Chapter 153
Realms third and up were the territories of the devils. And devils were high-level demons who had managed to survive on these floors for a long time. Starting from the devil-class demons, there was a tremendous difference in levels. And above a certain level, they were considered commander-class devils.
On the forty-ninth floor, the challengers aimed to capture a commander-class devil. If one knew their characteristics, catching some commander-class devils was relatively easy. However, there also existed some unbelievably strong commander-class devils.
And Lee Shin was in search of one such strong devil. But even that was just a means to achieve his real goal.
‘All the steps I took so far have been stepping stones for this moment.’
Finally, Lee Shin was in the third realm. This realm had a much darker atmosphere than the first and the second realms. However, it was more prosperous than them. He could see the city of devils on the other side of this desolate road.
"Are you a kid? Let go of me," Vuela shook off Zephyr, who had been clinging to his collar.
"Huh? Why are you here? Why did you follow us? You said you didn't want to come to the third realm earlier," Alice said, looking at Zephyr.
Zephyr scratched his head awkwardly in response to Alice's question.
"Well... Don't you need a guide? I came along to guide you!" Zephyr chuckled and replied.
"Yeah, right. How would someone from the second realm know where to go?" Alice did not believe him.
"Hahaha! Actually… I have briefly stayed in the third realm,” Zephyr replied.
"Seriously?" Alice asked to confirm.
"Yes, well... Just briefly. I was dragged here by a devil. I ran errands, and luckily, when that devil died, I found the gate to the second realm and returned," Zephyr explained.
"And you came back alive again? You're quite an extraordinary fellow," Alice said.
Alice stared at Zephyr.
"So, that's how you became one of the Four Great Masters in that realm! You devoured demon power while staying in the third realm,” Alice added.
"Huh? Yeah. Hahaha…” Zephyr laughed awkwardly.
"Hmm... But, there's no guarantee that you'll go back alive this time," said Alice.
"Hahaha, I've become this strong thanks to all of you. So, as a way of repaying the favor—"
"Shut up. Did you think I wouldn't see through your intentions?" Alice interrupted Zephyr and glared at him.
Alice abruptly grabbed Zephyr’s chin and locked eyes with him.
"We are pretty strong, aren’t we? You just wanna use us to absorb more demon power from here, right?" Alice said directly.
"Is that so?" Vuela glared at him.
"No, it's not that!" Zephyr tried to defend himself.
"Well, your eyes tell a different story. They're filled with greed. Do you think we're fools?" Alice yelled at Zephyr again.
"Well, that's not… I mean… I'm sorry! Yes, it's all true, but I'm sure I can help all of you!" Zephyr replied.
Lee Shin had been observing the situation but approached Zephyr after hearing that. Zephyr started to step back in fear when he saw his stern expression.
"Stop moving." Lee Shin ordered.
"Y-yes, Sir!" Zephyr replied.
"You said you’ve done errands around the third realm before. If so, do you know where Sayr's subordinate is?" Lee Shin asked.
"Do you mean Mr. S-Sayr? Why are you looking for him?" The mere mention of that made Zephyr nervous
"Cut the nonsense and answer!" Alice said and hit the back of Zephyr’s head.
"Ouch! W-well... I may not know the devil under Sayr's command, but I know the devil under Amduscias' command," Zephyr replied.
"Hmm... Is that true?" Lee Shin asked.
"Yes! Yes, of course!” Zephyr replied confidently.
Lee Shin pursed his lips and fell deep in thought.
Sayr occupied the seventieth throne among the seventy-two thrones of the Great Devils. And Amduscias held the sixty-seventh throne. Considering the relatively small difference between their ranks, Lee Shin believed that there was a good chance they would have information about each other.
Finding a commander-class devil like Sayr in the vast third realm quickly would be a challenging task. However, if he could get that information from Amduscias, it might significantly shorten the time needed.
"All right. I'll allow you to come with us," said Lee Shin.
"Thank you! I will serve you faithfully!" Zephyr replied with excitement.
"You’ll serve me faithfully? How can I trust those words?" Lee Shin asked with a smile.
"Huh?" Zephyr’s voice trembled, sensing something sinister in Lee Shin’s sly smile.
"There are various methods to establish trust between individuals, but among them, only one is the most reliable.," said Lee Shin.
