American Horror Story, Starting from Falls Town

Chapter 493 I'd like to see what Mammon is up to.
Roy pondered for a moment, feeling that whether he was herding one sheep or two, it was all the same.

Since we're going to help Belial escape the shackles of hell anyway, we might as well help Beelzebub escape the power of gluttony as well.

These demon kings are really strange; they don't want any of the positions that countless demons crave.

After thinking it through, Roy agreed to Beelzebub's request.

“Mr. Beelzebub, I can promise you that I will solve your problem once I find a way.”

Upon hearing this, Beelzebub frowned.

"Mr. Black, why wait until later? Shouldn't this be a natural ability of Satan?"

Wait, does this guy think he's Satan?
Thinking about it, it seems like that's actually possible!

Beelzebub certainly didn't know that Roy possessed such a monstrous ability as the Phoenix Force; he only thought that Roy had gained Satan's authority to become so powerful.

Clearly, even demons cannot imagine things beyond their own comprehension.

“Mr. Beelzebub, I think you’re mistaken. I am not Satan.”

These words startled Beelzebub.

"How is that possible! Otherwise, how did you destroy the Ancient Sea? And what about the Satanic Scepter in your hand..."

"I think you've misunderstood. I was indeed the one who destroyed the Ancient Sea, but the power I used was not Satan's. But rest assured, my promise still stands, because Satan and I have a very good relationship. It just takes some time to help you solve your problem. As for the Satan Scepter, it was truly lent to me by Satan."

Beelzebub scrutinized Roy, seemingly trying to figure out if he was lying.

Roy's expression was very calm, which made the Gluttonous King somewhat puzzled.

"Mr. Black, has Lord Belial become Satan?"

This was the only possibility Beelzebub could think of, after all, the idea that Roy and Alma's child would become Satan was just too bizarre.

"It's not about Professor Belial. Anyway, I will definitely solve your problem. You don't need to worry about me breaking my promise."

Beelzebub took a deep breath and decided to trust Roy.

"Alright then, I'll wait a few more days. Anyway, I've already waited for nearly ten thousand years."

“Mr. Beelzebub, believe me, you won’t have to wait long!”

Roy picked up his glass and gestured to Beelzebub, who understood and picked up his glass as well.

"Then I'll wait patiently."

Before drinking, Roy asked a question.

"Mr. Beelzebub, did you release those flies that day?"

"Yes, I did help out in a small way."

Beelzebub made it sound so easy, but this favor was crucial for Roy.

"cheers!"

"cheers!"

After laying things out on the table, Roy and Beelzebub's dining atmosphere improved.

Unfortunately, Beelzebub didn't seem to be very interested in beautiful women, so his meals were very "plain." Fortunately, good food can also make people feel happy.

The baked lobster with cheese has an indescribable freshness; one bite made Roy feel as if he were traveling in space.

The Starry Night Soup has a jelly-like texture; the constantly flowing colorful substances inside are like a flavor bomb exploding in your mouth when you bite into them, with all sorts of flavors Roy can and can't imagine mixed together.

The harmony and unity made Roy feel completely comfortable.

I didn't expect Star Color to taste so good. I wonder how Yog Sothos tastes?
Just kidding, this is American Horror Story, not A Bite of Cthulhu.

(I passed an inspiration test while writing this; my first book to be signed was about the K-pop genre.)
In comparison, the roasted snake meat was more conventional, but the main advantage of this dish was its large portion size, providing a huge feeling of fullness, which was perfect for Roy's big appetite.

As for the ice cream drizzled with special honey, that's another kind of enjoyment.

In short, this was the most satisfying meal Roy had had since arriving in Hell. After finishing the meal, Roy even packed up some other food made by Beelzebub.

Beelzebub was actually very willing to share his culinary skills with others, but there were very few beings in Hell who treated him as an equal, and the Seven Demon Lords rarely interacted with each other.

Back on Earth, Beelzebub generously showcased his culinary skills to his students, but the ingredients...

Well, as long as Beelzebub doesn't use any random ingredients, Roy can actually accept it.

Finally, with Beelzebub seeing him off, Roy arrived at the entrance to the fourth circle of Hell, a towering tree located in the center of a decaying swamp.

