Chapter 125

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Chapter 125: Abyss

A pair of yellow eyes appeared in the dark.

A cold light suddenly tore through the chaos, and as the focal point, the scene extended elsewhere. Long narrow eyes were on a non-human head, the owner of the eyes had dark metallic skin, curved sharp horns, and a handsome face. First, there was this figure, and then the whole scene unfolded, only to see Demon Lord Victor flash in a dim passageway, his suit damaged in many places, large patches of bright red blood splattered on the exquisite fabric, enhancing the pressure emanating from him.

A demon’s blood isn’t this color.

He licked the blood splattered on the corner of his mouth, his split tongue trembling in the air like a snake’s message. He pulled out a handkerchief from his suit pocket, wiped off the fresh blood and brain matter on his hands, tossed it aside after wiping, and kept walking. Turning a corner, the lights brightened ahead, and the hall was close at hand.

The hall, half the size of a square, was magnificent with bright lights, layered pointed arches advancing, exquisitely crafted reliefs adorning the spacious hall just right. Many ivory white slender columns merged into a large pillar, embellished with velvet curtains, making the dome appear even more towering. The tile colors were gorgeous, resembling the stained glass windows of a church, and a long red carpet unfolded from Victor’s feet towards the pool in the middle of the hall. The indoor pool, filled with blue droplets, was flawless, teeming with magic, and above it hung a large red gemstone.

This is a beautiful and artistic building with a glowing mineral heart that looks like a living creature. People might mistake it for a royal hall in the human world, if they don’t notice the pulsating heart.

The bright red mineral heart beats under the ceiling, looking exactly like Tasha’s dungeon heart, but with a much more fierce and menacing atmosphere. It hangs high under the ceiling, filled with chaotic desires for destruction, as if someone cut a piece out from the abyss and placed it inside.

This is the Abyss Outpost, a traditional dungeon.

"What are you dawdling for?" A voice sounded impatiently.

When Victor entered the hall, there was already someone else there – another demon to be precise. Its head was only a white mist, and beneath its tattered robe, there were no feet. Bones with many more joints than a regular person’s hand peeked out from the sleeves. The demon sounded very impatient, drifting back and forth in front of the Magic Pool. Even though its expression was hidden, onlookers could easily sense its frustration.

"Sorry, excuse me for being in the way," Victor said. His apology sounded too casual and his smile too cheerful, making it hard to believe his sincerity. "You know, our kind moves too quickly, many beings from the human world have noticed…"

"Enough!" the headless demon interrupted him. "What about the promise you made?"

"I was just about to get started." Victor assured, "Don’t worry, dear Acce, I’m fully prepared. Just need to take the final step."

He climbed the steps, passed the headless demon, and stepped into the Magic Pool. His boots, finely crafted but stained with blood, easily stepped into the shimmering blue water as if on frozen solid ice, with no ripples under his feet. The yellow-eyed Demon Lord walked a few steps to the center of the Magic Pool and stopped directly below the Dungeon Core.

Victor gently tapped his heel.

The previously smooth surface of the Magic Pool suddenly rippled with concentric circles, layer upon layer nested within each other. Waves started growing higher, reaching several meters in height, resembling a tidal wave or tsunami. The surging waves did not fall into the Magic Pool; the swirling magic liquid disappeared into thin air, some evaporating, some seeping into the Dungeon Core above. The magical energy within this area roared like a hurricane, countless runes flashing and fading, extending from the Dungeon Core to the entire dungeon, and far, far beyond.

An invisible wave swept through the dungeon, and the residents seemed to sense something, looking around bewildered. Certain areas of Aryan resonated imperceptibly, the liquid level of the Magic Pool rapidly decreasing, as if drained in an instant.

After the first ripple spread out, the situation seemed to reach a stalemate.

The stored liquid droplets in the Magic Pool had been depleted, and now Victor floated above the dried-up pool, his slender fingers dancing in the air, like a puppeteer manipulating invisible strings. Magic flowed slowly between him and the city, much slower than before, causing anxiety. The demon named Acce hid within its shield, the multiple-jointed bone claws starting to move slightly, showing signs of impatience.

"Do you really have a way to do it?" it couldn’t help but ask, "If those fellows find out we are still here, they won’t go easy on us!"

