Ball of Nothing

by Stayrr

I started off as nothing, just a mass of consciousness that slowly evolved. Just your average overpowered existence hungry for a multiverse adventure. Demons? They are my friends. Monsters? They are delicacies. Heroes? Not even equal to the dirt on my boots. Royalty? Money Machi- Ahem, a pleasure doing business. Immortals and Gods? Share with me the latest gossips! With power comes

4. 141

Chapter 141: Baal's Faction (8)

"Call..."

Baal checked his hands and threw the cards down. "Fold."

Two days had gone by with no signs of activity from the goat demon. The Demon Lords were bored out of their minds. Coux decided to introduce a simple game of cards and it didn't take long before Mammon demanded they partake in the game. Nobody knew how Lilith was doing it but she was making quite the profit. Mammon was ready to call quits after the Demon Queen won for the third time in a row. There was no such thing as beginner's luck in poker. Mammon didn't believe in it. Lilith had to be cheating.

"For someone with the best poker face, you're terrible at this game," the succubus commented. Mammon glared at her and Baal observed them with amusement.

"Now now, don't flirt in front of me. People might misunderstand something here," he grinned.

Lilith glared at Baal who sat in a special chair raised for his child form. Indeed, it was easy to misinterpret the situation with a certain Demon Lord looking like an innocent child in between two friends who argued like a couple.

They didn't have much time to continue as someone came hurtling through the door, startling them.

"Didn't anyone teach you how to knock?!" Lilith screeched in alarm. The intruder didn't seem to be in good condition and Baal frowned. His castle wasn't under attack so why in all of the abyss was the spider demon wearing armour?

"Ze-" he panted. "Zero's awake!"

All at once too fast for human eyes to see, the Demon Lords teleported to the bedroom that the brunet was occupying. It had been far too long and Baal would have cried if he was a lesser demon.

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Mammon and Lilith tagged along, curious to see the being who'd managed to capture Baal's heart. They were pleasantly surprised to see such a frail looking human on the bed. The brunet didn't look older than ten but they knew better than to believe what they saw. The magical energy surrounding Zero far surpassed any ordinary sage. If there was a word accurate enough to describe what Lilith and Mammon thought about Zero, it would be "monster". Mammon was unable to see the end of Zero's potential and that shouldn't be very surprising considering his identity.

"How do you feel?" Baal morphed into his adult form so that he could take faster strides towards the child. Mammon and Lilith kept their distance, not wanting to crowd the bed any more than it already was. On the left was Amaraline who'd stayed to watch over Zero today while Coux and Qin Yun worked at Belles and Begonia. Wiser already assessed Zero's physical condition from the machines hooked up to the brunet to monitor his vital status. It was also the strategist who told Sekkin to deliver the message to the Demon Lords.

"Bell? Did I meditate again?"

The Demon Lord felt his lips twitch upwards. Leave it to Zero to say the weirdest things upon waking up.

"In which dimension do you see me putting in so much effort to create the background when we meet?"

Zero frowned. Background? Baal seemed a little different but he knew at once from the feeling that it was the Demon Lord without doubt. As Zero's senses sharpened with his mind clearing out the sleepy fog, the brunet registered several other presences in the room with some rather familiar ones.

"Where are we?" Zero sat up once he realised that he was no longer in the village.

Baal helped the brunet up and reverted back to his child form before flicking Zero on his forehead without holding back.

"Ow! Why did you do that?!" Zero yelped. The flick stung and he didn't think Baal would ever hurt him intentionally.

Baal snorted and gave Zero an annoyed glare. "That's for all the trouble you've caused, idiot. Stop overestimating your abilities! Divine spells shouldn't be used so casually. It often kills the person casting it and there will always be some form of compensation for using magic. The more powerful the magic, the higher the price to pay."

Zero was wide-eyed. He didn't know why Baal was so angry but he didn't think he was at fault either. Unhappily, Zero sulked in silence. Baal chose to ignore the brunet in favour of cooling off as he left the room but not before telling Amaraline to bring the brunet to the kitchen after he took a bath. Awkwardly, Amaraline wondered why the mood had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. If there was anyone looking forward to Zero's recovery the most, it would be Baal. Nobody expected the Demon Lord to pick a fight with the brunet the very moment he came out of his coma.

Lilith sighed and Mammon took that chance to make his stealthy exit. If there was one thing the succubus learnt from being long-time friends with Baal, it was how emotionally constipated the Lord of Laziness could be. Things could have been easily resolved if Baal expressed how worried he was instead of yelling at the child who'd just woken up. However, Baal was not Baal if he was transparently honest with all his feelings. As such, the Demon Lord didn't have many friends. Lilith hoped that Zero would come to understand this seeing how important Zero was to Baal. She didn't have the confidence to deal with a depressed Demon Lord or the power to suppress one that has fallen into madness.

Zero ate mechanically. He didn't even taste the food passing down his throat. Coux and Qin Yun shared worried glances. They heard about what happened in the afternoon. Neither Baal nor Zero would give in to start talking to the other. This made things exceedingly difficult for the peacemakers. Zero insisted that he wasn't in the wrong and Baal blatantly ignored everyone. The only thing that the Demon Lord responded to was news about Schaf's actions from Wiser's report. All else fell on deaf ears much to everyone's chagrin.

For the first time in many years, Baal's castle emitted a sense of foreboding. Many demons kept their distance, not wanting to know the cause for Baal's displeasure. Mammon returned to his office earlier to take care of business but Lilith stayed behind. She was the last flicker of hope that everybody had to help reconcile that fragile friendship.

There was still food on the plate when Zero dropped his fork, alarming the fortune-teller greatly. She'd never seen Zero unable to finish any food before. If anything, he was famous for having an inhuman appetite.

"Zero, are you not feeling good? Should we call Hua Tuo?"

The brunet shook his head. Lilith didn't say a single word, choosing to become an observer. She had to know more about Zero before she could play the mediator's role. It was easier to move the world around Baal than the Demon Lord himself and if it takes moving the boy's heart to save Baal's newest friendship, she would do so.

"I'm alright, Amaraline. I'm just angry."

At a loss for words, the girl merely nodded. She decided that it might be a better idea to put the food away and save it for later in case Zero became hungry again. Zero didn't react even when the plate was taken away. His eyes remained unfocused and Lilith decided to seize the opportunity when there was nobody else in the dining room.

"I heard that Baal was looking forward to the stories you still owe him. Will you not tell him another story ever again if he chooses to never speak with you because of what happened earlier?"

Zero's eyes widened and he shot upright in alarm.

"No! I won't do that! It won't be fair to Bell. Besides, I hate the thought of not talking to him ever again. I'm just angry with him now but it doesn't mean we're not friends. I just... don't understand. Why did he become so angry? I didn't do anything wrong. If somebody had to be in the wrong, I'll blame Count Carrabas for starting that war."

"Who's that? I've not heard of him. What happened previously?"

Zero sighed and explained how the village was attacked. When he got to the part of explaining how Douglas betrayed Half Moon village, Lilith had to stop him.

"You're saying that you used a divine spell to give the traitor a second chance at life with no punishments at the expense of your own safety?"

Zero blinked. "No, that's not what I said. I said I punished Douglas by using a divine spell that grants him the wish of becoming a human. He can no longer call himself a Selkie and descendant of Gaia."

The Demon Queen inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Baal had every reason to get mad. She was amazed by how her friend hasn't decided to use high-velocity magic to spin the brunet in the air until he grew sick. She would've done it herself.

"You know, Zero... if I were Baal, I would have done more than just flick you on the forehead and yell at you. You are definitely in the wrong here. From the things I heard from my daughter, the village is divided into two camps because of what you chose to do too."

Zero was confused. "Why? I only did what was right...?"

Lilith sighed. "How do I explain this? Zero, the world you imagine isn't the same as the world that you live in. It doesn't matter where you come from be it from the material plane or the Abyss... as long as you are a living creature self-conscience about your existence, the instinct to want to preserve your life and the lives of your loved ones will continue to surpass all else. When you let Douglas go, the villagers feared that he shall one day return and attack the village like Count Carrabas but on a larger scale that they cannot hope to defeat. You put the village in danger when he let Douglas go without assuring everyone in the village that he would do no such things. They have every right to be angry with you. Also, Baal was most definitely angry at you for not only letting the traitor go but also endangering yourself. He took care of you this whole time while you were soaking in the Spring of Vitality to recover your depleted mana. Your mana channels were not fully developed and you could have been sleeping for centuries before you could recover. Magic is a double-edged sword. It can help and harm at the same time. No matter how great of a magician you are, there is always a thing called limit. Once you go past the point of no return, you can never come back to this world. Your soul will cease to exist, you return to nothingness. Not even King Yama can reach you when that happens."

Zero blinked. "But I came from nothingness. It doesn't matter if I return to the void. I'll just need to come back again, won't I?"

Lilith paused. "What are you talking about? The void is the one place nobody comes back from alive. You can die and be reborn but once you get sucked into the void, you will never return. That's the end of everything. Even Gods who are said to be almighty cannot escape the void."

Zero tilted his head to a side. This lady with wings sitting in front of him was saying some really funny things. Zero had been in the void all his existence. He knew best what could and couldn't be done. However, before Zero could say anything and argue further, Mii materialised.

"I hate to break it to you, lady. However, this logic simply doesn't apply to this blockhead here. You see, Zero is a rather special existence that is an exception to that rule. He is the void itself in a way. He owns the void and everything in it. As for everything outside the void... he kinda owns that too but in a different way. Think of it like trust funds. There is currently someone managing the outside of the void fund for Zero until he reaches a certain stage of maturity and qualifies to manage it himself."

Lilith was startled by the sudden appearance of a fairy. However, she was more stumped by the absurd claim.

"I don't understand what you're saying. Besides, who are you? How did you get past Baal's defence?"

Mii twirled mid-air and curtsied. "I'm Mii, Zero's assistant and a strawcherry fairy, for now, at your service."

The Demon Queen felt dizzy. Being one of the most powerful beings in existence, she had seen her fair share of bizarre things. However, everything pertaining to the brunet just threw her off completely. Whatever Zero and Baal shared was clearly not something she could possibly hope to understand.

"Mii, could you at least understand why Baal is feeling so angry with what Zero did back in Half Moon village? I'm afraid I'm not the right person to clear this misunderstanding. If possible, I do not wish to see this friendship fall apart. Baal is stubborn and extremely emotionally constipated but he meant well. He was only worried about Zero's well-being."

Mii nodded in understanding. "You don't need to say more. I completely understand where Baal is coming from. In fact, it's only natural to feel angry, worried and scared. It's only this idiot here who needs a few lessons about normalcy."

"That's mean, Mii!"

The strawcherry fairy face palmed. "Nothing about you is normal... seriously. Nobody would willingly forgive a traitor at the expense of their safety. Your selflessness is on the borderline of idiocy. If I didn't know you better, I would've thought you were trying to become a hero."

Zero was insulted. "I do NOT want to be a hero... they are selfish people who claim that every good deed is theirs without acknowledging the efforts of everyone else who contributed to making it possible for them to succeed."

"There you have it," Mii deadpanned. "Who do you think took care of you when you fainted due to mana exhaustion? Baal wasn't the only one. Who took care of you when you were here in the abyss? It's not the safest place to be in yet people have volunteered out of their concern for you. Yet what did you do? Have you told anyone 'thank you' yet? From what I see, there's only one boy who keeps insisting that he wasn't wrong even though he's the reason for everyone's inconvenience."

Zero wanted to retort but couldn't. Mii's words were like a sharp knife stabbing straight into his heart where it hurt. He wanted to refute and scream that he wasn't at fault. However, it was a fact that Baal took care of him and he was in Hell escorted by some of the villagers. He didn't thank anyone and took it out on Amaraline who was only trying to be nice, offering him food and trying to make him as comfortable as possible in a new environment.

"I'm sorry..." he said in a small voice and Lilith blinked. She didn't think it would be this simple. On the other hand, she was glad the strawcherry fairy didn't sugar-coat anything. Zero might be a child now but he wouldn't be one forever. The society wasn't always black and white. Sometimes, there were things more important than being right in life.

"Don't apologise to me, dummy... however, I forgive you. I am your one and only assistant after all. I'm sure you don't need me around when you're going around making your apologies but if you need anything, you know how to reach me."

Lilith watched as Mii disappeared. She wasn't mentally prepared for Zero to bow deeply and apologise formally.

"I'm terribly sorry for what I've said and done. You were right. I was causing a huge inconvenience for everyone. Thank you for looking out for Bell."

Lilith felt awkward and made a non-committal noise before redirecting Zero's earnest feelings to Baal and the other villagers who followed him to the Abyss.

Baal was still seething and sulking when he heard two knocks on his door. The Demon Lord ignored it, thinking that it might be Lilith or one of his faction underlings. He wasn't quite prepared to hear the soft and meek voice. Who knew that Zero would see logic so soon? He'd expected it to take the brunet a few days to stew in anger for a little before taking another week or so to reanalyse the situation before trying to talk to him again. Baal knew that Zero had quite the stubborn streak so this actually made him curious. Did Lilith successfully talk sense into the brunet?

"Bell... can we talk? I'm sorry..."

With Zero's pleading voice, how could Baal deny? Instead, he used magic to unlock the door with an audible click. Zero took that as a sign and swiftly entered.

Baal wasn't expecting for Zero to tackle him in a hug. What's more, Zero was sobbing out a long line of "I'm sorry" while tightening the embrace. The Demon Lord couldn't pry his friend away. Whatever Lilith said must have had quite the impact to shock the brunet into such desperation. Suddenly, the Demon Lord felt slightly bad for leaving the brunet all alone.

Awkwardly, he patted Zero's back and rubbed gentle circles until all he heard were occasional hiccups.

"It's alright, I forgive you. I shouldn't have yelled at you earlier."

"No," Zero shook his head. "It was my fault. I didn't mean to worry you or put everyone in danger. I've inconvenienced everyone again because I wanted to do things my way again. I know that Hua Tuo and Mii have scolded me many times for being willful and I'm trying to improve. I didn't know that using divine spells were going to put me into a coma. I just wanted to give Douglas a befitting punishment and a second chance at life. The world isn't created fair, I know this much from catching a sneak peek into my past self's memories. I just wanted to correct as much of the Great One's errors when I can."

Baal froze. "You've seen the memories of the Great One?"

Zero shrugged. "Only what the Great Gods have shown me. I found out the rest by myself. The first world was destroyed by the humans I helped to create. Even in the second world, not everyone is given a fair chance at life. Truen certainly had it rough when I first met him. You weren't heard for so long in the void. There are many things wrong in this world and it's terrible that I can't fix everything now. I try to do as much as I can but there are just too many things, I can only fix them as I come across them. Sadly, I can't undo what has already happened. The world might collapse."

Baal didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry too. I was only thinking about myself when I yelled at you. I just didn't want to lose you. You're a very important friend. It's easy to forget who you really are sometimes..."

Zero giggled and wiped at his eyes. "Don't worry about losing me, I'll never die. I might sleep for a long time like you but I'll always be back. You'll know when I'm back. Mii says that my stomach could wake the world when it is hungry."

Baal laughed heartily and the ominous sense suffocating the castle lifted. "She's right about that... I guess it's safe to say that we're good now. Just promise me to take better care of yourself. Even if you can't die, I hate seeing you get hurt."

Zero frowned. "I'll do my best to be more careful but I can't promise you that I wouldn't get hurt. I did promise Hua Tuo to become a doctor who will put my patient before myself. Of course, it doesn't make sense for me to sacrifice myself to an extent that I wouldn't be able to save anyone else. I'll be less reckless so please yell at me again when I go too far."

Baal rolled his eyes. "Of course I will. That's the reason why friends exist, no? Also, don't think about running away. You still owe me four stories."

"What?! I only owed you two!"

"Well, you owe me four now. Be thankful I didn't make you owe me six. I had to deal with an annoying uncle while propping you up in the Spring. My arms were aching by the time we could get out!"

"That's unfair!"

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Baal snorted. "Nothing is fair. If you didn't overdo it with the spell, you would only have owed me two."

"But..."

"Or would you prefer to owe me six? It can easily be arranged~"

Zero zipped his mouth immediately. Baal nodded in satisfaction. "I thought so too. In any case, it will be a little longer before you can return to the village. There is a little trouble in my territory so these freeloaders are going to help me resolve it before I send everyone packing for home. Feel free to explore town but make sure to take someone who knows the way with you."

Zero hooted with joy and started making plans, much to Baal's amusement.

Over the next few days, Baal noticed a shortage of magic stone supplies in the market. Belles and Begonia received significantly lesser payments in the form of stones and the customer base declined rapidly after the acute scarcity. The only bright side to everything was Wiser's report about Schaf's activities.

"Will the sheep get punished?" Zero asked. Soon after Zero and Baal made up after their argument, the Demon Lord filled the brunet in on the current circumstances. Zero agreed that the mastermind must be punished but nobody brought up the manager's involvement.

"It's difficult to say if he would be punished. For all we know, Schaf might be a victim too. If so, we wouldn't punish him. However, if he was found participating in this scheme willingly... it really depends on his level of involvement for this scheme. Many of my people have died after all. I cannot overlook this easily."

Zero nodded in understanding. While the people who've died because of Schaf's magic stone scheme weren't exactly the kind of people the society needed, they were still demons who had the right to live. Baal had every right to be angry at Schaf's lack of respect for lives.

"Will the mastermind be sentenced to death?"

The Demon Lord sighed. Zero was asking some really difficult questions that he didn't want to think about. He should be spending his time staring into space and idling in the garden. He shouldn't be working in his free time!

"Bell?"

The Demon Lord sighed. "Look, I can't say anything for certain because we don't know anything yet. It's pointless to think about it right now. You will know when the time comes, just be patient."

Zero rolled his eyes. Baal was just being lazy and they both knew it. Deciding that Baal was not going to entertain him any further, Zero sought Wiser out. The strategist was a lot better at answering questions than Baal and Zero had plenty at the moment. He wasn't given the clean bill of health just yet so exploring the streets and market would have to wait.

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"Tch! What a useless fellow... after all that trouble, this is all you've got to give? Pathetic! No wonder you're better off dead," Schaf scoffed.

Before the goat demon was the corpse of a low-level common demon thug. With his savings, Schaf hired a few strong mercenaries to carry out his plan. It was really simple to buy out all the magic stones in circulation. Also, with the word of mouth, many poor demons sold their magic for money at Schaf's newest 'magic donation drive'. What's money worth to him at this point? Without his job, without his title and name, Schaf had no reason to live. Once the trader Coux was taken down, Schaf would surrender and turn himself in for the crimes he'd committed. Surely Lord Mammon would be more merciful this time to put him out of his misery forever.

Of course, with his savings depleting rapidly, Schaf decided to kick things up a notch by having the hired hands capture some poor chaps that nobody would miss so that they could contribute their lives for a greater cause. Thanks to the efficiency of those hired hands, Schaf was very near his goal. A few more unfortunate demons and he would be ready for the final plan. Kerberos would be free and Schaf's wish will finally come true. He would be able to return to the green pastures in heaven but not before making the wretch woman named Coux pay for all the wrenches she threw in his plans. No, Schaf would make sure she suffers before Kerberos reversed time.

"Are you sure you do not wish to change factions? Blood will always be thicker than water. No matter how loyal you are to Zero and to Baal, they can't ever do what I could do for you."

Coux smiled. With the decrease in customers, there really wasn't much to do at the shop. Lilith enjoyed a cup of freshly brewed flower tea and sighed in satisfaction as it slid down her throat. The Demon Queen had been trying to convince her descendant to join her faction without much success. Coux was stubborn through and through.

"I'm sorry but you know my answer. I've sworn allegiance to Zero. I might have wanted for a family a very long time ago, especially with the fall of the Van Doux. However, I think I finally found the place I belong to. I'm willing to live and die for Zero. This world is much too dark and I feel as if it was my fate to have lived the life I lived. Without going through my painful past, I wouldn't have the strength I have now. Using this strength, I want to protect Zero from the darkness of this world. He doesn't have to suffer like how I did. I trust that Zero will one day save this world from darkness. You've probably seen it too from the power that he has and the endless amount of kindness in his heart."

Lilith didn't respond immediately. She knew Coux spoke of the truth however, she didn't share the same sentiments. Someone who hasn't been exposed to the darkness of the world couldn't be considered pure. In fact, that only spoke about naivety. If Zero was truly pure, he would remain unchanging even if soaked to the bones in darkness. Lilith would test Zero to see if he was truly pure. However, before she personally confirmed it, she wouldn't allow her daughter to throw her life away. Zero was a trouble magnet. Even without knowing the boy for long, that was certain.

"We'll see," she told Coux as she drained the cup of tea. "Just know that I won't allow any daughters or sons of mine go so easily. I've lost too many children on Earth, I won't allow you to become like them."

Coux smiled gently. Lilith's words may sound harsh but it warmed her heart. "Thank you," she told the succubus who only threw her a glare before strutting out the front door.

Coux cleared the cups wordlessly, ignoring Qin Yun's concerned glances. Amaraline looked spaced off once again but Coux didn't bother asking what she saw. It wasn't hard to guess what Amaraline was looking at. Ever since she left the village, the girl checked on her brother through her visions. It didn't matter how frequent the fortune-teller checked them, the results were exactly the same as when they'd left. Clowis was still as stubborn as before, refusing to forgive Zero for what he did.

The bell at the door jingled, informing the ladies of a newcomer. However, they soon returned to what they were doing at the sight of a white snow fox. Qin Yun allowed her weary messenger to rest in her shadows. The foxes have worked hard, gathering information from all over. After a while, a smile broke out on her usually stoic expression.

"Ladies, how about we close up early? I'm sure our Lord is eager to hear news about a little sheep."

Amaraline smiled and busied away. Coux sighed but relented. There was no point in increasing the operating expenses with declining revenue.

Everyone was gathered around the dining table. Wiser and Amaraline were sweating and everyone held their breaths. Using technology invented by Wiser, the strategist was able to tap onto Amaraline's fortune-telling blood abilities. The tracker in Schaf worked well and it gave Wiser some hints about what was about to happen. He knew that the goat demon would eventually lead them to the mastermind but whatever location Schaf visited had a powerful jamming signal that didn't allow him to be traced.

"This is where we lost Schaf. Sekkin tried to follow after Schaf but there was a powerful magical barrier preventing him from progressing. As such, I've tapped into Amaraline's fortune-telling abilities. It's more of a memory replay than actual predictions. The machine does not have the ability to peek into the future but we can use it to see what Amaraline has seen."

Baal was impressed. Wiser has very outstanding abilities and he was considered granting Wiser immortality just to retain the human's talents. However, the choice wasn't his to make. Still, Baal would bring the topic up once the mastermind was caught.

Lilith didn't know what to think about the crude slate of crystal in the middle of the table. It was a crude looking piece of junk that shouldn't even be in the presence of refined Demon Lords. Coux chuckled at the look of disgust on the succubus queen's face. It was probably not a good idea for Lilith to visit the lab back in Half Moon village. The sorry state it was in before Zero helped to clean it would probably make the Demon Queen faint from shock.

Mammon had to admit. He was intrigued. Amaraline didn't catch his interest the first time. All he sensed from her was some diluted blood from a magical beast. Nothing about her stood out. However, now that he knew what kind of abilities she had... Mammon wondered if Amaraline was willing to work for him. Surely Baal would understand a good business offer when he saw one. With the girl's abilities, not even Maneki-neko of the Cat Demon Clan could do anything against him.

Amaraline held onto the receiving crystal tightly, her knuckles turning white from how hard she was gripping it. She was beyond nervous and with how all three powerful Demon Lords were looking at her with high expectations, the fortune-teller felt like running away. It didn't matter if she was still arguing with her big brother. Amaraline wanted nothing more than to have Clowis at her side now, telling her that things will be alright.

"It's all connected. Remember, you should bring out that memory of the vision when you channel your mana through the crystal. This machine doesn't have any filter so anything you think of will be reflected."

The cockatrice girl swallowed harshly. It was easier said than done. With her feelings in a mess and the thoughts in her head buzzing around at top speed, Amaraline wasn't sure what would be reflected on that huge magic crystal display. Still, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her thoughts. In the darkness, she felt Zero's reassuring magic as well as the reassurance from Qin Yun and Coux.

"It's alright," she told herself. "I can do this."

Baal had his full attention on the image that swirled on the display. Wiser had outdone himself. Although it wasn't very clear, everyone in the room had an idea about the blurry figure Amaraline saw. There was only one overly grown dog with three heads in the abyss.

"My Lord," Schaf kneeled down on one knee and bowed before the almighty guardian of the old Hell gate. It wasn't very clear in the display but there was no doubt about it. Behind Kerberos was the grand Gate of Tartarus. The black rusted iron gates were covered in vines with poisonous thorns. The Gate of Tartarus was a gift from Poseidon and Zeus when Hades first took up the office in Hell before the Demon Lords relieved him of his position. History was such a strange thing and Baal wondered how many years ago that was before Lucifer signed the treaty with Michael, separating Hell and Heaven forever.

"As promised, I will grant one wish of yours when I return back in time. Tell me, what is it that you desire?"

Schaf didn't hesitate. "Please guide my ancestor back to the green pastures of Heaven. He was a lost sheep that strayed from the group and fell victim to the plane split when the contract was signed. With no way to return to Heaven, he had to live in the darkness of the abyss, turning us into demons over the years. His name is Schafkopf."

Baal wanted to laugh when he heard that name. Then again, doing so would be considered rude so he let his lips twitch in amusement but remained silent. After all, the vision hasn't ended.

Kerberos didn't have Baal's courtesy and started rolling on the floor in laughter. Strangely, Schaf didn't take any offence. In fact, he seemed to have expected it.

Once Kerberos was done laughing, he gave his word. Then, the most horrifying thing happened. The three Demon Lords stared at the insane amount of amassed magic stones. Mammon was utterly horrified. He had no idea about the seriousness of the situation. For Schaf to be able to accumulate this much power, it would be easy to overthrow even Lucifer.

Unable to tear their eyes away from the screen, they watched how Kerberos used the mana harvested to open a time portal. Baal frowned. No wonder the stones could absorb a demon's mana and brainwash them. That was no magic. It was a curse originating from the Magic Ages. Baal didn't know where Schaf found the creator for the Philosopher Stone and he highly doubted the curses on those common magic stones were the real deal. If anything, it was a weaker and modified version of the original.

"Is that...?" Lilith whispered and Baal nodded, confirming her fears. The Philosopher Stone was an invention by one of Lilith's kind to help sustain incubus, succubus and cambions without having to absorb life energies by absorbing mana from the environment. Of course, it was a failed project. Back then, the Great Wizards and Witches including Merlin worked on the Magnum Opus without rest until all but Merlin remained. Many abandoned the project after the numerous failed attempts. Merlin didn't succeed in creating the Philosopher Stone but he came close. By borrowing the unknown powers of the void, Merlin was able to redirect the need for life energy to the void. However, that discovery was both a blessing and a curse. Many of Lilith's kin who used it to suppress their cravings for life energy starved to death. As such, Lilith had all the Philosopher Stones destroyed. She didn't want to lose more of her kin.

Naturally, once Merlin became a Sage God, he continued researching the Philosopher Stone, trying to make it possible. While he was unable to convert mana as a substitute for life energy, he succeeded in creating a device for harvesting mana from the environment. It was the very device Zero now had. Also, the cursed magic stones were a product of this creation. Lilith paled in fear.

Mammon was silent. He had mixed feelings about whatever Schaf had done. While he couldn't understand the motives of his best student, he knew that there was no way to forgive Schaf as a Demon Lord responsible for upholding one of the domains in Hell. Before he was a teacher, he was a Demon Lord. Death was the only option left for Schaf. It was the option that he tried so hard to avoid choosing but there was no longer a choice. Whatever his reasons were, they wouldn't be good enough to justify his actions. Killing isn't a big deal in Hell, the abyss was a lawless zone. However, disrupting the stability of mana in Hell was something that couldn't be forgiven. The treaty between Hell and Heaven shouldn't be taken lightly. After Hades left his office and passed the reins to the Demon Lords, the existence of the abyss was constantly walking on the tightrope. One wrong move and the entire dimension would cease to exist.

By the time Amaraline's vision ended, the room was filled with nothing but tension. Even Zero knew that it was serious. Honestly, he didn't want the poor goat demon to die. Schaf didn't do anything wrong. The world was at fault once more. It wasn't Schaf's decision to be born in Hell. All he wanted was a peaceful life grazing in the green pastures of heaven. Zero read those wishes loud and clear. However, he also understood the fears of Baal and the other two Demon Lords. Peace was never an easy thing. After the disagreement with Heaven, Hell walked out of the deal and was thrown into an unfavourable position. What Schaf did endangered the existence of the abyss. There was no way to forgive Schaf for putting every demon at risk for his desires.

Coux and Qin Yun didn't speak. Amaraline sank into a chair that Sekkin pulled out for her, fatigued from the use of magic. Wiser's invention isn't perfect. It took a lot out of her just to maintain the vision until the end. Luckily, the Spring of Vitality is easily accessible.

"What are you going to do?" Zero asked Baal in an almost quiet voice.

Baal took one look at Zero and the brunet turned his head away quickly. It was all too clearly reflected in the Demon Lord's eyes. Schaf was going to have to die.

"I'll be returning to my room," Zero told everyone before running away. He didn't want to stay and listen to any more of their plans. It was obvious that they were going to catch Schaf and Kerberos in the act before punishing them. Amaraline's version of the future wasn't set in stone, the damage could still be prevented. However, the intentions that Schaf had wouldn't be changing. Zero hated it. Yet, there was nothing much he could do. He couldn't turn back time to change Schaf's mind. He couldn't turn back time to have Hades remember to take Kerberos with him.

The world as wrong and Zero didn't like it. Yet, there was nothing he could do to fix it.

Baal sighed when Zero excused himself. It was too obvious that Zero was going to cry in his room. Still, it might be for the best that Zero didn't involve himself in this case. It was necessary to do the right thing and not the popular thing. nobody liked death. Everybody loved peace. However, peace wasn't something that can be attained if everybody decided to selfishly pursue the things they wanted. Nobody was wrong for having an opinion. However, their opinions would be wrong if it caused despair for another person. Unfortunately for Schaf, he made the wrong choice.

"I guess that makes things very clear. It's not something we should be poking our noses in. Call the ones who started this to resolve it."

Mammon sighed and Lilith sagged into her chair. It was easier said than done. How many years has it been since they last stepped out of the abyss to call anyone for help? If anything, the abyss was known for being aloof. Whatever happened in Hell stayed in Hell. Nobody could interfere in its matters, not even the Gods.

"We should let Lucifer know. This calls for a meeting. We can't decide this on our own. Too much is at stake," Mammon pointed out. Lilith promptly agreed.

"We can host it at my castle," she suggested.

Baal groaned. It sounded like too much work but it was better than hosting it here. He would hate having to explain Zero's presence and the addition of humans in Hell.

"Fine. I'll write to Raphael. When will we host the meeting? There isn't much time to prepare."

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Lilith shrugged. "Depends on Heaven. Lucifer just has to give an order. Amon and Shittomi have to obey orders."

"Wouldn't an invitation from Zero settle everything? Hades and Merlin can come to pick up their stones and dog. We don't even have to go through the angels." Mammon pointed out.

"That's true. However, who will convince Zero to contact them? Knowing him, he would be trying to think of a way to save your employee and Hades' stupid pup."

"Now now," Lilith chided lightly. "Let's conserve our energy. We can discuss further after the meeting with Lucifer. Besides, I don't think it's a terrible thing if Zero does manage to think of something."

Baal glared at her but said nothing. If only the Demon Queen knew about the mess he dragged everyone into when he had one of his whims. Someone needed to educate Zero and if the Gods weren't doing it, Baal would. For someone who couldn't be called a responsible pet owner, Baal wouldn't entrust him with the responsibility of becoming Zero's voice of reason.

It didn't take long to come to a conclusion.

"We're calling those bastards down."

It was a simple statement but it had the desired impact. Shittomi clicked her tongue, Amon cussed and left. Baal deadpanned and Lilith rolled her eyes at how predictable everyone's reactions were. Mammon's expressions were hidden beneath his hood but it was clear that he disliked the idea as much as everyone else in the room.

"Who should we invite over? I hate Michael!" Amon declared. It wasn't a very surprising declaration. Ever since Michael cheated in the war by borrowing Uriel's flaming sword to defeat him, Amon held a bitter grudge over the warrior archangel.

"No," Lucifer agreed. "We're calling Gab over."

Baal heaved a sigh in relief. Gabriel was the only angel everyone in Hell liked enough to treat him with respect. The archangel was known to be very professional and serious about performing his duties. Mammon acknowledged that professionalism and wished more of the angels followed his attitude. Besides being Heaven's busiest archangel, Gabriel was known for his pleasant smile and negotiation skills.

"Will Hades be attending the meeting?" Shittomi asked.

Lucifer shook his head. It was rather difficult to contact the Great Gods. Usually, any matters pertaining to Heaven would be handled by the angels. The Gods were often too busy managing their domains to bother with trivialities. Still, Lucifer wished the Great God could come down to collect his dog and be gone from their hair. It was uncalled for nuisance and knowing the gods, they wouldn't even bother compensating the Demon Lords for the trouble caused.

"Just a heads up, Gab will come over in two hours. We can't have the fortune-teller perform the trick again, bringing humans into Hell is against the contract after all. Baal, I'm expecting you to keep your underlings out of sight while discussions are on-going. In any case, we'll have Gab act as a witness for the crimes committed against us and have him verify our report to Enma. The goat's judgement wouldn't be light by any means. I don't know how the Purgatory handles special cases but once we drop him off there, it wouldn't be our problem. As for Kerberos..." Lucifer frowned. That was a tough one.

"To be honest, the modified Philosopher Stones are a problem too. I'd like to propose calling Merlin in for a proper investigation. Magnum Opus should be a top secret. How was it leaked? Besides, this information isn't something easily accessible to a mid-tier demon like Schaf," Lilith pointed out.

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Lucifer sighed. The Demon Queen had a point.

"I'll let Gab know about that too. Merlin is an even harder God to make an appointment with. Nobody knows what he's up to but he's always busy."

Nobody disagreed. It was true. For the last millennium ever since the destruction of the first Earth, Merlin had been working on something big. He'd been all over the place, including the abyss, collecting books.

Baal bit on his thumb with a deep frown. Zero's cooperation would make everything a lot smoother but he highly doubted that Zero wanted to participate in Schaf and Kerberos' punishments. He wouldn't even put it past the brunet to secretly free the wrongdoers just to spare them. No, Zero had to stay out of the case.

"If that's all, I suggest we head over to Lilith's castle. Amon and Shittomi are not required to attend the meeting as this doesn't concern your territories. However, I would highly encourage your attendance. Baal, would you require someone to look after your underlings during the meeting? I heard that there were some troublemakers who do not understand the meaning of staying out of trouble."

Baal grimaced. Has the news already travelled so far? Truth be told, it was only one person who couldn't do as told. However, that person wasn't even an underling of his. If anything, Zero owned everyone sitting in the meeting room, not that he could say it aloud. Lucifer was capable of grounding him for such an audacious statement."

"I can babysit your underlings if you need," Shittomi offered. Amon raised a brow. It wasn't often that the Queen of Envy offered her services. Then again, Baal did send them a secret letter some time back. Truth be told, he was curious about the special guest residing with Baal.

"I heard that you have some strong underlings. You wouldn't mind if I brought some of my best warriors over to pit them against yours, right?"

Baal snorted. Strong? They were average at best. Apart from Zero, none of his underlings would be able to win Amon's warriors. He didn't give them his covenant mark because they were strong. He gave it to them because they were loyal.

"Don't bother," he told the Lord of Fire. "They're only strong with words and numbers. It wouldn't even be a show for you. However, if you want to enjoy some delicacies from Earth, be my guest."

"Delicacies from Earth?!" Shittomi nearly shrieked but composed herself quickly.

Her mouth watered at the thought of eating food from Earth. It had been so long since she became a demon, she'd almost given up hope of ever tasting food from Earth again. Hell didn't have the ingredients nor the abilities to recreate the kind of food Earth had. There was no way she wouldn't take up Baal's offer.

"Do they make sweets?"

Baal smirked. "Lemon meringue tarts are one of the more popular choices."

Lucifer blinked when Shittomi teleported away. Amon was puzzled. "What's her hurry?"

Baal shrugged. It didn't matter. If he had someone keeping an eye on Zero, he could relax a little. Surely Zero wouldn't be able to buy his way past the icy queen, right?

Qin Yun recognised that magic signature. Coux was on guard when a red-eyed beauty materialised in the kitchen. She had waist-length black hair that cascaded like a waterfall. Her skin was painfully white with a tinge of blue at the tips of her fingers as if she was freezing. She didn't look healthy at all despite her ethereal beauty. While the succubus didn't know who she was looking at, Qin Yun bowed.

"Greetings, Queen Shittomi. It's an honour to be graced by your presence." Being a demon who lived in the colder regions of Hell, Qin Yun was familiar with the Snow Queen. Although Shittomi was commonly known as the Queen of Envy and the Demon Lord ruling over the Envy domain, she was also the spirit that ruled over the snow in winter.

Shittomi smiled. "It's good to see you again, Qian Qiu. Have you decided to join the Hannya Investigation House?"

The fox demoness returned the smile and bowed. "My apologies, lady. I'm afraid I cannot accept your noble request."

Instead of feeling down, Shittomi laughed it off. "As expected... I guess demons, like humans, do not change that easily. It's fine. Besides, I came here for a different purpose. Baal mentioned that there are underlings who can replicate food from Earth. I think he mentioned that the Lemon Meringue Tart is one of the most popular choices. Where is the genius chef?"

Coux blinked. Did such a powerful demon come all the way to Baal's shabby castle just for food? Then again, a potential customer was a potential customer. As a businesswoman, it was not her duty to judge. Coux would let this opportunity go to waste. If she could secure the patronage of such a powerful figure, convincing Mammon for a huge loan would be no issues.

"You've come to the right place, my lady. Please have a seat. Would you like some tea to enjoy with the tart?"

Shittomi was over the moon. "Yes please, that sounds delightful. It's been so long since I last had any decent food. I have high expectations."

Coux grinned. Qin Yun smiled from the side-line when Coux slipped into her business mode, bringing out desserts and recommending various types of tea. It didn't surprise the fox demoness. Baal probably sent her over to keep an eye on Zero. However, she wondered if having the Snow Queen over would be enough to stop Zero from trying anything funny. The brunet had been acting rather strangely after Baal left the castle. With her superior hearing, it wasn't difficult to hear Zero mumbling to himself. If she didn't know better, she would've thought he'd gone insane and started talking to himself.

Leaving Coux to entertain their newest guest, Qin Yun left to find Wiser. There was something that she had to ask Hua Tuo. Thanks to the communicator, she didn't have to make a trip back to the village. Zero couldn't be left alone at this point. Qin Yun wasn't taking any chances. Baal was right, the brunet was definitely up to something big and it wasn't a good sign.

"You're saying that Hades abandoned his dog in Hell and that dog is now trying to destroy the dimension in order to turn back time to correct the wrong that he didn't do?"

