Kyle stared into the core as raw mana swirled and flowed within it, like staring into a lava lamp full of colliding bubbles and masses. The voice was relentless as it screamed inside his head, the constant nagging followed by a wave of pain with every time it repeated the single word.
"DEVOUR"
It was no longer a whisper in his head but a ringing in his ears as the static disappeared entirely, as if the connection had cleared up.
"Y-Yes…" his instincts didn't just push him to do it, he felt as if he hadn't eaten anything in years. It felt nothing like depravity or simple hunger, it wasn't occasional but instead a constant emptiness inside him that clawed at his insides begging to be satisfied.
"LET GO"
The voice changed but remained just as loud, by now he couldn't even hear his own thoughts. Kyle placed his hand next to the other one, both with the palm flat on the core's surface. He felt his teeth change to fangs, he saw his nails grow out into claws. He wanted to bite, he wanted to eat the core but knew it wasn't possible like this. The core's surface was too tough and it's size too much for his small body in comparison but the hunger persisted as did the voice.
"I can't!" he shouted "I can't do it!"
"LET GO! LET IT TAKE OVER! DEVOUR!"
His mouth was open wide now, his fangs barred as drool leaked out and claws clenching trying to dig into the core. The constant pain, hunger and screaming put him over the edge, both physically and mentally he let go. It wasn't a shout and neither a scream but something more akin to a beast's, a loud guttural roar left his open mouth. He could feel the mana flowing through his body as it rushed out, his mana pool emptying within a matter of seconds.
Suddenly frost began to form around his hands as the core's surface began to freeze, the crystal changing to a light blue colour as the ice dug inside. His thoughts suddenly became clear as the last drop of mana exited him, mana exhaustion didn't take over as it usually did and instead he simply felt the still lingering hollowness inside.
He felt something tug at his back as dozens of blue slime appendages came into view, created by the expelled mana the slime was shaped like many tails that came out from around his actual one. With only his will he controlled the tails to grow longer, looking back at the core he saw the frost coming out of his hands slowly devour it but it was taking too long. He needed it to go faster, he couldn't help it, the hunger begged him to.
Not counting his actual tail, he had twelve tails of slime in total. They solidified and swung at the core, each tail cleanly piercing into the crystal surface. At the point of contact of each tail and his hands a bright blue flame blazed alive, it was nothing like fire though. No warmth came from this flame but instead a chill emanated from it, a cold that devoured all the heat around itself.
Kyle pushed the slime in further as he watched the core's soul with his ability, a calm, bright crimson red flame. Suddenly he noticed right after activating the skill, his whole body was aflame. Blue fire encased him, a frenzied flame that fought against the red calm. The red tried to fight back but the further it struggled the fiercer his blue became, so much so that one third of the core had already turned. The satisfaction he felt from it, he craved it further.
He glanced back as a chilling hiss reverberated through the room, Abaddon stepped out of the tunnel's darkness as shadows continued to leak out of her body. "Noo!!!" She screamed with her demonic voice creating a horrific screech, slowly she approached him as her steps grew heavier and form shrunk.
Abaddon reached out with her clawed hands as her connection to the core faltered, literally the string that kept her alive. She stared with pleading eyes at Kyle as he coldly glared back, her form having returned to small and human. The core was half way turned blue, she knew it meant Under had been half destroyed but she kept on going forward. A dozen steps away from Kyle now, "I'll tear you apart!" she hissed angrily at him knowing she could reach him before it was too late.
Kyle's grin grew into a wide cold smile as she approached a meter, her claws almost reaching out to his tails. Abaddon's eyes were wild, genocide going through her mind as she took one more step closer.
Suddenly a shot was fired from behind them, it tore through Abaddon's lower left leg forcing her into a knee. She screamed again, this time a mere humane sound. Another shot into her other leg sent her to the ground, she glanced back as the sound of footsteps approached her.
Silv came into view, his left eye still bright red but his right was as normal as it was before. His right hand was raised with pistol in hand as his left clenched it by the arm, the claws digging into scales as blood leaked out. Grunting he approached while dragging his left leg behind him, it was as if half the body was fighting the other.
"Fool! We'll both disappear if the dungeon dies!" Abaddon spat at him as he stopped to stand by her. She turned back to Kyle and reached out at his legs, her claws dug into his skin but he didn't respond.
