Room : 300
Time : 11: 05 PM
"One more hour to go," Satan murmured, glancing at the wall clock from the bed. Excitement and nervous energy surged through him, quickening his breath. It wasn't just the upcoming assault on the Satanist base that had him on edge—it was the thrill of perfecting his Devil role-play.
"I hope those lines will really sell the act."
He hoped his performance would convince the Satanists—and whatever other forces might be out there—that he was the real deal.
"Let's hope so. Don't make a fool of yourself—and me," his consciousness chimed in, unimpressed. "Your last act was pathetic. If I were you, I'd have hanged myself from the highest cliff by now."
"Too bad for you, I'm the one who controls this body," Satan replied. "So you can just dream on."
"Fuck you," his consciousness shot back, then added more calmly, "Have you checked if all the items you had before being summoned are still in your inventory?"
"I've checked three times. Every potion, scroll, and piece of equipment is accounted for," Satan said. "But let's double-check." He reached into his inventory, making sure everything was still there and ready for any situation. If he could handle any challenge that came his way, it would make his Devil act far more menacing and believable.
"Good. Just don't pull the same stunt you did with Malina," his consciousness warned, recalling the pain he felt when Satan purposely let Malina stab him with her spear. He really didn't like that.
"Still holding a grudge?" Satan teased.
"I'll have my revenge someday," his consciousness muttered.
"Guess I'll be extra cautious, then," Satan said with a smirk.
"Anyway, since we've got nearly an hour, why not test out a few spells?" his consciousness suggested.
"That's not a bad idea," Satan admitted. He was curious about the extent of his abilities—whether they were still bound by the game's framework or if he could push beyond those limits.
But there was one problem.
"Wouldn't that leave me with a nearly empty MP bar? Shouldn't we save it for another time?" Satan asked.
"Why worry? You've got more than enough mana potions to restore it," his consciousness replied. "This is just a minor concern for you."
"True, but my mana potion reserves aren't infinite. I've only got eight hundred seventy left," Satan noted.
"And there's no harm in using one. It's worth it, especially since you can't tap into your full power yet. This isn't the game—you're not restricted to what you could do there. So far, you've won fights through sheer force and other advantages. But what will you do against an opponent with equal power and superior control?"
"But that isn't new. I've faced players who outclassed me in every way in Dark Descent, yet I managed to survive and sometimes even beat them," Satan said.
"Only when you got lucky. This isn't a game anymore—death here is permanent. You've had to be killed twice, but that's beside the point. The real issue is that there are no respawns. Can you really take on someone with Manorma's strength at your current level?"
Satan didn't want to admit it, but his consciousness was right. If there were beings equal to or superior to Manorma, he would be slaughtered like cattle. Those at her level were no joke.
He still remembered the fight between her and the top guild Masters of Twilight that happened due to a misunderstanding. He was shocked to see her alone wipe out an entire guild of 100 level 150 players. His foolish idea to challenge her, thinking her resources were depleted, had been a mistake. She hadn't even used 10 percent of her true power.
The only reason he survived the first few seconds of their fight was that one of the Twilight members used an item that temporarily reduced her MP bar to twenty percent, making her more cautious and strategic in their encounter.
"Oh, I didn't know you cared so much about me. I thought you were just here to make my life miserable," Satan said, feigning a tear. "It almost makes my heart beat."
"Don't worry. I'm still dedicated to making you suffer. But for that to happen, you need to survive," his consciousness said. "And when you survive, I live."
"We'll see about that," Satan chuckled. "Let's get going. I've wasted enough time sightseeing."
With that, Satan teleported a few feet into the air.
"Where should we test out my magic improvements?" Satan asked.
"Where else? Space, of course," his consciousness replied. "Head to the nearest galaxy—Andromeda, if I'm not mistaken."
"Space? Are you insane? How do you expect me to survive there? No air, freezing temperatures, cosmic radiation—" Satan began.
"Relax, idiot. Have you forgotten the lore?" his consciousness interrupted.
