Chapter 731: The Hunt
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 731: The Hunt
Beneath the High Tower.
Zagu stood within a crater clearly gouged out by a massive impact, staring up at the sky.
The sky of the Abyss was eternally sallow, as if perpetually choked by an endless sandstorm. There was nothing there worth admiring.
Naturally, Zagu wasn't standing there wallowing in sentimentality or taking in the view. He was judging the survival chances of the human woman who had been knocked off the tower, based on the size of the hole and the angle of the impact.
The probability was essentially zero.
That was the answer his logic and various analyses provided. Whether it was watching her fall from the tower or looking at this meteorite-like crater, there was no way a Fourth-Tier... no, even a Fifth-Tier Martial Artist could have survived.
Moreover, he had already greviously wounded her before she fell.
He hadn't even intended to come down and look; he felt that checking on a corpse smashed into a bloody pulp was a complete waste of time.
That was, until he received the report from the subordinates clearing the battlefield.
"The body... is gone."
Zagu looked toward the very center of the crater.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, rubble was strewn everywhere, and dust swirled in the biting night wind. However, aside from a few bloodstains on scattered stones, he couldn't find anything that could be called a corpse.
Even falling from a height of nearly a thousand meters, there should have been a pile of mangled flesh left behind.
"Is she still alive?"
Zagu’s gaze moved from the center of the crater toward the edges. Beneath the cover of larger boulders, he could faintly discern several narrow passages.
Beneath Gutons Fortress lay an incredibly complex and vast network of underground hollows. Even he didn't fully understand the purpose of those tunnels.
But... as a hiding place for rats, there was nowhere more suitable.
"That woman always finds a way to surprise people," Zagu sneered.
In his hundred years, he had encountered many human experts, geniuses, and even so-called "Children of Destiny." But this was the first time someone had managed to surprise him so many times in such a short span.
What now? The woman was likely severely injured. Should he go finish her off himself?
However, at that moment...
"Lord Zagu," a voice suddenly called out.
Zagu turned to see a maid. Her appearance was almost identical to a human girl, save for the pair of delicate horns on her head and the signature crimson eyes of the Demon Race.
A High-Class Demon.
And for someone to be entitled to a High-Class Demon as a maid...
"Were you sent by Lord Divine Will?"
"Yes." The demon maid bowed slightly in greeting. "I come following the will of Lord Divine Will."
"What are his orders?"
"Lord Divine Will wishes for you to hunt down the human who appeared on the High Tower earlier," the maid said.
"On the tower?" Zagu thought for a moment. "The black-haired one? Or the blonde?"
"The female with long, wavy golden hair. Though, in reality, it is a man."
The maid handed a dossier to Zagu. "You should have heard of his identity. He is a Duke of the Human Empire, the son of the Lion King—Muen Campbell."
"I see..." Zagu took the intelligence, his eyebrows arching slightly.
One liked to stuff things in his chest to fake a bust. The other liked to transform into a woman. Were human fetishes always this bizarre?
"But as far as I know, didn't that person already teleport away?" Zagu asked.
Though he hadn't played much of a role in the later stages, Zagu had witnessed the entire high-level duel between the Crown Bearers. He knew that Muen had been sent away by An using the authority of the Eternal Cycle.
"According to Lord Divine Will, the authority she wielded at the time was extremely limited. She lacked the power to send Muen Campbell out of the city. Therefore, he is certainly still within Gutons Fortress."
The maid pointed at the dossier. "Everything you need is inside."
"Oh?"
Zagu flipped open the file and gave it a light shake.
With a clack, a tiny fragment of a chain fell to the ground. It then automatically floated up, twisting in Zagu’s palm like a small snake.
"At that time, Muen Campbell’s soul was restricted by the Soul-Binding Chains of the Eternal Cycle, leaving behind traces of his soul information. Lord Divine Will intercepted this data. It should assist you."
"He went to such lengths?" Zagu was slightly surprised. "Just to kill that human?"
"More than that. Since the Grand Duke of Bewitchment is currently heavily wounded, the Skinners under her command will all follow your orders."
"The Skinners..." Zagu was even more astonished.
The Skinners were the most elite special organization under the Grand Duke of Bewitchment. They were a unit composed of succubi personally raised by the Grand Duke and some of the most vicious demons who had prostrated themselves at her feet.
They were the hounds with the keenest scent and the sharpest claws in her service. One or two Skinners were nothing to worry about, but once a pack of those mad dogs latched onto a target, even Zagu would find them troublesome to deal with.
"Would the Grand Duke of Bewitchment agree to this?"
"She has no choice but to agree," the maid replied expressionlessly.
"..."
Zagu fell silent. He understood that these words meant not only was the Grand Duke of Bewitchment’s injury truly severe, but also that the hunt for Muen Campbell was an absolute command that could not be failed.
If Lord Divine Will weren't tied down by more important matters, he would likely have done it himself.
Zagu nodded. "I understand. I will carry out Lord Divine Will’s wishes to the letter."
"Then I wish Lord Zagu a smooth journey. If you require anything else, you may request it of me directly. Per Lord Divine Will’s decree, if the Skinners are not enough, you have the right to mobilize every existing force within Gutons Fortress." The maid bowed.
