Chapter 1: The Demon Race
Su Xiao’s gaze swept his surroundings; Bubu Wang, Amu, and Beini were nowhere nearby.
Black chimneys built from volcanic rock shot up into the sky, billowing thick smoke that drifted away. The smoke was a dark blue-black, with faint sparks visible within.
As the smoke rose into the sky, the sulfurous smell in the area grew stronger. With chimneys several meters thick like these, there were at least a hundred near Fallen City.
Such large-scale emissions should have polluted the surrounding environment beyond recognition, but that wasn’t the case. Though the air had a sulfurous odor, the oxygen content wasn’t low, and there was a faint, sweet fragrance, like the scent of some plant being burned.
The Demon Race wasn’t recklessly emitting waste gases. The Shattered Continent was originally an oxygen-free, zero-gravity environment, unsuitable for all Demon Race to live in. For this reason, they had attempted to modify the air, gravity, and even establish a unique ecological balance here.
After countless years of effort, the Demon Race had clearly succeeded. They had even formed an atmosphere around the Shattered Continent, enabling a water cycle here.
The lizard Su Xiao had seen earlier was the result of the Demon Race’s long-term efforts—an ecological balance had been achieved here.
The Demon Race was vastly different from popular imagination. They didn’t spend their days tempting others to sign contracts or plotting to invade human worlds. Not only were the humans and humanoid races in the Void formidable, but the Demon Race also had no need to do so. They were wealthy in their own right, with numerous enterprises across the Void.
In reality, the Demon Race rarely interacted with other races. Most Demon warriors carried a certain pride, revering only two things: strength and the continuation of their race.
Female Demons weren’t as promiscuous as imagined either, seducing humans at every turn. In truth, nine out of ten male Demons were warriors; strength was innate to them. Coupled with different aesthetic standards, female Demons weren’t particularly interested in humans.
Su Xiao had some understanding of the Demon Race. After all, they were allies. He had to admit his luck wasn’t bad—the entrance to the Black Abyss he was heading to was on allied territory.
However, Su Xiao wasn’t ready to have much interaction with these allies yet. The reason was simple: he wasn’t strong enough. Moreover, the Demon Race might not be a monolithic entity. If there were traitors among them, he would be walking right into a trap.
Su Xiao tried to contact Bubu Wang, Amu, and Beini, but got no response. He then attempted to use a voice communication device. Contacting Amu and Beini yielded only static, but when he tried Bubu Wang, he heard a song he’d never heard before, and it kept changing channels.
Su Xiao tapped the wireless earpiece on his ear. Clearly, this long-range communication tool was being interfered with, picking up something like a broadcast signal.
“%￥%*#%.”
Jumbled sounds entered his ears; Su Xiao couldn’t understand a single note.
“What the hell is that?”
Su Xiao removed the wireless earpiece. Just then, a notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.
[The Hunter has arrived at the Shattered Continent. Would you like to spend 6,000 Paradise Coins to permanently master the Demon Race Common Language? (This language is for communication only and does not include Demon ancient script, spell incantations, etc. To master all Demon languages, you would need to spend 670,000 Paradise Coins.)]
Su Xiao would naturally pay the 6,000 Paradise Coins. Language was fundamental; at the very least, he needed to communicate with the Demon Race without issue.
[You have permanently mastered the Demon Race Common Language. (The Hunter must reserve 30,000 Paradise Coins. Upon entering the Black Abyss, you can activate the Black Abyss Language Mastery Permission.)]
[Promotion Quest Prerequisite Activated. Condition: Pass through the Mamun Mod Fortress and successfully enter the shallow layer of the Black Abyss.]
…
The notification from Reincarnation Paradise was unexpectedly brief. Su Xiao stepped forward toward the distant giant goat-head building. That was Fallen City. Only by passing through there could he reach the Mamun Mod Fortress, and through it, enter the Black Abyss. Either way, he couldn’t avoid interacting with the Demon Race.
A few minutes later, Su Xiao arrived near Fallen City. The city walls were towering, but compared to the goat-head building at the city center, the massive chimneys near Fallen City were more conspicuous.
Clank, clank…
Armor clashed. Before reaching Fallen City, Su Xiao encountered a Demon patrol squad. This was also his first time seeing a male Demon.
Dark blue-black skin, with magma-like patterns visible on the surface, curved horns, five fingers, goat-like hooves, and eyes that seemed to burn with inner flames.
“What are you looking at?”
The Demon soldier Su Xiao was staring at spoke, sizing him up as well.
This Demon brother was definitely hot-tempered. Seeing Su Xiao didn’t respond, he strode toward him. Just then, a large hand grabbed his shoulder.
“Maybe he’s a guest who just arrived. Forget it, Lupi. Don’t cause trouble. Haven’t you had enough of the whip?”
“It’s not strange for an outsider to stare at me, but… I feel like he wants to cut me down.”
Lupi, the hot-tempered brother Su Xiao had been eyeing, glared back at him. Two streams of hot air shot from his nostrils, clearly wanting to fight Su Xiao—either he’d beat Su Xiao to the ground, or Su Xiao would beat him until he doubted his existence.
“Lord Wobol is at the Mamun Mod Fortress, Lupi. Think carefully.”
“This…”
The hot-tempered brother hesitated. Finally, he shot Su Xiao a hateful glare and continued his patrol.
“Unexpectedly irritable.”
Su Xiao didn’t want to get tangled up with this irritable Demon, so he walked straight toward Fallen City.
Just as he reached the city gate, he saw a massive metal door thirty meters wide and fifty meters high. The door hung high, covered in fiery red patterns. Molten lava occasionally dripped from it, but before hitting the ground, it dissipated into the air.
With such a massive city gate, the scale of Fallen City was easy to imagine. Over four million Demons lived here. Not all were stationed troops; more than half were the families of Demon soldiers. These soldiers had to guard the Mamun Mod Fortress for life. Without their families nearby, they would live in loneliness—a bad thing for any intelligent race.
With 1.27 million Demon soldiers and their families, merchants, and various service industries, totaling 4.18 million Demons, the city’s scale was almost equivalent to a city in the real world.
Initially, there was no Fallen City. When the Demon high command discovered the settlements around the Mamun Mod Fortress, they simply built a city here to ensure a cycle of troops.
Though the city gate of Fallen City was enormous, there were over a dozen queues in front of it. Judging by the scale, at least several thousand people were waiting to enter. Actually, these weren’t all humans; they were various races.
Some looked like trees, others were similar to humans but with animal features, and some were even soft-bodied organisms, like the one in front of Su Xiao. This creature was gray-white, like a big blob of mucus, and this blob… was stealing from a crocodile-headed individual.
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