"Lore...?" Satan thought for a moment before recalling the details.
According to the lore, demons of Dark Descent didn't need air to breathe. Their bodies weren't true physical forms but conceptual entities given a physical presence to walk the mortal plane. This allowed them to travel through space, unaffected by the cold or cosmic radiation.
"Oh, right. I can survive in space without air. But what about food? This body still needs nourishment. And what if I get stranded out there or run into an alien that can kill me effortlessly?" Satan asked.
"Who's paranoid now?" his consciousness teased.
"Seems like we both are," Satan muttered, scratching the back of his head before ascending higher and higher, eventually breaching the atmosphere and soaring into space. His speed exceeded the speed of light, increasing with every second.
"Do you know the direction to Andromeda? Because I don't. Science was never my strong suit."
"Fine, just keep going," his consciousness replied.
---
After about twenty minutes, Satan exited the Milky Way and entered the Andromeda galaxy.
"We're finally here," Satan said, gazing at the surrounding stars and solar systems. "So, what's first?"
"First, we're going to practice energy sensing. It'll help you naturally feel and visualize things, allowing you to locate your target or destination without relying on detection spells, which could be tampered with or nullified," his consciousness explained. "If you master this, tracing someone will be a breeze."
"Is this how you tracked Malina?"
"Exactly. It's also how I knew the direction to Andromeda. If I were controlling this body, I would have gone across the entire universe, killing, burning and raping every pitiful planet with civilizations in my path, creating a reign of terror never seen before. I would have destroyed stars, crushed galaxies, and brought death to black holes," his consciousness said. "I would have become the destroyer of worlds."
"Alright, wannabe Oppenheimer," Satan said, closing his eyes and focusing on energy sensing, trying to feel and visualize the entire Andromeda galaxy.
It was difficult at first—this was a new experience for him, and the sensations were unclear. The visualization was especially hazy.
"Good, not bad. Now focus even deeper. Imagine that you and the galaxy are one. Each star that burns is you burning; each star that moves is you moving; each star that dies is you dying. Picture every star being born as you being born..."
Following his consciousness's advice, Satan concentrated further, striving to connect with the Andromeda galaxy on a deeper level. Slowly, he began to feel the galaxy around him.
"Good. Now head toward the largest nearby star on your right, then open your eyes."
Satan turned right and traveled fifty light-years, opening his eyes to see a brilliant blue star, at least five hundred thousand times larger than the sun.
"Now what?" Satan asked.
"Move it," his consciousness commanded.
"What?! How?! This star weighs... I can't even begin to imagine how much! How do you expect me to move it?" Satan exclaimed.
"Use your telekinesis, dumbass," his consciousness said.
"This isn't a person; it's a star. I wouldn't be able to budge it," Satan protested.
"You know I can share memories with others, right?" his consciousness said.
"And what of it?" Satan asked, not liking where this was going.
"I could show everyone you've interacted with just how much of a fraud you are," his consciousness threatened.
"That's blackmail!" Satan snapped.
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"Your choice. Do it, or I'll spill your secret," his consciousness pressed.
"In that case, I might just blow up the entire Earth. Can't spread secrets if there's no one alive," Satan countered. He wasn't eager to destroy Earth, but he wouldn't let anyone discover his true nature. He'd rather wander the emptiness of space alone than let his secret be exposed. "And you know I won't hesitate to do that. After all, am I not already planning to blow up the planet as my final devil act to create Armageddon?"
"Damn it!" his consciousness grumbled. "Fine, let's go back."
***
"It's nearly time for the meeting; we should be going," Tamamo-no-Mae said, standing near the door.
"How should we go? In our true human forms or in these disguised ones?" Malina asked.
"Let's remain in our disguised human forms," Tamamo-no-Mae replied.
"Very well," Malina said, and both of them stepped out of the room.
---
Tamamo-no-Mae knocked on the door of Satan's room.
"Enter," came a deep, commanding voice from within.
