Chapter 10: Demons (2)
A few minutes of strolling was enough to confirm Beelzebub's former thoughts of the Williard Village.
It was a vast, well-prospering town with thousands of people living pretty good lives.
After stepping onto the thoroughfare, Beelzebub went down the stony, well-maintained road. He even noticed sewers, which spoke enough about the village's welfare. In the past, villages on Earth didn't even have any system to take care of waste, and people threw their feces on the streets.
Here, Beelzebub could freely walk around; his only worry was to not bump into others.
Even though it was already past evening, the main street was as lively as during the day. People were hawking their goods, and their booths were lit up by intricate lanterns, which were either stuffed with bright stones or turned into dwellings of fireflies.
In fact, the former type of lantern suggested a higher quality of goods.
In the dark alleys, David noticed a few drunkards already snoring at each other. A few of them had their ragged clothes rummaged by thieves, and some even lost pants!
A few alleys further, Beelzebub had laid his eyes on ladies wrapped in short tunics, revealing their thighs and ample cleavages, which with they used to lure potential clients to the undergrounds. Perched above those buried chambers were stony or brick buildings — no one suggested anything like a red alley.
Those were either smithies, restaurants, and more. All official stuff was located at the other end of the village.
So far, Beelzebub had seen humans, only them.
No one had their lives haunted by ghosts, so on the surface, the whole village was like a perfect spot to take up residence. The chasm's coldness hadn't made an appearance yet, so David didn't know how much of a bother it could become, but he used to live on the cold streets during winter, which made the whole chasm problem quite light to him.
It was such a good place to settle in that Beelzebub momentarily forgot about his legendary class and that he was like a delicious snack of high quality to any demon.
'It wouldn't be bad to live here… I should be able to make alchemy friends and get the same fame as Mr. Wetherell… but I am not the same.' Beelzebub understood that no leveling up meant an execution to him.
His thoughts about his future halted when a familiar presence flashed in the dark alley. For a moment, David thought that a woman's cleavage had finally piqued his interest, but that was not the case.
A presence that stirred the demon's bloodline was in the dark alley.
No one dared to come close as though unconsciously avoiding it.
'This only confirms that demons and humans don't coexist… at least here. My origins have become much more bothersome.' Beelzebub inwardly sighed before taking steps closer to the dark alley. 'In my times, demons were known as main antagonists because of their immoral practices. And I was one of them, enslaving ghosts to perform a grand alchemy.'
In David's eyes, demons and humans in the fantasy world weren't that different.
Demons were just more honest and prone to their desires. Their powers and skills heavily influenced desires and questioned one's morals, but was it really that different from humans?
For example, one of the kingdoms had a prospering and famous slave market where players could easily buy slaves for their own use. Players used those slaves as sacrifices in the dungeons or quests, and even worse. Of course, there was another side to this business, and players bought slaves to give them a better life.
'I can't lie and say that it all depends on the usage of power… demons liked to be antagonists. A lot of them did… I guess that's why human kingdoms with slave markets and such stuff were known as good…' Beelzebub dispelled thoughts that probably were a mere past in his current situation.
He then entered the dark alley, his presence notifying the demon inside.
'Dog?' David questioned inwardly, his eyes narrowing at the horrifying scene unfolding before him.
There was a black dog around three feet height perched on a dead human body, his muzzle digging into the corpse's chest. He had spilled so much blood that the cracks in the street had been filled with it… the human's clothes were drenched in metal liquid. The demon was silent, so no sound slipped outside.
Knowing how demons often operated, David inferred that the dog wanted to eat the corpse's heart.
Or he wanted to bring it to his master… for whatever reason.
'I don't feel that much threat from him… at least not the same level as Aric.' Beelzebub inwardly analyzed the aura of the demon before making a move.
He kicked a pebble at the demon.
The black dog stopped drilling into the corpse and raised his muzzle, blood and flesh dripping down his fur. His red eyes flashed upon catching a glimpse of Beelzebub's pale and tall body.
"How did you come here in this form?" The demon inquired without paying any respect to the highest lineage demon, which Beelzebub was.
David could only blame his low level for that.
"You are asking me why I am a human while you are a mere dog?" Beelzebub parted his lips, his soft tone making this question more condescending than it should have been.
The demon slowly hopped off the corpse and made a few steps close to Beelzebub. "Can't you tell who you're talking to? Asinine fool, born in the chasm, that has never seen the world!"
Those words were more than Beelzebub needed to see through the demon.
That black dog was from the chasm! And since he'd asked about the form, this demon's black dog was a mere skill he used to escape the chasm's clutches. His real body should have been burrowed at the bottom of the chasm.
"Oh wow, you're so right. I haven't seen the world yet… could you tell me what I can expect to see beyond this village and more?" Beelzebub tilted his head and asked as nicely as possible.
Yet, the black dog was already furious at him.
Worse, Beelzebub's soft voice was now the thing he hated!
"You'll work for me now, fool." The black dog threatened with a glare. "If you refuse, I'll make you chew the bones here and in the chasm."