Hunter’s Blade

C48 – Evil Devil’s Depository

Seizing this brief respite, Shire quickly found a way to the lower levels of the palace. He jumped into the tunnel from which the ghosts had emerged and pursued the stairs leading down.

“Is the treasury far from here?” He placed the charred ring on the little ghost’s toe, and the ring emitted a faint heat.

“I need to think about it,” Gradiu muttered. “Not every palace has the same layout. But don’t worry, those little guys will buy us some time. We have at least ten minutes.”

Shire could faintly hear the fire explosions and devil roars coming from the workshop above. Everything returned to normal in the brief aftermath of the explosion.

“Why did it stop so suddenly?” Shire looked up, hearing only the crackling of the burning flames.

“Haha,” Gradiu chuckled dryly.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean run faster, or the fire will catch up,” Gradiu urged. “Also, in my extensive experience, rolling on the ground is faster than running for little ghosts.”

Many parts of Gradiu’s palace had been modified to suit the new owner’s aesthetics. The sharp patterns on the walls were erased and replaced with burning torches and flaming stars. These burning corridors were constantly extinguished by Gradiu, who obsessively repainted the walls and ground with the sharp patterns he loved, asserting his sovereignty over this place.

Shire didn’t know the extent of this hall. He traversed endless winding corridors and empty rooms, encountering no devils. It seemed this place was intentionally designed as a maze. Moreover, the palace was very tall, and its shape stretched out like a sharp blade.

“My subordinates and servants originally lived here,” Gradiu looked around cautiously. “They have all been harvested. Without my protection, this was their fate. Their Devil Substance has been extracted and used. Their souls were given to the little ones, turning them into servants of the Flame Devil King. They shouldn’t be here; they were likely sent to attack other territories. I brought you to an overguarded palace. Only the incubator is still searching for us.”

There was one thing Shire couldn’t comprehend. The Evil Demons clearly didn’t need a grand palace, yet they moved the rocks and ordered thousands of little ghosts to serve them, creating a grand and empty stone hall. Countless Evil Demons fought day and night, and their civilization vanished in an instant.

“You want to know why? You’ll understand. As my power grows, I tire of those low-level demons wandering the dry land.”

Shire kept running, and the castle sank with every step. He had to risk his life to ascend higher, or else he would slip.

“The first game was simple. I had the Evil Demons follow me. Those who could keep up were rewarded, and those who couldn’t were eliminated. Watching them strive to keep up with me was exhilarating.”

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Shire jumped down the steps. These steps were designed for exceptionally tall Evil Demons, so Shire had to be cautious to avoid injuring his legs.

“Then the games grew more complex. I kept them moving, and they gradually became accustomed to my commands. Without my instructions, they felt uneasy. To keep these restless little demons occupied, I had them mine rocks for thousands of years. I ground the boards and built them into palaces. A palace like this… During my reign, there were tens of thousands of such palaces. The one we are currently in is considered very small.”

Shire passed through an area resembling a prison cell. On either side of the stone prison, countless strange creatures shook the stone railings, begging Shire in strange tones. Did they come from another conquered world? They had hands and legs, no hands and feet, and looked like metal.

“Later on, I no longer needed to give orders. The little devils’ strength was divided among them. To win my favor, the High Level Devil… I commanded those little devils to create spectacles and forge various sharp blades to please me. Power and desire intertwined, becoming indistinguishable. I arrogantly patrolled my controlled area in hell, ensuring every demon understood… Blade Devil God Gradiu was once a mighty Lord.”

Shire was surprised to find his endurance seemed endless. He kept running without feeling as tired as a human would. Whether it was due to his unique body design or the extraordinary endurance of every devil, it was unclear.

“You will come to enjoy it. Forcing your will upon others, making them obey you. Thousands will bow before you. Your orders will change countless fates, and you’ll create your rules from the existing order. Everything will shift according to your whims. Those who don’t seek this life are only fit for captivity.”

Gradiu’s voice filled his mind, preventing Shire from finding calm.

“Why do you think so? Shire, climb up. Release your utilitarian heart and trample everything beneath you.”

“I’m different from you,” Shire thought.

He turned and saw a very tall door made of material different from the surrounding rocks. It appeared to be foreign jade.

“Is this it?” He shouted.

“Yes, we have arrived.”

Following Gradiu’s instructions, Shire stopped in front of the palace treasury.

“Is this where the treasure is hidden?” Shire touched the door subconsciously. Instantly, the entire door ignited, forcing him to withdraw his hand.

An unfamiliar flaming devil’s head emerged from the flames, letting out a violent cry at Shire.

“We meet again! Gradiu!”

“What should we do?” Shire looked at the flaming face and frowned.

“Kill it!”

Shire thrust his right arm into the flaming face on the door. This proved to be a mistake. As soon as the demon’s body touched the fire, it began to melt rapidly in the soul flame. The heat scorched the demon’s skin, producing cracking sounds. The scales couldn’t withstand the intense temperature and exploded inch by inch.