They stepped inside to find Satan seated on the bed, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"What kept you? I was beginning to wonder if you had abandoned me," Satan mused, his tone smooth and theatrical. "How tragic that would be—my poor heart would surely shatter into a thousand pieces."
"You have a heart? You don't seem like the kind to have one," Malina said as she walked towards Satan, looking him in the eyes. She didn't like Satan at all. While he had power, she still questioned his credibility as the Devil unless she heard it from a demon's mouth.
Satan's smile widened, and he feigned wiping away a tear with his little finger. "Your words pierce me, dear Malina, more deeply than the spear you once drove through my chest."
"You are so overdramatic..." Malina sighed, her tone exasperated. "Now, with the pleasantries out of the way, shall we begin?"
"Before we do, how shall we go? Shall we don our true forms or maintain these modest human guises?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked.
"It matters not to me," Satan replied, his voice rich with a regal indifference.
"Alright, then Malina and I will go in our human forms," Tamamo-no-Mae said as both she and Malina shifted back into their original human forms.
"Who shall open the portal?" Satan inquired, his tone carrying an air of command.
"I will," Tamamo-no-Mae said, as she materialized her fan with a graceful flick of her wrist. With precise movements, she slashed the air three times. The space around them rippled, bending as her strikes cut through it. Each slash left a faint, shimmering trail, like a brushstroke on an invisible canvas. The distortion formed a portal, its edges softly glowing, leading to the Satanist hideout.
"This will take us to the door guarding the Satanist base. Any further, and they'd be alerted unless we first dismantle their magical detection barriers."
"Is such caution truly necessary? Could we not simply halt time and stride through as we please?" Satan questioned, his tone laced with a subtle challenge.
Tamamo-no-Mae and Malina exchanged glances before speaking in unison, "We don't have the ability to stop time."
Time manipulation was rare; the laws of reality made it difficult for most beings to control time. Only the exceptional few could wield such power, though it didn't make them invulnerable to time-based attacks. Even the weakest monsters existed outside the normal flow of time, requiring manipulation at a higher dimension to affect them.
"Ah, what a pity," Satan sighed, his voice tinged with melancholic elegance. "But time itself bends to my will, does it not?"
"No, it's too much of a risk. What if the rings they wear protect them from your time stop?" Tamamo-no-Mae said, with Malina nodding in agreement.
"Fear not, for the Rings of Epoch hold no sway over the time I command," Satan declared with quiet assurance.
"Ring of Epoch... So that's the name of the ring those Satanists are wearing," Tamamo-no-Mae said, nodding her head. Then, with a suggestive expression, she added, "It's a good idea, but I think we should approach this in a less risky way."
"Well, I agree with her," Malina said.
"Ah, two voices against one," Satan conceded, his tone rich with resigned grace. "Very well, let it be as you wish."
And with that, all three of them stepped through into the Satanist underground base.
----
Stepping out of the portal, they arrived at the outer area of the underground Satanist hideout.
"I must say, the creativity of these Satanists knows no bounds," Satan remarked, his voice resonating with a subtle grandeur as he surveyed the design of the outer area.
The surroundings were enclosed by dark, almost obsidian-like concrete walls, each etched with intricate gold linings that glinted faintly in the dim light. Candle stands, crafted from tarnished metal, hung at intervals along the walls, their flickering flames casting a weak, eerie glow. Mounted on the walls were half-rotten skulls of children, their flesh decayed, leaving hollow eye sockets that stared lifelessly into the space. The door ahead was unsettling, constructed from intertwined bones, and marked with a blood-red pentagram encircled by ancient symbols, with the sinister image of a goat's head at its center.
"But they seem to have forgotten about the smell," Malina said, her tone laced with disgust.
The stench was foul, a sickening odor that assaulted their senses.
Tamamo-no-Mae wrinkled her nose and looked at Satan in surprise. "How are you not affected by it?"
"Ah, my dear, if I can breathe in the void of space and endure the relentless storm of cosmic radiation, this foul stench is but a trifle," Satan replied, his tone laced with a hint of amusement. "But let's not lose sight of our purpose here. The task at hand demands our full attention."