Lucifer nodded and Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. "What's wrong with all the Gods and Goddesses? How could Hades forget such a thing? The administrative department has been looking for Kerberos for the past few thousand years without much success. We had to archive the case because of insufficient information."

Lucifer shrugged. This wasn't his problem. "Call Hades, call the investigation department or the subjugation hunters to take care of it. I don't particularly care. However, we need you to become a witness for one of the demons who's involved in the case. It's not in our abilities to issue a harsher punishment than death for such a traitor. King Yama will only accept a special request from us if there is a third party witness."

Gabriel arched his brow. "Wouldn't death be good enough?"

Mammon pursed his lips. He'd spoken about Schaf's punishment with Lucifer in secret before the meeting. If Schaf died in the abyss, he would be judged based on the sins he'd committed. Under Mammon's tutelage, Schaf had done many despicable things to increase profit. It wasn't fair to put Schaf through several lifetimes worth of poverty to repay his sins. As such, the appeal letter to King Yama was to request for memory wiping and rebirth into a peaceful time.

Lucifer grunted. "Ordinarily, it would suffice. Unfortunately, we have no intentions of making him pay for the carelessness of somebody who started this whole mess."

Gabriel sighed. He couldn't refute that logic. Hades really made a huge mess and as much as he respected the Great Gods, Hades was losing Gabriel's respect points by the second.

"I understand. It may take some time to have Hades decide what he wants to do with Kerberos. Hell is responsible for presenting Kerberos alive for Hades' collection. Please do not take matters into your own hands to punish the dog. Regardless of the crimes Kerberos committed, it is Hades' responsibility."

Lucifer nodded. He knew the rules very well. It was one of the reasons why he left Heaven. Their rules were very cold and the law ruled over everything else including compassion. Michael was an archangel because of how ruthless he was. It didn't matter who Michael needed to kill, if they sinned, he would deliver punishments without question. Lucifer was different. He liked to give chances to sinners and guide them back to the right path often through questionable means. However, for once, the rules were working in his favour.

"Rest assured, we will deliver Kerberos alive. He will not be ill-treated."

If all else failed, why not continue having Kerberos to guard the abyss? Lucifer was always on the lookout for talent. Tardy students would think twice about skipping his classes if the punishment was to groom a deadly three-headed dog.

"Zero is awake?" Hua Tuo felt the stone is his heart crumble away. He'd been so worried for the past few days. It was the first piece of good news in a while.

"Yes," Qin Yun smiled. She was speaking in a forgotten language that only she and Hua Tuo remembered. It was to prevent some curious eavesdropper in the room beside her from understanding their conversation.

"That's good," Hua Tuo sighed. "How is he? Will he be coming back soon? The situation in the village has somewhat settled although there are a few difficult individuals."

Qin Yun hummed. It wouldn't be long before Baal allows Zero to leave. Once the matter about Kerberos and Schaf has been decided, the Demon Lord would definitely kick Zero out. As much as the two friends were close, she could sense Baal's frustration more frequently. A bored Zero was nothing but bad news.

"He will be coming back once the matter has been resolved. However, I'm calling for a different reason. Zero has been talking to himself lately. It doesn't sound like he was talking to any of the people he met while he was meditating. In fact, he was perfectly conscious when he did so. Other than the strawcherry assistant, is there someone else that Zero would talk to?"

Hua Tuo paused. Besides Mii, who else would Zero talk to? He wasn't aware of Zero's new conversation partner. Was it Truen? He knew that the wood elf has improved a lot lately under the tutelage of Freya and Merlin but he didn't think Truen had the stamina to hold telepathic conversations with Zero who was in a different dimension.

"I'm sorry, I don't think there is anyone else that Zero could be talking to telepathically. Are you sure he's not just chatting with Mii?"

Qin Yun sighed. "He was making plans. Mii wouldn't help him devise risky plans. Whoever Zero was talking to, they were convincing him to use another divine spell. Of course, Baal and everyone present will stop him from doing that a second time. However, we still worry. It's hard to guess what Zero is planning."

Hua Tuo felt a headache coming. Only Zero was capable of worrying him this much even when he was in the care of a more powerful being.

"Right... I forgot that he has a tendency to be reckless. Please keep him on a very tight leash. It's always better to be safe than sorry."

Qin Yun smiled. That was true. "Also, do you happen to be able to contact Merlin or Hades? We have a situation that requires both of their immediate attention."

"Oh? They're not easy to get hold off but I could try to convince them. What happened?"

Qin Yun summarised the gist of the mess and Hua Tuo groaned. "I see... I'll do what I can but please don't get your hopes up. No wonder Lovina has been stressing over the funny stones."

The call ended after they exchanged a few pleasantries and Wiser gave the fox demoness a strange look.

"Yes?"

Wiser shook his head. "I just thought that it was a strange language. It sounded beautiful though."

At the genuine compliment, the fox demoness chuckled. "Thank you, I could teach you how to speak it if you want."

Wiser made a face. "Sorry, I feel as if I would trip over my tongue trying. Magic incantations are hard enough, I'll take a rain check."

Zero gasped when he heard the footsteps getting closer to the door. Without hesitating to use magic, Zero teleported back to his room. Qin Yun didn't seem to notice anything amiss as she left Wiser's room when Zero peeked from the gap between his door. He sighed in relief. That was close!

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"Hey Bob, do you think Baal would agree with this idea?"

"Of course! Well, I hope it works out. I would hate to be stuck on Endow Hill after all."

"What about the sheep? You haven't told me how we can save him!"

Bobbinskrier groaned. "He's done too many bad things, it is difficult to save him. Don't worry Zero, we still have until tomorrow to think of how to save the sheep!"

Despite the baby dragon's enthusiasm, Zero could help but worry. Could they really save Schaf?

Bob sighed as he tossed and turned in his egg. Merlin's decision to separate him from his contract master was making him anxious. The child of Endow first felt the tug of something dangerous pulling at his connection with Zero and immediately decided to reach through the bond to contact his master. Even if it was up against an ancient being way more powerful than he currently was, Bob was no coward. He would fight scale and claw to protect his kind master.

Imagine his horror when he couldn't reach his master. The mental connection was still there but in Zero's mindscape, there was only endless darkness that awaited him. For days he tried to reach Zero but there was no response, only that never-ending stretch of void. He'd almost given up hope too until Mii contacted him. Apparently, his master had fallen unconscious due to magic overuse. That explained everything.

"I might not be strong enough but I can sustain a mental projection of myself using my magic instead of Master Zero's. Please tell me that Master Zero is safe!"

The strawcherry fairy nodded. "He's currently in the abyss. There is something that he's troubled over but it's not something I could advise him about. I agree with Baal after all."

Bobbinskrier frowned as Mii explained what happened. As a young dragon, he didn't know much about the world outside. However, Mii was right. The survival of the fittest was an instinct every creature had. If Schaf did what he did, he should accept death valiantly too. Kerberos had to be punished but not as harshly as Schaf seeing that he was still only a pup.

"The pup is strong. He can learn from his mistakes and repent by taking my rightful place as Guardian of Endow Hill. There is no better candidate to guard Sleepy Cave. However, Schaf isn't someone I think we should save. Master Zero is far too kind."

Mii shrugged. She couldn't be bothered by such trivialities, unlike Zero who thought it was appropriate to stick his nose into everybody's business. She wasn't kind enough to care about some nameless fool who decided it was alright to sacrifice others for his personal desire.

"It's not about what we want at this point, Bob. Zero has made his mind up. He doesn't want Schaf to die but he also wouldn't fight Baal and the Gods to get it his way. He wouldn't let them kill Schaf. As Zero's servants, it is our duty to protect both our Master's mind and heart."

Bob rolled in his egg. "We still have some time before they hold the meeting. Please let me know the outcome, I shall speak to Master Zero about Kerberos' punishment to appease the Gods and Demon Lords. As for Schaf..."

There was only a sigh but Mii understood. It wasn't easy to give cold-blooded murderers second chances. Schaf didn't even have a good reason for what he did. Those lowlives didn't deserve to die even if the society would've been better without them. He didn't have the right to decide the lives of others. He wasn't a God after all.

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Speaking of God...

"Do you think it is wise to let Zero call King Yama for his opinion on the redemption of sins? I read Zero's thoughts. He intends to give Schaf a second chance at life by paying his sins back much like how he gave Douglas one. He really doesn't learn."

Bob made a face, his projected image distorted badly. Mii didn't blame the young dragon's shaken state of mind.

"Does he intend to use divine magic again?! Has he not learnt how dangerous that was? Shouldn't we let Baal know what Zero is thinking about doing? Someone should stop out foolish Master!"

Mii sighed and massaged her temples. "No, Zero wouldn't do that. He had an argument with Baal about it. Thankfully, Baal was able to make our Master see some sense. He wouldn't use divine magic. However, he will ask King Yama for advice. Zero now thinks that he can use Freya's blessing to charm Schaf into promising to not be a bad sheep and have Schaf work his sins away."

Bob was speechless. "Well, that sounds better than anything I could possibly think about at this point. I was thinking about convincing Zero to toss Schaf into Sleepy Cave to 'guard' it with Kerberos."

Mii gave it a thought before smiling. "Well, as enticing as that sounds, Zero wouldn't like it if he knew we planned for Schaf's death in a different manner. Sleepy Cave ate the previous guardian, Schaf wouldn't stand a chance."

Bob made a face. "Please don't remind me. I still have nightmares about it. The memories are still fresh in my mind. It's not easy inheriting the memories of all the guardians."

Mii sympathised with Bob. Her very core resonated when Zero met the Demon Lords. There were four fragments of Divine Entities in the abyss. There would be no doubt that they knew who Zero was. After recovering a portion of the Great One's memories, Mii didn't know if she wanted to inherit more. The Divine Entities were more powerful than the Great Gods and held most of Great One's emotions. To inherit Jealousy, Anger, Idleness and Greed all at once, Mii didn't know if it would affect Zero's character negatively. Those were very dark emotions after all. After inheriting Kindness, Acceptance and Trust, Zero had drastically changed. He became more stubborn about wanting to help everyone when he was previously very indifferent about life. Although the abilities for the Divine Fragments Kindness, Acceptance and Trust were sealed, it still had such an impact over Zero. Mii simply couldn't imagine what it would be if Zero recovered the memories of four very powerful Divine Fragments at once. Would that push Zero to walk the path of the Destroyer?

"Are you alright? You seem ill."

Mii quickly snuffed those thoughts. She'd almost forgotten that Bob was still there. "It's fine," she smiled. "Let's do our best for our silly Master, shall we?"

Bob knew that the strawcherry fairy was lying but he let it go. After all, Mii was a creation by the Great One. He couldn't possibly compare to her.

Bob watched the strawcherry fairy flicker away and decided that he should talk to Zero again.

Zero was pleasantly surprised to see Bob materialise before him. He was so bored out of his mind. Mii wasn't free to translate any of the books in Baal's library. Baal had a meeting to attend and everyone was away. The castle was big but Zero had already explored every inch of it twice. Now that he had his magic back, he could teleport everywhere with ease. He was sorely in need of a distraction and Bob came at the right timing.

"Bob! Great timing! Would you like to play a game of Poker with me?"

The dragon stared at the deck of cards, not knowing what they were. "Perhaps after we have a chat... Remember the talk we had about Kerberos and Schaf? Mii visited me earlier and we came up with a great idea."

Zero put the deck of cards down and became serious. "Do you really know of a way to save Schaf from death?"

Bob felt pressured but remained firm. Mii entrusted him with the responsibility of persuading Zero, he shall not fail them as Zero's strongest servants.

"It's not fool proof but we have confidence that it will work. It's better than not trying and leaving him to his fate. The Demon Lords will surely have him repay his sins with his life."

Zero made a face that and Bob made a mental note that he should never let Zero out of his sight in future when he had that expression. Zero was determined to do whatever it took to have things his way and Bob knew that the brunet wasn't against self-sacrificing.

"Don't worry, if it doesn't work there are always other ways. There will always be room for negotiations even if it doesn't seem possible."

"How can you be so confident about it? You can't see the future..." Zero frowned. Ever since he'd gotten Amaraline's ability, Zero wished Mii and the Great One hadn't decided to absorb this ability. The brunet wished he didn't know for certain that his attempts to save Schaf were going to end up in failure even before he tried. He couldn't see visions like Amaraline but the horrible feeling he had about Schaf's fate didn't go away. It didn't matter what the plan was, Schaf was probably going to end up dead.

Bob blinked. He wasn't aware that Zero had been agonizing over that. Mii once informed him about Zero's new ability. It was also what landed Zero in his coma. Bob was no clairvoyant and he was actually thankful he didn't need to see the future. He couldn't imagine having to bear the burden of knowing that something bad was inevitable. If someone told him that he was going to be forever cursed to guard Sleepy Cave, Bob would probably have given up on his dreams to someday travel past the cursed mountain range.

"I'm sorry… I can't understand what you're going through. However, I believe that the future isn't fixed. It never was and never will be. I heard from Mii about how you changed the future for Amaraline, Lowis and Douglas. They were supposed to die, weren't they? What you saw came true. However, that doesn't mean it has to end up that way. They are still alive thanks to you."

Zero let the words sink in. It was true that he managed to save them. The future he saw hadn't changed. However, their fates certainly did and it was all thanks to the fact that Zero interfered. Understanding dawned upon the brunet. Bob was right. It didn't have to be this way. Instead of agonising over the fact that Schaf was going to die and try to change it, Zero could always look at it another way. Schaf might be going to die. However, Zero could still do something about it. He had the ability to do so. The only thing that he will be doing differently this time would be how he handled the situation. As Mii mentioned, he shouldn't trouble others while pursuing his goals. Baal and the Demon Lords would be troubled if Zero demanded that Schaf should be spared. There were rules in the abyss after all.

"What if I let Schaf get sentenced to death in Hell and save him once he isn't in Hell? Technically, as long as Schaf remains a demon and a resident of Hell, he would have to follow the rules here, right?"

Bob didn't know where Zero was taking this idea to. Honestly, he was a little afraid to answer. How he wished Mii was here having this conversation with their Master instead...

"What do you mean, Master?" the dragon asked cautiously. He didn't want to agree with something he wasn't sure about. Zero can be rather sly when he wants to be. Bob was no fool. He took Mii's warning very seriously.

Zero grinned mischievously, giving more reason for Bob to support his previous assumption. Zero was definitely up to something no good. The dragon didn't like it.

"You're right, Bob. I shouldn't be agonizing over some future that I can't change. I should be looking at a future that I can create. You're so smart! I know what I should be doing now, thank you. Also, please help me thank Mii too... she must have asked you to talk to me about this."

Zero's charming smile soothed Bob's heart but only for a moment. "Ma-master! What are you talking about? I came on my own accord... Mii didn't send me or anything of that sort!"

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Zero patted the mental projection on the head, his hand passing right through.

"Oops! I forgot that this isn't your real body. Don't worry, Bob. I appreciate how considerate both you and Mii are. I'm feeling much better now. Also, I'm not angry at Mii because of how she scolded me before. If anything, I'm happy that I have such a dependable friend by my side to tell me when I'm wrong. I don't want to forever remain an ignorant child in this world. I want to grow and become someone capable of righting the wrongs of my past self."

Bob blinked. "It's an honour to serve you, Master Zero. I'm sure if there is anyone capable of such a noble feat, it would be you. Since you've made up your mind, we shall not interfere. Do call for us should you require our assistance, I will take my leave now."

Zero watched as Bob disappeared. Somewhere from their connection, the brunet felt Bob's uneasiness. He sent his reassurance through their bond and only felt the troubled feelings increasing. Sighing, Zero shook his head. Sometimes his friends worried too much. They should learn to relax a little like Buddha and Zeus. Zero paused in the middle of his thoughts. Maybe not as relaxed as Zeus… They should think a little or they would be inconveniencing a lot of other people like how Hades is constantly cleaning up after Zeus. That's not a good thing to do.

Nodding to himself, Zero pulled out his communicator. There were a few people he had to talk to and he was hoped that they were interested in helping him out.

Baal wasn't expecting such a crowd. Even as a Demon Lord, it was unnerving to be in the presence of so many powerful figures. Whatever Zero planned behind his back had better not be a repeat of what happened at Half Moon village. There was no way he was going to agree to what the brunet wanted. Death was the most lenient and apt punishment for a traitor. There was no chance of sparing Schaf.

Hades and King Yama sat at one end of the table. Gabriel hadn't approached the God of Death or the King of Trials regarding Kerberos or Schaf. Yet, the two most important visitors were at the table. Merlin also graced everyone with his presence, surprising even Lucifer. In addition to the Gods who attended the meeting, Shittomi and Amon decided to attend despite not being directly involved in the case.

"Now that everyone is present, let us commence the meeting. I shall read out their crimes. Please hold your objections until all their crimes have been read out," Gabriel announced. Nobody spoke but there was a unanimous silent agreement.

"Kerberos, the Guardian of Hell's Gate has hereby committed the following offences. According to the inter-dimensional treaty signed between Heaven and Hell, Kerberos has committed a first offence crime against the abyss. He threatened to annihilate the stability of the abyss plane with his amassment of magic to turn back time. His sins and punishment will be dealt with accordance to the laws of Heaven seeing that he is the direct subordinate of Hades - the God of Death."

Gabriel continued to read out sections of the clause Kerberos had broken with his scheme. Zero almost yawned listening to the lengthy speech but tried his best to remain awake.

"The second offender is Schaf, Kerberos' accomplice. By aiding Kerberos to amass magic stones for the purpose of turning back time and threatening the abyss plane's stability, Schaf has committed first-class treason against the abyss plane. His punishment is decided by the verdict passed by at least three out of six, no seven, Demon Lords. The Demon Lords Lilith, Baal, Lucifer and Mammon have decided that Schaf will be escorted to the Purgatory to have his crimes weighed and judged accordingly. There shall be no parole for his crimes before the judgement."

Zero sat up straight and gave Enma a meaningful glance. Just the night before, Zero called Hades, Enma and even Merlin to let them in on his plans. As is luck was on his side, Gabriel hasn't contacted any of them. That gave Zero the advantage he needed to win them over to his plan.

It was a very simple plan. Hades would punish Kerberos briefly and let Kerberos guard Sleepy Cave for about a hundred years until Bob was strong enough to take over the duty. This meant that Hades could instil discipline in his dog while keeping an eye on the dangerous dimensional monster. Sleepy Cave was a hazard that needed to be watched. Hua Tuo had no concerns about having a three-headed dog act as a guard. Merlin thought it was a brilliant idea. Having a powerful guard there meant that Hua Tuo was free to travel more and Merlin could free the resources he used to guard the Cave for something else.

The second part of Zero's plan involved Enma and Buddha. The God of Enlightenment will offer Schaf an olive branch to make up for his sins when Enma is judging him for the sins he'd committed. It was a good cop and bad cop strategy like what Isis had suggested. Without any better options, Schaf would surely choose the path of repentance. To sweeten the deal, Zero asked if arrangements could be made for Schaf to return to Heaven's fields after he has repaid his sins. Hades agreed out of obligation much to Zero's delight.

All that was left was for the verdict to be passed after the meeting. Bob and Mii didn't know what to think about Zero's plan. It sounded frighteningly reasonable and for a moment they wondered if Zero came up with such a plan by himself.

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"Any objections?" Gabriel asked. He looked around and found that nobody looked too pleased or discontented. The Gods were wearing poker faces and the Demon Lords were expressionless. Even Zero looked completely neutral as if he was meditating.

"If there are no objections, the meeting will be concluded. Thank you for attending the meeting, the administrative team will prepare the necessary documents by tomorrow. Kerberos and Schaf will know about their sentences once the verdict is out."

The archangel bowed and excused himself but nobody else in the room moved. Once they were certain that Gabriel had left, Merlin broke into a proud smile. Enma gave Zero a look and nodded before giving the brunet a pat on his head before leaving. Hades bowed and apologised to the Demon Lords.

"I'm terribly sorry for all the trouble Kerberos has given you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make it up to you. It must have been difficult sustaining the plane with my dog causing trouble."

Lucifer was touched that a Great God would lower his head to apologise on behalf of his subordinate. "Please do not say such things, Hades. We are glad that you can finally be reunited with Kerberos. The fact that you've already decided to punish Kerberos strictly is enough for us. It was our fault for not getting to the bottom of the case sooner."

Merlin looked uncomfortable when Lucifer said that. For the wizard, it was very difficult to admit that Schaf was only able to get so far because he'd allowed laziness to get better of him. Hunting for a single document when he had an entire library to maintain was something that Merlin thought he could procrastinate on. He assumed that it had been misplaced and didn't bother to look further into it. If it weren't because of the Demon Lords' efficiency, Merlin would never have known that it was stolen. Zero raised his brow at Merlin but the Wizard God decided to look the other way. He couldn't bring himself to apologise and Zero's expectant stare was hurting him.

Eventually, the Wizard God gave up.

"I'm sorry about the stones too... that was my fault. There, I said it. Is that enough?" he snapped at Zero who beamed.

"Thank you, teacher! You're the best!"

Baal smirked in amusement as Zero praised Merlin for admitting to a mistake he made. Seriously, was there anything this brunet couldn't do? Then again, the King of Idleness was suspicious. Why wasn't Zero throwing a tantrum about Schaf's verdict? The goat demon was basically sentenced to death. Did the brunet give upon saving his life?

Seeing that the serious mood was over, Lucifer excused himself politely. Classes were still in session and as the headmaster, Lucifer had many things to attend to. Seeing that the host has left, Merlin made his hasty escape before Zero could demand more things from him. Hades also bade Zero goodbye after a while but not without promising that he would visit soon after Kerberos has settled down.

The five Demon Lords sat at the round table and looked at Zero. Baal knew where this was going and suggested that they returned to his castle. It was a good thing that Sekkin, Coux, Qin Yun and Amaraline were out on an errand. Wiser had returned to Half Moon village after the matter was resolved. It was difficult for the human to adjust to the climate in the abyss and Baal commended the good man for enduring thus far.

Zero followed the Demon Lords back to Baal's castle. It was a quiet journey but he didn't mind. There were many things on his mind after all.

Unable to hold back, Amon demanded to know why Zero wasn't worried about Schaf.

The brunet looked at the Demon Lord of Wrath. The Demon Lord had angry but curious red eyes and no hair at all. Two horns protruded from his forehead and the frown made him look very serious. Amon's big and muscular build made Zero wonder if he was actually a gentle giant on the inside but shook that thought off. There was not an ounce of gentleness in the Demon Lord's actions. Zero highly doubted Amon knew what mercy meant.

"It's not right for me to interfere with how Hell wants to punish their wrongdoers. I can't change the rules in Hell. However, I know that En is open to many options. He helped me pardon Truen's crimes and have him repay his remaining sins in a different way. As long as the repayment and the sins match, En isn't particular about how it is done. His blessing judgement does the exact thing."

Lilith caught the drift of what Zero was saying. "What's Schaf's repayment like?"

Zero smiled. "He will work his debt off in Nirvana to cleanse his soul of the demonic energy in him. While doing so, he will work for Buddha by doing what he does best in the administrative department. After his sins have been written off and his soul purified, he can return to the green pastures of heaven just as he wished for. Of course, En says that Schaf will have to go through the reincarnation cycle to get there. It is unfair for him to keep his memories."

Shittomi thought about it. "Wouldn't that be sad? He would have to work so hard for something he cannot even remember enjoying. It would be living a completely normal life as a normal sheep in heaven after he repaid his debts."

Zero smiled. "That's right. It would be unfair for him to remember what happened after all. All the suffering he went through shouldn't be part of his memories. In the first place, it was a mistake for him to be born in Hell. I'm just righting the wrongs. What he chooses to do after he has his rightful life is up to him."

Baal didn't know what to say. In a way, this was mercy. Yet, it felt cold and cruel. The past is what shaped people's characters. To forgo one's past and start on a blank slate is akin to not having lived at all. How was this better than death? Baal held his tongue. He knew better than to point it out. After all, Zero was an example of that cruel fate. With no memories to define who he was, Zero chose to walk a path forged completely on his own. Of course, Zero was luckier in a sense because he met great companions who supported him throughout. It wasn't the same for Schaf and Baal felt slightly apologetic towards the goat demon.

Zero noticed the odd expression on Baal's face but he respected his friend's privacy. He didn't think that doing such a thing to Schaf was fair. However, it was the only right thing to do as Mii pointed out. Everything in this world had to be balanced. If something was out of balance, the world could easily collapse. Still, there was a part in Zero that disagreed. Why did the world have to be balanced? Wasn't it fine to be diverse? Everyone may have been created by the same being called the Great One but look at just how different they turned out. It was the uniqueness that made life interesting. Zero didn't like the idea of Schaf becoming one of the hundred sheep that grazed in the green pastures of heaven. He would be just another sheep there instead of Schaf. It felt sad but Zero couldn't think of a better way to save Schaf. He might have saved his life but not necessarily his soul.

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During the time Zero took to fight with himself, Baal and the other Demon Lords have arrived at the castle. They shared a knowing look before alighting from the carriage. For many years, they could only dream of such a day. Slowly, their mission became more of a legend and less of a duty. Their memories about their respective Divine Entities were nothing more than just a vague dream. That was until Zero appeared in Baal's life.

Too deeply troubled by his thoughts, Zero didn't notice the intuition warning him about what was to happen until they entered Baal's study. By the time the brunet noticed where he was, the intuition was firing alarms in his head in every direction, screaming at him about the huge turning point in his life. Both Mii and Bob were already trying to break through the mental barrier separating Zero and them. The brunet looked at the Demon Lords before him and wondered what was going on.

"Zero," Baal called his name with a seriousness that the brunet didn't think he was capable of. "We need to talk."

A heavy feeling sank in Zero's stomach. He felt like he'd swallowed the asteroid that sent him plummeting into Sedna's planet. It was unpleasant. Yet something told Zero that he couldn't run away.

What a dilemma!

Ball of Nothing

"We need to talk."

That line just screamed of so many terrible clichés that Lilith cringed. She just couldn't view Baal and Zero as ordinary friends despite Baal's claims. He was way too obsessed with the brunet and fussed over everything.

Zero raised a brow. "Ok."

The succubus slapped a palm over her face. What's with this comical reaction? Mammon coughed beside her while Amon and Shittomi were left to wonder what that was about.

"Not that kind of talk," Baal clarified. "It's something serious about you and us."

Amon coughed and blushed lightly. Shittomi's eyes sparkled with interest but the joke flew over Zero's head. Baal didn't seem to realise just how he'd phrased his words because he continued without caring about the other Demon Lords present.

"Remember how I told you that I was a fragment of the Divine Entity Duu?"

Zero nodded.

"I'm not the only one who is a fragment of a Divine Entity. I'm not going to do the introductions so you guys should do it. Zero doesn't know the two of you so it's best to give him a summary about yourself."

Shittomi smiled at Zero and shook his hand while she introduced herself.

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"I'm Shittomi, Demon Queen of Envy, the Winter Queen and also a Fragment of the Divine Entity of Jealousy - Jevy."

Zero couldn't help but notice how cold her hands were. According to one of Mii's lectures, there were six Divine Entities that represented Great One's darkness and six Divine Entities that represented Great One's light. Zero knew bits and pieces about it after recovering a portion of his memories from the Great Gods. Zero knew that whatever memories Baal and the other Demon Lords had would probably end up altering his perspective about the world. No wonder Baal wanted to talk.

"Nice to meet you, Shittomi..."

Amon introduced himself next and clapped Zero on the back with a hearty laugh. Zero stumbled forward at the force and was glad that he knew healing magic. It didn't hurt him much but there was definitely a bruise forming on his fragile human body.

"I'm Amon! The Demon Lord of Wrath and a fragment of the Divine Entity of Anger - Venn. If you happen to see the bastard Kale or any of his spawns, please let me know. Venn and I have a score to settle with them."

Zero laughed nervously when Amon flexed. There was no way he would involve himself in Amon's feud. It sounded too troublesome and for a moment, Zero could understand why Baal was always so impassive towards everything.

"I think there is no need to introduce myself," Mammon spoke up. "I'm the fragment of Divine Entity Gugu, the true master of Greed."

Baal nodded after the curt introduction. He was about to continue but caught on when Zero's expectant eyes landed on Lilith.

"Sorry kid, I'm not anything special like them. Think of me as a security measure. Baal said that the five of you will be vulnerable to attacks during the ritual."

"Thank you," Zero beamed and Lilith held her nose to prevent a nosebleed. The kid was too cute for his own good!

"Right," Baal deadpanned and continued as if Lilith wasn't there. "This is the most important part. Zero, the decision is yours to make. While we hold the memories of the Divine Entities we were created after, we cannot impart our powers to you. You would have to find them and have them return to you physically. However, it doesn't change the fact that you might be mentally scarred. It will be impossible to look at the world in the same light as before. I'm sure you understand what I mean."

The brunet weighed his choices carefully. He knew that it was his mission to recover his memories. The option was right before his eyes, handed to him on a silver platter. To not grasp this opportunity would be a waste. Then again, Zero didn't want to have to put his current phase of life behind him. What Baal said was too true. He knew exactly how that felt like.

Before knowing the truth about his existence from the Great Gods, Zero was both fascinated and afraid of the world. He loved everything about the world. There was nothing bad or good about it, he embraced everything and accepted it for what it was. Every creation was beautiful no matter how flawed it really was.

However, after receiving the memories, Zero couldn't see it in the same manner anymore. The colours in his vision dulled. Zero knew instantly what good and bad was. He was able to discern things that were beautiful and ugly. That wasn't the case before. It made the brunet feel terrible that he could no longer appreciate the uniqueness of every creation. Along with his mental transformation, he grew physically. Strangely, the body that Gaia and the Great Gods created for him wasn't meant to grow. The fact that it did meant that Zero had become closer to becoming something that belonged to this world.

"Zero?"

The brunet looked into Baal's eyes. There was both fear and hesitation reflected in them. Baal didn't rush Zero for a decision. Instead, he held his hands, giving Zero the reassurance he needed. The Demon Lord's silent support was the last factor to help Zero make up his mind. Even if the whole world turned against him because of what he became, Zero knew that Baal would always be on his side.

"I'll do it," he told the Demon Lords. Shittomi smiled and Amon grinned. Mammon didn't seem to care either way but Baal looked slightly worried.

"You'll scold me again if I start doing the wrong thing, won't you?" he asked.

The Demon Lord of Idleness looked into Zero's hazel eyes. Time slowed down for the both of them, their eyes reflecting every doubt, fear and trust they had for each other. Lilith watched the two boys communicate without words and thought that it looked beautiful. They came to a consensus when Baal turned away, defeated. Zero's eyes shone brightly but not in victory.

"You owe me one," was all Baal told Zero before he got into position with the other Demon Lords to link arms and form a circle around Zero.

Lilith checked the area before giving them the green light to proceed with the ritual. It didn't take long for them to settle into silence. The succubus pouted. There was no chanting, no magic pulses of powerful energy, there was nothing at all.

Still, a ritual was a ritual. With nothing better to do while watching over the five individuals, Lilith decided to steal a book from Baal's bookshelf and made herself comfortable on his underutilised chair. Who knew how long the process would take?

Zero was back in a very familiar place. He felt much lighter than he ever remembered. The feeling of being in nothing was extremely liberating although the lack of sensations bothered him a little.

One by one, they materialised but not in the form Zero was familiar with. He only remembered seeing the familiar lights from his earlier memories.

The Red Light radiated warmly and flared brilliantly. Beside it, the Blue Light flickered gradually into existence, not willing to burn as brightly as its Red counterpart. Then, the Green Light appeared. It was twice as big as the Blue Light. Zero knew at once what he was looking at.

[You have met the requirements to unlock the basic quests. Would you like to view the memories for the Divine Entities Gugu, Venn, Jevy and Duu now?]

Zero stared at the screen. It has been a while since he'd seen a message prompt by the Mind's Eye system. He was so used to having Mii do all the talking that he forgot the strawcherry fairy was only an extension of the system created by his past self.

"Yes, please."

Mind's Eye registered his answer and processed it quickly. As expected, Zero found himself growing sleepier by the moment and didn't fight with the feeling.

When Zero opened his eyes, he was greeted by the stench of metal and something pungent. It wasn't very bright around him but Zero saw many bodies lying around him. It appeared that Venn's memories were about war.

"Give it up!" the Divine Entity shouted from the bottom of the cliff to the figure standing on top of the cliff.

The figure standing proudly at the top didn't smile. If anything, his eyes narrowed in displeasure. "You will never win, Venn. Compared to me, you are weak. You and your kind will perish before me. The Great One is no more, this world is doomed."

Zero saw the Sabre Tooth growl menacingly. He didn't know what was going on but he felt Venn's anger coursing through him. It burned and the bitter hatred was like acid on his skin, eating away at the flesh, leaving only agony behind.

The figure on top of the cliff dived and swooped down with enormous wings. The shadow of his wings covered Venn's army and a terrifying shriek from the bird-like warrior killed most of Venn's men. The Divine Entity wasn't unscathed from the sound attack either. However, he leapt into the sky using his powerful legs to propel him and caught onto the enemy, sending them spiralling towards the hard ground.

The battle was bloody with Venn's rage overpowering Zero's sense of self. Venn wasn't in good condition. The archers from above the cliff started shooting and Venn was heavily injured towards the end. The enemy gazed at Venn coldly as he bled out, dying. Zero shuddered at the intensity of Venn's feelings at that point of time. Even when sharp talons ripped into his throat, Venn's feelings didn't dissipate. The lingering sense of hate left a foul aftertaste in Zero's mouth and the memory faded away, replaced by the next.

Zero wasn't too surprised to see Venn destroying things in the next memory. The Divine Entity tore through anything he could get his paws on. He was in such frenzy that he didn't notice a small cat coming into his room.

The brunet grimaced as Venn's sharp claws swiped across the cat's face, drawing blood. Her distressed cries made Venn halt but it was already too late. The damage couldn't be undone.

"Doctor, get the doctor!" he yelled at some nearby servants but the small cat continued to bleed.

"I'm so sorry, daughter of mine... I'm sorry..."

It was at this point that Zero understood what Venn wanted to show him. There were many kinds of anger. The brunet wondered what his past self's reason for anger was. There had to be a strong reason in order for a Divine Entity to be created. He understood Nel's existence. The Great One's regret created Nel in hopes that she would right his wrongs. What did Great One desire when he created Venn?

[Special Quest requirements met. Would you like to accept Hidden Quest: Venn's Regret? Rewards: Venn's Divine Soul.]

Zero blinked. It wasn't what he was expecting. Why would he want Venn's soul? Then again, didn't he possess three Divine Souls already? The tri-coloured petals from the sisters Murvin, Law and Isaben were sitting in his inventory.

"Yes," Zero accepted the Quest and saw it being added to his quest window.

He didn't want to read the extra information provided just yet. He'd do it after his training. With that, he went on to view the next memory.

This time, it was Duu's memory. Nothing seemed different when Zero compared it to Baal. In fact, if he didn't know better, he would have thought he was viewing Baal's memory despite the change in environment. Duu decided to take a nap and only woke up to walk a little.

For the first thousand years, Duu slept. He only woke up when there was an uncharacteristic cold surrounding the Divine Entity. Duu woke up in the middle of the ocean but as expected, he returned to sleep quickly. The next time Duu woke up, Zero raised a brow. There were life forms around him and Zero was amused. Duu was now a rock that the early civilisations worshipped. This time, Duu remained awake to observe the creatures go about their daily lives. He remained awake for over a hundred years and Zero wondered what was so interesting about watching mundane things.

One by one, the civilisation died and Duu was left all alone again. This time, instead of going back to sleep, Duu decided to venture from his spot. Zero nodded and agreed with Duu's choice. He'd definitely slept enough. However, to Duu's horror, he couldn't move from his spot. Zero didn't know if he should laugh or cry at Duu's predicament. Then, Duu decided to create Baal in hopes that the Demon Lord would help free him. Zero wanted to smack Baal in the memory when he ditched the Divine Entity to 'search' for their master. Of course, Baal never returned and without any spare energy, Duu was stuck at where he was.

[Special Quest requirements met. Would you like to accept Hidden Quest: Retrieving Duu? Rewards: Duu's Divine Soul.]

Zero didn't even need to think twice before accepting. He would smack Baal at least once when this is over. This was selfishness at the highest level. Zero couldn't imagine how angry he would be if someone he trusted left him in a ditch even if they could've helped without much effort.

The next memory was nothing as dramatic as the first or frustrating as the second. However, it was slightly confusing. The Green Light split into two Divine Entities and even though they were born from the same source, they differed greatly.

The first thing Gugu did in the memory was to claim the biggest planet in existence as well as everything within his reach. That got him tangled in a dispute with Venn who'd already claimed a planet as his territory.

While Gugu was busy fighting with Venn over territory, Jevy went around collecting things she liked. At first, it was small things like flowers, animals and various bodies she fancied. However, it gradually became worse and the Divine Entity committed crimes to pursue true beauty.

It wasn't uncommon for things to go missing and nine out of ten times a God or Goddess was missing something, Jevy was behind it. To make matters worse, Jevy discarded what she didn't like in random places, causing huge misunderstandings.

One Goddesses' necklace would end up in the bedroom of another God and the ring of a certain God would end up in the cave of a certain sylph. Zero groaned when he saw how both wars escalated. Eventually, it became big enough to have several planets destroyed in the process, including the first Earth.

Gugu just couldn't get enough material possessions and Jevy couldn't get enough pretty things. Their hoarding posed a separate issue with so many things lying all over. Zero watched in horror at the number of things the two Divine Entities amassed over time. They had hideouts in almost every plane, dimension and planet. It was amazing in a way how they always knew what they had and where they kept it. At the same time, it was disturbing to know that Gugu kept the cursed crown that many have died to craft and wear while Jevy kept the preserved toe of a mermaid who had the most beautiful pair of feet.

[Special Quest requirements met. Would you like to accept Hidden Quest: Retail Therapy? Rewards: Gugu Jevy's Divine Soul.]

Zero felt a headache coming up. That wasn't what he was expecting. The other hidden quests were about helping the Divine Entities. How was shopping going to aid the two Divine Entities most obsessed with collecting things?

He glared at the screen but accepted the quest anyway. He would think about it when the time came. For now, Zero was just happy that he viewed the memories without a hitch. Nothing much has changed for Zero and he relaxed a little.

[Warning: System will undergo an upgrade to incorporate the memories of the four new Divine Entities.]

Zero didn't have much time to react before he was sent back to the void. His connection with Mii and the Demon Lords was severed. Zero blinked in the darkness, unsure of what to do.

Sighing, the brunet decided to digest all the information. Many things have happened since he woke up and he doesn't know what he should be doing at this point. While Mii was his voice of reason who constantly pointed him into the right direction ever since her upgrade, Zero felt that their perspectives have been differing greatly lately.

Schaf shouldn't have to suffer. Zero didn't think Schaf was right but he also didn't think Schaf deserved what was happening. Kerberos did deserve what was coming for him though. Just like Zero, he needed a harsh scolding and lesson to understand where he'd gone wrong. In comparison, Zero thinks that Mii and Baal had gone easy on him with the scolding.

"What should I do?" he sighed.

[System has completed the upgrade. New functions exist. Please check them in your system log.]

Eager, Zero called for the status window and raised his brow at the first change he saw.

"Inheritor of Sins? What an odd title."

