Cheat Awakening

Chapter 313. A Hug and a Run

"By the way, I must say, you are truly courageous. Not everyone possesses the fortitude to ascend those never-ending spiral stairs. The last time Alban forced me up for maintenance, I spent a week flat on my back before I could use my legs again. It was truly a nightmare for me, and as a result, I started to fear stairs and haven't left this floor for months.

Belial shuddered, recalling the hellish experience.

Myne, munching on the normal food Belial provided, was still perplexed. "How big is this tower, anyway? I mean how many floors are there?"

After Belial revealed the secret of escape, although the chance of success didn't seem very high, and the death rate is frightened high, they still talked for another half an hour and drafted a plan. During this time, Belial also opened his secret treasure vault and took out hume food he had bought from the black market.

Yes, the black market. In hell, eating hume food is no different than eating shit in public, but there are always some exceptions like Belial. Although he is born and raised in hell, but in the end, he is still hume. So, of course, he prefers normal hume food over those disgusting things eaten by demons. Even Gal prefers to eat hume food more than demon food, mainly because they look and taste better.

However, as a succubus, she doesn't actually need to eat to live, as long as she has a partner to provide her energy.

"Well from the outside, this tower doesn't seem much bigger than twelve floors, maybe fifteen at most," Belial explained, grinning devilishly. "But the devil knows where Alban found an ancient mage. He made a deal with him, and in exchange for his help, that ancient mage built this unimaginably huge magic tower for him.

If you compare it with a normal tower's height, according to my calculation, this tower could easily have 150 floors. So, you might as well prepare yourself for a nightmarish climb."

Finally, after so many months, someone is going to suffer the same fate as me, perhaps even more so, as Myne has to carry his little wife with him. It's so exciting. Sadly, I can't meet him again; otherwise, it would be so much fun to tease him, Belial thought with a chuckle, taking a swig of his mysterious wine, and watching Myne with mock pity.

Myne, who was already imagining himself lying on the never-ending stairs on the verge of dying from tiredness, with Velvet crying beside him, couldn't help but tremble.

Myne, already picturing himself collapsing on the endless stairs, Velvet sobbing beside him, shivered uncontrollably. "Any shortcuts on this climb? I'm willing to pay for help." He looked at Belial, who had an expression of taking pleasure in other people's misfortune. Helplessly, he could only turn at Gal beside him—his last hope.

But she didn't even glance at him, as if he didn't exist at all, and continued to eat the food in front of her expressionlessly.

Belial chuckled satisfied with Myne's response. "Alright, that wraps up our meeting. You two can go and do whatever you want. I have to go to the market; my food stock is about to finish. Hopefully, they haven't jacked up the prices again."

Belial didn't want to let Myne give him a puppy look anymore. He had already made up his mind to let him suffer. Who knows, maybe he'll give up halfway and return back. Although he had shamelessly cut off the contract with Gal, it doesn't mean she is not his friend. He genuinely wished her happiness and the loving family she dreamed of. She has already suffered enough.

"Also, Myne, crush that memory guard with your hand. There is no need to hold it now," Belial tidied the leftover food, carefully tucking it away in his secret vault like a precious treasure.

Myne nodded in confusion and crushed the red crystal ball he'd been clutching. To his surprise, it didn't shatter like glass. Instead, it transformed into light particles, coalescing into a tiny sphere the size of a golf ball, then zipping toward his forehead at lightning speed.

Myne recoiled instinctively, eyes wide with alarm, but it was too late. The light ball burrowed into his mind.

"Fuck! What the hell is that?" Myne stood in shock and nervously asked after taking a few steps back.

"Oh, just a memory guard, small prop demons use to secure their memories from peeping toms. All the memories from the moment you put your blood on it until you crush it will now be tucked in that light ball. Nobody except you can see it. If someone tries to force their way into your head and touches it, it self-destructs, leaving no trace.

