This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 588 - 524: That Legendary Man

Chapter 588: Chapter 524: That Legendary Man

The thing Cambion regretted most in his life was accepting the summons.

Originally he was just a cambion scraping by in the Blood Wilderness; life was tough, yet he was free. However, the bloodline of ambition always flowed in the veins of a devil, and Cambion often dreamt of climbing higher.

He imagined one day, he could don a crimson robe, stand atop the ramparts of the Blood River Fortress, overlooking the miles of bloody battlefield.

He also fantasized that one day he could enter Duke Zariel’s Official Residence, become a member of her elite battle group, equipped with the finest Hell Engines, receiving respectful salutes even from other Devil Lords.

He really wanted to be that impressive.

So when he sensed the summons from Duke Zariel, Cambion immediately responded.

Although he knew in his heart that the real Duke Zariel would never summon a cambion like him—a dime a dozen—he guessed it must be an army under Zariel needing some cannon fodder.

Cannon fodder was fine too, Cambion thought; he just needed an opportunity!

What he found upon his arrival was an Undead from the Prime Material Plane, and this was miles away from what he had expected.

He had planned to bluff his way through, perhaps trick a soul or two for a meal, but then he realized he had encountered a tough character.

This Undead Girl was strong, but her mother was even more terrifying; placed in Hell, she would surely become a notorious Hell Lord.

There was no escaping, and his life was in constant danger, Cambion felt his luck was truly rotten, comparable to the day he had been abandoned at birth.

Cambion confirmed that Melina was serious, and he had no choice but to brace himself.

However, Cambion was, after all, a "smart man" who knew how to drag his kind into the mess; he directly picked a few cambions to accompany him, notably those whose noses he had previously smashed.

Since he had already scammed them once, he might as well do it again—perfect to have them die first rather than risk their seeking revenge on him.

Melina now only remembered Cambion, the only cambion, and naturally did not oppose his suggestions, giving him authority over the other cambions with the Divine Sword in her hand.

Thus, Cambion became a minor boss.

The class jump came fast, but Cambion was not pleased at all; he could only try to calm down and asked Melina, "Master, no matter which lord controls this fortress, they will surely ask about two things; first, your true purpose for going to the Blood River, and second, how much you’re willing to pay as a toll. I need you to provide me with information so that I can try to communicate with them."

"Can’t you just say we’re going to join the war?" Melina asked.

Cambion helplessly said, "Master, this is Hell; even I can’t get away with that excuse."

Who would head to the Blood River Battlefield if they weren’t out of options? It’s not like they’re born battle frenzied.

And the Blood River Battlefield is right there; it won’t vanish for tens of thousands of years, so why use a Teleportation Circle to save time? If this question isn’t clearly answered, Devil Lords will just see them as invaders and wipe them out.

"Wait here a moment."

Melina ran off to the side and took out her Magic Mirror to consult with her mother.

Cambion watched with envy. How cool would it be if his own mother also ensured his safety like that?

But in Hell, it was almost impossible.

Devils abandoning their offspring was quite common, and being abandoned was considered lucky; most half-blood devils were controlled like slaves by their parents, consumed as supplements during critical moments, or sacrificed when necessary.

This is Hell; there’s no place for kinship.

Reproduction was merely a product of desire continuation and held no other significance.

Melina conveyed Cambion’s words to Withered Rose, the Undead Queen, who couldn’t help frowning. Withered Rose was not skilled in these schemes and rarely dealt with devils; she couldn’t think of a suitable excuse on the spot.

In the end, Withered Rose could only say to Melina, "Use Zariel as an excuse; you have her Divine Artifact, so just claim to be a messenger. Have these cambions go into the city with this message. If they refuse to let you use the Teleportation Circle, then take the long way around. Although it might take some time, your father is significant to Zariel; he might suffer, but he will surely be safe."

Melina nodded, then turned to Cambion and said, "Just tell them I need to deliver a message to Duke Zariel. Show them this; they should be able to sense Zariel’s presence."

What Melina was referring to was a cambion that had been pierced by a Flame Longsword. Though turned into a zombie, sparks continued to emerge from the wound; these were remnants of Hellfire’s burn, naturally containing the power of Zariel.

Cambion felt this reason might also be hard for the other side to accept, but it was better than nothing, so he further asked, "Master, there’s the second question: What can we offer as a toll?"

After thinking for a moment, Melina said, "A hundred thousand Soul Currency, that’s my final offer."

"Soul Currency? That’s good stuff, but ten is too few... Wait a minute!" Cambion paused, then shockingly said, "How much did you say?!"