[Inheritor of Sins]

Effect: Allows the title holder to absorb all sins and convert them to a form of consumable power

Zero blinked. He read it three more times before a devious smirk appeared. Whatever this title was, it came at a great timing.

"I guess it's time to call Buddha again. System, can this title convert sins into energy?"

[Affirmative.]

"How many times can I use this? Is this a one-time use or something that can be used repeatedly at no cost at all?"

The system took a while before replying Zero.

[The Title's effect is bound by both verbal and written contract between the title holder and contract holder. The contract remains active until it is considered null and void by either party.]

Zero thought for a while. He smiled to himself. Yes, this would be a much better plan. Nobody should have any qualms about it if the arrangement benefitted all parties.

Just as he was about to rejoice, Zero paled.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid Gugu's memories and Duu's attitude are affecting me already. How terrible!"

The system didn't reply or offer consolation while Zero fought with himself. That was the exact state the Demon Lords found Zero in when they returned to the abyss.

"No, I can't. That's a terrible thing to think!"

"Yes, I can. It's not only effective, but it's also the most lucrative option. I should choose this."

"But it's embarrassing!"

"It'll only be embarrassing the first time, the more reason to get over with it."

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Baal looked at the other Demon Lords with a hint of worry in his eyes. Did accepting four sets of memory finally break Zero?

"Hahaha! Yes, I'm a genius! Mhmm, this will definitely work out. I'm sure of it!"

"No way! What if they hate me? They already hate me for thinking of such a shameless idea... what should I do?"

Zero continued to ignore everyone as he spoke to himself making various expressions. Baal whipped out his communicator.

"Hello, is this Truen? Yes. Remember I told you that there might be some complications if we let him view the memories? Yes. About that... I think we broke Zero..."

In a hurry, Truen and Merlin left the library. The books were quickly forgotten and Freya took the liberty of calling for Hades and Buddha to follow after them. Normally, the Gods didn't deal with the rulers of Hell directly. However, after learning that Zero befriended one they became more acquainted with them. It was also Buddha who pointed out that there were four divine entity fragments among the rulers. The Sage God of Enlightenment warned them of such possibilities but Truen didn't think it would be this soon. It hadn't even been five minutes!

Freya cursed the existence of Isis's domain. Couldn't time be consistent in every dimension? Thankfully, it wasn't her who had to make the trip again. Merlin and Hades who'd only returned from the meeting groaned at the thought of returning so soon. Then again, nobody complained.

Truen was both frightened and anxious after hearing from Baal. The Demon Lord was so vague that the wood elf began to think of the worst. What if Zero had completely lost his mind? What if Zero's heart is so scarred that he'd walk down the path of no return? What if Zero became a bloodthirsty person who wanted nothing more than to claim the lives of every soul he once created?

Sensing his student's thoughts running amok, Merlin placed a hand on the wood elf's shoulder. "He'll be alright."

Truen didn't dare think about the other less desirable possibilities. Zero will be alright, he had to be.

Baal didn't know what to do. Lilith who was known to be the best at charming people and influencing feelings had exhausted every trick in her book. Yet, Zero was all over the place with his personality suffering the backlash from inheriting four sets of memories. Baal regretted it. Perhaps, it would have been better to let Zero inherit them one at a time. Then again, the Demon Lord wasn't confident enough to let Zero do so. If Zero became tainted by one set of memory, he would gradually lose the kindness that Baal liked. Inheriting the other three after that would only erase all traces of Zero's initial personality.

"Do you think he should see a doctor?" Amon whispered to Shittomi who blinked at the sight before her. She knew her fair share of lunatics. It came with the job title. She dealt with deranged people who lost their rationality on a daily basis and fed on their emotions that contributed to her empire's strength. However, this was a completely different kind of crazy and Shittomi didn't know if it was safe enough to approach Zero. So far, he didn't show any signs of becoming violent. Shittomi wasn't a fool. She knew what Zero was capable of.

Mammon decided that the wisest thing to do was to fuse to the wall furthest from Zero. The brunet was scaring him very badly. As an all-powerful Demon Lord, there were very few things that could make him feel fear. It wasn't meant to be in their dictionaries. His eyes darted to Lilith from underneath the hood and to Baal. Both his friends were wary of Zero and Mammon felt his stomach churn. Of the six existing Demon Lords, excluding the new Lord of Gluttony, Mammon was considered the weakest. Although he had the largest territory, Mammon was known for winning his battles with his wits more than his fists.

"Zero," Baal tried again. "Would you like to eat something or sit down? We can read books of your choice. I could tell you stories too."

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If he didn't have Zero under control before Truen's company came, he didn't want to think of the consequences. Baal thought back and shook his head. No, it would be fine. After all, it was Buddha who suggested doing the ritual all at once to minimise the damage. They only executed the plan. yes, Buddha was going to be responsible.

"Stories? I love stories! Did you know, I have so many interesting things to tell. I saw this beautiful large cat with dark blue fur and yellow eyes... he was so sad! Also also... there was a very small man with red skin! He had the strangest face with slanted eyes that went like this..." Zero pulled at the side of his eyes making them slant upwards in a thin line.

"His eyes were red too! He had black hair like yours and a terrible habit of taking other people's things for himself. How weird!"

Baal nodded numbly as Zero rambled, alternating between his hyperactive babbles and the depressed self-loathing monologues.

Thankfully, none of the Demon Lords had to deal with Zero's craziness for any longer. A warp gate opened and three powerful individuals stepped in.

A wood elf with bronze skin scanned the room briefly. His forest green eyes landed on the batshit insane brunet and softened with affection. It had been far too long since he last saw Zero. Thanks to his strict style of training, it felt as if this was the first time he was seeing his friend and master in years. It didn't escape the elf's sharp eyes how Zero had grown. Physically, he was taller and there was no doubt that it had something to do with Zero's mental growth. This phenomenon wasn't something that Gaia could explain. The Great Gods were not responsible for Zero's physical change. In fact, now that Truen had the ability, he was able to see many different kinds of magical particles gathering around Zero. They clashed against each other rapidly and created a huge repelling force. Being the weakest person in the room, Truen felt the pressure crushing him. He didn't know if the Demon Lords were able to sense it but there was no doubt that this was what was causing Zero to be 'weird'.

"Magic discrepancy? How peculiar..." Merlin mused.

"What's that?" Lilith asked. The succubus wasn't expecting to meet Hades and Merlin so soon but it was a good thing that Merlin was here.

"Magic discrepancy is a condition when the gathered mana creates discord in the magician's chakra. Most cases of magic discrepancy occur when performing a taboo magic ritual. Chaos magic is raw mana from the void. Generally, mana from the void isn't something most magicians can use. Even as the Sage God of Magic, mana from the void is the one thing that's still a whole sea of unknown to me. The person who knows the most about chaos energy is Buddha. His domain of enlightenment allows him to conquer the complex mana and purify it for his own use. Even so, he can only process a tiny bit of whatever raw mana there is in the void. Gods have fallen after trying to gain more power by tapping into the void's power. The same thing is happening to Zero right now."

Baal paled. If Zero wasn't a being from the void, would he have lost his best friend? The realisation that he could have killed Zero made Baal feel sick. Excusing himself, the Demon Lord rushed to the bathroom before he emptied the contents of his stomach onto the floor.

Lilith felt her mouth go dry. She knew what chaos energy was. In the abyss hanging just above the void, sometimes random gates will open. Demons who get too close to it will turn berserk and kill anything it finds until it finally explodes from not being able to handle all the excess mana in its body. It becomes the Demon Lord's job to close off the area to prevent more casualties. Demon Lords can only resist chaos mana for a short amount of time. If anything had gone wrong during the ritual, Lilith wouldn't have only lost the brunet her child had sworn allegiance to but two of her friends as well.

Merlin noticed the horrified expressions on the Demon Lords left in the room and sighed. He then turned to Hades who nodded. The God of Death walked over to Zero and tapped the boy lightly on his head before Zero's eyes slowly closed.

Nobody moved a muscle when Hades extracted something from Zero's body. There was no mistaking that dark mass of power. Truen felt the orb call to him and walked over in a trance until he was restrained by Merlin's magic. Similarly, Amon, Mammon and Shittomi who were left in the room had to hold onto their rationality at the sight of that orb. They resisted the impulse to jump towards it, well aware of what would happen if they did that.

"I'll be taking care of him for a while. I'm leaving his body to you, Merlin."

The wizard bowed as Hades took his leave. The moment Hades left, the Demon Lords allowed themselves to relax and Truen was freed from Merlin's magic. The wood elf took a while to regain his senses and when he did, he gave his teacher a panicked look.

"Don't worry. Unlike us, the Great Gods can resist the pull of Zero's soul. Right now, his soul is unstable. In order to counter the imbalance in him, Zero is looking to devour those he holds close."

Truen shivered after hearing that. The Demon Lords looked ill with unease at that revelation.

"What would have happened if we gave in to the impulse?" Shittomi asked.

Merlin didn't answer immediately. His eyes were hard.

"You would have returned to the void and become a part of Zero."

Nobody spoke, too horrified by the truth. Merlin had Truen carry Zero's body and decided that he would be staying in Hell for a while. Taking some time off Truen's studies might be good for both of them too.

Buddha wasn't too surprised when Hades showed up in his domain flaunting his superior aura. The God of Death must be livid if he didn't bother suppressing his aura like usual. Many of Buddha's weaker disciples fainted when Hades got close, overwhelmed by the power difference and the crushing magical pressure.

"Hades," he greeted calmly. The God of Death didn't speak. Buddha knew what he wanted.

"Follow me," he told Hades who followed after silently. Truth be told, Buddha was slightly afraid of Hades who had become so silent. Although the God of Death was a generally good-natured fellow, Buddha knew that the Great God had a ruthless side to him. The title he held wasn't a coincidence. Buddha wasn't fooled into thinking that Hades couldn't reap his soul if he really wanted to. The Sage God was walking on thin ice at the moment.

He led them through the maze of beautifully built temples. Nirvana was a mysterious place for many. It was said that if one could be lost in it forever if they weren't enlightened enough. While it was a peaceful place, it could also be one full of suffering worse than the abyss. Nirvana is one place that practices living without emotions. Buddha was the first to chance upon the void and decided to research more into what lies within the mysterious space. The power of enlightenment allowed him to know some of the greatest secrets of their multiverse. After becoming a Sage God, Buddha never stopped trying to find answers. However, the mystery of the void was neverending. He didn't know how the void worked but he knew how to enter and leave the first few levels of the void. That alone is enough reason for Hades to seek the sly Sage God out.

Buddha led them through a misty bamboo grove to a lotus pond in a clearing. It was bright but there was no sun. In fact, time didn't seem to exist in this place. No matter how many times Hades visited Nirvana, he was always confused by how things worked here.

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At the end of a very long stone walk path, there was a beautiful white pavilion. The surface of the water was still. The weather was cooling even though there was no breeze. It didn't make one shiver in cold but it wasn't comforting either. Hades sat down on the hard stone bench, motioning for Hades to do the same. The pavilion was constructed in an octagon shape like all of Buddha's other Pagodas.

"Can you hold onto Zero's soul while I balance out the disruptive flow of energy?"

The God of Death allowed Zero's soul to float to the middle of the pavilion before holding it there with his magic. Buddha wasted no time and got to work immediately. The dark mass of energy spiralled when Buddha tried to reach out to it with his mind and struck back at the Sage God.

Buddha threw up a scripture shield just in time and the attack disintegrated it. After catching a glimpse of his hardship ahead, Buddha felt cold sweat forming at the back of his neck. It has been many centuries since he last did something so dangerous. The last time he attempted to break-through to the middle-levels of the void, he suffered a terrible injury that he spent half a century recovering from. He wasn't confident that he would be able to stabilise the state of Zero's soul but the look in Hades' hollow eyes told him that he didn't have a choice.

Gritting his teeth, Buddha tried again.

Floating. It felt like he was floating without anything to hold onto. The feeling of suspending and not moving felt all too familiar to Zero.

"Why am I here again?" he asked. There was no way to tell what he was looking at or where he was facing. Zero had never hated the void as much as he did right now. He wanted to go back, there was so much to ask Baal. He finally had a decent plan to save Schaf too!

"We meet at last," a voice that sounded exactly like his startled Zero. That was most definitely Zero's imagination. The brunet frowned in suspicion. Was this a dream or a trick?

"It is neither," the voice spoke again and Zero jumped. he didn't have time to ask questions because a bright light appeared and blinded him. Zero was reminded about the newbie God who disturbed his nap.

"I'm not that newbie God," the being huffed. Zero blinked at the person before him. Too shocked to speak, he could only gape.

"Hello Zero, we finally meet. I'm sure you've heard some things about me from various sources and I apologise for not being able to meet you any earlier. I'm Solo but the others may have called me the Great One."

Zero stared at a boy who looked exactly like him. Also, did he just say that his name was Solo? Wasn't his name Great One?

Solo grinned as if reading Zero's thoughts. "Well, it's not as if your name is Nothing, right? That would be terribly awkward for introductions. Imagine having to introduce yourself... Hi! I'm Nothing, nice to meet you!"

Zero thought about it and cringed. Solo was right. Names were important.

"So... you're Great One?"

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Solo beamed. "That's right! Are you surprised?"

Zero shrugged. "Not really. It's just really weird to be talking to you like this. You're me and you don't exist?"

"How rude!" Solo huffed. There was a pink tinge on his cheeks as Solo simmered in mild anger at the indignation. Zero silently thought that Solo was adorable when he was annoyed and giggled.

Solo raised a brow. "You know, this is exactly how you look like when you're annoyed too..."

Zero gasped offendedly. "I do not!"

Instead of arguing with Zero, Solo looked smug. "Keep telling yourself that."

Zero couldn't think of a timely retorted when Solo snapped his fingers. Zero yelped and clung onto Solo tightly when they started falling at a speed comparable to the asteroid he once hitch-hiked on. Solo only laughed at Zero's terrified expression. They landed with a loud crash but nobody came to check out the commotion. It wasn't too surprising seeing that nobody lived within a hundred-mile radius from their landing spot.

Solo let the dust settle with Zero swatted at the particles with his hand.

"Where are we? Also, why are you here? What's going on?"

Solo held Zero's hand and dragged him along. "Come! I'll show you how everything started."

"Wait! You're not answering my questions!" Zero shouted as Solo started hurtling them forward using acceleration magic.

"Check this out! Isn't it beautiful? This is the very first sea that I created. Sedna was born here. Oh, there it is!"

Zero squinted into the horizon. For a moment, there was nothing and everything seemed normal. The waves crashed against the sandy beach like it should and Zero thought that Solo was fooling around again when the sea began to move.

Zero watched in sick fascination as the waves became more violent. It roared and grew to monstrous heights. By the time it reached the shore, the waves were five times as tall as Zero and Solo. Zero screamed when the water pushed him backwards and pulled him under. Although he didn't need to breathe, the sudden action made him panic. Solo calmly swam over and teleported them to the middle of the sea, hovering just below the clouds.

Zero calmed his mind and watched as the ripples grew in size. Something was coming from beneath the sea and whatever it was, it was huge.

From beneath the water, Zero saw some huge pointed corals breaking the surface. The creature moved slowly but when it stopped, Zero's eyes were wide in amazement. Corals and seaweed decorated her hair. Sedna was huge...she was almost as huge as the cliff he first fell from when he met her.

Solo's eyes shone with excitement when Sedna let out a blood-stopping shriek. Zero shuddered. That scream spoke of anguish and anger. he didn't think Sedna would have such a scary side to her because she'd always been caring.

Zero watched as Sedna raised a large arm and sent a wave twice as tall as her crashing onto the shore. Whatever that used to be a beach was buried beneath the water. Sedna's eyes glowed white and the Goddess continued her destruction, swallowing whatever land she saw.

From the aerial view, Zero noticed the water getting closer to the civilisation further inland. The villagers continued with their daily lives, unaware about the approaching disaster until it was too late. Screams of terror were literally drowned and Zero wanted to go down to save them at once. Solo's grip was too tight and Zero glared at his past self.

"Let go! I have to save them!"

Solo didn't give in, his grip tightened. "No. You can't change it anyway, this is only a memory. Watch. Sedna's about to do it..."

Zero turned around and saw how Sedna hissed at a small figure floating in the air like them. Compared to Sedna, she was tiny. Upon closer inspection, Zero noticed how it wasn't one tiny figure but two!

Sedna howled and tried to attack them but the two figures repelled it.

"You have suffered," the first girl Zero spotted said. "Go to sleep for a while, you'll feel better after you wake up."

With just one touch from her, Sedna fell back into the water. Zero couldn't believe it. What was going on?

"Is it over?" the second girl asked.

"Yes, Rose. It's over. Where is Zesti? We should send her back."

"Teehee! I'm here!" a third girl appeared in a flash of golden light. "Did you miss me"

"Stop fooling around Zesti... we still have work to do."

Zesti was a small girl of about five years old. She had brilliant golden hair, blue eyes and a wide smile. Zero liked her immediately.

"Aww... you're no fun, Clow. Fine, let's save her from her suffering. Man, I wish the Great One could have given us easier jobs."

Clow the serious girl frowned. "Don't say that. Without the Great Gods, the humans will run out of control and the balance of this world will be destroyed. We can't have the Great Gods falling victims to the void."

Zero only became more confused. What was going on? Still, Solo didn't say anything so Zero could only observe in silence as the three girls cast some magic on Sedna and sent the sea back to where it should be. Sadly, they didn't do much to restore the destroyed landscape or village.

"That was Zesti, Clow and Rose. They are Divine Entities that you will meet eventually. I'm sure you have many questions so let's start from the beginning. Why did I create Divine Entities and the Great Gods?"

Zero nodded. He too wanted to know why his past self decided to do all these only to fall asleep and lose his memories.

"I'd like to make a correction," Solo cleared his throat. "I didn't lose my memories. I sealed them away along with the Divine Entities."

"What?"

Solo laughed. "Oh well, it's something you'll have to find out once you have met all the Divine Entities. Long story short, the Great Gods maintain the balance and watch over the cycle of the world I created. The Divine Entities help to keep the Great Gods on the right path."

Zero nodded. "Huh... I don't understand it but I guess I can see why. Sedna looked so sad. It was painful to watch."

Solo sighed."Well, it doesn't happen often but once in a very long time the Great Gods will erase their memories and live as a human. They leave their domain to someone else to manage while they live as humans. Unfortunately, humans are not the kindest creatures to exist. Gods were created to bear the sufferings of those who believe in them. They were created to be kind but there is only so much pain anyone can carry. When that happens, they grow insane. Divine Entities must step in to take away their pain. They absorb those feelings into the void and guard it."

With a better explanation, Zero began to understand a few things. the title Inheritor of Sins must have been no coincidence either.

"Yes, that's right. That is a title given to all Divine Entities but I thought you might need it too. Being kind is not a flaw, don't get me wrong. However, there will be times where kindness can turn to become a weakness that people will make use of. Pain is something that can drive anyone insane. Once a person has gone through too much pain, they change permanently."

"Did that happen to you?" Zero asked. Solo fell silent and smiled mysteriously.

"No comment. You don't need to know that for now. However, I didn't call you here just to show you flashbacks of my past or idle chit-chats. My time here is limited. Isis' power can only support a time paradox for so long."

Zero wasn't expecting to be flicked on his forehead and stumbled backwards in alarm.

"Take time to think about it. You know, although this is a world that I created it also belongs to you. You have every right to do what you want with it. Don't worry about what people would think too much. If you fail, we can always restart the game."

"Game?"

"Oops! I spent too much time. I must get going now. Remember, think about it! Nothing here is permanent. Not time, not the Gods, not friends nor feelings. It's only real if you want it to be!"

"What's that supposed to mean? Solo!" Zero yelled but he felt the pull grabbing onto him, separating them. He had so many questions but Solo was already too far away. Zero wanted to cry. The question was at the tip of his tongue but he couldn't bring himself to ask it.

"Will I ever see you again?" was what Zero wanted to ask. Solo only smiled as Zero left. He couldn't answer that despite knowing Zero's thoughts.

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Once Zero was finally out of the picture, Solo turned back to the destruction. His serene expression changed to one full of hate as he looked down on the humans scurrying around. With a wave of his hand, Sedna was retrieved safely. Zesti, Rose and Clow made their getaway immediately, not wanting to be caught up in the mess.

With nothing left to stop him, Solo ripped the planet's core out and reabsorbed it back into the void. Without the core holding it together, the planet began to crumble. Volcanoes erupted, animals grew berserk. The ground shook and cracked, swallowing everything that failed to escape.

Without looking back, Solo left the planet. He didn't regret anything. Other than the Divine Entities and the Great Gods, everything else was trash to him. An adventure? A beautiful place? They didn't exist. He would rather be bored all his life than have to deal with this never-ending war.

Solo sighed, hating the decisions he made. If only he didn't create humans. Yes, that's right. It all started with the humans that he was once so proud of. Who knew that his best creations would end up trying to kill him? It was his mistake. He shouldn't have wanted a companion that was capable of entertaining him and matching his level of intelligence.

However, it was too late. Isis would soon fall and it was up to Zero to clean up the mess he created.

"Pinch his nose. I think it will wake him up."

There was a smacking sound in the background. "You idiot! What if he dies?"

The first voice huffed. Zero knew that there would be a lot of eye-rolling. "He can't die. He's our almighty master."

The strawcherry fairy made a strange noise and Zero heard Bob yelping in pain.

"Why you puny thing- That hurt!"

Mii snorted. "For a dragon, you're quite weak. How does the dropkick from a puny fairy feel like?"

Bob growled and Zero decided that it was about time he stopped pretending to be asleep.

"What are you guys fighting about again?" he moaned as the light stabbed his eyes. He wasn't unfamiliar with the place. In fact, he visited it very often. What Zero didn't understand was why he wasn't waking up physically.

Mii and Bob stopped their squabbling immediately.

"Zero! You're alive!"

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"Master! You're finally awake... we were worried when you didn't respond to us..."

Zero stared at them dazedly and Mii decided to give the brunet more time to recollect his memories. With so many changes going on in Zero's inner world and outer world, it wasn't surprising that Zero would be so confused.

Zero took a little while to reorganise his memories and when he finished processing everything, he turned to Mii with shock reflected in his eyes.

"Solo..."

The strawcherry fairy sighed. Bob only looked between his master and comrade with a curious expression.

"That's not a dream. I don't know what he decided to show you but it was real. However, you should remember that whatever he showed you wouldn't be your reality. The Great One left it to you to finish the story he started. On the other hand, the mana discrepancy is something very real that you need to worry about. Buddha is working his butt off trying to stabilise your condition. Bob and I are doing our best to keep the different energies as far as possible from each other but you need to be the one to sort them out."

Zero blinked and took a look at the newest addition to their mental space. Usually, it resembled the lamp that Zeus had given him. Both Mii and Bob usually spent their time here when Zero was asleep or meditating. Today, Zero noticed that there were four different coloured mist clouds. Each mist cloud was sealed in a container and placed at the furthest corner of the room. Zero looked at the mist clouds and raised a brow. They looked familiar.

"The blue one feels like Bell," he mused and got closer to it. This mist cloud wasn't very active and appeared to be moving slowly inside. Zero had a strong feeling that it was sleeping.

"What do I have to do?"

Mii shrugged. "Bob and I only sealed them away. If you let them go, they will start fighting in this room again. It was difficult to contain the damage and I would prefer if you didn't free them after all the trouble we've been through."

Zero squatted in front of the blue one and frowned in concentration. Why would the four mist clouds fight each other? Zero didn't understand what made them unhappy. It was even harder to wrap his head around the idea of two green mist clouds fighting each other. Jevy and Gugu were born from the same light in Solo's memory. Why would they not get along well?

"Mii, can I have both you and Bob to leave for a bit? I'm going to let them out one by one."

The strawcherry fairy looked scandalised at the idea. "You're crazy! I'm not going to save you even if you called for help!"

Zero grinned and gave her a thumbs-up while Bob gave him one worried last glance before leaving with Mii. Zero knew that Mii was only worried when she said that. He found it incredibly adorable that Mii would never admit how much she worried for him sometimes. Nevertheless, Zero stared at the two green mist clouds.

"I guess I'll start with the simpler ones," he shrugged. What could go wrong?

Zero took it all back. It was a disaster. No, disaster didn't even cut it. He should have dealt with the blue mist cloud first!

"It's all because of you! If you didn't steal that diamond to activate the trap, I would've gotten that preserved body!"

"My fault?! Who was attracting all the unwanted attention? If it weren't for your stupid need to flaunt your beauty, I didn't have to dash for the diamond and trigger all the traps. You can only blame your scatterbrain for your loss."

Jevy's fragment shrieked and zipped past Zero, striking into Gugu's fragment cloud. Sparks flew and something in the room exploded. Zero groaned. He had to fix the mirror again. It wasn't difficult to fix it in his mental space seeing how it was merely a representation of his imagination. However, it was becoming tedious with the violent argument hovering above him.

Zero had to admit. He was intimidated by his divine entity fragments. The poor brunet had cowered beneath the bed the instant they got free. Jevy attacked Gugu viciously and Zero couldn't even speak a peep before they hurled words and magic at each other. He didn't even know why both of them were so mad when neither of them was doing the right thing in the first place.

To make matters worse, their fights rattled the red mist cloud's container. Zero could only watch as the disaster unfolded before his very eyes, powerless to stop the inevitable.

BOOM!

Half the room exploded with red mist and the two green mist clouds fell silent at once. It wasn't as if Jevy and Gugu suddenly learnt what manners were. Zero highly doubt that. In fact, he believed it was the overpowering battle aura was what kept the two rowdy mist clouds under control. As for Zero, he held his breath, not knowing if the red mist cloud was going to be more destructive and twice as obstinate.

"When will the both of you stop acting like children? Have you forgotten our duty?"

Annoyed at Venn's attitude, Jevy was the first to snap. "Stop talking as if you're better than us! You may be older but that's only by a split second! You're not any better... going around destroying planets just because you couldn't kill your enemy."

The red mist cloud thickened around the green mist cloud whom Zero had now dubbed as Jevy 2.0. Gugu remained wisely quiet and watched as his divine entity twin gets overpowered by Venn 2.0.

Jevy 2.0's light became dimmer and Zero hesitated. Should he act out? Then again, what if Venn 2.0 decides to strike at him? Zero wasn't confident that he could protect himself against a divine entity. The blessings the Great Gods gave him were powerful against normal beings. However, against some divine fragments? Zero didn't want to test the theory out. He knew how easily they could subdue Sedna and that spoke volumes.

"Don't you know that silence is golden? Someone is trying to sleep here..."

Zero blinked. He'd almost forgotten about the blue mist cloud who resembled Baal a lot. Thank Solo that Duu 2.0 has spoken!

"All of you are being very rude to our host and creator here," Duu 2.0 said and Zero swallowed thickly at the redirected attention.

Venn 2.0 let go of Jevy 2.0 and the energy in the room became less intense. Zero finally allowed himself to breathe again, not that he had to. It just made him feel more relaxed when he did.

"My apologies, So- no... Zero. I'm a part of Venn, the Divine Entity of Anger as you might have known already from the snippets of memories."

Zero crawled out from beneath the bed and nodded in acknowledgement. Jevy 2.0 and Gugu 2.0 were silent, a stark contrast from the noises they were making previously. Duu 2.0 didn't stir in his container. Zero bet that he could've broken out anytime if he really wanted to. It looked cosy in there so Zero didn't exactly blame the blue mist cloud.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Zero bowed. "However, I have some questions. Would you be able to help me?"

"Of course! We know everything there is to know about the world," Jevy 2.0 sounded smug and Zero didn't doubt it. However, before he could get his hopes up, Venn 2.0 stepped in.

"There are some things that Solo has forbidden us to talk about until you have acquired a certain power. You'll have to forgive us if your questions fall under that category."

Duu 2.0 didn't say anything but Zero knew the blue mist cloud was silently observing everything and analysing.

"Can I ask if my meeting with Solo was something triggered by inheriting four sets of memories from the divine entities?"

"In a way, it was." Gugu 2.0 answered. "However, it wasn't something planned for. Solo must have felt that you required something to help you along your way so he pulled you over once you have enough energy to support the time paradox."

Zero nodded. He didn't know what a time paradox was but it certainly was something that required a lot of magic or power to overcome.

"Will I be able to see Solo again?"

At that, nobody answered him immediately. Zero became slightly depressed. Duu 2.0 who was watching from the background decided to speak when nobody else did.

"We do not have the answer to that. There is a huge possibility that you will but we don't know when or how it will happen."

Zero smiled. Leave it to Baal to comfort him when he felt down in a practical way. Of the four divine fragments in the room, he felt most comforted by Duu 2.0.

"What's happening right now? According to Mii, a magic discrepancy happened after I inherited the four sets of memories. I also got a new title and some quests to meet the divine entities in person. Will you be guiding me to them?"

Venn 2.0 swirled around Zero and the brunet eased into the warmth.

"In a way, we are compasses to help you find where our original bodies are. However, once the message is passed, we will become one with you, unlike Mii. We will lose whatever consciousness we possess and become a part of your power."

"However, before that happens," Gugu 2.0 interrupted. "You have to find a way to sync and accept us. Unlike the Divine Entities of Trust, Kindness and Acceptance whom you have natural qualities to sync with, you need to develop a bond with the human emotions associated with Anger, Greed, Jealousy and Laziness."

Zero frowned. "I think I'm plenty of Lazy. I've been doing nothing but sleeping these days..."

Duu 2.0 chuckled. "That's not how it works. Ever since getting your body, you've been running around exploring everything and sticking your nose into everybody's business. The only reason why you're sleeping so much is because of how you've been neglecting your body."

Zero looked horrified. "But how will I ever be lazy? There are so many things to do and see... people to meet and talk to..."

"That," Gugu 2.0 pointed out. "Is the purpose of this trial."

"Why is there such a trial? I don't want to be lazy or angry or greedy or jealous... those are feelings that will end up hurting others and inconveniencing them."

Jevy 2.0 laughed. She swooshed in the air and brushed past Zero's cheek. "My dear, do you not think that humans possess feelings like this? Besides, what you want isn't very important in this situation. If you don't accept us and forge a bond with us through these emotions, you'll forever be stuck here. I wonder how long Buddha can hold up to suppress this chaotic energy?"

Zero whipped his head around to stare at Jevy 2.0 in horror.

"Buddha? What's going on outside?"

Venn 2.0 didn't bother sugarcoating anything. "Buddha is risking his immortality and life to preserve your physical body. Hades won't let him rest until he has it stabilised. However, from the looks of it... Buddha wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer. I'll give him two more days in heaven's time before his domain starts to fall apart."

Zero paled. He thought about using the communicator to tell Buddha to stop whatever he was doing but remembered that this is his mental dimension. Communicators didn't work. Mii and Bob wouldn't be able to pass the message either without being able to contact his physical body. The brunet knew that there were no other options. He had to do this by himself. If this was what Solo wanted... Zero didn't have a choice. No wonder Solo had been so generous by granting him an ability to inherit sins. Truen was right, there was no such thing as a free meal in the world.

"What do I have to do to form a bond? I don't know anything about the emotions you represent."

Jevy 2.0 circled the bed and hovered near a mirror. "That's simple. All you have to do is allow us to take temporary control of your mindscape. We'll show you our memory and you will have to live as us throughout the memory. If you can harmonise with our strongest emotions and not lose yourself in it, we can form the bond immediately."

Zero blinked. Was it really so simple? In the past, he would have readily agreed. However, after being friends with Baal for a while, the brunet started thinking twice. Whatever sounded too good to be true was usually too good to be true. There was always a catch.

Gugu 2.0 noticed Zero's silence and decided to try first. After all, the first to form a bond with Zero has a greater advantage. They could choose the space that they wanted to reside in and as the embodiment of Greed, Gugu 2.0 just had to have the best spot.

"How about trying to form a bond with Greed? It's something that you're fairly familiar with, unlike Anger and Laziness. Surely you've seen this from time to time... For example, how about that time when Count Carrabas attacked the village? He wanted power and fame from defeating the village, didn't he?"

Zero felt a different emotion bubble from within him when Gugu 2.0 said that and Venn 2.0 made his move.

"That's right. He wanted to kill everyone in the village, all the people whom you love. Amaraline was going to die, Clowis actually died. Douglas was used by him to betray his own kind in the village."

Thinking back about what happened not too long ago, Zero clenched his teeth hard. Venn 2.0 came closer and whispered harshly.

"Think about what would have happened if you've not been there on time. Think about what would have happened if you and Hua Tuo were still back at Endow Hill... he would have succeeded. Will Half Moon village still exist?"

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At the peak of Zero's emotions, Venn 2.0 took that opening and plunged into the depths of Zero's mind. He painted a glorious picture of the villager's death. Everything was dripping in red and Zero could only watch on as Count Carrabas and his army burned the beautiful tree houses. The forest screamed in agony. Grandma Moppo stood on her bad knees with a determined look in her eyes even as the knights raised their swords against her. Zenobia had three arrows sticking out of her body. They were all piercing vital organs but the Chieftess continued to fight, yelling orders as she choked on her own blood.

Venn 2.0 felt the anger brew into something darker. Hatred. That was it. Striking while the iron was hot, the divine fragment allowed Zero's emotions to consume him completely.

Zero didn't stop burning in rage until Venn 2.0 was completely absorbed. The chaos energy and magic fighting against him were consumed and refined into something that pulsed similar to the void. Yet, there was a tinge of something darker within it.

Duu 2.0 watched in silent concern from his prison as Zero returned to normal. The magic spiked were definitely milder now that there were only three other foreign magic signatures fighting within Zero. However, the purity of Zero's mana had been destroyed with Venn's interference. It was a good thing that Zero grew in strength and was now stabilised. However, it was a shame that the brunet couldn't retain the quality of his light. The divine fragment fretted silently as Jevy 2.0 and Gugu 2.0 made their move.

What if Solo had made the wrong choice?

Water. Boiling water.

Zero felt very uncomfortable when Venn's energy joined his dormant pool in the void. It was as if someone poured spicy wine into his jar of honey. Thankfully, like his stomach, it didn't take long for Venn's energy to be neutralised and converted into something more tolerable.

Zero heaved slightly at the effort it took to keep Venn's temperament under control. He could feel it affecting his judgement already. The brunet closed his eyes and tried to dismiss the unusual annoyance he felt for the two green mist clouds. It was difficult to hear himself think with the two noisy divine fragments circling him and whispering into his ears.

Duu 2.0 watched on emotionlessly. If Zero lost this battle, the future would look very bleak. For five whole hours, he waited patiently for any sign of Zero losing control. According to Baal's knowledge, Buddha was still trying to hold on and had started to call on the help of his disciples. The pagoda was activated. The monks were in their positions chanting and maintaining the formation. Hua Tuo was on standby but Hades was driven out of Nirvana on doctor's orders.

Still, Zero remained motionless. The waves of energy fluctuated wildly and Duu 2.0 was afraid that the brunet might lose. At times, Venn 2.0 had gotten very close to devouring Zero's mind. However, the brunet was more stubborn than anyone gave him credit for. He continuously pushed Venn 2.0 back into a corner, exposing him to the frightening amount of willpower. Eventually, Venn 2.0 submitted although he didn't do so without leaving traces of himself behind with Zero.

The brunet took longer to completely infuse the divine entity's energy into his reserves. Jevy 2.0 and Gugu 2.0 knew a losing battle when they saw one. Initially, they were optimistic that they could forge a bond the same way Venn 2.0 did. Sadly, Zero proved to be even stronger willed than before when he finally opened his eyes. There was no sign of insanity or rage in them and Duu 2.0 relaxed a little. The flicker of annoyance that flashed briefly didn't go unnoticed by the blue mist cloud. However, all is well and good for now.

"That was tough," Zero smiled at the two green mist clouds. It wasn't a bright smile from the bottom of his heart and Duu 2.0 silently wondered if this change was for the better. The brunet usually wore his heart on his sleeves but after inheriting Venn's memories and emotions, he mastered the art of donning a poker face to conceal his emotions. It wasn't perfect, but it was darn near it.

"I guess that's one down and three more to go," Zero commented airily and Jevy 2.0 froze. Zero's personality underwent a huge transformation after Venn 2.0 was absorbed. Before this, Zero was as tough as a rubber knife. Now, Zero felt like a plastic knife. While he wasn't sharp enough to do any serious harm, he could certainly cut through certain things if he wanted to.

Gugu 2.0 noticed the change as well. Instead of drawing back like his twin sister, the green mist cloud bowled forward.

"I see that you've grown. Let's see if you can handle me!"

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Zero smiled with his eyes making an inverted U-shape. "I'll be in your care!"

Duu 2.0 and Jevy 2.0 shared a look. They weren't quite sure if such a change in personality was a good thing.

Without holding back, Gugu delved straight into Zero's mind and brought forth his most powerful memories. Zero watched in silence as Gugu dragged him further into the recess of Gugu's memories.

The Divine Entity of Greed didn't know what to do or where to start after he was given a name. Solo left him to wander in the vast world and Gugu settled on the sparkliest planet he could see. He didn't exactly know where his siblings were but it didn't matter. Nobody wanted to associate with a brainless narcissist or a psychopathic large cat.

Having said that, the Divine Entity of Greed was completely lost. He didn't have needs to attend to. In fact, all Solo entrusted him to watch over were the emotions of excessive desires for materialistic objects. The need to possess everything was something hard to describe. Gugu wasn't a hoarder by nature. Where would he store everything that he took? The void was out of the question. Nobody can use it without Solo's permission. Planets weren't trustworthy storage spaces with Solo changing his mind about how the world should look like every hour or so. There wasn't much for him to do.

For the next few years, Gugu hoped from planet to planet. There were many unusual rocks and trees. Sometimes there were rare animals and plants but that was it. The terrains and structures were predictable and Gugu had grown bored of seeing the world. He didn't know where else to go. Sometimes he'd hear things about his siblings. There were a total of twelve Divine Entities but Gugu hasn't met anyone yet. It might be a good thing seeing how destruction always follows Divine Entities who meet up, especially a certain large feline with anger management issues.

"Since I don't have anything to do, I might as well look for a place isolated from everyone else."

With that decision made, Gugu travelled far and wide only to note that there were a particular species who behaved awfully no matter what kind of evolution they went through. They were tenacious and very annoying with the intelligence to accomplish almost about anything. In fact, Gugu felt fear for the first time when he heard stories about how Gods were being hunted by them. The species was known as human. It didn't matter what they evolved into. Werebeasts, undead, elves or wizards... they were still scary to Gugu.

However, there was one thing that humans did that Gugu was impressed by. They made beautiful territories. From crystal clear glasses that made a high pitched melodious ring when gently tapped to the malleable shiny yellow band of metal decorated with shiny rocks... Gugu loved them all. He even loved the wonderful smelling sandwiches that some humans made. Most brilliantly, it didn't matter which planet Gugu went to. There was always something called currency or money. It usually differed from place to place but the concept was the same. Collect enough of that, you can exchange it for anything you desire.

That was the first time Gugu discovered the joy of collecting things. He didn't like humans but he loved the things they crafted. A few centuries passed by and he discovered that his twin sister had been going around doing similar things. The only thing different was how she was after the perfect body while he was after the most beautiful creations in the world. They made a pact to help each other out when they had a common interest.

