-Crunch!!!
In a dense forest, a boy with unkempt white hair and a sword in his hands was moving forward slowly, carefully placing each step.
Every now and then, his foot stepped onto broken branches, producing faint sounds, but he tried his best to avoid even that. He wanted to travel without alerting anyone who might be nearby.
He wore a simple white shirt with a black cardigan, along with black pants and boots. His clothes were new, without any signs of being torn or damaged, which was quite a contrast to his previous look with torn clothes.
And the reason behind this was that he was now able to take things out of his Soul Vault.
Even though his mana pathways were now nonexistent and he could not store anything inside his Soul Vault, since even a very small amount of mana was needed for the skill to activate, he could still enter his Soul Vault and take items out. The only restriction was that he would not be able to store anything back again without mana.
This was something Ash had no idea about before. Only after losing his ability to channel mana did he realize that he could still retrieve items from his Soul Vault.
Though the process was now longer and took few precious seconds.
Earlier, In the heat of the situation, the thought of entering his Soul Vault and taking items out had never crossed his mind.
And he had never tried something like this before, so he never imagined that such a thing was possible.
When people lose something important to them, only then do they realize how careless and neglectful they had been toward it.
And that was exactly the situation Ash was in right now.
Atleast Eclipse is an exception to this rule...
Eclipse was his soul bound weapon, so it was only natural that it did not need any mana to be summoned.
The Spirit Devouring Crystal and the wrist of Orien were now resting inside a space ring on his finger, which he had taken out of his Soul Vault earlier.
Space rings only needed metal power to store and retrieve items, making them far more reliable than his Soul Vault, at least in this situation.
....I haven’t found any monsters yet...which is natural as I have yet to enter the main region.....but there should be some stray ones, right?
It was not like he was complaining, but it still felt unnatural.
With dense greenery surrounding him and towering mountains visible around the region, he knew that he was in an area filled with earth element.
That meant the boss he would eventually face would also be of the same element.
....earlier before encountering Orien, I noticed the presence of Phantom Wolves and River Serpents....means Wind and Water elemental dungeons are already broken, only Fire and earth elemental ones are remained....
I need to pass through a region filled with monsters to reach the boss of this dungeon. If only I still had my mana, I could have easily bypassed all of them just by using my skills...
And that was not all.
Ash knew Orien would not give up.
The crazed look on Orien’s face, the madness he radiated, was enough to tell Ash that the crystal Lumielle had separated from him was extremely important.
Because of that, Ash was certain that all kinds of demons would enter this dungeon to hunt him down.
The only relief was that Orien himself could not enter.
Even so, an SS rank demon would be more than enough to deal with him in his current state.
Ash tightened his grip on his sword and continued forward cautiously.
He had to plan his steps carefully, because getting caught even once would mean game over for him.
Eric still haven’t woken up...
Ash had already checked on his condition multiple times. His life was no longer in danger, and his recovery was progressing slowly, but it was stable. Even so, Ash did not dare bring him out. He knew that once Eric was taken out, he would not be able to send him back again, and he could not risk exposing him to danger when his own situation could only be described as hopeless.
With his mana pathways destroyed and enemies potentially closing in, protecting another person outside the Soul Vault was simply not possible right now.
As these thoughts continued to circle through his mind, something ahead finally caught his attention and broke his train of thought.
A short distance away, he saw a rusted sword impaled firmly into the ground, its blade half buried and worn by time.
Ash mood instantly turned grim as soon as he noticed it.
I entered the main region....
Ash knew exactly what that sword represented, and he also knew it would not be the last one he saw. This entire place was filled with nothing but swords. But if someone tried to pull any of them out, they would crumble into nothing but dust, as if rejecting the touch of the living.
In fact, it was not limited to this dungeon alone. All the remaining dungeons were filled with thousands, if not millions, of swords just like these, scattered like silent graves.
The dungeon was called Sword Tomb after all.
He passed by the rusted sword and continued moving deeper and deeper into the region. He only needed to follow the swords. The denser their presence became, the closer he would be to his destination.
With each step forward, the number of swords embedded in the ground increased, while the presence of trees slowly diminished, giving way to a barren and oppressive landscape dominated by steel and stone.
Even though he could not channel mana through his body and could not use magic, his physical strength alone was already nearing Grandmaster rank. That was the only reason he could still move forward with confidence.
....monsters wont have domains.....except the boss monsters.....so, I can technically reach the place where the boss is, and my stats are all balanced. I dont think there will be someone like me in the entire world who has balanced stats like me....
He reassured himself, forcing his thoughts to remain steady despite the danger surrounding him.
And as if responding to his presence, the first monster finally revealed itself.
Ahead of him, a golem came into view. It had thick, stone like muscles and an athletic physique, standing close to 4 meters tall. Its movements were heavy yet controlled as it wandered in a fixed direction, each step leaving a faint tremor in the ground.
It had not noticed Ash yet.
Ash expression hardened as he observed it carefully, and he took a determined step forward.
He could not stop now. Retreat was no longer an option. The uneasy feeling in his chest continued to grow stronger, warning him that demons might enter this dungeon at any moment.....he had to hurry.
With that thought, Ash pushed off the ground with all his strength and shot towards the stone golem at high speed, committing fully to the fight ahead.
****
While Ash was having his first clash inside the dungeon, Lilith’s patience was wearing dangerously thin.
