The Demon King's First General
Chapter 176: Underworld

Chapter 176: Underworld

Streaks of thunder slithered in the vast sky, flames burned, illuminating the entire horizon while the foul stench of rotten flesh lingered in the air.

Uoiea gasped for breath as she traversed a path leading to the unknown. Aside from the white flames and the steep, towering terrains, she found nothing, not even a single soul.

Droplets of sweat formed on her forehead; even having an affinity for flames, she still felt the scorching heat. But despite the extreme temperature of the surroundings, she continued her strides.

She looked above only to see the thick layer of dark clouds and continuous sparks of lightning. There was no sun, moon, or even stars present.

"Is this really the underworld?" Uoiea mumbled.

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Although nervous, she was excited at the same time.

"So where are those sovereigns that the old man mentioned?" She contemplated while looking around, hoping to find someone she could ask.

Then, a while later, she spotted an individual meditating, sitting in a cross-legged position in the middle of the burning flames. Without wasting another second, she walked towards the person’s direction.

However, upon coming closer, she couldn’t help but gasp in amazement. Blazing black hair with its embers flickering in the air, intricate lines tattooed on the man’s body, and a skull with two elongated horns painted on his chest.

Uoiea gulped before sauntering in front of the individual. Based on the suffocating presence around him alone, she knew that he was not a simple demon. She was about to speak when a voice rang inside her head.

’She can’t see or hear you; you’re currently in ethereal form, but despite that fact, you’re not exempt from the laws of this place,’ it said, explaining.

Its old and raspy tone gave away the owner’s identity. It was none other than the old man she met from the strange shop.

"Is that so? Then who is he?" Uoiea replied, nodding.

The old man took several seconds before speaking out a reply.

’The most powerful pyromaniac, the Third Sovereign of Wrath—Lucas Grimspark,’ he conveyed inside Uoiea’s mind, introducing the demon to her.

The princess tilted her head upon hearing the old man’s words.

"Sovereigns? Who exactly are they?" She asked with a curious expression.

The old man’s soft laughter echoed inside her thoughts.

’How should I start?’ He chuckled before starting his explanation.

’Thousands of years ago, Exgreia was a world filled with nothing but chaos. Eight cardinal demon races reigned supreme while locked in an endless war to determine who was the strongest. Each of these races was being led by an individual whose strength far exceeded the others. They were called Sovereigns, and these ancient demons had souls tainted by malevolent sins, causing them to lose their Legacies,’ the old man stated.

With her eyes still staring at the demon in front, Uoiea commented. "Did I hear it right? Their Legacies were gone?"

’Yes! Their souls lost their already little purity to the point that they turned black in color, and their Legacies never activated since then,’ the old man replied.

Uoiea nodded, but the expression on her face still felt troubled.

"Then, they became weaker," she said, but the old man’s laughter occupied her head.

’Quite the opposite, they grew even stronger! A new ability related to their respective sins was imprinted on their stained souls. They called them Curses as these abilities were brought forth by conducting misdeeds," the old man stated.

Uoiea crossed her arms while her hand raised to her chin, and her finger grazed those little red lips.

"Are those Curses really that strong?" She asked, wondering.

’They could rival Blessings in terms of power,’ the old man replied.

"Hmnn, Blessings? Oh, I heard about them from Ave before; those are deities’ abilities!" Uoiea exclaimed in excitement.

Upon seeing her expression, the old man giggled. ’Indeed, but that’s a different story. Let’s focus on these ancient demons first.’

Then, after a short pause, Uoiea heard the voice once more.

’Like what I have said, this man before you is the Third Sovereign of Wrath, known as the Undying Torch. He once made a portion of Exgreia a living hell, burning with black flames for a whole moon cycle, now known as the Forest of Nightmares,’ the old man imparted.

"With his energy alone?" Uoiea replied.

Then she heard a deep sigh coming from the voice.

’No, he used living beings as incense, burning them alive while continuously healing their bodies at the same time, making them burn with endless suffering,’ the old man shared.

His words made Uoiea grit her teeth due to anger; she glared at the Third Sovereign, her hands clenched into a fist.

