Asmodeus stood near the door, his eyes fixed on the old dwarf with burning eyes.
He watched in silence as the orange ember flickered. After that, it would take quite so ti for it to appear again, and during these tis, the old man would close one of his eyes completely, holding it shut for almost a minute.
’Is it because of his low mana?’
Upstairs, Lun and Logan remained together. Although Asmodeus could see and hear them, he pretended to be ignorant. The two were discussing sothing serious as Logan listened to Lun’s story.
’Who wants to spy on their brother’s romance?’
"Honey, is everything alright?" Nerim asked.
"Well, who knows?"
His response ca through a pseudo telepathy the two shared, although similar to the one gained when reaching Stage Three of the Divine rankings. He couldn’t use this with other won and seed unique to Asmodeus and Nerim, being sothing they shared inherently, most likely related to her Siren bloodline.
’And the fact we had sex...’ He assud.
"I do have a plan, but that old dwarf can see magic, even the hidden magic wrapped in Divine and Abyssal aura. That ans his little eye, whatever it is, carries the power of an abyssal or even the divine."
Asmodeus feared that this old man might be so kind of powerhouse at first, but his mana, aura and physical body lacked any sense of energy. The only ti it spiked to levels close to Demigod Rank Two was when the eye flickered.
’Is it so kind of item made of abyssal parts?’
His other thought was more tireso; if this dwarf carried the blessing of so god from the mainland, it would beco troubleso.
’The gods are arrogant and hate when mortals challenge them...’
Weaker than the Arbiters, who sat just below the creator. The higher and lesser gods of Rank Four and Five could easily pose a threat to Asmodeus while in their realm of influence. Maybe if he fought them on the continent, their powers would be restricted by the gods on the continent, but over here, it would be troubleso!
.
.
.
"Logan.... are you sure?"
The conversation between the two dwarves above seed to co to a close, while the old dwarf in the bar grew irritated and less patient each second. Asmodeus couldn’t help but smirk at his little friend. He never knew that Logan had it in him.
’How did he manage to charm her?’
It was unscientific for such a scruffy old man to pull a young, peachy beauty. At least Asmodeus didn’t feel jealous, but the way Lun looked at him was quite amusing; it reminded him of Erika and Vinea when they first t.
"Of course, lass ack.... Lun." A few drops of sweat dripped from Logan’s brow as he held the young dwarf’s hand. He might look old, but in reality, that was just Asmodeus’s prejudice, and the old dwarf was only forty if looked at through human years, while Lun would be twenty-five. It was a little strange, but their actual age gap was ten years.
"You can count on !"
Asmodeus nodded; it seed his brother made his choice.
There wasn’t any need to hold back or worry; if Logan wanted to protect Lun. Now he’d have the full support of a demon god; there wasn’t any pressure. He snapped his fingers and began preparing his move.
"Nerim, prepare to use your magic to protect those two from sneak attacks. I am going to make a distraction the mont that old man turns his attention away from ."
Asmodeus closed his eyes, gathering his three energies, and he split them apart, sending his divine aura to his left arm. The demonic mana remained free to cast spells at will, using his automatic defence system, which used his parallel thought.
Then, of course, his Abyssal energies pulsed through his right arm’s veins, causing the black chitin armour to grow at a rapid pace. It covered his arm in two layers, one a thick hide like a beast’s, then the armoured exoskeleton.
However, because his arm wraps covered each arm, no one knew anything had changed.
"Understood."
She didn’t make any obvious moves, but the water, which she made into a translucent layer on her skin, kept her body cool in the intense heat, shifting, streaming towards her palms into swirling balls of pure water, able to resist most magic and force.
"Don’t rush, wait for them to make their move."
The dozens of rough adventurers and rcenaries spread across the three rooms on the first floor, while only Lun’s allies remained on the second floor, with six people, not including Logan.
’I hope there’s no issues...’
Grundig tapped the bar, his gaze sweeping across the humans and other mbers with a dismissive smirk. "If you don’t wish to suffer, I suggest y’all leave soon." His low, grainy voice spread through the entire building as he swirled his finger in the air.
"Barkeep, give the signature."
"A...Ah.... one Bronze Bloom coming right up!"
The man behind the bar was soone with significant strength and renown in the rcenary world, a forr B-Rank who retired after an injury to his knee. Now, the barman for the lucrative Bronze Blade rchant guild!
However, the mont this old dwarf spoke, his legs beca numb, and he tried to move, but each step felt like he was dragging lead pillars.
