The Ember Dragon Chapter 691: The Soulless Ones Marching to Hell - Novel Cool

Chapter 691: The Soulless Ones Marching to Hell

First Layer of Baator, Hell — Avernus

This was a desolate wasteland of scorched earth and scattered debris, where jagged mountains and sloping hills broke the monotonous expanse. In the distance, a colossal pillar—over two kilometers in height—stood defiantly amidst the barren plains. Forged from the distorted skull of a demon, it served as a grim monument to the spoils of the Blood War.

The sky above pulsed with a blood-red glow. Fireballs danced through the air like malevolent stars. The ground was riddled with deep fissures, from which echoed the agonized cries of lost souls—wandering supplicants in eternal, painful wailing.

At the entrance of a spine-like gate—crafted from a massive vertebra—two rugged devils stood guard. Their chins were bristling with thorn-like beards, and they leaned casually against rusted cleavers, clad in tattered armor. They spoke in low, bored tones.

"Ugh, this guard duty is boring. Not a single invasion shadow in sight. I’d kill to be sent to the Material Plane, like the lucky bastards."

"Yeah. Rumor has it they plunder hundreds of mortal spiritual souls in the City of Dawn without breaking a sweat. That’s paradise."

"Hah! Dream on. Us low-tier devils? We’re lucky if we’re not sent to the Vast Abyss Plain to slaughter madmen. The Battlefield of Blood never runs short of cannon fodder."

"True. City of Dawn—once blessed by the Sun God… only Zaril’s loyalists get to graze there."

"Better hope we don’t get transferred to August. Might as well pray for a mortal to stumble in here."

Passages to other planes were common in Hell. Mortals called them "Cursed Gates," often guarded by devils to keep out demons and humans. These two Thorn Devil soldiers were no exception.

As they traded idle threats about how they’d torture any mortal who fell through, a ripple cut through the center of the bone gate.

A human staggered out—dazed, trembling, clad in rags. His face was pale, his body frail, radiating the kind of innocence that made even devils' eyes gleam with hunger.

"Wh-where… am I?"

The Thorn Devils locked eyes. Their mouths curled into wicked grins.

"Per Zaril’s decree, we should report intruders immediately."

"Report? You’re too green. This mortal’s soul is the sweetest—plump with fear, perfect for the Great Demons’ feast. If we keep it quiet, we get to savor it first."

"Exactly. He’s weak. Can’t escape us."

Without activating their rune array, the devils stepped forward, circling the trembling human, their grins widening into something feral.

"Pathetic mortal," one sneered, "do you even know where you are?"

"Devil! A Devil! Is this… is this Hell? I—I actually fell into Hell?"

The human collapsed, legs buckling, face ashen, babbling incoherently—just the kind of terrified spectacle devils craved.

The second Thorn Devil dragged his cleaver across the man’s throat, eyes alight with euphoria.

"Correct! Welcome to Hell, mortal—our paradise!"

"Hah! Never thought we’d find one out here in the wilds. A real surprise!"

They laughed, their thorn-like beards quivering, their forms twisting grotesquely in the crimson light.

They expected terror—raw, paralyzing fear, the kind that made souls scream and body fluids leak. But the human didn’t scream.

He stood still, wide-eyed. Then, slowly, a smirk curled across his lips.

"…What’s a surprise? Translate that for me."

Silence.

The two devils froze, cleavers half-raised, utterly at a loss.

What? Was he insane?

One scratched his head, puzzled. "No translation needed. You are the surprise."

The other echoed, "Stupid mortal. It’s obvious!"

In a flash, the human exploded upward—ripping through the air like a storm of blood and rage.

His forehead bulged with veins, his mouth split wide, revealing jagged fangs. With a roar that tore through the sky, he bellowed:

"I said translate it! What the hell is a surprise?!"

"Enemy ambush!"

"Damned! This isn’t a mortal—we’ve been tricked!"

Panic flared. The devils bolted back, screaming for reinforcements.

But it was too late.

The hunter had become the prey.

"Let me hear you translate—what the hell is a surprise!"

The figure mocked them from midair, arms outstretched. His hands—clawed, sharp—pulsed with dark energy. From each palm, a swirling vortex of black mist erupted.

[Blood Demon Black Hole]

The force was monstrous. Debris tore into the air. The devils were sucked backward like leaves in a hurricane, screaming in agony as they were dragged toward the abyss.

"No—!"

"It’s a Vampire! Damn it, whose subordinate is this?!"

"Kill him!"

They were consumed—sucked into the void. Their bodies cracked and shriveled, blood drained in an instant. Only two withered, twitching husks remained, their thorn-bearded jaws still trembling.

Thud.

The dry, lifeless skins dropped like ragged cloths.

The figure hovered above, still pale-faced, his black eyes glowing faintly crimson. A crimson cloak billowed behind him, swirling in the blood-stained wind.

"Ah. That’s what a surprise feels like."

Langli BaiTiao—Vampire, or more precisely, the one known as The Flying Guitar—sneered down at the corpses, his voice dripping with noble disdain, laced with sarcasm.

Then—yank.

His cloak was yanked hard from behind, nearly sending him sprawling.

"Cut the damn theatrics. You’re not even trying to be stealthy. Killing two weaklings like this? It’s like dragging out a scene for drama."

Lucky Emperor growled.

Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang remained calm. "Be careful. This is an Ultra-Hardcore Dungeon. There are all kinds of demonic monsters here. If we draw the attention of a Great Demon, we’ll be wiped out."

Darknight Wolf whispered, "Yeah, boss. We’re already in Hell. Let’s not die here."

