Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"I mean, I'm kinda interested, but the problem is..."

Sylvia was submerged in the water, blowing a string of bubbles with a hint of frustration.

After all, if she got out, she'd be exposed again.

Timothy couldn't help but chuckle, coaxing her, "Don't worry, babe. I just want to play a little volleyball, that's all. Besides, I've already seen everything earlier..."

"You!"

Sylvia immediately sank a little deeper into the water, her face flushed with embarrassment. She glared at Timothy, but she had to admit, he wasn't entirely wrong.

More importantly, the sacred sea's absorption had pretty much reached its limit. To continue, she'd have to wait a while.

And in the meantime...

That strange, bouncy ball was starting to catch Sylvia's attention.

"What's that thing called?" she finally couldn't resist asking after a moment of silence.

"Beach volleyball. As the name suggests, it's volleyball you play on the beach. So, what do you think? Wanna give it a try, babe?"

As he spoke, Timothy started to toy with the ball in his hands. He spun it rapidly on his fingertip before tossing it into the air. The ball bounced back with perfect elasticity, moving nimbly in his hands.

Even Sylvia's gaze was drawn to it. Find exclusive stories on empire

She had seen countless rare treasures and magical artifacts. Even Heavenly-level treasures weren't new to her. But something this odd and fun? This was a first.

Her eyes followed the ball's movements, and she found herself wanting to touch this strange, unfamiliar object.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

After hesitating for a while, she bit her lip and finally nodded. "Fine, since I have to wait for the second half of the sacred sea bath anyway, I guess I'll reluctantly play this so-called beach volleyball. Hmph!"

That final "hmph" was the perfect display of her playful stubbornness.

"Yes! Awesome!" Timothy exclaimed, a little surprised. It seemed like the beach volleyball reward from the system was finally going to come in handy.

Holding the ball, Timothy walked up onto the shore. Sylvia followed, slowly emerging from the water, looking even more embarrassed than before.

Even though she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to cover herself, her pale, flawless skin was impossible to hide.

What made it worse was the light purple bikini she was wearing. Not only did it highlight her fair skin, but it also accentuated her slender figure. After soaking in the water for a while, the bow that wasn't tied too tightly had loosened a bit, making the curves of her chest even more pronounced.

And more than that, she looked different from when she first entered the sacred sea. Now, after bathing in the water, her long hair was soaked, and her skin, smooth and pale like porcelain, glistened with droplets of water.

Especially the few drops that slid down her neck and into the valley of her chest, adding a subtle allure to her otherwise cool demeanor.

"Ugh, why would anyone invent such revealing clothes?!" Sylvia muttered in frustration, her face burning with embarrassment. She tried to focus on the volleyball, hoping it would distract her from the awkwardness.

Timothy, on the other hand, was momentarily stunned, his gaze lingering on her flawless, slightly seductive figure. It took him a while to snap out of it.

"Ahem, let me show you how to play volleyball, babe."

Timothy cleared his throat awkwardly, but his eyes couldn't help but wander back to Sylvia. After all, her already stunning figure, now highlighted by the bikini and glistening with droplets of water, was... well, hard to ignore.

Who could resist a sight like this?

I'm a gentleman, I'm a gentleman, Timothy repeated to himself. Well, except when it comes to Sylvia...

If it weren't for his spiritual energy keeping him in check, he was pretty sure he'd have a nosebleed by now.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Timothy finally picked up the volleyball. Drawing on his hazy memory, he used a bit of spiritual energy to create a net in the air and began explaining, "There are a few ways to hit the ball in beach volleyball. You can bring your arms together and bump it with your forearms, or you can clasp your hands and push it upwards with your palms.

You can even smack it with one hand if you want. As long as you get it over the net, you're still in the game. And if you get the ball to land on the other side's court, you score a point."

As he spoke, Timothy demonstrated the different techniques for hitting the ball. He wasn't exactly an expert, but he had a decent grasp of the basics.

But the most important thing was...

A sly smile crept onto Timothy's face. After all, his real goal wasn't just to play volleyball.

"Oh? The rules sound pretty interesting," Sylvia said, her curiosity piqued as she watched Timothy's demonstration.

"Hmph, fine, I guess I'll reluctantly give it a try!" She turned her head with a haughty air, but it was clear from her expression that she was more interested than she let on.

"Alright, babe, get ready!" Timothy had been waiting for this moment. Without hesitation, he served the ball.

The volleyball soared into the air, the hit gentle enough to give Sylvia a fair shot at returning it.

With her quick learning ability, Sylvia picked up the basics of beach volleyball in no time. Though her movements were a bit unpolished, she was fast.

Rising onto her toes, she lifted her slender arms and lightly bumped the ball back over the net.

"Not bad, babe," Timothy said with a smile, getting serious as he prepared for his next move. Without holding back, he spiked the ball.

Thud.

Sylvia, still a bit inexperienced, hesitated for a moment and missed the perfect opportunity to return the ball. It hit the ground, and Timothy scored the first point.

But instead of feeling discouraged, Sylvia's competitive spirit flared up. The embarrassment she'd felt earlier quickly faded, replaced by a burning desire to win. Her eyes gleamed with determination.

After all, she wasn't used to losing—in anything.

"Alright, let's go! There's no way I'm losing to you in something as simple as beach volleyball!"

With her fighting spirit ignited, the match resumed. By the second round, Sylvia's skill and confidence had grown exponentially. And with her Holy Emperor-level physique, her improvement was nothing short of remarkable. Soon, she was holding her own against Timothy, volleying the ball back and forth with ease.

The volleyball flew through the air, and every now and then, a powerful spike would send shockwaves through the sand, creating a loud boom.

But each time, the ball was returned, the rally continuing.

Thud, thud.

Boom!

Boom-boom!

If anyone else had been watching, they'd probably think this wasn't a volleyball match at all—it looked more like a battle of titans, with explosions that could rival a nuclear blast!

Back and forth they went, and despite it being only the second round, the game was surprisingly intense. After dozens of exchanges, the sand around them had been kicked up into the air, but neither of them had managed to score another point.

However...

Sylvia suddenly noticed something odd. Timothy's gaze seemed... off.

He was staring at the ball, sure, but... was it that ball he was focused on?

Or... was it something else entirely?