He couldn’t stop, though, grabbing the familiar crystal stein, then taking two fresh oranges, so ginger and then the special ale brewed by the rchant guild, with only fifty kegs produced a year.
This was a drink which cost an extortionate amount of gold, and the people who could order it numbered in the three digits at most.
Grundig’s elegant suit carried the badge of the guild, sothing only the top brass, or ruling family, carried, thus even a low-tier barman knew not to stick his nose into this.
Swish~
Not long after, the drink carried a subtle golden glow with a sweet, yet sour scent.
’Hmm, I want to try that before we leave Hansberg...’
Asmodeus could feel the atmosphere growing tense, with Lun and Logan glancing down from above, hand in hand. The mont those two stepped on the stairs, it appeared everything would start.
Many of the others also seed to feel this and began to rush out, passing Asmodeus quickly, slamming into his shoulder with their fear overwhelming them.
Tap!
Logan stood behind Lun, letting her take the lead, but his hand rested at his hip, the item bangle which stored his mace flashing under the crystal lights.
This was the mont of truth...
"Huh?"
Asmodeus noticed the six people following, mostly maids and two stewards, but one of them drew a blade. Their eyes fixed on Lun from behind, but Logan didn’t notice.
’Shit!’
The mont Asmodeus noticed, he held out his hand and cast a barrier spell.
"There we go." Grundig’s voice entered his ears.
’Eh?’
He didn’t know what the dwarf ant, but his blood barrier ford instantly. The blade, a short dagger, clashed against it a mont before the anti-magic barrier dispelled his simple blood barrier.
Because of the dwarf, Asmodeus didn’t want to expose his divine aura or abyssal energies too soon, so with just demonic mana, the magic fizzled after stopping the blade.
"Logan!"
With a shout, the dwarf transford, his body wrapped in dium armour, a mix of chain mail and a black iron chestplate. "Lun, be careful!"
Chaos erupted in a single breath.
The mont Logan moved to aid Lun, Grundig’s lips curved into a deep, disgusting grin.
"Kill them," the old dwarf said flatly.
At that mont, the shadows which lingered in the dark moved; almost fifteen rcenaries, along with the hidden shadows at the peak of mortal power, lunged at the group.
Lun and her people turned and easily cut down the traitors, but the damage stole the initiative from them as five shadows darted up the stairs, aiming to kill Lun before she could even call for backup.
Steel rang as blades were drawn, chairs overturned, and blood splashed across the wooden floor within seconds. The first to fall was the unlucky bartender, Grundig’s claw gauntlet sliced his throat with a simple sweep.
Then held his jug of Bronze Bloom, filling it to the top.
Anyone who didn’t leave beca a target; the n brought by Grundig didn’t hesitate and killed them with trained, precise strikes.
These were not drunken adventurers but pure killers.
Asmodeus reacted instantly.
His Domain of Ti expanded from his core in a violent pulse, reality stretching like heated glass. Movents slowed, and the arms, which moved gracefully now, dragged through the air slowly, blades crawling to a halt.
While Logan, Lun and Nerim felt a sudden lightness and their bodies accelerated.
"Just hold on, we’ll help you—!?"
Asmodeus’s head suddenly rang, like soone smashed a giant gong beside his ears, over and over... his golden barrier trembled. ’W-What the hell!?’
His eyes snapped to Grundig.
The old dwarf stood perfectly still amid the distortion.
But then Grundig smiled and waved at Asmodeus, with normal speed.
Then his right eye burst into a flash of golden orange inferno. Black veins spider-webbed outward, tearing through the sclera as the white vanished entirely. The eye opened, wide and hungry, and the air scread.
’Shit... really?’
Crack.
Asmodeus felt it like a hamr to the chest.
His divine aura shattered at the mont of contact, splintering violently as the domain collapsed inward. Ti snapped back into place with a deadly recoil.
Asmodeus struggled; his body beca much slower, the speed inverted, forcing him to struggle against it.
"Damn it... an Abyssal?"
This wasn’t just so trinket; an Abyssal restricted his entire being! A real, living Abyssal. It wasn’t even close to the sa level as phisto, whom he fought three years ago; this existence carried a dense aura close to that of Ein!
The mont Asmodeus spoke, Grundig’s eyes shone, his lips parting as he laughed, and then an eerie, inhuman sound that couldn’t be called a void filled his mind.
"Yes, Yes! It’s you! I know you. It knows you! He who blocks the path!"
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