Chapter 279 — Vessel

Shaking her head, she consciously shifted her focus back to reality.

Just like the Slave Lord had exclaimed, they were finally out of the dangerous desert.

However, they did not arrive at a beautiful plain filled with flowers like the one at the edge of the demi-plane.

If anything, the surrounding landscape made this place look even more threatening than the desert.

The earth was pitch-black, as if it had spent thousands of years being scorched by fire, while gray specks of dust flew along the wind, forming tiny tornadoes every few feet apart.

The most surprising thing, however, was the lack of any sign of life in this place.

The desert before appeared the same to other people.

But due to her Elemental Affinity, Liora was able to detect many flaming creatures living in it.

On the other hand, this place had none of them.

Besides her, Alpha, the Slave Lord, and her five slaves, there was no other person or living creature at all.

"This is where the Hollow’s Vessel is usually located.", the Slave Lord noticed her doubts and spoke up.

"Although not much is known about Hollows and their formation process remains a mystery, there is one thing that is certain: every Hollow will possess its own Vessel.", she explained.

"We call it a Vessel, but it’s actually the Hollow’s ’carrier’."

"It could be a weapon, a plant, or even the corpse of a powerful being.", the Slave Lord stated.

"The Hollow is usually related to its Vessel’s nature. When I was still a Lesser Devil, I once entered a Hollow that was filled with thousands of bloodthirsty swords."

"Each sword possessed a certain amount of intelligence and would attack anyone who dared to step near them. Once we reached the Hollow’s core, we realized that it was because of its Vessel."

"It was the sword of a dead Greater Devil, containing their resentment and hatred left after their death."

The Slave Lord’s explanation was very good and left no room for questions.

For a moment, Liora had to wonder if this woman had been born in the wrong world.

If she had become a teacher, she would have a far brighter future.

"I say this to let you understand: the item I want is most likely this place’s Vessel. I hope you don’t have any ideas about it and lead to a falling out between us.", the Slave Lord joked.

Liora did not respond to her teasing. Motioning Alpha to follow her, she clasped her hands behind her back and got going.

She did not need the Slave Lord to lead the way. Most likely, the Hollow’s Vessel would exist at its very center.

Seeing Liora ignore her, the Slave Lord was not angry.

After exchanging a brief glance with the five remaining slaves, she also didn’t hesitate and rushed towards the Hollow’s center.

--

Just like Liora had sensed earlier, there was no living creature in this damned place.

Only the black earth and the gray sand existed, as if every other being in it had long been obliterated from existence.

At the start, Liora expected that a Greater Devil being was concealing its presence and watching over them, waiting for the opportune time to sneak attack.

However, as she walked deeper and no one showed up, she understood that her fears were meaningless.

Even until they reached their destination, no such being had emerged.

As for how Liora knew that they had arrived at their destination?

That much was obvious.

--

Raising her head, Liora stared silently at the gigantic stone pillar erected not far away.

Its surface was covered in an orange film while a small sea of fire had formed around it, seemingly surrounding it to protect it from any threats.

"The Vessels of Hollows exist in a different dimension than the demi-plane itself. Only after certain conditions have been met will it appear and allow Devils to fight over its ownership.", the Slave Lord broke this place’s silence.

"There are rumors that Hollows exist as a way to train weaker Devils. There’s actually a strong argument to be made for this."

"However, why would the Ruler of the Layer actually do this?"

"What help can a bunch of weaklings possibly provide to such a powerful being?"

Hearing her mutterings, Liora couldn’t help but cast a side glance at the Slave Lord, never expecting that she would say such words.

All this time, this woman had been acting strangely.

Though it was impossible to say that she had acted like an idiot, it would be quite accurate to call her immature and easily angered.

Liora did not know whether this was all an act or if this was her real nature.

Regardless, she was not curious to learn the truth.

"What’s the condition for the Vessel to appear? Is it related to this pillar?", Liora looked at the tablet and questioned, though she already had a certain guess.

The next moment, her suspicions were confirmed.

"The Vessel of the Sword Hollow that I mentioned earlier was only revealed after a True Devil Sword Devil appeared at the scene."

"If my guess is not wrong, this Hollow should be similar..."

Her words cleared up one of Liora’s doubts.

Why had the Slave Lord invited her instead of other people?

The strength she had displayed might indeed have helped, but obviously, there was another reason.

Now, everything made sense.

Most likely, the Slave Lord believed that she was a Flame Devil or part of a similar race.

Thus, she could now act as a "key" to reveal the Hollow’s Vessel.

For this, Liora had to say that she simply thought too much.

If the condition was indeed the appearance of a fire-related Devil, then the Slave Lord’s trip was bound to result in utter failure.

"Fortunately, this doesn’t matter to me. I’ve already gained a lot."

"Just the objects I’ve collected and the spars of fallen creatures should be enough to help me practice the Four Elements Method to its peak."

"Even if it can’t help me become a Greater Devil, it will allow my strength to undergo a massive transformation.", Liora thought secretly.

Though this was going on inside her mind, Liora knew that she at least had to pretend to try something.

After casting a glance at the Slave Lord and seeing her look, which said "do your thing", she could only approach the stone pillar.