Scepter of Savras
After days of careful contemplation, Leylin summoned Xena and agreed to the Goddess of Wealth's conditions. He handed over all matters pertaining to the native empire to Isabel and Tiff, while he followed Xena's ship back to the Faulen Island. He was currently back at his wizard tower.
Although this tower had already been upgraded several times, Leylin still found it too crude. This wasn't an issue with design, rather that he'd advanced too quickly. The basic facilities of this place couldn't keep up with his demands.
Thankfully, he did not have high expectations for the environment he was to be in. With the wizard tower's isolation abilities as well as his own divine force as a cover, the preparations were complete.
*Chiu! Chiu!* Inside the enormous forge at the core, a golden staff floated in mid-air. Threads of pure gold flames were dispelled in the surroundings, forming the figure of a large, gorgeous bird.
What had been the Red Dragon Staff had undergone massive changes and improvements. The coarse and solid staff was now more slender, and the dragon claw at the top had been refined, forming the claw of a bird. The most important part, the soul within the crystal, was now replaced by the flaming bird.
[Beep! Red Dragon Staff has been re-smelted. Connection and containment perfect. No conflicts in energy.] The A.I. Chip projected large amounts of information before him.
[Item Name: Blazing Sceptre. Rank: Legendary 3. Length: 0.76m. Weight: 2900g. Materials: Dragon Crystal, Dragon Bone, Dragon Blood, Dragon Scale, Divine Spirit, Divine Blood]
[Item abilities: 1. Storage. The staff can contain spells: Rank 9 (1), Rank 7 (3), Rank 5 (5). (Currently Empty) 2. Blazing Skyfire, legendary spell. (Can be used once every twenty days). 3. Domain of Terror. 4. Blaze: Absorbing the strength of divine souls, the staff can deal a one-time mental attack or boost itself. Will harm the imprisoned soul. 5. Fire Immunity.]
[Description: This staff once imprisoned a powerful legendary dragon soul, but its owner attempted a more terrifying experiment, sealing the soul of a divine being. All who use it without permission will suffer the wrath of gods!]
'What I gave Tiff was symbolic of the church. This suits me better…' When he conquered Debanks Island, Leylin did indeed come into possession of the flesh and souls of other demigods. However, this staff was still his most perfect creation. Although what he'd given Tiff was a demigod weapon, it was impossible to upgrade it. This staff had a limitless future!
'I can upgrade this staff at any time as long as the materials I have on hand are suitable. It could even become a divine weapon…' Leylin was very confident in this.
Having completed the Blazing Sceptre, Leylin did not opt to rest, instead going to another room. He closed his eyes as if in meditation, but his mind was actually communicating with the A.I. Chip. 'A.I. Chip, how goes the task I set you on?'
[Beep! Analysis of legendary arcane spell, Chain Contingency at 100%. Transmitting into Host's mind. Beginning preliminary branding…]
The A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded. It had never let Leylin down before.
"On the continent, a demigod means power at the apex. The Debanks Island is too remote, and it's impossible to dispatch large armies and labourers to go on long journeys here. So… if they really want to deal with me, there are only a few methods. This is the one with the best chances of working…"
Leylin pursed his lips as tremendous spiritual force and arcane energy declined. A continuous stream of divine force made up for the losses just in time, creating a unique cycle.
After a night of this, he finally set up the Chain Contingency on himself.
While he had his own conjectures, he still chose to do as had been planned. After all, it was just foolish to offend a goddess without any evidence.
Besides, he had his own plans as well, and he needed her cooperation to complete them.
"I hope all this is all in my head… But it's not bad to make preparations against it, right?"
Immense divine force surged out, erasing the spell branding aura on Leylin's body and hiding it in the aura of a god.
Not long after Leylin completed all this, Bishop Xena visited him.
"Our church already has leads on the Scepter of Savras. However, we need some help from Sire!"
Xena looked respectfully as she spoke, eyes showing she was not faking any of this.
"Looks like this bishop always thought that the true mission was finding the scepter…"
Leylin sighed, and then smiled, "As long as we do things according to our agreement, I'm fine with it…"
...
At the borders of the Dambrath Kingdom, at the west of the werejackal mountains.
As the climate and food here was suitable, there were huge numbers of werejackals around. There were even high-ranked bloodline holders and professionals in their midst who possessed greater intelligence than their peers. They monopolised the whole mountain, becoming a man-made dangerous area.
All races that were not werejackals only had one fate in the mountains— They would be torn to the bone to be eaten!
There was little the Dambrath Kingdom could do about this. Even a legend that had been employed could only retreat in defeat.
As time passed, the werejackal mountains became a forbidden area. There were even rumours that in the depths of the werejackal mountains, there was a mysterious large door that went straight into the abyss, where there was the god of the werejackals, a sovereign king who loved flesh!
The nearer it was to the werejackal mountains, the more desolate the villages were around the area. On this path, however, there was a group of knights who were hastening on their journey.
Just from their unruffled aura, it was evident that they were not mere elites of the kingdom.
In the middle guarded by knights, were a young man and woman on two handsome horses. However, when it came to the might they had, it was hard to tell who was being protected…
"The lead for Savras' Scepter is in the town up ahead?"
Leylin sniffed at the air, frowning slightly.
"Yes, Sire!"
This was Xena speaking. Ever since the bishop found out that Leylin had attained a realm she could never hope to reach, she had become increasingly respectful to him. She had even taken to addressing him as 'sire', and if Leylin had not stopped her, she might even call Leylin, 'Your Highness'.
"Based on what the hunter in the village said, he once accidentally entered the werejackal mountain and, at the outer regions of the valleys, saw a terrifying statue and the illusion of a scepter emitting multi-coloured rays."
"That's all?"
Leylin's eyebrows raised.
"After that, we dispatched the legendaries in our church, but… Even two legendaries weren't enough to break through the layer at the outer regions of the valley. However, the two legends also saw the scepter emitting multi-coloured rays, and the likeness to Savras' Scepter is recorded in historical records is above 90%…"
As she still needed Leylin's help, Xena laughed wryly as she explained.
"A boundary that even legends can't enter? And the scepter?" Leylin nodded.
"In that case, this trip is worth it… But I've been staying at the outer seas recently. What's happening on the continent?"
After hearing that this was not confidential information, Xena gave him a simple rundown of the situation on the continent.
First was the north. The unrest here had attracted the attention of the entire prime material plane, and it might escalate even further.
The two greater gods, the Weave Goddess and God of Justice working together was something the orc gods all feared.
They had first wiped out the reinforcements of Malar and a few other orc gods, and then supported Alustriel as she started war at what had been the north.
After a few large-scaled battles, Alustriel had successfully gathered a few revolutionary forces and taken over a decent amount of land. With the support of a few great noble families in the north, she had ascended the throne a few months ago and reestablished the Silverymoon Alliance.
However, the orcs were still as powerful as before. Orc Emperor Saladin had the help of the divine weapon, Thunder God's Hammer, and was still one of the most powerful on the prime material plane. If not for Alustriel blocking Saladin personally in a few battles, as well as the orc being afraid of the side effects from using the weapon, success would not have come so easily.
With all this happening, the orc empire that had been dealt a heavy blow raged and began to gather their armies.
Silverymoon trained hard as well, obtaining more support from the nobles and gods of the north.
It wasn't hard to imagine that sometime in the future, there would definitely be an even more terrifying war breaking out. That would be greatest test for the newly-formed Silverymoon Alliance.
On top of that, there was the short-lived reappearance of the western desert's floating city.
A number of legendaries had fallen there. The death of just one was enough to stun the entire continent, and on top of that, it had to do with the floating city.
It was just that the western desert was remote, and had blocked off means of communication. News was only being sent out now.
A few churches had verified that the floating city had been robbed by a mysterious person, and they had come up with great rewards for this. It was said that this had caused a mad flurry in the dark world.
Numerous old monsters had been startled out of their shells, pursuing traces of the lich Ilyo. It had to be said that the reason Leylin had kept Ilyo was so that the lich could bear the brunt of the blame.
Valley
"The only things that alarmed the continent were the matter with the north and west desert. The rest are just small issues…" Xena stopped at this point, her beautiful eyes turning to gaze up at Leylin, "But of course, if news about you were to be leaked, my Lord, that would create a whole new storm…"
'Those two things actually have something to do with me!' Leylin thought as he rubbed his nose, but he had no plans of coming clean.
Xena lowered her voice, speaking by Leylin's ear, "The birth of a new demigod and the conquest of over a million natives with just five thousand pirates… Either one of these events could stun the mainland, even affecting the outer planes…"
"I'd rather not for now. I don't want to attract the attention of Helm's church." Leylin sternly stopped her, but this only caused a sly look in Xena's eyes.
"Please don't worry, my Lord. Our church has worked with those like you before, and both sides have returned satisfied…"
"Hm? I think we should discuss this in more detail tonight." Hearing Xena seemingly hint that she could help him solve the problem with the God of Protection, Leylin's eyes darted around. While he was unsure if everything she said was the truth, it was always better to have more knowledge…
They reached the little village Xena had spoken of without issue. Soon, however, Leylin found something strange about the place.
"There aren't any commoners here? They're all Professionals." The radiance of a Professional's soul was vastly different from that of a normal human. If the former were like a grain of sand, the latter was a firefly. Although they were both minuscule to Leylin, there was still a difference.
"Once we discovered this valley, our church bought the surrounding regions and stationed our knights to patrol and guard the area." Xena clapped, and four dark figures charged over from the village ahead. Their agility showed that they were high-ranked knights.
"Priestess! My Lord!" The four high-ranked knights seemed extremely humble as they led the two's horses along like servants.
