Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 318 Absurd Demons and Enjoyable Adventurers

Barto's Ninth Prison, the second level is "Dis".

The steep and majestic mountains stretched endlessly like solidified waves of the earth, the sky was perpetually ashen and gloomy, and the air was filled not only with the pungent smell of sulfur that permeated almost every corner of this hellish place, but also with a strong smell of rust.

And at the very heart of these wild, desolate mountains, at the center of countless wide roads that reflect the luster of metal, lies the most magnificent metropolis in the entire purgatory—"The Steel City".

Thanks to the abundant and extraordinarily rich metal ore resources in the surrounding mountains, the city boasts a highly developed mining and smelting industry.

At the same time, due to the fervent pursuit of advanced technology and military firepower by its ruler, Grand Duke "Dispat", the almost ubiquitous manufacturing workshops and military factories have made Steel City the most famous arms production base in the multiverse, continuously providing military weapons to all kinds of war fanatics.

Today was just like any other day.

There was no distinction between day and night; the noise of metal rubbing and colliding, and the roar of wheels rolling over the road echoed in the air above the street.

Located at the very edge of the innermost corner of the steel city's core, in the Rust Zone, at No. 32 Broken Blade Avenue.

A refined three-story house with the same minimalist and clean style as the surrounding buildings, decorated with a large number of metal elements.

basement.

Unlike the bright and glamorous exterior, the basement was dimly lit, with only a few specially made incense candles on the copper stand in front of it, which barely illuminated the surrounding space while slightly calming the restless magical particles in the air.

The smooth, unblemished floor surface revealed a massive magic circle composed of countless intricate patterns and profound symbols.

At the very center of the magic circle, on the finest velvet cushion, sat a tall figure dressed in a respectable formal suit.

It must have been tailor-made; the dress fit extremely well, with special treatment applied to the cuffs, waist, and even the tapering from the sleeves to the shoulders, so there was no awkward feeling of being too loose or too tight.

His eyes were closed and his body was motionless, as if he were meditating. His body was much larger than that of a normal human, but he still maintained the physical characteristics of a humanoid creature. His dark red skin was obviously rougher and had small scales that could be vaguely seen. There were two dark brown horns about the size of a little finger on the top of his head, and the flames and scorching breath that occasionally spewed out with his breath indicated that he was a demon.

hum-

The magical particles in the air, which had been calmed down slightly by the incense and candles, suddenly became chaotic.

Accompanied by a high-frequency humming sound of surging energy, the patterns on the ground magic array suddenly lit up, and the light, like solidified blood, turned the entire basement into a dark red.

"Hiss...hoo!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils contracting sharply!
It was extremely abrupt, even though just a moment ago she had maintained a meditative and serene state, with long and slow breathing.

The next second, however, it was as if he had just gone through some intense activity, suddenly gasping for breath, like a drowning person who had finally been rescued.

His body, which had been sitting in meditation, became contorted, his center of gravity tilted backward, and he barely managed to maintain his balance by supporting himself with one hand on the ground.

But his other hand, without thinking, reached up and touched his neck.

It was extremely undignified and impolite to rudely tear open the collar.

Until your palms are completely pressed against your neck, you can feel the rough skin, the bulging and expanding trachea as you breathe, and the solid feeling of your throat bones below.

Saloyan's face, which was filled with lingering fear, gradually calmed down amidst his rapid breathing.

"Damn it." He cursed instinctively, recalling the scorching sparks and ashes that filled his vision at the last moment, and the fleeting ochre-red glint.

"What on earth is that?!"

Immediately, the backlash from the unexpected death of the consciousness projection was applied to him. He was like someone who had fallen seriously ill. His aura suddenly became weak, his spirit was feeble, and even his dark red face appeared pale and powerless.

Saloyan did not descend to the material world in his true form; he was merely projecting his consciousness through a magic array and special items. Even when he tricked Abby into signing a contract and temporarily gained control of her body and soul, it was simply like opening another channel to allow more of the energy from the true form of Purgatory to be transmitted in.

Therefore, although he was "dead" in the material world after being beheaded by Xia Nan, his physical body in purgatory only entered a period of weakness and was not affected by his life essence.

