Chapter 1082 - Each of Their Own Ulterior Motives

It was just an ordinary and humble little pub.

The fishermen bawled, shoving the wooden door open and making their way into the pub. They waved their arms, approached the counter with a series of vulgar laughter, and reached their hands out to smack the plump buttocks of the average-looking waitresses donned in low-cut maid dresses. They lifted the mugs, draining the alcohol in one gulp and conversed loudly with other customers in the pub, sharing stories of how one incidentally witnessed a young farmer lady stepping out of the bath to the recent harvests from the ocean. All sorts of rumors and strange stories filled the pub, as well as the smell of sweat, alcohol, and food. It was crowded for everyone except for a particular customer seated in the corner.

He looked to be in his thirties, clad in a straight, neat, red shirt that didn’t match this pub in the countryside. The ring inlaid with a huge, bright, precious gem on his slender, pianist-like finger was enough to blind one in the eye. Along with a neatly-trimmed goatee, his dark, soft long hair was combed back nicely. His suave, confident face mesmerized one so much that one would even be willing to devote oneself to him at all costs. The man sat quietly in the corner, raising the silver cup and savoring the fine wine leisurely. There were a dozen pitch-black cards laid out before him on the table like the set up of a fortune teller. He smiled, gazing at the cards in silence. But what surprised one was that no one seemed to realize his existence; not even the farmer standing 5 meters away from him, bragging about how he had a relationship with the widow next door and.

Until the arrival of someone else.

The man pushed the door open quietly, but no one seemed to notice his presence, not even the smiley waitresses who gazed blankly at him and flitted across their eyes like a shadowy ghost. No one paid attention to his presence or gave way. However, that shadowy figure effortlessly slipped through the gaps of the crowd and not even the spilled alcohol from the waving mugs in midair was able to splash onto him. He arrived before the man seated at the corner, extending his arm to drag the chair out for a seat. He turned to the waitress and snapped his fingers and shortly after, a waitress went up to him with a blank stare.

“One roasted chicken, a piece of white bread, a plate of fruit salad, a pot of wild berry wine, and two lamb steaks. I want the steaks fresh with more sauce. Also, give me one grilled fish and remember to remove the bones. Put more spices into the roasted chicken and don’t overcook it.”

Rhode ordered, flicking his fingers and a gold coin flew out of his hand and landed into the deep cleavage of the waitress in the low-cut dress. The waitress stared at him shyly before turning around and leaving. Rhode rubbed his hands, gazed at the man playing a fortune-telling game by himself, and nodded at him.

“Apologies for being late.”

“No, it’s fine, Your Majesty Rhode. I was the one who came early and now…” The man replied, retrieving a golden pocket watch and opening it with a kacha. “… it is just the right time. You don’t need to apologize.”

“Alright then, I shall take back my apology.”

Rhode nodded in response before leaning back on the chair leisurely. Unlike the man seated opposite him and clad in neat, straight attire, even though Rhode also wore a black attire, he seemed much more loose and relaxed: his collar button wasn’t fastened securely and the coat draped over his shoulders unceremoniously. But even so, Rhode was completely dressed like a successful person in modern society. It was as though how one found it unimaginable that one who wore gold-rimmed glasses, branded apparel, and owned a luxury car would have a meal in a filthy food court. But surprisingly, although both of them had a seemingly huge presence in this small pub, the surrounding fishermen and farmers didn’t seem to notice them at all. They didn’t even take a single glance at them.

And apparently, Rhode didn’t come here to experience the life of a basic, ordinary civilian either.

“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty Asmodeus.”

Gazing at the man before him with a smile, Rhode nodded and narrowed his eyes. This man was the ruler of the Ninth Floor of Hell, the king of hell who ruled all demons, Asmodeus. Or more specifically, his incarnation. As the most cautious and insidious demon king, Asmodeus never showed up before anyone personally, not even before the Creator Dragons. Moreover, this place wasn’t his comfy, little home, but the main plane of existence. Judging from the amount of energy this demon king was willing to expend by sending his incarnation here, it went to show how important this meeting was.

“I suppose you’ve already heard from Celestina about the purpose of our meeting. It’s simple; I need your help to ensure that I won’t be attacked or affected by any factors while I set up the node in the Ninth Floor of Hell. I’m sure you’re aware of this part of the plan, right?”

“Of course, Your Majesty Rhode.”

Laying down the wine cup, Asmodeus revealed a gracious and warm smile like the spring breeze.

“I have to admit that you’ve got guts. Over the years, no one has ever come up with this idea, and the same goes for the worthless trash under my command. Even though cautiousness is a must, being overcautious will never achieve big things. And the same goes for my enemies. It won’t be enough to work for the sake of an ambitious goal. Without practical action, it will be meaningless, isn’t it?”

“Alright then, let’s get to the details.”

