Lord of the Nine Hells

"Oh? And what do you mean by that, Lord Asmodeus...?" Cassius feigned total ignorance, posing the question innocently even though he knew he could never deceive the Lord of the Nine Hells. Asmodeus showed no anger. He simply picked up the bottle again and poured himself another glass, unhurried and composed. He swirled the wine, his tone laced with faint mockery. "Heh. Just three days ago, Kostchtchie banded together with several Abyss lords and seized upon Zariel's death to march the Abyssal legions into Avernus. Bel is running in circles like an ant on a hot pan. He has kicked up such a fuss that the complaint reached me, leaving an old relic like me no choice but to step in and handle it." Cassius chuckled awkwardly, attempting to pivot away. "Given Duke Bel's strength and cunning, he should be more than capable of repelling the Abyssal legions and holding Avernus for you. In my eyes, he is far more reliable than a madwoman like Zariel. If anything, I was actually helping you. A more capable subordinate ought to take the mantle, after all." "Without the complete infernal authority, Bel will only be driven back step by step under the Abyssal legions' assault." Asmodeus fixed Cassius with an unblinking stare, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the tabletop before cutting straight to the chase. "Hand it over. That thirty percent of Avernus's authority. Of course, if you disagree—I have my own ways of taking it back, though the process might lack a certain propriety." His words brimmed with unassailable confidence. In that instant, their gazes met, and time and space seemed to freeze. An aura of sheer, terrifying majesty radiated outward. Hearing Asmodeus's nonchalant statement, Cassius felt his heart skip a beat. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a looming premonition—this old monster truly meant what he said. He would forcibly tear the authority of Avernus from his grasp. And in that "less than proper" process, Cassius might even lose his life! The risk was simply too immense; even he dared not gamble against it. He was, after all, the Lord of the Nine Hells—a mysterious entity who had existed since the dawn of the cosmos, someone even the gods dared not slight. His depths of power and foundation vastly eclipsed what Cassius currently possessed. Was he truly going to yield the hard-won authority of Avernus and submit to the Lord of the Nine Hells standing right before him? Faced with this tense impasse, Cassius barely maintained his composure and forced another polite smile. "Lord Asmodeus, would you be interested—in making a deal with me?" "Oh? What sort of deal?" Asmodeus swirled his glass, his interest instantly piqued. Cassius rejoiced inwardly. Indeed, no devil could resist the temptation of a bargain—not even the Lord of the Nine Hells himself. "I can safe-keep that thirty percent of Avernus's authority on behalf of my dear ally. Whenever he is in need, I will immediately depart for the Hells to aid him, ensuring he commands the full might of an archdevil." Asmodeus smiled and shook his head. "A deal invariably requires a price, my friend. Give me a reason sufficient to convince me. You must realize that everything in the Hells belongs to me. Even the archdevils merely hold the right to use that authority. That being the case—why should I permit an outsider to hold the authority of Hell?" Cassius answered without hesitation, "Naturally, I will pay a commensurate price. I will deploy a massive expeditionary army to participate in the Blood War. The imperial expeditionary force will achieve far greater results than Zariel ever could." Asmodeus set down his glass, interlaced his fingers, and regarded Cassius with a probing gaze. "To me... that reason remains insufficient." As if anticipating this, Cassius pressed on. "The Empire can forge deep cooperation with the Hells, dedicating every soul of our fallen battlefield foes directly to the Hells. You know full well that the Empire's conquest will never stop at the Kingdom of Thrace. As our wars continue, Hell will be enriched with an ever-growing bounty of souls. Furthermore..." Cassius grinned, silently offering an apology to his expendable ally before continuing with utter shamelessness. "Do you not hold reservations regarding Bel's loyalty? If you let me retain thirty percent of the infernal authority, it will serve as an effective check against him. Even if Bel develops treacherous ambitions down the line, he will never be able to stir up significant trouble. I am unlike him—my foundation lies on the Material Plane, meaning I cannot engage in Hell's political games. Even with thirty percent of the infernal authority in my hands, I pose no threat to you whatsoever." Asmodeus chuckled dryly, speaking in a playful tone. "I must admit, that reason is rather enticing. My friend, are you truly unwilling to consider coming to Hell and becoming a devil?" "Being a devil doesn't make money as fast as being a capitalist—and in my case, it's completely out in the open," Cassius replied without a second thought. "Hahahahaha!" Asmodeus