"Even if they want to get ‘tough,’ they need to be tough enough." Victor joked, "The fewer major demons involved, the longer the preparation time; with both of us here, the initiation will be delayed for at least a few months."

"You should be more worried than me!" Acce warned, "If Rasheda discovers your absence from the Abyss due to the delayed progress, leaving only your body down there…"

"He won’t find out. Do you think only we slack off? The great Abyss collaborates only when pushed to the extreme." Victor chuckled and shook his head, "Besides, no risk, no reward. That’s why the respected ‘King of No Destiny’ Acce has temporarily come here, right?"

King of No Destiny Acce hummed nonchalantly.

"Oh, I haven’t answered your question yet," Victor said casually. "Yes, I can. But I need a little help."

"Then hurry up!" Acce urged.

"That’s very kind of you," Victor adjusted his expression, showing a business-like smile. "Your presence here is the greatest help to me."

The Demon Lord’s smile looked like a friendly and harmless shopkeeper, his humble tone sounded sincere. But his compatriots turned pale when they heard this, the Demon Lord’s pressure suddenly surged, a long bone scythe flashed in his hand.

It was already too late.

The scythe couldn’t make a move, it was held up high and then stopped halfway, the scythe and its wielder froze in place. The ripple that had spread out suddenly reversed, this time the center was not the Magic Pool, but the headless Demon Lord. Countless invisible threads wrapped around King of No Destiny Acce layer by layer, faster than lightning, as immovable as the power of heaven and earth. This huge trap had been set up for a long time, precise and perfect, once activated it sealed off all retreat paths – when that headless Demon Lord was deceived here, the outcome was already decided.

"You deceived me! You traitorous scum!" Acce roared.

"Oh, Abyss, Acce," Victor laughed. "Is this your first day meeting me?"

The final disguise was torn apart, revealing the true face of the dungeon, a large sacrificial ritual circle. The great demon bound in the center struggled desperately, but in vain, torn into countless pieces amidst curses. The heart of the dungeon throbbed madly, accepting the ample sacrifice and bursting into joyful thunder. The sound resembled cheering laughter, like hyenas gathering to feast greedily.

The final piece of the puzzle in the battle between Lord Reaper Acce was set in place, completing Victor’s long-planned strategy. His many duplicates left on the ground went into a slumber, becoming anchors. It could be an ancient necklace, a forgotten mirror in the basement, or a lost ancient scroll… These items were scattered in various corners of Aryan, everywhere, as long as one remained unresolved, Victor could freely move between the Abyss and the Primary Material Plane, undetected, even if the two worlds were sealed off.

The enemies were not foolish, the Demon Lord was not alone in his intentions to divide the Primary Material Plane, so these contingencies would surely come in handy, whatever the future held.

The last remaining Demon Lord of the Primary Material Plane looked on coldly.

The resonance of the Abyss was hard to hide, but Victor, through his dungeon as a medium, managed to stay out of trouble, even if his Abyss colleagues noticed the disturbance, they could not immediately find him. The threats of beings in the Primary Material Plane were more pressing, as he hadn’t eliminated all those who stood in his way before, he had simply dodged and slipped out of the encirclement, trouble was bound to follow soon.

Ah, they had already arrived.

The sentinels outside the dungeon spotted the enemy’s trail, someone was coming, and he had to leave. Victor opened his palm, and the secret passage leading to the Abyss opened, one step away from leaving the now exposed place, just as planned.

The usually confident Demon Lord, in this moment, showed a hint of hesitation.

Victor looked up.

He is the master of this dungeon, able to see every corner without any trouble. But Victor instinctively looked up like a regular person.

The scene began to rise.

Inside the towering dome of the central hall, the dungeon’s passages twisted and turned, the corridors were smooth, and the facilities were beautiful. From the attention to beauty and arrangement, this place was definitely more than just a one-time prop used for communication, it looked better than Tasha’s dungeon inside. With a quick glance, no living facilities or rooms for warriors were seen here.

There were small moving magical statues here that seemed incapable of fighting. There was a room storing crafts, everything neatly arranged and spotless. The view quickly moved upwards, crossing the horizon to reveal a castle standing above the dungeon. This castle with its pointed roofs was both magnificent and fairy-tale-like, reminiscent of Neuschwanstein Castle or Disney’s logo.

