Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

He might know this demon!

Chapter 746 Reslaufer Otto

"Ah, you remember him."

The old man seemed unsurprised by this situation, and said calmly, "Indeed, Montgomery, 'our' most capable general, a powerful fire demon, was preparing to overthrow his master during his brief period of weakness before his transformation."

"I did put in a lot of effort to deal with such an opponent, but how should I put it? Order is order. Chaos, excitement of the soul, and the drive of hormones and other substances can never match a meticulous and thorough plan," the old man stepped forward and tapped the outer wall of the container with his withered fingers. "In the end, I also found a home for this beast. He became my collection and experimental equipment. I took some parts from him to mass-produce subordinates that can better serve me."

"Otu!" Suddenly, the demon inside the container opened its eyes. "You despicable schemer, you plotter! You are not my lord at all, you are nothing but a delusional thought! If one day I am able to leave this place, you will become the lowest ornament on my belt!"

"Look at him, his logic is even regrettable, isn't it?" the old man snorted. "It's a real pity that the newly developed second-generation device still can't control a being like the Balrog, otherwise you could have done a lot for me—let's get back to the point, Montgomery, take a look, is this your 'lord'?"

Raslaufer felt those eyes, which should have been bursting with flames but had instead turned blood red in vain, looking at him. He met their gaze without fear, but despite racking his brains, he still couldn't find any impression of this demon.

But the other person seemed to recognize him.

“Raslaufer! My only sovereign!” Montgomery was extremely excited, and even the successive lighting of all the surrounding devices could not contain his emotions. “You’ve finally returned! Let me out, and I will help you eradicate this abominable delusional entity!”

“It seems there’s still too much chaos in you, to the point that even he can recognize you—in fact, I removed a part of his brain tissue.”

The old man gave Raslaufer a half-smile, and with a wave of his hand, the dimly lit room lit up, revealing one instrument after another around him: "But it doesn't matter, precisely because of this, the purest order can be born deep within you."

"Let's make a deal. Give up this part, and you can continue your savage life of eating raw meat and drinking blood. I will give you the best weapons and let you unleash your chaotic and brutal inspiration. I can even give you a demon squad and then put you back into the material world. You will become the most brutal king or butcher."

Reislaufer ignored the other person and looked around at the instruments and devices with some surprise. They looked so familiar, just like... just like the ones he saw at the end when he was hallucinating in Heinrich's laboratory!

The old man's words reminded Doble of what Philna had said to him not long ago.

On disorder and order, on big and small.

Also, didn't the old man just say "we"?

"Who...who are you?" Leslaufer asked, finding his voice somewhat hoarse.

“Reslaufer Otto, the former, present, and future lord of this abyss,” the old man looked up to meet Reslaufer’s gaze, his red and blue pupils gradually blending into a clear purple, “Oh, by the way, of course I wouldn’t give my memories to a body that’s already abandoned, it’s perfectly normal that you don’t know.”

"Demons are creatures born to destroy; chaos and evil are their most basic colors. However, if we completely abandon the idea of ​​accidental order, this chaos is incomplete. Therefore, demons will always have all sorts of ideas. Some will tire of their original lives and pursue a mundane and boring rest of their lives; some more radical ones will even fantasize that they can walk the 'right path'. As for 'we', the former abyss lord, we had the idea of ​​using firm and perfect rules to restrain our subordinates in order to achieve our goals."

"This idea didn't come out of thin air. At a much earlier point in time, Raslaufer Otto wasn't a demon lord yet. He was captured by demons during the Blood War and sent to Kania, the second to last level of the Nine Hells, as experimental material. He eventually escaped, but that also gave him this 'good habit'."

As the old man spoke, he began to walk up to the instruments and activate the devices, which were either magically or mechanically driven.

"He wanted to preserve these things because, upon his return, he defeated one enemy after another with a more refined plan. However, he soon faced a dilemma: more chaotic thoughts were gradually washing away these 'good things,' which was a characteristic of demons and the abyss. If he wanted to change this situation, he had to take radical measures. So, he went to Sigil, a hub of the multiverse, and acquired a body for himself that was completely imbued with the power of order from the inside out."

Otu pointed to himself—or rather, to his body.

"He channeled his sense of order into it, and his plan was to combine memory and power. However, he discovered that these were almost inseparable. To achieve his desired effect, he would have to sacrifice the vast majority of the latter two. After much deliberation, he concluded that memory was the more important part, and thus chose to discard the physical body, carelessly tossing that chaotic junk into the material world. Afterward, I realized I was wrong—the seeds of chaos spread along with the memories, and all my efforts ultimately amounted to nothing. And it was at this moment that I noticed you again."

