Chapter 177: Key to the Abyss
Throne Room – Demon Domain
"So, what bad news is it this time?"
The voice that echoed through the obsidian-pillared hall carried a pressure so heavy that the air itself seemed to grow thinner. Orien, the Demon Prince, sat upon a dark throne, his gaze locked on the trembling figure kneeling before him.
The demon on the ground was sweating profusely. His skin was pale, his wings stiff, and his throat dry. No amount of mental preparation could ease the choking fear pressing against his heart.
He had seen with his own eyes what happened to those who failed to deliver good news. This time, he knew, he was likely next.
"M-My p-prince... a few days ago, we dispatched another batch of infiltrators into the Elven continent," he began, voice barely a whisper. "But... the moment they crossed the barrier, they all... they all died instantly."
He swallowed hard, his eyes flicking up for the briefest second before darting back down.
"The ones who were already stationed inside... all communication with them has been severed. Every trace of them vanished. All signs point to only one possibility—"
A sultry voice cut through his words like silk sliding over a dagger.
"The World Tree is awake, isn’t it?"
Lilith, the seductive Demoness known both for her allure and cruelty, was lounging on Orien’s lap, her head resting lazily against his chest.
She traced idle patterns on his arm with a sharp claw, her expression one of casual amusement, as though she were talking about a minor inconvenience rather than a catastrophic development.
"Y-Yes," the demon stammered, nearly biting his tongue as he confirmed the worst truth.
A deep silence fell over the room, heavy and suffocating. Even the flickering blue flames of the sconces seemed to dim for a moment. Orien’s fingers curled ever so slightly over the armrest, his expression unreadable.
"Anything else?" he asked, voice deceptively calm.
"N-No, my prince..."
"Did you find out how the World Tree awakened? Was there external help involved? And what of the spies we had near the Council members? Any reports from them?"
"W-We have no concrete evidence regarding who or what may have aided in its recovery. However, there are rumors... that the Elven Queen herself has been traveling across the continent. She’s been healing the wounded, curing illnesses, and aiding the poor... all without asking for anything in return. And the spies—every last one of them—is confirmed dead."
Orien’s fingers stopped tapping. His voice sharpened with a sudden intensity.
"What about that human? The one who’s been interfering. Do we have any updates on his movements?"
"I-I’m sorry, my prince. I don’t know. I wasn’t given that assignment. I was only tasked with reporting back what we found..."
Orien’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly, but then he leaned back against the throne and waved his hand.
"You may leave. But before you go, pass along a message to Marbas. Tell him that if he ever sends someone else to report in his place again, I will personally remove his head and feed it to the crows."
The demon froze in place, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Also," Orien continued, voice unchanging, "Tell him to come to me immediately. And summon the Visionary as well. I want them both standing before me within a minute."
"Y-Y-Yes, Prince Orien! Thank you... thank you for sparing me..."
The demon bowed so low that his forehead hit the floor with a dull thud, then quickly scrambled away, not daring to look back.
When the doors finally closed behind him, Lilith let out a soft giggle, brushing her lips close to Orien’s neck.
"You didn’t kill him this time? That’s rare for you..."
Orien stared into the distance, his voice colder than the Void.
"No. Because there is someone else I want to kill even more."
Lilith grinned as if she had just heard the most delightful thing in the world.
"You’re not planning to go out there yourself, are you? Let me take care of it. Give me one month, and I’ll drag those insects to their knees, begging for mercy."
Orien gave her a brief glance and replied without emotion, "It is not yet time for you to act."
Just then, the temperature in the throne room dropped a few degrees. A swirl of shadow and smoke materialized near the base of the throne, and two figures stepped out.
Marbas, the Demon General, fell to his knees instantly and banged his forehead against the black marble floor, not once but twice, loud enough to echo.
"I accept full responsibility for not delivering the information personally, my prince. I stand ready for whatever punishment you deem fit."
