Azazel cleared his throat and addressed the group, his presence commanding the room. "Everyone, meet Lilith."

  A girl, Lilith, stepped forward from the shadows. Her entrance was so graceful and mesmerizing that Zain, Raina, and Draig were immediately captivated by her stunning beauty, leaving them momentarily speechless. Her long, silver hair cascaded down her back, framing a face that was both delicate and striking, her eyes shimmering like pools of the deepest ocean.

  "Stop gawking." Azazel snapped, his voice a sharp whip cutting through their reverie. "Remember, your lives are still in my hands."

  The group quickly regained their composure, the stern reminder anchoring them back to the gravity of their situation.

  "Good. Now, listen carefully. This is Lilith. You can consider her my daughter. One of my conditions for releasing you is that you take care of her." Azazel stated, his tone brooking no argument.

  This unexpected statement left the group stunned and unsure of how to respond. Lilith, standing by Azazel’s side, seemed equally enigmatic and aloof, her expression unreadable.

  "And my second condition." Azazel continued, his gaze shifting to Draig, "is that the dragon cooperates with me to have a concealing formation engraved on Lilith's soul. Those are my only two demands."

  Their confusion deepened, a tangible tension filling the air.

  "Could you please explain? We don't understand." Draig asked innocently, while Zain and Raina looked at Azazel with questioning eyes, seeking clarity in the demon's cryptic demands.

  "I will explain, but first, you must take a secrecy vow. What I’m about to reveal is knowledge beyond your realm." Azazel replied, a dark, enigmatic smile playing at his lips.

  A contract materialized before them, emanating a dark aura that seemed to pulse with an unsettling energy. One line was inscribed in the demonic tongue, a language as old as time itself. Raina recognized it and translated, her voice steady, "Life is secret."

  It was a powerful but basic contract of secrecy, binding their very essence to silence. Finding nothing wrong with it, Raina nodded and agreed.

  "Okay."

  She bit her finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the contract. The crimson droplet shimmered, absorbed into the parchment with a hiss. Zain and Draig followed suit under her instructions, sealing the contract with their blood. The pact was made, ensuring that if they divulged anything Azazel was about to disclose, they would suffer a gruesome death.

  "Now, let's begin. You’ve heard of me, the Demon King of Abyss, Azazel."

  Azazel was notorious for his wickedness and cunning. Despite his destructive tendencies, he maintained mutually beneficial relationships with powerful entities across many planes. His conquests were achieved through strategy and manipulation, unlike other Demon Kings who relied solely on brute force.

  "Yes, we have heard of you." Raina replied, her voice tinged with the awe and fear that Azazel's name commanded.

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  "That’s not me. At least, not anymore." Azazel stated, his voice carrying an unexpected note of introspection.

  Raina and Zain were taken aback by the Demon King’s apparent existential crisis. The notion that such a fearsome being could harbor self-doubt or change was unsettling.

  "Here’s the story..."

  Fourteen years ago, Azazel fought another Demon King over a territorial dispute. Such battles only ended with one of them dead. The fight dragged on for months, each clash more ferocious than the last, until Azazel finally landed a killing blow on his opponent.

  Despite his victory, Azazel was severely injured. Recovering fully would take decades, but that was the price of killing a Demon King. In Abyss, only the strong survived, and the price of power was often paid in blood and time.

  To speed up his recovery, he ventured into the core region of Abyss, a place so dangerous that only native beings of the Abyss dared to enter. It was a land of perpetual twilight, where the air itself seemed to crackle with latent energy.

  "Why is that?" Zain asked, his curiosity piqued.

  Azazel fixed him with a chilly gaze, the weight of his next words heavy with centuries of dark knowledge. "What I’m about to tell you is one of the deepest secrets of Abyss. No being who knows this would ever reveal it, no matter the bribe or torture."

  "Abyssal power exists solely to destroy. Beings like me, infused with that power, are driven by its destructive nature. It makes destruction our second nature."

