Chapter 226: Deal with the Devil


    <strong>226. Deal with the Devil</strong>


    You tricked me!


    I stormed back into my Lair and pointed usingly at the Devil. He looked up at me, head tilted to the side for a moment, acting confused. Then he burst outughing.


    You actually fell for it! Seriously? Thats amazing! How long did it take you to realize those ingredients weren''t real?


    I gritted my teeth as the Devil doubled over, rolling on the floor with his heartyugh. He nearly smacked into the pile of corpses. My brows snapped together.


    So, this entire thing was fake?


    As fake as an Elixir of Immortality, yes. If Humans want to live longer, all they need to do is reach higher levels and get the right General Skills. Simple as that.


    And what about these monsters?


    I looked over at their bodies. He waved a hand off, and they vanished.


    Just a setup for the prank. You know how it is.


    I really dont.


    The Devil leapt back to his feet, his hooves clopping with the step. He trotted up to me and pped me on the back as I scowled.


    Dont tell me youve never done a <em>practical </em>joke before, Sally? Its fun! What else do you spend your free time doing?


    I bit my lower lip. I wanted to retort, but something else caught my attention. My eyes settled on past the Devil at the center of my Lair, where I had all my study materials prepared, including my ingredients necessary for my Potion of Regeneration.


    My eyes widened.


    Wait, my alchemy station?!


    Wait, my alchemy station?!


    What about it?


    He looked puzzled, but I was aghast.


    Itspletely destroyed!


    So it is.


    The Devil nced over at it, nonchnt. I turned to him.


    How did this happen?


    Oh, I was just messing around with a few ingredients and <em>boom. </em>Something exploded. Im not sure what, though.


    You messed around with my ingredients?!


    I scrambled over to my alchemy station, sifting through the debris in a panic. The Devil nodded as I ran by him.


    I saw a few shiny things and decided to y around with them. Did something go wrong?


    I held up a broken vial of purified amethyst essence. It was one of the cheaper ingredients less rare, but necessary nheless.


    Thankfully, most of the important ingredients were safe. My Enigmatic Heart shard, most importantly, was unharmed. But still my cauldron and equipment were destroyed. I needed to buy new things!


    I red at the Devil.


    Did something go wrong? Why dont you take a look and see if something went wrong?!


    He gave me an innocuous nce before turning his gaze to the destroyed alchemy station. He shook his head.


    I dont see anything wrong at all, Sally.


    I paused. It was like something inside of me snapped. Id been growing more and more annoyed with the Devil, but Id only been questioning him. I didnt challenge him. And if I let him do as he pleased, hed continue doing so for the next few days or weeks or maybe even months or years. The very thought of that drove me to act.


    I stepped away from the broken bits of ss and metal, meeting the Devils gaze.


    My name is Salvos.


    Thats what I said: Sally.


    I pursed my lips, and his face contorted into a smile. No longer a grin. But what seemed like genuine happiness and my annoyance.


    Its <em>Salvos, </em>Mr Devil. Can you please get it right?


    I insisted, and he shrugged.


    I think its more fun to call you Sally.


    My brows snapped together. I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth as the Devil quirked an eyebrow.


    Oho, is the Archdemon of Prides ego hurt? Just because I wont call you by your <em>name? </em>


    Yes.


    I spoke defiantly. He shook his head.


    What are you going to do about it?


    I am Salvos. And you will acknowledge me.


    Then make me.


    The Devil loomed over me from across the Lair. He was barely even taller than me, yet he seemed sorge. Everything told me not to take this fight. I probably shouldnt have even spoken up or challenged him. I shouldve just swallowed my words and kept quiet.


    But I couldnt do that. Id tried for a whole day. Now, I had enough. And I had a slight advantage that mightve tipped the scales.


    Here? This was my Lair. It gave me a boost. +3% to all my Stats. But that wasnt going to help me beat him. No, it wouldnt be enough. I couldnt see his level, but [A Hunters Sense] told me all I knew about how this fight would go.


    The Devil gestured for me toe forward.


    Well, what are you waiting for?


    I bared my teeth.


    Im waiting for you to prepare yourself. After all, I dont want this to be an unfair fight.


    He chuckled, amused.


    Good one. But your hubris will be your fall. I mean do you even think youll be able to touch me?


    Well see.


    And in that moment, half of my Skills red up. [Demonic Essence] ripped my clothes and changed my body. [The Primordial Spark] whirled around my skin, creating a tempest of mes. [Wings of the Netherworld], [Haste], and [Faux Limbs] activated as well, just as I exploded at the Devil.


