Strolling casually through the streets, Olthagia neither provoked anyone nor was provoked by anyone.
If one ignored the occasional brawls breaking out where combatants fought to the death, this place was hardly any different from a normal city.
Kicking two unidentified creatures locked in combat over a hundred meters away, Olthagia admired the scenery around him. "Such harmony. Out of the tens of thousands of lifeforms on this street, only a few hundred are trying to kill each other. It's so peaceful, it hardly feels like the Bottomless Abyss."
"Sir, sir."
Just as he was musing, a voice both obsequious and sleazy sounded from behind Olthagia.
After a brief pause, he turned and lowered his gaze to the source of the voice.
It was a green-skinned creature about two meters tall, shaped like an egg, with a tuft of white hair on its head, four legs, two arms, and eyes of various colors covering its body.
Ugly.
That was Olthagia's first impression.
This little thing was ugly in a rather unique way...
That was his second impression after a closer look.
Seeing the nervousness on the creature's face, Olthagia rubbed his chin and asked curiously, "Can I help you?"
In response, the creature rubbed its hands together and pointed at the two unconscious creatures lying hundreds of meters away, speaking like a shrewd merchant. "Are you still keeping those two?"
Glancing at them, Olthagia replied calmly, "No."
The moment the word left his mouth, despite the creature's indescribable appearance, Olthagia could sense its delight.
"Then I won't disturb you any further," it said excitedly.
In a few quick strides, it reached the two creatures, snapped their necks with two crisp cracks, and happily carried their corpses away—as thrilled as a human who had just found money on the street.
Watching this scene, Olthagia nodded approvingly. "Such simple, honest folk. They even ask before picking up trash."
——
Outside a certain establishment, Olthagia came to a stop.
[Grieg Tavern]
The words "Grieg" on the sign had clearly been added later, scrawled in a messy, crooked script. Beneath them, the names of previous tavern owners were faintly visible, now covered up.
Yet, as Olthagia stood before the tavern, he felt a peculiar sense of déjà vu—as if a tavern like this was exactly what he needed to fit the fantastical backdrop of his Demon identity.
Recalling memories from his past life, places like this were usually rife with stories and incidents.
A spark of interest flickered in Olthagia's eyes. 'The legendary quest hub of epics and tales! I must go in and see for myself!'
Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, ignoring the guards.
The interior, however, gave him pause.
"...Why is this sci-fi themed?"
Thousands of lamps hung from the ceiling, casting a neon glow, while mechanical stages rose and fell at the center. On each stage, dozens of female dancers—each of wildly different appearances—performed various routines.
After a brief glance at the dancers, whose looks were... less than appealing to his aesthetic sensibilities, Olthagia took a few steps back.
But with the thought of not wanting to come in vain, he still made his way to the bar counter.
Ignoring the noisy creatures around him, Olthagia directly pulled out a chair and sat down.
Casually tossing a Soul Crystal to the bartender, he said, "Get me a drink. Keep the change."
This was an asset generously "sponsored" by a passerby—though the sponsorship process had been rather tragic.
The bartender, who had over a dozen arms, squeezed the Soul Crystal in his hand and immediately flashed a perfect smile. "Right away, sir!"
Before long, as the bartender poured mysterious liquids from various bottles and jars, carefully mixing them in a glass, a vibrantly colored drink was placed before Olthagia, its surface bubbling with heat.
"Please enjoy."
Sniffing the bloody scent mixed into the drink, Olthagia raised an eyebrow slightly—there were at least thirty types of blood in it.
Taking a small sip, he immediately felt a strange sense of comfort.
A flicker of pleasant surprise crossed Olthagia's mind.
He commented, "Tastes great."
The bartender smiled in response. "Glad you like it."
As he sipped his drink, Olthagia glanced at the other patrons in the tavern. Only about one-fifth or one-sixth of them were Demons, with the majority being other species. Leaning back, he began eavesdropping on the nearby creatures' conversations.
Soon after, he curled his lips in disdain.
Nothing but meaningless small talk and bragging—not a single useful piece of information...
Noticing his bored expression, the bartender hesitated before asking curiously, "Are you from another layer of the Abyss?"
Olthagia glanced at him twice. Though unsure why the question mattered, he answered, "Yeah."
The Wailing Forest probably counted as another layer of the Abyss, so this answer wasn't wrong.
