diskusbooks Chapter 39 Hell
Chapter 39 Hell
Having bid farewell to the bread, Evand, with a heavy heart, stepped into the gloomy and terrifying prison area. The damp air was thick with the stench of decay, nauseatingly so. The cells were empty, save for rusty iron bars and scattered skeletons, telling horrific stories of the past. Evand meticulously searched every corner, hoping to find traces of Captain Smond, but apart from a few wandering ghosts, he found nothing.
He engaged in a fierce battle with two vengeful ghosts. The ghosts were elusive and their attacks were unpredictable, but Evand, with his agile movements and precise Holy Fist, eventually defeated them one by one. However, even after eliminating the ghosts, he still could not find Captain Smond.
Evand then remembered what Smond had said before he disappeared: perhaps only blowing that special dog whistle could bring him back. He took out the whistle, took a deep breath, and blew it.
After the whistle blew, a gust of cold wind swept through, and a tall figure appeared deep within the cell. It was Captain Smond, but he was headless, with only a bloody, mangled gash on his neck. He dragged a massive greatsword as he walked step by step toward Evand.
Although Smond had lost his head, his movements were exceptionally agile, and he wielded his greatsword with tremendous force. Evand was completely unable to defend himself; even after constantly drinking medicine to replenish his strength, he still couldn't harm his opponent in the slightest. He could only barely dodge Smond's attacks, his heart filled with despair.
Bread, hiding in the shadows, witnessed everything. He knew the captain had become a monster, and Evand was trying to free him. He desperately wanted to rush in and help, but he knew he was too weak, no match for Smond. He could only pray silently, hoping Evand could pull off a miracle.
Evans fought and retreated, gradually exhausting himself. He knew this couldn't go on; he had to find a way to awaken Smond's remaining humanity. He took a deep breath and shouted at the headless Smond, "Captain Smond! Do you remember the princes? Do you remember your promise?"
His voice echoed through the empty prison area, seemingly possessing some kind of magic, causing Smond to pause slightly. A glimmer of hope ignited in Evand's heart, and he continued, "Captain Smond, I know you're still there! I know you haven't been completely swallowed by darkness! Please wake up! Please come back to us!"
Smond stopped again, his battle axe drooping. His body trembled slightly, as if he were engaged in a fierce internal struggle. Evan held his breath, afraid to make a sound lest he disturb Smond.
Time ticked by, and tension filled the air. Suddenly, Smond let out a painful roar, raising his greatsword once more and bringing it crashing down on Evand. Evand closed his eyes in despair; he knew he had done his best.
Just at this critical moment, a figure suddenly rushed out and stood in front of Evand.
At the critical moment, a huge figure leaped out and stood in front of Evand. It was Bread, who had been hiding in the shadows! He was Captain Smond's only hope before his death, and that was why Smond had deliberately sent Bread away during his private conversation with Evand.
Sensing the aroma of bread, Smond's greatsword froze in mid-air. His spirit reappeared, kneeling in agony, pleading, "Hurry...please, hurry...I can only control myself for a little while longer...please, Evand, kill me! Otherwise...I'll make another mistake..."
Avend watched this scene unfold, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He nodded, raised his longsword, and charged towards the motionless headless monster. However, the monster's defenses were extremely strong, and Avend's sword could hardly pierce its armor.
"Attack with magic! Use magic!" Smond's spirit shouted, "Take his greatsword!"
Upon hearing this, Evand immediately understood Smond's meaning. He swiftly retreated, gathered his power, and unleashed a powerful Holy Fist strike at the monster. The light from the Holy Fist was like a sharp sword dispelling darkness, and some of the resentment clinging to the monster dissipated. However, Smond's soul was also severely damaged, becoming even weaker and more transparent.
Taking advantage of the brief moment when Smond still had control over the monster, Evand decisively snatched the greatsword from its hand. He raised the greatsword high, gathering his strength once more, preparing to unleash another Holy Fist. At the same time, Bread raised his dagger and slashed fiercely at the monster. Although his attack was insignificant, it was filled with love and protection for Captain Smond.