    I was a wicked creature of a dozen arms and bone-like wings. I left behind a trail of zing blue as I closed in on the Devil. He didnt move from where he stood, which was a good thing, because at the veryst moment, I teleported to his back and cast [Temporal Distortion] so he was standing at the very fringe of a slowed space, while I was still outside.


    I brought a w up, [Radiant sh] forming its ck mes. And right as I was about to bring it down, I felt a powerful force fling me away from the Devil. He snapped his fingers, and my [Temporal Distortion] field vanished. Everything in the room was repulsed by a wave, like a strong deluge had crashed into my Lair.


    I stumbled back, trying to steady myself against the wall. The Devil turned around, cocking his head.


    Well? Was that it?


    <strong><em>No.</em></strong>


    I spewed a st of sweeping white mes. The Devil crossed his arms, and what looked like attice of ss covered him, blocking the attack, even as it boiled my Lair. I narrowed my eyes. Neither [Intimidation] nor the fierybination of [The Primordial Spark] and [Nebr Construct] with my ming Breath even affected the Devil.


    The barrier spell vanished it had been clear as day in my [nar Navigation] senses. Space magic that I couldnt possiblyprehend. I stared at him.


    H-how?


    Its nothing, really. Youre just that much beneath me, Sally.


    The Devil spoke yfully, and I screamed.


    <em>I am Salvos!</em>


    I rushed him, swinging all five of my real arms alongside my seven other [Faux Limbs] at the Devil. [Barrage of Cinders] took over, and each strike I took lit up the dark cavern. The Devil took a step back, casually ducking under my strikes, dodging them with ease, circling around me as the smirk was stered on his face.


    Even with my speed even with [Haste] I couldnt touch him. I flipped and kicked and shed and sliced, but he was untouchable. He even stood still once, and my swing went straight through him. I stumbled past his image and nced back. He was now solid again.


    Oops. And I thought you almost had me.


    Shut. <em>Up!</em>


    I created a dozen Nebr Scythes, one for each of my hands. [The Primordial Spark] began conjuring ming weapons in the air too, a salvo that was instantly unleashed at him. He raised a hand, and the ming weapons stopped mid-air, halted by some sort of invisible force.


    But as that happened, I dashed forward bringing all dozen Nebr Scythes down at him. The Devil moved. He grabbed one of the Nebr Scythes off a [Faux Limb], using it to slice the magically created limb in half. I leapt back as he continued pressing forward, a whirlwind of des that tore down each of my [Faux Limbs] from existence.


    When I was only left with my real limbs, he tossed aside the Nebr Scythe, winking.


    You still have five arms and five scythes left. Try to hit me with all of them. Im sure itll work this time around.


    I threw aside four out of five of the Nebr Scythes. The Devil looked slightly perplexed by this.


    Aw, did my taunting make you do that?


    No.


    I spoke simply as I gripped the Nebr Scythe with all my arms. Then I ran straight at the Devil, not even trying to go around him. I brought the weapon down, not apanied by magic or anything else. Just the weapon itself.


    He sighed and brought up an arm.


    You know, brute force doesnt <em>always </em>work, right?


    The Devil caught the edge of my Nebr Scythe. I tried to pull it back, but he just held it in ce.


    At least use a Grand Skill or something if youre going to do that. This is starting to bore me.


    He crushed the Nebr Scythes de in his grip, and tugged the weapon forward, ripping it free from my five arms. I staggered forward, swinging my ws. He just moved his head back in time to dodge the attack.


    Come on, stop hiding your


    And I growled.


    <em>[Recall Skill: Zealous Call].</em>


    His eyes flickered. And his backwards movement changed to a forward movement. The amusement on his face changed to fury. It all happened so fast, I barely even moved an inch before he was already bringing down a ckened pitchfork at me.


    The tip of my w barely touched his chest as his weapon swung down at me, closing the distance before I could even properly scratch him. I wouldve been killed there and then, when his legs jerked up. His eyes flickered once more, and he kicked me out of the way.


    I crashed into my Dreaded Goblet, spilling the ck water all over a pile of books. I coughed, bent over, grabbing my stomach in pain as the Devil frowned.


    That was


    Hed already regained his senses. He was the one who knocked me out of the way just before he could impale me with his pitchfork. He wrinkled his brows.


    Did you just <em>enchant </em>me to kill you?


    Maybe


    I grunted as I stood up. Then I grinned for the first time.


    But at least it let me touch you.


