"Mama, my teacher told me that bad people go to hell. Is he right?"
Ray had fear of hell in his childhood; as the years passed, his fear went away, and what took his fear's place was curiosity.
Hell existed, and Heaven existed too, but not like the common belief of people; their location was deep within the spiritual world, each with its own specific rules and areas.
His knowledge about Heavens only came from Jade, and they were not exactly what he would find useful. However, Hell was a different story; in his previous life, a few journeys to Hell had helped him to gather his strongest tool, Orcus.
"Those who enter, abandon all hope." He said the lines with a clear voice as he started the ceremony.
Tens of candles burned with a white flame around him; his own blood moved on the ground to each one, infusing itself with the candles.
White flames turned into red flames while Ray added more materials to them, one by one. His magic added white crow feathers to them, followed by different organs from some animals that had a close relationship with the spiritual world.
"Now, the main ingredient..." A blood crystal appeared above him in the middle of the circle. Ray didn't have to do anything; the candles themselves absorbed its magic in the air. Slowly its shape turned into a small ball and disappeared into thin air.
Ray sighed out of relief; he might have had to use three to four blood crystals if it didn't work properly.
"O Great Devil, this mere human is in your help's need."
Suddenly all the candles went out at the same time, and with a cold breeze on his face, hands came out of the ground, locking his body.
"Fuck..." Ray cursed; his ability to use magic was gone. "It's a noble devil."
Hands pulled him to the ground, with a crimson portal swallowing him on the ground.
The most common devils were the souls that had found their way into hell and had been granted a new body and flesh; unlike humans, they couldn't grow in any shape or performance. If they got unlucky and got a weak body, their lives would be spent as slaves.
But there were those who existed since ancient times; some said they were the creators of Hell, but Ray never believed that. They could never leave Hell, and just like mortals, if they died, they vanished.
People called them noble devils; even as someone that had close ties with Hell, Ray hadn't seen one in his previous life. "If I make a contract, my gains will be unimaginable."
He let the flow of the hands guide him throughout the portal; the change in air density and smell told him that he was traveling at a very high speed.
"Traveler, I didn't expect for you to seek our help."
Before he opened his eyes, his mind recognized the voice; his own mother sat on the other side of a long table. The table was at least 40 meters, but the voice came from his side.
Her features were the exact same as Ray's, with the same small nose and blue eyes. Her eyes were as warm as Ray remembered.
Around them nothing existed but darkness; the void whispered unknown noises, tempting him to look deeper.
"Didn't expect for a noble to look after me." His expression didn't change the slightest even though his mother smiled at him.
"Since your travel in the river of time, I had my eyes on you. The smell of hell is still in your blood; I would assume before your travel you had a close relationship with us."
Ray shrugged; temptations of void made him stare at the Devil while talking: "How did you know that I was the one who went back in time?"
"My realization of time is very different from a mortal like you."
"All the entities like you are aware of what happened?" Ray's concerns grew more and more; although he was nothing but a pawn to their greater game, with a prize on his head from a divine entity, his days could be counted.
"To narrow it down to you, no. However, most of us have vague memories of what will happen. There is no threat for you." Her hands switched to a claw that tore apart the table; a glass of red fluid came out from the broken place.
"I'm not interested in that anyway; you guys can have your games all you want." Ray bent his head to see the fluid in her hands: "If you pulled me in here, that means you know what I need."
"Of course, you want access to the river of torment, but do you have what it takes to find your way in there?"
"The better question is, would I agree to your contract?"
She took a sip of her glass and said with a calm tone, "No, I don't want to make a contract for just a simple mission. My terms are simple: I will grant you a devil bond with my own; in exchange, you will kill three other people on earth for me."
"Who and why?" Ray's head hurt from all the sudden questions; a bond with a noble devil could help him reach new heights.
Pictures of three men came to life in his mind; he knew all of them. Two were generals, and one was one of the seven kings.
"For the reason, it's simple: they have a similar bond like us. Don't fear, dear; I don't expect you to kill them instantly. As long as it's done, I don't care about the time."
With no hesitation Ray said, "Deal." His hand moved his hair back, and he asked the most important question: "Who are you?"
The figure in front of him twisted in itself, and from its skin a new form came out. Slowly two long horns grew on her head with a tail on her back, her eyes were a pair of crimson gems, and the curves on her body outclassed any other woman that Ray had ever seen.
Just looking at the new figure made his lust go wild. Only her nipples and her core were covered with a dark smoke; the rest of her body was there to be appreciated by Ray.
"I have many names. Some call me mother of desires; others call me famine. I think you have a name for me too."
Ray said with a weak voice, "A succubus."