Rhode neglected Asmodeus’s words. The reason was simple. He knew how powerful this ruler of the Ninth Floor of Hell was. If Rhode were taken to the ditch by him, he would have no hope of climbing back up. That was why Rhode didn’t respond and continued the discussion in his pace instead. For the sake of this meeting, Rhode racked his brains and specifically indicated to have this meeting on the main plane instead of holding it in the Ninth Floor of Hell. He knew that anyone who negotiated with demons and devils in hell would die a terrible death. This was due to the reason that in the Ninth Floor of Hell, the power of the word ‘contract’ was omnipresent. If one were to agree to terms without thinking through, one’s soul would be seized by the Ninth Floor of Hell. In the past, there was once a mage who attempted to seal a deal with a Succubus in hell. He was confident and upon relying on his wisdom, the Succubus was too easy to convince. However, this unfortunate mage totally neglected the mighty power of the contract in hell. As soon as he stupidly agreed to help the Succubus, she smiled and raised a condition.

“Kill all the demons on this plane of existence within 10 minutes.”

Of course, the pitiful mage couldn’t accomplish it. As a result, he was deemed as the living specimen of Baator Hell for violating a contract. As for whether the mage became the Succubus’s vessel to cultivate soul larva or was reborn in hell to live his new life, no one knew.

In view of this, Rhode would never talk business with Asmodeus in hell. Even though the laws of Baator Hell couldn’t restrain him as a Creator Dragon, who knew what kind of traps were hidden in there? After all, it was what the demons were most adept at, wasn’t it?

“It’s simple, Your Majesty Rhode. My demon armies have to deal with the aggressive devils and Chaos, so we don’t have extra forces to protect your so-called node. Besides, if I recall correctly, Chaos will also be capable of learning your plan and when you set up the node, Chaos will likely launch attacks on us. As of now, we lost Casselly, while the Gray Ruins are also occupied by the enemies. This is a huge challenge for us.”

Asmodeus spoke, spreading his arms apart and smiling at Rhode like ‘a landlord who didn’t have surplus food to give at this time of the year’. But to hell with it if Rhode were to believe him. Even so, Rhode had to use this chance to reach the basis of an agreement with Asmodeus. Even if it was only the basis, it was enough for him. Demons were pretty good in terms of credibility, with the prerequisite of not being cheated by them, that was.

“So what do you want us to do for you?”

Rhode said and at the same time, the waitress brought over a tray filled with food and laid them all over the table. Rhode reached out for the roasted chicken drumstick and ripped it from its body. Under the slightly charred skin, the somewhat, overly-strong scent of spices assailed his nostrils. But he didn’t mind that at all. He took the steaming white bread and dipped it into the unappealing sauce.

“It’s simple, Your Majesty Rhode. The Gray Ruins and Casselly are very important places to us. We don’t have enough forces to occupy several front lines at once. Therefore, we need your help to secure one of the battlefronts until….”

“Sure. I suppose we don’t have much time to waste, Your Majesty Asmodeus.”

The corners of Rhode’s mouth perked up into an elegant smile. Then, he clapped the bread crumbs off his hands and reached for the wine that had a rather fine color.

“Alright then, Your Majesty Rhode. Please state your conditions…”

Chapter 1083: Hell

Baator Hell.

If there was one word to describe this place, ‘hell’ would be the most suitable and appropriate because this place was indeed hellish. This was the battlefield between demons and devils, where the chaos of war broke out in every inch of the land. Peace in this place was as precious as oases in deserts. If one were just a fool who accidentally entered hell and stumbled onto the bloody field, then congratulations; one had already entered the worst and most unimaginable part of the nightmare.

“Actually, I kinda like bloodbaths. At least I get to kill to my heart’s content…”

Mini Bubble Gum gazed at the maroon sky and landed below it. If it weren’t for the black line separating the sky and land, perhaps one would think that this place was filled with postmodern art graffiti—something that was simply smeared by red paint.

“Yeah, to our hearts’ content.”

Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum’s words, Rhode nodded in agreement. Indeed, apart from getting extremely rare magical equipment and items on the main plane, bloodbaths were also what got players in full swing. If one were fortunate, one could purchase creatures or items at considerable prices that one couldn’t buy on the main plane. There was once a player who bought a ‘loli’ angel, which made many players green with envy because not anyone could purchase one. But despite that, it wasn’t easy to survive in hell and abyss due to the unique laws of Baator Hell towards the ‘contract’ that was previously mentioned. Many players were tricked by demons and of course, they wouldn’t turn into food for the demons’ soul larva in the game. But after their death, their souls would only remain in hell and they couldn’t return to the main plane. Just this point alone was enough to devastate many players.

Unless they were fortunate enough to meet angels who upheld ‘justice’ or ‘Astral Apostles’ who came to hell and could carry out a transcendence ceremony for their souls, they could only cry for the rest of their lives in hell. What was that saying again? ‘One chose to visit hell instead of heaven with its doors open’. Since one was that foolish to choose to go to hell, it would go without saying that one would suffer the consequences of the naive and stupid decision.

