Chapter 320: Mutual Calculations

Red skin, twisted muscles, and a nine-foot-tall humanoid frame gave off an impression of immense strength. A pair of curved horns grew from its head, and broad wings hung behind it like a cloak. The red scales covering its body made it look both ferocious and aesthetically striking. Flames flickered around its body, changing with its movements.

Although it wasn’t as overtly fiery as the Fire Demon, who seemed entirely enveloped in blazing flames, Donald knew this being was undoubtedly an expert in controlling fire. Though the flames appeared more graceful, they emitted a far more dangerous aura—far beyond what a Silver-level Fire Demon could compare to.

Fortunately, he quickly realized this being’s true nature.
“Though there are fluctuations of divine power, this is not the true form of a demi-god!”
He also felt considerably relieved.

It was no easy task for a powerful demi-god demon to break through the constraints of the main world’s rules and enter it. Such beings usually chose to infiltrate by using soul projections, bringing along a portion of their power to cause chaos. In that case, even if the projection was destroyed, they would only lose a part of their strength. During their time in the main world, they would likely have already amassed a great deal of souls!

With the Truth Book as his trump card, Donald had the confidence to deal with demi-gods. He also possessed Nature’s Fury—a powerful ultimate move whose force rivaled that of a demi-god’s full-power attack. Though it was just one strike, it was not something a legendary demi-god projection could withstand, even if the opponent had the ability to use divine power!

Moreover, this projection of the Abyssal Demon Refiner didn’t make Donald feel any danger or murderous intent. He didn’t see the nine-foot-long flaming sword in the other’s hand—it was planted in the ground in front of them!

“Lord Abyssal Demon Refiner, I wonder what you intended by inviting me here?”
Donald tried to appear polite without being overly humble, aiming to seem on equal footing with the other party.

He did this out of respect for the Abyssal Demon Refiner’s strength and also because he sensed no hostility from them. Otherwise, he would have already prepared his trump cards and remained on high alert.

Every adult Abyssal Demon Master possesses legendary strength, as they too evolve from lower-level demons. The term “adult” refers to those who have fully evolved. Of course, there are very few demons whose parents are extremely powerful, resulting in them being born as Abyssal Demon Master larvae. Such beings are among the finest among Abyssal Demon Masters and have great potential to grow into demigods.

Therefore, the powerful lords of the Abyssal World prefer to cultivate their own Abyssal Demon Masters, who can become strong allies in the future. Even their offspring are mostly in the form of Abyssal Demon Masters.

Even the most powerful being in the Abyss often prefers to appear before outsiders in the form of an Abyssal Demon Master.

What interested Donald the most was that Abyssal Demon Masters are one of the few relatively rational demon species in the World of the Endless Abyss, leaning more toward orderly evil rather than chaos. Although they still belong to the evil faction, their habits and intelligence are quite similar to those of humans. This means that if they don’t deliberately oppose him, they can also be good partners for communication! This would help him gain more knowledge about the Abyssal World.

“Sir Mage, first of all, I must express my admiration for your use of the term ‘bitch’ to refer to Flora—it was truly satisfying! It hit right at heart. I had long intended to do that, but unfortunately, my strength wasn’t enough, and I was trapped by that crazy female. Otherwise, even at the risk of being hunted, I would have cursed her heartily!”

“You flatter me. I merely guessed the Spider Queen’s situation, so I just let loose a few harsh words. If Flora’s true form or avatar were here, I wouldn’t dare say another word and would run away immediately!”

Donald wasn’t swayed by the Abyssal Demon Master’s flattery. He simply spoke honestly out of modesty and waited for the other party to reveal their purpose.

When the Abyssal Demon Master saw his little plan ruined, it wasn’t embarrassed. With its thick skin, it laughed heartily and then said, “Let me introduce myself. My name is Amps. I used to be the lord of the eighth layer of the Abyss, but now I’m just a demon under the Spider Queen!”

The eighth layer? Isn’t that the territory of the demigod lord, Skullcrusher Ahab? Used to be? Could this guy be a demon lord defeated by the King of Force Demons?

With these thoughts in mind, Donald also briefly introduced himself.

“Donald Merlina, Mage, human noble lord!”

