226. Deal with the Devil
You tricked !
I stord back into my Lair and pointed accusingly at the Devil. He looked up at , head tilted to the side for a mont, acting confused. Then he burst out laughing.
You actually fell for it! Seriously? Thats amazing! How long did it take you to realize those ingredients weren't real?
I gritted my teeth as the Devil doubled over, rolling on the floor with his hearty laugh. He nearly smacked into the pile of corpses. My brows snapped together.
So, this entire thing was fake?
As fake as an Elixir of Immortality, yes. If Humans want to live longer, all they need to do is reach higher levels and get the right General Skills. Simple as that.
And what about these monsters?
I looked over at their bodies. He waved a hand off, and they vanished.
Just a setup for the prank. You know how it is.
I really dont.
The Devil leapt back to his feet, his hooves clopping with the step. He trotted up to and slapped on the back as I scowled.
Dont tell youve never done a practical joke before, Sally? Its fun! What else do you spend your free ti doing?
I bit my lower lip. I wanted to retort, but sothing else caught my attention. My eyes settled on past the Devil at the center of my Lair, where I had all my study materials prepared, including my ingredients necessary for my Potion of Regeneration.
My eyes widened.
Wait, my alchemy station?!
Wait, my alchemy station?!
What about it?
He looked puzzled, but I was aghast.
Its completely destroyed!
So it is.
The Devil glanced over at it, nonchalant. I turned to him.
How did this happen?
Oh, I was just ssing around with a few ingredients and boom. Sothing exploded. Im not sure what, though.
You ssed around with my ingredients?!
I scrambled over to my alchemy station, sifting through the debris in a panic. The Devil nodded as I ran by him.
I saw a few shiny things and decided to play around with them. Did sothing go wrong?
I held up a broken vial of purified athyst essence. It was one of the cheaper ingredients less rare, but necessary nonetheless.
Thankfully, most of the important ingredients were safe. My Enigmatic Heart shard, most importantly, was unhard. But still my cauldron and equipnt were destroyed. I needed to buy new things!
I glared at the Devil.
Did sothing go wrong? Why dont you take a look and see if sothing went wrong?!
He gave an innocuous glance before turning his gaze to the destroyed alchemy station. He shook his head.
I dont see anything wrong at all, Sally.
I paused. It was like sothing inside of snapped. Id been growing more and more annoyed with the Devil, but Id only been questioning him. I didnt challenge him. And if I let him do as he pleased, hed continue doing so for the next few days or weeks or maybe even months or years. The very thought of that drove to act.
I stepped away from the broken bits of glass and tal, eting the Devils gaze.
My na is Salvos.
Thats what I said: Sally.
I pursed my lips, and his face contorted into a smile. No longer a grin. But what seed like genuine happiness and my annoyance.
Its Salvos, Mr Devil. Can you please get it right?
I insisted, and he shrugged.
I think its more fun to call you Sally.
My brows snapped together. I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth as the Devil quirked an eyebrow.
Oho, is the Archdemon of Prides ego hurt? Just because I wont call you by your na?
Yes.
I spoke defiantly. He shook his head.
What are you going to do about it?
I am Salvos. And you will acknowledge .
Then make .
The Devil lood over from across the Lair. He was barely even taller than , yet he seed so large. Everything told not to take this fight. I probably shouldnt have even spoken up or challenged him. I shouldve just swallowed my words and kept quiet.
But I couldnt do that. Id tried for a whole day. Now, I had enough. And I had a slight advantage that mightve tipped the scales.
Here? This was my Lair. It gave a boost. 3% to all my Stats. But that wasnt going to help beat him. No, it wouldnt be enough. I couldnt see his level, but [A Hunters Sense] told all I knew about how this fight would go.
The Devil gestured for to co forward.
Well, what are you waiting for?
I bared my teeth.
Im waiting for you to prepare yourself. After all, I dont want this to be an unfair fight.
He chuckled, amused.
Good one. But your hubris will be your fall. I an do you even think youll be able to touch ?
Well see.
And in that mont, half of my Skills flared up. [Demonic Essence] ripped my clothes and changed my body. [The Primordial Spark] whirled around my skin, creating a tempest of flas. [Wings of the Netherworld], [Haste], and [Faux Limbs] activated as well, just as I exploded at the Devil.
