210 Space
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"Long time no see, kid. You're as grown-up as ever."
"..."
Adam looked at Casanova with surprise; he seemed a bit peculiar. Casanova's face was relaxed, but his tone hinted at scheming.
The familiar carefree and attractive smile vanished from his face, and the aura shifted for the worse. Memories flashed in Adam's mind of the time he and Alexander (the skeleton) watched memories together.
"You must have heard by now," Casanova asked, approaching Adam and slowly patting his shoulder. He leaned in and whispered, "About the emergence of Hell."
"You... have a connection to the outside world?" Adam asked in astonishment.
"Hehe..."
"..."
Previously, Adam perceived Casanova as a being inside him, not someone real, able to move and sense the external world. However, Casanova knew about Hell's emergence, and there was no doubt he was a demon, judging by his appearance.
"Don't be so surprised. I'm just older and more experienced than you, so I felt Hell's emergence much faster than you. Soon, you'll feel where it is too."
"I'll feel it?"
"Yes, my friend, you'll feel it. You're not just a new-generation demon. Your blood traces back to ancient times when we lived in Hell," explained Casanova, chuckling, and turned away from Adam. His body started to disappear, but before completely vanishing, he said, "You shouldn't meddle there. Hell has changed too much; I don't want you to die."
"What—"
Before Adam could finish, Casanova vanished as he gradually began to wake up.
---
Crash.
Early in the morning, a loud crash resounded, followed by several consecutive explosions. Adam's bedroom was a mess; his bed and other furniture were split into two.
He stood in the middle of the room with a grim expression, a vein bulging on his forehead. Fortunately, there was no one nearby as his aura erupted, covering the bedroom in a poisonous film.
"Damn! Damn! Damn!"
Casanova's words carried a particular weight. If he spoke of Hell undergoing significant changes, there was a high chance of an extremely hazardous environment. Amarantha might simply not survive.
He clenched his teeth, kicked a chair that flew into the wall and shattered. Annoyed, he snorted, turning away, gradually regaining control over his aura and dispelling the poison that had started to corrode the barriers.
"Darn, this irritates me. The situation is getting out of control. One layer of mystery unfolds, revealing a second layer, and beneath the second layer, a third layer?" he grumbled with irritation, sighing, regulating his breathing. In a series of inhales and exhales, he began to calm down.
Approaching a chair, Adam sat and sighed. He worried about Amarantha, but in this situation, when he had his own problems, there was nothing he could do. All he could do was hope she would return unharmed.
After two hours, he returned to work. Fortunately, in the city of Sedyon, no more monsters or portals appeared, and there were no strange occurrences. He ordered the guards to rest in groups, and most of them returned home to relax. They were rewarded with over 700 Gold Dragon Stones, while families of the deceased were promised support until their deaths.
Unfortunately, after a recount, five deaths were identified. Most died due to an unknown infection. Doctors couldn't pinpoint the origin of the infection but found traces of magic. Adam was deeply troubled as it was unclear how the infection was transmitted.
The bodies had to be cremated, despite many issues with their families who wanted dignified burials. After lengthy negotiations, they reluctantly agreed to the difficult decision and gave the green light.
***
Lighting a cigarette, Adam looked at the city, appearing deserted. Due to the demon attack, a state of emergency was declared, and residents were locked in their homes.
"...the city looks so pitiful. I always wanted the lights to shine here," he thought and sighed, gazing at the sky. His eyes narrowed, "I need to quickly study the ancient formation and thus seal off the entire city. It requires creating a special system using magic, but it will be challenging."
He contemplated creating a dome covering the entire city, acting as both protection and limiting the use of magic. The system was necessary to create a whitelist—those permitted to use magic. The project was costly, intricate, and required thorough research. Unfortunately, even ancient formations didn't offer such fine-tuned customization capabilities, so they hadn't managed to create such protection.
If they had, portals couldn't activate, rendering the threat null. Sedyon would have gained a reputation as the most secure city, attracting more attention and investors. "What a horror. The emergence of Hell and demons with their portals severely disrupts the barely preserved world. Action must be taken, or we'll face unpleasant consequences."