Of course, this ‘cruel’ setting of the game caused extreme dissatisfaction in a lot of players. But despite that, the gaming company remains unmoved. In the past, Rhode felt strange as to why the gaming company created that many strange settings in the Dragon Soul Continent that were enough to make players ‘rage-quit’. But he finally understood the reason now. It was simple; the ones who created the game made it solely to simulate the Dragon Soul Continent and hoped to find solutions to the problems they faced. That was why they naturally had to set the background of the game harsher and mote realistic. And no matter the amount of complaints from players, they couldn’t possibly modify them. After all, their original intention of creating this game was to test and not serve the players.

“Now, let’s confirm our destination,” Rhode said, shifting his gaze away from the dry plain to behind him where Celestina, Celia, Gracier, Madaras, Shira, and Karin stood in silence. Apart from his holy sword spirits, there were four others following the team: Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Lesa, and… Cassidy.

This time, Rhode didn’t bring Anne along, which was rare. No matter how Anne threw a tantrum, Rhode remained unmoved. Besides, for safety, he had gotten Marlene to keep a close eye on Anne and stop her from slipping away. If they were heading to other places, Rhode wouldn’t mind letting Anne explore them. But in hell, the place of eternal evil and deprivation, didn’t suit an innocent and naive young lady like Anne at all. Rhode also wasn’t sure if Anne’s personality would turn dark after getting involved in a bloody war here, so he wasn’t willing to risk it. Apart from this reason, Anne’s passionate personality was also a fuse for trouble in hell too. She might even be kidnapped and sold by some demons without knowing it.

Knowing the dangers of hell, Rhode was well prepared this time and brought along everyone who had the ability to resist the power of hell. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had been involved in bloody wars with him here, so they understood the various situations perfectly. According to Celestina, the holy sword spirits had also contributed in these battles in order to resist devils a with chaotic nature. Before they ‘grew up’, they had spent some time training in hell, so it also wasn’t a problem for them to be here. As for Lesa, the strength of Order she gained from Rhode was sufficient to defend against the contamination of hell. On the other hand, it would be a joke if the Contrast Deity Warden, Cassidy, couldn’t handle the power of hell.

Most importantly, all of them were actually beings ‘derived’ from Rhode’s system. Judging from this aspect, their spirits ‘belonged’ to Rhode. And as a Creator Dragon, of course he was able to break through the limit of Order in hell. Therefore, if the demons were to set traps for them, he could still unleash his power, break through the Order of hell, and bring the rest back to the main plane safely. This was the other reason why he didn’t bring Anne and others. He didn’t want to see any of his subordinates’ spirits still wailing in hell after the others had successfully returned to the main plane… After all, he had spent more than a day or two in hell in the past to know its dangers.

“Our goal is simple: we’ll rest in the Steel Fortress, find the River Styx, and get to Casselly through it. Then, we will enter the Rift Plain, exterminate those damn devils in Desolate Town and retreat just like what we did in the past. Do you understand? Don’t act on your own or care about any unimportant matter.”

In the end, Rhode and Asmodeus came to an agreement. Rhode would assist the demons in attacking Desolate Town from the back, eliminating the devils, and returning its jurisdiction to the demons. This way, the demons would own the topmost station above the Bottomless Abyss. But Rhode was also smart and cunning as he didn’t promise Asmodeus to help them occupy Desolate Town. Instead, he clearly indicated that he only had to eliminate the devils in Desolate Town and his job would be done as per the agreement. If Rhode killed all the devils and Asmodeus didn’t have enough forces to reoccupy the place, it wouldn’t be Rhode’s problem at all. This was also an insurance that Rhode came up with. After all, if he agreed to assist Asmodeus in occupying Desolate Town and the ‘process’ required centuries, wouldn’t he be spending centuries in that damn place? Rhode wasn’t that foolish.

The most important thing in negotiating with demons was to confirm what he could offer and not what he could help with.

The reason was simple as to why Rhode chose the Rift Plain as his destination. After defeating Grazite, Grazite’s subordinates sunk into complete chaos. Devils were born to adore chaos. Previously, with Grazite around, they didn’t dare to wreak havoc. But now that Grazite was eliminated, the unrestrained devils suddenly broke loose and slaughtered one another for more power. As the most important town in the Rift Plain, Desolate Town was of utmost importance. In Asmodeus’s eyes, as soon as he occupied the town, he could cut off one of the routes the abyss used to attack demons from. Then, as soon as he built another fortress there, he could retaliate against the abyss real soon. Rhode understood why Asmodeus needed his help. That was because from a certain degree, the abyss was somewhat similar to a land of Chaos. Only Creator Dragons could use dragon soul powers to turn Chaos into Order and apparently, it was impossible that the Creator Dragons were too idle to join the bloody war in hell at any time. This was why even though Asmodeus couldn’t make bricks without straws with this decision, it was an entirely different matter now that Rhode was here.