Silv stomped down his right foot over her head, "Good" he replied coldly. He looked up at Kyle and grinned "Better than…spending eternity with your blabbering ass", his left hand suddenly fell limp as he groaned in pain "Wait Kyll".
The rest of the guild rushed into the room stopping a dozen feet away, every single one of them watched with each their own expression. They glanced at the core and barely gave Abaddon a look before stopping to stare at Silv, he didn't turn but just stood there giving them his back "It's none of your faults" he stated loudly for all of them to hear.
Kyle stared at Silv, the both of them grinned as Silv continued to speak. "But promise me one damn thing, this bitch here is his daughter. She is one of Lucifer's. One of that bitch Goddess's. Promise me!" he spoke louder "Promise me that after you're done with them…they'll think hell is vacation stop!" with nothing else to say he nodded at Kyle "End it".
Kyle turned to look back into the core, he had given in to the hunger at first but when Abaddon appeared the anger briefly took over. When Silv stepped in he fought back the hunger, he denied the craving. He knew it was his nature, it was part of him but it was a part he could control. Willing the fire to go further this time he didn't let it frenzy on its own, he focused on control, he wanted to tame the flames.
"Stopp!!" Abaddon shouted as the last bit of red was devoured by the blue, she immediately shattered along with Silv into a burst of red and green sparks of mana that after briefly falling around them dissipated.
Kyle didn't turn or step away, he didn't move at all and stayed staring into the core filled with what his eyes could see as the same flame that surrounded and filled him. He glanced down at himself to see his body engulfed in the blue flame, a cold white-blue that lashed out at every direction. Somewhere below where his heart should have been the flame got darker, a sphere of almost black blue fire that circulated the rest around it.
He figured that was his monster core, the way the fire seemed to be expelled out of it as it circulated hinted at it. His eyes suddenly widened in surprise as something else moved into his line of sight, a small blue flame. This flame's blue wasn't like his, it was greenish in nature and calm like a candle's. It whisked around in front of him as he moved his left hand away from the core, the core suddenly began to crumble as sparks of mana escaped the cracks.
Kyle realised what the flame was "Lilior…" he willed his slime tails to grab the flame and surged forward as the core crumbled at an alarming rate. Having leaped up to reach the shrinking core's surface he shoved his tails into what remained, the small flame caught up inside the slime and fire. The remaining crystal core flared up a blue-green colour as a wave of pressure was expelled in every direction, everyone within the room was sent crashing into the wall or due to his luck spiralling back down the tunnel like Skill.
A green-blue light shone out brightly from the crumbled core, about half the size it once was it's surface was now rough and uneven. Kyle stood up and stared into the core, he felt a sense of familiarity with it. Notifications suddenly forced their way into his vision.
Your companion contract has been broken due to the other party having drastically changed
You have had a heavy helping hand in the birth of a new dungeon. Name it if you wish to take ownership.
Kyle could barely believe his eyes as he read them, his debt was paid. The guilt he felt for carelessly contracting with the little Fae only to put it in harm's way, how weak he felt as he held it's small body. He ignored the notifications and they disappeared from his vision, slowly he walked up to the core as it hovered in between the broken halves of a pillar.
"It is only right you keep the name, Lilior" the moment he spoke the name the core's light pulsated in response.
The dungeon has accepted the given name, congratulations Dungeon lord.
"What happened? Is it over?" Soren asked as he picked up his axe.
"Looks like it but…why is it still glowing?" Steph replied as she stared at the core.
Kyle turned to them "It's Lilior" he told them "My companion…was my companion". Turning back he stepped closer to the core as it slowly descended down, reaching the pillar it simply crushed it while continuing to hover down.
Birse pushed the groaning Cherry off him and stood up "Fuck…You mean to tell me, your fairy is the dungeon now?"
Kyle ignored him and reached out for the core "Do…Do you remember…me?" he asked the core as his palm touched it.
("Master…?") Lilior's voice spoke in his mind bring him some relief, ("You are my new master…what is master…called?") it then asked.
Kyle's mouth felt dry as he smiled "Kyllix, my name" he replied, briefly he felt something ache in his chest "Do you know what you are?".
The core pulsated as it replied "This body knows, this body gives Lilior the knowledge of what Lilior is." This time with an actual voice.