"We should make a base like the humans. Somewhere easy to access yet secure enough that nobody else knows about. We don't want Venn the idiot to blow up the planet we set up operations on."

Gugu agreed with the idea. However, he didn't know what kind of planet that was.

"How about making one? We might not have powers like Solo to create a planet with everything from nothing but I'm sure if we took a little of everything, it's possible to create one."

The Divine Entity of Greed was ecstatic. With some string pulling, the twins worked together and found a way to create a pocket dimension space using magic. The only problem was collecting the mana required to support the magic.

"Stones? The sparklier and harder they are the better? I know where a lot of those are! However, we have other problems. The humans guard those very safely. Not to mention, stones of that quality are very rare. Only a few thousand per planet..."

"Don't worry! With my looks and your brains, there isn't anything we can't do," Jevy smiled. At that point in time, Jevy had colourful feathered hair. Gugu didn't know if humans favoured that trendy look but he agreed to work together.

Zero watched as the twins travelled from planet to planet. He didn't get to view their whole adventure but it was quite the eye-opener to see lions walking on two legs and snakes swimming in the ocean without the need for air. He watched how the twins stole, lied and cheated people for their stones, that they would then charge with magic from other wizards, by tricking them into thinking it was the philosopher's stone.

"I can't say I approve of what you did," Zero told Gugu 2.0 flatly who hummed in response.

"I guess not. However, this is only the beginning. I'm the embodiment of Greed. You've seen nothing yet."

Not wanting to argue, Zero watched on in silence. This time, they were in a very fancy looking building. There was a large circle on the floor was an intricately drawn pattern. Zero noticed how there was a massive pile of shiny rocks in the middle of it.

"This is it," Gugu from the memory told Jevy. The Divine Entity of Jealousy smiled.

"Yes, this is it. Let's begin."

It was at this point that something went astray. Gugu and Jevy watched as the beautiful stones they collected get shattered and turned to nothingness with the activated spell. Something in Gugu stirred. Zero became overwhelmed by the power and sheer volume of memories that came flooding back to the Divine Entity of Greed.

He watched how Gugu felt about every single piece of rock that was sacrificed for an empty space. He treasured the memory of their time hunting for those gems more than the actual reason for using them. Gugu wanted to stop the spell but it was much too late. As the last of the gems disintegrated, the Divine Entity of Greed felt as if the pocket dimension had opened up a new hole in his heart. He felt completely empty and continued to gaze at the now empty room. Not a single trace of their adventures remained.

"Gugu?"

Looking at his ever-changing twin sister, the imp made a vow. He would collect things that would never disappear, not even after time has ended. He wanted everything he could have. He would never lose anything precious again.

Zero watched the memories fade to black silently without any signs of emotion betraying his expression. Gugu 2.0 was nervous. Did he manage to move Zero? For someone who came with nothing from the void, surely Zero must have felt the same sense of loss not knowing where he belonged or what he owned.

Before the divine fragment could speak, he felt the tug towards his soul. It started off gentle but became violent in less than a minute. Unable to resist, Gugu gave in. Zero silently evaluated Gugu's energy. It tasted bitter and Zero frowned. He didn't like the taste at all.

Luckily, the brunet wasn't too surprised at the terrible taste. He accepted it well and this time, it took him less than twenty minutes to fully absorb the one rampant energy. Duu 2.0 and Jevy were both surprised at how quick the process was. Could it be that Zero had some sort of desire that Gugu was able to form a bond with?

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While they were pondering over the matter, Zero felt his soul getting heavier. Gugu's memory reminded of something he wanted to forget. The feeling of insecurity was buried beneath all the love his friends had shown him. Not knowing who he was, where he belonged and where to go was something Zero didn't want to go through again. It might be because of this thought haunting him subconsciously that Zero chose to go on an adventure instead of settling down in a village.

"Perhaps what I really want is to collect a lot of friends on the way so that I won't feel lonely anymore..." Zero thought to himself. From within, he felt Gugu 2.0's energy resonated with the thought.

Unlike Venn's energy, Zero felt a lot more comfortable with Gugu. In fact, he felt comforted that there was someone else who understood him so well.

Duu 2.0 observed Zero for any change in the mana and personality but found none. If anything, Zero looked more relieved after forming a bond with Gugu.

"Really... what was it that Zero wanted so much in this world? Doesn't he already own everything there is to own?" Duu 2.0 wondered silently and waited for Jevy 2.0 to make her move.

It wasn't as easy for Jevy 2.0 to form a bond with Zero as compared to Venn 2.0 and Gugu 2.0. The green mist cloud had already failed to tempt Zero twice. Duu 2.0 didn't offer any advice to her. For someone like Jevy 2.0 who didn't know the meaning of defeat, offering her help would only look like an insult.

Zero felt tired. It was the same kind of sleepiness that took over him especially after eating so much. He knew that Jevy was doing her best but at the moment, the doctor-to-be wanted nothing more than to curl up and snooze.

Slightly disheartened and utterly vexed, Jevy 2.0 decided to back off and re-strategise. In terms of passion, Jevy 2.0 was confident that she would lose to Venn 2.0 or her twin brother's fragment. In fact, she was known to be one of the more aggressively passionate Divine Entities.

Truth be told, she didn't have the slightest clue about what she should be doing to form a bond with Zero. She didn't know anything about the young doctor. Even Solo was somewhat like a stranger to her. For Jevy 2.0, she didn't care about anyone around her. She was always too busy increasing her collection and working to become closer to perfection.

Zero felt someone prying into his mind but was too tired at the moment to bother. Jevy 2.0 took this opportunity to steal a peek into Zero's memories. She was dismayed to find that there wasn't much to work with. However, she managed to find something that she could work with.

Unlike Anger and Greed that is more commonly experienced by the munchkin, Jealousy isn't something very familiar to him. Zero has very little desires apart from the hunger for knowledge. While Greed and Jealousy were born from the same source, their interests greatly differed. The desire for physical possession wasn't the same as the desire for better quality or dissatisfaction with oneself. Zero didn't have much to begin with and those who have not want not.

If there was one thing Zero was dissatisfied about himself, it would be that one thing.

Yes, Zero had a height complex. Jevy 2.0 smirked to herself. The young doctor wished he was as tall and elegant as Truen sometimes. There were even instances that Zero read up about magic to accelerate one's growth. Needless to say, whatever magic Zero tried to use failed miserably. One does not simply alter the body gifted by the Great Gods with mere magic.

Speaking of complexes, there were more. Jevy 2.0 couldn't believe what she was finding.

"The fact that he isn't 'normal' bothers him... He envies people who can speak their minds freely like Clowis and Vrald. Zero wishes he was smarter too... wait, are you serious?"

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The green mist cloud was perplexed. Just when she didn't think her digging would prove useful, one thing led to another.

Duu 2.0 listened to Jevy 2.0 fumble through Zero's memories and hold a conversation with herself. He sighed. Leave it to Zero to complicate matters. Anyone could tell that the kid would be insecure. Imagine being thrown to an entirely new place without memories or knowledge about how the world worked. In his opinion, Zero was doing rather well in adapting to the situation and finding himself.

"What? I can't believe this exists. How can you be jealous of somebody else's ability to be lazy? Baal isn't even a good role model, why do you aspire to be as useless as him? He doesn't clean his castle because he doesn't want to, not because he doesn't need to. Also, it's ridiculous to be jealous about the amount of time adults are allowed to stay past your bedtime curfew. You're technically a child..."

Zero frowned in irritation at Jevy 2.0's non-stop complaints about his personal opinions. Who cared if he envied how plants didn't need to open their mouths to drink water? It was his personal opinion and thoughts about the matter. He envied the animals for their ability to walk around without clothes for obvious reasons. Jevy doesn't have to prod at that fact with a stick to check if it was dead or alive. Her incessant comments about other people's matters made Zero wake up. He was no longer in the mood for a nap.

Duu 2.0 pretended not to notice the drastic change in mood. As the atmosphere soured, Jevy 2.0 grew quieter. The tension in the air got so thick at one point and the Divine Fragment of Jealousy completely stopped talking. Perhaps, she'd gone too far.

"Are you quite done yet? I'm trying to sleep."

Jevy 2.0 blink. She didn't know if her strategy would work in the first place. Imagine her surprise when it did. Then again, it was too soon to celebrate. Zero needed a few more shoves to completely sync with her emotions before they could forge a bond.

Playing the role of an obnoxious woman, Jevy 2.0 continued to point out all of Zero's flaws and insecurities. When everything Zero tried so desperately to keep in the dark came to light, he gave up. Who cared if he didn't know how to lie? Zero wasn't even going to bother trying at this point. The damage was too extensive.

"Yes! I have issues with everything that you just mentioned. Is there a problem?"

Jevy 2.0 watched as Zero's eyes widened ablaze with fury. Just a little bit more before she could slither her way into his mind and heart.

"Of course not, why would I? I'm just saying that you're not perfect. It's completely fine to feel that way. Besides, isn't it just silly to think that only special people can have special things? If you want something, I think you should simply take it."

Zero was about to agree with her but paused when he repeated that statement in his mind.

"No," he said, calmer this time. "You're wrong. I'm not going to take what I want from others like you. It's not considerate and it doesn't belong to me."

Jevy 2.0 rolled her non-existent eyes and circled Zero. "Yes, you do. You made this world so everything in it belongs to you. You want to be taller, find a new body with the height you like and chase the soul away. If you're being generous, give the poor soul your old body. If you want people to be more accepting of you at the village, speak up. Nobody is stopping you from saying what's on your mind."

Zero thought about it carefully. Jevy 2.0 wasn't lying. In fact, that sounded perfect! There was only one tiny problem. Zero didn't feel like he could understand Jevy 2.0. He couldn't sync with her or form a bond even though they agreed. There was still something missing but he didn't know what that was.

"Your thoughts are aligned but your hearts aren't," Duu 2.0 yawned. Sitting in a corner for so long got boring quickly. Unfortunately, he still had a duty to fulfil and sleep was out of the question.

"Our hearts are not aligned?" Jevy 2.0 echoed.

"Sure, there may be many things that Zero wants and envies others for. However, you're not taking time to understand Zero as an individual. You'll never be able to match each other. Technically, Zero is supposed to work to earn our recognition before inheriting our powers. However, both you and I know the truth. There isn't much time left. Stop dallying and quickly give him what he wants to know already!"

The green mist cloud stilled and Zero blinked. What were they going on about?

"I understand. Solo... it's about Solo isn't it?" Jevy 2.0 asked the stunned brunet.

"You are jealous that Solo is so far ahead of you and that you have a lot to catch up with. You wish that you could swap places with him."

Zero didn't answer this time. He wasn't quite sure if that was what he truly wanted. When he first inherited the memory of his time in the void from the Great Gods, Zero wanted to experience creating something too. Unfortunately, his gift was meant for taking and not giving. Hence Zero thought that the best way to give back to this world was to take away sufferings. In a way, he was jealous of Solo's ability to bring forth precious things endlessly. Zero too wanted to be the one to create this beautiful world despite how flawed it was.

Zero fell solemn for a while and Duu 2.0 wished Jevy 2.0 good luck. It wouldn't be long before those two synced with each other. Knowing Zero, he would understand it very quickly. The munchkin may have lost his memories but not his wisdom. As the creator of the multiverse, he had an extraordinary mindset that not even Divine Entities could understand.

It wasn't unusual for Solo to change his mind when you least expect it. Nobody can come to understand his thought process sometimes. The Great One was known to create dozens of dimensions only to tear them down the very next moment to create something grander. Lives meant little to the Great One and only beauty did. Duu 2.0 didn't want to tell Zero this yet. He would find out once he meets the actual Divine Entity of Laziness. For now, the blue mist cloud watched as Zero devoured Jevy 2.0's energy.

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Sighing, Duu 2.0 started to pound on the seal that contained him. Mii and Bob did a decent job designing such a complex seal in such a short time. While Venn and the rest decided to use brute force to break through it, Duu had been observing how the seal was designed while they fought. It didn't take him long to find a way to escape. Only, it took too much effort so he didn't bother attempting.

Now that Zero was almost stabilised, it was his turn.

His objective was simple. In order for Zero to not undergo too much of a mental growth spurt and personality change, Duu would bring forth some of the more mundane wisdom to entice Zero before merging with him.

"Are you ready?" he asked Zero who nodded with a small smile. Now that the noisy ones were finally gone, Duu 2.0 allowed himself to relax more. Zero was immediately comforted by Duu 2.0's presence that felt very much like Baal's.

"Let's do this," he told the blue mist cloud and Duu 2.0 wasted no time.

Buddha didn't know how much longer he could do this for. When Solo entrusted him with the duty to save his future self, he knew he shouldn't have agreed. Zero may have the Great Gods wrapped around his little finger but Solo definitely has Buddha wrapped around his little finger.

The Sage God had already expended about thirty percent of whatever resources he amassed during his Godhood. For someone stingier than the Scrooge and more calculative than Mammon, that was saying something.

Buddha was hardly rested before the third wave came. Whatever happened inside of Zero's mindscape was something beyond Buddha's control. the Sage God can only continue to provide a short term relieve externally. The first wave was the toughest as it was the fiercest. There was no doubt about Venn's raw power. Of all the Divine Entities, Venn was known to be the most dangerous. The combination of stupidity, a short fuse and uncontrollable power gave Venn an unshakable position in Buddha's rankings for the top ten beings he would run from the moment he saw them.

Sadly, his promise to Solo made this encounter impossible. Buddha would have gladly hidden in his Pagodas if it weren't for the agreement. Instead of taking cover from the walking disaster, Buddha had invited them over to his sacred stronghold just to stabilise the rampant energy. Many of his best disciples have fallen from Hades' rage. More have fallen from the chaos magic overflow in Nirvana. Buddha clicked his tongue. This must be Jevy's energy that Zero was trying to fuse with. Buddha always knew that the Divine Entity of Jealousy had a sticky personality. He hated clingy people who wouldn't stop pestering him but for Zero, Buddha had no choice but to let Jevy's energy use his body as she pleased.

It was unpleasant. Buddha shuddered as Jevy's energy crawled through his chakra channels and settled in his solar plexus to siphon the purified chaos energy. Her touch was incredibly cold and if Buddha hadn't already attained enlightenment or reached the highest form of cultivation, his soul would've frozen over. The rampant energy moved on to Buddha's liver and the Sage God let a low groan when it attacked the organ viciously.

From the portal, Hua Tuo appeared. Buddha didn't spare the doctor a glance, too busy concentrating on stabilising Zero's condition and fighting the pain. He was only vaguely aware of the doctor's movements when he felt a warm flow of energy being transferred into his qi channel. Buddha sagged with relief for a little. Hua Tuo lived up to his name as the God of Medicine and the best doctor of his time.

"How much more till Zero completely stabilises?"

Buddha shrugged. "It depends on Duu after Jevy settles down. Knowing his nature, it might take a while. We could be here from days to years. If Duu doesn't feel like doing anything, nobody can make him move."

Hua Tuo grunted. Buddha's organs were in terrible shape. Jevy certainly didn't pull any punches, taking whatever she wanted.

"You will need to rest in order for your organs to regenerate. Jevy ate out your heart, liver and gallbladder. It's fried beyond saving, we need Merlin to help replicate Zero's new type of healing magic. There's not much I can do here except replenish your qi energy. She sucked you dry there..."

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Buddha let his poker face fall and winced. "There is a thousand-year-ginseng that I've been hiding away for times of emergency and an ice toad from your previous world. You can use them to make medicine. I can't leave my position, Zero still has one more trial to overcome."

Hua Tuo didn't say much and went down the hidden doorway that Buddha told him about. It was rare for Buddha to concern himself with others. It was even rarer for Buddha to use his treasures. Hell must have frozen over.

In a certain part of Hell, Shittomi blinked and glanced outside her window before sighing. Looking at the flurry of snow passing by her castle window, the Winter Queen wished it wasn't always freezing in her domain.

Once Hua Tuo had left, Buddha allowed his expression to change into one of pure agony. His facial muscles twisted into something so unrecognisable. It was hard to remember how peaceful he usually looked. Sweat had soaked through his clothing and the Sage God swallowed another mouthful of blood.

"One more to go," he told himself and held steady despite the flickering in his vision.

"It's so rare for you to visit me," Sedna blinked in surprise at the sight of her unexpected visitor.

Gaia looked ruffled with leaves all over her face and her hair looking more tangled than before.

"Something's wrong with Zero's body, I can feel it. My magic has been constantly raining at an alarming rate. The rapid healing isn't going to keep up very soon, the body will disintegrate."

Alarmed, Sedna dropped the teapot. "Where is Zero right now?"

Gaia shook her head sadly, leaves falling constantly. They turned yellow and then brown before piling at where Gaia stood. Sedna hasn't seen this happen to her sister in a very long time. Gaia's leaves only fell when she was under duress. Not many have the power to make a Great God feel threatened or stressed.

"Have you talked to Isis and Freya? What about Hades and Zeus?"

"Hades said it was something to do with the Demon Lords in Hell. They decided to perform the ritual to give Zero the memories from four Divine Entities at the same time. Buddha is looking after Zero now according to Hades. He's still livid so Buddha chased him out of Nirvana for putting too many of his disciples out of action. Hua Tuo is there to check on the situation but he hasn't reported back."

Sedna bit her bottom lip and wrung her hands. At this rate, everyone was going to get injured. Zero's body will destroy itself, Buddha might die if he tries to contain all that damage himself. Hua Tuo would be seriously injured trying to save them both and Gaia will wither from overusing her powers. Sedna didn't want her sister to lose her powers and be reincarnated as a human again in order to regain her powers.

"There should still be a way," Sedna swam frantically in circles at the bottom of the ocean. gaia stopped her from doing so with a sad smile.

"Don't do this. You and I both know that I'll return. Of course, nobody wants this to happen but if it does, at least I got to tell you goodbye properly unlike the last time."

Grieved by the devastating news, Sedna broke down and cried. Her tears turned into various jellyfishes that glowed in the dark before swimming away. Gaia wrapped her arms around her younger sister and closed her eyes. Goodbyes were always painful and time doesn't make it any easier.

There was rumbling and Mii exchanged worried looks with Bob. Zero told them to stay away but that didn't mean they had to go far. In fact, with Bob's speciality, they were camping just right outside of it in an adjacent room supported by the dragon's magic.

"Do you think it will take very long?"

Mii sighed. Truth be told, she didn't know. She didn't think that Zero would try to resolve the conflict AND bond with them at the same time. Usually, it took years to properly form a bond with a Divine Entity. That was also the reason why Murvin, Law and Isaben's memories were locked. For Zero's well-being, she locked it until Zero was able to handle the brunt of the damage it would cause to both his mind and body.

Sadly, Zero wouldn't be who he was if he was predictable. Mii sighed once more, her shoulders sagging forward. Bob didn't speak. He didn't know the specifics about what was troubling the strawcherry fairy but he had a few ideas. If the violent spikes of magic weren't worrying, he didn't know what was.

While those violent magic signatures grew lesser, Zero's magic grew darker and more hostile. Bob wasn't a genius but he'd lived for a fair bit of time. His guess was that Zero had somehow consumed the source of conflicting magic in order to stop the magic discrepancy. While it was a method that worked, it wasn't always recommended. Often, absorbing a non-compatible magic type will cause the mage to lose their minds. Magic corruption is the term for that kind of insanity.

Bob didn't think his master would become corrupted because he was strong. However, the change was evident. Zero's magic didn't feel as light and warm or sweet like it did previously. There was a sharp tang of bitterness wrapped within a speck of darkness. While Zero's magic was still warm, it wasn't the kind of comforting warm similar to the gentle morning sun. It was closer to the warmth of the relentless mid-morning sun that doesn't allow you to head back to bed and continue sleeping. In a way, the dragon thought that Zero had grown. He didn't know if this change was for better or otherwise although he prefers to think of it as something necessary.

"I think he's almost done," Mii stated and got ready to leave. Bob wasn't far off. He released the spell and the comfortable room fell apart.

The moment Zero's magical energy stabilised, Bob and Mii entered Zero's mindscape.

"Welcome back," the young doctor greeted airily. Nothing much has changed from the outside but Mii knew better. The aura surrounding Zero has changed to something more mature.

"How do you feel?"

The boy yawned and stretched out on the bed. Bob wasn't the only one mildly surprised by the physical changes. Before, Zero only took half of the bed's length. Now, he was close to occupying three-quarters of the space. Mii stared at the familiar yet different boy on the bed. Zero had been growing taller ever since he entered Half Moon village. However, the change was too drastic for anyone to believe.

"I'm so tired, it's unbelievable that I'm still awake," Zero groaned and snuggled into the pillow.

He beckoned for Bob and Mii to join him with a cute smile. Who was Mii to deny him?

Zero grinned when his friends joined him under the blanket and yawned once more before letting his eyelids fall shut.

Sedna was prepared for the worst when Gaia's leaves suddenly stopped falling. The sisters exchanged a look of surprise with a myriad of emotions within a short span of time. However, one thing was for certain when they broke into happy smiles and shed tears of relief.

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Freya was waiting outside Nirvana with Freya. For several days in heaven, Zero's magical energy fluctuated wildly. Although they worried about Buddha after hearing not a single word from Hua Tuo, neither of them interfered. Gaia was already in a bad state and the outcome was anybody's guess.

On the fifth day, something wonderful happened. Whatever that was causing distress to Zero's mana vanished completely without a trace.

"Don't," Freya told Hades. "It's still too early to rejoice." After all, Zero's body was still in Merlin's care in the abyss. They didn't know if the changes in Zero's soul would have any direct impact on the body hosting it or vice versa.

Hades balled his hands into fists but waited with Freya. As Gods, it was unbecoming of them to wish for a miracle. Creating miracles were their jobs but for now, hoping was all they could do.

"Look left. Good. Now look right... awesome!"

The shutter went off rapidly and Bob blinked at the strange device. He was highly curious about what Mii had conjured in Zero's mindscape.

Zero peered over the screen when Mii held the communicator and blinked. For some reason, he'd transformed. No, not really. He had grown.

The young doctor could hardly believe it. If Mii didn't take pictures as proof of his sudden growth spurt, Zero would have thought that she was pulling his leg. Curious about his new appearance, Zero swiped through the images and zoomed in to have a better look.

Although the brown hair and eyes remained, Zero found that his face was less round. Sadly, the chubby cheeks remained. He definitely grew taller and was around five foot tall. Still, it was nowhere near Truen's height although Zero had no doubts that he would catch up with the wood elf in a few years. The one thing that bothered Zero was how scrawny he looked despite the growth. The red tracksuit that he loved wearing grew to match his size but it didn't seem to suit him anymore. If anything, Zero felt embarrassed wearing something so eye-catching.

"Oh yes, I think I can change the colour of the tracksuit. What colour do you think would look less attention-grabbing?"

Mii and Bob thought long and hard. Zero had pale skin and light brown hair. Light colours were out of the question.

"How does blue sound?"

Zero tired it out and had Mii take another picture. After checking his picture, the brunet frowned. It was still too flashy. What did Baal and the villagers wear to make them look more normal?

Coux and Qin Yun's clothes were nothing but revealing in the chest area. Amaraline wore tribal clothes. Zenobia hardly wore anything, claiming that it restricted her movements. Wiser wore some long robe. Raj didn't wear a top. Vrald and Gerald wore light steel armour...

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Zero shook his head. That was bad. He didn't realise how attention-seeking those outfits were until now. Maybe Baal and the other Demon Lords had relatively normal outfits?

Nope. Lilith was worse than Coux and Mammon screamed suspicious with his hood. Baal wore expensive silk pyjamas and Zero didn't want to appear like a slob.

"Why not wear something that you like? This is the Mindscape, nobody is going to judge you for what you wear or don't wear."

"That... makes a lot of sense," Zero admitted. He'd been too focussed about what other people thought about him that he almost forgot what it was like to be himself. It wasn't too surprising considering how he had four new sets of memories crammed into his mind.

For the next hour or so, Zero, Mii and Bob brainstormed about how he was going to re-identify himself now that he was no longer a child.

"I have so many memories that don't belong to me and different experiences. I don't know if this will change the way I behave or look at things once I'm back in my body. While some of them are really handy, I wish there was a way I could retain my original personality so that it wouldn't shock everyone too much."

Mii deadpanned. "Are you seriously thinking about this now? You've already scared everyone off their thrones with your split personalities earlier. Nothing will surprise them now. You should just behave as yourself, lest you shock them further when you reveal your 'true' personality."

Bob blinked. "I don't think you've changed all that much, master. You're still as kind-hearted and considerate as before. If anything, you're behaving more like a rational adult, befitting of the doctor you wish to become."

Zero smiled and patted the dragon on the head. Mii shrugged. Zero was still the same at the core. Solo and Zero were still the same person, with or without memories. She could already see the similarities. Now that Zero had more knowledge and some of his memories back, it was more obvious that they haven't really changed.

"I was thinking, I would like to wear some darker colours for practical purpose. Something like that faded light blue robe Hua Tuo once told me to wear. I think we would be travelling a fair bit on the road so it has to be something easy to move in like this tracksuit."

"In that case, what about some long pants like this tracksuit but in black? We can use the same shoes you're wearing but change the colour to black. As for the top, some light-weight fabric with short sleeves in white will make you look really smart. I've seen Leon wearing such shirts with strings to pull the top close together. Last but not least, you should wear a long outing coat just in case the weather turns cold."

Zero considered the idea and decided to look through the other outfits the Great Gods have gifted him. Among those, Zero found what he was looking for.

"Is that...?

"Yes! Those are the dress pants in navy blue from the formal suit. The boots from the Magician set. The sky blue collar shirt that I ruined before and the lab coat that Raj and the rest gave me."

Mii took a look at the odd combination and gave Bob a slightly worried look while Zero got changing.

It didn't take long for Zero to show off his new 'identity'.

"Does this make me look more mature?"

Mii wanted to laugh. Bobbinskrier didn't care for respect and guffawed loudly. While it looked great on Zero, the dragon couldn't help but feel as if Zero was trying too hard. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Zero to put in 1001% of effort into everything he did. In fact, it would be odd if Zero didn't overdo things.

"Is it the pants? Should I switch it for the jeans? Or is it the colour of the shirt? Is it too blue? Why are you laughing?"

Mii shook her head with a poorly hidden grin. "No, it looks great on you. In fact, it looks just about perfect. You look very doctor-like."

Zero didn't hear the mirth in her voice and agreed wholeheartedly. "I wonder if I should wear the glasses like Wiser. Maybe that would make me look more reliable..."

"I highly doubt so, master..." Bob told Zero gently. Despite growing into a teen, Zero still had his moments of childlike thinking. This was one of those moments.

"What do we do now? I'm bored," Zero flopped onto the bed. There was no way to get out of the mindscape yet.

Mii left the entertaining to Bob while she checked on the situation. The sooner they were out of that cramped space, the better.

Truen was slightly surprised to see Mii but offered her some cookie dough. The strawcherry fairy didn't question how the wood elf ended up in the kitchen helping to bake cookies. While munching on cookie dough, they conversed in low voices.

"So Zero's soul is in Nirvana and his body is in Hell? How did that happen? Does this mean that Zero can't return unless his body and soul are together again?"

"This is supposed to be a secret but I guess you should know. Hades removed them completely so there is currently no connection between the body and the soul. Gaia has been asking if Zero desires a new body because there are some compatibility issues ever since Hades separated them."

"What do you mean?"

Truen sighed as he scooped the dough into smaller portions and rolled them into bite-sized portions on the tray. "The body has rejected the soul twice now..."

Mii felt weak. Does that mean Zero will be returning to the void now that the body isn't compatible with the soul?

"Gaia and Isis are discussing it. Buddha is not in a great condition, Hua Tuo is busy attending to him. They said he almost lost his Godhood and life there."

"What happened? How did it get so bad?"

Truen shook his head. "I don't know the details. It's better to ask Hua Tuo about it. In any case, how is Zero?"

"That idiot's doing well. In fact, I think he's doing great. There were some rough trials but he showed them who's boss. I must say, a slightly more mature Zero has its appeal."

"Mature? Did Zero grow again?"

Mii rolled her eyes. "After receiving four sets of memories who lived very different lifestyles, don't you think it's about time for him to see the world a little differently?"

Truen nodded. "It's a little too soon in my opinion but it might be for the best. Nobody would treat a child seriously as a doctor."

The strawcherry didn't stick around for too long after hearing what she needed to. The next person to look for was Merlin. Hua Tuo could wait.

"I see that you've already interrogated my student. What can I do for you?" the wizard asked, not looking up from the book in his hands.

"Why did the body reject the soul? Couldn't you do something about it?"

Merlin sighed and placed the book down on the table beside before adjusting his glasses. "This is not something I can answer. The body was created by Gaia and the soul was pulled by Hades. I do not know how the magic of Great Gods work and have no solution to the problem. What I can say is that the magic discrepancy issue has been resolved. Apart from the ridiculous amount of mana radiating from Zero's soul, I don't know what's causing the body to reject the soul."

"Hasn't that mana been absorbed into the void?"

Merlin shrugged. "From what I know, Zero is the void. Or something along that line... he can't store anything away into the void when he is a soul. That is his true form. In fact, I don't think he counts as a soul if we wanted to be technical about it. Souls contain a fixed amount of energy. Zero doesn't have a limit which is why he doesn't have a body in the first place. My guess is that Zero's current capacity has exceeded the amount of power his old body could contain."

"I see... I shall look for Gaia then. Thank you for your time. Also, you might want to think about how to start Zero's magic training as soon as possible. It won't be very long before Zero starts exploring with the new ideas from the inherited memories."

Merlin almost dropped the book he just picked up. Mii left before the wizard could question her for details. It was the teacher's job to figure things out, not hers.

"Mii! You came at just the right time. What do you think about this? It's a new body made from volcanic ashes and living wood."

The strawcherry fairy took a quick glance at the new work in progress before shaking her head. "Zero still likes how his old body looked like. I was wondering if you could create something to look like this," she pulled out her communicator to send them the pictures she took.

"Is that..."

"He grew after inheriting the memories and forming bonds with the four Divine Entity Fragments."

Isis held her nose to prevent a nosebleed. "Zero's still cute even as a teenager. This is so precious! What's with the lab coat... not that I mind because he's still cute. Also, why doesn't he choose to wear a set? I see that he's taken pieces of clothes from each set and put together an entirely different outfit by himself."

"Something to do with a new identity after inheriting four sets of memories with very different lifestyles. That's how he sees himself right now. I was hoping you could come up with something similar to match the growth of his soul?"

Gaia nodded. "Where is he right now? I might take a few days to complete it. There are some materials that require time to gather."

"He is still in the mindscape, Bob is entertaining him. Who is taking care of Zero's soul at the moment?"

"Hades has it," Isis explained. "He's pushing the trial in Hell back till after Zero returns.

Before Mii could question further, she heard Bobbinskrier begging her to return at once. "Zero is trying to invent new magic in the mindscape!"

"I'll take a rain check. Zero is trying to use unheard of magic in the mindscape."

Gaia ushered her to go and Mii disappeared with a poof. "Should we remeasure the ingredients required and modify the recipe? I don't think Zero's going to stop growing anytime soon."

Isis agreed. "Children grow up way too fast. If only I could reverse time."

"You could," Gaia pointed out and Isis raised a brow.

"And mess up the Great One's master plan? Please, spare me. I'm contented with revisiting time, not turning it back."

Gaia rolled her eyes. "Selfish. Thankfully I get to see the world through Zero's eyes literally after I finish creating his new body. I wonder if Zero wants to be a gentlemanly kind of handsome or a rugged kind of handsome once he becomes an adult... It's hard to imagine that he would never outgrow the clothing we bought him but he would outgrow the body we provide."

"Indeed," Isis agreed. "Who would've thought such a thing was possible. Imagine that these are only fragments. What would happen if he were to absorb a Divine Entity?"

Gaia froze. "He wouldn't! The multiverse will collapse!"

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Isis wasn't so sure about it. "Are you forgetting that the three sisters are already a part of Zero? From the mad babbles, he seemed to have gained the ability to inherit sins. That's saying something, don't you think?"

The Goddess of Nature became gloomy. "So this is what the Great One wanted all along... I guess we were only pawns to his game."

Isis placed a comforting hand on Gaia's shoulder. The leaves were turning brown in her hair and Isis shook her head. "No, you're wrong. Zero isn't the Great One. I won't let that come true. If this was a game started by the Great One, I would align myself with Zero. I believe that the winner of this game will be Zero."

"How can you be so sure?"

Isis smiled. "Just a feeling."

"Really?" Zero's eyes sparkled. Mii nodded, confirming the first piece of good news in a while.

"Gaia will create a new body that looks like your current self. Please do your best to control those powers, the new body is not indestructible. I would suggest holding off any kind of magic experiments to after you have started your magic training with Merlin."

Zero pouted but agreed. It wouldn't be good if he got kicked out of his body again. There were still so many things that he wanted to do. Fun things like combining magic to perform neat tricks as seen in his inherited memories can come later. For now, all Zero wanted was to get out of this boring mindscape.

"Isn't there anything we can do here in the meantime?" he almost whined. Conversations have run dry between him and the dragon with Bob being a very monotonous story-teller. Nobody wanted to listen to the tales of how he conquered time and escaped danger. Zero was more interested in knowing about the strange creatures that existed in a different dimension but Bob was terrible at describing them.

Mii thought about it. She still had many errands to run before Zero gets his new body. Truth be told, she thought that Bob could be a little more useful by distracting the curious overpowered being. Sadly, there was nothing much a baby dragon could do, ancient or not. If only there was a way to entertain the doctor-in-training while getting her work done...

"That's it! I'm such a genius. Zero, do you think you'd be keen to help me out on a little problem that I have right now?"

Zero blinked. Having something to do was better than having nothing to do. "Sure! What do you need help with?"

Mii smiled widely. This was too easy. "Are you able to contact Baal through meditating?"

Zero looked slightly unsure. It was usually not an issue. However, he was now in his mindscape. It might not work the same way. "I could try," he told her honestly.

"Good. Here is what the plan is, I need you to let him know the details so that he can pass the word to Merlin and Wiser. I need to go see Buddha and Hua Tuo and coordinate matters. Who knows, if you do well you might be able to return to your body quicker."

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Hearing that he would be out of the mindscape quicker if he assisted, Zero threw in his lot with Mii's plan.

"Ok, let me get this straight," Baal sighed. Zero had contacted him via the same way they usually communicated. Even in a different time and space, the brat managed to sniff him out. A terrifying gift that Baal didn't know if he should be thankful for or not.

"You want me, the Great Demon Lord of Hell, to pass on a message for you."

"Yes. Can't you?"

"You know that I would never do this for free, right?"

The Demon Lord could feel the petulance from their mental link. Although Zero has matured, his character at the core hasn't changed much. The teen still wore his heart on his sleeve and through their mental connection. Knowledge wasn't everything in the world and Baal was glad that he still had the advantage over his friend who was still wet behind the ears. Give and take a few decades and Zero would prove to be a worthy rival.

"Do we really have to negotiate in the form of stories?"

Baal smirked, spooking Coux who happened to catch a glimpse of the lazy demon. The half-succubus quickly led Amaraline away, not wanting to get involved in whatever Baal was planning.

"It's one of the ways we could negotiate seeing how you don't have much to offer me."

Zero thought long and hard. "How about games? We can play games. I can be your game buddy to entertain you instead of telling you stories."

"What kind of games do you have in mind? Mind you, I might be lazy but I'm not dumb. There is no other demon in Hell who can win against me in any game."

"How about the Elements game?"

Baal blinked. "What's that?"

"We have six types of magic elements. Light, Darkness, Fire, Water, Earth and Air. I thought about this game after inheriting more knowledge about magic. This is how it works..."

Water - Fire

Fire - Air

Air- Earth

Earth - Water

Dark = Light

Same Element = Same Element

"That's unfair. You can always throw light and darkness to tie every round," Baal pointed out and Zero giggled.

"That's why we will be playing with two hands~" he sang.

Fire Air = Dark

Fire Earth - Light

*No two hands with the same element.

* Left hand vs left hand, right hand vs right hand. Any combination will take the form of one element only.

"That's..."

"Interesting right? I made this game myself!"

"Let me confirm the rules again," Baal blinked. He might have the experience but Zero had the creativity to make up for whatever he lacked. "If I use a combination, I can only deal the same element against both of your hands..."

"That's right!"

"That doesn't seem fair... you can take opposing elements and win with just one hand!"

Zero smirked, mirroring Baal who found it irritating. How dare that twerp act so mighty!

"That's your call to make. Besides, I don't think I made this clear enough. Dark and light take each other out. That also means if you throw dark and light on your team, it counts as team kill. While dark or light wins every other element, they cannot co-exist."

Baal blinked. "That... makes a lot of sense. Assuming I throw dark and one element and you throw a combination, it's a fifty-fifty chance of an all or nothing. Did I get that right?"

Zero nodded. "Yupp! Exactly how it is. Then again, I might not throw a combination. Remember, it is left vs left and right vs right. It could be a draw too if we throw light in opposite directions with the other as an element. There are many ways this game can end up. Did I interest you?"

Baal had to admit. Zero was getting better. It was time to raise his game before Zero left him behind in the trial of dirt. "I accept your game on the terms that we have three practice rounds. You can decide the term of winning."

Zero agreed. "We should play first three to win. If I win, I want you to give me a tour of Hell!"

Baal raised his brow. Although that request sounded troublesome, it wasn't something difficult to do. It's not even going to bother him if the person he's playing tour guide for was Zero. Even if the teen didn't ask for it, he would've made some sort of arrangements after Zero recovered.

"Deal. If I win, you're going to have to accompany me to school for a week. Lucifer is dying to meet you and I have to go back and give a guest lecture as payment for his services to clean up Kerberos' mess. Speaking of which, you had better think of a good way to punish the sheep and the dog when you return. I'm sick and tired of hearing Kerberos' howls every night! I can't sleep!"

Zero felt slightly sorry for his friend. He couldn't imagine the horror of not being able to fall asleep. It must feel terrible. That was something Zero looked forward to rectifying once he got his new body. For now, he was content to have Baal help him kill some time.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? I'm bored out of my mind... let's play already!"

Baal shook his head. Patience isn't one of Zero's strongest suit. In fact, the Demon Lord wondered if Zero had any patience in his nature. He highly doubted it. The doctor-in-training couldn't sit still and do nothing. It was an impossible feat from the very start. Solo was also one of the most impatient fellows he'd come to know from Duu's memories. Baal shook his head sadly. Zero was missing out on a lot.

The three practice rounds ended rather quickly and Baal was feeling confident. Other than his official title as the King of Laziness, Baal was also known to be the unofficial King of Games. Nobody, not even Lucifer, could beat Baal in any game. The Demon Lord blinked at the result. How had he lost?

"This is ridiculous! How could I have lost? You must have cheated!"

Zero blinked innocently, too innocently for Baal to believe he was up to any good.

"I didn't! It was in the rules. You can use any kind of magic when playing this game..."

Baal felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of iced water over his head when Zero said that. It didn't occur to him at the start during the practice rounds that this was a huge handicap in Zero's favour. The practice rounds flew by so quickly with Baal winning two out of three games and Zero's adorable pout. The Demon Lord hadn't noticed it till it was over.