The scene left Leylin speechless. He sighed after a long while, then said, "As expected of the church of wealth. They're overbearing…"
Xena didn't immediately respond to this, but her eyes showed her pride.
"Who's defending the valley now?" she asked a black-armoured knight in front of her.
"It's the Spear Crusader, Lord Jeffries!" The knight unknowingly showed a look of worship, "We beat down a few waves of werejackals recently. A group of adventurers from the kingdom were attracted to this place as well, but none of them were powerful."
The churches of the World of Gods possessed divine spells and limitless wealth. They also had large numbers of zealous followers, as well as true and eternal gods backing them. They could be called the most powerful organisations in the prime material plane. Even the human kingdoms had to yield to them, giving their people the right to worship.
Given the situation, about half the powerful beings of the world were undoubtedly affiliated to churches. Unlike soldiers and adventurers, paladins had better equipment, more guidance, and overall better lives. If not for this advantage, they would consider changing gods.
"We'll rest here tonight, and enter the mountains to meet with Lord Jeffries tomorrow. What do you think of it?" Xena now acted like the master here.
"Yes, that sounds good." Leylin had no objections, although a dark hint flickered in his eyes.
'There don't seem to be any traps, or they might be buried too deep…' Night soon fell. Leylin gazed up at the starry skies and then at Xena and other knights who knew so little. His eyes showed how indifferent he felt.
"They're all dispensable… The gods are that heartless, huh," he muttered, his voice so low nobody heard his words.
...
"This is the valley where the strange events took place. Lord Jeffries is waiting for you up ahead!" Xena had unknowingly become a guide. She was even attempting to rope Leylin into her church, although all she did was fated to be in vain.
"Ah, Lord Jeffries!" Xena jogged forward, bowing towards the legendary that Leylin had met before, "My apologies that you had to come all the way here to meet us…"
"Lord Leylin! It's only been a few years since we last met, and you've already attained so much!" Jeffries didn't pay attention to Xena. To legendaries, those below their rank were ants unworthy of attention.
However, Leylin was different! An intense bloodlust and threads of envy arose from Jeffries' eyes.
All legendaries desired to become gods. While Jeffries had glory that most could not even begin to imagine, as long as he remained in Waukeen's church he would never be able to rid himself of the shackles that bound him. Seeing Leylin having taken that important step and left him far in the dust, Jeffries had a strange expression.
'What a pity… No matter how powerful you are, or how talented, you won't be able to fight off fate and the gods…' Jeffries sighed inside, steadying his faith that was on the verge of crumbling as he carried an amiable smile on his face.
"You gave me a very good impression during the ceremony, Lord Jeffries." Leylin answered easily and conversed for a while longer. They soon entered the valley shrouded with mist.
"The elemental aura here is strange, and the mist seems to have a powerful sealing strength. Be careful!" Jeffries led the way ahead. There were more and more black vines about even as the area turned more sandy, and the grey mist around them became increasingly thicker.
'Such great sealing strength… Even a large-scale spell formation can't be maintained for long; it would take up too much energy. It makes sense for this to be the radiation of a divine weapon, since the Sceptre of Savras is rumoured to have powerful sealing abilities…'
"Werejackals, human soldiers, and adventurers seem to have been corroded by the mist. They've morphed into a different life form, so they're difficult to deal with." Just after Jeffries spoke, the winds howled and strange sounds echoed as a werejackal darted out of the mist. The strong smell on its body caused Xena to frown.
"What a joke!" Jeffries brandished his spear and a milky-white light hacked the werejackal into two, revealing black innards and bones.
"Once they're corroded these things gain great vitality. It'll take ages to kill them…" Jeffries explained. He then saw Leylin crouch on the ground in seeming interest, observing the flesh where the werejackal had been sliced apart.
"This is the contamination in the outermost regions. It's even worse inside. If not for there being traces of a divine weapon here, I'd be prepared to tell the druids' association and let them know of this natural pollution…" Jeffries' annoyance could be heard from his voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's my first time seeing beings like this!" Leylin got up and apologised, and the group continued to advance amidst the mist.
"We've already tested this place. Even high-ranked legendaries can't get through half of the valley…" All of a sudden, Jeffries stopped. He looked at the normal-seeming Leylin and Xena who was straining already, a strange expression on his face.
"Fight me," Jeffries suddenly requested.
"Lord Jeffries, Lord Leylin is an esteemed guest of the church! How could you do this?" Xena exclaimed loudly before Leylin could respond.
"Hmm… You're attacking now? I'm curious, why didn't you bring me further in and surround me?" Leylin raised his eyebrows in doubt.
"What? Attacking now?" Xena took several steps back, suddenly realising that she knew nothing. She'd been played like a puppet.
"There's no fun in attacking you with others. A proud legendary should never fall just like this! I've also wanted to battle with you for a long while now." A milky-white spear suddenly appeared in his hands, its sharp barbed tip emitting a terrifying chill. "Besides, you'd noticed it before I even told you, no?"
"Mm," Leylin did not deny it. "I just wanted to confirm my suspicions and see how evil you are."
Golden rays emanated from Leylin's body, as if giving him golden armour. The dark red massacre domain abruptly extended, causing Jeffries to breathe roughly.
"There's no need to hide anymore. Get out here!" As Jeffries' enraged roars sounded out, powerful energy undulations rumbled out before a few figures appeared around Leylin. The grey fog slowly condensed into a cage-like structure, revealing a barren area.
"So it's you, Benedict. Are you done with the matters at the north?" Leylin had never expected that he'd see an acquaintance.
"Leylin! You almost wrecked the plans of our master back then, and turned into a sinner of the north!" The bishop of Tyr was standing right in front of him. This fellow had attacked Leylin once before. Behind him was a group of paladins, and next to them were priests and wizards that worshipped Mystra.
Attack
'Mm… Waukeen, Tyr, Mystra, they're pretty much all here… huh?' Leylin was surprised by an unfamiliar organisation amongst them. Their armour was spotless, with red capes attached. On the breastplates and capes were the symbol of a large golden eye, seemingly never closing. The armour was threaded with gold and had gems embedded in it, making it look dazzling.
"Armour with the Eternal Light spell, as well as that symbol… Are you priests of Helm?" Divine force flashed, the powerful massacre domain causing everyone's expressions to change.
"False god!" one of Helm's priests spat out, and layers of light emanated from the eye at his chest. It was clearly on equal ground with Leylin, perhaps even overpowering him. Helm was the God of Protection, and his church was built to crack down on faith in false gods. Naturally, they had experience in dealing with divine beings and even demigods.
"Our mission is to crack down on the belief in false gods, purifying the origin of the world!" The priest looked pious, as he prayed with the rest of Helm's warriors and priests. They each took a step forward, their eyes full of fervour as if they were heading to church.
*Rumble!* A surge of power whistled out, and a golden eye appeared in the air. It locked on to Leylin, showing an inverted reflection of him.
[Beep! Host has been marked by the God of Protection. Divine force locked, domains weakened by 20%. Host's location will be relayed every 3 hours. Remove?] the A.I. Chip's voice sounded, and Leylin turned grim.
'As expected of a church that deals with false gods. They've made ample preparations…' Leylin was still smiling confidently, and he ordered in his mind, 'Prepare to remove, but wait for my order. Remain in observation mode.'
Leylin was not surprised that Helm's church had surrounded him. After all, the God Of Protection's mission was to deal with false gods. As long as news about Leylin was revealed, the zealous priests would come join in on the fun, bringing their own rations along with them.
'Still, I never thought I was being lured into so many enemies. It looks like the gods are afraid of me… Or were they alarmed by some divination?'
"You'll have to explain this later, Jeffries," a priestess of Mystra said as she walked out. She had silver hair, and her eyes glinted gold. She was looking at Leylin like he was a dead man.
Jeffries answered with a cold snort. All legendaries had their own pride, so how could he bow down to someone else? On top of that, Jeffries served Waukeen, and he had nothing to do with Mystra.
"I stand by my request. If you win over me, I shall leave immediately." Jeffries pointed his spear at Leylin, causing the priestess to turn red in her fury.
"Forgive me, but before that can I ask who planned this out?" Leylin interrupted.
"It is the will of our god!" the priestess admitted. She looked flushed.
This slightly exceeded his expectations. He wouldn't have found it surprising if Helm's church had been the ones to identify him, planning an attack. The same went if Waukeen was coveting his lands and wealth, or even Benedict who just hated evil. However, none of this had anything to do with the Goddess of the Weave. From how it seemed, she was the person who feared him most.
'Are the prophetic abilities of the gods that great?' Leylin immediately recalled his rank 12 arcane spell, Karsus' Avatar. He himself wasn't even as strong as a lesser god, and was unable to deal much damage to them. This spell, though, defied logic. One use of it would give him control of the Weave's power, causing Mystra to fall.
On top of that, the destruction of the Weave would release the conscients of the numerous ancient Magi from the core, causing the ancient Final War to once again rock the World of Gods.
'Is she afraid of what I can do if I develop further? I could become a huge threat to her, so she's making the first move?'
It was impossible for Mystra to know the existence of Karsus' Avatar. The only possible explanation was that she had a premonition that Leylin would bring great danger to her. When an ant threatened them, most people would just end it with a stomp.
This was obviously Mystra's own course of action. But since much of her strength was stuck in the north, she'd roped in quite a few other helpers. In such a situation, it was likely that Leylin would fall.
'Things would've been troublesome had I not made preparations…' Leylin ran through his thoughts, and came up with numerous possibilities.