Of course, you'll forget that part of your memory too, but don't worry about it. If someone powerful enough forcefully tries to read your memories, it will also destroy your mind, turning you into a complete idiot. So it doesn't matter if you remember this small part or not anyway."

Seeing Belial's casual delivery of such potentially alarming information, as if discussing the weather, Myne wonder if everyone born in Hell had a few screws loose.

After bidding farewell to Belial, Myne and Gal walked out of his tent. There was an awkward silence between them; neither of them said anything for the next five minutes. They just stood outside the tent, observing various types of demons working tirelessly. Although Myne wanted to apologize to Gal and also thank her for her help, he didn't know where to start.

Gal, after so many years, finally found the guy she was looking for, but in the end, he on the other hand was just looking for his own death. So Myne felt ashamed to talk to her.

"You go back and explain everything to Velvet. But don't tell her anything happened between us. If she asks why I am helping you so much, just say you saved my butler's life, and I didn't want to owe anyone a favour. Also, come to my house tomorrow. I think I have something to change Velvet's appearance like yours.

It would be trouble if someone found out about her," Gal spoke with a poker face, devoid of her playful demeanour like before, it was as if she was talking to a stranger.

Myne's voice caught in his throat. A whirlwind of emotions swirled within him, his heart torn between gratitude and fear. He wanted to ask Gal if she wanted to come with him, but considering that his own fate is uncertain, he hesitated.

He owed her so much, her unwavering support and friendship despite his illogical actions He felt like a bastard for leaving her after taking advantage of her, even though she was the one who had done everything, and he was a victim but he didn't care about it now, he felt lucky that he meet her and if possible he didn't want to leave her.

With a heavy heart, he choked down the words and, in the end, just nodded his head before walking away.

Gal didn't react to seeing Myne walk away without saying anything. She had long ago known that this moment would come when he would leave her, so there was no need to be emotional or immune to sadness. However, she was surprised when Myne, after taking a few steps, abruptly turned and rushed back to her.

Myne didn't look into Gal's eyes, or dare not to. In front of Gal, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight and hugged her tightly. That silent embrace lasted for minutes. Then, he quickly turned around and ran away, leaving a dumbfounded Gal behind.

"Well, I expected more drama from him, like some emotional words, or kissing, etc. Even a 'thank you' would've sufficed. But just...a hug and a run? Disappointing, I say.

I think you shouldn't always look at other people's looks and cock; sometimes inner beauty is more important, especially in the long term," Belial, who had come out of the tent, stood beside Gal, and spoke with his hands inside his pants pocket while looking at Myne's disappearing figure with a frown.

"I didn't need a pervert traitor's advice when it comes to judging people," Gal retorted, her voice laced with disdain.

Belial, caught off guard by her sharp retort, sputtered in protest. "Hey... How can you say such a thing after taking such a big risk to help your little partner?"

"Fuck off, help my ass. If you really wanted to help, then return me the 100 Middle-Grade soul stones you took from me, and I will definitely be grateful for your help then," Gal said angrily.

"Cough, cough, Gal, dear, don't say such a thing. Although we are friends and ex-lovers, you also know that there is a reason why I took money from you," Seeing Gal's glare intensify, Belial hastily changed the subject. "Let's not talk about those things, but I have to say I never expected you would give him that ring of yours. I never received such treatment when we were together.

I suddenly felt jealous of that brat."

Gal scoffed. "You should be jealous, Belial. A scoundrel like you deserves only regret for past mistakes. Come on, I also need to do some shopping myself." She strode towards the sixth-floor entrance, leaving Belial to sigh about his diminishing status.

"Sigh, no one takes me seriously nowadays. I miss those days when I worked as a bandit. My useless underlings under me trembled in fear when they saw me. But now..." Belial paused and cast his gaze toward a demon casually writing runes on a bomb in the middle of a noisy street. He could only shake his head helplessly before quickly catching up with Gal.