It was hidden by various powerful spells, Victor wasn’t skilled in magic but had plenty of time to deceive many powerful spellcasters. Those deceived… those spells obtained through fair trades over the long years had protected this city, concealing it, preventing thieves from stealing a single coin, and Death God from taking any souls.

An array of exquisite treasures were stored in the castle; these "treasures" were not just precious metals and jewels that everyone could see the value of, but collectors in certain fields would surely rejoice at certain rooms. Top-notch instruments, valuable pigments, lost tools… each type of collectible was stored in the most appropriate room, experts could tell that their owner was definitely an expert – perhaps only in the long-lived species could such a player proficient in so many fields appear. However, the treasures in the underground city were not lifeless objects, but "souls".

Countless shadows roamed freely throughout the castle, even if their gaze just brushed past them, it could be seen that the shadows had faces. These things that were almost unrecognizable from their past lives were not faceless phantoms, but disembodied souls. Artists who were far apart in birth and death years held salons spanning hundreds of years, they did not need to eat or sleep, were undisturbed by natural disasters or human troubles, their gatherings could continue forever.

In a quiet and safe little room, a novelist completed another masterpiece that was left unfinished before their death. In the brilliantly lit castle theater, the playwright sat contentedly in the audience, outstanding singers and actors performed according to his script. Inside the bright painting studio, the silent painter continued to passionately create even after death. In a corridor, a sculptor was attempting to move a new statue onto a low table. In the garden in front of the castle, dancers danced gracefully, red skirts opening like flowers, while the beautiful and enchanting music floated outside the castle, fairies and elves lingered outside the protective spells, Fairy Lamps flourished in this generation.

This is the earthly treasure trove of the Snake of Lies.

Victor, looking up at the ceiling with a blank face, Tasha understood his feelings at that moment.

The wizard in the Astral Mage Tower gave Tasha a piece of the Demon Lord’s remains ("I hope this little help will be useful to you, good luck."), and the dormant black cocoon in the Magic Pool finally reacted. Tasha was able to continue the interrupted dream and see the latter half of Victor’s memory. Apart from past scenes, Tasha could also read some of his thoughts at that moment, thus understanding some things that were previously unclear.

For example, why did Victor place the treasure vault in the mortal world.

Because the Abyss is always hungry.

Everything in the Abyss is like being in a giant stomach, either you prepare food for the Abyss or you become food yourself, being devoured and digested. Lower-class creatures cannot devour souls themselves, they are just the mouth of the Abyss, endlessly killing under the Abyss’s urge. Mid-level demons at least have souls, becoming employees of the Abyss, able to eat some nourishment while working for the boss. Demon Lords at the top of the demon hierarchy seem to have gained freedom, with souls, they can choose to sacrifice to the Abyss or devour on their own.

But there are only two choices.

Souls obtained by Demon Lords are always hard to preserve. If they don’t hurry to devour them, the Abyss will make choices for them, tearing the souls apart and devouring them, because even the mightiest demons are extensions of the Abyssal Will. Regardless of the stories, personalities, or hobbies of the souls before, in front of the Abyss, there is only one standard: the strong are precious, the weak are lowly, each soul is just a price.

However, the rebellious Victor made a third choice, he hid the souls he obtained in the mortal world.

He traded for so many spells from powerful spellcasters, using them to conceal from the Heavenly Realm deities, mortal adventurers, and the Abyss itself. The castle was hidden tightly with defenses like iron barrels, and the cunning Snake of Lies smuggled his wealth outside, for hundreds of years, it went undiscovered by anyone.

Until now.

Victor had predicted that the resonance of the Abyss would lead to this place being discovered by all walks of life. He had also prepared to blow up the earthly treasures and the dungeon before leaving, the setup was complete enough to make those who followed suffer a great loss. Now, Victor had to leave the Primary Material Plane for a long time. In the upcoming war, either the treasure trove would be discovered or destroyed, prematurely setting it off would be a waste. In a few years, the entire Primary Material Plane would be contaminated by the Abyss, and when the Abyssal Will discovered that it had been deceived, it wouldn’t be a problem that could be solved by just confiscating those souls.

These thoughts flashed through Victor’s mind; he had long sorted out the causes and consequences, considered the gains and losses, made preparations and decisions, now he just needed to act. But if Victor was just a cunning person who acted solely for profit and loss, as a Demon Lord focused on physical combat, he wouldn’t constantly abandon his body and risk running to the Primary Material Plane.

