SSS-Rank Evolving Monster: From Pest to Cosmic Devourer-Chapter 55: Demon Queen Noctyss Dilemma

The forest stretched endlessly beneath Ricky as he soared through the heavy, cloud-streaked sky. The dense canopy of emerald leaves shifted in waves below him, a living ocean of green. Every motion, every disturbance rippled through the thick mana-laden air, feeding directly into Ricky’s sharpened senses.

Even without focusing, he could feel it—the chaotic energy swirling around the clearing he’d left behind. Dozens of creatures, beasts of all sizes, had begun gathering, drawn by the echoes of his battle with the Obsidian Aegis Ant. Curious eyes peered from between twisted roots and thick foliage, noses lifted to catch the scent of blood and upheaval.

Ricky spared them a single indifferent glance before dismissing their presence entirely.

The battle against the ant hadn’t just scarred his flesh—it had stirred something much deeper within him. Something old, something dangerous. It wasn’t bloodlust, nor was it the savage desire for slaughter.

It was hunger.

The hunger for understanding.

A low, thoughtful click escaped his mandibles as he angled downward, gliding in a wide spiral toward a familiar patch of forestland—a sacred cluster of ancient, towering trees, their colossal trunks covered in thick moss and luminous fungi. A place where even the fiercest predators hesitated to tread.

Here, the air grew dense, almost viscous, infused with a palpable spiritual weight. Every breath Ricky took was like drinking from an ancient river of mana, rich and intoxicating.

Unconsciously, memories surfaced—fleeting glimpses of when he had been weak, smaller than a beetle, barely able to defend himself. He remembered wandering into this very grove, lured by the seductive scent of spiritual fruits, only to meet her for the first time.

Dark Shadow.

A faint smirk crept across his mandibles.

Those days were long past.

The helpless mosquito who had once trembled beneath the forest’s gaze was gone. In his place now was something... far more dangerous.

Without wasting another moment, Ricky honed in on his destination. Beneath the vast, shadowy crown of one of the elder trees, a lone figure sat cross-legged upon a smooth stone slab.

Noctyss.

Her eyes were closed in deep meditation, her breathing slow and deliberate. With each exhale, the surrounding mana surged toward her like a tide yearning for the moon—only to halt, blocked by some unseen force just before it could touch her skin.

Even so, Noctyss was aware of him.

The moment Ricky’s aura brushed the perimeter of her perception, she opened her eyes, brilliant phoenix-like irises locking onto him with faint confusion flickering in their depths.

She rose gracefully to her feet, long hair cascading down her back like a silken river. There was wariness in her gaze, yes—but also curiosity.

She had studied this mosquito a little.

Given how venomously she had once tried to kill him, it was almost absurd that she now followed his commands like a servant. If she were in his place, Noctyss mused, she would have already indulged in every cruel and degrading pleasure ownership afforded.

Yet Ricky... did nothing.

If anything, he treated her with a detached indifference that stung more than chains ever could.

Her mood soured as she watched him.

Was it because my charm has faded? she wondered, glancing down at herself instinctively.

But that notion was swiftly discarded.

Her body remained exquisite—her breasts still full and bountiful, her skin supple and unblemished, her lips a rich, inviting crimson. Her beauty had once toppled kingdoms, driven men mad enough to betray gods for a single touch.

She could still recall it vividly—the way emperors and heroes alike, even as she butchered their families before their eyes, continued to look at her with hunger and awe.

But Ricky’s gaze...

It wasn’t lust. It wasn’t hate. It was cold. Detached.

As if she were a particularly useful tool, rather than flesh and blood.

A frustrated huff escaped Noctyss before she caught herself.

Hmph! Just you wait... she thought, folding her arms across her chest. When he finally transcends that insect form...

Maybe then he would look at her properly.

Lost in her brooding, she almost missed the mental transmission Ricky sent.

Two words. No emotion. A decree.

"Follow me."

Before she could even question it, her body moved instinctively, compelled by the binding force woven into her soul.

"What? Where—?" she called out, frustration tingling her voice. freeweɓnovel-cøm

But Ricky offered no answer. His wings buzzed once, propelling him higher into the sky like a phantom, leaving her behind in a swirl of disturbed air.

Gritting her teeth, Noctyss rushed after him.

"Wait! Slow down, damn you!" she shouted, legs pumping furiously to keep pace.

Behind them, nestled high within the thick branches of an ancient tree, a particular spider watched their departure. Its many glittering eyes narrowed slightly in silent observation before retreating deeper into the shadows.

---

"Damned balls of meat! I swear I’ll cut them off if they slow me down any more!"

Noctyss’ furious shout echoed through the solemn trees, causing entire flocks of birds and lesser beasts to scatter in panic.

She sprinted through the underbrush with a mix of rage and indignation, both hands desperately clutching her bouncing chest.

Every step she took sent her generous assets into chaotic motion, threatening to throw off her balance.

It was humiliating.

After being nerfed by Damien, this was the first time she’d been forced to exert herself like this. Her body, pampered and powerful, was ill-equipped for such undignified scrambling.

And to make matters worse, she was still clad only in the simple maxi-dress that Dark Shadow had hastily fashioned for her—an elegant but utterly impractical garment for sprinting through the wilds.

No battle armor. No proper undergarments. Nothing to secure her damnable curves.

For one brief, furious moment, Noctyss seriously considered hacking her own breasts off just to make running easier.

But sanity—and vanity—prevailed.

No, she thought bitterly. I refuse to let these accursed things diminish my allure.

When she was all prim and proper she couldn’t arouse the mosquito desires, if they also disappeared..

Just as she was about to explode in sheer frustration, her sharp eyes caught sight of a thick vine dangling from a nearby tree.

Salvation.

Without hesitation, she lunged for it, tearing it down with a swift flick of her nails. In one deft motion, she cut it into strips and began binding her chest tightly, creating makeshift bandages that compressed her curves to the point of breathlessness.

Only when she could barely draw in air without effort did she allow herself a small, triumphant smile.

"There," she muttered, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. "Perfect."

Adjusting the rough straps once more, Noctyss resumed her sprint, significantly less encumbered.

From a distance, she might have looked almost comical—an ancient, once-feared Demon Queen wrapping herself in jungle vines just to chase after a mosquito.

But it was important to remember: Noctyss had spent her long life as a tyrant, a force of destruction who had never needed to care about appearances, dignity, or propriety.

Her emotions, her reactions—raw, savage, uncaring, explosive—were all real, untempered by centuries of polite society.

She simply... was.

An ancient storm, wearing the body of a breathtaking woman.

And right now, that storm was very, very pissed.

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