Nuoti Taylesi
The One-Eyed Tribe was one of the relatively rare tribes in the Infernal Realm that had a Six-Star Fiend holding the fort. Even across all of Indigo Prefecture, tribes like it were uncommon.
The Azure Blade Mountains.
The peaks of this mountain range rose like sharp blades into the clouds, piercing the sky. An ancient black castle stood halfway up the tallest peak. The entire castle was built of "black crystal rock." Legend had it that the castle's owner was especially fond of this stone. This was the residence of the One-Eyed Tribe's chief.
Legend had it that the chief was highly skilled in the Laws of the Earth and immensely powerful. Back when he was a Fiend, he had been a top-tier Six-Star Fiend, comparable to a near-Seven-Star Fiend. Because the chief came from the Cyclops race, the One-Eyed Tribe had been named after him.
Just then, two unfamiliar figures came flying toward the mountains from afar. Several Lowgods of the One-Eyed Tribe who were sparring to pass the time caught sight of the newcomers and were startled. They hurriedly flew down below. A sharp-eyed person standing below noticed the medallions on the two men's chests and cried out in shock, "Ah, they're Fiends!"
The people of the One-Eyed Tribe who had been looking up turned pale with fright and immediately flew toward where the tribe's guards were stationed. To these Lowgods living at the bottom of the Infernal Realm, Fiends were unattainable figures they could only look up to. Powerful and bloodthirsty, they were the true elites of the Infernal Realm!
Of the two men called "Fiends," the purple-robed young man in the lead cast an indifferent glance at the panicked residents of the One-Eyed Tribe below, then flew straight toward the conspicuous black castle with the burly black-haired man beside him. The castle gates were wide open, and someone immediately ushered the two Fiends inside with great respect.
Needless to say, the young man in purple robes was Rog, who had accepted this Six-Star Fiend mission. In his recent battles, he had shown others the Laws of Lightning, so the one he had out in the open was actually his Lightning Divine Clone.
The journey had been rather long. He and Dimont had spent nearly a full year traveling before finally reaching the One-Eyed Tribe. The territory of the Infernal Realm truly was vast. At that moment, a tall, powerfully built Cyclops sat imposingly at the head of the castle hall. He stood over three meters tall, and that was after he had already shrunk his body.
The Cyclops had cyan skin all over, and his face looked like that of a gargoyle. Above his nose was a single vertical eye, making him look very ugly. His gargoyle-like face showed no expression.
The meeting hall had always been where the tribe discussed and decided important matters. Seated at the head of the hall, the majestic and imposing chief of the One-Eyed Tribe sensed Rog and his companion approaching. He glanced at the throng of clansmen who filled the seats around the conference table and cleared his throat. The sound spread through the hall like a plague in the blink of an eye. The clansmen, who had been chattering among themselves, all fell silent, and the entire hall immediately grew utterly quiet.
Only ten breaths later, the doors to the hall were pushed open. Standing outside were a cold, handsome young man with long purple hair and a burly black-haired man whose face bore some resemblance to his.
When the Cyclops saw the two arrive, he immediately rose from his seat and said politely, "Welcome to the One-Eyed Tribe, my friends. I am Nuoti Taylesi, the one who posted this mission." Rog said calmly, "I'm Rog, a Six-Star Fiend, and this is my companion Dimont, also a Six-Star Fiend. We're the ones who accepted your mission."
"Heh heh, with both you and Mr. Dimont joining us, Mr. Rog, our tribe's chances of winning should be even greater this time. Please rest in the tribe for a while, gentlemen. There will be a great battle in about two months, and I hope you'll lend us a hand then." The chief of the One-Eyed Tribe was warm and welcoming, as though Rog's indifference had not affected him in the slightest.
After all, he had once been a Fiend himself and knew that a temperament like Rog's was perfectly normal among them. Moreover, the fact that the two had dared to accept his Six-Star Fiend mission meant they probably weren't weak even among Six-Star Fiends. This was, after all, a direct combat mission.
