Chapter 6: Lilith
A tactical assault vehicle sped across the Gobi Desert, pursued from behind by a giant white crab-scorpion that was brandishing its claws at Su Xiao, showing no signs of giving up.
Although the Scavengers were considered a low-tier race in the Black Abyss, the vehicles they assembled were exceptionally well-made. As Su Xiao slowly pressed down on the accelerator, he gradually widened the distance between himself and the crab-scorpion behind him.
"Skree!!"
A piercing screech rang out. Su Xiao floored the accelerator. Since the large arrow on the magnetic coordinate map was unreliable, he decided to find a small arrow instead.
Five minutes later, Su Xiao shook off the Star-Craving Crab's pursuit and gradually slowed down. This time, he was much more cautious. Before reaching the gathering point indicated by the small arrow, he first released his Apostle's Eye to scout ahead.
After a thorough observation, Su Xiao confirmed this was a mobile, small-scale settlement. It consisted of over a dozen large trucks that could be quickly linked together. Eroded by wind and sand, these trucks had turned a dull yellow. At that moment, the people there were using a heavy armored truck to dig into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Just as Su Xiao drove closer to this settlement, a woman covered in silver scales, with a long lizard-like tail, blocked his path.
The Silver-Scaled Woman wore a metal round hat that looked like a part cut from a high-tech helmet. Several wires protruded from it, connected to the back of her neck.
Bang, bang, bang...
The Silver-Scaled Woman knocked on the car window, signaling Su Xiao to open the door. Following the basic etiquette of the Black Abyss, Su Xiao drew the D·Assassin from his waist and released the safety.
"We're not doing business today."
The Silver-Scaled Woman glanced at the D·Assassin in Su Xiao's hand, clearly sensing he wasn't someone to mess with.
"Just need to refuel."
"I said, we're not doing business today."
Su Xiao's hand, reaching for the dragon hide, paused. If they truly weren't doing business, then there was no need to cut a piece of dragon hide. Kill them all, take everything by force—that was the Black Abyss.
"Are you sure?"
Su Xiao released the Black Dragon hide.
"Fill it up. At least 1 centimeter wide, no less than half a meter long. Any smaller, and even Black Sub-Dragon hide is worthless. It's just leather, after all."
"Deal."
With a tearing sound, Dragon-Slaying Flash sliced off a strip of Black Dragon hide.
"What fuel type?"
"Not sure. Check for yourself."
"Strange customer."
The Silver-Scaled Woman pulled the wires from the back of her neck, inserted them into the fuel tank to sense it for a moment, then walked toward the settlement.
Before long, the Silver-Scaled Woman returned carrying two metal barrels. Her method of refueling was simple and crude—she just poured the fuel directly into the tank.
Leaning against the vehicle, she whistled while refueling.
"If you make any sound that I might misinterpret, in a few minutes, I'll peel every scale off your body one by one."
"Customer, no need to be so wary, right?"
The Silver-Scaled Woman scratched her face and casually pressed a button on her metal hat. Clearly, Su Xiao wasn't some naive newcomer to the Black Abyss; he wasn't easy to mess with.
Among the cluster of trucks a hundred meters away, a Scale Clan member lying on top of a truck, holding a magnetic particle pulse sniper rifle, lowered his weapon. This time, it was just business, no "butchering."
"How far is the Atoner's Highlands from here?"
With nothing better to do, Su Xiao began probing the Silver-Scaled Woman for information. Though these wanderers who roamed the Black Abyss weren't very trustworthy, they were well-traveled and knowledgeable.
"What do you want to go to that damn place for? Whatever, even if you die there, it's none of my business. Head straight south. If you don't die on the way, you'll get there eventually. Oh, and since you look decent, how about a quickie? I guarantee you'll be satisfied. As payment, that Sub-Dragon heart is mine."
The Silver-Scaled Woman pulled her collar open a bit. Since violence didn't work, she tried other methods.
"I'm not interested in a scaly lizard woman."
"Tch, a human with no taste."
