Smells great, AJ thought as she stirred the pot of asparagus soup, using both of her hands to fight against the thickness of the meal.

  The dish AJ was entrusted to handle featured dryad hair, which she tried, and the leafy protein had a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that reminded her of spinach, although she wasn’t courageous enough to have a taste of Hell-chili and just added it, following the recipe she was told.

  For meat, she added flesh chopped evenly by her assistant, Aida, who was nowhere to be found. AJ was told the meat originated from the offspring of a giant wolf named Fenrir. She guessed the Geneticist wasn’t too happy about cutting up a dead dog like that.

  AJ reached for a cup of Elven garlic and garnished the meal just as Sylvie approached her side to observe.

  “You’re exceptional,” the freckled-faced blonde said.

  AJ blushed and looked away. “No, you’re just saying that,” she said in her disguised voice.

  “I’m not. Like I said, the demons here are morons.” Sylvie neared AJ. “Listen… running a kitchen in a cafeteria like this is not what I want. I am happy Gill set this up for me, but I plan for so much more.”

  AJ stayed focused on the pot and asked, “Like what?”

  “When Gill achieves his goal. I will be running the restaurants,” Sylvie said.

  “What is Gill’s goal?”

  “Ascension,” she said and then paused. “I don’t want to ruin the surprise with too many details,” she added. “What you need to know is that it’ll give a certain quality of life other creatures deem demons undeserving of.”

  AJ let her eyes wander from the pot and focused on Sylvie as she turned and pressed her backside onto a counter.

  A solemn look took over Sylvie’s face as she watched her horde of underlings scrambling the kitchen, trying to follow her recipes. “No offense to you, but you being a Beta-Demon means that you are, technically, deserving of suffering, but what about those born as demons? Including the lower-level ones who did nothing wrong…”

  AJ spun the dial on the stove, lowering the heat. She had no idea how the thing worked but didn’t waste any more time theorizing since, like most of the new strange things introduced in her life, the answer was most likely to just be magic.

  “Most creatures assume that living down here for so long means that we all adapted to the conditions of the Netherworld, but that’s not true. Not all demons like the darkness, you know? Some can even get hurt by hellfire. Those who reside near the prisons and torture chambers don’t take a liking to the nonstop agonizing screams. Most are mean because of the environment; it forces them to, and also because of their Mana.”

  “Mana?”

  Sylvie eyed AJ and chuckled. “Lots misunderstand how fundamental the Mana system is. A poor Mana system can also influence mood, motivation, and even, yes, longevity. The Mana that permeates the air of the Netherworld is…”

  “Tainted?”

  “There’s a word for it,” Sylvie said and nodded. “Taking care of the Mana system is overlooked. Some demons don’t realize that the reason they can’t defeat other creatures of higher sections of this bottom layer, like elves, fairies, sylphs, and even higher up like angels, has nothing to do with their White Magic, but instead, it’s because of their Mana, which is kept healthy thanks to the food they consume. Things like harpy feathers, pegasus meat, and fairy dust help clean the Mana systems and enable a better quality of life.

  “We have those who venture off to the other Realms of the bottom layers, risking their lives, to collect a variety of herbs and spices and smuggle them back here for us to cook with. It’s not even just about contributing to a healthier Mana system but ensuring food tastes better. Is that really a privilege demons don’t have a right to indulge themselves in? But the rest don’t care about that. The moment any of us step foot outside of the Netherrealm, we are attacked. Even with Seals broken, demons don’t go to the Human Realm as much because they know they would be stopped by either angels or those of the Tainted Generation.”

  With how vehement she yelled at her demonic subordinates, AJ assumed Sylvie bore no affection toward demonkind, but the look in her eyes at that moment was undeniable. It was motherly the way she looked at them. A true patriot of demonkind.

  AJ pushed her brows together and looked down at the stone floor tiles, wondering why she felt she was being swayed by Sylvie’s words. Those weren’t underprivileged humans she was talking about; they were demons!

  All demons just want to kill humans… right? AJ thought and then decided to test her theory herself.

  “Do you hate humans—?”

  “Yes,” Sylvie said sharply. “Even more than the angels.” She looked at AJ and reached for one of her horns, looking like a child as she reached up. “But I have every reason to hate the angels more—”

  “Why?”

