Detective Agency of the Bizarre-Chapter 1354 - 194: Old Flame Demon
Rift Valley Town still held much untapped wealth, all of which, along with the town itself, Lu Li gave to Mayor Ruby.
The map it provided was worth the price.
Not returning, the centipede demon that had become part of Beautiful Lake Town no longer followed Lu Li.
It desired a stable new life more than following Lu Li.
Lu Li left the dust-shrouded, bustling Beautiful Lake Town with only an oak staff, flying eastward as a dreamwalker.
The next destination was suggested by Mayor Ruby, about 200 miles east of Beautiful Lake Town, Inner Sea Town renowned for rearing Purgatory Demons, which, along with Nightmare Beasts, Skeleton Horses, Demon Eagles, and Terror Birds, are mid-level demonic mounts.
Lu Li couldn’t always afford the luxury of using dreamwalker speed, even though his humanity had reached 50, with 7700 unconverted souls remaining.
Compared to a real mount, Lu Li, not yet a skilled dreamwalker, couldn’t move quickly; his flying speed was only slightly faster than the centipede demon’s.
The 200-mile journey took Lu Li about three hours, costing him 3 units of humanity—true Curse Title Masters would only use it for a few seconds at crucial moments, only a madman would use it for travel.
The advantage of traveling as a dreamwalker was avoiding the attention of inferior demons in the wilderness.
A vast sea of magma that seemed boundless like an ocean emerged in the distance, and the town beside it appeared insignificant by comparison.
Lu Li slowly descended, temporarily retracting his dreamwalker state, also avoiding converting the 7700 souls for now.
Unlike with Rift Valley Town’s test, Lu Li needed the mounts from Inner Sea Town, and he couldn’t truly clear all towns around Beautiful Lake Town.
But if Inner Sea Town couldn’t resist its greed, that was their own doing.
Unlike the lost Beautiful Lake Town and chaotic Rift Valley Town, Inner Sea Town resembled a real settlement: a bustling small town laying on the edge of the lava sea, obsidian barriers encircling a stretch of shallow waters, where sinister hell creatures roamed, and emaciated low-level demons pulled carts in and out incessantly.
Inner Sea Town thrived on trade.
...
The emaciated low-level demon dragged the cart, with five of its six limbs severely torn, making it slow, discontenting its master.
Whoosh, crack—
The whip across its scar-riddled back caused the low-level demon’s numbed nerves to twitch slightly, hastening its heavy limbs, but its master still wasn’t satisfied.
"You damn swine, if you don’t move faster, I’ll sell you to the beast pen."
The second crack of the whip echoed, but instead of speeding up, the low-level demon halted, turning its head, its compound eyes hidden under thick, hairless muscles, glaring back.
"You inferior demon’s fool, why don’t you—"
The mid-level demon wielding the whip on the cart suddenly paused, sniffing the peculiar scent it caught momentarily.
More demons on the street reacted similarly, pausing to observe each other with curiosity, then turning toward the town’s entrance.
A phantom figure with a staff appeared in the wavy steam of the wilderness.
Lu Li, accustomed to the aura of humanity, approached the eerily stagnant demon town with footsteps echoing.
But just as he stepped onto the sandy road leading into the town, a pillar of flame suddenly soared from the lava sea on the town’s opposite end, streaking across Inner Sea Town’s sky, landing warningly before Lu Li.
The erupting flame formed a small patch of searing magma, the high temperature melting the sandy soil and stones.
"Leave here, the town does not welcome you."
The ancient voice, resonating with dread from the magma sea, "Herald of chaos."
"You can trust Inner Sea Town like you trust Beautiful Lake Town, for its mayor is an old Flame Demon. It’s unknown what the Flame Demon has been through, but this chaotic and brutal hell creature has surprisingly submitted to order."
Mayor Ruby’s introduction emerged in Lu Li’s mind as he gazed towards the awakening lava sea at the street’s end: "I wish to purchase a mount."
"The town won’t sell you a Purgatory Demon."
"I need a mount." Lu Li calmly reiterated.
There are many legends about Flame Demons among humankind, most of which are wrong. Correctly, Flame Demons have stages of infancy, youth, prime, and elder, but mistakenly, they are believed the strongest only in their prime.
The truly terrifying and powerful Flame Demons are in their elder stage, strong and wise, capable even of confronting a devil’s avatar, standing atop hell’s hierarchy as advanced demons.
Lu Li didn’t mind testing whether the dreamwalker could contend with a Flame Demon.
The boiling lava sea stirred turbulently, slowly emerging was a figure more sinister, fiery, and grander than any giant Fire Demon. Lava dripped from its fiery horns, the Flame Demon’s upper body emerging from the lava lake nearly dwarfed the town.
The old Flame Demon of Inner Sea Town emerged because of Lu Li.
The demons around the town shivered uncontrollably under the terrifying aura of the Flame Demon, while Lu Li’s dream realm emanated, counteracting the Flame Demon’s aura.
Eyes formed of condensed magma reflected the greed of other demons but held more caution, vigilance, and a coolness contrary to the turmoil: "It’s not yet time for the Purgatory Demons to be released, no mount for you." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
"Do you have any commissions here?"
"...I sense a repugnant aura from you, no matter who you are, leave my domain..."
The low, rejecting voice echoed in the air, the Flame Demon unwilling to engage with Lu Li.
"Do you know Mayor Ruby of Beautiful Lake Town, I just cleared a Fire Demon colony for it."
But Lu Li wasn’t ready to leave just yet, recalling lore on Flame Demons from the surface, like how Flame Demons and devils were mortal enemies, showcasing the inverted pentagram mark on his hand: "I’m hunted by the devils."
"Leave—!"
The once peaceful cloud cover agitated and twisted due to the stirred Yuglas, hot air thrashing with the Flame Demon’s roar.
This wasn’t working.
Lu Li had to abandon the prospect of acquiring a mount from Inner Sea Town, turning like a forlorn vagabond back to the wilderness.
As the peculiar soul releasing an exquisite aura left, the demons, still terrified by the Flame Demon’s aura, let him go.
Lu Li watched as the old Flame Demon receded into the lava sea, surveying the landscape where inferior demons halted their trembling at the fading Flame Demon aura, coveting and inching closer, he lowered his gaze onto the map.
His finger glided across Beautiful Lake Town and Inner Sea Town, stopping at the Core Earth Demon Lair, only a few miles from Inner Sea Town.
Hoping for some gain there.
Half an hour later, Lu Li stood at the base of a towering, steep volcano.
Forked lava flowed from its summit, forming a hell-like scorching territory.
Lu Li suddenly speculated a possible acquaintance between the Flame Demon and Core Earth Demon—maybe friends, maybe foes.
Because they were too close.
The Flame Demon could probably reach here in just a few steps.
If the former, Lu Li might return empty-handed because a being wise enough to befriend an old Flame Demon wouldn’t be foolish. However, if the latter, Lu Li could continue the test not performed with the old Flame Demon.
Alongside, aiding Inner Sea Town with a lurking threat would give him a reason to demand a mount.