He was right. They needed to focus on the mission, not the unpleasant odor.
"Here then," Malina said as she materialized the Spear of Mystra from her personal space. Raising it towards the door, a bright green light flashed briefly before fading away. "It's done."
"What kind of ability was that?" Satan inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"A technique passed down from my mother," Malina responded proudly. "It dismantles magical detection and protection barriers without alerting their creators."
It had taken her a great deal of effort to master this ability.
"Now, it's my turn," Tamamo-no-Mae said.
"What do you intend to do?" Satan asked.
"Just ensuring that all teleportation methods are nullified," Tamamo-no-Mae replied, stomping her foot on the ground. A translucent wave of energy spread across the Satanist base.
"Are we good to proceed?" Satan asked.
"We are," Tamamo-no-Mae confirmed.
"But who's going to touch the door?" Satan inquired. "There might be some sort of contact curse. While I'm confident it would require a curse immunity bypass to affect me, I'd rather not tempt fate."
Tamamo-no-Mae and Malina exchanged glances and nodded, sharing a knowing look.
"You will, of course," Tamamo-no-Mae said, moving closer to Satan and whispering in his ear. "After all, you're stronger and more powerful than us. Not to mention everything about you is... bigger, and you're very hard to resist."
"Is that supposed to be a seduction attempt? If so, you'll need far more persuasive charms to sway me," Satan replied with a wry smile.
"Well, you claim to be the Devil, so what do you have to fear?" Malina said, her tone shifting to one of accusation. "After all, if the legends are true, only God Himself could challenge you. Or perhaps... you're not truly the Devil?"
Satan let out a dramatic sigh. "Very well..." He walked toward the door and touched it, waiting for a reaction. When nothing happened, he pushed it open, revealing the interior.
The floor before them was covered in luxurious red carpet, white glowing crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling in a strange, orderly line, and the black concrete walls were adorned with paintings.
***
"This place is uncomfortably silent, don't you think?" Satan's consciousness mused as Satan, Tamamo-no-Mae, and Malina walked down the hallway, strangely encountering no one.
"That's true," Satan thought, sensing something off. He decided to voice his concern.
"Do you think it's possible that the Satanists are aware of our presence?" Satan asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
"Why do you ask?" Tamamo-no-Mae replied, intrigued.
"Doesn't it strike you as odd that we've been walking for twenty minutes and haven't encountered a single Satanist? This place should be teeming with them, yet we've seen none," Satan pointed out, the situation becoming increasingly suspicious.
"I was thinking the same," Malina added, her eyes narrowing.
Suddenly, all three stopped as they felt a powerful presence approaching from the other side.
"Now what could be coming from that direction?" Satan wondered, his instincts sharpening.
"No need to worry, it's nothing too threatening for you, at least," his consciousness reassured him.
Emerging from the shadows was a creature with a hardened, segmented shell covering its bulky body. A long, sinuous tail, covered in rough scales, extended from its back, ending in a sharp point. Its head was massive and reptilian, with piercing eyes and a maw filled with jagged teeth, giving it a fierce and menacing appearance.
"What the hell is this creature? Some sort of Chimera?" Malina asked, bewildered.
"But how is this possible? How can it exist in its true form in the human world? The laws shouldn't allow that," Tamamo-no-Mae exclaimed, her shock evident.
"That's not a Chimera," Satan corrected, recognizing the creature immediately.
"Wait, then what is it?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked, her curiosity piqued.
"It's a Demi-Gorghes," Satan stated.
"A... Demi-Gorghes?" Malina repeated, trying to recall the term.
In *Dark Descent*, Demi-Gorghes were mid-tier NPCs, usually around level 80 to 90, often used as guards for guild and player bases. Even Satan himself had at least a hundred of these creatures under his command.
"I'll explain it another day, but trust me, this creature is something I'm quite familiar with, and believe me, you two aren't ready to deal with it," Satan said with confidence.
The Demi-Gorghes charged, but before it could reach them, Satan halted its movement mid-air with telekinesis, then flung it far away.