No demon liked the Primary Material Plane as much as he did. Victor had been in the human world for too long, he had become too close to mortals. The never-ending emptiness and hunger still craved souls, the living beings in the human world were still fragile and fleeting for him, and this Demon Lord no longer saw all souls as the same food. He knew that each soul was unique, and every disappearing soul was irreplaceable.

So, just before destroying everything, Victor felt reluctant, even hesitant.

Snake of Lies was a ruthless character, cautious and decisive, cruel, and never hesitated. The first moment of hesitation in his life brought about terrible consequences that he had never imagined.

A beam of light descended from the sky.

The pursuers were faster than Victor had expected; they made painful sacrifices along the way just to arrive here quickly. Several legendary professionals used certain secret techniques that involved sacrificing lives, the willingness to pay such a price allowed their attacks to arrive in time, and those spells with more concealment than defense were shattered in this blow.

If they had only attacked Victor, the Demon Lord with many tricks up his sleeve would have been able to escape. But this attack fell first on the castle, dispelling the spells that hid it.

Because Victor hesitated for a moment, before he could destroy all the souls, the spell was broken. The souls in the city were attacked and destroyed before Abyssal Will discovered them.

Abyssal discovered Victor’s deception.

Victor fell to the ground, and despite being surrounded by several legendary professionals, the Demon Lord remained unscathed. He began convulsing and screaming, black blood oozing from his skin.

Abyssal Will showed no mercy, ignoring the recent sacrifice and not caring about how many souls the Demon Lord had brought to the Abyss in the past or could bring in the future. Despite the potential for negotiation with someone like Snake of Lies, Abyssal Will, being an unconscious entity with strict reward and punishment mechanisms, remained indifferent.

The rewards and punishments from Abyssal were incredibly generous.

Tasha’s scalp tingled with the piercing screams. Victor’s voice faded quickly into silence, his body contorting and shedding scales before his flesh blurred, revealing bones. His body, containing his soul, quickly collapsed, his soul emerging as black smoke, reminiscent of a lower demon touched by holy water.

A demon’s soul belongs to the Abyss, and once abandoned by the Abyss, only a few parts can continue to exist.

Exiled by the Abyss was excruciating, like having one’s soul pressed through a dense sieve, filtering out what belonged to the Abyss and being squeezed out under high pressure from the other end. Victor lost his ability to speak, his soul twisting in agony with no resistance. No matter how powerful or cunning a demon was, they had to submit to Abyssal Will. Tasha understood Victor’s fear of the Abyss, a primal fear far beyond facing a natural enemy.

Tasha almost wanted to grab him, to prevent him from harming himself in such agony. She wanted to shield Victor under her wings, like covering a vampire rolling in sunlight with thick dark fabric. But Tasha’s hand passed through Victor, unable to change what had already happened.

The attack that destroyed the magic outside the castle finally came crashing down.

The wizard’s spell exploded somewhere, the warrior’s energy surged onto the spire, and this castle, under the attacks of many legends, was incredibly fragile, like a gingerbread house beaten by a mischievous child. Layer by layer of defense was dismantled, countless treasures turned into dust, and the souls trapped and protected for hundreds of years were freed from their shackles to return to their rightful endings. All the living and undead creatures in the castle vanished, and the dungeon began to crumble. A sword light descended from the sky, piercing through the Magic Pool and Victor within it.

The Dungeon Core near the dome fell, shattered into countless fragments, resembling the fresh blood flowing out of the dungeon. Most of the stone bloodstains disappeared without a trace after landing, purified by the holy sword light. The magnificent hall collapsed, the reliefs cracked, the columns collapsed, and the curtains and carpets turned to dust. A long crack traversed the stone pool, spreading on the ground, the sword mark cutting through the entire hall, dividing everything in two.

In an instant, this magnificent hall looked very similar to the ruins that Tasha would see centuries later.

Victor was no longer in his original position.

It’s hard to say whether it was mercy, but this sword cut through his soul, shortening the painful sentence coming from the abyss. The Snake of Lies, who deceived people and dared to fool the abyss, died when his lies were exposed.

Victor, the great demon who had been immersed in lies and evil all his life, died because of a hint of kindness.