The bartender sighed wistfully. "No wonder the scent of the Lava Wasteland on you is so faint. I envy you for being able to travel freely in this magnificent world. I've never left this tavern in my entire life. To me, this place is everything."
Olthagia chuckled casually and asked offhandedly, "Oh? Are you bound by the owner of this tavern?"
"No."
His expression turned despondent as he sighed.
"My parents were outsiders, not creatures of the Abyss. Back then, for some unknown reason, they entered the Abyss from the outside world. But while drinking here, they got into a conflict with another patron and were killed. When the tavern staff collected their bodies, they discovered me—still alive—inside my mother's womb. So they raised me here and trained me to be a bartender."
"They never restricted my freedom, but I know my limits. If I left this place, I'd barely survive, and my life would definitely be worse than staying here as a bartender. So I've just stayed put, keeping my head down."
After listening, Olthagia cooperatively feigned sympathy. "What a shame. Life outside is far more colorful than here."
The bartender before him didn't even have the aura of a Low-Rank Demon. If he dared step outside the tavern, he'd probably drop dead on the spot.
As the two chatted...
A seductive voice came from beside Olthagia: "Handsome, could you buy me a drink?"
Olthagia turned to see a curvaceous female demon gazing at him with alluring eyes.
She had small horns atop her head, wings on her back, human-like thighs, and lower legs ending in goat-like hooves. A slender tail swayed playfully behind her.
Her face, far more enchanting than any ordinary human woman's, exuded an exotic charm.
A barbed whip hung at her waist, and she wore armor as revealing as lingerie, barely covering the essentials—its defensive capabilities highly questionable.
'A succubus, Low-Rank Demon strength.'
Olthagia smiled indifferently. "Sure."
He tossed another Soul Crystal to the bartender. "Get this lovely lady a drink as well."
Pleased by his decisiveness, her face blossomed into a radiant smile, her expression dripping with allure.
Swaying her hips, she sauntered to Olthagia's side and unceremoniously settled onto his lap, pouting coquettishly. "You're so generous—unlike some stingy bastards who won't even buy me a drink."
As she spoke, her fingers traced the patterns on his breastplate, lingering on the Doom Blossom design. "Even though you were sitting in the corner, you were the first thing I noticed. Such a beautiful pattern..."
Unfazed by her touch, Olthagia replied calmly, "It's called a Doom Blossom. I'm glad you like it."
Though she stood over two meters tall, she seemed almost doll-like in his embrace.
He inhaled the bloody fragrance clinging to her skin, then idly toyed with her horns, feeling as though he were handling a plaything.
Noticing him scenting her, she preened. "Do I smell nice? I just had a Blood Bath."
Olthagia nodded. "Quite pleasant."
Accepting the drink from the bartender, she pressed her cheek against his chest and giggled. "Unlike you Balors, for us succubi, beauty is always the top priority—no matter the circumstances."
Her gaze flickered with curiosity as she studied his face. "Honestly, I've never seen a Balor as handsome as you. The others I've met were... well, not much to look at. But you—you're flawless."
Even by her exacting standards, this Balor's looks were nearly impeccable. Not even the notoriously vain elves could find fault.
Shrugging, Olthagia replied nonchalantly, "I'm a mutated Balor. That explains everything, doesn't it?"
The Bottomless Abyss was vast and full of freaks.
A good-looking Balor? Hardly noteworthy.
If questioned, just blame mutation—the universal excuse.
She gave him a sidelong glance but didn't press further, instead continuing their flirtatious banter amid bursts of laughter...
Much later.
Watching Olthagia depart, the succubus's seductive demeanor faded.
Turning to the bartender beside her, she respectfully asked, "Lord Grigg, is there anything else you require?"
One of the bartender's dozen hands, which had been busy wiping glasses, casually waved dismissively as he replied indifferently, "Nothing. You may leave."
Gazing in the direction Olthagia had gone, Grigg thought with interest: 'A peculiar Balor... seems to have many secrets...'
Meanwhile, walking down the street, Olthagia wore a smile, clearly in good spirits:
'The Bottomless Abyss truly has no shortage of talent. Everyone here is capable, and the stories they weave are quite entertaining. I really love this place.'
'Next, I'll need to find a place to stay. Looks like I'll have to randomly pick some lucky passerby again...'