Satan raised his index finger, and a flame began to swirl around its tip, growing brighter and more intense with each passing second.
"I have no time to waste on you, so I'll make this quick. Sixth-tier magic: Fire Bolt!" he declared.
The spell shot forth at hypersonic speed, tearing through the air with a deafening boom. The sheer force of the bolt ignited everything in its path. When it struck the Demi-Gorghes, the creature was engulfed in flames, burning away to the very core of its being. As a wave of scorching fire surged back toward Satan, he swiftly halted it with his telekinesis, extinguishing the flames by cutting off their air supply.
"That was quick," Tamamo-no-Mae commented.
"As I said, we have no time to waste," Satan replied, his tone commanding.
----
They had now entered the second floor, where a gruesome scene awaited them. The area was littered with the bodies of Satanists, their lifeless forms piled carelessly. The walls and floor were drenched in blood, with guts strewn across the surface, creating a horrifying spectacle.
"What happened here?" Malina asked, her eyes scanning the carnage.
"Someone or something attacked them before we arrived," Satan replied, his tone calm and analytical.
"But who could have done this?" Tamamo-no-Mae inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"Many possibilities... rival factions, internal disputes, or perhaps an outside force. But we don't have time to linger here. Let's proceed to the next floor," Satan said, dismissing the scene with a wave of his hand.
"Wait, there's something I need to ask," Malina interjected. "It's been on my mind."
"Go ahead," Satan said, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"During our battle, how were you able to remain in your human form while monsters usually revert to their original forms in subspace?" Malina asked.
"That's been on my mind as well," Tamamo-no-Mae added.
Satan sighed heavily. "Really, you're asking this now? Listen, I am the Devil. I'm not bound by the same rules that govern others. This is my true form, though my human guise has the same appearance without the horns."
"Your true form?" Malina echoed, disbelief in her voice.
"Yes. Now, can we please move on? We can save the questions for later," Satan said, urging them forward.
"Why are you so impatient?" Malina asked.
"I'm not impatient. I just want to finish this quickly," Satan replied.
"But why? Do you have something important to attend?" Tamamo-no-Mae pressed.
"Nothing of great importance," Satan said. "I came here to find someone, but since they're not here, there's no reason for me to linger."
"Then why not leave immediately upon realizing your target isn't here? Why attack the Satanist base?" Malina questioned.
"Well, I thought it would be prudent to cleanse the island from within before addressing it externally," Satan said.
"Address it externally?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked, puzzled.
"I'm going to destroy the entire island," Satan stated plainly.
"But why?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked, shocked. "Why destroy the island? It will kill millions of innocent people."
"There's no particular reason. I do it because I can," Satan replied, his tone cold and final.
----
They now entered the third floor, finding themselves in a dimly lit room. The only light came from candles that seemed to bleed blood, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The room was mostly empty, save for a small table stained with blood and bits of flesh scattered around. A curtain partitioned off one side of the room.
"Hey, isn't this the room where we saw the Satanists cutting that girl?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked, her voice echoing slightly in the unsettling silence.
"Ah, so this is the infamous room," Satan said, looking around. "Is this the sacrifice room, or just one of many?"
"It's neither. It's just a sick, twisted place where they mutilate and rape children," Malina replied with disdain.
"Let's see what's behind that curtain," Tamamo-no-Mae said, walking toward the partition and pulling it aside.
Behind the curtain were several children in tattered clothing, chained with iron restraints. Some were missing hands, others eyes or legs, and some were dismembered entirely. They were all in poor condition, except for two. One was a young girl with long black hair, dressed in ragged western clothing, and the other was a shorter boy with red hair, clad in tattered casual attire. The cage around them was splattered with blood and rotten flesh, though strangely, there was no smell.
"Please... don't hurt us..." the black-haired girl whimpered, tears streaming down her face.
"Child, there's no need for harm," Satan said calmly. "You've done nothing to me. I'm here to end the Satanists."
