“Let me handle the chest, master!” Mari pulled out her kit and began working on the chest lock they found on the eleventh floor.
Michael watched Mari work the lock while the others kept an eye on the area. The floor they were on had werewolves, lesser minotaurs, and slimes.
After Mari heard what Michael had done with Pauli, she offered herself to be his slave until they could get out of the dungeon. They required a Divine Intervention, a ritual, to remove the collar at a temple. Michael took a Divine oath to take all three of them once they were out.
That is if they could get out. If their thoughts were correct that the message was also played outside the dungeon, Liara fully expected an army the moment they stepped out.
Orelia was having a religious crisis. She agreed that Sylfaerune was not a good goddess. Michael tried recommending Io, but Orelia had lost all faith in the gods of their world. She wondered how any gods could allow such evil things to happen. Lily was keeping close to the priestess to be a form of comfort.
Listamati seemed entirely reserved now compared to when Michael first interacted with her. There also appeared to be some kind of relationship between her and Liara, but they kept it to themselves.
“Got it!” Mari opened the chest and pulled out a magic rifle.
Liara took up the rifle and held it out to Listamati. “Can you use it?”
Listamati took the rifle and looked it over. “You’ll see in the next fight.”
Liara smirked at Listamati’s response.
It was their eighth day in the dungeon, and they were making good progress with the addition of Listamati. Her Gunner skills were excellent.
Listamati
Class: Gunner Rank 18 (+5)
Str: Rank 11 (+5) Dex: Rank 18 (+5) Int: Rank 17 (+5)
Status:
Physical: Normal (Enhanced) Magic: Normal (Enhanced) Mental State: Remorseful
Injuries:
Special: High Demon, Enslaved (Owner: None)
Skills:
Gunner: Rank 18 (+5) Dual Wield: Rank 16 (+5)
Melee: Rank 15 (+5) Scope: Rank 12 (+5)
Abilities:
Overwhelm Quick Shot Rapid Shot
Dark Vision (Major) Regeneration (Passive) Hypnotize (H)
Entrance (H) Distracting Shot Scope
Execute Snipe Rapid Reload (Passive)
Fly Glide
Besides her many abilities, she was a High Demon which gave her +5 in overall status, and Michael noticed that she had two Hereditary Abilities.
Michael assumed the Listamati must have used them on him back in the watch tower. He would have to check everyone’s status’ often to ensure she doesn’t use it on them.
They heard a roar, and a few lesser minotaurs started charging toward them. Listamati leveled her rifle at one of them and loaded a hard shell into it.
BOOM
One of the lesser minotaurs had a golf ball-sized hole in its head. It was the one in the lead, so it tripped up the remaining two when it fell over. Lily capitalized on the situation, stabbing them both in the throat with her daggers.
“Whoa! Now that’s an Operator!” Mari quickly became a fan of Lily.
Michael was glad that Mari didn’t mind that Lily seemed like a prodigy, especially when she learned that Rana, a Golem Master, was the girl’s mother.
“Rare Class bloodlines are always so cool!” Mari and Lily giggled together.
“How much more do we have of this floor, Rana?” Michael asked.
“Just the stairs at this point. We’ve got all the worth on this one. I already sent my mice to the next floor.” Rana reported.
The three new ladies were amazed to see the genius that was Rana.
The large party continued on their way to the twelfth floor. Their goal was to get to the end of the thirteenth before resting. With so many in the party, they could afford breaks.
They were about halfway through the thirteenth floor when Mari asked a question.
“So, master, why don’t you fight?” She asked.
Liara quickly jumped in. “It’s because Cael is actually too strong! If he gets too involved, we will end up stunting our growth and possibly lead the dungeon to increase the difficulty too quickly.”
“Really?” Mari asked Lily.
“Yup!” Lily cheerily answered.
“I wonder, would the Demon-Lord be worth more than the gods?” Orelia flatly muttered to herself.
Michael’s group froze up at the question.
Listamati and Mari eyed them suspiciously.
“That would be crazy! I mean, the Demon-Lord is supposed to destroy us, right?” Liara tried.
Listamati and Mari backed off, but they kept glancing at Michael as they continued through the thirteenth floor.
They reached the staircase to the fourteenth-floor hours before they expected.
“Should we continue?” Rana asked. Her mice had already mapped out most of the next floor.
Liara was worried. “Things seemed… a bit too easy. Perhaps we could take on the next floor but let’s take it slow. I feel uneasy.”
They agreed with Liara and began getting their equipment cleaned and resharpened. Rana made some repairs on Giiwo.
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Once they were ready to tackle the next floor, they headed down the stairs to the first room.
They stopped and waited to see if anything would come, but… nothing.
“JUMP!” Lily tried to cry.