"Umm... What is it?" Zephyr asked.
"It's a contract," Lee Shin replied.
Lee Shin took out a contract from his Subspace Pocket and unfurled it in the air.
"Oh... Do we really need to go that far?" Zephyr asked, trembling.
"Well, if you don't want to, you don't have to," Lee Shin replied.
"Really? Do you mean it?” Zephyr asked for confirmation.
"Yes. But then we'll part ways here." Lee Shin added on.
Lee Shin’s solemn attitude made Zephyr think about this seriously. He knew that if he made a mistake, he could end up in eternal servitude. The last time he had been dragged here, the contract was at least a faulty one.
If the demon who took him had not died, Zephyr would have been a slave to that demon for his entire life.
"Then... Will you spare my life even if I don’t go with you?" Zephyr asked.
"Yes," Lee Shin replied.
"Hey! You can’t let him go like this!" Alice shouted, unable to trust the demon.
"I won’t cause any trouble then! Goodbye to all of you,” Zephyr said.
Zephyr tried to leave the scene fast before Lee Shin changed his mind. However, his panic grew as he felt the ground tremble beneath him.
"Good luck on your new journey… That’s if you can escape from those guys," Lee Shin said with a smirk.
In the far distance, a cloud of dust rose rapidly, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps. Dozens of shadows soon emerged, rapidly closing in on their location.
"Huh? What is that?!" Zephyr started to panic.
The group approaching them was riding gigantic wolves. And the one leading them was swinging a massive machete over his head.
"That one looks terribly grotesque," Vuela commented.
"He’s a commander-class devil,” Lee Shin replied.
"Did you just say a c-commander-class devil?” Vuela stuttered.
The enemies were rapidly closing in. Considering Zephyr’s speed, he couldn't escape from them and would eventually have to confront the enemies.
"I-I'll make a contract! I’ll make it now!" Zephyr started to tremble.
"Didn’t you say you don’t want to do that earlier?” Lee Shin asked.
"When did I say that? I'll do it! Please let me make a contract with you!" Zephyr quickly dropped to his knees and begged Lee Shin.
Satisfied with this sight, Lee Shin smiled and swiftly proceeded with the contract. Faced with the approaching enemies and realizing that Lee Shin and his group were his only hope, Zephyr, driven by desperation, hastily signed the contract without thoroughly reading its contents.
‘Darn it! I shouldn’t have followed them! These humans are far worse than demons!’
Zephyr regretted making that decision and fell into despair. He had made the wrong decision in the heat of the moment after devouring a lot of demon power.
"All right. We have established a strong trust bond now," Lee Shin said.
"Understood..." Zephyr replied.
Leaving behind a gloomy Zephyr, Lee Shin stepped forward.
"Who wants to deal with the opponent?” Lee Shin asked, looking at Vuela and Alice.
Vuela stepped forward and said, "I'll do it."
Vuela swiftly drew his sword and infused it with mana. The sword smoothly moved through the air, targeting the source of the blossoming demon power afar.
[Roaring Sword]
The wave that the Roaring Sword released felt strange, as it had been shot by an Elf, a creature known for peace and harmony. The destructive waves of the blade surged toward the approaching enemies.
"Krararararak!"
However, the immense demon power emanating from the commander-class devil clashed fiercely with the power of the Roaring Sword.
Bababam—!
The synergy of the enemies charging toward Lee Shin’s group was quite outstanding. Although Vuela’s Roaring Sword managed to somewhat disrupt the enemies’ formation, it fell short of completely decimating them.
"Hmm… They’re better than I expected," Vuela muttered.
Slightly annoyed, Vuela was about to rush toward the enemies. However, Lee Shin, standing beside him, stopped him from doing so.
"Stop! You deal with that guy instead. It's foolish to confront them head-on.” Lee Shin immediately wrapped mana around his hand and struck the ground.
Rumble—!
The ground trembled violently as if an earthquake had occurred. And a powerful explosion erupted amid the enemy ranks, sending debris and corpses flying everywhere.
"Kieek!"
"The ground is exploding!"
"Aaaah! My legs! My legs are broken!"
"Come back! Come back everyone!”
The enemy formation broke instantly, and the enemy camp fell into chaos. Souls of the dead began to appear among them.
