The dragon's harem

Chapter 658 Stepping In to Hell

”This doesnʼt look right.” Eris looked down at the massive brown robe they made her wear and the stupid-looking goggles, mask, and long leather scarf they intended on wrapping around her head.

”Heʼll is a place of pain and torment. Even I wonʼt survive for long exposed to the elements there. Wear proper protection so you would suffer the least, hopefully not suffer at all.” Zephyr buzzed like a bee between the girls, landing at Aellaʼs head.

”I canʼt go as I need to remain here and set the other side of the spells,” Merlin said with an apologetic face, ”Out of everyone, youʼre the most durable one,”

”Anything I should know about hell?” Eris asked, covering her face with the mask.

”The lower you go, the harsher the environment gets. The gate would drop you at the peak of a mountain in the first layer of hell, Avernus. At such high, youʼll only feel a bit of discomfort and irritation, probably get an annoying itch all over your body from the acid, but nothing more.” Zephyr stared at Eris.

”And I guess the lower I go, the more dangerous it gets,” Eris replied.

”Pretty much, at the mountain base, your skin would melt and boil from the acid, and in a matter of an hour only bones would remain, at which youʼll get resurrected as a sinner to be melted again, over and over for eternity.” Zephyr waved her hand.

”That set of equipment would protect you for almost two hours.” Merlin approached, ”Avoid fights at all costs and try to set the spells and items then run back to the gate as fast as you could.”

”Of course, Iʼll avoid fights,” Eris stared at Merlin with her fists resting on her hips, ”They wonʼt just waste my time, but those protective gears could get damaged, at which Iʼll have even less protection,”

”Thatʼs true, so be careful,” Zephyr nodded, ”I did think of sending Nina, but sheʼs clueless about magic, and I doubt sheʼll be able to avoid starting fights.”

”The sooner we get it done, the better,” Eris waved her hand, and Merlin conjured a massive hell gate.

”Are you sure?” Roberta stared at Eris with a worried face, ”You donʼt have to,”

”Iʼm not doing this just for you. Exploring beyond the boundary of our world is quite fun,” Eris smiled, ”How many people do you know that went to hell and came back?”

”Fun? You might not be able to return. Which mortal walks willingly into hell? The place everyone is supposed to spend their whole lives striving to avoid getting into?” Roberta gasped.

”Those who wish to stand out,” Eris replied, ”Everyone can grow stronger by leveling up, everyone can access magic items, and everyone can get blessings or curses to become a vampire. If itʼs open to everyone, then how do you stand out from the masses? How to show the world youʼre different, that youʼre someone they canʼt reach even in their dreams,” Eris smiled, ”By doing what no one dares to. If paladins would think twice before attacking a vampire lord, theyʼll think ten times before attacking a vampire that survived hell,”

Aella sighed, ”Why do you two look alike,” She looked at Eris, remembering Arad, ”I guess itʼs the dragon blood. Just donʼt die,”

”Iʼm already dead,” Eris smiled beneath her mask, walking toward the hell gate. ”Be careful, Iʼm opening it,” Merlin waved her hand, and everyone backed away. They could feel their skin burns just from the acidic air, and their noses twisted from the horrid stench of rot.

Eris walked into the gate, and Merlin immediately closed it after her.

****

The moment Eris landed in hell, she could feel her limbs tingle. The fine hair on her body stood as she shivered, goosebumps covering her whole body as stared into the infinite torment of hell.

Crackling black clouds of ash and cinder, spark with lightning that strokes the ground below, melting the stones on impact. The cries of sinners masked the howels of the violent acidic winds blowing across the wasteland, melting everything.

Occasionally, parts of the land combust as the lightning ignites the acidic gases unleashed by the rotting corpses of the sinners, bursting into a blue inferno with a loud explosion. The sinners sought those explosions to die and taste the relief of death for those few seconds before they were resurrected again.

”This place,” Eris mumbled, staring down the mountain she landed on, ”Is foul.” Her sharp eyes spotted some sinners, desperately crawling toward a pile of rotting corpses, hoping it would explode in fire. Their bodies were tied with steel chains hinged on their bones, binding them to hell for all eternity.

”And this is only the first layer,” She started walking down, heading for the location Merlin mentioned. ^Go to the mountain base where you could find a massive crack in the ground, and throw the items there. And for the spells, cast it close to a pool of lava. The bigger the better,^

”Clear directions, but where the hell do I find those?” With each step she took down the hill she could feel the hellʼs air around her getting denser, the cursed mana rising, and her itch grow stronger.

”Why donʼt they climb up here?” She mumbled, staring at the sinners crawling far at the bottom of the mountain, ”With what Merlin and Zephyr said, the top should be better,”

”An intruder?” A voice came from behind Eris, and she rapidly turned, seeing three naked imps glaring at her, ”Entrance to hell is forbidden,”

”Then should devilʼs entrance to the mortal world,” She smiled beneath her mask, glaring at the three devils glaring down at her.

”Big words for a mortal,” The imps giggled, ”Weʼre the from the jailerʼs battalion of Avernus. Our job is to make sure the sinners keep to the lower levels and suffer. If we found one of them crawling up here five times would throw them down one of the pits,” They pulled long, three-headed red spears.

”Iʼm no sinner,” Eris stared at them, lifting her hand up, ”Iʼll throw you down the pit. Do your job and search for sinners,”

The imps giggled, ”Pin really has a strong mistress,” They put their spears away, ”He left word for you. We imps wonʼt bother you, but donʼt tell the higher devils weʼre ignoring your existence, youʼll get un in trouble.” One of them flew down and pointed his spear in a direction, ”There is only imp watch in this direction, take it and keep low so other devils wonʼt spot you,”

”Pin talked to you about it?” Eris asked.

”Of course he did, the bastard wouldnʼt shut up about how powerful and a strong mistress he got. Seems his claims were right, seeing you made your way to hell.” The imps giggled.