Lu Li let the Yong Demon wait here, while the Dreamwalker erged from behind, a halo invading the surrounding space, lifting him past the lava, flying towards the depths of the swamp.
The viscous lava stread like a waterfall from the top of the canyon, pooling into a small lava pond at the bottom.
Lu Li’s target was the hillock at the center of the lava pool, atop which stood a low ant mound, where lamb-sized, dark red, black-spotted fire ants busily worked, with several paths leading from the mound to the swamp outside the lava pool.
Fire ants depend on lava for survival, but unlike the Fire Demon, they cannot exist in lava, for it still injures, burns, and kills them.
At this mont, a fire ant prowling the swamp discovered Lu Li as an invader. Its pincer-like mandibles opened, spewing a stream of scorching lava from its gastric sac along the cavity towards Lu Li—and then pierced through the bizarre illusion and the silhouette at its center.
Lava dripped from the mandibles and gradually cooled, as the fire ant waved its antennae in confusion, unable to comprehend why the food still lingered. Then, as the food drew nearer, it fired more streams of lava until its abdon beca hollow, finally snapping its mandibles at the invader landing before it.
A guillotine appeared without reason, trapping the fire ant, as the falling, sharp blade severed its slender waist.
As the dying fire ant let out a wail, Lu Li placed his left hand over its head, releasing it from its suffering.
Humanity surged into his body, about tenfold from the Fire Demon, a fifth from the Claw Demon and Bat Demon.
If there were more than fifty fire ants in the mound, Lu Li would harvest 1 point of humanity here.
The guillotine dissipated behind him as Lu Li walked over the lava, approaching the hillock at the lava pool’s center.
Lu Li himself was like a tempting pheromone. Even before he stepped onto the hillock, the fire ants around the mound sensed his approach, rustling to gather at the hillock’s edge, spewing lava towards Lu Li.
They failed to realize that doing so might cause their prey to drop into lava, leaving them empty-handed.
The lava passed through Lu Li as if penetrating a phantom, falling into the distant lava. As Lu Li reached the shore, the fire ants sward up. Facing the fire ants encroaching upon the Dreamwalker, Lu Li easily and precisely cleaved them in half, harvesting humanity as they lay dying.
After clearing out more than thirty fire ants from the hillock, no more erged from the mound.
This fire ant colony lacked a queen; otherwise, this neighbor would not rely occupy the swamp.
There were likely still so fire ants wandering outside. Lu Li temporarily took the bodies to the Yong Demon, briefly circling over the swamp to bring back three fire ant carcasses.
There might still be so that slipped through the net, but they would no longer pose any hidden danger to Beauty Lake Town or passing travelers.
The magma swamp did not yield 1 portion of humanity, but with the prior hunt of three Mid-Level Demons, Lu Li had now accumulated 4 portions of humanity.
"How are you planning to take these back..."
The Yong Demon looked at the pile of fire ant corpses stacked like a small mountain.
Lu Li had prepared in advance—the chain looped around the Yong Demon’s neck finally had a purpose.
A few minutes later, the Yong Demon carried Lu Li and dragged the chain of over thirty fire ant corpses back to Beauty Lake Town.
Heading to resolve the next Hell Creature would obviously save ti, but Lu Li couldn’t simply abandon the spoils representing souls in the wilderness—Inferior Demons would not pass up such a gift of nature.
As the obsidian buildings of Beauty Lake Town ca into view amidst distant sandstorms, the Yong Demon curiously asked, "Why has your scent grown stronger?"
"The souls obtained by hunting the fire ants."
"I’ve seen pure souls in the hands of powerful demons, fed more than the souls of Advanced Demons, yet none had a scent as strong as yours."
Because what Lu Li acquired was not souls, but humanity.
"The devil’s curse."
The logic was reasonable, and the Yong Demon ceased to dwell on the scent. But this reminded Lu Li: growing humanity ant becoming increasingly vibrant—first a piece of black bread, then jerky, a fairly nice-tasting vegetable soup, aromatic soft bread, a spiced roast chicken, a feast on the table, a banquet’s long dining table.
Lu Li knew accumulated humanity would lead to so miraculous changes, and he realized what that would an to them in the future.
"How do you go about extracting a soul cylinder," he asked, seemingly offhandedly.
"A at grinder? Only the town mayor has that."
The at grinder at the tavern was borrowed from the town mayor.
"The percentage at the tavern is too high."
"All towns are like this, Beauty Lake Town is decent. I’ve been to chaotic towns where they claim as much as thirty or even fifty percent." The Yong Demon then suddenly asked, "How about giving a fire ant?"
"Sure, trade for a soul."
So the Yong Demon didn’t bring it up again.
The Yong Demon, taking twice as long as the departure, carried Lu Li and the spoils back to Beauty Lake Town. After a brief wait, the Blue Blood Chief arrived.
"You’re quicker than I imagined, human. There are six locations left now."
The Blue Blood Chief had long lost any subordinates, having to carry the fire ant corpses dumped on the street himself.
Mayor Burb promised an equivalent soul reward, and the bodies and spoils belonged to Lu Li, or they could be sold to the town.
"How are at grinders sold." Lu Li asked him.
"Connections and souls," the Blue Blood Chief replied.
"I suppose after clearing the hidden dangers, the connections should suffice."
"1000 portions of souls, but if you’re willing to beco a town resident afterward." The Blue Blood Chief paused as if recalling to reiterate: "You can enjoy the sa rights as ."
"Do you have a way to resolve the Devil’s Mark or counter the devil?" Lu Li countered.
The answer was neither; Beauty Lake Town rely wanted to recruit and utilize him before the devil arrived.
The Blue Blood Chief silently carried the corpses as Lu Li and the Yong Demon headed to the next location. anwhile, the idea of preventing humanity from growing rapidly had vanished—Lu Li decided not to suppress its growth.
If Beauty Lake Town struggled to conceal their selfish desires due to abundant humanity, it was their own doing.
Lu Li ca to the inferno to grow stronger within twenty-four days, not to make more friends.
The second commission lay to the west of the magma swamp, where tides of hundreds of thousands of Inferior Demons road, led by a group of Bewitching Demons. Notably, the Bewitching Demons are the most timid race of demons. Their courage isn’t greater than that of Inferior Demons, never raising a blade against the strong or their equals, only toward the weaker.
Thus, despite their abilities to bewitch and alter will, making them stronger than many in the Mid-tier Demonic Sea, Bewitching Demons usually only choose Inferior Demons as servants.
The Inferior Demon horde led by Bewitching Demons dared not approach Beauty Lake Town, nor attack the fire ants of the magma swamp. They only dared to hunt endless Inferior Demons and solitary travelers on the wilderness under the Bewitching Demons’ lead.
Therefore, resolving the second hidden danger is not complicated: ignore the Inferior Demons and find the Bewitching Demon hidden among them.
The strong winds ceased their rampage away from Rift Canyon, and with visibility restored, the flocks of Inferior Demons road the wilderness, visible in the distance like sheep.
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