Volume One, Chapter 1: Did the Figurine I Picked Up Come to Life?

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“News from our station: Recently, multiple random serial killings have occurred across the country. The victims’ deaths are bizarre. All citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution when going out.”

“News from our station: Recently, a surge of videos claiming to show ‘supernatural’ phenomena have appeared online. We advise all residents to carefully discern the truth and refrain from believing or spreading rumors.”

“News from our station…”

In the early morning, the television in the room kept broadcasting one explosive news report after another.

Outside the screen, a young man sat at the dining table, absentmindedly nibbling on a hard piece of bread, his eyes occasionally darting sideways.

The young man’s name was Xia Yang. Nearly two years after graduating from university, like most people, the sharp edges of his youth had been worn down by society, transforming him into a typical corporate drone.

In the past, when he saw such so-called supernatural news, Xia Yang would simply smile faintly and mutter, “The less educated you are, the more mysterious the world seems.”

But now, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t say that line.

Because on the table beside him sat a girl no bigger than a palm, with long horns atop her head and wings sprouting from her back, clutching a small torn piece of bread and staring blankly.

The girl sniffed the bread left and right, furrowing her brow as she glanced at Xia Yang, then glanced down at the bread in her hand before violently throwing it down, placing her hands on her hips with displeasure.

“Human! Are you trying to feed me crap?”

Her blood-red eyes glared at Xia Yang, her purple hair standing on end as if electrified, even her whip-like slender tail tapped incessantly against the table to express her discontent.

Xia Yang nearly spat out the half-chewed bread upon hearing this.

“Could you please not say such disgusting things while eating?” he said, speechless.

Two nights ago, while sobering up in the park, Xia Yang had found the girl sleeping on a roadside railing. His mind was foggy then, so he had simply assumed she was a wild figurine and brought her home.

Only the next day, once sober, did Xia Yang realize how serious the situation was!

Ignoring the shock of his worldview being shattered, this girl who called herself Yadina, the Demon Queen from the Demon Realm, constantly bickered noisily in his home.

One moment she claimed to possess the power to destroy the world; the next, she insisted Xia Yang must help her conquer it!

Even if he threw her out and shut the door, she would instantly teleport back in front of him, impossible to drive away.

Helpless, he could only keep her for now. After all, Yadina didn’t seem hostile—at least not yet.

“So, what do you want to eat?” Xia Yang asked.

“Mana! I want to consume mana…” Yadina’s voice grew softer as if a balloon slowly deflating, and at the last word, her eyes darkened as she slumped down, clutching her slightly shriveled stomach, seeing stars before her eyes.

Coming from the Demon Realm to Blue Star had already drained much of Yadina’s mana, and as a demon queen, the daily mana she needed to sustain herself was no small amount.

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Relying solely on the sparse mana absorbed from this world’s air was definitely insufficient!

Fortunately, Xia Yang had found her at a critical moment. Without hesitation, she forced him to sign a master-servant contract, and with the mana feedback from that, she managed to hold on for two more days.

But now, her energy was nearly depleted again. If she didn’t replenish her mana soon, she would truly die!

Seeing this, Xia Yang grew anxious.

Though Yadina was somewhat noisy, she was still a living being. He couldn’t bear to see her die in his room.

Besides, the place would become haunted…

“How do I obtain this thing called mana?” Xia Yang asked, standing up, determined to save this little life.

But just as he rose, a sharp scream suddenly pierced the air.

“Ahhh—!”

The piercing, grating sound stunned both Xia Yang and Yadina.

“That sound, from next door?” Xia Yang was the first to react. “Could it be another cockroach?”

The neighbors often let out screams like this, usually because of cockroaches or other insects.

Xia Yang remembered helping them catch cockroaches a few times. Since a girl lived there, it was better to be accommodating.

However, this scream was unusually loud, which made Xia Yang uneasy, though he didn’t think much of it.

“That’s mana! The scent of mana!” Yadina suddenly realized. Her previous lethargy vanished, replaced by excitement, her eyes almost sparkling with hearts.

She staggered to her feet, struggling to flap her wings.

Though thrilled, she still couldn’t fly and had no choice but to stretch out her arms and look up at Xia Yang.

“Congratulations, you’ve briefly earned the chance to become my mount.”

Xia Yang was speechless. She was tough-mouthed, wasn’t she?

Not wanting to argue, Xia Yang felt something was off. He reached out, picked Yadina up, and held her at eye level.

This was his first close encounter with her. Since they weren’t familiar, he had been wary she might suddenly bite him—he hadn’t had a rabies shot.

He couldn’t help but take a closer look.

The girl’s face was exquisitely sculpted, like a masterpiece. Except for the crucial parts covered by black fabric, the rest of her body was completely exposed.

Though she called herself a demon queen, Xia Yang couldn’t help but think she looked exactly like a succubus from anime and novels!

“Stop dazing off. Now, head straight to your left!” Yadina poked Xia Yang’s palm with the tip of her tail.

Snapping out of his trance, Xia Yang followed the little succubus’s instructions and moved toward the balcony.

Living in a high-rise apartment, opening the floor-to-ceiling window brought in a light autumn breeze, cool and refreshing.

Xia Yang squinted slightly, finding it pleasant, but Yadina’s reaction was different.

She took several deep breaths greedily, absorbing the mana in the air, which was several times stronger here than before.

Finally, she fluttered her wings and flew from Xia Yang’s hand, wobbling toward the neighboring balcony.

“You said you couldn’t fly,” Xia Yang was stunned, then suddenly understood.

“No way! It really is!” His expression brightened with realization. He’d known it! That scream wasn’t from a cockroach!

Blaming the irresponsible landlord for not pest-controlling the tenants, Xia Yang had developed a sharp ear over the years—he could identify the insects next door just by the decibel of their screams!

He was sure that scream was several pitches higher than the loudest cockroach noise; something was definitely wrong!

With Yadina’s talk of mana, Xia Yang was certain that the mana was right in the neighbor’s room!

While Xia Yang was playing detective in his mind, Yadina had already flown into the neighboring apartment.

Since the neighbors probably had some supernatural incident too—and with Yadina, this strange creature, already there—Xia Yang didn’t bother knocking.

The balconies were connected, so he simply climbed over.

Supporting himself with one hand on the low wall, he pushed off the ground with his feet, arcing gracefully through the air before landing steadily.

He then glanced inside—and froze.

Inside, a short-haired woman was curled up on the floor, clutching her head in pain.

Her body trembled slightly as she moaned softly, while dark, haze-like shadows swirled around her, threatening to engulf her completely.

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