"Hell really lives up to its reputation!"
Having been attacked immediately upon entering Hell, Artoria remarked with some emotion as she kicked a Little Demon away. This small, pitch-black thing with bat wings was quite uniquely ugly, emitting a rotting stench that made one want to gag. Artoria used too much force and crushed one; the greenish, blood-like substance looked like some kind of vomit, making Artoria feel a bit regretful. She had forgotten that the human world's description of Hell was a gathering place for all filth, evil creatures, and sinful souls. Now Artoria felt she definitely needed a good bath when she got back.
"Meat... the scent of fresh meat."
The moment Artoria arrived in this world, the demons and ghouls within five miles smelled the scent of a living person. The'scent' of a living human on Artoria was like a shot of adrenaline to them. They craved blood, loved eating fresh meat, and even more, loved tearing human souls apart. Driven mad by the'scent' on Artoria, they began flying toward her in a dark swarm, covering the blood-red'sky' like a black cloud.
"I forgot to ask the old woman for a treasure to hide my aura."
Having underestimated the sense of smell of these demons and the temptation of a human scent, Artoria watched the demons flying toward her with wide-open maws and the ghouls rushing her way. Fortunately, Artoria didn't have trypophobia, or she would have fainted instantly. But in Artoria's perception, though these things were numerous, none were powerful. Artoria wasn't sure if she was in the territory of a high-level demon. If she was, a large-scale slaughter of these things would surely get her noticed. If it was an unmanaged area, she wouldn't have to worry.
"Forget it, kill them first."
Thinking too much wouldn't yield a better method, and Artoria didn't want to run from these disgusting and weak creatures. She decided to completely eliminate these repulsive things first. Having decided, black magic power surged from Artoria's body, and a pillar of black light instantly shot into the sky. The Little Demons and ghouls approaching her began to burn as if they had touched fire, turning into piles of grey ash in an instant. She adjusted the outward release of her magic, controlling it within a ten-meter radius. Artoria just watched as these creatures of Hell crashed into her magic like moths to a flame. This precise operation was thanks to her first stage of training; if the Ancient One hadn't made her train that way, Artoria wouldn't have been able to perform this so easily without wasting a single bit of magic power.
"magic Detonation."
Once condensed to a certain point, a black magic shield similar to a protective barrier formed around Artoria. Under her control, the shield instantly expanded, creating a massive dispersive explosion. The ground within a one-mile radius was leveled, and the swarming Little Demons were gone. Artoria began to move rapidly. She was unfamiliar with this place, and moving through so many clingy little creatures without being discovered by high-level demons was a very difficult task.
"How interesting. It's been so many years since a living human appeared in Hell. And such a powerful one at that. I really want to suck the essence out of her. No, I can't drain her dry. I'll imprison her and take a little every day, raising her well. That way, I can eat delicious essence every day."
Artoria didn't know that her actions had already been targeted by a woman with a hot figure and a beautiful face. If one could ignore the two horns on her forehead, the long, thin Tail swaying behind her, and the pair of huge bat wings, she could be considered a goddess-level figure in the human world. Currently, she was watching Artoria's movements with a hungry gaze. Perhaps because she was a demon, she could see Artoria from twenty kilometers away. It was likely Artoria had accidentally trespassed into her territory, which was why she was discovered so quickly.
"The existence of this Little guy cannot be known by other lords. You understand."
As a powerful Succubus Lord, her ability to claim territory in such a dog-eat-dog place spoke for her strength. She lay lazily on a large bed made of some creature's fur, her thin Tail flicking restlessly in the air. At this moment, her seductive posture was enough to trigger the most primal urges in any male, but the subordinate kneeling below her bed didn't dare appreciate the view. If it dared to look up, its head would likely vanish from its neck in an instant. Hearing the superior's orders, the subordinate immediately went to work. They had done this sort of thing before—essentially putting the territory under martial law and not allowing any subjects from other lords to pass through.
Go release the three-headed dog that was tamed a while ago. Let's test her strength. Clear all those Little Demons away from my line of sight; they're obstructing my view of the show.
As if remembering something, the Succubus Lord's face broke into a happy smile. Her alluring lips parted slightly, revealing two sharp canine teeth. She directly issued orders to the guards at the door. She recalled the three-headed dog she had tamed for a long time. Although this three-headed dog's strength wasn't considered extremely high, it was comparable to a mid-level demon. She planned to test Artoria's strength bit by bit. If the other party's strength exceeded her expectations, then she would hold off for a while. If the other party's strength was only this much, then catching her early and keeping her as a pet would be a good option. Having made up her mind, the Succubus Lord had the three-headed dog released, designated a route, and sent it off to deliver itself to Artoria.
"I have this feeling of being watched... is it just an illusion?"
Firing off magical energy rays from her fingertips like laser guns, clearing away the demons and ghouls on the path, Artoria suddenly felt a chill rush from her back to her brain—a feeling of being targeted by a predator. This puzzled Artoria. In her perception, no powerful figure had appeared, nor was anyone eyeing her with ill intent. Yet, Artoria's feeling wasn't wrong. So, she hesitated, wondering if she really was being watched.
"Need to find a way to get to a place that blocks these things' sense of smell. Enough ants can kill an elephant."
While continuously exploring, Artoria discovered that these creatures had an extremely keen sense of smell but very poor vision, almost like someone with severe myopia. She was trying every method to hide her scent, but these things still managed to find her. Although their claws and teeth couldn't inflict any harm on Artoria, it was like having a toad crawl onto the back of your foot—it doesn't bite, but it's disgustingly annoying. That was exactly how Artoria felt at the moment.
"The further in I go, the fewer Little Demons there are. Could it be that I've entered a lord's territory?"
Moving while eliminating Little Demons, Artoria's speed was quite fast. But soon, Artoria noticed something unusual. The number of Little Demons had decreased, but Artoria felt she might have intruded into a lord's territory! After all, a large portion of the Little Demons following her scent from behind seemed to fear something's presence, giving up their 'pursuit' of Artoria and turning away from this place. Only a portion of the braver ones hesitated for a moment before instantly pouncing towards Artoria, as if trying to tear a piece of flesh from Artoria and leave before something arrived. However, they were all eliminated by Artoria.
Thump! Thump!
While Artoria was puzzled, she felt vibrations in the ground. The sound of something heavy impacting the earth came from the distance, as if a creature was moving extremely fast, and its direction seemed to be heading straight for her. Finding this interesting, Artoria didn't leave the spot. She stood quietly in place, waiting for the other party's arrival. Soon, a creature of enormous size appeared before Artoria. Compared to the creature's massive physique, Artoria kept her gaze fixed on the six eyes staring at her. It was a creature with three dog heads, strikingly similar to the underworld's gatekeeping demon 'Cerberus'. But that was in Greek mythology. She hadn't expected to see such a creature in hell as well. This made Artoria feel extremely intrigued.
"Awooo~!" x3
Seeing that a 'little insect' like Artoria dared to block its path, the three-headed dog's three heads displayed intense hostility. The three heads began to snarl ferociously. Corrosive saliva dripped from their mouths onto the red and black ground, instantly producing thick white smoke. All three heads simultaneously opened their large maws and roared at Artoria. However, this display of intimidation only made Artoria find it quite amusing. With a flash of white light in her hand, a seemingly ordinary long staff appeared in Artoria's grasp. 'A Knight Does Not Die with Bare Hands' activated, strengthening the staff in her hand. Artoria then raised her head to meet the three-headed dog's gaze.
"You probably don't know that in Taiwanese, there's a staff technique specifically for beating up blind, vicious dogs."
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