Chapter 602: Empire and Hell
At the front of the line, a player clad in a jet-black cloak stepped forward, his heart racing as he approached the entrance of the Soul Exchange.
"Finally, it's my turn."
The hood of the black robe was pulled back, revealing a face so pale it was entirely devoid of blood, with crimson red eyes and faintly exposed sharp fangs at the corners of his lips.
If one observed carefully, they would notice an exquisite emblem on his chest, engraved with a design of a dagger and violin crossed together.
This was the symbol of Nocturne, the most fearsome special forces unit in the Ember Empire, composed entirely of vampires.
And the identity of this player became self-evident.
He was the former leader of the Nocturne unit, the only senior vampire within the Empire, and notoriously infamous among the players—Langli Baitiao.
Staring at the slowly opening door, carved with gruesome skulls, Langli Baitiao eagerly rubbed his hands together, revealing his signature shameless grin.
He exclaimed excitedly, "Once I sign this contract, I'll be the first player to possess the combined powers of a Vampire, a Devil, and a Sorcerer!
After that, I'll go to those abandoned temples to find an evil god for a blood sacrifice, then dip into the Abyss to soak up some demon power, and even cultivate Gu poison within my body.
I, Langli Baitiao, will be the man who becomes the King of All Evil!"
A strange red light seeped through the crack of the door, carrying the scent of Purgatory's sulfur, but Langli Baitiao rushed inside without hesitation.
The Desire Demon stepped out gracefully, her black dress split high, revealing long, fair legs. Her stunningly beautiful face wore a charming smile as she softly said, "Hehe, it seems another new guest has arrived."
She was just about to approach him, but Langli Baitiao stretched out a hand, making a "stop" gesture, and righteously declared, "Madam, I know you are craving my beauty, but please, don't come any closer!"
Even the Desire Demon was stunned. That stunningly beautiful face revealed a rare expression of astonishment. Her red lips parted slightly: "You are…"
But Langli Baitiao just grinned, letting out a cold laugh: "Heh, so this is the Desire Demon mentioned in the guides?"
"No wonder you're called the Gentle Embrace of Hell. You are indeed beautiful, but you can't shake my iron will!"
Langli Baitiao flew into the air, his cloak billowing behind him. His voice grew more powerful and resonant: "Beauty, in the end, is just a handful of dust."
He raised his right fist high. "Only strength is the true essence of all things!"
"Hehe, my dear guest, I am your guide, after all," Eunice cooed sweetly, her captivating gaze fixed on Langli Baitiao as she approached him.
A seductive fragrance filled the air, and a bewitching red glow appeared in her water-like eyes.
The Desire Demon was confident—no mortal could resist her charm. Even the most resolute would kneel and succumb under her skirt.
However, Langli Baitiao had come prepared. He flashed a bright smile and put on a gas mask.
The sweet fragrance was blocked by the filter, and her captivating gaze was obstructed by glass with [Anti-Magic] properties. Langli Baitiao's eyes were firmer than ever.
He pulled out a crossbow, aiming it directly at the Desire Demon before him, and declared loudly, "Madam, I warn you, if you come any closer, I will perform justified self-defense."
"Wait…"
"Whoosh—"
In the next instant, the vampire player soared into the air, flying rapidly through the Hellish corridor, crossing it in mere seconds.
All that was left was the Desire Demon standing in place, bewildered, her chestnut hair fluttering from the gust of wind created by Langli Baitiao's escape.
"Damn mortal! Utterly ridiculous, completely unreasonable!"
Eunice smoothed her hair, muttering to herself. As a Desire Demon, she had never felt so defeated!
But soon, she calmed down, once again putting on that charming smile, silently waiting for the next "prey" to arrive.
Upon entering the hall of the Hell Exchange, Langli Baitiao was dazzled by the array of counters.
Demons showcased various products—some booths were stacked with mountains of gold and silver, others were laden with fine wines and delicacies, while some seated beautiful women.
"Come, take a look over here."
"Come, dear guest. All it takes is your insignificant soul to possess all the riches of the world."
"My contract is the best. Do you want to have a peerless beauty? It's something even kings seek after."