“Got it, Leader. It will be enough as long as there’s a war for me to fight in.”

After hearing Rhode’s words, Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms in excitement. On the other hand, Celestina heard their conversation and gazed at Mini Bubble Gum and Rhode in astonishment.

“Master, have you guys been in a bloody battle before?”

“Of course.” Perhaps dissatisfied with Celestina’s dubious tone, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips and said. “Back then, we cleared over 800 floors in the abyss with Leader… Tsk, Grazite was nothing and even Mecanthus scrambled away from us. As a matter of fact, the devils seemed powerful, but they weren’t worthy of a mention at all!”

“…”

After hearing Mini Bubble Gum’s words, Celestina exchanged doubtful glances with Celia standing beside her. Even though they didn’t feel like Mini Bubble Gum was saying the truth, it didn’t seem like there was a need for her to lie either. What exactly… was going on? Rhode observed their interactions and didn’t seem to intend to explain to them. Instead, he turned and gazed at the looming, massive fortress.

“Alright, let’s move out.”

Chapter 1084: Steel Fortress

Even though Asmodeus could send Rhode’s group directly to the front line, the latter refused his kind offer. The demons’ kind intentions were mostly poisoned candy, where one would more than likely suffer from. That was why Rhode would rather spend more energy in heading toward Desolate Town by himself than to accept Asmodeus’s ‘offer’.

When they arrived at the city wall of the Steel Fortress, they quickly garnered a lot of attention. But it wasn’t due to the group of excellent beauties surrounding him, who stood out like diamonds in a crown and oases in deserts. Instead, it was due to the fact that there was a battle angel among them too. Unsure if Celia was doing it for the sake of expressing her identity, but she expanded her pure, white wings. On the contrary, Celestina folded her wings, tucked her tail, and displayed a seemingly harmless look. After all, it didn’t matter if the owner wore a casual outfit at home. But when there were guests, the owner had to dress up appropriately at the very least, wasn’t it? This was a matter of manners.

The entrance of the fortress was like the snap-opened mouth of a gigantic monster with demons, half-elves, and humans lining up in a long queue. They were mostly covered in filth and some were even stained with blood that was left unwashed. All of them were waiting patiently, yearning for a chance to enter the fortress. It was relatively easy for demons to gain entry. But for the other races, they weren’t as fortunate as them. They had to make use of money, language, and things to gain the likings of the demon guards in order to ensure entry into the fortress without losing an arm or leg and enjoy the momentary peace, instead of submerging in the ditches, waiting to be fed on by wild beasts.

It was due to this reason that they were enraged when they saw Rhode’s group heading to the entrance without following the rules and queuing up accordingly.

After all, no matter in which era, cutting queues were always rude and the same went for getting in through the back.

“Hey, wait.”

As Rhode’s group was about to enter the fortress, one of the demon guards by the entrance extended its arm that was as thick as Celia’s slender waist and stopped them by flourishing the flame spear. It narrowed its scarlet eyes, scanned the unwelcome visitors, and specially paused at the pair of white wings behind Celia for a few moments.

“Don’t you outsiders know the rules? This is the Steel Fortress; you need to queue up to enter.”

The demon guard scoffed and stared at Rhode who led the group of young ladies. At the same time, it brandished the flame spear at them and sent a wave of blazing heat above their heads. No matter from which angle, this threat seemed rather effective. But it was a pity that the demon guard picked on the wrong group as none of them revealed any terrified expressions. Even Cassidy, who had male-phobia, knitted her brows at the demon guard as though she was gazing at a stray dog on the street. Cassidy was a Deity Warden, after all. Even if she had male-phobia, there weren’t many beings in this world that were worthy to be seen as a ‘man’ in her eyes.

“Hey, you country bumpkins…”

Upon feeling provoked, the demon guard widened its mouth to reveal its sharp, filthy canines. Along with this action, its muscles that seemingly had its skin stripped trembled. Not only that, but its long, scorpion-like tail also raised up into an offensive stance.

“If you don’t…”

“Get out of my way, you lowly scum!”

Celestina interrupted harshly before the demon guard finished its sentence. She glared fiercely and the high-and-mighty demon guard was taken aback quickly. It turned toward the young lady who was near it, shivered in fear, and stood at attention quickly. Even though it didn’t know who this human-like young lady was, her pure, spoken demon language clearly showed that she wasn’t one who played a small role it could handle. Almost in an instance, the demon guard turned its body aside respectfully as though making way for its God humbly. On the other hand, Rhode didn’t say a word. He simply led the rest of the group into the fortress.

But it was a pity that in this world, there were many people who just couldn’t accept seeing one walk on the red, VIP carpet.

“Hey, hey! That’s unfair! Why can they enter just like that! Damn it! Don’t they need to queue up?”

