Could this be some Grand Wizard's ploy to court a succubus? Was it all just to deceive her into accompanying him to the Cavern World?
Thoughts raced through Ruger's mind.
He had only ever heard old dog-head Lunse mention the Wizards' campaigns across many worlds in passing-barely half a sentence, really-and that had been while they were discussing the Nightmare World. It seemed to have happened ages ago, and old Lunse did not know much about it either.
In any case, the Wizards had stopped doing that a very, very long time ago, perhaps even before the Supreme Council of Wizards was founded. After that, they had shifted their focus toward developing the Cavern World itself. That vast, mysterious world seemed boundless, with countless treasures waiting to be explored and unearthed.
The succubus lord sighed, seemingly utterly convinced of her fiancé's words.
At that moment, Ruger could not help looking toward Mahama. Unfortunately, Big Guy was mingling with the demons.
The demons were deliberately keeping their distance from Ruger, which was why he had fallen behind so easily. Partly, they had witnessed his fearsome reputation firsthand, and the two-headed demon's adulation had only burnished it further. The other reason was his smell. It was not enough to knock them unconscious, but it was certainly unpleasant.
"Even the mighty Abyss is powerless. What could becoming the lord of a weak stratum accomplish? He once said... that would merely mean successfully locking yourself in a cage-a cage about to sink..."
The succubus lord gently tapped a bone embedded in the rock with her finger.
"Only wisdom is precious. Only wisdom is a symbol of strength, and only wisdom can create miracles... like those demons of legend, like the Wizards..."
As the succubus lord spoke slowly, she moved her hand and opened a