Warlock of the Magus World

by Stayrr

What happens when a scientist from a futuristic world reincarnates in a World of Magic and Knights? An awesome MC is what happens! A scientist’s goal is to explore the secrets of the universe, and this is exactly what Leylin sets out to do when he is reincarnated. Dark, cold and calculating, he makes use of all his resources as he sets off on his adventures to meet his goal. Face?

33. 1011

Read Warlock of the Magus World - Chapter 1011 – Semi-plane online free - Light Novel Full

Semi-plane

Calendar of the Gods, Year 37671. With 5000 pirates, Leylin Faulen had taken down Debanks Island which had a population of more than two million people, destroying the Sakartes Empire to create his own country. He himself had become a demigod, becoming one of the higher-ups in the World of Gods.

Many were astonished. This youth was only 26 years of age, and yet he'd achieved something so astounding; they could only look up to him now.

Numerous elite devil hunters and native knights surrounded a group of luxurious horse chariots in the new Faulen City. The knights' crests and the caravan's flag were symbols of a giant serpent, indicating the might of royalty.

"The plague's been taken care of, and we're beginning to plow the land for spring. We're doing great!" Leylin pulled apart the curtains of the chariot, gazing at the green fields with a hint of satisfaction on his face.

Saintess Barbara knelt at his side along with beautiful maids, their eyes full of an unconcealable fervour. The empire would be governed by the blood of its god. This was the decree of Leylin's Giant Serpent Church.

To get a more stable foundation, this god himself had brought a few natives around. Almost right after the new country was established, the twenty purest and most beautiful refined girls of Debanks Island had been sent to the palace. It didn't seem like such things would stop any time. Leylin never rejected such matters. Besides, this suited his standards better.

He was currently travelling to proclaim his strength to the entire empire. The view of his fleshly body would also draw in more worshippers. Leylin had developed a better understanding of the island's situation through his travels, and at the same time imprinted the might of the empire deeply into the hearts of the natives.

"This is the most fertile land in the empire, and it's close to the imperial capital. It's understandable for them to have such results…" Barbara said, her eyes glinting.

"It's great that they have knowledge in this area, especially when it comes to these matters…" Leylin understood the schemes of his worshippers like the back of his hand. Hearing what Barbara said, he had no idea whether to laugh or cry. However, such things were also a part of the path of faith, and Leylin had to consider his options carefully.

"Based on the way things are going, we should be able to get past this year's famine well…" After patrolling the entire country, Leylin was in a better mood. While the plague had greatly affected societal order, activity was slowly resuming normal levels. Thanks to the accumulations of the Sakartes Empire, this new country was headed in a better direction.

'A lot of things determine the strength of an empire. There's the population, agriculture, economy, military, and faith…' Leylin stroked his chin, 'I have 50,000 soldiers stationed in the capital. With Debanks Island itself only having 900,000 residents, it's definitely the greatest military. On the other hand, my finances are a problem… The agriculture and economy were affected by the plague, and it will take some time to return to normal. Most importantly, there's faith…'

Leylin had dealt fatal blows to Debanks Island's totem spirits and nature spirits. All those unwilling to serve were wiped out along with their tribes. With the golden scorpion at their head, the rest became subordinate to Leylin. That took up a portion of the faith in the empire.

Leylin was more than happy for this to happen. After all, his church was still the majority with more than 80% of the faith. The nature spirits could only divide the remaining fifth amongst themselves.

On top of that, he was a demigod now. His priests had divine spells, something that the shamans of the native gods could not compare to. He had a huge leg up over the competition, and was obviously unafraid of competing with them. These gods would likely be forced to hang around near him with no other choice.

'Then there's governance. I've already rewarded the pirates greatly, with land, slaves, and noble status. However, they are still fewer in number than the original native chiefs and nobles…' Leylin shook his head.

From his position as a ruler, the population of the natives was terrifying. On the other hand, there were less than five thousand who'd followed an outsider like him. The difference was like that between a drop of water and a lake.

Leylin had no doubt that if he did nothing, basic governance would fall to the natives in less than thirty years. Outsiders could only join in, be it passively or actively. To change this he had to bring some new people in, and kill some others. Only by bringing people from Faulen Island and killing natives could he ensure the stability of his power.

Unfortunately, Leylin wasn't just a ruler. His bigger priority was his godhood, and a massacre that dropped the number of natives would only reduce his power of faith. It would not benefit him. While he was conquering them, these natives were his enemies and it was essential to reduce their numbers. Now, however, they were part of his ascent to godhood. Killing them lost all meaning.

A god didn't care if the one governing the empire was a native or an outsider. All that mattered was that he received the same amount of faith. With the support of the church, his descendants wouldn't fall to the level of mere symbols or puppets. That would be enough.

"There is no eternal empire, but the gods have long lives," Leylin muttered. Compared to the long life of a god, even the most glorious of empires in history seemed short-lived.

[Beep! Response to today's prayers completed. Handled a total of 348,761 cases, bestowed 13,286 spells.] The A.I. Chip's prompt caused Leylin's lips to curve upwards in a smile.

Gods had to take care of their worshippers' prayers, and bestow divine spells every day. While his now divine soul could process fast enough to take care of this himself, it wouldn't be a walk in the park. The effort would drain him.

With over 900,00 followers, a following even more enormous than that of some true gods, the amount of work he had to do was vast and complicated. However, the A.I. Chip took over the tedious work, which made things more convenient for Leylin.

Even for a true god, such difficult work took more than just their bodies and avatars. Some even designated subordinate deities to the task. The A.I. Chip performed these tasks better than most gods, and on top of that Leylin could trust it absolutely without fear of betrayal.

"Your Highness!" Heading all the way back to their emperor, the numerous youthful and beautiful maids greeted Leylin immediately. Most of them exposed their bare arms and lower abdomens, showing their smooth skin with a heated gaze.

Leave alone the girls the tribes had offered, even the maids in Leylin's palace were rather good. Some could even be the heads of noble families. Leylin didn't mind a cordial conversation with them on the average day, but now he had something more important to do.

The centre of the capital's power had been Akaban's church. It had been remodelled into a headquarters for the Giant Church after the war, dedicated to Leylin's worship. Leylin was standing on the location of the old altar, observing a gigantic piece of obsidian on the pedestal.

This rock had a metallic luster to it, and looked like a black brick. However, Leylin's astute senses found something different with it. If not for Akaban's statue being destroyed, it would never have shown itself.

'I've finally found it… Is this Akaban's trove?' Leylin placed his hand on the surface of the black brick, immediately linking his divine will to a huge space. Divine force surged in the air, clearly beginning to dissipate already. Numerous translucent souls looking to be sleeping on the surface, with some still withering away. They filled an entire layer of the place.

'The souls of Akaban's followers… I never thought I'd be so lucky as to find a semi-plane containing them. While it isn't all that large, it's still much better than most demigod weapons…' Guiding the souls of followers was the task of divine souls. Whether pious worshippers turned into petitioners, valiant spirits, or holy souls, they were all of great help to their gods. Naturally, they wouldn't easily be abandoned.

Demigods lacked their own divine realms, so many built their own demigod weapons or other items to be containers that could store the souls of their followers. Akaban was obviously very lucky to have found a semi-plane.

'There are at least a million souls…' Having estimated the number of souls within the brick, Leylin was shocked once again by Akaban's accumulations.

A semi-plane was no divine realm. No matter how hard one tried to protect them, the worshippers within would still die. Akaban would only guide the most devout of followers into the plane, which eliminated a large number of natives with more general faith. Akaban's fall had killed most of the souls, and those left over were actually the best of the best. They were the essence of the millions of native souls over the empire's centuries of existence!

'This is what true gods count on. I am far too weak in comparison…' Leylin sighed and observed the semi-plane. These souls evidently only worshipped Akaban, and they were useless to Leylin unless he destroyed them to take their soul origins. However, that was too wasteful.

Instead, his greatest harvest was the semi-plane itself!

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Emissary of Wealth

Demigods had confirmed their path to ascension. All that they had left to do was make their preparations.

They required faith and a divine role, but other things like a divine realm were also indispensable. If, by coincidence, one already had a semi-plane, it would take much less effort to build their divine realm.

To a true god, their divine realm was where their true body lay. No matter how much care was put into creating it, it would not be enough. Leylin already had his own plans for his divine realm, but now that he had a semi-plane he could use it to contain the souls of his worshippers.

'I can make use of it once I've modified it slightly. Hm, it's better to seal all of Akaban's worshippers' souls here.' Leylin had soon determined the uses of the semi-plane. With the standard divine power to alter reality, the semi-plane began to whistle.

Golden divine force rippled the air, pushing out Akaban's brand and alarming a few powerful souls.

"Who encroaches on the master's country?" Golden flames blazed, and tens of native souls ascended into the skies, glaring at Leylin, "False god! This is not a place for you!"

"Ooh, valiant spirits?" Leylin knew that the souls of these natives should have been heroes of the Sakartes Empire's past. There could even be a few past emperors amongst them.

"Akaban has fallen. It's about time that you, who have been abandoned by the changing eras, enter the trashcan of history…" In Leylin's eyes, these valiant spirits were zealous worshippers of Akaban. They were useless to him. As his chant sounded, the snarling spirits suddenly froze as the spiritual force that made up their bodies fell apart, beginning to dissipate.

"How gutsy are you, to dare go against a god?" A tremendous aura exploded forth from Leylin, and the few valiant spirits that had managed to hang on disappeared.

Their existences had been supported by Akaban's divine force. With his fall they were far weaker than before, so how could they do anything in front of Leylin?

After he took care of these last bits of resistance, the rest of the souls all became confused or fell into a deep sleep. They had no power whatsoever to rebel. Something like a hurricane swept through the semi-plane. A large black hole appeared at its heart, and many souls were swept in.

At the end, the tail of the hurricane reached Leylin's hands. A huge number of souls were piled up into a golden crystal ball, swimming inside like tadpoles.

'Akaban already made this place suitable for the souls of worshippers. However, it's still lacking…' Looking at the desolate semi-plane, Leylin frowned.

'Divine force— change reality!'

"I command… Let there be light!" It was like magic. The moment he spoke, a dazzling light was formed amidst the chaos, expanding and chasing away all the shadows.

"I command… Let there be water!" The dry ground immediately closed up, as streams appeared and formed lakes and seas.

"With the water must come plantlife!" Tender green sprouts emerged from the barren soil tenaciously, and the greenness that was full of life spread through the area. Soon, they covered the entire semi-plane and formed large plains and forests.

"That should be it for the basics." The tremendous amount of divine force required to alter the semi-plane was slightly strenuous for Leylin. With a flick of his sleeves, thousands of milky-white souls fell into the plane, turning into bewildered souls.

"You will stay here for now." Amongst them were natives, pirates, and even a few that looked like devils. After hearing Leylin's voice, they all knelt down respectfully and began to pray, "Yes, Master! You are the the serpent of the world that devours all, the master of death who guides all souls like us…"

"There is an agreement between a god and his worshippers. As the worshippers give up their faith, I must protect their souls after death…" Leylin muttered to himself. This was the responsibility gods took on. Taking care of it, he'd suddenly felt his connection with his worshippers suddenly grow more firm.

"It's still fine to place the followers' souls here for now, but I still have to become a true god as quickly as possible and build my divine realm. That's the only place souls should return to…"

The use of altars, divine weapons, or even semi-planes to contain souls was something only demigods did, and it was because they had no other options. It was a make-shift strategy that could not protect the souls of followers well.

A semi-plane was slightly better than altars or divine weapons when it came to the rate at which souls disappeared. It was usually so fast that demigods' hearts ached. On top of that, the life in the souls would be erased slowly.

The gods obviously would not stand seeing their wealth dissipating. However, all methods to contain worshippers' souls had this flaw, except of course for divine realms.

However, becoming a true god was still extremely tedious for demigods. Leylin couldn't forget about the middle god Helm, whose role was to be the protector. His church prioritised attacks on false gods, and unfortunately he definitely viewed Leylin as such.

Thankfully, his main territories were in Debanks Island, and there was a proven problem with the natives' faith. He hadn't gathered attention yet. However, with his rise right now the secret couldn't be kept much longer.

"No, there already are gods who've noted my existence…" Leylin looked towards the harbour, seeing a numerous fleet. The howling sea breeze and terrifying ocean sprays smacked on the gleaming, splendid surfaces of these large warships.

At the top of the warship was a large, bright gold coin bending in the winds. This was the Gold Ship, belonging to Gold Priest Xena under the Goddess of Wealth. Leylin had seen it before at Port Venus' harbour, and it was now approaching the seas of Debanks Island.

"Priestess! Based on the directions of our god, we will reach the continent soon!" At the bow of the Gold Ship, Leylin saw a familiar Bishop Xena. She was dressed in a white deer skin coat, looking lost in thought.

"I understand. You may leave…" Xena waved her arms and sent the captain away, her mind like the great waves on the surface of the ocean.

'A Giant Serpent Church is rising amongst the native islands. I must know everything about it!' This was a divine command Lady Waukeen had given her. Only a decree from the goddess could get this gold priest to abandon Port Venus, where gold seemed to flow like a river, and instead risk immense danger to enter the native sea regions.

'Show goodwill, but also observe carefully!' Xena thought over the goddess' words, looking slightly hesitant. The goddess' hints that the native empire had something to do with Port Venus thrilled her.

'Though I don't know why, I'm certain that the only one capable of doing this is the legendary young master of the Faulen Family!' Xena had an instinct that was unique to women.

"There are ships ahead. Be on alert!" At this moment, the sailor at the observatory tower yelled at the top of his voice.

"Enemy ships? The canoes of the natives?" Having had several experiences with them, Xena found it hilarious as she gazed at the waters, but then could no longer laugh.

Tens of huge warships leaped out through the horizons, under the lead of an even larger pirate ship that was modified with magic as they surrounded them. On the warships were numerous elite soldiers and sailors.

When had the natives obtained such giant warships? Xena was puzzled, but after seeing the blood-red skull and dagger flag at the top of the giant ship, she gasped.

'The Scarlet Tigers that are famous in the outer seas! It's actually them? Is this their base?' Xena had a very strong impression of these famous pirates. Some special channels had informed her that the Daughter of the Dragon was actually a legendary sorcerer, and the fear she had for them rose.

What shocked her more was that the Scarlet Tigers definitely had connections with the Faulen Family!

"If they're showing their flag, does that mean they're fearless now?" Xena forced a laugh and sent down the order, "Show our banner. We come bearing goodwill!"

After the signal was put up, the fleet at the other side quickly gave a response. They lined up at the two sides of the church's ships, as if they were guards.

"They want us to maintain our speed and follow them!" The sailors quickly understood the meaning of the other side's banner.

"Do as they wish!" Xena took a deep breath and calmed the anger within her, making a logical choice.

"They were scared so easily. I was even going to plunder the Goddess of Wealth's ship…" On the pirate ship that headed the rest, Ronald disdainfully pursed his lips and put down the copper binoculars in his hands.

"Bring them to Port Pado. All members and attendants must be checked carefully. Be vigilant! We are now the navy of the empire, don't get up to any tricks or I'll cut you into pieces!"

"Understood, head!" The other pirates chuckled and giggled as they answered. It was evidently difficult for them to change their attitudes.

Those native sailors, however, were now much more respectful. They would be the backbone of the imperial navy in the future. Ronald sighed with relief, now filled with hope!

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Having An Audience

Port Pado.

After handing over an application and going through a strict examination, Xena and her people were finally allowed into the port proper. They were given accommodations in what seemed to be a rushed building.

Although they used wood and stone bricks, Xena could still see the shoddy work of the natives. Compared to the grass huts next to it, however, this building seemed vastly superior.

'A port that's under construction?' Xena recalled the market she'd just seen. It couldn't even compare to the commercial street of a small town, at most the gathering of a pile of stalls. The items were only sold in clay jars, and trade was with barter without any basic currency. From her point of view, this was blasphemy towards her goddess!

"These darned natives. How lazy and filthy they are!" A few attendants complained, but Xena did not think the same way. Although they'd only been in contact for a short time, she had seen how energetic Debanks Island was.

'Goddess! Although these natives are base and weak, all their jewellery is made of gold… If this industry can be developed…' Grasping an opportunity to make more gold was instinctual to the priests of the Goddess of Wealth.

'I never thought this expedition would have such great harvests. However, the ocean currents in this sea region are far too dangerous…' Xena frowned inside.

Dinner was the natives' version of curry rice. They used banana leaves as plates, and the spice was astounding. After enjoying the sumptuous dinner, Xena summoned high-ranked thief to her room.

A golden lustre filled the room. Although Xena didn't believe the natives could be all that powerful, she was still very cautious.

"How is it? Have you made any discoveries?" Xena looked at the tall, slender figure in front of her that seemed to want to disappear into the shadows.

"How could we get so much information in a day? Thankfully for the blessings of our goddess, the natives didn't seem to know how to keep secrets. We managed to get some intel through their legends and songs…" The thief's voice was hoarse, like he was a bald eagle.

"Speak." She frowned.

"Firstly… This place used to be called the Sakartes Empire, but a war occurred recently. Fair-skinned godly beings came from the west and defeated them, destroying their empire. That's the direction of the mainland…

"There's something more surprising. There seemed to be very few of those 'fair-skinned godly beings,' numbering less than twenty thousand total!" the thief supplied.

"Twenty thousand?" Xena was caught between laughter and tears, "But the Scarlet Tigers have about that number of people… An empire conquered by twenty thousand people… Haha…"

She looked pleased as punch, thinking the Sakartes Empire to just be some large native tribe.

"If you knew the true might of the native empire, you definitely wouldn't be laughing now." The thief interrupted her coldly.

"What's their population?" Upon hearing how serious he sounded, Xena reacted appropriately.

"Based on what they said, it would take fifty sunsets to walk from the beginning of the empire to the end. Each city has numerous tribes within, and the empire was also protected by the Sun God who governed everything, Akaban!"

The thief now looked solemn, "A conservative estimate puts the empire's population between five hundred thousand to a million. Their outer borders were as extensive as a kingdom's, and they were protected by a false god!"

"To be able to defeat such a powerful empire with less than twenty thousand pirates… Goodness! It would be difficult to do so even if they were five hundred thousand pigs…" Xena exclaimed, shocked.

"Exactly! What I'm going to say next is key." The thief now sounded slightly emotional, trembling from fear, "Remember the holy water we were sprayed with when we first got onshore?"

"That's just water with some sort of potion. It isn't holy water!" Xena called to attention. This was rather important when it came to religion. She would never admit to being blessed by another god, unless she was sure she wanted to betray Waukeen.

"Alright… That potion…" The thief quickly realised he had misspoken, and immediately corrected himself.

"There seemed to be a tremendous plague at the beginning of the war. Large batches of natives died, and the Winged Serpent descended suddenly, possessing the abilities to heal them. They gave the natives the holy water…"

"Winged Serpent?" Xena quickly thought of the Goddess of Wealth's divine orders, as well as how she was required to look into the Giant Serpent Church.

"Yes. The 'holy water' has astounding healing abilities, and was exceptionally effective against the plague. These fair-skinned beings were seen as heroes sent down by the heavens to save them, and are supported on a large scale. That's how they defeated the original Sakartes Empire…"

"Is that so…" Xena looked down, clearly deep in thought. She then turned to the thief, sounding serious, "Do you think… That plague has anything to do with the Plague Mistress?"

"It shouldn't. I've fought the priests of her church. While she can spread sickness, it shouldn't be so infectious… Also, her priests only know how to kill others and not save them…" The thief muttered bluntly in answer.

"Good then… Get more intel, especially related to the Giant Serpent Church…" Xena gave a long sigh and sent the thief away, staring at the oil lamp on the table as she muttered to herself resolutely.

"The Scarlet Tigers, the legendary wizard of the Faulen Family, and the winged serpent capable of healing sickness… What is the relationship between the three of them?" At the beginning, she'd thought this was just a practical joke on Leylin's side. However, by the looks of it it seemed impossible.

"Mistress. Please give me guidance!" Xena gripped the holy crest in the palm of her hand, and began to pray piously. A golden lustre enveloped the entire room, making it look misty.

……

"So it's the Goddess of Wealth… I've had the greatest amount of contact with them. Port Venus has Waukeen's Church, so it's natural for them to have recorded my aura…" Leylin wasn't all that surprised. After all, it was necessary for Debanks Island to interact with the outside world.

Debanks Island had far too much work to be done, and trade would greatly help recover its vitality. It was much better for them to be discovered by Waukeen than by Helm. After all, the goddess was neutral in alignment.

With the plentiful resources from Debanks Island, and the Faulen Empire as a whole having so many consumers, Leylin had no doubt the gold priests would be greatly attracted. However, it wasn't worth Xena risking her life.

The only thing that could spur a gold bishop on was the Goddess of Wealth, Waukeen!

"No matter what she expects, Debanks Island can definitely support itself. There's no need to fear any blockades or threats… Of course, if they can be enticed and we can get support from the trade network on the mainland, it would be great…"

Leylin moved his arms, "Send down the order. Receive them with the most politeness possible, and send them gold and cornelian-embedded utensils. Cover the floors with fleece, and welcome her to my palace…"

Leylin wasn't just the ruler of a new empire. He was also its patron god, so his orders were carried out without any hesitation. Xena and her people obtained large amounts of gifts from the natives, and seemed to be dazzled by their wealth. They made multiple stops along the way, before reaching Faulen City which was being rebuilt.

This had been the Sakartes Empire's capital. The roads and houses were already very spacious, and were now being expanded further. The vast driveways could even let a dozen horses walk side by side and speed along.

"The planning of this imperial city… The conqueror's ambition is very obvious…" Xena mentioned Leylin indirectly. In the natives' eyes, he was someone who represented blood and massacre, but she saw more than that. Because of the natives' minimal comprehension and the communication gap, she still had no idea who he was. Still, she was certain that he was extremely courageous, with great might and possibly more slyness than a devil.

The huge disparity and powerlessness she felt caused Xena to sigh deeply. If not for the light of the goddess supporting her, she would have long since escaped from Debanks Island.

"Information on the Giant Serpent Church is very vague, but the priests definitely have divine spells. The person behind the Giant Serpent Church should at the very least be a false god…" Anything that had to do with gods would be a source of trouble. Xena could feel an intense headache coming on.

"We're here! This is our emperor's palace. Only you are allowed to enter!" Elite devil hunters blocked the rest of the emissaries at the splendid golden entrance to the palace.

As the bodyguards that would guard Leylin, these natives were definitely loyal. Their strength was also first rate, and they could even be considered heroes. Their potential power was somewthing that left even Xena's heart thumping in fear.

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The main doors of the golden court flew open, revealing an enormous hall devoid of a single soul. Spotless white fleece was laid down on the floor, as delicate as a snowflake, while bright red curtains embroidered in gold hung at the corners of the huge french windows.

This was the empire's hall of government. Normally there were learned sages, treacherous bureaucrats and those with dreams struggling here, criticising each other. All manners of plots and massacres were borne of those moments, a normal scene unable to convey any of that atmosphere.

A delicate and unique fragrance hung in the air, but the incense was not thick enough to be intoxicating. Xena seemed to grow nostalgic, and she once again transformed into a naive 19-year-old young lady.

Leylin had not been in possession of this place for a long time, but this palace still seemed to have some unique historical charm. It seemed like the very air had accumulated hundreds of thousands of years of the vicissitudes of life.

Even a gold priest like Xena was left in a trance when shrouded in this atmosphere. Just as a gap appeared in her spirits, the sound of steady footsteps drifted into her ears. It sounded like the walls were heavily besieged as several deep cracks appeared.

She saw a young man walking unhurriedly into the palace hall. He wore white robes, tailored precisely to fit his body. His even pace and bearing revealed his extraordinary confidence.

Since the young man walked with his back towards the light, Xena could not see his face clearly. All she could sense was a brilliant radiance shining continuously from his body.

"I am Gold Priest Xena, an emissary from the mainland's church of wealth. I request an audience with you, Your Majesty the Almighty Conqueror…" Xena had already inwardly confirmed the man's status. She bowed deeply to show her great respect.

"No need for pleasantries. After all, we've met several times in the past." The voice was far younger than she'd expected, and also one she could never forget. Xena raised her head, finally able to see Leylin before her.

"So it's you!" Xena's tone revealed her confidence in her own hypothesis, as well as unconcealed shock. Although she knew him to be a legendary wizard, Xena had never expected him to conquer the entire native empire with a pirate crew. Still, that wasn't the most pressing matter…

'This aura… A divine being, no, a demigod! Only a demigod can put me under this much pressure! A legendary wizard who's just over 20? Hah, he's already a demigod! How could this be possible?'

Although she was stupefied, Xena recovered her composure fairly quickly. After all, she'd dealt with many churches in the past, and had plentiful experience.

It wasn't unheard of for ordinary people to meet with unexpected success in the World of Gods, ascending into the heavens with a single leap. Cyric had only been an ordinary thief as a mortal, and now he wielded formidable divine power as the God of Murder. He'd had the luck of obtaining a fallen god's godhood, along with their divine weapon. This had instantly made him a powerful deity himself.

Compared to that, even if Leylin's progress was universally shocking it was still acceptable.

Leylin himself didn't dwell much on Cyric. The God of Murder had obtained his strength by pure luck, and his powers were nothing if not for his divine boosts. As a result, he would easily suffer the control of his own powers. He was already halfway insane, so he couldn't be considered a formidable enemy.

Furthermore, Leylin had grievously offended Cyric already. He had even killed a legendary of his church, and their hatred and desire for revenge was boundless. This was the main reason why Leylin had chosen the path of massacres. Although compatibility was one consideration, he wasn't afraid of slighting Cyric again.

It would have been a little short-sighted to ignore him, stirring up trouble instead with a mid-ranked god like the Mistress of Plagues who he had no grudge against. Besides, a godly role in plagues was more limited in scope and application than one in massacre, without much room for development.

A god could process all these thoughts in a split second. To Xena it seemed like Leylin asked his next question without hesitation, "Xena, why have you come all this way?"

Leylin currently had a formidable divine aura, and in her reverence Xena almost knelt down before him. Still, she was still a gold priest of Lady Waukeen. A trickle of power surfaced from the holy crest on her chest, lending her its strength.

"I am here to pass on my master's sincerity."

"Lady Waukeen's sincerity?" Leylin looked at the bishop standing before him, a trace of playfulness flickering across his transformed golden eyes.

Not so long ago, a youngster like him had needed to cautiously weigh up the disadvantages and advantages of his schemes in front of a bishop of her rank. He'd even had no choice but to let a part of his profits go in order to rope her in. Now however, Xena could only crawl and pray for his benevolence. This gap between gods and men was so clear one could get drunk on the power.

The momentary silence caused Xena to assume that Leylin was put off. She immediately continued, "I've noticed Debanks Island has ample reserves of gold and silver. Your people luxuriously use pure gold for ornaments, and if these things were transported to the continent just a tenth of them would win you unimaginable profits. The accumulated wealth would allow you to build ten cities as large as Faulen…"

It had to be said: when Waukeen's priests saw enormous profit their expressions changed completely. They would discard their cowardice, daring to deal with even devils and demons. Now, an inferno raged in Xena's eyes as she faced a demigod. Her pretty little cherry lips spouted devilish words of enticement.

"Trade? Well, I can consider it…" Leylin seemed to be considering Xena's deal on the surface, but there was a different story in his mind.

'Is it a trap? But Waukeen has always been strictly neutral. Is she just attracted to Debanks Island, or maybe its my potential?' The fight against false gods was Helm's job. Leylin had never heard of the priests of the church of wealth actively taking such jobs.

On the contrary, the priests of wealth were often dazzled by the sight of gold. There were occasional rumours of secret deals with the devils even. Although most were groundless rumours, Leylin was keen enough to notice an inkling of truth in them.

Unlike demons and devils, false gods weren't considered particularly evil. Furthermore, even if Debanks Island had enough resources to satisfy him for now if it received the support of trade with the mainland it would recover much faster. This would also supply Leylin with a greater amount of faith.

"I can accept the trade, but you need to talk concrete details with Tiff and Isabel," Leylin no longer hid his association with the Giant Serpent Church.

Or perhaps he didn't particularly care if other gods discovered that he was the serpent Kukulkan. Too many gods had been known to assume false identities, using avatars in the prime material plane.

"Apart from this, my master has several very, very small requests. If your Majesty can help her, my Lady will absolutely be willing to provide many things that will leave you satisfied…"

"Oh? How interesting, do continue," Leylin stroked his chin, a smile blooming on his face.

……

After a short while, Xena quietly left with a self-satisfied expression on her face. Leylin was left alone in the great hall. A divine glow flashed across his eyes as he watched Xena's departing back, his gaze filled with pity.

Even the Goddess of Wealth had to comply with the oaths and unwritten rules of the gods. There were many things that she had to do despite her reluctance. Business with a false god, for example, was prohibited.

This was why Waukeen hadn't shown her true self. She'd sent one of her priests here, to serve as her shield at critical times. If Xena did not manage to see the truth, she wasn't likely to have a good future.

As for Waukeen's commission itself, Leylin was rather interested.

'So she wants me to help her find several items, using them as an exchange? How interesting… First is the Sceptre of Savras?' The image of a magic staff appeared before Leylin's eyes, before quickly shattering into pieces.

'This divine artifact is rumoured to be able to guard against prophecies and tracking by gods. That much is true, but the main part of the sceptre could be in any corner of the prime material plane. It could even be down in Baator or the abyss. Despite all that, she still covets this the most…' Leylin furrowed his brows rather distrustfully, 'This woman, what on earth is she thinking?'

It was a shame that she was an intermediate god, equivalent to a rank 8 Magus of laws. Leylin could not pry apart her thoughts.

'One thing's for sure. Be it for the trade or to hunt these items, I'll have to leave Debanks Island. I need to go to the mainland or the outer planes, is that what she wants?' Leylin couldn't help but guess. They weren't close in any way, so he wouldn't believe that Waukeen could so generously come over and help him so suddenly.

'If what I guess is true…' Leylin's drooping eyelids obscured the dim light in his eyes.

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Scepter of Savras

After days of careful contemplation, Leylin summoned Xena and agreed to the Goddess of Wealth's conditions. He handed over all matters pertaining to the native empire to Isabel and Tiff, while he followed Xena's ship back to the Faulen Island. He was currently back at his wizard tower.

