Chapter 34: Like the Sun
The Sixth Layer of the Abyss, the Sea of Molten Fire Prison.
In the sunless sky, clouds of toxic dust surged beneath a blood-red firmament. In this long-dead world, the sun had been extinguished, the moon and stars were absent, leaving only the crimson glow of magma shooting up from countless massive fissures in the earth.
This world was sweltering, yet not dry. From time to time, vast quantities of superheated steam, mixed with metallic solutions, erupted from beneath the ground. They rose into the sky, mingling with the pervasive toxic clouds, then fell as acid rain capable of corroding everything, pooling into highly concentrated acid lakes that lasted at most a few hours.
But even so, this was one of the few sources of moisture in this world, aside from the River Styx.
Sea of Molten Fire Prison, Black Sea Great Plains. Beside a newly formed acid lake from recent rainfall, accompanied by the rustling sound of trampling, countless biological traces suddenly appeared on the previously empty land. Low howls began to echo around the lake's edge.
Legend had it that the Black Sea Great Plains were indeed a sea two thousand years ago. What churned in this sunken plain was not thick haze, but seawater that, though highly toxic, could still be barely drunk. However, due to a war between the Sixth Abyss and another layer of the Abyss, multiple Demon Lords fought here, causing that sea to evaporate entirely. Most of the water vapor seeped into the ground, then sporadically erupted with subterranean movements.
But regardless of the truth, life always finds a way to propagate, no matter how difficult.
On the gray, corroded earth, accompanied by the rustling friction of carapaces, thousands of small holes were drilled open. Dense masses of Abyss Worms crawled out from the ground, enjoying the long-missed acidic air. This scene was utterly nauseating—tens of thousands of gray-white, fat maggots writhed and churned, tangled together, enough to make anyone with trypophobia faint on the spot. But this chaos didn't last long. About a few seconds later, accompanied by a strange flute sound—or perhaps a horn call—these worms, as if hearing a command, began scrambling toward the nearby acid lake.
Not far away, a six-legged, mantis-like insectoid demon had just emerged from underground. It slowly lowered the strange bone flute in its hand, silently watching these worms eagerly roll into the water. The vast majority of these worms were cleanly corroded by the acid, but out of thousands, a few would quickly mutate and evolve acid-resistant shells and acid-adapted internal organs. They cheerfully absorbed the lake's moisture, then, using the corpses of their kin, rapidly grew, formed shells, pupated, and finally turned into deep red egg-like objects floating on the water's surface.
"The hatching success rate this time is decent."
Watching this, the insect demon thought to itself: "Twelve thousand worms should hatch nearly a hundred demon eggs. Looks like this batch is high quality."
Thinking this, it bit down on the flute with its ferocious mouthparts, emitting flute sounds imbued with Arcane Power, driving away nearby abyssal beasts and monsters attempting to approach. As a herder, its duty was to drive the Abyss Worms into the acid lake for hatching, then bring back the demon eggs. Throughout this process, it had to be wary of surrounding beasts, because demon eggs were a great supplement for them, capable of promoting their advancement.
Because within these demon eggs were contained pure soul fragments.
In various legends and records, demons always appear as soul plunderers and destroyers. They occasionally invade a world, completely destroy it, and plunder all its souls and resources. But most of the time, they suppress their chaotic and evil nature, patiently trading with worlds they cannot attack, acquiring souls from beings who crave demonic power.
The reason for this is unknown to most low and mid-rank demons. Even powerful Greater Demons might not fully understand the logic. But as a close subordinate of a Demon Lord, the insect demon 'Herder Carson' knew the truth behind it all.
The root cause was that the Abyss was a world that had already died.
What constitutes a world's death? Elemental collapse, the dissipation of Steel Force? That's certain—such worlds would have long since disintegrated and returned to the Void. But many worlds still have a complete elemental cycle, and though Steel Force is dormant, it still exists. So why are such worlds judged as dead? The reason lies here—the soul cycle within this world has ended.
