Chapter 238 —Intermission— Hell Lords of Tenebrous Slade?
(POV: Akashic Records)
2 days ago...
Upon her arrival at the path of demons known as Tenebrous Slade, Abaddon, a woman with short white hair, red eyes, and a matching red scarf and black dress, stepped through a portal.
She found herself standing outside the grand estate of the Immortal Demon King, Dendrossa.
Contrary to her title, Dendrossa was, in fact, a woman who had lived for countless years and faced death multiple times, yet possessed the power to forcefully reincarnate herself.
It was this unique skill that granted her the title of "immortal."
Being a Demon King didn't automatically grant one immortality, but rather a longevity that surpassed normal beings.
A normal demon could live about 500 years.
A High demon, 900. A Great demon, 1900. A Supreme Demon, 3500.
The true essence of immortality lay in the possession of specific biological or skill-related traits.
And for Dendrossa, her immortality resembled the experience of respawning in a first-person shooter game, each time she met her demise.
Her Apex Skill was 『God of Respawn: Vageroth』.
The Tenebrous Slade, an area abundant with lush grass and overgrown vines, hosted an abundance of plant life. Monstrous vegetation loomed, yet remained seemingly dormant in the presence of the Supreme Demons, often referred to as Hell Lords or Archdemons.
As Abaddon made her way through the dense foliage, she was greeted by a woman adorned in a white kimono, black hair cascading around her, and red horns protruding from her forehead—the Hell Lord Senesica.
"There you are, Hell Lord Abaddon," Senesica called out.
The two women locked eyes, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
They were both Supreme/Arch demons.
Because of this, they couldn't be referred to as Demon Lords as the Laws of the World wouldn't allow it.
Anyone could become a "Demon Lord" provided they had the energy points and demonic underlings to prove it.
If a very powerful demon served under you, you would ultimately become a demon lord.
If it was basic demon, then you'd basically be anyone with a demon for a servant.
An Archdemon was stronger than any demon lord, because of that they couldn't be given a title that would place them on the same level as a demon lord.
So they were referred to as Hell Lords.
Beings more astronomically more powerful than Demon Lords but weaker than Demon Kings.
And although this was not always the case, the Laws of the World would say otherwise.
In this world servitude meant everything.
Power solely depended on how much people you have serving under you.
If a host of gods, angels, or any other celestial beings served you, you'd ultimately become a God because the Laws of the World saw it fit.
Of course, there was the contradiction— [Skill Trade].
If you didn't have enough points to go around, you'd die.
This was what narrowed the hierarchy of power only to the strongest.
The strong kept getting strong, and while the weak weren't getting weaker, the strong made it seem like they were.
"Ah, Senesica, Queen of Darkness," Abaddon greeted with a slight bow, her voice rich and melodic.
Senesica gracefully closed the distance between them, her kimono gliding along the ground as she moved.
"I received word of your visit."
"It seemed important enough for me to come and relay the news personally," Abaddon replied.
Senesica's lips curled into a coy smile.
"I see, I'm intrigued already," she replied. "But first, let's walk to the castle," she suggested.
With effortless motion of her wrist, darkness twisted and coalesced into a bridge beneath their feet, stretching out for miles, seamlessly traversing the entire expanse of Dendrossa's estate.
As they made their way across the bridge, Abaddon's expression turned serious. "I must admit, I'm not in the mood for a leisurely chat with our dear Dendrossa," she confessed.
"Oh?" Senesica uttered.
"If she happens to learn of my arrival, I would much prefer her to make her way to the Blue World herself."
Lumiere occasionally referred to his own scope of reality as everything, and then after meeting All-Father, he referred to it as the mortal realm.
But in truth, its actual name was the Blue World.
While the places like the Abyss (8th layer), Abyssal Heights (4th layer), Tenebrous Slade (7th layer), could all be summarized to be one of the 10 layers of Hell.
Each layer was infinite in nature, and Hell itself was the collective infinity.
Infinity was the limitless concept without end, the layers.
