"No, an adventurer never shies away from fear," Reno replied with a laugh, shaking his head.
Leo's mouth twitched slightly.
He turned to look at Lilith, who appeared slightly pale.
Despite her efforts to conceal her fear, Leo could discern her tension and unease.
"Stay behind me!" Leo commanded in a deep voice.
He didn't want Lilith to die here; his intention in bringing her was to help her acquire a hell magic.
"I know!" Lilith responded somewhat irritably, not quite believing Leo's motivations were in her best interest.
"Let's go," Leo nodded, leading the way into the marsh, with Reno and Lilith following.
Upon entering the marsh, their surroundings became obscured, the blurriness breeding fear among the trio who dared not make any unnecessary noise.
Leo followed his hazy memory, moving forward.
Fortunately, his memory didn't seem to fail him.
As the light dimmed further, Leo spotted floating blue lights above the marsh, weaving around, casting a dreamlike and mysterious aura.
Suddenly, Leo pulled the reins, halting their progress.
"What's wrong?" Reno's low voice inquired.
Leo didn't answer; instead, he squinted, sensing the movements around them.
If his guess was right, there was a hellish creature nearby, and slaying it would grant them the "Flame of Hell."
A faint hissing sound rose, and a cold presence seeped from all directions.
"Is that... a snake?" Reno seemed to realize something, crouching down.
Lilith gripped her sword tightly, her eyes scanning the surroundings, visibly tense.
The hissing suddenly intensified.
From the marsh, a huge figure leaped up, opening its gaping maw towards Leo and his companions.
Indeed, it was a snake, but its entire body was black, with blue ghostly fire flickering in its eyes, an aura of death enveloping it - all characteristics unique to a creature of hell.
Leo lifted the reins, steadying his startled horse, and brandished his sword to fend off the giant snake.
"Whoosh!"
Reno readied his bow and arrow, aiming at the massive serpent.
Lilith also moved to Leo's side, using her shield to block the giant snake's attacks for him.
Leo glanced at her, a slight curl at the corner of his mouth, but he said nothing more.
Clutching his longsword, he leaped up to engage the serpent in battle.
This was just the edge of Infernal Marsh, so the hellish creature wasn't particularly strong; an advanced knight should be sufficient to deal with it.
Between Leo, Reno, and Lilith, they managed to gain the upper hand.
"Lilith, block its next attack for me, and I can kill this snake!" Leo looked towards Lilith, his voice firm.
Their eyes met.
Biting her lip lightly, Lilith nodded.
She raised her shield and faced the charging serpent.
With a hiss, the snake lunged at Lilith!
"Boom!"
Following a loud, heavy sound, Lilith was sent flying backward.
At that moment, Leo sprang forward, his longsword slashing through the air.
"Swish!"
A crisp sound echoed as Leo landed.
Along with him, the serpent's head dropped to the ground.
"Thud!"
Leo looked at the decapitated head of the snake, then sheathed his sword.
He walked over to where Lilith lay on the ground, her complexion pale, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.
"Slap!"
She swatted away Leo's extended hand, stubbornly getting up on her own.
Leo gave a resigned smile and shrugged, "At least our teamwork isn't bad."
Reno looked their way, surprise written across his face.
He seemed astonished that Leo and Lilith had easily slain a creature from hell through their coordination.
"Well done!" A moment later, a smile spread across Reno's face as he called out to Leo and Lilith.
Lilith returned a strained smile to Reno.
"Let's move on. I think we're close to my destination," said Leo, looking ahead.
Without pausing for rest, he mounted his horse and continued forward.
"Are you alright?" Reno approached Lilith with concern.
Lilith held her chest, feeling a dull pain.
Still, she shook her head and said, "I'm fine. Let's keep going."
"That guy is really no gentleman," Reno muttered, watching Leo's retreating figure.
"But he is my master," Lilith's eyes revealed a sense of resignation.
Then, she nudged her horse and caught up with Leo.
Reno narrowed his eyes, watching Lilith move ahead of him, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
…
"Finally!" exclaimed Leo, seeing something in the distance.
He urged his horse forward, a smile appearing on his face.
Just ahead, a black stone monument stood in the marsh.
On its surface were blurred marks, unmistakably the symbol of the Flame of Hell.
With the Flame of Hell, Leo would have the means to rise to power.
He drew his sword, ready to approach.
All he needed to do was place his hand on the monument to receive the magic of the Flame of Hell.
"Whiz!" Suddenly, a piercing and shrill sound came from behind him.
In a split second, an arrow whizzed past him, flying deep into the marsh.
As Leo turned around, his gaze fell upon Reno, who had transformed into an entirely different being.
His eyes were pitch-black, and behind him sprouted large, black-feathered wings.
"Reno! You..." Lilith exclaimed in shock, her expression changing.
"Of course, you sensed something was off, didn't you?" Reno's voice was chillingly cold.
"Are you a dark elf?" Leo asked, his tone even.
The aura emanating from Reno reminded him of a familiar race, a degenerate form of elves known to possess inherent hell magic, believed to be bestowed upon them for worshipping a hell lord.
"Drop your sword and hand over that hell magic to me. Tell me everything you know, or I'll kill this woman," Reno demanded, his voice icy.
Without giving Lilith a chance to react, he swiftly grabbed her, holding her in front of him.
Reno, once radiant and handsome, now resembled a demon straight from hell.
Lilith had no doubt that if Leo didn't comply with Reno's demands, he would kill her without hesitation.
Feeling the cold fingers around her neck, her heart grew colder.
Indeed, in this world, no one truly cared for her.
The only exception seemed nothing more than a deception.
At that moment, her will to live ebbed away, considering death at Reno's hand as a fitting end.
Wasn't her existence always meant to be snuffed out?
"You're thinking too much. Can't you see? The respected Lord doesn't care about me. I'm just a servant he detests. I suggest you kill me now,"
Lilith spoke with a tone of cold indifference.
With a crisp "snap," Lilith was taken aback.
She turned her gaze to Leo, who, with a smile, had tossed aside his sword.
He raised his hand in a somewhat resigned gesture and said,
"If I'm not mistaken, you must be at least an advanced magus. Why such caution with us?"
"There's an old saying from the East: 'Caution is the parent of safety,'"
Reno shrugged, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Besides, you've always seemed dangerous to me."
"If I tell you everything I know, will you let her go?" Leo asked, smiling as he looked towards Lilith.
Lilith, in turn, gazed back at him, a trace of bewilderment in her eyes.
So, he did care about her, after all?
Then why was he so harsh towards her?
"You can start by telling me," Reno said, slightly raising his eyebrows, seemingly surprised by Leo's apparent concern for Lilith.
"I know that there are not just this one, but several hellstones here, each bearing a distinct hell magic,"
Leo disclosed without hesitation, revealing what he knew.
Upon hearing this, Reno initially looked stunned, then his face lit up with an irrepressible joy.
Just one hell magic had allowed him easy advancement to an advanced magus; acquiring a second, a third...
He dared not think further.
To what heights could he ascend?
To sainthood, or even... godhood?