Since the dawn of life, souls have appeared. With the reproduction and death of life, the soul cycle has grown stronger. This formless, qualityless force circulates within heaven and earth, forming a great soul cycle. Its power allows newborn souls to grow stronger with each generation, making it easier to grasp the mysteries of magic and Battle Qi. As long as the apocalypse does not come, this cycle will continue to strengthen, because it is the symbol of a world 'living,' the flame representing the collective consciousness of civilization and life.
It is both the power of flame and the cycle of existence formed with Steel Force, which represents the world itself.
Destroying the vast majority of life in a world in an instant can weaken the cycle, dim the flame, or even end it. A broken soul cycle not only fails to nourish newborn souls and make them stronger, but also inhibits the birth of new souls, making newborns in the entire world foolish, blind, or even vegetative. Living in such a world, unless one constantly plunders souls from outside, there is never any future.
This is the origin of why the Abyss constantly launches invasions outward, and even plunders and wages bloody wars among itself. In a world where the soul stock is fixed, only by constant plundering can one strengthen oneself and sustain one's own world.
Herder Anson's job was to reincarnate plundered soul fragments into Abyss Worms, then herd them. These bottom-tier creatures of the demonic biological chain would instinctively devour the soul fragments within the corpses of their dead kin, thereby continuously advancing. Those red demon eggs contained soul fragments sufficient to support the consciousness of a Lesser Demon. And the soul fragments of dozens or hundreds of Lesser Demons could fuse into a complete soul sufficient to support the mind of a mid-rank demon. In this process of mutual devouring and plundering, demons would become ferocious and cruel, becoming the best soldiers for Abyss Lords when attacking other worlds.
This was the cycle and order of the Abyss. Plunder others, or die.
—Of course.
Herder Anson thought this, a restless discontent stirring within the insect demon's heart—a complete soul fused from fragments, no matter what, could never compare to a complete soul filled with resentment and anger obtained through trade or other means. Those souls were the raw materials for Abyss Lords to transform into Greater Demons like Flame Demons. A mere herding insect demon like itself, no matter how trusted by its lord, could never know those steps.
If it could know the secrets... then perhaps, it too could become a lord.
And just as the insect demon's heart churned with the characteristic demonic thoughts of betrayal and rebellion, a violent roar, like an exploding volcano, suddenly rang out in its soul.
"Anson!"
This voice was so piercing, and the power within it so heavy, that the insect demon instantly fell to its six limbs, waiting quietly for the voice's owner, its lord—a Corrosion Demon with the potential of a Sovereign rank—to issue further instructions.
—Could it be that my previous embezzlement of some demon eggs has been discovered? The simple mind of the insect demon had few twists and turns. This thought was immediately sensed by the Greater Demon Carlo. But surprisingly, the Corrosion Demon Lord, known for its brutality and cruelty, did not punish its subordinate. Instead, it continued issuing orders with its violent roar: "Leave that acid lake quickly! Abandon that batch of demon eggs! Leave now!"
Anson was stunned for a moment.
A specialized herding insect demon could increase the hatching rate of most worms by half. This was a tremendous asset for any Demon Lord. Even if they embezzled some demon eggs, as long as it wasn't too excessive, most lords wouldn't impose life-threatening punishments. At most, they would tear off part of their soul and make them spit out what they had taken. But this time, the lack of punishment still felt incredible to the insect demon. It knew exactly how stingy and petty its lord was. Of course, incredible or not, it immediately stood up, followed the order, abandoned the eggs, and quickly burrowed into the ground. Its specialized exoskeletal limbs and sharp body structure allowed it to dig and move rapidly underground. In an instant, it had already burrowed a hundred meters deep, and the entrance was covered by soil.
Any demon could be unskilled in combat or lack intelligence, but they must be good at escaping and hiding. Those who weren't good at these two things had long been chewed up as snacks by other Greater Demons during their Lesser Demon stage. The insect demon's instant hundred-meter digging skill was considered top-tier even among the various races of the Multiverse. It had used this to escape countless pursuits.
Not long after, the earth trembled.
