Mammon, Raziel, Fear Shadow

"Then, we'll follow the plan and conceal ourselves first while we investigate..."

The shadow at the center—Mammon, the Coin Forger and Abyss Overlord of the 55th layer—nodded.

Before he could finish speaking, a deafening beastly roar suddenly erupted from behind a massive boulder not far away!

"Who's there?!"

Boom!

Crimson flames shot into the sky as a colossal beast with three savage heads revealed itself. It was the Three-Headed Scarlet Demon Mastiff, Scarlet King!

Scarlet King stared fixedly at the three abruptly appearing masses of darkness, shock churning within him.

He could not understand a single word they had just "said." It was a language and a pattern of soul fluctuations he had never encountered before.

What made his heart pound even more was that he could not sense the slightest trace of Soul Power from the three shadows!

"Oh? So this is the 'soul beast' the Spirit Emperor spoke of?"

Raziel, the Grief Queen and Abyss Overlord of the 58th layer, licked her lips and spoke greedily.

"The strength of its soul... far exceeds that of ordinary creatures. And the energy contained in its flesh and blood is abundant too. It smells... delicious."

"The energy signature is not weak, roughly equivalent to an upper lord-class being on our side. It also appears to be injured, its aura incomplete."

Mammon assessed him, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Hehehe... Interesting. Three heads, yet its shadow is split and not unified..."

Mirror Image Fear Shadow—the Abyss Overlord of the 62nd layer—let out an eerie laugh.

Its "attention" seemed to be focused more on Scarlet King's shadow.

Scarlet King could not understand them, but his instincts, exceptionally sensitive to malice, told him that these three ghostly things were anything but benevolent—and were extremely dangerous!

He lowered his body, all three heads baring their