Chapter 18: The “Customer Service” of Hell

The reinforced steel door was taking too long to pick.

I’d been crouched in front of the lock for three minutes. Jimmying the mechanism. Feeling for tumblers. Standard infiltration procedure. Quiet. Professional. Boring.

I stood up and kicked it.

The door exploded inward. Metal shrieked. The lock mechanism shattered. The whole thing flew off its hinges and crashed into the hallway beyond with a sound like a car accident. Dust and debris scattered everywhere.​

I looked down at my boot.

Scuffed. The leather was scratched right across the toe. Brand new boots too. I’d just broken them in last week.

“Fantastic. Now I need to oil these.”

“Subtle.”

Seraphina walked past me through the destroyed doorway. She didn’t even blink at the violence. Just stepped over the wreckage like we’d used the front door politely.

“Lockpicking was taking forever.”

“It had been three minutes.”

“That’s forever when people are suffering underground.”

“How noble. Very heroic justification for property damage.”

The hallway opened into a larger chamber. Stone walls. Caged cells along both sides. And guards. Lots of guards. They looked up from their posts. Saw us. Saw the destroyed door. Their hands went to their weapons.

“Intruders! Sound the—”

I walked forward.

The lead guard swung a club at my head. Telegraphed. Slow. I caught his wrist mid-swing. Twisted. He flipped over my shoulder and hit the ground hard enough to crack stone. The impact echoed through the chamber.

“You guys really need better training.”

Two more rushed me. One from each side. Coordinated attack. Smart. Would’ve worked on a normal person. I stepped back. Let them crash into each other. Their momentum did all the work. They collapsed in a heap of confused limbs and poor tactical decisions.

“Also, where are your safety railings? This is a workplace hazard.”

I pointed at the elevated walkway above us. No guardrails. No protective barriers. Just a fifteen-foot drop onto stone. One of the guards was backing up there now. Preparing to rain arrows down. Terrible position. He had no cover.

“Someone’s going to fall and sue.”

The guard loosed an arrow. I sidestepped. It whistled past and buried itself in the wall behind me. I picked up a pebble from the floor. Threw it. The stone hit the guard in the forehead. He stumbled backward. Tripped over his own feet. Fell off the walkway.

I caught him by the ankle before he splattered.

“See? Safety hazard.”

I set him down. Gently. He scrambled away making terrified noises. The remaining guards looked at each other. Looked at me. Made the wise decision to not engage further.

“Smart.”

Seraphina walked past the carnage humming softly. Some tune I didn’t recognize. Probably a funeral dirge. She examined the cells with mild interest. People huddled inside. Mana-sensitive captives. Some looked drugged. Others looked broken. All of them looked like they’d given up hope.​

A roar echoed from deeper in the facility.

The floor shook. Something big was coming. Something that made the surviving guards go pale and back away. Heavy footsteps. Claws scraping stone. The smell of wet fur and rage.

“Modified beast. Chimera variant by the sound of it.”

Seraphina didn’t even look concerned. She was still examining the cells like she was shopping for furniture.

The creature emerged from the tunnel ahead.

Massive. Easily twelve feet tall. Lion head. Scorpion tail. Wings that barely fit in the corridor. Its eyes glowed red. Magical enhancement. Someone had pumped this thing full of combat stimulants and pointed it at anything that moved.

It saw me. Roared again. The sound rattled my bones. Spittle flew from its jaws. It charged.

I sighed.

The chimera was fast. Incredibly fast. Its claws tore chunks out of the stone floor. Its tail whipped around trying to impale me from above. Multi-angle attack. Actually impressive for a magically modified monster.

I slapped it.

Open palm. Right across its lion face. The impact made a sound like a thunderclap. The chimera’s head snapped to the side. Its whole body followed. It crashed into the wall. Stone cracked. Dust fell from the ceiling.

The monster shook its head. Dazed. Confused. Probably wondering why the small human hit like a siege weapon. It tried to stand. Legs wobbled. Failed. It collapsed into an unconscious heap.

“Bad kitty. No attacking guild masters.”

I looked at Seraphina.

She was watching me with that analytical expression. Taking notes. Probably comparing my physical output to theoretical maximums. Calculating force ratios. Being creepy as usual.

“You’re not even breathing hard.”

“It was one chimera. Why would I be breathing hard?”

“Most people would struggle.”

“Most people are weak.”

I stepped over the unconscious monster. The corridor continued deeper. More cells. More prisoners. The operation was bigger than the intel suggested. Dozens of people. Maybe more. All of them staring at us with hollow eyes.