  "People from different planes have speculated about us and created rankings for the Demon Kings. I find it amusing. But the truth is, we are not the most powerful beings in Abyss. There are demons in the core region that could kill me in a second."

  Raina and Zain were horrified. The thought of demons more powerful than Azazel sent shivers down their spines. Azazel continued his explanation, his voice dropping to a somber tone.

  "Abyss is a mystery beyond comprehension. It can drive demons insane and holds power unimaginable. It’s one of the ancient planes, known even to the most remote realms."

  "There’s an ancient phrase: 'In deep Abyss sleeps death, in Abyss lives war, in silent Abyss lives destruction, making everyone kill.' It means that venturing deeper into Abyss can grant power but also strip one of sanity. Those who don’t deserve it die."

  "Demons only go there in extreme situations. I went for a faster recovery but lost my sanity to Abyssal energy. I remember nothing but bloodlust from those years."

  Azazel roamed the core region, a wasteland of jagged rock and shifting shadows, fighting and killing indiscriminately. One day, he encountered a demon the size of a human. Mistaking it for an easy target, he attacked, but the small demon inflicted immense pain on him, something he had never experienced before. Eventually, Azazel lost consciousness.

  He woke up in his castle, noticing his room seemed larger. He saw his former massive body standing nearby, feeling a connection to it. Experimenting with his powers, he discovered he could control his other body, which had grown stronger. While his smaller form was weaker, it allowed him to think clearly, free from rage and bloodlust.

  From then on, Azazel was no longer bound by Abyss’s violent nature. He could make decisions rationally and started seeking greater power, not through destruction, but through knowledge and strategy.

  "I can still lose my sanity if I merge with my original body, but in this smaller form, I’m more like a human. My goals have shifted. I used to crave destruction; now I seek knowledge." Azazel explained, a hint of pride in his voice.

  As Azazel spoke, a surge of aura burst from his body, his eyes widening in alarm. "Damn it, I don’t have much time. The Novas of your plane have discovered me. My cover is blown. I can’t explain Lilith’s origin right now. Just ensure the dragon doesn’t resist the foreign force entering his body."

  The group was perplexed but bound by the contract and had to comply. Zain instructed Draig to follow Azazel’s directions. Azazel positioned Draig and Lilith in front of him and began chanting a spell. The air around them crackled with dark energy, magic circles forming on the ground, and a dark aura enveloping them. A massive spell formation appeared in the sky, its intricate patterns glowing ominously.

  Raina was shocked by its size, thinking only a great grandmaster could create such a formation. An identical formation formed on the ground, both shrinking until they vanished. The dark aura dissipated, and the surroundings returned to normal, the air suddenly feeling still and heavy.

  Lilith’s appearance had changed. While still beautiful, her previously ethereal charm had diminished, replaced by a more grounded, tangible beauty.

  "Your mother is quite capable. This formation was one of the most complex I’ve seen. I’ve copied the concealing formation to Lilith and made changes so even Demon Kings can’t detect their true identity." Azazel said, his voice filled with a mix of admiration and relief.

  "Now, let’s address your problem." Azazel said, turning to Draig. "I will compress the mana in your body and then infuse it with my own. This will complete the process and allow you to grow into a true Abyssal Dragon."

  Without delay, Azazel began. Magic arrays formed beneath Draig, who soon collapsed in agony, blood streaming from his mouth, nose, and ears. His screams grew louder with each passing second, the sound echoing through the chamber.

  "What are you doing to him?" Zain demanded, unable to bear Draig’s suffering.

  Azazel responded calmly, "He should consider himself fortunate. Other Abyssal Dragons endure thousands of times more pain during this process."

  Draig’s screams eventually subsided to groans, his body shuddering with the aftershocks of pain. After some time, his condition began to improve, and he opened his eyes, the fiery determination in them brighter than before. Raina helped him stand and tidied him up, her touch gentle and reassuring.

  "His mana is completely compressed. He can now call himself an Abyssal Dragon." Azazel declared, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

  Zain rushed to Draig’s side, his voice filled with concern and relief. "Draig, are you okay?"