At that moment Skill had walked back into the room "I'm…gonna wait outside…" he turned around and started walking.
Soren called out to him "Skill? Hey Skill?"
"No...I…I'll be outside…" he replied as he continued to walk away and mutter to himself "Angels…Devils…Gods…Now a giant talking rock…great…just…great".
Birse followed to check on him "Last thing we need is another insane bastard in this group…" as the others lay about resting.
Kyle turned back to the core to notice it's surface was slowly smoothening "Lilior, do you remember anything from your previous life? Anything at all?". He asked not only because he hoped to apologise for being too blind to see Liliana's plans but also to understand what she had said back then, something that had been bugging him the whole time. He hadn't asked the last time he saw her in Lucifer's realm because he was too shaken up with anger but now his mind was clear.
"Master asks difficult questions…Lil…I remember little. I remember what I was, I remember who I was birthed from and some memories of before I left for the sea…" Lilior spoke as the core suddenly dimmed indicating it's host in deep thought.
"Do you remember who Liliana is? What her plans were?" At the mention of the name the core's light briefly disappeared entirely "Lilior?", Kyle began to worry the mana he managed to save was too little.
"I remember mother" Lilior responded soon after making the core pulse with light as she spoke "Mother told me little, I only spent eleven years with mother before mother made me leave."
"Leave? Why? Why did she make you leave?"
The core dimmed again, this time for longer than before but Kyle was patient. The light returned as she began to explain "I do not remember, it is…hazy…mother tells us to go west and find another land. She tells us to find the land where many races reside, the walled town nearby the evil wall and the others ahead of it".
"The evil wall…Helix?" He muttered to himself before coming to a realisation "Us? Lilior who else was with you?".
"My…I…I don't…" Lilior's core briefly dimmed again before shining brighter than ever "My kin, like me they were birthed to mother".
Seren felt sick from what she heard "She sent her own children as spies then used them up to convey her declaration to the whole of Barik…"
"Better than sending a Demon or Devil, a wandering Fae wouldn't be given much attention due to the Dwarves and Fae setting up on Barik." Jacky explained solemnly "It makes sense".
Kyle agreed with the idea making sense but completely disagreed with the ethics behind it "It doesn't matter how effective it is, she sacrificed innocent bystanders, her own children at that and I doubt they had any say in-"
Birse's shout cut him off completely "OH SPEAK OF THE INSANE ONE AND HERE HE APPEARS! WHERE THE FUCKING HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!?"
Dominion Capital Eslet, Docks, Royal Military Barracks HQ
The moment the rift opened Sly leaped out followed by Darkness and Caitlyn helping Draxxer through as he coughed up blood, the room they appeared in was Draxxer's office. The rift soon closed behind them as they helped Draxxer over to a chair, his expression was pale and breathing erratic.
"What's wrong with him?" Sly asked as he shook his arms and legs to get rid of the numbness that still lingered.
"Tethering a rift to accompany multiple travellers takes a lot out of him, old fool uses his own mana pool to break through the veil and stabilize it." Darkness explained as she walked over to the rough black crystal sphere in the centre "I must contact Jason quickly before this misunderstanding gets worse".
The door to the room suddenly opened wide "That will not be necessary" a dozen soldiers wearing plate armour marched inside "It seems that Nolin, was a couple steps ahead of you too Royal Advisor." The man at their lead spoke, a tall human with sharp features, short brown hair and eyes.
Darkness turned to the armed men "Brigadier Kenneth, what do you mean? Where is General Moore?"
The Brigadier smirked "Jason Moore has had an unfortunate accident earlier this evening, who would have thought the hounds to be so hungry to break out of their cages and devour the old coot."
Caitlyn gasped in shock at his declaration "U-Uncle Jason…no…th-this is mutiny!" she exclaimed.
Sly suddenly groaned out loudly in annoyance while scrambling his hair "Ahhh!! I don't get none of this crap!" he pulled out two daggers and stepped forward "Yo Blade, can you get us to my guild?" he asked while glaring at the soldiers who unsheathed their swords.
Darkness responded instead "With my help he can yes".
"Get to it then before that creepy ass priest arrives, I got some stress to relieve." He stated while switching his daggers into a backhand grip.