I was a wicked creature of a dozen arms and bone-like wings. I left behind a trail of blazing blue as I closed in on the Devil. He didnt move from where he stood, which was a good thing, because at the very last mont, I teleported to his back and cast [Temporal Distortion] so he was standing at the very fringe of a slowed space, while I was still outside.
I brought a claw up, [Radiant Slash] forming its black flas. And right as I was about to bring it down, I felt a powerful force fling away from the Devil. He snapped his fingers, and my [Temporal Distortion] field vanished. Everything in the room was repulsed by a wave, like a strong deluge had crashed into my Lair.
I stumbled back, trying to steady myself against the wall. The Devil turned around, cocking his head.
Well? Was that it?
No.
I spewed a blast of sweeping white flas. The Devil crossed his arms, and what looked like a lattice of glass covered him, blocking the attack, even as it boiled my Lair. I narrowed my eyes. Neither [Intimidation] nor the fiery combination of [The Primordial Spark] and [Nebular Construct] with my Flaming Breath even affected the Devil.
The barrier spell vanished it had been clear as day in my [Planar Navigation] senses. Space magic that I couldnt possibly comprehend. I stared at him.
H-how?
Its nothing, really. Youre just that much beneath , Sally.
The Devil spoke playfully, and I scread.
I am Salvos!
I rushed him, swinging all five of my real arms alongside my seven other [Faux Limbs] at the Devil. [Barrage of Cinders] took over, and each strike I took lit up the dark cavern. The Devil took a step back, casually ducking under my strikes, dodging them with ease, circling around as the smirk was plastered on his face.
Even with my speed even with [Haste] I couldnt touch him. I flipped and kicked and slashed and sliced, but he was untouchable. He even stood still once, and my swing went straight through him. I stumbled past his image and glanced back. He was now solid again.
Oops. And I thought you almost had .
Shut. Up!
I created a dozen Nebular Scythes, one for each of my hands. [The Primordial Spark] began conjuring flaming weapons in the air too, a salvo that was instantly unleashed at him. He raised a hand, and the flaming weapons stopped mid-air, halted by so sort of invisible force.
But as that happened, I dashed forward bringing all dozen Nebular Scythes down at him. The Devil moved. He grabbed one of the Nebular Scythes off a [Faux Limb], using it to slice the magically created limb in half. I leapt back as he continued pressing forward, a whirlwind of blades that tore down each of my [Faux Limbs] from existence.
When I was only left with my real limbs, he tossed aside the Nebular Scythe, winking.
You still have five arms and five scythes left. Try to hit with all of them. Im sure itll work this ti around.
I threw aside four out of five of the Nebular Scythes. The Devil looked slightly perplexed by this.
Aw, did my taunting make you do that?
No.
I spoke simply as I gripped the Nebular Scythe with all my arms. Then I ran straight at the Devil, not even trying to go around him. I brought the weapon down, not accompanied by magic or anything else. Just the weapon itself.
He sighed and brought up an arm.
You know, brute force doesnt always work, right?
The Devil caught the edge of my Nebular Scythe. I tried to pull it back, but he just held it in place.
At least use a Grand Skill or sothing if youre going to do that. This is starting to bore .
He crushed the Nebular Scythes blade in his grip, and tugged the weapon forward, ripping it free from my five arms. I staggered forward, swinging my claws. He just moved his head back in ti to dodge the attack.
Co on, stop hiding your
And I growled.
[Recall Skill: Zealous Call].
His eyes flickered. And his backwards movent changed to a forward movent. The amusent on his face changed to fury. It all happened so fast, I barely even moved an inch before he was already bringing down a blackened pitchfork at .
The tip of my claw barely touched his chest as his weapon swung down at , closing the distance before I could even properly scratch him. I wouldve been killed there and then, when his legs jerked up. His eyes flickered once more, and he kicked out of the way.
I crashed into my Dreaded Goblet, spilling the black water all over a pile of books. I coughed, bent over, grabbing my stomach in pain as the Devil frowned.
That was
Hed already regained his senses. He was the one who knocked out of the way just before he could impale with his pitchfork. He wrinkled his brows.
Did you just enchant to kill you?
Maybe
I grunted as I stood up. Then I grinned for the first ti.