Geugh—
Next, creaking Skeletons awoke with a roar.
"Kreukruk! You arrogant bastards...!" shouted the devil.
The enraged devil, who had wanted to crush the intruders trespassing in his territory, gritted its teeth in frustration. After all, they had somehow ended up on the receiving end of the attack instead.
"I'll kill you all!" the demon shouted.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each swing of the commander-class demon’s machete smashed the skulls of numerous skeletons.
"Why don’t you pick on someone your own size? Come and face me!" Vuela shouted.
"You fearless weakling!" shouted the commander-class devil.
Vuela and the commander-class devil clashed. Lee Shin summoned his undead to stop anyone from interfering with their fight. Alice and Zephyr also helped him by dealing with other devils.
"Kyahahaha! These guys are so weak! They’re weaker than I thought! Behold, I’m Zephyr, a future commander-class devil!” Zephyr said, laughing arrogantly. He had thrust his claw into a demon’s abdomen, making it fall off its wolf.
"Hey! You bastard!" Alice shouted.
Slap—!
.
"Kyaaah! Why did you hit me?" Zephyr stared at Alice.
"If you have the time to talk nonsense, kill one more enemy. Understand, you idiot?”
Alice, who had recently developed a swearing habit, had hit Zephyr on the back of his head in frustration.
"There he is! Get him!" Alice shouted.
"Huh? But that one looks so strong,” Zephyr muttered.
A devil was rushing toward them, and anyone could tell that it was powerful at a glance.
‘Darn it! Weren’t they supposed to protect me once I entered into a contract with them?’
Zephyr had managed to defeat his last opponent easily by striking its head while it had been busy with a Skeleton. He had hoped to avoid a direct confrontation with the devils, but it seemed he couldn't escape the situation now.
"Hey, bastard! Come get me! I'm strong too!” Zephyr shouted.
He then spread his newly formed wings and flew, swooping from above and attacking with his sharp claws.
"Huh?" Zephyr seemed surprised.
He had expected the devil to block his claws, but they had easily pierced through the enemy’s demon power and stabbed its shoulder.
"It’s actually not that bad,” Zephyr muttered.
"How dare you speak so rudely!" The devil grabbed Zephyr by the leg and slammed him onto the ground.
Thud!
"Keough...!" Zephyr gasped.
"You stupid fool, prepare to die," said the devil.
"You punk, you’re better than I expected!" Zephyr shouted.
The battle raged for a while; ultimately, the group of commander-class devils was defeated.
"Damn it... How can I lose to people I've never even seen before?!” said the demons whose head Vuela was using as a footrest.
"Do you serve a lord?" Lee Shin asked the devil.
"No... I don't..." the devil replied.
"Sounds about right. I also didn’t find any marks on him," said Vuela, looking at Lee Shin.
The Great Devils of the seventy-two thrones had their own symbols. The devils here would have had a symbol on them if they had been under them.
"Well then, goodbye," said Vuela.
With that, Vuela’s sword beheaded the devil. After spending some time gazing in the air, he returned his sword to its sheath.
"You can move on first," Lee Shin said, looking at Vuela.
"No, I'll at least follow you inside the third realm," Vuela replied.
"Me too! Me too," Alice said.
"All right. Thank you," Lee Shin replied.
Capturing a commander-class devil meant they had already cleared the stage. However, Vuela decided to stay longer with Lee Shin to assist him and accumulate more achievements while following him.
"You seem a little tired," said Lee Shin, looking at Vuela.
"No! Not at all. I'm not tired," Vuela replied.
Despite his heavy breathing, Vuela denied the notion. The spectrum of power exhibited by commander-class devils in the third realm was incredibly vast, and Lee Shin believed that the devil they had just battled was one of the stronger ones within that category.
'If Alice had faced him, she probably would have lost.'
Among the commander-class devils, there were some that even Vuela could not defeat. They might be few, but the third realm was undeniably a dangerous place. If he were to fall into a trap or be attacked by multiple opponents, even Vuela could end up dying.
"Hee Hee Hee Hee!"
An abrupt and strange laughter from somewhere caught everyone’s attention.
"Hehehe! Hik!" Zephyr giggled, absorbing the demon power of the collapsed devils.