The Visionary also kneeled beside him, he was in his human form with young appearance and thin glasses.
Orien looked down at Marbas, his fingers tapping slowly and rhythmically against the armrest, each tap echoing softly across the silent hall.
"Was that human involved in any way with this?" Orien asked, his voice calm but carrying a pressure that could shatter bones if he wished.
Marbas kept his head bowed low, not daring to meet those crimson eyes. "No, My Prince. Not a single human was seen anywhere near the Elven continent. However, according to our sources, the humans are currently searching for that same kid Ash Burn as well."
Orien went quiet for a few moments, processing the information.
"I see," he said, his voice devoid of any visible emotion.
Then, without shifting his gaze, he turned his attention toward the Visionary.
"You," Orien said, his tone sharp but steady. "Locate where that ’heart’ is. You already have the blood sample of that heart. That should be enough for you to begin."
The Visionary gave a deep nod, his voice soft and cold like drifting ash.
"Yes, My Prince. I shall begin the search immediately."
Without wasting another word, the Visionary’s eyes glowed faintly with an eerie light, and a complex magic circle started forming in the air before him, slowly rotating like gears in an ancient, invisible machine.
The atmosphere grew tense, heavy with the scent of demonic mana, swirling like an invisible storm through the throne room.
Orien leaned back in his throne once more, his eyes narrowed and deep in thought.
The heart won’t die unless certain special conditions are met... That means it is safe for now. But I can’t afford to let it stay exposed. I need to eliminate every risk before it becomes a problem.
The World Tree may be awake again, but it does not matter anymore... because I have no intention of following Father’s plan.
From a very young age, the Demon Prince had displayed remarkable talent. His stats were naturally superior, his control over demonic energy was precise beyond comparison, and his mastery of both combat and magic was something rarely seen even among high-ranking demons.
He was, by every definition, a genius born under a blood-red sky.
According to his father, they had managed to escape the Abyss through a gap guarded by the Gods, and in that desperate flight, his mother had sacrificed herself to protect both him and his father.
Of course, his mother had merely acted as a distraction... most of the Gods were busy holding back the Abyssal God. That was how they had managed to escape.
Orien had been young, barely able to speak fluently, but his memory was abnormally sharp from birth. He remembered everything, down to the feeling of her last embrace.
His father always claimed that in the Abyss, they had been at the bottom of the food chain. He never fully explained why they even escaped from there, only that he had his reasons and burdens too great to share.
In the beginning, Orien had planned to faithfully carry out the orders of the Demon King, who stood at the brink of ascending to the status of a demigod.
But everything changed when Orien discovered the presence of individuals blessed by stars and moon—chosen ones born under divine constellations.
That revelation ignited something within him. He no longer wanted to follow orders. He wanted to challenge those who stood at the pinnacle of power, to confront the beings of the Abyss who had once forced his family into hiding.
Most people believed demons were devoid of emotions, but he still remembered the warmth of his mother’s touch.
He had only learned about those blessed individuals during the affinity tests conducted by the academy. And according to the ancient records, their presence was one of the most important conditions needed to open the gates to the Abyss.
I stole that heart without Father knowing... I have to speed up everything now.
Originally, I planned to use the heart after it had taken full control over the World Tree, but I suppose I will leave the World Tree behind. The heart has already served its purpose.
The real goal was always the barrier protecting this planet, which was formed by the World Tree. That field was too powerful. Now that it’s been gone for almost a decade, everything is moving smoothly. I haven’t heard any reports of reduced dungeon formations, which means things are going according to plan. And the World Tree has weakened.
But we still need more spatial disturbances...
Just then, a voice broke his train of thought.
"My Prince, I have located it. It is currently resting in a remote place within the Neutral Continent. The area is known as the Bottomless Valley. No one who has ever fallen has returned to the surface."
A faint light flickered in Orien’s eyes.
The Heart of the Abyssal God. It is the key. The gate to the Abyss will never open without it. I need to retrieve it no matter what.
***