036 The Merchant

After the blond freshman left, Wallace pulled Roland into a corner of the great hall, clearly intending to hide until Catherine and the others descended.

Roland knew time was of the essence and that the demon in the palace had to be dealt with quickly. However, this could not be rushed; they had to wait for the demon to fully consume the blond freshman first. Otherwise, not only would he fail to save his mentor and the others, but he would also lose his own life.

He planned to wait until Claire was possessed and then find a way to drag Wallace into the fray.

Wallace spoke to Roland, "Roland, that demon might not have set its sights on Claire’s body yet. It will likely bewitch Claire into searching for us. During this time, he is as dangerous as a man infected with the Black Death—not someone to be trifled with. Furthermore, that boy seems to have picked up a protective artifact. If he spots us and lunges at us with all his might, we’re finished. We must stay hidden and keep our distance."

Roland’s heart sank. He thought to himself, "If the demon never possesses Claire, we’re in trouble."

He asked, "My lord, if that’s the case, wouldn't he be invincible? If we kill him, the demon will leave his body and become elusive and impossible to guard against. If we don't kill him, he’ll keep causing us trouble."

Wallace chuckled and said, "Don't be impatient. Abyssal demons are collections of desire; they have no self-control. It has no idea how long it has been starving, and with flesh laid out before it as a temptation, it won't be long before it devours Claire... We just need to listen for the commotion. Once Claire is possessed, he will surely go mad and cause quite a stir."

Roland let out a sigh of relief. "My lord, will Claire be difficult to deal with once he is possessed?"

Wallace stroked his beard and replied, "Not easy. The main issue is the artifact in his hands. The artifacts in this hall have all been corrupted by the Abyss, yet he is the only one who can use them... Alas."

Roland frowned. "Master Wallace, everything related to the Sufferer is supposed to disappear. Logically, there shouldn't be any artifacts in this palace. Why do I feel like those artifacts are not illusions?"

Roland had initially goaded his teammates into searching for artifacts in the hall, even though he didn't believe they existed!

Wallace stroked his beard and whispered, "Your eyes are indeed sharp, lad. Those artifacts are not illusions. They are genuine treasures, only corrupted by the power of the Abyss... As you said, everything related to the Sufferer does indeed vanish. But the demons of the Abyss have the power to prevent this... Those artifacts were placed here by that entity on purpose."

Roland asked with slight surprise, "My lord, you seem very well-informed about these matters?"

Wallace shook his head. "I don't understand the laws of the Sufferer, but I understand the demons of the Abyss. Although the young mistress looks down on my combat prowess, my value doesn't lie in fighting. I told you, I specialize in demonology. Whether it's a Hell demon or an Abyssal demon, no one knows them better than I do. Think about it, boy—if I didn't have a unique skill, would the young mistress bring me everywhere?"

Although Wallace’s strength was only that of a mid-level apprentice, no one in the entire Black Abyss Academy knew more about demons than this groundskeeper.

Wallace suddenly asked, "Young Roland, you haven't drunk that bottle of 'Demon-Proof' yet, have you?"

Roland did not answer the question but instead countered, "Brother Wallace, the bottle of 'Demon-Proof' you drank earlier seemed to be a different color than ours."

Wallace’s expression turned slightly awkward. He said, "Roland, my constitution is a bit special, so the bottle I drank was indeed a fake. But the ones I gave you are the real deal... It’s just that the demon is, after all, a demon devolved from an evil god; perhaps 'Demon-Proof' isn't that effective against it... Roland, don't blame me for being cold-hearted. Unless we offer it a scapegoat to possess first, the four of us won't be able to handle that thing. So, one of us four must die. If it isn't Claire, it has to be Wallace or Roland!"

He paused, then added earnestly, "If I am the one possessed, no one will make it out alive... If we die, it’s just four people. But if we delay the mission, then thousands upon thousands of others will have died in vain."

Wallace spoke with a sense of self-righteousness, but in reality, he was just making excuses for his own cowardice. Roland did not expose him, as he was also afraid of death.

Wallace’s next sentence contained significant information: "Roland, I am no Black Abyss wizard... I am a merchant. I follow the young mistress solely to make money. So, Roland, since the potion is authentic, there is no reason for a refund."

Roland was stunned; he hadn't expected the man to be so greedy. Even with death looming, he was still haggling over such a small sum of money.

After a moment of thought, Roland drank the potion. Although it couldn't fully protect him from possession by an Abyssal demon, it was better than nothing.

"That's right, Roland," Wallace laughed. "If you encounter an artifact corrupted by the Abyss later, you’ll be glad I gave you this bottle of 'Demon-Proof'."

"Demon-Proof" was indeed highly effective against curses and corruption.

Roland said, "My lord, let's get one thing straight: if I die, this debt is wiped clean."

Roland had just accused Wallace of calculating money on his deathbed, but he was exactly the same! However, from one perspective, the only reason they had the composure to calculate such things was because they were confident they would survive. Or perhaps, they both felt that as long as they joined forces, they would surely make it out alive.

Wallace stroked his beard and chuckled, "Don't worry, Roland, you won't die. The young mistress is impatient. They will definitely come down in a few minutes. So, the young mistress and the others will handle the rest. As for us two, we just need to stay hidden for a while."

Roland shook his head. "My lord, I'm afraid the mentor and the others won't have time to worry about us... This thing is only an avatar; the true entity is outside."

The smile on Wallace’s face gradually stiffened. He had also found it strange; although Lady Catherine was ruthless, she was very loyal. He had been her servant for so many years, so there was no reason for her to send her old servant down to die. Moreover, if sending one consumable was enough, why send so many people?

Thus, Roland’s words were likely true.

Once he realized this, Wallace’s expression turned even uglier. He said, "I knew things wouldn't be this simple... Before the young mistress sent you down, did she tell you how to get out? Or give you any teleportation scrolls to escape the Inner World?"

Roland had escape scrolls in his possession that could teleport both him and Wallace out. But he didn't mention it. His mentor and the others were out there fighting the boss for their lives; eliminating the avatar would increase their chances of victory, and this was no time to be a coward.

Roland said, "Master Wallace, how could the mentor give me scrolls? After all, only by destroying the avatar here can they have a chance at victory."

Wallace looked ashen. He cursed under his breath, "No wonder Baron Hall has been exploring ruins safely for so many years. He was long ago possessed by the lingering thoughts of an evil god!"

Roland was slightly stunned. He thought, 'Even Wallace didn't know Baron Hall’s true identity... Could the boss above be underestimating his strength? The mentor is also deeply hidden, so the boss might misjudge their strength when evaluating them.'

'If we can also take down this avatar, the mentor might actually have a chance to win.'

Roland said, "Master Wallace, if we want to survive, we must deal with that avatar. Otherwise, once the demon outside wins, we will all die."

Wallace now understood the severity of the situation. He stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "Don't worry, this avatar is different from the one outside. Rather than calling it an avatar of that Abyssal mongrel, it’s more like its offspring—the thing outside might still have a shred of divinity, but this one inside is a pure Abyssal demon."

He paused, then added earnestly, "Roland, I am well-versed in the art of exorcising demons. We still have a glimmer of hope for victory."