Click.
The floor beneath them opened up to darkness.
“A… AHHHHHH!” They all screamed, falling into the bottomless pit.
Michael couldn’t even see the bottom with his sight. How many floors were they dropping?
“Dammit.” Michael checked to his side and grabbed Mari. “Mari! Rope everyone together, now!”
At his order, she took out her weighted ball on a rope and got the rope around Lily, Orelia, and Rana.
Listamati took hold of Liara, who was out of reach.
“Lista! Come here, quickly!” Michael ordered.
Expanding her wings, she cried in pain at the wind’s force on them but flapped toward Michael.
Wrapping the two in one arm, he used One with Darkness and pulled them all in.
“Ouch…” Lily said as she sat up.
The others stirred and realized that they were piled on top of Michael in some inappropriate ways.
“Ah!” Orelia stiffened as the curve of one of Michael’s horns rubbed her sensitive area.
They quickly got off him and looked around at the unending darkness surrounding them.
“What is this place?” Mari asked nervously.
“We were pulled into the shadows. But, this cannot be Shadow Step.” Listamati commented, getting overwhelmed.
Michael sat up once they were all off him, Orelia blushing a bit over what had happened.
Liara looked at Michael apologetically.
“It’s not your fault Lia. Who would have known the dungeon would pull a cheap trick like that?” Michael pressed his forehead into her chest.
Liara took a deep breath. “Everyone. I… We have something to confess.”
Orelia, Listamati, and Mari looked toward Liara, who was hugging Michael’s head.
He felt like a coward, not wanting to face them and be rejected. The fate dealt to him was cruel and unjust.
“He’s the Demon-Lord?” Orelia, of all people, asked.
Mari and Listamati looked toward the priestess.
“How did you figure?” Liara asked.
“It was strange that I was able to be revived. True, an Elixir could revive a person within a certain time, but there was no bottle anywhere.” Orelia stated.
“Bottle?” Lily anxiously asked.
“I had seen Elixir bottles when I worked at the temple. They are unique and specially made to preserve and protect precious solutions. The bottles are also one-time usage, so they are useless once used and discarded. No one would keep the bottle.” Orelia explained.
Michael mustered up his courage and stood. “You’re right. I am the Demon-Lord.” He confirmed.
Orelia stepped forward and knelt before him. “Oh, great and benevolent Demon-Lord, thank you for your mercy.” She prayed.
Michael felt an odd sensation reverberate through his body.
Orelia continued. “Please, Caeldaemos the Benevolent, please accept me as your slave. I have no need for gods who let me suffer when you, who could have left me dead, restored life and purpose to me.”
Power was welling up within Michael. He could not understand what was happening at all.
“Please accept us, our lord.” For an unknown reason, both Listamati and Mari joined Orelia in prayer.
Something stirred within his soul. A desire rule. To be worshipped.
Liara and Rana came to his sides and wrapped themselves around his arms.
Lily Joined the others kneeling.
“My lord.” Both Liara and Rana seemed to be in a daze.
Michael fought against the feeling, but it was too strong.
“Embrace it.” A voice whispered to him
“What… is… happening?” Michael didn’t understand.
“You will be the one to change the world.” The voice spoke.
“Change? How?” Michael felt something changing within himself.
“You, who was spurned by the goddess. Embrace your true self and power. This world is your home, and they… are your family.” The voice spoke to him
“Yes. There is no going back… I lost them… All because of her….” Caelchael’s soul roiled in anger.
“Do not let your hate consume you. You have many you desire to protect. You are not Talopar the Butcher. So who are you, Demon-Lord? What is your name?” The voice commanded to know.
His blood began to calm. “I am…”
“Shout it! Shout into the void of darkness! Let the gods know who defies them! WHO ARE YOU!?”
Enshrouded by a silver light, “CAELDAEMOS!” Caeldaemos roared into the darkness, his benevolent light bringing the first-ever warmth to the cold darkness.
The ladies stirred from their dazed slumber. They were no longer in the darkness but in a fortress-like room with a large door.
Liara looked about. “Cael?”
“Over here.” He called out.
The girls looked at him in awe.
Caeldaemos had a new set of horns like his previous, his wings looked larger, and the scales looked like unbreakable obsidian. He had also gotten bigger. His height now topped at seven-foot-two, and his torso was still like a barrel with arms thick with powerful muscles.
“W-What happened?” Liara asked as they all stood.
Liara and Rana took up his hands. “Michael?” They asked.
He smiled and looked down at them with a warm, relieved smile. “I’ve let go of that part of me. There is no going back. I have to move on in this world with all of you, my family.” He cupped their cheeks lovingly.