Evand's holy fist struck the monster again, and this time, the monster let out a painful howl, and cracks appeared in its armor. Smond's soul let out a faint sigh, as if it had been released.
Evand knew his chance had come. He raised his greatsword high and, with all his might, brought it down fiercely on the monster's neck. The greatsword sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound, carrying Evand's anger and sorrow, as well as his promise to Captain Smond.
The greatsword was deeply embedded in the monster's neck, black blood gushing out and splattering onto Evand and Bread. The monster let out a deafening roar, its body trembling violently, before finally collapsing to the ground, turning into a pool of black liquid that slowly seeped into the earth and disappeared.
Smond's soul dissipated, leaving only a faint smile, as if thanking Evand and Bread for their help in granting him final release.
Evand and Bread stood there, silent for a long time. The prison area returned to silence, only the lingering smell of blood reminding them of what had just happened.
Bread walked over to Evand and gently tugged at his sleeve. "Evand, is the captain... really free?"
Evand knelt down, gently hugged Bread, and said softly, "Yes, Bread, he is free. He has returned to where he belongs."
Bread's tears flowed again, but this time his crying was no longer out of sadness, but rather with a sense of relief and liberation.
Evand gently patted the back of the bread, silently saying to Captain Smond, "Captain, rest in peace. We will fulfill your last wish, find the king, and uncover the secrets of the dungeon."
Following Smond's directions, Evand found the jester's room. The room was dark, damp, and reeked of a nauseating musty smell. A semi-transparent ghost floated in the air—it was the jester. He grinned sinisterly and said, "Brave adventurer, I've actually lost my most precious badge! You must help me find it, or I'm doomed..."
Evand ignored the jester's charade and, following Smond's instructions, handed over the Prince's Medal. The ghostly jester took the medal, examined it carefully, and a greedy smile spread across his face. "Oh? The Prince's Medal? This is a real treasure! With it, I can open the door to wealth!" He stuffed the medal into his pocket, then pulled a semi-transparent key from another pocket and tossed it to Evand. "Want to go deeper? It's simple. Take this key and open that door. Remember, if the king doesn't bite off your head, put in a good word for me with him." With that, the ghostly jester did a backflip and vanished into thin air.
Evand took the key and walked to the front door. He hesitated for a moment, feeling that something was missing. Logically, the Ghost Jester should have opened the door for them. But since the other party had already left, he had no choice but to do it himself. He inserted the key into the lock, turned it gently, and the door opened slowly with a dull thud.
Behind the door was a spacious hall, in the center of which sat a burly lion-man, the king of the dungeon. He wore tattered royal robes, his hair was disheveled, his eyes were vacant, and even his face was incomplete. Moreover, he was muttering to himself, seemingly having gone completely mad.
Just as Smond had said, the king flew into a rage the moment he saw Evand. “Monster! It’s you again, you monster! What else do you want? Do you want to destroy my kingdom like that day?” he roared, brandishing his scepter and charging toward Evand and the bread.
The king's strength far surpassed Smond's; Evans was no match for him. Moreover, his potion was finished, and there were no more supplies. He could only drag his bread along, desperately dodging the king's attacks.
"What do we do? Evand, what should we do?" Bread asked in a panic.
While dodging the king's attacks, Evand quickly racked his brains for a solution. He knew that this couldn't go on; he had to find a way to escape as soon as possible.
Just then, a large crack suddenly appeared in the underground city, and a yellow wolf-orc emerged from it. Evand recognized him immediately—it was Cheng Yu! Overjoyed, he didn't hesitate and hid behind Cheng Yu. He had absolute confidence in Cheng Yu's strength.
As soon as Cheng Yu teleported over, he saw Evand and Bread being chased by a madman and immediately understood the situation. Without saying a word, he pulled two photos from his pocket and threw them at the king. The photos rapidly grew larger in the air, transforming into a giant slime and a gargoyle, blocking the king's path.
"Cheng Yu! You've come just in time!" Evan said gratefully.
Cheng Yu smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just sensed your danger and teleported over. Leave this madman to me."
