Chapter 33: The hidden route of the Demons of the Chasm (4)
A man lives and dies by risking his life.
Those were the last words of a famous mercenary whose occupation brought him danger from many parts of society, not just monsters lurking in the shadows. His words applied to many professions across the globe, for the fantasy world vaunted its own laws and rules, sparing none.
All are woven from the same fabric, though… which ultimately causes many convenient coincidences.
'The Anubis Demons were weaker than their opponents and lost, becoming prisoners of the chasm. Their lives are no longer theirs, as per laws of this world…' Beelzebub inwardly muttered while heading to his destination, pulling a cart forward. 'But because the harsh world forces people to risk their lives and go for daunting tasks, the demons were able to grasp their lucky chance to escape their confinement… lucky chance that had been given to them by a daring human.'
The chasm had been a perfect prison for many years… and no one would have thought that a common villager's demise had given a glimpse of the real world to the demons…
An arrogance blinded the heavenly lineage… they never checked the chasm that much, sparing only a glance for its external formation while utterly believing their superiority. Even four years ago, when it was the thousandth anniversary, the heavenly lineage only threw their eyes around before flying away from the scar.
Beelzebub knew the entire story after reading incomplete memories of his enslaved slave, then connecting a few dots.
And now, he was finally on his way to using that lucky chance himself.
"Are you the new guy? Great! We have lost a lot of manpower after the recent tragedy..." A man kitted out in a thin, crude blue jacket and pants faced Beelzebub and shook his head, recalling the village head and others' demise. "What's with the cart? You look quite weak, too. Are you eating properly?"
"I am… I am actually spoiled by the landlady, sir." David faintly smiled and patted his cart. "And I am the special new guy that has something to do in the sewers. I'm sure you've heard of me."
"Oh! Yes, I have! There's nothing wrong as far as I am concerned, but you're free to look inside! I told everyone that a guy like you would be coming today." The man recalled the official letter he had received today from the officials and brightly welcomed the new guy to his team.
If it wasn't obvious by now, Beelzebub was just a few minutes away from entering the sewers of the Williard Village. It was quite a modern system of sewers fueled by various magic items in lieu of modern ways. One of the players had shared it with many kingdoms, wanting to improve the lives of common people.
And while it was commendable, the sewers were now used as a hidden route for the demons of the chasm.
"Thank you, sir. I'll go ahead, then. On behalf of everyone in the village, let me express an appreciation for your services, and have a good day." Beelzebub genuinely thanked the man, for he couldn't imagine how he would be able to live without a toilet…
Just try to imagine that…
The man felt happier and prideful now that someone understood the value of his work! "You too, young man! If you get lost, you can scream my name! I always make last checks to find any faults!"
"Very brave of you. I'll remember that." Beelzebub nodded before drawing his cart to the main entrance to the sewers.
It was a tube of at least sixty-five feet in height. Its mouth could swallow dozen of sewer workers at once and even a few wagons. At its feet, there was a long line of water going down. Next to it was naturally a pathway for workers, which Beelzebub used.
He dragged his cart onto it and headed down.
His muscles were powered through Beelzebub's pure stamina and strength pills. Even a slender alchemist and magician could draw out a lot of strength with precious consumable items! His cart naturally had a lot of stuff Beelzebub required to fulfill his goal, including the venomous hearts he had sculpted.
Entering another small tunnel, David now became accustomed to the nasty smell permeating the sewers. His walk had also been stable, for his cart hadn't bobbed at all. The roads were smooth and lit up by high-quality limps with valuable lighting stones dwelling inside.
It seemed that — even though people easily forgot the significance of sewers — the top officials understood their importance, providing high-quality equipment and stuff required for its maintenance. Moreover, the demons didn't want to blow away their secret route as well, which translated to them never daring to attack sewer workers.
Out of all occupations in the Williard Village, it was the safest.
Beelzebub soon was on the third level — the lowest level. The polished tunnels were long since gone, replaced by rough walls similar to the surfaces of caves. Like the waste and dirty water, the light still found a way inside this level.
On that level, Beelzebub located a small crack that didn't seem any different from other imperfections of the third level.
It was like a natural part of the sewers.
But exactly that crack could expand and spit projections of the demons of the chasm, giving them a chance to secure food for themselves and scheme for their freedom.
Beelzebub left his cart near the crack, covering it with the wagon. He then distanced himself away from it and found a place for himself to cover his identity.
At last, the enslaved slave came out from his body.
Ordering Anador to fill the crack with the sculpted hearts, Beelzebub closed his eyes and focused on his next task.
He clutched his heart and whispered to himself. "It's a common concept for people like me… so don't go mad at me and punish me again. I dare you…"
Beelzebub didn't want to bring another miracle… but he needed to use his experience and knowledge for whatever he wanted to do next.
He hadn't unlocked a skill for it yet, after all.
"Mana is a part of everything… even the souls. All possess a soul which can go sentient… for that reason, the soul and its spiritual concepts are the most complicated and intricate, steering away the farthest from the mana…." Beelzebub's lips curved into a smile, and a blood streak streamed down from the right corner… "My soul belongs only to me… I follow the rules of heaven and earth… but shall I deem my soul free, shall it become free, for I am Beelzebub!"
[Your soul has left your body.]
[Your stats have been updated.]
[You have turned your soul into a ghost.]
"A mere ghost is fine…." Beelzebub muttered, not wanting to turn his skill into a legendary grade again…
Another flaw would have killed him, probably… if not, he would be significantly limited.
In his new form, Beelzebub looked at his body, which remained in its working position but with his eyes closed. Content with that, David turned his attention to his busy slave, waiting for him to finish his task.
And when Anador threw the last heart into the crack, Beelzebub entered his slave's soul form, taking possession of it.
He possessed the soul and turned it into a ghost as well!
Having so much knowledge, David reverted that change and turned his enslaved soul into a mere soul. He knew that a ghost would be too suspicious inside the chasm. And it wasn't like only he could see ghosts. Strong existences had unique eyes as well.
The chasm was littered with nothing but powerful existences… Beelzebub took a simple risk, triggered the hidden route with the demonic presence of his enslaved soul, and then hopped inside.
It was time to see the content of the chasm… and thwart the schemes of the demons regarding his maid's ice tomb.
No, thwart is such a bad word!
Beelzebub shall use all their schemes for himself.