Questions and answers (2)

"No others immediately come to mind. But that doesn't mean you should be careless. A lot of powerful demons don't stay in Lucille's Light, and you never know when they might be in the city again." Ashmodai ends his speech, dampening the tiniest hope the reincarnate might have had.

"Why would you leave?" He asks, truly confused for once. Did they not need civilization? They have desires and needs, even more so than a human if Cornelius is to be believed. Why leave the only city in this godforsaken realm?

"The reasons differ, of course. Some leave to search for forgotten magic or left behind curses in the consumed dark. Others leave to find resources to trade, this is mostly done by the weaker beings who in return receive protection from their patrons. However, some more expensive resources such as the skin of the fire wyvern are an interesting hunt for the stronger devil and demons. Lastly, you have those with the desire to wander and do so to fulfill it."

"How can I become stronger?" The reincarnate asks deciding to give Ashmodai no break. If one had to be strong to live in this city than so be it.

"There are many ways: kill other demons, survive certain situations, perform rituals, practice your mana. Power is often gifted yet even more so taken by those prepared to do anything for it."

"How do you get stronger?" The reincarnate asks remembering how the devil killed the smaller skeleton and the purple flow he seemed to have consumed.

A smirk appears on his face. "I'm what you would call a soul devourer. When I kill someone, I trap their soul inside a card and afterward consume it. It's a risky technique however if done succesfully, allows one to store the soul in his own. With of course all consequences one can imagine."

"What's the risk?"

" Firstly, since your new here. People are wary of opponents who won't grant someone the afterlife. Secondly, if you were to consume too many souls, your will not be able to handle it. Let's assume that it leads to death."

"....."

The reincarnate stay quiet, scanning Ashmodai with his emerald green eyes.

"Do you wish for this ability, my friend?" Ashmodai asks with a smile as he tries to respond to the investigative eyes.

"..."

"Now don't look so gloom, I'm merely trying to help you, my friend." The devil tries to somehow assure, somehow making him more unbelievable than sincere.

"Since when did we become friends?" The reincarnate snaps back to the devil who's actively trying to butter him up.

"Let's see: We have played cards together, I have promised to be a stone ward ally, I've bought you drinks, given you some information. I would say this qualifies us as a blossoming friendship." The gambling devil lists some things he has done as if he has done verything needed to make this "friendship" official.

'Is he ignoring the fact that if I lost the gamble he would have taken my soul?' The reincarnate thinks trying to hide his disdain.

"That's a two-way street, and I don't intend to bring anything to the table for this friendship." The reincarnate responds trying to shut down any of the devil's ill intention and drawing a line between them.

"Oh, but you have already provided more than enough, my precious friend. Even better, you will continue to do so." Ashmodai says for once erasing the smile and looking at the reincarnate with a cold gaze.

The reincarnate stand up from the table as it seems the conversation will lead to nothing interesting anymore. Besides, it seemed that Ashmodai was either in need of mental help or mayhaps the smoke in the room had begun to effect even a devil.

"How much did you notice during our game?" He asks, realizing what the devil meant by having already provided him something. It was not hard to discern, they had after all not spent a lot of time together unlike how the devil tries to portray their relationship.

"I wonder how much did I see? I was quite distracted by that wound on your hand. Plus, the lighting wasn't really that great. Shades can be so distracting, almost as if they have their own will." The gambling devil says before taking a sip of his drink. Somehow the reincarnate did not believe that the gambling devil work with a day-night cycle.

"Why did you allow it?" He asks, quietly commanding the shade to strike. He had not much knowledge of pacts and the fear that it might have cancelled it was a real possibility.

"I love to gamble." Ashmodai simply responds, not even looking at the reincarnate. As if urging him on, to walk away. The reincarnate obliges and walks toward the tavern door.

"If you wish to learn that trick we discussed! Then you will need this!" Ahsmodai yells loud enough to attract the gaze of some tavern goers. Even some who had actively shuddered away the night before.

A playing card embeds itself in the tavern door, flying right next to the reincarnates head. 'Is that what he used to absorb it?' The reincarnate thinks as he has to use quite a lot of strength to dislodge the card. Clearly, it was not just a plain card. 'It suites the owner.' the reincarnate thinks as he imagines the card launched in the back of his head as he successfully pulls it out of the tavern door.