An entire hour had passed, yet the demon general and his army had still not arrived at their designated location. The prolonged silence gnawed at her mind, stretching her restraint to its limits and making every passing second feel deliberate.
....He dare make me wait so much....I wish I could just strangle that bastard to death...
Her fingers curled slightly as irritation simmered beneath her calm exterior.
If only that wretch did not have the blood of that disgusting thing....
The general of Orien’s army was no ordinary demon. Despite being only at Demon Lord rank, an S rank existence, his bloodline made him far more troublesome than most beings above his level.
He carried the blood of another overlord, and not just any overlord, but the most feared among them all.....the Sin of Gluttony.
..because of that blood, he is immune to all mental effects....and my charm won’t work...
Among all the Sins, the Sin of Gluttony was the only one who had never swayed under her influence. Instead of being affected by emotions, he treated them as nourishment, allowing him to devour even charm itself. Because of that, his bloodline was considered one of the strongest and most troublesome in existence.
Just thinking about her nemesis made her mood sink even further, irritation slowly turning into something darker. Before her thoughts could deteriorate any more, a sound reached her ears from behind.
The deep, rhythmic flapping of wings.
Lilith turned her gaze toward the sky, and what she saw made the air itself feel heavy.
Darkness spread across the heavens as far as her eyes could see. The sky was filled with nothing but demons, their wings beating in unison as they descended. None of them wore disguises. They had arrived in their true forms.
Hunched backs, twisted and disoriented faces devoid of hair, jagged teeth exposed without restraint, and skin tones ranging from greyish black to deep red. Their eyes were pitch black, empty and feral, reflecting nothing but hunger and violence.
At the very front of the massive formation was a single demon who stood apart from the rest.
Two curved horns rose from his head, his red eyes sharp and cold, the sclera black instead of white. Unlike the others, he wore clothing, fitted tightly around a heavily built frame, his packed muscles clearly visible even beneath the fabric. His skin carried a mix of black and grey tones, his hair short and pitch black, and his face, while not grotesque, held an unmistakable aura of oppression.
A large, broad sword rested securely on his back.
He flew smoothly without the use of wings, descending calmly before landing beside Lilith with controlled precision.
"General Yama in your presence, my lady. We arrived as soon as we received your signal."
Lilith’s mood instantly soured the moment her eyes landed on him.
Even so, there was a rat she needed to catch. She could not afford to disappoint Orien any further than she already had, so she forced her emotions down, burying them beneath layers of cold restraint.
"What’s this? What was with that entrance? Are you trying to announce to everyone that there is a gathering of demons here..? Even though you have decided to become part of the Prince’s plan, and even though it goes against the will of the Demon King, acting so recklessly can ruin everything. If the Demon King somehow learns what the Prince is planning, do you understand the consequences? Or are you trying to betray him?"
An unmistakable aura of oppression leaked from her body, spreading through the air like invisible chains that tightened around everything in their reach. This was not personal, no matter how deeply she despised his bloodline and what it represented. This was strategy, and a single mistake here could send ripples far beyond this battlefield.
General Yama bowed even deeper at her words, his massive frame lowering with controlled restraint. It was impossible to tell whether his submission came from genuine respect or from the overwhelming pressure crushing down on him.
"My lady, I would never dare to do something like that. The Prince himself announced that ’the plan’ has been brought forward, and because of that, I saw no need to hide our presence. Whether anyone becomes aware of us or not does not matter....we can simply kill them all. Or is it that....are you feeling fear, my lady?"
"PROSPETOUS!!!! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?? DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE I WILL NOT KILL YOU JUST BECAUSE YOU CARRY ’HIS’ BLOOD?????"
Lilith finally lost her grip on restraint.
Her oppressive aura surged violently, causing the volcano beneath them to tremble as if it might erupt at any moment. The demon army hovering in the sky shuddered in fear, their formations breaking slightly as panic rippled through them.
Realizing he had crossed a line, Yama immediately lowered his head further.
"My apologies, Lady Lilith. I will make sure not to cross my bounds again. Please quell your anger. What I meant to say was that there is nothing to fear. If someone comes here, they will not be able to leave alive. This is the neutral continent, a lawless zone....there will be no problems."
It took her time, but eventually, Lilith managed to suppress the storm raging within her.
The time it took, however, was far from calming for anyone else.
The demons in the sky were forced down to the ground under the sheer weight of her presence, and deep cracks ran across the surface of the volcano and the surrounding land, scars left behind by her momentary lapse.
In truth, she had no desire to fight General Yama. Her specialty had never been close combat or raw violence. Control was her domain, bending others without ever needing to break a sweat.
Once fully composed, she moved straight to the point.
"...I assume everyone here knows what Ash Burn looks like? He is a priority target, so his face should already be etched into your minds. I will not waste time explaining something so basic. I, along with half of the demons behind you, will enter the dungeon to capture him alive. Meanwhile, you, General Yama, will go to the human continent and capture the Moon Blessed and the Star Blessed. They are a crucial part of ’the plan’."
"I will see it done, my lady," Yama replied, still bowing.
A faint glint flickered through his eyes, subtle and fleeting, unnoticed by anyone present.
"Good. Follow me."
At her command, half of the demon army moved as one, their movements synchronized with unnatural precision.
And if one looked closely enough, they would notice an unusual pinkish hue glowing faintly within their eyes, pulsing quietly as they advanced.
***