The Silver-Scaled Woman extended her tongue and licked the corner of her mouth. It was a forked, slender tongue, like a snake's.
She picked up the empty fuel barrels and walked back toward the truck cluster. That was the Black Abyss—if threats failed, use violence; if violence failed, try seduction; if that failed, give up. Living was what mattered.
Chaos, madness, power above all. One moment there might be a fair trade, the next, a complete betrayal.
Su Xiao continued his journey. He had a feeling that this was just the initial phase. The real start of the promotion mission would be at the Atoner's Highlands.
After driving the tactical assault vehicle for several hours, Su Xiao discovered it had an autopilot function.
Five hours later, as dusk began to fall, Su Xiao brushed the sand off his head. The ground around him was covered in bloodstains. The tactical assault vehicle had been pierced through, and a creature resembling a sand worm lay severed into four sections. When this thing hid in the sand, as long as it didn't move, even Su Xiao's Instinct ability couldn't detect its presence. It was a terrifying creature—it had nearly pierced through Su Xiao's head.
Continuing for another hour, the night in the Gobi began to turn cold. In front of a blazing campfire, Su Xiao was roasting a large piece of tender dragon meat. Grease dripped onto the charcoal, sending up sparks.
Using Dragon-Slashing Flash, he cut off a large chunk of Black Dragon meat and began chewing heartily. The taste was excellent—the meat was tender and juicy. With some seasoning, it would have been a delicacy. Unfortunately, he didn't even have salt, but it was still delicious.
As Su Xiao was devouring the dragon meat, a spatial fluctuation washed over him. At the same time, a crystal in his storage space shattered. This was a material given to Su Xiao by the Succubus Lilim. She had explicitly told him that it could track his coordinates, and if he had any doubts about her, he could consider throwing it away.
When the spatial fluctuation faded, a female demon stood before Su Xiao. She was about 1.65 meters tall, with slightly dark skin, and wore revealing clothes. She held a war scythe, and her goat-like hooves were half-buried in the sand.
The female demon first nodded at Su Xiao, then sat down by the fire, tore off a piece of dragon meat, and started eating.
Su Xiao sized up this female demon, who exuded a wild beauty. He wasn't sure what was going on, but to be tracked so precisely, there was probably only one person in the Void who could do this.
"Did Lilim send you?"
Su Xiao lit a cigarette. After eating nearly ten pounds of Black Dragon meat and the dragon heart, he felt a faint warmth in his stomach.
"Sister is too timid. She wouldn't dare. It was Walpole."
Clearly, this female demon was also the type who said little but meant business. However, she started eating as soon as she arrived, marking her as a glutton. Since the Great Demon Walpole wasn't around, she even dropped the honorific.
"Walpole?"
The name rang a bell. Su Xiao remembered Lilim mentioning him—one of the Great Demons of the Demon Race.
"I'm Lilith. Demon Race, female, 19 years old, warrior, very strong. Yeah, that's it."
Lilith didn't quite live up to her name. Based on her initial demeanor, she was clearly the type to pick up her scythe and start swinging at the slightest disagreement. Or rather, she was too busy eating Black Dragon meat to talk.
Lilith, Lilim—no doubt they were directly related, though the former was a combat demon and the latter a succubus.
There was an age gap between them. Lilim was already an adult, while Lilith, despite her cold exterior, was actually a naive demon girl who didn't know much about the world.
The Great Demon Walpole sent Lilith for two reasons: first, to show the Demon Race's sincerity, and second, to let her gain experience in the Black Abyss. Her combat strength was formidable; what she lacked was experience. The Great Demon Walpole was definitely a master schemer. Sending Lilith, who was inexperienced but strong enough, clearly represented the Demon Race's attitude—they didn't want to scheme against Su Xiao but were willing to provide combat support.
"How do you prove your identity?"
Su Xiao looked at the empty roasting rack, his eye twitching almost imperceptibly. This demon girl had quite the appetite.
"This can prove it."
Lilith wiped the grease from her mouth and pulled out a crystal ball.