"So they use a living being on the other side of the coordinates to supply the teleportation energy?"
The Chip's recording light flickered as Leilin instantly saw through the ability being employed.
A spiritual projection always cost far less than projecting a physical body.
If it had only been a projection, Rox still might have survived. But transmitting an actual physical scroll of information required Rox to serve as part of the energy source.
As the price for the parchment in Leilin's hand, Rox's soul was completely annihilated, every last bit of energy consumed in the transmission costs.
"To think they wouldn't even let go of a single petitioner's energy—devils really are a calculating bunch. If I hadn't factored the teleportation fee into the cost beforehand, it would've used that as leverage to squeeze even more out of me…"
This transaction gave Leilin a deeper understanding of the cunning and shrewdness of devils.
"However… the contract threads I saw on it earlier were no mistake. It cost me something, but in the end, I got what I wanted…"
Leilin gazed at the scroll in his hand. "Chip, display data collection status!"
Ding! Full scan complete! Removed 13.86% false or extraneous portions, merged related items, organizing now… Data has been transferred to the host's memory区!
"It seems it didn't try to fool me. Was that because of the power gap?"
Leilin stroked his chin. "And this batch of zealot souls is surprisingly useful…"
What Leilin had produced as the trading material was, in fact, the slumbering believer souls he had obtained from the half-god Akban of the savage empire.
In the Abyss and Hell, souls were absolute hard currency! To amass sufficient souls, devils and demons would recklessly rush into the Prime Material World, disregarding the churches' extermination campaigns and causing untold atrocities along the way.
And compared to those devils and demons who labored painstakingly for souls, Leilin had simply breached a half-god's temple and claimed centuries' worth of accumulated souls!
The devoted, powerful souls accumulated over centuries by the entire savage empire were a treasure that even the lords of Hell would covet!
Leilin had no way of converting those believers' souls into his own petitioners, and absorbing them directly would have been too wasteful and extravagant. This arrangement served as a fine way to put them to use.
"However…"
A faint smile curled at the corner of Leilin's mouth, as though he were envisioning some deeply sinister scene in the future.
"The souls of savages are not the same as those of the Prime Material World… That kind of soul contamination is something even the gods fear…"
Faith power was soul power. And the faith of the savages was a poison so virulent that even deities dared not touch it. This contamination originated from the very depths of their souls, and without Leilin's powers of observation, it would be completely imperceptible.
Moreover, in order to secure his initial seed capital, Leilin had even disguised the souls of Akban's believers, making them appear no different from ordinary souls on the surface.
Once these souls were traded in bulk—or worse, actually used—he wondered how many devils would be ensnared. Leilin looked forward to finding out.
…
With accurate maps in hand, Leilin's travel speed increased considerably.
The closer he drew to the Bronze Fortress, the more frequently devils appeared in the surroundings. Nearly every day he could spot armored devils moving in organized formations, and a lone wanderer like Leilin stood out conspicuously.
However, whether due to military discipline or the aura of a formidable being emanating from Leilin, very few actually came looking for trouble.
He arrived at the Bronze Fortress without incident.
The fortress, forged entirely of bronze, was renowned for its twelve concentric rings of fortified walls, each lined with terrifying, awe-inspiring war machines of tremendous power.
When Leilin first beheld the Bronze Fortress from a distance, he felt as though he were gazing upon a colossal steel beast sprawled across the ground!
Hordes of lemures, implets, and soul petitioners bustled about along the outermost ring, reinforcing defensive works. Bone scaffolding and support pillars were erected everywhere, alongside neatly arranged hammers and shovels. The entire Bronze Fortress seemed to be under perpetual expansion, with no end in sight.
Despite the constant signs of activity, the imps and lemur petitioners carried out their tasks in orderly fashion. The outer perimeter of the fortress resembled a vast, precisely running machine, suffused with an overwhelming sense of order.
Meanwhile, lines of outsiders queued outside the Bronze Fortress, undergoing inspection by the garrison before being admitted in orderly fashion.
In the Abyss, such a procedure would have sparked more than one riot long ago. But devils were different. As beings of order, following rules and systems was practically instinct. The Nine Layers of
Leilin could only shrug and join the queue.