Morning news reported hundreds and thousands of casualties in Avalonia. Despite tight security in the capital and major cities, villages and small towns suffered greatly. Many innocent lives were lost, and the financial damage alone exceeded 5000 Gold Dragon Stones.
Portals still appeared in some places, and demons terrorized cities. This morning, Adam received a letter from his brother Lucius.
[Long time no see, Adam. I'll get straight to the point. Due to recent events, the Chaos Empire faces many suspicions and no fewer accusations. I received a letter from our mother, saying she's going on an expedition to Hell.
I hope you'll be vigilant. It's challenging for me to allocate time and soldiers right now, but as soon as I handle the situation in the Empire, I'll send you assistance.
Please, don't die.]
Honestly, Adam was touched by such a letter. Lucius had cared for him since childhood, swiftly eliminating anyone who could harm Adam. His concern surpassed all, and Adam had no intention of breaking their bond. After all, brotherly relations were the strongest.
Returning to his office, he picked up a pen and an envelope with paper, starting to write a response.
[Brother Lucius, I received your letter and would like to thank you for caring so much about me. Don't worry, for now, I can handle the invaders. Take care of the Empire; under your leadership, the demons can stay afloat. Don't succumb to external criticism and do what you think is right. I'll send you assistance in the form of a hundred boxes of enchanted swords. Please be vigilant; these demons might have the ability to curse or spread infection. See you.]
Finishing the letter, he sighed and stood up, looking out the window.
"What?!"
Before his eyes unfolded a scene of horror. The sky turned blood-red, and countless portals replaced the clouds.
***
The world we exist in has a spherical shape. This conclusion was reached by practitioners when they rose above the clouds and discovered the vast cosmos. However, this cosmos was vastly different from what you might know. Instead of planets, there were planes hidden in space.
And the only way to enter another world is to find the entrance to the plane, but even this is an extremely difficult task. And... Hell, in its current state, was a plane that was hard to find an entrance to, and if you did find it, breaking through the barriers would be very difficult.
Hundreds of thousands and millions of kilometers away from their homeland, Veronica and other high-class practitioners were on a mission. They stood in front of a crack from which red liquid flowed.
"Yes, indeed. This is Hell," confirmed Veronica, frowning. She turned to two unknown silhouettes and said, "But even I can't enter. Something is blocking me."
"Hmm..."
Veronica tried once again to direct her magical energy inside, but...
Boom!
An explosion occurred, throwing back several practitioners. Veronica just clicked her tongue, looking dissatisfied.
"Yeah, horror. We found the entrance but can't get in. These bastards know how to give us dumb tasks..."
"Veronica! Watch your language!" reprimanded one of the mysterious silhouettes.
"Why did you say that, you dumb bitch! Is kissing the gods' asses the only thing you're good at?" retorted Veronica.
"..."
These two didn't say anything else to her. And though Amarantha, Elizabeth, and Sierra didn't say anything, it was clear they also agreed. Gods, in the mortal's perception, might be super beings, but for them, they were just one level above. The only reason they couldn't complain was that the gods had control over their world, and killing them would result in the destruction of everything.
And the gods gave orders. While some supported and obeyed them, there were others like Veronica. And they were the majority.
Who likes to be subservient and always listen to someone whose faces you don't see? Of all the gods, the Goddess of Light was the most active, and her control over the other gods was unquestionable.
"I won't waste my time figuring out the entry method myself. Hell disappeared by the will of the Demon King, and even if it reappeared, I haven't received orders from him," said Veronica and began to walk away, ignoring everyone.
"Veronica! Stop!"
Despite their attempts to stop her, the woman still left. Among the practitioners, silence fell.
***
Veronica snorted when she noticed others attempting to break into Hell. She just shook her head and sighed, pulling out a locket with a depiction of a young Adam.
"How I miss you..." she murmured in a tender, caring voice.
"So, here you are. You even wear a locket with his image... I should do the same," a female voice echoed behind her.
Turning around, Veronica saw Amarantha, who was smiling at her cheerfully.
"Amarantha..."
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