Kenneth chuckled "You think you can take me and my men? The heroes behind you maybe could but one is currently out of it and the second…well how many innocents do you think sleep in this building?" he raised his sword towards them "Stand down and come into our custody quietly adventurer, you are nothing more than an innocent bystander. We shall allow you to leave after interrogation."
Sly raised a brow and glanced back at Darkness crouching by Draxxer, she was flowing her mana into him by pressing her palms to his back. "Huh, now that you mention it that actually sounds promising. I mean what do I have to gain from going against the military here?"
Kenneth opened his arms wide and smiled "Exactly! We are on your side adventurer, let us take the Devil conspirators into custody. Hell if you help us we might even reward you!"
Sly hummed in thought "Profit…now you are speaking my language-"
"You can't!" Caitlyn exclaimed unable to watch the event transpiring in front of her.
Sly turned to look at her "Why not? What do I gain from aiding your escape? The whole country against me and my mates, both factions of it none the less."
Caitlyn's expression paled as she stared into Sly's emotionless face, what possibly could she a now dethroned fugitive offer? Nolin had her in his grasp, everything had happened too fast and not even the two powerful heroes at her side could help her without sacrificing innocent lives or their own. ("What do I own still…I could offer it…what does it matter anymore?...") she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off.
"She has nothing to offer you adventurer, the royal military has been overthrown and those that resist will lose both rank and life. The churches and their forces are already spreading the news with the population, the citizens will be on our side soon." Kenneth explained with a grin "Even your people, the adventurers from Kaledd have agreed to aid us along some others from Il'e".
Sly smirked "He makes a good point".
Darkness grimaced at the failing negotiations, even if she could break out from these men Nolin and his guard would be upon them soon. She also couldn't drain her mana to open a rift with Draxxer's skill and hope to fight. Resigning herself to slyer means she spoke out "He does but you also won't be going anywhere adventurer, or should I say Devilborn?"
Sly's expression turned to confusion as he glanced between her and the soldiers, their expressions turning cold as hatred ran through their eyes "Wait a minute…Me? Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me".
Kenneth whistled "And here I was worrying about how to dispose of an adventurer without riling up the rest, thank you for the information madam Darkness".
Sly rolled his eyes in annoyance "That still doesn't mean I'm going to help you, I'll just escape on my own."
"You little…" Darkness was glaring at him now.
"The vault…" Caitlyn muttered out, almost a whisper.
"Your majesty no! We cannot offer such a thing to this worm!" Darkness exclaimed, shocked the little empress would even think of it.
"We have no choice!" Caitlyn replied as she hugged herself, her nails digging into the fabric and skin as she grinded her teeth.
"Worm…Well at least you caught my interest" Sly turned back to watch the soldiers as they glared at him "Well? Auction's still open." He stated while inspecting them.
Esfeltian Royal Military Brigadier (Ferlan Kenneth) [Level 58]
Esfeltian Royal Military Solider [Level 45]
The soldiers all ranged around the 40s while the Brigadier was a dozen levels lower than him. Sly frowned at these numbers ("Isn't max level 499? A brigadier to be so low in level…").
"Adventurer…I offer you my family's most secretly kept treasure, the royal vault of Esfelt." Caitlyn declared after gathering herself.
"You hear that Kennen? A royal vault, what's your counter bid?" Sly asked with a smirk.
"It's Kenneth…And my counter bid? To a Devilborn like you?" He swiped his sword downwards "Arrest them all" he ordered his men.
"Wrong answer" Sly's bloodlust was carried through the whole squad of soldiers by his aura as it exploded outwards, along with a flurry of daggers.
Kenneth didn't even have time to glance back at his men as they fell back, a dagger poked out of their helmets clad in a violet aura. He clenched his sword's hilt as Sly dashed at him with both daggers ahead of him.
"Way of the dagger" Sly spoke out the skills name chantless, he had no time to waste for a chant. The moment his daggers touched the Brigadier's sword they went right through before he entirely disappeared.
Kenneth took a step back as he stared forwards in surprise "An assassin skill?" he mused before suddenly leaning forward, Sly had appeared behind him.
"More of a" Sly lunged at the man's back but Kenneth turned too fast and parried the attack "magic spell than a skill" he explained as he morphed into a streak of violet lighting and circled the Brigadier.
