Rhode leaned back on the sofa leisurely, gazing at the glass of red wine in his hand.
He shifted his gaze out the window, but there was nobody. Desolate Town had turned into a ghost town with the bustling streets emptied. Devils roaming in every corner were also nowhere to be seen anymore. The place became incredibly silent despite the occasional sound of wind. Rhode turned to Lesa who sat on her knees behind him. Upon detecting his gaze, she nodded firmly. Then, he shifted his gaze forward.
“Let’s do it, Cassidy.”
“Y-Yes, I got it, Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing Rhode’s voice, Cassidy, who kept a distance away from him, shrunk her shoulders instinctively and nodded as though responding to a bully’s threat. She raised and extended her right hand to the void in front of her and her expression changed abruptly. The flustered expression of the timid hamster vanished entirely, only to be replaced by calmness and dignity. At this moment, Cassidy showcased her power and prestige as a Deity Warden.
At a glance, nothing seemed to have changed. The earth didn’t shatter, there weren’t any huge explosions, and there also weren’t any strong lighting effects as though nothing had happened. But if one were to step out of this house, raise one’s head to gaze at the sky, one would be stunned to realize the transformations: the messy, chaotic sky that resembled red dough was slowly turning normal. The uneven colors merged into one gradually as though someone were evening out the colors of the heavily-inked sky. Shortly after, the cloudy, vexing sky cleared up. The tempest and sand gradually subsided. Even though ordinary people couldn’t see it, they could feel the chaotic world undergoing a change. Chaos dispersed under the pure radiance of the sun and was slowly replaced by omnipresent Order. One made way for the other as the world transformed inadvertently.
Seems to work great.
Sensing the conversion of the strength of Order, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Apart from his main motive, he came here to also witness if Cassidy’s capability was as useful as the other Deity Wardens stated. In fact, he had a doubt for a long time: how powerful were the Deity Wardens and why were they defeated by Chaos? Actually, the answers to these questions were simple. The strength of Deity Wardens was established on the foundation of Order. Once Order was destroyed, their strength declined and in addition to Chaos’s specialty, the ‘human-wave attack’, the Deity Wardens couldn’t resist them.
All in all, the Deity Wardens were somewhat ‘meek and civil in public, but tyrants at home’. They couldn’t last long after getting out of the land of Order.
But this way, there was another problem. Just as Rhode thought, the Dragon Soul Continent couldn’t possibly resist Chaos for too long and was eventually destroyed by it. On the contrary, if the six Deity Wardens were only ‘meek and civil in public, but tyrants at home’, they would be entirely doomed once Chaos arrived and the Dragon Soul Continent would perish. There were no two ways about that. However, Deity Wardens supported the continent for years and it eventually collapsed. So, how did they do that? There was only one answer: Cassidy.
Just as Rhode expected, among the six Deity Wardens, only Christie and Cassidy could stand against Chaos by themselves. One could create Order, while the other could convert Chaos into Order. It could also be said that whenever they got into a war with Chaos, Cassidy was the first to cast her ‘power of contrast’ to convert all Chaos into Order to control the battle situation, before the remaining Deity Wardens joined in the fight. Based on this fact, Christie and Cassidy could be considered on the same level as the Creator Dragons. But their strength wasn’t as powerful and was limited too… especially when Christie’s strength came from the first Void Dragon.
And this time, the reason why Rhode brought Cassidy along was for him to personally check out if this Contrast Deity Warden was strong enough for a battle against Chaos. After all, if he wanted to transport the entire continent to a new world, Chaos surely wouldn’t let him off that easily. When that happened, they would get into a brawl with Chaos. And now, Rhode was starting his preparations as the endless flow of Chaos wasn’t a joke at all. If he weren’t prepared and Chaos launched their attack, everything would be for naught. That was why the battle against Chaos was most certainly confirmed, so he had to get ready beforehand. It was just like how he knew the war against the Country of Darkness was inevitable and prepared much earlier.
Now it seemed like Cassidy’s abilities were indeed interesting. Rhode sensed the presence of Chaos instantly disappearing. It was like two sides of a coin, flipping to one side after someone tossed it over and instantly changing the current result. With her abilities, they would have an advantage over Chaos and the war would be more relaxing. Of course, there was also a limit to the relaxation…
Screech.
