Devil Slave (Satan system)

Chapter 826  It All Happens with Reason

As Lenny approached the remnants of the City of Milk and Honey, the landscape bore the scars of a cataclysmic confrontation that had razed the once-majestic city to the ground. The ruins were a testament to the fury and might of the great demons' battle, leaving behind a graveyard of shattered homes, wrecked ships, and the detritus of a fallen civilization. Amidst the wreckage, life persisted in its most resilient and opportunistic forms—human pirates and demons alike scoured the debris, each seeking fortune in the aftermath of devastation. One man's trash was another's gold.

This post-apocalyptic scavenging, a grim reminder of survival's harsh realities, was of little concern to Lenny. His focus was singular: the pursuit of Cuban and the power of Mr. Augustus the Demon.

The center of the city, the epicenter of the battle, offered no sign of Cuban or the remains of Mr. Augustus, a discovery that set Lenny's senses on edge.

 The absence of his quarry prompted a strategic shift; Lenny would not be deterred by initial appearances. Ascending to a vantage point high above, beyond the notice of those below, he activated his <Appraiser Domain>. This ability, sharpened and expanded by his recent ascension in power, allowed him to perceive the intricacies of the ruins below with unparalleled clarity. The domain now spanned the entirety of the city's footprint, a vast network of sensory perception that sought out the hidden and the lost.

The <Appraiser Domain> was more than a tool for reconnaissance; it was an extension of Lenny's will, a manifestation of his senses to unearth the secrets buried beneath the rubble. As he surveyed the city from his elevated perch, the domain pulsed outward, a wave of detection that penetrated every corner, every shadowed crevice, in search of Cuban's presence. Lenny's command of this ability underscored his evolution, not just as a force of power but as a tactician capable of leveraging his strengths to navigate the complexities of a world forever changed by the ambitions and conflicts of its most powerful denizens.

Lenny's search through the ruins of the City of Milk and Honey yielded no trace of Cuban, a realization that came with a tinge of disappointment. Just as he was poised to retract his presence, resigning to reunite with Athena and Minnie, a flicker within his <Appraiser Domain> caught his attention—a small, anomalous signature that beckoned his curiosity. Redirecting his focus, Lenny discovered the source: a diminutive orb that radiated with a peculiar energy. With a practiced gesture, he summoned the orb to his hand, intrigued by the artifact that had eluded the scavengers' grasp.

This orb, identified by the <Appraiser Domain> as a Soul Box, was an artifact unfamiliar to Lenny. Its existence piqued his interest, not just for its rarity but for the potential it held within. Peering into the orb, Lenny's surprise deepened as he recognized the soul ensnared within its confines—the soul of Clawed, Lady Vinegar's elder brother. The revelation that Clawed had become undead was news to Lenny, a twist of fate that added layers to the already complex tapestry of alliances and enmities that defined his world.

The discovery of Clawed's soul within the Soul Box triggered a cascade of memories and realizations for Lenny. He remembered the heart of the rank four hell beast, a relic in his possession, that Governor Momoa had exploited to harvest the souls of his sons. Extracting the heart from his storage, Lenny observed the souls within, dancing in a macabre ballet of captivity. Among these souls, one resonated with the essence of Clawed, its counterpart a testament to a strong blood bond. After all, amongst Governor Momoa's children, Clawed was the only one that had fused with his twin attempting to enter the great demon realm.

Clawed's relationship with Duncan, marked by genuine affection rather than strategic maneuvering, stood in stark contrast to the betrayal that had severed their connection. Clawed, known for his wisdom and knowledge, had once provided Lenny with a crucial artifact for accessing the Sub-plane of Imperilment, a gesture that had facilitated Lenny's training and growth. The betrayal by Duncan, resulting in Clawed's soul's imprisonment and Duncan's subsequent defeat at the hands of the undead commander, painted a tragic narrative of love, betrayal, and loss.

One that lenny was oblivious to. After all, he had not been present at the time.

This backstory, illuminated by the discovery of the Soul Box and the hell beast's heart, highlighted the intricate web of personal histories and conflicts that intersected with Lenny's own journey. As Lenny held the Soul Box and the heart of the hell beast, he stood at the crossroads of decisions that could alter the fates of those entwined within these artifacts. He could destroy it or keep it and see how useful it would become.

Then again, lenny had learnt a great deal as he became stronger. For one, he now had a stronger bond with the world and the cosmos at large. He could almost hear its subtle whispers in his head. It was part of the gains he had gotten from his continuous advancements. in power.

Also, he had encountered the sister's of fate twice now, and he was very sure that nothing happened that did not happen for a reason. Even finding this Orb, and the soul within it.

Clawed had been a Deep level demon that had dropped from the Great Demon realm because of his fractured soul. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

He had tried his possible best to be whole again, but had never been able to achieve it. However, both parts of him just so happen to have fallen on lenny's laps. There was definitely no way that it was all a coincidence. Lenny did not know much a bout this Fate inclined stuff, and he was very low on trust. Even the sisters of Fate that had left a message for him across time were not in his good books. After all, everyone always had something that they wanted. Even those three were not exempted. Then again, he could not help but remember their words on allowing Fate's chosen to guide him. Instantly, one person came to mind... Minnie.