The time Su Mei spent on her transformation was relatively short, certainly less than what most women spend on makeup. However, she didn't have a moment to catch her breath, as suddenly, barely audible faint noises came from outside the cave.
The sounds were chaotic, like many congested sparrows chatting, identical to the voices of the small creatures. A scene immediately formed in her mind—the escaped creatures had informed their superiors, who dispatched a search team to capture her alive for consumption.
Su Mei glanced at her bag, which was no longer a bag but a shield. She was not skilled in wielding a shield; even a pot lid wouldn't do much worse in her hands. The problem was that the black robe could only disguise her senses and not alter the material essence. The bag's durability remained that of a bag, not metal, offering hardly any protection.
Despite appearances, Su Mei was sweating profusely. After one last check of her disguise, she headed in the opposite direction of the cave entrance.
In truth, Su Mei had no complete plan. So far, she hadn't grasped the social rules of this place, nor did she know the exact number of creature types. The small monsters seemed organized yet of low intelligence. Therefore, she hoped that those searching were all of the same kind, making them easy to deceive.
Moreover, venturing deeper could aid in blending in with any large groups she encountered. At that time, she sincerely hoped their ranks were disordered and they were poor at counting, allowing her to slip in unnoticed, pretend to be one of them, and find an opportunity to leave this place.
Demons thrive in chaos, yet their actions are logical. Indeed, the sounds were from the trash demons tasked with the search, led not by a formidable leader but by an ordinary captain, a common figure among their kind.
After their narrow escape, still shaken but seeking revenge, they reported the presence of a human to their superior. Captains, often stronger trash demons with aspirations for the next stage of evaluation, still exhibit foolishness, greed, and cruelty, with Captain Tido being no exception.
Hesitating after hearing the report, his desire for exclusive spoils ultimately overrode prudence. He led nearly a hundred trash demons in a rush to the area, searching near the debris.
His reasoning was clear and befitting his rank. Su Mei's presence in the abyss suggested she held value above the average, at the very least promising a delicate feast.
For demons, members of the wise races of the mortal world are delicious regardless of age or gender. Unfortunately, their beautiful environments are scorned by higher demons and unsuitable for demonic habitation, or else the abyss would launch more frequent raids on the mortal world.
Another factor weighed in: despite their injuries, the trash demons described the human as sluggish and slow, failing to pursue and kill them. From this, the captain quickly deduced the human was also severely wounded.
Perhaps the human carried something more valuable than flesh. This possibility alone was worth the risk for him to lead the charge.
Captain Tido's face bore a striking resemblance to a raccoon, with his black and gray skin pockmarked and uneven. Covered in volcanic ash and the grime of infrequent bathing, his appearance was a patchwork of varying shades of gray.
Most demons possess horns, and the higher-ranking ones have flesh wings. Trash demons, being the lowest of their kind, usually feature a bald appearance, with only those advancing to the next stage eligible for evolution.
Captain Tido was fortunate, with rapid development and often securing ample meat. He stood a head taller than the average trash demon, with a noticeably thicker waist, and even wielded a longer iron fork. Unless facing a higher-ranking demon or death itself, he knew no fear and never thought of retreating.
He had recently been challenged by another captain. Typically, a trash demon who kills another captain can claim most of the deceased's subordinates. Consuming the corpse of a deceased's demon aids in evolution, making the stronger individuals disdain other foods. They closely watch their kind, ready to pounce on and devour any injured and weakened.
Demons grow by adhering to this cruel cycle, including the lords of the abyss. Born in the Sea of Ash, trash demons are exceedingly numerous, naturally fit to be discarded and consumed. Even the most formidable among them cannot guarantee survival to the next stage.
This was the reason why Tido was in such a rush to find that human. Should Su Mei possess valuable items, he would rise in fortune, eliminate the fool who challenged him, and expand his followers to over a hundred.
If Su Mei knew that the "commander" was such a creature, she might not know whether to laugh or cry. By human standards, Captain Tido's intelligence would barely reach 80. She could easily feign allegiance and deceive him with clumsy lies.
Of course, becoming one of Captain Tido's subordinates is hardly a matter of pride.
Near the lava, colorful fungi grow, some resembling mushrooms, others moss. Unlike the towering abyssal trees that rise from the ground as hard as steel, most fungi are edible, soft, and easy to digest. Therefore, trash demons regularly gather near these lava flows to harvest fungi, often attacking each other in the process.
Captain Tido personally led his troops into the deserted fortress. The area had recently been harvested, leaving the cracks in the ground bare, with only tiny sprouts breaking through the soil, too insignificant to catch his interest. He ordered a simple division of his forces, instructing his trash demons to search separately and scream loudly upon finding anything, using summoning spells to call for reinforcements.
His plans did not include reporting to higher-ranking captains unless Su Mei appeared as a formidable adversary, pursuing them. Only then would he consider using his subordinates as meat shields while he escaped to report, grovelingly accepting a beating as a worthy trade-off.
Su Mei's plan was straightforward: find another exit before being discovered and immediately leave the cave. The abyss always had gathering spots of its creatures; blending into one could ensure her safety. After all, humans are social animals, and even surrounded by monsters, as long as they didn't immediately turn hostile, it was more reassuring than wandering alone.
However, upon encountering a small search party of trash demons, she reconsidered her plan. These trash demons varied in looks but shared a common style, often drooling as they walked, which moistened the saw-like teeth in their mouths.
Observing them, Su Mei thought she couldn't manage to drool while walking, yet from other aspects, her disguise seemed flawless.
She also noticed that all trash demons wielded iron forks, possibly standard-issue weapons. However, the fork didn't seem like a weapon of choice, suggesting other reasons for its use.
With doubts and unease, she decided not to wait any longer. Choosing a group that appeared weak, she took a deep breath, stepped out from her hiding spot, and stood before them.
Her appearance was timid and hesitant, not even feigned. Lacking experience in revealing herself to monsters, her approach was cautious and seemingly sleazy, exactly as she had hoped.
The trash demons, lacking any formation, wandered loosely, their iron forks scraping noisily on the ground. Some even bent over to snack on newly sprouted fungi. Su Mei's sudden appearance startled them, causing a loud commotion as they brandished their forks.
But Su Mei's disguise was convincingly lifelike, making her indistinguishable from a real trash demon. Recognizing her as one of their own, they relaxed and scrutinized her with the sneaky glances typical among their kind.
The leading trash demon, in true fashion, bluntly said, "You, waste, hiding here, seeking death?"
Trash demons needed to advance to the next stage before gaining the ability to communicate telepathically. Until then, they spoke in this stuttering, abyssal language.
Although insulted, Su Mei didn't take it as such. In fact, she was pleased they could speak. Then, as dumbly as possible, she said, "I got separated from the others, not sure what to do. Can I come with you?"