Although this tower had already been upgraded several times, Leylin still found it too crude. This wasn't an issue with design, rather that he'd advanced too quickly. The basic facilities of this place couldn't keep up with his demands.

Thankfully, he did not have high expectations for the environment he was to be in. With the wizard tower's isolation abilities as well as his own divine force as a cover, the preparations were complete.

Chiu! Chiu!* Inside the enormous forge at the core, a golden staff floated in mid-air. Threads of pure gold flames were dispelled in the surroundings, forming the figure of a large, gorgeous bird.

What had been the Red Dragon Staff had undergone massive changes and improvements. The coarse and solid staff was now more slender, and the dragon claw at the top had been refined, forming the claw of a bird. The most important part, the soul within the crystal, was now replaced by the flaming bird.

[Beep! Red Dragon Staff has been re-smelted. Connection and containment perfect. No conflicts in energy.] The A.I. Chip projected large amounts of information before him.

[Item Name: Blazing Sceptre. Rank: Legendary 3. Length: 0.76m. Weight: 2900g. Materials: Dragon Crystal, Dragon Bone, Dragon Blood, Dragon Scale, Divine Spirit, Divine Blood]

[Item abilities: 1. Storage. The staff can contain spells: Rank 9 (1), Rank 7 (3), Rank 5 (5). (Currently Empty) 2. Blazing Skyfire, legendary spell. (Can be used once every twenty days). 3. Domain of Terror. 4. Blaze: Absorbing the strength of divine souls, the staff can deal a one-time mental attack or boost itself. Will harm the imprisoned soul. 5. Fire Immunity.]

[Description: This staff once imprisoned a powerful legendary dragon soul, but its owner attempted a more terrifying experiment, sealing the soul of a divine being. All who use it without permission will suffer the wrath of gods!]

'What I gave Tiff was symbolic of the church. This suits me better…' When he conquered Debanks Island, Leylin did indeed come into possession of the flesh and souls of other demigods. However, this staff was still his most perfect creation. Although what he'd given Tiff was a demigod weapon, it was impossible to upgrade it. This staff had a limitless future!

'I can upgrade this staff at any time as long as the materials I have on hand are suitable. It could even become a divine weapon…' Leylin was very confident in this.

Having completed the Blazing Sceptre, Leylin did not opt to rest, instead going to another room. He closed his eyes as if in meditation, but his mind was actually communicating with the A.I. Chip. 'A.I. Chip, how goes the task I set you on?'

[Beep! Analysis of legendary arcane spell, Chain Contingency at 100%. Transmitting into Host's mind. Beginning preliminary branding…]

The A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded. It had never let Leylin down before.

"On the continent, a demigod means power at the apex. The Debanks Island is too remote, and it's impossible to dispatch large armies and labourers to go on long journeys here. So… if they really want to deal with me, there are only a few methods. This is the one with the best chances of working…"

Leylin pursed his lips as tremendous spiritual force and arcane energy declined. A continuous stream of divine force made up for the losses just in time, creating a unique cycle.

After a night of this, he finally set up the Chain Contingency on himself.

While he had his own conjectures, he still chose to do as had been planned. After all, it was just foolish to offend a goddess without any evidence.

Besides, he had his own plans as well, and he needed her cooperation to complete them.

"I hope all this is all in my head… But it's not bad to make preparations against it, right?"

Immense divine force surged out, erasing the spell branding aura on Leylin's body and hiding it in the aura of a god.

Not long after Leylin completed all this, Bishop Xena visited him.

"Our church already has leads on the Scepter of Savras. However, we need some help from Sire!"

Xena looked respectfully as she spoke, eyes showing she was not faking any of this.

"Looks like this bishop always thought that the true mission was finding the scepter…"

Leylin sighed, and then smiled, "As long as we do things according to our agreement, I'm fine with it…"

……

At the borders of the Dambrath Kingdom, at the west of the werejackal mountains.

As the climate and food here was suitable, there were huge numbers of werejackals around. There were even high-ranked bloodline holders and professionals in their midst who possessed greater intelligence than their peers. They monopolised the whole mountain, becoming a man-made dangerous area.

All races that were not werejackals only had one fate in the mountains— They would be torn to the bone to be eaten!

There was little the Dambrath Kingdom could do about this. Even a legend that had been employed could only retreat in defeat.

As time passed, the werejackal mountains became a forbidden area. There were even rumours that in the depths of the werejackal mountains, there was a mysterious large door that went straight into the abyss, where there was the god of the werejackals, a sovereign king who loved flesh!

The nearer it was to the werejackal mountains, the more desolate the villages were around the area. On this path, however, there was a group of knights who were hastening on their journey.

Just from their unruffled aura, it was evident that they were not mere elites of the kingdom.

In the middle guarded by knights, were a young man and woman on two handsome horses. However, when it came to the might they had, it was hard to tell who was being protected…

"The lead for Savras' Scepter is in the town up ahead?"

Leylin sniffed at the air, frowning slightly.

"Yes, Sire!"

This was Xena speaking. Ever since the bishop found out that Leylin had attained a realm she could never hope to reach, she had become increasingly respectful to him. She had even taken to addressing him as 'sire', and if Leylin had not stopped her, she might even call Leylin, 'Your Highness'.

"Based on what the hunter in the village said, he once accidentally entered the werejackal mountain and, at the outer regions of the valleys, saw a terrifying statue and the illusion of a scepter emitting multi-coloured rays."

"That's all?"

Leylin's eyebrows raised.

"After that, we dispatched the legendaries in our church, but… Even two legendaries weren't enough to break through the layer at the outer regions of the valley. However, the two legends also saw the scepter emitting multi-coloured rays, and the likeness to Savras' Scepter is recorded in historical records is above 90%…"

As she still needed Leylin's help, Xena laughed wryly as she explained.

"A boundary that even legends can't enter? And the scepter?" Leylin nodded.

"In that case, this trip is worth it… But I've been staying at the outer seas recently. What's happening on the continent?"

After hearing that this was not confidential information, Xena gave him a simple rundown of the situation on the continent.

First was the north. The unrest here had attracted the attention of the entire prime material plane, and it might escalate even further.

The two greater gods, the Weave Goddess and God of Justice working together was something the orc gods all feared.

They had first wiped out the reinforcements of Malar and a few other orc gods, and then supported Alustriel as she started war at what had been the north.

After a few large-scaled battles, Alustriel had successfully gathered a few revolutionary forces and taken over a decent amount of land. With the support of a few great noble families in the north, she had ascended the throne a few months ago and reestablished the Silverymoon Alliance.

However, the orcs were still as powerful as before. Orc Emperor Saladin had the help of the divine weapon, Thunder God's Hammer, and was still one of the most powerful on the prime material plane. If not for Alustriel blocking Saladin personally in a few battles, as well as the orc being afraid of the side effects from using the weapon, success would not have come so easily.

With all this happening, the orc empire that had been dealt a heavy blow raged and began to gather their armies.

Silverymoon trained hard as well, obtaining more support from the nobles and gods of the north.

It wasn't hard to imagine that sometime in the future, there would definitely be an even more terrifying war breaking out. That would be greatest test for the newly-formed Silverymoon Alliance.

On top of that, there was the short-lived reappearance of the western desert's floating city.

A number of legendaries had fallen there. The death of just one was enough to stun the entire continent, and on top of that, it had to do with the floating city.

It was just that the western desert was remote, and had blocked off means of communication. News was only being sent out now.

A few churches had verified that the floating city had been robbed by a mysterious person, and they had come up with great rewards for this. It was said that this had caused a mad flurry in the dark world.

Numerous old monsters had been startled out of their shells, pursuing traces of the lich Ilyo. It had to be said that the reason Leylin had kept Ilyo was so that the lich could bear the brunt of the blame.

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Valley

"The only things that alarmed the continent were the matter with the north and west desert. The rest are just small issues…" Xena stopped at this point, her beautiful eyes turning to gaze up at Leylin, "But of course, if news about you were to be leaked, my Lord, that would create a whole new storm…"

'Those two things actually have something to do with me!' Leylin thought as he rubbed his nose, but he had no plans of coming clean.

Xena lowered her voice, speaking by Leylin's ear, "The birth of a new demigod and the conquest of over a million natives with just five thousand pirates… Either one of these events could stun the mainland, even affecting the outer planes…"

"I'd rather not for now. I don't want to attract the attention of Helm's church." Leylin sternly stopped her, but this only caused a sly look in Xena's eyes.

"Please don't worry, my Lord. Our church has worked with those like you before, and both sides have returned satisfied…"

"Hm? I think we should discuss this in more detail tonight." Hearing Xena seemingly hint that she could help him solve the problem with the God of Protection, Leylin's eyes darted around. While he was unsure if everything she said was the truth, it was always better to have more knowledge…

They reached the little village Xena had spoken of without issue. Soon, however, Leylin found something strange about the place.

"There aren't any commoners here? They're all Professionals." The radiance of a Professional's soul was vastly different from that of a normal human. If the former were like a grain of sand, the latter was a firefly. Although they were both minuscule to Leylin, there was still a difference.

"Once we discovered this valley, our church bought the surrounding regions and stationed our knights to patrol and guard the area." Xena clapped, and four dark figures charged over from the village ahead. Their agility showed that they were high-ranked knights.

"Priestess! My Lord!" The four high-ranked knights seemed extremely humble as they led the two's horses along like servants.

The scene left Leylin speechless. He sighed after a long while, then said, "As expected of the church of wealth. They're overbearing…"

Xena didn't immediately respond to this, but her eyes showed her pride.

"Who's defending the valley now?" she asked a black-armoured knight in front of her.

"It's the Spear Crusader, Lord Jeffries!" The knight unknowingly showed a look of worship, "We beat down a few waves of werejackals recently. A group of adventurers from the kingdom were attracted to this place as well, but none of them were powerful."

The churches of the World of Gods possessed divine spells and limitless wealth. They also had large numbers of zealous followers, as well as true and eternal gods backing them. They could be called the most powerful organisations in the prime material plane. Even the human kingdoms had to yield to them, giving their people the right to worship.

Given the situation, about half the powerful beings of the world were undoubtedly affiliated to churches. Unlike soldiers and adventurers, paladins had better equipment, more guidance, and overall better lives. If not for this advantage, they would consider changing gods.

"We'll rest here tonight, and enter the mountains to meet with Lord Jeffries tomorrow. What do you think of it?" Xena now acted like the master here.

"Yes, that sounds good." Leylin had no objections, although a dark hint flickered in his eyes.

'There don't seem to be any traps, or they might be buried too deep…' Night soon fell. Leylin gazed up at the starry skies and then at Xena and other knights who knew so little. His eyes showed how indifferent he felt.

"They're all dispensable… The gods are that heartless, huh," he muttered, his voice so low nobody heard his words.

……

"This is the valley where the strange events took place. Lord Jeffries is waiting for you up ahead!" Xena had unknowingly become a guide. She was even attempting to rope Leylin into her church, although all she did was fated to be in vain.

"Ah, Lord Jeffries!" Xena jogged forward, bowing towards the legendary that Leylin had met before, "My apologies that you had to come all the way here to meet us…"

"Lord Leylin! It's only been a few years since we last met, and you've already attained so much!" Jeffries didn't pay attention to Xena. To legendaries, those below their rank were ants unworthy of attention.

However, Leylin was different! An intense bloodlust and threads of envy arose from Jeffries' eyes.

All legendaries desired to become gods. While Jeffries had glory that most could not even begin to imagine, as long as he remained in Waukeen's church he would never be able to rid himself of the shackles that bound him. Seeing Leylin having taken that important step and left him far in the dust, Jeffries had a strange expression.

'What a pity… No matter how powerful you are, or how talented, you won't be able to fight off fate and the gods…' Jeffries sighed inside, steadying his faith that was on the verge of crumbling as he carried an amiable smile on his face.

"You gave me a very good impression during the ceremony, Lord Jeffries." Leylin answered easily and conversed for a while longer. They soon entered the valley shrouded with mist.

"The elemental aura here is strange, and the mist seems to have a powerful sealing strength. Be careful!" Jeffries led the way ahead. There were more and more black vines about even as the area turned more sandy, and the grey mist around them became increasingly thicker.

'Such great sealing strength… Even a large-scale spell formation can't be maintained for long; it would take up too much energy. It makes sense for this to be the radiation of a divine weapon, since the Sceptre of Savras is rumoured to have powerful sealing abilities…'

"Werejackals, human soldiers, and adventurers seem to have been corroded by the mist. They've morphed into a different life form, so they're difficult to deal with." Just after Jeffries spoke, the winds howled and strange sounds echoed as a werejackal darted out of the mist. The strong smell on its body caused Xena to frown.

"What a joke!" Jeffries brandished his spear and a milky-white light hacked the werejackal into two, revealing black innards and bones.

"Once they're corroded these things gain great vitality. It'll take ages to kill them…" Jeffries explained. He then saw Leylin crouch on the ground in seeming interest, observing the flesh where the werejackal had been sliced apart.

"This is the contamination in the outermost regions. It's even worse inside. If not for there being traces of a divine weapon here, I'd be prepared to tell the druids' association and let them know of this natural pollution…" Jeffries' annoyance could be heard from his voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's my first time seeing beings like this!" Leylin got up and apologised, and the group continued to advance amidst the mist.

"We've already tested this place. Even high-ranked legendaries can't get through half of the valley…" All of a sudden, Jeffries stopped. He looked at the normal-seeming Leylin and Xena who was straining already, a strange expression on his face.

"Fight me," Jeffries suddenly requested.

"Lord Jeffries, Lord Leylin is an esteemed guest of the church! How could you do this?" Xena exclaimed loudly before Leylin could respond.

"Hmm… You're attacking now? I'm curious, why didn't you bring me further in and surround me?" Leylin raised his eyebrows in doubt.

"What? Attacking now?" Xena took several steps back, suddenly realising that she knew nothing. She'd been played like a puppet.

"There's no fun in attacking you with others. A proud legendary should never fall just like this! I've also wanted to battle with you for a long while now." A milky-white spear suddenly appeared in his hands, its sharp barbed tip emitting a terrifying chill. "Besides, you'd noticed it before I even told you, no?"

"Mm," Leylin did not deny it. "I just wanted to confirm my suspicions and see how evil you are."

Golden rays emanated from Leylin's body, as if giving him golden armour. The dark red massacre domain abruptly extended, causing Jeffries to breathe roughly.

"There's no need to hide anymore. Get out here!" As Jeffries' enraged roars sounded out, powerful energy undulations rumbled out before a few figures appeared around Leylin. The grey fog slowly condensed into a cage-like structure, revealing a barren area.

"So it's you, Benedict. Are you done with the matters at the north?" Leylin had never expected that he'd see an acquaintance.

"Leylin! You almost wrecked the plans of our master back then, and turned into a sinner of the north!" The bishop of Tyr was standing right in front of him. This fellow had attacked Leylin once before. Behind him was a group of paladins, and next to them were priests and wizards that worshipped Mystra.

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Attack

'Mm… Waukeen, Tyr, Mystra, they're pretty much all here… huh?' Leylin was surprised by an unfamiliar organisation amongst them. Their armour was spotless, with red capes attached. On the breastplates and capes were the symbol of a large golden eye, seemingly never closing. The armour was threaded with gold and had gems embedded in it, making it look dazzling.

"Armour with the Eternal Light spell, as well as that symbol… Are you priests of Helm?" Divine force flashed, the powerful massacre domain causing everyone's expressions to change.

"False god!" one of Helm's priests spat out, and layers of light emanated from the eye at his chest. It was clearly on equal ground with Leylin, perhaps even overpowering him. Helm was the God of Protection, and his church was built to crack down on faith in false gods. Naturally, they had experience in dealing with divine beings and even demigods.

"Our mission is to crack down on the belief in false gods, purifying the origin of the world!" The priest looked pious, as he prayed with the rest of Helm's warriors and priests. They each took a step forward, their eyes full of fervour as if they were heading to church.

Rumble!* A surge of power whistled out, and a golden eye appeared in the air. It locked on to Leylin, showing an inverted reflection of him.

[Beep! Host has been marked by the God of Protection. Divine force locked, domains weakened by 20%. Host's location will be relayed every 3 hours. Remove?] the A.I. Chip's voice sounded, and Leylin turned grim.

'As expected of a church that deals with false gods. They've made ample preparations…' Leylin was still smiling confidently, and he ordered in his mind, 'Prepare to remove, but wait for my order. Remain in observation mode.'

Leylin was not surprised that Helm's church had surrounded him. After all, the God Of Protection's mission was to deal with false gods. As long as news about Leylin was revealed, the zealous priests would come join in on the fun, bringing their own rations along with them.

'Still, I never thought I was being lured into so many enemies. It looks like the gods are afraid of me… Or were they alarmed by some divination?'

"You'll have to explain this later, Jeffries," a priestess of Mystra said as she walked out. She had silver hair, and her eyes glinted gold. She was looking at Leylin like he was a dead man.

Jeffries answered with a cold snort. All legendaries had their own pride, so how could he bow down to someone else? On top of that, Jeffries served Waukeen, and he had nothing to do with Mystra.

"I stand by my request. If you win over me, I shall leave immediately." Jeffries pointed his spear at Leylin, causing the priestess to turn red in her fury.

"Forgive me, but before that can I ask who planned this out?" Leylin interrupted.

"It is the will of our god!" the priestess admitted. She looked flushed.

This slightly exceeded his expectations. He wouldn't have found it surprising if Helm's church had been the ones to identify him, planning an attack. The same went if Waukeen was coveting his lands and wealth, or even Benedict who just hated evil. However, none of this had anything to do with the Goddess of the Weave. From how it seemed, she was the person who feared him most.

'Are the prophetic abilities of the gods that great?' Leylin immediately recalled his rank 12 arcane spell, Karsus' Avatar. He himself wasn't even as strong as a lesser god, and was unable to deal much damage to them. This spell, though, defied logic. One use of it would give him control of the Weave's power, causing Mystra to fall.

On top of that, the destruction of the Weave would release the conscients of the numerous ancient Magi from the core, causing the ancient Final War to once again rock the World of Gods.

'Is she afraid of what I can do if I develop further? I could become a huge threat to her, so she's making the first move?'

It was impossible for Mystra to know the existence of Karsus' Avatar. The only possible explanation was that she had a premonition that Leylin would bring great danger to her. When an ant threatened them, most people would just end it with a stomp.

This was obviously Mystra's own course of action. But since much of her strength was stuck in the north, she'd roped in quite a few other helpers. In such a situation, it was likely that Leylin would fall.

'Things would've been troublesome had I not made preparations…' Leylin ran through his thoughts, and came up with numerous possibilities.

'If I'm at my wit's end I'll definitely risk using Karsus' Avatar. That'll give me a chance of survival… But that means Distorted Shadow could also have something to do with this…' Leylin had a strong feeling that Distorted Shadow had leaked his location, as well as the degree of threat he posed.

After all, he was an ancient peak rank 8 Magus, equivalent to a greater god. How could the conscient in the ruins be the only thing he left behind? It required no effort to use the power of distortion to show the 'truth' to the goddess, or even just give her some clues.

If the process itself was much too complicated, then one could find the truth by looking at who would benefit by the result. Thinking everything over, Leylin believed that the most likely case was that Distorted Shadow had played his hand from behind the scenes.

'If it's him, I won't be able to use the ghost city as I wish. So I have to abandon plan 3…'

"So, who's going to be first?" The pure gold Blazing Sceptre emerged, and powerful spell energy surged out. It caused everyone's expression to change.

"Our church has arranged a spell formation specifically to subdue false gods. He can't use the power of his domain completely! The channel of faith from his worshippers has also weakened greatly, and our Lord has marked him— AH!"

The priest of Helm soon cried out in pain, covering his eyes. Leylin had commanded the A.I. Chip to remove the mark, and it caused the golden eye in the sky to fall apart. It seemed to have affected these priests.

"Haha, good! This is the kind of opponent that I want!" Jeffries burst into laughter. He'd let go of everything in his mind at that moment, only focusing on his opponent. He let loose a sudden attack, and faint black lines appeared around the holy spear as it crushed the space around it.

Benedict seemed to be operating some spell formation as well. Large beasts the size of hills crawled out of the mist, and the legendary wizard nearby seemed to be preparing some legendary spell.

"This is what I've prepared for you…" Benedict now had an unnatural flush on his face. A few of the giant beasts roared as he waved a hand, the thorns on their backs emitting a chilling glint as they attacked Leylin. "I'll let them play with you first."

Four churches had joined hands here. Even a small attack could cause the entire prime material plane to gape. Still, Leylin's expression did not change in the face of this attack that could almost kill gods.

Chiu! Chiu!* He tossed the sceptre out and the flaming bird totem appeared, bashing into the giant beasts.

"Sacred Spear? Is that considered amazing?" Leylin stared at the spear that seemed to be moving in an instant, as if dealing with it was beneath himself. Two spells were cast simultaneously with a wave of his arm, striking the tip of the spear and the black cracks surrounding it.

Greater Disjunction! Shattering Palm!

Jeffries' spear crumbled instantly against the disjunction spell, and the gigantic golden palm sent him flying. His chest caved in, and blood spurted out of his mouth.

'He can instantly cast legendary spells?' The legendary wizard that had come with Mystra's church noted the spells Leylin had cast, and then at the large number of materials in his hands with the spell he was halfway through preparing. His expression grew extremely dark.

"I don't care anymore!" As a wizard himself, he understood how powerful Leylin had to be to cast legendary spells instantly. After weighing the pros and cons, he immediately made his choice.

A teleportation gate open, and the legendary wizard immediately took his apprentices and hid away. He showed Leylin a few signs, a declaration of peace amongst wizards.

"You…" Mystra's priests saw the legendary wizard leave and suddenly twitched, on the verge of coughing up blood. Although they'd known wizards lacked faith, they hadn't expected it to be this bad!

Truth be told, there was little they could do about him. At the very least, he'd come all the way here. With his connections, attacking the legendary wizard would cause chaos within the church.

"Damn it. If the goddess' avatar were here, nobody would dare do that…" The female priest gritted her teeth, but there was nothing she could do.

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Teleportation

Leylin was growing more vicious in his attacks, seemingly blinded by the killing. He was going to beat them at their own game, and after looking at which opponents were going to attack he would show his strength and intimidate the rest. He was basically exhibiting his full power here.

That was the full power of a demigod! The support of an endless stream of faith and emotion combined with his experience as a near rank 7 Magus, giving Leylin a battle might he himself was surprised by.

He tore two of the giant mist creatures apart with his bare hands, and suddenly jumped. Once he touched the ground he'd caught up to Jeffries, who was quickly retreating.

Having been hit with the Greater Disjunction, Jeffries' spear had been destroyed, as well as a silver necklace on his neck. That was followed by his robes, his boots…

"As a legendary, you still have some dignity." Leylin's evaluation was apathetic, though the movements of his hands never showed. A colourful Mage Sword formed in his grasp. This sword, moulded by his spiritual force, was now comparable even to divine weapons.

"Save our ally!" A few priests wearing the uniform of Helm's church were startled, and quickly cast a holy shield for Jeffries.

"Don't bother me!" Leylin frowned slightly, and the Mage Sword created a few beautiful cross-shaped slashes in the air.

Swish!* Two of the priests were hit by the slashes, and the many defensive spells on their bodies were ripped apart. Afterwards, their bodies were cut open. It was still a slight breather, though, and Jeffries continued to retreat.

"While I do admire you, it's impossible for you to change your faith…" Leylin quickly chased up to him with a look of pity in his eyes. The Mage Sword in his hands pierced forward, breaking his last layer of defence.

"Hehe… I didn't think you'd be so powerful… Cough cough… What a shame. I will never be able to see the gorgeous Summer Warbler Flower of the northern seas ever again…" Jeffries was now heavily injured, and no longer had the ability to retreat. Hearing Leylin's words, he slowly closed his eyes to await death.

"Please pardon Jeffries, Leylin Faulen." A slender palm grabbed Jeffris' collar, and teleported out of the battlefield in an instant.

"Xena… no, my Lady!" Jeffries gazed at 'Xena.'

The gold priest had originally been scared stiff, so weak she was cowering in a corner. She'd been lucky enough not to get involved in the battle, but she looked frozen and pale.

Now, although she maintained that appearance every action of hers was filled with absolute dignity and confidence. She wasn't even a legendary; Xena could not have such a divine lustre on her body, nor could she rescue Jeffries.

The only explanation was that she'd been possessed by a powerful existence. The only being that a priest would give their mind and body up for was naturally the god they worshipped.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Waukeen!" Leylin bowed elegantly, and then easily decapitated two more priests of Helm's church. Such savagery and poise were very conflicting.

"I apologise… You were a child that I thought well of, but I already had a deal with Mystra, and I need to play by the book…" Waukeen pulled at Jeffries as she moved backwards, speaking calmly and with grace.

"It was only a singular deal, though. I can assure you that your territory will not be affected, but only if you survive this and grant them the glory of a true god…"

By the time the last word was spoken, Waukeen had already brought Jeffries away from the valley. A dazzling golden arc quickly left Xena's body, forming the image of an elegant woman wearing gold robes. Only half her body was shown.

As the one who'd been a container for her goddess, Xena had been abandoned. She paled again and fell into a coma, obviously not in a good state. It was likely that this incident would reduce her lifespan.

"Divine ability: Space-time Shift!" Waukeen's figure pointed towards Leylin while in mid-air and then exploded, disappearing into nothingness.

Leylin, on the other hand, felt like everything was spinning. By the time he regained his senses, he was almost out of the valley, and at an area he had been in before. Tens of giant mist beasts were eyeing him like he was prey.

'An intermediate god has such mysterious abilities…' The corner of Leylin's lips quirked up in a smile, 'Was what she said at the end out of goodwill or a threat? At the very least, I can be sure that she plotted against me because of the deal. After this, they don't owe each other anything anymore…'

"There are only three true enemies then." Although the people from the church of wealth had left, the powerful beings who had fallen apart due to Leylin's sudden outburst had time to regroup.

"Haha… you're fated to fall here!" Veins visibly bulged in Benedict's eyes, like he was a crazy gambler who'd been at it for three full days.

"Oh? You're so confident that you can take me down?" Making quick work of the paladins and giant mist beasts, Leylin shot a glance at Benedict who looked like he had a card up his sleeve.

'Demigods are practically the peak of the prime material plane. Unless the true bodies of the gods descend as saints, nobody can match up to them void of a group of high-ranked legendaries unfearing of death. Another option is for several avatars to mount a sneak attack, but he probably won't be willing to pay such a huge price. There's only one method left…'

Even greater gods had to abide the rules of the World of Gods. Avatars weren't all that powerful in the prime material plane, and the only thing that would make a difference was their numbers. However, it was too much of a waste for a few avatars or high-ranked legendaries to fall for the sake of killing Leylin. Unless there was such enmity between them that it could only be resolved by death, it was unlikely for them to go that far.

"It's done!" Benedict's gleeful voice sounded at that moment, and the mist in the surroundings quickly dissipated to reveal a huge, four-sided magic formation.

Bzzt! Bzzt!* One grey pillar of light rose into the sky after the other, forming a terrifying cage that sealed Leylin within. Benedict used a crystal core to control it.

"This undulation… Looks like it really is…" Leylin's eyes flashed, and he pointed straight at Benedict, "Order of Law, Death!"

"Get away!" The surrounding priests quickly yelled.

Had he let go of the crystal at this moment, Benedict would definitely have had a chance of survival. However, he did nothing. He seemed ready to die as he continued to transmit energy from his body to the core.

Bang!* His corpse crumpled to the ground, and the grey pillars shrunk, turning into a sealing-cum-teleportation spell formation. With a flash of light, Leylin's figure disappeared from within.

"Benedict…" A few paladins gathered, gazing at Benedict who breathed no more. There was a slight satisfied smile on the corner of his lips.

"You shall obtain light. May your soul rest in the divine realm…" After a few sorrowful words, the rest of the survivors gathered and began to pray for Benedict.

"We may fall for eternity, collapsing on our paths as we root out evil. However, justice shall always follow!" A paladin who had broken his arm from the scuffle with Leylin sighed as he spoke. Such thinking immediately garnered the approval of Helm's church, while Mystra's priests all went quiet.

However, the silver-haired priestess suddenly exclaimed, "NO!"

"What happened?" This sudden action immediately gave rise to glares from the paladins. The priestess continued without hesitation, "There are no traces of him in our master's divine realm! The false god was not teleported there!"

Due to the powerful suppression of the prime material plane, the gap between avatars and demigods was minimal and they were almost on equal grounds. Things were different in the outer planes though. Although a lesser god's avatar wasn't much different from a greater god's here, the gap between them there was like that between the heavens and the earth!

This was even more evident in divine realms. No matter which divine realm Leylin entered, his only fate would be death as he met the true bodies of the gods in their own nests.

This had been their plan all along. Since she was a greater god, as well as the person who planned this, the teleportation formation that had been set up led to Mystra's divine realm. That was why it was so difficult to activate.

However, while the spell formation had worked successfully, it had not achieved the expected results. The group turned grim, looking at their companions' bodies and Benedict's smile in death. It had become the greatest irony in the world.

……

Two gods stood shoulder to shoulder in the vast spatial cracks. Be it spatial turbulence or the expulsion of the four elements, everything before them was automatically dispersed, forming a safe zone. This strength indicated that they were at the very least avatars of greater gods! Leylin was also extremely familiar with the two of them.

Amongst them was someone who looked like an old veteran with his right hand and eye missing. The other was a young girl who looked like a wizard, the power of the Weave surging within her body. This was Mystra and Tyr, the Goddess of the Weave and the God of Justice!

It took a long while for Mystra to open her eyes and speak, "The teleportation was disturbed. He did not reach my divine realm."

"I checked the area here, including the dimensional cracks. There's no sign of the floating city," Tyr replied.

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Hell

"The information should be incorrect, Leylin might not have obtained the flying city Thultanthar. Either that, or he's extremely crafty and predicted our ambush…" Mystra's beautiful gaze pierced through the void, seeing the scenario unfolding in the world.

Had Leylin been here, he definitely would've broken out into cold sweat. Had he actually used the floating city to attack the backbone of these churches, the gods lying in wait for him would definitely show him why the flowers were dyed red.