"Do you seek power? I can help you slay any creature you despise!"
But Langli Baitiao paid them no mind, striding past the flashy devils straight into the depths of the Hell Exchange.
"Hmph, do you think that cheap stuff can sway me?"
He was a veteran player who had experienced being a god in single-player holographic games. These fake riches and beauty meant nothing to him.
——It wasn't even as satisfying as killing a chicken in Creekwood Town.
At the end of the Hell Exchange hall stood a massive bronze door, twisted faces sculpted on its surface, with torrents of Hellfire spewing from their eyes, noses, and mouths.
This sight, enough to terrify mortals, made Langli Baitiao's eyes light up. He compared it to the images on his device and exclaimed excitedly, "This is it—the secret chamber of the former Lord of Avernus, Archdevil Bael."
"Come in, guest from afar."
Contrary to expectations, the voice from beyond the bronze door was not terrifying but rather a deep and magnetic whisper.
Accompanied by a low rumbling, the twisted faces on the door opened their mouths, and the grand door slowly swung open.
Langli Baitiao walked in quickly, and the scene that unfolded before him was completely unexpected.
The room was far more spacious than it seemed, lavishly decorated, gleaming with gold and grandeur, though the murals held occasional details of cruelty and horror.
——For example, on the banquet platters, there were human limbs, still dripping with blood, while the noblewomen attending the feast chatted joyfully and ate heartily.
"I didn't expect the essence of a vampire, dragon bloodline, and a certain form of law power to coexist in one person."
"I must say, you have indeed piqued my interest."
That familiar voice spoke again. Langli Baitiao followed the sound, looking toward the far end of the hall, where a man in luxurious robes stood with his back to him.
When the man turned around, he was not the terrifying figure of a devil as imagined, but rather a remarkably handsome face that gave the impression of a refreshing spring breeze.
——This was Bael's avatar left within the Empire.
Langli Baitiao stepped forward without hesitation, grinning as he said, "You must be Lord Bael, right? Where's the contract? I'm ready to hand over my soul."
Even the well-experienced devil seemed taken aback. In thousands of years of tempting mortals, he had never seen someone so eager to offer up their soul. His prepared speech turned out to be entirely unnecessary.
"As you wish, mortal."
After a brief hesitation, he reached out his hand, and a blood-stained parchment engraved with Hellish runes appeared before Langli Baitiao.
Langli Baitiao looked at the panel, his face lighting up with joy, though some doubt lingered. "This seems a bit different from the guide?"
"What guide?"
Suddenly, the man's voice came from behind Langli Baitiao, instantly sending chills down his spine.
"Also, you seem not to have browsed my contract. May I ask what you are looking at instead?"
Bael advanced step by step. Though he appeared to be a nobleman, his aura was intensely oppressive.
Langli Baitiao turned his head to meet the devil's gaze, his heart growing uneasy. Was the official in Erezaghe facing some sort of AI crisis?
He forced himself to remain calm and casually said, "No, Lord Bael, you must be mistaken. Uh…I'm just a mortal willing to surrender his soul for power."
"Hehe, is that so?"
Bael did not continue to press, merely smiling and nodding.
Langli Baitiao glanced around and, seeing nothing strange, cautiously raised his head and sneaked a peek at his panel.
\[You have obtained the advanced class path: [Contract Sorcerer - Devil Overlord]]
\[You will form a pact with an Archdevil from Hell. These entities seek to corrupt all things and collect endless souls.]
\[The devil you sign a contract with will become your Overlord, bestowing power upon you.]
"Looks pretty badass."
Looking at the powerful descriptions, Langli Baitiao only hesitated for a moment before pressing [Confirm].
Instantly, the Hell contract flared up, Hellfire blazing fiercely. The whispers of the Pledgers echoed throughout the room.
Langli Baitiao floated in mid-air as if he were a condemned man hanging from a gallows, and countless evil, corrupt forces surged into his already decayed body.
After signing the contract, Langli Baitiao left in high spirits, but as the grand door slowly shut, Bael's gaze turned dark, like an abyss that devoured all light.