"I noticed the budding of order that has sprung forth from chaos within you once again. Because you are in the material world, this bud will not be easily washed away—even if the other side has an absolute advantage. So I thought: why not try reintroducing it? Aren't some experiments like this? You have to repeat the process to get the desired result. It's no big deal."

"So... that's why you're here—lie down, it won't take long."

Raslaufer listened to the long tale as if it were the ramblings of an old mortal, and then he raised his greatsword.

“I have no interest in what you’re saying,” Dople narrowed his eyes, and the next moment, his body transformed into its strongest form. “If you’re done talking, then die.”

The ferocious afterimages, illuminated by the lamplight, multiplied into countless clones, charging towards the same target from different directions. However, the old man merely shook his head helplessly, as if he had anticipated this outcome. He then raised a finger:

"Your muddled mind is indeed incapable of understanding my intention in bringing you to see Montgomery. In that case—Evil Aura!"

"Profane words! Rainbow light wall! Laws strengthened! Foresight!"

"Wither and die!"

In an instant, six powerful spells that Leslaufer had never heard of were cast almost simultaneously. A wall of countless illusory lights blocked his path, and as a giant, ethereal hand suddenly gripped him, all the liquid on his body seemed to dry up instantly!

Chapter 747 Crimson Lance

"Roar!"

A burst of dragonfire erupted from Raslaufer's mouth. The scorching gas struck the rainbow-colored magic wall constructed by the demon as Otto's magic hit him, causing it to tremble, but ultimately it did not shatter.

“It’s useless,” Otto said calmly, looking at Reslaufer. With another attack, it was as if a tsunami had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, completely engulfing Reslaufer. “What can you do? Without the memories of the Demon Lord, even if you’ve been wandering around in this small material world for decades, you’re nothing more than a relatively powerful brute. Why do you think I dared to let you go back and face you directly? Of course, it’s because I’m confident that I can defeat you!”

Raslaufer spread his wings, narrowly avoiding the direct impact of the tidal wave. Even so, the slightly weaker wave still slammed him away, preventing him from getting close enough to fight the fragile old man. Otto's mastery of arcane magic was even greater than that of Dragonfinger Fidel and the undead Chargigi, leaving Raslaufer completely helpless.

Until he looked up and glanced at the ceiling.

"Boom!" In the brief gap before Otto could strike again, Reslaufer shot into the sky with a violent sonic boom, heading towards the ceiling above. The room was too cramped, making it easy for Otto to block all of Reslaufer's escape routes no matter what spells he used. If the battlefield were expanded, Reslaufer's situation would indeed be much better.

But how could Etu, playing on their home turf, not have thought of this?

As Raslaufer slashed his sword across the ceiling, a "whoosh" sounded, and some kind of arcane trap was immediately triggered. The eerie sound wave made Raslaufer feel as if his head was about to explode, and his body involuntarily plummeted downwards. Seeing this, Otto's lips curled into a triumphant smile. He immediately made his move, and a large amount of shadow gathered into threads in his hand, weaving them into a gigantic shadow dragon, which roared and swooped down on Raslaufer, biting him between its two rows of sharp teeth.

"Since you enjoy hand-to-hand combat so much, then have some fun with it—but you'd better be careful, since it also knows how to breathe."

"Oh, by the way, you have quite a few interactions with the Nine Hells, so fire or cold would probably have little effect on you. The nature of demons also makes lightning and poison have little effect—how about trying Dark Erosion? You probably happen to have the power to fight it, right?"

Raslaufer struggled desperately inside the phantom dragon's mouth, but the creature seemed to exist between reality and illusion. No matter what he did, even twisting its gaping maw to the point of near collapse, he still couldn't break free. On the contrary, in his peripheral vision, he could see the dark energy born from the depths of the dragon's throat gathering in real time, gradually expanding and becoming so powerful that it burst forth.

If he cannot escape within the time it takes for this breath to strike, a terrible end will await him.

"call--"

High concentrations of negative energy condensed into a tangible cloud, carrying fragments of shadow as it unleashed a relentless barrage upon every inch of space before the phantom dragon. Both Otto and Montgomery, trapped in the container, stared wide-eyed in alarm, desperately trying to locate Reslaufer—or at least its fragments—as soon as the dragon's breath dissipated. However, even after the dragon's breath had completely vanished, not a trace of Reslaufer could be found in the entire space.

"No, that's it—"

Etu quickly checked the ceiling above, but there was no damage; he then looked at the door he had come from, which was also tightly closed and sealed off.

Where on earth did he go?!

"Are you looking for me?" Raslaufer's voice suddenly came from behind Montgomery's jar. Dople had already deactivated his transformation, one hand on the jar and the other on his greatsword. Blood was dripping from his body onto the ground. Although he had dodged the powerful and deadly breath, he had indeed paid a considerable price.

The clash between positive and negative energies can be very dangerous.