Amps stared at Donald with fervent eyes and said:

“Your name has become quite famous in our Abyss lately. After all, no mortal has ever dared to oppose the Spider Queen, and yet you’ve managed to survive after offending Flora—you’re the first one in all these years! Do you realize that the so-called magical disaster your humans speak of was actually triggered by the Spider Queen because of you, a mortal mage? You really angered her!”
Hearing this, Donald was greatly surprised. He never expected that demon god to hate him to such an extent, even going so far as to unleash a magical disaster to deal with him in the Main World!
“No wonder the legendary Demon of Temptation that appeared before was one of her followers. So, are you also one of the masterminds behind this magical disaster?”
Donald easily guessed that this demi-god demon was the true leader of this army of millions of demons.
Amphus said self-mockingly, “Mastermind? Heh! I’m just a slightly stronger servant of Flora. I was able to step forward this time because she doesn’t have any demi-god followers, so I took charge. In fact, every move I make is under the surveillance of three legendary demons. They are Flora’s true loyalists—demons she spent hundreds of years cultivating. If you kill one of them, it’s likely war between you and her! That’s why I’ve come to seek your help. With me, who knows Flora’s strength, you can also effectively avoid her attacks!”
The demi-god demon awkwardly explained its situation. Although it only hinted at things without giving detailed explanations, Donald, with his past-life experience, naturally understood that this guy had probably been unlucky enough to be imprisoned by the Spider Queen and turned into her object of lust, a so-called sex slave.
The Spider Queen’s reputation for promiscuity had long spread across all realms. Clearly, this demi-god demon wasn’t living a happy life in the Abyssal Web; instead, it must have been suffering greatly. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken such great risks to come to him.
“I don’t understand. With so many powerful beings in both the Main World and the Heavenly Realm, why would you come to me, a Gold Mage?”
The Abyssal Demon Mage explained, “There are very few beings who would dare to risk being targeted by the Spider Queen to help me. And among those few realms, only the upper realms and the Main World are unlikely to have me hunted down once discovered by her. As for joining the Heavenly Realm, do you think those gods would accept such an evil creature as me?”

Donald shook his head. Even the gods of the neutral faction probably wouldn’t genuinely take in an Abyssal Demon Forger. “If it were other evil deities, they’re all more or less connected to the Spider Queen, so that’s also risky. The best option left is the Main World. Moreover, due to its rules, the strongest forces there are only at the demi-god level, which would better ensure my safety.” Donald said with a half-smile, “What’s more important is that I only have gold-tier strength. Even if we sign a contract, I can’t pose a threat to you!” Realizing his thoughts, Amps wasn’t angry but nodded and said, “That’s true. The method I found to escape the Spider Queen’s control involves some risks, so only if the other party is weaker than the legendary realm can I feel at ease!” Saying this, Amps extended his palm, holding a metal plate the size of a human hand. Having seen similar items before, Donald immediately recognized it as a demon sigil used to sign contracts with Abyssal deities and summon or enslave demons. Could it be that he intended to…? Donald glanced at the demon projection in surprise and exclaimed, “You’re clever. This method might actually work. But to sign such a contract, those with insufficient strength would face the backlash from you, a demi-god Abyssal Demon Forger. Then, the roles of master and servant would reverse, and you’d become my slave!” This guy’s plan was nothing other than using those demon-summoning items created by spellcasters, injecting his own soul energy into them, and signing a contract with entities in the Main World. In that way, as long as they paid a certain price to summon his true form from the Abyssal plane, he wouldn’t be too restricted by the rules of the Main World and could break free from the Spider Queen’s imprisonment. Unless that goddess came to the Main World, the divine restrictions on his soul wouldn’t take effect. Given the Spider Queen’s situation, it was likely difficult for her to enter the Main World either. In response to Donald’s questions, Amps explained without embarrassment, “Don’t worry. When it comes to life and death, most of us Abyssal Demon Forgers still abide by our agreements!” An ordinary mage might be tricked by a demi-god demon and agree to this, but Donald would never enter into a disadvantageous deal or put himself in danger. So he said, “I can help you, but there’s one condition you must agree to first!” Amps was overjoyed and quickly asked,

“What conditions?”
“The conditions are that starting from the moment I agree to save you, we must sign a contract: for a thousand years, we must not harm each other, and you must unconditionally assist me—of course, as long as it does not threaten your life. Only then can the terms be considered fair, and it will be worth the risks I’ve taken to restore your freedom!”
“As for these conditions…”
Amphus quickly analyzed the pros and cons in his mind. He soon became confident that he was capable of signing such a contract with a mortal and would find a way to get out of it later. So he quickly nodded and said, “Okay, I agree!”
Seeing Amphus agree so readily, Donald immediately knew this guy had ulterior motives, but he also had other plans.
“To be safe, how about we sign the contract first?”
Seeing Donald’s caution, Amphus thought disdainfully, “Mortals are just mortals. No matter how careful they are, they can’t escape from the grasp of the great Abyssal Demon Master Amphus. Haha, once you summon me to the main world, it will be up to you, hehe…”