With a lifespan far exceeding that of short-lived species and a wealth of experience accumulated during his demonic career, Saloyan has certainly made mistakes, and quite a few at that.

After all, many souls that they consider to be of high value are extremely difficult to obtain, and they are quite wary of most intelligent beings of the "devil" race.

Sometimes, even the smallest oversight can expose his identity and purpose, causing all his previous efforts to be in vain.

But the experience of losing everything at the last moment, just like what he had just experienced, when he had completely controlled the situation, was something he had never encountered before.

"Why……"

"how is this possible?"

Without even standing up from the magic circle, the intense surprise and doubt in his heart led this demon noble of the second level of purgatory to begin reviewing his experiences in the material world.

Of course, the main subject of the review is the black-haired youth named Xia Nan who sent his consciousness back to purgatory.

It shouldn't be...

Saloyan was very confident in his judgment.

Although the opponent's soul smelled very chaotic, which made him feel resistant, judging from the aura it emitted and the actual battle later on, its professional level could not possibly exceed level 5.

He might be a bit stronger in combat than adventurers of the same level, but he had observed the entire battle between the other party and the demon.

The black-haired youth had used all his strength to barely defeat the demon, and his interference caused the demon's chest to be pierced, and even its heart stopped beating.

It should be completely dead by now.

What caused the other party to be brought back to life and gain such a dramatic increase in power, as if a qualitative change had occurred?

It couldn't possibly be a divine intervention, could it?

Saloyan couldn't understand it.

What puzzled him even more was the exaggerated qualities Xia Nan displayed in those brief ten seconds after her "resurrection."

Speed, explosiveness, and even strength have all been enhanced in every way. The crimson flames swirling around his body, along with the embers and sparks left behind during his movements, seem to grant his opponent some kind of powerful status-based buff.

Even the moves that were originally suspected to be combat techniques have undergone corresponding changes, and their power has increased exponentially.

Even now, Saloyan still finds his experience before his beheading absurd.

It was so absurd that it almost made me laugh.

An adventurer whose job level does not exceed lv5.

In just a few seconds, he first used some kind of mental resistance ability with a counteracting effect to exempt himself from [Charm of Humans] and [Tasha's Laughter], and then forcibly distorted the path of [Freezing Ray] through another unknown ability similar to [Hand of the Mage].

Finally, he even ridiculously endured two consecutive [Burning Rays], and the six fire beams only left him with minor injuries.

"Why should I?" Do you think you're God's chosen one or the heir to some devilish grand duke?

Saloyan found it all absurd.

At this moment, the image that flashed through his mind was the scene that inexplicably appeared when he met Xia Nan's eyes, which were like those of a solar eclipse.

That magnificent, dilapidated palace, and that withered, decaying, rusty knight.

He could not match it with any image of a powerful being, such as a god, in his mind.

But without a doubt, this knight is in the same tier or even a higher level.

Perhaps he is the chief god of some other pantheon, or perhaps the corrupt ruler of some world?
Saloyan dared not think any further, for even the slightest thought could be detected by an existence of this level.

I simply buried it deep in the depths of my memory.

As for revenge...

Just kidding. If the person behind them really came knocking on his door, would Lord Dispat really go to war for the sake of a nobody like himself?

After the battle, his arrogant thoughts about being a member of the Demon Noble and the Steel Grand Duke had completely changed.

Of course, after the plan failed, he could not simply reconcile with the situation.

People need an outlet to vent their frustrations.

In the current situation, this unfortunate soul naturally fell to "Dalot," the head of the Baron's intelligence network in the material world.

If the information provided by the other party hadn't been so vague, not even revealing the exact location of the goblin lair, causing him to be lost in the Underdark for so many days, how could Saloyan have been able to wait until that point to run into Xia Nan and that adventurer team?

A quick investigation of the remaining traces inside the nest will suffice; a few tens of minutes will be enough.

His encounters along the way made him suspect that Dalot had taken bribes from several of his mortal enemies and deliberately omitted key information, including that about the petrified lizard and Xia Nan.

