【A SERVANT’S DILEMMA】

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“Where are those bastards? Tell me! Where did all those bastards run off to?!”

Deep inside the Labyrinth Dungeon, Azazel sat upon his throne, his expression contorted with fury as he glared down at the demon he had just summoned from the Abyss.

Beneath Azazel’s oppressive gaze, the unfortunate demon could do nothing but trembled as it lowered its head, not daring to meet his gaze.

“Seven million troops!” Azazel roared, his voice echoing through the palace’s hall. “A full seven million demonic forces! Even if I have been summoning my subordinates somewhat more frequently these days, my dominion still contains countless Abyssal Mother Nests and roaming wild demons. With so many sources of replenishment, how could their numbers possibly fall this low?!”

Azazel clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in rage.

With him sealed within this Labyrinth Dungeon, Azazel was effectively cut off from the outside world. Thus, he could not transmit commands, nor could he directly coordinate with his subordinates stationed in the First Layer of Hell.

The only thing he could still do was summon demons from the Abyss itself and interrogate them about the ongoing situation unfolding in Hell.

Because of this, when the war between the gods and demons erupted and the true number of demonic forces remaining in the First Layer of Hell was revealed, Azazel was completely stunned by what he learned.

The size of his army had become pitifully small!

Azazel had always understood that repeatedly summoning demons here in Seigües would inevitably drain the number of troops remaining in his dominion.

Such losses were unavoidable…

However, according to the calculations he had made, the overall deficit should have remained manageable. Even after considering casualties and the demons he had personally summoned, the shortage should not have exceeded a few hundred thousand at most.

That was the number he had expected.

Yet the reality was far more alarming.

To Azazel’s utter disbelief, nearly two thirds of his entire demonic army had simply vanished.

In a sudden burst of rage, Azazel lunged forward and seized the summoned demon by the collar, lifting the creature effortlessly into the air.

“Tell me,” he said in a voice so cold that it seemed to freeze the air itself. “Where did everyone go? If you cannot give me a satisfactory answer, then forget about ever having a moment of rest again.”

The demon had only just been dragged from the Abyss moments ago and had yet to fully comprehend the situation it had been summoned into.

Nevertheless, the overwhelming killing intent radiating from Azazel was unmistakable.

“L-Lord Azazel…”

The creature swallowed hard, its throat dry as it struggled to speak.

“All… all the demons you summoned… none of them have returned back in Hell.”

Its voice trembled more violently with every word.

“Moreover… those several Demon Kings you summoned who once left behind their soul flames in Hell have their flames extinguished and perished completely.”

Azazel’s grip tightened slightly.

The demon hurriedly continued.

“Some demons even reported that before those flames went out, the soul flames of certain Demon Kings began trembling violently, as though they had encountered something unimaginably terrifying…”

“And… and as you know, my lord… there are very few things left in existence that can truly frighten us demons…”

The demon hesitated for a moment before forcing itself to continue.

“So… rumors gradually began spreading throughout the First Layer. Many began to believe that… that you intended to restore your strength as quickly as possible by devouring the power of your own subordinates…”

“That after summoning them… you cruelly torture and consume anyone who answers your call…”

“Because of this… many of your followers have grown terrified of being summoned by you, my lord. So in order to avoid that fate, many have fled to various subsidiary realms and hidden themselves there…”

“And without Demon Kings remaining to gather new soldiers or command the lesser demons… the Abyssal army of the First Layer have naturally continued to shrink under your repeated summoning…”

The demon’s voice finally faded into silence.

Azazel: “…”

“These cowardly weaklings! Useless trash! Bastards!”

“If they were so afraid of answering my summons, could they not have captured a few wild demons from the other layers and sacrificed them to me instead?!”

“Hah! Torture?” Azazel sneered, his eyes burning with fury. “Torture of all things! Those imbeciles are afraid of being tortured by me? Do they even know what kind of torture I have been enduring all this time?!”

“While I was being treated like a fool here by those long-eared lunatics, where were those bastards, huh?! Where were they?! They were feasting and enjoying themselves in Hell!”

Azazel roared in fury.

As he spoke, a trembling demon servant hurriedly approached and presented him with a large, freshly cut melon on a golden platter. Without even glancing at it, Azazel snatched the fruit and bit into it viciously, devouring nearly half of it in a single mouthful.