One of the half-elves in the queue raised his arms furiously, swinging his fists and yelling at the top of his lungs. Perhaps he was only looking to vent his frustrations from standing under the blazing sun of hell for so long with no progress at all. To make things worse, a group of latecomers had actually received special treatment from the demon guards. But at the next moment, a black steel whip appeared in midair and lashed at him like a venomous viper, slicing his head off. The unfortunate half-elf’s body twitched, before crumbling to the ground in a loud ‘bam’. The two little demons queuing behind him cheered in excitement. They pounced on the corpse, seized valuables from its pockets, and feasted on this rare delicacy of a body.

“Shut your mouth, you lowly trash.”

Celestina withdrew the whip and stared at the long queue that fell into an odd silence. The demon guards didn’t object to this young lady killing on the street either. Rules were used to constrain the chess pieces and not the chess player. Compared to the queen who could roam everywhere on the board, what rights did a pawn, who could only take one step forward, had?

“What a waste of time. Punish yourself.”

Upon witnessing the others entering the fortress, Celestina put away the steel whip fumingly, before glaring at the demon who stopped them earlier and catching up with the rest. The demon guard who attempted to stop Rhode’s group earlier gazed blankly at Celestina’s back. Then, it gnashed its teeth, flipped around the flame spear, and punctured its brain, before collapsing to the ground lifelessly.

No one expressed any opinion. If this happened in the main plane, death would be the biggest punishment to one. But here, real death was a type of luxury. Demons who died would lose the power and body that they cultivated and evolved for centuries or even millenniums. They would once again return to being a larva from the start and it would take a few more centuries or millenniums for them to return to their current state again… with the prerequisite that they didn’t die beforehand.

Compared to the chaotic battlefield, the inside of Steel Fortress appeared much neater. Even though Rhode’s group attracted a lot of attention on the streets, none of the demons stopped them. Judging from the fact that they entered the fortress despite being conspicuous proved that they were tough to deal with. Some powerful demons had even retreated in the face of Rhode’s dragon’s prestige. Fortunately for Rhode, this was the demons’ city. If it were the devils, perhaps they would endlessly dig their own graves like moths flying into the flame even if Rhode showed up in his dragon form.

“What should we do next, Leader?”

Mini Bubble Gum was beyond excited. She rubbed her hands together as she eyed the enormous steel structure, as well as demons of various body shapes roaming the streets. As for the others, they played the role of plane travelers perfectly, speaking and doing things appropriately, while quietly following at the back of the group.

“Simple, we’ll first find a place to rest. Then, we’ll look for the River Styx and travel down by boat. After entering Casselly, we will change our transport method to reach the Rift Plain. But before that, we need a map or… a guide.”

Rhode said and turned to Celestina.

“You’re not familiar with this place, right?”

“Of course not, my palace isn’t located in such a filthy and run-down place.”

Upon hearing Rhode’s question, Celestina curled her lips and replied.

“Why don’t we look for the commander here? Didn’t Asmodeus agree to help us? Why don’t we just look for them and head on the journey together instead? Those demons are battling all the time, so surely they will head to the Rift Plain, right?”

“I don’t trust that fellow. Besides, I don’t want to be dragged into a bloody war without any preparation. Asmodeus has indeed prepared an army in Casselly for us. But frankly, I would rather see if I can hire mercenaries here than to spend my days on the same boat as those troublemakers.”

Rhode said and all of a sudden, an alluring fragrance assailed his nostrils. Then, a shadowy figure approached him as though she were dancing and stopped Rhode’s group.

“Oh, hi there, travelers from the main plane. It seems like you’re in need of some help? If it is possible, I’m willing to help you resolve your issues. I wonder if you’re interested?”

Chapter 1085: Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Place

“I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

After taking a closer look at the person, Rhode was taken aback. He heaved a sigh of relief because this beautiful young lady who was wrapped up in a black cloak and wore a large hat was none other than the planes merchant he once met in Highland City, Stefania. She sized up the young ladies behind him with curious gazes. After hearing Rhode’s words, Stefania shifted her gaze to him and revealed an amusing smile.

“Me too. I’m surprised to see you in the Ninth Floor of Hell, Your Majesty Rhode…”

“Where’s Emily?”

Rhode didn’t continue the conversation. Instead, he looked around Stefania quickly and didn’t spot the young lady with fiery red hair. Stefania also seemed to realize what was on his mind and revealed a sly smile.

“Oh, Emily isn’t here. No matter what, this is the Ninth Floor of Hell, after all. As a human, it isn’t convenient for her to stay here for long.” Stefania replied, winking playfully at him with an ‘you-know-it’ expression and Rhode understood what she meant.

“But come to think of it, what are you doing here?”

Even though plane merchants were known to roam about, Rhode couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked. After all, this was the Ninth Floor of Hell, just like Stefania mentioned, where even merchants rarely dropped by because it wasn’t easy discussing business with demons. It was totally possible for a merchant to sacrifice his life if any mishaps were to happen. The merchants who came to do business with demons were either strong enough or stupid enough. Based on Rhode’s understanding of Stefania, she shouldn’t belong to the latter.

