I stood by the thick tree I had slept beneath the night before and stared at my hands. My sight was far stronger than it had been yesterday, and my mind was buzzing with myriad profound truths to which no other human was privy. I was the only Human on Earth who had learned the [Truth], and an unfortunate obligation had fallen on my shoulders.
My mind frequently returned to that brief passage in Revelation that mentioned the first ten days of tribulation. If I could just prophesize and categorize the trials that humanity would face over the next few days, I could potentially save many human lives.
Based on my half-assed reading of Revelation, I could predict the events of those initial tribulations with a certain amount of accuracy, but I couldn’t be 100% sure of my predictions. I would need to read all major religious texts and the complete works of Tolkien to formulate a completely accurate prediction of what would happen.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of equalizing air pressure. I turned and saw another portal appear beside me. When I looked, I saw a woman with white hair and red irises step through the portal and enter the forest. On the other side of the portal, I could see the smiling face of the man that most cultures throughout the world viewed as the most evil creature in existence. As the portal slid closed behind the white-haired woman, Melkior cast a glance toward me that conveyed both malice and hopefulness. The message was clear. He had high expectations for me, and there would be consequences if I disappointed him.
The portal slid closed, and I was left alone with the woman. She wore a long brown dress that wouldn’t be out of place in any time period, though the modest dress was insufficient to conceal the figure underneath. Everything about the woman projected an image of a thin veneer of modesty over an enticing substance. I immediately clocked her as a creature similar to the Succubus from Dungeon King.
Immediately upon seeing me, the woman fell to one knee and began speaking in the language of the Archons. “Greetings, my Lord. I have waited my entire life to serve you. If there is anything I can do…”
I cut her off with an arrogant tone that I found was much easier to project now compared to when I spoke to the Bull. “Yes, there is much that you can do for me. First, tell me your name.”
“My people typically do not have names, but Lord Melkior called me Sitri a moment ago.”
“That works for me,” I said, shrugging. Melkior took a name from the Lesser Key of Solomon, of course. How cliche. “Do you know what will happen in the first ten days of this iteration? If so, what will happen next?”
“Yes, sir. Today, 24 [Greater Dungeons] and 144,000 [Lesser Dungeons] will appear. Tomorrow, large asteroids will fall from the sky, and one third of this planet’s surface will be destroyed.” As Sitri spoke, the enthusiasm in her voice was palpable. She spoke of an event that would inevitably kill millions of Humans with unconcealed joy.
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“That’s what I figured,” I said with a sigh. “I think I can extrapolate the rest from there. The dust from the asteroids will blot out the sun, then the Earth will crack, and monsters will be released from the Earth. On the sixth day, locusts will cover the planet. On the seventh, the Cherubim will release twenty million angelic horsemen to attack the Humans. At the end, a woman clothed in the sun and moon will give birth to a ‘dragon,’ which will then surrender its crown to a ‘many-headed beast.’”
“You’re so wise, my Lord,” the kneeling woman said with reverence. “The [Raid Bosses] will appear ten days after System Integration. Though powerful, the [Raid Bosses] are not allied to the [Fifth Great Dungeon]. That brings me to my point. What are your orders, my Lord?”
I paused for a moment, considering the best course of action. “We will attempt diplomacy with the Humans. If we can unite the remnants of mankind, our chances to defeat the Coalition of Light will increase. With that in mind, here are my orders. Sitri, I hereby put you in command of the [Fifth Greater Dungeon]. Any Human who enters our domain is under my protection, and you will not harm them unless they attack the dungeon directly. If an agent of the Coalition of Light enters our domain, either capture them or force them to leave. Try not to kill them, if possible. Beyond that, I leave all other decisions to your discretion. Just keep in mind that our goal is to ally with Humans and remain neutral with the Coalition of Light for now.”
“Thank you, my Lord,” Sitri said with immense excitement on her face. I was slightly worried that she had only heard my statement regarding her promotion. “If I may be so bold, I must ask you one question. Why won’t you be able to command the [Fifth Greater Dungeon] yourself?”
“I will travel to the [Town] to the west of here. I don’t want to become unnecessarily reliant on the [Greater Dungeon]. Once I’ve reached level 25 and gained some powerful allies, I’ll return and ascend the throne once more.” It was only after the words left my mouth that I realized many of my words were coming from Epsilon and not myself. Taking direct command of the [Fifth Greater Dungeon] seemed like a great idea to me, but I was also sure that the feeling was at least partially due to Epsilon’s influence. I was afraid that, if I didn’t resist Epsilon’s influence, it would pull me along until I could no longer think for myself.
“Yes, my Lord,” Sitri stood, and her knees were caked with mud. “I feel so intolerably rude. I don’t even know what to call you. Please tell me so that we may shout your name from the rooftops and all may learn of your glory.”
Obviously, I couldn’t have her call me Vincent Blackwell or Vinzadir. If the Coalition of Light knew my name, they would kill me. I considered a few fake names before settling on one. I chose the name in memory of my friend John Sullivan. Every time someone used that name, I would be reminded of my hatred for the Coalition of Light.
“Call me Octavian.”