This was two greater gods! Leylin had a chance to resist them in the prime material plane, but outside it there were no more restrictions. There would be no chance for him to fight back.

"Where did you obtain this information?" Tyr asked, rousing from his silence.

"One of my worshippers met a devil during his travels, and obtained the information from him. However the devil was already dead by the time I got there, and his soul had disappeared as well…"

A trace of doubt surfaced on Mystra's face. "I feel an extremely irksome and sinister aura, more vile than the three monarchs of the deep abyss. This is a mysterious existence…"

"More sinister than evil itself?" Tyr shuddered, as if having recalled some unwanted memory. "You should go and check the seals. Remove any contamination around the area if needed…"

"You mean…" Mystra inhaled deeply, spitting out the taboo word of times long past, "Magi…"

……

Teleportation light flashed as Leylin stepped out of a distortion in space. A mere moment before, the A.I. Chip's voice had sounded out, [Contingent conditions met, instant teleportation activated!]

'Instant teleportation was indeed the safest option. I fear nobody in the main world, but I can't be too sure in the outer planes. Right now, I'm most likely in…' Leylin looked around. Meteors streaked past the crimson sky, dancing in the air. His surroundings were a charred mess, the desolate earth littered with small rocks. A few hills in the distance broke the even landscape.

"Huuu… This seems to be…" The air was filled with a tinge of malevolence and dread, clueing Leylin in to his whereabouts. Of course, the little streams of blood flowing around the land left no more room for doubt. 'Baator, the Nine Hells. I knew this felt familiar!'

Leylin stretched his back lazily, before sending out a command, 'A.I. Chip, conduct scan.'

[Beep! Mission established, beginning scan…] the A.I. Chip's voice intoned. It was followed up instantly.

[Environment scanned, air analysis complete. Current location: Avernus, the first level of Baator.]

[Beep! Laws in the area are different from the prime material plane, analysing…]

It quickly showed the properties of the world.

1

"This is indeed the territory of the devils." Leylin inhaled deeply. He felt like he'd merged into one with the entirety of Baator, an impression he'd been given because he'd devoured Beelzebub before.

But the impression wasn't necessarily false. His own disposition was quite aligned with the laws of hell, which meant this place could bear the weight of his ambitions. He would soar into the skies!

'Demigods can traverse planes. I can return to the prime material plane if I want to, but since I'm already here…' Leylin stroked his chin. 'Anyway, Debanks Island is quite far from the mainland, and won't be influenced easily. I can manage my worshippers and their divine spells just as easily from this place. I've wanted to make a trip to Baator anyway, so I might as well get on with it…'

Baator had nine levels, called the Nine Hells. It was an ideal destination for travellers, a place where treasure hunters could satisfy their greed and paladins would seethe with rage. As a dimension it was the ultimate embodiment of lawful evil, laced with the cold, harsh cruelty of schemes and ploys.

It was the garden of various devils, including bearded devils, horned devils, ice devils, barbed devils, pit fiends and countless others. They had a hierarchy here, and apart from the devils were also hellcats, hellhounds, imps, kytons, dream eaters, demonic beasts, and even humans!

The devils of the Nine Hells abided by a hierarchical system, with status obtained through schemes and ruthless action.

"The Nine Hells of Baator, the endless abyss, and the everlasting Underdark. The underground planes of the World of Gods…" All wizards were erudite. On top of that, Leylin had Beelzebub's memories and researched this land before, so his knowledge of and familiarity with the Nine Hells exceeded even that of those in the Seven Heavens.

'Baator has a total of nine levels, a place for fallen souls. Legends say that it was once part of the abyss, from which it later separated itself. The ruler in name is Asmodeus.' Information on Baator surfaced in Leylin's mind.

Although Asmodeus was hailed the Supreme of the Nine Hells, he only had control over the Ninth Hell, Nessus, a plain filled with canyons deeper than any marine trench. His control over the other eight hells was limited.

Rumours said that Asmodeus had ascended to his throne through countless battles. He'd schemed his way along, putting together an epic army consisting of pit fiends and greater devils, securing his seat as the leader of the Nine Hells with the assistance of the overlords of each level.

According to Leylin's own understanding Asmodeus did not have much control over the other hells. The overlords of each level were about the same ranking as him. Of course, Asmodeus himself wouldn't admit to this matter, making efforts to stand out amongst the rest.

As the most powerful of Archdevils, Asmodeus had unparalleled strength. He was not inferior to any of the greater gods. He'd expanded his influence over Baator in the past several thousand years, showing his wild ambition to unite it all.

When Beelzebub had gone missing from the second level, he'd grasped the chance to strengthen his control of it. Of course, the six remaining Archdevils did not agree. Jealous of Asmodeus, they'd employed a series of ploys until the Nine Hells had reached a miraculous balance. That was, of course, until Leylin flew in like a butterfly— No, he was a Tyrannosaurus Rex that would disrupt the scales. The forces here now had a new variable to consider!

'There are eight Archdevils in Baator, with the first level being in a common area that is the frontline of bloody battles. There's even some gods who've housed their divine realms here, like the Kobold God Kurtulmak and the Shark God Sekolah. On top of that, due to the battles with the demons Asmodeus has a great amount of influence here. The Dark Eight, his eight generals, are stationed in this place…

'As for the second level, Dis, it's a place I'm extremely familiar with. It was Beelzebub's fief, and right now he's probably hiding somewhere inside, deep in slumber…'

With most of his divinity and divine force devoured, Beelzebub had sustained serious injuries. He was recovering even if slowly, with chances of a complete recovery. After all, he was the Archdevil of this level, someone loved by the will of Baator. The fortunes he'd amassed would be enough to tide him through this crisis.

However, LEylin aimed to complete devouring Beelzebub, taking everything in his position!

'The third level of hell is Minauros, a filthy marsh ruled by Mammon the Lord of Greed. Legends say that if one is tainted by the greed and corruption there, they will sink deep into the marsh and eventually get swallowed by it…'

"The rest of their levels have their owners as well, with Asmodeus in the ninth…' Leylin counted on his fingers, 'Eight Archdevils, plus a few gods and the pit fiends on the First Hell. They're the strongest in all of Baator…'

These people were exceptionally powerful, and they also had their own forces behind them. Someone able to grow their influence in hell itself was no easy character, capable of many ploys and conspiracies.

However, the more this was true, the more burning desire Leylin felt.

"I really want… really want to kill them all…" Leylin had never shied away from powerful enemies and unimaginable difficulty. On the contrary, such things only ignited his fighting spirit and his confidence. He would amass his strength steadily, and finally defeat them in one fell swoop!

1. Gravity normal.

2. Time flow normal.

3. Space Unlimited: The nine levels of hell extend indefinitely, but are always a fixed distance from the abyss and their lower levels.

4. Divine form: An organism requires the strength of at least a lesser god to transform the Nine Hells, and this transformative control extends over the regular organisms of the region.

5. No elemental affinity: All elements are balanced in power.

6. Minor lawful evil: Any beings of the chaotic or good alignment are weakened, and devils will attack them. Beings of the lawful evil alignment receive a slight buff to powers.

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Night Hag

First Hell of Baator, Avernus.

A nightmare trod across the barren land that was littered with shattered rocks. Its blazing hooves left a deep imprint wherever it stepped.

Boom!* A meteorite crashed into the ground, leaving a large pit. However, the horse nimbly avoided it.

This nightmare had a human on its back, the very act of taming a beast such as it indicating that this was no average person. That simple line of reasoning had saved Leylin from many problems.

The roads in this area were filled with regular souls, and even petitioners. It told Leylin that his destination was near.

Lawful evil humans from the prime material plane, if they prayed to devils, had a very high chance of entering Baator after they died. Their souls would morph, making them petitioners or even lesser devils. Some devils liked contorting these souls into grotesque forms, expressing a form of aesthetic view like they were ornaments. These creatures had rather appalled Leylin at first, but after seeing a few of them he came to ignore it.

He stopped the nightmare in front of a soul. This one had pale skin, with twisted eyes and a nose. It seemed to be suffering, but still looked at Leylin with vigour. This was the reverence it had when looking at a powerful devil.

"What's your name? Do you remember your past?" Leylin noticed that this soul was rather plump, and the originally lavish robes indicated that he'd led a rather good life back in the prime material plane.

"Lucas… Or something else, who knows… Poor me has to arrive at the Bronze Citadel in three blood days, or my owner will not forgive me…" the soul lamented, "I was just a small merchant from the north in my previous life. I even prayed piously to the Goddess of Wealth…"

Leylin rolled his eyes inwardly. It was extremely common for merchants to turn to Waukeen. Even normal worshippers, as long as they didn't commit heinous crimes in their pasts, would likely be redeemed and sent to her divine realm. As for Lucas, he was either lying, or pretending to be a worshipper; hence his current predicament.

This very exchange showed that these souls had learnt the trademark of the devils, of pretense and deceit.

"Bronze Citadel? That's my destination as well." Beelzebub's memories said the Bronze Citadel was the core of Avernus. It was constructed boorishly, built to be an inflexible structure. The many devils in it were always prepared for war, and since they were often under siege it was expanded and repaired constantly.

"Alright then, esteemed lord, do you need a map or a guide? With the magnanimity of someone at your level, you won't refuse a reward, will you?" The eyes of the soul spun quickly. Even with a contorted face its intelligence and greed were apparent.

"Or perhaps… a small trade?" Lucas's thumb and index finger grinded against each other, giving off a very wretched look.

"As expected, you really are suited to hell. Filled with greed as you are, why didn't you enter Minauros immediately upon death?" A pillar of evil light rose up from Leylin's body, and the surroundings were dyed crimson. Everything came to a standstill, and even the meteors crashing down from the sky were stopped in mid-air.

This was a Devil Aura. It was one of Beelzebub's powers that had been devoured by Leylin, finally revitalised and emerging from a corner of his soul.

The A.I. Chip provided data on the ability.

[Devil Aura: Passive domain. Restricted to powerful devils, it allows the user to naturally impose fear upon others. Any lesser devils in the vicinity are put under control, confusion, and fear. Note: The aura attracts the hostility of other powerful devils. If the controlled devil already has an owner, a negotiation will be held.]

"This light that belongs only to pure evil… You… are you a pit fiend?" Lucas' body collapsed helplessly to the ground, his eyes radiating fear, "Master… Lucas' master!"

'As expected, Devil Aura works differently in hell. It can't vanquish the devil in sight immediately.' Leylin shook his head.

As Lucas wailed for help, a contractual force arose from his body. It finally formed the figure of a night hag wearing a pointed hat.

"Jiejie… Ancient and powerful devil, has my slave offended you?" The night hag's voice sounded coarser than an owl's chirps, making one shudder in fear.

These night hags often appeared in Baator and the abyss during transaction, acting as merchants. Collecting souls was their favourite pastime. Although what had appeared was just a phantom, it still showed strength greater than that of a rank 15 wizard.

The night hag could not see through Leylin at all. Although he seemed to just be an evil human, the Devil Aura and his alignment could not be faked. Thus, she assumed the he was a powerful devil who'd assumed human form. Leylin's divine force masked his identity anyway, and coupled with his own evil alignment even an Archdevil wouldn't be able to unmask him.

"Indeed. He seems to be a little out of it, with his intelligence corrupted by greed. He actually wanted to strike a deal with me," Leylin shook his head, "Couldn't even understand the underlying traits of a trade. No wonder he's just a normal soul, unable to even turn into a lesser devil…"

"Jiejie… I do hope to be someone worthy of a trade with your distinguished self… As the price for offending you, I can sell him to you for a contract, the price being one regular soul…"

The night hag looked at Leylin, but was regrettably declined, "How foolish do you think I am, to trade for this fellow using a soul…" He pointed nonchalantly at Lucas who was shuddering in fear. "It's obvious that you cheated him, or used some kind of underhanded means to nullify the original contract with his owner…"

"What a pity…" The night hag did not show the slightest form of repentance. Just like Leylin said, the soul was something she'd picked up along the way, not worth much.

"You can deal with Lucas any way you like; just remember to repay me later." The phantom flickered, and was about to vanish.

"Wait!" Leylin said just then, holding the night hag back. "I'm not very interested in this soul, but there is something you own that I'd very much like…"

Leylin continued, "I'm a traveller from Dis. Much of the information regarding Avernus is now out of date, so I need the freshest information about this place. I also need information about the Blood War, and detailed maps… You'll be very satisfied with my price."

"Jiejie… I do like generous customers!" The night hag cackled like an owl, "Ever since your lord disappeared, a lot of devils from Dis have been coming here…"

The night hag handed the information over to Leylin, even adding some details regarding Dis as if by accident. To be privy to such information, the being had to be both strong and been a resident for a long time.

However, Leylin had Beelzebub's own memories. He knew the lands like the back of his palm, so the deceit and trickery planted within didn't affect him at all.

"Hehe… Okay then, powerful traveller from Dis. I need three regular souls, or something similar in exchange." A green parchment floated beside the night hag. A phosphoric glow surrounded it, giving it a mysterious vibe.

'A spatial spell? Baator seems to have some good stuff.' Leylin's eyes flashed, and three slumbering souls appeared beside him.

"This…" The night hag gave off a fervent gaze, as if seeing good liquor. She stepped forward immediately, and continued to give her approval.

"Jiejie! Very powerful souls, indeed. It's a pity that they're branded by gods. That's a huge problem, I want at least five of them to make up for the defect."

"Are you kidding me?" Leylin said indifferently, and his Devil Aura grew even more intense as it pushed the night hag away.

"The souls of pious worshippers are pure and powerful. Furthermore, the gods that they pray to are now dead, so there won't be able consequences. These souls are worth at least two to three times a regular one, and I'm already offering you three. Your greed knows no bounds, Mammon would likely be a better lord for you to serve."

The night hag wasn't embarrassed at all once exposed. It was the most basic nature of a devil to haggle. She agreed to the trade in the end, but Leylin refused to sign any form of contract with her. Devils were experts at deceiving people through contracts, and Leylin was not in the mood to engage in wordplay with a night hag.

"Jiejie… We shall meet again, generous guest…" The night hag vanished into thin air, along with Lucas. Having borne the cost of the teleportation, he was sucked dry and had his body crushed by the void.

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Bronze Citadel

'So she used the body on the other side of the transmission to supply energy for the delivery?' The A.I. Chip's light flashed as it recorded the incident, allowing Leylin to see through the ability that the night hag had displayed.

It required much less energy to send a phantom than one's true body. Had it only been that, Lucas would still have had some hope of survival. However, the night hag had sent over a scroll of information, something that Lucas had to act as the energy for.

Lucas had completely disappeared, the price for the sheepskin scroll Leylin now held. All his energy had been poured into delivering it.

'So not even a single petitioner's energy is spared. Devils are truly masters of accounting and meticulous plans. If I hadn't factored Lucas' cost into the price, she absolutely would've demanded a greater payment from me…'

After this deal, Leylin's understanding of the the cunning and shrewdness of devils had deepened.

'However… The line of contract that I saw on his body was real. Although I had to pay a little, I got what I wanted in the end.'

[Beep! Scroll scanned. 13.86% is fake or miscellaneous, discarded. Remaining portions merged with relevant items. Organising… Transmitted to host's memory.]

'Looks like the night hag didn't deceive me. Is it because of my strength?' Leylin stroked his chin, 'Also, the souls of these fanatics are unexpectedly useful.'

Leylin had used the dormant souls of some of Akaban's worshippers for the trade. Souls were an absolute, hard currency used in the abyss and hell, and in order to gain enough souls devils and demons disregarded the churches to conduct massacres. They stepped over the corpses of their comrades in their rush to the prime material plane, and were the causes of much slaughter.

Compared to the painstaking efforts of those demons and devils, Leylin had simply broken into a demigod's shrine and acquired several hundred years of Akaban's soul reserves. Sakartes' reserves of pious and powerful souls had been accumulated over several hundred years, and they were a treasure that could even tempt Archdevils.

Leylin had no way of turning those believers' souls into his own petitioners, and directly absorbing them was far too much of a waste. Using them like this could be considered as making use of trash.

'However…' Leylin's lips curved into a faint smile, as if he was looking at some sinister scene in the future. 'A native's soul is indeed different from souls from the prime material plane. The contamination from those souls is something that even gods dread.'

The power of faith could be considered the strength of a soul, and the faith of a native was poison that even gods dared not touch. The contamination originated from the depths of their souls, and those without Leylin's power of observation wouldn't be able to tell at all.

Needless to say, Leylin had faked the souls of Akaban's worshippers for the trade. He'd made them look no different from ordinary souls on the surface. Many demons and devils would be affected once these souls became a part of the general market, something Leylin looked forward to from the depths of his heart.

……

Now that he had an accurate map, Leylin picked up his pace. As he drew closer to the Bronze Citadel, more and more devils appeared around him. It seemed like he could see armoured devils marching in their camps every day. However, perhaps it was due to his lawful alignment or his powerful aura, few came over to bother him.

He arrived at Bronze Citadel after a peaceful journey. This city was known for being cast into 12 concentric rings of sturdy bronze walls. Each ring was equipped with a powerful and sinister war machine, which was both formidable and serious.

When Leylin first laid eyes on the Bronze Citadel, he felt as if he was looking at a steel beast laying on the ground. There were many lesser devils and imps working hard to reinforce the citadel's defences alongside petitioners. One could see a lot of bone-like scaffolding and supporting pillars, and hammers and shovels were laid out nearby. The citadel was being expanded, with no end in sight.

Although all signs pointed towards a bustling scene outside, the imps, lesser devils, and petitioners were performing their work methodically. The entire perimeter of the fort was like a huge and precise machine, ordered in its motion.

Visitors lined up outside the Bronze Citadel in rows, accepting the inspection of the garrison. They entered the fort in an orderly fashion.

Had this been the abyss, everyone was likely to have broken into a riot long ago. However, devils were different. They were lawful creatures, obeying the system was in their nature. The Nine Hells especially favoured such 'good children' who abided by the rules.

Leylin could only shrug and join the queue. A group of lesser devils were in charge of this area. Most of them were barbazu, otherwise known as bearded devils. They had the goat horns and scales characteristic of devils, as well as wings of black bone. Most were armoured, and one of their hands looked like a steel hook. They were covered in thorny barbs, and the flickering cold light and poison intimidated others immediately.

These bearded devils sometimes worked as guides for evil souls, but it seemed like that wasn't available here. As a result, their tempers were rather poor. Leylin had seen several poor devils dragged away in front of him, suffering the torture and interrogation of chain devils, kytons.

The queue slowly but steadily moved forwards, and very soon it was Leylin's turn.

"State your name, identity and proof of your allegiance…" a two-headed barbazu said from in front of him. There was an imp nearby as well, its broken wings pattering behind its back and evil eyes filled with greed. Flames continuously cycled between its mouth and the rest of its face, just as poisonous insects crawled in and out of its various orifices.

"I'm from the Second Hell, Dis. I belong to the lord's legions, under the jurisdiction of pit fiend Azlok," Leylin parted his hair a little, and a powerful aura transmitted out to form an obscure mark.

Nobody in Baator was truly without a master. The devils were strictly restricted by the hierarchy, and each one had a hierarchy. Their superiors were governed by even more powerful devils, going all the way up to the eight Archdevils of hell.

"From Dis as well! That place is getting more and more chaotic after the Archdevil disappeared…" The imp mumbled to itself, revealing a fearful expression on its face.

Leylin's aura was undoubtedly that of a greater devil, and the imp had only just become a lesser one. Although superiors didn't have jurisdiction over their colleagues' subordinates, Leylin could easily kill it if he so wished.

Thinking back to its previous plots and the competitors who now eyed its position, the imp's heart grew cold. It subconsciously switched to a more pandering expression.

"There's been many devils from Dis here recently, you should take care, my Lord."

"Mm, I hope to hide this record for now, and obtain news about my rivals," Leylin said in a low voice while nodding.

"Oh?" The imp's expression grew sluggish, but it was soon pulled aside by the bearded devil behind it. "Ten coins. Or other riches. I'll give you the news immediately."

Devils could very easily be bribed. Leylin could not help but feel slightly sorry for those poor devils who could not afford the bribe before him.

"Here, give me the information," he carelessly took out a flaxen bag and opened it a little, revealing the lustre of the souls within.

Be it coins, items, or riches, everything had an equivalent amount of souls in Baator. The imp and the bearded devil glanced at each other, before very happily replying in unison, "No problem, we have a deal!"

……

With all that done, Leylin finally entered the Bronze Citadel. Many lesser devils mingled with each other here, before leaving for the Blood War. With lower devils and petitioners thrown into the mix, it formed a clamorous and lively bazaar.

Leylin was currently strolling through the streets, thinking back to the information he'd just received. His eyes held a trace of wistfulness.

'The impact of Beelzebub's disappearance was greater than I ever expected.' Leylin could not help but inwardly sigh at this. The laws of hell were incomparably strict. The devils formed a vast and precise hierarchy, and the distinction between ranks was sternly enforced. At the peak of this hierarchy was Asmodeus, the Supreme of Baator and the master of the Dark Eight.

The Dark Eight, Asmodeus' eight generals, had many greater devils and pit fiends beneath them, each one in possession of a great many subordinates. They put in great effort in their pursuit of status and power.

Normally, all this led to a tranquil environment. However, once one of the cornerstones of the hierarchy was lost in Beelzebub, it created a chain reaction that led to a complete collapse. His disappearance had caused the strict hierarchal network to lose a majority of its social fabric, causing chaos in Dis.

If it wasn't for the remaining 7 Archdevils taking action to instil order, perhaps the second layer of hell would have been sucked into the abyss. The devils would have become the laughing stock of the entire world if that happened, nailed down to the rack of shame.

Still, a lot of pit fiends and other Archdevils contested for the position of Dis' Lord. Had Asmodeus been the true ruler of Baator, he could've recommended a greater devil or pit fiend from his own faction to the position, or sent his own children. However, he was only nominally the Supreme, and his authority was limited to the Ninth Hell Nessus.

Besides, Beelzebub was only missing, not dead. His authority hadn't disappeared completely yet.

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Authorisation

Authority or rank in the Nine Hells, put bluntly, was the right to the origin force of Baator. As such, it was of paramount importance, and became the foundation of the devils' hierarchy.

The eight Archdevils divided most of this authority between themselves. They had tight control over the devils under them, and could even decide which devils would rise and fall in rank. Because of this, without the approval of their direct subordinates, it was impossible for low-ranked devils to move up.

The lords of each hell had their own individual subordinates, and possessed an absolute right over their lives. This was evident from how Leylin could do as he wished in the prime material plane using Beelzebub's memories. He'd easily taken care of the church of gluttony.

Devil society was like a bureaucracy. Status was difficult to obtain, and it was impossible to advance in rank without pushing someone else down. This made it so that the ascension of a greater devil left another one demoted in rank. The new one would gain tens of enemies that were eyeing the same spot. It was so competitive that it was almost pitiful.

The disappearance of a lord was an unprecedented matter in Baator, unheard of since the ancient dusk of the gods. Now, the pit fiends, greater devils, and even the more powerful devils that were loyal to Beelzebub found that they had lost their powerful background. What would they do?

These people lost their senses when met with the possibility of advancing to the highest rank in Baator. In such turbulent darkness, Asmodeus and the six other Archdevils joined in and caused Dis to enter even more chaos. This was also the reason why numerous devils left.

If the Nine Hells were analogous to a region in ancient times, Asmodeus was the emperor in name. The remaining seven Archdevils possessed their own lands, subordinate kings with troops and generals of their own, the pit fiends and other greater devils.

The emperor wished for more power, but these kings all wanted to increase their territories as well. The generals under them worked extremely had, hoping for a chance to be promoted. Some even wished to take over their master's position. Conspiracies were rife, and the most ambitious side would have the last laugh. The reward? The greatest authority in the Nine Hells.

Beelzebub's disappearance was like the loss of a king. The resulting unrest was only the tip of the iceberg. This alone put Leylin on guard.

'The Second Hell has already descended into panic. While Beelzebub still holds power, many have begun to sense his weakness…'

Leylin looked at the ordered devils as he strolled around the entirety of the Bronze Citadel, the place bustling with life. He then stopped in front of a demon's skull, as if admiring the valuable spoils of war.

'The devils think this is a conspiracy. Beelzebub's underlings are saying their leader isn't as weak as the rumours state, and he's only hiding in a dark corner waiting for everyone to come after him. He'll capture all of them in one shot, they say… Quite a few lords have done such things since the race came into being. Even Asmodeus himself used a similar strategy once, and to great effect…

'Other rumours say that Beelzebub has been captured by another lord, and is imprisoned somewhere having his energy extracted… These devils are really quite imaginative…

'I stole most of his law of gluttony, as well as almost all his divinity and divine force. He's definitely in a deep sleep right now, and no matter what happens in the outside world it'll be hard for him to awaken…' Leylin's main body was the one who'd reduced Beelzebub to his current state, so there was nobody who knew the truth better than himself.

Having taken over much of his power and memories, Leylin naturally knew how grievous such an injury was. Unless Beelzebub defeated his Warlock body and devoured everything in return, it was basically impossible for him to return to his previous state. A weak lord was a form of prey that his underlings anticipated.

'There's numerous secret lairs and treasures made just in preparation for this. They're all over Baator, as well as across other planes…' Leylin had a grim look in his eyes. Because of their sly natures, their ability to set up safety nets was something nobody could compare to.

'It seems like he's considered the idea that someone might obtain his memories. The probability of him using those lairs is minuscule, and there could even be traps there instead…' Numerous thoughts crossed Leylin's mind, allowing him to quickly come to a decision, 'Whatever it is, I have to go to Dis!'

Leylin would find the Lord of Gluttony, and devour everything that was his. It would make for the best opportunity for his main body to advance, something he would never give up on.

'Authority amongst devils, as well as access to the World Will. How interesting!' The astuteness he had as a Magus combined with the origin force detection of a legendary arcanist allowed Leylin to sense something. Although Baator had great amounts of World Origin Force, there was no complete will. It was possible that the World Will that controlled this origin force had been split into eight, one part each going to the lord of each level above the first.

Leylin now had access to much of Beelzebub's powers, which gave him authority over the World Origin Force. He could demote or promote any pit fiends and greater devils. He also had the authority to kill the devils subordinate to the other lords. This was a decision of Baator's origin, something that couldn't be fought or changed.

'Devils are far too pitiful compared to demons. They need the approval of their lords to advance, and it uses up a large amount of soul energy as well. The higher seats have long been filled, and one can only wait for the right chance to ascend.'

Leylin suddenly felt thankful that he hadn't been reincarnated in hell. However, further thought told him that with Beelzebub's authority there was nothing holding him back. He would advance rapidly as a devil, all the way to the highest echelons. He would control others, not the other way around.

'As long as I kill Beelzebub and take over that last bit of law and authority, I'll immediately become the lord of Dis,' he realised. He also knew that because of the chaos on the prime material plane, as well as the great authority in Baator, people still thought Beelzebub held on to his power. The terror of that protected the sleeping Archdevil, preventing others from killing him. It seemed rather ironic.

'The authority to access Baator''s World Origin Force…' Leylin closed his eyes. Ever since he'd come to the Nine Hells he'd felt like he was one with the place. The world itself seemed to answer to his very breaths, its power ready to listen to him. Upon his command it would burst forth, becoming an absolute pressure that dominated everyone else.

Of course, he could not use this as he pleased, or he would face unthinkable consequences. However, Leylin had already estimated that the strength he could muster with the power of this authority was greater even than what he'd gained when he'd sacrificed the Wisdom Tree sapling to awaken the Purgatory World's World Will,

'With this boost, even ordinary devil in hell can use the strength of a Magus of laws without restriction… It's similar to the gods. If a mortal were lucky enough to acquire godhood, they can jump past all the loops to become a powerful being of the World of Gods straight away.'

Leylin suddenly understood how the hierarchy of the devils worked, 'Lesser, intermediate, and greater devils, as well as the pit fiends… It's all a display of how much power they have in this world. However, the lords have true access to Baator's origin force, what the rest obtain is only a slight bonus bestowed upon them by the lords they serve. It's difficult to move up and down the hierarchy of devils due to this, and with how easy it is to recall it caused the false opinion that the lords of Baator can give and take life as they wish…'

Understanding all of this, much of the fog in his mind seemed to dissipate, allowing him to see the truth of the Nine Hells, 'Asmodeus and the other six Archdevils want to take over the authority in Beelzebub's possession!'

Having come to know their true aims, Leylin would find it much easier to counter their plans. He could even connect this to other matters, 'Then Avernus should technically have a lord as well… Where is he?'

Someone with the authority to the First Hell was on the same level as Beelzebub. He would face no difficulty in taking over the place.

'Perhaps there are too many powerful devils on the level, or maybe the existence of the two true gods and their divine realms causes the authority to be split further… In that case, there might be rogue devils here that don't fit into the hierarchy.'

With authority over Baator's origin force, even if it was partial, a devil would gain complete independence. They could advance without the approval of a superior! This was obviously an existence that the eight lords would never allow to exist.

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Network

The deceit and slyness of the devils was something Leylin knew extremely well. If a devil had nothing restricting it, what sort of chaos would it bring to Baator? Just the thought caused him to shudder; there was never a lack of ambitious beings among the devils.

Leylin then thought of another possibility. 'Of course, it might also be because the eight Archdevils are too scheming and powerful. They've divided up the authority that should've been sole property of the Ninth Hell, causing an equilibrium to be maintained.'

As he was considering these issues, he'd unwittingly released his aura. Along with his grasp of the authority, he'd alarmed a tremendous existence.

"Such an ancient and noble aura, this is a might only Archdevils possess. Who is it?" Loud draconic roars sounded out, and a gigantic five-coloured dragon crawled out of a cave. This cave was next to a skull that formed a huge base.

It had five sinister dragon heads, each of varying colour. Its huge claws caused tiny earthquakes with each footstep, making the legendary dragon Leylin had seen before seem like a baby.

"It's the area's guardian, Chromatic Dragon Tiamat." It was obvious that the dragon strolled around the region regularly. The devils did not seem to panic.

Leylin had only leaked his aura for a mere moment before hiding himself well. Tiamat's five huge heads smelt the air, but in the end could only shrink back without any other choice. Peace and order was quickly restored on the streets. Many people continued travelling, but Leylin stood looking at the cave the dragon had disappeared into, seemingly deep in thought.

