“Release me! I don’t know what you want, but I can grant you anything. Everything as long as I can get out of this cursed dungeon,” the young man in his teens screamed, tugging at the metal shackles. In response, Hyacinth hit him in the chest, breaking his ribs.

Viv considered grabbing a prisoner that’s been broken by the nightmare spider, but that would ruin the ritual. Torture not only broke one’s body but also mind and spirit. Those that had tasted fresh meat wouldn’t settle for anything rotten. Only the lowest of the low would come crawling out, eager to feast on a dead carcass.

“Keep marching. There’s only one way you’re getting out of this, and it’s by selling your soul.” Hyacinth spat at the adventurer, looking at him in disdain.

“You’re a devil worshipper. That’s the only reason you’d work with a dungeon.” The adventurer continued yapping until Hyacinth broke three of his teeth, leaving him sobbing and bloody. It was a miracle he was a C rank adventurer.

As Hyacinth and three other goblins were marching down, Viv once again checked the ritual. It was going to be the most dangerous thing he had done yet, but he had no choice. He was pressed up against the wall by the various forces, and he needed a way to defend himself. Taking a risk here would protect him further on, or so he hoped.

The young adventurer thrust in the middle of the obsidian field, ifrit nowhere to be seen. In the far distance, one could make out fiery figures dancing in the volcano, an edge to their every move. Hyacinth kicked at the adventurer’s knees, making him kneel in the middle of a giant pentagram.

The ritual site was different from the one next to the volcano. Twenty human heads impaled on spears surrounded the bloody pentagram. It was drawn crudely as if a child had painted it with his fingers. Surrounding the pentagram was a much different magical circle, crackling with purple electricity.

“Take this.” Hyacinth handed the adventurer a steel athame, its pommel decorated with a demon’s head. The moment he grasped it, he slashed toward Hyacinth’s throat. The blow landed true, piercing through his flesh. The adventurer waited in silence for his body to drop limp, but instead of the expected scream of death, Hyacinth grasped his hand with an iron grip.

Then, he squeezed. The adventurer’s bones broke with a sickening crunch, the athame dropping to the ground. His head dropped to the ground as he yelled and yelled, a shrill and blood-curling voice reaching every corner of the third floor. In the distance, the ifrit cackled.

“Listen here. I would gladly kill you right this second, but I’m giving you a chance. Pick up the damn dagger and listen, or else your left hand will be next.” Hyacinth grabbed the adventurer by his hair, staring him in his eyes. A gaze full of fear and anger greeted him.

Still sobbing in pain, he picked up the athame with his left hand. Both were shaking as the young man bit his lip, drawing blood. Nearby, the three combat-ready goblins stood to the side, though most of their attention was drawn towards a particular goblin’s wings.

“Repeat after me.”

“I offer you the blood of those that have wronged me, so hear my plea. The devil that rests within the Nine Hells, grant me a boon. I wish to strike a deal with my soul on the line, so come and play.”

With each word, the darkness deepened. The air crackled and distorted as the ground shook with arcane energy, the heat burning a pentagram into the ground. As if possessed, the adventurer lifted the athame, stabbing his stomach. The blood pooled beneath him, building a gate that smelled of sulphur and brimstone. The already sweltering air became unbearably hot, and beyond the gate, one could see a realm of inferno and ash, a land where devils roamed freely.

Out of the gate stepped a creature made of black ash, its very presence crumbling the ground beneath it. It was vaguely humanoid in a way that the deepest shadows in one’s nightmares were, Its form was blurry and distorted as if the world itself didn’t accept it. Its head was split open, and from the neck rose another head, twisted and deformed. The black ash formed a smile, and two glowing white eyes met the gaze of those present.

“You who know the ancient words, tell me your wish.” The devil kneeled next to the adventurer, its body dissipating. Its voice was raspy but sweet, cruel yet innocent.

A black sword touched the adventurer’s neck, drawing a line of blood. “You wish to get out of this dungeon alive, don’t you? If so, repeat after me. I wish for you to protect this dungeon, to defend it when it’s in danger.” Hyacinth whispered in his ear, the sword deathly still.

