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Chapter 269: 269
The Spider Queen, her irritation growing, spat, "Then we must regain control, or we’ll lose them. This chaos serves no one but the gods."
The Imp demon glanced around at the trench, now a battlefield of frenzied demons, each driven mad by their own emotions. It could sense the subtle influence at play, the invisible hand steering them all toward destruction. "Whoever is doing this is clever," it growled. "But they won’t win."
But even as the two demon kings spoke, the chaos continued to escalate. The Balrog, now fully consumed by its fury, swung its fiery whip with devastating force, striking down demons indiscriminately. Other powerful demons, caught up in the madness, joined the fray, each convinced that they had to fight for their survival or dominance.
The Spider Queen’s multifaceted eyes narrowed as she surveyed the chaotic scene. "This madness has gone on long enough," she hissed, her voice carrying a sharp edge of authority. She raised one of her slender, segmented arms, and with a swift motion, sent out a wave of webbing. The sticky strands shot out, entangling several of the battling demons, instantly binding them in place.
The Imp demon, recognizing the necessity of restoring order, slammed his pitchfork into the ground with a resounding thud. The dark energy that had been crackling at its tips now erupted in a shockwave, rippling through the trench and forcing the combatants to their knees. The power of the abyss radiated from the Imp demon, its mere presence demanding submission.
"Enough!" the Imp demon bellowed, its voice amplified by its abyssal power. The sheer force of its command cut through the din of battle like a blade, silencing the roars and screams of the enraged demons.
The Spider Queen’s voice followed, smooth but laced with venom. "You are all fools, playing into the hands of the gods. This infighting serves no one but them." Her words were cold and calculated, designed to pierce through the cloud of rage that had enveloped the minds of the lesser demons.
The demons, now subdued by the combined might of the two demon kings, began to regain some semblance of control. Those entangled in the Spider Queen’s webs struggled, but her grip held firm. The Balrog, still simmering with anger, found its fiery whip extinguished by the Imp demon’s aura, its power nullified.
Realizing that their chance of locating the gods was slipping away with every moment of chaos, the demons began to back down, their previous fervor replaced with wariness and fear. The reverence for the demon kings, though momentarily forgotten, was now painfully evident as they cowered before the two rulers.
The Imp Demon, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, seized the opportunity to assert his dominance further. "You will all leave this place immediately," it commanded, its tone brooking no argument. "You have proven yourselves unworthy of this task."
The Spider Queen nodded in agreement, her voice dripping with disdain. "Return to your lairs, to your pits of despair. We will handle this ourselves." Her eyes flicked over the gathered demons, daring anyone to challenge her.
Ikenga immediately pulled back when he saw the two demon kings act. He could engage with them for a bit, but that would expose Phantom, and Ikenga had already achieved his goal.
One by one, the demons began to retreat, their heads bowed in submission. The Balrog, still fuming but now subdued, was the last to leave, casting a final glance at the two demon kings before disappearing into the shadows. The mutants, hellhounds, and other creatures that had been drawn to the trench quickly followed suit, not wanting to incur further wrath.
As the last of the demons vacated the trench, the Spider Queen and the Imp Demon remained, their attention now fully focused on each other.
The Spider Queen’s body rose into the air as she took one last look at the valley. "I came unprepared; it won’t be the same next time," she said before taking off, turning into a black dot in the sky.
The Imp Demon watched her fly away, the pitchfork in his hand disappearing. Soon, the body of the Imp morphed into a human dressed in formal attire.
Ikenga and Keles observed the demon’s strange transformation, but soon Ikenga sighed as he stood. "We have a visitor," he said to Keles, who looked at him before turning her gaze back to the transformed Imp, who was now walking towards their hidden house.
Before the demon could knock, the door opened on its own as the Imp, with a small smile on his face, walked in. As soon as the demon entered, a dark scythe was placed at his neck.
Ikenga didn’t stop Keles’s action, as he himself felt a bit annoyed, thinking about how the demon had found their house. The only possibility he could draw was, "The Abyss itself."
The Imp Demon still had a smile on its face, but it faltered for a second as its nose twitched when it got a closer look at Keles and Ikenga.
"What a surprise," the demon said with a tone of happiness, "two origin gods, this couldn’t get any better."
Looking at the scythe placed on his neck, the demon looked at Keles. "Can I please keep my neck?" he said mischievously, winking at her.
Waving away the scythe, Ikenga gestured for the demon to sit. The demon sat down, the smile on his face gone as he began to speak. "My name is Zarvok. It’s an honor to be in the presence of two origin gods." 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
"How did you find us?" Ikenga asked, wanting to confirm his suspicions.
Zarvok looked at Ikenga before laughing. "My status as the son of the Abyss comes with a lot of benefits, in this case, advanced aided perception."
Looking around the house, Zarvok continued, "The hiding was clever, but it became a problem when my perception of things started warping after coming into contact with something unseen, which raised a lot of questions and speculation."
Ikenga’s eyes narrowed as Zarvok spoke, the Imp Demon’s casual tone doing little to ease his concerns. Keles kept her gaze fixed on Zarvok, the tension in the room palpable despite the demon’s attempts at levity.
"You were able to locate us despite our precautions," Ikenga said slowly, "but you didn’t bring the entire Abyss down upon us. Why?"
Zarvok leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting with something between mischief and curiosity. "Because, unlike the others who believe that once they get their hands on you, they will win, I’m not here just to hunt you down. I have a proposition."
Keles’s grip tightened on her scythe, and she shot a glance at Ikenga, who remained impassive but alert. "And why," Keles began, her voice dripping with skepticism, "would we be interested in anything you have to offer?"
Zarvok shrugged, an easy smile on his face. "Because I have what you want—what pushed you to make this journey to the Abyss: knowledge of finding worlds."
Ikenga kept his face passive. Keles tried, but the slight leak of her divinity showed she wasn’t calm. Ikenga made himself comfortable in his seat as a wood grew from the floor forming into a table that appeared between them.
Standing up, he conjured a wooden plate and went to the small garden he had created and started to pick off the fruits that grew there. "Join me, sister," he called out to Keles.
Keles, confused by his actions, hesitated but still stood up to join him. While picking the fruit, Ikenga asked aloud, "I hope demons have other appetites apart from flesh, blood, and souls."
Zarvok took a moment to answer, taken aback by the question and the gods’ actions. Clearing his throat, Zarvok replied, "Of course we do, especially when it’s grown by an Origin God."
Ikenga chuckled as he heard Zarvok’s words, picking up the last fruit and walking back to the table where he placed the plate filled with fruit.
Ikenga made a welcoming gesture as he picked up a fruit and took a bite. Zarvok hesitated for a moment but eventually reached out and picked one as well.
"I didn’t know our goal was that easy to guess, or is it something common when divine beings like ourselves visit the abyss?" Ikenga asked after Zarvok took a bite of his fruit.
Zarvok nodded at Ikenga’s words. "You’re right. Most divine beings only visit the abyss because they seek such knowledge."
"Is this the only way to get the knowledge we seek, or is there another way?" Ikenga asked as he handed a fruit to Keles, who took it.
Zarvok understood Ikenga’s question. "There is another way, but it’s much riskier than your current choice."
Zarvok smirked as he continued, "The abyss tends to be "kind" to first-time visitors, especially divine beings, as it subtly extends a hand to help them achieve their goals."
"But that’s only for the first visit. The second time, you’ll be on your own, relying on luck and knowledge. For example, if you’re lucky, you might land in a layer like this one. In the worst case, you could end up in a layer ruled by a demon lord."
