The light of the magic circle in the Underdark finally faded.
The once-fresh flesh and blood had begun to give off a putrid stench, blending together into a dark, muddy crimson.
The summoning had failed; Zariel offered no response whatsoever.
The Rose of Decay tried once more, but the result remained unchanged. Zariel gave them no opening at all—not even descending with a sliver of her will.
After failing twice in a row, the Rose of Decay dared not actually place Melina in the center of the circle. She genuinely feared Zariel might suddenly manifest and devour her daughter as a sacrifice.
In that moment, both Aige and the Rose of Decay acutely felt the gap between themselves and Anbaixiu.
Unreliable as that lich usually seemed, he truly had a way when it came to dealing with deities. No one could match him in harboring not a shred of genuine reverence for the gods.
And precisely because of that irreverence, Anbaixiu could grasp their weaknesses far more easily than anyone else.
Frowning, the Rose of Decay asked Aige, "What do we do now? Zariel won't even give us a chance to communicate."
Aige was equally helpless and could only suggest, "Perhaps we could ask the President for help again."
Even as she said it, Aige knew the suggestion was unreliable.
The President had always been enigmatic and cautious, rarely intervening in person. Besides, they had already discussed the matter at the last gathering; had he wanted to help, he would have done so long ago without waiting for them to beg.
At this point, Melina stepped forward. "Mother, let me go! I can enter Hell and bring Father back!"
"I will never use you as a sacrifice!" the Rose of Decay refused.
Zariel was not someone easily fooled. Right now, they were the ones asking for a favor, and Zariel would certainly not pass up a "sacrifice" like Melina—she would snatch her straight into Hell at the very first opportunity.
"Not by summoning Zariel, Mother," Melina said. "This is the sword Father left me. I can enter Hell through it."
Melina raised the longsword in her hands, and hellfire ignited along the blade.
This was the "proof of contract" left behind when Zariel had collaborated with Anbaixiu—a hellish longsword brimming with Zariel's aura. It could well be considered an artifact; even a mage like Anbaixiu gained tremendous combat prowess when wielding it.
However, Anbaixiu knew that even becoming a hundred times stronger would not avert his impending death, so he had simply given the sword to Melina.
Melina was very fond of it too. Her strength was so immense that virtually nothing in the Underdark was worthy of her as a weapon. No matter how good the magic equipment provided by the Rose of Decay was, it couldn't compare to a divine-blessed weapon.
Not only was this flaming longsword immensely powerful, comprehensively boosting all facets of its wielder's capabilities, but it could also open a small Gate of Hell to summon thirty cambions as subordinates.
Cambions were half-fiends bred of devils and humans, possessing formidable combat power. True elites among devils, they were not in the least inferior to high-ranking paladins.
Melina had just never expected that one day she would need to use this sword to enter Hell.
"Mother, as long as I open the Gate of Hell, I can go inside, and then—"
Before Melina could finish, the Rose of Decay interrupted, "No, you absolutely cannot!"
Melina asked, puzzled, "Why?"
The Rose of Decay retorted, "You're asking why?! If you go to Hell, you'll be tricked until they pluck your head right off your shoulders!"
Melina possessed the kind of intellect that let svirfneblin dupe her into mining with just a few words. Letting her go to Hell, the very plane inhabited by devils? The Rose of Decay estimated that within less than an hour of arriving, she would be tricked into slavery!
Never mind searching for her father—how far she could even walk in Hell was an open question.
Yet Melina said resolutely, "But what other way is there? I can't leave Father in Zariel's clutches! Besides, Zariel invited me before anyway. I'd rather trade myself to her in exchange for him!"
The Rose of Decay stroked her daughter's head. Her filial devotion was commendable, but Melina had no concept of the vast difference in value between the two.
To Zariel, Melina was merely a neat toy, but to any Archduke of Hell, Anbaixiu was the world's most precious and irreplaceable treasure—an opportunity to shake the Lord of Hell's authority. If Melina thought she could trade herself for him, she was being utterly delusional; Zariel would reject it without a second thought.
However, Aige saw it differently. She said to the Rose of Decay, "I think it's worth a shot. Melina might not make Zariel let him go, but at least she can deliver a message to Zariel for us. As for your concerns..." Aige turned to Melina. "Melina, if you're only delivering a message, trust no one before you see Zariel. Whoever tries to stop you, slaughter your way through them. In the first layer of Hell, there are very few threats that can truly endanger you..."
"Aige!" the Rose of Decay cut in. "What are you talking about? How could you let her take such a risk?"
Aige replied calmly, "Rose, when you first created Melina, it was to obtain a powerful warrior. The blessings Melina possesses are extraordinarily formidable. You've simply kept her shielded all this time, never allowing her strength to be realized. Believe me, my judgment on this matter is more accurate than yours."
Seeing Aige's support, Melina grew excited as well.
"Mother, I can do it! I know I can! I promise I won't get tricked. I'll just butcher my way straight to Zariel!"
The Rose of Decay still refused. "No, it's far too reckless!"
"But for every day we delay, Father suffers another day in Hell. Mother, even if something goes wrong after I enter Hell, the worst that could happen is being dragged before Zariel and made into her subordinate. If that's the case, why not give it a try?!"
The Rose of Decay wavered. The thought of Anbaixiu being tortured by the hell lords brought her intense distress.
Should she truly let Melina go to Hell?
Seizing the opportunity, Aige pressed on, "Rose, I know it's a difficult choice. How about this: let's send Melina to Gareth. If Gareth acknowledges her strength, we let her enter Hell; if not, we find another way."
"Gareth?"
At the sound of that name, the Rose of Decay hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
In the Elegy Poetry Society, apart from the two unfathomable leaders, the President and the Poet, Gareth was undisputedly the strongest. Moreover, just like Melina, he relied not on clever wits, but on sheer, overwhelming power.
If Gareth acknowledged Melina's capabilities, then perhaps she really could venture into Hell. If all else failed, they could stay in contact via the magic mirror—that alchemical item could transmit communications across planes, functioning even in Hell.
The Rose of Decay ultimately nodded. "All right. I'll tell Gareth to take it seriously."
Melina cheered with excitement, "Wonderful! I'll definitely go to Hell and rescue Father!"
The Rose of Decay: ...
Was this daughter truly reliable?
Melina, however, did not share those doubts. Wasn't it just earning the Headless Horseman's approval? Since the day she was born, she had rarely used her full power. As long as she got a little serious, even if she couldn't defeat the Headless Horseman, her antimagic barrier would render her invincible!
Yet that confidence did not last long.
Melina followed the Rose of Decay through the teleportation array to Dragon Tomb Island overseas, where they found Gareth and Canggu leisurely bathing in the moonlight on the beach out of boredom.
Once the Rose of Decay explained their purpose, Gareth gripped his long saber and said to Melina, "Then you'd better watch out. I won't let you pass easily."
Melina confidently drew her longsword. Hellfire coiled around the blade, and surging power instantly flooded her entire body, bolstering her every attribute!
Gareth said excitedly, "Not bad, not bad! This looks interesting."
Saber unsheathed, wrapped in purple flame, Gareth delivered a slash toward Melina in the most plain and unadorned manner imaginable.
With a resounding clang, Gareth's saber met Melina's flaming sword. Melina was blasted backward, embedding deeply into a barren hill on Dragon Tomb Island.
In her near-unconscious daze, Melina heard Auntie Canggu's furious roar: "Hitting a child with that much force—are you an idiot?! If anything happens to Melina, I'll whip you to death!"
Gareth protested in profound grievance, "I really didn't use force! At most thirty percent!"
Melina coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, and then blacked out completely.
Chapter 520