“Wherever there are adorable ladies, that is where I’ll be.”

Stefania answered with a smile, holding her palms together and directing her gaze at the young ladies behind Rhode.

“Actually there is nothing for me to hide. I will occasionally take a stroll in hell, just to see my luck in finding any adorable girls that demons happen to capture and are trafficking, and bring them back to my harem. But I didn’t manage to find anything good these two days as it seems like none of them are interesting to me. On the other hand, I’m so envious of you, Your Majesty Rhode. In the blink of an eye, you’re surrounded by so many beautiful and adorable young ladies. This makes me so jealous.”

“… Forget it, we’ll talk about this in future. Come to think of it, you said you can help us?”

Even though discussing this topic with a harem collector gave Rhode a sense of like-mindedness, he changed the topic decisively upon sensing the gaze of daggers on his back. It didn’t matter much since Stefania was a woman. But if he kept on talking about it, he didn’t know what the young ladies would do to him in the future. Of course, deep down in his heart, he somewhat ‘admired’ Stefania. She was actually willing to risk her life and come to the Ninth Floor of Hell just to expand her harem… this was true love, it seemed.

Anyway, he knew that he definitely wouldn’t take it as far as her. Of course, most importantly, if he had done so, perhaps he would have trouble arising within his harem. Maybe if he had time on some other days, he could discuss with this plane merchant about dominating the harem? Yes, this seemed like a decent choice.

“Of course, meeting an old friend in a foreign place is always delightful, isn’t it? Since you used to be my customer, I’m willing to give you a 15 percent discount. I heard from your conversation that you’re heading to the Rift Plain through the River Styx? That is an extremely dangerous route, especially to the boatmen. Yugoloths aren’t trustworthy at all. If you believe me, I can help to arrange your trip. Of course… it comes with a price.”

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

After pondering for a few seconds, Rhode nodded and accepted Stefania’s suggestion. Just like this half-demon-plane-merchant said, meeting an old friend in a foreign place was indeed delightful. Besides, in all fairness, Stefania was competent as a plane merchant. Rhode hadn’t forgotten about the broken rescue cabin he bought from her. Even though it was defective, he eventually succeeded in summoning Karin, one of the holy sword spirits. Without Karin, Rhode wouldn’t have created three magic warships in such a short period of time. Judging from this aspect, he was pretty grateful toward this plane merchant. Even though she was a half-demon, at least she was credible enough and didn’t have a criminal record of ‘cheating’. If she were any other demons in hell, perhaps it would turn out entirely different…

“Alright then, please come with me.”

As soon as they got into business, Stefania restored the standard smile of a merchant, before gesturing to Rhode politely. Rhode nodded in response and followed her. But at this moment, he suddenly came to a halt, narrowed his eyes, and swept glances to the surroundings. He paused his gaze at the shadowy corner inside one of the small alleys.

“What’s wrong, Leader?”

Upon realizing his strange behavior, Mini Bubble Gum followed his gaze curiously and asked.

“Nothing.”

Rhode looked away and answered plainly. Then, he continued to follow the plane merchant.

After Rhode’s group was out of sight, the shadowy figure hidden in the alley turned around and left sneakily. He ran down the alley, avoiding the demons’ surveillance and lurking in the dark corner beside the flowing sewage water. Up until this moment, he let out a long sigh, before pulling down his filthy hood to reveal a miserable, ice-cold, and scar-filled face that was full of vengeance, murderous intent, and tyranny. His long, bright golden hair had turned pale and yellowish. His suave face was covered in all sorts of scars. He clutched the cloak in his hands and shuttled down the dark alley like a fast-moving ghost as he arrived at a run-down, wooden house. He pushed the seemingly useless, tattered wooden door and entered.

Upon hearing the sound of the opening wooden door, a skinny young lady curled up on the floor lifted her head.

“… Andre?”

“Yes, it’s me, Cheryl.”

Upon hearing her voice, the twisted and furious expression on Andre’s face dwindled a little. He gazed at the young elf lady, his heart surging with strong sorrow and anger from the bottom. But at the next moment, the anger turned into a strange, dark smile.

“Are you alright, Andre?”

The young elf lady asked, her eyes remaining closed. Even though she didn’t witness his expression, her sharp senses as an elf made her detect an ominous aura exuding from Andre. After hearing her question, Andre let out a snort and said, “Have a guess, who do you think I saw?”

“Here…?”

“That’s right, I saw the Void Dragon! Hahaha! This is the best opportunity. I didn’t expect him to be here! Isn’t this our best opportunity, Cheryl?!”

“V-Void Dragon? You’re saying that he…”

The young elf lady shuddered upon hearing the name as though she just recalled the hounding of a nightmare. But shortly after, she had a bad feeling.