'If I'm at my wit's end I'll definitely risk using Karsus' Avatar. That'll give me a chance of survival… But that means Distorted Shadow could also have something to do with this…' Leylin had a strong feeling that Distorted Shadow had leaked his location, as well as the degree of threat he posed.
After all, he was an ancient peak rank 8 Magus, equivalent to a greater god. How could the conscient in the ruins be the only thing he left behind? It required no effort to use the power of distortion to show the 'truth' to the goddess, or even just give her some clues.
If the process itself was much too complicated, then one could find the truth by looking at who would benefit by the result. Thinking everything over, Leylin believed that the most likely case was that Distorted Shadow had played his hand from behind the scenes.
'If it's him, I won't be able to use the ghost city as I wish. So I have to abandon plan 3…'
"So, who's going to be first?" The pure gold Blazing Sceptre emerged, and powerful spell energy surged out. It caused everyone's expression to change.
"Our church has arranged a spell formation specifically to subdue false gods. He can't use the power of his domain completely! The channel of faith from his worshippers has also weakened greatly, and our Lord has marked him— AH!"
The priest of Helm soon cried out in pain, covering his eyes. Leylin had commanded the A.I. Chip to remove the mark, and it caused the golden eye in the sky to fall apart. It seemed to have affected these priests.
"Haha, good! This is the kind of opponent that I want!" Jeffries burst into laughter. He'd let go of everything in his mind at that moment, only focusing on his opponent. He let loose a sudden attack, and faint black lines appeared around the holy spear as it crushed the space around it.
Benedict seemed to be operating some spell formation as well. Large beasts the size of hills crawled out of the mist, and the legendary wizard nearby seemed to be preparing some legendary spell.
"This is what I've prepared for you…" Benedict now had an unnatural flush on his face. A few of the giant beasts roared as he waved a hand, the thorns on their backs emitting a chilling glint as they attacked Leylin. "I'll let them play with you first."
Four churches had joined hands here. Even a small attack could cause the entire prime material plane to gape. Still, Leylin's expression did not change in the face of this attack that could almost kill gods.
*Chiu! Chiu!* He tossed the sceptre out and the flaming bird totem appeared, bashing into the giant beasts.
"Sacred Spear? Is that considered amazing?" Leylin stared at the spear that seemed to be moving in an instant, as if dealing with it was beneath himself. Two spells were cast simultaneously with a wave of his arm, striking the tip of the spear and the black cracks surrounding it.
Greater Disjunction! Shattering Palm!
Jeffries' spear crumbled instantly against the disjunction spell, and the gigantic golden palm sent him flying. His chest caved in, and blood spurted out of his mouth.
'He can instantly cast legendary spells?' The legendary wizard that had come with Mystra's church noted the spells Leylin had cast, and then at the large number of materials in his hands with the spell he was halfway through preparing. His expression grew extremely dark.
"I don't care anymore!" As a wizard himself, he understood how powerful Leylin had to be to cast legendary spells instantly. After weighing the pros and cons, he immediately made his choice.
A teleportation gate open, and the legendary wizard immediately took his apprentices and hid away. He showed Leylin a few signs, a declaration of peace amongst wizards.
"You…" Mystra's priests saw the legendary wizard leave and suddenly twitched, on the verge of coughing up blood. Although they'd known wizards lacked faith, they hadn't expected it to be this bad!
Truth be told, there was little they could do about him. At the very least, he'd come all the way here. With his connections, attacking the legendary wizard would cause chaos within the church.
"Damn it. If the goddess' avatar were here, nobody would dare do that…" The female priest gritted her teeth, but there was nothing she could do.
Teleportation
Leylin was growing more vicious in his attacks, seemingly blinded by the killing. He was going to beat them at their own game, and after looking at which opponents were going to attack he would show his strength and intimidate the rest. He was basically exhibiting his full power here.
That was the full power of a demigod! The support of an endless stream of faith and emotion combined with his experience as a near rank 7 Magus, giving Leylin a battle might he himself was surprised by.
He tore two of the giant mist creatures apart with his bare hands, and suddenly jumped. Once he touched the ground he'd caught up to Jeffries, who was quickly retreating.
Having been hit with the Greater Disjunction, Jeffries' spear had been destroyed, as well as a silver necklace on his neck. That was followed by his robes, his boots…
"As a legendary, you still have some dignity." Leylin's evaluation was apathetic, though the movements of his hands never showed. A colourful Mage Sword formed in his grasp. This sword, moulded by his spiritual force, was now comparable even to divine weapons.
"Save our ally!" A few priests wearing the uniform of Helm's church were startled, and quickly cast a holy shield for Jeffries.
"Don't bother me!" Leylin frowned slightly, and the Mage Sword created a few beautiful cross-shaped slashes in the air.
*Swish!* Two of the priests were hit by the slashes, and the many defensive spells on their bodies were ripped apart. Afterwards, their bodies were cut open. It was still a slight breather, though, and Jeffries continued to retreat.
"While I do admire you, it's impossible for you to change your faith…" Leylin quickly chased up to him with a look of pity in his eyes. The Mage Sword in his hands pierced forward, breaking his last layer of defence.
"Hehe… I didn't think you'd be so powerful… Cough cough… What a shame. I will never be able to see the gorgeous Summer Warbler Flower of the northern seas ever again…" Jeffries was now heavily injured, and no longer had the ability to retreat. Hearing Leylin's words, he slowly closed his eyes to await death.
"Please pardon Jeffries, Leylin Faulen." A slender palm grabbed Jeffris' collar, and teleported out of the battlefield in an instant.
"Xena… no, my Lady!" Jeffries gazed at 'Xena.'
The gold priest had originally been scared stiff, so weak she was cowering in a corner. She'd been lucky enough not to get involved in the battle, but she looked frozen and pale.
Now, although she maintained that appearance every action of hers was filled with absolute dignity and confidence. She wasn't even a legendary; Xena could not have such a divine lustre on her body, nor could she rescue Jeffries.
The only explanation was that she'd been possessed by a powerful existence. The only being that a priest would give their mind and body up for was naturally the god they worshipped.
"Nice to meet you, Lady Waukeen!" Leylin bowed elegantly, and then easily decapitated two more priests of Helm's church. Such savagery and poise were very conflicting.
"I apologise… You were a child that I thought well of, but I already had a deal with Mystra, and I need to play by the book…" Waukeen pulled at Jeffries as she moved backwards, speaking calmly and with grace.
"It was only a singular deal, though. I can assure you that your territory will not be affected, but only if you survive this and grant them the glory of a true god…"
By the time the last word was spoken, Waukeen had already brought Jeffries away from the valley. A dazzling golden arc quickly left Xena's body, forming the image of an elegant woman wearing gold robes. Only half her body was shown.
As the one who'd been a container for her goddess, Xena had been abandoned. She paled again and fell into a coma, obviously not in a good state. It was likely that this incident would reduce her lifespan.
"Divine ability: Space-time Shift!" Waukeen's figure pointed towards Leylin while in mid-air and then exploded, disappearing into nothingness.
Leylin, on the other hand, felt like everything was spinning. By the time he regained his senses, he was almost out of the valley, and at an area he had been in before. Tens of giant mist beasts were eyeing him like he was prey.
'An intermediate god has such mysterious abilities…' The corner of Leylin's lips quirked up in a smile, 'Was what she said at the end out of goodwill or a threat? At the very least, I can be sure that she plotted against me because of the deal. After this, they don't owe each other anything anymore…'
"There are only three true enemies then." Although the people from the church of wealth had left, the powerful beings who had fallen apart due to Leylin's sudden outburst had time to regroup.
"Haha… you're fated to fall here!" Veins visibly bulged in Benedict's eyes, like he was a crazy gambler who'd been at it for three full days.
"Oh? You're so confident that you can take me down?" Making quick work of the paladins and giant mist beasts, Leylin shot a glance at Benedict who looked like he had a card up his sleeve.
'Demigods are practically the peak of the prime material plane. Unless the true bodies of the gods descend as saints, nobody can match up to them void of a group of high-ranked legendaries unfearing of death. Another option is for several avatars to mount a sneak attack, but he probably won't be willing to pay such a huge price. There's only one method left…'
Even greater gods had to abide the rules of the World of Gods. Avatars weren't all that powerful in the prime material plane, and the only thing that would make a difference was their numbers. However, it was too much of a waste for a few avatars or high-ranked legendaries to fall for the sake of killing Leylin. Unless there was such enmity between them that it could only be resolved by death, it was unlikely for them to go that far.
"It's done!" Benedict's gleeful voice sounded at that moment, and the mist in the surroundings quickly dissipated to reveal a huge, four-sided magic formation.
*Bzzt! Bzzt!* One grey pillar of light rose into the sky after the other, forming a terrifying cage that sealed Leylin within. Benedict used a crystal core to control it.
"This undulation… Looks like it really is…" Leylin's eyes flashed, and he pointed straight at Benedict, "Order of Law, Death!"
"Get away!" The surrounding priests quickly yelled.
Had he let go of the crystal at this moment, Benedict would definitely have had a chance of survival. However, he did nothing. He seemed ready to die as he continued to transmit energy from his body to the core.
*Bang!* His corpse crumpled to the ground, and the grey pillars shrunk, turning into a sealing-cum-teleportation spell formation. With a flash of light, Leylin's figure disappeared from within.
"Benedict…" A few paladins gathered, gazing at Benedict who breathed no more. There was a slight satisfied smile on the corner of his lips.
"You shall obtain light. May your soul rest in the divine realm…" After a few sorrowful words, the rest of the survivors gathered and began to pray for Benedict.
"We may fall for eternity, collapsing on our paths as we root out evil. However, justice shall always follow!" A paladin who had broken his arm from the scuffle with Leylin sighed as he spoke. Such thinking immediately garnered the approval of Helm's church, while Mystra's priests all went quiet.
