Lady Serpenthair holds a revered position, and she disdains direct interactions with lower-ranking demons. Even if she has important orders, she delegates them to her subordinates to communicate throughout the Living Fire Pit.
Under her command, there are numerous formidable beings, among whom eight stand out, known as the Eight Demon Generals of the Living Fire Pit. They directly lead elite legions, holding a higher status than the demon lords and often representing Lady Serpenthair in various matters.
To attain this rank, they are just one step away from the ultimate lordship. They must not only possess the strength to lead thousands or even tens of thousands but also exhibit intelligence surpassing that of ordinary beings. Although they serve the demonic realm, their members are not exclusively demons; they include beings of different races and even mixed-blood descendants.
Among the two individuals who have come to pay respects to Lady Serpenthair, the avian-demon is one of the Eight Demon Generals, and the other is a subordinate of his, one rank below. They have arrived for other matters but have just learned of the death of Wendelthorpe and are curious about the circumstances of his demise.
Certainly, the thing that piqued Wendelthorpe's interest was a treasure, a most extraordinary one, which naturally everyone desires. However, like other denizens of the Abyss, Lady Serpenthair does not appreciate subordinates prying into secrets. The avian demon, driven by his insatiable greed, ventured to ask that question, which did not sit well with her.
Yet she understands that nothing can deter their avarice, as it is one of the inherent traits of demons. Her wisdom and authority are equally remarkable, and she doesn't lose her temper over such matters. She quickly adds, "No need to panic, Nerok. I'm not blaming you. But you should be cautious; the same thing that killed Wendelthorpe might do the same to you."
Nerok comprehends her warning and promptly expresses his obedience and gratitude.
Lady Serpenthair doesn't concern herself with Nerok's emotions. She flicks her tail and returns to her flaming throne. She calmly says, "I have more important matters to attend to. You may leave now. But before you go, I'll issue this warning once more: Do not be foolish enough to meddle in the competition for the new lordship. Assisting a fool loyal to yourself in rising to power will bring no benefit to the Living Fire Pit."
With her words, she effectively imposes a final ban, which will be known throughout the other major demons. They will weigh their own strengths and, regrettably, realize that they are not yet qualified to challenge Lady Serpenthair and will obediently follow her orders.
The third-ranked domain has also completely cast off its restraints and plunged into the chaos that demons yearn for. After the chaos, a new lord will emerge. In fact, the lord's death couldn't possibly stay hidden for long. The anticipation of battle, the fear of death, and the desire for spoils constantly agitate the demons' savage minds. The great battle has yet to begin, but small-scale conflicts frequently erupt.
Upon colliding with the rock, Su Mei lost consciousness. It wasn't due to severe injuries but rather her entry into a deep slumber. Similar to a caterpillar in a cocoon, she utilized this time to adjust her bodily mechanisms in preparation for accepting the Eye of Chaos. During this period, her life signal was completely covered by it, rendering her existence akin to an inanimate object. Even if Lady Serpenthair herself were to search, it would be difficult to detect anyone here.
However, Lady Serpenthair's lack of detection doesn't mean that other demons can't, as she wouldn't lower her status to search through the garbage heap like someone picking up trash.
As Su Mei slept, she suddenly felt someone poking her, and it happened several times. She usually lived alone, without any roommates or family members. When she recalled this, a bolt of lightning seemed to strike through her mind, and she instantly became wide awake. With a swift motion, she sat up, followed by a piercing scream.
Her timing was impeccable, as two iron forks were thrusting towards her eyes, missing their mark. The wielder of these forks turned out to be seven small creatures who attacked her while muttering curses.
The reason they're called "small creatures" instead of "large creatures" is because they were generally very short, almost like deformed dwarves. By Earth's standards, they wouldn't need to pay for a bus ticket and would get a half-price deal at a buffet. Their skin was wrinkled, coming in various shades including dark gray-black, copper-iron, and lighter hues of yellow-green and blue-green. They were all extremely dirty, as if they'd never taken a bath.