Cheng Yu commanded the slimes and gargoyles in a fierce battle against the king. Although the king was powerful, Cheng Yu's skillful command and the well-coordinated cooperation of the slimes and gargoyles successfully held him back, buying Evand and Bread precious time to talk.
Cheng Yu commanded the slimes and gargoyles in a fierce battle against the king's ghost. The slimes' massive bodies relentlessly rammed into the king, while the gargoyles nimbly dodged the king's attacks, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. Cheng Yu calmly observed the battle, constantly adjusting his tactics. Finally, under the combined attack of the slimes and gargoyles, the king's ghost let out a mournful howl and vanished into starlight.
After the king's ghost disappeared, a fragment emitting a ghostly green light slowly drifted down from the sky. Cheng Yu picked up the fragment, examined it carefully, then shook his head and handed it to Evand. "This fragment seems to contain some kind of power. Keep it safe; it might come in handy later."
"Thank you, Cheng Yu." Evand took the fragments and carefully put them away. "Thanks to you this time, otherwise Bread and I would have been in danger."
"You're welcome, it was nothing." Cheng Yu smiled. "I have other things to do, so I'll be going now. Be careful in the dungeon; it's full of dangers."
"Wait, Cheng Yu!" Evand called out to Cheng Yu, who was about to leave. "There's something else I want to tell you. A strange werewolf-orc customer came to the tavern earlier. He said he came from the northern wolf tribe to find you. Do you know him?"
Cheng Yu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Northern Wolves? I don't seem to know anyone in that field. But I'll keep an eye out. Thank you for telling me."
After saying that, Cheng Yu opened another spatial rift and disappeared in front of Evand and Bread.
After watching Cheng Yu leave, Evand turned his attention to the spot where the king had been standing. He noticed a dark opening beneath the king's throne, seemingly leading deeper into the dungeon.
"Evande, who is Cheng Yu?" Bread asked curiously. "He's so amazing!"
Evan patted Bread's head and said with a smile, "Cheng Yu is my good friend. He has special abilities. I don't know his true identity, but I know he's a good person, just like me, a good wolf."
"Oh." Bread nodded, seemingly understanding.
Evans took Bread's hand. "Let's go see what's down there."
The two cautiously approached the cave entrance, a chilling aura emanating from them. Evand took a torch from his backpack, lit it, and illuminated the interior of the cave.
Below the cave entrance was a narrow passage leading into unknown darkness. Evand took a deep breath, gripped his longsword, grabbed the bread, and stepped into the passage leading deeper into the dungeon.
The passage was silent, save for the echoes of Evand and Bread's footsteps. As they ventured deeper, strange patterns began to appear on the walls, seemingly drawn with some unknown liquid.
“Evand, look!” Bread exclaimed, pointing to the pattern on the wall.
Evand followed the bread's finger and saw a three-headed dog painted on the wall. Its three heads were all open, revealing sharp fangs, making it look ferocious and terrifying.
"This is... Cerberus?" Evand was startled. Cerberus is a legendary monster with immense power and a ferocious nature. It is said that they are the gatekeepers of hell, responsible for guarding the gates of hell and preventing the undead from escaping.
"Could this place lead to hell?" Evand wondered to himself. He gripped his longsword tightly, vigilantly observing his surroundings, ready to fight at any moment.
Just then, a faint light appeared ahead in the passage. Evand and Bread exchanged a glance, quickened their pace, and headed towards the light.
As they drew closer, the light grew brighter and brighter, until finally they reached the end of the passage.
At the end of the passage was a huge cave, with a massive building in the center, surrounded by other structures. The path to the central building was blocked by two rather handsome demon knights. Some had wings, some had tails, and some had strange horns; they looked like demons from hell.
"Halt! Adventurer, this is hell, not a place for people like you. I don't know how you got in alive, but I never expected the gatekeeper to have survived!"
"Top-notch! Can you tell me how you got in?"
(I wanted to ask you guys, how do you make money in Hell? Hey, by the way, I'm wondering now whether the Hell storyline should be written more faithfully to the original work, or more innocently?)