"Zero... You cheater! Normal people can't use all elements in magic, much less cast them separately in each hand! It was rigged!"

Zero rolled his eyes. "Says who? You could cast darkness, fire, air and water yourself. There was nothing unfair about it. Besides, you were able to cast combination magic..."

Baal seethed internally. Who knew that after transformation, Zero would have the guts to talk back to the most fearsome Demons of Hell with such disrespect.

"Don't be cheeky, combination magic isn't the same. I had to cast them beforehand, not hold them and cast them immediately. For an ordinary person, that split second wouldn't have made a difference. For you, I don't trust that you wouldn't have noticed it and swapped your decision halfway. Tell me, how is it that you won three out of three rounds without even contemplating your choices. You knew what I was going to cast, you prepared for it."

The brunet didn't deny or admit to it but that gave Baal all the answers he needed.

"I'm not keeping to the deal. It's not fair and you know it."

Zero sulked. "Oh come on! Nothing is fair, you said that too right? There is only the strong and the weak in this world. Are you running away just because I've grown stronger?"

Baal felt as if Zero had carved a hole in his pride and added a sea full of salt into it before kissing his cheek to make the boo-boo fly away. It wasn't helping.

"Zero?"

"Yes?"

"Do me a favour."

"Ok?"

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"Don't talk to me for a week. Have fun in your mindscape, I hope boredom drives you insane."

Baal shut their mental connection abruptly and threw his paperweight across the room, creating a huge hole in the wall. Despite the outwardly rage, the Demon Lord was still numb on the inside from both shock and disbelief. Where had the sweet and innocent Zero gone? For some reason, the Demon Lord felt as if he had failed for the very first time in his life. Perhaps he was raising Zero the wrong way...

He sighed. Baal suddenly felt as if he'd aged tremendously. Now he understood how Lucifer and Raphael felt raising him when he was younger. Being a parent was such a difficult thing. With that in mind, the Demon Lord picked up his pen and started drafting a letter. He needed some practical advice and he needed it fast. Who knows which other poor souls Zero would start scamming while in his mindscape.

"No no... that wouldn't do," Baal shuddered at the thought of Zero following Schaf and Mammon's footsteps. If there was one thing Baal would work for, it would be to prevent such a nightmarish future from coming true.

"Please don't grow up too fast Zero, you're making me feel old..." the Demon Lord of Laziness whispered and scribbled his signature at the end of the letter before having his familiar deliver it. Whatever the case was, Baal was determined to not let the teen make his societal debut with such a twisted character. He would fix the mess caused by the divine entities' memories with or without help.

At long last, everyone gathered in the biggest room Baal had in his castle. Zero's new body was revealed and Lilith squealed in excitement.

"Oh my gosh... he's so cute! I want to have him," the succubus queen tugged hard at Baal's arm, almost ripping the limb off.

"He's not for adoption. Also, you should stop talking now. Zero might be able to hear you," he told his overly excited friend.

Some of the occupants in the room shot her hostile glares when they heard that. Hades was holding onto Zero's soul and waited for everyone to settle down before continuing what he was about to do.

Yes, it was the day Zero finally returned and everybody was excited about it. Gaia splurged a little when creating Zero's new body. Merlin and Wiser worked hard after hearing from Mii about Zero's special condition. They created a special kind of fabric that Grem Lee used to design the clothes Zero wanted. The good tailor raised a brow at the unusual design at first but commissioned the order without delay.

As Hades lowered Zero's soul into his new body, Baal wondered what happened to Buddha and Hua Tuo who were both absent from today's important gathering. He didn't have to wonder for long because Zero's soul started fusing with his new body the moment it made contact with the vessel.

There was a powerful pull of energy despite Buddha's sealing charm on Zero's soul. Could the charm have broken? Baal had to stop himself from instinctively throwing himself in the direction of his friend's soul. He could see from the side of his eyes how the other Demon Lords and Sage Gods were doing the same. Isis, Freya and Hades tensed when that happened. Usually, it was hard to have any Great God be at the same place at any one point of time. However, due to how risky today's operation was, three out of six decided to attend the meeting.

It didn't take much longer for Zero's soul to settle in its new vessel. The pull disappeared and Baal waited nervously. Normally, he was known to be the most patient person. Laziness had a huge hand in that. However, Baal found himself bouncing on the balls of his feet while waiting for Zero to open his eyes. he knew that there was no way anything would go wrong with so many powerful figures in the room. However, his heart refused to listen to logic, skipping straight into skyrocketing his blood pressure and taxing his body with the amount of worrying it was doing.

It was pin-drop silent and everyone held their breaths, not wanting to miss the moment Zero opened his eyes. Baal certainly wasn't disappointed when Zero didn't do as what everyone expected him to do. His eyelashes didn't even flutter but everyone knew at once that Zero was back.

The teen's sneeze exploded and Baal thought that anyone within half a mile would be able to hear him. Then, he began to choke on the air. Hua Tuo would have facepalmed if he knew what happened. Coux offered some water that Zero drank gratefully.

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"Welcome back," the Demon Lord of Laziness said. Zero tried to speak and drink at the same time which resulted in another round of coughing.

"Thanks," he smiled crookedly and passed the now empty glass back to Coux.

"So, what's been going on since I've been gone?" Zero asked as if he hasn't missed out on all the action.

Baal smiled serenely and it reminded the doctor-in-training about Buddha. However, Zero wasn't fooled by it.

Before the teen could react, Baal had already thrown a punch aiming straight for Zero's middle. The teen coughed at the force and had all the air in him forced out. Coux winced but didn't stop Baal. Everyone knew about Baal and Zero's odd friendship after all.

"What was that for?" the doctor-in-training winced and asked after healing himself with healing magic. Merlina and Wiser exchanged proud looks. The special fabric was working well. As long as Zero didn't take go crazy while taking a shower, everything should go very smoothly. With this new type of fabric, Zero doesn't have to wear thousands of magic suppressing devices to keep it under control. Granted, the fabric was slightly thicker and heavier when compared to ordinary clothes. However, this was a small price to pay. Besides, it's not as if Zero wouldn't notice the difference in cloth thickness.

Zero didn't have much time to argue with Baal because when his eyes followed the direction that Baal pointed to, the teen couldn't breathe.

Truen didn't have much time to react when Zero barrelled straight into him. The two boys fell onto the ground in a heap of tangled limbs. Zero was too happy to care. It had been way too long since he'd last seen Truen. Honestly, he missed his friend and guardian more than he thought was possible. It also surprised Zero that the difference in their heights wasn't as much as he thought it would be. Truen was only taller by a head and the doctor apprentice didn't have doubts that he would soon catch up.

Seeing that Zero was doing well, the busier Demon Lords took their leave. Isis returned with Freya but Hades stayed on. Merlin decided that it wouldn't hurt to stay another day in the abyss with his current student. The two boys needed the time to catch up after being apart for so long, especially Zero. In a way, Truen acted as the doctor trainee's emotional anchor. It had been rough with the wood elf by his side and Merlin felt a small sense of pride swell in his chest like a father proud of their children's first successful errand trip to the supermarket.

"Shh, I'm not going anywhere. Don't cry," Truen tried to tell Zero but the brunet continued to sob, turning the tunic Truen wore wet. Despite maturing physically and mentally, Zero was still very much the crybaby and softie inside.

Coux left to tell Amaraline and the rest about Zero's return. There would be a feast for sure and Coux was determined to be able to cater to Zero's black hole of a stomach.

From the corner of the room forgotten by everyone else, Lucifer observed the young doctor with interest. Ever since Baal recommended Zero as a transfer student at his school, the headmaster had been curious. Morning Star Academy only accepted the finest demons who could contribute to research. What could Zero possibly contribute? No matter how he looked at it, Zero was only a child. he might have grown from a hatchling into a chick but he was far from becoming a young rooster. Hua Tuo's testification that Zero was a genius didn't mean much to the Demon Lord. Medicine and magic were two very different things. If anything, Lucifer was keener to enrol Wiser into the Academy. The strategist and inventor had designed many things unheard of. Such talent couldn't possibly be compared to the overly pampered boy called Zero.

Still, Lucifer continued to observe. It was rare for one of his best students to push a recommendation for someone else. Baal was famous for not involving himself with anything troublesome. Maybe it was Lucifer who was wrong.

Zero didn't question the new presence in the room even though that person's gaze has been bothering him since earlier. He just wanted to spend time catching up with his friends. It was very rare for everyone to be together after all. Although nobody mentioned it, Zero could smell food from some corner of the castle. There was definitely going to be a feast of some sort and Zero looked forward to it. Perhaps the person staring holes into the back of his head was an important figure in Hell. Zero would have to be nice to him so that he can be invited to partake in the feast. With that thought in mind, the apprentice turned around to smile at Lucifer politely as a sign of respect.

Baal took that opportunity to formally introduce his teacher and friend.

"Zero, this is my teacher Lucifer. Lucifer, this is Zero whom I spoke about."

Zero took the chance to scrutinise the odd demon. Lucifer was an ageing demon who had grey streaks in his hair. If not for the two curly horns on his head, Zero would have mistaken him for some elderly on Earth. Upon closer examination, Zero found those coal black eyes to be most odd.

"Yes?"

Zero frowned. He didn't know how to ask it without sounding rude so he decided to be honest. "Mister, are you blind?"

Baal stiffened and Lilith stopped chatting with Truen. Nobody moved an inch when Lucifer didn't answer immediately. Zero wanted to reverse time and smack himself for thinking that asking something in such a blunt manner was a good idea. It clearly wasn't. Lucifer would be angry at him for being so insensitive but it was much too late to regret. The doctor's apprentice mentally readied himself for a tongue-lashing but it didn't come.

Lucifer threw his head backwards and laughed. It was no secret that he'd lost his sense of sight. Everyone in the abyss knew that. For Zero to be ignorant about it, Lucifer had nothing to say about that. However, what tickled him was the way Zero looked at him with such sincerity and concern. Even if he lost both his arms and legs, Lucifer wouldn't need the concern of anyone. He was the most powerful demon in Hell, such a handicap was nothing.

Zero was confused when Lucifer started laughing. Was the demon also touched in the head?

"Boy, I may be blind but I'm no handicap."

Zero nodded, unsure of how to react to it. "I'm sure you don't have problems walking without banging into anything but wouldn't it be nice to see again?"

Lucifer didn't think that Zero understood how the abyss worked. He was better off without his eyes. Who in the right frame of mind wanted to look at all the filthiness and ugliness that existed in the abyss? It was a corrupted place, forsaken by everything else. Without the Demon Lords holding it together, the plane would collapse and fall into the void.

"I've lived for a long time, there is nothing more I wish to see."

Zero didn't quite believe that. However, he didn't pry. After inheriting Gugu's memories, he learnt not to meddle too much into other people's business. Often times, nothing good came out from it. Still, he couldn't help but feel that it was a shame. Not wanting to see such a beautiful world? Zero couldn't imagine it.

"Aren't you curious about how I look like?" he asked, trying to reel Lucifer into agreeing.

The Demon Lord of Pride raised a brow elegantly. Did this runt seriously think he wouldn't see through his intention? Healing the eyes of a Demon Lord with his superior powers, Zero could ask for anything in the world. As terrible as demons were, they were creatures of contract. Lucifer wasn't a fool, he wasn't going to fall for that.

"I bet you're only saying it because you haven't seen how awesome my new body looks like."

Zero pouted when Lucifer didn't bite. Baal was sweating nervously behind. What was his stupid friend trying to accomplish by provoking the greatest demon alive?

Instead of taking offence, Lucifer threw his head back to laugh. "And what makes you think that I'm interested to see what you look like?"

Zero thought hard and bit on his bottom lip. It was really hard to get this unsolicited patient to agree to treatment. Demon Lords sure can be stubborn. Zero remembered how difficult it was for him to have Baal agree to have let him cure his sinus issues. Without renewed determination, Zero countered.

"I bet you've never seen a person as ordinary as me before."

That declaration left everyone in the dust. What was Zero talking about? Ordinary? Him?

Lucifer didn't bother to control himself after that statement. Baal watched in sick fascination at how his teacher drooled and snorted after failing to control the laughter tearing him apart from inside. Zero didn't sound like he had any ulterior motive other than wanting to cure his eyes and that in itself screamed stupid or kind. In Zero's case, maybe a little of both.

"Very well," he conceded. "Let's do it. You can cure my eyes. However, if I'm not impressed by how ordinary you look, you will have to attend my school for a week."

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The Demon Lord knew that Baal had lost to Zero in a bet and was unable to find a way to get the teen to attend school. Taking pity on his ex-student who now had to become a guest lecturer for his elite classes for a week, the headmaster decided to use this to his advantage.

Zero blinked. He didn't know what school was exactly but according to Baal, it was the worst place in the abyss to be at. Zero didn't want to go there but in order to appease his stubborn patient, the brunet agreed to do a face reveal.

"Deal," he told Lucifer and immediately a magic scroll materialised. Zero signed it after reading the contract thrice and Lucifer did the same. The scroll disintegrated and Zero wondered what he'd gotten himself in.

"You can begin treatment tomorrow. I'll be looking forward to how ordinary you will look like in my castle," Lucifer smirked and turned into a cloud of bats before making his dramatic exit.

Baal sighed. It certainly didn't take long for Zero to look for trouble. He gave Truen a clap on the back as the wood elf worked himself into another frenzy.

It was bustling in every corner of the abyss. Baal rolled his eyes. It certainly didn't take long before the word got around about Lucifer and Zero's bet. What's worse was how everyone around Baal seemed to be hyped over it. Coux and Lilith started preparing Zero's uniform in secret from the teen. The ladies were merciless when drilling for information. Grem lost almost immediately when the interrogation began, not that anyone could blame him.

Baal sighed again, heavier this time. Coux had recently been promoted to become the Demon Lord's secretary with how much work had piled up over the last few days. Business was good and things were finally beginning to settle down. Still, there was one matter pending other than Zero's outrageous bet with Lucifer.

The teen couldn't stop pouring through the books in the library ever since he had woken up after he heard that Coux was going to give him a tour of Baal's domain. Baal was thankful for that. He didn't know how much more of his best friend's hyperactivity he could tolerate with his secretary breathing down his neck at every minute. The Demon Lord swore that his hand was going to fall off from signing so many scrolls but his secretary would have none of that.

The trial would happen in two days. Hades retrieved Kerberos and was keeping an eye on the three-headed dog in the meantime. The celestial mutt seemed genuinely happy to see his master and sorry for what he'd done. It was hard to believe that Kerberos was still a puppy despite Hades' claims. On the other hand, Schaf was under house arrest on Mammon's orders. The goat demon didn't seem all that sorry for what he did. However, his hatred for Coux had diminished tremendously under lock-down. Some time-out certainly helped and Baal hoped it would remain that way.

The doctor-in-training found out soon enough about Buddha's sacrifice and Hua Tuo's absence. Needless to say, he wasn't too pleased about it. Merlin and Truen had to leave, much to Zero's dismay. However, he held back tears and bade them goodbye in the most casual manner that he could. It was no surprise that the wood elf had difficulties leaving after. Zero was growing up too quickly and as his guardian, Truen felt as if the training was stealing a huge chunk of precious moments he could have been spending with Zero from him.

After the noisy ones left, Baal was dragged away by Coux who insisted on tackling the pile of obscenity called paperwork which led him to his current predicament. Sekkin and Wiser decided to take turns accompanying Zero while Qin Yun and Amaraline worked at Belles and Begonia. The Demon Lord cursed the existence of work and the person who created the concept. As an all-powerful existence, he should have the right to reap the benefits of the toiling others did for him... there shouldn't be an actual need to torment his brain cells over anything he didn't want to!

Bob was proud of his young master. Zero had a very curious mind and the dragon had much to share from his rich previous life experiences. Mii chose to listen and offer her two cents on some topics. They chatted for hours and Zero's wonderful mind spun webs of ideas every time it had new input.

Zero had plans, he had big plans. Nobody would be ready for it but both the dragon and strawcherry fairy had to admit after Zero shared it with them. It was a rather good plan despite being a little unorthodox. However, there were still kinks in the grand plan that needed smoothing.

"How do you know that the ability Great One gave you would work?" Bob asked. While it is true he could now eat sins, Zero hasn't really tested the new ability. Mii was slightly unsure about it. Eating away someone's sins didn't automatically mean that they would turn into saints without them. Assuming that it did could cause them huge trouble if it didn't.

"We should test it before the trial, Zero."

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Zero looked at his assistant and a mischievous glint sparkled in his eye. Both Mii and Bob stiffened. They didn't have a good feeling.

"That's a brilliant idea!" Zero cheered. Slamming the thick book shut, the teen jumped off the chair and headed for the door. Wiser looked up from his books with a questioning look but neither Bob nor Mii had the time to spare him a glance. Whatever Zero was up to, they had better stop him. That look was a large warning sign that says Zero was going to attempt something reckless. Usually, that was a good mix of stupid and reckless that spelt trouble in bold capital letters in red.

"Zero... What are you planning?" Bob asked at last, unable to continue watching his master climb higher and higher Baal's watch tower. Wiser was huffing behind unable to keep up with the energetic youth's stamina.

"I'm going to fly," he told the dragon matter-of-factly. Mii was immediately alarmed. On the other hand, Bob looked confused.

"I didn't know that you could fly..."

Zero shrugged. "We won't know until we try it. Surely with this new body, it would be possible."

In record speed, both assistants jumped on the teen with shouts of protests. No matter how sturdy Zero's new body was, the thought of flying without plan or knowledge was a horrifying prospect. Bob cursed his weak magic. If he'd been stronger, he could have held his master back effortlessly. Being a mental projection, Bob was rather useless but he tried his best. Mii was one step ahead and anticipated Zero's stubbornness.

"Coux! Come in, we need back up!"

After glaring over Baal's shoulder for nearly twenty minutes, the half-succubus was startled when she heard Mii's telepathic message. Baal looked puzzled when Coux stopped swatting the back of his head when he tried to sign the document without reading the terms and conditions.

"Just a second," she said and that got Baal's attention. "I'm sorry. There's an urgent matter that I need to attend to. I trust that you shall complete sorting and looking through this stack of documents by the time I return. Should there be any mistakes, note that there will be consequences. I am not against mass transporting goods from Earth to meet the growing demands at Belles and Begonia."

The threat must have been very effective because Baal jolted upright just as Coux took her leave. If they thought that books would occupy Zero for enough time before the trial, they should have seen it coming. Zero was anything but predictable.

Bob almost shed tears of joy when Coux appeared. The scene was chaotic with Wiser knocked out of commission from the violent scuffle. Zero had one hand holding Bob back and Mii tugging on his lab coat. The sight would've been comical if not for Zero's determination to get into trouble again.

"What's going on?" Coux pretended not to have prior knowledge.

Zero saw this as his chance to gain an ally and quickly explained the situation, begging Coux to agree with his plan.

"I need to get to the tallest part of this building to fly down and get a better map of the area. There should be suitable targets to test the new 'Inheritor of Sins' ability."

Coux raised a brow. "There isn't a need to fly for this. If you asked nicely, we could've arranged for a trip to town."

"But Baal said..."

Coux smiled. "Well, he said that you can't explore the abyss before the trial but it's not exploring if someone accompanies you. Think of it as a city tour. However, you have to promise not to wander off alone and stick to the town near his castle for security reasons."

Zero nodded enthusiastically. Anything beats staying in this castle, no offence to Baal. After being stuck in the castle with nothing to do, Zero now knew the castle's layout at the back of his hands. Hide and seek had gotten boring when Sekkin and Wiser failed to find him even after two hours. To be fair, he didn't use any of Baal's top secret passages that he discovered with his map. He merely hid on the roof until he fell asleep. Needless to say, that game was banned after causing a panic storm in Baal's castle. Ever since that day, Zero couldn't find another muse to entertain himself with before hitting the library. With Mii's ability to process information at an impossible rate, there was no need for Zero to spend days pouring over tomes. He still did it to keep up appearances and pacify Truen who left soon after, throwing Zero into a never-ending loop of trying to find new things to do.

Hearing that the ban was lifted made Zero jump for joy.

"Do I need to change my clothes?"

Coux looked over Zero's new attire and smiled. She knew just what to do in order to motivate Baal. Of course, Zero didn't need to know.

"Yes," she nodded solemnly. "We will need to try out some disguises. It would be dangerous if other demons knew that you're not one of them."

Zero agreed and gave Coux the carte blanche to decide.

Five outfits and a lot of photographs later, Zero walked down the streets of the bustling town in a sleek butler costume complete with curly sheep horns. He did his best to model after the only goat demon he knew with the false business smile and pompous sway in his walk. Coux had a hard time stifling her laughs whenever Zero tried to intimidate someone with his wide-eyed stare. Although the apprentice had matured a good bit, Zero still had a baby face that made many female shop owners coo in delight at what appeared more like a doe-eyed request for a discount. Coux was like a cat who had gotten both the bird and the cream with Zero's natural charms making everything work in her favour. Bargaining had never been easier and the half-succubus milked everything she could.

Zero marvelled at the variety of things they sold at the marketplace, his pseudo personality quickly forgotten in his excitement and curiosity. There were many different types of magic stones that caught Zero's eye. The strange equipment and forgotten artefacts in an antique shop made Zero curious about their history. Coux didn't mind when Zero spent a good hour listening to the shopkeeper ramble on about the history of these items.

When they reached the heart of the town, Zero marvelled at the amazing architecture. The bank and library stood out the most but Zero had no interest in entering either building. He was more interested in the auction house when Coux mentioned how rare items were sold there.

"Is there anything in particular that you wish to get?" she asked.

Zero nodded. "I would like a pair of wings."

Coux blinked. "I'm not sure if they have it this season but what would you do with them once you have it?"

Zero smiled. "I'll absorb it and gain flight abilities."

Mii materialised, startling Coux a little. "It's not going to work unless you have the transformation ability to shape-shift... How many times do I have to tell you that you're not going to be able to fly by jumping off high places?" The strawcherry fairy sounded emotionally drained but not even Coux could blame her. She too sometimes wondered how Zero's thought process worked.

"We could get both flight abilities and shape-shifting abilities at the auction house then. Besides, it's not like I'll die from falling off a high place. There's magic to prevent injuries for that. I've tested it."

Coux blinked. "Tested what?"

Zero froze and looked a little guilty. "Sorry... please don't tell Baal! I trained a little because I was bored. It was in the mindscape so nothing really bad happened. We fixed everything real quick. I haven't tested if a magic barrier would help prevent fall damage but it should be able to withstand the impact seeing how it could deflect arrows."

Mii smacked her forehead hard. Leave it to Zero to spill the beans about everything. If not for Zero blackmailing both Bob and her to become his accomplices, she would never have agreed to let him do something so crazy.

Coux didn't seem angry much to the strawcherry fairy's surprise. Instead, she appeared thoughtful.

"How about getting underwater breathing and dark vision abilities while you're at it?" the trader recommended.

Zero thought for a while before dismissing it. "Nah, it doesn't help me travel. Besides, I think I can gain those abilities by absorbing animals that I hunt from Endow Hill. I just didn't feel the need to have them yet."

Mii rolled her eyes. "Flight is not the same as underwater breathing. You need to physically change your form or use magic to do so."

Zero brightened up. "In that case, I ca-"

"No," the strawcherry assistant shot his idea down quickly. "You're not allowed to use magic to fly. You're banned from using magic until your lessons with Merlin. You promised."

Coux left it to Mii to be harsh on the teen. Zero deflated. Quick to catch onto what Mii was doing, the half-succubus smiled.

"We should still check the auction house out. Who knows, there might be the shape-shifting ability you are searching for?"

Zero nodded. "What if they don't have it?"

Mii glanced at her master and closed her eyes. "Then you shouldn't worry about it too much. Jevy's ability to shape-shift is second to none. Eventually, you would be able to gain that ability. However, that comes after your training."

Zero blinked and broke into a blinding smile. "I shall work hard to complete my training! Just watch me, Mii... I will definitely fly one day."

Mii only smiled and let Zero ramble on about his dreams while they walked to Belles and Begonia. Little did Zero know how ridiculous that sounded.

"Does he realise that he would be able to fly once he completes the training? Jevy's abilities would be irrelevant to what he wants right now..." Coux whispered to Mii.

The strawcherry fairy shrugged. "It works for me better if he doesn't realise it. Still, we need to find some poor souls for him to test his new ability. Zero claims that those without sins can become saints or something like that. I'm sceptical. Schaf would never become a sheep of heaven even without his sins. He was born a demon."

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Coux looked wistful. "It's still nice to be able to dream. Second chances are not that easily attained. If Zero's ability could write off a person's sins to give them a blank start like how he did that for Douglas... he could become the saviour of our world."

Mii didn't seem to agree. "When there are no problems, humans will create problems just to satisfy themselves. You can take away an animal's knowledge but not their instincts. Removing someone's sins won't change their mindset and personality, there's no way Schaf will become a goody-two-shoe after he's forgiven. Old habits die hard."

Coux frowned. Mii had a good point. "Still, wouldn't it be nice if there was a happy ending for everyone? I don't believe Zero's way of thinking is wrong."

The strawcherry fairy didn't respond. Somehow, Coux had a feeling that Mii knew a lot more than she let on. While the half-succubus would never doubt her loyalty, she sometimes wondered if the things Mii did behind Zero's back was a good or bad thing.

"Come on!" Zero shouted. He was eager to visit the shop that Coux spoke fondly off. More importantly, Zero was dying for some of Lovina's pancakes. Sin hunting was merely a side objective when Zero's stomach came into the picture.

Standing outside Belles and Begonia, Zero could already smell the heavenly pancakes. However, he couldn't see them with all the customers crowding outside the small shop. While he knew that the shop was popular among demons, Zero never expected the success to be so overwhelming. The clattering of dishes inside made Zero curious. Why would anyone make such a ruckus while eating? Freya said that it was bad manners and Zero didn't have a very good opinion about someone who didn't eat with good manners.

"What's wrong?" Mii asked Coux who was frowning.

"There seems to be a little trouble at hand. Allow me to take care of it. Could you lead Zero in from the back entrance?"

The strawcherry fairy nodded and ushered Zero away from the crowd. Although Zero had grown in height, he was still not tall enough to peer over the heads of most people crowding the shop's entrance.

Reluctantly, he followed Mii out of the rowdy crowd while Coux pushed through the mass of bodies.

In the shop, there was only one customer. Coux recognised him at once, it was their regular diner that they couldn't refuse.

"Good day, Lord Beelzebub. How is the food today?" Coux plastered on a false smile. There were stacks of dirty plates on the Demon Lord's left and right sides. Amaraline looked helplessly at the half-succubus while Qin Yun had to wrestle back a plate of pancakes that the Lord of Gluttony tried to steal.

Coux sighed inwardly. This has become a common occurrence ever since Lord Beelzebub has gotten his personal domain and territory. With Mammon taking care of Beelzebub's businesses and finances, the Demon Lord would come over to Belles and Begonia the moment school has ended. Lucifer was more than happy to see Beelzebub go as the Lord of Gluttony was eating everything the cafeteria had to offer. The half-succubus had a deal with Lucifer and Mammon to satisfy Beelzebub's food cravings in return for money and connections. Still, dealing with someone whose appetite rivalled Zero's wasn't easy.

"As usual, the desserts are too sweet for my liking. However, I must admit that sheep pies are delicious! I need twenty more of that sheep pie to take away. As for the new beverage... what's it called again?"

"Kumquat Squash?"

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"Yes, that. It needs more honey. The sourness makes me hungrier."

Coux felt her smile quake. For someone who'd eaten nearly fourteen plates of desserts, not counting the ones he'd successfully stolen from other customers, Coux didn't think it deserved such a harsh rating.

"My Lord, we can send over your order for twenty sheep pies and five complimentary stacks of pancakes to your dormitory later. Would that suffice for today?"

Beelzebub stopped stuffing his face for a while to consider. "Can I also have two lamb legs to go?"

Coux felt her eyebrow twitch. That brat dared to bargain for more when she is handing out free food?

"My apologies, all the lamb we had were used to make sheep pies."

"How about a pitch of Kumquat Squash?"

"My apologies, we do not have enough honey to cater that for your tastes. Honey is an expensive ingredient that can only be harvested once an Earth year."

"... What about some Lemon Meringue Tarts?"

Coux was ready to throw something at the young Demon Lord when Zero came into her vision.

"It's no good to eat so much, you'll become obese."

That statement made everyone grow silent. It was common knowledge that demons would never grow fat. Food simply converted into mana for them and many demons have different sources of food. For the Lord of Gluttony, getting fat was the least of his concerns.

"What's obese?"

Zero smiled and launched into a detailed explanation about the body's process of storing food into unhealthy fats.

"Also, it doesn't stop there. Overeating a certain kind of food can cause other health issues. Too much salt could cause hypertension, too many desserts can cause high cholesterol and even diabetes. Insufficient fibre will lead to constipation etcetera..."

Coux didn't know if such a lecture would have any impact on the Lord of Gluttony. However, Zero was determined to help someone walking the wrong path of dietary nutrition. Qin Yun was amused when she heard Zero's serious doctor advice. He would make a splendid, if not naggy, doctor in future.

Beelzebub let the spoon in his hand fall with a clatter and his eyes widened as round as saucers.

"Am I going to die? I've eaten too many things, I must have a lot of diseases by now... You have to save me!"

The turn of events didn't seem to surprise Mii. With Zero's blessing at work, no wonder the Lord of Gluttony was so wrapped around Zero's finger. Sadly, Zero didn't seem to realise this and was happy to teach Beelzebub more about nutrition.

Seeing that their most troublesome customer was being attended to, Coux took the opportunity to bring them to a VIP room so that Amaraline and Qin Yun could attend to the rest of the customers who were still waiting outside.

In the VIP room, Beelzebub wondered how he got himself into a private consultation session. Zero asked him questions that were completely irrelevant to his eating habits. All the Demon Lord wanted to do was go back to the dormitory and wait for his food to be delivered.

"Did you have a time in your life when you were starving?"

Beelzebub sighed. "I starve everyday. My family was too poor to afford food to keep up with my appetite so I learned how to eat anything and everything."

Zero took notes seriously and Mii watched from the sidelines while keeping an eye on the situation downstairs. Coux finally managed to stabilise the situation and Qin Yun could take a short break while Amaraline served the other customers.

"What kind of things have you taken to eating during that period of time?" Zero asked.

"I remember eating dead trees, rocks, dirt... basically anything I could find in that barren land was edible. At first, I fell sick eating them but as I grew used to them, I found that I could eat almost anything."

Zero blinked. "Does your stomach not hurt?"

Beelzebub shook his head. "No. That's the funny thing. I never seem to be full either. It's just a constant emptiness inside that I need to fill."

Zero hummed. This was a highly unusual case that Hua Tuo hasn't told him about. Perhaps it was a condition special for only the Lord of Gluttony. Like the Sage God of Medicine once told him, there would be many unknown diseases and illnesses in this world and beyond that couldn't be cured. Zero decided to become a doctor for the purpose of finding cures for the unknown. Right now, there was a perfect patient with an unusual condition. How could Zero not be thrilled?

"Don't worry," he told Beelzebub who raised an eyebrow. "I will find a cure for you without fail."

Beelzebub snorted. "Don't worry about it. I enjoy eating now that there is delicious food in the abyss. I just need to know what not to eat too much to prevent all the other diseases that you mentioned earlier. Hypertension and Diabetes sounded really scary. I don't want to be unable to eat anything that I like in the future."

Zero decided that it might be a good time to inspect the Demon Lord with Mii's abilities. The strawcherry got to work right away and Zero was slightly stunned to see how much the status window has changed.

Name: Beelzebub

Title:

- Lord of Gluttony

Ruler of the Gluttony Domain in Hell

Race: Archdemon

Age: 16 Earth Years (160 Hell years)

Skills:

- Godly Metabolism

Allows food to be digested immediately and converted to energy

- Iron Stomach

Allows anything eaten to be digested

- Poison Resistance (Lvl 89/100)

Poison immunity to most poisons

- Curse of Gluttony

Allows food to be converted to mana

Sins:

- Anger

0/100

- Jealousy

0/100

- Laziness

0/100

- Greed

0/100

- Lust

0/100

- Pride

0/100

- Gluttony

Infinite/100

Zero blinked. Infinite Gluttony sin points? Zero wondered if this was the case for all other Demon Lords too. Still, the brunet had an idea.

"Beelzebub, can I try something?"

The Demon Lord blinked. "Sure?"

Before he could take his words back, Zero placed a hand on his shoulder. The strangest thing happened and Beelzebub jumped backwards as if struck by electricity.

"What did you do?" he snarled. The moment Zero touched him, Beelzebub felt power being drained from him. It wasn't mana that Zero was draining either, Beelzebub felt it being drawn from his very soul.

Zero blinked. Beelzebub's complete change in attitude made him confuse. After re-inspection, Zero noted that the number of sins hasn't changed. However, Zero felt that he managed to absorb a small bit of pure energy from that brief contact.

They stared at each other for a long time before Zero explained what he did. Beelzebub glared at Zero.

"Were you trying to kill me? You know what? I don't care for your treatment at all now. If I have to abandon my sins to get better, you can forget about it. A Demon without sins will cease to be a demon."

Zero was left to ponder over those words as Beelzebub stormed out of the shop, leaving many customers puzzled.

"A demon without sins will cease to be a demon... what does that mean? Will they become something else?" he asked Mii.

The strawcherry assistant looked confused. "I'm not a demon expert. Perhaps asking Qin Yun might be a better option."

With that, Zero went to find the fox demoness who was taking a break in the break room.

After hearing Zero's explanation, the fox demoness blinked. "Can you really eat sins?"

Zero nodded. "I gained an ability to do so after inheriting the memories of four other divine entities."

"Could you try that one me?" she asked. Zero looked worried.

"But a demon without sins will no longer be a demon... I don't want to put you in any danger..."

Qin Yun smiled. "You won't. I know what I'm doing."

Zero looked unsure. "Alright," he conceded. "But I won't absorb all the sins, only a little to test."

Qin Yun smiled. "Sure!"

Zero then inspected the fox demoness.

Name: Hu Shuang (狐霜) [AN: Literally Fox Frost]

Title:

- Mother of Foxes

Founder of the Snow Fox Demon Clan

Race: Snow Fox Demon

Age: Unknown (Calculation failure due to the destruction of the first Earth)

Skills:

- Shape-shifting

Allows user to transform into desired physical form

- Fox Magic (Lvl 91/10)

Allows user to use fox magic like illusions, elemental magic, charms etc

- Cold Resistance (Lvl 100/100)

Allows User to be immune to cold

- Cold Mastery (Lvl 1/1)

Allows user to be more powerful in the cold with the ability to move normally

- Soul Cultivation (Lvl 55/100)

Allows user to negate their born traits and qualify for a rebirth of their choice after successful cultivation

Sins:

- Anger

20/100

- Jealousy

62/100

- Laziness

5/100

- Greed

3/100

- Lust

11/100

- Pride

41/100

- Gluttony

3/100

Zero blinked. For someone like Qin Yun who'd lived several lifetimes and originated from the first Earth, that was very little sins.

"The system only accounts for sins in one lifetime. Sin points accumulated expires after a hundred years or until death. Remaining sin points are judged in the Purgatory and the soul spends the remaining time after judgement to work the sins off," Mii explained.

"What if they accumulate more than a hundred?" Zero whispered back.

"Then it gets carried on to the next lifetime in karma points. It all depends on King Yama to decide."

Zero nodded. "Qin Yun, Your sins are scattered at this moment with Lust and Jealousy making the bulk of it. Is it alright for me to test my ability by absorbing the sins with the least points?"

"What sin is that?"

Zero took a closer look. "Uh... it's Greed and Gluttony at 3 points each."

The fox demoness laughed. "Sure. If it is successful, would you help to absorb the rest of my sins? It must look really terrible, right? I was a horrible person a long time ago."

Zero shook his head. "It's measurable so I wouldn't say that. Besides, you're doing something to reduce them. I see something called Soul Cultivation? I wouldn't say that you're a horrible person. You might have done bad things but by trying to right the wrongs, it's admirable in my opinion."

Qin Yun didn't say much as Zero activated his new ability. The process was quick but Qin Yun felt the difference immediately.

"What happened?" she asked the teen who frowned. He wasn't too sure about what happened but he knew the sins were converted into pure energy.

"Mii, how many units of energy does on point of sin convert into?"

"At the moment, it converts 1 sin point to 10 energy units. Also, 1 unit of energy converts to 10 mana points."

Zero looked confused. The concept of math was still foreign to him. "I don't understand."

"One wisp of light magic for a minute will consume 1 mana point. With 1 sin point, you can hold a light for hundred minutes straight assuming you do not recover any mana."

Zero nodded. "How about healing magic?"

"The basic healing magic for small cuts cost 20 mana points."

Zero grimaced. That was a lot of mana.

Qin Yun meditated while Zero and Mii discussed the calculations that she didn't understand. Whatever Zero did, helped tremendously. Her soul became lighter and the shackling weight of sins making her cultivation harder was loosened.

"Did it work?" Zero asked cautiously.

Qin Yun smiled. "It worked perfectly. If I didn't have so many sins, I could make faster progress with my cultivation to become a human."

"What will happen once you clear all your sins but have not cultivated completely? Would you still be a demon?"

Qin Yun shook her head. "I wasn't born a demon. I was turned into a demon because of my sins. I was originally a snow fox who lived past a hundred years and transformed into a snow fox spirit. Humans razed my forest and killed my family so I massacred a village of innocents near the mountain. Nezha who was travelling on Earth for fun chanced upon my killing and sealed me up. In order to make up for the lives I took, he told me that I should cultivate my soul before I can be given a second chance at life. King Yama sentenced me to the freezing Hell for a thousand years because I'd lost all rationality from my rage and pain. That was how I gradually became a demon after spending a thousand years absorbing the Hell miasma."

Zero nodded. He didn't know who Nezha was but the fact that King Yama was partially responsible for who Qin Yun because made Zero feel conflicted.

"Do you hate En for turning you into a demon indirectly?"

Qin Yun shook her head. "I don't. If he didn't do that, I wouldn't have the opportunity to visit the second Earth. I might have stayed in the abyss for a longer time than I thought because back then, there was always wars ongoing. The Earth I visited after my punishment was peaceful. At least it was more peaceful than the life I had before. Half Moon village had its fair share of enemies after all."

Zero basked in the silence for a while. "I don't know what will happen if I absorb the remaining of your sins. You might not return to being a snow fox spirit..."

Qin Yun shook her head. "It's alright. I have to clear my sins, it doesn't matter. I must apologise to King Yama for cheating a little with the sin repayment process."

Zero rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about that, I'll explain to En that you were assisting me in my experiment. He should be understanding. Besides, I don't want to resort to kidnapping random demons to test what would happen to them if I absorbed all their sins."

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Qin Yun chuckled. That was true. Ordinary demons who cease to become demons will perish in Hell from the miasma, especially in a Demon Lord's domain. For Qin Yun who had Baal's mark of protection as a faction member, it wouldn't matter.

"Alright, let's begin."

Zero nodded. "Please tell me if it is uncomfortable," he told her professionally and Mii peeled her eyes open, watching over both of them carefully.

"They are beginning now, Isis please standby," Mii communicated silently as Zero got into position.

