Operation Catch the Angel - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In Hell, just got off the plane.

I was an off-the-books employee of Hell, assigned under the Underworld, and had traveled all this way to Hell for a three-year exchange posting.

The one who came to pick me up was a Red-haired Fallen Angel, with black horns coiling from his head, sharp and slender.

When he smiled, he looked like a gorgeous, bewitching red spider lily, his gaze teasing as it fell on me.

The scenery of Hell slowly unfurled behind him. He spread his arms and said, “I am Asmodeus. Welcome to Hell.”

It should have been a very cool scene.

But my gaze passed right over him and went to the horizon.

The sky of Hell was an endless bloodred. A cold crescent moon hung across that scarlet curtain, which made the blazing white fireball especially eye-catching. Silver light poured from it like a torrent, almost melting the gloomy sky.

I made the snap decision to summon my sword, step onto it, and run. Only after flying some distance away did I suddenly remember there was still a fallen angel behind me, so I kindly turned back to warn him, “Hey! Asmo-something, there’s a fireball flying at you from behind.”

He looked back and immediately cursed. “Those birdmen are here. They really are haunting us.”

Birdmen?

My mind instinctively supplied an image of Jumang, with his bird body and human face.

Wait. That was an Eastern specialty.

A closer look told me they were actually angels.

The one in the lead was a six-winged angel, beautiful enough to stop the heart. Snowy hair, pale skin, like a handful of fresh snow scooped from a high mountain. Blue steel fire burned in his azure eyes, cold and bone-deep, with killing intent sharp enough to freeze the air.

“Stop staring. What’s so interesting about those rigid birdmen?” Asmodeus flapped his enormous black wings, blocking my view.

As I ran for my life, I still found time to ask, “Aren’t you guys birdmen too?”

Asmodeus immediately started cursing. “Not the same. We are noble birdmen. No, we are not birdmen, but you are one foolish Easterner!”

In a small voice, I muttered in Chinese, “The foreigner got tilted.”

Asmodeus roared, “Here, you’re the foreigner!”

Chapter 2

As an exchange worker sent by the Underworld, my main assignment from Lord Yama was to study, observe, slack off for three years, and then go back to the Underworld to report in.

Asmodeus was in charge of my daily needs. Outside work hours, he took me around every day to poke cats, tease dogs, and watch drama wherever it was happening.

While wandering through the square, I saw the Hellhound lying there at rest. Its posture was majestic, and even the breath it snorted from its nose could knock a person over. The Three-headed Hound half rose on alert, but when its six crimson eyes saw the exchange-study badge hanging on my chest, it leisurely closed its eyes again.

“Heck yeah, doggo!”

“Cerberus,” Asmodeus said, slanting a glance at the Three-headed Hound as he lazily explained, “was originally supposed to guard the River Styx. But ever since Hell imported a batch of paper guards from your side, it has had a lot more free time, so it occasionally comes back to stroll around.”

After a pause, he said, “Come on. It doesn’t like dealing with people. Be careful, or when it sees an outsider like you, it might bite your head clean off.”

Me: “Psst.”

One dog head’s ears twitched. It opened one eye and stared at me.

Asmodeus: “…”

Me: “Psst, psst.”

All three of Cerberus’s heads lifted. Its ears pricked up, and its crimson eyes stared fixedly at me. For a brief moment, a very human bewilderment showed in them, as if even it didn’t understand why it couldn’t help looking over the instant it heard that sound.

The corner of Asmodeus’s mouth twitched, and his expression changed slightly.

Me: “Pssssst-”

Asmodeus smacked the back of my head, then wrapped the black wing behind him around to my front, blocking the Three-headed Hound’s gaze. “Stop psst-ing! You really dared to tease it?!”

I loudly declared, “Without doggos, Earth wouldn’t even spin!”

The red-haired young man rolled his eyes, lightly patted my head with the tip of his wing, and said helplessly, “Enough nonsense. Come on, let’s go buy something to eat.”

Under Cerberus’s solemn gaze, I reluctantly left the square with the Red-haired Fallen Angel.