Two days passed, and the party was finally ready to move. The devil came to their camp and started leading them, but this time she came equipped with rows of blood-filled vials that were strapped to her body. She was up ahead, in front of everyone, closely followed by her companion who carried several large bags, some of which he carried over his shoulder while the rest hung from the massive belt on his waist. Gmizavi and one other adventurer walked about a dozen steps behind them while the rest of the adventuring party was quite some distance behind, stretched along the narrow corridors.

The devil and her companion walked as if the concept of tiredness didn’t exist in their minds, striding forward as if they had no care in the world. Ghilanna had to come to the front several times and tell the devil to stop so her companions could recover some stamina. After the second time, the devil started rolling her eyes, complaining about the adventurers’ physical inadequacies, but she did as she was asked.

Finally, after an uneventful day, the time came for the party to erect a camp in the clearing and rest for the night. Or what they thought was night on the surface.

“I had no idea you adventurers are so slow,” the devil said as soon as she walked up to Ghilanna, who sat around the campfire with several of her companions, one of them being Svinjko. The devil’s own companion came with her, too. It was as if he was glued to the devil, never letting her go more than a few steps without him.

“Ah, it’s you,” Ghilanna grumbled, “We can only go as fast as the slowest among us can, and dwarves aren’t known for their speed. We’re a party, we have to stick together.”

“Still, I had no idea you needed that many stops,” The devil sat next to the campfire, opposite Ghilanna, so that she could look her in the face. She noticed a few adventurers frowning, one even stared at her in disgust, but she paid no mind to it.

“It’s easy for you to walk around when you’re completely naked,” Ghilanna responded, “The rest of us have armor, supplies, and belongings.”

“That’s what my companion is for. He’s useless at most things, but he makes for a fine mule. It’s quite surprising how much weight he can carry around.”

“Really? He is tall and broad, but I never took him for someone strong.”

“He isn’t strong, he is very weak. But his endurance is quite something. He is easily the most endurant male I’ve ever seen … in more ways than one.”

“Ah, yes … what else would a cubus demon talk about,” Ghilanna glanced at the ceiling briefly.

“Oh, shut up. You elves have no right to judge me. You’re all acting so posh and demure, but I’ve had the opportunity to see what you’re really like. You guys are only acting uninterested because you know how easy it is for you to lose control.”

“Yes, we like being in control of ourselves. Is that a bad thing?”

“Not necessarily. But living for thousands of years while constantly suppressing your natural desires feels like a waste.”

“We’re not suppressing them. We’re just not displaying them in public. I know this may be hard for a cubus demon to understand, but you don’t have to flirt with everyone you meet. There is nothing wrong with having some standards.”

The devil smiled at that, “Ok, ok. I’m not trying to start a fight here. All I’m saying is that an elf has no right to judge me for being lewd. After all, I only said that my companion has very high endurance. You’re the one who immediately interpreted that as a lewd thing.”

“Anyway, can we change the subject?” Svinjko asked.

“Sure,” both Ghilanna and the devil responded simultaneously.

“What I would like to know,” Svinjko continued, “is why we didn’t encounter any beasts and animals along the way. We’d been walking all day, yet we didn’t encounter anything. I take it that has something to do with our devilish companion?”

The devil smiled widely, “Indeed, it has. I’m projecting an intimidating aura so that the beasts would know to stay away.”

“So, that’s what we’ve all been feeling ever since you showed up,” Ghilanna commented.

The devil chuckled, “That’s right. I figured you adventurers are too brave to be affected by it, but it’s very effective against the mindless beasts.”

“Still, it’s very unpleasant,” one of the female adventurers commented.

“I get that, but would you rather suffer my intimidating presence or be attacked by beasts? The last thing I need right now is for your fighting potential to be reduced.”

“And what if something equally intimidating approaches us?” The same adventurer said, “We won’t recognize it because we’re already inside an intimidating aura.”

“Don’t worry, I will recognize it. I can’t feel my own aura, but I can feel others.”