"Again, chaotic consciousness, an ethereal spirit existence, even I can't trace the soul…"
"Heh, no wonder the Emperor overlooked these details. It turns out to be a deliberate trap."
"It seems I indeed became overconfident, subconsciously treating the Ember Emperor like one of those brainless Red Dragons from Hell."
Bael paced back and forth in the hall, his handsome face contorted into a sinister grin, veins bulging as he nearly revealed his true devilish form.
"According to the information I received, these special beings are called 'Starfallers' by the Empire. It's said they are otherworldly beings brought by meteor showers. Heh, it would be more fitting to call them 'Soulless Ones'."
"They cannot be sensed for their souls, nor can they be corrupted or absorbed by Hell. I must admit, that Emperor truly pulled off a brilliant scheme. Compared to dragons, he's more suited to be a devil in Hell."
Bael sat down on the sofa, picking up a tall glass from the table, lazily crossing his legs. His pitch-black eyes glimmered with intense interest.
"As far as I know, these Soulless Ones are immortal. Even if they are killed, they revive quickly and without change. To make a population of millions immortal—not even the gods can do that."
"It actually reminds me of those demons in the Abyss. But low-tier demons are nowhere near their level."
"And in this case, the Soulless Ones act without concern, without the pressure of survival. They are nothing like mortal beings struggling for life. They act more like they're playing a game without any cost."
"However, from my observations, these Soulless Ones are not loyal to the Emperor. They're merely bound by the Empire's order."
The devil swirled the glass of crimson wine, allowing the blood-colored liquid to coat the surface. The image of Langli Baitiao appeared within.
Perhaps this guy would make an excellent breakthrough point.
At the peak of Dragonblood Mountain, a fifty-meter-long Red Dragon lay coiled on the flat stone surface, its ridged back like mountain peaks, and thick white smoke swirling around it.
Along with the crisp mechanical sound, the magical communication device activated, and Langpu's image appeared on the mountain peak.
"Master, over three hundred players have signed contracts with devils. We are monitoring them closely. If anything unusual happens, we will report immediately."
"Good, but there are things you cannot discover by yourselves."
"Master, you mean…"
Cassius slowly opened his eyes, shaking his massive head. His pale-golden pupils also reflected the image of Langli Baitiao.
"Tsk tsk, as expected of the former Lord of Avernus. He realized it so quickly, even setting a trap to influence the players. Bael, it seems you're quite interested in this special group of players."
The Red Dragon bared its teeth, revealing rows of sharp fangs. That several-meters-wide dragon face split into a sinister grin.
Devils have always been proud and arrogant, thinking themselves clever enough to manipulate all living beings. Bael was no exception.
Cassius had anticipated that Bael would discover his "empty-handed manipulation," but he also predicted something else.
——That devil would be deeply interested in the players, enough to risk losing his own power to investigate their secrets. But that, of course, was an impossible task.
It was only natural for Bael to be fascinated by the players.
After all, the reason he was replaced by Asmodeus was his poor performance in the Blood War. He was not as madly aggressive as Zariel. But the endlessly reviving players were undeniably a force with enormous potential.
Hence, Cassius chose to turn the situation to his advantage, using the players as bait to steal Hell's power for himself, even manipulating Avernus through Bael.
"But…for a secret that even the gods could not unravel, do you, a mere former Hell Lord dethroned by Asmodeus, think you are worthy to know?"
Cassius's pale-golden pupils flickered, his mouth curling into a smirk. That massive dragon face radiated unapologetic mockery.
"Today is a good day indeed, everything I wanted is falling right into place—"
Langli Baitiao walked through Baator's streets in his black cloak, his steps full of swagger, even humming a cheerful song.
Having secured the best Bael contract, he was thrilled beyond measure, barely able to contain his excitement to brag to his friends.
He asked everyone he passed: "Do you know I got Hell's power? Do you know I got the Archdevil Bael's contract?"
"Who asked you?"
"Get lost! Don't show up in front of me."
Despite the consistent backlash from his friends, Langli Baitiao reveled in it, never getting tired of his boasting.
But what Langli Baitiao did not know was that he was being watched by two terrifying beings standing at the pinnacle of the Material Plane, becoming a mere pawn in their game.