Chapter 176 - Redemption Day (3) (1/2)
Ruth was hallucinating. He must be. Beelzebub didn't look too bothered but the vampire was already calculating if his reaction time could surpass the spider demon's own. Between a warrior and an assassin, it would be a close match. He might have sworn servitude to Zero but this was going too far.
”Here we are,” Sekkin told them. Beelzebub surveyed the barren landscape without much interest. All he knew was that Lucifer will grant him pardon for all classes if he aces the test results after completing this mission. Ruth didn't share the same enthusiasm for obvious reasons. Miasma tasted vile. It didn't matter what kind of seasoning they used, the aftertaste would linger for days. If he knew the taste test yesterday was going to lead to this, Ruth wouldn't have done it. Blame it on his naivety and now the vampire has to pay the price for being too trusting.
”Alright, when do we start and how will Zero contact us?” Beelzebub went straight to the point. All he wanted to do now was eat everything he needed to and head back to the dormitory for his well-deserved rest.
Sekkin fumbled a little, trying to contact Zero through the party call.
”Is everyone in position?” the young doctor asked through the mental link. Ruth found comfort when Baal complained about the arrangement to the brunet.
”I promise, I'll be fine. You don't have to do this...”
Zero didn't take no for an answer. In fact, Baal's continuous denial made the apprentice more determined to carry on as planned.
”Before we start, can I have some taste numbing potion?” Ruth blurted out much to Sekkin's surprise. The vampire was silent throughout the journey so he didn't think that Ruth would have something to say.
It took a while before Zero could give Ruth a bottle of milky looking liquid. ”That's something Hua Tuo made last night, we do not have extras so use it sparingly.”
Ruth was rather startled to see a hand appear from a vortex in front of him with a bottle. Although he knew how to use magic, seeing Zero's void magic speciality was unnerving. Already, Zero's unofficial combat teacher was thinking of innovative ways Zero could incorporate that into his fights. Imagine opening a gate to teleport the enemy's lower body into some other dimension and closing the gate. Instant human sushi! It would be both a terrifying and overpowering method of fighting. If Zero wanted to, he could probably take on a country full of enemies using this insane technique. The only concern would be mana but they could always work the details out.
He accepted the potion and downed the first mouthful. The effect was almost immediate. An icy coolness spread throughout his mouth and his tongue felt heavy in it. Ruth knew it was working when he inhaled the thick miasma and swallowed it. Normally, vampires avoided breathing in miasma as it poisoned the blood. If they didn't have to recover mana, they wouldn't do so. Now that he had Strong Stomach, the miasma only provided energy and Ruth was able to fully absorb the remaining mana in the air.
Beelzebub took Ruth's enthusiasm as his cue to start. Inhaling miasma and eating dirt was almost the same thing. The only difference for him would be the lack of satisfaction to crunch on something.
Sekkin was impressed. The miasma around Amon's territory was always thick and menacing as there were many leaks from the void after Amon's vigorous training. Many old training grounds were considered unsafe due to the hazardous amounts of miasma, this was one of them. Although Sekkin was strong, he had to bring along an amulet charged with mana just in case he was unable to resist it. Right now, the spider demon felt as if he would be fine even if he lost that amulet. The dark fog became lighter with each long inhale. Through the party call, Sekkin asked if it was working.
”Hmm, it is working but not fast enough. We need to open the gate once in the next fifteen minutes. Is there a faster way to do this?”
”Like I said,” Baal sighed from the Spring of Vitality. ”I can handle it.”
Zero muted the Demon Lord much to Sekkin's amusement.
”Do you think your webs can soak up miasma?” Zero asked after a while.
”I've never tried it before. What do you plan to do if they can?”
Zero's gleeful humming over the party call made everyone curious. ”Wouldn't it be faster to eat webs soaked in miasma than inhaling air? Besides, it would be more efficient to have the webs soak up miasma from different locations and bring them to a central point.”
The assassin took his hat off to Zero for the unorthodox idea. It wasn't a pleasant thing to do but it may work. ”I'll try my best. Also, more of that taste numbing potion may be required.”
”On it!” the young doctor sang and left them to do what they have to.
Ruth made a tortured face and Sekkin could only try to comfort him. ”If it makes you feel any better, I can make webs that are tasteless in nature. Whatever flavour the miasma decides to turn it to would be beyond my control.”
Beelzebub coughed after eating too much miasma. ”Water.”
Hearing the Lord of Gluttony's demand, Sekkin got to work immediately and served him water. Ruth watched how the Demon Lord inhaled cloud after cloud of awful tasting miasma without a single word of complaint. He felt ashamed as a warrior and toughened his resolution. Beelzebub was a man amongst men if he could eat something worse than vomit while maintaining a straight face.
***
”Zero, the halls are full now. How long more till they can open the gate?” King Yama asked. Presently, there were at least six hundred demons waiting in the hall while stuffing their faces with food. Gabriel thought that now would be a great time to do some marketing and offered free divine bread for anyone who wishes to work in the Heaven administration department. There were many who judged his shamelessness but nobody stopped his advertising.