'Guardian of the Bronze Citadel, Chromatic Dragon Tiamat. She's a humongous dragon with power comparable to gods.'

The A.I. Chip had managed to scan Tiamat in the short period she'd come out, and it now presented the information to Leylin:

[Chromatic Dragon Tiamat (Titanic) Strength: 40. Agility: 10. Vitality: 35. Spirit: 28.

Abilities: 1. Epic Dragon Breath: Each of Tiamat's five heads can attack using different types of breaths, namely frost, acid, corrosion, lightning, and fire.

2. Fierce Aura: Tiamat's presence alone causes unease in her enemies. This power is automatically under effect when Tiamat takes flight, charges, or attacks.

3: Spells. Tiamat is a rank 20 evil priest. She also holds the power of a domain as well as divine spells.

4. Magical ability. As a rank 20 sorcerer, she can use the following spells thrice a day: Command Plants, Control Weather, Darkness, Dominate, Fog Cloud, Gust, Arcane Mirage, Plant Growth, Suggestion, Swarm, Veil, Ventriloquism.

Feats: Alchemy, Deceit, Focus, Diplomacy, Intimidation, Draconic Knowledge, Sense Intent, Spell Identification, Survival, Battle Casting, Flying Attack, Heavy Damage – Adept, Instant Cast (coupled with power of domain), Acrobatic Flight.]

'This is the might of a real legendary being that's lived for a long time. Not only are all her stats high, she also has great experience and background. The abilities and feats alone make her comparable to demigods…'

Leylin had an interested look on his face, 'Also, Tiamat seems to have male companions of five different evil races. When they act together, they're strong enough to fight the God of Kobolds and the God of Sharks. Of course, that's only outside their divine realms…'

Based on Beelzebub's memories, the Bronze Citadel was at the very frontlines of battle between Baator and the abyss. It was often attacked by demons.

While many of them were chaotic and crazed like wild dogs, their numbers that were twenty times more than the devils caused great damage to the Bronze Fort.

Unfortunately for them, the devils depended on order and schemes and never allowed the demons to break into the fort. They had even planned numerous campaigns into the abyss, getting the upper hand in the battles against the demons.

However, when there had never been any distinct outcome in the battles between chaos and order, and some even suspected that this would continue till the end of the universe.

In addition, war over an extended period of time also gave Asmodeus the opportunity to lay his hands on Avernus.

He used a legion of eight elite devil generals and, during a siege by the demons on the Bronze Fort, he had obtained the authority to be stationed here and slowly taken over control over half the fort.

With the rumours outside, it was said that Tiamat had gradually been reduced to a symbol and protector of the Bronze Fort.

"The influence of the Bronze Fort is less than a third of Avernus, and he only took over control of half of the the fort…"

Leylin shook his head, feeling that Asmodeus title as the master of the ninth level was quite a joke.

"The demons! The demons are here!"

"Wild dogs! A wave of wild dogs are attacking!"

All of a sudden, a shrieking alarm sounded. Leylin frowned and, with his godly intent, immediately found a large amount of chaotic power shifting around towards the bronze citadel.

They obviously did not make any attempts to conceal themselves, and had been found by their enemies from a long distance away.

"Begin preparing dinner!"

Eight large and evil auras rose, representing the highest powers amongst devils and only second to the pit fiends that belonged to the vassals.

"The eight devil generals! The loyal dogs of Asmodeus are acting. Does that mean that this siege is a scheme to deal with the demons?"

Leylin's eyes flashed. WIth the devil's order and care, it was impossible that their lair would be attacked without them having any warning. The only possibility of that was that the devils had planned something again, hoping to make use of the Bronze Fort and wipe them out to reduce their might.

In actuality, this plan had been repeated many times already, but the demons still got tricked every time. These demons who had become crazed from evil and bloodlust did not understand the concept of schemes. Besides, the glory of attacking the lair of the devils was the top priority for them with their simple minds.

However, Leylin soon found himself unable to laugh.

He found that with the commands of the eight devil generals, all the devils within the fort began to move out orderly, as if there was an invisible network carrying out orders.

Soul shells lagged behind the lemures, who then followed the spinagon. These lesser devils formed an orderly squadron. Their leaders consisted of the bearded devils, imps, and pain devils who were mid-ranked devils, and then followed the greater devils such as bone devils, barbed devils, horned devils, ice devils and many other to form a huge squad. At the summit were the eight devil generals, thus forming an hierarchy like the distribution of work within beehives or ant nests, where the worker bees, drones and queen bee did their own work. This formed a highly proficient group who worked in perfect harmony.

"This is the power of authority!"

Leylin quickly understood how this network worked. It was a natural difference in the types of beings they were as well as the power of authority.

The eight generals were pit fiends and were the highest rank amongst devils. Also, they had gotten power from Asmodeus and some access to hell's origin force indirectly! While this was not direct, the power from the eight devils banding together could overwhelm everything, allowing the devils to take control of the Bronze Fort!

WIth this logic, any vassal of hell had the ability to take the lives of and promote or demote high-ranked devils like pit fiends and below them. Even if they were devils under the jurisdiction of other vassals, they would still have a natural pressure upon them. This was because they were affected by the same hell origin.

"Based on the rules of hell, if there's another pit fiend within the Bronze Fort now, it can have some freedom but still has to listen to the joint commands of the eight generals. However, this can be rejected, at the price of torture or demotions. It really depends on the decision of the vassal that it's loyal to…"

Leylin looked at the devils beside him. They had all retained their wits, but still did not reject the commands of the generals. Even while these were high-ranked devils under another vassal, they still quietly carried out the orders as if this was what they should be doing.

"This is the authority of the world origin force. Every difference in rank is like a gap between the skies and the ground…"

He had not noticed this closely before, but after discovering the difference, Leylin immediately sensed a powerful origin force network from his authority.

Immense intent appeared from the depths of the network and then connected with the eight generals. Leylin was also given some information, but he ignored that.

[Beep! Discovered digitised network. Automatically obtain highest authority. Organising.] THe A.I. Chip was now working at top speed.

"If the eight pit fiends work together, they would be able to take over the Bronze Fort. Even the five-coloured dragon Tiamat wouldn't dare underestimate them. Unfortunately…"

Leylin had a strong feeling that with just one thought, he would be able to take over this network and become an existence above the eight generals, commanding all the devils in the Bronze Citadel.

After all, the authority he had access to had come from the vassal of the second layer, Beelzebub. Compared to the generals, who had been given this authority second-hand, his was a higher rank.

Unfortunately, if he were to do that, he would definitely expose his identity to the other vassals, which did not match with his intentions.

"A.I. Chip, begin concealing!"

Once the A.I. Chip was done analysing the network, Leylin immediately commanded.

[Beep! Mission established. Beginning concealing process. Activating control behind the scenes.]

The A.I. Chip intoned loyally.

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City Defence

Without a single Archdevil inside the Bronze Citadel, Leylin now held the greatest authority. He had fooled the Dark Eight with a single illusion, making them think he was a high-level leader commanding a great army. Rather, he'd secretly changed his own position given the secret authority he'd obtained, which was rather easy to do.

The A.I. Chip had been tasked with making this process even easier for him.

[Beep! Host's data has been altered, now editing the host's position within the network.] In just a moment, the A.I. Chip's information surfaced before Leylin's eyes.

[Current identity: Greater Devil — Leycian (Horned Devil), from the plane of Dis. Allegiance: Beelzebub. Status: Temporarily commandeered by a higher level of authority: Baalzephon of the Dark 8.]

Once he joined the network, Leylin immediately joined the lesser devils who'd already been mobilised. He no longer felt like an outsider. The A.I. Chip's prompts even showed him that he had tens of lesser devils as his direct subordinates.

'This feeling… really is exquisite. No wonder devils can often defeat superior forces that are over 20 times more powerful than them,' Leylin mounted his nightmare and growled as he revealed the appearance of a horned devil. This was fake of course, but even an Archdevil would be fooled into thinking it wasn't.

The nightmare neighed, expressing its bloodthirst and desire for slaughter. Its flaming hooves left deep marks behind on the street.

"Officer Leycian, Hanalin reports to you." With the speed of the nightmare, they reached the second tier of the bronze walls in the blink of an eye. By the time Leylin arrived, a large squad had already assembled for him.

A dozen lesser devils stood at the forefront of the squad, not exchanging a single word with each other. Once they saw Leylin, they all confirmed that he was their superior.

This group was mixed. There were imps and barbazu, as well as steel devils, kytons, and an erinyes. There were also some rare falxugon and amnizu. Hanalin was the beautiful erinyes, and she stood at the front of the squad in a graceful bow.

'So there's even an erinyes, that's pretty lucky!' Leylin nodded and accepted their pledges of loyalty. Erinyes were lesser devils, a power the lower devils could not match. To advance to one required a transformation of the soul, and the criteria for that were very harsh. Erinyes were always pampered toys of greater devils.

After receiving their vows of loyalty, he was now the commanding officer of this brigade of devils.

"Mm, the rest of you— report your names," Leylin imposingly commanded.

"I'm Al!" "Buck!" "Your servant is named Kimmel!" One lesser demon after another respectfully announced their names— of course it was not their true names, but their nicknames.

Leylin was only their current commander, and as a greater devil he couldn't command these devils to reveal their biggest secret to him. Of course, if he'd used his authority as an Archdevil they wouldn't have been able to resist.

"Good. Come with me beyond the walls, we are in charge of the defence of a fifteen kilometre stretch west." Leylin only asked the lesser devils for their names. He was cared not about the lower devils and captains, instead rapidly leading the group to the western section of the city wall.

Many devils were stationed along the perimeter, the only gap being the section he was in charge of. The defensive equipment had all been prepared for him ahead of time.

"Hurry. Al, you're in charge here. Buck, here. Kimmel, you'll be responsible for the reserve troops." With the A.I. Chip's help, Leylin completed his own preparations rapidly, "And you, Hanalin, you'll serve as my communications officer."

"I am honoured to serve," The erinyes stood by Leylin's side. Leylin's current appearance was rather wicked, but also greatly charming. Her eyes were filled with admiration and reverence.

Naturally, Leylin suspected that Hanalin cared a bit more about his status as a greater devil rather than his appearance. But they were currently at the city wall, and this was not the time to flirt with his team. It seemed like once all the devils assembled into place, a line of fire could be seen in the distance.

'This kind of formation…' Leylin surveyed the scene from a higher position, speechless, 'Perhaps today I can finally see the rumoured scene of military chaos? They're running around like headless chickens!'

At the end of the wilderness was a huge legion of demons. Their formation was currently in complete chaos— No, they couldn't even be said to be in formation. They looked like a bunch of headless ants crawling everywhere, some even moving in the wrong directions. They were tearing and biting apart their own brethren. Trampling over each other at every moment.

This sprawling mess ambled over, and it was no wonder that even if they outnumbered the citadel twentyfold the devils didn't get worked about it. Instead, their eyes were filled with ridicule.

Even if it was like this, Leylin discovered that not a single one of the devils on the wall had rushed rashly into action, or been provoked. Even the lowest of petitioners stood still.

"Our victory is assured," Leylin sighed in a low voice.

'Await orders, sir! Before General Baalzephon has issued the command, none are permitted to fight the enemy!' A messenger delivered the news of the latest command to Leylin and his eight officers.

'It looks like the original network can only decide position and subordinacy. The fine details of command must be left to the devils themselves to control… No, perhaps the Dark Eight themselves have the authority to directly control the network, but the consumption of energy and authority is too great. As a result, they never use it apart from in the very beginning.' After receiving the missive, Leylin kept the slightly restless devils under control, allowing the demons to draw even closer.

Looking from his vantage point, Leylin saw many demons in front of him closing the distance. They were mostly dretches and quasits, cannon fodder. Mixed in with the lower demons were lesser demons like vrocks, hezrou and glabrezu. There were even legendary-ranked demons, such as balors and six-armed mariliths.

Balors were powerful demons of the abyss, possessing a control of fire that allowed them to go toe to toe with pit fiends. Leylin could now see the scales of every demon down below, and the frenzy in their wicked eyes.

"Fire!" A balor cried out loudly, and many demons shot out fireballs, filling the sky with a rain of fire.

Although most of the fireballs fell on their comrades, as well as some unlucky flying demons who were shot down from the sky, some of the fireballs landed on the Bronze Citadel.

"Activate the primary energy defence," Leylin calmly ordered. Soon after, a layer of defensive energy surfaced above the citadel's wall, completely blocking the attacks. With the devils' fire resistance, even the blazing heat that made it through didn't really affect them.

With just a single wave of attacks, the demons had killed thousands upon thousands of creatures, although most of them were their own comrades. Of course, with their dim minds and confusion, perhaps they hadn't meant to do it at all.

Following all the slaughter and death, the demons grew even more berserk. They roared and bellowed, trampling all over the corpses of their kin as they violently attacked the Bronze Citadel.

"Attack!" With the signal to attack given, many of the commanding officers let out their own roars. The entire citadel seemed to become a powerful war machine in an instant, as the devils used their armour as well as the walls and artillery to destroy large swathes of demons.

However, demons were indeed the most insane and chaotic of creatures. The disadvantage was not enough to put them in fear, instead only intensifying their bloodthirst.

'With how it's going, they can seize about half the wall with some difficulty, losing half of their own army in the process. However, this won't be much use. The citadel has eleven more…' Leylin speechlessly speculated on the fate of these demons. If they did not change their strategies, their fate was certain.

[Beep! Host has received a mission from Baalzephon! Details: Feign defeat, retreat to the 11th city wall, and defend it.] Rare as it was, Baalzephon transmitted an order directly through the network.

'It looks like my previous hypothesis was partly correct. Baalzephon has the authority to use the network, or perhaps he can only contact other greater devils. Which means he can only issue important missions through this network, and other orders need to be more conventional. It looks like his authority is difficult to use…'

This was Leylin not understanding the struggles of the weak. These pit fiends did indeed possess a part of Asmodeus' authority, and could be said to be barely below the eight Archdevils. However, the control they had was false in the end. Their abilities were restricted, so how could they be as wasteful and extravagant as him?

"Hanalin," Leylin commanded without the least hesitation.

"Sir!" The erinyes' expression was extremely grave. After all, if they lost the war and were convicted, she had a high chance of being demoted to a nupperibo, devils who undertook the most dishonourable work. It would be a fate worse than death.

"We need to feign defeat, and retreat slowly to the 11th city wall," Leylin ordered.

"Are we going to surround them completely?" Hanalin's eyes held a trace of excitement, and she rapidly alerted the others to the new commands. She also tried her hardest to appear intelligent in front of Leylin.

'She's chock full of schemes and intrigue… Keeping her by my side would be too troublesome.' Little did she know, Leylin had a completely negative impression of the erinyes from the beginning.

The devils' movements were strikingly coordinated and unified. They abandoned the original wall, and began to retreat in an orderly fashion. The demons however could not see the plot for what it was, and they all fought to outdo each other as they jumped into the middle of a trap.

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Block

'The Dark Eight can't simply want to kill some demons…' Having retreated to the eleventh city wall, Leylin's eyes flashed as he saw the encirclement gradually taking shape. 'If we just rely on the walls to kill the enemy, then the stronger demons will still manage to flee in the end. Just killing a group of dretches, who can be generated every day without fail, will not harm the enemy whatsoever…

'Baalzephon is most likely targeting the demon corps' greater demons, such as mariliths, balors, or even flame balors.' Although the demon army had strength in numbers, that was dwindling. As they fell deeper into the trap, the greater demons followed them in as well.

……

"Get ready! We need to teach those wild dogs of the abyss a lesson they'll never forget!" Eight strong pit fiends congregated at the highest point of the battlefield. They were even more powerful than the rest of their kin. These were the Dark Eight, Asmodeus' confidantes. They controlled the elites of the devils' army, and were the generals in charge of the Blood War.

If they could suppress the demons with all their might, pushing them back into the Plain of Infinite Portals, they could obtain the favour of Baator's World Origin Force as well as praise from Asmodeus.

A vague rumour had stirred up the Dark Eight recently, and they'd begun to build up their merits. After all, the prize was the throne of an Archdevil!

Pit fiends stood near the peak of devil society. If they coveted anything at all, it was to overthrow the reigning Archdevil of their Hell and take their throne. The Archdevil of Dis had disappeared, and Asmodeus himself had changed a little recently. They finally saw an opportunity to fulfill their desires.

"I'll need your help!" A member of the Dark Eight arrived in the vicinity of Tiamat's cavern.

"Of course. I only need you to honour your promise after everything is done." A tremendous voice boomed from the depths of the cavern, accompanied by a formidable draconic aura. Loud roars of male dragons could be heard from within as well.

"Not a problem. We have already signed a contract, after all. The reputation of the devils is well-known throughout the multiverse!" The pit fiend smiled as it left.

……

"Get moving!" Leylin sensed that the atmosphere had changed, and a great wave of commands were being transmitted. The devils carried the orders out perfectly.

The devils purposefully pretended to lose, and the eleventh wall of the Bronze Citadel was breached. The tenth wall soon followed, then the ninth, all the way until the 6th wall near the core district. Seeing that they could capture the Bronze Citadel itself, many of the demons went completely berserk. This was an unprecedented feat in their history.

The entirety of the citadel had become a big lure. It thinned the demons out, forming a trap for them to fall into to.

"Now!" The eight pit fiends appeared at the forefront of the battlefield, their thunderous voices reverberating throughout the Bronze Citadel.

Roar!* A teleportation spell flashed brightly, and the enormous figure of a chromatic dragon descended upon the land. The demons who did not dodge in time were squished to pulp. This was the former master of the Bronze Citadel, Chromatic Dragon Tiamat!

"Remember your promises!" Tiamat roared into the sky, her enormous body directly blocking the gap in the city wall. Her draconic aura erupted, almost tangible in the atmosphere.

Roar!* Over a hundred feet of lightning, acid, corrosive gas, frost, and flame spewed out in bursts from the five dragon heads. Tiamat seemed to transform into a fortress with massive firepower, sweeping the demons in a single strike.

"Draconic spell— Summon Companion!" A teleportation spell flashed by Tiamat's side. Five smaller dragons appeared, swiping at the demons all around her with their enormous claws.They sometimes used their deadly teeth to attack, the grinding noises horrifying as blood mixed with pus and scales trickled down from the sides of their mouths.

'Oh! Tiamat is doing her best? It looks like the Dark Eight have found something that can move her heart.' Leylin only glanced at the scene outside, and soon turned his whole attention to the battlefield directly in front of him.

The network originating from Baator's origin force quickly got to work. It seemed like the Dark Eight no longer cared to save their energy, instead going all out in their attack. Elite troops that hadn't been seen before now appeared to fill the gaps in the walls, wearing exquisite armour and wielding epic weapons.

Tiamat and the five smaller evil dragons were the most important pieces of the formation, and these devils sought to fill in the gaps surrounding them. The Bronze Citadel had encircled most of the demons, including the more powerful ones.

[Beep! Host has obtained a mission from Baalzephon of the Dark Eight! Content: 'Hand over authority to your vice commander, activate all your elites and bring them to kill the greater demons!']

"As expected. Hanalin, I leave this to you. The remaining captains, follow me!" Leylin roared and leapt down from one of the city walls, radiating his Devil Aura. The commanders of the different sections had now left their regions in fervour, searching for demons to kill.

"Charge! Kill them all!" At this point in the battle, the powerful demons were affected by the chaos around them. They had no intention to retreat whatsoever, the language of the deep abyss reverberating around the area.

'I'm just here to play. I'm not a true devil, so I don't have to work as hard.' Leylin understood his position clearly, and did not choose to go towards the balors. Those were the prey of the pit fiends. Instead of the balors, who had good bloodlines and great potential to advance, he chose to fight a marilith instead.

However, what the other devils saw was Leylin choosing a marilith that was larger than the rest. Each of her six arms wielded epic weapons, and she had near legendary might.

"Wretched devil, die!" A natural enmity triggered within her upon seeing Leylin, and the marilith came charging at him. Her six scaly arms brandished a sword each, causing a powerful gale to descend. She had the power of three assassins packed into one, and the torrential wave attacks seemed about to grind Leylin into fine pieces.

'So weak. But her weapon itself isn't bad, this level of swordplay is equivalent to grandmasters of the prime material plane.' Leylin shook his head inwardly. On the surface however he let out a large roar, shooting out a dark whip that collided against his enemy's weapon. The collision energy rippled out into the void.

'This swordplay isn't that bad. She should have the Weapon Proficiency and Multiweapon Fighting feats…' Leylin discovered his enemy's trump card in the first contact, even without using the A.I. Chip.

"Very well, I'll play with you." A mysterious force extended from Leylin's fingertips, forming many small circles in midair. The whip was amplified by these circles, spinning like a hurricane as it sucked the marilith in.

Crack!* Weapons broke and bones shattered within the hurricane, and a fine crimson mist sprayed out. By the time Leylin retrieved his whip, there was but a pulp of flesh on the ground alongside many small pieces of broken equipment. The marilith had already disappeared.

"Not even mildly interesting. Just a tiny bit of force and she's dead…" Leylin sighed. He was at the level of a sage with melee weapons, and a mere marilith without even legendary strength was no match for him.

"Perhaps I can try challenging a higher difficulty. The balors seemed to be fine specimens and guinea pigs…" Leylin surveyed the battlefield.

Because of the devils' counterattack, the demon army had suffered severe casualties, losing more than half its troops. The greater demons being targeted had caused even more confusion in their ranks, but perhaps they never obeyed rules in the first place.

As for the demons who were already crazed from the killing, they did not mind their safety as they dashed towards the high walls of the Bronze Citadel, finally dying under the siege weaponry of the walls.

At the centre of the battlefield were numerous flames. Explosions resounded in the area, with each fight isolated. The destructive force here was so great that even the demons avoided it at all cost. With Leylin's vision, he could make out through the flames that several massive devils and demons were fighting within.

"One of the pit fiends of the Dark Eight just used a powerful stealth spell and teleportation. The flame balor is hurt, and now they're wrapping up…" The flame balors who'd been surrounded wielded weapons like executioner swords and fiery whips. Each of them had left a deep impression to Leylin.

'They are indeed the elites of the deep abyss. Compared to the pit fiends, they have a unique type of wild and domineering aura. However, their chaotic evil alignment impedes them from using every ounce of their strength perfectly…'

The flame balors were the prey of the Dark Eight, so Leylin would not interfere. He passed the centre of the battlefield, landing his sights on a regular balor.

As a pre-evolution of the flame balors, regular balors lacked that primordial chaos and the power to while flames. However, they still managed to pique Leylin's interest.

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Balor

"I, Jesdric, am the strongest…"

A huge Balor stepped on the body of an Orthon while yelling, huge demonic wings flapping while blood spurted out from the wound on his chest.

The Orthon was a greader devil, and its sneak attack had caused a certain amount of damage. As the price of killing the other being, the Balor's chest was now a complete mess. Scales were upturned with flesh and blood on them, and it was even possible to see pale bones and a thumping heart.

While such an injury might not be fatal for demons, it would still take some time to recover from them.

As a powerful demon with a noble bloodline, many devils eyed Jedric greedily, and there were even demons that did the same. As long as a demon killed it, then a portion of its power would transfer over, allowing the attacker to even increase in rank and become a Balor!

Hence, next to the body of the Orthon, there were also the torn up bodies of demons. These were all of the demons that had wanted to steal what it had gotten, but were torn into tiny bits.

"Come! Give me a little more flesh and souls so that I can advance!"

A bloody-red layer of energy appeared on Jesdric's body, and large amounts of lava turned into tiny blood vessels that covered it. This Balor was evidently at the brink of advancing. It might need just one more high-ranked opponent for it to please the Abyss' Will, becoming the peak amongst demons, a Flame Balor.

[Hold Monster]!

SPell rays that were suddenly cast halted the enraged roars of the Balor. Eyes full of anger and astonishment, it saw the figure of a devil emerge from the shadows.

The enemy had a sinister horned, and was evidently a higher horned devil.

[Fireball]!

[Higher Entangle]! The other party obviously did not give Jesdric any time to speak. With a wave of his arms, powerful flames drowned out the Balor. What followed next were the rays of light from summoning.

[Demon Summoning]!

From the teleportation spell formation floating in the air, Leylin's least devil underlings appeared and dealt the Balor attacks with all their might.

"Haha, concealing spells and a sneak attack! You devils are despicable!"

The Balor roared, tremendous evil rays appearing and causing the least devils to quickly retreat.

"I'm a devil anyway. Am I supposed to play at being a knight with you?"

Leylin snorted, a black dagger plunging into the eyes of the demon.

"Ah…"

A series of pitiful ear-splitting cries. Following that was terrifying snarls, "I will kill you! Jesdric shall pinch your skulls into powder!"

Red flames jetted out from its eye, the great heat melting the dagger from before into liquid.

"It- It's about to evolve!"

One of Leylin's least devil leaders exclaimed in astonishment, and was quickly grabbed by the crazed Balor. Terrifying flames climbed up, forming a bright and shining torch of fire.

"You will all die!" With its bellows, another wave of fire flashed past, and most of Leylin's underlings died in an instant.

When the flames reached his front, Leylin used a [high-ranked teleportation scroll] and left the battlefield.

"Don't even think of escaping!"

With flames on its body, the Balor looked no different from a Flame Balor. After catching sight of Leylin from the corner of its eyes, it roared and then pursued him in a frenzy.

Whether devils or demons, all turned into minced meat or ashes as long as they were in the way, creating a bloody trail.

"Darned devil. Don't run!"

Making use of the only eye it had left, Jesdric found that the vile devil had already escaped to under the fortress wall, and seemed to be about to return to the group where it had reinforcements.

Furious, it charged forward, disregarding any danger.

Bang!*

However, a sudden trap on the ground caused Jesdric to lose its centre of gravity. Its enormous body then fell into a deep pit, creating a small earthquake.

Under its leg, there had been a huge pit that goodness knew when it had appeared.

[Dimensional Scan]!

[Water Shower Spell]!

[Ice Breah]!

The devils that had appeared out of nowhere stood around the pit, casting spells at the Balor in the centre vigorously.

"Sir!" Hanelin headed to Leylin's side. She had been informed by earlier by Leylin and began to set up this trap. To her surprise, the target was Balor!

No! It was even believable if this was considered a Flame Balor!

In that moment, Leylin's might was deeply imprinted into her mind.

"You did well!" Leylin nodded to show his approval, and then glanced at the Balor that now had pieces of ice all around his body.

"A.I. Chip, how's the gathering of data?"

[Beep! Obtained flesh sample. Completion of physical and soul scan. Progress at 100%.] The A.I. Chip loyally intoned.

"Mm, then you've now lost all usefulness."

Leylin leapt forward, and a thin black line streaked past its neck, the supplementary soul attack causing the chaos and craze in its eyes to completely die down.

"No, it's impossible… I, Jesdric, am the most powerful demon. I still need to evolve into a Flame Balor… How can I die here…"

It muttered as its huge body collapsed.

In the moment that he killed the demon, Leylin sensed tremendous soul energy pouring into his body, and he could even sense that he was getting favour from the hell's Will..

"Compared to other evolution methods, the profits from blood wars are still the best…"

While this bit of strength was nothing to Leylin, most of the soul energy required to evolve would be available from here if he really was a horned devil.

"High risks mean great rewards! As long as I can survive the blood wars between devils and demons, I'll definitely be able to advance a great degree. It's no wonder that the Dark Eight want to risk falling completely to lure the demons over to hell and fight…"

The devils liked using crafty schemes and machinations, changing the battlefield to anywhere else than hell.

There was a secret to this. Only the well-informed pit fiends and hell's eight archdevils knew of this, and of course, Leylin was aware as well.

If devils were to be killed in hell, then they would truly be dead. There was no way for them to be revived.

If they died on other planes, they still had hope of reviving by paying a price.

In other words, the devils that died in this blood war could not be revived. Even Asmodeus was unable to do it.

To take such a huge risk, the Dark Eight were definitely eyeing something huge.

Leylin quickly came to a realisation.

Rumble!*

At this moment, a terrifying explosion appeared from the heart of the battlefield. A huge flame storm whistled past, tearing into everything and forming a red mushroom cloud.

"It's the Self-detonation before the death of a Flame Bator! Looks like the Dark Eight have succeeded!"

The huge explosion continued, allowing Leylin to be certain that four Flame Bators had died by the Dark Eight's hands.

This attack by the opponents was only dodged by the sly pit fiends who used the Greater Teleportation. This meant that the surrounding greater devils and also numerous demons were wiped out.

"Victory is decided! Four Flame Bators died in succession, as long as a pile of powerful demons. Even the archfiend of the abyss will find his moral beaten down and mourn over this for a long time…"

It was not just Leylin alone who understood this.

In the moment of the first Flame Bator's Self-Detonation, along with an ear-splitting scream, an enchanting succubus darted out of the siege of four pit fiends and, with the price of becoming gravely injured, streaked through the horizon while leaving a blazing trail behind.

"That should be Red Shroud, the commander of the demon army this time! It's also the most beloved daughter of the succubus king who's the archfiend of the abyss… Unfortunately, after this defeat, her status might be in danger…"

Powerful beings had died, and the commander had fled. This was a fatal blow for the enemy army.

As many great devils entered the battlefield and massacred the weaker demons, this became a countdown to the complete destruction of the demon army.

……

After the battle ended, besides the commanding Red Shroud and a very slight number of lucky demons escaping, much of the demon army was killed in the Bronze Fort, amongst which included four Flame Balors! This carved the disgrace of the abyssal demons onto the fort once more.

Such dazzling achievements were rare even in the history of the Blood War.

In this encirclement, the five-coloured demonic dragon Tiamat who had blocked the fort walls and persisted till the end of the battle was to be credited for its work.

After the battle, Leylin saw that parts of its tremendous dragon body had caved in, and there were signs of burns as well. A male headless evil dragon also looked downcast. They had taken on the frenzied attacks of the demons in a hurry to retreat. The self-detonations by the Flame Balors at the end had also given them grave injuries.

Leylin now knew why they had worked so hard. The Dark Eight had promised that they would hand over control of the Bronze Fort and acknowledge it as the master of the Bronze Fort!

In that moment, Leylin smelt a conspiracy.