However, the silver-haired priestess suddenly exclaimed, "NO!"
"What happened?" This sudden action immediately gave rise to glares from the paladins. The priestess continued without hesitation, "There are no traces of him in our master's divine realm! The false god was not teleported there!"
Due to the powerful suppression of the prime material plane, the gap between avatars and demigods was minimal and they were almost on equal grounds. Things were different in the outer planes though. Although a lesser god's avatar wasn't much different from a greater god's here, the gap between them there was like that between the heavens and the earth!
This was even more evident in divine realms. No matter which divine realm Leylin entered, his only fate would be death as he met the true bodies of the gods in their own nests.
This had been their plan all along. Since she was a greater god, as well as the person who planned this, the teleportation formation that had been set up led to Mystra's divine realm. That was why it was so difficult to activate.
However, while the spell formation had worked successfully, it had not achieved the expected results. The group turned grim, looking at their companions' bodies and Benedict's smile in death. It had become the greatest irony in the world.
...
Two gods stood shoulder to shoulder in the vast spatial cracks. Be it spatial turbulence or the expulsion of the four elements, everything before them was automatically dispersed, forming a safe zone. This strength indicated that they were at the very least avatars of greater gods! Leylin was also extremely familiar with the two of them.
Amongst them was someone who looked like an old veteran with his right hand and eye missing. The other was a young girl who looked like a wizard, the power of the Weave surging within her body. This was Mystra and Tyr, the Goddess of the Weave and the God of Justice!
It took a long while for Mystra to open her eyes and speak, "The teleportation was disturbed. He did not reach my divine realm."
"I checked the area here, including the dimensional cracks. There's no sign of the floating city," Tyr replied.
Hell
"The information should be incorrect, Leylin might not have obtained the flying city Thultanthar. Either that, or he's extremely crafty and predicted our ambush…" Mystra's beautiful gaze pierced through the void, seeing the scenario unfolding in the world.
Had Leylin been here, he definitely would've broken out into cold sweat. Had he actually used the floating city to attack the backbone of these churches, the gods lying in wait for him would definitely show him why the flowers were dyed red.
This was two greater gods! Leylin had a chance to resist them in the prime material plane, but outside it there were no more restrictions. There would be no chance for him to fight back.
"Where did you obtain this information?" Tyr asked, rousing from his silence.
"One of my worshippers met a devil during his travels, and obtained the information from him. However the devil was already dead by the time I got there, and his soul had disappeared as well…"
A trace of doubt surfaced on Mystra's face. "I feel an extremely irksome and sinister aura, more vile than the three monarchs of the deep abyss. This is a mysterious existence…"
"More sinister than evil itself?" Tyr shuddered, as if having recalled some unwanted memory. "You should go and check the seals. Remove any contamination around the area if needed…"
"You mean…" Mystra inhaled deeply, spitting out the taboo word of times long past, "Magi…"
...
Teleportation light flashed as Leylin stepped out of a distortion in space. A mere moment before, the A.I. Chip's voice had sounded out, [Contingent conditions met, instant teleportation activated!]
'Instant teleportation was indeed the safest option. I fear nobody in the main world, but I can't be too sure in the outer planes. Right now, I'm most likely in…' Leylin looked around. Meteors streaked past the crimson sky, dancing in the air. His surroundings were a charred mess, the desolate earth littered with small rocks. A few hills in the distance broke the even landscape.
"Huuu… This seems to be…" The air was filled with a tinge of malevolence and dread, clueing Leylin in to his whereabouts. Of course, the little streams of blood flowing around the land left no more room for doubt. 'Baator, the Nine Hells. I knew this felt familiar!'
Leylin stretched his back lazily, before sending out a command, 'A.I. Chip, conduct scan.'
[Beep! Mission established, beginning scan…] the A.I. Chip's voice intoned. It was followed up instantly.
[Environment scanned, air analysis complete. Current location: Avernus, the first level of Baator.]
[Beep! Laws in the area are different from the prime material plane, analysing…]
It quickly showed the properties of the world.
1
"This is indeed the territory of the devils." Leylin inhaled deeply. He felt like he'd merged into one with the entirety of Baator, an impression he'd been given because he'd devoured Beelzebub before.
But the impression wasn't necessarily false. His own disposition was quite aligned with the laws of hell, which meant this place could bear the weight of his ambitions. He would soar into the skies!
'Demigods can traverse planes. I can return to the prime material plane if I want to, but since I'm already here…' Leylin stroked his chin. 'Anyway, Debanks Island is quite far from the mainland, and won't be influenced easily. I can manage my worshippers and their divine spells just as easily from this place. I've wanted to make a trip to Baator anyway, so I might as well get on with it…'
Baator had nine levels, called the Nine Hells. It was an ideal destination for travellers, a place where treasure hunters could satisfy their greed and paladins would seethe with rage. As a dimension it was the ultimate embodiment of lawful evil, laced with the cold, harsh cruelty of schemes and ploys.
It was the garden of various devils, including bearded devils, horned devils, ice devils, barbed devils, pit fiends and countless others. They had a hierarchy here, and apart from the devils were also hellcats, hellhounds, imps, kytons, dream eaters, demonic beasts, and even humans!
The devils of the Nine Hells abided by a hierarchical system, with status obtained through schemes and ruthless action.
"The Nine Hells of Baator, the endless abyss, and the everlasting Underdark. The underground planes of the World of Gods…" All wizards were erudite. On top of that, Leylin had Beelzebub's memories and researched this land before, so his knowledge of and familiarity with the Nine Hells exceeded even that of those in the Seven Heavens.
'Baator has a total of nine levels, a place for fallen souls. Legends say that it was once part of the abyss, from which it later separated itself. The ruler in name is Asmodeus.' Information on Baator surfaced in Leylin's mind.
Although Asmodeus was hailed the Supreme of the Nine Hells, he only had control over the Ninth Hell, Nessus, a plain filled with canyons deeper than any marine trench. His control over the other eight hells was limited.
Rumours said that Asmodeus had ascended to his throne through countless battles. He'd schemed his way along, putting together an epic army consisting of pit fiends and greater devils, securing his seat as the leader of the Nine Hells with the assistance of the overlords of each level.
According to Leylin's own understanding Asmodeus did not have much control over the other hells. The overlords of each level were about the same ranking as him. Of course, Asmodeus himself wouldn't admit to this matter, making efforts to stand out amongst the rest.
As the most powerful of Archdevils, Asmodeus had unparalleled strength. He was not inferior to any of the greater gods. He'd expanded his influence over Baator in the past several thousand years, showing his wild ambition to unite it all.
When Beelzebub had gone missing from the second level, he'd grasped the chance to strengthen his control of it. Of course, the six remaining Archdevils did not agree. Jealous of Asmodeus, they'd employed a series of ploys until the Nine Hells had reached a miraculous balance. That was, of course, until Leylin flew in like a butterfly— No, he was a Tyrannosaurus Rex that would disrupt the scales. The forces here now had a new variable to consider!
'There are eight Archdevils in Baator, with the first level being in a common area that is the frontline of bloody battles. There's even some gods who've housed their divine realms here, like the Kobold God Kurtulmak and the Shark God Sekolah. On top of that, due to the battles with the demons Asmodeus has a great amount of influence here. The Dark Eight, his eight generals, are stationed in this place…
'As for the second level, Dis, it's a place I'm extremely familiar with. It was Beelzebub's fief, and right now he's probably hiding somewhere inside, deep in slumber…'
With most of his divinity and divine force devoured, Beelzebub had sustained serious injuries. He was recovering even if slowly, with chances of a complete recovery. After all, he was the Archdevil of this level, someone loved by the will of Baator. The fortunes he'd amassed would be enough to tide him through this crisis.
However, LEylin aimed to complete devouring Beelzebub, taking everything in his position!
'The third level of hell is Minauros, a filthy marsh ruled by Mammon the Lord of Greed. Legends say that if one is tainted by the greed and corruption there, they will sink deep into the marsh and eventually get swallowed by it…'
"The rest of their levels have their owners as well, with Asmodeus in the ninth…' Leylin counted on his fingers, 'Eight Archdevils, plus a few gods and the pit fiends on the First Hell. They're the strongest in all of Baator…'
These people were exceptionally powerful, and they also had their own forces behind them. Someone able to grow their influence in hell itself was no easy character, capable of many ploys and conspiracies.
However, the more this was true, the more burning desire Leylin felt.
"I really want… really want to kill them all…" Leylin had never shied away from powerful enemies and unimaginable difficulty. On the contrary, such things only ignited his fighting spirit and his confidence. He would amass his strength steadily, and finally defeat them in one fell swoop!
1. Gravity normal.
2. Time flow normal.
3. Space Unlimited: The nine levels of hell extend indefinitely, but are always a fixed distance from the abyss and their lower levels.
4. Divine form: An organism requires the strength of at least a lesser god to transform the Nine Hells, and this transformative control extends over the regular organisms of the region.
5. No elemental affinity: All elements are balanced in power.
6. Minor lawful evil: Any beings of the chaotic or good alignment are weakened, and devils will attack them. Beings of the lawful evil alignment receive a slight buff to powers.
Night Hag
First Hell of Baator, Avernus.
A nightmare trod across the barren land that was littered with shattered rocks. Its blazing hooves left a deep imprint wherever it stepped.
*Boom!* A meteorite crashed into the ground, leaving a large pit. However, the horse nimbly avoided it.
This nightmare had a human on its back, the very act of taming a beast such as it indicating that this was no average person. That simple line of reasoning had saved Leylin from many problems.