The adventurer nodded, but his eyes told a different story. He stared at the devil, a smile forming on his lips. Raising the athame in the air, he loudly yelled, “I wish for you to kill everyone here besides me.”

As soon as the word kill was uttered, Hyacinth’s body erupted with a burst of lightning, cutting the adventurer’s throat. Or that’s what would have happened if the devil didn’t reach forward and grasp the sword in its hands. In an instant, the sword crumbled, turning to ash.

“Devil, if you accept this deal, I will personally make sure you die. Do not test me.” Lyn spoke, a dark-purple fireball floating in the air. Zagon took the air and Artorius raised his shield as Hyacinth looked at the ash on the ground in disbelief.

“You may try. You will not succeed.” The devil reached out its wiry arm, plunging it into the adventurer’s chest. Only Viv saw the young man’s soul leave his body. The devil lifted it up, placing it next to his lips. However, before he could swallow the soul, the devil heard a sigh coming from nearby. He turned his head to the side and saw the goblin toss a violet crystal at him.

The next moment, a pillar of lightning shook the entire cave, rupturing the eardrums of those nearby. It crackled violently, discharging tremendous amounts of lightning between the two blue magic circles. Hyacinth and the goblins nervously watched as the lightning faded, no trace of the adventurer left behind. As for the devil, it was nowhere to be seen. Only black ash was left behind.

But before anyone could let out a sigh of relief, the ash started moving. In just a few moments, it reassembled itself into the horrific figure. Its form was even blurrier now, the ash pale grey instead of black. The smile had faded from its face.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I wish to make a pact with you. I’ll provide you with hundreds of fresh souls as long as you’re willing to hear me out.” Lyn once again spoke, his voice full of authority.

“You’ve interrupted my meal and you wish to negotiate with me? Your only fate now is to turn to ash, just like how the rest of the world will soon.” The devil reached out, grasping at Lyn. He rapidly retreated, but the devil stood still. He closed his fist, and in his view, Lyn turned to ash, scattering away in the wind. A black crystal fell to the ground, blending in with the obsidian.

“Snap out of it. I’m not dead. How could such a puny devil destroy me? Quick, grab the crystal!” Hyacinth’s head snapped to the air, rapidly looking around. He took one final glance at the pile of ash before he started sprinting, time blurring.

Zagon flapped his wings three times. Each time, a storm of feathers soared through the air, faster than an arrow. A rain of white pierced the devil, each feather sharper than a knife. It reached out to grab them, but they had a mind of their own, dancing in the wind. Piece by piece, his body was cut apart, piles of ash left behind.

From behind, Artorius’s sword left a streak of blue in the air as he cut the devil’s head off. It flew in the air before turning into a cloud of ash, peacefully drifting in the air. The devil turned to face Artorius, each move of its body quick and violent. Tearing out pieces of itself, it tossed ash in the air, holding out its hands.

When it brought them together, a storm descended. Artorius turned to flee, but his body was pierced thousands of times by the ash that rampaged through the air. As his body fell to the ground, it dissipated, joining the horrible storm.

Then, it was only Hyacinth and Zagon. The feathers continued to ravage its body as it let out a horrible growl. He waved his hand, the storm following his directions. The ash cluttered together to form a lance that streaked through the air, gaining speed by the second. Zagon desperately dodged - he didn’t have enough space to manoeuvre. In a single flap, he would cross the entire third floor, but the lance kept up. The devil’s face was now a swirl of ash, rapidly moving back and forth.

Then, the devil stopped. The lance fell to the ground, his body stilled. “Let my anger consume those that oppose me. Let this world turn to ash.” Color itself drained away from the third floor as the stone cracked. The heat in the air rapidly cooled, and even the volcano became placid. The ground and the ceiling began to crack. The ifrit screamed in pain as their flames dimmed, their bodies turning to ash.

“Zagon, we don’t have time. Distract the devil for even a second. That’s all we need.” Viv’s voice started Zagon, his wings heavy. He nodded, his body half gone already. Like a falling angel, he plunged to the ground, tearing through the devil’s body. It reformed itself in only a second, the devil’s hand grasping Zagon.