“But aren’t you using your mana to project that aura?” Ghilanna asked, “I’m not trying to teach a devil how to use magic, I just don’t want you to waste your mana when there is no need.”

The devil opened her mouth to respond, but Svinjko was faster.

“She isn’t being very honest about it. You see, it’s not that she is projecting the aura on her own. It’s a passive aura. Her intimidating aura is projected constantly, that’s just how evil creatures are, that’s in their nature. She needs to use mana not to project the aura but to suppress it.”

“So … you’re actually saving your mana by letting the aura project itself?” Ghilanna asked.

“Yes, although your inquisitor isn’t being honest about it either. It’s not as simple as evil people being dangerous. A good person can be dangerous, too. And evil person can be harmless. It’s much more complicated than how your pig is describing it. But yes, I’m saving my energy by letting my aura go, and I’m protecting all of you in the process.”

“That’s ok, I don’t mind,” Ghilanna said, “We don’t mind your aura. All of my companions have faced danger many times, so it’s not like it’s affecting our prowess.”

“Although, it does sting a bit,” an adventurer commented.

“Sure, it wouldn’t be nice to feel this every day, but we can bear with it for a few days,” Ghilanna said, “What about your companion, though? I take it you’re not suppressing your aura on a daily basis just for his convenience. How is he dealing with it?”

“Actually, that is one of the reasons why I like him so much. He is the only person who isn’t intimidated by me.”

Ghilanna’s brows furrowed, “Is he that stupid?”

“It’s more than stupidity. Has your inquisitor told you that my companion has no soul?”

“Yes, he did. Although, I didn’t really press him on that.”

“Apparently, his people have no souls,” the devil continued, “They live in a soulless world that has no magic whatsoever.”

“No magic would mean no gods too,” Svinjko said.

“Exactly. He claims that there are no gods in his world. But there are gods in their myths. They’ve apparently been banished from their homeworld for disrespecting their creator.”

“Their entire race?”

“All of their races.”

“That … only an evil god would do something like that,” Ghilanna commented.

“Indeed,” the devil agreed, “Still, it would explain why he has no soul. At first, I thought he was much more powerful than he appeared to be, but no. He is pretty much helpless.”

“And is that why he isn’t scared of you?” Ghilanna asked, “Surely, he saw the way you act. I’m not trying to judge someone I don’t know, but I’m sure you will agree that the devils are cruel.”

The devil leaned back, “I wouldn’t say cruel, it’s more like … unempathetic. I won’t go out of my way to hurt someone, but I won’t stop someone from getting hurt, either. But yes, he has seen some things that have disturbed him. And do you know what he did?”

“What?”

“He screamed and cursed at me before leaving me.”

Ghilanna and Svinjko looked at each other for a brief moment before turning their attention back to the devil.

“How is he still alive?” Ghilanna asked.

“He is simply too valuable to me.”

“No. There is no way,” Svinjko said dismissively, “You can’t trick me with such lame excuses.”

“It’s not an excuse. It’s true. You’re just too stupid to understand what I actually mean.”

“You don’t mean it in an emotional sense, do you?” Ghilanna said.

“Of course not! It’s much more logical than that.”

“Is it about his people? Does he have some special kind of knowledge?”

“That’s a small part of it, but no. It’s the implications that are intriguing me, and I need him alive to explore them.”

“What implications?”

“A soulless world without magic. What kind of universe does it take to produce such a thing?”

“It’s a … a godless one, but … how can a godless universe produce anything?”

“And who says that his godless universe has produced anything on its own?” The devil continued, “What if someone has nudged it in a certain way? Certainly, a god that can banish people to such a universe can also affect it in other ways too. Like helping it create things such as light and worlds. After all, my companion’s people needed a world to be banished to. Otherwise, they’d cease to exist right away, and that wouldn’t be much of a punishment.”

“Ah, I see what you mean,” Svinjko said, “While a soulless universe can’t create anything on its own, other gods can inject their creations into it.”

“Precisely! It would be both a perfect playground and a perfect prison.”

“And you think your companion can help you gain some insight into it?” Ghilanna asked.

“Oh, that is just a start.”