The weight of his grief was finally gone, and he felt at peace. But to protect his peace, he needed to defy the gods, particularly a goddess. Caeldaemos had no issue with the other gods so long as they could come to an understanding.
Caeldaemos the Benevolent
Class: Reverent True Demon-Lord (Rank 62) (+20)
Str: Rank 50 (+45) Dex: Rank 50 (+45) Int: Rank 50 (+45)
Status:
Physical: Normal (Maximum) Magic: Normal (Maximum) Mental State: At Peace, Loved
Injuries:
Special: Will of the Demon-Lords, Divine Reverence, Master Class, Ruler of Darkness, Bringer of Light
Skills:
Melee Weaponry: Rank 20 (+50) Martial Combat: Rank 20 (+50)
Ruler of Darkness: Rank Max Survivalist: Rank 18 (+45)
Elemental Mastery: Rank 34 (+70) Mana Mastery: Rank 38 (+70)
Bringer of Light: Rank Max Master of Travel: Rank 40 (+20)
Abilities:
Infinite Flight Deathly Snipe Instant Regeneration (Passive)
All Seeing Eye True Demon-Lord’s Call Void Space
Lord of Slaughter (Passive) Lord of Debauchery (Passive) Lord of Elements (Passive)
Lord of War (Passive) Lord of Curses (Passive) Lord of Pestilence (Passive)
Lord of Madness (Passive) Lord of Benevolence (Passive) Lord of Darkness
Divine Reverence. When a powerful being accumulates faithful followers, they gain divine power. Other than followers, they will require at least one who acknowledges them as their god. The followers will benefit from their worship. Current Number of Apostles: 1 (+100). Current Number of Faithful: 5 (+50 each). Current Number of followers: 231 (+1 each). Current Divine Power: 781
Ruler of Darkness. When one embraces the darkness and conquers the darkness within their heart, they gain complete control over the darkness around them and within others. +100 to Ruler of Darkness skill.
Bringer of Light. When one dwells within the deepest depths of darkness and purifies it with their inner light, they become a master of all light. +100 Bringer of Light skill.
Master Class. An achievement gained once every three hundred years through great efforts and sacrifice. +20 to overall status.
Lord of Benevolence. This passive skill blesses its holder with the strength of body and mind to help others. Str, Dex, and Int are adjusted to 50 if they are below. No evil shall stand before the Lord and not be purified through benevolence or force. All races have a higher chance of accepting the Lord if known to them.
“Unreal…” Lily was the only one who barely spoke, as everyone was stunned beyond belief.
Caeldaemos smiled at his daughter. “I’m still me, Lily.”
Lily smiled brightly and hugged her dad.
They spent about an hour in the room, not opening the door yet. Rana had her mice rush through the floors to try and figure out where they were.
“One, two, three, four, five… eleven,” Rana said, shaking her head.
“So that puts us on the twenty-fifth floor. That is going to be a massive boost in danger.” Liara was worried about their situation.
Caeldaemos stood. “Decahedron Barrier.”
Powerful barriers surrounded each one of the girls.
“Cael?” Liara asked.
“This is my fight now. The dungeon tried to hurt my family and my people. I will finish this.” Caeldaemos opened the doors and entered the floor.
Shortly into the floor, a group of full-grown minotaurs charged at them. Caeldaemos shifted forward to them. Singular or in pairs, they fell before the Demon-Lord.
The noise attracted more monsters, but Caeldaemos held up a hand. “Inferno. Boosted Wind.”
A tempest of fire consumed everything in the hallway, leaving nothing but ashes.
“So, this is when Daddy gets serious,” Lily commented.
“Somehow, I don’t think he is doing this seriously.” Listamati retorted.
They continued their way, Caeldaemos seeming to know precisely where he was going.
Ten minutes went by, and they arrived at a large ornate door. Caeldaemos pushed the door open and passed through the black mist, followed by the others.
The boss that they faced was a massive, fourteen-foot-tall minotaur that had several around him.
“Hmm. Lord of War.” Caeldaemos activated his skill, boosting all of his stats and combat-related skills.
Caeldaemos easily took off the boss’s right leg with a single swing of his jager mace. The boss didn’t even have time to react before falling to the ground.
“Earth spires.” Caeldaemos used his mana and turned the boss into a pin cushion.
“He just obliterated the boss!” Mari cried out.
“Ah! My lord is truly great!” Orelia seemed to be fervently committed to him.
“I never tried this before, but… Slaughter.” Caeldaemos flashed about the room, butchering the remaining minotaurs instantly. “Okay… that one is a little scary looking.”
Each minotaur that was killed made a large mess of blood and viscera.
“Hey, Cael,” Liara called over to him.
He looked to see all the girls were drenched in blood.
“Sorry…” Caeldaemos used his light and water combo magic to clean them all off.