Chapter 965: Chapter 158: He Walks Alone in Silence, He Looks a Mess
The demon spread its wings, baring its fangs, its grim face terrifying enough to make even the bravest warrior cry, the shadow cast by its wings like looming dark clouds, as the ever-burning Hellfire scorched along its spine.
Facing the intruders, it roared loudly:
“Foolish intruders, how dare you trespass upon the land of the great, mighty, and most renowned lord of Hell, Bahar Waggert. You shall be reduced to ashes along with the gate behind you that allows your escape!”
Ophelia suddenly erupted with heat, the gaps in her body glowing dark red, like a flame demon from hell flowing with magma.
“I…cannot…feel it, it…is…very…powerful!”
Ophelia, guarding Lu Li, stood ready.
“Or perhaps it doesn’t exist at all.”
Lu Li walked out from behind Ophelia, approached the “roaring” “lord” beside “Bahar Waggert,” and reached out to press his back.
Thunk ——
The low growl abruptly ceased as if by a trigger.
Deprived of its roar, Bahar Waggert was just a perpetually burning, motionless, lifelike statue.
It stood before the Gates of Hell, oppressively overlooking, almost merging with the cave. If an ignorant being stepped in unknowingly, they might indeed be driven back through the Gates of Hell by its growls.
“Why…”
Ophelia’s aura no longer intensified.
Lu Li recognized “Bahar Waggert” because of an oil painting that hung on the academy wall of what once was Anna’s family estate in Himfast, titled “The Valkyrie and Bahar Waggert.”
It was a famous painting; replicas and statues could be seen in Himfast.
“The significance…is?”
“A means to deal with intruders,” Lu Li said.
The radio needed recharging, Hades might still be alive.
However, they had to overcome Hades’ other trials —
Ophelia restrained her aura, for Puxiu, who was about to faint from the heat, would be roasted.
Entering the deep cavern behind Bahar Waggert, they stepped into a dim cave where their footsteps echoed.
“Did you deal with that sentry crawler?”
“Do you feel disdain, thinking it’s nothing?”
“Have you not realized what kind of enemy you’re facing?”
Whispers echoed from all directions.
But assuming Hades was the one behind the scenes, familiar shadows seemed to emerge from the whispers.
“That was merely insignificant, the first challenge…you still have to face hundreds of foes and hundreds of trials, each becoming increasingly difficult…after death, your soul will belong to hell, not your world, nor your divinity.”
“Regret still in time…”
The voice couldn’t determine a direction, nor could a radio be found. Lu Li and Ophelia ignored the whispers and continued forward. Just in case, Lu Li didn’t stray too far from Ophelia.
The cavern was larger than expected; before this, the area surrounding the Gates of Hell was just a cramped space requiring one to duck to move.
This was a significant project, and Hades alone could hardly accomplish it, not even in twenty-four years.
Was there a change, or was Hades not alone?
Yet the second challenge was the last one completed—they simply walked out through an unfilled passageway of the unfinished third challenge.
Before leaving, Lu Li noticed the inverted pentagram mark on the back of his hand. It hadn’t heated or glowed upon returning to hell.
This was good news. The demon who left the mark was unaware of his arrival for some reason.
Red and yellow were the eternal hues of hell.
Barrenness and heat, another class.
It seemed a fortress was being constructed here.
The fortress was taking shape, with circular walls enclosing a hundred-meter diameter empty space. Empty, without even a single building in the vacant area.
At this moment, a dozen Inferior Demons were excavating rocks and moving stone blocks outside the walls. Collars were around their necks, and restraining devices were on their faces, from afar appearing like protruding muzzles.
Nearby, in the center of the clearing, lay a figure lazily under a sun umbrella chair, basking in the hellish heat and sulfurous air.
Not only was Hades not assimilated by hell, on the contrary, he thrived here.
Better than most people on the surface.
“Hades.”
Lu Li’s voice was carried away by the sulfurous hot wind.
The figure under the umbrella chair awoke in a start, looked around in confusion, then excitedly knocked over a low table and strode over.
Ophelia expected to see a reunion of old friends, but only complaints and grumbling came their way from afar.
“Damn bastard, I’ve escaped to hell, and you still won’t leave my wealth alone. Just let me know what my vault is missing—No, no, no, no, no! Impossible!”
As Hades got closer, he discovered Lu Li’s still youthful and handsome face and cried out in pain.
“I’ve lived in hell for over twenty years, and there’s no change on the surface!”
Lu Li calmly replied, “Twenty-four years have passed on the surface, my unchanged appearance is due to another matter.”
“That’s not important!”
Surrounded by dust, Hades rushed in front of Lu Li, glaring with bloodshot eyes: “Did you bring money!”
When Lu Li took out a 10 shilling note, Puxiu snatched it and blissfully pressed it against his nose.
“Oh…the delicious scent of money…I feel invigorated…give me more!”
“Puxiu is being tracked by a bunch of heretics, we need to temporarily stash him here.”
Lu Li ignored Puxiu’s greed.
Ophelia responded by lifting the unconscious Puxiu.
“A sticky, wet little monstrosity…you always deal with these creatures, huh?”
Puxiu gave Lu Li a familiar, ostentatious smile revealing gilded teeth.
“Accommodation is thirty shillings a day, food is extra.”
“Agreed.”
“Pay first!”
Lu Li gave him enough shillings for Puxiu to stay a month, indicating for Ophelia to put down Puxiu, and continued to say: “His consciousness is unstable, don’t take it lightly.”
“You’ve reminded me, add another ten shillings.”
Hades raised a finger and ran back to fetch a similar muzzle to the Inferior Demon ones, fastening it onto Puxiu.
His last bit of threat was gone.
“We’ll return in a few days.”
After arranging Puxiu, Lu Li prepared to leave hell.
“Leaving? In such a hurry?”
The gaunt, unkempt, mad old-man-like Hades was stunned.
Despite the crude talk about money, he was indeed happy about Lu Li’s arrival.
“There’s still work to do.”
They had many questions for each other.
But Lu Li couldn’t stay there too long. If the Heretics came looking, they’d be trapped in hell.
“Alright…1053 shillings, the extra goes toward the little guy’s nutritious meal, seeing him so scrawny, how pitiful…”
Amidst Hades’ incessant talk about money, Lu Li’s short stay in hell came to an end, returning to the surface, transforming summer into winter.
“Hell…seems…better…than…our…world.”
Ophelia remelted the darkened magma, sealing the basement.
In time, the cooled magma would once again hide the Gates of Hell.
“Because it hasn’t been invaded by anomalies.”
Waiting for Ophelia to finish, Lu Li lifted the oil lamp and ascended the steps.
The symbols on the steps shone briefly under the lamp’s glow.
Lu Li saw them, the mark of the Shadow Church.
Had they been here?
And…why?