"It is my honor to fight alongside you, sir!" declared the paladin with a booming voice.
"Alright, I like a knight with noble idiocy who knows how to follow orders. Any other noble fellows here? No? Good, let's move on. I will take you to the Bestiary, and we have to talk while we walk to save time. The first lesson is to learn about your enemies. Knowing them all is impossible, but you must at least understand the majority of demons. Let's start with you introducing yourselves."
Thus began Azazel's first day of training, joining two other recruits and their instructor, making them a total of four in the entire training camp. Among his companions was a rare human paladin, his beard disheveled and hair uncombed, looking like a golden bird's nest atop his head. Yet, his silver armor shone, clanking with each step. The paladin seemed to have many tales but chose not to elaborate much: "I am Ward, and I wish to join the battle sooner to slay more demons." That was all Ward offered.
The other was a female elven mage shrouded in an oversized black robe, enveloping her form so completely that Azazel couldn't make out her figure. Her golden hair cascaded naturally, and her delicate mouth with slightly upturned lips sat beneath a dainty nose. The sweetness of her features was at odds with her distant, guarded eyes. She kept her hands tucked into her sleeves, maintaining a distance from the others, moving with the quiet grace of her kind. Her introduction was more expansive than Ward's: "I am an exile; the day I was banished from the forest, I lost my name. Now, you may call me Falling Star."
"I am Azazel, pleased to meet you all."
"Great! Now that we are all acquainted, on to the next step."
"Wait, hold on! Are there really just a few of us?" Azazel couldn't help but find the vast, empty campgrounds strangely odd.
"Yes, don't interrupt. Let me proceed step by step. Now, what I am about to tell you is essential. These are the iron rules of Hell, unwritten but known to every devil, and you greenhorns must abide by them."
Ignoring their questions, Ganzaleth cleared his throat and bellowed out the decrees in his gravelly voice:
"The Eleven Fundamental Commandments of Devils.
One, unity is strength.
Two, the strong rule the weak.
Three, every lie contains a grain of truth.
Four, slavery creates freedom.
Five, failure leads to punishment.
Six, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
A. Strike before being struck when possible.
B. Treat your underlings as your superiors treat you.
C. Learn from both your superiors and inferiors.
Seven, haste makes waste.
A. Vengeance can wait; even ten years is not too late.
B. Plan meticulously; leave no evidence.
C. No evidence, no crime.
Eight, sharp perception and cunning are mightier than brute force.
A. Make deceit your credo.
B. Every fool falls for a good bluff.
Nine, know your enemy.
Ten, no one rises without the downfall of someone above.
A. There are only so many seats at the pinnacle of power.
B. To ascend, you must first topple another.
Eleven, take pride in yourself and your work.
Admit weaknesses and errors—only when it serves your interest."
These were the infamous Eleven Laws of Hell's Devils. Amidst the countless strict codes in the devil's domain, it was these eleven that everyone actually adhered to and enforced.
Ganzaleth continued, "Memorize them well. Now, let's focus on the first three. First! Unity is strength! We lack power, so we must unite. Second! The strong rule the weak. Therefore, I rule over you. Third, every lie contains a grain of truth. I haven't lied to you, and I don't have the time to do so now. Alright, we've arrived. This is the 'Hall of Portraits.' Go inside and take a look, but remember not to touch them or let their words distract you; some are still alive."
The entrance to the Hall of Portraits was inside a tent at the recruit camp, leading down a dark, forbidding passage into the ground. Azazel understood why Ganzaleth didn't accompany them—the corridor was too narrow for the instructor's massive sword unless he walked sideways. Luckily, the tunnel had no forks and needed no guide.
The passageway was dim, the flickering lights burning quietly, casting shadows that danced across everything. Thankfully, whether elf, devil, or paladin blessed by the Nine Divines, all could see just fine in the low light.
Azazel felt as though he'd entered a biologist's museum, passing various creatures locked in cells, some free to move within their confines. In one cell labeled "Bodak," a blue-skinned corpse paced. Upon hearing footsteps, it spoke, "Oh, new recruits? Don't fear me. After I killed a few, they gouged out my eyes. Now I'm no threat. Let me out, and I'll share a great secret with you." No one paid attention to the bodak; they continued forward, only Azazel stopped to read the plaque's warning: "Beware the bodak, their blue skin mastering the 'Death Gaze.' With just a look, they can kill even some weaker dragons."
"Quite curious, aren't you? The last recruits I killed were just trying to read what the plaque said," the bodak boasted. "But you can take a good look now. Without my eyes, I cannot use the Death Gaze. Hey, don't go! It would be nice to have someone to talk to."
Azazel ignored it and moved on.
Further down the path, Azazel saw a giant demon spider impaled yet still fiercely struggling, pungent gnolls, a lifeless frost giant, a headless naga corpse, a beholder also with its eyes excised, massive slimes like jelly or mud, tiny devils with sharp claws and small red wings only half a meter tall, a foolish quasit, a greater devil with its tongue ripped out and wings severed pinned to the wall, and great portraits of succubi, energy-draining sirens, and abyssal conjurors. The more dangerous creatures were hard to display physically—even their corpses were not to be trusted, for who could say if those cunning beings wouldn't feign death? Therefore, you could never keep the most powerful demons in simple cells for recruits to observe.
The tour was brief and somewhat disheartening for the group, with Ward being the only one excited at the prospect of numerous demons to slay.
Ganzaleth ignored Ward's misplaced enthusiasm, speaking warmly, "Hey, are you discouraged because you can't remember all the creatures and their traits? Don't be. The Abyss is known as the 'Bottomless Pit,' and no one knows how many layers it has. Heaven knows what might crawl out. Just remember this: kill what you can kill; if things feel wrong, run. It's a skillful task, not easily achieved." With this introduction, Ganzaleth began formally teaching them the skills of "invisibility" and "evasion." While learning, they were also tasked with scavenging for scattered supplies in the recruit camp, including various types of armor and weapons, edible food and water, and other oddities.
On the second day, an incident delighted Instructor Ganzaleth: Azazel found a small bag of noisy larvae in a corner, a delicacy for devils. As a reward for handing over the larvae without selfishness, Ganzaleth decided to give the promising Azazel some extra help, starting with a good, thorough talk.