"Is it possible to kill him right now?" She asked; rage was evident on her face.

The old man laughed upon hearing the princess’ question.

’You can’t do a thing in an ethereal state, and even if you can, you’ll be burned to oblivion before your flames and lightning reach him,’ he implied, and Uoiea didn’t push the idea any further.

Then, the Third Sovereign opened up his eyes as soon as a flying beast circled around him. With wings attached to its arms, it glided and descended in front of the pyromaniac.

But before it set foot on the burning land, the monster transformed into a fine young man.

Dressed in a black leather coat, he stood next to the Undying Torch; his emerald eyes gazed at him.

"What brings you here?" Lucas, the pyromaniac, asked, his voice a little bit hoarse.

"Circe has returned; strolling beyond the gate is a success. It’s only a matter of time, and we’ll be freed from this place," the man uttered, smiling.

Then, the curl on his face vanished as he gritted his teeth in rage.

"When that time comes, I’ll hunt those deities one after the other," he declared.

"Do what you want, just leave Sherise, the Deity of Kindness, alone; her head is mine," the pyromaniac replied, and the man just let out a satisfying grin.

Uoiea watched their interactions, and she felt a shivering chill run down her back just from hearing their conversation.

"Who is that man?" She asked.

Without holding back, the old man satisfied her curiosity.

’Fifth Sovereign of Envy, the Maestro of Deception, an individual with a countless face. No one in this world knows what his real appearance is; today he’s a man, sometimes a woman, a beast, or an insect. The strongest Mimic—Hugh Chrome,’ he stated.

Then, after a second, the voice echoed once again.

’And the name he mentioned, Circe Endrei, the Mystique’s Seventh Sovereign of Greed, the Myriad-Eyed Collector,’ he added.

Uoiea’s maple-colored eyes blinked, and a deep sigh came out from her lips.

"There are only two of them here, but the presence they emit already surpasses the strength of the late Demon King and his whole army," Uoiea couldn’t help but express her thoughts.

As a response, the voice let out a soft chuckle.

’The Conjurer of Blue Flames was a magnificent existence, but he was nowhere near the sovereign’s level,’ the old man said.

Afterwards, the terrain in front of the princess became vague until it changed to a large lake filled with crimson water, though the white flames and lightning bolts remained in the scene.

Enticed by its unique appearance, Uoiea went towards its shore.

"Is this blood?" She sat down and tried to scoop a handful of the red liquid, but her hand just passed through its surface, not causing a single ripple.

’It is, but it’s not what I want to show you. Take a closer look at the center of the lake,’ the old man replied inside princess’ thoughts.

Uoiea’s eyes squinted as she stared at where the old man suggested.

"What’s in there? I can’t see a thing," she uttered.

However, the old man kept his silence, and several seconds later, a giant torrent rose at the center of the lake. Then a monstrous creature, which made Uoiea drop her jaw, emerged in front of her.

"W-What in the world is that?" She exclaimed.

A monster twice as large as a dragon, with its giant hind legs, walked out of the lake, and each step it took caused tremors while its tail-like tentacles filled with enormous spikes on top slithered, leaving several tracks on the ground.

"One, two, three, four... S-Seven heads," Uoiea uttered, stuttering still at dazed.

"Indeed, the Ultimate Creature of Destruction, from a demon race called Leviathans, the Second Sovereign of Pride—Tidalnyx," the old man’s voice reverberated inside her thoughts.

. . . . .

At the same time, somewhere in the underworld, a woman lying on the burning land opened her eyes.

"An intruder," she uttered.

Despite the scorching heat, she showed no reaction and just stared at the barrage of lightnings zipping across the horizon.

Next to her was a humanoid monster with a wide grin on its face, showcasing its razor-sharp teeth. It had no eyes, not even a nose or ears, while its long arms were divided into three sections instead of two. Then the right part of its body was scorched black while the left side was red in color.

The woman sat in a cross-legged position, and the creature positioned itself, kneeling behind her back. Then, it caressed her hair and started to braid its strands.

"Should I meet her?" She pondered, her voice dull and cold.

. . . . .