A shimmering, azure ripple spread across his body. Even in the abyss, the Mother of Water had not abandoned those she favored. Although this protection could not save Raslaufer from the breath, it could help him escape the dragon's teeth. However, in his transformed state, he was clearly unable to withstand the protection of a true god, and the backlash from forcibly removing it would severely injure him.

It's better than being destroyed on the spot by pure negative energy.

“How interesting, but do you think I don’t know that?” Otu snorted, and another beam of light spread outwards from him. “With your paltry magic, I can easily strip you of your right to cast spells!”

“No need for all that trouble,” Leslaufer sneered, and the next moment, a lance formed from grayish-white flames appeared out of thin air in his hand. “I didn’t plan to hide in here forever!”

With a flick of his arm, the three-meter-long Hellfire Lance flew out of his hand and shot towards Otto. As Raslaufer attacked, the radiance of his protective spell dissipated.

"But this was within my expectations!" Otu laughed wildly, the rocks before him transforming into a solid barrier. "I know everything about you! What makes you think you can fight me!"

"I am the lord! I am the complete one! And you, you are nothing but a mortal with a demon's body! Come on, let me see what you're capable of, and soon they will all belong to me!"

Otto's face began to contort, no longer resembling the person he had always touted and pursued. He looked at Reslaufer's body with lust, and in this respect, he had deceived Reslaufer.

That pure order born from chaos was only one of the things he wanted; what he desired even more was this strong, young, and solid body!

He had long been fed up with being trapped in this old and frail body! If he had perfected the technology before implementing the plan, he wouldn't have needed to go all the way to Sigil City to find such a replacement!

From now on, there will only be one Raslaufer!

“Is that so? You really know how to use your brain,” Leslaufer seemed as oblivious as ever, merely maintaining his throwing posture with a cold smile. However, just as the lance was about to collide with the barrier constructed by Otto, he suddenly roared, “Did you expect this move?!”

Before he could speak, the flames of the lance instantly turned blood-red, and with the collision of spurs, a blood-red nightmare symbolizing war crossed the dimensional barrier and was summoned into the abyss by him!

Chapter 748 Extremely Popular

Perhaps due to Otto's planning, Raslaufer was unable to directly summon the gray nightmare, but he had more than one nightmare!

But Otu seems to know nothing about this!

Two Nightmare Horses?! That's impossible—

The demon was terrified, but it was too late to adjust its defense. Flames rose from Raslaufer's body, and the nightmare wrapped him up, turning him into a streak of blood. Before the lance could hit him, Raslaufer grabbed its tail. The man and the lance turned around, bypassing Otto's defense, and thrust down from another direction, aiming straight for Otto's back!

But the Nightmare Rider only has one mount! Not to mention he didn't even complete the trial!

Otu gritted his teeth, but there was no time to think about that now. He could only quickly come up with his contingency plan. His figure disappeared before the lance could strike, leaving behind only a large cloud of rapidly expanding black smoke that enveloped the entire room in endless darkness and silence.

He hastily put on a pair of glasses-like devices, using them to see through the darkness of the magic. His plan worked; Raslaufer indeed lost his target in the sudden veil, allowing Otto to catch his breath. A magic scroll slipped silently from his sleeve. He didn't intend to chant any spells; he wanted to subdue Raslaufer with this one strike!

The Imprisonment Spell, a prison created by this unassuming magic, can confine a target within a limited space, allowing for burial, binding, or slumber... any method is permitted. Otto had originally intended to first weaken Reslaufer's power to its limit to ensure the success of the "capture," but judging from the opponent's performance, he would have to proceed with this step sooner rather than later.

But it doesn't matter. He's a man of plan. Every spell he's used so far has been a prelude to this moment. Although it's not the final moment yet, according to Etu's calculations, the success rate is already as high as 80%—not to mention that he even prepared a second scroll.

Sleep, and never wake up.

Otto's expression suddenly sharpened, as if he had returned to the era when he was at the height of his power. The next moment, the scroll in his hand was suddenly torn open, turning into a terrifying torrent of magic that enveloped Leslaufer.

Even in the darkness, the alert Nightmare sensed something was wrong and immediately tried to dodge, but the force was like a shadow that it couldn't shake off. With a miscalculation during a sharp turn, the binding spell immediately took effect, forcefully pushing the Nightmare away and binding only Raslaufer. An irresistible drowsiness swept over him, crashing into Dopler's brain like a tsunami, as if he would fall into a permanent slumber the next second—neither needing to eat, nor breathe, nor even age.

But hundreds of spirits surged from his body, still maintaining that numb and indifferent demeanor, still shielding him from the forces that would affect his mind and spirit when he needed them most—even in the abyss, even if they would not dissipate this time, but would fall into the abyss and become the lowest and most despicable kind of existence.