“Not sweet enough! You useless wretch! Go bring me sweeter ones!”

He turned and bellowed at the servant as the latter scrambled out of the palace in terror.

Watching the servant flee while listening to Azazel’s furious tirade, the newly summoned demon hanging in midair could not help feeling somewhat wronged.

“My lord… y-you never said that kidnapping demons from other layers as replacements for your summons was also acceptable…”

The demon then cautiously glanced around at the magnificent palace surrounding them and inwardly grumbled, “And besides… you seem to be living quite comfortably here…”

Of course, the last sentence remained a quiet mutter and it did not dare say it aloud.

“What do you know!” Azazel snapped immediately, as though he could sense the demon’s unspoken thoughts. “If I could send messages outside, would I still be trapped here like this, huh?!”

“I would have long since informed those Heavenly Gods that the damned old wench Yggdrasill has already revived! Let them tear each other apart like rabid dogs for all I care!”

Azazel spat the words out bitterly.

His expression was full of frustration and resentment.

However, when Azazel noticed the demon’s cautious yet unmistakably envious gaze wandering across the lavish palace, his mood seemed to lighten slightly.

“Well? Do you like it?”

Azazel suddenly asked, a faint smile appearing on his face.

The demon froze.

For a moment it did not know how to respond. Its instincts screamed that any answer could be dangerous.

“I… I do like it, my lord… ah, no, actually I don’t like it after all…”

Halfway through the sentence, the demon hurriedly shook its head in panic, its horns nearly knocking against Azazel’s arm.

Everyone in Hell knew one thing very clearly.

The Seventh Demon Lord, Azazel, despised it when others coveted his possessions. Whether it was territory, treasures, or even servants, he viewed such desires as a form of disrespect.

Yet, to the demon’s surprise, Azazel did not grow angry.

Instead, he gave the trembling creature a long, meaningful glance.

Slowly, a playful yet chilling smile spread across his lips.

“No hurry,” Azazel said lightly. “You will have one of your own very soon.”

The words were spoken so casually that the demon could not tell whether they were a promise or a threat.

Before it could even react, Azazel casually waved his hand as a faint surge of abyssal power spread through the hall. In the next instant, the bewildered demon was forcibly teleported away, sent directly to the residence that had been prepared for it as a newly appointed subordinate.

The vast hall quickly fell silent once more.

As soon as the new subordinate had been dispatched to its assigned position, the smile on Azazel’s face gradually faded.

The playful expression disappeared as if it had never existed.

In its place appeared a deep, heavy look of concern.

“The war between gods and demons…”

Azazel sighed quietly.

The Abyss contained countless demons.

The forces he had conscripted into his personal army represented only a fraction of the endless hordes scattered throughout Hell’s many layers.

However, that portion was the true main force capable of resisting the gods’ legions of Einherjars.

Now that the strength of this main army had been greatly reduced, the remaining disorganized rabble would likely find it difficult to gather enough strength to repel the invading forces.

In the end, his dominion, the First Layer, would most likely be conquered piece by piece.

Although Azazel did not believe that the gods could truly conquer the entirety of the First Layer, nor that they could reach the place where he had hidden the core origin of the layer…

What the gods could not accomplish, the Sixth Demon Lord, Beelzebub, who excelled at exploiting the misfortune of others, might very well achieve.

The mere thought of it made Azazel’s expression darken.

He and Beelzebub had clashed countless times in the past.

Although Azazel had repeatedly defeated this longtime rival of his, he knew all too well what kind of creature the Sixth Demon Lord was.

Beelzebub was patient. Cunning. And most importantly, he was shameless when it came to profiting from the downfall of others.

If chaos engulfed the First Layer and Azazel’s forces continued to weaken, Beelzebub would undoubtedly seize the opportunity without hesitation.

That bastard would definitely plunder his remaining armies, absorb his scattered subordinates, and perhaps even secretly search for the location of the First Layer’s core origin.

The more Azazel thought about it, the more uneasy he became.

If the core origin of the First Layer were truly discovered by Beelzebub, then his fate would be little different from death.

—Death.

At the thought of that word, a strange and unfamiliar fear slowly surfaced in Azazel’s heart.

For a Demon Lord who could resurrect endlessly after death, it had been an emotion he had not experienced for an unimaginably long time.