Why specifically wait two months? Could there be some treasure involved? Rog was somewhat puzzled. If the battle had arisen from a conflict between tribes, why did they have to wait two months before fighting in earnest?
"Tch, this kind of mission is such a hassle. We flew forever to get here, and now that we've arrived, we have to keep waiting." Dimont was very displeased with Nuoti's dilly-dallying. If they were going to fight, why not just get on with it? This was no fun at all!
The last rays of the setting sun vanished below the horizon, heralding the end of another peaceful day for the One-Eyed Tribe. At this moment, the vast majority of its residents, busy after a day of rushing about, had no idea that a tremendous undercurrent had quietly begun to surge within the tribe. When it finally erupted, that would be the moment the One-Eyed Tribe was destined to be stained with blood.
"Tch! There really were fools who aren't afraid to die, willing to accept the mission that bastard Nuoti posted. Those two really are..." In the Shadow Tribe, Naiser looked thoroughly disgruntled and disgusted. With the paltry reward Nuoti had offered, he had actually managed to hire two Six-Star Fiends. He'd had a stroke of shit luck. And those two Six-Star Fiends who had accepted the mission-had they never seen Inkstones before?
Six-Star Fiend missions came in different types. Generally, relatively easy missions such as escorting a merchant caravan paid between one and three billion, depending mainly on the route and distance. But high-risk missions such as directly participating in a battle at the Six-Star Fiend level basically offered the maximum reward. It took at least eight billion for a Six-Star Fiend to be willing to accept one.
After all, though escort missions paid less, all one had to deal with along the way were some bandits. With a Six-Star Fiend's strength, things rarely went wrong. Even if they couldn't protect their employer, they could still escape unscathed themselves. But a mission like the one Nuoti had posted made it clear from the start that they would have to fight other Six-Star Fiends to the death!
Few people were willing to accept such missions unless they were "maniacs" who loved fighting and challenging powerful opponents. They had thought it impossible for Nuoti to find help, but he actually had managed to hire some.
"Damn it. Not only can we no longer force Nuoti to hand over that person's treasure, we're in considerable danger ourselves." Yodewen now felt that he was in something of a bind.
"Do you think there might still be Sovereign's Might in that person's interspatial ring?" Ashamu, the third Six-Star Fiend, joined the discussion. She had arrived only a few days after Rog and Dimont. Now the other side had three Six-Star Fiends as well, including Nuoti, a top-tier Six-Star Fiend who could be considered a near-Seven-Star Fiend. Three against three, they had no chance of winning.
"There can't be any left. A piece of trash who refined a Divine Spark was already unbelievably lucky to get one drop of Sovereign's Might. How could there possibly be a second?" Naiser, who had spoken first, immediately shook his head. The two of them had not dared make a move earlier only because they feared Nuoti would fight them to the death and felt that the two of them alone weren't enough to be safe. If he really did have Sovereign's Might, then given Nuoti's level of mastery over the profound mysteries, the two of them would be finished in an instant.
"There's no need to be afraid. As long as the three of us stick together, we can just bide our time against them. Those two Fiends aren't Nuoti's friends. They'll stay a few months at most; they can't remain stationed at the One-Eyed Tribe for the rest of their lives. Once they leave, Nuoti will still have to bring out the Findaer Clan's treasure and divide it equally with us." Naiser was certain of himself and decided to wait the other side out.
After all, the three of them had shared life-and-death experiences back then. Waiting ten or a hundred years was a trivial matter, while Nuoti couldn't keep hiring Fiends to protect him forever.
"The Findaer Clan's endless wealth... If word got out, I'm afraid even a behemoth like the Four Divine Beasts Clan would go mad. And that detestable one-eyed freak got to it first."
"Heh heh, luckily I've already discovered the wondrous use of this mysterious little pot. But I still have to wait a while longer. If I want to use it to refine a drop of Sovereign's Might, I'll need another two months. Once I have that drop, Naiser, that greedy bastard, and those two Fiends will all die..." Thinking of the wonderful scene two months from now, Nuoti Taylesi couldn't help but curl his lips into a sinister, terrifying smile.