The air tasted like brimstone and betrayal, thick with the screams of unraveling dimensions.
Before them stretched the Ninefold Descent—a spiraling gauntlet of:
The Bloodstep Staircase (where the ground bled when stepped on)
The Screaming Chasm (populated by ghosts of failed escape attempts)
The Paradox Bridge (that forgot its middle section every third step)
...and six other increasingly ridiculous hellscapes.
[System Alert: Improbable Escape Route Detected]
[Survival Odds: 0.7%]
[Recommended Supplies:
Divine-level running shoes
A will
More running shoes]
The plush demons had already tied themselves to Luo Feng's belt in a makeshift safety harness.
THE DESCENT
First Hell: The Bloodstep Staircase
Li Qing flash-froze the bleeding steps into a solid slide
The Death Queen poisoned the pursuing Void Sentinels with a blown kiss
The Nine-Tails Goddess set the railing on fire for "lighting"
Fourth Hell: The Mirror of Lost Faces
Showed everyone their worst possible versions
Luo Feng's reflection wore the corpse-crown from his vision
The Fox Spirit shattered the glass with her tails before anyone could look too closely
Seventh Hell: The God-Eater's Maw
A literal giant mouth blocking the path
The Death Queen flirted it into submission
Li Qing froze its tongue mid-lick
THE SACRIFICE
At the eighth hell's edge—with Void Legionnaires closing in—the Nine-Tails Goddess stopped running.
Her tails fanned out, each tip burning with different colored flames.
"Go."
Luo Feng reached for her—
—only for her fifth tail to whip around his wrist, leaving a claw-mark that burned like a brand.
"This isn't goodbye, patchwork man." Her grin showed too many teeth. "It's a see you later written in blood."
Then she turned and charged, her:
First tail erasing pursuit paths
Third tail rewriting local gravity
Ninth tail detonating like a supernova
[System Alert: FINAL GATE UNLOCKED]
[Warning: Fox Spirit Signature Detected in Combat Mode]
[Last Transmission: "Don't you dare die before I collect my favor."]
THE NINTH HELL
The exit rift pulsed—a shimmering mouth of salvation.
The Death Queen shoved Luo Feng through first.
Li Qing froze the rift's edges to slow the closing.
Behind them, the Fox Spirit's laughter echoed through collapsing dimensions, followed by the Void Emperor's roar:
"YOU CAN'T BURN FOREVER, LITTLE FOX."
Her reply came singed at the edges:
"Watch me."
Then—
Silence.
The rift sealed.
Luo Feng's new claw-mark throbbed.
[Escape Complete: Nine Hells Survival Bonus]
[Reward: 1x Unpaid Debt to a Fox]
[Penalty: Heart Now Heavier Than Black Holes]
The plush demons quietly began sewing a Nine-Tails memorial plushie.
END OF CHAPTER 60