  Sylvie brushed AJ’s horn and pulled back. “Tell me, J, do you feel your sentencing was fair? Do you believe you deserved to go to the netherworld to spend your afterlife?”

  AJ stammered, and Sylvie released a bizarre giggle.

  “Ehehehehehehe.” came out of Sylvie, and she raised her hand to cover her mouth. Afterward, her eyes darted to something behind AJ. She urgently grabbed a lid on the counter and placed it over the pot. “Let it simmer, now you go prepare a salad. Use whatever you want, but make sure you at least use Mana Seeds,” she said and hurried away.

  After hearing those words, a jolt of excitement rose inside AJ. As she turned to watch the chef in charge, Sylvie’s abrasive side was shown again as she crossed paths with Aida and screamed at her for being in the way.

  Aida, looking even smaller in her oversized chef’s coat like a boy wearing their father’s suit, came in AJ’s direction while glancing back at Sylvie.

  AJ didn’t wait for Aida to get to her and beat her to it. “Where have you been—?”

  “Wait, you see that?” Aida said in her regular voice.

  AJ looked in the direction Aida was observing. Near the other end of the vast kitchen, Sylvie approached a demon pushing a steel commercial cart overfilled with food: meats, vegetables, fruits, and baskets stocked with red packets.

  One of them fell, and Sylvie reached down to grab it and throw it back onto the top of the overflowing basket.

  “That’s frozen human blood,” Aida said.

  AJ looked over to Aida and switched back to her human voice. “How do you…?”

  Aida tapped her nose with a grin that AJ hated everything about.

  Right, she has super senses, too…

  They both went back to focusing on Sylvie as she accompanied the demon pushing the cart to a large arched door that made a horrible creak and then produced a thundering sound as it slammed shut after they entered.

  AJ looked over to the two regular-looking doors on the other side of the kitchen, one leading to the cafeteria and one to where servers give the eaters their meals.

  Then, the noisy door creaked open—Sylvie and the demon returned. The demon was now pushing an empty cart. She dismissed him, and they went their separate ways.

  AJ jumped along with some demons after the door slammed shut.

  “That’s not the first time it happened. I’ve been observing,” Aida said.

  And, yet, AJ failed to notice something that loud. Being too absorbed in the cooking… she let out a sigh. So Aida was doing something extremely useful for their mission. A part of her had hoped that she was slacking off, but no, she was making a valuable contribution, just like how, despite being the newest member of the Infirmary team, her contributions far outweighed AJ’s, who had been there since the beginning.

  As Aida began to talk again, AJ walked away from her.

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Hey, were you listening?” Aida said, walking behind her. “AJ?”

  AJ clenched her teeth and sped up towards a double door in her sight. Aida appeared in front of her in an instant. “AJ!”

  It was foolish to think she was faster than Aida. She got rid of the idea of trying to push Aida out of the way as soon as it popped into her mind—the half-kitsune was probably stronger than her, too.

  The thought of Aida possessing immense physical strength while maintaining her slim, tiny figure was outrageously unfair.

  AJ would’ve included heavier weights in her workout if she wasn’t afraid of her muscles developing even more, shaping her body into more of a guy-repellent.

  She stepped around Aida and entered the storage area.

  The room was slightly bigger than the kitchen, with a high ceiling and shelves that reached it. Numerous chefs were swarming the area, running in and out with ingredients.

  AJ walked down the aisle looking for Mana Seeds, and Aida was beside her.

  “AJ,” Aida said and continued in a whisper. “That was the fifth time they walked past those doors with all that food and returned with the cart empty. It looks to me like someone has a massive appetite, or should I say cravings? Like someone carrying a demonic fetus. I think whatever is behind that door leads to Kimberly’s location.”

  “Or maybe just a group of special demons or something.”

  “Sure, but I think it is worth checking out.”

  And just like that, her opinion was disregarded instantly. AJ clenched her teeth, even harder this time, feeling pain travel to her gums. “Okay,” she said, giving Aida a look.

  If it wasn’t for the Geneticist, AJ might’ve been able to revel in all the wondrous smells in the air.

  “That’s it? Just “okay”?” Aida said, and then started ranting about something AJ had paid no attention to.

  AJ approached a triple-horned demon crouched before a box of dragon eggs and asked where she could find the Mana Seeds. After getting the information, she sped toward the end of the aisle and turned left. Of course, Aida had no trouble keeping up.