The roads in this area were filled with regular souls, and even petitioners. It told Leylin that his destination was near.
Lawful evil humans from the prime material plane, if they prayed to devils, had a very high chance of entering Baator after they died. Their souls would morph, making them petitioners or even lesser devils. Some devils liked contorting these souls into grotesque forms, expressing a form of aesthetic view like they were ornaments. These creatures had rather appalled Leylin at first, but after seeing a few of them he came to ignore it.
He stopped the nightmare in front of a soul. This one had pale skin, with twisted eyes and a nose. It seemed to be suffering, but still looked at Leylin with vigour. This was the reverence it had when looking at a powerful devil.
"What's your name? Do you remember your past?" Leylin noticed that this soul was rather plump, and the originally lavish robes indicated that he'd led a rather good life back in the prime material plane.
"Lucas… Or something else, who knows… Poor me has to arrive at the Bronze Citadel in three blood days, or my owner will not forgive me…" the soul lamented, "I was just a small merchant from the north in my previous life. I even prayed piously to the Goddess of Wealth…"
Leylin rolled his eyes inwardly. It was extremely common for merchants to turn to Waukeen. Even normal worshippers, as long as they didn't commit heinous crimes in their pasts, would likely be redeemed and sent to her divine realm. As for Lucas, he was either lying, or pretending to be a worshipper; hence his current predicament.
This very exchange showed that these souls had learnt the trademark of the devils, of pretense and deceit.
"Bronze Citadel? That's my destination as well." Beelzebub's memories said the Bronze Citadel was the core of Avernus. It was constructed boorishly, built to be an inflexible structure. The many devils in it were always prepared for war, and since they were often under siege it was expanded and repaired constantly.
"Alright then, esteemed lord, do you need a map or a guide? With the magnanimity of someone at your level, you won't refuse a reward, will you?" The eyes of the soul spun quickly. Even with a contorted face its intelligence and greed were apparent.
"Or perhaps… a small trade?" Lucas's thumb and index finger grinded against each other, giving off a very wretched look.
"As expected, you really are suited to hell. Filled with greed as you are, why didn't you enter Minauros immediately upon death?" A pillar of evil light rose up from Leylin's body, and the surroundings were dyed crimson. Everything came to a standstill, and even the meteors crashing down from the sky were stopped in mid-air.
This was a Devil Aura. It was one of Beelzebub's powers that had been devoured by Leylin, finally revitalised and emerging from a corner of his soul.
The A.I. Chip provided data on the ability.
[Devil Aura: Passive domain. Restricted to powerful devils, it allows the user to naturally impose fear upon others. Any lesser devils in the vicinity are put under control, confusion, and fear. Note: The aura attracts the hostility of other powerful devils. If the controlled devil already has an owner, a negotiation will be held.]
"This light that belongs only to pure evil… You… are you a pit fiend?" Lucas' body collapsed helplessly to the ground, his eyes radiating fear, "Master… Lucas' master!"
'As expected, Devil Aura works differently in hell. It can't vanquish the devil in sight immediately.' Leylin shook his head.
As Lucas wailed for help, a contractual force arose from his body. It finally formed the figure of a night hag wearing a pointed hat.
"Jiejie… Ancient and powerful devil, has my slave offended you?" The night hag's voice sounded coarser than an owl's chirps, making one shudder in fear.
These night hags often appeared in Baator and the abyss during transaction, acting as merchants. Collecting souls was their favourite pastime. Although what had appeared was just a phantom, it still showed strength greater than that of a rank 15 wizard.
The night hag could not see through Leylin at all. Although he seemed to just be an evil human, the Devil Aura and his alignment could not be faked. Thus, she assumed the he was a powerful devil who'd assumed human form. Leylin's divine force masked his identity anyway, and coupled with his own evil alignment even an Archdevil wouldn't be able to unmask him.
"Indeed. He seems to be a little out of it, with his intelligence corrupted by greed. He actually wanted to strike a deal with me," Leylin shook his head, "Couldn't even understand the underlying traits of a trade. No wonder he's just a normal soul, unable to even turn into a lesser devil…"
"Jiejie… I do hope to be someone worthy of a trade with your distinguished self… As the price for offending you, I can sell him to you for a contract, the price being one regular soul…"
The night hag looked at Leylin, but was regrettably declined, "How foolish do you think I am, to trade for this fellow using a soul…" He pointed nonchalantly at Lucas who was shuddering in fear. "It's obvious that you cheated him, or used some kind of underhanded means to nullify the original contract with his owner…"
"What a pity…" The night hag did not show the slightest form of repentance. Just like Leylin said, the soul was something she'd picked up along the way, not worth much.
"You can deal with Lucas any way you like; just remember to repay me later." The phantom flickered, and was about to vanish.
"Wait!" Leylin said just then, holding the night hag back. "I'm not very interested in this soul, but there is something you own that I'd very much like…"
Leylin continued, "I'm a traveller from Dis. Much of the information regarding Avernus is now out of date, so I need the freshest information about this place. I also need information about the Blood War, and detailed maps… You'll be very satisfied with my price."
"Jiejie… I do like generous customers!" The night hag cackled like an owl, "Ever since your lord disappeared, a lot of devils from Dis have been coming here…"
The night hag handed the information over to Leylin, even adding some details regarding Dis as if by accident. To be privy to such information, the being had to be both strong and been a resident for a long time.
However, Leylin had Beelzebub's own memories. He knew the lands like the back of his palm, so the deceit and trickery planted within didn't affect him at all.
"Hehe… Okay then, powerful traveller from Dis. I need three regular souls, or something similar in exchange." A green parchment floated beside the night hag. A phosphoric glow surrounded it, giving it a mysterious vibe.
'A spatial spell? Baator seems to have some good stuff.' Leylin's eyes flashed, and three slumbering souls appeared beside him.
"This…" The night hag gave off a fervent gaze, as if seeing good liquor. She stepped forward immediately, and continued to give her approval.
"Jiejie! Very powerful souls, indeed. It's a pity that they're branded by gods. That's a huge problem, I want at least five of them to make up for the defect."
"Are you kidding me?" Leylin said indifferently, and his Devil Aura grew even more intense as it pushed the night hag away.
"The souls of pious worshippers are pure and powerful. Furthermore, the gods that they pray to are now dead, so there won't be able consequences. These souls are worth at least two to three times a regular one, and I'm already offering you three. Your greed knows no bounds, Mammon would likely be a better lord for you to serve."
The night hag wasn't embarrassed at all once exposed. It was the most basic nature of a devil to haggle. She agreed to the trade in the end, but Leylin refused to sign any form of contract with her. Devils were experts at deceiving people through contracts, and Leylin was not in the mood to engage in wordplay with a night hag.
"Jiejie… We shall meet again, generous guest…" The night hag vanished into thin air, along with Lucas. Having borne the cost of the teleportation, he was sucked dry and had his body crushed by the void.
Bronze Citadel
'So she used the body on the other side of the transmission to supply energy for the delivery?' The A.I. Chip's light flashed as it recorded the incident, allowing Leylin to see through the ability that the night hag had displayed.
It required much less energy to send a phantom than one's true body. Had it only been that, Lucas would still have had some hope of survival. However, the night hag had sent over a scroll of information, something that Lucas had to act as the energy for.
Lucas had completely disappeared, the price for the sheepskin scroll Leylin now held. All his energy had been poured into delivering it.
'So not even a single petitioner's energy is spared. Devils are truly masters of accounting and meticulous plans. If I hadn't factored Lucas' cost into the price, she absolutely would've demanded a greater payment from me…'
After this deal, Leylin's understanding of the the cunning and shrewdness of devils had deepened.
'However… The line of contract that I saw on his body was real. Although I had to pay a little, I got what I wanted in the end.'
[Beep! Scroll scanned. 13.86% is fake or miscellaneous, discarded. Remaining portions merged with relevant items. Organising… Transmitted to host's memory.]
'Looks like the night hag didn't deceive me. Is it because of my strength?' Leylin stroked his chin, 'Also, the souls of these fanatics are unexpectedly useful.'
Leylin had used the dormant souls of some of Akaban's worshippers for the trade. Souls were an absolute, hard currency used in the abyss and hell, and in order to gain enough souls devils and demons disregarded the churches to conduct massacres. They stepped over the corpses of their comrades in their rush to the prime material plane, and were the causes of much slaughter.
Compared to the painstaking efforts of those demons and devils, Leylin had simply broken into a demigod's shrine and acquired several hundred years of Akaban's soul reserves. Sakartes' reserves of pious and powerful souls had been accumulated over several hundred years, and they were a treasure that could even tempt Archdevils.
Leylin had no way of turning those believers' souls into his own petitioners, and directly absorbing them was far too much of a waste. Using them like this could be considered as making use of trash.
'However…' Leylin's lips curved into a faint smile, as if he was looking at some sinister scene in the future. 'A native's soul is indeed different from souls from the prime material plane. The contamination from those souls is something that even gods dread.'
The power of faith could be considered the strength of a soul, and the faith of a native was poison that even gods dared not touch. The contamination originated from the depths of their souls, and those without Leylin's power of observation wouldn't be able to tell at all.
Needless to say, Leylin had faked the souls of Akaban's worshippers for the trade. He'd made them look no different from ordinary souls on the surface. Many demons and devils would be affected once these souls became a part of the general market, something Leylin looked forward to from the depths of his heart.
...
Now that he had an accurate map, Leylin picked up his pace. As he drew closer to the Bronze Citadel, more and more devils appeared around him. It seemed like he could see armoured devils marching in their camps every day. However, perhaps it was due to his lawful alignment or his powerful aura, few came over to bother him.