But now, Rhode wasn’t concerned about this problem because the tightly-locked door opened gradually all of a sudden. The view outside the door which should have been the streets was pitch-black for some unknown reason. Rhode felt a coldness that went straight into his bone marrow like the iceberg of a thousand years. At the next moment, a domineering figure walked out from the door.
“What awesome work, Your Majesty Rhode.”
“I didn’t expect you to come, Asmodeus.”
Rhode gazed at the man and adjusted his posture on the soft sofa casually. Asmodeus smiled and revealed his white teeth in response, before glancing at the surroundings and shifting his gaze to Lesa and Cassidy, who stood around Rhode. As Asmodeus scanned them from head to toe, Lesa didn’t move an inch. She continued to stand silently behind Rhode. On the other hand, Cassidy narrowed her eyes and looked at the man gloomily. In the face of Asmodeus, this Deity Warden didn’t seem to have any symptoms of ‘male-phobia’ at all.
“It involves our agreement, so how can I possibly not come, Your Majesty? Besides, I also made a vow on the River Styx and of course, you would be in a tight spot if I’m not here, right?”
What a load of crap.
Rhode sneered at Asmodeus’s words. Back then, Rhode agreed to only wipe out the devil-filled Desolate Town and wasn’t responsible for its aftermath. It could also be said that he could leave right away after cleaning up Desolate Town and there would be no consequences for him. Of course, he didn’t forget about the language trap: if he only cleaned up Desolate Town, he wouldn’t achieve the effect of the oath. The clash between Order and Chaos was naturally calculated, which was why he had gotten Cassidy to clean up part of it, which involved converting Chaos into Order. To demons, it was definitely essential and fortunately, there was more or less some presence of Order in this highest floor of Bottomless Abyss, so it wasn’t tough to clean things up. On the other hand, Asmodeus apparently realized this point, which was perhaps why he came here.
“Alright then. Since you’re here, does this mean that the agreement between us has been reached?”
“Of course, Your Majesty Rhode.”
Asmodeus revealed an elegant smile to Rhode’s question. The former sauntered to the window, gazed amusingly at the scenery outside, and nodded in satisfaction. Then, he continued: “Frankly, I’m astonished. I thought that even with your gracious help, it wouldn’t be easy occupying Desolate Town. I was even prepared to fix up the place right after, but I didn’t expect you to give me such a huge surprise, Your Majesty.”
Indeed, just as Asmodeus said, there weren’t any traces of battle or damage in Desolate Town at all. Apart from the entrance bombarded by Lesa, everything else was in normal condition. But the only difference was that there was no one left. Be it humans who lived here, devils, or other creatures, they were nowhere to be seen. It seemed like instead of saying that Rhode cleaned up the place, it was more like an evacuation… it was impossible to say that there were no issues in this place. But it exceeded Asmodeus’s expectations. He scanned Desolate Town with his dark, pitch-black eyes, before turning around to look at Rhode.
“I, in the name of Asmodeus, hereby confirm that my agreement with the Void Dragon, His Majesty Rhode, has been achieved.”
Asmodeus said, elegantly bowing to Rhode.
“It is my turn to fulfill my obligations this time, Your Majesty Rhode. Don’t worry, I will do it according to plan and ensure that your plan is successful until completion.”
“Alright then, we shall take our leave now.”
After receiving Asmodeus’s answer, Rhode let out a snort and replied. Upon witnessing his response, Asmodeus displayed an odd smile and said, “Of course, Your Majesty. But if it is possible, could you stay for a while? There will be an upcoming performance and I guarantee you’ll like it a lot. Yes… perhaps you’re already aware, but I have to say that you’ve helped us a ton.”
Asmodeus said and bowed respectfully to Rhode once again. Then, he turned around and left the room. The door closed shut and the deep, oppressing darkness vanished, returning everything to normal. But the atmosphere was apparently different.
“I don’t like him.”
Cassidy muttered under her breath, gazing in the direction where Asmodeus left from. It was apparent that she wasn’t satisfied with this demon lord. On the other hand, Rhode narrowed his eyes and gazed outside the window, his eyes glinting with a mysterious smile.
“It seems like we have visitors.”