  As she took another left and marched forward, AJ found the shelf containing the Mana Seeds. That’s right when she decided to pay attention to Aida again.

  “Are you listening to me?” Aida said.

  “Yes,” AJ said and didn’t need to feel bad. It was technically right since she had decided to start listening again. She looked up and spotted a wooden box carved in front with a demonic text, which her enhanced brain translated to: “MANA SEEDS.” AJ reached up and grabbed hold of it without needing to use the ladders in the area.

  Numerous drawstring see-through pouches filled the box, making her smile wide.

  AJ crouched and picked up the small bags one by one. Enamored by the range of shapes and colors she was seeing.

  She learned about the magic seeds a little after the brothers returned to Winterberry after their escapade in Switzerland. The book she found covering them explained that the Seeds contained magical genetic information made up of three components like normal seeds from her world where things made sense (well, for the most part): the embryo, the endosperm, and the coat.

  The endosperm was the seed’s internal energy source of Mana… that even those without Mana affinity could benefit from.

  “So, do you want to help me come up with a plan, AJ?” Aida said as she crouched.

  Again, AJ ignored her as she examined a pouch of cube-shaped seeds marked with swirls.

  The book also stated that direct consumption of the seeds can grant favorable effects on the consumer’s Mana System.

  Cooks and farmers across the Realms experiment and cultivate with Mana Seeds, letting them grow into trees or flowers that produce fruit that can have various favorable or unfavorable effects on the consumer. They were also used to create Mana potions.

  Those with little to no Mana affinity had to put in a herculean effort for their Mana Pores to open up, ranging from fasting to sacrificial rituals. And even after opening, absorbing the Mana that permeated the universe was difficult, but consuming Mana Seeds were game-changers. They could, potentially, force open the Pores, and with potions made from them, the Mana system of a regular Joe could be filled, although it didn’t mean they would be skilled with magic. AJ knew. She checked.

  Then, she noticed something on the lower shelf before her that she would’ve had no chance of seeing without crouching. It was a black stone box, and in front of it, the words—BLOOD SEEDS were carved into it.

  AJ put the transparent pouch of Mana Seeds back into the wooden box, pushed it aside, and then pulled the stone box to her.

  It landed with a loud thump.

  The warm-colored seeds inside the pouches shook and made a droning noise.

  AJ’s eyes widened with wonder as she analyzed the multicolored seeds with tiny, crumpled faces. Her hand moved forward on its own but was stopped by a firm wrist grab.

  “What are you doing?” Aida said sternly. “Do you know what those are?”

  “I know how to read, Aida,” AJ snapped.

  “Blood Seeds are—”

  “A type of Mana Seed that makes Blood Pacts with humans,” AJ finished. “I know.”

  Aida’s mouth fell open a bit, but she didn’t let go of her wrist. “You’ve spent a lot of time in the Library, huh?” she said and smiled.

  AJ frowned. Why on earth was she smiling? Does the mockery ever end with her?

  “Yeah, I did,” AJ answered. “Can I have my hand back?”

  It took a while, but eventually, Aida let go. “Look, I’m just telling you to be careful because if one of those Seeds bites you—”

  “A Blood Pact will be made,” AJ began as she rubbed her wrist. “Working almost in the same way as a summoning spell.”

  The rubbing prompted Aida to focus on AJ’s wrist. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  “I’m fine,” AJ said, her voice with the sharpness of a razor blade, and then resumed. “The embryo will burst out of the coat and follow any orders given while the Pact is in effect,” she said, then shot a glare.

  Aida closed her mouth, and her lips narrowed as she focused on AJ. “Do you have a problem with me?”

  Realizing it was time to dial it back, AJ stayed silent for a while, reassessing herself and forcing a smile. “No, no, no. Sorry, I’m just… stressed. We are in Hell, after all.”

  Aida stared and then said. “Okay…”

  AJ didn’t know if Aida bought it or not, but in truth, she didn’t really care.

  “You want to get behind that door, right?” AJ said. “So, we need a distraction—”

  “AJ, no!” Aida barked and pushed the box away with her feet.

  “The Blood Pacts are only in effect as long as I give it my blood.”

  “There are still risks.”

  Risks of me being able to be useful with the supernatural, AJ thought. That’s what you’re really afraid of.

