Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Of course, Styx would not think about so many things. The fact that he consciously grabbed the Red Dragon father and daughter and even took Gilbert away already shows his extreme anger.

Certainly, this is also due to his slow reaction... Styx is somewhat similar to the Abyssal Will in this regard. Unless hugely provoked, they rarely perceive some events that would seem catastrophic to mere mortals.

The collapse of worlds to them is just a small stone brushed by their sleeve.

Whether they notice depends on where their gaze happens to be at the time.

Yet, once they truly take note and realize someone is undermining them, their reaction will be fierce.

The consciousness of Styx strictly adheres to the principle of neutrality and will absolutely not react beyond his duties. Furthermore, the souls he values and is willing to converse with are truly rare, so he wouldn’t regard his own children with the same disregard as the Abyssal Will.

In the past, the Abyssal Demons owned true Abyssal Demon Lords and Queens... But chaos, the most malevolent chaos, led to nearly collapsing their own realm in the end, which is understandable.

Therefore, later on, even powerful beings like the double-headed baboon and Six Fingers couldn’t suppress other Demon Lords to become the true Lord of the Abyss, all because the Abyssal Will still remembers that pain.

Styx would definitely not do such a thing; even if he were to fail, he wouldn’t fly into a rage, but perhaps pay more attention next time something involving devils occurred.

Thus, Hill is somewhat confused about recent events... he could clearly see the intentions of Glaysia and Fengo, and the Red Dragon surely knows even better.

But he has remained very quiet.

It seems he is truly following some order to connect with Styx.

It should be noted, the reason this world is so thoroughly isolated from Styx is entirely due to Asmodier’s work... even Styx, upon discovering this matter later, couldn’t completely break through the blockade.

Sending the Red Dragon in even consumed his last bit of power in this world.

The method employed by Red Dragon inevitably consumes power belonging to him... However, with Hill’s understanding of that dragon, he might be using Black Dragon and Iron Dragon’s Dragon Orbs for this task.

Although Dragons greatly resent those Dragon Orbs crafted by mages to control dragons, they too use these objects, especially the Chromatic Dragons.

Metal Dragons do not, not because they lack desire, but because this object is strictly forbidden by the Dragon God and added to the faction laws—using it leads to immediate downfall, they only collect them and will not easily use them.

Indeed, they would absolutely not destroy them, except when surrounded by a vast number of humans, who must not be eliminated... as in the battle in Toril, under the watchful eyes of the Undead Tribe, they remain very obedient.

But regardless, usage belongs to the Red Dragon.

This being utterly unbelievable for the Chromatic Dragon, especially an Ancient Red Dragon who has been with Tiamat for so many years.

The renowned Ancient White Dragon, one of Tiamat’s Eternal Dragon Consorts, always evokes suspicion of living in Toril’s most impoverished regions of the Great Glacier... without even roots, where immature White Dragons divide a single mouse over three days.

That fellow would fight relentlessly over spending a single copper coin.

The Red Dragon might fare slightly better; his ability to provide for a family is noticeably stronger than that White Dragon... but still not exceptionally strong.

The world where they raised their daughter, though nominally belonging to the Red Dragon and his child, once Tiamat knew, the wealth there naturally belonged to the Chromatic Dragon Queen.

Power is irrelevant; gold and silver jewelry must belong to her.

However, this Red Dragon evidently possesses some economic acumen... something Tiamat definitely lacks.

Thus, he cooperated with Valkin in that world, willing to divide his Faith Power for the so-called Goddess of Gold Coins to keep the global economy flowing.

Only in an ever-flowing economic world could economists have opportunities to embezzle for personal gain... Tiamat couldn’t comprehend this; she only counted gold coins one by one.

No matter how strong or fast at math, someone versed only in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division stares blankly at calculus models in economics.

This Red Dragon is astoundingly shrewd to such an extent that even Hill considers him a rare kind... Though Red Dragons are known as the greediest True Dragons, their minds have never been among the sharpest.

However, such a fellow managing such a world, creating paths amid chaos, Hill finds it not surprising at all.

If Valkin possessed half his intelligence, AO would now contemplate how to suppress the Goddess of Wealth instead of the Goddess of Magic.

He might find it difficult to suppress her, unless he intends to revert the world to its primal state.

Oh... Shaer would likely enjoy that.

How fitting that this Red Dragon ends up in the Styx, where there are few living beings and no concept of money.

Everyone has a promising future.

Yet, even such a Red Dragon has a fatal flaw... He will not engage in gambling, that art of risking little for large gains where one slip results in total ruin.

As a rare Dragon willing to first incur minor costs, his endeavors always ensure at least breaking even.

Such a character must believe he can recoup the cost of those two Dragon Orbs to dare proceed... clearly intending to mimic Black Dragon and Iron Dragon, endeavoring to entangle the devils in a web of speculation over who impersonates whom.

If not for Hill knowing him, he wouldn’t guess this is a third identity.

After pondering for some time, Hill concentrated on Fengo... This Hell Prosecutor cultivated numerous minions across major worlds and various planes in Hell.

This is the reason his eyes can peer in all directions with abundant information.

Especially in recent millennia, due to commendable performance, Asmodier’s trust in him... at least publicly... deepened, even allowing him to establish intelligence agencies in places like Toril.

Previously, such affairs were managed by certain of Asmodier’s close aides.

Though the wise understand, the Lord of Hell merely permits him without ceasing trust in those angels who fell alongside him, so among those aides someone must secretly continue this intelligence operation... nonetheless, in the Primeval Devil faction in Hell, Fengo is the first, and currently the only one who can take over Asmodier’s original influence.

Of course, this realization came to Asmodier when his trusted Hell Angels watched as his wife was schemed against without intervening... they revered and adored him but wouldn’t necessarily extend affection to his wife, who many found annoying.

Especially among Hell Angels, even fallen, their nature remains proud and aloof, unwilling to bear Bisozeya’s ant-like gaze.

They’re not entirely indifferent, but when their subordinates’ devils discreetly suppress news related to the lady, they don’t question.

If they detected something amiss, they indeed reported it, for it’s what their beloved leader wanted to know... but they can also feign ignorance.

Then the Lord of Hell understood, having dual factions beneath him, trust couldn’t be solely placed on one side, particularly when Hell Angels, offering ample gold, might still fail to truly control devil minds.

However, the biggest issue when raising personnel is funding.

The lower devils will indeed show respect to the higher ranks, but motivating them requires salary.

Not to mention humans from major worlds; those capable of devil temptation must seek something... and mostly for worldly desires.

Often, power can be exchanged for money.

Although in the end, these fallen humans would yield greater wealth back to the devils, initially, devils must generously invest.

Therefore, devils involved in such work naturally carry ample gold and silver jewelry, even some strange objects capable of transmuting precious metals.

Fengo, overseeing it all, carries only the best of the best.

Devils lack the notion of avatars, they merely possess certain direct resurrection techniques in Hell... naturally, requiring significant treasures.

The more prepared, the less power lost upon revival.

Does he have absolute confidence in leaving Fengo behind?