"Roger," the Egyptian Goddess responded and watched closely at the image from the crystal ball with Freya and Gaia huddled around the small object.

Coux sensed something powerful happening upstairs and so did the other patrons. Some of the demons in the shop forgot about their food and paused to look up. The spike in magical energy lasted only for a minute or so but everyone knew that it couldn't be Qin Yun. the regulars knew the fox demoness well enough. Besides, even if they didn't, something of this level could only rival a Demon Lord's.

"It must be Lord Baal's guest," one customer speculated. The rumours became wild and Coux was unable to stop the word from spreading. What's strange was how nobody seemed frightened of the short display of power. The half-succubus briefly considered if Hell was a better environment for Zero rather than Earth. If Half Moon village didn't welcome Zero back and apologise for their treatment, she would leave it for good. There are many places a Van Doux could settle down in.

Back upstairs, Zero burped and quickly covered his mouth sheepishly. Qin Yun looked a little different but Zero couldn't place a finger on it. Was it her hair? No, that had always been the same.

Qin Yun examined herself in the window's reflection. She felt a lot lighter and in a way, younger too. Whatever Zero did was amazing. The fox demoness wondered if this meant that she could become human faster than anticipated. That aside, King Yama would surely notice the discrepancy of sins in his books after what Zero did. Sins didn't simply disappear without a trace. She glanced sideways at Zero who seemed to be analysing something.

Zero stared hard at Qin Yun's new status. The experiment proved to be successful so far. Qin Yun's sins were reflected as zero the way it should be. The queer thing Zero noticed was how Qin Yun's race status changed. Instead of a snow fox demon, it now read as snow fox spirit. Still, the lady looked exactly the same as how he remembered her to be. What could possibly be different?

When he looked down, Zero understood what was wrong at once. Qin Yun's shadow was missing!

"Your shadow..." he pointed and Qin Yun looked down.

"Oh, this is normal for spirits. I guess your experiment must have been a success."

The teen didn't know what to say. "Does that mean you can't remain in the abyss any longer?"

The snow fox spirit smiled. "I have a free-pass to Hell, courtesy of Lord Baal. I'll be fine. You should be able to use this to convince everyone of your plan now. I heard from Mii that you found a way to save both Schaf and Kerberos?"

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Zero nodded. "Yes! I'm going to eat away all of Schaf's sins. That way, he can return to heaven."

Qin Yun didn't know what to say. "You do know that Schaf has a mixed bloodline, right? What worked for me may not work for him."

Zero waved her concern off. "Don't worry. I'll just have to test this on more people to understand how it works. I'll ask Coux if I could set up a business here for redemption of sins. I wouldn't be cheating people if they paid me to do it. Although I might need your help to convince them that it is safe..."

Coux wasn't too sure that Zero's plan would work. In fact, she was worried. What about the demons who were pure-blooded demons? Would the consequences be dire? A demon without sin couldn't remain in Hell, they would be rejected. Still, she didn't shoot his plan down. Instead, she encouraged him. Coux should be more than capable enough to do damage control. It was better than encouraging Zero to randomly kidnap demons to test his new abilities out.

Zero left like the wind as soon as Qin Yun nodded. She trusted that the trader would be able to stop the teen from going too far if needed. For now, the snow fox spirit seized this chance to test if the demon part of her was gone for good. Summoning the familiar feeling of magic in her veins, Qin Yun found that she could not use the mana that existed in the abyss. In fact, she felt weakened by expending so much mana. The foxfire that appeared on the tip of her finger flickered and wavered so much that she had to call it off. Perhaps she should return to the village to recharge and help Lovina meet the never-ending demands for food. She could return once she has regained her strength after she'd discussed with Baal about her unplanned vacation.

A few dozen pairs of eyes stared at the mysterious fake sheep demon who came down the stairs. Murmurs filled the little shop and spread quickly when Zero bounced over to Coux in a beeline.

"Coux!" Zero grinned. "Can I open a sin redemption business in your shop for a little while? The experiment was successful but I need to confirm something different..."

The secretary froze, unsure about what Zero was talking about until Mii interrupted to clear the questions in the air.

The moment they heard what the strawcherry fairy said, the whispers in the shop got louder until the patrons standing outside the shop were able to catch the drift of the commotion.

"Redeem sins? Can he really do that? Not even the Gods can pardon so many sins..."

"Is this a hoax? Wasn't this brat Lord Baal's guest?"

"That explains the powerful energy earlier. Maybe he is the saviour sent to us!"

With conflicting opinions about Zero's claims flying in every direction, Belles and Begonia was once again thrown into chaos. Unable to put a lid on the situation, Coux contacted Baal to report about the situation.

Back in his castle, Baal jumped. He was skiving and procrastinating with work. Pen spinning was a more entertaining hobby and he'd been doing it for the past hour without Coux breathing down his neck. Needless to say, he fell out of his chair when he heard Coux's voice. The Demon Lord looked around the room to see if his overly capable assistant was spying on him from somewhere and relaxed when he realised it was simply a telepathic message through the covenant mark.

Collecting himself quickly, Baal switched to work mode. Whatever matters that pertained to Zero was always on the top of his priority list. Sometimes the Demon Lord wondered if Zero was doing this to him intentionally. Ever since knowing the brunet, Baal had been through the emotional wringer. On the plus side, his boring and lonely life was now a thing of the past. At the same time, Baal longed for the idle days that were also now a thing of the past. Business was good because it meant that he had money that could be used to support Zero's adventure in the future. However, working was bad. Baal abhorred working, it simply went against his principles but Coux was determined to make Baal see things the other way. She hasn't succeeded so far and Baal hoped that she would never succeed.

"I see," he nodded after Coux finished her reporting. "I'm not against Zero opening his 'business' in my domain. However, you still have to register his business under Belles and Begonia. Knowing Zero, I'm guessing we should inform King Yama about it?"

Coux agreed. "It wouldn't be funny if King Yama discovers a huge discrepancy of sins in his books. Reconciliation is a pain, you should know this with some first-hand experience."

Baal shuddered at the memory. It wasn't too long ago that he was swearing at the figures. If the numbers did not tally, it rivalled facing Lucifer's punishments. Mammon was determined to make Baal's empty bank account bear the brunt of every single number that was missing from the books. Coux was excellent when it came to chasing for the required documents, which explains Baal's current predicament. The Demon Lord sighed. Not having a secretary was troubling. Having an overly efficient secretary posed a new set of problems. Was there really no way to be satisfied?

After giving Coux a new set of orders Baal agreed that he would write King Yama a letter personally to explain the situation.

"Please help to keep track of the demons who participated. We don't have the records of their sins but we can make his job easier."

"Oh, don't worry about that," the half-succubus smiled. "Zero has that taken care of. He can see how many sins each person has. We just want to test if eating a demon's sins will change their race. Zero tried it on Beelzebub earlier and the result wasn't too petty. Beelzebub saw it as a threat despite Zero's claim that he still had an infinite number of sins for gluttony."

Baal hummed. "Well, it's not exactly the same for a normal demon to lose their sins and a Demon Lord to lose theirs. A Demon Lord's sins represent power. We need all the power we can get to support this plane from falling apart. Becoming the guardian of a domain isn't something anyone could do. As a new Demon Lord, Beelzebub had every right to feel threatened. If Zero took out more than Beel could accumulate, his newly forged domain could easily crumble. As for regular demons, tell Zero to feast to his content. They would simply become spirits of their rightful heritage if I'm not mistaken. Weak demons are often ousted out from the abyss to Earth. They roam around as things like ghosts."

Coux looked at Zero who waited patiently while snacking on something that Amaraline offered. She exchanged a few more words with Baal before closing their connection. Zero's eyes lit up when Coux turned to him. Leave it to Zero to instinctively know when there is good news.

"Baal says that it is alright to start your business here. However, we can't do it today, there are administrative matters to attend to. Also, you need to record down the name of the demons who participated and the number of sins you've eaten. We need to give this record to King Yama."

Zero agreed at once and pumped a fist into the air, uncaring about the strange looks he received. "Great! I guess I'll spend the rest of the time helping out with the shop until the auction house opens. We can visit the auction house later, right?"

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Coux smiled. "Of course. Would you like to learn how to brew tea? Amaraline can show you how."

Zero skipped away happily and once he was out of the picture, Coux turned back to the whispering patrons.

"Lord Baal has given permission. We will be starting a side business tomorrow for anyone who is interested in sin redemption. Please look forward to the details we will be putting up later. Anyone who participates will be given a discount coupon for our desserts, whilst stocks last."

The moment Coux mentioned that there will be discount coupons given out, excited whispers filled the room. Some demons rushed back to tell their loved ones about the good news. Clearly, money was everything regardless of which dimension. Coux left with a smirk on her lips. Everything was progressing smoothly. It wouldn't be long before Mammon commits to invest in their business, she just knew it would happen. Lilith was already calling dibs on the initial share release and Coux couldn't deny her. The only problem she had was getting Baal to agree to become the owner of the business. Despite being lazy, Baal was extremely capable when it came to managing his territory.

"Oh well," she smirked. Even if Baal doesn't want to accept the position, he will when Coux reveals her secret weapon. Nobody will be able to resist the limited edition photographs of Zero cosplaying as a demon.

Zero was a fantastic help. He soaked up everything that Amaraline taught and was brewing tea like an expert in no time. The cockatrice descendant was overjoyed and starting teaching Zero the ropes from serving customers and taking orders to collect payment. Zero didn't complain and did everything as he was told. His cheerful demeanour won over the hearts of many demons who were initially sceptical about having a non-demon serving them. In fact, Coux was slightly envious of the tips Zero received from some of their patrons. Most of the tips he received were from female demons who thought that he was a precious little thing. Apparently, Zero's charms were not lost despite maturing into a teenager. Some things simply never changed. Coux wondered if she could persuade Baal to let Zero extend his stay in Hell by a few more days to help out at the shop. They were shorthanded as it was and Zero made excellent free labour.

Time flew by quickly and the ladies got ready to close for the day. Zero's cleaning magic came in useful and the secretary was seriously considering to employee Zero as permanent staff.

"Are you sure you don't want to become a waiter at Belles and Begonia?"

Zero shook his head. "It's alright. I have to resume my training once we get back. I'm sure Master is dying to teach me the basics of acupuncture and surgery."

Coux pouted but agreed reluctantly. Good people were hard to find and even harder to keep. Zero told Coux that she could always employ help from the village. Surely there would be others who were keen. The secretary's smile was tight when she told him that she would consider. The truth was, none of the villagers had interest or skills required to work in a store. Besides, many of them couldn't enter the abyss without some sort of repercussion.

By the time they had to leave, there were still a good number of customers remaining. Coux had to apologise to them and offer takeaways so that they could leave on time. The auction would start soon and due to the delay, nobody had time for dinner. The most they had was a quick bite or two from some leftover pastries that didn't sell.

"I heard that today's auction would be interesting. Lord Mammon sent Lord Baal a letter inviting him to view the newest collection of Demon Eyes. Someone recently slew the pit hydra and that is going for auction. Who knows, it might have some skills you are interested in acquiring."

Zero shrugged. "Maybe. I'm still more interested in getting the shape-shifting and flight skills. Do we have enough money to get everything we need at the auction house?"

Coux smiled. Money wasn't an issue. Given Lord Baal and Lord Mammon's relationship and the potential of Belles and Begonia as a lucrative investment, getting an unlimited loan is possible. Coux was confident that once the trade route between Hell and Earth was established, they could pay back whatever Zero wanted to spend today.

"Don't worry about money, Lord Baal is paying for it."

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"Bell?" Zero asked incredulously. It was hard to believe that his lazy and broke friend had money to spare, much less pay for anything. Then, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Was Baal stealing money from someone?

Coux blinked at Zero's reaction. Normally, Zero would have left it at that. Seeing that the teen wouldn't buy her answer so easily, the secretary had to feed him a little more information before the doctor's apprentice relented.

"Ok. As long as Bell isn't stealing from anybody, it's good. Say, do you think I will be able to pay him back with what I earn from the sin redemption service?"

The secretary shrugged. "I don't know. You may be able to pay him back a little for sure. However, I'm not sure if you could pay him back in full. The things in the auction house are always expensive as they are very rare. None of the items sold here tonight can be found in the ordinary market. It's also not a given that the same item will appear a second time."

The doctor-in-training cocked his head to a side. It was hard to understand what the half-succubus was talking about.

"Don't worry," Mii chimed. "You'll see it later. There usually is no fixed prices for the items on auction. People bid the prices for what they want and the item goes to the highest bidder. Of course, that is a rule that only applies in the auction house. It isn't uncommon for the winning bidders of an item to be ambushed and robbed the moment they step out of the auction house."

Zero looked slightly worried at that. "Will anyone try to steal the things we win at the auction?"

The strawcherry fairy shrugged. "It's a possibility. However, I doubt it will happen. You're going to absorb it right away, aren't you?"

Zero stuck out a tongue sheepishly. "I forgot. Ok! There's nothing to worry about. Let's go!"

Zero dragged Coux and Mii into the carriage that Baal readied for them beforehand. Qin Yun and Amaraline decided to return to the castle to rest for the day so the journey was spent in relative silence with Zero marvelling at the sight of demons hustling along the streets from inside the moving carriage.

As the carriage came to a halt, Zero hopped out eagerly. Coux quickly adjusted the lopsided sheep horn so that it wouldn't be too obvious that Zero was a fake demon. Nobody would question them with Baal's insignia but it was still better to be safe than sorry. Instead of squishing with the common folk on the first floor or on the sleazy couches with the richer folks, the party of two and a half was ushered to the second floor of the auction house. The half-succubus made a mental note to thank Mammon for arranging such hospitality. It was easier for her to keep an eye on Zero away from prying eyes.

The room was lavishly furnished with exquisite silk spun by the most graceful spider demons. The couches were stuffed with the soft wool of some sheep demon. The same material was used for the thickly padded carpet floor. Instead of candles, magic stones were used to line the ceiling, creating a beautiful glow that was neither too bright nor dim. Zero was briefly reminded of the underground passageways of Half Moon village.

The room wasn't very large but Zero didn't mind. There were no windows but there was a balcony that was covered in rich violet translucent drapes. Zero was curious why nobody drew them open but left them as they were. There were two luxurious armchairs lined in silk and fur. Coux went over to the small table at the corner of the room that Zero hadn't noticed, too overwhelmed by the display of wealth. There was a small assortment of snacks and tea that Coux immediately got to brewing. The teen decided to entertain himself by watching the people gather below from behind the curtain.

As soon as the secretary came back with two steaming cups of tea and a plate of munchies, Zero lost his interest in the crowd. Still, he wondered what the blank slate on the small coffee table between the armchairs was for.

"If you see something you like, use magic to write the number of devil gold you would like to bid. They go by the thousands here. Of course, devil gold is only used to bid for items above Purple grade."

"How do I know if it is a purple grade item? WHat does that mean? Does the item have to be purple?" Zero asked. Perhaps that was why the drapes were purple.

Mii waved her hand and some words materialised in the air.

"This is how the grades work. It's basically the rarity of an object. No items below rare grade will be in the auction house."

Red - Trash

Orange - Common

Green - Uncommon

Blue - Rare

Purple - Extra Rare

Silver - Legendary

Black - Sagely

Gold - Godly

White - Unrankable

Zero took a good look at the floating words and committed them to memory. Coux then explained the currency used in the abyss. She scribbled on the slate and Zero noted how Coux channelled very little mana into it while dragging her finger across the surface to 'write'.

100 Cursed Coins = 1 Cursed Note

1,000 Cursed Note = 1 Devil Gold

10,000 Devil Gold = 1 Blood Note

"The cheapest tea at our shop is sold for 50 Cursed Coins. It is the equivalent of 50 innites back on Earth. The lowest value of money is 5 innites. You can buy a small burnt loaf of bread from the baker's in a town with 5 innites."

Zero felt his brain refusing to cooperate. The concept of counting was still foreign to Zero. Baal called it Math and Zero decided he didn't like Math. He prefered studying different languages and plants better. Heck, even the topic called history was far more entertaining than Math. Gugu liked Math a lot but Zero didn't think it was possible for him to understand the same joy.

Before Zero's brain could start overheating from the overuse, they heard the crowd below go silent. A smartly dressed goat demon stood in front of the room on the raised floor. The goat demon cleared his throat and started addressing the audiences in a high pitched and nasally tone that hurt Zero's ears. He droned on for about ten minutes and Zero wondered if he would ever stop talking.

Thankfully, he did. The goat demon then picked up a mallet and struck the bronze bell that a pretty cat demon pushed onto the stage. The loud sound marked the beginning of the auction and the relaxed atmosphere turned into one that rivalled a battlefield.

A wolf demon walked onto the stage. He looked menacing and Zero wondered if it would hurt for him to smile a little. The first item was brought onto the stage by the same pretty cat demon on a cart. Zero couldn't see very well and Coux handed him a pair of magnifying glasses.

"The first item of the auction today is a basket of Grade Blue Volcano Spore Flower. Spore Flowers are difficult to harvest and will only grow near the volcanoes in the abyss. Many harvesters have died trying to get to them by falling into the void through the cracks in the quakes or caught in an eruption. These Spore Flowers can withstand heat very well and is known to cure curses of ice elements. It also boosts the lifespan of fire elemental demons. Its starting bid is at 15 Cursed Notes!"

Immediately hands shot up in the air and someone yelled out 25 Cursed Notes. Zero blinked. The Spore Flowers looked half withered. Can something that lacked freshness be sold for so much? Still, the bids rose higher and higher. People started dropping out from the race and the basket of Spore Flowers ended up with a mossy rock demon. Zero didn't know what the poor demon wanted to do with it but he certainly didn't think it was worth 48 Cursed Notes.

The next item was a heavy looking pair of boots that would never fit on Zero's feet. They were as long as his arm and the teen wondered who would possibly have such huge feet.

"The next item is a pair of boots that once belonged to the great Viking Giant King of Earth. Our appraiser has confirmed that they were worn on his adventure from the time he travelled to the land of pixies and serpent island. It is a Grade Silver item and the starting bid is 500 Cursed Notes!"

This time, not many people bid for it. Zero thought that the tiny rat demon must be crazy to buy such big shoes. What was he going to do with it? There was no way he would be able to wear it. The rat demon could practically live in one of those!

"Sold!" The wolf demon cried and slammed the hammer twice to indicate a successful sale. Zero saw how the cat demon took the boots away and asked Coux how the rat demon was going to collect his item. He didn't see them paying either.

"They would pay in the backroom while verifying their purchase. Once the item is sold, the auction house will not do refunds or bear responsibility for what happens to the item afterwards. The rat demon would have to pay his 680 Cursed Notes and a 6% auction tax before the item certificate and ownership transfer scroll is passed to him. He would have to arrange his own form of transport to bring it back."

The doctor-in-training nodded. That was a lot of Math he didn't want to do. However, the teen now knew how Mammon became so rich. He earned from whatever was sold by collecting a tax. Coux mentioned that not all items would be sold and Zero wondered if that was true.

For the next few items, Zero let them go without much interest. He wasn't even keen when the auctioneer brought out some Grade Black Incense Kit from a destroyed world. However, his eyes widened when the wolf auctioneer stepped down to pass his role to another person.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have gathered here for the very same reason. With the connections that the Auction House has, we bring you the highlight of today's event."

The lights below dimmed and a spotlight pointed directly on the spot that the new auctioneer was standing on. Two cat demons wheeled out a book placed on a pedestal. Zero raised a brow. The book looked ancient and was giving out a lot of magical powers. After staring it for a few seconds, Zero knew that it was in an unknown language. He couldn't understand a single thing and Mii wasn't about to spoil the surprise for him either.

"The first featured item is a Grade White grimoire. Our appraisers were unable to decipher this foreign language nor break the curse on it. The starting bid is 1 Devil Gold."

Many people on the first floor didn't bid. Zero thought that it was a shame because this book looked a lot more interesting than a basket of Spore Flowers. However, the richer folks on the sleazy couches were bidding leisurely as if to spite the others sitting around them. Not many people were too interested in the book and Zero thought that it might be a prestige thing to be able to afford something like that.

He was right. The book sold for 2 Devil Gold and 300 Cursed Notes to a lady who seemed more interested in perfume than reading.

The next item was also Grade White and Zero wondered if this was the same for all the other items on highlight. What shocked Zero wasn't the uniqueness of the next time but rather, the reaction of the audiences when they cheered and licked their lips.

The next 'item' was not an object but a living person. This person looked feral with sharp teeth dripping with blood. He had white hair and scars all over his body. Zero quickly used his ability to appraise the scrawny child.

Name: -Not Found-

Title:

- Child of Roth

Last survival of a warrior vampire tribe called Roth.

Race: Vampire

Age: 232 Hell years

Skills:

- Shape-shifting

Allows user to transform into a bat to conserve magic and cover from injuries faster

- Bloodlust

Boosts user's power by 500% when engulfed by rage. Increases thirst.

- High-Speed Regeneration

Allows user to recover from physical wounds 500 times faster

- Observation

Allows user to copy an ability after observing it once with restrictions

Sins:

- Anger

-15/100

- Jealousy

0/100

- Laziness

0/100

- Greed

0/100

- Lust

0/100

- Pride

0/100

- Gluttony

0/100

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Zero blinked. Was it possible for sins to be in the negative range? How did that happen?

Then, the vampire child looked up, right into Zero's eyes. Startled, Zero nearly fell off his chair. When their eyes met through the curtain, Zero felt as if it wasn't a coincidence. Something in him told him to save this nameless child from the auction house. He didn't seem to be here willingly from the heavy chains around his wrists and ankles. They had magic spells that prevented him from transforming and running away but that didn't make the boy stop trying to break his restraints. The bruises and cuts were evidence of that.

"I want to save that child," he told Coux.

"You can't save every slave on auction, Zero. It is the rule in Hell that the strong take everything and the weak get eaten."

Zero didn't say anything, he only continued to stare at the vampire who was once again dragged along and made to kneel on the centre of the stage. Still, those red eyes never left Zero's and the teen made his mind up. He would save this child.

"This is the famous Child of Roth! I don't think I have to say much, everybody knows how much of a killing machine this thing is. The only downside is that you'll have to train him and break him down before he can be any good. The last of his kind, let's say no more. The starting bid goes for 10 Devil Gold."

Zero was only slightly peeved that they didn't announce the Grade of this slave but he didn't mind. If they did put a Grade to the nameless child, Zero might have been angrier. Numbers were shouted and the price was now at least double of what the starting bid was. Yet there was no sign of the bids slowing. Zero fidgeted. The child wasn't looking anywhere else. It was as if he was challenging Zero to bid.

Coux looked slightly worried when Zero fidgeted. Lord Baal might not like it if Zero bought this child because he wanted to 'save' him. Although Zero was powerful, he wouldn't use his powers to defend himself. If anything, the secretary thinks that Zero is only buying the vampire child because of the injuries and poor treatment he received. The vampire child would have no problem ripping Zero's throat out and Coux would very much like to prevent that from happening.

"50 Devil Gold! Any other offers? Going once!"

Zero grabbed the slate before Coux could stop him and wrote an amount that would make even Mammon faint.

"10 Blood Notes."

The auction house fell silent and the auctioneer stammered.

"M-my Lord... we only accept payment up front."

Coux pulled Zero back but the teen was stubborn. "10 Blood Notes for the child and all the other items you have for the rest of today's event."

The secretary froze. Was Zero... bargaining?

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The auctioneer blinked. Nobody breathed. Unsure of what to do with Zero's proposal, the auctioneer announced that they would be taking a short break and hurried off stage. Coux used this short time frame to call Mammon directly to explain the situation.

"Zero!" Mii hissed. "What do you think you're doing? We don't have a single Cursed Coin on hand... how will we pay 10 Blood Notes? Also, we don't know what kind of items they would be auctioning for the rest of the evening. What will you do if they aren't things that we could use? Aren't you being too reckless?"

The teen smiled. "Nothing will be wasted. If it comes to it, I shall absorb it. Who knows... I might gain some new abilities. There will always be a use for things. Don't worry too much."

"Again," Mii deadpanned. "What about the money? We don't have any and Baal is broke."

Zero grinned sheepishly. "We could bargain... I'm sure I have something worth the value of 10 Blood Notes to exchange."

Mii wasn't impressed. If anything, this might be the dumbest thing Zero has done to date. "What kind of possession do you have that is possibly worth 10 Blood notes? You do know that is the equivalent to 10 billion Cursed Coins, right?"

Zero titled his head to the side. "What's billion?"

Mii wrote the numbers out in the air and Zero felt dizzy. How many zeroes were there? Even if he didn't know Math very well, the figure spoke of HUGE and Zero gulped. Maybe he shouldn't have said that he would pay 10 Blood Notes.

"Do you think my ability to bring the dead back or cure incurable diseases will be worth 10 Blood Notes?"

Mii thought for a little. "Perhaps. However, it depends on the auction house if they are willing to negotiate for your services instead of money. I'm sure Coux is discussing something with Mammon now but don't get your hopes up. We might have to let go of this child if we can't pay up. You shouldn't have been too hasty."

"But I couldn't not do anything! He was looking at me with those eyes... I had to save him."

The strawcherry fairy rolled her eyes. The vampire child was in no way begging to be saved. If anything, those eyes screamed 'murder'. How did Zero manage to misinterpret it so splendidly? Still, she held her tongue as Coux finalised the call. From the sound of her tone, things must have gone the way she wanted. Lucky Zero. Mii was almost certain that luck was a factor that was maxed in Zero's stats if he ever had any.

"Good news," Coux told the teen. "Lord Mammon has decided to absorb the cost of all the items tonight on auction. However, you need to do some work for him."

"What kind of work?" the teen asked and Coux felt proud that Zero was finally growing to be more cautious.

"He wants to take advantage of your absorption skills to clear out his warehouse. There are some potentially deadly items that couldn't be thrown away and Mammon refuses to spend extra money guarding them every month because he couldn't toss them out."

Zero nodded. It wasn't a bad deal. In fact, he was thankful towards Mammon for being so generous. Which reminds him, there was a bet with Lucifer that he has yet to fulfil. Perhaps he should talk to Baal about it.

The auctioneer returned to stage and the audience waited for his verdict with bated breaths. Several merchant demons weren't too happy when they heard the announcement but Zero secretly rejoiced.

"After verifying with the higher-ups, the buyer in the VIP room will buy everything we have for today's auction with 10 Blood Notes. Our apologies for all those looking forward to it. As compensation, Lord Mammon has decreed that everyone who attended today's auction will be given a free pass to attend any other auction event within the year. There shall be no additional charges for registration. Sorry for the inconvenience caused and thank you for coming."

Coux and Zero heard someone knocking on their door and Mii quickly de-materialised before someone entered the room.

"Lady Van Doux and Young Master Zero, please follow me to verify the goods," one of the cat demons whom Zero saw on stage earlier bowed humbly. She ushered them out of the room down to the waiting room where the items were being transported one by one.

Zero didn't think that there would still be so many items left. The waiting room was huge but it was already half filled with Zero's purchase. The rat demon from before was just about to leave when the vampire child was dragged over. He snapped his teeth towards the poor demon who cowered before the bouncer tugged at those chains. Zero seethed silently at the rough treatment but under Coux's hard stare, he didn't say anything.

"My apologies, Young Master Zero and Lady Van Doux," the auctioneer from before entered the room and smiled. By now, all the other auction winners had left. The auction house staff were still transporting the goods and Zero let them perform their jobs. His interest was fixated on the vampire child who didn't try to bite him. They stared at each other and didn't break eye contact until the wolf demon auctioneer coughed awkwardly.

"I understand that you are interested in the goods but please wait for a little longer. Some of them need to be cleaned and repackaged. As there are many goods, we could arrange to deliver them to your residence as soon as they are ready. I believe that you might have more important matters to attend to than wait around for us. Before you leave, could you inspect the goods and sign on this scroll of undertaking?"

"What's the scroll for?" Zero asked.

"It's to signify that you acknowledge buying these goods and have seen the exact condition they were in. This is a contract to prevent back outs from our clients and disputes about the condition of goods after payment."

Zero glanced over the terms and conditions briefly. Learning Demon Tongue certainly came in handy. Coux helped to identify each item on the long list and together, they took about half an hour to verify every single purchase before Zero signed it off.

"Thank you for your patronage," the auctioneer and auction house master bowed. Zero didn't think he was worthy of such treatment seeing how Mammon was absorbing the cost and footing the bill on his behalf. Still, there was one more matter pending and he whispered to Coux to ask for permission.

"I don't see why not," she told him. In fact, the half-succubus was glad that Zero had thought so far. It wouldn't do to let the auction house take care of the malnourished vampire.

"Can I take him along with me first? You can send the rest of the items back to Lord Baal's castle," Zero told the wolf demon.

"Most certainly!" the auction house master bowed and clapped twice. At once, two burly demons appeared beside him and restrained the snarling vampire. Zero was shocked when they injected something that made the child go slack in their hold.

"Do not worry," the auctioneer assured Zero after seeing his alarmed look. "That was a sedative so that none of our workers is hurt from helping him to bathe and redress. It's a standard procedure we follow before handing over slaves to their new owners."

Reluctantly, Zero entrusted the vampire to the staffs' care. A part of him disapproved of the way things were done in the abyss. However, Zero understood that every place has its unique culture. It would be rude for Zero, a mere guest, to demand a change from the people who lived here.

It didn't take very long for the workers to return with the vampire all clean and smelling like tea soap. He now wore clean clothing instead of rags, something Zero felt better about. However, the sedatives had not worn off and the doctor-in-training was slightly worried.

"How long does the effect of this sedative last for?"

"Please do not worry, it will last for no longer than a day. I would advise you to keep him locked up or tied for safety reasons. He can be rather feral."

Zero didn't agree with the advice but nodded to appease the auctioneer who was merely doing his job. The teen wanted to get out of the horrible place as soon as he could. It didn't matter if he couldn't achieve his flight or shape-shifting abilities. Like Buddha said, everything happens for a reason. Perhaps his trip to the auction house was to rescue the mistreated vampire.

"Let's go," he told Coux who bowed and escorted the brunet. Zero didn't look back at the auction house master or the workers. There was no need to. He wouldn't be returning to the place anytime soon.

"Where to?" Mii asked the moment Coux and Zero entered the carriage waiting for them, away from prying eyes. It wasn't often to see someone treating slaves so well. The child of Roth was carried into the carriage with the utmost care that made many go green with envy. Zero even laid the kid over his lap before they left.

"Let's head back for dinner," Zero told the secretary and Coux agreed.

"Lord Baal told me to remind you of your dinner appointment with Lord Lucifer today. Zero, do you have the confidence to treat his eyes and win the bet? While nobody is against the idea of you attending the Academy, it can be dangerous. There could be discrimination and nobody would be able to attend it with you. Lord Baal may be going to the Academy but he can't always look out for you."

Zero smiled warmly at Coux's concern. "It's alright. I have to learn how to defend myself. Truen said that the world isn't always a nice place. Nasty people like Count Carrabas exist, I have to learn how to handle situations and people like that someday. It's always better to start earlier rather than later."

Mii looked like a proud parent while Coux looked like an overly worried one when Zero said that. The vampire didn't even stir as the carriage stopped. It didn't take much time at all to return to Baal's castle and Zero decided to prepare a good meal for the malnourished child sleeping on his lap.

Sekkin came to greet them and was surprised at the new addition to the castle residence. Coux explained the situation quickly and the spider demon raised a brow.

"Will we have enough space? How much storage are we talking about?"

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"We should empty out three guest rooms for the goods and prepare one for the kid here. He's feral so please let Lord Baal know. Zero doesn't want to use chains but some sort of restraints would be advisable for safety reasons."

"Don't say it like that... he's a good kid. Anyone would be cranky being locked up and dragged around by chains..."

Sekkin chose not to argue. Knowing Zero, there was no convincing otherwise.

"Understood. We won't use chains. Let me carry him instead. Coux could you get Amaraline to prepare the room? also, Lord Baal has requested your presence, Zero."

Zero allowed the spider demon to carry the vampire and got out of the carriage before making his way over to Baal's room. Coux got busy once more. There was simply too much to do before the arrival of their esteemed dinner guest. Whatever it was, Coux hoped that everything would go smoothly between Lord Lucifer, Lord Baal and Zero.

Ball of Nothing

"Zero," Baal looked worse for wear. "Do not, and I repeat... do NOT antagonise Lucifer. he's the most ancient and powerful demon in Hell and I do not want anything to happen to you. I can't save you if Lucifer gets serious about something. Trust me, that old man will get the things he wants, one way or another."

Zero blinked. "Are you worrying for me?"

Baal glared at his friend. "That's what friends do, no?"

Zero pulled a chair over and sat across the desk piled with signed documents. "I'm strong, you know. Besides, I'm not a child anymore. What's the worst that could happen? I'll just get sent to school for a while..."

Baal wanted to hold his friend in a headlock and give him a good noogie. Seriously, why was Zero's skull always this thick?

"It's not going to school that I fear. He wouldn't do anything without a good reason. It's TROUBLE getting involved with his business. He must want something from you to go as far as to accept the bet. If you think Mammon is cunning, you have not met Lucifer."

Zero rolled his eyes. "Oh come on! Bell, don't you trust me? I'll be fine. I can cure his eyes. Besides, I look more normal than everyone in this castle. Nobody can win me in this category of looking harmless, it's a hands-down win for me."

Baal took a good look at his friend. "Actually, I think you're right. Just remember to get rid of those horns and stiff coat, you'll be fine. Also, please do not wear the lab coat... I would fail you if that was the first thing I saw after getting my eyesight."

Zero took offence to that. "The lab coat is cool! It makes me look smart."

Baal snorted. "Oh, sure it does."

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Zero glared at his friend who was now in a playful mood. In retaliation, Zero ran to the other side of the desk and attempted to tickle the Demon Lord. Baal saw that coming a mile away and stuck a foot out, trying to put a distance in between them but failed when Zero's much longer limbs touched his side.

From the hallway, Coux could hear the shrill cries and laughter of the two friends. The secretary had half the mind to scold Baal for slacking off but turned her back and walked away. The Demon Lord worked in earnest so she decided to let him off for today. Besides, it wouldn't be long before the two friends had to go separate ways for a long time. Zero would return for his training and Baal to oversee his domain, it didn't hurt to let them enjoy this moment together.

Zero took Baal's advice and ditched his lab coat. He was now dressed in the sky blue shirt and jeans that Mii recommended. His hair was combed and parted sideways instead of the usual tousled messy style that it was. To make a good impression, Zero brushed his teeth too. Amaraline didn't have the heart to tell him that brushing teeth before a meal was counterproductive.

Time rolled by and Lucifer arrived on the dot. Coux straightened everything out to the last detail just in time and Baal told Zero to relax. Sekkin was keeping an eye on their new guest upstairs who was still sedated. With far more important things to worry about, Zero pushed his worry about the vampire child out of his mind.

"Good evening, Lord Baal and young Zero." Lucifer greeted.

Baal bowed and offered Lucifer a seat with the stiff manners of the aristocratic class. Zero couldn't get used to seeing Baal as an adult or professional conduct. The Baal he knew was always sloppy and lazy. The drastic change in personality made Zero a little uncomfortable and nervous.

"I heard that you made quite the purchase at the auction house earlier," the Lord of Pride commented lightly.

Zero swallowed and tried to find his voice. "It was ok. Coux borrowed money from Mammon for me."

Lucifer's bark of laughter startled everyone including Baal. "You got that penny-pinching kid to give you a loan? This has to go down in the history books!"

Seeing that Lucifer was reacting honestly, Zero relaxed a little more and started sharing about his day.

"Someone bought unhealthy looking Spore Flowers today at a price I didn't think was good..."

"Oh? How so?" Lucifer asked with genuine interest. It had been so long since he had such an interesting conversation and Zero was proving to be very fascinating despite his claims to be the most normal looking. Without his eyes, Lucifer was able to judge a person by sensing their mana. Zero's mana capacity was mostly suppressed but Lucifer was experienced enough to tell that it rivalled his own if not more.

The conversation never ran dry even as they ate. Baal was relieved that his friend and teacher were off to a great start. It was very hard for Lucifer to take interest in anything due to his age. Life tended to become more predictable with age and experience. Nothing amuses or surprises the ancient Demon Lord anymore so he was worried that his teacher might not like Zero. Looking at them exchange opinions freely put his mind at ease.

"I see that you've taken to the child of Roth very quickly," Lucifer commented.

Zero's mood plummeted quickly. He eyed the blind demon suspiciously. Instead of outwardly expressing his discontent, Zero opted for a more subtle approach. "Yes, I have."

Lucifer nodded and continued eating but Zero had lost his appetite. At the back of his mind, the brunet wondered if Lucifer was going to take the vampire away from him.

"The Roth vampires are known to be one of the best warriors in the abyss. Gifted with bloodline, race superiority, magic and combat skills, I think it would be good if you can bind that child to you. He might be young but he is one of the best teachers you can find. I heard that you're gifted in magic too?"

Hearing Lucifer's approval made Zero relax a little. "I just happen to have affinities with every magic element. Merlin is my magic teacher but he is currently tutoring my friend and guardian. We agreed to train under each teacher for a year and swap before we start travelling."

"Mmm... I've heard much about him from various sources. Is he the wood elf called Truen?"

Zero smiled. "Yes. Have you met him?"

Lucifer sighed. "Unfortunately, work has kept me busy. I would love to have the pleasure of meeting him someday. Won't you introduce him to me?"

"Of course. I'm sure he would be thrilled to meet you too. It's a real relief that you do not see the child of Roth as a threat. Coux and Baal have been trying to dissuade me from treating him too friendly. They wanted to chain him up initially too..."

Lucifer barked a laugh. "It's always better to be safe than sorry... I think they were worried about you. A stray animal that has been abused all its life will not take too kindly to strangers even if they approached without ill intentions."

Zero pouted. "It's alright. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to save him. I made a decision, I shall bear the consequences of it. My master always said that as a doctor, my patients should always come first. Doctors must sometimes sacrifice their lives to save their patients."

Lucifer didn't say anything and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Baal watched as his teacher silently considered Zero's words. Then, he asked something that took the Lord of Laziness by surprise.

"Would you lay your life down to save mine?"

Zero looked straight at the ancient demon. "I will. You are my patient now, it is my responsibility to nurse you back to health. It doesn't matter if it is a physical condition or an emotional one, I will treat everything."

"What if the illness plaguing me isn't in my heart or body but my mind?" Lucifer smiled and Zero blinked.

The elderly demon waited patiently. Baal worried for his naive friend. It was clear as day that Lucifer was trying to make use of Zero's pure feelings for his whims.

"Zero," the Demon Lord tried to warn his friend but the resolution seen in those hazel eyes killed the voice in his throat.

"If it is within my abilities, I shall do my best to help. However, I am a doctor and not a saint. I must accept some form of payment for the additional requests."

The ancient Demon Lord was amused. "I thought you were going to treat me for free. You were so adamant about it too..."

Zero huffed and puffed his cheeks. "The troubles plaguing your mind isn't an illness that a doctor should be curing. Some illnesses plaguing a patient's heart can sometimes fall outside the jurisdiction of a doctor's job scope. There are two things a doctor cannot cure. The first is stupidity and the second is lovesickness."

Lucifer roared in laughter and Baal facepalmed.