  “I think I can sneak in without being seen,” Aida said.

  “What about the noise?”

  Aida showed her teeth and looked down. “I’ll… figure something out. You just go about cooking like you were until I can find an opening. Okay?”

  AJ glanced at the Blood Seeds. “Okay.”

  The Geneticist paced around the kitchen, picking up random cooking equipment and ingredients near her and placing them in a different spot, hoping her charade of trying to look productive was at least a little convincing.

  As her legs moved and her hands grabbed things, her eyes locked on the arched door of mysteries. Despite her senses not picking up anything distinct from behind it, she was convinced it was somehow related to the inseminated young woman.

  There was a possibility of it being food delivered to the prisons where they held condemned souls, but such extravagant food for prisoners? No. There was human blood in that bundle of food, most likely virgin human blood, which was a luxury. It wouldn’t make sense to waste on a collection of creatures that even other demons deemed unfit to live in a literal hellish society. There was AJ’s suggestion about a group of privileged demons...

  Aida dodged a chef dashing in her direction and settled at a pastry station. The sin of gluttony was fully displayed as several demons decorated a barrage of cakes. Not a single one seemed happy. It was clearly a modern touch added to the Netherworld by the likes of Gill. Aida wondered if any demon in the Realm actually liked the changes.

  She grabbed a mixing bowl and a whisk, pretending to make something as she fixated on the door, weaving through her bad ideas in hopes of finding a good one.

  Most of them involved using her kitsune form to run in just before the door closed, but there were so many different kinds of demons in the room one of them might have good enough sight to detect her, not to mention her kitsune energy was a problem, too. Using it would be just as much of a liability as using her Healer’s Garb.

  Other ideas included Tsukikaze, but the reasons for them not being viable were the same.

  Just when it seemed like a good idea was about to form, the swell of strange energy cut through her thoughts and forced her to pay attention to it. It was Black Magic but felt… rough and brittle, as if bumpy wood was pressing against her skin.

  The sensation had her and every demon in the kitchen staring in the same direction.

  There was a little tree trunk… with wooden legs in the center of the kitchen. It jumped onto the counter and danced, lifting one leg at a time as its crown grew quickly. Branches and twigs split and extended into the air as dark green foliage enlarged, growing denser by the second until the entire ceiling was covered in a canopy of green.

  Hundreds of bright pink flowers with a round shape bloomed; they lit up like tiny lanterns.

  They were the perfect Trojan Horses.

  The tree shook its crown, causing the flowers to fall gently from the canopy. One curious demon reached up with his hand in an open palm and grabbed it. He enjoyed about 5 seconds of bliss examining the flower up close, and then vomit violently ejected out of him. His body writhed as the stream of puke gushing out darkened, turning a sickly dark red color. He collapsed, but the spewing of bodily fluids didn’t stop.

  Other demons were suffering the same fate after letting the flowers touch them. Pandemonium commenced as demons panicked, some slipping on vomit or tripping over the ailed victims cradled on the floor, wishing for the torture to stop.

  “Who mixed human blood with a Blood Seed?” Sylvie shouted, her voice showcasing how she was ready to kill any soul she even slightly suspected.

  Aida moved gently but quickly, avoiding flowers touching her, and found AJ in the mass panic.

  She stood still and stared at the fully grown Blood Seed with an open-mouth smile on her demonified face. The falling flowers were avoiding her as if an invisible barrier surrounded her.

  “AJ!” Aida called.

  AJ turned to her without getting rid of her smile.

  “Did you do this?”

  “Yeah… I did that,” she said softly and let out a chuckle. “And I can’t even use magic. Isn’t that pretty cool?”

  Aida’s face fell upon studying the malevolence in her dark golden eyes. She looked less like a human disguised as a Beta-Demon and more like a Natural-Born Demon.

  “AJ—”

  “What’re you waiting for?” She said absently and turned back to her creation. “Now’s our chance.”

  Anderson’s Medical Fun Facts: The 'Doctrine of Signatures' was a popular concept centuries ago. This was the concept that God 'stamped' on plants the keys to determining which herbs should be utilized for specific diseases. The size, form, and color of the plant, as well as if it matched a bodily part or trait, would affect which herbs were picked for medicinal reasons (No, really, this is a fact in our world as well).