"Such a drag," Langli BaiTiao muttered, descending. He sprinkled a few drops of potion onto the husks. Instantly, they crumbled into fine, blood-scented dust—scattered by the wind, erased without a trace.

He looked up at the blood-red sky, at the towering bone pillar stretching into the heavens, breathing in the air thick with sulfur and the stench of decay.

"Ah… this is Hell. A perfect place."

The others stared at him, baffled.

"What’s so good about this dump?"

Langli BaiTiao slammed Darknight Wolf’s head with a playful punch.

"Even you—a Vampire—don’t get it? No sunlight. Pure evil. Rotting strength everywhere. Countless enemies. This is our sacred training ground!"

Lucky Emperor snorted. "You’d be the first to get turned into an experience point package."

Langli BaiTiao spun around, face flushing with anger. "Who asked you? You’re just a crossdresser—how dare you lecture me?"

"Who’s the crossdresser?!"

"Me? I—"

Suddenly, a flame-colored emblem on Langli BaiTiao’s right arm flared to life. A furious voice boomed in their minds.

"Enough! Contractee! I expended my strength to teleport you here—not to listen to your endless bickering!"

Langli BaiTiao’s expression snapped into a courtly smile. He patted his chest.

"Of course, of course, Bair-sama. We won’t disappoint your high expectations. We’ll complete the mission with precision, efficiency, quality, and quantity—fighting for your cause, reclaiming Avernus!"

He rambled on, eloquent and insincere, until the flame sigil dimmed.

Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang wiped sweat from his bald head, jaw twitching. Finally, he sighed.

"Alright. Enough talk. Let’s move."

The four were Pact-Bound Players—each powerful in their own right. They were the elite relief forces Kai Xiusu had promised.

And there were over a hundred such elite parties scattered across Avernus, all drawn to support Zaril.

But Langli BaiTiao’s group—Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang’s domain—was the strongest. With an average class level of twelve, they were the favored ones of the employer, Bair.

Whoosh—

A gust of wind sliced through the air. A crushing aura of evil spread.

From above, a massive Great Demon descended—wielding a steel trident, wings spanning over ten meters, beating like a storm. His hide was armored in iron scales. Horns like curved scythes jutted from his skull. A whip-like tail lashed behind him. The dread form of a Horned Demon.

He glared down at the earth, eyes clouded with rage.

"Where are those two slackers? Useless vermin! They dare disobey Zaril’s orders—abandoning their post! I’ll send them to the Abyss to die!"

He circled the cursed gate, scanning for traces. Finding none, he roared in fury and shot off into the distance.

"Phew… that was close," Darknight Wolf exhaled.

"If I weren’t a vampire," Lucky Emperor muttered, "I’d be shaking in my boots."

Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang stared after the retreating demon, fists clenched.

"A Challenge Rating fifteen devil… I wonder just how strong he really is."

Langli BaiTiao scoffed, pulling off the concealment cloak he’d been using.

"Without this Cloak of Concealment, you’d all have been Full Party Defeated at the start. You don’t even say thank you?"

Lucky Emperor snapped, "If you hadn’t wasted time dramatizing every second, we’d have already escaped!"

Tensions flared. Darknight Wolf fidgeted, desperate to mediate.

Then Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang stepped forward, his arms—thicker than a normal man’s waist—slung around both of them.

"Teamwork means setting aside differences. We stick together. One mission. One goal. Right?"

Under his gentle gaze and overwhelming strength, Langli BaiTiao and Lucky Emperor forced a stiff, reluctant handshake.

Darknight Wolf pulled out a map, pointing toward a distant, mountainous structure.

"Look. That’s our mission objective."

At the heart of Avernus stood the Bronze Fortress—a massive, brutal city of concentric walls, twelve rings deep. Each ring bristled with war machines. Thousands of low-tier devils swarmed within, ready to form legions for the Blood War.

At the center of it all—Zaril’s private stronghold, the Hell Lord’s seat.

"Invasionists."

"They’re here."

"I smell mortals. No mercy."

Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang scanned the air, sensing the chaotic currents. "If we stay, we’re vulnerable to that Horned Demon. And the devils are already gathering—surrounding us."

"Wandering Beast! Your cloak! Now!"

"It’s a one-use item—only three minutes. I already spent it resisting the Horned Demon’s gaze."

"Useless!"

Lucky Emperor unfurled a divination scroll. Blue light flared in his eyes.

"Southwest is their weak point. Just a few low-tier devils… and one Spina Demon."

"Then—"

"We break through!" Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang declared, confident.

"ROAR!"

He roared, transforming into a towering, muscle-bound giant wrapped in hellish chains.

"BOOM!"

Frenzied, he charged like a living mountain, crashing through the city wall. Dozens of ambushers were flattened into pulp.

Langli BaiTiao hovered above, unleashing hundreds of blood-sucking bats from his cloak. The nearby devils were drained, left as dry husks.

"Invasionists!"

"Stop them!"

"Kill him!"

They roared—but dared not advance. The sheer power of Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang held them at bay.

From the fortress, the Horned Demon rose, wings unfurling.

"Damn it! He did bring the security captain!"

Lucky Emperor pulled another scroll from his pack. Chanting, he summoned a complex, rotating rune array beneath their feet.

"Wind’s strong! Let’s scram!"

The space around them warped and folded. Their forms flickered—ghostly, like visions.

The omens of Teleportation.

Whoosh—

Four figures vanished in an instant.

The Horned Demon arrived too late—only to watch them disappear.

He shrieked in fury, claws slashing at the air.

"NO—!"

(End of Chapter)

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