Chapter 449: Want to Send Them to Hell?

"Edict: Cinderburn!"

Jilannis had no intention of giving the other party time to introduce themselves. Her Magic had been ready from the moment Ming Datiss appeared, poised for release. Originally, this breath-like blast of Shaping Magic was meant for the suddenly appearing Saran, but the Moon Elf had detected another, far more powerful presence hidden here. Thus, she had simply laid low, biding her time.

However, to that entity, her restraint was undoubtedly a sign of weakness. There was, after all, a vast gulf in power separating Jilannis from Saran and Ming Datiss, and it misread her caution.

In its eyes, such a choice simply meant she was lacking in power! That was why it chose the moment Ron and the others let their guard down to launch a sneak attack!

WHOOSH—

Faced with Jilannis’s sudden attack, the entity was clearly unprepared. However, its own power was more than enough to handle the surprise. The scaled claw instantly retracted, and a fierce gale erupted from within the dense black fog!

Following the gale was an ocean of Strong Acid, surging forward like a tidal wave!

"Get out of my territory! This has nothing to do with you!"

"And if I say, ’no’?"

A mocking smile flashed across Jilannis Galanord’s face. A Magic Array unfurled behind the group, who had just registered what was happening. The terrifying acidic breath—potent enough to corrode a giant down to the bone—was completely swallowed by the Array. Only a few stray drops splashed onto the surrounding metal walls, instantly melting holes into the surface!

"That’s... the Banker! It never actually left!" Silvia immediately realized. ’Who else but that skulking entity could borrow my energy to manifest itself?’

The Vampire Mage immediately tried to sever her connection to the energy, but she quickly discovered to her dismay that the power she had released was no longer under her control. In fact, it was rapidly withering away!

"Two useless fools! I have to do everything myself!" Seeing its attack had failed, the Banker didn’t stick around to fight. It swiftly swept up Ming Datiss and Saran—who Ron had bombed to within an inch of their lives—and prepared to leave. Before departing, it didn’t forget to leave a threat. "Human, don’t think this is over!"

"You and your subjects are all my food! Not a single one of you will escape!"

"Does that include me?" Jilannis sneered, which provoked a faint, infuriated roar from within the black fog. This, however, didn’t affect its plan. The broken bodies of Ming Datiss and Saran were about to vanish from the space, along with the fog.

They were trying to escape, but Ron refused to let them. The Weaving Introduction before him lit up once more, its pages fluttering as an orange, crystalline ring exploded outward from him. "Miss Jilannis, keep them here!"

’Saran is one thing, but Ming Datiss has shown up one too many times and gotten on my last nerve. This time, I’m sending him straight to hell, no matter what!’

Jilannis acted at once, casting a barrier to block the Banker’s attempt to retrieve them. To her surprise, however, her Magic had no effect. It was as if the two Elves weren’t even inside the black fog as it continued to shrink, on the verge of disappearing completely!

"Elf, even you can’t hope to stop me!" the entity in the black fog gloated, just as it was about to drag the two away. "Human! You just wait. Sooner or later, I will turn everyone you know into your enemy!"

"In the Delusional Land, I am the true master!"

Ron’s eyes widened in fury as he saw both his and Jilannis’s Magic prove useless. But just as the black fog and its passengers were about to vanish, the surrounding corpses of the Spore People and Plant People—all of whom Ron had previously blasted to bits—suddenly began to glow with an eerie, violet-green light and levitate.

Even more corpses of Plant People sleeping on the levels above had their Hibernation Pods silently opened. The light pulled these husks into the air, and they began to drift rapidly toward them!

Meanwhile, around the black fog, illusory crimson chains suddenly materialized from the void. Radiating searing heat, they bound the shrunken mass of fog firmly in place, preventing it from shrinking another inch. As Ron and the others stared in shock and confusion, a rose-colored whirlwind swirled up from their midst without warning. A Teleportation Array opened, and an all-too-familiar, graceful figure strode out. Her forked tail swayed languidly behind her as her seductive torso came to a halt right beside Ron.

The scent of red wine perfume wafted into Ron’s nostrils, and the same coquettish female voice he had heard on more than one occasion whispered in his ear:

"Sweetie, I heard you wanted to send them to hell?"

Ron’s pupils constricted. "No! Not at all! It was just a figure of speech!"

’Dammit, how did she show up here?!’

’Even a blind man could see she’s probably on my side in this situation. But she’s from Purgatory! God knows if she’s really on my side, or if she just wants me to join hers!’

’For anyone else, that might not be a big distinction, but for her, it’s a world of difference!’

"Tsk. How boring."

Perhaps because she knew her attempt at temptation had failed—or perhaps she never intended it in the first place (unlikely)—the Desire Demon Queen brushed past Ron and walked to the front. As she raised a slender finger, the chains binding the black fog cinched tight. A muffled roar echoed from within the fog, and Ming Datiss and Saran Laine, who had been on the verge of vanishing, were abruptly tossed out.

"My father placed restrictions on me. I can’t just go around tempting any soul I please. You have no idea how many people would kill for the chance to sell their soul to me," Gracia said, yawning lazily. "Your loss."

’Ron secretly rolled his eyes. This was hardly the first time she’d tried to get him to join her.’

’But he was confused. Why would Gracia suddenly show up here? Come to think of it, she was the one who told me about the Red Mould mutation in the first place. That’s what led to all this, what brought us here to investigate...’

"Gracia!" a furious question came from within the black fog. "What do you think you’re doing?! Are you planning to tear up our agreement?!"

"According to our agreement, you will pay the price!"

"Calm down, calm down, old friend," the Purgatory Duke said, spreading her hands with a disarmingly harmless smile. "I’m a devil. Why would I ever do something like that?"

"I just wanted to keep you here for a moment. You know how it is, you’re always so elusive. If I let this chance slip by, it’ll be a real pain to find you again. But I’m here on behalf of a friend. She insists on meeting you."

"So, I had no choice but to... help create this opportunity. My dear, why don’t you come out and have a little chat with our friend here?"