“You’re finished! This place no longer belongs to you!” The flame devil kept pressing Gradiu. Shire noticed the Blade Devil God growing increasingly anxious. Hell seemed to have ignited its infinite fury. This was its homeland, its territory, but now it was seized by its own kind.

“Cut them off!” Gradiu urged.

“You’re too impatient. We can’t kill it!” Shire leapt back. The explosive flames burned through his right arm, rapidly depleting his strength. He was no match for the flame devil in front of him. The law of the jungle in hell was harsher than he had imagined. As long as one was stronger, their advantage in the competition would be infinitely magnified. The lesser Inferior Fiends would never have a chance to turn the tables.

The flames spread to every corner of the palace walls, and even more demonic heads emerged. The flaming demons in various postures looked down at the tiny Shire and Gradiu, all letting out strange laughter.

Some of these devils had smiling faces within the fireballs, while others had several black horns. Some had charred faces with crimson eyes. Some were completely carbonized, some wore metal masks, some had deep imprints on their faces, and some had indefinite shapes. Countless powerful devils appeared within the fire wall, mocking Gradiu’s weakness.

“You are out, but you are back.” One of the devils screamed, “You are out! How dare you come back!”

“Your territory has already been divided, your city destroyed by the rain of fire, your family and servants annihilated!”

“Have you come back seeking refuge? It’s too late. Gradiu! The grotto no longer belongs to you!”

“It is sharing its soul with a mortal. Look at it, see its current state!” The demons emerging from the flames had sharp voices. Shire could almost feel Gradiu’s resentment, and he wanted to cut through all of them.

These devils were on their way. Shire sensed the entire palace shaking. The sound of flowing magma and the running of giant beasts could be heard from afar. These powerful devils intended to kill Gradiu here. They were thrilled at the prospect of personally destroying the Devil God.

Bang!

Was a devil striking the palace? Such a shock! Even the fiery faces on the door trembled.

“You will become the King of Slaughter’s most handy weapon.” One of the devils opened its mouth wide, and a huge flaming ball slowly flew towards Shire.

He didn’t dare delay and quickly ran away. The flaming ball suddenly accelerated halfway and struck the spot where he had been standing. The thick stones on the floor turned red and swelled like dough.

There was fire chasing him through the palace corridor, and countless powerful Flame Devils approached from outside. The shadows of the devils in the sea of fire roared angrily, not hiding their desire to kill. Killing the Devil God with their own hands would be a great achievement for them. Shire knew these devils would not let him go.

Everything was melting.

The Flame Fiends of various shapes and levels roared loudly, making it impossible for Shire to remain calm. They casually spat flames at the palace, causing the walls around Shire to melt like mud. He felt he was about to catch fire.

With a sizzling sound, the entire jade vault door quickly melted. The attached fire faces kept burning and consuming him, gradually disappearing. Shire suspected these were just clones, not the main bodies. Without a stable source of soul energy, they wouldn’t burn for long.

He hurriedly passed through the destroyed treasury. The world tilted before him as the palace’s foundation melted. Shire felt a sense of imbalance.

Countless pillars stood before him, each adorned with one or two exquisite treasures. They varied in color and type, many having strange and variegated appearances. Perhaps they were brought here by devils from other worlds, but Shire had never seen them before.

Glittering gemstones and armor lined the sides. They appeared meant for some kind of animal. Swords hung high in the air, emitting indigo blue waves around them, creating a sense of calm. There was an object resembling a stick. Was it an illusion… or was it moving on its own?

Shire looked away and touched a piece of skin on the pillar in front of him. This skin had a glassy appearance and was translucent. Colorful stars flowed beneath the translucent skin, and a pair of sad eyes silently wept on it. The feeling was moist and warm, completely different from the dry and barren hell world. It seemed to be pleading with him, hoping he would take it away…

“Can you stop looking? This place is about to collapse, we have to escape quickly.”

“You should tell us which things to take!” Shire complained, “Which ones are really useful.”

“I forgot. As I said, I built too many palaces and accumulated too much over the years.”

Boom! It was as if a supporting pillar of the palace had collapsed, and the entire treasury tilted in one direction. Shire was caught off guard and slipped, falling to the south side of the room along with scattered treasures. He was buried under heavy armors, jewels, and mechanical devices. He saw a silver gear like a dwarf’s and a sword that emitted a bird’s cry. On a long picture, there were many beasts with trees on their backs.

“Hurry, let’s go!” Shire randomly grabbed a few handy treasures and looked up in surprise. The treasury’s dome was also burning and heating. If it melted, it would be harder to escape than it was in the ordnance workshop.

“Hold on tight,” Gradiu muttered.

Another huge explosion sounded. The floor beneath Shire suddenly collapsed. Gradiu cut a huge hole in the floor, ready to let Shire fall,

he fell down, clutching the treasures he had gathered in a hurry.

“Look, we’re returning! The human world! Farewell, hell, farewell! This broken devil incubation field!” Gradiu created a long opening beneath them, cutting a crack in the world. Shire ignored the freefall and fell into it.

“Don’t worry.”

Shire heard someone speaking. Why hadn’t he fallen into the crack and returned to reality?

He found his body frozen in midair, with the fiery rocks still motionless.