“That guy is driving me nuts!” one of the seven individuals sitting by the campfire exclaimed. He was an archer, visibly frustrated.
There were eight members of the Shadow Wolves in the camp, including both Subaru and Marlene. The group comprised three women and five men.
“You better not be looking for trouble, right? The boss told us to follow Marlene’s orders,” another member, a swordsman, responded.
“What’s so special about him?” the archer continued. “He’s just a blacksmith who happened to craft a Legendary-grade item, and now we have to escort him to Hell? This is absurd.”
Subaru replied awkwardly, “I think we all agreed on this, didn’t we? Otherwise, Marlene wouldn’t have set up this party. Plus, it’s a chance for us to level up. There are plenty of resources there that we can’t find in Yunatea, hehe.”
“Yes, but there’s a higher chance of dying too,” the archer retorted. “Do you think traveling to Hell is easy? We’ll be surrounded by real demons down there! And I’m not talking about someone like our boss.”
A woman with short brown hair and glasses, a healer, then chimed in. “I’m scared too,” she said hesitantly to the others. “But I think this is our opportunity to set foot in Hell, isn’t it? It’s my first time.”
“We will be okay. Marlene has been to Hell many times before. Besides, we have two Gluttony Champions in our guild-we are part demons ourselves,” another member reassured them.
The swordsman then spoke up. “But I still want to know just how worthwhile that blacksmith is to warrant this kind of treatment.”
“A ha ha ha,” Subaru interjected again. “No need to worry, everyone. I’m confident that Paul’s decision is the right one. We just need to follow Marlene’s orders, and I believe this
expedition will go smoothly.”
“Shut up!” the archer snapped. “I feel like killing that stupid blacksmith!”
Inside the tent, Broken sat in a chair across from Marlene. She crossed her legs, and her fiery red coat almost seemed to glow in the room’s dim light.
“So, you said you had something important to share,” she began.
“Yes, I need your help.”
Marlene smiled at his words. “That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear. You needing my help means you need me more, right?” She leaned back in her chair. “Tell me. I’m all ears.”
“I need your help to hatch a demon egg.”
Marlene remained silent, nodding slowly as if she had anticipated his request. It was clear she was already aware or had suspected this. After all, she knew a lot about demons and the Trial Domain, which had nearly endangered Princess Alora. Surely, there was a connection.
“You don’t seem surprised.” Broken noted.
Marlene gave a faint smile and shook her head. “No, why should I be? I’m quite familiar with demons, demon beasts, named demons, and even a demon egg. Sure, it’s doable, but we’ll need to change our plan significantly because of this.”
“Please, tell me what we need to do,” Broken implored.
Marlene began to explain in detail how to incubate and hatch a demon egg. “If we’re talking about a level 200 demon egg, yes, you can supply your mana to the egg, but it has to be done in Hell. Furthermore, it can’t be done just anywhere; it must be in a place teeming with monsters of a similar level.”
She paused for a moment before continuing. “The real issue is that this process won’t be completed in just a day or two.”
Broken furrowed his brow, realizing that the expedition would indeed take a considerable amount of time.
Marlene stood up and slowly walked behind Broken, lightly gripping the back of his chair before leaning against it.
“Incubating the egg will take quite a bit of time,” she said. “I’m unsure, it could be about a month, depending on various factors-the grade of the egg, the creature inside it, and the quality of the mana from the person supplying it.”
“A month?” Broken echoed, surprised.
“Yes, that’s the best-case scenario,” Marlene replied. She walked to the corner of the room, picking up a glass and a bottle of drink.
Marlene turned back, holding the glass out to him. She sat back down, crossing her legs.
“Yes, are you interested?” she asked with a sly smile.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been there before. I need to try it first before I can say whether I’ll be interested in doing that,” he admitted.
Marlene tapped her fingers on her own glass thoughtfully before taking a sip.
A month? Broken pondered. While he didn’t mind dedicating a month of his in-game time, it would still be worth it given the potential rewards he could gain. What would he need to prepare for such an extended stay in Hell? Would he also require Marlene’s assistance for the entire duration?
It was clear that she was organizing the entire party for this expedition, which implied that more manpower was necessary. Was the journey potentially more dangerous than he had anticipated? If the request was this substantial, did it also mean he couldn’t count on outside help for this endeavor?
Certainly, Broken needed to offer compensation in return. He would require their support for an extended period-a month or perhaps even longer-which meant significant resources
would be expended.
“Can I go to Hell by myself?” he inquired.
“Yes, you can,” she replied, “but you’d have to find the way there on your own.”
She smiled again. “See, I told you it’s interesting, but it will drastically alter our plans. However, I’m optimistic that it can be done.”
“I need this, so I’m willing to pay for this service,” Broken offered.
“No,” Marlene answered, taking another sip from her glass. “I’m certain this isn’t something that can be exchanged for money. It might take you an extraordinarily long time to find your own way to Hell. Your best bet is through me, and I can grant you that wish.”
This situation had completely shifted the dynamic between them. Initially, Marlene had been the one offering Broken to make a contract with a demon beast, but now it was him who turned out to be in need of her help to visit Hell.
The real intention behind her offer was still unclear, despite everything that Maylock had explained. Even if Broken and Marlene could forge a friendship, whatever she had in mind remained ambiguous. Nonetheless, they had different end goals. While Broken and his allies fought to protect Princess Alora, the Shadow Wolves stood on the opposing side.
“Listen to me, Broken,” Marlene broke the silence once more.
She continued, “I told you that I genuinely wanted to become friends, didn’t I? And I meant
it.”
“I don’t see what benefits you could gain from being friends with me,” Broken responded. “But I can see them.”
“So, you want to be friends with me because you see some positive benefit you can gain?”
Marlene laughed softly before regaining her calm demeanor. “You really have a knack for putting others on the spot with your opinions, don’t you?”
“We are on different sides,” he responded. “While I don’t fully grasp your broader vision behind all this, persuading me to join the Shadow Wolves isn’t going to be easy.”
“Yes, I knew it,” she admitted. “That’s why I said I want to show you that my intentions are
genuine.” freeweɓnvel.com
The silence hung between them again for a moment.
“Alright,” Marlene finally said, breaking the quiet. “I need to prepare a few things, and I
know you do too. We’re departing next week, Yunatea Time. Prepare for an expedition lasting
a minimum of one month. We’ll be leaving with a party of nine, including you.”
“Can I invite someone from my side?” Broken asked.
“NPCs are a definite no. It would complicate our schedule to protect them,” Marlene replied. “And as for players, also no. This isn’t an offer I extend lightly to just anyone.”
The decision was made: a month-long expedition to Hell, set to begin in a week. This gave Broken enough time to finish his work on crafting. Bringing his new armor and weapons on the expedition would be a significant advantage for him.
“Alright then,” Broken nodded, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead. As daunting as it seemed, he knew that this journey could unlock new possibilities and strengthen his
resolve.