Kenneth smirked "What does it matter, it's an illusion anyway" he slashed down at the lightning, the sword passed right through as his expression changed to a mixture of shock and pain.
"Skills are physical or passive, spells are of magical nature and therefore ethereal" Sly explained as he pulled the dagger out of Kenneth's shoulder and moved it to his throat "Mine is the latter".
Kenneth stared down at Sly's arm as it snaked over his shoulder "But…an assassin with that much control of mana…you're too young! Hell you only appeared a couple days ago! How are you so powerful!?" he asked in disbelief.
Sly chuckled at the compliment "Years of constant training, years of testing my reaction time and an insatiable bloodlust for combat. As for the magic? Mana control is all we had to focus on since we came here, the movements came naturally and I don't just mean our bodies." He explained thoroughly as he remembered the movement controls for their previous games, how his group had enjoyed the real-time controls.
"I could never find gloves quite my size but it was exercise nonetheless, the buttons could have been placed better too" Sly muttered to himself as he slowly moved his dagger back and forth, the cold metal hovering mere inches from the man's neck.
"I have no clue what you're blabbering about!" Kenneth exclaimed as he pulled a dagger from his belt and pushed Sly's away from his neck. He then leaned forward and rolled out of the way, coming back up to stand he spun around to face Sly.
"I was still talking" Sly stated in annoyance as a dagger dug into Kenneth's sword arm, pulling out another the one in his left disappeared as well as within a moment he threw it at the man's right leg.
Kenneth fell back on his ass, he bit his lip to keep from screaming in agony as a third dagger dug into his side-arm hand. He glared up at Sly who approached him "Kill me" he told the adventurer, the shame of returning to the rest of his men and Nolin empty handed too much for him to bear.
Sly continued to smirk as he crouched down in front of the man "Why should I? I need you to relay a message for me, I also know you are too much of a coward to kill yourself. Aren't you?"
Kenneth glared at him as his hatred built up "Go fuck yourself filthy Devilborn, what do you know about me!?"
"I can see it in your eyes, your body language, your tone." Sly replied "You are leaning away from me, your tone may sound like anger but that is just masking your fear. Your eyes also haven't met mine once since you…we both learned what I am." He began tracing the man's cheek with the point of his dagger "Now listen and listen closely because if I have to repeat myself…well in that case I'll just carve it into your back. Someone will notice it at some point."
More soldiers began gathering by the door way, seeing Sly crouched down and pointing his dagger at Kenneth a couple of them charged. Sly leaned back as he stood up evading a sword lunge before evasively moving around the soldier leaving a dagger in his back, the one behind him slashed sideways at Sly only to be parried by his other dagger. Sly kicked the second soldier back as he pulled the dagger out of the first then threw it, the dagger scraped against the man's helmet and flew off.
Sly snorted "So them being your people and all, am I still allowed to kill them or?" he glanced back at Caitlyn as she stared at the fight, horrified by the bloodshed she held her mouth with both hands "Right…".
"They are all mutineers if they charge without second thought!" Darkness quickly replied "The loyal men have either been gathered and killed or moved away from this floor!"
"Perfect, dead it is" he stated while evading the soldier's thrust as two more joined the fight, soldiers kept coming as Sly evaded stabs, slashes, thrusts and a strange mace like weapon attached to a chain. "Oh yeah almost forgot Kennek" he spoke while continuously moving as the soldiers began to tire out, the four of them blocking the way for others to join the fight.
"Kenneth!" The brigadier shouted as he pulled out the dagger from his wrist, after a brief groan of agony he leaned back against the wall trying nothing further.
"Right right, whatever. What was our saying again?...Oh yeah! The payment was promised and by our regulations the contract is signed. Your lives have been forfeit to us." two of the soldiers stepped back and swapped out with the others gathering behind them as Sly continued to evade, parry, kickback and disarm.
"Hero!" Draxxer shouted to get his attention as he raised his sword with Darkness's help, they slashed down and the rift opened "It's open!".
Sly leaped back "Aura Clad!" his aura took solid form as it quickly formed around him, it took the shape of a hand and smashed into the soldiers pushing them down . "Twas fun but I gotta go now!" he stated with a quick bow, he turned around and leaped into the rift "I'm out bitches!".
Darkness had to pull Caitlyn and Draxxer into the rift as they stared at his exit dumbfoundedly.