Ashen Dragon
Chapter 735 - Chapter 735 Chapter 110 Empire and Hell_2

Chapter 735: Chapter 110 Empire and Hell_2 Chapter 735: Chapter 110 Empire and Hell_2 And with a muffled roar, the twisted visage at the doorway opened its mouth, and the door slowly creaked open.

Swashbuckler stepped in briskly, but the sight that greeted him was beyond his expectations.

The room was far more spacious than it appeared, with lavish decor that shone with gold and glitter, rich and magnificent. However, the murals occasionally showcased cruel and peculiar details.

—-For instance, the banquet plates were laid with the bloody limbs of humans, while the ladies attending the feast continued to chat and laugh, heartily enjoying the feast.

“I didn’t expect the essence of a Vampire, the lineage of Dragons, and… the power of some kind of law to coexist in one person.”

“I must say, you have indeed piqued my interest.”

It was that familiar voice again. Swashbuckler looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a man in a luxurious robe standing with his back to him at the end of the hall.

As the man turned around, it was not the terrifying look of a Devil that he had imagined, but rather an especially handsome, refreshing face.

—-This was the embodiment that Piere had left behind in the Empire.

Swashbuckler walked up without hesitation, jovially saying: “You must be Lord Piere, where is the contract? I am ready to offer up my soul.”

Even the Devil, wise in the ways of the world, was taken aback at this moment. Over thousands of years, he had beguiled countless mortals, yet he had never seen one so eager to offer up their soul, rendering his prepared persuasions utterly unnecessary.

“As you wish, mortal.”

After hesitating for a moment, he reached out his hand, and a blood-stained parchment, inscribed with Hellish runes, appeared in front of Swashbuckler.

Swashbuckler looked at the parchment with joy, yet also with some confusion: “This seems… a bit different from the guide?”

“What is a guide?”

Suddenly, the man’s voice came from behind Swashbuckler, instantly making him feel extremely unsettled.

“Moreover, it seems you have not perused my contract. May I know… what are you looking at?”

Piere closed in step by step. Though he appeared to be no more than a Human noble, he emitted an incredibly oppressive aura.

Swashbuckler turned his head and met eyes with the Devil, feeling his heart twitch. What’s going on with the officials at Erezer’s, could this be an AI crisis?

He feigned composure and casually replied: “Not at all, Lord Piere, I think you have misunderstood.

Uh, I am just a mortal willing to give up my soul for strength.”

“Haha, so it is…”

Piere did not press on but nodded with a smile.

Swashbuckler looked around warily, holding his head up cautiously only after noticing the Devil had no unusual moves, sneaking a glance at his panel.

[You have obtained the Advanced Career Path: [Pact Warlock – Devil Sect Master]]

[You will form a pact with a Great Devil from Hell. Such beings covet corrupting all things in the world, acquiring endless souls.]

[The Devil with whom you sign the pact will become your Sect Master, endowing you with power.]

“Looks pretty awesome.”

Looking at the description full of intensity, Swashbuckler hesitated only briefly before pressing [Confirm].

Instantly, the Hell Contract lit up brightly, the Hellfire blazing fiercely, and the whispers of Prayer Mergers echoed around the room.

Swashbuckler floated in the air, as if hanging on a gallows, while myriad evil and degenerate powers surged into his already somewhat corrupted body.

…

After cheerfully signing the soul-selling contract, Swashbuckler left with high spirits. Watching the slowly closing door, Piere’s gaze turned somber in an instant, resembling the devouring Abyss.

“It’s the same again, chaotic consciousness, castles in the air sort of spiritual existence, a soul even I cannot investigate…”

“Haha, no wonder the Emperor let slip those details, it was a trap set deliberately.

It seems I was indeed somewhat presumptuous, subconsciously treating the Ashen Empire’s Emperor like those brainless Red Dragons from Hell.”

Piere paced back and forth in the hall, his handsome face breaking into a ferocious cold sneer, veins on his forehead bulging as he nearly revealed his Demonic form.