But at least it let touch you.
Wha
[Demons Mark].
He glanced down at his chest as a symbol burned on his skin.Flas erupted into a sphere. It first exploded into a sphere, engulfing only the Devil in the compressed ball of heat. Then it began to grow, bloating up into what wouldve been my strongest Skill.
A powerful explosion that wouldve destroyed my Lair entirely. One that wouldve hurt even at this range. But just as the bloated sphere was about to explode into an even bigger blast, it began to shrink.
It was like a pond was being drained of its water. My fla was being sucked into a single point at the Devils fingertips. It was like a whirlpool of black. A warped hole in space that seed to lead to where he ca from. It was the sa pull that had tugged and only to the Devil when he first appeared in my Lair.
It consud my flas, leaving the Devil standing there unscathed. He dusted himself off. My jaw dropped.
Seriously?
He was completely unhard, even though hed been wrapped in my [Demons Mark]s flas for a good mont. The Devil stood there, his gaze darkened over. He placed a foot forward, and I leapt back, feeling sweat trickling down my back.
No, not sweat. I couldnt sweat as a Demon. It was the water from the Dreaded Goblet.
You
His voice was cold and icy. It caused to tremble like Id been dipped in a frozen lake. I created another Nebular Scythe, not sure what thatd even do. He repeated himself as he ca closer.
You youre
Stay back!
I warned him, flaring up all my remaining Skills in preparation for what would be the final clash. The Devils hollow, black eyes locked with mine, and he opened his mouth.
Youre completely fucking insane! You actually used a Skill thatd get you killed just so you could land a proper blow on ? Thats the most stupid, ridiculous, and asinine thing anyone has ever done!
He rocked his head back and laughed.
I love it!
I blinked.
Um, what?
The Devil continued to himself.
If I didnt have an immunity to curses, I wouldnt have been able to break free from that Skill for another I dont know, two or three seconds? That stupid enchantnt effect wouldve taken a solid mont longer for to undo. I wouldnt have been able to stop myself from killing you. And you did that for what?
...to land a single hit?
Exactly. To land a single hit.
He repeated after , placing his hands on his hips. Then his eyes lit up again, and I drew back.
And you you dont have a Grand Skill, do you?
I shook my head.
Nope.
He guffawed.
The fact that you challenged without a Grand Skill makes you even more insane! Maybe you couldve stood a chance with a Grand Skill, but without it, you may as well have just hanged yourself there and then.
The Devil wiped a tear from his eyes as I just stood there, staring at him blankly, unsure of what to even say.
I like that. No I love that! Youre more than just amusing: youre one of a kind, Salvos.
I raised a brow. Did he just use my real na? Then what he said before that registered in my head. Did he just acknowledge ?
He waved a hand off, letting his pitchfork vanish.
Youre the type of Demon that shouldnt have survived the Desolation. And yet, here you are. Good job. I say this with all my heart when I say good job.
Thank you um
I hesitated, but I felt the urge to ask the question.
Does that an you wont kill for real this ti?
It ans I wont kill you ever, Salvos. Thatd be like if I was given an actual Elixir of Immortality the only one in the world and decided to break it into pieces and destroy it. Nope. Thatd be stupid. No, I wont do that. And even better
The Devil leaned forward, getting uncomfortably close to . But unlike before, I never once felt the alarm of [A Hunters Sense] blaring at . He truly ant his word. And despite knowing that, what he said next surprised .
How about this?
He smirked, proffering his hand.
I have nothing better to do, so why dont I take you in as my apprentice?
I went cross-eyed.
Um, huh?!
I can teach you what it ans to be a Demon. Youre an Archdemon of Pride. I can get you a Grand Skill befitting your nature! And its not like I have anything else to do. So, this is my deal to you.
The Devil just smiled as he gestured at his hands, waiting for to shake it. It took a mont to regain my composure. Everything was happening so quickly. In fact, even though [Haste] was still active, I couldnt keep up with what was going on. I inhaled deeply and looked at his hand.
Finally, [Haste] dissipated as I made a decision. The Devil waited, and I felt my hand twitch. I raised it slightly. Then I lowered it.
Thanks, but no.
The Devil spread his arms wide.
Wonderful! I shall begin your lessons post-haste
He paused.
Wait, what?
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