Baator Hell Promotion

Before she got far outside the dormitory, she saw Zisi rushing towards her.

"Where are you going?" the tiefling asked suspiciously. "I've already conveyed your message, and you don't have any classes this afternoon. I suggest you stay in the dormitory."

"I am more worried about my other good friend, Ms. Lati, who is now bedridden."

"You don't have to go," Tieflin said confidently. "On my way back, I happened to meet Ms. Naomi. She was on her way to give Miss Lati a physical examination and brought some new medicine. I believe she will be well soon."

"Thank you for the news, kind Mr. Zis," Hopper said with a calm smile, reaching out to straighten his tucked-in collar. The tiefling's skin color darkened. "Then I'm relieved."

The succubus closed the door, walked back under the bed, and sighed. She had just promised Professor Bi Guan that morning that she wouldn't wander around late at night. Even though she hadn't intended to keep that promise, she still felt uncomfortable actively breaking a rule.

Night always falls faster than expected. When Hopper looked up, only the last rays of sunlight remained through the window. She slung her weapon over her shoulder and packed up the earrings and locket Zetua had given her. Professor Biguan believed that all devils who survived combat training had proven their ability to control the magical items in their possession and could therefore spare them.

Hopper opened the door and found the corridor empty. Professor Bi Guan hadn't insisted on her being placed under house arrest, so Ziz hadn't stayed to guard the door.

There was no moon in Torchhold tonight, let alone stars. Hopper encountered several students returning to their dormitories along the way. However, Professor Biguan had apparently kept quiet about the attempted invasion of the treasure room, so they were unaware that Hopper couldn't actually leave the dorm. This saved Hopper a lot of trouble; she only had to avoid the guards and maids in the corridors.

There is a long distance between the dormitory of the Devil and Cambion. Hopper has been back and forth many times and can find the direction with ease.

As she approached Lati's dormitory, Hopper saw the scene she least wanted to see - in the room next to Lati, the nurse who was supposed to listen to Lati all night to see if she needed anything or if her condition worsened was now fast asleep.

Hopper looked through Lati's window with his last hope, but saw only thick, opaque curtains.

"Erpila!" Following a curse from behind, Hopper's whole body stiffened, and he fell to the ground in the obscene posture of peeking out the window.

A hand grabbed her collar and dragged her face down into the next room. From her angle, she could only see the hem of the other person's white skirt - it was the nurse.

"You've caused me so much trouble. I can hardly find a dreamland nearby." The nurse placed her against the wall and sat quietly opposite her. Her lips didn't move, but her voice penetrated Hopper's eardrums. The nurse's eyes were filled with colorful light - she was controlled. "But it doesn't matter. Now tell me, where is the lich's little lover?"

It was Professor Millennium Intestine! Hopper didn't even think about it and blurted out the lie: "She's gurgling gurgling gurgling"

The succubus's lies all turned into meaningless noise. At the same time, Hopper felt a swelling pain in his brain, as if two invisible wooden boards in the air were squeezing his head.

"Lies can't work on me. I advise you not to struggle in vain." The nurse had a twisted smile on her face. Seeing the suffering of the succubus seemed to make the manipulator behind her feel refreshed.

Hopper gasped for air, her heart pounding like a drum. All her counterattacks required spells or hand gestures to activate. Succubi were highly resistant to mental magic; who could have imagined she would fall prey to a hold spell? Nor did she expect the nurse to fall asleep at this hour—perhaps Lati had put her to sleep so she could sneak out!

But now was not the time for regrets. When her mind felt its numbness subside, Hopper replied telepathically. She chose her words carefully: "I don't know."

I really don't know, Hopper thought, she might be in my dorm, but that's just my guess, not a fact I know for sure.

Hopper waited for a while, and this time there was no pain. She had guessed right.

The smile on the nurse's face did not change, but the colorful light in her eyes kept flashing.

"Aren't you here to protect that little Cambion? What are you here for then?"

"I didn't come here just to protect Lil, I came here to find Lati." This was also the truth.

"That stupid big guy? Isn't she too sick to get out of bed?"

"She was ill, but her purpose was to use her illness as a cover to sneak into the Stern Lady's treasure room."

"Did she know about the fool's plan? Did she go with the fool?"

"I don't know, but I'd guess it's possible."

The nurse stood up suddenly, and Hopper understood why she was so anxious. If Lil really went to the treasure room with Lati, even if she didn't die in the trap, she would most likely be captured. Either way, Professor Millennium Gut was unacceptable.

"Then I won't waste my words with you." The tiefling pointed at the still motionless succubus. "Miss Hopper, you should be thankful. The maze of this castle can instantly detect if anyone is dead, so I won't kill you."