"Well said," the old demon grinned. "I shall leave my eyes in your hands, young Zero. As for the matters ailing my mind, how about we leave that for after the treatment? After all, the bet is still ongoing."

Zero gulped as Baal's familiars cleared the dirty dishes. Coux then ushered Lucifer and Zero to a guest room. Deciding that it was better to quickly treat his patient and get over the nervousness, Zero got to work immediately by pouring mana into Lucifer's chakra network after the old demon got comfortable.

"That's a terrible looking injury... what happened?"

"Hm? Oh, it happened many years ago during the war between Heaven and Hell. Michael and I crossed swords. At that time, he had yet to borrow Uriel's flaming sword. I overpowered him and his sword shattered. Unable to accept defeat, Michael grabbed the broken sword shards full of imbued holy magic and threw them into my eyes. Without the ability to read my enemies' minds with the loss of my eyes, we lost the war."

Zero made a face. "You can read minds?"

Lucifer grinned wolfishly. "Every archangel has a special ability. Michael has the ability to boost the morale of anyone who believes in him. Uriel can see the future. Raphael can cure all who eats or drinks the food he blesses. Cupid and Seraph were born after the war so I'm not too sure about what they can do. From the rumours, Seraph can discern if someone is telling lies and Cupid can manipulate emotions but I wouldn't trust them too readily."

"I don't know if I want you reading my mind after you regain your sight..."

"Why not? Is there something you are thinking about that I shouldn't know about?"

"It's just embarrassing... I don't want you to know what I'm thinking about. You'd probably laugh."

Lucifer chuckled. The teen was simply too adorable. Normal people would be outraged at the invasion of privacy. However, Zero was merely 'embarrassed' about it.

"What kind of thoughts don't you want me reading? Are you planning to do bad things? Then again, it shouldn't really matter in Hell. Everybody does bad and shameless things all the time. It's one of the reasons why I'm not very interested in getting my eyes back. The world can be a very ugly place."

"But... it can also be beautiful! How about this. Let's make a deal. After I heal your eyes, you cannot read my mind unless I allow it. I'll show you all the beautiful things I've seen."

Lucifer thought about it. "Alright. If you can cure my eyes, I will close them around you unless you say otherwise."

Satisfied with the verbal agreement, Zero got to work immediately. He focussed on the damaged chakra network. Lucifer's eyes were damaged but with Zero's healing magic, it was possible to replicate them again. The tricky part came after healing the external damage to the nerves and cells. For a demon whose magic flowed like blood, the eyes wouldn't function unless the chakra network was repaired. The doctor-in-training had no clue how he should fix the damage so he focussed on healing the physical aspect of the damage while consulting Merlin.

The Sage God of Magic was busy preparing the perimeters of Kerberos' cage near Sleepy Cave when he received Zero's voice call.

"Chakra network damage? That would require intense control over your mana to soothe the obstruction. For ruptured channels, you have to use healing magic to reconstruct them."

"What? It's not stopping? You have to seal the flow of magic to reconstruct them. Wait, who are you treating? Why do they have two sets of chakra network? Are you sure you aren't confusing it the qi network?"

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Merlin paled. "Goodness gracious! Are you sure you should be treating a Demon Lord?"

Zero replied briefly and Merlin swallowed. His face was white as snow and his palms sweaty. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. Why would Zero be treating Lucifer? Everybody knew about the ancient demon's blindness. What use was it to poke a sleeping beast just to check if it was alive? Merlin wanted to scream at Zero to let the dangerous beast continue sleeping. It was better than having it roam free. There was no doubt about it, many people will start hiding under their rocks once Lucifer recovers.

"Thanks, sir! I think I know how to fix this now," Zero smiled. The concept was very simple. It was like piping the water from the waterwheel to the shower area. When Hua Tuo needed hot water, he would often do that and redirect the water with a network of wooden pipes. Once they had enough water, the pipes would be redirected elsewhere like into the well or back to the river until they needed it again.

Carefully, Zero sent two more threads of mana into Lucifer's chakra channel to absorb the mana flow into his body while magically stitching the ruptured channels. The ancient demon flinched a little when Zero inserted more mana into his body. It felt foreign and cold to the soul but he gritted his teeth and bared with it. It became weirder to feel his mana and Zero's mixing together when it flowed into the young doctor's body. He felt the strange pressure within Zero's body through their temporary connection and realised how wrong his earlier assessment was. Zero's mana capacity far exceeds his.

From the other guest room, a certain white-haired vampire woke up with a start. The incredible magical pressure made him very alert. There was no doubt about it, the magic was coming from the same crazy person who bought him and everything else in the auction house for 10 Blood Notes. Normally, he would've fled or fought. However, he knew better than to attempt anything in this luxurious room. Apart from that ridiculously rich young master, there were two other extremely powerful people in the vicinity. A starving vampire was in no condition to go against not one but three overpowered opponents. Curling into the blanket, the child of Roth cursed his bitter fate.

Frightened was an understatement. The scrawny vampire was terrified when the three extremely powerful figures got closer to his location. Vampires didn't have beating hearts but if they did, his would have popped out of its ribcage and rolled in the floor in spasms.

He could hear their voices now. One belonged to an old man, one to a young man and one to a child. The vampire didn't know who was who, he only knew that his best option was to pretend to still be asleep. Whatever they had planned for him was definitely bad news. Slave owners were sometimes worse than slave traders, he didn't want to find out the truth.

Zero entered the room followed by Baal at his side and Lucifer behind. The vampire child was still asleep so the teen decided to perform a physical check-up before he awoke. Needless to say, Baal stuck close by, ready to restrain the vampire should he suddenly attack his friend. Lucifer hung around in the room, making himself comfortable on the chair. Zero did a marvellous job treating his blindness but the stabbing pain when he first regained his sight made the old demon curse the existence of light.

Under the strict orders of his doctor, Lucifer had to close his eyes for at least a day before he could try to use them again. The old demon wasn't too happy when Zero wrapped a loose bandage around his eyes for precaution. As the proud demon and ruler of Hell, Lucifer didn't appreciate being treated like a child. However, under Zero's insistence, he relented reluctantly. It would do well, for now, to get into the brunet's good books so that he could squeeze a favour or two at a later date. Unlike Baal, Lucifer didn't play the friendship game. Zero was just someone who came along that he found useful. Nobody would suspect a weak human as the spy. It was easier to lure the pack of wolves out of their den with a lone stray sheep than with a wounded dragon.

"Bell, could you get me a glass of water? He would need it when he wakes up."

The Demon Lord didn't seem to willing to move from Zero's side so he summoned his rat familiar to get it. "Is there anything else you might require?"

Zero inspected the 'sleeping' vampire and hummed. "Do you think you can ask Coux to find if there is some blood lying around somewhere? I bought a lot of things earlier, I'm sure we have some vials of blood from the auction house... They should have delivered the goods by now."

Baal sighed. "Zero, your vampire can drink normal blood. It could be blood from an animal or person. He doesn't need to drink the blood of a hydra or dragon or whatever you bought from the auction house. It's a waste."

The doctor-in-training scowled hard. "We don't have blood around and I'm not going to ask anyone to cut themselves to feed him! That's just rude."

Lucifer grinned. "Why don't you drain the sheep? I'm sure we will be more than willing to pardon his crimes if he donates... let's say about a barrel of blood."

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Zero shot the ancient demon a withering glare. "He doesn't have a barrel to donate."

Lucifer shrugged. "I'm just throwing suggestions. Who knows... he might be able to produce a barrel of blood if you continuously heal and cut him open again."

Zero shuddered at the image. That sounded like it would hurt a lot. In fact, Zero was quite sure that fell under the torture category.

"Don't listen to him," Baal whispered and Lucifer frowned. It had been a very long time since his student went against him. While Baal wasn't the most obedient student he knew, the Demon Lord was smart enough to not outrightly oppose him. Mammon and Lilith would try to cover for Baal's misdeeds while they were still in the Academy but Lucifer was well aware of who the culprit was. After all, nobody else would nail flimsy planks together to create a makeshift bridge just to walk across the field of snapping lilies. Those who could fly would do so and the others would make a detour in order to get to their respective lecture halls. Baal would be the only person who would go through all the hassle to save ten minutes of his time every day. He wasn't tardy but Lucifer knew Baal had the tendency to procrastinate until the very last possible moment to get things done including waking up and getting to class. Since magic was prohibited on the campus, it didn't take a genius to figure out which audacious brat did it.

There were two things Lucifer couldn't tolerate. The first was disrespect and the second was being ignored. Baal had gone ahead to do both these things at once. Lucifer's killing intent caused the temperature in the room to plummet and Baal was on high alert at once. Killing intent radiated wave after wave and the castle shook. Baal was ready to pull everything he had to defend Zero from Lucifer's wrath. On the bed, the child of Roth shivered. He might not have the opportunity to meet a Demon Lord before but he knew better than to doubt the rumours. Once a Demon Lord loses his rationality and gives in to his emotions, there will be carnage. Nobody would live to tell the tale after tonight and the vampire child sobbed silently. He couldn't avenge his family, he couldn't escape his fate. There was absolutely nothing he could do and he hated the fact that he was born to this cruel life.

Before Lucifer and Baal could begin, Zero stepped up and pointed a finger at the ancient demon.

"Bad Luci! Stop scaring the poor child and take your fights somewhere else. My patient needs his rest!"

With that, Zero shoved both his friend and troublemaking patient out of the room before slamming the door shut in their faces.

"Did he just..." Baal asked in disbelief. Lucifer's rage had dissipated with Zero's outburst and was stunned. Never in his life had he been scolded with such a tone.

"Does he do this very often?" Lucifer asked dryly. It was hard to believe that despite his best efforts to remain neutral, the young doctor was worming his way into his non-existent heart. Ordinarily, he should be angry. No, scratch that. Ordinarily, he would be furious and the only thing to do was to chew off the heads of people who disrespected him then paint the town red so the whole world knew about it. Unfortunately, logic failed him whenever the teenager was involved.

Baal confirmed his suspicions with a nod. "Zero sometimes has the mother-hen tendency whenever his patients are involved. There isn't a way to tell him that he was meddling in other people's affairs. His concerns can be rather stifling at times and the term 'personal space' doesn't exist in his dictionary. The brat is constantly making others worry for him as he's known to save others at the expense of his safety and happiness. Zero's just one of a kind."

Lucifer agreed whole-heartedly with that last statement. One of a kind indeed. While the concern was endearing, Zero can sometimes drive people crazy and rub them the wrong way... Or so he liked to believe.

"I'm surprised I don't have the urge to tear him limb from limb after he blatantly yelled at me, scolded me, used a degrading nickname and threw me out. The world must be ending..."

Baal sighed. "It very well might be. I have no idea why I continue to put up with him..."

Lucifer chuckled. "Good luck, you'll need it. I'm not going to involve myself in the childish game of friendship. Enjoy your youth while you still can and tell him that I'm leaving for today. I'll be back after the trial to discuss his enrollment in my academy for a job."

Baal scowled as his ex-teacher ruffled his hair and patted his head. If there was one thing more annoying about Lucifer than his narcissism, it would be how the ancient demon constantly treated Baal like a child. It didn't matter how powerful Baal had grown or how many centuries had gone by, the ancient demon would still treat him like one. Well, it wasn't as if Baal could blame him. He was in a child's body after all. Perhaps it was time to upgrade like Zero... Nah, who was he kidding? That was way too much work.

With a yawn, the Demon Lord turned and snuck back to his room careful not to get caught by his secretary. He was going to take a well-deserved nap after spending the whole day cooped in the study room with documents.

"You can stop pretending to be asleep now. Drink this glass of water, we can talk later. I'm sure you have a lot of questions but do not worry, I will treat everything you tell me with doctor-patient confidentiality."

The vampire allowed his eyes to open with a heavy sigh. He'd hoped to fool the young self-proclaimed doctor for a little longer but it was useless. With the two Demon Lords out of the room, it became slightly easier to breathe. Unlike them, this teenager had the aura of someone who wouldn't hurt a fly despite being stronger than both Demon Lords in terms of mana capacity. It was very comforting and for some reason and the vampire briefly entertained the thought about trusting him.

He sniffed at the drink before downing the contents in one gulp. Zero didn't rush him or speak until he deemed the vampire ready. Lucifer's words over dinner and the subtle warning remained at the back of Zero's mind. He observed carefully for signs that he might be too hasty in approaching the vampire. He didn't want to frighten the already shaken vampire so he waited until the vampire calmed down.

For the first few minutes after accepting the drink, the child of Roth glared at Zero. His body was wound tightly like a coil, ready to strike if Zero got too close or tried anything funny. Zero didn't move from his spot and met his glare with an accepting gaze. As time dragged on, the vampire found himself relaxing a little but was still on guard. There were many questions in his mind but the predominant one was still about the teen's motive.

"Who are you and why did you buy me?" he growled lowly.

Zero smiled warmly. If the vampire was willing to talk to him, it must be a sign that he was gaining his trust.

"I'm Zero! I'm not a doctor yet but I will soon be. Currently, my teacher is out so you'll have to put up with me. I might not have learnt about acupuncture or surgery but I can make medicine and heal simpler things with healing magic."

The vampire deadpanned. Whatever acupuncture was, he didn't want to know. However, hearing Zero's confident claims didn't make him feel any better. The teen wasn't a real doctor and that was all he needed to know.

"Why did you buy me? You haven't answered my question."

Judging from the boy's airheaded response, the vampire couldn't say that he was very optimistic. While Zero didn't look like the kind of doctor who would buy slaves and experiment on them, he was sure he would end up as one of Zero's trials for something. The worst road to Hell was always paved with good intentions.

Zero blinked at the question and tilted his head to the side. The vampire wondered how someone who looked so much older than him can still look so adorable. That logic was faulty and the vampire wanted to return to sleep. All this thinking was making his head hurt.

Zero chuckled as if reading his thoughts. "Did you think that I was going to abandon you in that awful place? I saw how they treated you and I didn't like it. Everybody deserves to be treated with care and given second chances to learn. Count Carrabas aside because that man has enough chances but choose not to learn."

The vampire didn't comment about it but the raised eyebrow told Zero that he didn't buy it. Zero shrugged it away. Instead, he asked if the vampire wanted another glass of water.

The vampire child didn't respond immediately. He didn't know if he should trust his instincts and let the teenage doctor-in-training take care of him or try to find a way to escape. Based on experience, it was better for him to run away. Therein lies the next problem. Behind the teenage doctor was two Demon Lords who could rip his spine out without effort. His hopes deflated at the thought of it instantly.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Zero went to get it and the vampire took this opportunity to look around for an object that he could hide under the pillow. He needed a weapon for who knows what reason. Truth be told, it was more for assurance. As a warrior vampire, he didn't really need a weapon to fight. In fact, he excelled at close-quarter combat.

Zero was glad to see Amaraline at the door. She was carrying a tray and Zero wondered what the dish was beside the extra large glass of water. It looked very red and smelled raw. Zero was almost certain he saw that thing move when he heard a noise behind him.

The vampire child lunged forward at the smell of blood and Zero barely had time to push Amaraline away before the starved warrior grabbed at the chunk of meat and devoured it in two bites. His eyes glowed red and his fangs elongated, dripping with what Zero knew to be blood. Zero couldn't help but wonder if there was any other food the vampire could eat. The glass of water was now shattered on the ground and Zero told the startled fortune-teller to get another glass and some other food for the vampire.

It took a long time before Zero could approach the child. Initially, the starving warrior looked at Zero calculatingly as if trying to determine if Zero was food or not. Eventually, his instincts dismissed the thought and he returned to normal.

"Are you alright? Is there anything that you can't eat? I'll ask Coux to whip something up really quickly."

The vampire blinked. "I can't eat cooked food."

Zero blinked. "Raw vegetables and meat are fine?"

The vampire made a face. "Only animals that walk or fly and the barks of trees."

Zero didn't question the strange diet and contacted Coux via telepathy. The secretary got to work at once and Zero smiled. Now that food has been settled, there was one more thing he wanted to know before treating the wounds.

"What is your name?"

At the question, the vampire snorted. "We do not tell our names to outsiders."

"Why not? What should I call you then?"

The vampire rolled his eyes. "You can decide that for yourself. I'm not foolish enough to give you my name. I won't let you use that to control me."

Zero was stunned. "I wasn't going to do that!"

"You will. It's not a choice. In my tribe, only our parents and lovers get to know our true name. Nobody else can know it. Names are powerful in my clan. If you give someone your name, you give them your life."

After hearing the vampire's explanation, Zero backed off the topic. "I understand. In that case, can I call you Ruth?"

The child of Roth blinked. "Why Ruth?"

Zero only smiled. "Because I hope that we could be friends one day. Let's get some food in you before I start the treatment. Those are some really horrible wounds. If we do not treat them soon, it might get infected."

Ruth stared at Zero as if the teen had grown a second head. Only the weak died from wounds. Vampires were undead, they do not fall ill.

"There is no need for that. The wounds will heal themselves once I regain my power. I'm a vampire, not a human."

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Zero frowned. "Don't be stubborn and let me help..."

Ruth felt irritated. Although genuinely nice, the brunet was getting on his nerves. "I said I don't need help."

The words were so cold that Zero flinched at the rejection. Dejected, he left the room but not without casting looks of concern.

Ruth heaved a sigh of relief the moment Zero shut the door. He pulled out the candleholder he was hiding under the pillow and wondered if he should wait a little longer before planning his escape. If what Zero said was true, he could use this opportunity to recover his strength before escaping. As it is right now, the vampire didn't stand a chance. With two Demon Lords and one overly powered weird doctor in the house, Ruth would be killed the moment he attempted anything. Luckily, Zero was quite the airhead.

The vampire smirked. It would be easy to gain the brunet's trust before making his escape. Yes, that was what he would do.

Coux wasn't too surprised when Zero came into the kitchen looking dejected. Still, the secretary busied away in the kitchen, preparing the vampire's meal.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Zero groaned and buried his head in his hands. "He wouldn't let me treat his wounds..."

The half-succubus chuckled silently. Truth be told, she was expecting this to happen. It didn't take too long to put the finishing touches to Ruth's meal. After checking through her mental checklist, the secretary placed everything on a tray.

"The meal you requested for is ready. Would you like to bring it up to his room or should I carry it there?"

Zero paused. Ruth might have rejected him earlier but after some time to cool down, surely it would be alright to try again. "I'll do it," he told the smiling secretary.

Ruth wasn't expecting company so soon. If anything, the soft footsteps startled him. Underneath the pillow the candleholder went once more and the vampire waited in bed, pretending to sleep.

The moment the door opened, Ruth smelled something compellingly delicious. If he wasn't a proud warrior of the Roth tribe, he knew he would've succumbed to the irresistible meal. Whoever Coux was, she knew how to cook for sure. Yet, the one thing the vampire wondered was why Zero chose to deliver it personally. Surely in a castle as huge as this, Zero could send any servant up. Unless, he didn't trust him yet.

Ruth frowned at that thought. That simply wouldn't do. Hence, he unwillingly opened his eyes when Zero placed the tray on a bedside table.

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"Here, you must be hungry," Zero smiled and didn't force the vampire to eat. Ruth inspected the food prepared and noticed how the dinnerware were made of silver. His scowl deepened.

"What's wrong?" Zero asked when the starving vampire made no attempt to dig in immediately. He could hear the vampire's stomach growling loudly.

"Silver... it's silverware right?"

"Silverware? What's that?"

Ruth blinked. Was the young doctor genuinely dumb or just simply ignorant about the supernatural? It didn't matter much now. With a huge sigh, Ruth picked up the silver fork and stabbed what looked like raw liver before eating it, ignoring the sizzling of flesh upon contact with the cursed tableware.

The air smelled of something charred and Zero wrinkled his nose in alarm. With speed rivalling the vampire's, Zero pried the silver fork from Ruth's hands. He looked at the scorched skin in horror and confusion.

"Don't worry about it, I won't die from something like that."

Zero scrutinised the already healing wound with a deep frown. "Doesn't it hurt? Why didn't you tell me?"

Ruth snatched his hand back and scoffed. "Would you have cared?"

"Of course!" Zero blinked.

"Right," Ruth nodded. "Of course you would. I'm a very expensive purchase and any damage will only lower the resale value."

At that statement, Zero felt furious. "Why do you treat yourself with so little importance? That's not it! I care for you... I didn't know that silver would hurt you... for that, I'm sorry. I know that it might not be easy to trust anyone right now and I'm not asking you to do so. However, I hope that you could tell me things like this. I want to help you. You called out to me at the auction house, I answered. It's my responsibility to care for you until you're better and older to live on your own."

Ruth blinked. "Older? You don't think I'm old enough?"

Zero's eyebrow twitched. "A child who looks barely older than fourteen wouldn't be considered old enough to take care of themselves. Even now, Truen is still my guardian."

Ruth allowed a puff of air to escape, then two. Soon, the room was filled with snickers and unrestrained laughter. The brunet didn't take too kindly about the mockery but endured it because it wasn't professional to hurt a patient.

After wiping away a stray tear, Ruth coughed awkwardly. Zero didn't look too pleased but he couldn't be blamed.

"I'm 232 years old. Vampires become adults officially at the age of 80 here. Our physical appearance is dependent on the number of blood contracts we make and the number of hearts we eat. As our tribe are more hunters than contractors, many of us still look like children even after becoming adults. You really should stop judging people by their appearances, especially in the abyss. Things are not always as they seem."

Zero gaped. "Is your tribe the dwarf of the vampire race? Is that how it is?"

Ruth felt his eyebrow twitch. "That's not how it works... we just don't appreciate socialising with our prey and toying with our food as much as our cousins."

Zero nodded. The Roth vampires must be some kind of nomad species. "I believe you have a lot of hunting stories to share then... are you a good fighter? Lucifer said so."

Ruth looked amused. "Do you want to test my skills? I'm not going to win against someone stronger than a Demon Lord..."

Zero pouted. "Don't say that, magic and combat are not the same things. According to Truen, a mage's weakness is close-quarter attacks. I haven't learnt anything apart from medicine and healing magic. You shouldn't judge a person's strength by their mana capacity."

Ruth blinked when Zero stuck his tongue out cheekily. Annoyed at the figurative poke to his previous statement, Ruth took on the challenge.

"Perhaps I ought to demonstrate my capabilities."

The bloodthirsty grin made Zero take two steps back. "Let's discuss this further at a later date, shall we? I'll go get another set of cutlery that isn't silver. Don't touch anything silver, alright?"

Ruth blinked as Zero made his hasty escape and laughed when he heard the pitter-patter of footsteps diminish. Perhaps he would stay for a little longer to observe the overpowering but naive doctor. What kind of adult would the teenage become?

Down in the kitchen, Coux was waiting. How long would it take before Zero finds out the truth and freak out? Knowing how stubborn vampires could be, the half-succubus decided to play a little prank. Nobody could resist such a pure-hearted person. She knew that from first-hand experience. It would only be a matter of time before they could welcome a new ally in the Zero Army.

"Coux!" the doctor-in-training screamed. "Do we have any cutlery that isn't made of silver? Better still, please ban all silver objects from Ruth. I don't want him hurting himself on accident."

Coux had to hide a grin. On accident? Did Zero believe that the vampire would touch a silver object on accident? She would bet her entire fortune that Ruth did it deliberately. There was simply no way a vampire wouldn't know if something was made of silver. Their skin would tingle when it was near them, warning them that it was dangerous. Even newborn vampires shied away from silver unless they were half-blooded.

Speaking of half-blooded... there was a certain unborn child back in the village. If Zero was able to convince Ruth to join the Zero Army, Coux would use everything she had to have him join as a member of Half Moon village. Seff would do better with a guardian around. There was no way Karris would know how to raise a half-vampire child on her own and the other supernatural beings in the village could only fumble in the dark when it came to raising kids.

"Here you go, there are some wooden cutlery lying around. I believe this belonged to Hua Tuo," she smiled and passed them to Zero who exchanged it with the silver ones.

"Thanks Coux! I'll do the dishes later, you should rest early."

The trader smiled. "Thank you, Zero. I think I shall retire early tonight. Don't stay up too late, tomorrow we have to prepare for the trial. Pack anything that you need, we will be staying for about a week at Lord Lucifer's castle."

Zero nodded and dashed off to deliver the wooden utensils. He didn't have much to pack but was slightly worried. Who would take care of the wounded vampire if Baal and him left for the trial? Deciding that it was no use to ponder of it now, Zero focused on getting the vampire fed. He could always ask Baal about it later.

When Zero returned with the wooden utensils, Ruth starred at it. Was he meant to eat his meals with two fragile sticks cut from a branch?

"Oh, these are called chopsticks. Hua Tuo uses them when he's around. It might be tricky to use at the start but it's really handy once you get used to it," Zero beamed.

"Are you implying that I can't handle this?"

Zero shrugged. "Some people take months to get the hang of it. Here, let me demonstrate how to use them..."

Zero grabbed the chopsticks from Ruth's hands and instructed the right method of holding them between his index and middle fingers.

"You use your thumb to move the top chopstick and grab food like this. There, now it's your turn to try."

Ruth raised a brow. That didn't look too hard at all. In fact, he wondered how people took months to master this simple action. Grabbing the two flimsy wooden sticks from Zero, Ruth rolled his eyes and started to reach for his food.

Zero winced when the neatly grasped tree barks slid and fell, tangling the sticks in opposite directions. Ruth caught his food with the other unoccupied hand with his quick reflex but the displeasure was evident on his face. The vampire didn't take failure too well. Zero wisely chose to remain silent instead of encouraging Ruth in fear that his patient might take it the wrong way.

The vampire made a second silent attempt, this time opting for the raw meat. However, his progress was more miserable than his first and the vampire scowled openly. What is the deal with these two sticks? Why was it so hard to grip food with it? At this rate, he might be hungrier than he first started out. It would be better to start eating with his hands. Heck, even silverware was a better option. He would rather tolerate the pain than put up with the constant humiliation.

Unable to watch any longer, Zero averted his eyes. This time, Ruth managed to hold the bloody piece of meat up for long enough and swooped down to catch it in his mouth. It wasn't the correct way of using chopsticks but that was a huge improvement compared to the first two attempts. Zero cheered for Ruth silently while casually inspecting the vampire's status again.

"Mii, can the inheritor of sin eat the bloodthirst of vampires? It's sad to not be able to eat cooked food..."

Mii entered Zero's mindscape and replied that it wasn't possible. "You can eat his sins but I doubt that will do anything to help. His origin was a vampire and doing so forcefully might revert him into a bat or something."

"The ancestors of vampires are bats? I didn't know that!"

The strawcherry airy stifled a laugh. "No, silly. However, they transform into bats when low on mana. It's a way to conserve energy. I'm sure they can transform into other animals like ravens and cats or spiders but those are rarer."

Zero pondered over it and tried to imagine Ruth as a cat or spider. Still, the image of a rabbit suited him more. Ruth was adorable with his fluffy but tangled white hair and scarlet eyes. Zero thought it would be a shame for Ruth to transform into anything else and Mii chose not to comment. She could only imagine the vampire's reaction should he discover Zero's thoughts, thank goodness that wasn't possible.

"Is there no way to remove bloodthirst? I mean, Ruth eats tree barks..."

"Well... there is a way but it's going to require you to complete a difficult quest."

Zero blinked as the quest window popped up in his vision. He glanced over briefly to see if Ruth has reacted to it. Strangely, the vampire couldn't see it so Zero discreetly read the contents.

Special Quest has been triggered.

Quest: Binding a Roth

Mission: Get Ruth to vow servitude to you.

Reward: Transfer of unique title "Strong Stomach" to Ruth.

"Strong Stomach" allows the user to eat anything without the body rejecting it. Can absorb anything eaten as energy or mana.

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Deadline: 2 weeks

Bonus reward upon completion within deadline: 1 time use Skill Sharing ability

Do you accept this quest?

Zero didn't need to read twice before accepting it. Solo wasn't making it easy for him at all. He disliked the idea of making Ruth accept that he was a servant working under Zero. In fact, the brunet preferred it if he could have more friend-guardian relationships like with Baal and Truen. Coux was doing a good job at playing the secretary role so Zero played along with her. Amaraline, Wiser, Sekkin and Qin Yun acted the same around him and Zero enjoyed the casualness they shared. To have a servant was a little mind wrecking and Zero detested it. Nobody should be forced to behave in an inferior or degrading way against their wills. If they do, it has to be out of respect like how Clowis viewed Lowis.

Speaking about the warrior and his uncle, Zero couldn't wait for tomorrow. The trial will finally happen but more importantly, Zero couldn't wait to see En again. The young doctor grinned to himself as he imagined how the meeting between two of his good friends would be like. Surely, Baal and En would get along... wouldn't they?

It took a long time before Ruth finished his meal. It wasn't satisfying but the vampire was thankful for whatever he was given. Not all slave masters were as kind. Many had perverse tendencies and he was glad that perverts didn't exist in Baal's castle.

With some food in his system, Ruth felt the drowsiness take over him and winced when he felt his body stitch back wounds that were left unattended for too long. It wasn't as if Zero was coming back soon so Ruth let himself take comfort underneath the warm blanket and fell asleep quicker than he did in last few years.

Meanwhile, the young doctor had one last matter to attend to before he turned in for the night. Zero was reminded about Christmas all over again. Checking out surprise gifts and purchases were similar. The apprentice simply couldn't wait to find out what other interesting things there was. He might be able to find a few things that contain unique abilities that he could absorb.

Baal and Ruth retired early, not that Zero minded. After a long day of work for his best friend and traumatising experience for his patient, Zero approved of the much-needed rest. Coux had to accompany Baal for the trial early tomorrow and make the necessary preparations so Zero sent her to bed as well, assuring her that he would be fine on his own. The secretary refused to leave until Sekkin and Qin Yun vouched to watch over Zero.

"You have to work tomorrow," Zero frowned at the snow fox spirit.

Qin Yun shook her head. "I'll be returning to the village with the first party after the trial. Amaraline will be coming with me too so we'll be closing Belles and Begonia for a while. The notice has been put up so our regular customers know about it."

"Why so soon? What about Wiser, Coux and Sekkin?"

"We will stay here," Sekkin answered. "Lord Baal still requires our help. Wiser will not be returning to the village any time soon and Coux has to oversee the new business expansion as well as the negotiations with Lord Mammon. Help me to tell Mitchnew that I love her and kiss her for me, will you?"

Zero sighed. "I don't think I can return to the village very soon. Lucifer's eyes are still not fully healed and I need to take care of Ruth..."

Sekkin laughed. "No, I'm talking about when you return. I'll be staying in the abyss to train and become stronger and won't know when I'll return to the village. Lord Amon has agreed to help me improve my combat skills. We will spar once every week and I shall assist Coux with the heavy lifting required."

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That news surprised the young doctor. He thought that once everything was over, things would return to normal. A part of him felt guilty. If only he hadn't fallen unconscious, none of these would have happened. He felt responsible for separating the lovers and hated becoming the reason why others were suffering. He was a doctor for crying out loud! He should be bringing smiles to people's faces and improving their lives, not making it worse and more miserable.

The spider demon sensed where Zero's thoughts were going and placed a heavy hand on the teenager's head. Zero might have experienced quite the growth spurt but he was still the same softy Sekkin knew from the village.

"It was a choice that I made, Zero. Don't do that. It's not as if I won't ever be returning... I will come back from time to time. Mitchnew already knows. I've written her a letter. She said that she would kick my butt if I do not improve when I return and you know how strong she is..."

The brunet smiled softly. Sekkin was trying to make him feel better and even if Zero knew that not everything was necessarily true, it was working. "I understand. I will pass the word and kiss her for you. You mustn't slack off then!"

Qin Yun chuckled when Sekkin reassured Zero that he wouldn't. Although it wasn't in the ex-assassin's nature to skimp on training like a certain Demon Lord, he would often avoid the strenuous path if he could. It was an old flaw of his that Mitchnew hasn't quite gotten around to correcting but Zero didn't have to know that.

"Shall we check the items?" Qin Yun asked and led the way. Zero bounded after her, eager to check out the spoils of his first negotiation.

The first guest room contained all consumable items won at the auction house and Zero quickly deemed half of them as perishables. "It's such a waste! I don't know if Zoe can cook using such strange ingredients but it should be better than leaving them to rot, right?"

Qin Yun inspected some of the perishables that Zero sorted out. "There are some rare medicinal plants in this bulk that can only be found in Hell. Don't you want to try and grow them?"

Zero blinked. "Medicinal plants?"

The snow fox spirit grabbed a bundle of purple grass with yellow bulbs. "This is known as Lucid Rattle. It is known to cure strong paralysis but has a terrible side effect of nausea and hallucination."

"Is there no way to counter the side effects?"

Qin Yun shook her head. "The medical skills in the abyss isn't advanced enough to develop anything like that. However, if there is a way to negate the side effects, this herb can counter any paralysis effects up till the Black Grade."

Zero blinked. Black was the third most powerful tier in terms of rarity and power. Was this herb really so potent? It screamed of an opportunity to him and Zero made the decision to keep it for now in his void storage to preserve the shelf-life of this herb.

"Are there any other medicinal plants like that in this pile?" he asked.

For the next hour, Sekkin and Qin Yun spent time sniffing out all the medicinal plants while Zero inspected everything, sorting them according to their rarity grade. Some perishables were only good for garnishing and spices without any notable effects. Those went in the crate to be sent to Belles Begonia. There were some consumables that could be used for potions and alchemy. They went into a small box that Qin Yun would deliver to Lovina. A small sample has been set aside for Wiser to analyse. Zero also kept some seeds that he thought were good for crop planting. Famine was common in the abyss and the seeds he set aside were known to be very resilient against the harsh and extreme climates. Baal's domain seemed like the perfect place to grow them. Lastly, Zero stashed away a large bundle of medicinal herbs of all variety. He had an inkling Hua Tuo might be interested in creating new kinds of medicine from them.

There were a few notable mentions that Zero couldn't help but want to experiment with.

Name: Blood-Eating Scarlet

Type: Fire Element, Flower

Description: Commonly found growing beside lava lakes

Uses: Good for cauterising wounds when used externally. Beware of severe burns.

Name: Blue Banoberry

Type: Ice Element, Fruit

Description: Can be found growing on the back of an Ice Turtle Demon King

Uses: Treats fevers with immediate effect. If used on a person with weak inner qi, might result in hypothermia and death.

Name: Clone Shrooms

Type: Earth Element, Fungi

Description: Usually found growing in near a void gate.

Uses: Allows rapid cell multiplication for a short period of time. Requires light magic for effect to take place. Effects of cell multiplication are permanent, unskilful light magic manipulation may result in deformity.

While Sekkin tidied the room, Qin Yun accompanied the excited brunet to the next room. The second guest room had a grand total of five crates and a casket. Zero raised an eyebrow at the odd choice of packaging. It smelled somewhat stale in the room and Zero didn't think it was due to the lack of maintenance to the room.

Deciding to tackle the elephant in the room, Zero walked confidently to the casket. The stale smell was stronger and Zero stopped breathing, thankful that it was merely optional for him to do so. Qin Yun kept her eyes on him from the doorway, unable to stand the stench coming from the beautifully decorated box.

After inspecting the box and confirming that it wasn't a threat, Zero blasted the lock open with magic and pried the lid off. He didn't know what he was looking at initially but made a disgusted face after reading the description provided by the system after inspection.

Name: Fingernail Clippings of a Tanuki

Description: The clipped fingernails of a shapeshifting demon. They sparkle with a little bit of trickery and mischief. Random transformation effect last for 5 minutes per clipping, use at your own risk.

While there was a transformation skill in that casket, it wasn't what Zero was looking for. It's a disposable item that only lasts one use. Zero was expecting more from something with Silver Grade so it was a major letdown. Moreover, the smell emitting from the fingernail clippings were unbearable. Zero quickly absorbed it into his void inventory to spare everyone the misery. Thankfully smell was non-existent in the void storage. Items were isolated so his precious medicinal plants wouldn't be affected.

"Thank you," Qin Yun breathed as soon as the casket was gone. The smell lingered but it wasn't as bad as it was before.

Sekkin soon joined them after they finished going through the contents of the second crate. Zero saw how most items in the second room were things that were once 'alive' in a sense. There was a preserved lizardman's tail that Zero absorbed and gained a colour-changing ability. While that was useful for stealth operations, Zero didn't think running around naked was a good etiquette. Zero donated the Butter Moth Wings to Sekkin who accepted the delicacy gratefully. The Spider Demon claimed that they tasted good when fried with batter but Zero politely declined the taste test.

"What's this?" he asked Qin Yun when he opened the fourth crate.

The snow fox spirit looked at the multi-coloured conical shell and blinked. It looked very similar to the shelled homes of Gypsy Slugs. Surely it was something rarer than a commonly found shell back on Earth... Qin Yun didn't want to believe it because they bought it from the auction but no matter how she looked at it, that was an ordinary conical shell.

Zero wondered if it was due to the unique colour that the item was sold at the auction house. He had to admit. The splash of purple, green and blue with black spots on the shell's exterior made it appealing to look at. Maybe Zenobia would like this unique looking shell.

"What do you think? Should I cut it open and make some accessories out of it? I'm sure Zenobia would look good wearing a necklace made out of this shell..."

Sekkin chose not to comment and Qin Yun fumbled for an answer. "It's the thought that counts, I suppose..."

Zero scrutinised it closely once more and shrugged. It really was a normal shell, there was nothing much that could be done with it.

"You could carve it into a magical weapon," Bob supplied from his mindscape. Zero was startled, thinking that Bob and Mii had retired for the night.

"What do you mean?"

The dragon smirked. "If you calculate the airflow angles and poke holes at the right places on this shell, you can create a musical instrument. Write a little spell to enchant it and voila! You just made a magical weapon."

Zero's eyes lit up and he thanked the dragon. The young doctor would task the lab members when he returned to the village to turn this beautiful shell into a beautiful weapon. In that way, the village had one more ace up their sleeves for if it was ever attacked again.

It didn't take too long to sort the items in the second room. There were three piles with one for research, one for gifts and the smallest pile for Zero to absorb. Those in the smallest pile were either absolute garbage or had unique abilities that Zero wanted.

"I'm surprised we still haven't found anything that would allow me to gain the flight ability or the shape-shifting ability..."Zero sighed.

Zero inspected himself and the status screen was starting to get long.

Name: Zero

Race: Unknown

Age: Unknown

Magic Affinity: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Light Dark

Qi Cultivation: 0/100

Unique Skill: Absorption, Energy Conversion

Title: Inheritor of Sins

Magic Skills: Magic Perception, Healing Mastery, Tranquil Mind, Slumber, Binding, Health Boost, Warrior Spirit, basic Elemental Mastery, Mana Conversion, Beacon, Judgement

Active Quests: 6

Blessings: Mind's Eye, Wisdom, Karma, One-Hit Kill, Charmer, Adaption, Gaia's Blessing,

Absorbed Abilities: Grapple, Intuition, Camouflage, Dark Vision, Echolocation, Skill-transfer

Locked Abilities: 7

"Let's move on to the third room and finish up for the night," he told Sekkin and Qin Yun.

Qin Yun remained behind to tidy the gifts while Zero and Sekkin took a peek into the final room. It was rather spacious compared to the first two rooms that were cluttered with items. There was only one huge crate in the room and Zero looked at Sekkin curiously.