***
“Right there!”
Gazing at Desolate Town ahead, Andre’s eyes glinted with unprecedented excitement and vengeance. As of now, he was no longer as high-spirited. After following Rhode’s group all the way into the Bottomless Abyss and Rift Plain, he was covered in dust and filthy mud from head to toe. He had also become thin like a demon-like presence in hell.
Through Cheryl’s aura guidance, he followed them all day and finally arrived at this place. The thought of sinking Rhode’s group into this place of eternal evil made him shiver in excitement.
This should be how it ends for that executioner! He only deserves to suffer in agony in this sinister place!
“You know what to do, right, Andre?”
At this moment, Andre heard a soothing and alluring voice that sent a shiver down his spine. The angelic voice sounded like soft, melodious music to his ears, causing him to fall into an unprecedented blissfulness. But shortly after, he returned to his senses and nodded with strength.
“Of course, as long as I create a space crack when they are about to leave, I can seal them inside the endless space crack forever and they can never leave, right?”
“Yes. That’s the way, my boy.”
After hearing Andre’s response, the succubus chuckled and extended her fair, slender hand to caress his cheek gently, as though touching and pulling his heartstrings. But shortly after, Andre pulled a long face and struck her hand away. Then, he gazed at the smiley succubus and spoke coldly.
“I know what to do.”
“Oh? I’ll leave it to you in that case.
The succubus wasn’t mindful of Andre’s rudeness at all. She chortled, took two steps back, and turned around to leave. At this moment, Andre turned over, retrieved a whistle-like object from his pocket, and put it between his lips. Then, he gave it a hard blow. Even though there wasn’t any sound, the faint magical radiance emanating from the whistle-like object proved that it was working. Shortly after, a slender figure gradually appeared.
“Andre?”
Cheryl gazed at the man speechlessly, with complicated emotions. Of course, she knew why he was here. But now, she felt like Andre had made a huge mistake. She understood his feelings, but felt like this wasn’t beneficial to them. Besides, for some unknown reason, she felt like there were some hidden conspiracies involved.
“They’re right ahead, right, Cheryl?”
“Yes…”
Cheryl nodded to his question. Then, she hesitated for a few moments and said, “His Majesty Rhode is currently in Desolate Town, but the situation there is… really strange. Andre, I feel like… this is too risky. Are you sure we’re going to do this?”
Cheryl didn’t mention what Rhode did in Desolate Town earlier. In fact, after personally witnessing the strength of Rhode’s group, she felt like Andre’s idea was terrible. There was an instant when Cheryl almost gave up on the plan. But in the end, after receiving Andre’s signal, she sneaked away from the rest and met up with him. It wasn’t because she trusted this plan, but because she was deeply in love with this man.
“Of course.”
Upon hearing Cheryl’s question, Andre nodded in excitement. He reached out for a piece of clear crystal from his pocket.
“Do you know what this is, Cheryl? It’s a Space Crystal! I’ve been waiting for this moment and they’re finally in the abyss! This is a land of Chaos and it is hard for the strength of space to function properly. As long as I activate this Space Crystal while they aren’t paying attention, I can shatter the space, as well as the space barrier that they’re in altogether! After that happens, they will plunge into the depth of Bottomless Abyss and can never climb back up! Even if he’s a dragon soul heir, he shall be devoured by the countless devils!”
“But… this…”
As a spell caster, Cheryl understood the functions of a Space Crystal. Of course, she felt the strength of space from the crystal. However, she was worried because shattering space wasn’t easy, especially in the face of powerful beings. If Andre wanted to shatter space, he needed more strength and despite that, it might not even succeed. If not, there would be no need for mages in the Dragon Soul Continent to learn magic spells because wouldn’t they be the most powerful beings if they focused on gaining strength in destroying space? And now…
“Hurry up, this is the best time to activate the crystal while they’re in Desolate Town, Cheryl! Quick, this is the time for us to strike. As long as we complete this mission, we can return to the main plane. Isn’t that what you wished for?”
“I…”
Cheryl accepted the crystal from Andre hesitantly. After a few moments of hesitation, she didn’t activate the crystal immediately as Andre anticipated. No matter what, this was something that the demons handed to them. Cheryl found it hard to believe that no traps were involved. Come to think of it, Rhode had a powerful demon (Celestina) around him and those demons still dared to attack Rhode? If so, why would the demons choose Andre and herself for the job? Were demons so reasonable in general?