With a flash of yellow light from her fingertips, the veiled succubus vanished, replaced by an ordinary armchair, as if it had been carelessly placed on the ground.

Author's Note: I'm currently experiencing signs of flu symptoms, with general aches and pains, and a dizzy head. I'll try to update continuously over the next two days. I'm truly sorry for not being able to satisfy my readers during this holiday season, and I bow my head in apology.

Chapter 81 Spy

Hopper had no idea how long he had been in the darkness; an armchair couldn't feel anything, after all.

A sharp, stabbing pain shattered the endless darkness. She felt a spike driven into her left armrest, and the pain was accompanied by a burning sensation that spread throughout her body, as if the armchair were about to spontaneously combust.

Then she blinked.

The demon squatting in front of her stood up and pulled out a long green needle from her shoulder. She had her back to the window, but Hopper was very familiar with the carrot-colored curly hair.

"It's you?!" Hopper stood up unsteadily. Her legs were numb from squatting after being turned into a chair.

"Who else could it be?" Lei Xi said unhappily. "I've already given you such obvious hints, why are you getting involved?"

"Do you know Professor Millennium Gut's plan?" Hopper asked suspiciously.

"I don't care about Millennium Intestine's plan. I just know that you three have been fooled and completely suspected the wrong person."

"How did you know we suspected Millennium Intestine? Did Professor Bi Guan tell you?"

"Because I have brains and ears, and I won't shout in the library that I suspect Millennium Gut of trying to sneak into the headmaster's private treasure room."

Hopper recalled that on the day he discovered the drawings, Lacy was indeed in the library.

"How do you know we suspect the wrong person?" Hopper continued.

"It's simple. I knew you had the wrong person the day I heard you doubt Millennium Intestine," the red-haired demon said resentfully, "because Millennium Intestine kept me in detention while you were out at the dance! She was the one supervising my meditation the whole time!"

"Ah?!" Hopperwan didn't expect this to be the reason, but when he thought about it, it was indeed the case. Why didn't he connect these two things?

"Besides, you didn't think it would take that long for Ms. Stern to report, did you?" Lexi helped Hopper to his feet with a look of disdain. "She knew that someone had snooped into the treasury that very night. By the time you eagerly went to the acting principal to explain, she had already agreed with Grand Duke Mammon to leave the school so that the person behind this would reveal their intentions."

"And you and the little brat from the Maiare family actually wanted to get involved in this mess without any care," Lexi sighed. "I tried many ways to stop you. Including knocking Vera unconscious to cause a conflict between you two, so that you couldn't report to Professor Biguan."

"It's you! Vera has been giving me trouble for this!"

"And convince Vera to release that purple dragon to attack you..."

"It's you too! You almost killed me!" Hopper screamed. She thought Zilong was part of the test, but it turned out that it was all planned by Lacy behind the scenes.

"My original intention was to buy you time. How could you, a promoted succubus under Lilith's protection, really be incapable of escaping?"

"Anyway, I spent so much effort to prevent outsiders like you from getting involved, so as not to disrupt the Grand Duke's plan." She tossed her hair and said angrily, "In the end, not only did you get involved, you also involved the Millennium Intestine."

She kicked the motionless nurse lying on the ground. The Millennium Intestine's dream control was obviously time-limited. She left immediately after realizing that Lil was gone.

"Wait," Hopper caught a key word, "Outsider? That means you are an insider, you are not Gracia's subordinate!"

"Thank you, Asmodeus, you finally understand." She rolled her eyes. "Of course I am not Gracia's subordinate. I report directly to Grand Duke Mammon and am his ears and eyes."

Hopper felt his brain couldn't handle so much subversive information and needed a break, so he asked a stupid question: "You told me just like that? Shouldn't this be kept secret?"

Lei Xi gave her a strange look, almost laughing. "I've lived with Vera for nearly 200 years. I was her maid of honor when Gracia wasn't even a Grand Duke yet. What evidence do you have against me? Even if you tell them I'm a spy for Grand Duke Maman, they'll just think you're desperate and trying to find fault."

"No, what you just said can only mean that Millennium Intestine is not the black hand that covets the treasure house." Hopper scratched her hair crown with her index finger. This was almost her usual action when thinking. "But you don't know who exactly wants to break into the treasure house?"

"Why else do you think I should remove your magic instead of sending you to the warehouse?" Lexi said. "I'm not playing detective games with you. The real mastermind is hiding in the dark, just like me. Now Lati accepted Maiare's request and is trying to sneak in to steal the belt, but she didn't realize that she was helping someone else fall into a trap. And I still don't know who is behind this."

Hopper understood the purpose of Lacy's confession.