He arrived at Bronze Citadel after a peaceful journey. This city was known for being cast into 12 concentric rings of sturdy bronze walls. Each ring was equipped with a powerful and sinister war machine, which was both formidable and serious.
When Leylin first laid eyes on the Bronze Citadel, he felt as if he was looking at a steel beast laying on the ground. There were many lesser devils and imps working hard to reinforce the citadel's defences alongside petitioners. One could see a lot of bone-like scaffolding and supporting pillars, and hammers and shovels were laid out nearby. The citadel was being expanded, with no end in sight.
Although all signs pointed towards a bustling scene outside, the imps, lesser devils, and petitioners were performing their work methodically. The entire perimeter of the fort was like a huge and precise machine, ordered in its motion.
Visitors lined up outside the Bronze Citadel in rows, accepting the inspection of the garrison. They entered the fort in an orderly fashion.
Had this been the abyss, everyone was likely to have broken into a riot long ago. However, devils were different. They were lawful creatures, obeying the system was in their nature. The Nine Hells especially favoured such 'good children' who abided by the rules.
Leylin could only shrug and join the queue. A group of lesser devils were in charge of this area. Most of them were barbazu, otherwise known as bearded devils. They had the goat horns and scales characteristic of devils, as well as wings of black bone. Most were armoured, and one of their hands looked like a steel hook. They were covered in thorny barbs, and the flickering cold light and poison intimidated others immediately.
These bearded devils sometimes worked as guides for evil souls, but it seemed like that wasn't available here. As a result, their tempers were rather poor. Leylin had seen several poor devils dragged away in front of him, suffering the torture and interrogation of chain devils, kytons.
The queue slowly but steadily moved forwards, and very soon it was Leylin's turn.
"State your name, identity and proof of your allegiance…" a two-headed barbazu said from in front of him. There was an imp nearby as well, its broken wings pattering behind its back and evil eyes filled with greed. Flames continuously cycled between its mouth and the rest of its face, just as poisonous insects crawled in and out of its various orifices.
"I'm from the Second Hell, Dis. I belong to the lord's legions, under the jurisdiction of pit fiend Azlok," Leylin parted his hair a little, and a powerful aura transmitted out to form an obscure mark.
Nobody in Baator was truly without a master. The devils were strictly restricted by the hierarchy, and each one had a hierarchy. Their superiors were governed by even more powerful devils, going all the way up to the eight Archdevils of hell.
"From Dis as well! That place is getting more and more chaotic after the Archdevil disappeared…" The imp mumbled to itself, revealing a fearful expression on its face.
Leylin's aura was undoubtedly that of a greater devil, and the imp had only just become a lesser one. Although superiors didn't have jurisdiction over their colleagues' subordinates, Leylin could easily kill it if he so wished.
Thinking back to its previous plots and the competitors who now eyed its position, the imp's heart grew cold. It subconsciously switched to a more pandering expression.
"There's been many devils from Dis here recently, you should take care, my Lord."
"Mm, I hope to hide this record for now, and obtain news about my rivals," Leylin said in a low voice while nodding.
"Oh?" The imp's expression grew sluggish, but it was soon pulled aside by the bearded devil behind it. "Ten coins. Or other riches. I'll give you the news immediately."
Devils could very easily be bribed. Leylin could not help but feel slightly sorry for those poor devils who could not afford the bribe before him.
"Here, give me the information," he carelessly took out a flaxen bag and opened it a little, revealing the lustre of the souls within.
Be it coins, items, or riches, everything had an equivalent amount of souls in Baator. The imp and the bearded devil glanced at each other, before very happily replying in unison, "No problem, we have a deal!"
...
With all that done, Leylin finally entered the Bronze Citadel. Many lesser devils mingled with each other here, before leaving for the Blood War. With lower devils and petitioners thrown into the mix, it formed a clamorous and lively bazaar.
Leylin was currently strolling through the streets, thinking back to the information he'd just received. His eyes held a trace of wistfulness.
'The impact of Beelzebub's disappearance was greater than I ever expected.' Leylin could not help but inwardly sigh at this. The laws of hell were incomparably strict. The devils formed a vast and precise hierarchy, and the distinction between ranks was sternly enforced. At the peak of this hierarchy was Asmodeus, the Supreme of Baator and the master of the Dark Eight.
The Dark Eight, Asmodeus' eight generals, had many greater devils and pit fiends beneath them, each one in possession of a great many subordinates. They put in great effort in their pursuit of status and power.
Normally, all this led to a tranquil environment. However, once one of the cornerstones of the hierarchy was lost in Beelzebub, it created a chain reaction that led to a complete collapse. His disappearance had caused the strict hierarchal network to lose a majority of its social fabric, causing chaos in Dis.
If it wasn't for the remaining 7 Archdevils taking action to instil order, perhaps the second layer of hell would have been sucked into the abyss. The devils would have become the laughing stock of the entire world if that happened, nailed down to the rack of shame.
Still, a lot of pit fiends and other Archdevils contested for the position of Dis' Lord. Had Asmodeus been the true ruler of Baator, he could've recommended a greater devil or pit fiend from his own faction to the position, or sent his own children. However, he was only nominally the Supreme, and his authority was limited to the Ninth Hell Nessus.
Besides, Beelzebub was only missing, not dead. His authority hadn't disappeared completely yet.
Authorisation
Authority or rank in the Nine Hells, put bluntly, was the right to the origin force of Baator. As such, it was of paramount importance, and became the foundation of the devils' hierarchy.
The eight Archdevils divided most of this authority between themselves. They had tight control over the devils under them, and could even decide which devils would rise and fall in rank. Because of this, without the approval of their direct subordinates, it was impossible for low-ranked devils to move up.
The lords of each hell had their own individual subordinates, and possessed an absolute right over their lives. This was evident from how Leylin could do as he wished in the prime material plane using Beelzebub's memories. He'd easily taken care of the church of gluttony.
Devil society was like a bureaucracy. Status was difficult to obtain, and it was impossible to advance in rank without pushing someone else down. This made it so that the ascension of a greater devil left another one demoted in rank. The new one would gain tens of enemies that were eyeing the same spot. It was so competitive that it was almost pitiful.
The disappearance of a lord was an unprecedented matter in Baator, unheard of since the ancient dusk of the gods. Now, the pit fiends, greater devils, and even the more powerful devils that were loyal to Beelzebub found that they had lost their powerful background. What would they do?
These people lost their senses when met with the possibility of advancing to the highest rank in Baator. In such turbulent darkness, Asmodeus and the six other Archdevils joined in and caused Dis to enter even more chaos. This was also the reason why numerous devils left.
If the Nine Hells were analogous to a region in ancient times, Asmodeus was the emperor in name. The remaining seven Archdevils possessed their own lands, subordinate kings with troops and generals of their own, the pit fiends and other greater devils.
The emperor wished for more power, but these kings all wanted to increase their territories as well. The generals under them worked extremely had, hoping for a chance to be promoted. Some even wished to take over their master's position. Conspiracies were rife, and the most ambitious side would have the last laugh. The reward? The greatest authority in the Nine Hells.
Beelzebub's disappearance was like the loss of a king. The resulting unrest was only the tip of the iceberg. This alone put Leylin on guard.
'The Second Hell has already descended into panic. While Beelzebub still holds power, many have begun to sense his weakness…'
Leylin looked at the ordered devils as he strolled around the entirety of the Bronze Citadel, the place bustling with life. He then stopped in front of a demon's skull, as if admiring the valuable spoils of war.
'The devils think this is a conspiracy. Beelzebub's underlings are saying their leader isn't as weak as the rumours state, and he's only hiding in a dark corner waiting for everyone to come after him. He'll capture all of them in one shot, they say… Quite a few lords have done such things since the race came into being. Even Asmodeus himself used a similar strategy once, and to great effect…
'Other rumours say that Beelzebub has been captured by another lord, and is imprisoned somewhere having his energy extracted… These devils are really quite imaginative…
'I stole most of his law of gluttony, as well as almost all his divinity and divine force. He's definitely in a deep sleep right now, and no matter what happens in the outside world it'll be hard for him to awaken…' Leylin's main body was the one who'd reduced Beelzebub to his current state, so there was nobody who knew the truth better than himself.
Having taken over much of his power and memories, Leylin naturally knew how grievous such an injury was. Unless Beelzebub defeated his Warlock body and devoured everything in return, it was basically impossible for him to return to his previous state. A weak lord was a form of prey that his underlings anticipated.
'There's numerous secret lairs and treasures made just in preparation for this. They're all over Baator, as well as across other planes…' Leylin had a grim look in his eyes. Because of their sly natures, their ability to set up safety nets was something nobody could compare to.
'It seems like he's considered the idea that someone might obtain his memories. The probability of him using those lairs is minuscule, and there could even be traps there instead…' Numerous thoughts crossed Leylin's mind, allowing him to quickly come to a decision, 'Whatever it is, I have to go to Dis!'
Leylin would find the Lord of Gluttony, and devour everything that was his. It would make for the best opportunity for his main body to advance, something he would never give up on.
'Authority amongst devils, as well as access to the World Will. How interesting!' The astuteness he had as a Magus combined with the origin force detection of a legendary arcanist allowed Leylin to sense something. Although Baator had great amounts of World Origin Force, there was no complete will. It was possible that the World Will that controlled this origin force had been split into eight, one part each going to the lord of each level above the first.
Leylin now had access to much of Beelzebub's powers, which gave him authority over the World Origin Force. He could demote or promote any pit fiends and greater devils. He also had the authority to kill the devils subordinate to the other lords. This was a decision of Baator's origin, something that couldn't be fought or changed.