Control over the Bronze Fort! That was something Asmodeus had schemed for over a thousand years to obtain, yet he was now handing it over so nonchalantly. Even lemures could tell that something was off.

With the devils' personalities, the only thing that they would compromise so much for was an even greater profit!

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Promotion and Demotion

Before the Dark Eight handed over control over the Bronze Citadel, there was first a majestic round of settling the results. As the devil army had been formed by temporary transfer of personnel, all devils would immediately regain their freedom once the battle was over.

'It's not quite right to call this regaining their freedom, because they retain all memories of the Blood War and think it as something they should have done… But while they still hold regard for the higher-ups, the absolute obedience they had as subordinates before has disappeared.'

Leylin glanced at the succubus Hanalin next to him. Her eyes were now clear, and while she looked like she could not wait to sidle up to him, it was obvious that she was scheming even more inside.

This went for the imps and lemures as well. However, before the devils all completely regained their order, there was something more important at hand, and that was settling all achievements and sins here.

The devils sought the beings that were ahead of them all their lives, while those that were behind them caused fear. Their hierarchy was very strict, and there was a unique power system. Hence, their advancement was not like the demons, where they could evolve after getting enough soul energy in the Blood War. Instead, it was a very complicated process.

Usually, a devil needed approval from their direct superiors to promote. However, in all situations, any devils with even higher rankings could revoke the promotion.

In other words, if a lesser devil wanted to advance, it would need approval from its weakest superior who would then perform a promotion ceremony for it. However, if a greater devil was unsatisfied with this, it could revert the recently-promoted devil to what it had been before.

The ones with greatest authority were the eight Archdevils that split up the World Origin Force of Baator. Not only did they manage the devils and the promotion of pit fiends, they could break convention with their might, promoting even lesser devils straight through several ranks.

The combined authority of the Dark Eight was great, and they could even promote greater devils. While the original superiors of these devils had the power to revoke this, most would not dare go against them.

And just like that, Archdevils could demote a devil back to its original status. This would be a symbol of shame, and was something devils feared the most. Any demoted devil lost a part of their intelligence, and would be sent to perform the most humiliating and difficult of tasks. But before that, they would face a punishment.

Pitiful cries resounded in the Bronze Citadel. There was something like a supreme court in the expansive square, where the devils took all the seats. The unlucky beings that influenced this battle negatively were put on the prisoners' row.

There were spinagon, lemures, and other lesser devils. There were also imps, barbazu, and other lower devils as well, along with a few greater devils. Although their strengths were varied, what was common was the expression on their faces: terror!

Their crimes had been determined, and they were awaiting the punishment of being demoted. Normally only their superiors had such rights, but the Dark Eight possessed a great amount of authority that allowed them to administer the punishment. Such were the rules of Baator.

Unless an Archdevil, someone with even more power than the Dark Eight, came over to overturn their ruling, these devils would not escape punishment. However, why would such a thing happen?

"I declare you all guilty. You shall be demoted." Zapan, one of the Dark Eight, hammered the gavel. The crisp sound caused strange changes amongst the sinners.

They howled in pain, their bodies tearing apart as an invisible force surrounded them to deliver the most severe punishment. Demotion was a horrifying torture that ripped a part of a devil's intelligence away. They would become savage and foolish once more, something that devils who flaunted their intelligence found the hardest to accept.

The poor things continued to howl as the laws of Baator took effect. The devils' bodies were broken apart, and a large number of hell worms crawled out to form their new appearance.

In general, most of the devils determined to have sinned had been demoted by one rank. A bearded would become a spinagon, and a spinagon would become a lemure. Their foreheads were branded with a symbol of shame. Be it here or with their old superiors, they would only take on the most lowly and menial jobs, the chances of being promoted again minimal.

The more unlucky ones were turned into nupperibo, xerfilstyx, and all other devils that had been demoted. Their power was also reduced greatly, and there was also a huge change to their personalities.

Many normal devils watched this with fear on their faces. It would keep them working diligently, abiding by the rules.

"Next is the promotions!" Baalzephon declared after Zapan retreated. Unlike demotions, promotions were something to rejoice over. Few were lucky enough to have this.

To the devils, every promotion was an opportunity. It normally needed a ceremony, held by their superiors who needed to approve it first. A tremendous amount of soul energy would be consumed.

At this moment, the approving superiors would be the Dark Eight, and the soul energy would be that accumulated from the Blood War.

The order of devils was simple. There was the most basic petitioners, and then the lower devils. They were the lemures, spinagons, and then the lesser devils which were the bearded devils, imps, steel devils, kytons, pain devils, amnizu, and then the greater devils that included the bone devils, orthons, barbazu, ice devils, horned devils, dogai, paeliryon and various other forms. The pit fiends were at the very top. Each devil's appearance was a rank higher than the ones behind them.

Promotions and demotions all followed this order, normally by a single step. A steel devil would become a kyton, for instance, or a kyton would become a pain devil.

A leap in promotions, such as a steel devil becoming a pain devil, was an advancement of two steps! There was also the advancement from a spinagon to a lesser devil, the bearded devil. While it was one rank, it needed a huge amount of soul energy. There were also the erinyes, succubi, and the special cases like the nupperibo and xerfilstyx that only appeared during demotions.

Leylin looked at the devils surrounding him. Most had smiles on their faces. While they would have to deal with their own superiors after they returned, they probably would not go against the authority of the Dark Eight and revoke the promotion. Hence, this was a great profit!

Even without enough achievements to be promoted, the soul energy amassed was worth it. Leylin had killed a marilith and abalor, that alone was enough for him to be promoted. Even his subordinates had a shot.

Honestly, from Leylin's point of view, this promotion ceremony was not much different from the demotion before. The original body was broken down, and a new one would be moulded. It was just as bloody, and the weak-willed would easily descend into chaos or faint. The promotion may keep memories and intellect intact, but there was a drastic change in personality. Leylin didn't care about those lesser devils, but the only one worth mentioning was Hanalin.

As most of the lower devils under Leylin had died during the attack of the balor, her achievements were second only to Leylin. She had advanced into a powerful erinyes.

This was a huge leap! Even Hanalin's previous superior should only be a succubus. Leylin could already imagine the ruckus that would be stirred up after Hanalin returned.

After all, devils were often very strict with their subordinates. Hanalin would probably be filled with hatred towards her own. She would probably constantly be thinking of ways to pull her superior down, and with this strength her plans would be more feasible.

The large-scale promotion got the Dark Eight the praise of all the devils. They were now called benevolent commanders, generous masters, and many other titles; the devils were certainly not stingy with their praise.

'The way this promotion is hosted is too magnanimous. The merits of many devils are still iffy, and they've passed everything… They aren't even considering the superiors of these devils… Leylin thought inside. He found something different about this.

He could already predict the unrest after this wave of devils that had advanced returned to their superiors. With how scheming the devils were, this was inevitable.

Leylin's temporary senior officer, Baalzephon arrived in front of him.

"Brave warrior, you killed a balor on the verge of evolving! This achievement should be enough for you to become a pit fiend." Baalzephon looked truly regretful, as if really feeling indignant for Leylin.

"Unfortunately, your superior, the greedy Azlok, is a crazy person filled with jealousy, so we can't allow your advancement unless he approves of it…" After these words were said, the gazes of the devils landed on Leylin, ridiculing him.

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Incitement and Recruitment

Leylin remained silent, but his eyes flashed, he'd acutely sensed Baalzephon's conspiracy. 'So he's instigating me, huh? He couldn't meet his purpose, so now he's full of hatred and jealousy.'

Had he been a real devil indeed, he would've fallen for the ploy by now. After all, to stop someone from advancing would make a blood enemy out of them. Furthermore, his 'superior' was a pit fiend as well. If Azlok did not agree, he could overthrow the decision of the Dark Eight and stop Leylin's advance. Given the nature of the devils, this was definitely going to happen.

'Pit fiend? The most efficient way to garner more hatred is to skip evolutions…' An ordinary devil that had just evolved would be resented by twenty to thirty others. They would look everywhere for any mistakes they'd commit, trying to get it demoted. However, if a devil had jumped ranks the hatred would be tenfold, maybe even a hundred times worse!

As for a greater devil evolving into a pit fiend, Baator had limited origin force. There could only be a certain number of pit fiends at any one time. If no other pit fiends died, Leylin's advancement would rob another potential candidate of their chance.

This scenario was likely to play out in Leylin's case. That was why greater devils would have to have rotting brains to let their subordinates advanced.

Most devils who jumped forms did not meet a good end. The only ones that did were those who were extremely scheming themselves, proving their mettle with their brawn and brains.

"Come. Although you can't evolve, please hold on to this; you deserve it!"Baalzephon handed Leylin a crystal that stored a holy spirit's energy, "The energy stored inside this is enough for you to evolve into a pit fiend."

Baalzephon was not in his pit fiend form right now. He'd instead adopted a human shape, looking extremely conniving. His poorly constructed face put on a 'kind' smile.

"Thank you, my Lord!" Although he felt extremely disgusted, Leylin still thanked him for the gift.

"Alright Leycian, I think you have great potential. We could have dinner one day…" Baalzephon invited. Leylin could do nothing but smile wryly and agree.

……

"Goodbye, Leycian! I'm returning to Malbolge. My superior is Madam Thatcher of the Copper Citadel. You can look for me there, I'll be excited to meet you again, soon…"

Hanalin bid her bittersweet farewell to Leylin after the tense trial. She was currently in her evolved form, with black wings and an angelic face. She looked even more seductive and charming than before.

However, Leylin had astutely discovered the change in her personality and character, obvious even from how she addressed him as an equal and even tried to lure him in. Now that she'd skipped multiple evolutions to reach her current state, her enemies were far stronger and more terrifying than before; they included her very own superior!

Her enemies would definitely be more attentive than before, looking for any loopholes that would cause her to be demoted, turning once more into an ugly lower devil. Knowing this, she was already trying to garner as much support as she could.

"Got it!" Leylin memorised her destination and the route, putting on a solemn expression. 'It's best to leave a backdoor, who knows whether I might have to use it in the future. I recall that the lady of the Sixth Hell is the Hag Countess.'

Leylin had been focused on Dis recently, but he couldn't eliminate the possibility of travelling to other levels in the future. If Hanalin were still alive when he did, she would be a useful connection.

Hanalin departed, satisfied with her gains. Leylin looked instead at the Bronze Citadel, with its flames reaching high in the sky. He scratched his nose as several half-dragons appeared abruptly, as well as the visages of several jackals.

'Has the transfer of authority already begun?' Leylin thought as he directly arrived at the Dark Eight's garrison. His identity was verified, and he was immediately lead to Baalzephon in his vile human form.

"My lord Baalzephon! I am immensely honoured by your invitation," Leylin bowed in gratitude. He glanced at the dining hall's preparations— the carpet was a deep red as if it had been stained with blood, the floor-length curtains embroidered with glistening golden motifs of Baator, and chandeliers hung from the ceiling. There was even a demon's head hung on the wall, and it looked as if it was Baalzephon's.

The tableware was all made of the finest gold, inlaid with all kinds of diamonds and pearls. The maids were all beautiful erinyes and pleasure devils.

Several petitioners, moulded into twisted forms, pushed a cart into the dining hall, one that was entirely on fire. They bowed in respect before taking their leave, allowing the erinyes and pleasure devils clad in black and white maid uniforms to place the dishes in front of The two.

Soup was first, a bubbling milky-white broth.

"Haha, no need to hold yourself back, my friend. The taste of cold soul worms is not as palatable…" Baalzephon smiled widely, scooping out a translucent soul worm. The thing was still wriggling.

Several struggling and miserable human visages could be seen on the worm, but Baalzephon just directly swallowed it down. An intoxicated expression appeared on his face.

Devils enjoyed enticing mortals to fall. Torturing the souls of petitioners and absorbing their immortal essence and soul force was their pleasure. After a petitioner had been sucked dry, they would be tossed into the hellforge and suffer torturous transformations. They would then become the lowest of the low— a lower devil.

Only a select few souls were able to survive the treatment, becoming lower demons. They would be a bit stronger than others of their kind, and were more likely to be promoted.

Devils used the absorbed soul force of petitioners to climb up the ranks and grow stronger. Naturally, there were those who directly swallowed them up like Baalzephon— rumour had it that he was supposedly searching for the most beautiful texture and taste in souls.

Although Leylin was not opposed to swallowing souls, his personal preferences were different from devils. He did not like this twisted torture. As a result, he glanced away and found another topic to change the subject to.

"Well, Lord Baalzephon, may I ask if you are ready to move?" Leylin gestured at the busy lower demons, imps and others of their kind. They were all toiling away, lifting several huge demon ribs with complex carvings upon them. It seemed as if it was a spoil of war that was used to commemorate some bloody battle.

"Mm. We'd signed an agreement to hand the Bronze Citadel back to Tiamat… Not even a devil would betray a binding oath to the Styx." Baalzephon sniffed the dark red blood in the tall wine glass, elegantly swirling the liquid around in leisure.

"Please forgive me for being direct, but such a high price for the victory of a single battle— isn't that a bit much…" Leylin had deliberated over his wording carefully.

"Haha, Leycian! You really are an interesting fellow. To be honest, many of our subordinates dare not say anything, but inwardly they must be ridiculing us eight 'fools'…" Baalzephon's eyes seemed to see through everything, the corners of his lips curving into a humorous smile.

"Of course not! Even if half of the Bronze Citadel was exchanged for the destruction of the demon army, and especially the four flame balors and a bunch of greater demons, it would be extremely worth it!" Leylin naturally chose to continue Baalzephon's discourse.

"You're right! What do those ignorant animals know?" Leylin's words had evidently touched Baalzephon's heart. He stood up suddenly, walking around the dining hall in excitement.

"What is the Bronze Citadel even worth to us? It's just a dead piece of land. The only useful thing is souls. Only with more souls can we forge more devils to improve our power and kill those chaotic bastards."

Two hellish streams of flame were shot out of Baalzephon's nostril. He looked like he truly hated the crazy and chaotic demons.

"Are you willing to assist me, Leycian?" Baalzephon looked at Leylin, his eyes blazing with fervent emotion. It seemed as if this was the main reason he had invited Leylin here.

'If I don't agree, will he grow hostile immediately?' Leylin seemed to go into shock, but in his heart he just laughed coldly. The solicitation of a devil was extremely unreliable. No matter how it looked, Baalzephon most likely just wanted to use him as cannon fodder.

"I am most grateful to my lord for valuing me. However, Lord Azlok is my direct superior." Leylin's expression was rather hesitant. After all, a loyal devil would find it difficult to change factions.

"Azlok? Hmph…" Baalzephon smiled disdainfully, but did not bring up the matter any further. It was clear that he was waiting for Leylin to make a decision. Besides, he'd completely exposed his true motives, and it was not possible to reveal anything more.

'Mm, it looks as if my past in the second layer of hell has attracted his interest. So, the Supreme of Baator, that ruler only in name, has ambition towards Dis?' An electric beat seemed to pulse in Leylin's heart.

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Pledging Loyalty

Devils were usually excellent at persuasion. Their sharp tongues seemed to be coated with both honey and poison, even able to convince the purest of paladins.

Baalzephon was evidently even more brilliant than normal. Although he'd said nothing and merely snorted, it still told Leylin a great many thing.

'Think about it! Azlok has been so greedy, envious and foolish to prevent all his underlings from advancing. In comparison, Lord Baalzephon is benevolent, generous and kind… Isn't the answer obvious?' Such were the thoughts Leylin was supposed to be tempted by.

Even worse, devils already held a deep-rooted hatred for their superiors. It would be strange if Leylin was completely unaffected.

"Does my lord mean… you want me to start a rebellion?" Leylin's voice was as hoarse as a wanderer about to die of thirst in the desert. Truth be told, he'd planned to side with the Dark Eight anyway and see what the Supreme of the Nine Hells was up to. Unexpectedly, Baalzephon had come up to him on his own.

"No, no. This is only an uprising, a fight against injustice!" Baalzephon twirled his fingers. "Believe me. Once you join us, Lord Asmodeus will definitely give you a suitable position… Or he could personally oversee your promotion. Becoming a pit fiend definitely won't be just a dream…"

While Asmodeus was only the Supreme of the Nine Hells in name, his title was still very useful. In addition, his power was still greater than that of the remaining eight Archdevils.

"Lord Asmodeus…" Leylin's voice tremored, and his eyes lit up with fervour and a firm look, "In that case, I offer my loyalty to you, Lord Baalzephon!"

At the very moment that Leylin stated his allegiance, he suddenly felt the descent of Baator's origin force. It turned into a powerful binding, prepared to imprint a means of communication between the two. It was extremely difficult for a devil to back out of a contract.

Of course, playing around with sly word games was a common tactic. Devils did not slander those who were successful at cheating others, instead mocking the losers for being stupid.

"Good! Sign this contract, and I'll accept your loyalty." Baalzephon was obviously prepared, and a contract that had been verified by the origin force appeared in front of Leylin.

Green phosphorescence blazed on yellowed parchment paper, forming a large number of conditions. Still, this was concise for a devil. From this aspect, Baalzephon seemed quite sincere and had not made any traps in the choice of words.

'A devil can only be loyal to one superior. Once two oaths of loyalty are sworn, the next promotion will grow chaotic. A choice will need to be made between the two, and one needs to be eliminated…'

Leylin snickered inside. If he was really Leycian, he would have no way to choose right now. While Baalzephon made things sound pleasant, he could very well become hostile right away if Leylin had any thoughts of rejecting him.

Unfortunately, the person Baalzephon was facing now was Leylin. Leylin, who with his authority of an Archdevil surpassed him greatly!

"Such a lax contract! Lord Baalzephon, your leniency and benevolence is well known even on the prime material plane…" The horned devil now seemed so emotional that he could not control himself, trembling as he extended his right hand.

'A.I. Chip, begin interference!' Leylin commanded in secret.

[Beep! Mission established! Host's authority far exceeds target, dulling target's origin force sense. Interference in progress…] the A.I. Chip intoned loyally.

The moment Leylin's finger touched the parchment piece of paper, perhaps in a millionth of a second, an astounding change occurred. Another piece of parchment that looked exactly the same appeared, replacing the contents of the original contract. It was still a pledge of loyalty, but the punishment was much more severe. The master and servant had changed place, and Baalzephon would now pledge his allegiance to Leylin.

Given that Leylin far exceeded Baalzephon in authority, the devil did not notice anything wrong with the contract. Baalzephon could also sense a thread of loyalty from this 'Leycian.'

An authority that surpassed Baalzephon's own, as well as the powerful abilities of the A.I. Chip, allowed a substitute to replace the original in an instant, completing a magnificent feat in the Nine Hells. What the A.I. Chip had formed was instantly hidden in the original parchment, and all Baalzephon saw was the horned devil signing his name with his right index finger.

"Good! You made the right choice!" Baalzephon nodded with satisfaction. After sensing the thread of loyalty made of origin force, he glanced at the parchment paper. There were no changes to the green phosphorescence of the letters, save for the signature at the lower right corner.

'Strange… why did I suddenly feel fearful?' Baalzephon shook his head, and tossed this thought out of his mind. After ascertaining that this was the contract he had created, he entered his name at the position of the superior.

A blood-red truename formed on the paper, and it quickly burnt up. A phosphorescent green imprint disappeared into each of Leylin's and Baalzephon's chests.

[Beep! Fealty contract obtained. Target: Baalzephon of the Dark Eight. Note: Target has signed a contract with another superior. If host's orders clash with Asmodeus', there is a 50% chance that Baalzephon will grow confused.]

'Good. Continue concealment.' Leylin had now become Baalzephon's superior, and as an Archdevil, it was a breeze for him to cover a portion of his senses.

Baalzephon obtained a simulated thread of loyalty, and was extremely satisfied.

"Very good! Tell me, Leycian, why are you here in Avernus?" Superiors were what devils feared the most. Baalzephon now believed he had complete control over the devil in front of him. If not for this devil for still having his uses, he would have long since abandoned his false pretence and interrogated him properly.

This sudden change caused 'Leycian' to feel a sense of foreboding.

"I… I obtained an order from Lord Azlok to search for…" Leylin's voice showed his fear, and he cowered back.

"Search for what? Make yourself clear! Do you want me to demote you into the most lowly nupperibo?" Baalzephon's breathing began to get rough, and Leylin could even sense the intense emotions in his mind.

Leylin pretended to be unable to take Baalzephon's gaze, gritting his teeth as he said, "Azlok commanded that I come search for all traces of Dis's Archdevil, Beelzebub…"

"Beelzebub? Has he really gone missing?" Baalzephon grabbed at Leylin's arm, eyes glinting.

"Y- yes. Even Lord Azlok doesn't have any news about him!" Leylin now seemed like he had been scared stupid.

"Haha… haha… so the intel was right! An Archdevil has gone missing. What a wonderful thing…" Baalzephon laughed maniacally, and finally calmed down.

"Good! Tell me all you know and don't hold back, or else…"

……

A long while later, a horned devil walked out of the bronze tower, looking lost.

'I see. So Asmodeus finally can't hold on anymore, and he wants to act?' Leylin was actually the one scheming here. He'd blurted out a large amount of fake information just now, and Baalzephon had let his guard down against him to reveal some information as well.

'He plans for one of the Dark Eight to take over lordship and become an Archdevil?' Leylin stroked his chin. 'This doesn't seem like something Asmodeus would do, but this is so great a temptation that the Dark Eight don't consider the danger…'

Based on what Baalzephon had revealed, Asmodeus finally decided to take care of this confusion and get one of the Dark Eight to take over Dis. But the position of the Second Hell's lord had been empty for a long while. That was an empty spot to be an Archdevil of Baator, representing the peak of Baator's might!

He seemed to depend on the Dark Eight's merits, including dealing blows to the demons, expanding Avernus, and so on. That was why the Dark Eight had set a trap without hesitation, wiping out a demon army. The pit fiends, dazzled with the lordship as they were, would go around attacking everything to expand the territories of Avernus.

When this happened, a mere strategic location, the Bronze Citadel, was not that important. In order to obtain Tiamat's approval and help, the Dark Eight had not hesitated to give up the place. After all, the chromatic dragon was still one of their allies, and there were many other places in the First Hell that they could attack.

The trap at the Bronze Citadel would be the last time the Dark Eight worked together. Next they would go at it alone, hoping to obtain enough merits to be acknowledged by Asmodeus. They all wished to become the Archdevil of Dis.

'Sadly, this is just a huge trap. Without the authority being transferred and now that they can't get a hold of Beelzebub, would Asmodeus appointing them to the post actually do anything?'

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Dis

When it came to Baator, there were less than ten devils with as much knowledge as Leylin. He knew extremely well how far Asmodeus' influence extended.

Although Asmodeus was the most powerful devil, his might was restricted to the Ninth Hell. The other seven Archdevils did not bother with him. Him appointing a lord of Dis? That was just a huge joke!

Even so, many of the Dark Eight were lured by him; at the very least, they wanted the reputation of having taken over the Second Hell. Although it would be a false reign, it would at least be supported by Asmodeus.

'In comparison, Baalzephon is more pragmatic!' Recalling the plan that he had revealed, a smile appeared on Leylin's face.

……

Leylin looked around, and quickly saw a city of iron ablaze. Red hot hellfire scorched the inner walls, and thick smoke rose to form great amounts of black fog that covered the entirety of Dis. The walls were red, and the slightest of contact with them would result in grave burns.

Even the metallic pebbles that used to form the road were experiencing high temperatures. Without immunity to fire or special shoes, the pedestrians would soon be thrashing around on the ground in pain, before burning up.

The drafts around the street corners often carried miserable cries that seemed to come from the depths of hell. This was the lament of the prisoners in the large underground prison, including slaves, petitioners from the Blood War, and even mortals that had been kidnapped from the prime material plane.

Once the souls grew ripe with the torture and suffering, the better goods would be sent to the lofty residences around, to be enjoyed by nobility.

Many noble devils liked holding banquets. They would gather together, discussing which portion of a prisoner was more delectable, and then come up with even more exquisite 'cooking' techniques.

Just standing on the street, Leylin could feel the breathing and thumping of hearts under Dis. Unlike Avernus, he felt like he could use all the power of this plane, as if he were its owner in the first place.

The turbulent origin force of Baator moved to Leylin's will, with only the slightest bit of resistance. That was Beelzebub, still alive and possessing that last bit of laws and authority.

'Dis! If I completely devour Beelzebub, I'll be like a god in his divine realm!' The authority Archdevils had in hell could definitely compare to what true gods were like in their divine realms. Of course, this was limited to the territory they were lord of.

Leylin sighed inside. This was Dis, the second layer of Baator. It was a huge city of iron, so huge there were no boundaries at all. The city made up an entire plane!

"What are you standing there in a daze for? Aren't you moving yet?" A grey-robed person standing beside Leylin berated him.

"Yes, my lord!" Leylin bowed humbly, while actually snickering inside. This person in disguise was naturally Baalzephon. The pit fiend obviously had not followed Asmodeus' game, expanding the territories of Avernus. Instead, he had secretly arrived at the Second Hell.

However, his goal was abundantly clear. The pit fiend, who was one of the Dark Eight, intended to take over lordship of this hell. He wanted to find the missing Beelzebub and take him prisoner. He would then extract Beelzebub's strength, becoming the true Lord of Dis!

Asmodeus' orders would be nothing to him then, the lords of the Nine Hells were on the same level as the Supreme!

Evidently Baalzephon had already betrayed Asmodeus in secret, but Leylin was not the least bit surprised. After all, betrayal and schemes were nothing new to the devils, especially when it came to their superiors.

'Honestly, Baalzephon's going in the right direction, but there's something wrong with his plans. He's not the only person thinking of doing this… Whether it's Asmodeus or other lords, they're all probably planning to lay their hands on Beelzebub…' Leylin sighed inside.

"I'm preparing to sneak into the Iron Tower and investigate. Do you have any plans?" Baalzephon pointed at a conspicuous at the centre of the city that towered into the clouds.

This was the Iron Tower, Beelzebub's palace. He seldom left the place, but it had already been decades since there was news of him last. Once tens of attempts at communication failed, and there was no reaction even when they barged in, news of Beelzebub's mysterious disappearance began to spread.

However, with how cunning the devils were, nobody knew if this was some scheme by the Archdevil. Even Baalzephon was not quite sure himself.

Of course, Leylin had given him enough confidence that he was even entering the Iron Tower to take a risk and investigate it. He hoped to gather information regarding Beelzebub's disappearance.

Leylin was egging him on to serve his own purposes. After all, finding Beelzebub and devouring him before the other Archdevils did was his main purpose in coming to Baator.

"Lord Baalzephon, there are some fairs and markets around Dis. We could find a way to sneak in from there…" Leylin earnestly gave a suggestion.

As his personal stronghold, Beelzebub's Iron Tower had a large amount of tricks and traps inside. There were golems and contracted beings guarding the tower, and within the Iron Tower itself Beelzebub was basically invincible. This was why he rarely left the area, nor did he allow any devils to enter.

From Leylin's perspective, the reason he never left was out of caution and cowardice. It was also because he was using the Manderhawke Plate to connect to the prime material plane, spreading faith and contaminating souls.

Obviously he'd also tried to make contact with many other place, finally succeeding in escaping the crystal sphere. Had his timing been right, he could even have surpassed Asmodeus in strength, using an unending supply of souls to become a true Supreme of the Nine Hells. Unfortunately, he'd med with tragedy in the form of Leylin.

'From what I sense, there's no sign of Beelzebub in the Second Hell…' Leylin thought as he followed Baalzephon. 'With him covering me, there won't be much suspicion. The other Archdevils should be furiously trying to find traces of Beelzebub, so I can temporarily use their powers…

'The Manderhawke Plate is also an important target inside the Iron Tower…' The Manderhawke Plate was a mysterious item that could weaken the crystal sphere. Even a mere imitation of the patterns in his memories helped Leylin enter the World of Gods, so in his view this plate's uses surpassed even most divine weapons.

"Market? Are you trying to make a fool of me?" A dangerous glint appeared in Baalzephon's eyes, and the green flames of the contract appeared on his hands.

"You're part of the guard corps of the Archdevil serving under Azlok, one of Beelzebub's lackeys. That pit fiend manages the safety of the Iron Tower, do you not have any methods to enter it? Huh?"

The flames on Baalzephon's hands flickered, causing a look of pain to appear on Leylin's expression. Of course, this was fake.

"Please wait, my Lord! I'm supposed to be away right now, so it's impossible for me to get approval from Azlok…" Leylin sounded like he felt wronged.

"That's your problem. I need to enter the Iron Tower within three hell hours. If you can't do that, you'll become a foolish and ugly xerfilstyx!" Baalzephon threatened, showing the natural temperament of devils.

Devils like to treat their subordinates harshly, and even give them impossible tasks before punishing them. This was usually done to the subordinates closest to them physically, in order to ensure that nobody could pose a threat to them.

Those subordinate devils could only complete every task in fear, and grasp every single opportunity to ascend. They would use all their power to climb up the social ladder, betraying their superior at the appropriate time and staging rebellion. They would want to reach the peak of power in Baator to rid themselves of this suffering.

In Baalzephon's eyes, however, the horned devil called Leycian still had his uses. This tactic was used unknowingly.

"Alright, I'll immediately come up with a way!" Seeing Leylin darting away like his ass was on fire, Baalzephon grinned in satisfaction. Only if he used a whip and viciously lashed at these devils would they obediently listen to him. It was also necessary that shackles were placed on them, which would prevent them from attacking their masters.

Baazelphon was actually abiding by all of a certain devil's maxims.

……

Two hell hours later, Leylin had returned.

"My Lord…" The horned devil now had a flattering look and a modest smile on his face.

"I've done my best to get Azlok to believe that I've found clues regarding the whereabouts of the Archdevil, which is why I've returned to Dis. I've also made contact with some of my people and bribed them. I managed a chance to enter the Iron Tower for a thousand jingles…"

Devils could obviously be bribed, but the price caused Baalzephon to frown. "What a greedy guy. Are you sure that his promise is true, and he won't sell you out to your superior?"

"I can promise that. Jack even signed a contract, and swore an oath." Leylin looked resolute.

"Good. Take this!" Baalzephon tossed a gem full of soul energy inside, and then saw the hesitant look on the horned devil's face.