"You want me to help you stop Lati?"

"Yes," the curly-haired demon replied briefly, "Now that the Millennium Intestine is involved, I can no longer influence the course of events remotely. Someone must personally intervene."

"What makes you think I'll agree?" Hopper said through gritted teeth.

Lexi actually laughed now. "My dear Hopper, this is Torchhold, and it's also part of Baator. How could you possibly disobey the orders of the higher-ups?"

"However, this is not the main reason." Lei Xi changed her tone and said something more tactful. "I know you don't want the Grand Duke staring at you. Think about it, if you do Grand Duke Maman a favor, what can he provide you? You should know that Grand Duke Maman loves to trade."

"I don't doubt Grand Duke Maman's character. However, you're not Grand Duke Maman, and you can't even prove your identity." Hopper was a little anxious. After all, she had no idea what was going on with Lati. But she also knew that the worst thing about bargaining was to show you were eager to close the deal.

Since he couldn't threaten her with her spy identity, she shouldn't try to use it to pressure him.

"Careful, huh?" Lacy didn't seem surprised and looked at Hopper with a half-smile. "I thought you were more adventurous."

The red-haired demon took off his brooch, pinned it to Hopper's chest, adjusted it, and stepped away with satisfaction. "I'll lend it to you. It's the Eternal Life Brooch. You should know what it's used for."

Hopper stared at the unassuming ornament on her chest in amazement. She had, of course, heard of this brooch. Many boasted that it could render its wearer immune to all harm, granting them immortality. This description was, of course, an exaggeration. In reality, its primary function was to freeze the wearer in the moment before death and transport them to a pre-selected safe house.

Even so, whether they knew the truth or not, those who coveted it were more numerous than sparrows in a wheat field. Unfortunately, crafting such powerful magical jewelry not only required the participation of powerful spellcasters, but was also a privilege reserved for certain nobles. It was often heard of, but rarely seen.

"Listen, Hopper, you and I have no conflict of interest." Lacy put away her smile, put her hands on her shoulders and said seriously, "This brooch is just to protect you. Go and help me make this trip, and I promise to give you other rewards."

After saying this, she bit her left thumb and wiped the blood on Hopper's forehead. She said, "As Astimos is your witness, my words are my heart. I only entrust Hopper to stop Lati and seek the Grand Duke's reward for her. There are no conditions attached."

A truth-telling contract! Hopper was shocked. She understood that, as a spy, Lexi wouldn't intervene without warning to avoid exposure, but she hadn't expected her to willingly enter into a truth-telling contract. As the name implies, this contract cannot be twisted or circumvented by the signatories' rhetoric. If there were a disagreement between the parties regarding the contract, the only recourse was to have the Tribunal of Demons or one of the Grand Dukes adjudicate—assuming one could afford the court fees or avoid being impaled on a red-hot iron rod by a disgruntled Grand Duke's personal guards.

Hopper quickly went through all the clues while lowering his head to adjust his brooch. There was no hatred between him and Lacy worth mentioning, and there was no need for her to frame him, not to mention that he was going to look for Lati anyway.

"Deal! As Astimos bears witness, my words are my heart. I accept Lacy's commission to bring back Lati and remain silent about her secrets. No strings attached."

Chapter 82: Secret Chamber

At night, Torchhold looked like any other ordinary school, quiet and peaceful. Aside from torches spaced far apart, there was almost no light in the castle.

Of course, this isn't a problem for most creatures that inhabit the castle—the demons can even see in the magically created lightless environment.

So when Hopper stepped into the familiar corridor, he immediately knew something was up. Silvery white light danced across the corridor, and the source of the light came from the door they had never tried before.

Hopper had always remembered the door leading to the Strict Lady's treasure room as a small, featureless wooden door. Now, a door-shaped white light appeared at the end of the corridor, illuminating the entire hallway.

It looked like at least one person had gotten in, hopefully it was Lati.

Hopper touched the longbow on his back, felt its heavy weight, and mustered up the courage to step through the light door.

Hopper was prepared for the dizziness of the teleportation spell, but she felt nothing, as if she had simply stepped through the dormitory door.

The sight behind the door truly surprised and fascinated her. Her image of a treasury was more like Queen Shirley's personal vault, filled with chests and cabinets filled with treasures. However, Lady Stern's vault far surpassed the Dwarf Queen's in both aesthetics and sophistication.

Dozens of obsidian pillars stood within the dark, heptagonal chamber, arranged in concentric circles, one higher inside and one lower outside. Atop each pillar stood a throne of the same material, and upon each throne sat a magically immobilized and preserved human corpse, each arranged in a different pose. After observing them for a moment, Hopper suddenly realized that each corpse had been placed in a position that best showcased the treasures it contained.