“Andre, what do you intend to do?”

“Isn’t that simple? I want revenge, Cheryl,” Andre said. His expression turned grim.

“I will never forget that day. Have you forgotten, Cheryl? The day he destroyed the entirety of Casabianca!”

To Andre, that was the eternal pain in his heart. He could never, ever forget the day the enormous magic warships descended from above, bombarded the city with golden rain, and submerged the city in a sea of flames. Even though he tried to rescue the civilians, he could only watch helplessly as they died in despair. At that moment, Andre almost went insane, but Cheryl was there to stop him and forcefully cast a teleportation spell on themselves, leading them far away from that terrifying place. But they didn’t expect the Hell’s Gate to be opened at the same time by Celestina, and they were sucked into the spatial crack. When they came about, they found themselves in hell.

That was a nightmarish experience to Andre and Cheryl. If the demons didn’t take a fancy to Andre’s swordsmanship and Cheryl’s magic spells, perhaps they would have turned them into their slaves by now. But even so, they had a rough time here. In the earlier battle against the devils, Cheryl’s eyes were hurt and lost vision. Andre searched for ways to treat her injuries in the Steel Fortress and was surprised to see Rhode there.

“Could you have mistaken someone for him…”

“No, Cheryl! I’m sure it is him!”

Clenching his fists, Andre spoke indignantly. Then, he revealed an odd smile.

“This is a good opportunity for us, don’t you think so? Cheryl?”

“You’re saying that…”

“The demons of hell will surely be interested in this man and those around him, so I can make a deal with the demons and get them to treat your eyes. Perhaps we can also reach an agreement to leave this damn place too!”

“Is this a smart choice, Andre?”

But after hearing his words, Cheryl was still hesitant. Before she said anything, she felt Andre’s hands holding her shoulders.

“Of course, Cheryl. So I need your help… you will help me, right?”

For some unknown reason, the young elf lady sensed a strong and inexplicable sense of uncertainty in his words.

Chapter 1086: The Guide to River Styx

If a merchant wanted to close a business deal, the merchant would need to know what the customer needed the most. It was apparent that Stefania understood this logic. She didn’t arrange for Rhode’s group to settle down anywhere too close to demons, stenches, corpses, and bustling venues where fights often broke out. Instead, she brought them to a relatively quiet tower. Of course, it wasn’t some high-end club and they still witnessed several corpses punctured by razor-sharp stakes and blood flowing all over the land at the bottom of the city walls. But this was much better than being harassed and stared at by demons endlessly. Even though demons followed rules in the fortress to a certain extent, those who broke the rules weren’t in the minority. If not, there wouldn’t exist so many torture instruments for the demons, wasn’t it?

“If you insist on heading to Casselly yourself, I won’t demand any further.”

Stefania sat by the table and gazed at Rhode with a helpless, forced smile.

“But I have to warn you that traveling there by yourselves will be much more dangerous than you think. No-no-no, it isn’t only about the River Styx itself, but also the boats traveling on it. Perhaps you may also face demon or devil fleets. If you face the former, it will still be manageable. Your Majesty Rhode, with you around, you can display a certain degree of aggression and the demon fleets with a clear destination will not find trouble with you. As for the devils, we can never be too sure about them. They don’t care who you are, where you are heading to, or remember the goal of fighting. Maybe as soon as they meet you, their chaotic and uncontrollable nature will turn you into their target. Of course, all of you are powerful enough to destroy the devil fleets. But if the Styxians were to treat you as threats or think that they would gain more than they lose, perhaps they may also decisively leave you to your own survival. I have to remind you that on the River Styx, not even the Creator Gods can threaten the Styxians. They are the only ones who know which teleportation door leads to where. So if they decide to ditch you, they won’t give you the time to consider your options.”

“But if we choose to travel with demons, the troubles will not lessen.”

After listening to Stefania, Rhode shook his head. As of now, their agreement was stuck at which method they should deploy to reach Casselly before entering the Rift Plain. Stefania suggested that she could contact the demon lord who was currently gathering forces to head into the Rift Plain. After offering a ‘fair’ price, both sides should be able to reach an agreement. As for the credibility of the Styxians, she apparently wasn’t too hopeful.

Even though Rhode agreed with some parts of her view, he wasn’t too interested in her former suggestion. No matter what, it was really risky to travel with the demon army even though they had a clear destination in mind. Who could guarantee that they wouldn’t head to the Gray Ruins midway?

“It seems like we can only hire the Styx Brigade then.”

Stefania knitted her brows after Rhode refused to give in. After a few moments of pondering, she left out a helpless sigh.

“This may require some time, but the Styx Brigade is definitely trustworthy. Besides, the Yugoloths… at least they are more trustworthy than Styxians. It seems like this isn’t your first time traveling in another plane, Your Majesty Rhode. As long as you’re careful, there shouldn’t be any problem. But in terms of price…”

“Money isn’t an issue.”

