture halls, and combat training fields.

Darius frowned slightly. Just how long was Ricky planning to keep him leashed there?

But now wasn’t the time to reminisce.

Rosary stood stiffly, trying to maintain her diplomatic poise, but Darius noticed the flicker of hopeful emotion in her eyes. It only made his expression harden.

His priorities weren’t the same anymore.

He stepped forward with the deliberate grace of a man who had buried his past and reforged his purpose.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, voice sharp and formal.

His gaze narrowed, scanning her closely. "Shouldn’t you be working at the Royal Apothecary?"

His words struck like a slap.

Rosary froze, stunned at the unexpected question. A flicker of shame—or perhaps guilt—crossed her expression.

Darius remembered her well.

She’d never been a strong cultivator, not in the traditional sense. Her battle techniques were subpar at best, her mana pool barely above average. But even so, she’d earned a place at the prestigious academy due to a peculiar and highly coveted talent:

A rare affinity that allowed her to greatly amplify the effects of medicinal pills—especially those that had long lost their potency.

At first glance, it had seemed unimpressive. But to the elders and dying nobles of the kingdom, it was a godsend.

They had relied on her ability to breathe new life into long-ineffective elixirs. Pills that had stopped working decades ago would suddenly revive under her touch, sparking hope in those clinging to their final centuries of life.

She had been—quite literally—the last thread of vitality for many ancient powerhouses.

Darius’s eyes sharpened with a flicker of insight.

Interesting.

His thoughts drifted back to Ricky—specifically, Ricky’s deepening obsession with alchemical pills.

It was unhealthy, borderline manic. The mosquito would hoard pills like a dragon hoarded treasure, and each breakthrough he achieved only pushed him to demand stronger, purer concoctions.

Darius had seen it firsthand.

Could this girl be useful to him?

Suddenly, what seemed like an unimportant interaction sparked with political opportunity.

Meanwhile, the others—Noctys, Felicia, Forty-Two, and even the guards nearby—looked between the two with stunned expressions.

No one had expected Darius to know the Federation representative.

And certainly not like this.

A strange tension filled the air, not of hostility, but of tangled history and unforeseen possibilities.

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