"One hundred thousand," Melina repeated, then asked, "Not enough?"

Cambion swallowed hard before saying, "My lord, never tell other devils you have one hundred thousand Soul Currency, or we’re dead! Do you know how much that is? You could buy the fortress right in front of us with that! If other devils knew, they would go crazy trying to kill us to get it!"

Forget about others, even Cambion now thought of killing Melina and taking the Soul Currency, if only he knew he was no match for her.

It was madness, Cambion knew Melina was a second-generation, but he never imagined this Highness could casually fork out one hundred thousand Soul Currency. What kind of super-rich power was that, where on the Prime Material Plane did all this Soul Currency come from?

Melina, however, said without a care, "Stop the nonsense and get to work!"

Bowing respectfully, Cambion showed a hint of sincerity this time. Devils didn’t fear serving as slaves, nor did they fear a cruel master, but what they truly dreaded was a cruel yet useless master, because then they would only be cannon fodder.

But the wealth Melina demonstrated proved one thing: not only was Melina’s personal strength formidable, but her background was incredibly terrifying as well.

Following such a master, it might actually be possible to ascend to the higher echelons of Hell.

Cambion decided to temporarily change his plans, abandoning thoughts of escape in favor of figuring out how to establish a good relationship with her. If everything went smoothly, Melina was bound to leave Hell in the end, and if their relationship was good, the next time she summoned him, he might just get the chance to stroll around the Prime Material Plane, where he heard souls were ripe for the taking with no one to compete for them.

Whether it was self-comfort or a drive to become stronger, Cambion took the five Soul Currency with high spirits as funding, and then led those expendable Cambions towards the fortress.

The distance wasn’t far, but it still took Cambion over ten minutes to arrive at the fortress gates.

As he had predicted, the fortress wasn’t large, and one hundred thousand Soul Currency would be enough to make the other side kneel and sign a contract with him.

But Cambion couldn’t really put that bottom line out there, because more likely than not, the devils inside the fortress would swarm out and try to devour them whole.

Negotiation required skill, and as Cambion approached the fortress gates, he shouted loudly, demanding to meet with the master of the fortress, and threw out a Soul Currency generously.

The imp responsible for patrol on the ramparts screamed as it caught the coin.

A Soul Currency was not something these lowly imps could come into contact with; a currency made from very powerful souls or from compressing together a dozen or more ordinary souls.

In essence, a single Soul Currency was worth more than the lives of these little imps.

A distinguished guest had arrived, at least, someone very expensive.

The imps didn’t dare to devour the Soul Currency on their own and hurriedly delivered it to the master of the fortress.

A delicate and slender body, but the alluring parts were exceptionally voluptuous, with charm-filled face covered in purple-red demonic patterns. Apart from this, her demonic features were confined to her tail, lacking the common horns and wings of a devil.

This was a Succubus Lord.

Those who were in the know could tell at a glance that the Succubus’s bloodline wasn’t pure, mixed not with human lineage, but with the very rare Elf Tribe blood, which could be seen from details like the pupils and ears.

Seeing the imps suddenly bringing a Soul Currency, the Succubus Lord stretched out her forked tail and hooked the currency into her hand.

Listened to the imps’ piercing screams, the Devil Lord puzzledly looked at the Soul Currency in her hand.

"Sending a message to Duke Zariel, but borrowing a way from such a remote place? Must have smuggled in from another Plane, but it’s rare to be able to bring Soul Currency while smuggling."

The Succubus Lord played with the Soul Currency in her hand, pondering how to kill them all and devour their Soul Currency, when suddenly, she held the Soul Currency up to her eyes.

"Wait a minute, this Soul Currency... It’s not the ordinary kind, it’s the highest grade of Soul Currency!"

Souls varied in quality, those Soul Currencies made by compressing several souls together were the lowest grade, and they didn’t burn as potently when mixed.

The real high-quality ones were robust souls, each currency made from a single complete soul, which gave them high value and made them solid currency.

And even more high-grade were the ones like the currency in her hand, which not only had a sturdy soul but also an indomitable will. If it got into the hands of one of those powerful Devil Lords, they could probably create a powerful artificial devil to serve them directly.

But such high-grade currency was extremely precious.

Could the person capable of producing such Soul Currency really be a smuggler from another Plane?

The Succubus Lord couldn’t help but recall a name, a name that had been resounding like thunder in Hell recently.

That man who played both Duke Zariel and Goddess Tiamat and still got away unscathed was just like a devil among devils, the idol she admired the most.

Could it be that the smuggler outside the fortress had some connection with this legendary figure?