526. Netherworld Dungeon
Now Entering [Dungeon: Remnants of the First Demon Kingdom]
I was in a Dungeon. I had been in plenty of Dungeons before it wasnt unfamiliar territory to . I knew what to expect whenever I entered one. According to the Adventurers Guild back in the Mortal Realm, Dungeons ford when multiple monster Lairs were clustered close together.
It was a simple enough definition. So there was no reason for to be gaping in shock at what I saw. But this was the Netherworld. There werent monsters here. There werent Dungeons here.
At least, that was what I thought. But evidently enough, I was wrong.
I swept my gaze over my surroundings. I stood in a vast circular chamber with black brick flooring. The ceiling was made of the sa white rock that blanketed the Netherworld, but it was carved into a do overhead. Chandeliers hung overhead, carrying these inert crystals that seed like they would have glinted with light long ago.
But this place was completely abandoned. A relic of the ancient past. Rusted weapons lay at my feet, and broken armor was scattered around the floor. It looked like a battle had taken place here long ago. Bits of rubble and debris were clumped together around the corners of the room. If there had been furniture here once before, there was none now.
Four different doorways led out of the room, but two of them had collapsed, leaving only the exits just ahead of and to the right. I frowned as I took in this scene.
The Remnants of the First Demon Kingdom, huh?
I wondered if that ant there was a Demon King before Regnorex ca about. Or maybe it ant that this was Regnorexs first attempt at creating a kingdom? I wasnt sure. I was curious about what it ant. I wanted to delve down into one of those corridors leading further down this strange structure.
But first, I needed to [Rest]. So I did.
--
Defeated [Archarachne - Lvl. 169]!
Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy at least 10 levels above you!
Less experience is awarded for defeating an enemy with the help of others!
Defeated [Hellwolf - Lvl. 90]!
Little-to-no experience is awarded for defeating an enemy at least 50 levels below you!
Class [Draconic Apprentice] Level Up!
[Draconic Apprentice - Lvl. 125] -> [Draconic Apprentice - Lvl. 126]
Gained 2 Secondary Skill Points!
I had killed a lot of wild Demons on my way here to this mountain. But most of them offered very little experience. So I didnt level up well, I did level up in my Class, but not in my Subspecies. Even though I had partially helped with killing a Prival Demon with my [Sacred Hellfire].
But I could tell I was getting close to my next level. Which would bring to Level 159. After that, I would reach Level 160. And I was getting a little bit excited about it. Which seed quite odd or at least, I would have found it odd to be excited about a regular level up before I hit my Level 150 evolution.
Now, I knew that every five levels, Id get a Grand Skill Point. Well it seed like I would receive a Grand Skill Point for every five levels. After reaching Level 155, I was awarded a Grand Skill Point that I ended up spending on [My Flas Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends]. My [Divine Essence of the Angelic Devil Princess] couldnt level yet, but I knew it could in the future. So for now, most of my Grand Skill Points went to what was available.
I still hadnt seen the brand new effects of my leveled Grand Skill, so maybe it wasnt really much of an improvent. However, I hoped it was sothing good.
I could test it out now it had been quite a while since I entered the Dungeon, and I was mostly recovered. But I decided against it. I was going to save [My Flas Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends] for when it was necessary.
I considered sending my clones out to investigate the rest of the Dungeon while I was resting. I could only summon nine of them right now. I still had one left in the Mortal Realm she was guarding over my children just as I instructed her. Together with Willy, she would keep Novis, Bellum, and Oriur safe. Or at least, I hoped that was the case.
I didnt actually know what she was doing back there. The mont I had crossed through the planes and exited the Mortal Realm, I lost all connection with her. But I knew that she was . Maybe not as as I was. And yet, she was still a replica of . And she would hold the sa regard to my children as .
And I knew she was alive since I couldnt muster up the magic to summon ten of my clones. However, I didnt even summon a single one of my clones to scout the area, because if sothing happened to them and they died, they would explode, and the blast could potentially alert the Demons outside. I could still hear the fighting the crackle of thunder, and the howling of [Hellhounds]. The occasional muffled explosion was audible even from where I stood, but I knew that as long as I didnt leave this Dungeon, whatever was happening outside wouldnt bother .
It was strange. I never thought that the Netherworld would ever change so drastically. But it did. It wasnt the corruption, nor was it a natural disaster. It seed to ravage the entirety of the Netherworld as far as I could see when I was above the mountaintop.
I sighed and got to my feet.
No use wondering whats been happening
I murmured to myself as I raised my head. I was fully recovered now. The Netherworld was collapsing or whatever, and I didnt want to deal with Level 181 [Hellabominations] flying around. So I decided to do the only thing I could do right now.
Ti to investigate this Dungeon.
I marched forward as I dragged a Divine Nebular Scythe behind . I had created it during the free ti I had while resting. It took a while considering it was a rather powerful weapon. But I was glad I didnt need to activate my [Divine Essence of the Angelic Devil Princess] to even use Divine Essence like I had to before my evolution.
I started down the dark corridor as my footfalls echoed around . I created a ball of glowing gray flas, shining light ahead so I could see where I was going. I swept my gaze around as I began to descend down a winding path.
This corridor was clearly artificial, but it was designed like a cave tunnel. As if the architects who built this place didnt know how a regular corridor worked. There were markings on the walls etchings that had once contained magic within them, although the power had now faded, and these scratch marks were all that remained.
I narrowed my eyes. I couldnt read these words. Even with [Universal Language Comprehension] at Level 2, the symbols on the walls were gibberish to . And maybe they were.
I searched for anything that could give a clue about what this place was any hints as to why this place was built, or how it had fallen. The corridor continued winding until it led to a small room. It was about ten feet across still relatively large, but tiny compared to that vast chamber I had previously been in.
There was an altar in the center of the room. A stone tablet lay horizontally on the altar, and a jagged knife was left at its side. Another doorway continued on to a descending corridor with a statue waiting to its right, but I glanced down to see an inert spell circle carved into the ground.
This is a summoning ritual?
I poked the ground a few tis with a frown. I closed my eyes, focusing on my spatial senses I tried to reach for any remnants of mana strands left behind. But I found nothing. This place must have been abandoned such an incredibly long ti ago, there was no residual mana left from even this ritual circle.
I tapped a finger on my chin as I walked up to the altar. I inspected the tablet, but it was just a blank slate. If it had words written on it before, it had faded long ago.
Why is everything here made out of stone, anyway? Cant the Demon King just bring over paper from the Mortal Realm?
I wondered aloud as I shook my head, before picking up the jagged dagger. Its tal surface imdiately collapsed and turned to dust. I blinked. I stared at the hilt of the blade as my brows snapped together. I sensed motes of mana dissipating into the air with the broken blade, before shrugging.
Weird.
I tossed the hilt aside and continued down to the next hallway. I passed by the statue, but barely paid it a glance. I would have entered the hallway, if the statue didnt move.
Wait, what
I backed away as [Angelic Premonition] blared in my head just in ti. I leapt back as the statute swung down with a clawed hand, narrowly missing my face. I flipped in the air and landed on the inert ritual circle as I frowned.
Who are you?
The statue drew back as its entire body creaked. It had the body of a [Hellhound], but it stood on two legs. It reached out two clawed hands, hissing as it bared its fangs. I stared at it as it eyed with a pair of crimson eyes.
[Gargoyle - Lvl. 161]
A Prival Demon?
I blinked. And the [Gargoyle] lashed out.
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