Is It Supposed to Be This Thrilling?

Melina's territory gradually grew bustling. This was not only because it possessed the richest soul fragment resources within a radius of thousands of kilometers, but more importantly, the lord here did not seem to be a traditional devil. "She's actually quite nice." That was the consensus among most devils regarding Melina. Although the territory's "taxes" were by no means cheap, its rules were transparent; so far, no one had encountered an instance of "you want to talk rules? I'll draft one right now to screw you." Such a thing sounded absurd—wasn't that just basic decency that any normal person ought to display? But one had to remember: this was Hell. Perhaps some souls damned to Hell had been wrongly condemned, but those who were innocent rarely survived long. Anyone still alive in Hell today was bound to be a sinner of boundless depravity; things like murder and arson barely even registered on the ledger in this realm. In a place where literally everyone was a villain, there was actually a lord willing to abide by the rules. One couldn't say it was utterly nonexistent, but it was certainly extraordinarily rare. With abundant resources, full bellies, and an easygoing lord, such a haven easily attracted swarms of wanderers from the wilderness. For just a bite of soul fragments, many devils chose to remain within the territory for the time being. Although taxes had to be paid promptly, the place was truly fertile; scrounging up food was infinitely easier than out in the wastes, and one didn't have to risk life and limb for every meal. Melina's territory strictly forbade private brawling. Whether it was deliberate provocation or legitimate self-defense, once caught, the penalty ranged from exile at best to execution at worst. This rule was overbearing and thoroughly unreasonable, but it was still set down in black and white upon the contract—it wasn't an underhanded trick. Moreover, looked at from another angle, prohibiting private duels was a safeguard for weaker devils. This drew even more weak devils flocking toward Melina's domain, until it wasn't long before the place was overflowing with bodies. And with this massive influx of devils, an occasional enemy seeking vengeance against Anbaixiu was mixed in as well. Melina screened them all with meticulous care. Anyone confirmed not to be on the list was dispatched immediately. Those confirmed to be on the list were dealt with according to their respective weight. There were three tiers. For the weakest tier, strike directly—capture first and ask questions later. The second tier focused primarily on negotiation, requiring Anbaixiu to be notified as swiftly as possible to handle it personally. The most troublesome third tier comprised the three names marked in red; for those, notices were posted openly, hoping the targets would see them right away while allowing Anbaixiu to sense them at the very first moment. When Paluriel arrived at Melina's territory and saw her own name posted on the fortress gates, a teasing smile immediately curled across her lips. "As expected, that bastard exposed his identity on purpose just to lure us old enemies out." Paluriel glanced at the other notices pasted along the city walls. "Queue up in an orderly fashion upon entering the city. Disruptors of public order will be put to death!" This notice was posted in the most prominent spot, practically impossible for anyone to miss. Paluriel's eyes rolled, and she fished out another soul coin, flicking it upward. "Heads, I fight my way inside and drag that bastard out! Tails, I'll give him a little surprise." Paluriel muttered under her breath, but as she caught the soul coin, she let out a sigh. It was tails. "Fine, looks like I'll have to put in some effort. Goddess of Fate, I hear and obey." Paluriel blinked, and subtle shifts rippled across her features. With just a slight touch of alteration, she assumed an entirely different appearance, guaranteeing that even if Anbaixiu saw her again, he would never recognize her. Paluriel looked at the long queue snaking before the fortress gates, sashaying her hips as she walked toward the very front. Just as she prepared to slip into the line, a cambion standing in front shouted, "Hey, little lady! Wait in line!" Paluriel feigned utter shock. "Queue up? In Hell? You actually have to queue up?" Her voice, laced with delicate sweetness amidst her shock, sent an itch through anyone who heard it. Quite a few onlookers turned their heads toward the commotion, and the moment they saw an erinyes, they settled in to watch the show. The cambion felt that itch as well, but he wasn't about to give ground. He barked, "You have to queue up anywhere you go, so don't try acting all sultry with me! I've been waiting here for half a day!" Everyone now knew that this fortress was a rare "paradise" in Hell, and everyone was breaking their necks trying to get inside. But as the devil population swelled, entry into the city had been restricted with a daily quota; no one was going to yield their spot out of courtesy. An erinyes, so what? Once inside the city, who had to worry about finding one? Paluriel let out a bewitching laugh and said to the cambion, "I came all the way from the sixth layer of Hell. I really didn't expect you devils in the First Layer of Hell to be so law-abiding. My apologies—I'll just get in line right behind you." Paluriel naturally stepped behind the cambion, elbowing aside a small lemure behind him. Lemures were practically the lowest of the low among devils in Hell. A single glance from an erinyes like Paluriel left the creature dazed and delirious, showing no intent whatsoever to resist her cutting in. The cambion glanced back and spat in contempt. "Worthless trash." He didn't care in the slightest; after all, she hadn't cut in ahead of him. Yet Paluriel cutting into the line didn't just displace that small lemure—it rippled down the entire queue of devils behind them. The devils waiting in line instantly erupted into roars of outrage. