Ash entered the portal along with the demons after taking another invisibility potion, carefully keeping a safe distance between himself and them.
At higher ranks, one’s senses were enhanced to an extreme degree, allowing them to perceive even the smallest disturbances in their surroundings. Because of that, even though Ash was hidden behind multiple layers of concealment, he remained cautious and restrained his movements.
He made sure to keep enough distance between them.
Soon, he crossed the portal and appeared on the other side without feeling any dizziness or spatial turbulence. The scene in front of him changed instantly.
A crimson moon hung in the night sky, bathing everything in a cold and ominous glow, while a single pathway stretched forward, leading toward huge ancient gates in the distance.
The path itself was surrounded by swords and towering mountains from all sides.
The gate was already open, yet no demon dared to enter it. They either hovered in the sky or rested atop the surrounding mountains, maintaining distance. Their numbers, once in the thousands, had been reduced drastically.
Of course, they were still numerous enough that it hardly made a difference in terms of threat.
Only a few high ranking demons were moving toward the ancient doors. They were the same pseudo rank demons who had taken the Fire Elemental Sword.
Their numbers were pitifully low.
Out of the hundred that had entered, only twelve remained.
It clearly showed the frightening power of the knights. Although Ash felt a trace of curiosity toward origins and history of knights, but this was not a situation where he could afford to dwell on such thoughts.
Ash silently moved toward a lone boulder near one of the mountains. It was not an ideal hiding spot, but it would have to do.
After all, his motive was never to hide.
His thoughts wandered as he revised his plan.
The plan was simple.....to get caught.
At first glance, it looked like nothing more than plain suicide.
But Ash did not measure actions by appearances. He measured them by outcomes.
It was a gamble.
If it succeeded, he would have the last laugh. If it failed, he would get caught. There was no room for illusion or self deception in his thinking.
His plan was based on his skill, Transcendent Step.
He had no mana pathways, yet the anchor function of the skill did not rely on them. His mana and will moved on its own and marked the target.
He had already tested this thoroughly in the previous volcanic region.
Although he had managed to mark the Earth Elemental Sword of the knight as his anchor, the process had drained every bit of mana from his body. The reason was simple.
When the skill activated, mana in his core searched for a pathway, and finding none, it wasted itself violently, consuming more and more until his reserves were emptied. Even so, the anchor had been successfully formed.
With high loss of mana, of course.
But, at the end of the day, the result mattered more than the cost.
As long as he got caught, he could use that anchor to take the rune away. Of course many details were missing, he will act on them while facing the immediate situation at that time.
Right now, his mana cores had already recovered to full, and he was preparing to create another anchor for the reckless escape plan forming in his mind.
He could maintain three anchors at a time. One was already with Elysia, another which he created on the Earth Elemental sword, last one was still empty.
Less than 5% chance, but if nothing out of norm happens, the chances will increase to 10%....
He did not lie to himself by saying 100%. Against someone far more powerful than him, certainty was arrogance, and arrogance was death.
Soon, he reached the shade of the boulder.
Hidden within the shadows, Ash began forming his second anchor, his expression calm and detached, as if failure and success were merely two sides of the same coin.
***
While Ash was preparing for the inevitable, the atmosphere in the throne room thickened with tension.
The demons were quaking in fear.
"So, you are saying that you found no human even though someone interfered in your battle? Is this a joke? And you call yourselves the demon army?" Lilith’s voice dripped with contempt, sharp enough to cut through the silence.
"And not only that, you lost one of the swords to a human? And he took it without any of you even realizing? Why don’t you all just change your race from demon to fool?" Her words were heavy with derision, each syllable designed to strip away any dignity the kneeling demons might have had.
The pseudo demons dared not reply. They only trembled, heads bowed, fully aware of the gulf between her and themselves.
But even then, in their hearts there was nothing but utmost respect and devotion towards her. Clearly the effect of her ability to evoke desires and manipulate them.
If that human stayed back in those previous regions, there is a high chance he would have been ejected back outside. But if that had happened, the demons and humans I left outside would have alerted me...
Lilith’s connection to her subordinates was not absolute. While she could control anyone driven by desires, and give them orders mentally.
Same can’t be said about the one who was being controlled. They can’t tell anything to her mentally. Even so, she can still feel their emotions.
Most of the time, she did not activate this ability as it was bothersome, but she was already using this ability all this while when she entered the dungeon.
And those outside had no emotional changes in their hearts, they were still calm without any ripple.
...Everything outside is calm. No one has appeared, and nothing unusual has occurred.
After taking the look at the situation, she finally spoke. Her voice, steady and commanding, echoed inside the minds of every demon in the dungeon.
{The human is somewhere in this place. Overthrow everything, find him, and bring him back alive. Take everything he possesses, whether it be a space ring or a sword.}
The effect was immediate. Every demon moved with mechanical precision. Even the pseudo demons vanished in a blur, scattering to execute her orders.
The sound of chaos erupted instantly—ground overturned, mountains shattered, and the echoes of destruction reverberated through the dungeon.
Forcing anyone who was hidden to be caught in fire and reveal themselves.
Not long after, the pseudo demons returned, carrying a bloodied human in their grasp.
Lilith’s eyes gleamed with triumph, yet a strange unease coiled within her chest.
What is this feeling I am sensing? It is as if I am facing that repulsive bastard...
It was her first time encountering Ash directly. The sight of him, his white hair framing a perfectly sculpted face that looked unnaturally flawless, stirred two conflicting emotions within her: unease and repulsiveness.
The source of the discomfort was unclear, but undeniable.
Soon, the demons reached her, forcing Ash to his knees. His hands were gripped firmly, bound by their strength, leaving him immobile.
Lilith’s fingers drummed lightly against the armrest of the throne, her frown deepening.
***
Ash looked at the figure seated on the massive throne in front of him, his eyes sharp and unyielding, radiating a coldness that seemed to fill the entire throne room.
Although she possessed a beauty capable of toppling empires and bending kingdoms with a glance, Ash felt nothing.
Not a flicker of lust, not a hint of admiration.
To him, her allure was a mask, a delicate veil hiding the true horror beneath. He knew that her real face was monstrous, a grotesque reflection of her vanity and deception.
Even if that were not the case, his heart was occupied entirely by one person.
There was no space left for anyone else. He did not fear her powers; his mind and soul were fortified, immune to any mental manipulation she could attempt.
"So you are Ash Burn, huh."
Her voice was calm but echoed throughout the throne room. Orien had not told her about Ash’s powers or the nature of his injuries. Such knowledge would have been too shocking or perhaps shameful. Whatever the reason, she had no idea what Ash could truly do.
His mana pathways were gone, so he could not use much of his power, which explained why she found nothing suspicious about his capture—except for the strange unease and repulsiveness she felt without knowing why.
Ash did not respond. He simply continued to stare at her.
Her pride pricked at his silence. She waved her hand, and Ash floated upward toward her. He stopped just in front of her, but his body remained completely out of his control. He could not move a single inch except his mouth.
"What did you do for my king to become this angry?" she asked, curiosity sharpened in her voice. She dared not ask Orien directly, and this was her only way to know.
Ash’s lips curved into a cold, deliberate smile, and he said, "I just asked him about his mother’s health."
***