"You're here to save us!" the red-haired boy exclaimed, a flicker of hope in her voice.
Satan chuckled darkly. "Save you? No. I'm here to do my work. I don't save anyone. But..." he pointed to Malina and Tamamo-no-Mae, "these two might, if you manage to convince them."
The black-haired girl turned to them, desperation in her eyes. "Please, help us."
"I'm sorry, but we can't," Tamamo-no-Mae said gently. "You've both been cursed with the Mark of Cain. If we take you away from here, you'll suffer a far cruel fate. It would be a mercy to leave you here."
"And nothing in this world can break that curse," Malina added. "Unless you had an angel with you or a potent curse-negating item. But we have neither. Though..." she looked at Satan, "perhaps he could help. After all, he claims to be the Devil."
"You... you're the Devil?" the black-haired girl stammered.
"Yes, but I'm not responsible for this," Satan replied. "The Satanists do what they want." Then, almost carelessly, he added, "Though I could remove the curse if I wanted. It's nothing to me."
"Great job, you moron!" his consciousness scolded. "Why did you have to spill the beans so soon?"
"Wait, you can actually undo the Mark of Cain?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked, surprise evident in her voice.
"Yes," Satan confirmed, his tone nonchalant.
"But how? You're no angel," Malina said skeptically. "Or do you have some potent purification item?"
"I have another way," Satan replied. "I can eat curses."
In the lore of Dark Descent, demons were said to be creatures that could feed on negative energy to grow stronger, and curses fell squarely into the negative energy category.
"If you can, then can you save them?" Tamamo-no-Mae asked, a hint of hope in her voice.
"And why should I?" Satan countered. He was the Devil, not a hero, nor an angel who would save anyone without a good reason. There had to be a benefit or a purpose for him to do such a pointless thing.
He turned to the children, his gaze as cold as the abyss. "Tell me, why should I grant you salvation from your pain and the chains of bondage? What do I stand to gain from this? I am the Devil, after all—nothing comes without a price. If you seek deliverance, know this: only one of you can be spared, and the cost will be steep."
"Then free me! I'll do whatever you want," the black-haired girl said quickly, desperation in her voice.
"Very well then," Satan said, producing a small black knife and handing it to the girl. "Use this to end your brother's life."
"But he's my brother," the black-haired girl protested.
"Ah, the fact that he is your brother makes this all the more intriguing," Satan replied with a cold smile.
"Wow... I like where this is going," his consciousness chimed in eagerly.
"What are you trying to pull here, Satan?" Malina demanded.
"Nothing more than presenting the girl with a choice," Satan said, shifting his gaze back to the girl. "If you wish to be free and live, you must kill your brother. Slice his neck and bathe in his blood."
He maintained a neutral expression.
"Ohoho... Amazing! Truly amazing! It seems you have a flair for the dramatic. Push her further, tempt her to commit this sin. Let her be the one to end her brother's life, to shatter her own heart with her small hands," his consciousness exclaimed.
"Well, why do you think the practice was for? Situations like this!" Satan replied.
"I have to kill my brother if I want to be free," the black-haired girl said, glancing between the knife and her brother.
"Sister! Please don't!" the red-haired boy pleaded, trembling.
"You are cruel, truly cruel, and yet you claim to have a heart," Tamamo-no-Mae said, her voice filled with anger.
"I am not cruel; I am merciful," Satan asserted.
"Mercy? Is this what you call mercy? Forcing a sister to kill her own brother, staining her hands with blood, making her commit such a sin? You took my brother away, and now you're doing the same to her," Malina scolded him.
"Death can be a mercy," Satan said coldly. "And we are not here to save anyone. We are here to kill. Children are merely burdens. I would not save them unless absolutely necessary."
"Necessary for what?" Malina asked, her voice demanding an answer.
"Only time will reveal that," Satan replied before turning his attention back to the girl. "The choice is yours."
"But why must it be me and not my brother?" the girl asked, confused.
"No particular reason," Satan said. "Now make your choice, and do it swiftly. I don't have all day."