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Get the fuck out!" "Looking to die?!" "Drive this bitch away!" "Guards! Someone's cutting in line! Aren't you supposed to keep order?!" ... After an eternity of shouting, the ears of the cambions keeping order at the gates were ringing incessantly. Finally, one guard couldn't take it anymore, marched over, and snapped at Paluriel, "You! No cutting in line. Get to the back and start over." Paluriel flicked her tail, coiling it around the diminutive lemure behind her and hauling him right to her feet. Stroking his head affectionately, she said, "I didn't cut in line. This is my friend! I had him save a spot for me in advance. Your rules only say we have to queue up; they never said someone can't save a spot for someone else..." Paluriel turned to the little lemure. "Isn't that right, my dearest friend?" The little lemure gaped, stammering, "I... well..." Seeing this, the devils queued behind roared even louder. "Useless trash, charmed by an erinyes already?!" "If you don't throw her out, I'll swallow you whole!" "Just throw them both out! Toss 'em both!" ... The little lemure trembled with terror under the boiling fury of the mob. Paluriel's tail tightened instantly, hauling him directly before her face as she murmured, "You'd better think carefully. If you nod right now, I'm your friend. But if you shake your head and say no, do you think those devils behind you are going to thank you?" Hearing this, the little lemure hesitated no longer and yelled, "That's right! We are friends! I came here to save a spot for her!" The moment those words were spoken, the devils behind boiled over completely. Quite a few hot-tempered devils began shoving forward, intending to push ahead themselves if someone else got to cut in. Seeing the situation unfold like this, the cambions maintaining order furrowed their brows. Whether someone saved a spot or cut in line was of zero concern to them; they were just beggars wandering in from the wastes looking for handouts, and no one gave a damn about their lives. But they couldn't let a riot break out, or else the guards themselves would face punishment. Immediately, a guard raised a magic mirror high, and dazzling radiance erupted from the surface. It was merely a simple flash spell with no real lethality, but it was a signal: if anyone made trouble again, it wouldn't be as simple as a blinding flash next time—the guards would summon the fortress's defensive magic directly. This territory boasted a top-tier Imprisonment Magic Array. Once its pillars of light descended, they could even temporarily freeze time itself; no one could withstand it. However, invoking that authority meant slaughter would ensue. The rioting devils were instantly cowed; after all, plenty of bloody heads still hung from the battlements, devils who had violated the rules and been executed over the past few days. Seeing order restored, the guards closed in on Paluriel again and commanded, "Get out right now, or I'll execute you on charges of disrupting public order!" Paluriel put on a deeply aggrieved face. "I already said he was saving my spot. It doesn't break any rules at all. Aren't we devils the ones who value contracts above all else? I only came all the way from the sixth layer of Hell to seek shelter here because I heard the lord was exceptionally fond of following the rules." The guard snapped impatiently, "If everyone saved spots, why would anyone queue? An extra person joining means one more person shoved back in line! If everyone saves spots, what line is left to keep!" Paluriel gasped in "sudden realization." "In other words, as long as the total number in line stays the same, it doesn't matter, right?" The guard stared at that dainty, bewitching face, momentarily stunned. What did this erinyes mean by that? Paluriel turned to the little lemure. "My dearest friend, you wouldn't want me to get kicked out, would you? After all, this is the spot you held for me." The little lemure froze, and just as he went to explain, Paluriel's tail gagged his mouth. Now everyone understood: this erinyes was blatantly stealing someone else's spot. The poor lemure was utterly out of luck; lacking any real ability, he had no way to resist an erinyes's charm and would likely yield his place obediently in the next second. As long as no blows were exchanged, the guards would most likely turn a blind eye. And indeed, that was exactly what the guards thought. They weren't some fiercely devoted death commandos bound to duty; as long as things were close enough, they let it pass. They didn't spare a second glance for the little lemure. This erinyes, however, was quite interesting—stunningly gorgeous, curvaceous, with an amusing personality to boot. Once she was inside the city, maybe they could drop by and "look after" her once their shift ended. Just when everyone thought the little lemure was about to be enthralled and made to leave the queue, Paluriel suddenly produced a soul coin and asked him, "Heads or tails?" Paluriel flicked her finger, sending the soul coin spinning hundreds of rotations before landing in her palm. The little lemure felt his mouth freed. He had intended to cry out to the guards for help, but under Paluriel's gaze, some eerie compulsion possessed him to blurt out, "Heads!" Paluriel opened her hand. The soul coin in her palm was indeed facing heads-up, the wailing human face etched in vivid detail. "Not bad luck," Paluriel praised softly. Then she turned her head toward the cambion standing ahead of her. "Handsome young sir, you see, my friend and I are in desperate need of a slot. Why don't you do me a favor?" The cambion had been enjoying the spectacle, never imagining that this erinyes would suddenly turn her sights on him. He opened his mouth to swear at her, but catching a sudden whiff of fragrance, his sense of self dissolved completely, turning him into a drooling idiot. Under Paluriel's command, the cambion obediently padded out of the queue like a lapdog. Paluriel slipped the soul coin into the guard's pocket, then asked, "The headcount is perfectly fine now, isn't it?" Watching this unfold, the guard felt a jolt of shock. This erinyes's methods were terrifyingly potent; had she used them on him, he might have