The area was guarded by a squad of mid-rank devils, the most numerous among them being barbazu—also known as barb devils. They bore the signature goat-like horns and scales of their kind, along with black bony wings. Most wore armor, one hand transformed into a steel barbed hook bristling with thorn-like barbs, their gleaming edges and lethal poison a fearsome sight.
These barb devils sometimes served in the collection and retrieval of evil souls, but the current batch显然 hadn't landed that coveted assignment, and their tempers were visibly short.
Leilin watched as several unlucky souls ahead of him were dragged off to be tormented by chain devils and other masters of interrogation.
The queue inched forward with slow, unyielding momentum until it was finally Leilin's turn.
"Your name, identity, and proof of affiliated faction…"
Before two barb devils stood an imp, its tattered wings fluttering behind it. Its evil eyes brimmed with greed, and the occasional flicker of flame or squirming venomous insect crawled in and out of its face and mouth.
"I come from
Leilin slightly pushed back his hair, releasing a powerful aura that formed an arcane sigil behind him.
In Hell, there was no such thing as a truly masterless devil. All devils were bound by strict hierarchical ranks and their respective superiors, who in turn answered to even more powerful devils. Following this chain upward, one could ultimately trace it back to the eight Lords of Hell.
"Another one from Dis! It's been getting more and more chaotic over there lately… Ever since that Lord disappeared, by the Nine Layers of Hell…"
The imp muttered, a flicker of fear crossing its face.
Leilin's aura of a high-ranking devil was unmistakable, while the imp had only recently advanced to mid-rank. Although superiors technically had no authority over a colleague's subordinates, in this situation, Leilin could immediately demote the imp—if he so chose!
Thinking of all the schemes it had orchestrated before, and the众多 competitors breathing down its neck right now, the imp felt a chill run through it and hastily assumed an ingratiating expression.
"Many more devils from Dis have been arriving lately. Do be careful, my lord!"
"Mm. I want this record concealed, and I also want information on other rivals."
Leilin nodded, speaking in a low voice.
"The imp's face froze for a moment, but then a barb devil behind it yanked it aside. "Give me ten coins! Clink! Or Wealth! That information will be delivered to you immediately."
For devils, bribery was an entirely plausible affair.
Leilin couldn't help but silently lament for the earlier unfortunates who clearly couldn't afford the price.
"Here are ten coins! Give me the intelligence!" He casually waved a linen pouch, prying it open just enough to reveal the soul-luster within.
In Hell, whether one called them coins, clink, or wealth, they were all merely different terms for souls.
"No problem! Deal!"
The imp and the barb devil exchanged a glance, quickly reaching a silent understanding.
…
After considerable hassle, Leilin finally entered the Bronze Fortress. The place was a chaotic mix of low-rank devils bound for the Blood War, along with lemurs and petitioners, forming a bustling and boisterous marketplace.
Leilin wandered the streets at random, reviewing the intelligence he had obtained, a contemplative look in his eyes.
"The impact of Berusebub's disappearance is even greater than I had estimated…"
Leilin sighed inwardly at the thought.
The entire hierarchy of Hell was governed by ironclad rules. The devils formed an enormous, intricate, and rigidly stratified caste system, and perched atop the whole structure were the eight Lords of Hell, headed by
Countless high-ranking devils and pit fiends answered to these eight lords, each commanding vast numbers of subordinates, striving to prove their worth while simultaneously eyeing higher positions.
Under normal circumstances, this arrangement could be considered stable. But remove a single pillar, and the entire interconnected network risked cascading collapse.
Berusebub's disappearance had torn out a major artery from this tightly woven network, plunging the entire Second Layer of Dis into chaos.
If not for the remaining seven Lords of Hell stepping in to stabilize order, the Second Layer might well have been dragged into the Abyss!
That would have made devils the laughingstock across every plane—nailed firmly to the pillars of shame!
Unfortunately, the position of the Second Layer's Lord was coveted not only by numerous pit fiends, but also by several of the other Lords of Hell.
If Asmodeus were the true sovereign of Hell, he could simply have nominated a great devil or pit fiend from his own faction, or sent one of his own progeny to fill the seat.
But regrettably, he was merely a nominal leader. His authority extended only through the Ninth Layer.
And Berusebub had only disappeared, not died. The authority vested in him had not entirely dissipated.