A collective infinity is a concept that challenges the notion of infinite. It is a type of infinity that contradicts and diminishes the infinite nature of traditional infinity. It can be described as an infinity that reaches the end of another set of infinity. While many believe that infinity has no end, a collective infinity serves as the existing non-existent end of both existing and non-existent infinities.
Senesica arched both eyebrows, intrigued by Abaddon's words.
"Now, you've really piqued my curiosity. What could possibly be so urgent?" she inquired.
Abaddon's crimson eyes gleamed slightly.
"I came across a Curse King," she revealed with a smile. "One whom I suspect also possesses demon lord heritage, or perhaps even higher."
"Oh, which one?" Senesica asked.
Abaddon gently shook her head. "Not the ones we know of."
"So you're suggesting another Curse King entirely?"
Senesica's laughter echoed through the ethereal air, her amusement evident. "That's so funny, Lady Abaddon," she chuckled, finding the notion of a Curse King with such lineage highly improbable.
That aside, you'd barely come across a Curse King now.
Very few people had what it took to undergo the ritual to become a Curse King.
That aside, very few people had the power to break the curses laid by the Curse Kings— given how powerful they were.
The only other way to become one was to have one of them serve under you while also having enough points to survive the pact.
But of course, that was also impossible.
Why?
The Curse Kings were savages. Powerful beings who could cause Tier 0 level chaos by a simple whisper from their mouth.
Lumiere could collapse realities and even the entirety of the cosmological framework of "everything" via [Consuming Void].
This was because of his existence as a Curse King.
But he was inexperienced as one.
Individuals like Balrog, the fire demon. Also, the most powerful Curse King who was a Demonic Curse King (A Curse King that is also a Demon King) could burn the entire world by a simple curse from his tongue.
But he was defeated by Rivka, the Ancestral Binder.
Which would explain why Ignatius had stated that Rivka was the perfect fit for any Curse King.
She descended from the great lineage of Spirit Kings.
A woman that had sealed three Curse Kings all on her own.
Abaddon's expression turned resolute as she spoke to Senesica.
"I assure you, Senesica, this isn't a matter to be taken lightly," she stated firmly. "I'm one hundred percent certain of who this fellow is."
Curiosity mixed with skepticism danced in Senesica's eyes as she met Abaddon's gaze.
"And how did you come by this information?"
Abaddon sighed softly, her brow furrowing slightly.
"My [World Acuity] easily breached his [Status Modification], allowing me to gain insight into his abilities," she explained. "However, something peculiar happened. As I tried to read his mana, my readings were distorted, as if there was interference."
Which made sense due to Lumiere's mana scrambling bracelet.
One would think he had a very average mana level.
Senesica gently stroked her chin, deep in thought.
"You're saying that your [World Acuity] failed to fully read him?" she surmised. "That's impossible. It never fails to provide a complete understanding of anything within existence unless..."
Abaddon nodded solemnly. "...he's been touched by the gods," she completed.
Senesica's intense seriousness quickly dissipated, replaced by a light chuckle. "Well, Abaddon, it seems you've presented quite the mystery," she remarked playfully. "And here I thought you had all the answers. I suppose I don't know anything, then."
Abaddon sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes at Senesica's jest.
With a gentle yet firm grasp, she turned Senesica to face her and spoke with a serious tone.
"Regardless of the uncertainties, we should prepared," she emphasized. "Dendrossa should meet with this Curse King soon. It seems this one hasn't been scouted by other Curse Kings."
Senesica shrugged nonchalantly. "It makes sense. The Ancestral Binder has forced most Curse Kings into hiding," she stated matter-of-factly.
"Well, I'll take my leave now.."
With those words, Abaddon vanished.
Senesica yawned and her blue eyes shifted to the left.
"You're there aren't you..."
A huge, muscular figure emerged from the dense forests.
"Tapas, the Unruly," Senesica called out his name with a smile.
"It seems there'll be some fun to be had soon," the red-skinned demon spoke.
Senesica slotted her hands into the large sleeves of her kimono.
"Indeed," her only words.
In the isle of demons, one man has become the center of attention.
Lumiere Del Silva.
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