Rhode replied and tossed a bag of coins and gems on the table. Borrowing the scarlet sunlight through the window, one could clearly see the radiance reflected off the platinum coins and gems. Just this bag alone was enough for one to purchase a city on the main plane. Upon seeing the bag, Stefania revealed a forced smile. Merchants would rather deal with careful buyers than rich buyers. After all, careful buyers were only mindful of the price, but rich buyers had more to worry about. Rich buyers didn’t care how much they needed to spend. Instead, they expected their goods to be up to their likings. In the multiverse, there was nothing more subjective than the ‘intention’.

“Alright, I got it.”

In the end, Stefania accepted the bag and stood to her feet.

“It is tough to look for the Styx Brigade in this world, but it isn’t impossible. Please wait and have some rest for now.”

“… Rhode, can she be trusted?”

Until the plane merchant vanished before them, Canary knitted her brows and asked. No wonder Canary behaved this carefully because in hell, ‘trust’ was more precious than platinum. There were many times when the so-called ‘trust’ was nothing more than a premise used to build ‘betrayal’.

“At the very least, she is more trustworthy than Asmodeus. Besides, I personally think that she’s competent as a plane merchant.”

Not only that, but Stefania’s appearance was also above average and could be said to be remarkably beautiful. Moreover, she was a half-demon. If it weren’t for her talent and wisdom, perhaps she would have already become one’s pampered pet and wouldn’t be roaming about freely.

But the rest didn’t seem mindful of her. Lesa sat by the side, clenching her fists and closing her eyes as though she was praying. On the other hand, Gracier and Madaras had already returned to their card form and were seemingly disinterested in the outside world. Cassidy sat with Celia in the distance, sizing up Rhode attentively and speaking to Celia about something. It was apparent that they knew each other a long time ago.

Only Mini Bubble Gum and Celestina admired the scenery boringly. In an instant, everyone found a rare, unprecedented peace and harmony in hell.

But since this was rare, it meant that the harsh reality would soon take over. And in fact, that was what happened.

“———!”

All of a sudden, a loud noise broke the silence in the room. Rhode knitted his brows slightly, while Canary turned toward the window. At this moment, even Lesa who had shut her eyes and was praying opened her eyes and revealed an uncomfortable look on her face. On the other hand, Cassidy and Celia were seemingly unaffected by it. They gazed toward the source of the noise, before turning around and continuing with their conversation. It was apparent that they weren’t interested in what was happening inside the demons’ fortress.

But it was a pity that not everyone reacted the same as them.

“Oh-oh-oh, what happened?”

Mini Bubble Gum and Celestina quickly moved to the other windowsill and looked around curiously. The situation as though there was a car accident by the apartment building’s entrance and the two young ladies opened the window to check it out. Sigh, this was the deep-rooted bad habit of humans to be habitual onlookers of everything…

“What’s wrong, Bubble?”

“Nothing much. Just some demons having a row.”

“How embarrassing.”

Compared to the excited Mini Bubble Gum, Celestina was apparently less delighted. She gazed at the gathering demons with a grim expression. But shortly after, she revealed a surprised expression. At the same time, Mini Bubble Gum also seemed to notice something.

“Hmm? That’s…”

“Oh? Heh, heh. Interesting. I shall go and check it out!”

At the next moment, Mini Bubble Gum transformed into a ray of light and disappeared from the window. Looking at this scene, neither Rhode nor Canary tried to stop her. Instead, they simply let her be because they knew that no matter what happened out there, as long as Mini Bubble Gum intervened, everything would vanish without trace within five minutes. They were extremely confident in Mini Bubble Gum’s personality, as well as her strength of absolute destruction.

Boom!

As expected, in a thunderous boom and within just two minutes, a pure, white light column burst into the air and the irritable noise from earlier vanished completely. Celestina curled her lips in dissatisfaction and looked away from the window. If one were to go to the window now, one would see that the dense gathering place from before had been wiped out to expose a clean and tidy plaza. There was nothing left on the plaza, be it corpses or building wreckages.

Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum’s running footsteps were heard from the corridor and she burst through the door quickly.

“Hey, Leader, check this out!”

Perhaps after hearing the commotion from Mini Bubble Gum, everyone lifted their heads and turned toward her. Upon sensing the gazes directed onto her, Mini Bubble Gum displayed a prideful smile. Then, she extended her arms and pulled over a ragged elf from her back.

“She’s…”

Gazing at the young elf lady, Rhode narrowed his eyes. Mini Bubble Gum spoke with a chuckle. “I saw her being bullied by the demons, so I saved her on the way back.”

Mini Bubble Gum said, puffing her chest out at the same time like a student reporting to the teacher that she had helped an old woman cross the road and was waiting for a compliment. Rhode sized up the young elf lady and after a few moments, he smiled.

“I didn’t expect for us to meet here, Miss Cheryl.”