Normally, even if a Demon Lord’s body were destroyed, their soul could eventually reform back in Hell as long as their core origin of their respective layer remained intact.

But if that core origin were seized or destroyed…

Then even a Demon Lord like him would cease to exist.

Azazel slowly leaned back against his throne, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest as his thoughts churned restlessly.

“Could it be… could it be that I truly must reveal the location of my core origin to Yggdrasill and completely become a prisoner at her mercy, subject to life or death at her whim?”

The words left his mouth in a low murmur.

His entire face was filled with deeply conflicted expression.

༺⟐༻

Abyss, The Dark World, Wasteland of Desolation.

Endless hordes of demons surged forward like a black tide, battering against a city wall forged from compacted earth and stone. They clambered relentlessly across its surface, locked in fierce combat with the majestically armored elves who held their ground atop the ramparts.

A golden barrier, like a massive dome, enveloped and protected the irregular circular wall.

Upon closer inspection, one would discover that within this outer ring wall stood additional layers of circular fortifications, forming ring after ring of dark gray defensive lines.

At the very heart of these defenses rose a hastily constructed makeshift temple, enshrining a holy statue of a Goddess whose presence radiated quiet authority.

Behind it, a dimensional portal spun endlessly, its faint, gentle glow pulsing like the heartbeat of the structure itself.

From this portal, waves of new elves would occasionally leapt forth, their strides energetic and purposeful as they joined the fray, reinforcing the frontline with disciplined precision.

The temple and its surrounding walls were the work of the players, but their construction followed an unconventional strategy.

Rather than beginning at the outer perimeter, they advanced outward from the interior, layering defenses step by step. With earth magic as their instrument, they expanded the walls, building new fortifications while gradually enlarging the territory under their control.

Seen from above, the walls spread in perfect concentric circles.

This methodical expansion had been orchestrated by Evé.

Her true goal was not to have the players conquer the Wasteland of Desolation entirely. Instead, she sought to secure a region suitable for where her true body could descend and ascend to the rank of a Higher Divine Power.

Once that ascension was achieved, the trajectory of the entire war would be irrevocably altered.

Time and space within this dark world were distorted, with the flow of time running five times faster than in the world of Seigües.

Therefore, it had already been one month since the players entered the Abyss—according to Abyssal time—and the siege by the demon armies had lasted for more than a week.

Along the outermost wall, the deafening sounds of slaughter rose and fell without cease. Brilliant spells erupted across the battlefield, and the entire stretch of the wall had become a brutal war zone.

Although the number of demons far exceeded that of the elven forces, the walls themselves were of limited length, and so the holy barrier offered strong protection.

Hence, no matter how fiercely the demons attacked, they were unable to advance even a single step.

The elves atop the walls seemed almost inexhaustible and whenever one fell, a new one would quickly arrived from the rear to take their place, and each wave appeared stronger than the last.

Of course, the elves too have suffered heavy casualties.

However, the losses on the demon side were even more staggering.

Yet the endless black tide stretched beyond the horizon.

For the demon army, which numbered in the millions and surrounded the walls on all sides, even large numbers of fallen demons were little more than an insignificant figure.

High above in the sky, dark clouds churned as lightning flashed brilliantly.

From time to time, golden radiance and dark energy spread through the clouds, and occasionally a divine arrow of power could be seen streaking across the sky.

Resounding dragon roars and furious howls echoed faintly through the heavens, each one stirring the clouds into violently swirling vortices.

That was the battlefield of the mythical-rank beings.

At last, accompanied by a cry of pain, a figure shrouded entirely in black smoke fell from the clouds.

Clutching the place where his arm had been severed at the shoulder, he cast a deep glance toward the sky before fleeing into the distance.

Following his retreat, two more Abyssal myths fell from the clouds one after another and fled toward the horizon.

A faint horn sounded from the rear of the demon army.

Receiving the signal, the endless black tide began to slowly withdraw.

What remained behind were countless discarded pieces of armor and weapons.

The elves atop the walls erupted in cheers, then eagerly leapt down from the ramparts, scrambling to seize the scattered equipment across the battlefield.

They paid no attention to whether the items were damaged or heavily contaminated.

Gradually, the clouds in the sky settled, and the lightning returned to a steady rhythm.

Accompanied by a proud, resonant roar, a massive golden dragon broke through the clouds and descended to the ground.

Descending alongside the dragon was demigod Aurora, her entire body enveloped in holy light.