At this thought, Cheryl spoke with a heavy heart.
“Andre, we’re better off abandoning this plan and seeking help from His Majesty Rhode instead. He said that he would bring me back to the main plane and it seems to me that he isn’t one who fusses over minor matters. If you’re willing…”
Smack!
Out of her expectations, Cheryl found herself on the ground; when she returned to her senses, her cheek was burning in pain. The young elf lady gazed speechlessly at Andre, who had a malevolent and twisted expression. Andre’s complexion turned grim and was filled with anger.
“What nonsense! I will never bow down to that man! I would rather work with demons than that man! Since you’re unwilling, let me do it!”
Andre snatched the crystal from Cheryl and raised it high in the air.
“Andre, no!!!”
Cheryl was distraught. She pounced on him quickly to stop him, but it was too late.
The crystal erupted a dazzling radiance of space and shortly after, golden rune threads emerged, intertwining above Desolate Town to form a massive, spinning spatial gate. Looking at this scene, Andre revealed an exhilarating smile.
“This is it! Die!”
However, the spatial collapse that he anticipated didn’t happen. Instead, the radiance turned increasingly glaring. Andre sensed the crystal exploding with a powerful force of suction that began to fanatically extract and devour his spiritual power! Then, the powerful energy erupted to the surroundings. The defenseless Cheryl was struck by it and she became unconscious.
“Ahhhhh!!”
Andre let out a blood-curdling scream. His body could be seen aging and shriveling rapidly. His spiritual powers were fading away from his body as though they were devoured by some presence. At the same time, the spatial gate spun quickly and demon forces emerged one by one!
“We’ve met again, human. You’ve done a good job!”
A demon with scarlet skin appeared before Andre. He laughed heartily, lifted his head, and looked down upon this shriveled human. Andre couldn’t hang on any longer. His spiritual powers were completely wiped out from the earlier teleportation. The only thing he could do now was to widen his eyes and stare at the demon unconvincingly.
“Y-You tricked us!”
“I didn’t trick you, human! If this is the abyss where Chaos resides, the crystal can indeed shatter space! But this place is a land of Order! I recall clearly telling you the crystal can only work in a land of Chaos. On a land of Order, it will only unleash its rightful power!”
“How is that possible… t-this is the abyss!”
Gnashing his teeth, Andre could never imagine himself making such a mistake. He stared at the demon unwillingly. But to the demon, this human had no more purpose to him.
“I represent the army in thanking you. Without you, it wouldn’t have been this easy getting through the River Styx and devil army. But it’s a pity that there’s no purpose in our agreement anymore! Since you can’t fulfill our agreement, it means that you voided it! According to our agreement, your soul shall belong to us!”
“T-That isn’t how it is. You can’t do that. This is a conspiracy! A trap!”
Andre struggled, but at the next moment his body was punctured by a flaming spear.
“Your soul is filled with vengeance, Human. I will adore your soul a lot.”
Gazing at the flaming spear in the totally shriveled human, the demon revealed a proud grin. Then, he turned to the side.
“And you, merchant! Our collaboration is a huge success! I’m satisfied!”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Stefania strolled out from the side with a smile and approached the unconscious Cheryl. She scanned her, before bending over and carrying the young elf lady.
“Alright then, as per agreement, I’m accepting my reward. Sir Commander, I hope to work with you again in the future.”
“Done?”
Standing and waiting outside Desolate Town, Rhode asked, gazing at Stefania who carried the young elf lady in her arms. The latter said with a smile.
“Of course, Your Majesty. It is all thanks to your generosity. No matter what, I don’t wish for this adorable young lady to be sacrificed to those ugly and filthy men.”
“It doesn’t matter to me. Since you want her as the commission for hiring the ferryman for us to get through the River Styx, you can have her.”
Rhode spoke, sweeping a glance at the demons who exited the teleportation gate and were taking over Desolate Town in an orderly manner. Perhaps after some time, Desolate Town would be the front line for the demon army, but this had nothing to do with Rhode at all.
“Alright, let’s head back,” he said.