Zagon’s expression lightened as he stood next to the devil. For a moment, his wings turned pitch black, wrapping themselves around the two. The devil began to yell in true agony, a hurricane of ash surrounding the two. At the same time, Hyacinth grasped the crystal in his arms, his mana completely drained.

Crushing the crystal, the earth before them turned murky. Like ink spreading on paper, the ground once again regained colour, but it was pitch-black this time. A thousand chains wrapped around the two, arms reaching out and grasping their bodies. The stone shifted and morphed, tearing itself apart to reveal a massive jaw of a demonic leviathan.

“I offer you one last chance. Take my deal or die.” Hyacinth spoke as Zagon faded away in a mix of dust and feathers. The devil looked into the maw of the leviathan, stopping his futile struggle.

“What do you want?” The voice was weary and drained of emotions. The ash on his body was white, his body drained of his previous lustre.

“You will serve me for all of eternity, listening to my every command.”

The devil laughed, ash dropping into the maw. “I’d rather die. You cannot steal my freedom nor bind me in chains forever.”

“A hundred years and I will grant you freedom.” Hyacinth’s voice was cold as he stared down at the devil.

“I am willing to serve you for ten. And even then, I will not be at your beck and call. I will defend your dungeon when needed, but you will not command me like a dog.” Despite being mere moments from death, the devil bargained without a single care in the world.

“Ten years. You will be bound to the third floor, and you may take no action nor make a deal that hurts the dungeon and its inhabitants. You must protect the dungeon and fight its intruders whenever I decide the threat is sufficient. And finally, you must hide your true form and never reveal that you’re a devil to anyone.” Viv spoke through Hyacinth, listing off his demands. Even this was conceding too much.

The devil fell silent, its form fading from view by the second. “Answer or die.”

“Fine. I accept your deal. Ten years and not a single more. Now release me.” Despite saying that, ash was dripping from its body, a demonic force calling it back.

Hyacinth smiled and opened his backpack. He quickly grabbed an ancient piece of parchment, its edges singed by fire. It was yellowed from age, only one side blank. The other was red and black, a series of letters already written on it. The devil took one look at the parchment and yelled, struggling against his chains.

“You may be able to fool anyone else, but I’ve known devils all my life. Not a single one can be trusted. I will kill you before hell takes you back. Sign the contract.” The chains were lifted from the gigantic maw. Hyacinth held the contract before the devil, the details written in soul ink. Hyacinth’s soul signature was on the bottom, a dark-blue imprint of lightning.

The devil laughed and laughed until it could no longer. “Fine. You’ve bested me this time, whoever you are that’s behind the goblins.” Hyacinth reached out the contract, and as soon as the devil’s bound hand touched the contract, a field full of ash appeared at the bottom, sealing the contract.

The chains unwound themselves as the leviathan faded from the ground. The devil’s form was now crystal clear - a contract with a mortal was sealed. Despite that, it was injured beyond recognition, barely able to hold itself together. Nearby, Zagon stretched out his wings, his body lacking any injuries. The devil glanced at Zagon, and a thousand words were said as their eyes met.

As for Viv, he opened the golden interface.

Main Quest 11

The little demon lord progressed fast, much quicker than any regular dungeon. It played around with its friends all day long until something horrible happened - a hero appeared. The hero found out something horrible and rushed to the dungeon, slaying all of the demon lord’s friends. Then, the core shattered and the demon died. The end. Such is the fate of a dungeon that doesn’t play by the rules. Prove to me you’re worthy enough to spare.

Summon an A-rank creature. Create a grade 6 Magic Item. Acquire a tier 5 spell.

Progress - 1/1, 0/1, 0/1.

Reward - Meeting with the King of Fairies, Auberon. King’s Guard (A), Crown of Summer (grade 7), Phantoms of the Wild Hunt (grade 6).

It filled him with boundless rage every time he looked at it, but he was one step closer to fulfilling his quest. At the same time, he was one step closer to gaining enough power to crush Auberon once and for all.