'Devils are far too pitiful compared to demons. They need the approval of their lords to advance, and it uses up a large amount of soul energy as well. The higher seats have long been filled, and one can only wait for the right chance to ascend.'
Leylin suddenly felt thankful that he hadn't been reincarnated in hell. However, further thought told him that with Beelzebub's authority there was nothing holding him back. He would advance rapidly as a devil, all the way to the highest echelons. He would control others, not the other way around.
'As long as I kill Beelzebub and take over that last bit of law and authority, I'll immediately become the lord of Dis,' he realised. He also knew that because of the chaos on the prime material plane, as well as the great authority in Baator, people still thought Beelzebub held on to his power. The terror of that protected the sleeping Archdevil, preventing others from killing him. It seemed rather ironic.
'The authority to access Baator''s World Origin Force…' Leylin closed his eyes. Ever since he'd come to the Nine Hells he'd felt like he was one with the place. The world itself seemed to answer to his very breaths, its power ready to listen to him. Upon his command it would burst forth, becoming an absolute pressure that dominated everyone else.
Of course, he could not use this as he pleased, or he would face unthinkable consequences. However, Leylin had already estimated that the strength he could muster with the power of this authority was greater even than what he'd gained when he'd sacrificed the Wisdom Tree sapling to awaken the Purgatory World's World Will,
'With this boost, even ordinary devil in hell can use the strength of a Magus of laws without restriction… It's similar to the gods. If a mortal were lucky enough to acquire godhood, they can jump past all the loops to become a powerful being of the World of Gods straight away.'
Leylin suddenly understood how the hierarchy of the devils worked, 'Lesser, intermediate, and greater devils, as well as the pit fiends… It's all a display of how much power they have in this world. However, the lords have true access to Baator's origin force, what the rest obtain is only a slight bonus bestowed upon them by the lords they serve. It's difficult to move up and down the hierarchy of devils due to this, and with how easy it is to recall it caused the false opinion that the lords of Baator can give and take life as they wish…'
Understanding all of this, much of the fog in his mind seemed to dissipate, allowing him to see the truth of the Nine Hells, 'Asmodeus and the other six Archdevils want to take over the authority in Beelzebub's possession!'
Having come to know their true aims, Leylin would find it much easier to counter their plans. He could even connect this to other matters, 'Then Avernus should technically have a lord as well… Where is he?'
Someone with the authority to the First Hell was on the same level as Beelzebub. He would face no difficulty in taking over the place.
'Perhaps there are too many powerful devils on the level, or maybe the existence of the two true gods and their divine realms causes the authority to be split further… In that case, there might be rogue devils here that don't fit into the hierarchy.'
With authority over Baator's origin force, even if it was partial, a devil would gain complete independence. They could advance without the approval of a superior! This was obviously an existence that the eight lords would never allow to exist.
Network
The deceit and slyness of the devils was something Leylin knew extremely well. If a devil had nothing restricting it, what sort of chaos would it bring to Baator? Just the thought caused him to shudder; there was never a lack of ambitious beings among the devils.
Leylin then thought of another possibility. 'Of course, it might also be because the eight Archdevils are too scheming and powerful. They've divided up the authority that should've been sole property of the Ninth Hell, causing an equilibrium to be maintained.'
As he was considering these issues, he'd unwittingly released his aura. Along with his grasp of the authority, he'd alarmed a tremendous existence.
"Such an ancient and noble aura, this is a might only Archdevils possess. Who is it?" Loud draconic roars sounded out, and a gigantic five-coloured dragon crawled out of a cave. This cave was next to a skull that formed a huge base.
It had five sinister dragon heads, each of varying colour. Its huge claws caused tiny earthquakes with each footstep, making the legendary dragon Leylin had seen before seem like a baby.
"It's the area's guardian, Chromatic Dragon Tiamat." It was obvious that the dragon strolled around the region regularly. The devils did not seem to panic.
Leylin had only leaked his aura for a mere moment before hiding himself well. Tiamat's five huge heads smelt the air, but in the end could only shrink back without any other choice. Peace and order was quickly restored on the streets. Many people continued travelling, but Leylin stood looking at the cave the dragon had disappeared into, seemingly deep in thought.
'Guardian of the Bronze Citadel, Chromatic Dragon Tiamat. She's a humongous dragon with power comparable to gods.'
The A.I. Chip had managed to scan Tiamat in the short period she'd come out, and it now presented the information to Leylin:
[Chromatic Dragon Tiamat (Titanic) Strength: 40. Agility: 10. Vitality: 35. Spirit: 28.
Abilities: 1. Epic Dragon Breath: Each of Tiamat's five heads can attack using different types of breaths, namely frost, acid, corrosion, lightning, and fire.
2. Fierce Aura: Tiamat's presence alone causes unease in her enemies. This power is automatically under effect when Tiamat takes flight, charges, or attacks.
3: Spells. Tiamat is a rank 20 evil priest. She also holds the power of a domain as well as divine spells.
4. Magical ability. As a rank 20 sorcerer, she can use the following spells thrice a day: Command Plants, Control Weather, Darkness, Dominate, Fog Cloud, Gust, Arcane Mirage, Plant Growth, Suggestion, Swarm, Veil, Ventriloquism.
Feats: Alchemy, Deceit, Focus, Diplomacy, Intimidation, Draconic Knowledge, Sense Intent, Spell Identification, Survival, Battle Casting, Flying Attack, Heavy Damage – Adept, Instant Cast (coupled with power of domain), Acrobatic Flight.]
'This is the might of a real legendary being that's lived for a long time. Not only are all her stats high, she also has great experience and background. The abilities and feats alone make her comparable to demigods…'
Leylin had an interested look on his face, 'Also, Tiamat seems to have male companions of five different evil races. When they act together, they're strong enough to fight the God of Kobolds and the God of Sharks. Of course, that's only outside their divine realms…'
Based on Beelzebub's memories, the Bronze Citadel was at the very frontlines of battle between Baator and the abyss. It was often attacked by demons.
While many of them were chaotic and crazed like wild dogs, their numbers that were twenty times more than the devils caused great damage to the Bronze Fort.
Unfortunately for them, the devils depended on order and schemes and never allowed the demons to break into the fort. They had even planned numerous campaigns into the abyss, getting the upper hand in the battles against the demons.
However, when there had never been any distinct outcome in the battles between chaos and order, and some even suspected that this would continue till the end of the universe.
In addition, war over an extended period of time also gave Asmodeus the opportunity to lay his hands on Avernus.
He used a legion of eight elite devil generals and, during a siege by the demons on the Bronze Fort, he had obtained the authority to be stationed here and slowly taken over control over half the fort.
With the rumours outside, it was said that Tiamat had gradually been reduced to a symbol and protector of the Bronze Fort.
"The influence of the Bronze Fort is less than a third of Avernus, and he only took over control of half of the the fort…"
Leylin shook his head, feeling that Asmodeus title as the master of the ninth level was quite a joke.
"The demons! The demons are here!"
"Wild dogs! A wave of wild dogs are attacking!"
All of a sudden, a shrieking alarm sounded. Leylin frowned and, with his godly intent, immediately found a large amount of chaotic power shifting around towards the bronze citadel.
They obviously did not make any attempts to conceal themselves, and had been found by their enemies from a long distance away.
"Begin preparing dinner!"
Eight large and evil auras rose, representing the highest powers amongst devils and only second to the pit fiends that belonged to the vassals.
"The eight devil generals! The loyal dogs of Asmodeus are acting. Does that mean that this siege is a scheme to deal with the demons?"
Leylin's eyes flashed. WIth the devil's order and care, it was impossible that their lair would be attacked without them having any warning. The only possibility of that was that the devils had planned something again, hoping to make use of the Bronze Fort and wipe them out to reduce their might.
In actuality, this plan had been repeated many times already, but the demons still got tricked every time. These demons who had become crazed from evil and bloodlust did not understand the concept of schemes. Besides, the glory of attacking the lair of the devils was the top priority for them with their simple minds.
However, Leylin soon found himself unable to laugh.
He found that with the commands of the eight devil generals, all the devils within the fort began to move out orderly, as if there was an invisible network carrying out orders.
Soul shells lagged behind the lemures, who then followed the spinagon. These lesser devils formed an orderly squadron. Their leaders consisted of the bearded devils, imps, and pain devils who were mid-ranked devils, and then followed the greater devils such as bone devils, barbed devils, horned devils, ice devils and many other to form a huge squad. At the summit were the eight devil generals, thus forming an hierarchy like the distribution of work within beehives or ant nests, where the worker bees, drones and queen bee did their own work. This formed a highly proficient group who worked in perfect harmony.
"This is the power of authority!"
Leylin quickly understood how this network worked. It was a natural difference in the types of beings they were as well as the power of authority.
The eight generals were pit fiends and were the highest rank amongst devils. Also, they had gotten power from Asmodeus and some access to hell's origin force indirectly! While this was not direct, the power from the eight devils banding together could overwhelm everything, allowing the devils to take control of the Bronze Fort!
WIth this logic, any vassal of hell had the ability to take the lives of and promote or demote high-ranked devils like pit fiends and below them. Even if they were devils under the jurisdiction of other vassals, they would still have a natural pressure upon them. This was because they were affected by the same hell origin.
"Based on the rules of hell, if there's another pit fiend within the Bronze Fort now, it can have some freedom but still has to listen to the joint commands of the eight generals. However, this can be rejected, at the price of torture or demotions. It really depends on the decision of the vassal that it's loyal to…"
Leylin looked at the devils beside him. They had all retained their wits, but still did not reject the commands of the generals. Even while these were high-ranked devils under another vassal, they still quietly carried out the orders as if this was what they should be doing.