let out the wicked, unmistakable laugh characteristic of a devil, draining the remainder of his drink in one gulp. "Cassius, I accept your deal. But not because of those cobbled-together reasons. Rather, it is because of... you." "Me?" Cassius was taken aback, a rather bizarre thought suddenly surfacing in his mind. Could the Lord of the Nine Hells share the same peculiar tastes as that old vampire? "To put it in the words of you imperials, I am investing in the future." Asmodeus raised a hand, pointing his forefinger at Cassius as he spoke with profound meaning. "You must realize that across the endless ages, I have encountered countless extraordinary individuals, three or four of whom were true dragons. They were like the heroes of legendary tales—possessing supreme talent, wielding formidable artifacts, or blessed with... luck that even I envied." He sighed faintly. "Regrettably, not a single one among them could ever touch the true reality of the world. In the end, they remained nothing more than crickets trapped within a box." Finally, Asmodeus fixed his gaze upon the humanoid red dragon. His pupils narrowed into two abyssal slits that flickered with infernal, blood-red light. "And you, my friend—I find myself exceedingly intrigued by your future." Cassius nodded politely. "To earn the appreciation of the Lord of the Nine Hells is truly my honor." Asmodeus rose to his feet. "Well then... a pleasure doing business, Cassius. We shall meet again." Before his voice had even faded, sulfurous smoke billowed throughout the tavern. Beneath Cassius's watch, the middle-aged man's frame grew towering and immense. His skin turned a deep crimson, goat-like horns sprouted from his brow, and his black suit transformed into a magnificent black-and-red robe. Instantly, an overwhelming aura of terror crashed down upon Cassius's heart, while the shrill screams of countless souls echoed in his ears. This was the true visage of the most ancient devil—Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine Hells! At last, amidst surges of surging hellfire, the Lord of the Nine Hells vanished into thin air, and with him, the oppressive infernal majesty dissipated into nothingness. Following Asmodeus's departure, astonishing changes unfolded within the time-frozen tavern. The devil-tainted humans' horns shrank back into their brows, the yellow stain on Martin's trousers seeped back into him, the wound on the tiefling's head knitted together seamlessly, and the shattered glass fragments reassembled into a whole bottle, returning straight into the ogre's raised hand... Save for Cassius, everything in the tavern began moving in reverse, playing out exactly like a rewound tape. Time flowed backward until, at a specific point, it resumed its normal cadence. "You red-skinned mongrel, Monk's gonna flatten you!" *Crash!* The ogre brought the bottle down with brutal force across the tiefling's skull, the glass shattering with a crisp, violent crack. "You damned coward! You worthless beggar! We'll teach you a lesson!" The crowd of Conquest Partisans cursed loudly, completely surrounding Martin. The tavern returned to its usual raucous atmosphere. The patrons drank, laughed, and brawled as they always had, without a single soul noticing anything amiss. None of them knew that a terrifying devil had walked among them, treating them as playthings. Only Cassius remained staring at the spot where Asmodeus had vanished. His expression was somber, and deep wariness flickered within his pale golden eyes. *A mere projection was enough to make me fear for my life, capable of manipulating time and bending reality at will... What a truly terrifying monster.* He glanced at his system panel, where the lingering notifications were still visible: [Warning! You are interacting with a dangerous entity.] [Identity confirmed: Lord of the Nine Hells - Asmodeus] [Challenge Rating: ???] "At least for now, I hope I never have to cross paths with him again." Staring at the wall of question marks on the panel, Cassius exhaled an earnest sigh, lingering dread gripping his chest. Before executing his plan to kill Zariel, Cassius had instructed Mezrolash to gather extensive intelligence on the Hells—which naturally included details regarding Asmodeus. Yet the Lord of the Nine Hells was simply too ancient and enigmatic. Most surviving accounts were nothing more than baseless conjecture or mythological tales passed down by word of mouth. Infernal scholars argued incessantly over Asmodeus's origins, and more than a few had lost their souls in the process—after all, investigating the Hells was inherently fraught with peril. Some claimed he was the very first angel forged by the gods, others whispered he was a colossal serpent coiled in the depths of Nessus, and some believed him to be the physical incarnation of the universe's primordial evil... Mortal lifespans were utterly trivial before Asmodeus, and their souls were fragile things. Across the endless span of eras and changing ages, authentic records concerning Asmodeus had long been swallowed by the dust of history; even the gods might not know