Chapter 58: The Importance of Looks for Demons

"They really look quite impressive! Worthy of the name succubus," Muria commented as he examined the eight voluptuous and alluring succubi within the summoning circle, nodding appreciatively.

However, he soon frowned, "Those hooves really spoil the picture." Standing in the summoning circle, the succubi matched their descriptions from the books: humanoid demons with attractive faces and curvaceous figures, but marred by horns on their heads, small black wings on their backs, and disturbingly, legs that ended in beast-like hooves.

"Roar, succubi!" At Muria's feet, the red dragon Austin lit up at the sight of the succubi, and was about to charge forward to vent his pent-up desires.

"Hold on!" Seeing Austin about to rush in, Muria quickly stepped on his tail to stop him.

"Muria, what are you doing?" Austin turned back to glare at Muria. "Don't interfere!"

"Let's clear things up first." Muria kept his foot on Austin's tail, addressing the other two dragons who were also eager to advance, "As I promised earlier, each of you gets one succubus."

"Just one?" Andre was agitated to hear he'd get only one succubus, especially since eight had been summoned. "Although there are eight succubi and that's not enough for the three of us, each should at least get two, right? Why only one?"

"Two? Heh, one succubus is already more than you can handle. Two succubi, and you're looking to exhaust yourself," Muria scoffed, imperiously waving his hand. "Each dragon gets only one succubus. Take it or leave it; the rest are mine."

"Muria, what do you want with succubi?" Austin stared down Muria angrily. "You already have so many females. Why compete with us? Besides, you're still just a youth; you can't do anything yet."

"Ha!" Muria looked down at the twenty-six-meter-long red dragon beneath his foot. "I think I need a succubus dance troupe. Is that a problem?"

"You want succubi to dance for you?" Albert looked at Muria in disbelief. "How could you do that?"

"Not satisfied?" Muria smirked derisively. "Then come at me. I'm giving you a chance. I'll fight you one-handed. If you win, all the succubi are yours. How about that?"

Hearing Muria's challenge, Andre immediately moved towards the succubi in the circle, visibly shaking: "One succubus is enough for me."

"I think one is enough too," Albert agreed, wisely following Andre towards the circle.

"Muria, let me go, those two jerks are picking the prettiest ones!" Austin saw his brothers choosing among the succubi and grew anxious.

"So, you're not challenging me?"

"Even if my brain was scorched by fire, I wouldn't challenge you," Austin snorted disdainfully.

"Boring." Muria found the response from the once most defiant dragon uninteresting and lifted his foot. Instantly, Austin shot out like an arrow from a bow.

"Agh!" Muria watched in disbelief as Austin pinned a succubus to the ground, tearing at her scanty clothing and eliciting a terrified scream from the abyssal beauty.

"Damn you." Muria cursed as he saw the red dragon about to mount the succubus right in public. "You and the succubi you choose, get out of my sight. Do whatever you want where I can't see."

"Always so many problems." Austin grumbled at Muria's command, but upon seeing Muria's thunderous expression and the spear in his hand, he quickly grabbed the succubus he had chosen, flapped his vast wings, and took to the skies.

The other two dragons followed their brother, each clutching their chosen succubus, and disappeared from Muria's view.

"Your Highness, what should we do with these five succubi?" A storm giant, sword still dripping with blood, asked after the three red dragons had left the arena.

"Let them live!" Muria glanced at the storm giant, who seemed almost addicted to killing demons.

"But, Your Highness, these are demons!"

"I know. A few succubi without even gold-tier strength; I plan to keep a few as pets," Muria said nonchalantly. "Aren't you all here to watch them?"

"Alright! If these demons make any suspicious moves, my sword will let them know their place," the storm giant said reluctantly, stepping back.

"Take them away!" Muria looked at the trembling succubi huddled together in the circle and called over a few cloud giant maidens to escort these terrified creatures away.

Unlike other demons, succubi in the Abyss are among the few with higher intelligence. However

, surrounded by countless giants, they were terrified.

"Five succubi are not enough!" Muria stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Keep summoning, I want at least ten."

As the summoning circle activated once more, a blood-red figure appeared amidst a crimson glow of evil light, immediately emitting a dissatisfied roar.

"What is this?" Muria observed the newly summoned "big cat" in the circle, a smile forming on his lips: "A Blood Lion Demon."

In the circle, the smooth-furred, fanged blood demon lion roared irritably, its sharp claws scratching at the circle's edge. It hated arriving in unfamiliar places, even if it was the material realm. But as it surveyed its surroundings...

"Meow?" The Blood Lion Demon was confused. This place seemed off; too many giants around that seemed as powerful as itself. It tentatively mewed, shrinking back, and looked at the circle, wondering if it could send it back.

"Your Highness!" A storm giant holding an axe looked to Muria for instructions, his eyes eager for a fight. Blood Lion Demons were formidable gold-tier demonic beasts.

"Catch it and tame it," Muria ordered with a smile. The Blood Lion Demon, similar in appearance to an ordinary lion but larger and with blood-red fur and bone spurs making it look more ferocious, was exactly Muria's idea of a flashy pet.

"As you wish, Your Highness." The giants, though puzzled by Muria's order not to kill the Blood Lion Demon, followed his command.

Within three minutes, the demon's paws were securely bound, and it was brought before Muria.

"Very sensible!" Muria looked down at the majestic blood-colored lion. Feline intelligence was high in his previous world, and evidently here as well.

"This Blood Lion Demon likes to eat demon flesh." Muria turned to look at the piles of demon remains, "I know how to dispose of these now."

"Snap!" Muria unleashed a wind blade, severing the ropes binding the demon. It was too sensible to remain tied up.

Then, to the puzzled gaze of the great lion, Muria pointed towards a pile of demon remains, "Go, clean that up."

"Roar!" The Blood Lion Demon growled softly and obediently stood up. It trotted towards the indicated pile of corpses.

"Seems one Blood Lion Demon isn't enough to handle all these bodies!" Muria muttered, "Need to summon a few more."

"This one's too ugly, kill it!"

"That stinks, kill it!"

"Ah, what's this? A Fire Demon." Muria was intrigued by the appearance of several new demons in the summoning circle, each enveloped in flames, looking rather impressive.

"Don't kill these, let them submit to me," Muria directed at the flaming demons.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Several cloud giants grinned, approaching the Fire Demons in the circle, whose flames were flickering uncertainly as they feared.

Though many demons were idiots, not all were; some possessed higher intelligence, though rarely used it as they relied on brute strength in combat. In the demon's view, strength was always more reliable than intelligence.

"Great being, we are willing to sign a contract and become your slaves," the nine summoned Fire Demons quickly offered after a good 'education' from the cloud giants, trembling as they knelt before Muria.

"Sign a contract to become my slaves?" Muria looked disdainfully at the Fire Demons. "You're too trashy. To be my slaves, you'd at least need to evolve into true Flame Demons. For now, you're not qualified."

"Go aside. If you're hungry, go clean up those corpses," Muria commanded, then instructed the nearby giants, "These demons are only to stay in the arena. If they try to leave, whoever sees them can kill them on the spot."

The slender demons with emaciated wings obediently moved towards the pile of demon corpses, cautiously avoiding the Blood Lion Demon and feasting on the remnants.

"Keep summoning," Muria glanced away, now just looking for some entertainment.

As time passed, both the giants and the red dragons came to understand which demons Muria would choose to kill and which could temporarily live. Ugly demons were definitely doomed; only those that Muria found visually appealing and not too odorous had a chance of surviving.