"Did we miss anything?"

The spider demon shook his head. "Coux said that it was special and had Baal set up a protective barrier around this room earlier."

Zero became giddy with excitement when he heard it. "I can handle this alone. Please help Qin Yun and retire for the night. Thank you for packing up!"

Sekkin bowed and wished Zero goodnight before leaving. Zero then turned his attention back to the solitary crate in the room. If he was not mistaken, this was the one item on the list of goods that he looked forward to checking out. After ensuring that the door was closed, Zero summoned Mii.

The strawcherry fairy materialised and hovered over the crate eagerly. "Is this it?"

Zero beamed. "You bet it is... I only hope that the protective barrier Baal prepared is strong enough. You might want to stand back or return to the mindscape for a little.

Mii took Zero's advice and vanished. Zero took a deep breath and blasted the protective charms placed on the crate. The crate shook violently and Zero shielded himself when it exploded into wood splinters. Seriously, was it really necessary for such a flashy entrance? If Zero didn't know better, he might have thought that the creature of this object was an idiot.

"Systems rebooting, running scans."

Mii appeared with a pop sound and clapped her hands at what Zero had named 'Robo Mike'. Robo Mike was a golem created by Merlin from a very long time ago. He had been washed away by the strong currents of River Styx when collecting precious alchemy materials for the Wizard God and was lost ever since. Although the stone golem looked intimidating and extremely strong, it excelled in not combat but housekeeping - perfect for what Zero wanted.

"Scanning is complete. Systems are functioning as per normal. Unknown strong presence detected. Hostile presence none. Please state your business."

"I'm Zero!" the young doctor introduced. "I'm looking for someone to help me manage a village and farm. Do you think you're up for the job?"

The golem's head spun in two circles before stopping. "Affirmative. Registering new master... Kindly provide Housekeeping Golem #Amethyst001 with a preferred name."

Zero beamed. "You shall be called Robo Mike!"

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"Registering name as Robo Mike. Registration successful. Please provide Robo Mike with orders to fulfil."

"Eh? I don't have any now. Is it alright for me to store you in my void storage until we can return to the village?"

The stone golem spun his head in three circles before stopping. "Order received. Please proceed."

Without another word, the young doctor sucked the huge golem into his storage. It was a good thing that the void storage did not have size limitations. Storing a stone golem as huge as Camie could be problematic. Zero looked at the ceiling of the room and winced. The chandelier was smashed and the floor had golem footprints embedded in it. It was nothing that Baal couldn't fix but Zero knew he would be in for a lot of questioning when tomorrow came.

Oh well... that was it for tonight. Zero stretched and yawned. He should follow Baal's word of advice to leave tomorrow's worries for tomorrow. There was no use losing sleep over something that couldn't be helped after all.

Ball of Nothing

Zero was woken up by the noises of people running to and fro in the corridor. Despite having a late night, Zero was wide awake in an instant when he remembered what day it was. How could he have forgotten?

After brushing his teeth sloppily with nobody to chide him for it, the young doctor got dressed in something more formal. He wore his dress shirt, pants and shoes but ditched the blazer in favour of the lab coat. One doesn't simply abandon the pristine white robe of a scholar.

Nobody paid Zero any attention, too busy getting ready to move out. The trial will be held at Lucifer's castle as he was the overseer of the abyss. Mammon will bring Schaf along and Hades will escort Kerberos. King Yama arrived as a guest in Lucifer's castle the day before while Zero was busy at the auction house. He only knew about it when Mii informed him this morning. Apart from the map function, the strawcherry assistant was now able to keep tabs on allies when they become closer in the vicinity. It was a useful ability for sure and that gave Zero the advantage when it came to preparing surprises.

Right now, he was alone in the guest second guest room where the pile of gifts lay waiting in silence. Most of the tedious work had been done last night with the help of Sekkin and Qin Yun. Zero was thankful for the extra hands. Without them, he might have to pull an all-nighter. Although he'd grown physically, Zero wasn't confident in being able to carry the heavier looking items without some magic. He wasn't too keen on trying to use unfamiliar magic either so Sekkin's help was greatly appreciated. Qin Yun helped to save him a lot of time trying to identify and understand the strange items he was looking at. Her vast knowledge and experience about various objects and herbs native to the abyss made the sorting process more efficient.

"Quest window!" he told the system who responded at once. Zero scrolled down and selected the Item Hunting Quest that was still incomplete. Of all the gifts he wanted to prepare, he could only find a green leaf that he'd given Gaia during Christmas. There were still many more gifts with only a few hours to prepare them all.

Quest: Item Hunt

Find and give the following people their gifts.

Reward upon completion: Increased friendship and popularity

Buddha: Lotus Flower

Freya: Fire

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Zeus: Lightning Bolt

Hades: Night Shadows

Isis: Mead

Sedna: Huge Fish Scale

En: Feather Pen

Grem Lee: Measuring Rope

Jen: Green Needle

Jeremy Hound: White Glove

Gaia: Green Leaf (Completed)

Of course, the people in the quest list weren't the only ones Zero intended to prepare gifts for. Like Mii said, he'd troubled many people with his selfishness back in the village. He'd have to apologise to everyone. There was also Baal who took on the trouble of helping him recover at the Spring of Vitality. He owed too much to too many people, it was only right to thank them grandly so Zero added on to the list.

- Baal: Pillow

- Mammon: Business

- Zenobia: Magic Weapon

- Coux: Skill-Transfer Party Call

- Wiser: Skill-Transfer Encyclopaedia

- Mitchnew: Long-term Visitor Pass to Baal's Domain (Signed by Baal)

Zero looked at his inventory and the pile before him. Zenobia's gift was with Wiser who was still crafting it into a musical instrument. He would have to put the magical enchants on it later. Coux was working on attaining that long-term visitor pass for Mitchnew and Zero would transfer skills for Coux and Wiser after lunch. He would meet Mammon later with Coux to discuss their business proposal in further detail after the trial. Baal's pillow was being sewn by Mitchnew back in the village and Zero would add enchants to it once it is completed.

He found the perfect gifts for everyone on the quest list after going through the items bought from the auction house. It took a little work to wrap some of the gifts but Zero managed somehow. All that was left would be to mail them out.

Buddha: Lotus Flower grown in the Spring of Vitality

Zero remembered how quickly the lotus seed grew once he tossed it into the Spring last night. The trip didn't take too long because teleporting made it easy. After inspection, he knew that this lotus was different from the rest. With one of the spare dimension storage jars he got from the auction, he stored strange gifts like this in them.

Freya: 100-year old Hell Fire

Zero didn't know why this was an item in the auction but the fire looked pretty in the jar. He used an app on the intergalactic communicator to ship it to Freya. The delivery cost money so Zero auctioned some of his purchases online to gain some starting capital. Apparently, shipping rates are cheaper if there were many items going to the same place. Unfortunately for Zero, none of his recipients were easy to reach. Buddha's delivery cost the most because Nirvana wasn't a registered location and he had to call to explain to the delivery company what it was.

Zeus: Storm Globe

Zeus gift was basically trapped chaos energy charged with negative energy and a thousand curses. Zero was very careful to add many layers of seals and protection to the jar. It may look pretty but it could very well be deadly. Oh well, as long as Zeus decides not to crush it with his unreal strength, everything would be fine. For extra precaution, Zero stuck on a hand-written note on it before shipping it out.

Hades: Lost Shadows

Zero didn't have to ship this out as he was going to see Hades later. There were various shadows lost from their owners and Zero thought that it would be cool to attach a magical rope to the shadows. They flew and floated around so Hades would have to be very careful not to let go of the ropes. Once it was gone, they would not be coming back.

Isis: Demon Queen Bee's Royal Jelly

Zero half hesitated to send this out. While Royal Jelly was said to possess many good properties, he didn't know if the same applied to the ones made by demons. He did taste the pot of jelly personally and found nothing wrong with it. He supposed it should be safe enough and sent it with a note cautioning Isis to try it on a taste tester before consuming it.

Sedna: Charybdis' Scale Mirror

Zero thought this was cool. He didn't know much about the monster called Charybdis but it was a sea monster. That should count as a type of fish right? Besides, a mirror was more practical than a single scale.

En: Cockatrice Feather Pen

Zero didn't know if Amaraline would be angry if she knew. While the pen's quality was unquestionable and it was enchanted with a never-ending ink supply, Zero didn't know how to feel about gifting a pen made of Amaraline's ancestors. Hence, he sent it out secretly yesterday using the courier service while everyone was asleep.

Grem Lee: Inch Tape Worm's Shedding

It worked similar to the measuring tape but even better. Zero made sure to never tell the tailor about what it really was. It could stretch and shrink easily while changing colour every inch for easier reading. With a command, it would go rigid and stay in place until another command was given for it to go soft again. Zero worked hard placing magic enchants on it. The measuring tape had four neat functions. The first is to measure, the second to straighten, third to relax and fourth of retract. As a bonus, Zero added self-cleaning magic before shipping it out with Jen's gift.

Jen: Urchin Needle

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Unlike sewing needles that were commonly made from silver, Zero found this growing on a ball of living spikes. He pricked himself once but thankfully, the poison wasn't strong and he neutralised it quickly. They came in all different sizes so Zero cleaned everything he harvested and soaked them in an antidote solution for about an hour so that Jen wouldn't be poisoned if she pricked herself. Zero added a note to let her know he had a lot more of where these special needles came from if she ever ran out.

Jeremy Hound: White Glove

Of all the gifts, Zero thought Jeremy's was the least weird. They were literally white gloves. The only thing unique about these gloves were their history. They belonged to a master thief who was sentenced to the abyss for his sins. Inspecting them told Zero that these gloves would help the butler be a lot faster in performing his chores. With 10 Dexterity abilities, it wouldn't be surprising if Jeremy could sign documents faster than Baal using magic.

With that, Zero glanced over at the other items in his inventory. They would have to wait until he returned to Half Moon village. There were many goodies that he couldn't wait to share with everyone.

The room now looked empty and everything was as it should be. There were no signs of crates or funny objects, the guest room looked neat and tidy. Satisfied, Zero turned and left the room. They would set off to Lucifer's castle immediately after breakfast, Zero couldn't wait to see En again. Although he was slightly nervous, he had confidence in his plan. He would definitely make Schaf work for him.

Only four people including Zero would be attending the trial from Baal's castle. Zero didn't ask why Coux was coming along, it was obvious that Baal needed his secretary to ensure he doesn't shrink from his duties. On the other hand, Zero was slightly puzzled as to why Baal chose to invite Ruth along at the very last possible minute. The Demon Lord practically manhandled the child into the carriage and tossed him onto one of those plush seats. Just before the vampire could protest, Baal shoved a specially prepared sandwich in the boy's mouth to avoid dealing with any objections for the time being.

Needless to say, Ruth didn't deny food. He scoffed the whole thing down in three bites. Zero was slightly worried. He'd have to teach Ruth the importance of chewing food thoroughly one of these days. After breakfast was complete, the QA session began. Zero watched both his friend and friend-to-be with concern. He didn't know what to do if a fight broke out. There was no doubt about it, Ruth would be overpowered. Still, it seemed like Ruth still had some sense left in him because he merely glowered at the Demon Lord in silence. Baal outrightly ignored that heated glare and took a nap, much to Coux's dismay.

"Do you have any idea why Bell threw him in here at the last minute?" Zero whispered to Coux, not wanting to wake Baal up. The Demon Lord's crankiness hasn't changed all that much when he didn't have his much-desired rest. Zero was not taking any chances, not on an important day like this. luckily, Zero's magic pillow did the job of keeping the Demon Lord asleep while they whispered.

Ruth didn't appreciate being left out of the conversation, especially with his keen sense of hearing. In retaliation, the vampire cleared his throat loudly for attention. Baal jostled in his sleep but didn't awake, much to Zero's relief. The secretary shot Ruth a warning glare for his outright disobedience. Regardless of how Zero thinks about the situation, Ruth was a highly dangerous slave and it was the only reason why he was forced to follow them.

Ruth got the message and quickly fell silent once more, sulking while glancing outside the window into the dreary scenery. Coux smiled kindly at Zero and thought of how to word it in the nicest way so that Zero's feelings wouldn't be hurt.

"Let me guess," Zero stopped her before she could start. "It's Bell, isn't it? He doesn't trust Ruth to stay in the castle alone."

The half-succubus froze, unsure if she should deny it and lie or admit it. In the end, she remained silent and allowed Zero to form his own conclusions. The scowl on the young doctor's face was obvious much to Ruth's amusement. Zero glared at Baal and was deciding if he should start confronting his friend about it and disturb him from his nap right before the trial.

Thankfully, with Mii's rational input, Zero decided to hold it off till after the trial. Baal might have meant well but this was Zero's responsibility. He knew about Ruth's intentions to escape and wanted this to be a test of faith but Baal had gone ahead to ruin it completely. If he was going to complete the quest and have Ruth become a servant-friend, he wanted Ruth to be a willing servant much like Truen. While binding someone with power was easier, it wasn't as effective as winning someone's loyalty over completely. Zero didn't want to force Ruth to choose this path even if he wanted the vampire to be a friend. It's true that he bought the vampire from the auction house out of pity and a sense of righteousness to satisfy himself. However, he knew what it meant to be responsible. It's like saving an injured cat. You either take care of them until they heal and let them go when they are ready to leave or provide a home for them. Whichever choice that Ruth makes in future, Zero wouldn't interfere. He would love to have Ruth as a friend but he wasn't going to impose his feelings on the vampire who'd suffered greatly in the cruel hands of fate.

"I apologise for Baal's treatment," the doctor-in-training bowed, surprising the vampire. It was the first time someone had apologised to him sincerely for something that someone else had done to him.

Fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat, the vampire looked to Coux for some sort of help but the secretary wore her poker face well. There was no doubt that Coux was observing how Ruth would react only to report it to Baal later.

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Ruth was in troubled. Back in his clan, they would acknowledge the other party's apology and carry on as if the wrong wasn't committed in the first place after dishing out punishment to the wrongdoer often in the form of a hard punch to the face. He didn't think that it was appropriate to be punching Zero or Baal and had to think twice about acknowledging the apology. as a slave, he was in no position to offer opinions or decisions, much less accept anything that gives status and respect.

Sensing Ruth's conflict, Zero smiled apologetically and waved it off. "It's just something that I wanted to say, you don't have to treat it seriously if you don't want to. I know that this may not be the way things work in the abyss but it's what I believe needs to be done, regardless of cultural differences."

Coux didn't let it show but she was secretly overjoyed that Zero was maturing into a fine young man. Humility is one of the most difficult things to master when one becomes powerful and more knowledgeable. Zero has gotten it down to a pat, there was nothing to worry much about with his determination to learn more about responsibilities.

Ruth sat awkwardly throughout the rest of the journey with only Baal's light snoring in the background. Coux took the opportunity to brief Zero about the etiquettes and procedures in the courtroom via the party call that Zero shared with her using the Skill-Transfer. The half-succubus only pretended to look through the documents one last time while communicating with Zero who was breathing out onto the glass and drawing random scribbles on the fog created.

Ruth observed his master with interest. Zero looked older than him but behaved very childishly at times. In fact, everything about Zero was an enigma to him. How could he not have heard about such a powerful existence? Surely with Zero's level of power, he could easily become a Demon Lord. Where has Zero been this whole time? Also, Zero's demeanour didn't strike him as someone raised with a golden spoon in his mouth. The things he was able to afford spoke differently. While Zero wasn't uneducated, he was strangely naive about many things in the world. No matter how sheltered a child was, they would eventually discover emotions that are less desirable. Zero doesn't seem to possess any of those things. He wasn't greedy or complacent. He wasn't arrogant or selfish. In fact, Zero was the epitome of an angel except the vampire knew that angels can be a real snobbish pain in the back with their holier-than-thou attitude.

Lucifer's domain was very different from Baal's. For starters, it looked very clean and well-lit. Zero thought that some of the buildings looked strangely familiar to the ones in La Boutique. Several architectures reminded him about the smaller shrines he'd seen while in Heaven. How did Lucifer know about them? Weren't demons and angels enemies from long ago?

In the middle of the town was a huge building that Coux introduced as the campus. That was the Morning Star Academy that only the most talented demons get to attend. Of course, school fees were expensive but there were things called scholarship for the poor students who worked hard. Beelzebub was a scholarship student at the Academy much to Zero's surprise. He was more astonished to hear that mammon had agreed to be Beel's sponsor while he was in school.

"They also happen to have the greatest library in the abyss at the campus. Books from other worlds and dimensions can be found here. Their librarian is a fae from a different dimension and they have very unique teachers who are the best in their specialised fields. There isn't anything that the Academy doesn't teach. Lucifer ensures that every student is stretched to their maximum potential while studying at his campus. It's one of the reasons why this is a magic-free zone."

Zero blinked and Ruth twitched. "Magic-free zone?"

The secretary nodded. "There is a powerful barrier that seals all chakra channels. Anyone without the seal of approval from Lucifer is unable to use magic in the area."

"But the trial... En needs to use magic."

Coux smiled. "Of course, those with a higher authority than the Ruler of Hell will be able to use magic. Special arrangements have been made for King Yama, Lord Hades and the other attending Demon Lords."

Zero briefly wondered if he was on that list of exception but shook his head. It didn't really matter. The Inheritor of Sins is an ability that doesn't require mana. Besides, he didn't need mana when he could simply convert the stored energy into spells. Blocking the chakra network isn't going to affect Zero at all. He came well-prepared.

As the carriage drew closer, Zero wondered where they were headed to. From the invitation, the trial would be held in one of the auditoriums in the campus. It was a trial open to the public for witnesses. Coincidentally, it was an event that would be recorded down in Hell's history. Zero had many questions but he chose to observe for now.

His suspicions were confirmed when the carriage pulled to a stop outside of a menacing looking castle. When Zero said menacing, he meant something that had many weapons lined on the walls pointing at whoever approaches it. The gate was heavy and bolted. The spikes glued to them didn't make them seem friendlier and the thorny branches crawling across the castle walls deterred any potential unwanted visitors. The security was so tight that Zero wondered how sloppy Baal's castle was compared to all the other Demon Lords.

The heavy spiked doors creaked open and Lucifer's voice echoed loudly. "Welcome, Anita will guide you. Please follow her."

Coux bowed and led the way after Zero woke Baal up. The Demon Lord wasn't as cranky as everyone feared. Zero's pillow must have worked well and Ruth chose to totter behind Zero instead of Baal. The Demon Lord didn't seem to pay the vampire much attention and demanded that Zero carry him on his back since he was too lazy to walk.

"No, Bell. You should exercise else you might end up pudgy. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of short walks like this. Being deskbound mean that there will be many accumulated health issues in the long run. It's never too early to take some preventive measures."

The Demon Lord gave Zero the stink eye and snapped his fingers so that he was floating along while pulling Zero's shirt to move. After seeing how Bal was stretching the fabric of his neatly pressed shirt, Zero decided that holding Baal's hand was much easier than trying to correct the Demon Lord. The party of four entered a sitting room and was served tea by a different demon servant. For once, Zero thought that Demon Lords were really wealthy and well-respected.

"You were just thinking about something really rude, weren't you?" Baal scowled, sensing Zero's thoughts.

The young doctor sat up straight that instant and denied it profusely while not looking at his friend in the eye.

Baal clicked his tongue and rolled his eye. He could guess what Zero was thinking about. Compared to his dingy castle, Lucifer's was a whole new world. It wasn't too far from the truth. It's common knowledge that Lucifer has the most number of servants and the most extravagant castle in the abyss. Considering that this castle was once built for an archangel, nobody was going to refute that claim. The Prince of Hell was formerly an archangel and a brother-of-sorts with Michael before the falling out. Naturally, to fit in with the harsh theme of the abyss, some modifications were done to the building but nobody could deny the grandiose structure.

They didn't have to wait long before the other guests started filtering in. King Yama was the first to be seen as he held the door open for his father, Zero's teacher and Buddha. Lucifer was still nowhere to be seen but knowing the Demon Lord's love for theatrics, he would announce his presence later in an attention-grabbing way.

"En!" Zero's face lit up at the sight of his friend and ran over to crush the now smaller Demigod in his arms.

Enma was taken aback to see Zero's physical change but got over it quickly. Zero exchanged letters with him explaining his plan to save Schaf. He also received the update this morning about the new ability to absorb sins to his benefit. While it solved the issue of punishing Schaf, Enma didn't know if that was a wise thing to do. Not everyone would be as repentant as Douglas.

"I'm so glad to see you!"

Enma smiled. "I'm so glad to see you too. It gave me quite the scare to hear that you were unconscious. Are you alright now?"

Baal rolled his eyes at the stiff formalities. It would take a while before they could get down to actual business so the Demon Lord helped himself to some snacks and tea while waiting. Coux didn't stop him so Baal snuck on a few more and offered the vampire some. Ruth politely declined, not knowing if it was safe for consumption. Baal shrugged it off and continued munching while Enam and Zero chatted without care about Hades who looked like a kicked puppy waiting at the door.

"Oh dear," Zero blinked after noticing the gloomy shadow growing from the corner of his eye. He'd been too caught up with answering Enma's questions that he forgot there was another visitor.

"Sorry, Hades. How have you been? Kerberos missed you, have you seen him yet?"

The God of Death brightened up when Zero turned the attention away from his son to him. Enma went over to join Baal on the couch, sipping on tea and discussing some details about the trial later. Hades smiled at Zero's concern. It was different seeing the boy in a teenage form but it wasn't unwelcomed.

"He's doing well. I've discussed with Hua Tuo about it and he agreed to oversee Kerberos' punishment with Merlin."

"That's great! Oh, I have something for you..."

Hades was pleasantly surprised at the odd but intriguing git that Zero prepared for him. "What's this?"

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"They are what I now dub as Shadow Balloons. I decided to give it to you personally because I knew I would be seeing you today. I sent the rest of the gifts using a courier service, I don't know if they received it yet."

Buddha smiled. "Yes, I received it. It is now planted in the pond of reflection and helped with my recovery greatly."

Hua Tuo was curious about how Zero obtained such a unique lotus but held his question. There would be plenty of time back in the village to ask Zero that. for now, he was content to allow his apprentice to catch up with his friends. The physician inspected the scrawny vampire that Zero recently adopted. He'd never thought to cure the thirst of vampires and their inability to eat anything else so when Zero's question came through the communicator, the physician was stunned. After being a doctor for so long, Hua Tuo had forgotten to consider the possibilities of new diseases and illness apart from the ones already known to him. While drinking blood was a common trait of vampires, it was still odd that they couldn't eat anything else for sustenance.

Ruth caught the strange human-looking old man staring at him and felt his skin prickle uncomfortably. That feeling lasted for a while before fading away and Ruth let out a sigh of relief. Whatever it was, the vampire was certain that the old man wasn't simply checking him out. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to think about it when the Judge for today's trial turned to him.

"So, how did you meet Zero?"

For a moment Ruth froze. Despite the innocent question, the vampire felt as if he was facing the world's angriest beast protective of its only child. Despite the polite smiles and pleasantry, Ruth shivered. King Yama was notorious for being cold-hearted. He was a fair but ruthless judge which was both a good and bad thing. King Yama wasn't the most popular person to talk to even in the Purgatory but he was known to be impartial and good at his job. Nobody had anything to say about it and his credibility was unshakable, the greatest reason why he was invited to act as the trial's mediator.

Thankfully, the windows flung open before Ruth was forced to answer. A swarm of bats filtered through the open window and Zero blinked as they reassembled into someone he thought looked familiar.

"Lord Lucifer," Enma stood up and greeted. "I'm honoured to be here today."

The Demon Lord wasn't wearing the bandage around his eyes and Zero nodded in approval when Lucifer showed no signs of discomfort with his new eyes. They interlocked gazes for a brief moment and the Demon Lord gave the young doctor a nod in his direction before taking a seat. The room fell quiet with the host's arrival.

"I believe we're gathered for the same reason today and in favour of time, I shall forego the formalities. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

Nobody objected so Lucifer addressed the pressing issue immediately. "I'm sure everyone has heard about the change of initial plans regarding Kerberos and Schaf's sentences for the trial later. Zero informed me that he has yet another update, shall we hear it from the young lad himself?"

All eyes were upon the apprentice at once. Although it didn't come as a surprise, the young doctor was slightly unprepared for the sudden attention dumped on him. He stood up clumsily, knocking into the arm of the chair before composing himself for his speech. He rehearsed it in his head with Mii and Bob on the way over, there wasn't a need to be so nervous. Sadly, logic didn't work too well under the pressure of so many expecting eyes.

"I apologise for my selfishness regarding this matter. The Demon Lords of Hell should have the right to decide the punishment befitting for their traitor and it isn't appropriate nor right for me to be interfering with the matter. Regardless of my personal beliefs, I have no good reason to plead for Schaf's life. However, I will still do it because I am a doctor. Every life is precious and if there is someone to guide the lost back onto the right path in life, I will take any measures necessary in order for that to happen."

Baal relaxed and kicked his legs up on the coffee table with a smug smirk on his face. Zero gained some confidence from that small action and looked right into Lucifer's eyes. The Demon Lord was tempted to pull his gaze away, remembering his promise with Zero. He didn't want to 'read' if Zero was lying but there was no real need to. Zero was blazing with sincerity and it was as clear as day.

"I will take full responsibility for Schaf after he has been exiled from the abyss. I understand that you have the public to appease and this is what I propose: Allow any demon who wish to have their sins written off and be given a new life three days to find me at Baal's castle. For three days, the gates will not close. I shall do for them what I will do for Schaf and erase all their sins by eating it with my ability."

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"Schaf may not agree to it," Enma pointed out but Zero was ready for it.

"He has to either way. If he doesn't agree to this 'punishment' then he would be stripped off all his rank and possession to be sold as a slave. I believe Lord Mammon has prepared a loan for me to buy him off the auction house immediately after the handover to the trader."

Baal coughed lightly with an impressed look. Coux caught it and smiled at him. The Demon Lord turned away quickly, embarrassed to be seen acting so unguarded around her. Hades had mixed feelings about Zero's proposal. While it was something that would save Schaf's life, he didn't quite enjoy how crafty Zero has become. Surely this has to do with the influence of the Demon Lord he was living with.

Enma weighed the options carefully. Between getting sold as a slave and having to choose a new life, Schaf might choose the former. Zero really thought this through and it sounded like a better plan than the previous one. Seriously, how much has his friend grown over the last half year? Time really flew too quickly. In another half year, Zero would be spinning magic and hurling spells. In another year or so, En would have to bid Zero goodbye for his long journey ahead while he spent yet another year passing judgements to the souls that have passed.

"It's a great idea. However, as it isn't a common form of punishment, at least three figures of power in the abyss must support it according to the old law. I have Mammon's agreement written here. Presently, there are two Demon Lords in the room who will be attending the trial. Can I confirm that both of you shall support this new form of punishment for the traitor Schaf?"

Baal lazily waved his hand and agreed. There wasn't much to consider. Zero was able to come up with something that could please everyone including himself. If anything, the Demon Lord thought that his friend outdid himself this round.

Lucifer didn't agree to it immediately and Zero had a bad feeling about it when the old demon smiled slyly at him.

"What if I say, I don't agree with it and would still prefer for Schaf to die?"

Zero bristled at that comment but composed himself quickly. That was merely a question to test Zero's resolve and maturity. The young doctor knew from the memories of the four divine fragments that life would never be a bed of roses. He also knew who would act as the obstacles in the path of other people's success. Needless to say, these people were not very well liked. Zero is wondering if Lucifer belonged in that category.

"Why wouldn't you agree to it?"

The Academy Dean smiled and the twinkle in his now healed eyes told Zero that there was some ulterior motive. After looking at it from another angle, Zero finally understood.

"I didn't lose the bet. If you want me to attend your school you'll have to agree to help pass this new judgement."

"Deal."

"Not so fast," Zero added, much to Lucifer's dismay. "I won't stay in your school for long. I need to return for my training, I'm far behind as it is. I will only attend your school after I've taken care of some administrative matters."

"How long would that take?" the Demon Lord asked.

"A few days... It's not a regular exchange program, is it? I heard that Baal is attending as a guest lecturer. Surely, this isn't for the sake of enriching your students' knowledge. I demand to know the details of whatever you have in mind and if I detect a lie or any information left out, I have the right to attend school and decline to assist you."

Lucifer scowled. For a youngling, Zero had a lot of guts. Then again, birds of the same feathers tend to flock together. The school dean didn't have doubts about it. For Baal to be so close to Zero, the young doctor must be a real piece of work too. If it weren't for Zero's unique abilities, he wouldn't have been so forgiving for the disrespect shown.

"Deal," he forced the words out and Zero beamed before turning around to show Baal and thumbs-up. Ruth watched uneasily at the relaxed exchange before his very eyes. Everyone knew about Lucifer's pet peeve and he had to wonder how Zero survived this long being this ignorant and stepping on the toes of so many powerful figures.

Enma was enjoying the show. There was hardly anything Lucifer could do to Zero even if he did. Lucifer was no fool. Zero was infinitely powerful despite his attitude and ignorance. He glanced at the watch and noticed how it was almost time for the proceedings.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we should ready ourselves. The session starts in about half an hour from now. I believe the defendants are waiting. Zero, Hua Tuo will be representing you so if you have anything to tell any of us, use the party call. Understood?"

Zero nodded at King Yama and gave him a hug before the judge left Baal, Lucifer and Buddha who will act as a neutral party to witness the special trial. Ruth and Coux couldn't accompany them and Zero was escorted by his teacher who seemed slightly jittery.

"Are you nervous?"

Hua Tuo sighed. Truth be told, it wasn't the trial that he was nervous about. It was the news about the village. Zenobia and Grandma Moppo had discussed it over with everyone in the village. They've come up with an ultimatum. The physician didn't know how Zero would react to it but it wasn't his decision to make. Seeing how much Zero has matured, it might be a good thing it happened to. If done right, Zero would not only gain powerful and loyal allies, he would gain his very first base of operations. Not to mention, with a powerful guardian like Kerberos on Endow Hill, Half Moon village would be the safest place to be in the country.

"No, I'm not nervous. Let's get going. Remember to carry yourself with dignity, the public will be watching. Also, wear this bracelet. It's from Merlin."

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Zero stared at the trinket. It looked fragile in the light. For one, the bracelet was made of a glass-like material and the apprentice feared it might be destroyed due to his carelessness. Hua Tuo noticed the distress and smiled.

"It's made to be durable. That bracelet suppresses your magical aura. You should be able to blend in easily. I'm assuming Lord Lucifer has some rather troublesome matters at the Academy which might require you to keep a low profile."

Zero made a face. He didn't really like Lucifer. He was a difficult patient and a cranky old demon who didn't know how to have fun. Zero knew what manners were but there had to be a limit to it! Lucifer was too full of 'social standards' that Zero didn't care for. After listening to Baal's stories with some of Mammon and Lilith's input, he can now confirm them to be true. Still, it wasn't as if Lucifer was a terrible person. Disagreeable, yes. Not terrible. That was a Count Carrabas thing.

As they approached the auditorium, Zero could hear the chants of the crowd outside it. The building might be huge but the crowd was bigger. Not everybody who attended could enter the building so light magic stones were used to provide real-time feedback about the proceedings in the building. Zero felt strangely nervous. He looked really big on the light reflection and that made him feel more self-conscious.

Oh, how he wished he spent more time combing his hair before he came!

Inside the auditorium, Zero noticed how it was very spacious. There were not many people inside it contrary to what he initially believed. The demons attending the session were smartly dressed in very stylish and expensive clothing. Even without knowing the culture in the abyss, Zero could tell that they were influential people.

Hua Tuo took a seat beside Zero and whispered for him to do the same. The apprentice wasn't too sure if he was allowed to sit as Schaf and Kerberos were standing at attention on the open space near the podium. Three thrones were brought out. The one in the middle of the podium had to be for Enma. The other two at the side would most likely be for Baal and Lucifer. Zero blinked at the difference of the two thrones at the side. One looked like it was customised carefully down to the very details while the other looked like it was slapped together with tree slap and barks. Zero was 100% confident that the shabbier of the two thrones belonged to Baal.

Hades held onto Kerberos' leash. The poor dog looked so sad and Zero wanted nothing more than to head over and give it a good hug. He was soon reminded about why the guard-dog was there and squashed that thought. The hugs can come after Kerberos has learnt his lesson. Hades didn't seem too interested in holding the leash and Zero wondered if people trusted the skeleton looking God to keep his ferocious pet under control with an ordinary leash. Sometimes, people had too much faith.

On the other hand, Schaf was attending to trial alone. He was escorted by two minotaurs who were heavily armed with battleaxes. If Zero didn't know about Schaf's involvement, he would have thought that the goat demon was being bullied. Schaf looked tired as if he hasn't slept for days. Zero felt no pity at seeing the ex-manager's exhausted state although he still assessed him with the trained eye of a doctor.

The crowd fell silent suddenly and Zero felt Baal's presence. It took a while before Enma, Baal and Lucifer turned up. At once, everyone rose to their feet while the three most important people took their position. Zero was slightly slow to get onto his feet but nobody chided him for it.

As silently as they rose, the crowd took their seats once the judge has seated. Zero briefly glanced at Baal who was sitting on the shabby throne. The poor Demon Lord looked uninterested and if Coux was there, she would have smacked him for dozing off on the job. If Zero squinted, he would have seen drool.

Enma looked every part of the strict ruler of the Purgatory. Ordinarily, there would be assistants reading out the crimes of the convicted for him. Today, he would have to do it himself due to the special circumstances. Zero couldn't see where Buddha was but he could sense the Sage God's presence somewhere in the crowd. Maybe he was in disguise? Zero shook his head and dismissed the thought immediately. It wasn't possible. Buddha had features too unique to blend into the demon society.

Hua Tuo tapped his apprentice's knee to remind Zero that he should be on his best behaviour. Many noble demons were looking at him while the brunet stared at everything in the auditorium with glassy eyes. It spoke of nothing but trouble and even Lucifer was visibly concerned about the attention Zero garnered in such a short frame of time.

Zero got the hint and quickly settled down to listen to Enma read the crimes aloud. He was also surprised when Enma announced the number of sins they'd both committed. For Schaf, the numbers matched perfectly. However, Zero wondered why Enma lied about Kerberos' sin numbers. The poor hound did not have a single sin point.

"I will now read out the punishment unanimously decided by the six Demon Lords. Kerberos, you are to guard Sleepy Hill near Endow Hill for a hundred human years before you are able to return to Heaven. Hades will still be your rightful owner but during your period of punishment, Hua Tuo and Merlin shall be your guardian."

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The three-headed dog whimpered and lowered its head in shame. Still, it looked Hades who remained emotionless. Nobody could tell how Hades was feeling when he was literally all bones. There were no eyes beneath that oversized black hood but Zero bet the Great God was feeling guilty about forgetting his pet. The change in appearance was to conceal his true feelings. Apart from Freya and Isis, the rest of the Great Gods are terrible at concealing their emotions. They didn't have a need to since they were powerful but at times like this, Zero thought that it was awfully inconvenient.

"Schaf, your punishment is to work as a free labourer to pay back for all the financial losses you have caused the bank. Moreover, as the person responsible for almost throwing the Abyss into the void you will be banished from Hell and stripped off all your sins. You will cease to be Schaf the goat demon and be reduced to a common beastman."

At once, there was an uproar from the noble demons attending the trial. Baal didn't wake up and Lucifer didn't move. King Yama slammed down on the armrest of his throne and it resounded in the room, causing the weaker demons to faint from the overwhelming magic pressure.

"The trial is still in session," his cold voice rang out and many noble demons glared at him. Ename was unfazed. "As Schaf's punishment is not a unanimous decision by all six Demon Lords but an agreement from the majority, concessions will be made."

"For three days before Schaf's punishment, all demons who wish to return to their origins may do so. Anyone who can travel to Belles and Begonia cafe in Lord Baal's domain will have their sins written off for no cost during these three days. The Purgatory will pardon anyone who seeks repentance during this period. There will be no carried forward karma points after the redemption. You will begin your life anew. This is only possible because of the special relationship Great God Hades has with the Abyss and the Purgatory."

Schaf was stunned. He expected death. While he and Lord Mammon shared a close relationship, he knew what he'd done was unforgivable. Lord Mammon couldn't save him even if he wanted to. Yet, what was this miracle? Banishment? Starting life anew? It sounded too good to be true.

The trial concluded swiftly and Zero wondered why he and Hua Tuo were given special seats despite not having any special part to play in the trial.

"Why?" Baal yawned. "It's for marketing, isn't it? Hua Tuo is a well-known doctor and his apprentice would be attending the Academy. Prestige and status is everything in the Academy."

Zero didn't understand what his friend was getting at. "What does Lucifer want from me? Do I really need such a powerful profile for what he has in mind? Can't you tell me what it is? You know something, don't you?"

Baal shrugged. "You'll hear the details from him soon enough. Be patient, will you?"

Zero pouted. He hated waiting. It felt endless! Zero would very much prefer to do something. Speaking of something...

"How am I going to absorb the sins of so many demons? The shop is too small! If what you said earlier was accurate, they would be flooding your castle too! There are too many demons!"

Baal frowned. That sounded like a pain to deal with.

"Ask Coux, she's in charge for this."

"Baal!" Zero wanted to grab his friend by the shirt and shake him. "You can't just leave this to someone else to handle and pretend like it doesn't concern you. You're the Lord of this domain! There could be really bad fights and I don't know if I can help everyone who wants to return to their origin in merely three days!"

King Yama who was sitting in the same carriage smiled lightly. Zero might have grown but he was still the same worrywart. In fact, the symptoms have gotten slightly worse. The young doctor was naggier than he remembered.

"Don't' worry, I have some staff coming over to help with the registration. All you need to do is have everyone in the same area after they registered. We will set up a magical barrier so that all those who aren't allowed in it will not be affected by your ability. The Inheritor of Sins ability works area-wide too, doesn't it?"

Zero blinked. He hasn't told anyone about it as he was still testing the range of influence the new ability had with Mii in the mindscape. So far, it could reach up to a hundred metres in radius but not more.

"Hundred metres. I can't do more than that..."

Enma nodded. "That's good enough. Say, the bank is the biggest building in Baal's domain right?"

Baal nodded. "You need to get Mammon's approval to use it."

"I'll ask Mammon!" Zero grinned.

Two seconds later, Zero replied. "He said it's alright to use it for three days but he will put it on my tab."

Enma made a face. "Sometimes, I really hate that ability of yours. Will you at least use the communicator I gave you?"

Zero made a face. "I do! They just don't have it in the abyss..."

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"I guess everything is settled," Baal smirked. "What are you going to do later, Zero?"

Zero hummed. There was still the matter about Ruth to attend to. There were so many things he wanted to know about the vampire but firstly, they needed to get him some clothes to wear. Whatever Ruth was wearing didn't seem to fit him well. They were Baal's clothes after all. Also, he had to find a way to feed the warrior better. Ruth was too malnourished.

"I need to go shopping for Ruth. I'll come back before dinner because I have some questions I would like to discuss with my teacher. En, would you like to come along with me? I can show you around town. It's fun!"

King Yama smiled. "Of course. I would also like to try the parfait at Belles and Begonia."

The apprentice grinned. They had their itinerary for the afternoon now that the trial was over.