"There's only a hundred here, but he wants a thousand…"

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Bribe

"Pay the rest yourself! Didn't I reward you with a huge amount of wealth already?" Baalzephon placed his hands behind his back and left, seemingly interested in the unknown flesh being sold on the market.

The smells of all sorts of spiced meat wafted through the market. Baalzephon hummed nursery rhymes in contentment as he seemed to pass the time.

'Not giving subordinates wealth is akin to not giving them strength… Not giving them chances, is akin to not letting them be promoted… If your subordinates have wealth and the chance to advance, then your head will become a decoration in their rooms…

'Seems like superiors controlling their subordinates is a huge trend here…' Leylin glanced at the pitifully tiny soul gem in his hands and snickered.

Unfortunately, all that he'd said had been a lie. While the devils that guarded the Iron Tower were Beelzebub's trusted aides, their loyalty wasn't spectacular, especially when their superior was weakened.

Dis was like his own backyard, and the guard legions were basically like a sieve with numerous holes. Why? It was naturally because of the prime material plane. Leylin had already subdued Beelzebub's followers from the prime material plane, and he'd had some of them return to Baator in secret.

Besides, with the authority he had and the law of devouring, no devil would suspect anything even if he pretended to be Beelzebub himself.

'Baalzephon isn't the only one here. There's still many organisations around laying low, so I can't be too high-profile…' Leylin sighed inside, and arrived at a luxurious residence near the Iron Tower.

A pit fiend appeared and bowed deeply to Leyin, "Master!"

"Mm. There will be huge changes here soon. Take all the subordinates who are loyal to me and leave. Also, get Jack to do what we agreed on."

"Understood, Master of Devouring, Lord of Dis!" The pit fiend pressed his right hand to his chest and bowed, eyes full of reverence and flattery.

"Lord of Dis. I quite like that name, Azlok…" Leylin burst into laughter.

Indeed. The pit fiend standing in front of Leylin was Beelzebub's trusted aide who was in charge of his armies. He was the greater devil in charge of the Iron Tower's guard, Azlok! When he'd seen Leylin's law of devouring and his control over Dis, Azlok had bent the knee instantly. He hadn't even hesitated a moment to betray Beelzebub.

However, even Azlok had no clue of where Beelzebub had gone. The Lord of Gluttony hadn't even contacted this devil before he left. It was evident that Beelzebub had actually never truly trusted him. Or perhaps the word 'trust' was too far-fetched to use amongst devils…

Dark fumes filled the skies, causing the Iron City to be lit up purely by the fires of hell. Groups of petitioners and lemures were guided by imps to all parts of the city, modifying it to fit into the Second Hell and performing repairs. Rumour had it that the city would continue to expand under Beelzebub's wishes, with no end for all eternity.

There was no such thing as sunrise or sunset here, and the devils of Dis used specific devices to record time. However, they had no need for rest. As long as there was an opportunity to obtain souls, many would charge over for it without fatigue.

"It's time. Let's go!" Baalzephon glanced at a crimson pocket watch, and brought Leylin towards the Iron Tower.

Numerous noble residences were built around the Iron Tower, all of them looking imposing and magnificent. However, most of them were now empty, the whereabouts of their owners unknown.

Beelzebub's disappearance had been a huge blow to Dis, even if the the lesser devils hadn't noticed it yet. The greater devils were filled with ambition for the lordship, or were afraid of the unrest and left. Only one legion was still performing its duties. An armoured lower devil watched every person trying to get close to the Iron Tower, regardless of which plane they came from.

"Enter from the west. Jack's guarding that side today."'Leycian' brought Baalzephon deeper into the city, looking like he was familiar with the route. They finally arrived at a steel sentry that had been scorched red with hellfire.

Seeing the guarded looks of them any armoured devils here, Leylin yelled a greeting towards the sentry. "Hey, Jack. Look who's here!"

'Prevent Teleportation, Detect Stealth, and an anti-demon formation. There's also spells boosting the defence of the guards, giving them magic immunity…' Baalzephon's eyes showed awe and a trace of nervousness, 'These defences… Even us of the Dark Eight would need to send out all our legions, spending a month or two fighting before we could get in…'

"Leycian?" a gruff voice sounded, as an enormous devil appeared in front of Leylin and Baalzephon. He was huge and swollen, with disgusting tumours on his skin and scales. His bulging eyes made him look like a toad, and his matching mouth revealed densely packed sharp teeth.

This was the peak form of a greater devil, the paeliryon. Only pit fiends and the overlords of hell exceeded him in might.

"Yep! You look just as strong as before! So… does our agreement from before still count?" Leylin handed over a large number of soul gems.

"Of course! A thousand jingles in exchange for a chance to enter the Iron Tower. I'm always honest!" the huge paeliryon said, its roaring voice causing Baalzephon to frown. Although he didn't mind the tiny loss, it would be terrible if the other devils discovered them.

As if noticing his worries, the large paeliryon laughed wildly, "No need to worry. Nobody here would dare to reveal anything, unless they want to be imprisoned in the dungeons and punished with eternal hunger…"

The dungeons were something all the devils of the Second Hell dreaded. Hunger, in particular, was used on those who made mistakes. With the influence of the law of gluttony, those punished thus would grow incomparably hungry, with nothing that could satiate them. They would grow so frantic they would eventually choose to gnaw at themselves!

While Beelzebub had set the law that those who could endure seven days of hunger would be forgiven regardless of their errors, none had been able to last that long. Most devils of Dis would rather be demoted into ugly nupperibo than take on this punishment, such was the terror it caused.

Hearing what their superior said, the other devils all but wished to sew up their mouths, perhaps burying their heads in the ground.

"Good! I like your attitude!" Baalzephon nodded in satisfaction, preparing to enter with Leylin.

"Wait!" However, an unexpected incident happened. After Leylin entered, Jack immediately blocked the way, "One thousand jingles for one chance. One has already entered, so the contract has been fulfilled!"

"What are you saying?" Baalzephon's brows furrowed threateningly.

"You need to pay an additional amount!" Jack pointed at Baalzephon

"So if he doesn't enter, I'll get the chance to enter?" Baalzephon frowned. He did not want to attack anyone here, especially when this would reveal his identity.

"Keke… My apologies, but no!" Jack chuckled in a strange manner. The surrounding devils quickly picked up their weapons, aiming them at Baalzephon.

"You darned horned devil, I really should have turned you into a nupperibo. How could you have even created a contract with so many loopholes that devils could make use of…"

Baalzephon was in a spitting rage as he glared at Leylin, who was almost scared stupid, "You pay up the thousand jingles!"

"Apologies, master, but I don't have any more…" 'Leycian' sounded on the verge of tears, causing the fury in Baalzephon to blaze.

"You piece of trash!" He now looked extremely grim and took out a soul gem, "Take it, you greedy fiend!"

The huge paeliryon hugged his hands to his chest and answered fearlessly, "Sorry, but there's now a change to the price. It will be two thousand jingles. Also, your humiliation caused spiritual damage to me, so it will be a hundred more on top!"

"Damn it, damn it! If I get a hold of you, I'll definitely demote you to a nupperibo and have you pick up manure in the Rotting Pit for ten thousand years…" Baalzephon's chest heaved, but unwilling he was Jack still urged him into handing over the jingles.

"My- my apologies.." Seeing Leylin right now, Baalzephon couldn't even be bothered to get mad. After all, if he were to kill or demote him to a nupperibo, then weren't all his previous efforts in vain?

The other party was a greater devil after all, and he could be used as cannon fodder while exploring the tower. That was Baalzephon's decision.

After passing through the sentry, they finally arrived in front of the Iron Tower. Beelzebub's lair was so high that it reached the clouds, its body enveloped in a dull light that flowed around as it changed the quality and style of the tower.

'The throne of Dis… Here I come!' Baalzephon gazed at the pedestal within the Iron Tower, his eyes flickering with unconcealed ambition as he quickly brought Leylin in.

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Nessus

'The audience is coming in…'

Baalzephon had yet to notice the glint in the eyes of the horned devil cowering behind him. The Iron Tower was Beelzebub's lair, a place that was filled with danger even for Leylin. While he'd already obtained Azlok's loyalty, Azlok was merely a guardian of the outer regions of the Iron Tower, and he couldn't enter the place himself.

If he wanted to completely scope out this lair, Leylin would need hundreds of greater devils or even many pit fiends. Leylin naturally didn't want to purge his own subordinates, and at the same time he wanted to lure everyone coveting the lordship out of hiding. This was why he'd kept his strength hidden, entering the tower alongside Baalzephon.

Baalzephon's actions would result in a chain reaction, breaking the initial balance in the Nine Hells. With his actions, the Dark Eight and Asmodeus would be besieged from all sides. That way, Leylin could use the powers of other devils to scope out the tower.

……

Ninth Hell of Baator, Nessus. Deep gorges and valleys filled the area, forming large expanses filled with lifeless rocks. It looked like the land had been formed by a huge explosion, or perhaps a battle between existences compared to gods. Nobody knew the real truth to the day.

Inside a valley that was unimaginably deep and wide was a fort called Malsheem, standing tall with a dark, grand, and hellish beauty. The citadel was extremely large, and numerous miles wide. Its dimensions were unimaginable for all devils.

More than a million devils lived within this city, and conspiracy theorists said that they would one day start killing their way out, drowning out the entirety of Baator in Asmodeus' quest to take over all of Hell.

"Ah, Malsheem. She's so beautiful! I want to possess her and touch every bit of her skin lovingly…" A voice full of greed suddenly rang in the air, and a devil appeared. His upper body was human, while the lower half was that of a huge poisonous snake. He held what looked like a harpoon, and his triangular eyes looked full of avarice.

This was Mammon, the Lord of the Third Hell. He possessed the laws of avarice, and was one of Baator's eight Archdevils that stood tall above the rest.

"Mammon! Long time no see, old friend. It's been five hundred years since we last met, no? I remember it was in Minauros…"

An illusory devil appeared at the peak of Malsheem. He looked like an aged devil with black hair that was combed back perfectly. He had a black goatee, and his eyes shot flames. His courteous greeting was as if Mammon was a friend he hadn't seen in a long while.

"Your hypocrisy makes me want to hurl, Asmodeus!" Another Archdevil appeared next to Mammon, revealing Asmodeus' identity. This one had flames twirling around him, seemingly like fury incarnate that could burn everything in the world to nothingness.

The old devil that had appeared atop Malsheem was the legendary Supreme of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus. This was Baator's ruler in name.

"Oh, it's Samuel! You're just as angry as always…" Asmodeus seemed to think nothing of the power Samuel exuded, and his grin widened.

"When will you abandon this form, and dare meet us with your true body?" Pure white snowflakes fell one by one, instantly freezing a large portion of the valley. A devil that grasped extreme cold walked over, his eyes fearless as he met Asmodeus' gaze with an aura exuding arrogance.

"Oh, so Levistus is here too! Cough cough… Forgive me; with the injuries to my body, it's already amazing that I can appear in this form…" Asmodeus' pale face now had a slight flush, looking like an old man on the verge of death from illness.

Rumour had it that the Archdevil of the Ninth Hell had sustained grievous injuries. He'd now taken the form of a high-ranked projection, an avatar of sorts.

Even so, Asmodeus' power was still the greatest amongst the Archdevils, the sight of which would shock other devils into silence.

Mammon, who controlled the third layer, Samuel who controlled the fourth. Levistus, who controlled the fifth, and the original ruler of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus. Four of the Archdevils had actually appeared here!

Ever since the conspiracies of the ruthless Blood Wars, and the incident where the abyss broke off from the Nine Hells, the Archdevils rarely met. Their fights had even affected the prime material plane, and the gods' divine realms.

With four of them meeting, people would believe that a conspiracy that would turn the world upside down was being hatched. It wasn't as if four lords of Baator meeting could result in good.

"Cough cough… May I know why you have gathered here?" Asmodeus produced what looked like presbyopic glasses as he began to flip through a thick sheepskin book. The book had a black cover, with hellfire atop it. It made it seem extremely evil. Within the book, the paper recorded numerous vile contracts!

"Of course it's about Dis, and Beelzebub!" Mammon was the first to speak, "The rest of us seven wouldn't be able to decide on the appointment of an Archdevil even if we were to have a joint discussion!"

"Is that so?" A poisonous worm crawled out from Asmodeus' goatee, which he then picked up and swallowed. "But… From the contract of our alliance, you don't seem to think that way…"

Asmodeus flipped to a certain contract and pointed at the clause, "So? Need me to read it and explain it to you?"

"That's only when the Archdevil of a layer is unable to fulfill one's task. You have the power to help them, but only temporarily!" Samuel exclaimed in anger.

"But as the Supreme of the Nine Hells… Fine, even if only in name it's my responsibility to maintain the stability and order of Baator…" Asmodeus spoke up for himself.

"Even so, you can't appoint someone to the Second Hell when its Archdevil is in danger. What's worse is that you're choosing from the Dark Eight, who don't even have any authority…" Levistus snickered.

"They might be mere pit fiends, but if they can ensure there is order in the Second Hell, it would make sense to give them some rewards…" Asmodeus still persisted.

"All I see is them plotting and causing destruction!" The flames on Samuel's body leapt into the sky.

"The only one who can stabilise Dis right now is Beelzebub with his authority over the place. Which of you knows where he is?" Mammon's eyes were filled with greed.

"It's said that after getting gravely injured, he's hidden in the prime material plane. One of my followers found traces of him on the surface, and there even seems to be some interesting guide…" Asmodeus spoke nonchalantly, as if this was no secret.

Such honesty and magnanimity had the three overlords puzzled. It took a length of time before Levistus spoke up. "What are you planning?"

"That's what I should be asking you," Asmodeus looked innocent, "You barge into my house and rudely block my door. Why is that?"

"It's obviously for the stability of Baator! You're not to interfere with Dis anymore!" Samuel yelled.

Although it was acknowledged that Asmodeus was the strongest and most mysterious of the eight lords of hell, there wasn't much of a difference between them. Still, he was the strongest devil despite his injuries. Rumours were abound that a fully healed Asmodeus could even unify all of Baator itself!

As the situation was now, Asmodeus would be able to defeat a single Archdevil in combat. Even then, he wouldn't be able to kill his opponent. Two Archdevils working together could even suppress him! With three Archdevils present here, he would definitely lose a battle.

"Give up. The Hag Countess won't help you. Belphegor will stay at Maladomini forever, and can't be bothered to leave and meddle in this. You might be able to rope Mephistopheles in, but you still won't have enough numbers. You won't win a vote amongst the lords of Baator without bribing us, and I'm quite interested in what you're willing to pay.…"

Mammon sized Malasheem up and down, "Give Malsheem to me, and I might consider it. I promise it on the honour of an Archdevil of Baator!"

"Looks like I really have no chance of winning…"

Asmodeus waved his arms around with no other choice. "Alright then. Based on the contract, I'll stay in Nessus! However, Dis does need a substitute. How about we sign an agreement?"

Before the other Archdevils could speak, Asmodeus continued on, "Let's all stay here till everything dies down and order resumes. Let's not go anywhere. How about it? Isn't that your goal?"

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Sudden Entry

"That's all you have to suggest? Nothing else?" Samuel and the other Archdevils looked at each other, disbelief in their eyes.

Although Asmodeus had the Dark Eight, the other lords weren't without their own subordinate pit fiends. Combined, the forces of the three could annihilate Asmodeus' underlings.

Asmodeus grinned, tossing out great bait, "Nothing else. Until everything is done and dusted, we should all just stay here and let the developments play out for themselves!"

"What do you think?" Mammon looked at his two companions. He'd already been moved. After all, there was an entire level of Baator at stake here!

"You want to sow discord amongst us?" Samuel laughed, "You're going to be disappointed…" Although he said that, nobody believed a word of it.

"Your physical form should remain here, including those of Mephistopheles and the rest," Levistus added.

"Alright, I'll have them sign another contract. The other lords that aren't here shall need to stay in their territories as well, not acting until everything is settled." Asmodeus chuckled, "So?"

"Order is everything! If we reject it, even if it's for the sake of Baator's World Origin Force the Nine Hells will be thrown into turmoil. The World Will will repudiate us." Levistus' analysis was calm, and he ended up answering, "I agree to this contract!"

"I concur!" "I as well!" Mammon and Samuel agreed as well. After all, this outcome far exceeded their expectations.

"Very well! The Hag Countess, Belphegor and Mephistopheles have given me their reply as well. Let the River of Styx be our witness!" Asmodeus now turned his book of contracts to a new, blank page.

Once the other three ascertained that there was nothing wrong with the contract, they nodded their heads, making the most solemn of vows to the river of the underworld…

……

Right now, Leylin had no inkling of this contract made between the Archdevils of Baator. However, the ripples of this event would soon throw Baator into a flurry of events, culminating in the dawn of a new era.

"Beelzebub's Iron Tower…" Baalzephon looked at the heavy coat of darkness in front of him, his eyes filled with deceit and solemnity. "Leycian. What do you know of this place?"

This was the castle of an Archdevil! Baalzephon was but a pit fury, and he didn't dare to make any assumptions about the place.

"Lord Baalzephon, the Iron Tower has always been forbidden territory in Dis. Even my former superior, Lord Azlok the chief guard, has never stepped into this place…"

Leylin had spoken the truth. His earlier investigations and Azlok's own testimony told him Beelzebub was someone who did not entrust things to his subordinates. Very few devils were permitted to enter the Iron Tower, perhaps a shortcoming of their race.

Legends said that the only way to enter the Iron Tower was to sign a contract with Beelzebub under witness of the Styx, foregoing everything to protect it for life. Even so, the contract restrained all these devils to the interior of the tower.

Leylin wasn't gullible enough to say such things blindly. The reason he did was that Baalzephon still had some value.

"Legend has it that the Iron Tower contains numerous curses, and is guarded by a huge army of golems. There are ancient, powerful devils here, contracted to protect it. We're currently in the outermost regions of the Iron Tower, the Plains of Gluttony. This place is guarded by an army of hungry spirits Beelzebub has trained, and only devils with permission are allowed to enter. Any others will have to perform a rite of autocannibalism."

"Hungry spirits?" Baalzephon nodded his head, and felt that this new subordinate he had recruited was rather useful, "Autocannibalism is where you make an offering by eating a part of yourself?"

Baalzephon's face was filled with worry. He wasn't reluctant to sacrifice a part of his body, but the most prevalent rule of the law of gluttony was that any powers sacrificed could never be regained.

Evidently, this was Beelzebub's first line of defense. Without his permission, anyone who wanted to enter would first have to weaken themselves.

'Are there any ways to bypass this rule?' Baalzephon pondered, before shaking his head helplessly. How could there be a way for him to beat the cunning of an Archdevil of Baator?

'The most important part of the ceremony is that it requires a part of one's core power. Any other energy is useless…' Baalzephon glanced at Leylin standing beside him, restraining himself from acting upon his impulse.

'I'm going to lose a part of my powers before even meeting the Archdevil… This isn't a good start…'

Just as Baalzephon was mulling over this, he felt an imminent crisis looming over him. He didn't think twice, immediately using an instant Greater Teleportation spell inscribed into his body.

He disappeared from his original location in a flash, reappearing nearby. It seemed like the restrictions of the original realm of gluttony made it extremely difficult for him to use teleportation magic and escape this realm.

"Damn! This interference…" Baalzephon swore foully as he raged, but he soon looked to his right shoulder in astonishment.

A large chunk of flesh was missing from that shoulder, and threads of evil energy still circulated around it. A fish-like illusory monster had suddenly appeared as he tried to teleport earlier, rending apart the fire resistance and other defences that all devils were so proud of. A single bite had reduced him to this state.

'A creature with the Teleportation feat? No, this is a top-level ability to traverse two planes and blur the distance between them! I even sense the unique aura of a creature from the astral plane…' Leylin had managed to gather a lot of information immediately, using Baalzephon as a big pathfinder stone.

Although he'd devoured most of Beelzebub's memories, the devil had clearly hidden some of the most important secrets. Those scattered fragments had lacked many important details, which meant that Leylin lacked knowledge about the iron tower.

'Besides, even if I knew all about it, perhaps there is no better way. After all, the Iron Tower itself only recognizes Beelzebub's aura. Even Baator's authority and devil essence would be useless here…' Leylin smiled wryly to himself.

While Leylin was able to stabilise himself, Baalzephon, on the other hand, was about to throw a fit.

'Damn! This creature is definitely not something from hell and has never appeared before on the prime material plane. Don't tell me it's some abomination borne of a god?'

Baalzephon's knowledge did not extend to things beyond the World of Gods, let alone the astral plane. To him, an existence that possessed powers even a pit fiend couldn't comprehend was an abomination, the flawed offspring of a god! Only something with the power of a god could create such a bizarre and powerful creature.

In a short span of time, Baalzephon was attacked several times. The loss of some of his body was but a small matter, but he sensed his own origin being lost with the passage of time. It left him extremely horrified.

'Damn, what do I have to do to leave this place?' Baalzephon continued to try using teleportation spells. However, those hungry spirits chased after him, biting his flesh apart and devouring his power.

Forget demons and other races, a devil's greatest enemy was other devils. Beelzebub had specifically arranged his preparations to target his kin. Baalzephon was unfortunate, being toppled so simply.

'Mm, how clever,' Leylin cut a sorry figure as he stood at the side, but he was only pretending.

The hungry spirits sensed the energy on his body, not daring to stick close to him. There were several berserk little fellows who dared make contact with him, but they were immediately dissolved by the dissolving power coming from Leylin's body. They ended up becoming a part of him.

'Mm, it seems like it's some sort of spiritual body. They are undoubtedly some sort of astral creature…' The A.I. Chip's light flashed, and displayed the results of its investigatory research before Leylin's eyes.

'It looks like Beelzebub relied on the Manderhawke Plate to acquire several interesting things from the astral plane…' Greed flashed across Leylin's eyes. Soon, he heard Baalzephon's despairing roar: "There's nothing else for it, hurry up and begin the autocannibalism!"

……

Even as Baalzephon struggled bitterly, something was happening within the burning Iron City of Dis. An enormous teleportation portal opened up, and troops of armoured devils marched out to take over the enormous city.

Small-scale conflicts continued to occur, but the devils who had lost their leaders and the core of their operations were far weaker than these elites. They lost very quickly, and beat a hasty retreat.

Due to Leylin's earlier arrangements, Azlok had evacuated with the devils who were still loyal to the Winged Serpent God, and luckily they had not been involved. The main army soon moved to the vicinity of the Iron Tower, headed by seven pit fiends.

"That fool Baalzephon, he actually dared to come by himself! Does he think that he is a match for an Archdevil alone? Besides, he actually even dared to betray my lord!" Zapan of the Dark Eight snickered as he looked at the tall glowing tower which broke through the clouds.

"Hurry and take over the defences. We need to surround the tower, the main forces of the other Archdevils will get here soon!" Another member of the Dark Eight urged him on, his fiery eyes full of longing and ambition.

Asmodeus' order had arrived, and the unanimous decision of the remaining Archdevils let the Dark Eight, who stood unable to break free of their torment at the pinnacle of hell, see their only chance at lordship!

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Cerberus

Even the most powerful pit fiends in Baator lived under a shadow of anxiety and fear. Although they possessed formidable power, that was compared to ordinary devils. They were direct subordinates of Archdevils instead, subject to more stringent requirements and treatment. Even the slightest thoughtlessness would engender punishment.

The harsh treatment and death threats from their superiors was a curse no devil could escape— unless of course it was someone at the peak of society, an Archdevil!

Consequently, when the seven Archdevils publicised their agreement to let their underlings battle for the Second Hell, many pit fiends went wild. The Dark Eight were only the first wave of entrants, and many more devils would end up participating. Even the dragons and gods of Avernus couldn't resist the opportunity.

Be it the Dark Eight or their colleagues, everyone had become as frail as paper in front of the great temptation that was the lordship of Dis. As cunning as devils were, the backstabs and assassinations that followed were only expected. Now, even greater devils on par with the Dark Eight did not expose their backs to anyone else…

Just as the Dark Eight were taking over the Iron Tower, a desolate bugle horn resounded as an army under a different banner appeared on the horizon of the City of Iron. It was formed entirely of kytons, devils covered in twisting iron chains, and looked like an elite troop.

"The kytons of the Third Hell, underlings of the Lord of Avarice! They came so quickly!" A pit fiend of the Dark Eight lamented.

"Get ready! The army has completed their battle preparations… Additionally, shouldn't we send someone over to negotiate?" Devils preferred small-scaled conflicts over larger battles, or even ingenious diplomacy as a method to solve their problems.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that. After all, the attraction of the lordship is something that can't easily be extinguished with words alone. We need to fight, to let them see our true power," another member of the Dark Eight proposed.

"No! I propose that we immediately send out emissaries!" Yet another devil immediately suggested something else.

"Look…"

A few pit fiends looked towards the direction the others had pointed at, and soon they discovered that two more armies had drawn closer, harbouring evil designs. The flames that burnt on their body, as well as the unique ice devils amongst them, revealed their identities.

"The armies of the Fourth and Fifth Hells?" another pit fiend lamented, "As expected. With the distance our reinforcements need to travel from the Eighth And Ninth Hells, we're at a disadvantage here. It'll take a very long time…"

"Let's negotiate." The Dark Eight very quickly came to an accord. Negotiation did not damage the prestige of a devil, and in the first place they never really cared about something as useless as their reputation.

Tens of pit fiends gathered together quickly. There were no blockheads among them, any such candidates long since wiped out by their subordinates' plots. Each one was shrewd and insightful.

All the pit fiends of Baator had come to an agreement in a hurry, resolving the situation. Each of them would enter a limited portion of the tower. They would compete fairly with the Iron Tower at their centre, aiming to win the unlikely prize of becoming an Archdevil.\

……

Baalzephon, the first to infiltrate the Iron Tower, had currently brought Leylin to a black door. The enormous door was made of cast iron, with terribly twisted sculptures protruding out of it. The most prominent one was a model of a three-headed cerberus, filled with a sense of ruthlessness.

'This door seems to depict Beelzebub's rise and history,' Leylin meticulously looked through the sculptures on the door. Looking at the characteristics of the devils and other beings there, it seemed to proclaim Beelzebub's feats in style, embellishing them with beauty and praise.

Once they reached the door, Leylin immediately discovered that several of the images matched with Beelzebub's memories, explicitly confirming his position.

"Dammit… DAMMIT! The autocannibalism ceremony consumed half of my energy." Unlike Leylin who was calm and collected, Baalzephon was flustered and utterly discomforted. His deliberate curses clearly demonstrated his coercive intentions. At the very least, Leylin felt that Beelzebub's earlier arrangements had taken out three quarters of Baalzephon's strength. However, he still had more than enough strength to suppress a mere horned devil.

'Hmm? Don't tell me that he wants to pull something on me to intentionally expose the flaws in the door?' Leylin's eyes flashed. Devils weren't chaotic like demons were, there was a particular reason for everything they did. This was especially true between superiors and their subordinates. Even the harshest of superiors required sufficient evidence to punish their underlings.

For example, Leylin was currently masquerading as the horned devil Leycian. Although he posed a threat to Baalzephon, the horned devil had always obediently followed his master's orders and completed his job. Even the pit fiend couldn't recklessly dispose of him.

Naturally, if Leylin did not resist the coercion, and executed his own subversive plot now that Baalzephon was weak, the pit fiend could crush him without second thought.

"I feel like we've reached the core of the Iron Tower, my Lord." It was a great pity that Leylin's current persona didn't give Baalzephon the slightest opportunity to do so. Instead, he acted like the most devoted of subordinates, standing protectively in front of his master.

"This is the Palace of Gluttony, the core of the lord's power. Rumours say—" Leylin happily played the role of a guide.

"What do the rumours say?" A regretful look flashed across Baalzephon's eyes. It was clear that he felt disappointed that Leylin had not taken the bait.

However, keeping Leylin with him seemed to have been the right decision. After all, it was rare for a devil to have any understanding of the Iron Tower, even if it was just a few rumours. Perhaps it was a clue that would end up being of extreme importance.

"They say that this place is guarded by a contracted ancient devil!" A coarse voice sounded, answering Baalzephon's question. However, it was not Leylin who had replied.

"57 years! It's already been a full 57 years… Beelzebub has not supplied me with enough souls and flesh, and seems to have completely disappeared…" Roars of rage and dissatisfaction sounded, and a tremendous voice seemed to ring in Baalzephon's heart.

Bzzt!* The enormous iron doors in front of him rumbled, and the statue of the cerberus suddenly grew more lifelike, a bright glow surrounding it. This red eyes opened one after the other, emitting a radiance that was a thousand times more dazzling than rubies. A trace of purple greed flashed within that red, demonstrating a thirst for blood and souls.

"This is… A hellhound!" Baalzephon retreated further and further. Hell was not limited to the devils. There were also hellcats, hellhounds, nightmares and even humans who'd moved here from the prime material plane.

These beings had strong experts amongst them, with strength on par with greater devils. One could build the most perfect of fortresses, and hire them to protect it through contract. This hellhound greatly surpassed others of its species, but had been confined by Beelzebub in this tower.

"I am the King of Hellhounds— Soul Devourer Chekov!" A tremendous clang resounded, and the cerberus leapt out of the iron door. Its body was wreathed in flames as it grew in stature, only the tip of its being still connected to the door.

"The King of Hellhounds?" Baalzephon rather speechlessly looked at the enormous Cerberus in front of him, a crafty glint in his eye, "Then why is someone who is powerful enough to lead an entire race here?"

Rumble!* It was clear that Baalzephon's words had touched a sore spot. Chekov suddenly roared, and infernal flames spread all around them.

"It was Beelzebub! That greedy devil, the cruel glutton! He deceived me!" Without waiting for Leylin and Baalzephon's coercement, Cerberus began to hog the conversation, "He trapped me with a fight, the loser having to serve the winner for 9900 years…"

In this moment, even Baalzephon looked at Cerberus with eyes of pity. Engaging in a game of chance with an Archdevil never ended well. The pathetic hellhound was lucky it didn't get crushed to death. It being shackled here was natural, and with almost ten thousand years of a contract it definitely wouldn't end well.

"What did the competition entail?" Leylin asked inquisitively.