"Mr. Blake, are you sure you don't need me to give you a ride?"

Roy glanced at Beelzebub, who was clearly being polite, but Roy was in a very good mood after eating and drinking his fill, and couldn't help but crack a joke.

"Great! Let's go to the Golden Maze together!"

Upon hearing this, Beelzebub's smile froze instantly.

The Gluttonous King has always remained neutral in Hell and has never publicly taken sides. Even his alliance with Belial was a clandestine one.

If Beelzebub goes to the Golden Labyrinth with Roy, it would be tantamount to openly declaring war on Leviathan and his allies.

Seeing Beelzebub's expression, Roy burst into laughter.

"Just kidding! Mr. Beelzebub, see you next time."

As he spoke, Roy entered the towering tree, and with a blink of an eye, he found himself in another world.

Before him was a golden world, with the ground and walls all made of gold. Roy felt like his eyes were about to be blinded by the light.

Gold and silver treasures were scattered all over the ground, but what puzzled Roy was that none of the demons picked them up.

This puzzled Roy greatly. He remembered that the old man Naphri had said that the demons in the Golden Labyrinth were the most greedy in Hell, and that they would fight to the death for a single coin. How could they possibly not want these treasures?

At that moment, a green-skinned creature walked over. This guy looked very much like a goblin, a creature often seen in traditional Western fantasy works.

"Sir, are you going to the casino to make your fortune? I can take you there!"

The goblin's tone, attitude, and behavior reminded Roy of a profession very common in Macau—junket operators.

They are people who specialize in attracting tourists from other places to casinos. They will guide tourists and introduce the city's features, acting like tour guides, but their ultimate goal is to lead tourists to gamble.

However, since these tourists come to the casino, they must want to gamble a bit, so you can't say that these junket operators have any problems.

"What's your name?"

"Sir, my name is Gold Tooth!"

The goblin grinned, revealing a large gold tooth.

"We can talk about the casino later. I'm really curious about something right now: why is no one picking up all this treasure scattered on the ground?"

Roy couldn't believe that the demons of hell were so morally upright that they wouldn't pick up lost items on the road; there must be some reason for it.

Gold Tooth rolled his eyes and then gave a strange smile.

"Sir, wouldn't you know if you just picked up any gold coin?"

Roy raised an eyebrow; this little goblin was clearly trying to trick him.

He grabbed Jin Ya by the neck and lifted him up.

"I'm asking you a question!"

At first, Gold Tooth thought Roy's human form made him easy to bully, which is why he resorted to a little trick.

However, this guy clearly forgot one thing: the fact that he could appear in Hell looking so weak and vulnerable and still get away with it is proof of his strength, isn't it?
"Sir, you've misunderstood! I was just joking with you." Sensing Roy's terrifying strength, Gold Tooth immediately realized he'd kicked a steel plate.

"Then answer me right now!"

"Ah? I can't say! I am the slave of the King of Greed, and I cannot speak of these things, otherwise I will face the King of Greed's punishment!"

"is it?"

Roy squinted at Gold Tooth, then tossed him next to the treasure.

"Then pick up a gold coin for me now!"

Gold Tooth had a long face.

"Is it better not to give it up?"

"Immediately, right now! Otherwise, you'll die right now!"

Left with no other choice, Gold Tooth picked up a gold coin from the ground and then began to wail loudly.

Roy was puzzled when he saw that Gold Tooth just cried after picking up the gold coin, without any other side effects.

So Roy picked up a gold coin and then received a message that the contract had been formed.

It turns out that the treasures scattered on the ground in the golden labyrinth all belonged to the greedy King Mammon, and had been enchanted by him.

The moment you pick up any piece of treasure, you're essentially signing a loan agreement with the King of Greed. Interest starts accruing from the moment you pick it up, ticking every second until you pay off the debt.

If the debt cannot be repaid, one will become a slave to the King of Greed, like Gold Tooth, and have to work to repay it.

However, most slaves could never pay off their debts because the Greed King's loans were all compounded with interest, with each roll of interest calculated by adding the previous principal and interest together.

The initial loan amount may not be much, but it can become terrifying after a few days.