the full truth. Yet one thing remained beyond doubt: the Lord of the Nine Hells was unfathomably powerful, an existence far beyond what the current Cassius could ever afford to provoke. *** Stepping out of the tavern, Cassius silently slipped through space and arrived at the grand plaza of Blackstone Keep. A massive celebration was underway. Crowds surged through the streets in festive clamor, virtually everyone cheering in jubilation over the Empire's victory and the fall of the Kingdom of Thrace. "Long live the Empire!" "Long live His Majesty Cassius!" Deafening cheers rang out continuously, accompanied by impassioned choruses of the song that celebrated the conquest of the south. Even young children beamed with joy, singing rhymes honoring the imperial soldiers and waving tree branches as they playfully squabbled over who would play the dashing wyvern knights. "I want to be the Crimson-Scaled Conqueror! You be the demon!" "No way, I'm the Dragon Oath Paladin!" The empire's citizens had no inkling that the Emperor they revered was walking among the throngs at this very moment, deep in contemplative thought. *The scope of the Imperial Domain is still too limited. It only covers major cities right now. I must erect Boundary Monuments as soon as possible to encompass the entire Empire within its borders.* *Otherwise, beings of Asmodeus's caliber can step into the Empire with ease. While it's still unclear whether he is friend or foe this time, there is no telling what will happen if an outright enemy arrives next.* Reflecting on the recent encounter, Cassius still felt a prickle of lingering fear. After all, the Cinder Empire was his most vital asset, the stepping stone he was preparing for his apotheosis, and the bedrock of his existence in this world. With this thought, Cassius raised his hand. His golden eyes locked onto the exact center of the plaza, and the power of laws circulating within his body surged forth, descending into the depths of the earth. *Rumble—* The ground shook violently, flagstones cracked apart, and plumes of dust billowed into the square. "What is that?" "An earthquake! It's an earthquake! The ground is splitting open!" "Could it be an enemy invasion?" "Everyone—maintain order! Do not push or panic! The garrison guard will keep you safe!" Panic seized the citizens of Blackstone Keep. Rifle-wielding tiefling guards hurried forward, while patrols mounted on wyverns flew toward the plaza. Before the eyes of the imperial populace, a massive Boundary Monument rose slowly from the earth, reaching a towering height of twenty meters. At the peak of the monument was the imperial emblem of a vertical pupil engulfed in flames. Below it was an embossed relief depicting the Cinder Emperor slaying an angel, and carved boldly across the center was a row of distinct characters: *Empire Boundary Monument: Blackstone Keep* Within the monument's range, every citizen felt an extraordinarily grounded sense of security wash over them. Gentle streams of warmth seeped into their bodies, mending minor ailments and invigorating their vitality. "Th-this is a divine miracle!" "Look! The stone tablet bears a carving of the Emperor vanquishing an angel, along with the crest of the Empire!" "I know what this is—it must be the grace of His Majesty Cassius once more! This monument is the Emperor's symbol!" "Praise the great red dragon! Praise His Majesty Cassius!" What they could not perceive was that the Boundary Monument was continuously emitting the power of laws, rapidly expanding the Imperial Domain outward. Within a single day, the entirety of Blackstone Keep would be completely claimed as Cassius's domain. Although Blackstone Keep was not a sprawling metropolis, it still housed a sizable number of players, though most were newcomers working odd jobs. Suddenly, a player pointed at the monument, exclaiming in shock, "Look, guys! There's a system notification on that stone tablet!" "This is... a new respawn point and teleport node!" "Awesome! I was just groaning about Blackstone Keep's terrible transport options. Now we can teleport straight to the frontline battlefield!" During this time, Cassius visited several neighboring cities and erected eleven more Boundary Monuments. In no time, the functions of these Empire Boundary Monuments sparked massive waves across the player forums, with players singing endless praise. "The damned devs finally found their conscience!" "Hell yeah! Last time I died on the Auguste battlefield without a quick-revive scroll, I had to walk thousands of kilometers just to get back!" With these versatile respawn points in place, players no longer needed to dread grueling travel distances and could fool around with utter abandon! New players were also afforded far more flexibility, able to pick starting locations according to their personal preference rather than cramming into major hubs like Isdalia or Northwind Keep to engage in cutthroat competition. The players cheered ecstatically, demanding that the devs add even more monuments. Meanwhile, Cassius was preparing to depart for Avernus to meet his temporary ally.