“In the intelligence I’ve received, these special beings are referred to by the Imperial People as ‘Starfallen’. It is said they are otherworldly entities brought by meteors. Heh, calling them ‘soulless’ would be more appropriate.”

“They cannot have their souls perceived, nor can they be corrupted or absorbed by Hell. I must say, that Emperor really knows how to engage in business without any capital. Compared to giant dragons, he is more suited to be a Devil in Hell.”

Piere settled onto the sofa, picked up the tall wine glass from the table, and lazily crossed his legs. His pitch-black pupils betrayed a strong interest once again.

“As far as I know, these soulless beings are Undying and indestructible; even if killed, they will quickly resurrect without any change. To grant immortality to a group of millions–something even the Gods cannot do.”

This does remind me of those low-tier Demons from The Abyss, but even their cunning falls far short of matching these beings.

“Under such circumstances, the soulless almost have no concerns, no pressure to survive, barely resembling those mortal creatures struggling for life, they’re more like… engaged in a cost-free game.”

“However, according to my observations, this group of soulless beings isn’t loyal to that Emperor; they are simply bound by the Order of the Empire.”

The Devil swirled his wine glass, letting the blood-red wine coat the glass walls, and the reflection of a Swashbuckler appeared within it.

Maybe… this guy could become a good breakthrough.

…

Atop Dragon Blood Mountain, a Red Dragon fifty meters in length coiled itself on the flat rocks, its undulating back akin to a mountain range, surrounded by dense white smoke.

Accompanied by crisp mechanical sounds, the Magic communication device activated, and Ramp’s image appeared on the peak.

“Lord, more than three hundred players have signed contracts with Devils, and we are closely monitoring them. Should there be any aberrations, we will report to you immediately.”

“Good, but there are some things… that you can’t discover on your own.”

“Lord, do you mean…”

Cassius slowly opened his eyes, shook his head, and in his pale golden pupils was also reflected the image of the Swashbuckler.

“Tsk tsk, worthy of being the former Master of Avernus, you’ve detected the clues so quickly and taken the opportunity to plant a pawn, attempting to influence the players.”

“Piere, it seems you too have a keen interest in this special group of players.”

The Red Dragon grinned, revealing rows of sharp teeth, a fierce smile forming on its dragon face several meters wide.

Devils have always been arrogant, believing themselves to be clever, often thinking they can toy with all creatures, and Piere is no exception.

Cassius had anticipated that Piere would discover his ‘getting something for nothing’ behavior, but he had also foreseen something else.

–This Devil would take a great interest in the players and even at the expense of his own strength will Investigate the secrets of the players, a clearly futile endeavor.

Piere’s strong interest in players is understandable.

After all, he was replaced by Asmonthy for his poor performance in the Blood War, not as fiercely warlike as Zareel, and the undying players are undoubtedly a force with great potential.

Therefore, Cassius chose to use their plan against them, using players as bait to covertly steal the Power of Hell for his own use and even indirectly manipulate Avernus through Piere.

“Just that the secrets not even the future Gods could unveil, are you, a former Hell Lord demoted by Asmonthy–also worthy of knowing?”

Cassius’s pale golden eyes glinted, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly upwards, showing an unmistakable sneer on his dragon face.

…

“Today’s a good day indeed, everything I wish for comes true–”

The Swashbuckler, shrouded in a black cloak, walked through Barto with a cold indifference, even humming a cheerful song.

Having obtained the best contract with Piere, he was naturally overjoyed and could not wait to show off to his friends.

He asked everyone he met: “How do you know that I’ve gained the Power of Hell? How do you know that I’ve got a contract with the Great Devil Piere?”

“Who asked you?”

“Get lost! Don’t show up in front of me.”

Despite unanimous scolding from his friends, Swashbuckler still enjoyed himself and was tireless in his rejoicing.

But what the boasting Swashbuckler did not realize was that he was being watched by two extremely terrifying beings at the pinnacle of the Material Plane, becoming a chess piece in their strategic game.