In her hand she held a divine longsword, while an elven divine bow rested across her back, looking dashing and heroic.

Only after returning to the ground did she regain her usual gentle demeanor.

Glancing at the Chosen Ones happily scavenging the loot outside the battlefield, Aurora’s expression had lost its initial astonishment.

Clearly by now she had already grown accustomed to such sights.

However, if she were to find out the eventual destination of these damaged equipment gathered by the Chosen Ones, then perhaps she might not remain so calm.

Nevertheless, she clearly had no time to concern herself with such matters at the moment.

After locating Archdruid Li Mu, who bore the responsibility of commanding the Chosen Ones, Aurora instructed him to continue expanding the city walls outward during the temporary lull brought by the demons’ retreat.

Once her instructions were delivered, she turned and made her way directly to the makeshift temple at the center of the base.

As she passed by the Chosen Ones kneeling before the goddess’s statue, Aurora slipped into a secluded temporary side chamber. The chamber was almost empty, save for a single figure clad in black skirted armor, standing silently by the window and watching the elves outside.

It was Zero.

Aurora’s expression shifted as she approached, becoming solemn, reverent, and earnest all at once. She bent slightly forward, performing a formal salute.

“Your Divine Grace, the demons have retreated.”

Evé, currently disguised as Zero, lifted her gaze and offered a gentle nod.

Unlike Alice, Aurora was a demigod and a devout believer. Thus, even from the first time they’ve met, Aurora had already deduced Zero’s true identity without hesitation.

Of course, Evé had never intended to conceal it from her in the first place.

After all, even the Goddess of Death, Hela, and the Fairy King Feynir were aware of the truth behind Zero.

So allowing another steadfast follower, someone whose faith was absolute like Aurora, to know made little difference.

As long as the players and ordinary believers remained unaware of the fact, it posed no danger or inconvenience to Evé’s plans.

Well, even if the truth were accidentally revealed in front of the players, she knew it would likely cause minimal disruption.

She could simply say that it was the goddess personally saving the world, a wandering incarnation moving amongst mortals.

After all, the gods from other factions had done similar things many times in the past.

“Your Grace… the number of demons besieging us seems to be growing with each passing days. While the Chosen Ones still manage to hold them back, the Abyssal myths that have appeared recently are noticeably growing more stronger and stronger.”

“Just today alone, four demigod-rank Abyssal myths have taken part in the assault.”

“Lord Mars and I were able to eliminate one of them, but, regrettably, the other three somehow managed to escaped.”

Aurora paused, her brow furrowing as she measured her words.

If this trend continues, the next one that emerges could be of a much higher rank, perhaps even capable of challenging both Lord Mars and myself by themselves.”

Aurora spoke with a grave expression.

Seeing the seriousness on her face, Evé smiled slightly.

“Aurora, if you have any thoughts, you may speak freely.”

Aurora hesitated, gathering her thoughts, then nodded slowly before continuing.

“Your Divine Grace…”

“I have lived here in the Wasteland of Desolation for several thousand years and consider myself quite familiar with this world.”

“However, among the demon forces currently besieging us, I have discovered many types of demons that did not originally belong to this world. Some of them, according to historical records, should have came from the Third Layer of Hell.”

“Moreover, even among those Abyssal myths who have appeared, many do not seem to be native beings of this realm.”

“I suspect that more demons have entered this world. Not only the demon army of Leviathan, but also demons from other layers of Hell. In other words, the number of demons we must face may be far greater than we originally anticipated.”

“Based on this, the number of Abyssal myths appearing later on may also greatly exceed our expectations.”

“Your Grace, the reaction of these demons to our presence in this world seems somewhat excessive. I suspect that the importance of this realm to the Demons is far greater than we had imagined.”

Upon hearing this, Eve’s expression gradually became serious.

She had always known that the Wasteland of Desolation was important to the demons as it was very likely the bridgehead for the Abyss to invade the world of Seigües.

However, Evé had originally believed that even if it were a bridgehead, it would most likely only serve as Leviathan’s forward base of invasion.

Yet the issue raised by Aurora suggested that the truth was far more complex.

“Your Grace… there are so many different types of demons appearing here. Do you think it is possible that this world is actually the primary passageway through which the entire Demonic Forces invades the world of Seigües?”

Aurora said gravely.

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