After he absorbed all the demon power of the enemy devils, even of the commander-class devil, he became incredibly strong, far stronger than his past self.
‘At this rate, I’ll soon reach a commander-class devil, won’t I?’
Although Zephyr would barely reach that class, it was still rare to see such a rapid increase in strength in such a short time.
"Woohoo…! My power is overflowing!" Zephyr shouted as he could not control the overflowing demon power.
"Zephyr, quiet down," Lee Shin said.
Lee Shin's words abruptly silenced Zephyr, leaving him wide-eyed with surprise as he stared at Lee Shin.
"Uh... Ugh...!" Zephyr could not talk anymore.
"What do we do next?" Alice asked Lee Shin.
"Since this guy knows a subordinate of Amduscias, let's find him first," Lee Shin replied.
"So, are we going to enter the city over there?” Alice asked.
Lee Shin nodded.
"If we can't gather information there, we'll have to go somewhere else, though," said Lee Shin.
***
Two weeks had passed since Lee Shin and his group arrived in the third realm. After making their way through three cities, they finally met the subordinate of Amduscias, the devil Zephyr knew.
"Oh my! Mr. Cinnamon! It's me, Zephyr!" Zephyr greeted him.
Inside a large room, Cinnamon looked down at a kneeling Zephyr arrogantly.
"Oh... I've heard about you from somewhere. You must be the one who was under Makgurang before, right?” Cinnamon said, looking at Zephyr.
"Yes, that’s right! I hope you've been well," said Zephyr.
"Get to the point," said Cinnamon.
"Yes, yes, all right," Zephyr muttered.
Zephyr trembled uncontrollably when he felt Cinnamon's oppressive aura, which seemed to bear down on him. Despite his considerable increase in strength, he was no match for Cinnamon.
"Well... Do you happen to know where Gregeron is?" Zephyr asked Cinnamon very cautiously.
Crack—!
Cinnamon's face contorted into a demonic visage, his features twisted with rage, and he crushed his chair's armrest.
"So… You came all the way here just to ask me about Gregeron’s whereabouts, you bastard?” Cinnamon shouted in anger.
"Oh, goodness! I wouldn't do that! Please, just listen to me."
The sound of teeth gritting echoed near Zephyr’s bowed head, but no other actions followed.
"Say it," said Cinnamon.
‘What's up with this ill-tempered bastard today?’
After judging the situation, Zephyr even considered running away, but surprisingly, Cinnamon patiently waited for him today.
"Some humans have come with me. They have a deep grudge against Gregeron—I mean, that bastard. And those humans are quite powerful. If they find out his location, they might be able to kill Gregeron, whom you despise so much, Mr. Cinnamon," Zephyr explained.
"Do you really think mere humans can kill Gregeron?" Cinnamon asked Zephyr.
"I've been with them for a few days. And they're really strong. Of course! While they may not be on the same level as you, Mr. Cinnamon, they can certainly weaken Gregeron if they can't kill him outright! If you take advantage of that opportunity and attack Gregero—Keugh!" Zephyr could not continue.
Cinnamon, towering over Zephyr with his larger stature, grabbed his head and lifted him.
"Are you giving me orders now?" Cinnamon shouted.
"N-No... No, Sir!" Zephyr shivered in terror.
"By the way, you've become unbelievably stronger than before," Cinnamon commented, looking at Zephyr.
Greed started to flicker in Cinnamon's eyes.
"I've heard rumors recently that a few humans have been hunting down devils and making a name for themselves... Are those the ones you mentioned?" Cinnamon asked Zephyr.
"Y-yes, they are the ones…” Zephyr replied.
"So, you sucked up the demon power of the devils they defeated, clinging onto them?” Cinnamon accused Zephyr.
"Well... T-t-that's... Ugh!" Zephyr muttered.
Cinnamon threw Zephyr aside and sat back down.
"Bring those human bastards to me," Cinnamon ordered.
After hearing those words, Zephyr could finally smile.
"Well then… Are you saying that you'll tell them what you know?" Zephyr asked.
"Kieek, it's been a while since I had some decent slave bastards. If they want to meet Gregeron so badly, I’ll play with them for a while and then toss them to him later,” Cinnamon said with an evil laugh.
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