Looking down from the black sky of the Sea of Molten Fire Prison, one could see a huge smoke column rising and moving rapidly at the edge of the Black Sea Great Plains. All the abyssal beasts and monsters along the way scattered in panic. These cunning and cruel monsters would even try to bite a dragon if they encountered one, but now they fled like dogs with their tails between their legs.
Boom, boom, boom!
With rapid footsteps, one could already see what creature was moving before the huge dust cloud. But strangely, the first thing to come into view was a humanoid Flame Demon about five meters tall.
Judging by the size of this Flame Demon's body, one could tell its strength had reached the peak of a Greater Demon, equivalent to the Ultimate Realm in the mortal world. Its entire body spewed flames over a thousand degrees, enough to melt steel and vaporize rock. But now it was running rapidly, its flames pressed forward by the wind, trailing behind it, creating a long tail of fire.
It looked terrible. No Flame Demon would ever run like this on the ground. They usually lived in Abyss volcanoes or high-temperature, toxic hot springs, absorbing natural forces to grow. They rarely needed to hunt, only going to other regions when approaching advancement and needing new supporting bones.
What could make a Greater Demon-level Flame Demon run so frantically? Not far away, many wild Lesser Demons or mid-rank demons wandering the plains wondered this as they fled.
Then, the question was answered—behind this Flame Demon, within the huge smoke column, a massive figure emerged from the dust, revealing its huge and ferocious body.
Golden-red, like magma, like molten steel dragon pupils. Huge horns held high, seemingly piercing the sky. Ink-black, crystal-like carapaces layered like scales covering its body. Red elemental fire mist coiled around its bone-spiked wings and limbs, causing each of its steps to bring about terrifying explosions, sending dust and smoke rolling up into the sky.
A powerful Black Dragon. On its chest was a string of golden crystal nuclei, shining with a light like the sun. Its very existence raised the already sweltering Abyss temperature by at least thirty degrees.
The Black Dragon followed behind the Flame Demon. Its speed could easily surpass the Flame Demon at any time, but it obediently followed, not daring to overtake. The fire elements surrounding the Black Dragon and the Flame Demon's tail flame resonated with each other, igniting large patches of the ground, which was already rich in acid and various combustible materials, spreading like a flame nova.
Deep underground, the herding insect demon Anson nervously curled up. Its six limbs coiled in front of its chest, forming a ball. The herding demon's thick mental power, strong enough to simultaneously control hundreds of thousands of Abyss Worms, cautiously extended out to observe the outside situation.
It saw the fleeing Flame Demon, which immediately startled the insect demon. This unfamiliar Flame Demon's strength was no less than that of its Corrosion Demon Lord. Moreover, in terms of rank alone, the Blazing Flame Demon, an incarnation of fire and poison, was far superior to the Corrosion Demon, which was composed of high-concentration acid. The former even completely countered the latter. A Corrosion Demon, when facing a Flame Demon without a flesh-and-blood body, could only exert one-tenth of its full strength.
No wonder the lord told me to hide quickly. It thought silently. A newly arrived Flame Demon could definitely break the balance of Demon Lords on the Black Sea Plains. Especially since the lord of this layer of the Abyss had already led its core army to invade the outside world. No one would come to mediate at this time. The result would inevitably be the death of one of the original Demon Lords of the Black Sea, with its territory inherited by the Flame Demon, or they would join forces to kill this foreign intruder.
But then, a ferocious Black Dragon made its brain temporarily stop thinking.
—A Demonic Blood Black Dragon? One of those Five-Colored Dragon Demons that recently settled in the Abyss? Is it chasing that Flame Demon?
No. Although this Black Dragon was also powerful, it was far inferior to that large Flame Demon. The size difference meant little to a Flame Demon. And this didn't look like a chase, but rather... like guiding?
Guiding for whom?
The herding insect demon instinctively looked up, wanting to continue using its externalized mental power to sense this strange combination. But for some reason, Anson stared straight at the head of the Black Dragon.
Between the Black Dragon's horns stood a figure clad in black, ferocious full-body armor. It held no reins, needing none, standing straight in the wind, letting the three-hundred-kilometer-per-hour gale batter its armor.
That black figure seemed to sense someone spying on it. It slightly lowered its head, looking toward the underground where the herding insect demon was.