We reached a central chamber.

Larger than the others. Better lit. Administrative hub by the look of it. Desks covered in paperwork. Magical restraints hanging on the walls. And standing in the center, a man in expensive robes. The Warden. He had that middle-management energy. The kind of guy who’d torture people and still complain about his budget.

He saw us. Started to speak. Then he saw Seraphina.

His face went white. Actually drained of color. His mouth opened and closed like a fish. His hands trembled. Recognition and terror fought for control of his expression.

“Mistress, I didn’t know—”

“Look, Rian!”

Seraphina’s voice was bright. Excited. She pointed at the Warden like a teacher showing a particularly interesting specimen.

“He’s terrified of your overwhelming aura! You’re suppressing him with just a glare!”

I blinked.

“I’m just standing here.”

“Exactly! Your presence alone radiates such power that he can’t even move! The Demon King Energy is palpable!”

The Warden’s eyes darted between us. I watched understanding hit him like a brick. Play along or die. Those were his options. Seraphina was giving him an out. A narrative. A chance to survive if he pretended I was the threat.

He made his choice.

“Such power! I can feel the demonic pressure crushing my will to resist!”

The Warden dropped to his knees. Hands up. Surrendering to the imaginary aura I definitely wasn’t releasing.

“Your legendary strength precedes you, Guild Master Rian! I’ve heard tales of your monstrous capabilities! Please spare this humble servant!”

“What are you talking about?”

“The way you destroyed that chimera with a casual blow! The effortless dominance! The absolute terror you inspire! I submit! I surrender!”

He was screaming now. Full dramatic performance. Throwing himself at the floor. Groveling. Overselling it so hard I could practically see Seraphina’s script written on his forehead.​

I looked at her.

She smiled innocently. That angelic expression that meant she was absolutely pulling strings I couldn’t see. The Warden knew her. Worked for her. Maybe reported to her. And now she was using me as cover. Making me the face of the operation so she stayed hidden.

Brilliant. Infuriating. Exactly what I should’ve expected.

The Warden kept screaming.

“Your demon king aura is overwhelming! I can’t breathe! The pressure!”

“I don’t have an aura.”

“Such modesty! Such terrifying humility!”

“Stop screaming.”

“I cannot stop! Your presence compels honesty and submission!”

I walked over. He flinched. Actually flinched away from me like I might explode. I raised my hand. He squeezed his eyes shut. Waiting for some devastating magical attack.

I chopped the back of his neck. Simple strike. Precise pressure point. He dropped like a puppet with cut strings. Unconscious before he hit the floor.

Silence.

Blessed silence.

“Why is everyone so dramatic?”

I rubbed my temples. The headache from traveling with Seraphina was back. Stronger than before. This whole operation felt wrong. The guards were too coordinated. The Warden knew exactly who to fear. Even the facility layout was too efficient.

Seraphina stepped over the unconscious Warden.

She moved to one of the desks. Her fingers traced over paperwork. That calculating look was back. She glanced at the remaining guards. Made eye contact with one. The guard nodded slightly. Subtle. Almost invisible.

Then he started moving toward the prisoner cells.

I caught the motion in my peripheral vision. The guard’s hand went to his weapon. Not defensive posture. Offensive. He was preparing to execute orders. To eliminate evidence. To kill the prisoners before they could talk about who really ran this place.

“Hey.”

My voice cut through the chamber.

The guard froze. I walked toward him. Slow. Deliberate. He backed up. Smart. His hand moved away from his weapon. He raised both hands in surrender.

“Just checking the locks. Making sure they’re secure.”

“With your sword drawn?”

“Standard procedure.”

“Try again.”

He looked past me. At Seraphina. Asking permission. Waiting for orders from his actual boss. She gave the smallest shake of her head. The guard’s shoulders slumped. He dropped his weapon and ran.

Smart man.

I turned to face Seraphina fully.

She was still standing by the desk. Calm. Composed. That innocent expression firmly in place. But I’d seen the signal. The silent communication. The guards weren’t fighting me because she’d told them not to. The Warden had played along because she’d threatened him worse than I could.

This entire rescue mission was her operation.​

“We should free the prisoners.”

“Absolutely. That’s why we’re here, after all.”

Her voice was steady. Professional. Like nothing had happened. Like I hadn’t just caught her ordering executions. She walked toward the cells. Started examining locks. Playing her part perfectly.

I stood there.

My hands hurt from punching things. My boots were scuffed. My head pounded. And I was stuck underground in a facility my teammate probably helped design, rescuing people from a nightmare she might have created.