"Damn it, get Dalot over here!"

"If you can't give me an explanation today..."

"I'll personally send him to a bloody battle!!!"

The devil's furious roar echoed in the basement.

……

……

The core area of ​​the misty forest.

Deep underground, in a spacious goblin lair.

The goblins' sharp, excited screams had long since faded away, and the demons' howls and flapping wings were no longer heard.

Only the lingering smell of sulfur in the air and the scorched marks on the ground from the flames indicate that a battle once took place here.

The headless corpses of the four little devils were piled haphazardly to one side, alongside their heads. The steel fork weapons from Purgatory had naturally been confiscated and were now lying quietly in a corner of the camp.

The two terrified Thorn Demons also met the same fate, their heads separated from their bodies, falling motionless to the ground like roast chickens on a roadside butcher's shelf.

The "culprit" behind all of this is currently staring intently at the campfire before him.

To be precise, it was the pincer above the campfire that was larger than the body of an ordinary person.

Before transmigrating, Xia Nan didn't often eat foods like shrimp and crab.

It wasn't because he was allergic to seafood, or because he disliked the taste of this type of food.

I simply find peeling shells too troublesome and don't want to put in the extra effort when eating.

After getting your hands covered in seasoning and painstakingly peeling off the shell, you only get a small bite, barely tasting any flavor. The effort and reward are disproportionate.

But right now, faced with this enormous pincer that exudes an enticing aroma and is so wide that even two hands cannot encircle it... the trouble of peeling it becomes a small price to pay before enjoying the delicacy.

The continuous scorching heat caused the pincers, now separated from their original bodies, to reveal a delicious, scorching red color; tiny oil bubbles sizzled from the cracks on the surface of the carapace, and the rich oil, carrying the faint aroma unique to this kind of monster, drifted in the air.

With keen perception, they accurately and timely observe the heat.

Despite the slight burning pain from the scorching heat rushing to his skin, Xia Nan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with his right hand, and thrust the molten, pitted, and unusable two-handed sword into the fire, forcefully striking the cracked pincers on its surface.

"Crack."

A crisp, loud cracking sound rang out from the flames.

A surge of steam, ten times more concentrated than before and carrying an indescribable aroma of meat, erupted forth, enveloping the entire camp.

Between the cracked shells lay incredibly plump, perfectly cooked crab meat, its white flesh tinged with a faint pink.

The distinct fibrous bundles of flesh clung tightly together, trembling slightly due to the hot airflow, and oozing out translucent, sweet juice.

Swallow the rich aroma of meat filling your nasal cavity and the saliva that unconsciously wells up in your mouth.

Xia Nan could no longer restrain himself and used the hilt of his sword in conjunction with [Gravity Control] to pull a large piece of the shattered pincers out of the fire.

Ignoring the residual heat on the shell, he held it in both hands and took a big bite!

In an instant, the hot and delicious meat juice, like a seafood soup, bursts on the tip of your tongue as it is wrapped in soft and elastic crab meat!

The ultimate natural sweetness and the smoky aroma after grilling are perfectly blended together, with a light charcoal fragrance mixed with the rich aroma of oil filling the mouth; with each chew, you can feel the wonderful resistance of the full and firm fibers breaking between your teeth; after swallowing, a deep aftertaste, like minerals, rises on the back of your tongue, making you unable to resist opening your mouth and taking another bite.

Unconsciously, Xia Nan, holding the seared crab claws in both hands, squinted her eyes in enjoyment.

It was as if all the fatigue from the previous battles was completely driven away at this moment with the swallowed chunks of meat and the warmth spreading throughout the body.

If you were to have a bowl of hot cream of mushroom soup, that would undoubtedly be the most wonderful treat in the world.

As if remembering something, Xia Nan forcibly suppressed the urge to continue eating heartily, turned his head, and looked at the two figures on the other side of the camp, their wounds wrapped in bandages, looking at him with a strange expression.

He waved the crab meat in his hand, and asked in a tone slightly tinged with regret at not being able to share the delicious food:
"Aren't you two going to try some?"

“Very delicious!”

(End of this chapter)