The one leading the group was yellow-green, had an oversized head, and sparse fur. When it noticed she had woken up, it first recoiled slightly, and then excitedly exclaimed, "She's still alive! It's a living human! Fresh human flesh!"
It wasn't holding an iron fork and was crouching next to her, reaching out with its dirty, rough claws and desperately tugging at her arm. By the looks of it, it seemed intent on pulling her entire arm off.
Su Mei, who had just woken up, found herself surrounded by these chaotic creatures and was once again frightened to the core, unable to react. She had gone from appearing like a corpse to being as motionless as a statue, which gave this trash demon the false impression that this human had no fighting ability. It drooled from its mouth, disregarding the 40-inch height difference and the fact that Su Mei had been poked more than ten times without any harm. With an open mouth, it lunged to take a bite of fresh meat.
Su Mei was in extreme panic. She forcefully pushed away the nearby trash demon, gripping her bag tightly and swung it down with all her might. She was very close to it, and her hit was accurate.
The trash demon's head, as fragile as a watermelon, made a dull sound as it shattered into four or five pieces, spraying a copious amount of thick black-red blood.
Still in shock, Su Mei had forgotten that she had a short knife in her bag. She continued to scream and wildly thrash with her bag. Her attacks were unorganized and chaotic, lacking any technique, yet the effect was astonishing.
The trash demon with the pitchfork was relatively unharmed since he was farther away from her. However, the others suffered a great deal. Being the lowest-ranking demons, they were yet to enter the next stage of growth and were powerless against this terrifying force.
After a senseless bout of resistance with the echoing, hoarse screams of fear in her ears, Su Mei finally stopped her frantic assault and stared in disbelief at the scene before her.
She realized that she was surrounded by monsters and just wanted to push them away to make her escape. She didn't have any particular intention, let alone killing them. But now, the ground around her was littered with flesh and blood, some in broken pieces, while a trash demon is screaming louder than her.
No one expected that the result would be four dead, one severely injured, and two slightly injured. The trash demons were driven to madness, retreating in terror, staring at her as if they had seen a monster.
The scene was exceptionally gruesome, with a tremendous and horrifying impact, quite different from the cold terror of the lich. Su Mei didn't have time to think too much. She quickly crawled out from the blood and flesh and finally stood up, looking down on them from a higher vantage point.
At this moment, she realized she had won the battle. The adversaries proved to be weak, and her fear was rapidly diminishing. She recalled what the lich had said about the "Abyss Demons." These short, fearsome-looking creatures were evidently more timid than her, and their attacks were quite feeble. Surprisingly, they hadn't even scratched her clothes.
If she were to be frightened by creatures like this, she'd be too ashamed of herself.
Upon awakening, the roles of victim and assailant had dramatically reversed. She knew the immediate danger had passed but was cautious not to let her guard down. She hesitated and asked, "Who are you...?"
In fact, she merely wanted to know if they were truly demons. But lower-ranking demons were naturally bullies who feared those stronger than them and the prospect of death. Seeing her stop, they were bewildered for a second, then suddenly shouted in unison and scrambling to run in the distance.
Su Mei, more astonished than fearful, instinctively took a few steps in pursuit but couldn't help but come to a halt, staring vacantly ahead.
This was her first glimpse of this world, and she realized just how immoral the lich was.
Everything she could see was tinged with fiery hues, including the sky and the ground. The landscape was rugged and perilous, making it challenging to discern distant scenes. Every mountain peak was a volcano, and each volcano had countless caves. Thin blue smoke emitted from the volcano craters, indicating imminent eruptions.
Once lava spewed forth, it never solidified, forming rivers and lakes, providing a peculiar environment for the local flora and fauna. The air was foul and filled with a pungent sulfur scent, making her wonder why she wasn't choked to death on the spot.
What was even worse than the environment was that this was far from a desolate world; it was unexpectedly lively. Su Mei didn't encounter any creatures around her, but in the magma rivers not far away, there were occasional dark movements, perhaps giant heat-resistant bacteria, but it was hard to tell for sure.
Further away, it was even more bustling. Occasionally, there were deep roars and faint, indistinguishable chattering noises. These sounds continuously reminded her that she was far from being "out of danger."