To the horror of the two mages, the magic circle glowed intensely with a golden light. They felt a strange transformation begin, starting from their feet and spreading to their legs. They felt it, with every fiber in their body they felt that their bones, muscles, sinews, and even blood were turning into solid gold!
In this state, they realized that their lives might be preserved as long as every part of them remained intact, but the question remained — who would help them?
"This... this... Mammon's power! You... You are Mammon! Do you serve Daniel Emberweave?
You serve a homunculus!?" The leader's realization dawned with a mixture of shock and fear. The identity of the iguana was revealed — it was none other than Mammon, The Hell Lord of Greed!
"Homunculus, you say?" Mammon repeated, his voice tinged with disdain. It was evident that Mammon found the notion hard to believe.
"Yes! Mammon... No! Lord Mammon! You may not be aware, but Daniel Emberweave is merely a homunculus!" The leader responded quickly, hoping to sway Mammon's decision.
To both the mage and the inhabitants of the Curtained World, a homunculus was considered an artificial creation, not possessing true life yet not categorized as undead either. It served as a vessel for a soul, but natural homunculi lacked their own will. If not used as a soul vessel, the mage creating the homunculus had to program its will and personality.
This was exemplified in the case of the homunculus that Victor commissioned from the Alchemont clan, designed as his ideal lover using Koyuki's hair and blood. However, the soul within was artificial, born from magic rituals and inventions.
As a result, non-vessel homunculi, those not serving as soul vessels, were treated as property or, at best, second-rate population by mages and most of the Curtained World denizen. By revealing this information, the leader hoped that Mammon would either release them or, better yet, assist them in their current plight.
"Pft... hahaha HAHAHAHAHA!! Lord Emberweave a homunculus? That's the most ridiculous bullshit I've ever heard in my life! HAHAHAHAHA!!" Mammon burst into laughter, his amusement echoing through the room. However, his laughter abruptly ceased upon hearing faint footsteps from the second floor.
"Oi... idiots, I'll tell you something good. Anyone can be a homunculus, but certainly not Lord Emberweave. That's all you need to know," Mammon remarked before exerting his power to transform the two mages into golden sculptures, ignoring the scream and the cry for mercy.
With a swift motion, Mammon turned the golden sculptures into fine gold dust and swallowed it all, acting as if nothing had transpired.
Within moments, little Sylvana descended from the second floor, moving sluggishly with her hand gripping the stair rail for support, still groggy from sleep. Upon reaching the first-floor living room, she scanned the area as if searching for something.
"Oh, there you are, Princess Aura! Come with me to the toilet... I'm scared," little Sylvana addressed the yellow iguana. "Alright!" Mammon replied before leaping onto little Sylvana's head, providing her with encouragement as she ventured through the darkness towards the toilet.
Patrick, perched safely high up on a prehistoric tree, observed the unfolding chaos below with a chill running down his spine. He couldn't comprehend what had transpired, but one thing was certain – it's impossible to win against this beast No... it's no different than a suicidal attempt.
Despite his status as a Grand Master mage and the advantage of terrain, Patrick knew that defeating a Hell Lord or a creature with power equivalent to a Hell Lord required at least an Archmage or even an Archon rank mage like Golden Scale or Envy.
"Is that some new breed of Hellhound? Or the result of twisted magical experimentation?" Patrick muttered in confusion, watching the beast from his vantage point on a high branch. He dared not descend, aware of the danger lurking below.
Sniff. Sniff. Sniff.
The beast sniffed the air like a curious dog, following the scent trail that led it towards the tree where Patrick concealed himself.
"Sh*t..." Patrick muttered under his breath as he hastily cast an elven spell to cloak his presence, ensuring the beast remained unaware of his location.
The spell took effect, causing the fiery beast imbued with Hell Lord power to pause, its confusion evident as it sniffed around searching for the vanished scent.
Whimper?
The beast emitted a whimpering sound, akin to a puzzled dog, before turning towards Patrick's hiding spot. It seemed to sense that the sudden disappearance of the enticing scent was the work of its prey. Moreover, this particular prey has a more tantalizing aroma, promising a more delectable meal than the two it had just eaten earlier.
The beast unleashed a deafening roar, its fiery claws striking a nearby tree where Patrick was hiding at random. With a single stroke, it brought the tree crashing down and proceeded to incinerate it with a fiery breath that turned everything it touched to ash. The hellish flames erupted from the beast's mouth, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
"Oh no, no, no... This is bad," Patrick muttered in panic, his focus wavering under the intense pressure causing a lapse in his concentration .
The beast sniffed the air once more, its gaze locking onto Patrick's hiding spot. Now fully aware of Patrick's presence, it prepared to strike.
"Crap, I have to get out of here," Patrick cursed, frantically casting a spell. However, will the beast let its delicious looking prey escape? Impossible! The beast transformed its wings into fiery tentacles, lashing out toward Patrick like a fiery lasso. The blazing tendrils ensnared Patrick mid-cast, disrupting his spell and yanking him down from the tree.
"Ouch!" Patrick cried out as he landed heavily on the ground.