"This is the authority of the world origin force. Every difference in rank is like a gap between the skies and the ground…"
He had not noticed this closely before, but after discovering the difference, Leylin immediately sensed a powerful origin force network from his authority.
Immense intent appeared from the depths of the network and then connected with the eight generals. Leylin was also given some information, but he ignored that.
[Beep! Discovered digitised network. Automatically obtain highest authority. Organising.] THe A.I. Chip was now working at top speed.
"If the eight pit fiends work together, they would be able to take over the Bronze Fort. Even the five-coloured dragon Tiamat wouldn't dare underestimate them. Unfortunately…"
Leylin had a strong feeling that with just one thought, he would be able to take over this network and become an existence above the eight generals, commanding all the devils in the Bronze Citadel.
After all, the authority he had access to had come from the vassal of the second layer, Beelzebub. Compared to the generals, who had been given this authority second-hand, his was a higher rank.
Unfortunately, if he were to do that, he would definitely expose his identity to the other vassals, which did not match with his intentions.
"A.I. Chip, begin concealing!"
Once the A.I. Chip was done analysing the network, Leylin immediately commanded.
[Beep! Mission established. Beginning concealing process. Activating control behind the scenes.]
The A.I. Chip intoned loyally.
City Defence
Without a single Archdevil inside the Bronze Citadel, Leylin now held the greatest authority. He had fooled the Dark Eight with a single illusion, making them think he was a high-level leader commanding a great army. Rather, he'd secretly changed his own position given the secret authority he'd obtained, which was rather easy to do.
The A.I. Chip had been tasked with making this process even easier for him.
[Beep! Host's data has been altered, now editing the host's position within the network.] In just a moment, the A.I. Chip's information surfaced before Leylin's eyes.
[Current identity: Greater Devil — Leycian (Horned Devil), from the plane of Dis. Allegiance: Beelzebub. Status: Temporarily commandeered by a higher level of authority: Baalzephon of the Dark 8.]
Once he joined the network, Leylin immediately joined the lesser devils who'd already been mobilised. He no longer felt like an outsider. The A.I. Chip's prompts even showed him that he had tens of lesser devils as his direct subordinates.
'This feeling… really is exquisite. No wonder devils can often defeat superior forces that are over 20 times more powerful than them,' Leylin mounted his nightmare and growled as he revealed the appearance of a horned devil. This was fake of course, but even an Archdevil would be fooled into thinking it wasn't.
The nightmare neighed, expressing its bloodthirst and desire for slaughter. Its flaming hooves left deep marks behind on the street.
"Officer Leycian, Hanalin reports to you." With the speed of the nightmare, they reached the second tier of the bronze walls in the blink of an eye. By the time Leylin arrived, a large squad had already assembled for him.
A dozen lesser devils stood at the forefront of the squad, not exchanging a single word with each other. Once they saw Leylin, they all confirmed that he was their superior.
This group was mixed. There were imps and barbazu, as well as steel devils, kytons, and an erinyes. There were also some rare falxugon and amnizu. Hanalin was the beautiful erinyes, and she stood at the front of the squad in a graceful bow.
'So there's even an erinyes, that's pretty lucky!' Leylin nodded and accepted their pledges of loyalty. Erinyes were lesser devils, a power the lower devils could not match. To advance to one required a transformation of the soul, and the criteria for that were very harsh. Erinyes were always pampered toys of greater devils.
After receiving their vows of loyalty, he was now the commanding officer of this brigade of devils.
"Mm, the rest of you— report your names," Leylin imposingly commanded.
"I'm Al!" "Buck!" "Your servant is named Kimmel!" One lesser demon after another respectfully announced their names— of course it was not their true names, but their nicknames.
Leylin was only their current commander, and as a greater devil he couldn't command these devils to reveal their biggest secret to him. Of course, if he'd used his authority as an Archdevil they wouldn't have been able to resist.
"Good. Come with me beyond the walls, we are in charge of the defence of a fifteen kilometre stretch west." Leylin only asked the lesser devils for their names. He was cared not about the lower devils and captains, instead rapidly leading the group to the western section of the city wall.
Many devils were stationed along the perimeter, the only gap being the section he was in charge of. The defensive equipment had all been prepared for him ahead of time.
"Hurry. Al, you're in charge here. Buck, here. Kimmel, you'll be responsible for the reserve troops." With the A.I. Chip's help, Leylin completed his own preparations rapidly, "And you, Hanalin, you'll serve as my communications officer."
"I am honoured to serve," The erinyes stood by Leylin's side. Leylin's current appearance was rather wicked, but also greatly charming. Her eyes were filled with admiration and reverence.
Naturally, Leylin suspected that Hanalin cared a bit more about his status as a greater devil rather than his appearance. But they were currently at the city wall, and this was not the time to flirt with his team. It seemed like once all the devils assembled into place, a line of fire could be seen in the distance.
'This kind of formation…' Leylin surveyed the scene from a higher position, speechless, 'Perhaps today I can finally see the rumoured scene of military chaos? They're running around like headless chickens!'
At the end of the wilderness was a huge legion of demons. Their formation was currently in complete chaos— No, they couldn't even be said to be in formation. They looked like a bunch of headless ants crawling everywhere, some even moving in the wrong directions. They were tearing and biting apart their own brethren. Trampling over each other at every moment.
This sprawling mess ambled over, and it was no wonder that even if they outnumbered the citadel twentyfold the devils didn't get worked about it. Instead, their eyes were filled with ridicule.
Even if it was like this, Leylin discovered that not a single one of the devils on the wall had rushed rashly into action, or been provoked. Even the lowest of petitioners stood still.
"Our victory is assured," Leylin sighed in a low voice.
'Await orders, sir! Before General Baalzephon has issued the command, none are permitted to fight the enemy!' A messenger delivered the news of the latest command to Leylin and his eight officers.
'It looks like the original network can only decide position and subordinacy. The fine details of command must be left to the devils themselves to control… No, perhaps the Dark Eight themselves have the authority to directly control the network, but the consumption of energy and authority is too great. As a result, they never use it apart from in the very beginning.' After receiving the missive, Leylin kept the slightly restless devils under control, allowing the demons to draw even closer.
Looking from his vantage point, Leylin saw many demons in front of him closing the distance. They were mostly dretches and quasits, cannon fodder. Mixed in with the lower demons were lesser demons like vrocks, hezrou and glabrezu. There were even legendary-ranked demons, such as balors and six-armed mariliths.
Balors were powerful demons of the abyss, possessing a control of fire that allowed them to go toe to toe with pit fiends. Leylin could now see the scales of every demon down below, and the frenzy in their wicked eyes.
"Fire!" A balor cried out loudly, and many demons shot out fireballs, filling the sky with a rain of fire.
Although most of the fireballs fell on their comrades, as well as some unlucky flying demons who were shot down from the sky, some of the fireballs landed on the Bronze Citadel.
"Activate the primary energy defence," Leylin calmly ordered. Soon after, a layer of defensive energy surfaced above the citadel's wall, completely blocking the attacks. With the devils' fire resistance, even the blazing heat that made it through didn't really affect them.
With just a single wave of attacks, the demons had killed thousands upon thousands of creatures, although most of them were their own comrades. Of course, with their dim minds and confusion, perhaps they hadn't meant to do it at all.
Following all the slaughter and death, the demons grew even more berserk. They roared and bellowed, trampling all over the corpses of their kin as they violently attacked the Bronze Citadel.
"Attack!" With the signal to attack given, many of the commanding officers let out their own roars. The entire citadel seemed to become a powerful war machine in an instant, as the devils used their armour as well as the walls and artillery to destroy large swathes of demons.
However, demons were indeed the most insane and chaotic of creatures. The disadvantage was not enough to put them in fear, instead only intensifying their bloodthirst.
'With how it's going, they can seize about half the wall with some difficulty, losing half of their own army in the process. However, this won't be much use. The citadel has eleven more…' Leylin speechlessly speculated on the fate of these demons. If they did not change their strategies, their fate was certain.
[Beep! Host has received a mission from Baalzephon! Details: Feign defeat, retreat to the 11th city wall, and defend it.] Rare as it was, Baalzephon transmitted an order directly through the network.
'It looks like my previous hypothesis was partly correct. Baalzephon has the authority to use the network, or perhaps he can only contact other greater devils. Which means he can only issue important missions through this network, and other orders need to be more conventional. It looks like his authority is difficult to use…'
This was Leylin not understanding the struggles of the weak. These pit fiends did indeed possess a part of Asmodeus' authority, and could be said to be barely below the eight Archdevils. However, the control they had was false in the end. Their abilities were restricted, so how could they be as wasteful and extravagant as him?
"Hanalin," Leylin commanded without the least hesitation.
"Sir!" The erinyes' expression was extremely grave. After all, if they lost the war and were convicted, she had a high chance of being demoted to a nupperibo, devils who undertook the most dishonourable work. It would be a fate worse than death.
"We need to feign defeat, and retreat slowly to the 11th city wall," Leylin ordered.
"Are we going to surround them completely?" Hanalin's eyes held a trace of excitement, and she rapidly alerted the others to the new commands. She also tried her hardest to appear intelligent in front of Leylin.
'She's chock full of schemes and intrigue… Keeping her by my side would be too troublesome.' Little did she know, Leylin had a completely negative impression of the erinyes from the beginning.
The devils' movements were strikingly coordinated and unified. They abandoned the original wall, and began to retreat in an orderly fashion. The demons however could not see the plot for what it was, and they all fought to outdo each other as they jumped into the middle of a trap.