And underground, Anson's entire body stiffened, its ferocious limbs trembling uncontrollably.
Thousands of voices echoed in its ears, like thousands of undead wailing. In that instant, the demon seemed to see a pair of scarlet eyes.
Then.
Darkness spread.
And in the distance.
In the center of an underground fortress on the Black Sea Great Plains, a huge humanoid demon, its entire body rolling with churning black bubbles, looking like a black water elemental, slumped in its gray stone throne, letting out a painful roar. Countless sound-wave-storing bubbles rose from its core, bringing out intense wails that made one cover their ears.
About five minutes later, this powerful demon slowly sat up from its seat. The stone chair beneath it had been completely corroded by its uncontrollable body earlier. After a moment of silence, it muttered to itself: "Anson is dead..."
"What exactly happened? How did it die? Where did that intense mental shock before its death come from... I've never heard of Flame Demons having the talent for mental shock."
A demon's fear only lasts for a short moment. Soon, an uncontrollable desire for destruction ignited in the heart of the Great Corrosion Demon. Its precious herder was dead, a loss equivalent to losing an arm. It roared, swinging its hands composed of high-concentration acid, wantonly destroying the structures in the hall. After a long time, when it calmed down slightly, it called out to several trembling mid-rank demons outside the pitted hall, issuing orders in a cold tone as if frozen by severe frost.
"Muster my army." It said. "Notify the other lords in the vicinity. That Flame Demon is far too dangerous."
"Before we fight among ourselves, we eliminate the outsider."
With the order, demon armies belonging to it began to slowly assemble. Soon after, the armies of other Demon Lords also began to march, moving toward the northeast of the Black Sea Great Plains.
That was the direction the Flame Demon and the Black Dragon were moving.
Meanwhile, Joshua, who had only glanced out of slight curiosity earlier, had already dismissed the trivial matter of being spied on. He didn't care about being watched at all; rather, his high-profile actions were precisely intended to attract attention.
Many people, when entering the Abyss, think they must be cautious, cautious, and even more cautious, striving to conceal their identity from others and demons.
This is indeed correct. If one were to have a long adventure in the Abyss, even Joshua would do the same. After all, fighting all the way through is too tiring and boring, and it doesn't allow one to enjoy the thrill of adventure.
But now, it was different. What he wanted to do was simply to see the current situation in the Abyss and, incidentally, find the two missing Legendary Archmages. At this time, there was no need for a low profile.
Standing on the Black Dragon, Joshua watched the scenery on both sides fly by. As his mount raced at high speed, he couldn't help but reveal a wild smile characteristic of a joyrider. The man recalled some experiences related to joyriding from long ago. But unlike his previous life, now, he had an entire vast Abyss plain to race across at will.
The logic of being high-profile was simple. The higher the profile, the more attention from demons. Powerful demons would challenge him; weak demons would avoid him. Before the Great Lord of this Abyss layer made a move, his reputation would definitely spread throughout the entire Abyss. In this way, the two Legendary Archmages hidden in this layer of the Abyss would naturally know that he had arrived and that their disappearance had caused such trouble.
If a Legendary-rank Demon Lord or Abyss Lord were to make a move, then fight—Joshua would welcome it. If surrounded, he held the Book of Ibown, able to teleport back at any time. At worst, he could come and go a few more times. After all, the power consumed by teleportation came from this Abyss grimoire; he could waste it freely.
"Black."
Thinking this, Joshua patted the dragon horn beside him. He said, "Spray some fire, like fireworks. Make it as conspicuous as possible."
"Roar!" A low dragon roar. Black immediately understood its master's intention. While wildly galloping, the giant dragon paused for a moment, then spat a ball of blazing golden flame into the sky. The warrior casually pointed, and this ball of flame formed a huge, conspicuous emblem on the black-and-red mixed cloud canopy of the Sea of Molten Fire Prison.
A strong arm holding a sword, bound by chains.
That was the Sword-Hand Crest, the emblem of the Radcliffe Family. It shimmered in the sky, proclaiming its existence like a sun.
Just like its master.