    Wha


    <em>[Demons Mark].</em>


    He nced down at his chest as a symbol burned on his skin.mes erupted into a sphere. It first exploded into a sphere, engulfing only the Devil in thepressed ball of heat. Then it began to grow, bloating up into what wouldve been my strongest Skill.


    A powerful explosion that wouldve destroyed my Lair entirely. One that wouldve hurt even <em>me </em>at this range. But just as the bloated sphere was about to explode into an even bigger st, it began to shrink.


    It was like a pond was being drained of its water. My me was being sucked into a single point at the Devils fingertips. It was like a whirlpool of ck. A warped hole in space that seemed to lead to where he came from. It was the same pull that had tugged me and only me to the Devil when he first appeared in my Lair.


    It consumed my mes, leaving the Devil standing there unscathed. He dusted himself off. My jaw dropped.


    Seriously?


    He waspletely unharmed, even though hed been wrapped in my [Demons Mark]s mes for a good moment. The Devil stood there, his gaze darkened over. He ced a foot forward, and I leapt back, feeling sweat trickling down my back.


    No, not sweat. I couldnt sweat as a Demon. It was the water from the Dreaded Goblet.


    <em>You </em>


    His voice was cold and icy. It caused me to tremble like Id been dipped in a frozenke. I created another Nebr Scythe, not sure what thatd even do. He repeated himself as he came closer.


    <em>You youre</em>


    Stay back!


    I warned him, ring up all my remaining Skills in preparation for what would be the final sh. The Devils hollow, ck eyes locked with mine, and he opened his mouth.


    <em>Yourepletely fucking insane! You actually used a Skill thatd get you killed just so you couldnd a proper blow on me? Thats the most stupid, ridiculous, and asinine thing anyone has ever done! </em>


    He rocked his head back andughed.


    <em>I love it! </em>


    I blinked.


    Um, what?


    The Devil continued to himself.


    If I didnt have an immunity to curses, I wouldnt have been able to break free from that Skill for another I dont know, two or three seconds? That stupid <em>enchantment </em>effect wouldve taken a solid moment longer for me to undo. I wouldnt have been able to stop myself from killing you. And you did that for what?


    ...tond a single hit?


    Exactly. Tond a single hit.


    He repeated after me, cing his hands on his hips. Then his eyes lit up again, and I drew back.


    And you you dont have a Grand Skill, do you?


    I shook my head.


    Nope.


    He guffawed.


    The fact that you challenged me without a Grand Skill makes you even <em>more </em>insane! Maybe you couldve stood a chance with a Grand Skill, but without it, you may as well have just hanged yourself there and then.


    The Devil wiped a tear from his eyes as I just stood there, staring at him nkly, unsure of what to even say.


    I like that. No I <em>love </em>that! Youre more than just amusing: youre one of a kind, Salvos.


    I raised a brow. <em>Did he just use my real name? </em>Then what he said before that registered in my head. <em>Did he just acknowledge me? </em>


    He waved a hand off, letting his pitchfork vanish.


    Youre the type of Demon that shouldnt have survived the Destion. And yet, here you are. Good job. I say this with all my heart when I say good job.


    Thank you um


    I hesitated, but I felt the urge to ask the question.


    Does that mean you wont kill me for real this time?


    It means I wont kill you <em>ever, </em>Salvos. Thatd be like if I was given an actual Elixir of Immortality the only one in the world and decided to break it into pieces and destroy it. Nope. Thatd be stupid. No, I wont do that. And even better


    The Devil leaned forward, getting ufortably close to me. But unlike before, I never once felt the rm of [A Hunters Sense] ring at me. He truly meant his word. And despite knowing that, what he said next surprised me.


    How about this?


    He smirked, proffering me his hand.


    I have nothing better to do, so why dont I take you in as my apprentice?


    I went cross-eyed.


    Um, huh?!


    I can teach you what it means to be a Demon. Youre an Archdemon of Pride. I can get you a Grand Skill befitting your nature! And its not like I have anything else to do. So, this is my deal to you.


    The Devil just smiled as he gestured at his hands, waiting for me to shake it. It took me a moment to regain myposure. Everything was happening so quickly. In fact, even though [Haste] was <em>still </em>active, I couldnt keep up with what was going on. I inhaled deeply and looked at his hand.


    Finally, [Haste] dissipated as I made a decision. The Devil waited, and I felt my hand twitch. I raised it slightly. Then I lowered it.


    Thanks, but no.


    The Devil spread his arms wide.


    Wonderful! I shall begin your lessons post-haste


    He paused.


    Wait, what?