succumbed just as easily. Perhaps summoning the sealing magic array could neutralize her, but why take the risk? Besides, the headcount was balanced now; fewer troubles were always better than more. Hurriedly stashing the soul coin away, the guard said to Paluriel, "Fine. No more causing trouble. Keep moving forward!" The minor disturbance settled quickly, leaving only the wretched cambion as the victim. Paluriel smoothly reached the front of the queue, and only after passing through checkpoint after checkpoint into Melina's territory did she finally release the tail binding the little lemure. Devils bustled to and fro, dispersing toward different sectors of the domain. Every devil hurried along with brisk steps, eager to carve out a place of their own in this new city. Paluriel, however, smiled at the little lemure and said, "Just now, you must have thought I was going to throw you out, didn't you?" The little lemure trembled violently. "N-no, no... I wouldn't dare! I really didn't dare think that!" "A clumsy lie. Suspicion is only natural. But that's all right—I forgive you for doubting me. Still, you should understand by now that when I call someone my friend, I don't say it lightly." Paluriel whispered to the little lemure, "Those who are friends with me will surely reap tremendous rewards. That is my promise. Are you willing to trust me, friend?" The little lemure was already dancing entirely in the palm of Paluriel's hand. In the presence of this formidable, gorgeous big sister erinyes, how could he dare object? He babbled hastily, "Yes, yes, absolutely! I believe you! We are best friends! I will trust your words unconditionally!" Paluriel smiled sweetly. "Good, I like your attitude. But remember our agreement: you must trust me unconditionally. If you break it, I will be very upset." The little lemure patted his chest. "I won't! I never will! I promise to obey you one hundred percent! We can even sign a contract!" Paluriel shook her head. "Friendship is about heart, not tedious nonsense like contracts. As long as you're sincere, that's enough. Now then, where should we go?" The little lemure breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly suggested, "I heard they're recruiting everywhere in this territory. Collecting soul fragments used to be the best gig—you could skim quite a bit off the top—but now that there are so many people, turning in enough soul fragments has turned into a cutthroat rat race; you have to be faster than everyone else. How about we apply for the city defense garrison? I heard the benefits are great, and with your abilities, you can definitely..." Before the little lemure could finish, he saw Paluriel pull out another soul coin. Paluriel flipped the soul coin into the air with the exact same motion, reaching seemingly the exact same height and spinning at the exact same speed, as if she had practiced it countless times. "Heads, we go join the city defense garrison. Tails, we go find the lord herself." Paluriel caught the soul coin in a fist and opened her palm. This time, it was tails. "Splendid. Fate has pointed the way," Paluriel said. "Great, let's go... Wait, go find the lord?!" The little lemure jumped in fright. Wasn't that courting death? Even if the lord of this place was rumored to be easy to talk to, that didn't mean mere outsiders like them could see her whenever they pleased! Word was that over the past few days, the city had caught numerous assassins trying to murder the lord, their severed heads left dangling from the ramparts to dry in the wind. Going to see her now was pure suicide! And what would they even see the lord for? Outsiders like them should immediately register their identities, take out a loan for one of those legendary magic mirrors, and either become a "farmer" harvesting soul fragments, enlist as a city defense guard, or, if they had specialized skills, apply to another department in the fortress. The lord wouldn't concern herself with such trivial matters. Barging in to disturb her was not only dangerous, but utterly pointless. Paluriel said instead, "If you don't go see the lord, how do you expect to get ahead? Do you really want to stay at the very bottom like the rest of those trash? Only by meeting the lord can you soar to the heavens in a single bound and become her right-hand man. One month... no, ten days. Within ten days, I'll have you installed as a chief overseer by her side. How about that? Am I a good friend or what?" "You're crazy!" The little lemure was about to refuse when he saw the big sister's eyes turn completely blood-red. Expressionless, Paluriel asked, "You promised me just now that you'd listen to your friend. Are you trying to make me angry?" "I..." The little lemure felt an overwhelming pressure crash down on him. If he dared utter half a word of refusal, he would probably be crushed to dust on the spot. "I agree! I'll listen to you! I'll listen to everything you say!" Only then did Paluriel say with satisfaction, "That's more like it. Following me won't do you any harm. Don't worry, this is the guidance of the Goddess of Fate—it can never be wrong." The little lemure thought to himself, *Could this erinyes be completely insane?* How rotten was his luck to be targeted by a lunatic? Left with no other choice, he could only ask Paluriel, "What pretext are we going to use to get close to the lord? We won't even be able to get through the door." Paluriel said, "Didn't you read the notices at the city gates? They have bounties on those names. Conveniently enough, I happen to know about this Salvador. I'll tell you everything. Remember it well—if you give the wrong answers, you're on your own." The little lemure could only prick up his ears and listen closely. But when Paluriel mentioned things like the Master of the second layer of Hell, the Iron Archduke, the Chief Scribe... every single title hit his soul like a plummeting meteor. By the Nine Hells! What kind of terrible mess had he gotten himself dragged into? He was just a little lemure that had only recently been excreted by a hellish larva! Was arriving in Hell supposed to be this thrilling right from the start?