Chapter 2084: Chapter 2084

The two faces on the back of its head stared at Jenkins, at a loss for words.

Jenkins was not the complete soft touch they had imagined him to be.

"Now, I'll say this one last time," Jenkins declared. "What do you know about this place? What do you know about this wretched snake? Have you seen a terrible worm? And what kinds of souls are inside those metal cocoons up there?"

The miner and the train conductor had lived twelve and seven years ago, respectively—a time before Jenkins's arrival. After they died, they were brought directly here and trapped within the cocoons. Periodically, the cocoons would be lowered into the lava, allowing the mad demons to draw out spiritual sustenance, yet protecting the sinners' souls from being drained completely in one go.

Jenkins had originally assumed the metal cocoons were the handiwork of the Difference Engine, given their metallic nature, but they were in fact demonic instruments.

During their confinement, the two souls had gleaned some knowledge. When the demons were siphoning their spirits, they learned about this place through direct soul-to-soul contact with the mad creatures.

The metal cocoons were forged from a special demonic alloy, functioning as something akin to "food containers." This metal recklessly forced the souls within to grow stronger, which could lead to mutation, deformity, or even complete collapse—consequences the demons cared nothing about.

In other words, the fragmentation affecting the two souls Jenkins had encountered was due to a combination of factors. In life, they had touched upon forbidden powers as a result of the "tragedy of their era," and after death, their souls had been corrupted by infusions of demonic power.

This was the extent of their knowledge. While the metal cocoons were not transparent, they were not soundproof. The pair could constantly hear the feverish ramblings of the mad demons and the roars from the lava below, but they could not discern what was happening outside through sound alone.

"Perhaps someone else knows," the miner offered. "The souls here aren't just people like us. There are some ancient and powerful ones, too."

The train conductor whispered the reminder, clearly hoping Jenkins would stop his questioning.

Jenkins sniffed the air.

"Then what about the smell of burnt exhaust in your cocoons? That's a scent unique to Nolan City. Why is it on you?"

"It's used to nourish the souls."

"Yes," the conductor confirmed. "That black ash you see can permeate a person's soul, making it stronger... torn, mutated."

Jenkins was not surprised that the Difference Engine's creations could have such an effect. He was only astonished that the demons of this "Lava Hell" were so up-to-date, capable of obtaining such things from the material world.

"And who is the master of this place? Is there a warden? You can probably tell that this is nothing more than a prison for mad demons."

"This area is much larger than you think," the miner explained. "There is a warden, but we don't know where it is."

The Mysterious Realm was only a small fragment of space, so its actual size couldn't possibly encompass the entire domain they described. The warden in charge was most likely not within this realm.

As this thought crossed his mind, Jenkins cast a suspicious glance at the human-faced snake. The gurgling of the lava below grew louder, and he looked up once more at the hundreds of metal cocoons hanging above.

According to the rules of the Mysterious Realm, if he dared to knock down all the cocoons at once, the realm itself would likely try to take him down with it. He could only choose one more and hope to find someone who knew the whole story.

He didn't make his choice immediately. Instead, he turned to the two souls.

"Since you've given me information, I can send you away from here. But where you go next is not for me to decide."

"As long as we can leave this place, we'll go anywhere!"

Both of them said as much, their fear of this terrifying place absolute.

With the souls of the train conductor and the miner sitting together, Jenkins held a crucifix in his right hand, aiming the skull at its intersection directly at them. He placed his left hand on the back of his right to keep it steady.

"Praise the Legacy Sage. Praise the God of Death and End."

He spoke the words softly, a declaration that his faith remained unchanged and a quiet plea for aid from the God of Death. The order of the names was crucial; reversing it could invite trouble.

He then attempted to activate the alchemical artifact.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Those who should depart, do not linger."

The crucifix in his grasp instantly crumbled into brown dust, scattering from his fingers. He shook his hand, but the two souls remained before him.

Yet something had indeed happened. They all saw it: the color of the souls was fading, dissolving into shimmering motes of light that vanished into the air.

"It actually work—I mean, it seems to have succeeded."

A smile finally broke across the faces of the miner and the train conductor. They embraced one another, then turned to Jenkins.

"Sir, you truly are a good person. You..."

"Say no more," Jenkins cut in. "Continue on your journey. Whichever world you find yourselves in, I hope you will not walk the wrong path again."

"But that's not up to us," the conductor lamented. "Life chooses us, not the other way around... If we could, we would also hope for a more prosperous, more advanced, more equitable era. A time when everyone can read, everyone can eat their fill, everyone can..."

Their voices trailed off as the two souls dissipated completely before Jenkins's eyes.

"By liberating their souls like that, do you intend to find the exit in the lava yourself?"

The human-faced snake, silent until now, finally spoke again.

"This is none of your concern."

"I am merely offering a kind reminder," it hissed. "Your time is running out."

The roar of the demon horde had never ceased, but after Jenkins had severed the arm of one of the greater demons, they had not dared to rashly attack the large rock again. They seemed to be waiting for the lava to submerge everything before slowly dealing with this detestable human.

As he spoke, he looked up at the numerous metal cocoons suspended overhead.

"You see? I can truly set the souls here free. So, is there anyone up there who knows what I want to know? Do not lie to me—I can discern falsehoods. But if anyone can provide the intelligence I require, I will certainly allow them to leave this dreadful place as well."

To ensure those above understood him, he spoke not only in the common tongue of the era but also in the Elvish and several ancient languages he had mastered. Latest content publıshed on novel•fire.net