Round Two: The Anger Ship

The succubi had calmed down considerably, but Pippi was still giving random directions—often getting scolded and beaten by the minotaurs. It seemed even the powerful Dark Robed Mage was helpless against this. This was the Bottomless Abyss, and who knew which layer it was.
You might be strong, smart, or rich, but in the Bottomless Abyss, a place where order has collapsed, none of that matters. All you can do is fall into chaos.
It was hard to tell whether Pippi’s path happened to be correct or if the party was simply lucky. Just as even the Dark Robed Mage was losing patience, a steel ship appeared in their sight.
At first glance, the ship looked like a moving pile of junk made from wood, scrap metal, bones, and other debris, but it had far more steel components. Twisted pipes and chimneys emitted smoke, making the masts and tattered sails seem on fire. A horn at the bow hung with the bones of some unknown creature. The entire ship resembled an eternally angry monster, rumbling as it approached.
The mage hesitated. Demons who controlled this vessel, called the Ship of Chaos, were not easy to deal with. Trading with them was either foolish or stupid, especially since they had two demon captives with them…
But the ship didn’t give the mage much time to think.
“I’m Jones! Captain of the Anger Ship! Anyone want to make a deal?” The giant wheel-like paddles stopped spinning, and the iron ship slowly came to a stop near Pippi’s group. A tall, burly demon that resembled a giant toad, with half its body covered in machinery and metal, leaned on the railing and shouted in Abyssal speech. His voice came out through pipes and holes covering the lower half of his face and chest, like the sound of a bellows. The mage couldn’t identify his race. In fact, most Tanar’ri demons were grotesque, not resembling the typical image of large wings, sharp horns, and goat feet. That description actually resembled their archenemies, the Batzu demons more.
The mage estimated that they were on a riverbank, and the iron ship was over a hundred feet away to avoid running aground. If things went wrong, he should still have time to defend himself or counterattack.
With that in mind, the mage stepped forward and raised his hand to calm his nervous subordinates. “A deal? I’m Stephanie. We’re travelers who got lost in the Abyss. We hope to leave here and return to our home… I wonder what we could offer in exchange for a ride?”
“Hehehe…” Jones laughed, slapping the railing with his left hand, sending debris flying. “It depends on what you can offer! Captain Jones likes generous rewards! It seems you’ve caught something nice—how about trading that succubus for me taking you away?”
“Hmm…” The mage pondered for a moment. The other adventurers grew restless—what had they gained from coming to the Abyss after all their efforts? They hadn’t even gotten to enjoy this beautiful succubus yet!

“I’m sorry… This succubus is the only thing we’ve gained from coming to the Abyss… My companions and I were hoping to make a fortune from her…” Stephanie carefully chose her words. “If you don’t mind, I have some larvae as well—could they serve as payment for the ship?”

Larvae. Unlike undead creatures formed from negative energy, larvae are forms of energy created when the souls of human-like beings fail to dissipate after death for some unknown reason. Some say that the vilest, most selfish, and most malicious souls turn into larvae after death, but this claim remains unproven and lacks evidence. Larvae may retain some instinctive reactions but lack independent consciousness. For the creatures of the lower realms, larvae are not only delicious but also provide power for spells; they’re often used as a common currency—especially among witches, ogres, devils, and demons.

Stephanie took out a small bag and opened it, holding it at a distance to show Jones.

Those worm-sized larvae had human-like faces and pressed against each other, emitting faint cries. Though still some distance away, Jones seemed to smell something delicious and took a deep breath—causing all the tubes on his face to wriggle.

“Not bad! I accept! But…” Jones glanced suspiciously at the mage and adventurers. “There are too many of you! I can only take four on board!”

This demand made Stephanie curse inwardly—but there was nothing she could do.

“What if… we include that succubus?” one adventurer hesitantly suggested. “Our top priority is to get out of here…”

“Shut up!” the minotaur roared. “You coward! I’m not going back empty-handed!”

“But you already have that little demon! It’s worth a lot of money!”

“Silence! That’s only because you’re too weak! You didn’t find anything! And the succubus was caught by Lord Stephanie himself—why should it be used as your payment?”

Pipi grumbled in dissatisfaction, knowing full well her status was far below that of a true guide.

The succubus stood there, swaying gently, seemingly unconcerned about what awaited her.

Jones stared at her yellow-glowing eyes, excited, proud of having caused discord among them with just a few words.

“Why not kill this demon and take the ship?” the archer in the group suggested what seemed like a perfect plan, immediately drawing his bow to act on it—typical barbarian behavior.

Valerius’s Chain Gauntlet shattered his plan and his head, as the minotaur received Stephanie’s signal—

“What are you doing?” A warrior quickly drew his twin swords, their blades gleaming with lightning and flame energy. But soon he was struck by a green beam, turning into decaying dust along with his armor—leaving only those magically infused swords behind.

The remaining three quickly formed a defensive formation. As adventurers of equal strength, they had a decent chance if they worked together. The two warriors had already managed to block the minotaur’s attacks and even gained the upper hand thanks to their skill. If the rogue could cause some trouble for the mage, they might be able to take down the minotaur—but instead of targeting Stephanie, who was preparing her next spell, the rogue stabbed his companion in the back.

“That makes us four… Mr. Stephanie…” The rogue pulled his dagger out of his former companion’s body and said flatteringly to the cloaked mage as the minotaur knocked down another one with a powerful strike.

“You forgot about that little demon…” The succubus had somehow slipped up behind the rogue like a snake, her full breasts pressing against his back. Just the friction against his leather armor made him shudder involuntarily—first from uncontrollable pleasure, then as the succubus’s sharp fingers pierced his ear and entered his brain, destroying his central nervous system.

“What a great deal!” Jones laughed loudly. “I like it! Winners, board the ship!”