I don’t know if it’s out of a weird aesthetic, but various colored demonic fires are fixed around the treasures to highlight and highlight these treasures.

"Dear Hopper, you're here." A soft and magnetic voice came from the center of the room. Hopper felt very familiar. "Come here, come and see me."

Hopper shook his wings, feeling goosebumps. The voice was indeed beautiful, but as a succubus, even one without much combat experience, Hopper still heard something wrong—the voice contained a strong hint.

In the center of the room sat Lati, but she looked unlike the Lati Hopper had known. Her already tall figure had become even taller, imbued with a powerful beauty, her silver-gray skin flawless. A faint yet confident smile graced her face as she sat on the throne in the center. A hunched figure knelt beneath it.

"Lati?" Hopper asked tentatively. Cambion nodded reservedly, stood up, and spread his arms and wings, showing the succubus his majestic and terrifying appearance.

Although she was still Lati, her aura and strength reminded Hopper of a demon—Lilith, the Daughter of Night. Whether it was her overbearing, confident expression or her aggressive, overwhelming charm, it all made Hopper feel suffocated, as if he would sincerely crawl at her feet in the next moment.

To relieve the pressure, Hopper turned to look at the figure at her feet, only to find it was Professor Millennium Gut.

"You caught her?" Hopper asked in surprise, not caring about resisting the increasing mental pressure for a moment.

On the throne, Lati laughed, as if Hopper had asked a foolish question. She patted her belly and showed the succubus a belt woven from feathers and snakeskin, each tiny jewel on it seeming to reflect a different color.

"My lovely and funny Hopper, what are you talking about?" She said in a tone that seemed to teach a little devil how to devour souls. "You can doubt my strength, but you should not doubt the power of this belt."

"If you don't believe me, I can show you." She turned to the kneeling witch with a contemptuous smile and said with a smile, "Go kill yourself."

Hopper's magical common sense taught him that mind control magic also had its limits. The more a command violated a creature's basic instincts, the easier it would be to resist. This principle had been repeatedly verified over countless centuries by various enchantment masters and high-level succubi. The desire for survival was the most profound instinct of nearly all living things, leading to the inevitable loss of control if a direct command to harm the creature was issued.

But there are always exceptions, and Hopper saw one today. The kneeling hag said nothing as she pulled out her small knife and stabbed herself in the throat. It took a long time for her body to collapse, a warm, happy smile plastered on her face the entire time.

The witch's body made a crisp crash as it fell, and turned into a ball of broken ice.

"Simulation!" Lati screamed. Hopper folded his wings and put a hand on the longbow behind his back.

As if in response to Lati's scream, a huge translucent bone claw rose from the throne and trapped her in the small cage.

"I see. Is this how you came up with the idea to deal with me, little blue jay?" The witch's voice echoed from all directions, making it impossible to tell which direction it came from. "You think that you can trick me into coming here and that you two can subdue me with this tattered belt?"

No, I'm not a simple-minded devil like Lati, Hopper thought.

She didn't know where the hag was, but she knew she was in this room. Dream puppetry and simulacrum each had their flaws. Hags were even more suspicious than demons, trusting nothing but themselves. To enter a well-protected vault, it was naturally safer for the hag to come in person.

This also gave Hopper an opportunity. A spellcaster hiding in the darkness was certainly terrifying, but a spellcaster in her own territory was ten times more terrifying.

The succubus held up her golden pendant. A beam of emerald light, the kind she had seen before, shot towards Lati with the power to end everything.

The hag didn't bother to stop the spell; even if it destroyed the cage, she had other options.

Hopper's bet was that she was too self-righteous, and the light did not hit the cage, but hit the stone pillar below, erasing one-third of the entire stone pillar, allowing Lati to escape from below.

"Little blue jay, you're starting to bore me." The hag's voice still echoed from everywhere, but with a hint of contempt. "I'm going to go find my favorite little bird. You guys stay here. I'll close the door for you."

A series of sharp explosions interrupted her mockery, and the entire chamber began to rumble. The surrounding walls and the ceiling above her head completely disappeared like burning paper, and the floor and stone pillars floated in the endless blackness.

"This time, I closed the door for you, Professor." The succubus bowed in a random direction and replied.

Just as Hopper suspected, perhaps Professor Bi Guan and his team would weaken the treasure room's defenses, making it easier for Lati and the mastermind to fall into their trap. However, for the sake of the trap's authenticity, they would most likely not disable all the defenses, and the one they were least likely to disable was the treasure room's self-protection mechanism—which was precisely Hopper's purpose in destroying the stone pillars.

Author's words: I'm going out tomorrow, so I'll update in advance today