This buffer was enough for Raslaufer to pinpoint the location of that deep-seated hostility.

"How could this be!" Otu was horrified. He quickly tore open the second scroll, and deliberately changed the method. "Don't let him fall asleep. Teleport him to a small demiplane that is isolated from teleportation and dimensional travel!"

The binding spell was activated again. Having lost his mount, Leslaufer had no chance to dodge this time and was immediately struck. But as his body twisted to the point of almost disappearing, Otto felt an even stronger resistance surge back. Around Leslaufer, magic and another unknown force clashed and ultimately annihilated each other. And Leslaufer…

He remained standing in the same spot, as if nothing had happened.

He walked towards me!

Otu quickly turned a ring on his finger. He realized that there were unknown variables in his plan, and that continuing to fight would only lead to his death. He had to leave this place!

With a crisp "snap".

Otto's eyes widened. He never imagined that his magical item would slip from his grasp and fall to the ground, only to shatter into eight almost equal pieces.

"Hehehe... Is someone treating darkness as their domain?" A cruel female voice chuckled, echoing throughout the entire abyss. "How interesting. Perhaps the truth is somewhat... slightly different."

God, that is a true god!

Otu's legs nearly gave way; he was pale and swaying, unable to believe that such a thing could happen to him. Many levels of the Abyss were considered the divine realms of the evil deities, but for various reasons, they rarely fought amongst themselves or seized the territory of weaker demon lords.

But the abyss "mostly not" means "yes" - but why would it happen to me?

In stark contrast to Otto, who was gripped by extreme fear, Raslaufer stood still, calmly watching the impenetrable darkness before him gradually transform into a scene composed of different shades of gray. He was familiar with this feeling; Rose had once given him a similar blessing.

“Please, Your Majesty, do not interfere,” Dubler rarely spoke with such deference, but the other party had many reasons to do so at this moment. “I want to settle things with him personally.”

“Of course, that’s your own business,” Rose chuckled. “However, I’m afraid I intervened long before you could even think of it—where do you think that demiplane within you came from? And what gives you the right to control those spirits?”

"In short, it's not your fault."

Suddenly, a little devil ripped open a spatial rift and emerged. Raslaufer recognized him and the voice: Barbasabalone was clearly in bad shape, and Philna was using him to confront Rose.

"Otu, do you think you know what Ms. Rose is talking about?"

Essence, demiplane? Otu stared blankly as he recalled the keywords, then suddenly erupted in fury: "Philna! We made a promise! You betrayed me! You didn't reveal the most important part!"

“Why would I reveal all the information about the Nine Hells soldiers to a maggot from the abyss?” “Barbasabalon” smiled sarcastically. “Besides, you lost our bet before, so I have no reason to stand on your side anymore.”

The Demon Grand Duke looked at Raslaufer through the eyes of the little devil: "Raslaufer, the chaos in the rule of this plane is an opportunity, and I happen to have noticed it and have made a series of plans. Here, we are probably the most familiar friends. You should understand which side is more appropriate to stand on, right?"

“Although I am just a great demon, Lord Asmodeus is very interested in you, or more precisely, in you who is about to take control of the entire Abyss.”

She doesn't represent herself?!

Both Otto and Rose showed surprise at this moment. They had always thought that this was just another attempt by Philna to fight against Belial, but now it seemed that this was not the case!

“‘A familiar devil is better than a devil,’” Leslaufer nodded, but did not respond immediately. Instead, he took off the pendant from his chest. “I know that proverb, but I think it’s best not to rush into a decision before knowing everything.”

"You agree, right, my goddess?"

The almost transparent pendant slowly floated in the air, naturally emitting a tinkling sound like flowing water.

Chapter 749 A Three-Thousand-Year Grace Period

"You'd rather believe a necklace?"

Rose’s voice rang out: “I wish you were sober enough, child, Edas. What can she possibly offer you? She’ll only bind your hands and feet, seal your mouth and tongue, and force you to use begging and prayer, those pathetic little tricks, to buy a false peace.”

"What can tolerance really bring? I know all too well: weakness! Insignificance! Pathetic!"

“Serve me, and I will give you power! Don’t forget, this is the Abyss. I can easily elevate you to the position of lord of this plane, and not only elevate you, but also ensure you hold onto your position! When you return to the material plane, you can do whatever you want, and you will have a demon army! Not only that, I can also make those dark elf families sign an alliance with you and fight for you!”

"You can conquer the whole world if you want to!"

"But that's wrong, and no one knows that better than you."

A phantom-like figure, resembling a tree spirit with flowing green hair, slowly emerged from the pendant, speaking in a soft, delicate voice. She appeared shy and timid, and if Leslaufer hadn't clearly understood what her appearance signified, she would likely never have associated her with a goddess.