Those who owe money to the King of Greed cannot escape this level of hell, and in the Golden Labyrinth, the only way to make money is through gambling.

In this way, the golden maze forms a closed loop.

"Interesting! I didn't expect Mammon to be so resourceful!"

Mammon's actions reveal many human-like playstyles, suggesting he likely gained considerable inspiration from his time on Earth.

It must be said that humanity has clearly reached the extreme in exploiting its own kind.

You can't imagine what intelligent life in the universe could be more terrifying than humans.

Now that Mammon has become Roy's creditor, he must accept the rules and remain in the Golden Labyrinth until he pays off his debts.

Seeing that Gold Tooth was still wailing, Roy kicked him in the butt.

"Take me to the biggest casino here!"

"Sir, are you going to gamble?"

"If I'm in debt, shouldn't I try to turn my bicycle into a motorcycle?"

Jin Ya wiped away his tears and stood up. Since things had come to this, he could only continue working.

“Sir, I will take you to the largest casino in the Golden Maze, the palace of the King of Greed.”

Mammon actually turned his palace into a casino; he really knows how to live life.

"Let's go!"

Inside the Greedy Palace, the three giants—a snake, a human, and a bird—have gathered.

Mammon sensed a new contract, and the name of the contract made him pause for a moment.

"Roy Black has arrived!"

Leviathan and Samael exchanged a glance, and Samael's crimson eyes flickered.

"He's finally here! I thought he would have entered the fourth level of hell much sooner!"

"They probably spent some time in the decaying swamp."

Mammon used his two bird heads to look at Leviathan and Samael separately.

"Let me make this clear beforehand: I will never allow fighting on my turf!"

Unlike Leviathan and Samael, Mammon is very fond of building his own territory, much like birds that like to build nests.

The entire Golden Labyrinth is filled with shops and casinos; if a battle at the level of a Demon King were to occur, Mammon would certainly suffer heavy losses.

Leviathan looked at Mammon with displeasure.

"Didn't we agree on this? We'll use the power of the rules to deal with Roy Black. If the plan goes smoothly, we definitely won't need to fight!"

"Stop! What I mean is, even if the plan doesn't go smoothly, you can't fight on my turf! If you want to fight, lure them to Dream Bubble. It's spacious enough there, you can fight however you want!"

Samael pursed his lips.

“Mammon, some things aren’t up to us to decide, so you should just pray that Roy Black can be dealt with smoothly!”

"Damn it! I hate this kind of uncertain probability!"

Mammon muttered something, but still summoned one of his men as planned.

"Go to the casino entrance and greet a man named Roy Black, treating him with the highest honors!"

Meanwhile, Roy, led by Gold Tooth, had already arrived at the palace of the Greed King.

Standing at the door, Roy could already hear the sounds of slot machines, roulette, and other gambling equipment, as well as the cries of those who say that heaven and hell are separated by a single thought.

This scene made Roy think he had returned to Earth.

In the face of gambling, demons are no different from humans; they are both bound by desire and have lost their self-judgment.

Just as Roy was about to enter the Greedy Palace, a red carpet suddenly rolled out from inside.

A bird-headed demon dressed in angelic attire emerged, followed by a group of succubi dressed as bunny girls.

These succubi probably came from Dreamland to work here; life in Hell isn't easy!

"Welcome, Mr. Roy Black, to the Greedy Palace!"

Gold Tooth looked at Roy with suspicion. He recognized the bird-headed demon; it was Mammon's butler and also a fallen angel.

Since Mammon's butler personally greeted him, Roy's status must be extraordinary.

The most surprised person was Roy, who knew he would definitely be discovered by Mammon because he hadn't concealed his presence at all.

But to Roy's surprise, Mammon greeted him in this way.

What does "Mammon" mean?

Roy called Mammon by his name right in front of the butler, which startled the surrounding demons. In Hell, only the other six demon kings were qualified to do so.

Mammon's butler bowed respectfully.

"Lord Mammon instructed me to receive you with the highest courtesy; I know nothing else."

Roy deduced that the butler was not lying, so he nodded.

"Then let's go in. I want to see what Mammon is up to!"

(I didn't know what picture to post, so I'll just post one of a ball of flowers.)
(End of this chapter)