"Souls. I competed with Beelzebub to see who could devour the most souls in a short span of time," Cerberus' three heads all drooped, hanging low with an air of dejection. "Originally, my three heads could devour even a city of souls in an instant. However…"

Leylin was inwardly laughing to himself, and even Baalzephon shook his head and sighed. Competing in an eating competition with the Lord of Gluttony? One had to wonder whether this King of Hellhounds had a defective brain, or was actually a demon in disguise.

"What a sorrowful tale…" Baalzephon finally said, summing up the incident.

"Well then! None of you have the slightest trace of Beelzebub's aura on you. Are you intruders?" Cerberus' gaze glinted with danger.

"Although I hate that fellow, I regret that I must follow the rules of the contract. I will devour the souls of all intruders!" Cerberus grinned, revealing a mouthful of towering fangs and a barbed, scarlet-red tongue.

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Treasure Vault

The cerberus continuously radiated a powerful aura. Its might could repel even the strongest of pit fiends, and it caused Baalzephon to feel uneasy. Leylin, on the other hand, was only frightened on the surface. He was snickering in his mind.

'Such a silly dog, it can't even see through my disguise. No wonder a devil could manipulate it so easily…' The fact was that Leylin's stealth was too powerful. Even the famed cerberi of hell couldn't sniff anything off about his soul.

"Wait… Wait! Negotiate! I think we can negotiate!" Baalzephon retreated several steps as he called loudly.

He did not have much of a chance against this King of Hellhounds. Moreover, he hadn't found a trace of Beelzebub's whereabouts. He wasn't dumb enough to waste his resources and even risk his life here. Devils considered diplomacy the path of experts anyway.

"The contract was sworn upon the Styx. If you can remove it for me, you'll have my gratitude. I'll open the gates to the Palace of Gluttony, and share every bit of information I have about Beelzebub…" Chekov spoke from his left head, but the other two heads still snapped at Baalzephon without hesitation.

"Leycian, hold it back!" In this time of crisis, Baalzephon ordered his subordinate into danger.

"Yes, my Lord!" He saw this horned devil he'd contracted stand reluctantly in front of him. However, Leycian was smacked away by a swipe of Chekov's paw. Even if Leycian was a greater devil, the difference between him and Chekov was still too large.

"Dammit, do I have to use one of my trump cards now?" Baalzephon hastily pulled out a silver shield.

The shield seemed to be forged exquisitely from the finest silver. Numerous runes were inscribed on it, and gems embedded as ornaments. The shield gave off an extremely holy aura, glowing with a gentle light.

The moment the shield came into contact with him, Baalzephon's hands corroded quickly into white smoke. The pain caused him to frown. This shield was made of whitesilver, a noble element with powerful corrosive effects against all devils.

Of course, this effect depended on the target. Even buried in a pool of whitesilver would just leave a pit fiend itching.

However, the shield in Baalzephon's hands didn't seem to be any ordinary whitesilver item. It was imbued with great energy, and even had a hint of a god's aura.

"An item used against devils!" Cerberus howled, and flames soon began to engulf the two figures as they engaged in a ferocious battle.

……

"Well done! Keep it up!" The horned devil who was smacked to the side by the cerberus got up from his lying position.

'One must first face the gatekeeper to enter the Palace of Gluttony. But since it's engaged in battle now, there's a chance to sneak in…' After reaching this area, Leylin immediately recalled Beelzebub's memories and grew familiar with the place. He discovered that there were several hidden tunnels, meant for Beelzebub's escape in times of need.

And now, Leylin began to execute his plan like it was a matter of course.

'It seems to have been a correct decision to bring Baalzephon along!' Leylin stood in admiration of himself at he looked at the miserable figures of Baalzephon and the cerberus before disappearing into the darkness.

'I sense more pit fiends coming here, I have to hurry…' With the help of Beelzebub's memories, Leylin soon skirted past the giant gate that the cerberus was guarding, coming to a circular corridor.

The ground was covered in crimson carpet, and oil lanterns flickered on the sides of the corridor. There were a large number of paintings on the walls, depicting scenarios of the underworld. Some works even showed the battles against gods in the prime material plane.

'The winding corridor of exhibitions! I'm finally here…Beelzebub's treasure vault!' Leylin excitedly appreciated the oil paintings with both his hands behind his back. In Beelzebub's memories, this was an important treasure vault. It contained about a third of an Archdevil's wealth, and had numerous treasures gained from dangerous expeditions.

'If only Beelzebub had stored the Manderhawke Plate in here… But that's unlikely…' Leylin pondered in front of a painting.

The aesthetic views of devils were often grotesque and fear-inducing from a human perspective. There was a fundamental difference in their definition of beauty, but even then the intentions of the artists were the same.

The painting in front of Leylin was rare, one of humans. A devil was lifting a kneeling human by the collar using one hand, the other holding a curved dagger up as if to pierce the human's heart. Set to a crimson backdrop, the human clutched onto a piece of parchment holding a contract of sorts, his face convulsing in dear.

'Is this to commemorate the temptation Beelzebub poses for humans? This person had to be a king for him to act personally…' Leylin did not care anymore about the the meaning behind the painting, and reached out with his right arm.

"To break the curse, I remember that I have to…" Leylin spat a series of syllables in a language that only an Archdevil would know. As he spoke those words, a brilliant light appeared on the oil painting and a defense mechanism that seemed to be a glass protector appeared.

"Activate!" Leylin emitted his devil aura, causing the glass to melt like ice. He stretched his right hand into the oil painting, pulling out a curved dagger.

[Beep! Host has obtained a high-energy item, beginning scan…] The A.I. Chip's light flashed in Leylin's eyes, and very soon the scanning came to a conclusion.

[Epic Demonblood Dagger (5). Weight: 666 grams. Ingredients: Pit Fiend Bones, Souls of Avarice, Crystallised Soul of Gluttony.]

[Abilities:

Offering: The owner of this dagger can extract the life and souls of their enemies, allowing them to absorb power effectively until they're a high-ranked legendary. Rate of conversion depends on the compatibility and willpower of the wielder.

Summon Devil: The dagger contains a devil contract, and allows the wielder to summon a greater devil up to once a day.

Judgement: The wielder needs to strengthen their will and alignment towards evil every three days. If they fail, Beelzebub will appear from the depths of hell and devour their flesh and soul.]

[Description: This legendary Demonblood Dagger has evolved under Beelzebub's powers of extreme evil. No living creature can resist its temptation…]

'An epic weapon?' Leylin toyed with this dagger in his hands. It was evident that the dagger was an exquisite item made by Beelzebub himself, much stronger than the one that Leylin had crafted himself back on Faulen Island.

Because of how common the materials he'd used were, the Demonblood Dagger Leylin had made himself lost effect after his stats all reached 10. However, this epic dagger could enable the wielder to enter the legendary realm through devouring others! If adventurers in the prime material plane were to learn of this dagger, they would do all they could to obtain it, even if it meant losing their souls.

'One needs to slay an opposing church's pope even to be bestowed an ordinary Demonblood Dagger. This one most likely requires one to kill someone with divinity…' Leylin also found several heinous traps laid in the dagger. This was a personal touch of Beelzebub: anyone who wielded it would immediately be put under his control.

'Although it's useless to me, it makes for a good item to bestow to my men…' Leylin casually tossed the dagger into his spatial pouch. Since he'd comprehended the law of gluttony and even gained Beelzebub's powers and authority anyway, he could remove the traps with just a thought.

'Each and every one of these paintings is a treasure chest, and even other Archdevils will lust after the items within…' The next painting that Leylin walked up to depicted a bloody battle between Beelzebub and a fallen flame balor. The demon did not have even the chance to self-destruct.

"In here, there should be…" Through the same process, Leylin obtained a fiery gem that seemed to be beating.

[Flame Balor Heart: This is the quintessence of a flame balor, and can be used to forge legendary or even demigod weapons. Any weapon it is used to forge will be aligned to chaos. If a demon swallows this, it will awaken the flame balor bloodline, gaining the chance to evolve into one] the A.I. Chip stated.

'Not bad. Demons will go red with desire as they fight over this. After all, it isn't easy to find the carcass of a flame balor…'Leylin stowed the fiery gem away, looking into a different direction.

"You let me pillage the items just like that. Are you really a protector of this place?"

"Haha… I have no chances against an Archdevil at all. After all, this was part of the contract I signed with Beelzebub…" As the ancient voice sounded, a withered looking figure stepped out from the darkness.

This figure assumed a human form, seeming like an old man who was about to turn into a tree. There were wrinkles all over his face, and he seemed to pose no danger at all.

However, how could someone that Beelzebub contracted to look after his treasures be easy to deal with?

Leylin nodded. "You're much smarter than that dog," he said in praise.

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Borke

"It's my honour to be complimented by an Archdevil!" The old devil bowed humbly to Leylin, with all the formality of a noble. His eyes were filled with solemnness.

"You were already here when I took the first item. Now, tell me… Why are you here?" Leylin's eyes squinted, and the old devil shuddered as he formed cold sweat.

"Freedom! Of course it's for freedom! Being confined in this dark, icy place and having to guard the treasures…I've already done more than enough!" The old devil clenched his teeth and cursed vehemently.

"I sensed the terrifying powers of the law of gluttony on you, along with a part of Beelzebub's powers and aura. I can pledge my allegiance to you, letting you obtain everything in here, and also inform you of all of Beelzebub's secrets. I want a small favour in return: Annul the contract on my body. If you want, I could even serve you for a hundred years…"

"Hmm, these are great conditions!" Leylin looked in interest at the cunning demon in front of him, perhaps the strongest guardian in the City of Iron, "How are you so sure that I can annul the contract for you?"

"Beelzebub had used his identity as the lord of Dis to confine me…" The devil blinked, "As long as Dis obtains a new owner, they'll have the authority to annul the contract…"

'Devils really are extremely cunning…' Beelzebub himself would never have set a rule like this. It was likely a condition that this old devil had fought for himself. Since he'd signed the contract reluctantly, this devil didn't have much loyalty to Beelzebub. On the other hand, Beelzebub had been extremely confident of sitting on his throne forever. Before his demise, that is.

"Alright, I accept your conditions!" Leylin agreed because he wouldn't face any losses at all. However, he did not sign any contract: once he officially became the lord of Dis the contract with this old devil would shift to him. At that time, he could do whatever he wanted with him.

Leylin had no capacity for trust in devils, especially long-lived ones like this. That was another reason why he wouldn't sign a contract.

"My Lord!" Evidently, the old devil understood his intentions, and could only smile wryly in return.

"So then, tell me your name. Since you're the guardian of this place, do you know of the Manderhawke Plate?" Leylin wasted no time, getting to the point directly. In front of his might, the old devil couldn't retaliate at all.

"My name is Borke, my Lord." A strange expression appeared on the devil's face, "Of course I know the Manderhawke Plate, it was originally mine. But Beelzebub, that disgusting, conniving thief! He stole it away from me…"

"Yours?" Leylin was somewhat taken aback. After all, Beelzebub's memories regarding the Manderhawke Plate had been sealed strongly. Leylin himself didn't have much information regarding the item. Now that he had met the original owner, his interest was piqued.

"Okay, Borke, tell me. How did you get your hands on the Manderhawke Plate then?" Leylin had an extremely strong urge to research the background of that object. That clay disc could change one's destiny.

Noticing the glint in Leylin's eyes, Borke sounded out a feeble protest, "My Lord, that's mine…"

"Was. Past tense. It's currently in Beelzebub's hands, no? Also, do you want your freedom or not?" Leylin eyes slanted. He had never held any trust for devils, so he would crush any plans they had, again and again.

Borke was most likely being dishonest with him, already engaging in wordplay. However, no matter what sort of ploy he set up he would have to give some amount of true information.

"That… It was many underworld years ago, so far into the past that I have even forgotten the history of that era. The City of Iron had not yet been built, and Dis was just a barren land…" Borke muttered, his eyes seemingly lost in some distant memory.

"As a devil my lifespan is that of Baator. I'm effectively immortal, and before we harvested souls from the prime material plane my hobby was to journey across the endless barren lands. The Manderhawke Plate was something I chanced upon in a ravine during my travels…

"I used it to travel to various planes, and I advanced into the peak of devil kind, becoming an ancient devil. It was then that I met the Lord of Gluttony, and after that…" Regret welled in Borke's eyes.

Leylin's eyes flashed, 'Looks like this devil only discovered the plate's ability to connect to other planes. He hasn't tried breaking through the crystal sphere of the World of Gods.'

Travelling between planes was one thing, but it was completely different to break through the crystal sphere. However, regular devils would never consider such a thing. Leylin realised that Borke had a very vague understanding of the Manderhawke Plate, and likely couldn't even use it as well as Beelzebub had. Naturally, he would not know anything about it having the ability to change destinies.

'There's a chance he's trying to fool me as well, hoping to get it back another day…' Numerous thoughts flashed past Leylin's mind as he continued to plunder the treasure vault relentlessly. After all, this was a portion of the treasures accumulated by an Archdevil of Baator. Even demigods would be tempted.

"Ignore that for now. Do you know where he is?"

"He's disappeared for sometime. Last time he returned, he'd come back from another plane, gravely injured…" Borke didn't withhold any information in this regard. He needed Leylin to free him from his current position anyway.

"I searched for his soul through our contract, and I know he's extremely weak right now. Even a mere pit fiend could defeat him!" Borke exaggerated the extent of Beelzebub's injuries, for fear that Leylin might back down. "However, he has hidden himself well. Even I myself am unable to find any traces of his whereabouts…"

The old devil laughed malevolently, regret and greed appearing on his face. It seemed like he wouldn't have hesitated to strike if he'd found Beelzebub himself.

"So even you don't know where he is. Is there not even a clue?" Leylin's brows furrowed. Things had become more troublesome now.

"Apologies, my Lord! Due to the restrictions of the contract, I can only move about within the circular corridor and its vicinity… Even if he's hidden in a part of the Iron Tower, I wouldn't be able to notice it. In any case, Beelzebub is the owner of this place…" Borke's explanation was backed by logic, but somehow Leylin felt that he was holding back some information. Was it not a necessity given the crafty nature of devils?

Rumble!* At this moment, space rippled as an explosion rocked the tower, the reverberations of the sound causing the items within to vibrate. Both Leylin and Borke turned around, looking towards the Palace of Gluttony.

'This aura… Pit fiends! There should be at least ten of them to break Beelzebub's seal!' Leylin had estimated their strength immediately, 'This degree of unity… It seems like there's something happening that I'm not aware of…'

'However…' Leylin looked at Borke who resumed his calm after an initial shock, and smiled. He too adopted a calm disposition.

Borke noticed that Leylin had not taken the bait, and felt regretful. However, he still fulfilled his duty and explained the situation. "Beelzebub's defences can't be broken that easily by a group of pit fiends. Moreover, there isn't any treasure there. There are certainly many guardians in the area, each no weaker than the cerberus…"

"Where are Beelzebub's experimental lab and resting area? Mark it down for me!" Although Leylin wasn't influenced by the plans of these hotheaded devils, he would have to take action now. He did not wish for anything to land in their hands.

'It's just a pity that…these remaining treasures… ' Leylin's figure faded into the void, leaving behind Borke who looked deep in thought as he watched Leylin disappear.

……

"Baalzephon! I have never seen you in such a miserable state in such a long time…" A few greater devils mocked Baalzephon. Chekov's carcass lay at a side, and teleportations or dimensional leaps would allow one to grasp it by the claws.

"Zapan… and Lyle, you're all here…" Baalzephon's expression changed numerous times, finally changing into a gentle and agreeable smile, "I was about to inform you guys… that there is a great discovery here…"

"Oh really?" Zapan cared little for Baalzephon, and the other members of the Dark Eight too watched on in mockery.

"Open the Palace of Gluttony!" Zapan commanded, and many large paeliryon and various other devils ran forward in a disorderly manner. They caught the carcass of the cerberus, tossing it into the air and smearing its blood on the giant metal gates.

The huge amount of blood was quickly absorbed by the gate, and it greedily sucked Chekov dry. A crack appeared in the centre of the gate, spreading to both sides.

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Advance

"We're finally here. The Palace of Gluttony, the core of the Iron Tower…" Zapan muttered, his eyes blazing as the gates opened.

"What are you doing?" A loud shout sounded suddenly, and Zapan saw Baalzephon's body turn into a blur as it zipped between the cracks of the gate. However, the other pit fiends watched on without the slightest inclination of stopping him.

Rumble!* A blinding flash radiated out, and thunder boomed as Baalzephon's body was struck by golden lightning. It disintegrated into nothingness. The only thing he left behind was a barely audible cry of rage as he screamed, "No!"

"Tch! How can the defence mechanism of an Archdevil's core territory be breached so easily?" Another pit fiend shook his head in disdain and mocked the Dark Eight, "Such a foolish devil can also become one of the Dark Eight… Ahahah…"

Devils normally competed across the different hells. They had no qualms with bringing their counterparts down.

"Damn it, do you want to fight?" Corin of the Dark Eight stood out, his eyes showing fury.

"Alright alright, Corin!" Two other pit fiends stopped him, "We share goals right now. Any internal strife will stop us from entering the Palace of Gluttony, and gaining access to the lord's lair…"

"Alright then!" The other pit fiends heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Corin recollecting his cool. However, their eyes showed that they now harboured even more schemes.

'This general… His rage earlier was most likely just an act. Did he do it so he could get better terms?' 'Someone with empathy? Ha!' Although many of the devils present were second guessing themselves, the pit fiends finally came to an agreement to break into the palace together.

The void flickered right after they left, revealing Leylin's figure.

"Haha… Should I say it's as expected of devils?" His gaze settled on something in the distance as he shook his head, giving off a mysterious smile. Gods were high and mighty, able to peer into the future.

An army of devils appeared within Avernus, launching a frenzied attack at the two divine realms within. Five dragon corpses were piled up in the Bronze Citadel, like small mountains as they surrounded the Chromatic Dragon, Tiamat. She roared furiously, "You despicable liars!"

The armoured devils were fearless, as if the rage of this dragon couldn't affect them. They poured forth like a torrential wave, eventually cutting off Tiamat's five heads. Once the last crimson head fell to the ground, Tiamat's body crashed down with an epic thud, causing a minor tremor inside the Bronze Citadel. Chromatic Dragon Tiamat, who'd just received full authority over the Bronze Citadel, had perished.

"Commander, Tiamat's death has been confirmed!" This news was quickly sent to an unknown pit fiend.

"Very well, occupy the whole city, and begin cleansing it of werewolves, wereleopards, and dragons. Any who resist are to be killed immediately, there will be no need for further updates." The commander of the army was a size smaller than his peers, but his eyes were cold as frost. A red scar streaked across his face, making him look malevolent. The bridge of his nose was extremely tall and sharp. The devil seemed complicated, possessing savagery and tyranny but at the same time tenacity and experience.

"Yes!" The messenger had no intention of disobeying his commands. Very soon, the order had been spread throughout the Bronze Citadel. Wails and cries resounded as Tiamat's kith and kin, those half-beasts who had been attracted by her evil, were purged. The majority of them would definitely not live past the night, and those that did would become slaves to the devils, toiling somewhere with no day and night.

A huge conspiracy began to engulf the Nine Hells with Tiamat's death. Similar events were occurring in the Third through Fifth Hells, and a large undercurrent erupted into the limelight, as if planning to devour all prey at one go.

……

Dis, the City of Iron.

"Argh…" Another assassin cried in anguish as he was swallowed by darkness. However, the expressions of the pit fiends were extremely calm, as if a common sight.

"The Sentinel's Passage is the best guarded place after the hall of gluttony. Rumours say that we'll be able to reach Beelzebub's palace if we follow this road…" Dagos of the Dark Eight had assumed human form, looking like a scholarly and well-mannered sage. However, his evil aura betrayed his disguise.

"Our mission ends with this wave, the rest depends on you!" Dagos spoke to the other pit fiends.

"Of course… We will abide by the rules. You, get over there!" A pit fiend walked forward and pointed at a paeliryon subordinate.

The pit fiends had all agreed that using their subordinates as cannon fodder was the most optimal way, and they would count the losses and each sacrifice some of their men.

"My Lord…" The paeliryon which was extremely massive looked on at the darkness, its face extremely solemn.

"Cut the bullshit. Do you want to become a lower devil?" The pit fiend roared, revealing its aura.

Devils had great control over their subordinates. They could promote or demote them, and using their auras with the threads of loyalty, the pit fiend could force this paeliryon into danger regardless of circumstance.

Ka-cha!* *Ka-cha!* Devils were extremely meticulous and cautious, and most traps would not faze them. However, that wasn't true for traps laid by an Archdevil. This particular paeliryon was extremely nimble and cautious as it ducked past several traps, even seeing the end of the passage. However, it was soon engulfed by a silvery liquid that fell from the sky. It screamed in anguish, its veins and bones visible as the liquid corroded its entire body…

"It's Devil's Solution. To think he used it here…" Zapan had grown rather irritable. After all, most of the traps had been laid against devils themselves, causing great casualties. This also confirmed that devils themselves had only one type of opponent— other devils.

The defenses of the Iron City had to be maintained however, and they were limited in numbers. With the pit fiends sending out their subordinates one after the other to activate all the mechanisms, they would be able to overcome them sooner or later.

"We're finally out!" Everyone was relieved after exiting the passage, especially the greater devils that had survived the ordeal.

However, the smiles on their faces very soon turned still. What was in front of them was a large field. Rows of metal and lava golems stood neatly in formation, making up an army. A black figure seemed to be sending out orders from the centre.

"Fuck, the information was inaccurate! Didn't they say everything would be alright after we got past Sentinel's Passage?" A pit fiend hurled vulgarity as it berated its fellow devils.

Devils found it instinctual to push blame, even harming others when met with difficulty.

"You trespassers shall soon feel the glorious wrath of Lord Beelzebub. This army of golems…" A booming voice sounded from the golem army. It sounded rather young, but still carried a dignified tone.

The golems raised their head once the voice sounded, as if possessing their own souls. They immediately launched an attack. The devils quickly suffered another wave of heavy casualties.

"We can't teleport in here, shit!"

"These are arcane golems, and have some diamonds embedded within them. O' Supreme of Baator, has the Lord of Gluttony obtained a flying city?"

"There's no other choice/ Have the subordinates hold them back, we need to try and break through!" Devils were expert leaders and diplomats, and many of them sought a straightforward attack. However, their current opponents were extremely effective against their kind, leaving them feeling helpless.

However, the temptation of a lordship was currently dangling in front of them like a carrot, causing them to lose sight of the precarious situation.

Pit fiends found it normal to send their subordinates out as sacrifices, using them to escape danger. Some of them had even brought a large group of greater devils along just for this purpose. They were running out of cannon fodder, however, and Beelzebub was yet to be seen.

"Die! Fireball!" "Summon Hellfire!" "Summon Devil!"

With the urging of their superiors, the greater devils could only put all they had into a frontal collision with the golem army. Broken limbs and flaming pieces of metal flew in the air as brilliant flashes dazzled the battlefield.

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Discovery

'It seems to be a mere imitation of a Netherese golem…' Leylin hid in the darkness, watching the big duel in the square. With the advantage given by Beelzebub's memories and the fact that the golems were fixated on the pit fiends, the chances of him being discovered were minute.

He could stalk behind this pit fiend, using it at the last moment to break past the blockade of golems in the square.

'Only after the greater devils are all dead will the pit fiends be fatally wounded…' Looking at the pit fiends who were still alive, Leylin shook his head inwardly. Many of the greater devils had taken the brunt of the golems' rampage, and even some pit fiends were unlucky enough to be left behind and trapped in one's vicinity.

With the golems' personalities, it would be completely suicidal for their colleagues to rescue them. Consequently, those pit fiends ended up with a tragic death, finally falling to Beelzebub's traps.

Even members of the Dark Eight had fallen amongst the other pit fiends. The palace of an Archdevil was not something they could go after carelessly, even if it had fallen out of its owner's control.

And yet despite all this, many of the pit fiends had ambition written all over their faces.

A tall statue stood before them, looking over their broken flesh. It had multiple pairs of eyes, and six strange fingers. A grin was on its face, spread from ear to ear, and all one could see were rows upon rows of jagged fangs.

"The Lord of Gluttony… This definitely has to be his palace!" Zapan's eyes grew wide, and he greedily looked at the small palace building behind the statue.

The building was in the style of the devils. It was distorted and terrifying, with strange and intricate descriptions. There was still a little hellfire burning atop it, seemingly going to continue burning to the end of the world.

'The lord's bedchambers. It's rumoured that a lot of his treasures are hidden here. It's an extremely important clue…' Many pit fiends immediately began breathing heavily, and began to distance themselves from each other. Even the Dark Eight began to do the same.

They had all taken great risks to come here, all for the inheritance of the Archdevil. They wished to grasp the power of gluttony, obtaining mastery over the origin force of hell. Only then would they qualify to become a Lord of Baator.

In that pursuit, every other devil here was a competitor. Even former colleagues weren't in the least bit worthy of their trust.

The pit fiends exchanged glances. There seemed to be some invisible signal as they all rushed into the palace in unison. Devilish power fuelled fireballs that rained down on their peers, their earlier partnership put aside now that they were here. This wasn't infighting: they'd never been united in the first place.

"Get lost, this belongs to me!"

"Kibosh, I'll remember this!"

"Damn, wait until we fight a bloody battle!"

All these devils coveted the lordship. They used all possible tricks, some even with a trace demonic influence.

Leylin had no intention to take part in this great battle. He could keenly sense that Beelzebub was absent. Yet, having suffered a great injury it wasn't like he'd scurry back to his den to lick his wounds. That would only lead to death from his competition. All devils would betray their superiors, so Beelzebub wouldn't even think of returning to his palace.

'The most I can find here will be a few baubles and treasures; it won't surpass what I've taken before. This statue, however…' Leylin stealthily rested his hand on Beelzebub's statue, and felt the surface texture and temperature. His eyes shone with the light of the A.I. Chip's prompts.

'This is one of Baator's rarest materials, and it can preserve its temperature forever… The A.I. Chip's scan didn't glitch after all!' Leylin's eyes flashed, 'Still, this statue must have been crafted by a master, it even expresses Beelzebub's divine charm. On top of that, it has a trace of the laws of gluttony…'

The gods of the World of Gods, just like Magi of laws, had comprehended the laws of their world to some extent. Their true bodies were a manifestation of these laws. When he'd become a demigod, Leylin's own body was imprinted with the laws of massacre and devouring.

Of course, devils had their own power of laws, and Beelzebub was the embodiment of gluttony. His true body represented the laws of gluttony, and if a Magus could observe his body they would feel the power of gluttony. It was precisely this reason that a devil's true form and truename were taboo, and offenders of the same were investigated by the churches.

'Something that preserves the feeling of the power of gluttony like this statue can really be considered a treasure. But I feel like there's something a little off about it…' Just as Leylin prepared to research this a bit more deeply, his eyebrows suddenly twitched. He quickly concealed his form, becoming illusory and hiding his aura.

A stealthy figure hurried across his vision, heading towards Beelzebub's palace. The person was using a powerful invisibility spell in tandem with many blessed items, but he still couldn't hide from Leylin's True Vision. Nothing could be hidden from the eyes of a god.

'Baalzephon! So his death was faked after all,' Leylin immediately realised who that stealthy figure belonged to.

He had been entirely correct. The devil who was drawing closer seemed to be the member of the Dark Eight who had fallen in the Hall of Gluttony. This was the person who'd brought him all the way here, Baalzephon!

His private actions had already made him a traitor, so Baalzephon hadn't hesitated to fake death in order to avoid being questioned and attacked. His acting had been extremely successful, and as fixated on Beelzebub's powers and authority as they were the fiends let him get away with his actions. The only one he hadn't hoodwinked was Leylin.

Baalzephon had done the same thing as Leylin, furtively following behind the competition. The group of pit fiends cleared his path, but because his ability at stealth was awful he'd ended up trailing behind Leylin.

'There are conscients of Archdevils following behind these pit fiends. There must be some other hints…' Leylin didn't have much of an opinion about what had just happened, but he looked with anticipation towards the palace. Devils understood each other best, and perhaps the meddling of the other Archdevils could expose traces of Beelzebub.

However, if any of them actually discovered Beelzebub, who could win a fight with him?

"I've found it!" A voice exclaimed in pleasant surprise. It attracted the attention of many pit fiends.

There were powerful fluctuations in the area, and the pit fiend seemed to have activated some sort of mechanism which revealed the shadow of a semiplane that Leylin hadn't noticed before.

A blazing pillar of light lit up around the palace, forming a mysterious array. It formed an illusory entrance.

"That Archdevil must be within the semiplane!" All of the pit fiends looked on with covetous eyes, frantically rushing towards the opening plane.

"It's mine, it's all mine!" Baalzephon had cast off his stealth as well, running in the same direction. However, none of the pit fiends cared. All of their attention was now fixated on the authority of the Archdevil.

Only the few from the Dark Eight let out cries of surprise.

'He hid it well, going as far as to secretly create a semiplane…' A holy radiance flashed gold, and the blood red massacre domain came into existence. Many of the pit fiends were completely shoved aside.

An incomparably perfect god appeared amongst the devils, his platinum form handsome and imbued with the greatest majesty. Seeing his target, Leylin had made an outrageous move, the outcome something even Baalzephon could not imagine.

"Divine force! It's a god, a god has snuck in!" "It's only a demigod. If we obtain his essence…" The greedy devils quickly surrounded Leylin.

"Hmph." Leylin only snorted disdainfully, and an enormous tide of divine force turned into a spiritual storm that spread across the area.

"Stop him! How can we allow a god to obtain something from Baator?" Threatened by a demigod, the devils stood together in a rare show of teamwork. They cut apart the bindings of the divine force and the massacre domain, coming in front of Leylin. However, just at this moment, a strange smile curved in the corner of Leylin's mouth.

He turned his head and roared at Baalzephon: "Baalzephon, my servant. Stop these thieves, with no mercy. I command you as your superior!"

"Are you joking? Do you think you're Asmodeus?" Baalzephon's face split into a smile of ridicule. However, his movements soon dulled. Under the restraints of the contract, he couldn't help but stop dead in his tracks. He stood solidly and blocked the other pit fiends, his bulky flaming sword slashing at them quickly.

"Damn, this is the power of a contract! When did I—" Baalzephon wanted to cry out, but he was entirely unable to. Restrained by the severe difference in their ranks, he was forced to attack the other pit fiends fiercely.