"Forget it. Aside from the Skinners, this city probably has nothing left but bottom-feeders." Zagu waved his hand dismissively.
The key to hunting prey wasn't in numbers. A thousand sheep couldn't kill a single lion, even if that lion was badly wounded.
But a hundred wild dogs... then the lion was nothing more than prey waiting to be slaughtered.
Especially with him personally taking action.
"Speaking of which, that black flame Muen Campbell uses is a bit of a nuisance."
"According to Lord Divine Will, without the support of the Life Church, that is merely a formidable power of an Evil God. Given Muen Campbell’s current state, he likely cannot use much of it. I believe Lord Zagu, having witnessed the entire battle, is aware of this."
"Tsk, tsk. How ruthless. I’m almost curious why Lord Divine Will is so obsessed with that human brat. Is it because of that person?" Zagu asked inquisitively. He had never seen the dignified Grand Duke Divine Will care so much about a human.
"That is not for me to know."
"No matter. I was just asking." Zagu shrugged and didn't press further.
He raised his hand, letting the fragment of the chain float up.
"Hmm?" Zagu suddenly paused.
The chain recording Muen Campbell’s soul information was pointing toward one of the passages surrounding the crater. This passage happened to coincide perfectly with his previous analysis.
"A coincidence?"
Muen Campbell had actually fled to this very spot.
"Heh... perfect. Saves me the extra effort." Zagu chuckled. "Oh, right. One more important thing."
"Please ask, Lord Zagu."
"Do I need him alive?" Zagu turned back. "That black flame of his looks like it might have some research value."
"No." The maid didn't hesitate for a second, her voice grave. "Please be certain to kill Muen Campbell... truthfully and without mercy."
*
"Still not awake?"
Ariel poked at the campfire in front of her and let out a long sigh.
The underground cave was as desolate and cold as ever. Looking up, stalactites hung from the ceiling like bamboo shoots, multicolored and beautiful, yet there wasn't even a single bat to be seen.
Aside from the sound of dripping water and the breathing of the two people, it was terrifyingly quiet.
And compared to the surroundings, the fire in front of Ariel... was gradually dying out.
There was no fuel here. Even if she used her Divine Blessing Power to forcibly burn rocks to save some physical strength, it wouldn't last long.
It wasn't that her stamina had weakened to such a pathetic degree, but rather the issue mentioned before...
Stamina. Fighting Spirit. Mana.
For her and Miss Muse, who were still in the heart of enemy territory, these three things had to be prioritized above all else.
Even though Ariel desperately wanted Miss Muse to be more comfortable, she was powerless in this situation. Now that Miss Muse was out of immediate mortal danger, wasting vital resources on the triviality of "comfort" would be no different from seeking death.
Ariel dreamed of a Crystal Palace, but she wouldn't let momentary passion cloud her judgment.
She was just that rational and intelligent. She hadn't grown this far based on luck and stubbornness alone.
"But speaking of which, doesn't this make me like one of those useless husbands who can't provide a good life for his wife?"
Ariel gritted her teeth in mock grief, then pulled out a piece of black bread, tore off a large chunk, and chewed on it resentfully.
At a time like this, only this black bread—which tasted awful but could replenish a bit of her strength—could bring a sliver of warmth to her cold heart.
"But speaking of food..."
Ariel’s eyes darted around, suddenly landing on Miss Muse’s lips again.
By now, some color had returned to those lips. Under the firelight, they glowed with a delicate, tender hue, looking like jelly that practically begged someone to take a bite...
"No, no, no!"
Ariel shook her head violently, forcing herself to snap out of her inappropriate fantasies.
"I told you, I can't use such base and lowly methods!"
That’s right. A true master of romance always wins the heart first; physical benefits are only temporary! As long as the emotional connection is there, why worry about what follows?
"Close call, close call. How many times have I had these unhealthy thoughts now?"
Ariel wiped away a cold sweat. She couldn't be blamed for constantly craving Miss Muse’s body—Miss Muse was simply too enchanting!
"But now isn't the time for that."
Ariel pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time.
They had been in this place for two full hours. For safety's sake, they couldn't stay any longer.
She didn't know how long it would take for the enemy to search this far, but the demons certainly wouldn't let them leave just like that. Especially after they had caused such a massive commotion.
"Come to think of it, I might have dragged Miss Muse into this," Ariel thought with a hint of self-reproach.
After all, if she hadn't shown her face in front of the Demon Grand Dukes, it probably would have been much easier for Miss Muse to escape.
Regardless, she had to move Miss Muse to a new location. Staying in one spot for too long would almost certainly lead to discovery.
"So, should I carry her on my back? Or hold her in my arms?"
Ariel flexed her fingers and slowly approached Miss Muse, a "lewd" smirk inadvertently creeping onto her face.
It couldn't be helped. Since Miss Muse couldn't move right now, she would just have to...
"Hmm?"
Ariel’s movements came to a sudden halt.
The campfire flickered violently and then extinguished itself. Ariel waved her hand, and even the smoke was quickly swept away by a gust of air.
In the final moment before the light vanished, it illuminated her face... which had become incredibly solemn.
Someone had tripped her warning magic device.