Sadly, all of his power was used up against the attack of so many of his peers. It took a short while for the other devils to completely tear him apart.

However, this was already enough.

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Reacquire

With the help of Baalzephon the 'traitor,' Leylin was the first to enter the semiplane.

Powerful spatial force flickered in this place, and he could barely make out the world at the other side. This was a plane of lava, and at its heart was a massive devil deep asleep.

The chest of this veritable mountain heaved up and down in his slumber, his devilish wings and giant eyes quivering with a powerful life force.

"Beelzebub's true body!" The pit fiends who saw this scene rejoiced loudly, the fire in their eyes blazing intensely.

In front of them was an unequaled throne. It was a position at the head of all devils, exempt from eternal damnation!

Yet Leylin slowed his footsteps, coming to a halt. He'd already fulfilled his goals the moment he entered the semiplane.

'It's so lifelike that it almost fooled even me, but…' The A.I. Chip's light flashed in Leylin's eyes, following which he left and disappeared without the slightest hesitation.

With the domain and divine force that was repelling the pit fiends removed, they'd entered the semiplane as well.

"What do we do now? That god seems to have left, could this be a trap?" Zapan blinked. Beelzebub may have seemed strong here, but he still coveted this place greatly.

"How about we send some cannon fodder up to see if it's the real thing?" A devil suggested from the side. Its body was spewing flames occasionally.

"You bunch of cowards, now its all mine… Haha…" Even as the rest of the devils grew indecisive, one of the pit fiends laughed maniacally and dashed into the semiplane. Following that precedence, the other pit fiends joined in as well.

"Pearza was the first one to enter. I'm not going to be promoted next year anyway…" another devil sighed, "I'm going to leave…"

Demons would have rushed in without thought. However, devils weren't the demon horde. They were of the lawful alignment, and possessed great intelligence.

"I smell a trap as well. Pardon me, I'll excuse myself…" The devils who entered this place were the unlucky ones, those who were going to fare badly in the next evaluation and thus wanted to prove their mettle. The others saw that the scene before them was too good to be true, and they planned to retreat.

"The god may have left, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a trap. Besides, if we combine our forces…" Even more devils grew restless, trying to persuade their peers.

Rumble!* However, a terrifying change had occurred in the semiplane. It thundered loudly and distorted, as if turning into a terrifying beast. The entrance before them turned into a monstrous mouth.

Bang!* Being the first one to rush in and touch the true body in the semiplane, Pearza exploded into a wisp of smoke. The giant figure of the Archdevil began to melt within the lava, turning into a putrid black liquid that clung onto the bodies of the devils and corroded them.

"Argh…This is…" The devils in the semiplane wailed. It was like they were being digested in the stomach of a strange beast, the black liquid being its stomach acid. This new beast roared out as a force of suction was formed at its mouth.

"Damn it, it's a trap! Hurry and leave!" Zapan of the Dark Eight bellowed, but he soon discovered that the force had grown to encompass him. The giant mouth covered the sky and earth, as if wanting to swallow everything within. Many pit fiends died to the black liquid.

This beast only stilled after devouring many of them, emitting the evil energy it had digested in satisfaction. It then sent its energy to a certain location.

……

"What a pity…"

Ninth level of Baator, Nessus. Asmodeus was atop the great citadel of Malsheem, sighing.

Mammon, Samuel, and Levistus jumped at the same time. "Our subordinates, what have you done?"

"It was to complete a contract I had with Beelzebub…" Asmodeus shrugged his shoulders. "I never schemed against your men, it was agreed upon before Beelzebub entered his deep slumber. He laid a trap to invite an enemy in, and if he was able to successfully devour them, he could heal from his injuries and retain order in Dis. However, it seemed like the beast couldn't fool that enemy…"

"Which is to say… You have been deceiving us all these while?" The frosty aura around Levistus had strengthened.

"Oh no, not at all my friends." Asmodeus smiled maliciously, "The agreement sworn to the Styx is still in effect. If your subordinates had managed to grasp Beelzebub's weakness and take over, I would have acknowledged it for sure. However, they failed and became medicine for a lord of Baator. It's not all that serious, is it?"

"Which means we helped Beelzebub recover for nothing in return? Damn it!" Mammon and Samuel howled, "Let us return, it should be a mess at our side now…"

"I'm afraid not. After all, the pact has not yet reached its maturity…" Asmodeus blinked his eyes, as if everything in the Nine Hells was laid before him, "Please, let us wait…"

……

"So he wanted to devour me through this trap to recover?" Leylin's figure appeared atop the Iron Tower, his divine force causing the area around him to still.

He looked at the beast devouring the pit fiends without a care in the world, and his eyes glowed. He had confirmed that this was a trap laid by Beelzebub, aiming to ensnare him so that the Archdevil could regain his lost authority and power.

However, even if Beelzebub's plan had failed he'd managed to devour a lot of pit fiends. They now fuelled his recovery. Even if swallowing Leylin would have been most effective, this was better than nothing.

"Too bad… Your trap had one flaw, and an undeniable truth!" Leylin's eyes smiled.

"The fact is that you've already entered a deep slumber. You could only lay this trap in a hurry, but couldn't control it from the background. It's a little shabby.

"As for your fatal error… The energy this beast sucked in is being transported to you through a tunnel to somewhere nearby!" One could not transport energy an infinite distance, and Beelzebub himself was a master of tactics. The most dangerous place would also be the safest one!

"But I still can't sense your existence. There isn't a trace of your aura in the plane…" Leylin's eyes squinted, "There's only one way for that to happen, the Manderhawke Plate. You used it to carve a small space out of the void, huh? That way, even if you're not in Dis you're still nearby."

'A.I. Chip!' Leylin fiercely commanded.

[Beep! Bringing up data on the Manderhawke Plate…] the A.I. Chip intoned, sending a large amount of information to Leylin's memory.

He'd made several attempts to replicate the Manderhawke Plate back in the Magus World, and now it seemed to have paid off. Elegant runes and patterns began to appear from Leylin's fingertips, forming a complex and intricate pattern. The patterns had all joined together, forming a strange circular rune.

[Beginning replication of Manderhawke Plate, searching for similar wave bands…] Looking at the notification, Leylin descended to the ground and moved towards Beelzebub's statue. The semiplane beast had ripped the entire palace to ashes, but this region had been spared that treatment.

[Beep! Search complete. Target's location: 00] the A.I. Chip prompted.

"So it's here!" Leylin did not hesitate any further, pressing the replica up against Beelzebub's statue. The rune buzzed as it began to merge into the statue. It was like something being dropped in water as it opened up a mysterious space.

This place was extremely small, and the world seemed to be in grayscale here. There was an aura of extreme evil in here, being radiated by the body of a devil that was curled up in the centre.

"I've finally found you, Beelzebub…" Leylin muttered.

He'd never thought that this Archdevil would have grown so weak. Although he looked to be the same, Beelzebub had dropped to the size of an infant. Illusory tubes connected his body to the semiplane beast, absorbing the power it devoured.

A conscient awakened slowly, immediately beginning to give off feelings of fear and anxiety upon seeing Leylin.

"From the Magus World to the Purgatory World, and back to the World of Gods before the Nine Hells. Our feud is finally coming to an end…" Leylin looked at Beelzebub, sighing at the sight of his enemy. Crimson runes began to cover his body, as a vertical eye split apart his brows.

"Nightmare Absorption— Dream Eater!" Leylin used the best method of absorption he had for the World of Gods. Dark red dreamforce engulfed the entire space, forming an oval egg. The egg began to throb slightly, as if alive and breathing.

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Rank 7

In front of Leylin was an incomparably vast dream world. Innumerable crystal planets formed what looked like a honeycomb, each with a figure of Beelzebub flashing within.

Having survived from the ancient dusk of the gods to this date, Beelzebub's memories encompassed everything in all these years. If it was all put into the mind of an ordinary mortal, they would perhaps go insane from the overload of information. Even with Leylin's background, it still took him a while to fully digest it.

However, this was exactly what Leylin wanted. It wasn't just Beelzebub's authority and power of laws that he was after; he was quite interested in the lordship and the remaining portion of the Archdevil's memories.

'Is he trying to delay me with such a long dream?' Leylin's mouth curved into a wry smile. He had completely seen through Beelzebub's intentions. 'Pity… Even if ten thousand years pass in this dream, only a moment will pass in the real world…'

Hss!* His body burst apart violently, becoming a formless crimson smoke that gradually formed the image of a Targaryen serpent. The serpent opened its jaws wide, devouring the entirety of the enormous crystal structure.

A single blood-red eye formed at the centre of the crystal, containing an image of Beelzebub.

Having acquired the Nightmare Absorbing Physique, Leylin was currently the ruler of Dreamscape. Within it, Leylin accompanied Beelzebub in a trip through his entire existence. Over the tens of thousands of years, he obtained everything he wanted.

A very short amount of time had passed in the real world, and the blood-red eye opened to swallow Beelzebub up in his entirety. Just at this time, something occurred in the outside world. The infantile devil trembled, losing all of its aura.

The ruler of the Second Hell, the Lord of Gluttony… Beelzebub was now dead!

Beelzebub's original body was then corroded by dreamforce, exposing a round plate embossed with patterns.

'The true form of the Manderhawke Plate! So he hid it within his body…' Leylin examined this round plate. The intricate patterns on it rather intoxicated him as the plate weakened the world's boundaries greatly.

'With the Manderhawke Plate opening the way, dreamforce should be enough…' A brilliant glow was emitted from the Manderhawke Plate, forming a deep and mysterious black hole.

'Beelzebub's last bit of divinity, as well as his divine force and power of laws…' Dark red light glowed in Leylin's palm, immediately getting sucked into the black hole. It disappeared without a trace.

……

Targaryen Castle was now a mottled building, filled with a sense of history. It was the residence of many high-ranking Kemoyin Warlocks, as well as Leylin's own Targaryen bloodline.

Rumble!* With its link to Dreamscape, the dark red light quickly exited the World of Gods, arriving at the Magus World. A gentle tremor shook the castle.

Having long since developed its own conscient, the castle automatically protected the Warlocks within. It didn't allow a single person to be injured, and at the same time it transmitted an enormous sense of joy.

At the bottom of the laboratory. Leylin had long recovered from his injuries, but he had been awaiting something else. He finally opened his eyes, and the strange phantom of a giant serpent slithered across his pupils.

"My plans of over ten years, as well as the risk of splitting my soul… They have finally succeeded," Leylin sighed. His true soul rapidly communicated with the A.I. Chip, and in an instant he had comprehended everything.

"The complete comprehension of a law, and hence my advancement to rank 7… It happens today!" Light flashed as Leylin was completely enveloped by a blood-red fireball. He quickly moved outside the boundaries of the Magus World, arriving at the boundless astral plane.

Comprehending a complete law was no small matter; he wasn't certain that he could contain all the radiation. Targaryen Castle was full of Leylin's subordinates and blood relatives, so he wouldn't accept any large accidents.

"Dreamforce!" Leylin gently chanted, and dark red runes appeared on his body.

Before he'd advanced to become a demigod, Leylin had already recovered from his injuries. However, he was still in a state of slumber, and apart from waiting for his clone all he did was to get accustomed to the power of his new bloodline.

Although his clone was the one who'd acquired the Nightmare Absorbing Physique, his main body had also been upgraded in that process. Nightmare Absorption was the ultimate bloodline of Dreamscape, its mysterious abilities far exceeding Leylin's expectations.

A vertical eye opened between Leylin's brows, its gaze seemingly piercing through the barriers of space and time to connect to his clone's body through Dreamscape.

[Beep! Host has obtained the origin of laws, determined to be the laws of gluttony! Assimilation with the body: 99%. Transferring…] the A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

[Beep! Law of devouring has been analysed completely.]

[Beep! With the influence of the Nightmare Absorbing Physique, the host's bloodline abilities have been perfected. Targaryen bloodline advanced to rank 7!]

[Innate Skill Devour advanced to rank 7.]

An update on the skill followed.

[Devour (rank 7 innate spell)— With a perfect comprehension of the laws of devouring, its power has greatly risen. The ability can now be inherited.]

[All requirements met, advancing to rank 7.]

After the law of devouring was completed, Leylin didn't restrain himself any longer. He projected his bloodline, and a Targaryen the size of a star hissed as its devilish wings flapped up a massive gale. Its razor-sharp claws and horns radiated light.

With the Nightmare Absorbing Physique, the Targaryen's scales had turned a dark red. A vertical eye had formed between its two eyes that were as large as stars. A torrential surge of his bloodline power assimilated with the law of devouring, wrapping Leylin within a mysterious process.

[Beep! Host has advanced to rank 7. Body of laws has been perfected. Stats have changed greatly, recalculating data.]

The A.I. Chip's prompts brought Leylin back to his senses. He looked at his hands, mulling over the change. 'A perfect body of laws. My body is now completely made up of my laws and bloodline; as long as the laws are not extinguished… I'll be indestructible?'

Leylin felt the law of devouring within his body. The feeling of obtaining a full body of laws was incomparable to what he'd gotten when he'd approached the boundary of rank 7.

[Beep! Host's stats have been recalculated.]

Very soon, Leylin's new stats were projected by the A.I. Chip.

[Leylin Farlier, Rank 7 Warlock. Bloodline: Targaryen(Rank 7). Strength: 215.73, Agility: 170.21, Vitality: 300.05, Spiritual Force: 575.44. Soul Status: Body of Laws. Laws comprehended: Devouring (100%), Massacre (57%). Host's body of laws has lost all constraints, and can now absorb World Origin Force to increase in power.]

'Rank 7 Warlock! A Magus that has comprehended laws! Only… At this stage I can greatly sense the pressure to pursue eternal life…' His soul now made of laws, Leylin's gaze transcended all distance. He could see into the infinite river of time and space. As long as the origin of his laws survived, this river would allow him to be reborn even if he were felled.

This was the secret of Magi and Gods!

"I also seem to have acquired more authority…" Leylin rubbed his chin, and the his own secret imprint appeared. It was an inverted triangle with a black snake coiled in the centre.

"This will be my emblem from now. No matter which intelligent life, or where the place is, as long as they pray or make sacrifices to this emblem, I will be able to sense it, and send my powers to them… I seem to have inherited part of the gods' powers huh? Or do all paths eventually converge?"

Leylin eyes saw into the distance, his vision traversing countless worlds to look at two different places.

"Your Excellency Leylin! Welcome to the realm of rank 7…" In the subterranean part of the Magus world, Ignox and Mother Core congratulated him.

The other location was the Purgatory World, within the endless ball of snakes. The Snake Dowager looked bewitchingly at Leylin, "Rank 7 now, huh? Don't forget our pact."

"Cunning woman!" Leylin shook his head.

After turning into a rank 7 Warlock, he had finally mastered his own bloodline. In other words, the Targaryen bloodline had no connections with the Snake Dowager from now. This strength was his own, his absolute power. He was not constrained by any bloodline.

As close to rank 7 as he was before, he'd still been a rank 6 Warlock. His plethora of trump cards had allowed him to equal Magi who wielded laws before, but now everything had fallen into place.

"We'll discuss this later!" The two powerful conscients diminished, and Leylin looked at the Magus world once more.

"My bloodline has already spread this far? It seems like Syre and Daniel have been fulfilling their duties…" At this moment, Freya, Celine, his other few female counterparts, and their children surfaced in Leylin's mind.

"Although it isn't consistent with my original plans, I should see them again. It's been such a long time!" With just a thought, Leylin's body appeared at the centre of the Targaryen Castle. There were no traces of any energy waves, demonstrating the terrifying abilities of a Magus who wielded laws.

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Usurp

Crash! Rumble!* A vile power surged forth, and great amounts hellfire erupted into the sky.

The entirety of the Second Hell seemed to be roaring, rejoicing. The flames grew in intensity with the evil power, and the City of Iron seemed to come alive. The walls and ground grew hotter and hotter, even glowing orange, and the slightly translucent lava now seemed able to melt metals. Any unlucky devils swept up by this torrential force turned into torches as they fell to the ground.

Baator's origin force welled up, welcoming its new owner.

Hss!* The terrifying phantom of a giant serpent appeared in the sky, but was very soon covered by the dense blanket of smoke. Hell's authority was being handed over; Leylin had now taken on Beelzebub's role completely, becoming the new Lord of Dis!

'The Second Hell is now my divine realm.' Leylin felt an extreme amount of power here, one that he could activate at any time. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

'Although I'm still a demigod, I can now use my powers as a rank 7 Warlock. I needn't even be afraid of greater gods anymore. More importantly, now that I'm the true Lord of Dis my power is similar to that of a divine realm…'

Every Archdevil was the Lord of a different layer of Baator. In their own hells these lords could even suppress gods, a power akin to what true deities held inside their divine realms. Were a greater god to enter Dis right now, Leylin could make them suffer a huge loss.

'But still, this is just one level of Baator. The relationship between me and Dis isn't as intimate as that of a true god and their divine realm either, and there's no way to bring my worshippers' souls here…' Leylin did not wish for his worshippers to enter Baator after death, becoming lower devils.

'However… I'm sure this incident exposed my status to the remaining Archdevils…' He seemed to smile as he looked down, his gaze piercing through the numerous hells all the way to Nessus…

"The authority over Dis has been transferred, a new lord has been born… But it doesn't seem to be a devil." "Within Malsheem, Asmodeus sat facing three other Lords of Baator. His expression remained gentle, masking his true intentions.

"Damn it! Somebody actually took advantage of our infighting… We'll become a joke to those demons of the abyss… I'll go there and kill him now! Before he is completely familiar with his authority!" Samuel's body blazed with heat as he howled and flew up into the sky.

"Please wait. You cannot leave until the contract is fulfilled." Asmodeus waved his hands, and the contractual power immediately stopped Samuel from going further.

"What's happening? Wasn't the contract supposed to expire when Dis gained a new lord?" Samuel looked at the binding power of the contract, his face incomparably dark. He sensed that Asmodeus had made him a pawn in his game.

"Asmodeus! Explain yourself!" The Lords of Avarice Wrath roared, their figures pressing towards Asmodeus.

"Hehe. Everything is stipulated within the contract. Haven't we discussed this already?" Asmodeus tapped the black book containing the contract in a slow and unassuming manner, "Let us see…"

Rustle!* The pages flipped under his control, until finally landing on the most recent contract.

"The contract says that we have to remain here until Baator has regained peace. None of the lords may participate, only allowed to watch the developments…" Asmodeus used his pointed fingernails to touch the words, and a dark green flame spewed from them to form a projection in the air. He enlarged it so the remaining lords could have a closer look.

"We agreed on all of Baator. That is to say, as long as at least one of the Nine Hells is in chaos the contract remains valid. " Asmodeus smirked as he faced the furious gazes of the other lords head on.

"So Dis wasn't your only target. You also made plans on Avernus?" Mammon grabbed his harpoon, but didn't act immediately. He was after all of the lawful alignment, and even as an Archdevil contracts were firm and unbreakable. Were he to breach one, Baator's will would view him with disdain, forever robbing him of part of his power.

"I still say the same thing. Let us wait and see." Asmodeus still had that genteel smile one him, but now it spoke volumes.

……

First Hell of Baator.

A large army of devils had assembled under the lead of a smaller scarred pit fiend. Centred at the Bronze Citadel, they'd already occupied a third of Avernus. The only regions left were treacherous, or part of the two divine realms in this hell.

The pit fiend finally stopped his army outside the realm of the Shark God Sahuagin. A sharkman cleric walked out, his face extremely solemn. He was followed by other worshippers as well as a squad of elites.

"As per the agreement, this will be our new boundary," the cleric said solemnly.

"Of course. Lord Asmodeus is extremely thankful for Sahuagin's help, and he sends his blessings and friendship!" The pit fiend spoke in a well-mannered tone.

"Don't forget your promise. Bring us the items agreed to in the contract immediately!" the cleric reminded the pit fiend once again…

"It's finally settled…" The pit fiend heaved a sigh of relief after looking at the newly demarcated area, having an erinyes pour a cup of red wine.

"A third of Avernus," the pit fiend muttered, "that should be enough to make the lord happy. If his plan comes to fruition, we of Nessus will be able to unite all of Baator. The council of eight Archdevils will become a thing of the past, and I'll have paved the way for the future!"

However, energy rippled out from Dis at that moment. It notified the Nine Hells of the changes in the second.

Being the First Hell, Avernus experienced the ripples of energy most strongly. The extreme change, coupled with the rejoicing of Baator's origin force, caused the pit fiend's expression to change drastically. The glass holding the wine crashed to the ground, shattering with a crisp sound.

"The devils in the second level have failed… Those useless fellows, I have should reduced all of them into lesser devils…No, bugs!" After venting his frustration, the pit fiend could only dismiss his troops helplessly.

Before he left, the pit fiend cast his gaze deeper into hell. "Even if there were changes in Dis, the little miss will still be alright. Our lord still holds the upper hand!"

……

Sixth Hell, Malbolge.

This was an endless realm of mountains and valleys. The terrain was rocky, and boulders constantly fell from above that were so strong they could smash anything in their path to smithereens. The sky rippled with ever-changing clouds.

In this vile environment the devils could only take shelter within their copper fortresses, although even then many perished to the steep slopes and frequent landslides.

Rumours were abound that underneath this rocky surface were numerous holes, holding some ancient beings of Baator and primordial devils within them. However, the Hag Countess, the current lord, had sent men to search these areas to no avail. They all ended up dead.

The Countess was a night hag, an outsider to Baator. Her fortress was at the centre of a giant mountain, surrounded by lava.

The devils were rising up in this area that day, a common sight in Baator. With the hardships their superiors put them through, these devils often took great pain to finish their missions, at the same time frenetically searching for their masters' weaknesses. Once any weaknesses or loopholes in contracts were discovered, a bout of unrest would begin.

However, the Hag Countess was one of the Lords of Baator. She'd seldom received any challenges of the sort, and back in the past no devil had been foolish enough to challenge the might of a lord.

However, an exception was made today. The dusty gates of her palace were forced open, and many devils equipped with heavy armour followed a beautiful erinyes inside. The erinyes looked at the rotting night hag on the throne in front of her, eyes blazing.

"Hag Countess, your reign will end today!" The erinyes had unbelievable strength and beauty. Her body possessed a fatal charm that could intoxicate the devils nearby. Yet at this moment, she tossed the head of a pit fiend towards the foot of the throne, putting on a proud and icy demeanour.

"Hahaha… So it's Glasya, the little princess of Nessus… I was wondering which devil would have this audacity…"

The betrayal of her subjects and the death of her guards should have been extremely dangerous to her, but the Countess did not look fazed in the slightest. She looked mockingly at Glasya, her withered finger pointing at the erinyes as she spoke in a hoarse and raspy voice, "Do you really believe you can overthrow me with this bunch of trash? This is Baator, not the abyss. Without the power of laws, you cannot usurp my authority!"

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Start of The Contract

With control over the World Origin Force, the Lords of Baator far surpassed ordinary devils in strength. Even pit fiends could only tremble under one's authority.

However, there was one rank of devil between the pit fiends and the lords. It was only awarded to the most beloved of an Archdevil's subordinates, and it was known as the exception. They were called dukes!

Were a pit fiend to evolve to its very limits, with permission from its lord it could undergo a bizarre promotion. It would give them a special morphed form, distinguishing them by gender and allowing them to master an ultimate ability.

Dukes were the Archdevils' most trusted confidantes, and given that there was a limited amount of origin force to go around they were very rare. Glasya was one such Duke!

She was Asmodeus' daughter, the princess of the Ninth Hell. When she'd advanced to the peak of pit fiends, her father's favour had allowed her to be moulded into a unique form. She'd become the Queen of Erinyes!

This change gave her the ultimate charm, and great influence. Her abilities approached the pinnacle of power, and she could be considered second only to an Archdevil.

"Tut tut, what a pretty little erinyes! I believe the nupperibo under me will be very fond of you…" The Hag Countess looked at Glasya. Her pit fiends were crowded around the duke as well, their eyes filled with a scarlet light.

"Has Asmodeus gone demented? Does he actually think that he can take me down just by sending a bunch of devils?" The Hag Countess' voice grew higher and higher in pitch, until the very sound radiated an aura of absolute authority and might. The energy snapped the bewitched devils back to their senses, and their eyes now exuded a sense of fear.

The Hag Countess occupied the throne of Malbolge, and would forever be the lady of the Sixth Hell. How could she be easy to deal with? Her formidable power and schemes had been etched into the deepest part of these devils' blood.

It wasn't so easy to overthrow a Lord of Baator. They were powerful ancient beings in their own right, and on top of that they had the power to utilise Baator's origin force. Within the Nine Hells, any of them could exhibit the strength of a rank 7 Magus. And similarly, in their own territories they were like true gods in their divine realms!

The only reason Beelzebub died so easily was that he ruined himself. When he projected his power out to external worlds, he'd been brutally suppressed by Leylin. Seriously injured, he'd been forced into a coma. If not for that, Beelzebub could have easily suppressed a demigod within Dis.

That was the same situation here. This was the Sixth Hell, the Countess' territory. In addition to her powers as a rank 7 Magus, she could use Malbolge itself to suppress her enemies as if it was her divine realm. The only way to defeat her here, and even then only cause her to retreat, would be a combined attack of three other Lords of Baator.

Even if they managed to defeat the Countess and obtain the authority over this hell, there was a more difficult issue. Devils were a bunch of lawful creatures, whereas rebellion and foolishness were the domains of demons.

Although Glasya's methods were unorthodox, the Countess had decided to teach Asmodeus a lesson that he would never forget.In any case, every lord had equal authority in Baator. With Glasya the one at fault, the Hag Countess wasn't afraid of Asmodeus' retribution.

"So this is the authority of Baator's origin force?" Looking at the surging origin force and the powerful suppression that brought her close to death, Glasya's eyes grew a little intoxicated.

"I'm the only one suited for such power and authority!" Two contracts flew out from Glasya's hands, glowing beautifully in midair. The light they gave off completely eliminated the Countess' control over the origin force, returning everything to peace and tranquility.

"How?"Sensing the suppression of her authority, and her disconnect with Baator's origin force, the Hag Countess' face warped with unbearable rage.

"This is a contract that you signed yourself!" Glasya's lips curved into a smile. Her beauty seemed to momentarily transform hell into heaven.

"The agreement between the seven Lords of Baator was that you will all remain within your locations until Dis gains a new lord, and the unrest in Baator ends…" Glasya illustrated with her pleasant voice, but it caused the Hag Countess to break into cold sweat.

"Until the unrest in Baator ends, not Dis. Which means all levels of Baator are open for contest, and the winner will obtain eternal glory as a Lord of Hell!"

"Ah! NO…" The Countless snarled, pulling out the contract and noticing that it wasn't just Dis.

"Strange isn't it? Did the tens of thousands of years as the Lady of Malbolge rot your brain? Did you think nobody would ever challenge your authority again?"

Glasya waved her hand, "She's lost the power of her authority for now, any strength she wields is her own. Kill her!"

The devils roared forth under the bewitching words of the Queen of Erinyes, their eyes an abnormal red.

"Dream on!" the Countess screamed, and a murky green metal whip appeared in her hands. A pit fiend was caught within the moment she brandished it, and she immediately smashed him to flesh and bones.

"Even without the power of Baator, I am an epic being of evil. You pathetic devils dare to oppose me?" The Hag Countess looked malevolent as she reached out with her claws, smashing two more greater devils to pieces.

"You'll go to prison and be sold as a lesser devil, thrown into a pit of males. I believe they'll be able to treat you properly…" Even as she made her threats the Hag Countess dealt heavy damage to Glasya's army. In a mere moment the palace was riddled with corpses.

However, The Countess found that her threats had no effect on Glasya, who maintained a calm demeanour.

"Even without their authority a lord is not somebody I can face right now." Glasya bit on her tantalising juicy lips, reaching out with her right hand to point at the second contract.

While the former contract was to reveal the loophole regarding Dis, this one looked rather archaic. It was covered in runes, and seemed to be from ancient times.

"This is why I'm so confident in taking everything from you," Glasya purred.

"This is… the primordial contract! So you were holding on to it!" The Countess screamed in rage, and energy undulations radiated from her body.

"That's right. My father fought the gods themselves for this contract, all in the name of Baator. All fallen souls shall belong to the Nine Hells." Glasya's eyes glowed with pride.

"This is why my father obtained great support from Baator's origin force. This contribution alone will garner him additional support as the Nine Hells are being united. Although it doesn't have power of authority like an Archdevil, it is enough to deal with you!"

The primordial contract was a legendary agreement signed between the devils and the gods. It stipulated that the Nine Hells would obtain all fallen souls that lost their lives in the prime material plane. This contract was the foundation of the devils, and of Baator itself. It also qualified Asmodeus' claims to be the Supreme of the Nine Hells.

However, there had been severe changes since then. Baator's World Will had broken apart, split into eight parts which were controlled by the eight different lords. Asmodeus' true body had been gravely injured, so now he could only harness a fraction of his strength. The Nine Hells had splintered apart.

Still, Asmodeus was the rightful ruler of the Nine Hells. As for Glasya, his daughter, she had the right to exercise this power as well.

"You…The other lords will never let you off! Absolutely never!" The Countess was finally overwhelmed by the primordial contract and the wave of incoming devils. Right before her head was severed, she unleashed a final howl of fury.

"Sure! Even if they don't come to me, I will be going to them!" Glasya grabbed onto the head that was still dripping with blood, as she cleaned the blood on her sword using The Countess' corpse.

She looked once again at the unresigned look on the Countess' face and smiled, before issuing her next orders. "Hang this ornament in my room as a decoration."

……

The grave changes in Malbolge and the shift of authority there swept Baator as well.

Many devils clutched their heads in bafflement, such a series of events had never occurred before in their memory. In a single day, two of the Nine Hells had shifted rulers.

This would definitely lead to an epic change in Baator, and even incite the wild ambitions of other devils!

"Asmodeus!" Several livid roars were heard as three lords left Nessus in a hurry, immediately returning to their respective planes. They were seemingly shocked by the spate of events.

"Sixth Hell, Glasya huh?" Leylin felt the changes as well.

"As expected of the Supreme of the Nine Hells. Asmodeus is the most cunning and versatile Archdevil of the lot. Even as his plans for Dis failed, he's obtained a third of Avernus and the entire plane of Malbolge!"

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